May, 2017 archive
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Politeness is a Republican Family Value.
Thus passeth another day in NRA Paradise.
The Court Is in Sessions 0
At Above the Law, Joe Patrice details a recent and Kafkaesque attempt by the Sessions Department of “you can laughingly call it” Justice to deny immigrants access to legal advice.
It appears the vile is in style.
Unfair to Children 0
UC Berkeley professor Alison Gopnik takes issue with comparisons of Donald Trump to pre-school children.
Having researched child development intensely, she finds such comparisons insult the children. Here’s a bit:
Four-year-olds care deeply about the truth. They constantly try to seek out information and to figure out how the world works. Of course, 4-year-olds, as well as adults, occasionally lie. But Mr. Trump doesn’t just lie; he seems not even to care whether his statements are true.
Four-year-olds are insatiably curious. One study found that the average preschooler asks hundreds of questions per day. Just watch a toddler “getting into everything” — endangering his own safety to investigate interesting new objects like knives and toasters. Mr. Trump refuses to read and is bored by anything that doesn’t involve him personally.
Much more at the link.
Via The San Jose Mercury News.
Party Hearty 0
(If you are unclear as to what this cartoon refers to, just read this.)
Afterthought:
When I went to college, I briefly–oh so very briefly–considered rushing a frat.
Then I realized I could get drunk quite nicely on my own without having to waste my drinking money on dues.
Because, frankly, getting drunk is what college fraternities do. All the rest is window dressing.
“A Shared Vision” 0
Shaun Mullen explores the Russian connection. Here’s how he starts out:
Although they ruled empires 4,600 miles apart, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin shared a vision.
Trump, the billionaire New York real estate mogul and reality television star, wanted even more power and money, while Putin, the autocratic Russian president, wanted even more power and influence. Trump fantasized about becoming president of the United States while Putin dreamed of returning the former Soviet Union to its Cold War glory and was willing to do whatever it took, most especially undermining America’s standing as the sole superpower.
Follow the link to see how he wraps up.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Click to hear the New Secesh celebrate their glorious Southern heritage.
(2017-05-22 23:15 Link updated to a more thorough description of the conduct of the New Secesh.)
The Ban That Dare Not Speak Its Name 0
At The Charlotte Observer, historian David B. Parker finds a parallel to Donald Trump’s “oh, no, it’s not really a Muslim ban” ban. It’s not pretty. Here’s the gist:
It might be useful to consider a historical analogy.
In the late 19th century, Mississippi’s Democratic leaders were concerned about the state’s political future. Democrats had controlled Mississippi since the end of Reconstruction, but the black population was growing, and Republicans (at the time, the more civil rights-oriented party) had just gained control of both houses of Congress and the White House. How could Democrats ensure that they would stay on top?
If only there were some way to limit the black vote, they would be safe. If only they could pass a law that said, “Negroes may not vote in Mississippi,” that would settle it. But the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited states from denying anyone the right to vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” So this is the problem that white Mississippians faced: how to cut out the black vote without looking like they were cutting out the black vote.
A World of Their Own 0
In The Bangor Daily News, Amy Fried marvels at Republicans’ retreat into an imaginary world. They’ve gone from Reagan’s voodoo economics into a world of voodoo science. A snippet:
When it comes to simply describing a policy, instead of discussing the same facts in light of differing values about the role of government, Republican leaders assert clearly false claims. This can be seen when it comes to Trumpcare.
Follow the link to learn why she said that and how convincingly she can back it up.
