US Politics: #Musky DeSaster

[Wilbur]

3 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

The same question has occurred to me given how Trumpanistas have arisen in dismay and are calling the vast majority of the Texas Republican Party… again… the Texas Republican Party… “RINOs”.  Something very strange is taking place.

Trumpkins calling long-standing Republicans with decades of service and actual experience "RINOs" is just SOP for them.

Our local district is relatively newly-formed given the population growth here in Arizona, and our GOP board is similarly new.  We have a weird mix of long-standing folks who run for / support local municipalities and government functions and these Trumpkins who just started "doing politics" in the last six years.

The Trumpkins will come up with some bizarre idea ("Stop accepting Federal dollars for road work!") and the old Republicans will point out that this isn't how government functions operate.  "You are just RINOs!  You are secretly Democrats and Communists and Antifa!" is the immediate response.  Last year one of them said that a sitting member of the Goldwater Institute was a RINO, and my eyeballs just about fell out of my skull.

I haven't attended the last couple local board meetings, as the utter ignorance of the Trumpkins on subjects like basic parliamentary procedure, how the Constitution allocates powers, the difference between state and Federal powers and authority makes the meetings a huge waste of time.  Life is too short to associate with the @#$% who won't bother to peruse Robert's Rules of Order prior to a session.

[Zorral]

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia described Mr. Brandt on Twitter as a “Democrat political terrorist” and cited the case as evidence that “Democrats want Republicans dead, and they’ve already started the killings.”

Projection much ... again I give you the headlines every day across the country as to who is killing whom in very large numbers, and it's neither Dems nor 'leftys.'

A Small Town’s Tragedy, Distorted by Trump’s Megaphone
When a teen’s killing became a right-wing talking point, the rush to outrage obscured a more complicated story.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/29/us/politics/north-dakota-teen-death-right-wing-trump.html

Quote

 

There were no known witnesses when Shannon Brandt and Cayler Ellingson got into an argument in the blurry hours after last call at Buck’s n Doe’s Bar & Grill in September. And no one but Mr. Brandt could say with certainty what led him to run over Mr. Ellingson with his Ford Explorer, crushing him to death in a gravel alley.

But the people of McHenry, a town of 64 in sparsely populated Foster County, N.D., have gotten used to hearing from people who think they know.

They include former President Donald J. Trump, who denounced the killing of Mr. Ellingson, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate, at the hands of a “deranged Democrat maniac who was angry that Cayler was a Republican” in a Truth Social post. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia described Mr. Brandt on Twitter as a “Democrat political terrorist” and cited the case as evidence that “Democrats want Republicans dead, and they’ve already started the killings.”

Mr. Trump and Ms. Greene were among a chorus of Republican politicians — including several members of Congress and the attorney general of North Dakota — who rushed to condemn Mr. Brandt. They relied on a handful of early news stories that cited a state highway patrol officer’s report, which suggested Mr. Brandt killed Mr. Ellingson because he believed he was a “Republican extremist.”

That claim, made weeks before the midterm elections, ignited a brief national political firestorm. Republican politicians and right-wing media figures claimed that Mr. Brandt had been inspired by President Biden’s recent warnings about “extremism” in the Republican Party. They complained that news media coverage of political violence willfully ignored instances when the assailants were Democrats.

But the episode quickly became an example of another media phenomenon: the distortion of complex, painful events to fit an opportune political narrative.

Although evidence in the case suggests the two men argued about politics that night, law enforcement officials concluded quickly that the killing was not politically motivated. The prosecutor for Foster County who brought the charges never accused Mr. Brandt of running over Mr. Ellingson because of political beliefs.

Acquaintances and a family member could not recall Mr. Brandt, a 42-year-old welder with no history of party registration, expressing political views.

Late last month, the murder charge against Mr. Brandt was downgraded to manslaughter, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. He agreed on May 18 to plead guilty.

