History – Politics Plus

Open Thread March 27 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 272025

Yesterday, there was an interesting development. Last week the cartoonist Michael deAdder signed up to be exclusive to Meidas Touch. Then yesterday, Ann Telnaes did the same with the Contrarian. It appears that the Progressives on Substack are doing something right. Also yesterday, Joyce Vance wondered what it will take to break through the psychological chains which bind them to the Canteloupe Caligula and his ilk. I can answer that in one short phrase: a resounding defeat. I would like to think it wouldn’t have to be a military defeat, but there is no guarantee. I know this because I am old enough to remember that after the Allies occupied Germany, soldiers consistently said that it was impossible to find anyone who would admit to having been a Nazi. If – and I’m afraid it is an if – we manage to pull off that decisive a victory, it will be difficult to impossible to find anyone who will admit to having been MAGA. But it will have to be a victory as decisive as World War II was. And then we – although I don’t expect to be present – will have to come up with a way to have the First Amendment and at the same time be able to stifle MAGA opinions. That is not going to be easy. But if it isn’t done, there will be another takeover by authoritarians in about 80 years – two generations.

I’m not reading the New Yorker newsletter much any more, but this one’s subject line didn’t say New Yorker, it said Ronan Farrow, and I find him to be both accurate and readable. Besides the horrific callousness in this story, I hope you will pause for a few seconds and think about how much misogyny shared by how many people it took for this to happen. There are more predators here than just the obvious one.

Robert Reich tells it like it is – and without saying so in so many words, demonstrates that Nazi Germany existed not only because of the actions of tha Nazis, but also because of the inaction of non-Nazis. I don’t mean to demean the resistance in Germany – look up Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Society if you don’t know or don’t remember it. They were valiant. But meanwhile, many other Germans were collaborating. There’s a much quoted line from “Judgment at Nuremberg” (so much quoted I am likely not to het it exactly right) when near the end a character playing one of the convicted German judges says to Spencer Tracy’s character, “I swear to you that I did not know it was happening,” and Tracy replies, “You knew the first time you sentences a man to death whom you knew to be innocent.”

Open Thread March 16 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:02 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 162025

Yesterday, the radio opera was Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” You are welcome to skip the details, although I hope you’ll give it a chance – I am going into more detail than usual, because Beethoven was one of us. I don’t suppose he would be thought progressive today, but in his day he was as progressive as they came, and loud about it. Like pretty much all the progressives of the day, he was fooled for a while by Napoleon – they all thought “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” – until he wasn’t. But this opera is our opera – all about political corruption and the courage to oppose and expose it. Here’s the story: Leonora (Eleanor in English) Florestan is a young (or youngish) woman whose husband disappeared two years ago, shortly after attempting to expose the corruption of the “governor” of a political prison named Pizarro. She has tried and failed to learn anything about hos whereabouts. In desperation, she disguises herself as a young man and applies for a n apprentice warden job at the prison governed by Pizarro, under the alias “Fidelio.” She is a bright, intelligent, conscientious worker, and makes excellent impressions on the warden, Rocco, and also on his daughter, Marcellina, who is ready to throw over her previous suitor, Jaquino, to marry “him,” and Rocco supports Fidelio as a suitor. (This leads to a comic quartet.) Fidelio changes the subject by offering to help Rocco in his duties in the dungeon. Rocco’s response make her almost positive her husband is there. Everyone leaves but Rocco, and Pizarro arrives. Rocco tells him that his (Pizarro’s) boss, the minister (cabinet member) plans a surprise inspection the next day. Pizarro orders Rocco to murder and bury Florestan, who is a close friend of the minister. He also orders that a trumpet be sounded at the minister’s arrival. Rocco refuses to do the murder, but agrees to dig the grave. Pizarro will do the murder himself. Fidelio has come back close enough to overhear the plot, although not soon enough to be 100% sure it’s Florestan they are talking about With Marcellina’s help, she persuades Rocco to let the prisoners out into the garden for a while (her real motivation is in case she’s wrong and Florestan is not in the dungeon, she might see him among the other prisoners), and a touching chorus ensues. It’s on the short side, for fear Pizarro might hear them. Pizarro does hear and demands an explanation. Rocco says they were given a little outdoor time in honor of the King’s name day. Pizarro grants permission for Fidelio to marry Marcellina and also to help Rocco in the dungeons. The prisoners are locked up again as the act ends. Act II begins with a long aria (technically a “scena”) by Florestan – his trust in God, his love of Eleanor, a fantasy that she comes to save him, and then more or less hallucinates being free. Finally he collapses and falls asleep. Fidelio and Rocco enter and start digging the grave. Florestan wakes up, and she recognizes him (his voice, actually), but he doesn’t yet recognize her. He learns that the prison he is in is governed by Pizarro, and realizing he’s doomed, asks to send a message to his wife, but is turned down. He begs for water, and Fidelio is allowed to give him some, She then begs to be allowed to give him a crust of bread and is granted permission. Rocco gives the signal to Pizarro that the grave is ready and Fidelio is told to leave, but hides instead. Pizarro pulls out a knife to kill Florestan, but Leonora jumps between them, saying “First kill his wife!” revealing her true identity. She pulls out a gun, which stymies Pizarro, and just then the trumpet is heard. Pizarro and Rocco leave, Florestan says “Leonora! What have you done for me?” to which she replies, “Nothing, my Florestan, nothing.” Whereupon they have a love duet. The scene changes –
everyone is now out of the dungeon, the minister is there, and the whole plot comes out. Florestan is freed and Pizarro is imprisoned. All the other prisoners are also freed. The chorus sings about how lucky a man is who has a good wife, and all are happy, except Marcellina and of course Pizarro.

