November, 2016 archive
“Ur-Fascism” 1
Der Spiegel points out 20th Century fascism manifested itself in many different ways. Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy was different from fascism in Hitler’s Germany was different from fascism in Franco’s Spain and so on. They point to the work of Umberto Eco, who grew up in Mussolini’s Italy, who sought to find commonalities among various fascist regimes and posited a theory of “Ur-Fascism,” the common threads that allowed all of them to be referred to as “fascist.”
They then apply Eco’s theory to Donald Trump’s beliefs and actions. The result is fascinating. Here’s a bit:
Point six states: “Ur-Fascism derives from individual or social frustration. That was why one of the most typical features of historical fascism was the appeal to a frustrated middle class, a class suffering from an economic crisis or feelings of political humiliation and frightened by the pressure of lower social groups.” It would be impossible to more aptly describe Trump’s appeal to his voters.
This is a must-read.
Facebook Frolics 0
Shorter Jim Wright: “Community standards” my anatomy.
How Stuff Works, Banking Today Dept. 0
Click to see the original image.
By the by, I used to deal with the bank alluded to in the comic. As of last week, I no longer do.
Those Who Forget History . . . . 0
Dick Polman has had it with the lionizing of Fidel Castro. Even granting, as I do, that the government he overthrew was rampant with corruption and Havana was a playground run by the American mafia, Castro has many faults and, especially in the early years, was quite the despot.
A snippet:
That advice was too much even for Khrushchev, who subsequently told Fidel in writing that government leaders can’t allow themselves to be “swept away by the popular feelings of hot-headed elements…If we had refused a reasonable arrangement with the U.S., a war would have left millions of dead and survivors would have blamed their leaders.”
Afterthought:
I remember the Cuban missile crisis, the press conferences on television, the pictures of missile carriers with their missiles at rest, the contemplation of death.
Yes, even kids understand death.
Manufacturing Dreams 2
The Las Vegas Sun takes a look at Donald Trump’s promise to bring back manufacturing jobs and concludes that’s it more flim-flam. A nugget:
There is no shortage of economic experts who say it’s a fantasy.
Why?
Because U.S. manufacturers already are producing a lot of goods. They’re just doing it with fewer people due to automation and other technological advancements in manufacturing processes.
Follow the link for much, much more.
War and Mongers of War 0
I hope Farron is overstating things. I fear not.
Welcome to pariah patriotism.
Facebook Frolics 0
What means this term, “responsible”?
Part of the problem is something I’ve remarked on for years. For some fool reason, people will believe stuff they read on a computer monitor when they would not believe the same thing if they read it in the Encyclopedia Britannica or heard it from the mouth of god herself.
Facebook and Twitter do not generate the seeds of stupid, but they sure as hell allow them to spread and flourish in fertile, febrile fields.
Student Athletes 0
Yeah, right.
Sportswriter extraordinaire Bob Molinaro highlights the hypocrisy of big time college sports.
In a Nutshell 0
In a long and thoughtful article, Elizabeth Kolsky convincingly argues that the key to Donald Trump’s appeal was not the “Make America Great” portion of his slogan, but rather the “Again.” She posits that he offered what many of his supporters saw as continuity with America’s racist past, rather than change, which means acceptance of its pluralist present. Almost in an aside, she wonders
As it turns out, this is also the key to explaining why 53 percent of white women voted for Trump.
Do please read the rest.
Playbook 0
Yesha Callahan looks back at the tactics of President Obama’s opponents over the last eight years to find ideas as to how to deal with Donald Trump. The result is a six-point strategy.
Here’s the first; follow the link for the rest (emphasis in the original).
Don’t worry about whether it’s true or not. As Obama’s haters have shown us, the key to perpetuating a lie is just to repeat it so many times, people will begin to believe it, whether it’s true or not. Every time you tell an untruth, you must end with, “Look it up!” That alone legitimizes your falsehood. The same way conservatives believe that Mexicans are streaming over the border and taking jobs (even though net immigration from Mexico is negative, meaning that more Mexicans are leaving America than sneaking in), or how Muslims are coming to kill you (although white men have committed more terrorist acts in the U.S. since 9/11), you can create your own falsehood.
The Court Is Still in Sessions 0
An attorney who once worked for the Department of Justice recounts his experiences with Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, who is Donald Trump’s selection for Attorney-General of the United States, responsible for ensuring that the Department of Justice concerns itself with, well, justice. A nugget:
Follow the link.
It gets worse.
