Politics – Page 25 – Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 3

NY Times Buries The Lede As It Buries Itself

The Gray Lady is digging her own grave.

“Good media is the Fourth Estate.” says Joe Kahn, the executive editor of The New York Times. He continues with “it’s another pillar of democracy.” All well and good. As far as it goes. It doesn’t even come close to going far enough apparently for the folks at the Times. This interview in Semafor certainly proves Kahn and his publisher A. G.Sulzberger are missing the story, the point, and the knife at their own throats.

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Here’s the quote that opens up the window on their self-centered delusion:

It’s also true that Trump could win this election in a popular vote. Given that Trump’s not in office, it will probably be fair. And there’s a very good chance, based on our polling and other independent polling, that he will win that election in a popular vote. So there are people out there in the world who may decide, based on their democratic rights, to elect Donald Trump as president. It is not the job of the news media to prevent that from happening. It’s the job of Biden and the people around Biden to prevent that from happening.

Again, as far as it goes it makes sense AND what I think many of us believed about how journalism should work in our political system. But that political system doesn’t exist anymore. You have to have some powerful blinders to not see that. Either that or be far too comfortable living within a myth of mostly your own making.

The very political system that guarantees The Times it’s right to think, write, and publish that way is being threatened by someone and a party that aren’t shy about abandoning the constitution that guarantees Kahn the ability to do his job as he sees it.

As I say far too often the media will cover its own funeral until the last shovel of dirt is tossed into the grave. If you think I’m being hyperbolic, you aren’t paying attention.

You can read the entire interview here. Photo by Olkesandr_U

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Sunday Morning Reading

Some Sunday Morning Reading to share amidst prepping to move.

I’ve been fortunate enough in my life to rub elbows with folks from all corners of life. Those who live the high life, those who live the low, and many in between. One thing those on the high side have in common is that however they achieved their status above it all is their predilection towards self-delusion increases commensurate with the size of their bank accounts. The first few links in this edition of Sunday Morning Reading feature three interesting pieces about life on that side of the tracks.

The Blindness of Elites by Thomas Chatteron Williams takes on Walter Kirn and the empty politics of defiance revealing how much of a luxury it is to make life up as you go along. It also reveals how wacky it is when elites go after others for being elite.

This piece by Elizabeth Mika is from 2016 but it could have been written at any point since, so it’s worth a revisit. The Pivoting: On Narcissistic Collusion of How Evil “just happens” reminds us that we can’t escape black holes, especially those of our own making.

Dan Adler takes on The Life and Times of Fergie Chambers. It’s a strange journey into the life of a rich, radical communist with time on his hands that only money can buy.

David French takes on The Magic Constiutionalism of Donald Trump. There’s nothing magic or constitutionaal about it.

James Jordon has a terrific piece about racism called My Grandfather’s Response to a Racial Slur Shaped My World.

David Todd McCarty says America is in crisis because voters are completely uninformed. I concur. That’s a state that doesn’t get votes in the Electoral College, but it’s one too many prefer to live in. Check out For They Know Not What They Do.

Changing course, last week Natasha MH wrote about dancing. This week she’s ridiing carousels in Riding the Taylor Swift Carousel.

And closing things out this week is Anne Spollen with An Unedited Day In An Ordinary Life. Pro Tip: Every day is unedited. Often we’d be better off trying not to make it make too much sense.

If you’re interested in just what the heck Sunday Morning Reading is all about you can read more about the origins of Sunday Morning Reading here. You can also find more of my writings on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Sunday Morning Reading

Imaginations run wild when the grandkids come to visit grandpa’s house.

Dreams fill our imagination or sometimes vice versa. Especially when there are young kids around. This week’s edition of Sunday Morning Reading is a smaller list than most given that we’re on grandparent duty, but it should pique your imagination nonetheless.

As mentioned, we’re babysitting the grandkids this weekend. And so it’s only appropriate to kick off this edition of Sunday Morning Reading with The Dollhouse and it’s Discontents by NatashaMH.

