Why is there not an effort to elect Liz Cheney as speaker with a bi-partisan appeal? Seems like most D’s would go along and surely enough R’s to get over 218
The bravery of Mr Fierro in taking down the Colorado gunman is beyond questioning, he is a genuine hero. It should be noted, this was not the case of another "good man with a gun", it was a BRAVE man with training and the will to put that training to use. Unlike Uvalde police officer leadership and some LEO's.
Kevin McCarthy is a bad politician period. Weak, spineless if he manages to keep his leadership role, it's going to be pure luck. What i see from here is perhaps the glimmer of hope for a new 3rd political party, one based in Progressive Moderation. Efforts at starting a 3rd "centrist" party are doomed to fail because movements dont' start from the top and flow down, they begin at the bottom, and leadership grows out of that movement (or takes advantage/hijacks it). The fundemental problem in US politics today IS the 2 Party "system". It is not Constitutional it is Institutional and created by and for the 2 mainstream Parties from the local precinct on up and it is the reason we have gridlock. Nobody REALLY has to negotiate with adversaries just settle in-family brawls.
Religion has been political since Constantine became a Christian and infused that movement with Roman governance. Maybe even before. It will never go away but must be rooted out at every opportunity. Religion and/or Faith is at the heart of nearly every human conflict and it's high time we all saw this basic truth.
Ukraine IS the frontline against autocracy and (real) Fascism, and it may be that Iran is moving that way too. To not continue support Ukraine is a politically craven act some in the GOP will use to keep menial political power today at the cost of global security tomorrow. It may be that the Iran uprising is the best solution to ending the terrorist supporting state of Iran. I fear it will NOT end nuclear ambitions, and we can look at Ukraine to know why that is.
The bravery of Mr Fierro in taking down the Colorado gunman is beyond questioning, he is a genuine hero. It should be noted, this was not the case of another "good man with a gun", it was a BRAVE man with training and the will to put that training to use. Unlike Uvalde police officer leadership and some LEO's.
Kevin McCarthy is a bad politician period. Weak, spineless if he manages to keep his leadership role, it's going to be pure luck. What i see from here is perhaps the glimmer of hope for a new 3rd political party, one based in Progressive Moderation. Efforts at starting a 3rd "centrist" party are doomed to fail because movements dont' start from the top and flow down, they begin at the bottom, and leadership grows out of that movement (or takes advantage/hijacks it). The fundemental problem in US politics today IS the 2 Party "system". It is not Constitutional it is Institutional and created by and for the 2 mainstream Parties from the local precinct on up and it is the reason we have gridlock. Nobody REALLY has to negotiate with adversaries just settle in-family brawls.
Religion has been political since Constantine became a Christian and infused that movement with Roman governance. Maybe even before. It will never go away but must be rooted out at every opportunity. Religion and/or Faith is at the heart of nearly every human conflict and it's high time we all saw this basic truth.
Ukraine IS the frontline against autocracy and (real) Fascism, and it may be that Iran is moving that way too. To not continue support Ukraine is a politically craven act some in the GOP will use to keep menial political power today at the cost of global security tomorrow. It may be that the Iran uprising is the best solution to ending the terrorist supporting state of Iran. I fear it will NOT end nuclear ambitions, and we can look at Ukraine to know why that is.
That piece by Amanda... can I just say that Pence is the worst beta cuck I've ever seen?
He treated Trump like he was scared the boss might fire him, when in fact the VP is literally the only person in the executive branch that the president CANNOT fire! The election was over. Pence never need Trump's approval for anything ever again. And still he played the role of ultimate stooge, and even today thinks his first-person documented bootlicking will somehow be read as a profile in courage?
This guy wants to be president someday and yet he doesn't have the balls to confront Trump about his lies and ignorance. Why would anyone trust him to stand up to critics in his own party, never mind Putin or Xi Xinping?
Can we liken our fetish with guns to obesity? Yes everyone has the right to purchase food, but too much food creates a problem that impacts society. Same with guns. I can't think of John Adams or Thomas Jefferson as packing heat.
And in our peer nations, no one behaves like we do.
Folks should feel slightly embarrassed about gun. Like a kid in their dorm room with a 1/2 gallon of ice cream and a spoon. Yes its legal, but not really ideal.
