From Pine View Farm

Political Theatre category archive

Dis Coarse Discourse 0

Peter reads from the Book of Phrases:  Black-and-white thinking:  a defining of all substantive issues without regard for nuance, justification, or reason.  See also:  American Politics.

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A Tune for the Times 0

(Warning: Mild language.)

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“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0

Over at Juanita Jean’s, Fenway Fran hears a rhyme. A snippet:

Remember, remember, the fifth of November . . . .

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Post Mortem (Updated) 0

PoliticalProf shares some thoughts.

Addendum:

Regardless of the election of Obama, methinks he did not give America’s original sin of chattel slavery and the doctrine of racism created to rationalize it anywhere near the weight they deserve.

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The Night Before 0

Joe:  Remember when we were kids and how excited we'd get on Christmas Eve?  Bob:  Sure.  Joe:  The anticipation was so great we couldn't sleep.  Bob:  Mm-hmmm.  (Joe grins at Bob.)  Bob:  Election day eve is never gonna be a thing, Joe.  Joe:  How about if we just call it a concept of a plan . . . .

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Especially this year.

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Ballot Questing 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Sunita Sah offers some suggestions for making sure you are casting your vote intelligently.* Here’s one that’s particularly relevant in these days of the Disinformation Superhighway:

Today’s landscape of unverified news sources and social media makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction, muddying our values-based decision-making. When information is distorted, it’s challenging to know whether candidates’ stances align with our values or are just a polished performance. Looking at who funds and influences a candidate can help clarify what policies they’re likely to support, rather than what they claim to stand for in speeches.

Follow the link for her other suggestions.

________________

Her terminology is “act(ing) from personal values, not external pressures.”

I like mine better.

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Pass or Fail 0

Title:  Uncle Sam's Cognitive Test.  Image:  Uncle Sam faces a ballot to choose between Trump and Harris.

And, speaking of cognitive tests . . . .

Image via Balloon Juice.

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Pay Attention to the Man behind the Curtain 0

Title:  Three Misguided Reasons that Americans Are Voting for Trump.  Image:  Frame One:  Man says,

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Mixed Messaging 0

At Delaware Liberal, Alby reports receiving two mailers for Monica Beard, a Democrat running for the state legislature.

He found them curiously different.

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A Tune for the Times 0

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The Blueprint 0

Dracula, surrounded by Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, the Wolfman, and other assorted monsters, is reading book labeled

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Spin Cycle 0

PoliticalProf points out that a tactic is not the same thing as a fact.

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“Those Who Cannot Remember the
Past Are Condemned To Repeat It.”*
0

Kim Shinkoskey, writing at the Idaho State Journal, argues that Americans need to bone up on some history.

______________

*George Santayana.

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The Plank in the Platform 0

Woman filling out ballot says,

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Freedom of Screech 0

Donald Trump’s fee-fees are hurt because he didn’t get his way, so he’s filed (yet another) empty suit. From Above the Law:

And Trump definitely had the time (to file a frivolous lawsuit–ed.) yesterday, filing a complaint against CBS for daring to edit an interview with Kamala Harris on its October 5 news show 60 Minutes. Trump, whose constant stream of invective and verbal diarrhea is routinely “sanewashed” by the press, was incensed that Harris’s more nuanced answer on the war in Gaza was truncated during the original broadcast. On Truth Social, he screamed that CBS’s non-existent broadcast license should be revoked.

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The Disinformation Superhighway 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Elesa Zehndorfer takes a look at a rapidly growing career path: “Disinformation entrepreneurs” who propagate claptrap via “social” media for money. She notes (emphasis added)

Posing as fellow Americans (Democrats, Republicans, or others) the goal of disinformation entrepreneurs (DE) across the world is simple: Search daily trending topics, then ramp up polarization between partisan voters as aggressively as possible by baiting readers with outrageous, offensive posts. The political issue, nation, or ideology is not important; the capacity to make a few bucks is all that counts.

Follow the link for her article, and, remember,

    The things that you’ve seen,
    And can read on your screen,
    They ain’t necessarily so.
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“There’s No Legal Strategy Called Rope-a-Dope” 0

Seth takes a closer look at the last week of the campaign.

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True Decievers 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Robert Klitzman takes a look at recent research into the psychology of cults and cultists. He suggests that it may shed some light on dis coarse discourse. Here’s a tiny bit:

Given the rise of social media, current political cults differ in certain regards from past such groups, suggesting a new form of cult. Traditionally, these groups tended to meet in person, even living together, as Moonies and Jim Jones’ followers did. Yet today, social media serves to bind members closely. Unlike certain past groups, a current political cult can’t physically isolate followers from outsiders, but social media helps maintain boundaries, if more indirectly and informally, by harshly criticizing opposing perspectives and ostracizing any members who adopt these. Since these candidates cannot wholly screen out opposing information, they instead fiercely deride it as “fake news.”

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A Tune for the Times 0

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The Back-Up Plan 0

At the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gene Collier offers his take on Donald Trump’s campaign–er–strategy. A nugget; follow the link for his reasoning.

. . . Trump is not try­ing to win. He’s try­ing to en­rage his loy­al­ists to fight for him when he doesn’t.

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