Displaying 511 To 540 Of 19,504 Comments Dajuan, I think satire is even more challenging in the Trump era because just when you’ve thought up an absurd joke to savage Trump…he’s actually said or done that very thing. Satire is becoming precognition journalism. If you can think of something too ridiculously awful for Trump to do and exaggerating it for comic effect, you’re just writing tomorrow’s headlines. A good gig if you can get it! » Posted By AdLib On June 7, 2019 @ 1:23 pm Trump Luncheon With Queen Ruined As Entire Beef Wellington Disappears I hear that Websters has just included this photo of Trump alongside the definition of “gluttony”. » Posted By AdLib On June 7, 2019 @ 2:00 pm That’s okay, you can owe me one star. 😉 » Posted By AdLib On June 5, 2019 @ 6:04 pm That bulge in his shirt ain’t a six pack! » Posted By AdLib On June 5, 2019 @ 6:03 pm Maybe he thought it was a giant burrito and swallowed it like a boa constrictor? Check out his belly in the photo above, I’d enter that in court as Exhibit One and Done. » Posted By AdLib On June 5, 2019 @ 6:02 pm A Creaking Populism Under The Strain Of Reality And Resistance And of course Brexit was also born by provincialism and the populist/bigoted undercurrent that has surged around the world in response to more immigrants and the scapegoating of them for all that people resent in their lives. I see little difference, besides the accents, of Trump followers and Brexit supporters. The same anger towards the “others” who they see as foreign invaders, the invulnerability to facts and the the vulnerability to lies and propaganda intended to manipulate them. The Brexit vote only happened because Cameron was trying to pander to Brexit supporters so he and the Tories could keep power. Instead, Cameron should go down as the biggest fool and destroyer of the modern UK economy. When that Brexit bomb goes off, the economic and social damage will be profound. The exact kind of chaos the promoters of Brexit intended for the UK. What is hard to understand is why a second referendum can’t be held, now that Brits are much better informed about the downside of Brexit and the lies built up to support it have fallen away. » Posted By AdLib On June 10, 2019 @ 5:12 pm This is a very well written piece, Kevin. What is especially devious about this “rigged” populist movement that has been manipulated around the world is that the wealthy and powerful elite who have been draining the majority of their wealth and power have also been pushing the populist/anti-immigration mentality to get people to resent “the others” and hold them to blame for their declinging standard of living instead of the wealthy elite who have actually been the ones siphoning it away from them. No different than Hitler blaming the Jews for the economic woes Germany was suffering in the 1930’s. “Who’s fault is it that you’re suffering economically? Why of course, it’s those with darker skin or different religions or languages! Those powerless immigrants? Yes, they are the ones ruining your lives, not us, your disgustingly wealthy boss who refuses to give you meaningful raises year after year.” This cruel and destructive game of misdirection is critical for this small sliver of the population that is dominating it economically and politically. Because, if the people finally turned as a whole on them, their control and thievery would end. The biggest threat to plutocracies is democracy. They know that and that’s why they welcome and support the invasions and corruptions of our and other democracies. As long as power can be manipulated out of the hands of the majority, they will happily instill division, racism, hatred and violence in a society. United we stand, divided we fall. And these plutocrats are doing all they can to prove the latter part of that cliche true. » Posted By AdLib On June 7, 2019 @ 1:46 pm Weekend Music Thread – I’d Love to Change the World
» Posted By AdLib On June 2, 2019 @ 7:36 am The Last Clinic Based Abortion Services in Missouri: A Cautionary History Uh…where did you get your medical license? Trump University? » Posted By AdLib On September 18, 2019 @ 6:42 pm That would be much more powerful. Too often, politicians see groups of people that they’re disconnected from as abstract things. They don’t think about the real world harm they’re doing to these people when they pass laws to politically pander to their base. When it’s humanized, when they have to look in the eyes of a real person who’s been hurt by their political actions, it’s a whole different story. Hope it goes very well and you get through to him. » Posted By AdLib On June 6, 2019 @ 10:58 am Just saw this chart, though you’d appreciate it: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D8J1iIPUcAAHtx8.jpg » Posted By AdLib On June 5, 2019 @ 7:38 pm I’m really looking forward to them, Angela! “Art Poope” is a far better name for that piece of…Poope. Yes, I know Cooper isn’t a Progressive, it’s more what he’s not, not an extremist Republican. So that’s something. But it’s one thing to keep the status quo from getting worse and another thing to make progress on changing things for the better. Maybe you can nudge him on that on Saturday night during dessert? Have a great time Saturday night! Fill us in on your adventures that night! » Posted By AdLib On June 5, 2019 @ 6:13 pm Angela, this is an incredible journey you’ve been on, thank you so much for sharing it. I’m very excited for you with your election to the SEC and the history you’ve been making! You are out there making a difference in the real world which I would think it feels very affirming and satisfying after the difficult road you’ve been on to get there. It’s so inspirational! It has been a very difficult time in NC, with Art Pope having his dirty hands in so much and the NC Legislature with Pat McCrory’s