This is of course still up in the air (or I hope it is – I think we would have heard if had passed), but the 19th gives background not just on the measure but on co-sponsors Pettersen and Luna (and even though it would have been really hypocritical for her not to co-sponsor this after her own experience, I have to give her credit for co-sponsoring it.)

OK, I admit this is anything but good news. But Robert Reich‘s sharing of his memories is so sweet, and even downright funny in spots, that at least it’s not depressing

Open Thread March 9 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Politics

Mar 092025

Yesterday, the radio opera was Puccini’s “La Boheme” – a very short and very tragic opera which was the first vinyl recorded opera I ever bought – and then within ten years bought again with a different cast afer the lead tenor in the second recording died – because he – Richard Tucker – was such a legend I was afraid if I didn’t buy it right away it would sell out. It’s short – without intermissions it’s under two hours – but it packs a punch. Also, as is only to be expected at my age, during the broadcast I learned of the death of someone else I cared about – bass Paul Plishka, who I mentioned in passing a while ago while talking about the Kennedy Center. At least he didn’t die young -he had a 51 year career, and left a legacy which includes a reputation for kindness to all but particularly to young (nervous) singers. Rest in peace, Paul. Next week I’ll gave more to say about the opera, which will have the theme of courageous opposition to political corruption (and political revenge.) Also yesterday I was (and still am) coping with changing my email address – and preparing to visit Virgil today. But I’ll manage to check in in a comment as always. Also, I put in a substitute for Belle today – Rocky Mountain Mike – to keep it upbeat. I hope he gives you a chuckle.

This from Colorado Public Radio is a bit on the old side, but since it’s still in the early stages I don’t think that matters. I kind of hope to be around to see the finished project. One thing, no one on this project would censor a military history photo of the “Enola Gay,” which the current administration is doing, for heaven’s sake.

This comes from Democratic Underground, and it’s not exactly news – in fact it’s from prehistory – but it is hard evidence (literally hard) that love transcends time. The farther I read into it, the more deeply I was touched. And you can see from the comments that that was a common response.

Open Thread March 1 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 012025

Yesterday, I learned that one of my Senators, along with two other Democratic Senators, voted to advance the nomination of the Peach Pasha’s cabinet nominees – this one for the Department of Labor. If all Democrats on the committee had voted not to advance her, she would not have advanced. (The other two were Maggie Hassan and Tim Kaine.) I immediately sent him an email telling him to expect to be primaried in 2026. Jared Polis’s term as Governor ends at the same time Hick’s Senate term does, and I think Jared would be better. I am having more and more difficulty getting through a single day without being reminded of a short story told by Igor Stravinsky in a book of reminiscences titled Dialogues and a Diary (co-author or maybe a translator Robert Craft.) I have been looking for it on the internet in order to provide a link, but I cannot find one now, and, short though it is, it is too long to make into a meme. Fortunately I have kept a copy, and will quote it in full after today’s cartoon. It makes me somewhat uneasy that it can’t be found now, actually. Are there already people editing history? And is this where we are headed?

I realize this is already long, but the disgusting display that our so-called President and Vice president put on with Zelenskyy prompted a DU user to share this link. It’s to what you might call a “GoFundMe for Ukraine.” Right up front, don’t touch the “necessary” box, do click the other three, and select the middle choice (if you do it wrong, the next page’s lower left has an odd little icon you can go back with.) This is the only way Ukraine is going to get any money from the US for the next four years.

Robert Reich on some of the more egregious lies Dork Vader Muskrat is telling. Honestly, if I have to hear or read much more projection, I’ll likely be projectile vomiting.