By averting a courtroom trial, the plea leaves many questions hanging over a still largely unexplained incident — and over a town that found itself swept abruptly into a national political cyclone and just as abruptly cast out. .... 

 

Why yes, the fascist/nazi voter knows North Dakota.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Talking about fascists. I could start a quiz,about who said/posted it. But it'd be too easy.

 

Quote

"HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL, BUT ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THE COUNTRY THEY LOVE, AND TO THOSE IN LINE OF A VERY DIFFERENT, BUT EQUALLY DANGEROUS FIRE, STOPPING THE THREATS OF THE TERRORISTS, MISFITS AND LUNATIC THUGS WHO ARE WORKING FEVERISHLY FROM WITHIN TO OVERTURN AND DESTROY OUR ONCE GREAT COUNTRY, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN IN GREATER PERIL THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW," 

"WE MUST STOP THE COMMUNISTS, MARXISTS AND FASCIST "PIGS" AT EVERY TURN AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

I know, too easy. We all know ran's writing style when we see it.

Aren't you all looking forward to him retaking office and having more of this again.

[Zorral]

Looking everywhere, even under the sofa cushions but am failing finding commies and marxists -- though the population of fascists and nazis grows exponentially, it seems with every murder and corruption committed with impunity and immunity. 

[The Anti-Targ]

On 5/29/2023 at 11:31 AM, ThinkerX said:

 

The operative term here is 'crazy fucks.' To me it seems that at least some members of the Freedom Caucus are so out of touch with reality they might actually try to depose McCarthy *without* a viable replacement lined up - or maybe somebody *only* they think is viable. This might result in a situation where McCarthy is no longer Speaker - but neither is anybody else. That possibility is what made me think the D's might step in with a lifeline for McCarthy, but that appears either unlikely or impossible.

And this is the party some recently elected (at the state level) D's willingly defected to.

I wonder if it would be too, errr, on the nose if a break away "moderate" right wing party split off from the Republican party and adopted the Rhinoceros as its animal spirit.

Edited May 29 by The Anti-Targ

[Zorral]

Heather Cox Richards, Letters From An American -- Fascism

Within a matter of a few years of the publication of "FASCISM!" the authors were under investigation by the resurgent Republican right as "communist agents". It happened right in front of everyone and he only ones who recognized it were silenced by the threat of being called "communists" and having their lives destroyed. We call it "McCarthyism" and think it died with him, but it didn't, and now it's so strong we live in fear of it taking formal power next year.

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-29-2023?

Quote

 

Beginning in 1943, the War Department published a series of pamphlets for U.S. Army personnel in the European theater of World War II. Titled Army Talks, the series was designed “to help [the personnel] become better-informed men and women and therefore better soldiers.”

On March 24, 1945, the topic for the week was “FASCISM!”

“You are away from home, separated from your families, no longer at a civilian job or at school and many of you are risking your very lives,” the pamphlet explained, “because of a thing called fascism.” But, the publication asked, what is fascism? “Fascism is not the easiest thing to identify and analyze,” it said, “nor, once in power, is it easy to destroy. It is important for our future and that of the world that as many of us as possible understand the causes and practices of fascism, in order to combat it.”

Fascism, the U.S. government document explained, “is government by the few and for the few. The objective is seizure and control of the economic, political, social, and cultural life of the state.” “The people run democratic governments, but fascist governments run the people.”

“The basic principles of democracy stand in the way of their desires; hence—democracy must go! Anyone who is not a member of their inner gang has to do what he’s told. They permit no civil liberties, no equality before the law.” “Fascism treats women as mere breeders. ‘Children, kitchen, and the church,’ was the Nazi slogan for women,” the pamphlet said.

Fascists “make their own rules and change them when they choose…. They maintain themselves in power by use of force combined with propaganda based on primitive ideas of ‘blood’ and ‘race,’ by skillful manipulation of fear and hate, and by false promise of security. The propaganda glorifies war and insists it is smart and ‘realistic’ to be pitiless and violent.”

