Political Theatre category archive
The View from Above 0
In the Idaho State Journal, Jesse Robison reports on a conversation with some friends in Canada about their view of events in the United States. Here’s one their comments (admittedly paraphrased) extracted from the conversation; follow the link for more.
All That Was Old Is New Again 0
At the Tampa Bay Times, Larry Tye makes a case that understanding the history of Senator Joe McCarthy could lead to understanding Donald Trump and his dupes, symps, and fellow-travelers. Here’s a telling bit from the article:
To Senate Democrats, McCarthy’s message was clear-cut and Trump-like: beware the battering ram.
Republicans were even more yellow-bellied. Their leader in the Senate, Robert Taft of Ohio, confided to friends that McCarthy had “made allegations which are impossible to prove.” But there was a reason Taft, like today’s GOP Senate boss Mitch McConnell, was called Mr. Republican. “Whether Senator McCarthy has legal evidence, whether he has overstated or understated his case, is of lesser importance. The question is whether the Communist influence in the State Department still exists,” said Taft, knowing full well it didn’t. A Washington acquaintance explained that “McCarthyism is a kind of liquor for Taft. He knows it’s bad stuff, and he keeps taking the pledge. But every so often he falls off the wagon.”
The Voter Fraud Fraud 0
Sam and his crew discuss Republicans’ attempts to discredit the franchise.
The Guru and the Groupies 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Steve Taylor explores the “abdication syndrome,” which refers to persons’ choosing to abdicate their autonomy to a charismatic leader or guru. He suggests that it can help understand the fanatic devotion of Donald Trump’s base, even as his behavior demonstrates repeatedly that he doesn’t have a clue about how government, politics, or international relations (let alone integrity or morality) work. Here’s a bit; the rest is worth a look:
Facebook Frolics (Updated) 0
Lies about the wildfires in the West are spreading on Facebook like, you will pardon the expression, wildfire.
We are a society of stupid.
And gullible.
Addendum:
Will Bunch is distressed by the Americans’ gullibility quotient. Here’s a snippet from his column:
Aside:
I trained as an historian. I know that societies can go nuts.
But I’m most distressed to witness my own society doing so.
I am not sanguine.
Feeding on Frenzy 0
The Arizona Republic’s Laurie Roberts find herself in a state of skepticism regarding Donald Trump’s claim that he downplayed the virulence of the coronavirus because he did not want to cause a panic. (Follow the link for her list of for-instances of Trump’s frequent frenzied fomenting of frenzy.)
(snip)
Trump’s entire political career is built on sending people into a frenzy, if not a full-blown panic . . . .
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Tony Norman offers his own interpretations of Trump’s motives for misrepresenting the mortal nature of the menace.
Trump’s Health Couldn’t Care Less, Mailing It In Dept. 0
A veteran from Iowa reports on how Donald Trump and Postmaster General DeJoy’s sabotage of the United States Post Office is affecting him directly. Here’s a bit from his article; there’s much more at the link.
To treat it, I receive a 30-day supply of Plaquenil, which I receive through the mail from the Veterans Affairs Department. Like millions of other people, I rely on the mail for my medicines to be delivered on time.
But recently, new delays in postal delivery mean my 30-day supply of Plaquenil is taking two weeks to reach me. As a result, I’ve been forced to ration my medicine while I wait for my refills to arrive a full week later than they used to.