I write my own newsletter. I know what a challenge it is to cover a lot of ground in a concise manner and still manage to include insightful analysis. You do it every day. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Man, Pence is every bit as pathetic as Trump - talk about the impact of not receiving the love they needed as a child. You can almost make a drinking game out of how many references there are about applause - thunderous or otherwise. How do people vote for such petty, pathetic, insecure men and trying to promote them as "authoritarian strong men."
And speaking of not receiving enough love as a child, has anyone ever noticed that Little Donny Johnny Jr always uses the Jr tag, but has anyone ever seen Big Donny Johnny use the Sr tag? Speaks volumes to me, but I digress.
Tait should have tried to distinguish between Christians that live the word and those that say they do and don’t. Is a Conservative who says they are Christian (say Catholic) but supports the death penalty, a Christian, a Conservative, and/or both. And where is that line.
1) Conservatism is a misnomer for many of these people and beliefs, as is reactionary. Most of what they seek to create or restore never actually existed or is actually offensive to a majority of Americans.
2) The myth of social conservatism is that we were once all god-fearing Christians who obeyed the commandments and the country prospered because we were exceptional in our godliness and moral/civilizational culture--it is the same basic theme that runs through the prosperity Gospel and that is a predominant theme in the Old testament (God punishing or rewarding Israel for their behavior). It often comes up when a natural disaster strikes--well, God is punishing them for X.
The reality of America is that it was our greed and aggressiveness that won us a continent and built a powerful economy based upon our conquest of that (bountiful) content. It was our decidedly non-Christian behaviors and attitudes that got us where we are. (This is something of an oversimplification, but you get the point).
People paid a lot of lip service to religion, just like today. They probably weren't. on average, any more or less Christian than us in a substantive sense (part of this is the whole rather lose American approach to religion (which Tait mentions WRT Sheilaism). Everybody kind of has THEIR Christianity, which often does not line up well with "actual" Christianity.
Regardless of motivation or accuracy of belief or understanding of history, the social "conservatives" are kind of screwed. Barring enforcement at backed up by guns, that stuff is NOT coming back (that is why they are working to get those guns (the government) on their side. enforcing that stuff at gunpoint will ultimately destroy what little legitimacy they have and destroy that set of beliefs. That doesn't mean they won't try or succeed, merely that in the longer run it is a vain effort and destructive to us and (moreso) to them.
The NatCons don't care much about religion other than as a vehicle of tribal identity and a set of rituals and rhetoric to provide a cultural foundation. They will destroy religion even more swiftly than the social "conservatives" or "godless" progressives.
They are worse than progressives because a lot of the moral content of progressivism has its roots in Christianity, as does a lot of policy. The NatCons are kind of the mirror universe, Spock with a goatee version of Christianity in that they are actively opposed to most of its social tenets and morality.
Their gods are power and masculinity--and making sure that everyone knows who has the power and who the Real Men are--so they can be suitably submissive. There is also what appears to be a strong thread of social Darwinism or racism/sexism dressed up as that. These people are even bigger pieces of shit than a lot of the Religious Right.
One tiny bit of good news: Per the NYT Breaking News: "The Supreme Court cleared the way for a House committee to receive Donald Trump’s tax returns, refusing his request to block their release." A bit of hope that the SC isn't as far in Trump's pocket as he thinks.
Thank you, Amanda Carpenter, for reading Pence's book so I don't have to. Your excellent summary clarifies once again that the root cause of January 6 was trump's Big Lie. Even Pence believed that wholesale election fraud was real, and that he simply lacked the power to do anything about it on electoral-vote-counting day. We should refrain from granting Pence superhero status. He did thwart the coup attempt on Jan. 6 just by doing his job. But he propagates the Big Lie to this day, and has done nothing to help hold the coup plotters accountable.
From Joshua Tait: "What does it tell skeptics when evangelicals throw in their lot with a cruel, venal, and unrepentant man like Trump? Or that leading Southern Baptists associate with movements inspired by the Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán?"
Or when ostentatious Christians portray Vladimir Putin as first of all a champion of Christian civilization?
For many among the natcons, Christianity seems to be primarily an instrument for beating up leftists and pushing LGBTQ people back into the closet. And perhaps keeping women subordinate. It's a view of Christianity that isn't well suited to reversing a long secularizing trend.
Natcons say that a common religion provides "unity." which is true only insofar as people actually believe that the creed is true (or at least they aren't required to affirm propositions they do not believe to be true). Tradcons gloss over (or outright deny) what history shows about the downside of a state-enforced creed and demands for religious conformity. "You must acknowledge these doctrines as absolutely, unquestionably true, and you must accept then on faith because, by their nature, they cannot be proved" is a formula that has brought a lot of strife and suffering -- which is why the Framers rejected a state-sponsored creed. So it's dismaying to see people suggesting that the Framers got it wrong.
Why is there not an effort to elect Liz Cheney as speaker with a bi-partisan appeal? Seems like most D’s would go along and surely enough R’s to get over 218
Somebody...please give me a compelling reason why Mike Pence shouldn't be investigated for obstructing justice post 1/6?
The bravery of Mr Fierro in taking down the Colorado gunman is beyond questioning, he is a genuine hero. It should be noted, this was not the case of another "good man with a gun", it was a BRAVE man with training and the will to put that training to use. Unlike Uvalde police officer leadership and some LEO's.
Kevin McCarthy is a bad politician period. Weak, spineless if he manages to keep his leadership role, it's going to be pure luck. What i see from here is perhaps the glimmer of hope for a new 3rd political party, one based in Progressive Moderation. Efforts at starting a 3rd "centrist" party are doomed to fail because movements dont' start from the top and flow down, they begin at the bottom, and leadership grows out of that movement (or takes advantage/hijacks it). The fundemental problem in US politics today IS the 2 Party "system". It is not Constitutional it is Institutional and created by and for the 2 mainstream Parties from the local precinct on up and it is the reason we have gridlock. Nobody REALLY has to negotiate with adversaries just settle in-family brawls.
Religion has been political since Constantine became a Christian and infused that movement with Roman governance. Maybe even before. It will never go away but must be rooted out at every opportunity. Religion and/or Faith is at the heart of nearly every human conflict and it's high time we all saw this basic truth.
Ukraine IS the frontline against autocracy and (real) Fascism, and it may be that Iran is moving that way too. To not continue support Ukraine is a politically craven act some in the GOP will use to keep menial political power today at the cost of global security tomorrow. It may be that the Iran uprising is the best solution to ending the terrorist supporting state of Iran. I fear it will NOT end nuclear ambitions, and we can look at Ukraine to know why that is.
The bravery of Mr Fierro in taking down the Colorado gunman is beyond questioning, he is a genuine hero. It should be noted, this was not the case of another "good man with a gun", it was a BRAVE man with training and the will to put that training to use. Unlike Uvalde police officer leadership and some LEO's.
Kevin McCarthy is a bad politician period. Weak, spineless if he manages to keep his leadership role, it's going to be pure luck. What i see from here is perhaps the glimmer of hope for a new 3rd political party, one based in Progressive Moderation. Efforts at starting a 3rd "centrist" party are doomed to fail because movements dont' start from the top and flow down, they begin at the bottom, and leadership grows out of that movement (or takes advantage/hijacks it). The fundemental problem in US politics today IS the 2 Party "system". It is not Constitutional it is Institutional and created by and for the 2 mainstream Parties from the local precinct on up and it is the reason we have gridlock. Nobody REALLY has to negotiate with adversaries just settle in-family brawls.
Religion has been political since Constantine became a Christian and infused that movement with Roman governance. Maybe even before. It will never go away but must be rooted out at every opportunity. Religion and/or Faith is at the heart of nearly every human conflict and it's high time we all saw this basic truth.
Ukraine IS the frontline against autocracy and (real) Fascism, and it may be that Iran is moving that way too. To not continue support Ukraine is a politically craven act some in the GOP will use to keep menial political power today at the cost of global security tomorrow. It may be that the Iran uprising is the best solution to ending the terrorist supporting state of Iran. I fear it will NOT end nuclear ambitions, and we can look at Ukraine to know why that is.
That piece by Amanda... can I just say that Pence is the worst beta cuck I've ever seen?
