2023 archive
If One Standard Is Good, Two Must Be Better 0
Michael Paul Williams finds himself dismayed at the willingness of the self-styled “law and order” party to look the other way when the (most credibly) accused is Donald Trump. A tiny bit from his article (emphasis added):
The entire piece is worth your while.
Twits Own Twitter 0
Elon Musk apparently has the courage of his evictions.
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
At Above the Law, Ethan Beberness reports that Open AI and ChatGPT just might be getting their day in court–as defendants.
Recommended Viewing 0
Havaiian Eye, if you can find it.
It was easily one of the best-written detective television shows of its era.
Gutting Out the Vote 0
The editorial board of The Charlotte Observer dissects North Carolina’s Republicans’ plan to take over everything. A snippet:
Follow the link for their evidence.
Merchants of Hate 0
Thom points out that culture war hate is becoming one of our major exports.
Indictment Incitement? 0
Robert Reich looks at the possible reactions to Donald Trump’s indictment and finds a cause for a bit of optimism. Here’s a bit of what he has to say (emphasis in the original):
Violence is possible, but there will be no civil war.
Nations don’t go to war over whether they like or hate specific leaders. They go to war over the ideologies, religions, racism, social classes, and/or economic policies these leaders represent.
But Trump represents nothing other than his own grievance with a system that refused him a second term and is now beginning to hold him accountable for violating the law.The
A Quibble:
It seems to me that Trump has tapped into at least two of five potential causes that Reich listed.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Show politeness to your fellow drivers as you traverse the nation’s byways.
We are a (lead) poisoned polity.
“A Labyrinth of Lies” 0
Joy Reid talks with George Conway about how one thing is not like the other thing.
(Spellink error correxted.)
The Rule of Flaw 0
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Will Bunch minces no works in sharing his theory as to why Donald Trump’s dupes, symps, and fellow travelers are rallying so fiercely to Trump’s defense. A snippet; follow the link for his reasoning.
The indictment of Donald Trump is the most powerful symbol imaginable that for some people — but especially the white conservative dudes who love him the most — their obscene notion of freedom might no longer apply.
No Place To Hide 0
At the Washington Monthly, Karina Montoya has a long and detailed article about how advertising strategy is changing once again. In the past decade, advertising moved to “social” media, with a disturbing side effect of eroding the business models of legitimate news organizations. Now, she argues, retailers are marketing personal information gathered through loyalty programs, credit card purchases, and the like to advertisers. The entire piece is worth a read, but this particular bit caught my eye:
Corporations, not the government, are your “surveillance state.” And we walk nekkid through its streets every day.