assistance, helping NC lead the way in voter suppression, gerrymandering and corruption. I hope that under Gov. Cooper that a lot of the political garbage is being taken out and that you can be part of the change that NC has badly needed. Once again, congratulations!!! » Posted By AdLib On June 4, 2019 @ 6:26 pm The Cynical Charade of “Pro-Life” Politicians Rashaad, yes, that’s how it appears to me, that Lizzeee is referring to the phony pro-lifers who only claim to be that to hide their chauvinist agenda. These men seem intimidated by women having independence and self-determination. Of course they want to “Make America Great Again” because in their minds, America was great when white men were accepted as being the superior members of society and women and POC were second-class inferiors. It’s no fun when someone takes your Burger King crown away, they want it back and the way of returning women back to being lessers, is for men to use government to take their equality and control away. It’s pretty sick when you think about it, this perversion of religion and democracy so some men can again dominate and control women, reduce them from equals to helpless birthing vessels. Even for rapists. Pretty sick. » Posted By AdLib On June 9, 2019 @ 9:30 pm Lizzeee, it always seems to be the case that those who are loudest about their beliefs are often the most insincere. The ones protesting most aggressively about being pro-life are also the ones cheering on Trump to deprive poor children of food and medical care and make immigrant children suffer, even die in government custody. There are many who are truly concerned about life holistically which one can respect. But hypocrisy and conditional beliefs that some lives are sacred and others are not, based on personal opinions and/or prejudices, proves one is not genuinely pro-life but using that label as a morally superior facade to hide the genuinely immoral thoughts inside them. » Posted By AdLib On June 9, 2019 @ 9:21 pm BTW, here is a group of white men who were marching in Detroit today. But you say that it’s racist to call a group of white men racist…so on which side would that leave you? How? How has the United States become this in 2019? I swear the world is moving in reverse right now. 'LGBT+ pride marches interrupted by neo-#Nazi/#farright protests'#AntiSemitism #ThisIsAmerica https://t.co/wBFn5OZFRh pic.twitter.com/gqJEEpKjVM — ✍️ Rachel McArthur (@raychdigitalink) June 9, 2019 » Posted By AdLib On June 9, 2019 @ 9:04 pm Your defense of racism and sexism by white men is kind of comical. First, that you feel the need to protect them at all simply because you appear to see it as your “clan” being under attack. Second, your choice of defenses is the five-year-old’s game of “I know you are but what am I?”. Third, you are at least appearing to be completely oblivious to the hypocrisy of doing exactly what you are trying to condemn someone else for doing. All together, they illustrate the absurdity and unflattering subtext of your responses. So the thin reed you are trying to hang onto, to excuse the racism and sexism of a group of your fellow white men is that you can’t judge a group by its actions. Then here’s a tough one for you…are members of the KKK racist? Or is “the author” again exhibiting racism for suggesting such a thing? I can only imagine how exercised you will be for my calling this group of white men racists too: And what about neo-nazis? Is deflection needed for them too since they are mostly white and male? Your flimsy blanket defense of racists and sexists because you share skin color and gender with them isn’t quite as effective as you imagine. Are all white males racists and sexists because some are? Of course not. But is it principled to excuse other white men when they are exhibiting racist and sexist motivations, simply because one is also white and male? Simply put, no. Still, you’re welcome to defend all groups of white men like neo-Nazis and Klansmen just as unintentionally comically as you feel you must. » Posted By AdLib On June 9, 2019 @ 8:45 pm Agreed misapope, having a conditional view of which life is sacred and which life isn’t, purely on personal prejudices, is a very slippery slope…and a dangerous one. What if Trump declared that anyone who doesn’t support him, is an enemy of America and gave the wink to his followers that they would be justified in getting rid of people who “threatened” America? The moment an alleged principle becomes conditional, it is no longer a principle. Free expression is proven to be genuine every time Nazis march, every time someone uses a right to do something we dislike, it proves that principle is legit. But having all kinds of exceptions to “All life is sacred”? Not possible, with even the smallest exception, it’s proven to be a fraud. As you say, I don’t have any problem with people believing that abortion is wrong. And if they feel the death penalty, wars and gun proliferation are also wrong because they kill so many innocent lives, I would fully respect their position. But those who don’t show that same consistency prove that their high moral ground is just quicksand. » Posted By AdLib On June 7, 2019 @ 3:49 pm How it appears is that the moment you saw the words “white” and “male”, and criticism, the switch flipped in your head to shut down and take refuge behind the false charges of racism and sexism. This is a familiar syndrome, blaming the ones who point out racism or sexism as the true racists or sexists because they identified it. That is not how thoughtful people deal in civil discussions with opinions they don’t share. If you are secure in being a white male, you shouldn’t be so fragile at the mention of criticism of other white males who are clearly in positions of power over women and minorities, that you need to respond in such a knee jerk and inappropriate