From Pine View Farm

Political Theatre category archive

The Bully’s Pulpit 0

Karen Tumulty.

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The Taken (In) 0

Will Bunch analyzes why the media, both broadcast and print, fell so hard for the fake “Rob Rosenstein resignation” story late last week. His piece is well worth a read. Here’s a snippet:

The media seemed reluctant to admit that the biggest story on Monday wasn’t either the developments in the Rosenstein matter (since there weren’t any, really) or in Kavanaugh’s defense, but the way the naive Charlie Brown of highly paid inside-the-Beltway access journalism fell thump on its head yet again, duped by the football-yanking Lucy of an administration that yells “fake news” at its enemies yet specializes in inventing alternate version of reality.

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International Laughingstock 0

Jesus.

Next stop, Pariah.

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The Art of the Mid-Terminable Con 0

Paul Krugman suggests that there is no Republican there there. A snippet:

One thing we do know, however, is that Republicans have decisively lost the battle of ideas. All of their major policy moves, on health care, taxes and tariffs, are playing badly with voters.

In fact, Republican policies are so unpopular that the party’s candidates are barely trying to sell them. Instead, they’re pretending to stand for things they actually don’t — like protecting health coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions — or trying to distract voters with culture war and appeals to white racial identity. The GOP has become the party of no ideas.

Follow the link for the rest.

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Extreme Vetting 0

Two men walking down the Capitol steps.  One says to the other,

Via Job’s Anger.

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Russian Impulses 0

Shaun Mullen brings up-to-date on the latest in Kremlinology.

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Gamers 0

Roy Eidelson explores the mind games that the right-wing deploys to further their agenda and how they are being used to protect the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. Here’s a bit about one of them:

Superiority. “Pursuing a Higher Purpose.” They insist that tainted actions—such as the torture of war-on-terror prisoners—must be evaluated within the context of the greater good and America’s enduring exceptionalism.

Follow the link for the complete list with more detail.

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Creature of Chaos 0

Thom and Chauncey Devega discuss the vortex of vile (and of bile) that is the Trump administration and suggest that it is not an aberration, but rather a culmination.

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Life Imitates Art 0

Tony Norman finds strange echoes of Dostoevsky’s writings in the Brett Kavanaugh saga.

Aside:

I am not a fan of 19th century Russian literature, though I did once read War and Peace. It’s too dark for me, plus the characters have so many names that you need a program to keep up.

But dark seems to be more and more appropriate.

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QOTD 0

R. D. Laing:

Insanity – a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world.

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The Great Settling 0

Jeff Wallach is dismayed that we can’t do better than this.

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Spilt Tea 0

Farron theorizes that the Donald Trump ascendency is a direct result of teabaggery.

Driftglass frequently argues that the “Tea Party” was nothing more than a rebranding of Republicanism to disassociate it from President George the Worst, but I think Farron has a point–that, in some way, teabaggery unleashed a torrent of stupid that had previously been confined, like the Duke of Harzardous’s coal ash, in Republican retention ponds.

Now the dams of discourse are breached, and the poison flows freely.

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Swamping the Drain 0

Words fail me.

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Those Who Forget Ignore History . . . . 0

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Monetizing the Maniacal 0

Title:  The Birth of Social Media.  Image:  Booth with one side labeled

Click for the original image.

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The Inquisitors 0

Old white men, one wearing an

Via Job’s Anger.

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Hep Cats 0

Image:  Older white man holding paper with headline,

Via Juanita Jean.

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Republican Family Values 0

Almost in passing, Leonard Pitts, Jr., notes a confluence. Follow the link for context:

Here, then, is where we stand: After supporting senatorial candidate Roy Moore (a credibly accused child molester) President Donald Trump (a confessed perpetrator of sexual assault) has nominated to the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh (a credibly accused attempted rapist) who would, if confirmed, serve alongside Clarence Thomas (a credibly accused sexual harasser).

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On His Honor 0

Title:  Kavanaugh's Oath.  Image:  Brett Kavanaugh being sworn in saying,

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Endless Loop 0

Driftglass.

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