Political Theatre category archive

At the Guardian, Hadley Freeman explores the confusing world of wingnut doublethink. A snippet:

Perhaps the most blatant use of doublethink was Mitt Romney’s self-serving claim last week that “corporations are people, my friend”, which managed to be both deeply Orwellian as well as sounding like an offcut from It’s a Wonderful Life. It doesn’t even require a tiptoe of imagination, let alone a leap, to envisage Lionel Barrymore as evil Mr Potter cackling to James Stewart as poor George Bailey: “Corporations are people, George!”

(Incidentally, a version of this self-entitled mentality was echoed by Megyn Kelly on Fox News, the GOP mouthpiece, last week when she ferociously defended her right to maternity leave, despite having derided “entitled programmes” in the past. As Jon Stewart pointed out: “They’re really only entitlements when they’re something other people want. When it’s something you want, they’re a hallmark of a civilised society.”)

Jonathan Bernstein points out that a “traditional” Republican doesn’t have a chance as a Republican candidate. A snippet from the article:

The other thing I’d say to Republicans disappointed in the current choices (as Ross Douthat says he is today) is this: What you’re upset with isn’t the candidate — it’s the party.

Bernstein link via Balloon Juice.

Heh.

I can’t wait to see which Republican candidate will terrify me into voting for Obama again.

At Comically Vintage.

What the Booman said.

By their words shall ye know them:

Infographic from the Republican sideshow er, sideshow in Iowa:

Via Contradict Me.

Afterthought:

“Sterilization.” Hmmmph. Whom exactly are they planning to sterilize?

Russell Brand comments on the riots in England. It’s a long, worthwhile article.

Here’s a snippet (emphasis added).

Why am I surprised that these young people behave destructively, “mindlessly”, motivated only by self-interest? How should we describe the actions of the city bankers who brought our economy to its knees in 2010? Altruistic? Mindful? Kind? But then again, they do wear suits, so they deserve to be bailed out, perhaps that’s why not one of them has been imprisoned. And they got away with a lot more than a few . . . pairs of trainers.

These young people have no sense of community because they haven’t been given one. They have no stake in society because Cameron’s mentor Margaret Thatcher told us there’s no such thing.

They remind me of the Watts riots, which were also a self-destructive explosion of pressure that had been building for a long, long time.

When pressure results in a spontaneous explosion, you won’t find a strategy to the explosion, but you will find causes.

Link and video shamelessly stolen from C&L.

I have mentioned this story before. Now John Oliver interviews the protagonists.

Via Mano Singham.

This is an absurdist hoot.

It’s curious how right-wingers so frequently see themselves as victims when they don’t get their way in everything.

Teabaggers have been upset about the Michelle Bachmann Newsweek cover photo, claiming that Newsweek chose a portrait in which Bachmann has crazy eyes.

Frankly, I didn’t think that the picture looked any crazier than other pictures of her.

Now comes Noz to inform me that Newsweek has retaliated by releasing its other potential cover photos.

Oh. I was correct about them eyes.

One thing puzzles me out of all of this: Who cares about Newsweek?

Via Kiko’s House.

Government of the committee, by the committee, for the should be committed.

Listen all the way through.

Via TPM.

Daniel Ruth wonders whether the old phrase, “know them by the company they keep,” should apply to Governor “Wingnut Rick” Perry.

In a nation that treasures the freedom of religious expression, Perry is more than entitled to campaign in vestments if he thinks it will help him win votes. But the governor should be mindful about the clerical company he keeps.

If Barack Obama was held to account for all the looney-tunes comments made by his former minister, Jeremiah Wright, shouldn’t Rick Perry be subject to the same standard of spiritual scrutiny?

Saturday’s ministrations were hardly a group of faithful souls known for offering up their hopes for the betterment of the nation’s spiritual health. The list of fundamentalist preachers lending their support to Perry’s rally looked like something out of the Oliver Stone Theological Seminary.

Follow the link to see some examples of the company he keeps.

This has been the first edition of what Jamie said.

Here’s the second.