Hate Sells category archive
Russian Impulses 0
Thom talks with Heidi Siegmund Cuda about the mechanics of Russian interference in the 2016 election via the Disinformation Superhighway.
One more time, “social” media isn’t.
The True Believer 0
What became of “old enough to know better”?
The Hollow Man 0
As you may have heard, Donald Trump, a second-generation American, recently said that immigrants were “poisoning the blood” of America. (One descendant of immigrants certainly is, but I digress.)
In the midst of a longer article discussing this remark, Ned Seaton notes, methinks quite accurately:
Follow the link for context,
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Grung_e_Gene tries to figure out why one of the two major political parties in a country that has boasted of itself as a “nation of immigrants” is so all-fired frightened of immigrants.
Methinks he makes some points worth consideration.
The Dog Whistler 0
At the Kansas City Star, Melinda Henneberger decodes de code. Here’s a bit:
The somewhat surging Republican presidential candidate’ supposed “blunder” was her response to a man who asked her . . . what had caused the Civil War. Only she answered the question pretty much as she has before, with some blah blah about the role of government. Missing from her answer, once again, was this word: Slavery.
A blunder is a stupid or careless mistake. Nad Haley’s answer was not careless, but calculated.
(snip)
Instead, they were the broadest possible wink to MAGA nation that she sees them, as she always has, and is with them, still.
The Authoritarian Appeal 0
Bernard Golden, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, explores the psychology behind the appeal of authoritarianism.
I shan’t attempt to excerpt or summarize his piece. In the light of dis coarse discourse, I commend it to your attention as deserving to be read in its entirety.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Aside:
Natch, Donald Trump is descended from immigrants. If I remember correctly, he’s second-generation.
For that matter, so are all of us descended from immigrants whose families arrived after, say, just to pick a date, 1492.
Republican Culture War Coffers 0
Michael in Norfolk follow the money.
Know Them by the Company They Keep 0
The Rude One pulls nary a punch.
Methinks, though, that he could just as easily–perhaps even more accurately–have used the term “Secesh.”
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
It looks like old times there may not be forgotten.
The Black couple said they walked outside to a burning cross facing their home over Thanksgiving weekend.
“There was a cross burning about eight feet from our fence,” Monica said. “We were speechless because we’ve never experienced something like that.”
More at the link.
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
At my local rag, columnist David Hall writes eloquently of an incident of racist name-calling at a college basketball game. I commend his article to your attention.
This bit, in particular, caught my eye:
Methinks he has a point.
“I Know You Are But What Am I,” Reprise 0
The Rude One analyzes the Republican game plan. (Warning: Rudeness.)
Know Them by the Company They Keep 0
Methinks the Arizona Republic’s E. J. Montini is onto something.
American Legacy 0
America’s original sin of chattel slavery refuses to go away.
It may morph and reshape, it may reclothe and redrape, but it continues to poison our polity.
Freedom of Screech 0
No doubt you’ve been unable to avoid at least some coverage of the who-shot-john about the college presidents who were called to testify before the House Education Committee last week, testimony which led to the ouster of one of them.*
At Above the Law, Mark Herrmann offers a perspective on the issue raised by said who-shot-john.
I don’t know whether I agree with him, but I commend it as a worthwhile read.
____________________
*I have paid as little attention to it as possible, primarily because I think nobody who was involved was right, everybody was wrong, and, most especialliest, nobody was thinking clearly.
Denial Is Not Just a River in Egypt 0
Chris Satullo looks at the numbers, which indicate that unemployment is down, inflation is down, employment is up, and, that in general, the economy is in the best shape it’s been in years.
He wonders why so many person aren’t willing to believe the evidence. Here’s a bit from his article:
(snip)
Vast numbers of Americans, for a variety of reasons, prefer to feel miserable, angry, oppressed, screwed, cornered. And eager to blame the president, the guy on whose watch all those real economic measures improved, for how they feel.
. . . and many apparently feel that the only way to lift us out of these doldrums is to bring back the guy who told us to drink bleach to cure COVID.
Or, to put is another way, “It’s the Stupid, Economy.”