Fascists understood that “the fundamental principle of democracy—faith in the common sense of the common people—was the direct opposite of the fascist principle of rule by the elite few,” it explained, “[s]o they fought democracy…. They played political, religious, social, and economic groups against each other and seized power while these groups struggled.”

Americans should not be fooled into thinking that fascism could not come to America, the pamphlet warned; after all, “[w]e once laughed Hitler off as a harmless little clown with a funny mustache.” And indeed, the U.S. had experienced “sorry instances of mob sadism, lynchings, vigilantism, terror, and suppression of civil liberties. We have had our hooded gangs, Black Legions, Silver Shirts, and racial and religious bigots. All of them, in the name of Americanism, have used undemocratic methods and doctrines which…can be properly identified as ‘fascist.’”

The War Department thought it was important for Americans to understand the tactics fascists would use to take power in the United States. They would try to gain power “under the guise of ‘super-patriotism’ and ‘super-Americanism.’” And they would use three techniques:

First, they would pit religious, racial, and economic groups against one another to break down national unity. Part of that effort to divide and conquer would be a “well-planned ‘hate campaign’ against minority races, religions, and other groups.”

Second, they would deny any need for international cooperation, because that would fly in the face of their insistence that their supporters were better than everyone else. “In place of international cooperation, the fascists seek to substitute a perverted sort of ultra-nationalism which tells their people that they are the only people in the world who count. With this goes hatred and suspicion toward the people of all other nations.”

Third, fascists would insist that “the world has but two choices—either fascism or communism, and they label as ‘communists’ everyone who refuses to support them.”

It is “vitally important” to learn to spot native fascists, the government said, “even though they adopt names and slogans with popular appeal, drape themselves with the American flag, and attempt to carry out their program in the name of the democracy they are trying to destroy.”

The only way to stop the rise of fascism in the United States, the document said, “is by making our democracy work and by actively cooperating to preserve world peace and security.” In the midst of the insecurity of the modern world, the hatred at the root of fascism “fulfills a triple mission.” By dividing people, it weakens democracy. “By getting men to hate rather than to think,” it prevents them “from seeking the real cause and a democratic solution to the problem.” By falsely promising prosperity, it lures people to embrace its security.

“Fascism thrives on indifference and ignorance,” it warned. Freedom requires “being alert and on guard against the infringement not only of our own freedom but the freedom of every American. If we permit discrimination, prejudice, or hate to rob anyone of his democratic rights, our own freedom and all democracy is threatened.” And if “we want to make certain that fascism does not come to America, we must make certain that it does not thrive anywhere in the world.”

Seventy-eight years after the publication of “FASCISM!” with its program for recognizing that political system and stopping it from taking over the United States, President Joe Biden today at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, honored those who gave their lives fighting to preserve democracy. “On this day, we come together again to reflect, to remember, but above all, to recommit to the future our fallen heroes fought for, …a future grounded in freedom, democracy, equality, tolerance, opportunity, and…justice.”

“[T]he truest memorial to their lives,” the president said, is to act “every day to ensure that our democracy endures, our Constitution endures, and the soul of our nation and our decency endures.”

—

Notes:

https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=armytalks

War Department, “Army Talk 64: FASCISM!” March 24, 1945, at https://archive.org/details/ArmyTalkOrientationFactSheet64-Fascism/mode/2up

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/05/29/remarks-by-president-biden-at-the-155th-national-memorial-day-observance/

https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1663379851716198400

316 Comments
    
TCinLA
Writes Thats Another Fine Mess
7 hr ago
Within a matter of a few years of the publication of "FASCISM!" the authors were under investigation by the resurgent Republican right as "communist agents". It happened right in front of everyone and he only ones who recognized it were silenced by the threat of being called "communists" and having their lives destroyed. We call it "McCarthyism" and think it died with him, but it didn't, and now it's so strong we live in fear of it taking formal power next year.

