"We've got people doing poems on aircraft carriers"
Right, because being in the military means you can't express yourself in any way, please don't pay attention to the volumes upon volumes of poetry and prose that have emerged from every single conflict throughout human history that's obviously woke propaganda.
I do love the phraseology of "doing" poems, like it's some sort of hard drug. Everyone starts so innocent, just a little haiku, no big deal. Next thing you know you're up at four AM in your bunk with bloodshot eyes, rattling off two cinquains and a limerick just to feel anything in this grey abyss of a world.
Here's what will happen with this Wisconsinite if the state GOP opts to overturn the results of a legally-conducted taxpayer-funded election. The GOP forfeited forever my vote for them when they pushed through the anti-public sector Act 10 without campaigning on it, simply because they could do so. All else they have done in the realm of hyperpartisan divide-and-conquer politics, including self-serving grossly gerrymandered redistricting, simply reinforces that decision. They made this former Republican an Ex- of their own free will. But I was not an activist before. If the GOP goes nuclear, I will become one. I will vigorously fight back and do everything within my legal power to reach others, spread the word, keep it on the radar screen for years to come, and identify any and all ways that my fertile mind can think of to get them defeated at the polls and embarrassed in public.
I am ready for this battle and will do my part, and more, whatever it takes. If the GOP wants to declare a war on democracy, I will bring as many soldiers to the battle as I can muster. It will make the Act 10 protests around the state capitol look like a walk in the park if the GOP formally opts to declare null and void an election they lost fair and square. If they want that fight, they will get it.
LOL, an entire section in today’s newsletter about people fearing social consequences for speech. A tradition as old as time. And yet still nothing on government officials in Texas suspending a professor for criticism of the Lt Governor. But hey…”BoTh SiDeS!!”
THAT is one of our major problems, it is extremely rare for any "journalist" to ask (or any other hard) question these days.
It is one of the many things that contributed to us getting where we are.
On Self-censorship:
I self censor myself CONTINUOUSLY. It has been that way my ENTIRE life. At work, at school (all the way up through doctoral studies), in my personal life.
Because what other people think of you can be very important. Why does anyone think this is a new phenomenon? It isn't.
What IS new are the variety of forums that you can be in to expose yourself.
What IS new is that people feel entitled to say whatever the F they want, however they want WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES.
And, while on a certain theoretical and legal level you CAN say whatever the F you want; theory and law are NOT reality. Human civilization DEPENDS upon people not being so stupid as to say what they REALLY think. even in places where the theory is that you can and should (like education).
Only the truly powerful can get away with that-- visibly getting away with that is THE reason why Trump does it so much. It is a clear demonstration of his power.
You know, given what the Right wing is trying to do to this country, I can’t give a damn about what idiot college students think, or don’t think. Right now, they are NOT the problem. They, & the people who want to make this a problem, need to take a # and get in line.
By the way, the FL dept of Ed has approved a new college entry test, the Classic Learning Test, which emphasizes the Western Canon (fine) and Christian Thought. As an entry test for publicly-funded universities. Oh, and he put a Moms for Liberty founder on the state Ed board.
Florida parents of high schoolers, send them out of state for college, out of the South.
I know Charlie likes to point out that the GOP stood for something 5 minutes ago, but I wonder if he considered that the GOP didn't truly stand for anything 5 minutes ago. I think what we've learned is the party will adopt whatever position that benefits them in the short term, and when that position is no longer useful, it gets jettisoned. As Stuart Stevens often says, "It was all a lie".
In fact, the only thing the modern GOP believes is it, and it alone, has a legitimate, absolute right to rule. Once you accept that, everything else makes sense.
Regarding "Joe Biden’s Problem Isn’t His Age, It’s Our Age," I agree, though perhaps not for the same reason as some others intend. I get it that Biden's level of power and responsibility are exponentially higher than that of the typical person, and that those elected to positions of power should face heightened scrutiny. The recent Feinstein and McConnell examples of evident physical and/or mental decline also are fresh in mind. But so much of the "Biden is too old to do the job" seems speculative rather than tangible, and of a mindset that is not equally applied to his Republican competitor. I'd like to ask those who feel that Biden should be disqualified for his age and appearance how they would take to being phased out of their job and career simply because they are old in the eyes of others. I'm guessing there would be a double standard there, in the reaction of "Yeah, but in my case it's different." No, really, it isn't.
I agree with Tuberville. We have to stop this before it gets out of control. What’s next? Football players and coaches composing prayers on the football field?
There is obviously a limit to 'Go Vote'. Although this is Tom Nichols's (and I'm a big fan) and others' only solution to the problem. We voted. But now the vote doesn't count. 'Go Vote!' and 'All you have to do is vote!' is obviously a facile retort when it comes to the corruption here of the GOP. We need new solutions to these problems. In 1960 Nashville John Lewis wasn't telling people 'Just go Vote!' the idea is ridiculous. He was organizing sit-ins at lunch counters to desegregate.