way. If you genuinely question the domination in this country by those who are white and male, I invite you to point out one woman or one person of color in the photo above of the Alabama politicians who voted to take away women’s rights. You may believe that white men should not be criticized for how they dominate our government and force women and minorities to be controlled by oppressive laws that exclude white men. That may be representational government to you but it is not to a majority of Americans. And what you continue to be oblivious to is that you keep accusing someone else of being uncivil while hurling the identical charges of racism and sexism that you claim is not what people should do in a respectful conversation. Is this another white male privilege? White males can call other people racists and sexists but anyone who does that to white males is a racist and sexist. Really? You sure you want to stay with that? Hypocrisy is not the best argument for trying to claim the moral high ground. You might want to try something else…like practicing what you preach. » Posted By AdLib On June 7, 2019 @ 3:38 pm Yes, I think in general, Democrats believe in the freedom of people to choose for themselves what they want or don’t want in their lives though the limitation on that is when it affects the freedoms, rights and/or well being of other human beings. The abortion issue is a very clear cut case of that, where Republicans are passing religious-based laws to deny women the ability to make choices for themselves about their own bodies, even at 6 weeks when the embryo is nowhere near a human being. When it comes to other rights, such as proliferating military rifles in the hands of citizens and mass killers, polluting the air, land and water and worsening Climate Change disasters, promoting racism and the violence that follows, Republicans wail about “freedom” from government intrusion in people’s lives while many Democrats draw the line because the choices to do these things infringe on the safety of their lives and their pursuit of happiness…which is guaranteed in the Constitution. Freedom to choose for one’s own life is very important and should be protected but when those choices can harm the lives and futures of other human beings, they can’t be unlimited. » Posted By AdLib On June 7, 2019 @ 2:34 pm So it is against your principles for someone to call another person racist or sexist? You may want to re-read your comment and reconsider your own efforts in conducting civil conversation. » Posted By AdLib On June 7, 2019 @ 10:15 am Good points, misapope. It’s a shaky bridge to try and cross, to claim that killing is okay as long as a government convicts someone of a capital crime. So in countries like Russia where political opponents of Putin are charged and convicted of crimes, executing politicians in opposing parties and journalists exposing unpleasant truths about Putin deserve to die because the government tried and convicted them? Closer to home, what about the many convicted people who were wrongly convicted due to prejudice? Killing them is sanctioned by “pro-life” people because a court wrongly declared they weren’t innocent? So as you say, it is a very slippery slope if the “right to life” is taken away of people who aren’t judged by these faux Christians to be innocent. If I have the view that many of these pro-lifers aren’t innocent because of the hatred and hypocrisy they exhibit, should I see their lives as disqualified from protecting? » Posted By AdLib On June 3, 2019 @ 11:02 pm Nelson, we may have to just agree to disagree. I’ve presented a very linear proposition in my article and your responses don’t address it. Here is the core hypocrisy I see, those who claim to be pro-life and claim that all life is sacred when wanting laws to prevent abortion, but turn around and justify the taking of life in other situations when it comes to people already born. So here’s the one proposition that pro-lifers never answer, if all life is sacred, then the lives of prisoners being executed are sacred, the lives of toddlers dying in Immigration facilities are sacred, the lives of innocent victims of wars are sacred…so why do many if not most pro-lifers also support death in these and other instances? The only conclusion from a factual standpoint is that all life isn’t sacred to pro-lifers, it’s only in the case of when women are pregnant and want control over their pregnancy. And have these pro-lifers worked to promote contraceptives to reduce abortions? No, just the opposite. You can see people’s true objectives from their actions, not their words. And through their actions and their conditional assertions about life being sacred only when it comes to a woman having determination over her own pregnancy, it is clear to the majority of Americans who believe women should have the right to control their own bodies and not continue a pregnancy if they so choose (which includes Republicans), that this isn’t really a matter of “all life is sacred”. So that assertion is not true or legitimate. Just as you can’t be a little preganant, you can’t be a little bit pro-life. Either all life is sacred or it isn’t. The Catholic Church is at least consistent (even though I disagree with it), opposing abortion, war and supporting care for the poor. Calling oneself pro-life then being hateful towards poor children seems more like self-satire than reason. » Posted By AdLib On June 3, 2019 @ 5:47 pm Nelson, it is not an actual argument or effective to claim something as “gibberish” then play the tired “What about Dems?!” card. We are talking about the hypocrisy of those claiming to be pro-life, the factual assertion that many of those claiming to be “pro-life” support the death penalty, defunding food and health care for poor children and are pro-war which kills so many