 

 

[Zorral]

Again, an out and out white supremacist nazi fascist racist weeps he's being smeared by being called a white supremacist while linking to neo nazi white supremacist sites.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/rep-paul-gosar-claims-he-has-been-smeared-as-a-nazi

~~~~~~

TX now has banned all drag anytime anywhere.

~~~~~~

Today, we were notified by two more friends that are moving out of Miami because they feel so unsafe there.  Note: neither of them is Black, LGBTQ, and immigrant -- both are single Latina moms though.  They are moving to NYC.  Both are fortunate they have jobs and places to live lined up.  Another woman, who isn't single, who isn't a mom, white, is quite a bit older, and married to a Cuban American, is also, with her musician husband, leaving Miami for NYC again.  Her mom is in assisted living and her apartment is now vacant so they too have a place to live.

 

Edited May 30 by Zorral

[LongRider]

On 5/29/2023 at 1:12 PM, Zorral said:

Looking everywhere, even under the sofa cushions but am failing finding commies and marxists --

Best keep looking, they are known to be sneaky bastards.     

[Fez]

Democrats did vote against the rule, but only 2 Republicans did instead of all 3 HFC members. So things proceed smoothly. Honestly not sure what would've happened if the rule was defeated.

[The Anti-Targ]

Perhaps one thing that sticks in the craw of HFC members more than voting for a McCarthy debt ceiling bill / rule thingy is voting with Democrats against it. Possibly the best thing to do for the House vote is to loudly proclaim, well in advance, that every Democrat will vote against the bill because McCarthy has taken too much away from Biden's spending programme that they can no longer support it. Then every Republican will vote for it for fear of being called a RINO for voting in lock step with Democrats. Considering the average IQ/EQ of the Republican House members this reverse psychology trick could actually work, and for those Republicans smart enough to see through the trick they were going to vote with McCarthy anyway.

On 5/30/2023 at 8:12 AM, Zorral said:

Looking everywhere, even under the sofa cushions but am failing finding commies and marxists --. 

Clearly not looking in the mirror 

[Gaston de Foix]

9 hours ago, The Anti-Targ said:

Perhaps one thing that sticks in the craw of HFC members more than voting for a McCarthy debt ceiling bill / rule thingy is voting with Democrats against it. Possibly the best thing to do for the House vote is to loudly proclaim, well in advance, that every Democrat will vote against the bill because McCarthy has taken too much away from Biden's spending programme that they can no longer support it. 

Team McCarthy are trying to spread this narrative, and the WH is trying to support it, but neither is in control of the discourse.  

I do wonder how much the widespread knowledge that the HFC's shtick-in-trade is calling any potential bill unviable and a betrayal had upstream consequences on the center-of-gravity of this deal.  

[The Anti-Targ]

I think there may be enough crazies in the House who want to see the US default just to see what happens, or they know what will happen and they want to watch it all burn.

[DMC]

It's interesting that McCarthy/GOP leadership seems to still be whipping votes in an effort to meet the 150 vote promise Hakeem Jeffries appears to be holding him to.  Conventional wisdom is if McCarthy secures a majority of the majority - only about 112 members of the GOP conference - his Speakership should be secure (for now). 

But now it seems like he's worried more Democrats will vote for the bill than Republicans, which would be a bad look - as members of his party have already started to voice.  Still, it is rather surprising how quickly GOP leadership has gotten the crazy right/HFC to shut up or at least go back to holding their fire...again, at least for now:

Quote

The message was echoed inside and outside the room by other influential conservatives — including Rep. JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio), the Freedom Caucus co-founder and godfather of the hard right. Ousting McCarthy over the debt deal, Jordan told reporters, was “a terrible idea.”

