From Pine View Farm

December, 2020 archive

To Boldly Go Where Nobody in His Right Mind Would Want To Go 0

Scene:  On the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.  Caption:  Captain's Log:  The Enterprise has traveled back in time to a primitive and barbaric era in Earth's history--the year 2020!  Our mission--historical research.  Action:  Uhura says,

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Perpetually Popping Off Propaganda . . . . 0

David dissects the deluge of disinformation.

And the spiral continues.

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Speaking of Propaganda . . . . 0

Announcer at

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The Point of Propaganda 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Rob Henderson reviews recent research and argues that the point of propaganda is not to convince, but, rather, to coerce. A nugget (emphasis in the original):

Why display public that everyone knows are lies, and that are easily verifiable as lies? Professor Huang gives us an answer: Instilling pro-regime values and attitudes is one aim of authoritarians. But it’s not their only aim.

Alongside their desire to brainwash people, authoritarians also want to remind them of their power. When people are bombarded with propaganda everywhere they look, they are reminded of the strength of the regime.

The vast amount of resources authoritarians spend to display their message in every corner of the public square is a costly demonstration of their power. Propaganda is intended to instill fear in people, not brainwash them.

Much, much more at the link.

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Maskless Marauders 0

The Roanoke Times editorial board minces no words. A snippet:

. . . how can we explain the nearly 100 people who showed up at the Bedford County Board of Supervisors last week to oppose Gov. Ralph Northam’s latest restrictions on crowd sizes as a way to slow the spread of coronavirus? Among them was Isaiah Knight, who is challenging incumbent Kathy Byron for the Republican nomination for the House of Delegates. He brought a “no shutdown” resolution for the board to adopt that, according to The (Lynchburg) News & Advance, called for arresting Virginia state troopers and health officials who enforce the governor’s order.

“Today, we’re on a razor’s edge between liberty and tyranny,” Knight said. “Fear isn’t the only thing that’s contagious, though. Courage is contagious. Be courageous. Defend the Constitution. The time is now that we the people take back the power and restore Virginia to her rightful place as a bastion of liberty.”

What utter nonsense.

And it gets better from there.

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QOTD 0

Lily Tomlin:

The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.

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Your Government Inaction 0

Sam Seder, Emma Vigeland, and Dr. MarkAlain Dery discuss the failure of the Trump administration to address the current pandemic.

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Tales of the Trumpling: Snapshots of Trickle-Down Trumpery 0

A monumental Trumpling.

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Karen Karen-Like 0

She lost it.

Then it turned out that she really lost it–in an Uber.

Words fail me.

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The Voter Fraud Fraud Is a Fraudulent Fraud Perpetrated by Fraudsters 0

In a news report syndicated by the Seattle Times from the New York Times, the authors argue that the failure of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election had the unexpected effect of debunking the voter fraud fraud. A snippet:

But the effort has led to at least one unexpected and profoundly different result: A thorough debunking of the sorts of voter fraud claims that Republicans have used to roll back voting rights for the better part of the young century.

Nevertheless, argue the authors, many Republican voters will continue to tell themselves that they are somehow the victims here. Another short excerpt:

The false notions have lived on in Trump’s Twitter and Facebook feeds; on the television programming of Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network; and in statehouse hearings where Republican leaders have contemplated more restrictive voting laws based on the rejected allegations.

The entire article is worth a read.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Ensure that your offspring play politely.

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American Exceptionalism Redux 0

PoliticalProf.

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The Rule of Lawless 0

Trudy Rubin tries to assess the damage done by Donald Trump’s pardoning war criminals for committing war crimes. A nugget:

The president’s pardons dishonor the country and our rule of law system. And they soil America’s reputation around the world.

As Crocker and retired Gen. David Petraeus – who served as commander of US and international forces in Iraq – made clear to me, in a joint statement about the pardons: “American prestige, credibility and security have all been seriously undermined.”

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QOTD 0

Akhenaton:

The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance.

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Kittens! 0

Plasma desktop on Mageia v. 7.

A wallpaper from my collection in the Plasma desktop on Mageia v. 7.

Afterthought:

Speaking of felines, one of the cats knocked my little bedroom television to the floor, taking a lamp and the answering machine with it, last night. It took me half an hour to get everything reconnected this morning.

I haven’t gotten the culprit to confess.

Yet.

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The Supplicants 0

The Wicked Witch of the West, Bane, Cruella DeVille, Satan, etc., lined up at the White House to receive pardons.

Via Job’s Anger.

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Put Up or Shut Up 0

Juanita Jean reports on the challenge.

Frankly, I reckon Dan Abbott will turn out to be all hat, no cattle.

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Immunity Impunity 0

Get out of Jail free cardI’m almost–not quite–as old as the man who filed this suit.

I don’t think police would have treated me as they did the plaintiff in said action, but, then, I’m Not Black.

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Originalist Sin 0

Dave and his guest discuss the role of the Supreme Court and the severely flawed reasoning of “Constitutional originalists.”

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Contagion 0

Red Hat carrying sign reading

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