From Pine View Farm

“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Self-politeness is the politest kind.

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Twits on Twitter X Offenders 0

Cruz spews.

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Still Rising Again after All These Years 0

At AL.com, Frances Coleman argues that the words might be different, but the thought’s the same. A snippet:

Gov. Kay Ivey, a wily old political bird if ever there was one, knows on which side her bread is buttered. Signing a bill that bans diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public schools, universities and state agencies, she said: “I refuse to allow a few bad actors on college campuses … to go under the acronym of DEI, using taxpayer funds, to push their liberal political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians believe.”

It may not have the same rhetorical ring as George Wallace’s “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever,” but it puts the point across.

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The Welfare Queen 0

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The Privatization Scam 0

Title:  Georgia Republicans' School Voucher Plan.  Image:  Public schools suffering in a hospital bed while transfusion of dollars goes into arm of man labeled

Click to view the original image.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0

Another “responsible gun owner,” another child . . . .

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Establishmentarians 0

At the Idaho State Journal, Leonard Hitchcock skewers the reasoning behind the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent IVF ruling. Here’s a tiny bit of his article:

As I see it, the Alabama decision represents the triumph of first-century Christian doctrine over twenty-first-century knowledge.

Follow the link for his reasoning.

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QOTD 0

H. Rider Haggard:

I do not believe in violence; it is the last resort of fools.

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Incongruously Assembled 0

Thom and Farron discuss the do-nothing Republicans in Congress, specifically in the House.

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Second Thoughts 0

Frame One:  Republican Elephant says,

Click for the original image.

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Maskless Marauders 0

An Alabama Republican lawmaker wants to outlaw the very notion of protecting the public good and promoting the general welfare.

Methinks selfishness is the ultimate Republican family value.

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Moms for Libertines 0

Scott Maxwell is an optimist.

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Immunity Impunity 0

Jimmy Kimmel comments on Donald Trump’s attempt to exempt himself from the rule of law.

Via C&L, which has commentary.

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If One Standard Is Good, Two Must Be Better 0

The Arizona Republic’s E. J. Montini details the duplicity and highlights the hypocrisy.

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Precedented 0

Michael in Norfolk has seen it before the mythmaking before. A snippet:

Reality of life in the Old South bore little resemblance to the mythical world of the Lost Cause. Now, Donald Trump is creating a new “lost cause” myth where the tenure of his regime is depicted as a wonderful time where per the myth all Americans – but especially white evangelical Christians – enjoyed a beautiful life and everything was better than it is today. Never mind the economic truth of the Trump years and the nightmare of the pandemic that Trump so thoroughly mismanaged.

More at the link.

(Broken link fixed.)

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QOTD 0

Confucius:

To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous.

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Mob Psychology on the Disinformation Superhighway 0

We have all seen the speed with which lies, hatred, and nastiness go “viral” on the disinformation superhighway. Nigel Barber, writing at Psychology Today Blogs, looks at the dynamics of mob psychology in this age of “social” media. He starts by citing Gustave LeBon’s exploration of mob psychology, published in 1895. Here’s a tiny bit of his article.

Le Bon characterized the mental state of members of a mob as unanimous, emotional, and intellectually weak. He might have been describing the herd mentality of people on online platforms who are deeply emotional and lacking in skepticism or discipline as they amplify the opinions of others by “liking” or retweeting. The anonymity of the crowd can be enhanced by wearing masks, carrying emblems or flags, or donning an informal uniform such as the leather jackets worn by motorcycle gangs. Under a mask of anonymity, mob members experience a diminished sense of responsibility and accountability.

(snip)

These features are also apparent in social media groups. Yet online mobs have some organizational features that differentiate them from old-fashioned street mobs. To begin with, online mobs can be much larger because they stretch across national boundaries bringing the same themes to geographically dispersed actions. So, the same far-right anti-immigrant memes of territorial invasion and replacement of native-born residents are cropping up in street protests around the world.

I commend the entire article to your attention.

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Lessons Spurned 0

Title:  What did we learn from COVID?  Image:  Man:  It's the anniversary of a great tragedy.  Woman:  I know.  Over a million Americans have died.  Man:  I mean having to wear masks in public.  Remember how they were just overflowing into the streets.  Woman:  The morgues?  Man:  The lines for toilet paper.  Thank goodness for our heroes.  Woman:  The healthcare workers who risked their lives?  Man:  The people who defied ordinance and packed indoor spaces.  And years later people are still suffering.  Woman:  From long COVID?  Man:  The landlords who office buildings are empty because people work from home.  Well, I say never again!  Woman:  Be unprepared for a global pandemic?  Man:  Do anything as a society to contain a disease.

Click for the original image.

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Stray Thought 0

I suspect that, if I looked up “truth” in my trusty Roget’s Thesaurus, which I’ve had for forty years, I would not find “divisive concepts” listed as a synonym thereof.

But, if I had an updated version, I think I just might.

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Republican Family Values 0

An Arizona state legislator who is dealing with a non-viable pregnancy and who has suffered multiple miscarriages speaks powerfully of the agony she has endured because of Republican culture warriors and American Talibangelicals.

I knew someone who endured a miscarriage. It is not an experience I would wish on anyone, and it is certainly not an experience that should be mandated by government.

There is a reason the Founders mandated separation of church and state, and this is certainly one of them.

Video via C&L, which has commentary.

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