THE REAL THREAT TO HUMANITY. Guess what? It’s not AI, it’s humanity itself. (God help us, but wait a second, He doesn’t exist.)
TWO THINGS. Trump not only has tried to destroy our democracy, he has also tried to destroy our faith in our democracy. Let’s hope he doesn’t succeed. At either.
From NBC News. Trump orders signage, warning visitors of “inaccurate information” at the Smithsonian. HERE’S A BETTER HEADLINE. Trump orders Smithsonian to be more blatantly racist. (Isn’t History so biased against white people even though they for the most part wrote it?)
THE END OF THE REPUBLIC. Nothing has convinced me more… Bill Barr (remember him…?) suggested that Todd Blanche should be confirmed because Trump might nominate someone even worse. Uh huh. Two problems. Who would be worse? And is that a way to run the government?
Is Christopher Nolan taking credit for the Interrotron?
WHAT IF CLARENCE THOMAS HAD BEEN ON THE DRED SCOTT COURT? Would he have voted to disenfranchise himself? Doesn’t the 13th Amendment have DEI problems?
HEAR, HEAR FROM MASHA GESSEN, "Sports can be an instrument of inclusion. So can the law. But in the hands of this court, the principles and practices that were once intended to enfranchise more people often become, instead, tools of exclusion."
WHY ARE THEY CALLED CONSERVATIVES? Is overturning the Constitution conservative?
People think it was a good day for the Supreme Court. Really?! Just because the Court didn’t decide to overturn the Constitution? How about all its other decisions? Mississippi wasn’t so bad. But it let Citizens United reign supreme. Let’s re=congratulate John Roberts on ruining the country.
The NYT has discovered that Trump lies. For example, in his hall of presidents some ten historians were asked to fact check the captions. Good grief. There were misrepresentations, shocking omissions, and, yes, outright lies. Lies, of course, lies. But isn’t the problem: not enough people care?
MY VERSION OF HERACLITUS. Heraclitus is known for arguing you can’t step into the same river twice. (I will forgo the version in Plato’s Cratylus. Everything changes.) Even though you can’t step into the same river twice, you can step into the same pile of shit twice. Maybe even three times.
ANOTHER SADNESS, BUT THIS TIME NOT THE OBVIOUS. Mark Singer who wrote two profiles about me for The New Yorker died. He should always be known for standing up to Trump. I loved him. He was funny, ironic, and very smart. Also, a fabulous writer. Damn. I will miss him.
THE OBVIOUS. If you’re a moron you hire other morons, lest your moronic ideas and moronic leadership be challenged. But where is it written that we have to pay lip service to morons? That we have to pretend that morons aren’t morons and their ideas aren’t moronic? Where?
It doesn’t matter how many times a moron tells us how smart he is, how many cognitive tests he’s aced, he’s still a moron. Q.E.D.
THE TRIUMPH OF EUPHEMISMS. Today in the NYT, Hegseth is described as engaged in a war against diversity. Can’t we call it what it is? That’s right. It’s RACISM. And it’s unacceptable and disgusting.
Is America finally waking up to the fact that Trump scuttled Obama’s agreement with Iran (the JCPOA) in favor of slaughtering people and ultimately ”achieving” a weaker deal? WHY? Meaningless competitivenes? Racism? Errant stupidity? Take your pick.
HAS SOMETHING CHANGED? I no longer think in terms of right/left, Republican/Democrat, Conservative/Progressive. These categories may no longer apply. Now, it’s simpler.. There is just stupid and very stupid. Welcome to our new reality.
ATAVISTS UNITE. Why not approve of every despicable event in the history of mankind? Slavery? Racism? The Holocaust? Why not worship stupidity? Cupidity? Let’s pretend that all criminal prosecutions are politically motivated, particularly those involving Donald Trump.
PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY NO ONE RESPONDS TO MY ARGUMENTS IN THE ASHTRAY?
I WAS WRONG. The problem is not what happens to a society where crime is not punished. The problem is what happens to a society where crime is rewarded?
BEGGARING/BUGGERING CREDULITY. Today, the NYT has a headline “Fund Proposed to Compensate Allies of Trump…” Terrific. And taxpayers get to pay for it. But wait a second. Aren’t we already paying directly for Trump’s criminality? We are, but why not encourage double-dipping?
READING SCHOPENHAUER. "For the world is Hell, and men are on the one hand the tormented souls and on the other the devils in it.” Who could argue?
READING KANT. "To become old is a great sin, and we are ruthlessly punished for it by death."
Can you really claim that there is no discrimination against women and Blacks? This is why Roberts and Alito should be ashamed of themselves. Alas, they may have no sense of shame.
CAN YOU SHOW DISCRIMINATION? McCleskey was sentenced to death in Georgia. A study showed Defendants charged with killing white victims were over 4 times more likely to receive a death sentence than those charged with killing Black victims. This was not enough for the SC, and McCleskey was executed.
The Count of Monte Cristo was very angry. Yes, he was trying to punish those who had him unjustly imprisoned. Trump’s vindictiveness is different. He is punishing people who have exposed his criminality.
Yesterday , the NYT had an article on PAGE ONE, “In primaries, Trump targets the ‘Disloyal’.” Knock me over with a feather, is it even possible that Trump could be vindictive? At least, the NYT has been able to discover it.
OK. He’s incontinent and incompetent, but maybe the policies are good. Sorry, they are not. What are we supposed to think or feel after Trump scuttled Obama’s JCPOA. We negotiated enforceable limitations on Iran’s ability to process HEU. What do “we” prefer? Senseless and shameful war?