Another by Robert Reich. I am not putting this into Sunday’s Thread because he’s right about the “modest” part. For example, sure, it’s good that DOGE staffers are quitting because they refuse to help Dork Vader dismantle government. But it won’t be good if they are replaced with loyalists.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=Here is the Stravinsky story:

Though my visual impressions of world events were derived largely from films, they also were rooted in personal experience. One day in Munich, in 1932, I saw a squad of Brown Shirts enter the street below the balcony of my room in the Bayerische Hof and assault a group of civilians. The civilians tried to protect themselves behind sidewalk benches, but soon were crushed beneath these clumsy shields. The police arrived, eventually, but by then the attackers had dispersed. That same night I dined with Vera de Bosset and the photographer Eric Schall in a small Allee restaurant. Three men wearing swastika armbands entered the room, and one of them began to talk insultingly about Jews and to aim his remarks in our direction. With the afternoon street fight still in our eyes, we hurried to leave, but the now shouting Nazi and his Myrmidons followed, cursing and threatening us the while. Schall protested, and at that they began to kick and hit him. Miss de Bosset ran to a corner, found a policeman, and told him that a man was being killed, but this piece of intelligence did not rouse him to any action. We were rescued by a timely taxi, and though Schall was battered and bloody, we went directly to a police court where the magistrate was as little perturbed with our story as the policeman had been. “In Germany today, such things happen every minute,” was all he said.

Open Thread January 15 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 152025

Yesterday (OK, just barely, but after midnight) I read this article from Democratic Underground regarding the Special Counsel’s notes on the Insurrection case. The link to the New York Times is probably paywalled, but if you copy the URL into the home page of archive.is, it will tell you when it was last saved (and I’m sure it will have been) and you can read it there. Or, since it’s a “developing story,” you can save it yourself and see whether there is anything new. Also yesterday, Wonkette featured a graphic sourced from the New York Times which is essentially the Political Compass with different names for the axes – distinguishing between “fiscally” and “socially” liberal and conservative. Those terms were in common use in the 1980s, but I haven’t heard them much lately. Particularly for people who don’t spend much (if any) time on politics, they may well be easier to grasp. The graphic includes only US actual voters from 2016, and shows pretty clearly what kind of people are obsessed with money. Since Hillary won the popular vote in 2016, it looks to me that there was a disproportionate number of Republicans in the sample. But it’s still valuable information. For one thing, it shows even more clearly than Robert Reich can explain why the Democratic party should NOT “move toward the center.” Also, the whole article is packed with information, and I’ll link to it tomorrow.

Harry Litman of Talking Feds (which is on both YouTube and Substack – sorry but I didn’t check to see whether or not this was a transcript) addresses the subject of preemptive pardons, going into almost every one of the pros and cons and the ethics behind all of them. The one thing he doesn’t address, which has actually been bothering me, is that technically, legally, accepting a pardon constitutes an admission of guilt. Common sense would suggest that this would not apply to a “safe harbor pardon,” but the GOP as a group has not shown any common sense since the Eisenhower administration. Also, if the Tangerine Palpitine keeps his promise to pardon al the January 6 conspirators, the implication of confession is something we are going to want to use, and oh boy, does that ever have the potential to get ugly. Much of what Harry says refers, not to Biden’s current approval rating, but to the approval rating of his legacy (a metaphor, but one that is a thing.) I implied above that I have no faith in the common sense of Republicans, and that’s the truth. I certainly don’t have a very strong faith in the common sense of historians – but I do have more faith in them than I do in Republicans. Since I won’t be around to see history’s final judgment, I’ll never know whether any of my opinions are going to be justified. But I’m putting my thoughts out anyway.

From Wonkette on ASL interpretation. Normal human beings (it’s normal to have both common sense and compassion) would not call the use of ASL interpreters in news broadcasts and videos “tyranny.” They are more likely to be delighted by it, since frankly, it’s fun to watch. Charlie Kirk brings to mind the (way too many) people who, if they hear anyone speaking anything other than English, jump to the conclusion that the speaker is talking about them, and not in a friendly way. How insecure can you get? Insecure enough to call ASL “the tyranny of the deaf,” I guess. When I was working as a costumer, including for musicals, we had a deaf singing actress and a blind singing actor. We were thrilled. We didn’t whine, we got creative – and we had an ASL interpreter at every performance. Sighted and hearing audiences loved it. But then, we are talking about normal human beings with normal common sense and compassion. (I could also rant about CC, but Wonkette has that covered.)

This is a compilation, and I’m pretty sure the first one is a rerun, but the second is new.

Open Thread January 11 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:03 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jan 112025

Yesterday, my attention was drawn to a story which everyone in Las Vegas, NV, probably is aware of but which seems to be going under the radar (literally as well as figuratively) elsewhere. It probably doesn’t help that the name of the company involved, owned by the Boer MuskRat, sounds like someone’s idea of a joke. But it’s pretty much a given that as a result of this project people will die, not to mention the property damage (less important unless one is the property owner, as the entirw population of Los Angeles County would probably tell you if you asked.)

