From Pine View Farm

A Notion of Immigrants 0

At Above the Law, Chris Williams points out that, under the Trump maladministration, you can be found guilty without being charged, let alone tried and convicted.

Along the same lines, Robert Reich warns that, if it could happen to members of a “them,” it could easily happen to members of an “us.”

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QOTD 0

Martin Buber:

The real struggle is not between East and West, or capitalism and communism, but between education and propaganda.

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Easter Yeggs, Reprise 0

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Under the Influence 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, Susan Krauss Whitbourne takes a deep dive into the gaslighter’s play book. She identifies six specific tactics that gaslighters use:

  • Manipulation of reality
  • Denial
  • Inconsistency of behavior
  • Isolation
  • Coercion
  • Creating self-doubt

Follow the link for a detailed discussion of the topic. Then ask yourself, does this list remind of anyone either in the news or reporting the news?

Aside:

It occurred to me last night, as I was browsing my favorite online forum, that, just like “responsible gun owner,” “Fox News” is an oxymoron.

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Hair Fuehrers 0

Honest to Pete, I thought the hair wars were over by the time the Beatles broke up.

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The Firebug This Time 0

Donald Trump, holding a torch next to a burning copy of the U. S. Constitution, says,

Click for the original image.

(Broken link fixed.)

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“History Does Not Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”* 0

Der Spiegel talks with Harvard Professor Steven Levitsky, who hears disturbing rhymes from the recent past. A snippet from Levitsky’s remarks:

What is striking about the first two months of the Trump administration is not that it reminds me of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, the Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland, Narendra Modi in India or Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. It’s worse. Trump and his allies have been much more openly authoritarian than any of these figures. They are eagerly embracing authoritarianism. See, for example, the apparent enthusiasm with which they are refusing to comply with court orders and attacking justices.

I commend the entire article to your attention.
__________________

*Mark Twain.

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“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society’ 0

Yet another osymoronic “responsible gun owner” performs random acts of politeness.

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The Unwelcome Mat 0

Per truthout, foreign governments are responding to Donald Trump’s regime of mean for the sake of mean. A snippet:

“We have seen too many stories of citizens being pulled out of airport lines, and being fingerprinted and deported, as if they were criminals. Citizens being kidnapped to illegal detention by ICE…this is not the actions of a Democratic nation,” said Charlie Angus, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party.

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QOTD 0

Henry George:

There are people into whose heads it never enters to conceive of any better state of society than that which now exists.

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Easter Yeggs 0

Mr. Newberger imagines what the White House Easter Egg Roll will be look like now that Donald Trump has put it up for sale.

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This New Gilded Age 0

At the Washington Monthly, Diana Moss explains that the trusts–the ones Teddy Roosevelt tried to bust–are back. A snippet:

In the markets where consumers spend most of their budgets, for example, single companies or tight cliques of just a few firms command outsized market shares and so are able to impose anticompetitively high prices, lower quality, and slow down innovation. For example, four or fewer firms have 70 percent market share or more in sectors ranging from warehouse clubs and supercenters to passenger car rental, passenger airline service, kidney dialysis centers, and breakfast cereals. Tight cabals of large food manufacturers control markets ranging from sugar to baby formula.

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The Cover Story 0

Title:  The Department of Gaslighting Efficiency.  Image:  Two guards on the rampars of a castle look down on invading army equipped with a battering ram.  Leader of the invaders says,

Click to view the original image.

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What You Don’t Know Can’t Hurt Them, Reprise 0

The Trump maladministration has decided that we don’t need no stinking library books.

Who needs books if you’ve got “social” media influencers?

Finish reading this post »

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Russian Impulses 0

At the Bangor Daily News, Dave Witham looks at Donald Trump’s behavior toward Ukraine and has a wonder:

Could one imagine the reaction of Americans if, after Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill had urged President Franklin Roosevelt to negotiate with the Japanese rather than welcome the U.S. to the battle for democracy’s survival?

Follow the link for the rest.

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The Privatization Scam 0

And it is a scam.

You can voucher on it.

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This New Gilded Age 0

This dude has clearly never worried about where his next meal was coming from.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

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QOTD 0

Hector Berlioz:

Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.

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And Now for a Musical Interlude 0

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A Notion of Immigrants 0

Texas A&M professor Andrew Dessler dissects the misdirection play.

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