Political Theatre category archive
The Rule of Lawless 0
Writing at the Psychology Today website, Chester H. Sunde argues that the writings of Plato can help us understand today. The whole article is quite interesting, but this bit, in which Sunde lists Plato’s hierarchy of governments, caught my eye:
Where are we on the scale?
Republican Thought Police 0
At Above the Law, Joe Patrice explains what “best qualified applicant” means under the Trump maladministration. A snippet:
An email sent to Liberty University School of Law students over the weekend lays out, in refreshingly unvarnished terms, what the administration’s hiring pipeline actually looks like. And it’s exactly as bad as everyone suspected:
The two most important requirements are you MUST be aligned politically with President Trump and his administration and you must be willing to work hard. Don’t be scared off by the transcript requirement. GPA is not a strong factor. If you meet those two requirements, you have a shot.
Just Desserts 0
In a letter to the editor of the Las Vegas Sun, Tom Harper reminds us that
Signs of the Times 0
At AL.com, Kyle Whitmire sees an ominous sign: the banner of Dear Leader Donald Trump hanging from the Department of (sic) Justice. A snippet:
Below his face, the banner says, “Make America Safe Again.”
Somehow, though, the banner doesn’t evoke safety. I can’t think of another instance in history when heads of state hung pictures of themselves from the sides of public buildings that didn’t end badly.
If you know of an exception, please share it with me.
Stray Thought 0
For the half of the electorate who did not vote in 2024:
If you let an idiot win an election, don’t act surprised when you end up with an idiocracy.
All the News that Fits 0
Thom talks with Mary Trump on what happened to objective, fact-based broadcast news.
Afterthought:
I think Thom makes a great analogy about hoarding disorder.
The Medicine Show 0
Rebecca Watson finds herself–er–somewhat taken aback by the Trump maladministration’s willingness to put the public’s health in the hands of quacks.
Or you can read the transcript.
Courting Disaster 0
The saying is that any prosecutor can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich.
Except it seems for Trump’s prosecutors. Via Above the Law, TechDirt takes a deep dive into why the Trump maladministration’s DOJ keeps losing in court. A snippet:
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0
In a letter to the editor of the Las Vegas Sun, Jim Paladino hears a rhyme from the Watergate time.
________________
*Mark Twain.
Presidential Impunity 0
Via the Sacramento Bee, Nathan L. Gonzales wonders how the heck Donald Trump keeps getting away with his lies.
Here’s his wonder:
Follow the link for context.
Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot? 0
Per Robert J. Shapiro, writing at the Washington Monthly about Donald Trump’s arbitrary and capricious trade tariff you-can-hardly-call-them polices and about the possible ramifications thereof, Trump’s answer to that question is a resounding, “Yes.”
The Irony Hand of the Law 0
At Above the Law, Joe Patrice looks at Donald Trump’s reaction to the Supreme Supremacist Court’s overturning his tariffs and notes the irony in Trump ‘s biting the hand that freed him.
Here’s a tiny excerpt from his piece:
Follow the link for Patrice’s take on what this means. Methinks his interpretation if more en point than that of most of the press.
Better Ways To Spend My Time 0
I plan not to watch the snake of the union speech.
I’ve got better things to do than waste an hour (or more) watching a boa confabricator attempt to ensnare its prey when I can read about it in ten minutes.