innocent lives. Do you dispute this? Here’s a link to the Right Wing group Focus on the Family where they try to defend their pro-life/pro-death hypocrisy in a very lame way. Essentially saying that if a court says someone deserves to die, they support killing…even though it could later turn out that he was innocent. And innocent people have been killed using the death penalty. So de facto, they have supported the killing of innocents. Why don’t they support fully funding the feeding and healthcare of newborns and children born into poverty. Innocent children die because of a lack of health insurance. Why wouldn’t a “pro-life” supporter want to protect the life of the born? If something doesn’t make sense, it’s probably not the truth. This fanatical obsession with controlling women, mainly orchestrated by men. is not so mysterious to those who look at it in total. » Posted By AdLib On June 3, 2019 @ 12:32 pm Good point, recognizing how this stems from the Southern Strategy. Which also reflects that there is a white racist aspect to this as well, even though there are some black voters who support this theocratic campaign. When viewed from the aspect of power and control, this campaign to make the extremist religious views of their voters into laws that everyone of all religions must obey (I thought Republicans didn’t want Big Government in people’s lives…let alone their private health decisions), mirrors laws that forbade mixed race marriages and criminalized being gay. These are the unevolved people trying to drag society backwards into darkness, ignorance and tribalism. Some Dems running for president think these people should be courted for their votes, I think they should be seen as the adversaries of a better society and energies should instead be spent on generating greater turnout by those most likely to want change from Trump and the RW. » Posted By AdLib On May 30, 2019 @ 2:42 pm True but all of this has been orchestrated. From preventing Obama from filling the SCOTUS seat to forcing through anti-Roe trolls Kavanaugh and Gorsich to pushing through all these anti-choice laws at the same time. It is an organized assault on our justice system, the Constitution and of course, women. It is easy to manipulate people through their faith but those who do aren’t men who believe in that faith, they are treating religious people as sheep that are easily herded. As for the small minority of Americans supporting these laws, Christianity also espouses loving thy neighbor, condemns the wealthy and raises up the the nobility of “the meek”. Yet these so-called Christians couldn’t be bothered with all the morals of Christianity (“Caging toddlers and causing their deaths, works for me!”), just the ones which gives their religion political power to force everyone else to adhere to it. Jesus would not approve. To that end they are using pregnancy as a storm-front. Well said! » Posted By AdLib On May 30, 2019 @ 2:12 pm It’s basically sour grapes with the grapes being knowledge and experience. Aside from that, what could go wrong? Oh yeah… » Posted By AdLib On May 29, 2019 @ 8:57 pm I have to wonder if some of these men in the AL legislature are just stooges put in place to vote as they’re told. I just get this feeling in my Gudger that could be the case. I’ve told you this before but your children are amazing people (wonder where they get it from?). They nailed it concisely. But in the Trump era, there is no such thing as long term thinking, that either legally or de facto ending abortion in states will have so many terrible consequences for their residents, their state, their party and their political futures. It’s all about breaking store windows and grabbing all you can carry. Republicans are so lousy at thinking about blowback. So AL, a very poor state among the worst in child mortality, uninsured people, poverty, etc., wants to start having a baby boom that they can’t afford, won’t take care of and will be a huge burden especially to the poor and society as a whole? That’s called “winning”? And in the process chase away the better educated and skilled workers who don’t want to be oppressed like this or live in a deteriorating state? Same goes for the other Repub led poverty-stricken states. They want to turn their states into bigger disasters? They don’t even think about it because moving the ball forward on theocracy is all that matters (they know End Times are coming anyway so why worry, I suppose). As the roof falls down on the GOP over this, the greedy tax cuts, increased pollution, Climate Change enhanced natural disasters, greater economic inequity, I hope McConnell is buried in the rubble along with Lindsey Graham and the worst of the GOP. They offer nothing but a dysfunctional apocalypse and that may be fine for the GOP cultists supporting them, but the majority is going to shut them down in 2020. » Posted By AdLib On May 29, 2019 @ 7:07 pm It’s like hearing a response from someone, “You’re so educated.” Yes, we are “political”, that is, we are informed. That’s their responsibility too but by dismissing it that way, they cover for their lack of knowledge in politics as if it’s a good thing. Like the “Know Nothings” following Trump who shun “experienced” people (and people who can spell). They want to feel justified in being ignorant. But they’re not. Like their cult leader. » Posted By AdLib On May 29, 2019 @ 3:16 pm I think that’s another category of people, those who don’t want to think about things. They don’t want to believe bad things are happening or that they might have to do something about it so they fall back on skepticism. They’re a passive part of the problem, citizenship means taking responsibility for your society and democracy. » Posted By AdLib On May 29, 2019 @ 1:23 pmComments Posted By AdLib
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