It appeared to get through to the rabble-rousers: Bishop left the meeting and refused to discuss McCarthy’s future with reporters. “I’m not getting into that,” Roy told us as he jumped into an elevator. Another hard-liner who had joined in the saber-rattling, Rep. RALPH NORMAN (R-S.C.), told our Sarah Ferris that McCarthy was not actually at risk.

If McCarthy can keep Jordan on board, I strongly suspect he'll survive any aftermath of the deal.

[Tywin et al.]

1 minute ago, DMC said:

his Speakership should be secure (for now). 

 

Dude sold his soul for what? To be a historical footnote and a punching bag? 

[DMC]

8 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Dude sold his soul for what? To be a historical footnote and a punching bag? 

I mean, such is the nature of the Republican Speaker the last 12 years.  If he does get a majority of his conference on board with this bill, there's a compelling argument he's done a better job pacifying the hard right than either Boehner or Ryan.

[Tywin et al.]

5 minutes ago, DMC said:

I mean, such is the nature of the Republican Speaker the last 12 years.  If he does get a majority of his conference on board with this bill, there's a compelling argument he's done a better job pacifying the hard right than either Boehner or Ryan.

Always required:

 

[Zorral]

Their high school canceled an LGBTQ play. These teens put it on anyway.

Probably unnecessary to say the school canceled the play because a minority group of adults screamed it was obscene?  This play is a Robin Hood retelling: “Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood,” [is] a gender-bending take on Sherwood Forest’s beloved bandit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/05/31/marian-school-theater-lgbtq-indiana/

It's a lovely read, particularly as so much of their local community was in support.

This particular story in the WaPo goes nicely with another one, from yesterday, in its series on homeschooling. This one details an extreme xtian home schooling parents, who had been home schooled themselves in one of those families which not only sanctions but demands harsh, continuous physical punishment for children from the earliest of ages.  These parents changed their minds -- not about their faith per se -- but about public school being a demon infested place of the devil, and most definitely about beating children.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2023/christian-home-schoolers-revolt/

 

 

[Jaxom 1974]

1 hour ago, DMC said:

It's interesting that McCarthy/GOP leadership seems to still be whipping votes in an effort to meet the 150 vote promise Hakeem Jeffries appears to be holding him to.  Conventional wisdom is if McCarthy secures a majority of the majority - only about 112 members of the GOP conference - his Speakership should be secure (for now). 

But now it seems like he's worried more Democrats will vote for the bill than Republicans, which would be a bad look - as members of his party have already started to voice.  Still, it is rather surprising how quickly GOP leadership has gotten the crazy right/HFC to shut up or at least go back to holding their fire...again, at least for now:

If McCarthy can keep Jordan on board, I strongly suspect he'll survive any aftermath of the deal.

Help me out here: Who has hoodwinked who over this Debt Limit bill...? If Twitter (I know, I know) is to be believed, Biden has gotten McCarthy to fold while losing less than it appears...?  I've been off chaperoning the kids on an outing for a couple days and not seen much news...

I'm lucky to have a signal for the internet at the moment as it is...

[Zorral]

13 hours ago, The Anti-Targ said:

Clearly not looking in the mirror 

We lurkz in Black Mirror! 

[Kalnak the Magnificent]

1 hour ago, Jaxom 1974 said:

Help me out here: Who has hoodwinked who over this Debt Limit bill...? If Twitter (I know, I know) is to be believed, Biden has gotten McCarthy to fold while losing less than it appears...?  I've been off chaperoning the kids on an outing for a couple days and not seen much news...

I'm lucky to have a signal for the internet at the moment as it is...

Basically? From what I can gather Biden was able to essentially give McCarthy a lot of lip service without giving up particularly that much in actual value. The biggest actual loss is defunding of the IRS funding increases. Everything else is a loss without being a loss and is not actual losses. 

It still sucks in the sense that the Republicans got something for their terrorist behavior but it's not painful, and the fact that it's McCarthy that is having the hardest time selling it seems to show that.