Political Theatre category archive
Trumpling the Disinformation Super Highway 0
Afterthought:
There is a very real difference between spin, which may offer different interpretations of the facts twist the facts, and lies, which ignore the facts.
“The Constitution Is Not a Suicide Pact” 0
Sam and his crew dissect the ludicrous arguments offered by Libertarians against common sense safety measures in these viral times. (Warning: Some language.)
Proceeding along the Path to Pariah 0
The AP reports on the rest of the world’s view of the failure of the United States to deal with these viral times. An excerpt (emphasis added):
But after a strict nationwide 10-week lockdown, vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing, Italy has become a model of virus containment.
“Don’t they care about their health?” a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano, north of Rome. “They need to take our precautions … They need a real lockdown.”
Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America had the benefit of time, European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn’t have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units. Yet, more than four months into a sustained outbreak, the U.S. is about to hit an astonishing milestone of 5 million confirmed infections, easily the highest in the world. Health officials believe the actual number is closer to 50 million, given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40% of all cases are asymptomatic.
“We Italians always saw America as a model,” said Massimo Franco, columnist with daily Corriere della Sera. “But with this virus we’ve discovered a country that is very fragile, with bad infrastructure and a public health system that is nonexistent.”
Self-Pity Party 0
All the News that Fits 0
Thom and a caller discuss (and differ on) how to recover from 40 years of media concentration and right-wing propaganda.
Grouch on the Couch 0
Ravi Chandra, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, shares his psychiatrist’s view of Donald Trump’s Axios interview, focusing on “what thought processes and relational qualities” the exchange revealed. Here’s a bit:
A patient with fixed ideas displays these typical defenses.
1. An insistence on their own point of view, and an inability to listen to, comprehend, or give any weight to the other party—usually because other people’s viewpoints are threatening and destabilizing to an already fragile ego and worldview.
2. In other words: I’m right and everyone else is wrong (stamps feet).
He doesn’t reveal anything fundamental we didn’t already know, but the perspective is interesting.
“American Exceptionalism” 0
The United States has most recently demonstrated its exceptionalism by its abject failure to contain COVID-19.
I can’t summarize or excerpt his piece and do it justice. Just go read it for yourself.
Trying To Stir Up Trouble??? 0
The Angry Grammarian is just askin’???
School Daze, Reprise 0
Georgia school system suspends student for not keeping the proper social distance–from “social” bleeping media.
Words fail me.
School Daze 0
Sam and his caller discuss back to school plans in these viral times.
The Vice of the Turtle 0
Aside:
It has been my experience (and I have been unemployed, though I was lucky enough never to have to collect unemployment) that persons are almost never unemployed by choice, but almost always by circumstance.
The notion that persons can live satisfactorily on unemployment benefits is a fiction propagated by the rich and heartless.
Image via The Bob Cesca Show Blog.