The WI GOP is scaring me, not just because of their totalitarian tactics, they have been dabbling in that for years, or as you put it irony is dead. No what scares me is their desperation and their willingness to risk everything for just one election. There seems to be a feeling in Republicans across the country of "if we can win this one, then we can take over for good and force what we want". You see this in AL defying the court on redistricting, and I expect FL to do the same. And then there is this form one of our "christian" republicans in his show on Americas most "christian network"
Mike Huckabee opened his most recent episode by saying that if former president Trump loses the 2024 election because of the many indictments grand juries have handed down concerning his behavior, “it is going to be the last American election that will be decided by ballots rather than bullets.”
This "wokeness in the military" thing just makes my blood boil. It's everywhere.
I read a couple of Navy blogs and websites. (And PROCEEDINGS of the US Naval Institute.) Every time a Commanding Officer is relieved -- which is becoming much more frequent and is another problem entirely -- one can always count on a lot of comments like "well, must not have been woke enough!" These commenters go right to woke, not any of the other things that can get a Commanding Officer relieved: mismanagement of funds, failing a major inspection, administrative failures (like improper documentation of "special" weapons status), groundings, safety violations, "failure to sail," environmental screw-ups like dumping 10,000 gallons of fuel oil into a harbor, alcoholism or drug abuse...
There's plenty of military in my family. I'm a former naval officer. My brother is a former Marine. My dad was an Army officer. My brother-in-law was Army aviation, Air Force and now Air National Guard. We know what the military is. But my dad tried to talk my son out of going into a commissioning program because the military is just too "woke." I just don't get it. There are some programs out there to address sexual harassment, but other than that, I'm unaware of any regulations regarding "wokeness." I don't know of any case where someone has actually been relieved for insufficient "wokeness." It's just all nonsense as far as I can tell ... yet there are lots of people convinced it's there and it's growing. And THAT'S damaging to the mission.
Justice Scalia Would Like a Word
"We've got people doing poems on aircraft carriers"
Right, because being in the military means you can't express yourself in any way, please don't pay attention to the volumes upon volumes of poetry and prose that have emerged from every single conflict throughout human history that's obviously woke propaganda.
I do love the phraseology of "doing" poems, like it's some sort of hard drug. Everyone starts so innocent, just a little haiku, no big deal. Next thing you know you're up at four AM in your bunk with bloodshot eyes, rattling off two cinquains and a limerick just to feel anything in this grey abyss of a world.
Here's what will happen with this Wisconsinite if the state GOP opts to overturn the results of a legally-conducted taxpayer-funded election. The GOP forfeited forever my vote for them when they pushed through the anti-public sector Act 10 without campaigning on it, simply because they could do so. All else they have done in the realm of hyperpartisan divide-and-conquer politics, including self-serving grossly gerrymandered redistricting, simply reinforces that decision. They made this former Republican an Ex- of their own free will. But I was not an activist before. If the GOP goes nuclear, I will become one. I will vigorously fight back and do everything within my legal power to reach others, spread the word, keep it on the radar screen for years to come, and identify any and all ways that my fertile mind can think of to get them defeated at the polls and embarrassed in public.
I am ready for this battle and will do my part, and more, whatever it takes. If the GOP wants to declare a war on democracy, I will bring as many soldiers to the battle as I can muster. It will make the Act 10 protests around the state capitol look like a walk in the park if the GOP formally opts to declare null and void an election they lost fair and square. If they want that fight, they will get it.
LOL, an entire section in today’s newsletter about people fearing social consequences for speech. A tradition as old as time. And yet still nothing on government officials in Texas suspending a professor for criticism of the Lt Governor. But hey…”BoTh SiDeS!!”
WRT the Cheapshot:
THAT is one of our major problems, it is extremely rare for any "journalist" to ask (or any other hard) question these days.
It is one of the many things that contributed to us getting where we are.
On Self-censorship:
I self censor myself CONTINUOUSLY. It has been that way my ENTIRE life. At work, at school (all the way up through doctoral studies), in my personal life.
Because what other people think of you can be very important. Why does anyone think this is a new phenomenon? It isn't.
What IS new are the variety of forums that you can be in to expose yourself.
What IS new is that people feel entitled to say whatever the F they want, however they want WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES.
And, while on a certain theoretical and legal level you CAN say whatever the F you want; theory and law are NOT reality. Human civilization DEPENDS upon people not being so stupid as to say what they REALLY think. even in places where the theory is that you can and should (like education).