With visiting grandkids comes a revist to the land of vivid imaginations. Watching the older one explore grandpa’s house and turn discoveries of the mundane into new found adventures may not approach hypherphantasia, but it’s enough to blow one’s mind. Speaking of, check out David Robinson’s ‘Like a Film in My Mind’: Hyperphantasia and the Quest To Understand Vivid Imaginations.

Speaking of dreams and imagination, Daniel Bessner has a great piece called The Life and Death of Hollywood. The dream factory might be going through some nightmares.

As our world seems both full of imagination and fraught with fear about Artificial Intelligence, Benedict Evans goes Looking For AI use-cases.

Ever wonder how the Internet keeps us connected around the globe? Check out Josh Dzieza’s report for The Verge about the folks who keep undersea cables maintained in The Cloud Under The Sea. Imagine that.

Why The Dems Need to Keep the Gavel in Mike Johnson’s Hand

The Dems need to help Mike Johnson hang onto his gavel

Politics has never been bean bag. But it’s also never been this stupid. Mike Johnson, the aw-shucks reluctant Speaker of the House is making a play for bills that should have passed the House of Representatives long ago. Because his predecessor caved to the crazies in his caucus and allowed any House member to file a motion to vacate the chair, Johnson is once again up against the wall, being threatened by some of his own members if he does.

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This morning another Republcian vowed to support the Mouth from the South’s motion to vacate, upping the stakes a bit and certainly increasing the entertainment value, dubious as it is. Once you’ve watched The Three Stooges in reruns over and over again, the shtick more than fades.

Too many on the Democratic side of things lust to see Johnson toppled and the Republicans falter, hoping to regain the majority. while the former GOP continues swimming in a cesspool of their own making. Set aside that the bills in question are necessary for larger reasons. They are and need to pass.

The Democrats should have the votes with enough semi-sane Republicans to help pass the legislation and also allow Johnson to retain his Speakership, should he decide he’s got the moxie to move. I’m not sure which side will have to hold its nose more tightly to make that move, but take a deep breath, grab those nostrils, squeeze and do the smart thing.

Why should the Dems save Johnson’s skin? It’s simple. With this Congress and the ever narrowing and narrow-minded Republican majority in the House, not much is going to happen legislatively prior to the Labor Day recess. Moving legislation after that is practically an impossibility, even more so this year. Those who keep hoping for the Dem’s to quickly regain the gavel need to cool their jets and get smart.

Kindergarten political science calculations should tell anyone paying attention that going into the November elections with this House remaining under Republican control should make it easier for the Dems to regain the majoirty after the election by continuing to campaign against an easily recognizable ineffectual Republican majority full of looney tunes characters not legislators.

That’s not a sure thing, because it does indeed depend on the election. But it’s a better bet than if the Dem’s were suddenly placed in control in the run-up to the election, having to accept the responsibility for governing when there won’t be a chance in hell of getting anything done in the meantime. It also has a chance to diminish the power of the crazies a bit. It won’t stop the yelling and screaming, but it will continue to help magnify the stupidity which seems to know no bounds.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Axios and the Axis of Missing the Point

Missing the point and missing the story.

The folks at Axios raised a few eyebrows this week with a report, follwed up with a behind the scenes look at the report, essentially telling us to calm down about what’s happening in U.S. politics. Those of us alarmed are living in a reality distortion bubble according to Axios. The country isn’t as divided as we’ve been decieved into thinking it is.

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If you ask me the only bubble is the one in the Axios editorial suite.

Look, I get it. Yes, there are millions of Americans too busy to be anywhere close to up to speed on what’s going on in this country politically, legally, and socially. But that misses the point and also gives lie to what passes for current day media’s business model. Also the historical one. If it bleeds it has always led and the country could use a tourniquet about now. Missing that story misses all points entirely.

There are millions who are paying attention, landing on either side of whatever passes for fences these days. If there weren’t, the media bubble (of which Axios is a part of) wouldn’t have much of an audience, or at least wouldn’t have enough worth advertisting on.

Those pushing to turn the clock back and those pushing to keep it moving forward both count on those millions too busy with the everyday to pay attention everyday. Assigning those paying attention to “a fringe view,” side swipes at what’s been happening and what’s going to happen in the next seven months and beyond. It’s also at odds with broad concepts like political science, history, and just plain old math.

