Political Theatre category archive
Buck Hunting 0
Noz goes looking for where the buck stops.
Mean for the Sake of Mean 0
Robert Reich discusses Donald Trump’s proposed budget. Some excerpts:
(snip)
. . . unnecessarily cruel.
(snip)
. . . unnecessarily cruel.
(snip)
. . . unnecessarily cruel.
Follow the link to see why he says that.
Homer Had the Catalog of Ships.
Trump Has the Catalog of Lies.
0
TPM catalogs the biggest lies in Trump’s Time Magazine interview.
Image via C&L, which explores the ways in which conservatives strive to avoid and deny the truth about the Trumpling of America. (Excerpt below the fold.)
In the Court of the Crimson Orange King
0
I’ve wondered for a while whether Trump thought he was elected king, not president. Werner Herzog’s Bear seems to share that wonder. An excerpt from his post:
Twits Who Can’t Stop 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Stanton Peel posits the existence of “addictive experiences.” I personally have qualms about using the term “addiction” for anything other physical addiction, as to tobacco, narcotics, and the like–substances for which cessation of use produces physical withdrawal symptoms. Much of my skepticism is based on claims of “sexual addiction,” which too often seem to be rationalizations for bad behavior.
Without putting my skepticism aside, I offer here his list of criteria for “addictive experiences.”
1. The activity/experience alleviates negative emotions for the individual, particularly those supporting his identity and self-image.
2. The addictive activity operates in a rapid, predictable way so that the gratification is instant.
3. The consequences of the action are negative, thus exacerbating the person’s negative feelings.
4. The person responds again in the only “safe” (meaning reliable) way he knows how to perform.
5. The addicted individual thus fails to develop alternative, more effective coping mechanisms to produce the emotional reassurance he seeks and requires.
At this final point, when the individual is wholly dependent on a behavior or involvement for his emotional stability, he can be called addicted.
I’ll give you one guess as to whose what type of behavior inspired the post. Follow the link to see whether you got it right.
Turkish Taffy Pull 0
The Local delves into the history of the current strained relations between Germany and Turkey. It seems a bit superficial and anecdotal, but, if you you want to understand some of the headlines coming out of Europe these days, it may be a good place to start.
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
As the Booman said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
At the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, a veteran of the Nixon administration sees some similarities between Donald Trump and Richard Nixon; here’s a snippet:
Afterthought:
Remember that the Watergate scandal sprung from Nixon’s paranoia, his fear that he would lose an election that he already had in the bag. Were it not for that paranoia and the misdeeds it engendered, Richard Nixon would be remembered much more favorably than he is.
How Stuff Works, Trumpling Reality Dept. 0
Pandora recognizes the formula:
Lying in a reality show leads to drama, and drama increases ratings. Real World, any of the Real Housewives series, The Apprentice, The Bachelor, etc. all have a standard formula. It goes like this:
- Put a group of people together
- Let the different personalities mingle
- Conflict will arise between two people
- The others will choose sides
- Lies will be spread – lies that benefit/hurt each side
- Drama = fights
- Two episodes later everyone is getting along
- Rinse and repeat
More reality at the link.
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
The Booman points out, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
When Does a Pot Become a Kettle? 0
Josh Marshall wonders just how “unsubstantiated” an “allegation” must be for the media to call it a lie.