Culture Warriors category archive
American Stasi 0
At NJ.com, Ted Sherman runs the numbers and concludes that they do not support ICE’s public statements for its crackdown on immigrants, whether they be illegal or legal. An excerpt:
Comparisons with previous years actually show the increasing numbers of apprehensions were due to more arrests of those who had not been convicted of any crime, the analysis showed.
Read the whole thing. Methinks it supports the claims of those who believer this is not primarily–or, for that matter, in any way–about criminal behavior, but is all about skin color and ethnicity.
(Slightly edited for clarity.)
Establishmentarians (Updated) 0
Alabama recently passed a law requiring the display of (one particular version of) the Ten Commandments in public schools.
At AL.com, PJ Schwartz, Rabbi of the century and a half old Temple B’nai Sholom in Huntsville, Alabama, cuts through the plethora of prevarications propagated to promote this practice. Here’s a tiny bit from his article (emphasis added):
Calling this law “historical” is not just inaccurate. It is a strategy—a way to give legal and cultural cover to something that would be far more obvious if it were named honestly: privilege of one particular Christian worldview in a public institution meant to serve everyone.
Addendum:
Here’s a discussion of the different versions of the Ten Commandments.
American Stasi 0
Also at the Colorado Sun, attorney Mario Nicolais tells the story of what he had to deal with in securing the release of a teenager who fled to the United States to join his family after having been tortured in his home country, only to be snatched up by ICE and sent to a detention center concentration camp for being.
Frankly, this is not how I would like to see my tax dollars at work.
American Stasi 0
At The Seattle Times, Danny Westneat notes that many Washington state farmers are hurting because ICE has rounded up their workers and sent them to–let’s use the proper term–concentration camps. He also points out that many of them, who voted for Trump, didn’t see this coming.
And Westneat wonders where they were during the 2024 campaign.
Here’s a tiny bit from his article.
It couldn’t have been clearer, could it?
Suffer the Children 0
We are again reminded that that’s not scripture. Rather, it’s a Republican family value.
Republican Thought Police 0
If the truth hurts, why, just make it go away.
American Stasi 0
Per the EFF, if appears as if the Trump maladministration wants to keep his wannabe secret police as secret as they can. A snippet:
In January, EFF and media organizations including The New York Times and The Washington Post responded to this blatant infringement of the First Amendment by demanding that the FAA lift this flight restriction. Over two months later, we’re still waiting for the FAA to respond to our letter.
The First Amendment guarantees the right to record law enforcement. As we have seen with the extrajudicial killings of George Floyd, Renée Good, and Alex Pretti, capturing law enforcement on camera can drive accountability and raise awareness of police misconduct.
American Stasi 0
Rick Strom points out that “I was just following orders” is a defense that is precedented.
Fatal Attraction, American Stasi Dept. 0
At the Psychology Today website, Guy P. Harrison explores the attraction of fascism. Here’s his list of the characteristics of fascist regimes; I think it will sound familiar.
- Authoritarian style leadership
- Simplistic symbolism and mass rallies
- Extreme, pathological patriotism
- Anger over the loss of an idealized past that never existed
- Exploitation of racist fears and racial divisions
- Overt politicization of law enforcement
- Call for “traditional” hierarchical gender roles at the expense of women’s rights/opportunities
- Military aggression against other countries and territories
- Undermining of elections and democratic values
- Overt corruption
- Restrictions and attacks on the free press
- Heavy use of lying and propaganda
- Editing of history to promote accommodating myths and minimize the real histories of marginalized people
I commend his article to your attention as a worthwhile read in these times in which truth, justice, and the American way are being Trumpled from within.
American Stasi . . . 0
. . . demonstrate every day the reality of Republican family values.
The Resegregationist 0
Via the Las Vegas Sun, Carlos De Loera posits that the reason for Donald Trump’s attack on birth-right citizenship is quite obivious:
Follow the link for his reasoning.
Immunity Impunity, the Rule of Lawless Dept.
0
Via the Charlotte Observer, Jill Burcum looks at how the Trump maladministration is thwarting Minnesota authorities’ attempts to probe ICE’s shootings of Alex Pretti, Renee and Nicole Good, not to mention others who have received less publicity, and comes to a disturbing conclusion (emphasis added):
Follow the link to learn why she came to that conclusion.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
The Trump maladministration’s campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion shouldn’t be called “anti-DEI.”
It should be called what it is: Resegregation.
A Notion of Immigrants 0
Sam talks with David Bier about how the Supreme Supremacist Court green lit racial profiling.
A Picture Is Worth 0
The American Stasi meets Non Sequitur.
American Stasi 0
Farron discusses how ICE agents were recorded trying to cook up false charges against a protestor.
Real Big Men 0
At the Psychology Today website, Steven A Hassan reflects on the (mostly online movement called the) “manosphere” and warns that it is, if not a cult, at least cult-like. Given that the Trump maladministration seems infested with text-book toxic masculines, methinks it a timely and worthwhile read.
He makes four main points:
- The manosphere uses the same tactics as cults by regulating behavior, information, thought, and emotion.
- Loaded language like “red pill,” “cope,” and “AWALT” simplifies complex ideas and sabotages critical thinking.
- Framing women as the enemy isolates men from anyone who might challenge the ideology.
- Healthy masculinity resources exist and promote confidence through unlearning unfair societal pressures.
Denial Is Not Just a River in Egypt 0
It’s also how the Trump maladministration approaches U. S. History, but some people are fighting back for truth, justice, and the American way.