I’m not disagreeing with some of the facts and data laid out in these articles. I’m disagreeing with the head in the sand conclusions.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Forget Voting, Let’s Just Count The Cash

A Modest Proposal

There’s a part of me that thinks we should dispense with voting and just award the presidency to the candidate who raises the most money. Certainly that would be unfair to those with less money under our current system, but there might be ways to make it more transparent.

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Big bucks donors have always felt this way. At least that’s what they have told themselves after stroking large checks to this or that PAC. It used to be for a chance to grab a government contract or two and that’s still the case. But after the 2016 election many got their quid-pro-quo with the Trump tax cuts. Some of which will expire at the end of 2025. Bettting on an extension or making those tax cuts permanent more aptly explains the current willingness to toss out good money after bad character.

That’s the point. As long as there’s a buck to be made, make the bet. Trump’s an edges-bent, easy to read wildcard, but big donors, like some criminals posing as world leaders, are counting on the chaos to save some tax scratch while also allowing them to do whatever the heck they want to do to keep the cash spigots open. They know what they’re betting on.

Regardless of party, politics has always been about who gets to ride the gravy train. With the Democrats some of it is actually about policy. With what used to be called the Republican Party it has always been about grift and graft. Mix in a little God and you can even roll the suckers when you pass the collection plates.

All of this gets dressed up in political debates about regulation, campaign financing, laws, and ethics. But those duds are as see through as the new Major League Baseball uniforms.

So here’s a modest proposal. Let folks donate as much as they want. But each donation only counts as one dollar towards the outcome regardless of the size of the donation. Do away with PACs and other three-card monte schemes that reward political operatives and lobbyists. Donate the money directly to the candidate. Only individuals can donate. None of this “corporations are people” bullshit. Tie the donations to social security numbers. It would still be about turnout, but you could only turn out your pockets once and make it count. Say goodbye to the Electoral College and Make Accounting Great Again.

Stupid? Probably. Candidates used to buy votes with a beer and a sandwich, now corporations and other governments buy candidates. I doubt this would change our genetic code that builds liars and cheaters, but it would at least be a stab at more honesty.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Sunday Morning Reading

The world seems a bit crazier each week when the calendar flips to Sunday. In the lead up to a ‘sun eating’ total solar eclipse perhaps a bit more so. Don’t gamble on things settling down after it passes. Regardless, here’s some Sunday Morning Reading to share.

According to Bertrand Russell “fear is the main source of superstition.” That may well be true. David Todd McCarty takes a look at The Disparity Between Fear and Progress.

Kyle Orland in Ars Technica tells us that Google Might Make Users Pay for AI Features in Search Results. I can’t imagine anything less intelligent.

Speaking of AI, NatashaMH wonders Will We Ever Be Ready for the Future? Have we ever?

Getting back to creativity in the real world, textile artist Minga Opazo explores being confident, finding solutions, and balancing research with your artistic practice in Engaging With The World In Your Work. Hat tip to Stan Stewart.

On the politics beat, Robert Faturechi, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski of ProPublica take a look at what appears to be another in a long line of Trump scams, this time with his last minute bond bailout. Ethical concerns abound in Trump’s Lawyers Told The Court No One Wold Give Him a Bond. Then He Got A Lifeline, But They Didn’t Tell The Judges. Too bad ethics don’t matter much anymore.

One thing about the political beat is that most of what we see and read is re-packaging things most of us already know. Details do matter, but not after the orange bull has wrecked the China shop. Lachlan Cartwright tells us What I Saw At The National Enquirer During Trump’s Rise. A too late, but good read.

Our Entire Society Is Becoming Addicted to Sports Gambling says Alex Shephard. I’m sure everyone saw this coming once the Supreme Court gave gambling the go ahead. Don’t forget, someone paid off Justice Kavanaugh’s gambling debts as he was being groomed for the bench.

To close things out, here’s a bit of history about solar eclipses from Leah Sarnoff in ‘The Sun Has Been Eaten’: Inside The History and Mystery of Total Solar Eclipses.

