Political Theatre category archive
The Privatization Scam 0
Arizona’s state budget is in big trouble because of the privatization scam. That’s something you can voucher on.
Here’s a bit of the report from ProPublica:
But as it turns out, the parents most likely to apply for these vouchers are the ones who were already sending their kids to private school or homeschooling. They use the dollars to subsidize what they were already paying for.
Much more at the link.
“There Is No Auto-Pilot Setting for Democracy” 0
Seth points out that previous generations have had to fight to protect democracy and that, now, it’s our turn. He notes that what we don’t need are the “opportunistic purveyors of paranois, suspicion, and fear, who have already rushed to fill the void with incendiary conspiracy theories and lies.”
Aside:
I got three texts purporting to be from J. D. Vance yestoday. (Why he would text me, I have no idea, but, each time, I blocked the number.)
Each one addressed me as “Patriot.”
Coming from the likes of him, that word becomes an insult.
Myth Buster 0
In the course of a longer article how, in evaluating candidates for office, we need to look at the big picture when evaluating candidates for office, the Portland Press-Herald’s Victoria Hugo-Vidal makes a trenchant observation (emphasis added):
Follow the link for context.
Immunity Impunity
0
Der Spiegel talks with Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe about the Supreme Supremacist Court’s recent decision granting Donald Trump “presidential immunity” for “official acts.” Professor Tribe finds the decision to be–er–of questionable legitimacy.
It is a timely and disturbing read. Here’s a tiny bit of it (emphasis in the original):
Tribe: My colleagues in the government department are exactly right. It is a dangerous phenomenon. Minorities are entitled to protection in every respect. But no minority should be able to run roughshod over the majority. After all, it is not a minority of the oppressed that has gained such power in our system. It is the minority of those with the greatest wealth and the best connections. And they are now running the show in a way that is very dangerous to our democracy.
“Corruption without Consequence” 0
Sam and the crew discuss AOC’s speech about abuse of power by Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and the rest of today’s Supreme Supremacist Court.
A Tune for the Times 0
Mangy comments on the Youtube page:
Nobody does ‘snowflake’ quite as well as Donald Trump. There is no issue out there in which Trump can’t figure out a way to paint himself as the victim. Women’s rights? Trump’s suffered because of it. Global warming? Trump’s unjustly victimized by talk of it. Gay rights? Trump’s chances for success are hindered by it. The metric system? Trump says it was designed to make him look fat. Gravity? Just a theory meant to keep Trump down. With all the melting down that Trump does, Mangy Fetlocks thought he deserved a song.
The Courage of His Conniptions 0
Methinks this sets some kind of new record for weasel-wording.
Dis Coarse Discourse 0
Steve M. notes a disparity in the press coverage, which leads him to remark upon what he argues is a longstanding trend. I’m not sure I agree with all his conclusions, but, given that today’s reportage is sweating bullets over Biden’s being three years older than Trump while ignoring (or, at least, de-emphasizing) Trump’s raving falsehoods and fantastic fabrications, methinks his piece is worth a read.
Here’s a bit of his article:
What we have instead is a bias toward normalizing Republicans, a process that’s usually accompanied by an “othering” of Democrats. This has been going on for decades: Walter Mondale was a gloomy wimp, Michael Dukakis was an effete Ivy League weirdo, Al Gore was a prissy egghead, Hillary Clinton was a cackling ballbuster. Their opponents were Real Americans, fond of country music, pickup trucks, and plain-spoken common sense.
“When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them the First Time”* 0
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gene Collier takes a close look at the implications of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. He finds it–er–less than attractive.
Indeed, he characterizes it as a “MAGA Manifesto.”
Follow the first link for 900 pages of secessionist propaganda said project.
Follow the second to learn why Collier sees it as a “MAGA Manifesto.”
Aside:
I not exactly sure what heritage the “Heritage” Foundation is celebrating, but it sounds not unlike the legacy of one of my late relatives.
_____________
*Maya Angelou.
Misinformation Multiplication 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Robert N. McCauley takes a look at a recent book by Paul Thagard, Falsehoods Fly: Why Misinformation Spreads and How to Stop It. I commend his piece to your attention, especially now, when one can spout unsourced anything. A snippet (emphasis added):
Afterthought:
You can’t “consider the source” when you can’t identify the source.