Also yesterday, Heather Cox Richardson quoted from all the eulogies for Jimmy Carter. If you weren’t able to watch it or listen to it, as I wasn’t, you might find that Carter can be as inspiring in death as he was in life.

Joyce Vance explains why the government’s position on the documents case report is a “heads the people win, tails Trump** loses” kind of thing. Not that we really win overall, but both alternatives she discusses will be unsatisfying to the Tangerine Palpatine. Good.

For anyone with a short memory (probably not needed by y’all, but you might know someone who needs reminding), Wonkette has an article which help to refresh that memory – assuming we can get anyone who needs it to read, or listen. Republicans have no clue what they could be getting themselves (and all of us) into, and that goes double for elected and appointed Republicans who think they are untouchable by virtue of their positions and/or their money. The Nuremburg rallies were eventually followed by the Nuremburg trials and people were hanged. But that didn’t happen without a whole lot of destruction in between the two.

Open Thread December 26 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:05 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 262024

Yesterday, I continued knitting, finishing a couple of small things. I also tried a cup of coffee flavored with Torani’s white chocolate flavor syrup. The flavor of white chocolate seems to me such an unobtrusive, mild flavor that I wasn’t expecting much, but they nailed it ) Earlier this month they sent me an email announcing it was their 100th anniversary. I’ve dealt with them before – they’ve always made more flavors than you’ll ever see in the stores, but I wasn’t prepared for just how many they do make. I splurged on a sampler pack of flavors designed to go with coffee, and the white chocolate was one of those. Also, I stepped away from the computer for a while because the mouse I am now using is one that you never have to change the battery, but you do have to charge it periodically, and it ran out of charge. It’s charged now obviously, since this post is up. I hope y’all had as peaceful a day as mine, whatever, if anything, you celebrate.

This, by Marc Elias, was recommended by Joyce Vance a few days ago, and I put it aside until after Christmas. Maybe I should have put it aside until after New Year’s Day, hoping we would all gather more strength by then to grasp it and act on it. But here it is. I have to hope that he is at least correct in not expecting us to have a full-blown fascist government. I am not so confident.

Heather Cox Richardson on the history of polarization in the United States, starting with Nixon. To my mind she omits the one thing Gingrich did which had the most dire consequences, although there is plenty of evidence without it. (He removed the requirement for Congressfolk to maintain a residence in DC. Yes, that could be reinstated, but it would take far longer to build trust back again than it required to deteriorate it.)

Open Thread December 24 2024

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Dec 242024

Yesterday – actually Sunday night, but I saw it yesterday – Heather Cox Richardson had very little to say, but that little was mighty. She wrote about John Trumbull, hired to provide new art for the Rotunda after the War of 1812, being asked to recommend subject matter, and his response. He chose the moment of Washington’s resignation of his commission in 1783. “Madison agreed, and the painting of a man voluntarily giving up power rather than becoming a dictator hangs today in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.” I hope to heaven that when the Apricot Antichrist dies – and he will, sooner or later – that it is in some place or under such circumstances that we can avoid having his corpse lie in state in that very Rotunda. Such as maybe consumed in a fire. Or lost at sea and the body not found. Or falling out of a window in Russia and Putin refuses to release the body. I know, compared to all his destruction, it’s a small thing. But I really hate the idea of his presence, even dead, contaminating that room and that memory. Yesterday for real, President Biden commuted 37 federal death sentences (out of 40) to life without parole. Also, the House Ethics Committee’s report on Matt Gaetz was released to the public, thanks to two Republicans on the Committee, one from New York, one from Ohio, who voted (some time ago, apparently) with Democrats to release it after adjournment. I haven’t looked at it yet – but if there turns out to be more than I already know, it must be damning. If anyone wants it as a Christmas gift, here it is.

Yes, this is from Friday, and we know now that a CR was passed in the House and the Senate and signed Saturday, which we didn’t know then. But Robert Reich is still worth reading, because, with or without a shutdown, we still have battles ahead.

On Saturday night, Joyce Vance wrote about what is happening to Liz Cheney, why it shouldn’t be, and why it is anything but normal. She writes as a former prosecutor, and clarifies why no sane Attorney General and no sane judge would even consider prosecuting Liz Cheney. Since we are all expecting an Attorney General who is not sane, and also since, thanks to Republicans, so many judges are not sane either, I want to pont out that the Senate’s current push to confirm as many Biden-nominated judges as possible is probably the most influential thing which is actually possible to rectify that at this time.

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