From Pine View Farm

A Tune for the Times 0

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Yet another case of politeness on the pavement.

We have become an uncivilized society.

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If One Standard Is Good, Two Must Be Better 0

At Above the Law, Liz Dye explores Donald Trump’s claims that he and his staff have the right to destroy official documents in defiance of long-established law. Almost as an aside, she notes the irony:

It’s worth pausing to note that the man who spent years braying that Hillary Clinton should go to email jail for using a private server is now arguing that his minions have a constitutional right to conduct government business on self-destructing messaging apps, and that any law requiring them to preserve those messages is an unconstitutional affront to executive power.

Follow the link for context.

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Enablers of Epidemics 0

Via The Japan Times, Lisa Jarvis considers the legacy of the Trump maladministration’s and of Elon Musk’s DOGE in the light of a spreading ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here’s a bit from her article (emphasis added):

. . . DOGE took a wrecking ball to that network. USAID was shut down practically overnight, which led to Ebola-prevention funding being “accidentally” canceled, as Elon Musk cavalierly noted. Musk at the time claimed it had been restored, but ultimately the health infrastructure was dismantled. Meanwhile, the CDC faced its own steep cuts and the U.S. — which had long been the WHO’s top funder — withdrew from the organization entirely.

While it’s too early to directly blame those cuts for the late detection of the current outbreak, one thing is certain: The decimation of USAID and the U.S.’ exit from the WHO will make containing the spread much more difficult.

Afterthought:

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the Trump maladministration and today’s Republican Party do not comprehend the concept of–nor give a tuppence for–the common good.

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The Exit Strategy 0

Donald Trump, hving painted his way into a corner with Iran, sees war with Cuba as a way out.

Click for the original image.

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A Self-Fulfilling Predicament 0

After I read this news item, the one thought that came to my mind was, “Why am I not surprised.”

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Republican Thought Police . . . 0

. . . Meet Facebook Frolics.

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QOTD 0

Michael F. Flynn:

He believed because he wanted to believe. And that, too, is madness.

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A Tune for the Times 0

Mangy sings of the dynamics of the Trump maladministration.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Yet another one of those “responsible gun owners” exposes a portable phallus to a toddler.

(Fortunately, the child suffered only minor injuries, at least, minor physical injuries.)

One more time, “responsible gun owner” is an oxymoron.

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“The Stew of Aggrievement” 0

Sam and the crew argue that today’s Republican Party is all about the grievances, using a Republican congress person’s obnoxious response to a letter from a fourth grader as a springboard.

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The Art of the Steal 0

Donald Trump, holding folders labeled

Click for the original image.

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Know Them by the Company They Keep 0

What would you think, for example, when this is the company that they keep?

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There’s a Price Tag on Prejudice 0

Farron runs the numbers.

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Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0

A gaslighter? It could give lessons to Charles Boyer.

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QOTD 0

Rex Stout:

. . . impetuosity is a virtue only when delay is dangerous.

Stout, Rex, Too Many Clients (New York: Bantam, 1971) p. 22.

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The Artist of the Con 0

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The Acolytization Process 0

At the Psychology Today website, John Tsilimparis notes that “(a) cult is categorized by a strict, hierarchical system of totalistic authority.” He then goes on to explore how that authority is perpetuated.

Go read his article and consider whether it reminds you in any way of any current political phenomena.

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Big Brother Business, Facebook Frolics Dept. 0

Meta employees caught in a mousetrap.

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The Rule of Lawless 0

Thom wonders, “What happens when a President stops following the Constitution?”

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From Pine View Farm
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