Axis of Chaos

Putin. Trump. Netanyahu. The Axis of Chaos. Absent chaos none of these men would be terrorizing their countries, their citizens, and the world. They’ve more than proven that the best way to stay in power is to sow chaos. They may one day reap the whirlwind, but currently they survive by tossing the world into a toilet bowel of turbulence.

They each need each other to continue churning the chaos mill so that they can continue creating and profiting from their own, simultaneously mocking any attempts at accountability.

Both Putin and Netanyahu despise Trump as much as they need him to keep the United States, and thus the rest of the world spinning off kilter. The Russians call tools of Trump’s ilk “useful idiots” and if you ask me he’s exhausted the cliché. That famous photo of Trump in the Oval Office laughing as if he’s in on the joke is one of the funniest and most iconic displays of his ignorance of his own impotence.

Putin doesn’t need Trump because he’s a clever ally with mutually aligned goals, beyond their desires for self-enrichment. He needs Trump because he’s a bumbling behemoth of bombast he can reliably count on to stir things up and keep all eyes unable to focus. It’s the old magician’s distraction trick. The same with Netanyahu. Both he and Putin recognize that they have an easy mark, easy to pay, easy to play.

Trump thinks he needs each of them for the same reasons. But being the awareness-deficient clod that he is, he doesn’t realize he’s being played for a fool. It’s easy for him to think he’s in the gang given the seemingly endless supply of his own useful and idiotic lickspittles leeching off him. None of them, regardless of whom they serve, seem to notice when others get tossed aside or unceremoniously fall out of windows.

That’s what chaos agents and charlatans have always thrived on: wanna-be hangers-on thinking they also have a chance at grabbing the brass ring.

If the three disappeared in a poof of dust overnight, the world would still turn on its somewhat more predictable axis. Certainly part of it would turn in on itself trying to sort out a way forward, perhaps creating a wobble or two. But it would still turn. Spinning in such circles has become so disgustingly normal that it has numbed most of us into inaction as we try to find an always illusive balance.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Profiles in Cowardice with the Caucus of the Craven

The Atlantic has a good piece out called A Study in Senate Cowardice. It’s worth a read for those who haven’t been paying attention, and I hope some do. But it’s old news and much like saying water is wet.

Perhaps they’ve removed all of the mirrors in their homes, because I don’t know how these Senators can bear seeing their own reflections. We’re surrounded and governed by cowards. But it’s not just the politicians who are cowards.

Journalists could hang some of their own mugshots on this cover artwork from the Atlantic pictured above. There was an election in 2022 and some pictured above stood for office at the time. Where was this article then? It could have been written at any point since the Senate voted not to convict Trump after January 6th. Most know it. Too many don’t seem to care. And yet, here we are.

Go-along-to-get-along is the age-old anthem sung by cowards and should be the new motto of the U.S. Senate.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.

Confrontation Nation

The intimidation tactics and strategy have worked far too well.

Judges. Pastors. Politicians. Every day Joe and every day Jane. People feel threatened by rhetoric spewing out of mouths like lava out of a volcano. It’s an insult to the concept of rhetoric, just another in the long list of “life as we knew it” torched by the angry mob.

The threats multiply daily and there’s no system or institution that can contain them so we might as well quit pretending and waiting around for the fire brigade. Like it or not the decaying orange turd and his worshippers are taking everything down with them. Scorched earth. It’s only going to get worse and there’s no “before it gets better” on the horizon.

The intimidation tactics and strategy have worked far too well. Judges can toss down a gag order, but they’re doing so behind security details and burdened by a judicial system that’s melting under the heat and buckling under its own burden. Pastors can preach for patience and penitence, but those that follow the lessons of scripture are being overwhelmed and overmatched by their own brethren who’ve reduced to ashes the messages of the Gospel, or any other good book, while profiting from the pulpit. As for politicians, let’s just say I don’t think there are anymore feet remaining worth holding to the fire.

This approaching calamity too many are trying to avoid is coming one way or the other. It’s just a matter of when.

You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.