Open Thread April 15 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 152025
 

Yesterday, Harvard at least stood up to the regime. I’m pretty sure they are the first (at least the first household named university), but I hope will not be the last. And at that, it decided not to use the language “will not negotiate” in the rejection letter. Axios broke the story and by now has more details. Most of my sources yesterday were fixated on the economy, and I certainly am not trying to blow off the possibility of another Great Depression. But it is Robert Reich, IMO, who has the real story – and it isn’t good.

Robert Reich has the direst warning yet. And I might also refer to Harry Litman. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote during the Civil war: “The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.” It’s a nice thought, but peace and good will will not by themselves turn the trick. Accountability is needed. Has our democracy onl exisited up till now because the Nuremberg Trials were held? Would stronger enforcement of Reconstruction have prevented the 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden? Will we ever learn that no consequences means no accountability, and no accountability means the poison never leaves. White supremacists – not all of whom are whie, sadly – ARE the enemy, along with misogynists (and I should add that there is massive overlap.)

This from Heather Cox Richardson on April 9 because that was an important anniversary. Its relevance is not limited to that day – far from it. We are still dealing with consequences of decisions made then.

Share

Open Thread April 5 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 052025
 

Yesterday, Meidas Touch Substack posted a (just over 20 minute) video of a conversation between Ben Meiselas and Gavin Newsom. If you have raised your eyebrows over a few remarks he’s made or things he’s done lately, this might be a good place to come for clarification (though you may still not agree). I didn’t find a transcript, but there is a text summary and a large load of comments.

Colorado Public Radio (although just about everyone has the story) provides evidence that bipartisanship may be on its last legs and gasping for breath, it’s not dead yet. And if it’s saved, it may well be women who save it.

This from Democratic Underground (originally from the Atlantic) has been around for a couple of months. It doesn’t appear to me to have aged at all, so I’m putting it out now.

This from DU, on the other hand, is new. It puts us, and particularly our government, to shame.

Share

Open Thread March 15 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Mar 152025
 

Yesterday, I worked more on my email accounts – cleaning out the old, forwarding to the new to remind me to make the changes – and also took in a grocery order – and not a minute too soon. (But soon enough.) I am making progress, not that it feel like I am.

There’s a lot in this Talking Points Memo, and it doesn’t mince words.

It’s no surprise to anyone, and certainly not to Harry Litman, that Judge Beryl Howell will not stand for malarkey* in her court. (*malarkey – a word I’m using in honor of St. Patrick’s Day which is coming right up.) (Incidentally, did you ever expect to be familiar with the names of so many Federal Judges not on the Supreme Court as you are right now?)

Share

Open Thread December 22 2024

 Posted by at 6:08 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 222024
 

Yesterday, I awoke to find that we have a continuing resolution. I can’t be certain that the F News coverage is the pest on the details, but it’s pretty darned good (should I have said pretty effing good?) so here’s the link. This doesn’t mean I won’t have articles or videos on the potential shutdown for the next couple of days – because there were a few which I thought had continuing value. Meanwhile, the radio opera was Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” in an abridged form and in English (in the spring they’ll broadcast the full one in German and will call it “Die Zauberflöte“). It’s a lot of fun – for adults also – especially in this Julie Taymor production with wretchedly excessive costumes and puppets. It’s designed to appeal to kids, but adults can enjoy is just as well – maybe even better. This opera is famos outside the opera world for the Queen of the Night’s aria (in German, “Die holle Rache,” and known by pro musicians as “The holy racket,” which is not unfitting.) But there are many wonderful tunes in it besides that one. Here’s a whole page of pictures which may give you an idea of the spectacle.

Andy Borowitz has what he calls a “starter kit” to boycott. I’m way ahead of him on all four, and I don’t feel even a smidgen deprived.

This from Wonkette qualifies, I believe, as good news. I will note that the author, “Doktor Zoom,” recently leased an EV and he loves it and, in his own words, “won’t stop talking about it.” So he’s admittedly not unbiased. But pretty much everyone at Wonkette is biased in one way or another, but they all appear to retain the ability to distinguish fact from fiction, even from theory.

Share

Open Thread December 21 2024

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 212024
 

Yesterday, Steve Schmidt had this to say about Elon Musk. It’s short, and it’s painfully humorous, as only dumb-criminal-level stupidity can be. So I’m throwing it in as an extra. Also the Talking Points Memo compared Congress to pro wrestling.  Happy Solstice to all who celebrate!

 

As Heather Cox Richardson points out, last Monday, actual President Joe Biden designated a new national monument in honor of Frances Perkins, secretary of labor under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She deserves it. Much of what FDR achieved was due to her ideas and her pushing for them. Almost everything which os keeping us alive (certainly what is keeping me alive) was her concept and promoted by her. Every human being in America should rejoice at her getting a National Monument. Sadly, too many white men (no, not all not by a long shot, but still way too many) are doing their best to make themselves inhuman in the name of “masculinity.”

This article from Lawfare was referred to me by Talking Points Memo. I’m sharing it because it addresses my own biggest worries about a second Trump** administration, and that is that we are going to lose some battles, and it’s not predictable which battles they are going to be. And a big part of that is because we are going to have to pick the hills we are willing to die on. And that is at least in part because there are only 100 Senators, and only about half of them are Democrats. Steve Schmidt for one is saying we must fight hard against everything, and he is not alone. And I would love to be able to do that – but it simply is not going to be possible.

