Political Theatre category archive
A Tune for the Times 0
From the Youtube page:
This song treats the Trump shenanigans in recent days as he has escalated a trade war with Canada and – when faced with defiance and the threat of counter tariffs – indulged in petty statements and pathetic acts such as sanctimoniously renaming Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’. We have been inundated with requests from Canadian followers for something on this topic (including plenty of suggested lyrics and songs) – but we’ve stuck to our own model and selection, which we nearly always do. We wanted to use an iconic Canadian musician for the parody, and opted for the cutting tongue and clean spiky sound of Alanis Morissette – whose show Danielle loved seeing live in London recently. “Jagged Little Pill” was one of our favourite albums – coming out in 1995 when we first met at uni – and “Ironic” (co-written and produced by Glen Ballard) topped the Canadian chart for six weeks when released, thanks in part to a memorable music video that showcased different characters/versions of her.
Vaccine Nation 0
David discusses RFK Jr.’s role–and, by extension, the Trump maladministration’s role–in the growth of measles in the U. S. And, remember, measle was declared eradicated in the United States a quarter century ago.
I was a young ‘un before measles vaccines. I had both kinds of measles. They ain’t fun, my friends.
Also, one of my earliest memories is of my parents both in bed with the mumps, which is much more serious for adults than children. I was very young and the memory is just a snapshot affixed in my mind, but it’s a memory I would not wish on anyone else.
That we are currently ruled by and surrounded with persons too stupid to accept proven science–and, remember, science is all about proof–is, er, most disquieting.
And don’t get me started on “social” media’s role in incubating epidemics.
A Man of His Word 0
Via the Las Vegas Sun, Kimball Shinkoskey points out that Donald Trump has kept at least one promise since reentering office:
Follow the link for his reasons for saying that.
Republican Family Values 0
It should come as no surprise to learn that they are a (not at all) surprisingly flexible thing when Republicans find them inconvient.
The Deal Breaker 0
The Editorial Board of the Las Vegas Sun sees an ominous pattern (emphasis added):
Follow the link for their reasoning.
Republican Thought Police 0
The Trump maladministration is trying an end run around the law so as to punish journalists who report news they don’t like (i. e., actual factual news).
Stray Thought, Devolution Dept. 0
I note in the “Today in History” item in my local rag that today marks the 18th anniversary of Sarah Palin’s selection to be John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 presidential election.
Although the origins of today’s Republican Party reach back at least to Nixon’s “Southern Strategy,” methinks that that might have been the “no turning back” point in that party’s devolution from the party of traditional conservatism to the party of the New Secesh.
Just saying.
The Name Game 0
Mary Trump comments on Donald Trump’s attempt to rename Lake Ontario and the Republican Party’s continuous enabling of his venality. As an aside, she also reveals the new acronym for remember the names of the Great Lakes.
“She Put Her Money Where Her Mouth Was” 0
Ring of Fire’s Josh Gay talks about the part of Dolly Parton’s legacy that isn’t getting talked about.
We lost a good person.
He’s Bubblelicious 0
Methinks Michael in Norfolk makes a good point when he says that
Follow the link for his reasoning.
Steam Punked 0
Donald Trump has demanded that the Navy rip out new launch technology from aircraft carriers and, instead, go back to steam-powered catapults like the ones used in WWII. At my local rag, retired military officer Bree Fram looks at the bureaucratese in the military’s response to this and decodes de code.
Here’s a sample:
After years in defense acquisition, allow me to translate: This is a spectacularly bad time to change the design, and it’s going to cost a fortune.
A Tune for the Times 0
(Warning: Mild language.)
The Bully’s Pulpit 0
In the midst of a longer post about Donald Trump’s war of choice with Iran, Atrios sums up Trump’s approach to foreign policy, or, for that matter, to just about everything: