US Politics November 2017

I mean, there are clearly 8% and 29% who absolutely are, respectively

The form is very familiar to me from the Balkans. It was rampant during the 1990s: Karadzic gave interviews to Western media every other day, there’s hours of footage. In the meantime, he was murdering thousands. But hey, dead Bosnians are so “other” and his English was great.

— Jasmin Mujanović (@JasminMuj) November 26, 2017

short 'thread'

re the nazi thang

How many times can America reach "rock bottom"? Apparently as often as it can lose its innocence. https://t.co/v5z9u4xUvb

— corey robin (@CoreyRobin) November 27, 2017

Old news, but I'm not sure Tom Cotton's peerless wingnut credentials will mean he'll get the Trump voters, who got a demographic-busting amount of people interested (to the point of voting) partly because he's famous.

I’m confused. I admit I was being obtuse with my phrasing but what did you think I meant?

― El Tomboto, Sunday, November 26, 2017 11:50 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

identifying things that are black with being unreflective/stupid.

so many comments on evangelicals ignore black evangelicals. I don't think you were going for the racism that I saw initially but it hit a point to which I'm attuned

'this is what today's Nazi looks like'
Counterpoint: who gives a fuck?

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 27 November 2017 04:46 (eight hours ago) Permalink

i do. it seems like an obvious thing to report on in 2017. nazis have roared back into pubic awareness; people are curious about who they are.

I'd be ok with a list of names. Not sure I need anything more.

it's the ladies' home journal tone that cooked their goose here imo

idk. i liked "eichmann in jerusalem." i thought it was instructive to see that a person can appear normal in some spheres of his life but, given the right conditions and incentives, be an absolute monster.

i don't need to think of nazis as cartoon villains in order to know that they're bad. the thing that's bad about them is their belief system, which isn't always on display as they navigate society.

Don't we know about 'the banality of evil' by now though? How many stories about lawn mowing, grocery shopping, calling their mum once a week nazi's do we need?

it's the tone.

Eichmann in Jerusalem is a fairly different thing from that shitty NYT article.

xp Absolutely.

I like The Man Without Qualities. Doesn't mean I want a gushing article about any Franz Joseph Fan Club.

The banality of the banality of evil

that said, i am one of those who DO need to see the Nazis as cartoon villains in order to know they're bad. because i am simple-minded and dim.

i thought it was instructive to see that a person can appear normal in some spheres of his life but, given the right conditions and incentives, be an absolute monster.

Did you read it when you were eight? Or was there some reason that this was something you needed to be "instructed" about as an adult?

Exactly. And there's also a difference I think between retroactively determining how almost an entire country became complicit in a historic mass racist genocide vs. profiling some shithead outlier in America. I mean, there are plenty of racists in America, who cares about the handful that are stupid and misguided enough to actually identify as Nazis? I don't give a shit about them. I care more (but still not much) about people who don't identify as Nazis and claim not to be racist but still enable those strains of belief. The failing of this piece is not focusing on the factor that make this dude different: that is, his explicit declared allegiance to an irrational ideology of hate. If you're not gong to dive into why he's one of the few to actually identify as a Nazi and Nazi beliefs, then why bother?

xpost

Not ~ entirely ~ convinced Treeship 2 isn't actually Treeship tbh

t2 not as loosey goosey imo

Treeship of Theseus, imo

Treeship of Fools

Treeship of Theseus, imo

― Frederik B, Monday, November 27, 2017 8:21 AM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is pretty good

people get killed in
the result of treeshipbuilding

second coming of treeshus sheist

Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017

well it's about time they started smearing mueller

http://www.newsweek.com/robert-mueller-special-counsel-russia-aides-criticize-722670

he is the jan brady of presidents (xpost)

There you have it, he's a 10-month president. No need for all those other months.

Time for him to pack his bags

"possibly done more"

Well I’d be surprised if the rancid little fucker could spell Cambridge Analytica on first try.

We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me). They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2017

oh cool he still remembers his Apprentice days!

"your favorite President (me)." strong contender for next month's thread title

As in #metoo

plus CNN and not including Fox.

hey i have a magic trick. just... wait... just close your eyes for a second

Fox disqualified for winning the trophy 20 years in a row

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THr_seahKUI

Christ on a bike

Every network is FAKE NEWS except for FOX, which airs Real News about how Hillary hasn't been to the dentist in NINE months even though you're supposed to get a checkup every SIX months

I will spend every penny I have to my name to watch the live pay-per-view special of our favorite president being drawn and quartered. Like, I will sell all of my stuff. Whatever it takes.

Who knows about anything anymore, but it does seem that the tax proposals are, go figure, not only really unpopular with the millions of people they would hurt - no one seems to be buying the "middle class cut" BS - but at least as of right now, on paper, not good enough to gain enough GOP senators to pass. Or at least, on the latter front, certain hand-wringers would have to, for no clear gain, hold their nose and vote for something that explicitly violates various pledges and principles (like the deficit, or health care or whatever), but I really don't see why they would do that. I mean, of course I do, but it just seems so dumb, even by DC standards, to back off your own standards and vote for something that no one likes for the sake of, what, not entering 2018 election season in a weakened position? The way it looks now, passing something shitty for everyone (but corporations) might be even worse than not doing anything at all. At least people can run on "we're holding out for something better." It's tougher to run on "yeah, it was a terrible plan, but we needed to do something to appease corporations and big donors." Though sure, try that one out.

Not sure I'd count on the "better a pedophile than a Democrat" party to do the right thing for their constituents here, especially given how they've been told in no uncertain terms that the donor money was going to stop flowing if they can't get tax reform done. Then again, this bill is such an unlikeable mess. I can't fathom how this stuff gets architected - like Obamacare repeal, all you need is something that's simply "bad", but they can't even manage that!

Let's just do it and be legends!

Kind of like the Alabama race, it seems sort of a lose-lose.

unfortunately, they may lose less passing the tax bill than not. If they pass it, they piss off some voters, but please their donors and get to pocket a juicy tax cut. If they don't pass it, they lose their donors and their tax cut, while their voters will still be somewhat pissed because it seems like they aren't getting anything done. If they sense that they are going to be facing a wave election next year and will be losing their seats either way, why not at least get the juicy tax cut?

bc it's evil