Political Theatre category archive
“Facts Are What People Think” 0
Daniel Graham, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, looks at why persons cling to beliefs even when they are demonstrably false. In this disinformation age, it is a valuable read. Here’s a bit:
The investigations that launched this line of inquiry found that people reported a larger crowd size at Donald Trump’s inauguration than at Obama’s, even when presented with unambiguous photographic evidence to the contrary. Studies of the inauguration photos both immediately after Trump’s inauguration by Schaffner and Luks (2018) and in a recent replication by Ross and Levy (2023) found that upwards of one of every nine “strong” Trump supporters reported a larger crowd size in Trump’s inauguration photo when presented his and Obama’s side by side.
Follow the link for the rest.
Know Them by the Company They Keep 0
So suggests the editorial board of the Newark Star-Ledger:
Follow the link for more.
A Tune for the Times 0
Warning: Short commercial between minute one and minute two.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. Inimical? Most Definitely. 0
Security maven Bruce Schneier takes a deep look at the hazard posed to elections by AI and those who would manipulate it.
No excerpt or summary would do his article justice. Just go read it.
Devolution 0
Michael in Norfolk offers a theory as to why the party of Dwight Eisenhower, Everett Dirksen, and Nelson Rockefeller turned into the party of Donald Trump, Tommy Tuberville, and Lauren Boebert.
Afterthought:
Unmentioned, but methinks just as important, is Richard Nixon’s decision to throw down the welcome mat to racists and bigots odious Southern Strategy.
The Sequel 0
At the Portland Press-Herald, David Nyberg suggests a title for J. D. Vance’s next book.
A Tune for the Times 0
Mangy sings about Donald Trump’s grift for grab.
Misdirection Play: about Those “Issues” 0
Dick Polman has a message for those who say that they don’t know enough about Kamala Harris’s positions on “the issues” (follow the link for context):
Afterthought:
Honest to Betsy, it’s not like she’s keeping her positions secret. There’s this thing called “a website.”
You may have heard of it.
The Playbook 0
Writing at Psychology Today Blogs, Mark D. White looks to the Marvel Universe, particularly to a recent Captain America series, to draw lessons about how fascism works. He identifies three steps in the process; follow the link to see whether they remind you in any way of dis coarse discourse.
1. Inventing a “Mythic Past”
2. Setting “Us” Against “Them”
3. Presenting a “Strongman”
Both Sides Not 0
Gene Collier, writing at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, rails against what he refers to as “the media’s stupid desire for ‘balance.’” Given the state of dis coarse discourse, I think his article is well worth a read. Here’s a tiny bit (emphasis in the original):
It is not quoting somebody contending that it is raining, then searching out someone willing to tell you that it is not raining. You know, for balance. It’s much more about looking out the window and discovering the truth.
All the News that Fits, Both Sides Not Dept. 0
SFgate’s Drew Magary calls out the New York Times for sanewashing Donald Trump and J. D. Vance. A snippet:
Follow the link to see why he so opines.