Only the truly powerful can get away with that-- visibly getting away with that is THE reason why Trump does it so much. It is a clear demonstration of his power.
So Mike Huckabee says “elect Donald Trump or Democracy gets it”. Nice country you have here, it’d be a shame if anything happened to it.
You know, given what the Right wing is trying to do to this country, I can’t give a damn about what idiot college students think, or don’t think. Right now, they are NOT the problem. They, & the people who want to make this a problem, need to take a # and get in line.
By the way, the FL dept of Ed has approved a new college entry test, the Classic Learning Test, which emphasizes the Western Canon (fine) and Christian Thought. As an entry test for publicly-funded universities. Oh, and he put a Moms for Liberty founder on the state Ed board.
Florida parents of high schoolers, send them out of state for college, out of the South.
I'm 56 and I still self-censor.
It's called "reading the room".
I know Charlie likes to point out that the GOP stood for something 5 minutes ago, but I wonder if he considered that the GOP didn't truly stand for anything 5 minutes ago. I think what we've learned is the party will adopt whatever position that benefits them in the short term, and when that position is no longer useful, it gets jettisoned. As Stuart Stevens often says, "It was all a lie".
In fact, the only thing the modern GOP believes is it, and it alone, has a legitimate, absolute right to rule. Once you accept that, everything else makes sense.
Regarding "Joe Biden’s Problem Isn’t His Age, It’s Our Age," I agree, though perhaps not for the same reason as some others intend. I get it that Biden's level of power and responsibility are exponentially higher than that of the typical person, and that those elected to positions of power should face heightened scrutiny. The recent Feinstein and McConnell examples of evident physical and/or mental decline also are fresh in mind. But so much of the "Biden is too old to do the job" seems speculative rather than tangible, and of a mindset that is not equally applied to his Republican competitor. I'd like to ask those who feel that Biden should be disqualified for his age and appearance how they would take to being phased out of their job and career simply because they are old in the eyes of others. I'm guessing there would be a double standard there, in the reaction of "Yeah, but in my case it's different." No, really, it isn't.
In a different timeline, a navy secretary and a conservative senator both accusing each other of being communists would be high comedy.
I agree with Tuberville. We have to stop this before it gets out of control. What’s next? Football players and coaches composing prayers on the football field?
There is obviously a limit to 'Go Vote'. Although this is Tom Nichols's (and I'm a big fan) and others' only solution to the problem. We voted. But now the vote doesn't count. 'Go Vote!' and 'All you have to do is vote!' is obviously a facile retort when it comes to the corruption here of the GOP. We need new solutions to these problems. In 1960 Nashville John Lewis wasn't telling people 'Just go Vote!' the idea is ridiculous. He was organizing sit-ins at lunch counters to desegregate.
The WI GOP is scaring me, not just because of their totalitarian tactics, they have been dabbling in that for years, or as you put it irony is dead. No what scares me is their desperation and their willingness to risk everything for just one election. There seems to be a feeling in Republicans across the country of "if we can win this one, then we can take over for good and force what we want". You see this in AL defying the court on redistricting, and I expect FL to do the same. And then there is this form one of our "christian" republicans in his show on Americas most "christian network"
Mike Huckabee opened his most recent episode by saying that if former president Trump loses the 2024 election because of the many indictments grand juries have handed down concerning his behavior, “it is going to be the last American election that will be decided by ballots rather than bullets.”
This "wokeness in the military" thing just makes my blood boil. It's everywhere.
I read a couple of Navy blogs and websites. (And PROCEEDINGS of the US Naval Institute.) Every time a Commanding Officer is relieved -- which is becoming much more frequent and is another problem entirely -- one can always count on a lot of comments like "well, must not have been woke enough!" These commenters go right to woke, not any of the other things that can get a Commanding Officer relieved: mismanagement of funds, failing a major inspection, administrative failures (like improper documentation of "special" weapons status), groundings, safety violations, "failure to sail," environmental screw-ups like dumping 10,000 gallons of fuel oil into a harbor, alcoholism or drug abuse...
There's plenty of military in my family. I'm a former naval officer. My brother is a former Marine. My dad was an Army officer. My brother-in-law was Army aviation, Air Force and now Air National Guard. We know what the military is. But my dad tried to talk my son out of going into a commissioning program because the military is just too "woke." I just don't get it. There are some programs out there to address sexual harassment, but other than that, I'm unaware of any regulations regarding "wokeness." I don't know of any case where someone has actually been relieved for insufficient "wokeness." It's just all nonsense as far as I can tell ... yet there are lots of people convinced it's there and it's growing. And THAT'S damaging to the mission.
The GOP’s motto has gone from “Law and Order” to “Whining and Hypocrisy”
self-censoring...didn't that used to be "Thinking before you speak"? Some things are better left unsaid.