Political Theatre category archive
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
Lane Crothers spots the thumb on the scales.
Executive Disorders, Reprise 0
To watch the blizzard of executive orders issuing from Donald Trump’s White House, it seems that Trump thinks that executive orders are pronouncements from Caesar’s throne, sweeping all else before them.
My old Philly friend Noz, who, I would note, has some legal training, points out that they are not nearly so sweeping as Trump seems to think:
I urge you to read the rest of his post. Methinks it most timely.
Executive Disorders 0
At Above the Law, Joe Patrice points out that Donald Trump’s attempt to halt disbursement of legally appropriate funds by decree executive order is–er–of dubious legality. Here’s a tiny bit of his article:
Afterthought:
Whatever you might say about the price of eggs and gas (here, they have both risen since the election), it seems clear that Trump intends to keep one campaign promise, however flippantly he made it: To be a dictator . . . ..
A BLT on Wry 0
At NJ.com, Roy Lehman makes a strong case that the successor to DEI will be BLT. He picks as an one example our (shiver) new Secretary of Defense. Here’s a bit:
A. Enron 0
Q. What business are Republicans thinking of when they say, “Run the government like a business?”
This New Gilded Age 0
Farron follows the money.
Gag Order 0
Heaven Trump forbid that federal agencies charged with protecting the health of the populace be allowed to have the unmitigated gall to warn persons of dangers to their health and well-being.
A Tune for the Times 0
From the Youtube page:
In case you were wondering who the new Secretary of Homeland security would be, Kristi Noem, the South Dakota Governor of “I shot my dog’, fame is one step away from taking over that position. She still has to be approved by the full body of the Senate but that looks increasingly likely. The Freedom Toast and Cinebot Video made this video back when she was being considered for VP. It’s a good reminder.
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
Steven Stosny argues forcefully that one of the forces coarsening dis coarse discourse is that shaming has replaced discussing. A snippet:
I think his article is worth your while.
Just look around.
The Clueless Crew 0
Methinks my old friend from my Philly days has pretty much put his finger on major part of the problem.
The Grift of Grab, Reprise 0
Seth tells us what we can expect for the next four (only four, if we’re lucky) years.
Facebook Frolics 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Michael Patrick Lynch argues that, given the reach of Facebook and its sister “social” media apps, the Zuckerborg’s decision to eschew fact-checking has serious implications for the future of democracy. He cites Hanna Arendt:
Follow the link for his arguments.
Signings of the Times, Rule of Lawless Dept. 0
I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say that, if Donald Trump thinks he can single-handedly amend the Constitution by executive order, the rule of law may be on shaky ground under his sewership.
Along those lines, AL.com’s Roy S. Johnson looks at Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day executive order signature spasm and finds himself less than impressed. A snippet:
I’m not sure any single signature made us better — let alone great.
He renamed a body of water and a mountain (snore); contradicted his own “efficiency” quest by ordering all federal workers into the office; poured white-out over all references to diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal government, resuscitated the government-sanctioned murder (the death penalty); did a Simone Biles-backflip with TikTok; yanked us from vital international organizations; tried to pour more white-out on the birthright constitutional amendment; and pen-swiped a lot of jargon-salad decrees declaring “protection,” “America first,” and various “emergencies” allowing him potentially to weaponize the U.S. military against, well, any of us.
Broligarchy, Reprise 0
At AL.com, Kyle Whitmire sees a precedent–and it ain’t a pretty one.