Share

Open Thread December 14 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 142024
 

Yesterday, I learned that Nancy Pelosi had fallen and injured her hip while part of a Congressional delegation to Europe, and is now in a hospital in Luxembourg.  “The 84-year-old former speaker is cancelling the rest of her CODEL engagements but ‘continues to work,’ Pelosi spokesperson Ian Krager said in a statement.”  It as/is a bipartisan delegation, and apparently some Republicans even offered good wishes and said nice things.  The story is on Axios and being updated as new information comes in.  I’m glad it wasn’t a knee, which I understand is the most difficult joint to work on and get good results.  I wish her a full and speedy recovery.

I didn’t want to wait too long on this analysis by Joyce Vance, so I just squeezed it in when I saw it. (If I’ve said this before, I apologize for the duplication. Apparently the American people simply cannot tolerate a person with as much goodness as Biden has in the Presidency. Jimmy Carter also did not get a second term.) Since he’s apparently not done yet, I can still hope for clemency for Leonard Peltier.

Living in fear is no way to live. On the other hand, if it weren’t for fear, we’d all be dead. A clear eyed fear of actual danger is necessary to survive. Although I don’t remember it, when I was maybe 3 or 4, my Mom, her brother, and I went to Yosemite. At one point, we were fairly close to some bears who were minding their own business. I ran up to one and tried to climb onto it. My Mom about lost it. My Uncle ran to me and the bear and grabbed me off of it before I could be hurt. Was I grateful? No. I was yelling “Bad Unca Bill, won’t let me ride nice bear!” Dictators are predictable in some ways and unpredictable in others. Steve Schmidt addresses ways one can decide to live under those conditions. The more we work at understanding the unpredictable, the more likely we are not to get caught in some less predictable mood swing.

This absolutely didn’t need to happen. But it did. The F* News covers some underlying as well as the obvious facts which make it so bad.

Share

Open Thread September 12 2024

 Posted by at 5:59 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Sep 122024
 

Yesterday, I received a recommendation to see the movie Sugarcane from Tokata Iron Eyes (Chase’s daughter). She writes so passionately ans convincingly that I wish I could share the full letter. Instead, I can provide a link to the National Geographic site (it is a documentary) which is essentially its home page. It will not be shown everywhere in the US – nor everywhere in Canada (though about half – I didn’t count – of the locations it will appear are in Canada, as they should be). The closest to me is Denver; but there is a complete list at the link. And a lot more information of various kinds. And anyone can watch the trailer there. Besides the on-site appearances, it’s planned for Disney and Hulu to stream it (no word on when that will be available yet.) When I was in the hospital last fall, PBS showed a fact-based drama on this subject set in Canada. But it all happened everywhere, at least in North America, and i would not bet against the proposition that it also happened in Central and South America. I also received a surprise. It did not surprise me when Liz Cheney (and even her father endorsed Kamala Harris. But when Liz Cheney also indorsed Colin Allred against Ted Cruz, my jaw dropped. As grateful as I am to all the Republicans who are endorsing Harris, I did not expect any of them to endorse any down-ballot Democrats. I hope this becomes a trend, but am not holding my breath.

Also yesterday, I came to the conclusion that I am not the best person to evaluate debates. In reading around afterwards, I noticed that figures like Robert Reich, Robert Hubbell, and Steve Schmidt were so pleased by Harris’s performance they were almost giddy. Heather Cox Richardson was more restrained, but also felt that Harris had goaded Trump** to fall apart. Joyce Vance had not weighed in yet – but she was hosting an on-line watch party and may simply have been exhausted. My own reaction was most like that of DC Report (written by Terry Schwadron, a name which is new to me.) It’s just not possible for any Democrat (or anyone) to “destroy” Trump** with facts and reason, because his base evaluates him by a different standard.

I got this too late to use yesterday, but I still think it’s worth reading, even if only to evaluate how accurate his predictions were. Did you know the League of Women Voters published a Bingo card for it?

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/september-9-2024
Yes, this is from Monday, but there is still a lot to consider in it, as for example her remarks on the continuing resolution to fund the government, including details in which the devil exists.

Share

Open Thread May 18 2024

 Posted by at 5:56 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
May 182024
 

Yesterday, Wonkette informed me about the male-genitals-shaped balloons Trump** supporters had released Thursday outside the courthouse where he is being tried. Most of us outgrow our toddler obsession with genitals at an age much younger than these people have (God knows how) achieved. Also, there was a kerfuffle in the House involving Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Marjorie Three Names. Many people have had something to say about this. My take is that I’m going to the Atlanta Black Star to get some Black folks’ take before I even begin to formulate my lily-white take.  And then, there’s this.  (And no, you aren’t losig it, Jamie is still from Maryland -that was in error.)

This story from Joyce Vance is years old – but she (and the nation) have only just learned about it now. And that fact alone may be the biggest part of the story.

Sigh. I suppose we should have known this was coming – somewhere. And it will probably be repeated. It is well sourced, but I chose this link rather than ne of the sources, partly because I thought there was value in the comments.

Share
 Older Entries