A Notion of Immigrants 0
Jim Jones, writing at the Idaho State Journal, notices a pattern (emphasis added).
The 19 countries targeted were identified in a proclamation issued by Trump in June. They are all poor countries with non-white populations. Although Trump characterizes them as being potentially harmful to “Americans or our national interests,” none of them are in a position to pose a credible threat to the United States. Of interest is the fact that several nations not on the list do have substantial lucrative business relationships with the Trump family and have been at odds with America’s national interests.
Read his entire piece for context.
Russian Impulses 0
Via the Las Vegas Sun, Trudy Rubin warns that, to understand Donald Trump’s plan for peace in a piece of Ukraine, we need to follow the money.
Republican Thought Police . . . 0
. . . Meet the Establishmentarian Thought Police.
(Yeah, I know. There’s a lot of overlap there . . . .)
The War Gamer 0
The editorial board of the Japan Times looks at the statements and actions of Pete Hegseth, a Fox News weekend backbencher who somehow has ended up as Secretary of Defense (but who calls himself the Secretary of War), and argues that he is living out
Follow the link for their reasoning.
Extra-Special Bonus QOTD 0
Bob Cesca, commenting on how some right-wing commentators have delighted at the suffering inflicted by the Trump maladministraton’s attacks on Venezuelan fishing boats:
That’s the danger of populism–you’re so easily driven by reflecting the whim of the mob.
Real Big Men 0
Or so they think.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
The hunt for politeness goes on.
One wonders, was it the antlers or the fluffy little white tail?
The Fog Machination 0
Susan Estrich notes that the phrase “the fog of war” doesn’t mean what Pete Hegseth seems to think it means. She points out that
Follow the link to find out what it really means and how Hegseth is trying to hide himself in a fog of his own making.
(Misplet wrod correxted.)
A Tune for the Times 0
(Warning: Mild language.)
Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0
A step forward? SFGate’s Drew Magary minces no words:
Follow the link for more unminced words.
American Stasi 0
Sam and the crew discuss the elements of white nationalism and racism in the Trump maladministration’s crack down on immigrants brown people.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
When I was a young ‘un, shooting at tin cans in the back yard of Pine View Farm (except during hunting season, because there might have been hunters in the woods on the other side of the field behind the back yard and the bullet from a .22 rifle can carry for a a mile or more), I was taught to treat every gun as if it were loaded unless I personally verified that it was not. (I was a pretty good shot, too. I once picked off a–oh, never mind.)
I was also taught never to point a gun at anything or any creature unless I intended to shoot it.
Apparently, those lessons aren’t taught any more, because we have become a society of stupid fascinated with firearms, but with no concept of how to use them properly.
Guns and stupid, guns and stupid.
They go together like love and Cupid.
Let me tell you brother,
You can’t have one without the other.
The Rule of (International) Lawless 0
Afterthought:
I doubt I shall live long enough to see the United States restore the international credibility that the Trump maladministration has so befouled with the stench of its venality in just a few short months.