From Pine View Farm

Culture Warriors category archive

The Bounty Hunter 0

Man in cowboy gear wearing hat labeled

Via The Bob Cesca Show Blog.

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A Sign of the Times 0

Words fail me.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

PoliticalProf provides a picture of politeness.

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Self-Selected 0

Gwynne Dyer notes a disturbing–and ironic–trend.

“Auto-eugenics” is the just-named phenomenon (you’re welcome) in which the excessively gullible or intellectually challenged are weeding themselves out. It’s most prominent in the United States, where 28 percent of Americans say they do not plan to get vaccinated against coronavirus or are unsure whether they will do so.

The only country in the developed world where vaccine refuseniks are more numerous is Russia, where they at least have the excuse that the state lies to them about everything all the time. Typically, however, American vaccine refusal is twice as high as in other OECD countries — and so, of course, is the COVID-19 death rate.

Follow the link for her discussion of some of its manifestations and implications.

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Republican Family Values 0

Hello, it's me, Greg Abbot, governor of the great state of Texas and noted reproductive health expert.  There's a lot of confusion about our new abortion law, and I'm here to set the record straight.  First, the bill's six week limit allows a full two weeks after a missed period to get a definitive pregnancy test and schedule and receive an abortion.  I don't see how this generous time frame can possibly construed as an abortion ban.  These are extremely good faith arguments which I definitely believe.  There's also a lot of talk about the so-called vigilanted system this bill enables.  Well, this is a load of cow manure, as we say here in Texas.  Since when does empowering citizens to take the law into their own hands for a ten thousand dollar bounty count as vigilantism.  Our bill simply allows anyone who experiences emotional challengees--at, say, the thought of an Uber driver taking someone to an abortion clinit--to be compensated for their suffering.  And to clog our court system beyond human comprehension.  Look, this will work at least as well as our independent energy grid.  And while it's true that there's no exemption for cases of rape and incest, this is not a problem, because we're just going to arrest all the rapist and eliminate rape in Texas.  I don't know why we didn't think of this sooner.  As for incest, well, let's just mover right along to the next topic.  In closing, and as the Supreme Court affirmed, this law is completely constitutional.  If you can't trust Brett Kavanaugh to decied what reproductive rights you should have, who can you trust?  But, look, if you're still worried about it, thsn, just don't have sex in Texas.  Problem solved, you're welcome.

Click for the original image.

And in more news of Republican family values, Texas style . . . .

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Vaccine Nation 0

Elie Mystal minces no words. An excerpt:

The government can require people to be healthy. It cannot require people to get sick.

Via C&L, which has commentary.

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The Longest-Running Misdirection Play 0

Steven M. explains. A snippet (emphasis in the original):

For years the culture war has driven Republican turnout in the South, the Mountain West, and (in recent years) the Midwest. . . .

Democrats want to take your guns. Democrats kill babies. Rich people back the party that runs on these messages, and then that party forms a solid bloc of opposition to increased taxation on the rich.

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American Taliban 0

Woman looking at news on laptop:  Considering how repressive the regime is to women, I'd like to leave too.

Click to view the original image.

Also, too.

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American Taliban 0

The Kansas City Star minces no words.

Via Joe My God.

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Misdirection Play, a Notion of Immigrants Dept. 0

Man labeled

Via Juanita Jean.

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Legacy 0

Michael in Norfolk points out that Barry Goldwater got one thing right.

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Have Cake, Eat It Too 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, David Kyle Johnson explores the hypocrisy and fallacy of anti-vaxxers “my body, my choice” sloganeering. A snippet (emphasis added):

What’s ironic is that, by hijacking the “my body, my choice” mantra in an effort to catch the pro-choice crowd in a contradiction, the anti-vax crowd has instead caught itself in one. If it is moral to put others in harm’s way to avoid the minor inconvenience and non-existent risk of vaccination, it is undoubtedly moral to do so to avoid the major inconvenience and actual risks of pregnancy. If you are for a person’s right to choose to refuse the vaccine, you must be for a woman’s right to refuse pregnancy. Since such a large portion of the anti-vax crowd is not only staunchly on the right, but has spent years arguing against abortion, all they have done is expose their own hypocrisy.

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A Question of Morality 0

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Vaccine Nation, “Words Mean What I Want Them To Mean” Dept. 0

The writer of a letter to the editor of the Las Vegas Sun highlights the hypocrisy.

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A Picture Is Worth 0

PoliticalProf.

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Addicted to Rage 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Jeremy Sherman explores a behavior which he has dubbed “maladdiction,” an addiction to rage. Methinks he may be onto something.

Here’s a bit:

We talk about righteous indignation, without noticing how righteousness and indignation fuel each other. It’s a virtue-signaling vicious cycle any of us can fall into – self-righteousness-fueled indignation, and indignation-fueled self-righteousness.

The more outraged we are at others, the more righteous we feel; the more righteous we feel, the more we feel duty-bound to be outraged at others. One can really rev out on that vicious cycle. It’s highly addictive.

Call it “maddiction” an addiction to getting mad for the self-purifying sensation. Maddiction is the source of common undiagnosed madness, a mental illness because, though it makes one feel purged of sin, it’s an indulgence in the greatest violation of all: Ignoring reality.

I commend the entire piece to your attention. I think it offers a perspective on dis coarse discourse.

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Twits (No Longer) on Twitter 0

An adjudicated twit.

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Republican Family Values 0

Paul Krugman exposes the con (not that the conned are likely to notice). A snippet:

When politicians rant about values, or attack other people’s personal choices, it’s usually a sign that they’re unable or unwilling to propose policies that would actually improve American lives.

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Republican Family Values, Maskless Marauders Dept. 0

I know that I am not the only one to notice the irony in the “Right-to-Life” party’s willingness to court infection and death, for school children no less, during a time of pandemic.

Scott Maxwell has more.

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Watch What They Do, Not What They Say 0

Frame One:  Republican Elephant says,

Via Job’s Anger.

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