Political Theatre category archive
Misdirection Play 0
Robert Reich theorizes that Donald Trump by what I would call a misdirection play. Here’s a bit of his article (emphasis added). Follow the link for context; it’s a worthwhile read.
Wrong. Trump has been able to channel the intensifying anger of the white working class away from the real causes of working-class distress — away from the big corporations, wealthy individuals, and denizens of Wall Street whose money has rigged the game against average working people.
It was not the first time in history that a demagogue has used scapegoats to deflect public attention from the real causes of their distress, and it won’t be the last.
Aside:
Where Reich says “wrong” in the bit I quoted, I might have said “right.” The elements cited in the first paragraph above were not irrelevancies.
They were the bait.
A Cabinet of Horrors 0
Farron reviews the resumes.
Not to mention Matt Gaetz for Attorney-General.
And PoliticalProf predicts the next ones.
Campaign Promises 0
At the Colorado Sun, Mike Littwinn offers an interesting theory as to how Donald Trump garnered enough votes to win. Given the nature of dis coarse discourse, methinks he may have something.
Meaning, they voted for Trump because they figured he’d cut taxes or he’d bring down the price of eggs or because he’s on their team — and not because they believed Trump when he said, repeatedly, that he will turn American democracy on its head.
He goes on to explain why he thinks they will be proven to be, as my old boss would say, in error.
It’s the Stupid, Economy 0
Der Spiegel interviews economist Barry Eichengreen on the like effect of Donald Trump’s election. Eichengreen is not sanguine.
Here’s a tiny bit.
Eichengreen: The Silicon Valley gods will live to regret their support for Trump. Eventually, they will come to understand that tariffs hurt the economy as a whole and that their business models depend on globalization. But I’ve given up trying to understand these guys and their motives. You have to be a psychologist, not an economist, to do that.
Tales of the Trumpling 0
Woman trumpled at a Mickey D’s for having a Harris bumper sticker.
Afterthought:
Methinks that persons who would vote for someone who has no respect for the rule of law or for norms and traditions will themselves have no respe–oh, never mind.
Look in the Mirror, Boy!* 0
At The Seattle Times, Carlton Winfrey argues that the recent election tells us more about ourselves than we would like. And it ain’t pretty.
A snippet:
Follow the link for his reasoning.
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*With apologies to the Who.
“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but If Often Rhymes”* 0
Kimball Shinkoskey hears a rhyme (well, two of them, actually, and neither is reassuring).
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*Mark Twain.
“A Republic, If You Can Keep It” 0
At AL.com, Kyle Whitmire looks at events over the past few years in his home state of Alabama and concludes:
When voters don’t punish crooked politicians, politicians just do more crooked things.
For some fool reason, he seems to suspect that we are about to see this play out on a larger stage . . . .
Establishmentarians 0
Sociology professor Art Jipson takes a deep look at New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), one of the right-wing evangelical they-call-themselves Christian groups that have anointed Donald Trump as Jesus 2.0.
Afterthought:
Methinks the right-wing evangelical they-call-themselves Christian movmment is not at all about the spreading the gospel of love.
It’s about the propagating the power of preachers.
A Tune for the Times 0
(Warning: Mild language.)