He treated Trump like he was scared the boss might fire him, when in fact the VP is literally the only person in the executive branch that the president CANNOT fire! The election was over. Pence never need Trump's approval for anything ever again. And still he played the role of ultimate stooge, and even today thinks his first-person documented bootlicking will somehow be read as a profile in courage?
This guy wants to be president someday and yet he doesn't have the balls to confront Trump about his lies and ignorance. Why would anyone trust him to stand up to critics in his own party, never mind Putin or Xi Xinping?
Can we liken our fetish with guns to obesity? Yes everyone has the right to purchase food, but too much food creates a problem that impacts society. Same with guns. I can't think of John Adams or Thomas Jefferson as packing heat.
And in our peer nations, no one behaves like we do.
Folks should feel slightly embarrassed about gun. Like a kid in their dorm room with a 1/2 gallon of ice cream and a spoon. Yes its legal, but not really ideal.
I write my own newsletter. I know what a challenge it is to cover a lot of ground in a concise manner and still manage to include insightful analysis. You do it every day. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Please specify exactly which taxes you would raise in order to fund the ambulance chasers.
Man, Pence is every bit as pathetic as Trump - talk about the impact of not receiving the love they needed as a child. You can almost make a drinking game out of how many references there are about applause - thunderous or otherwise. How do people vote for such petty, pathetic, insecure men and trying to promote them as "authoritarian strong men."
And speaking of not receiving enough love as a child, has anyone ever noticed that Little Donny Johnny Jr always uses the Jr tag, but has anyone ever seen Big Donny Johnny use the Sr tag? Speaks volumes to me, but I digress.
Amanda's piece on Pence's book is incredible.
TRUMP: "Imma tell a literal mob to literally murder you for not doing crimes for me."
PENCE: "Damn you, the Lincoln Project!"
The man is so pathetically low, worms have to peer downwards at him, and ponder his spinelessness.
Tait should have tried to distinguish between Christians that live the word and those that say they do and don’t. Is a Conservative who says they are Christian (say Catholic) but supports the death penalty, a Christian, a Conservative, and/or both. And where is that line.
WRT Tait's article:
1) Conservatism is a misnomer for many of these people and beliefs, as is reactionary. Most of what they seek to create or restore never actually existed or is actually offensive to a majority of Americans.
2) The myth of social conservatism is that we were once all god-fearing Christians who obeyed the commandments and the country prospered because we were exceptional in our godliness and moral/civilizational culture--it is the same basic theme that runs through the prosperity Gospel and that is a predominant theme in the Old testament (God punishing or rewarding Israel for their behavior). It often comes up when a natural disaster strikes--well, God is punishing them for X.
The reality of America is that it was our greed and aggressiveness that won us a continent and built a powerful economy based upon our conquest of that (bountiful) content. It was our decidedly non-Christian behaviors and attitudes that got us where we are. (This is something of an oversimplification, but you get the point).
People paid a lot of lip service to religion, just like today. They probably weren't. on average, any more or less Christian than us in a substantive sense (part of this is the whole rather lose American approach to religion (which Tait mentions WRT Sheilaism). Everybody kind of has THEIR Christianity, which often does not line up well with "actual" Christianity.
Regardless of motivation or accuracy of belief or understanding of history, the social "conservatives" are kind of screwed. Barring enforcement at backed up by guns, that stuff is NOT coming back (that is why they are working to get those guns (the government) on their side. enforcing that stuff at gunpoint will ultimately destroy what little legitimacy they have and destroy that set of beliefs. That doesn't mean they won't try or succeed, merely that in the longer run it is a vain effort and destructive to us and (moreso) to them.
The NatCons don't care much about religion other than as a vehicle of tribal identity and a set of rituals and rhetoric to provide a cultural foundation. They will destroy religion even more swiftly than the social "conservatives" or "godless" progressives.
They are worse than progressives because a lot of the moral content of progressivism has its roots in Christianity, as does a lot of policy. The NatCons are kind of the mirror universe, Spock with a goatee version of Christianity in that they are actively opposed to most of its social tenets and morality.
Their gods are power and masculinity--and making sure that everyone knows who has the power and who the Real Men are--so they can be suitably submissive. There is also what appears to be a strong thread of social Darwinism or racism/sexism dressed up as that. These people are even bigger pieces of shit than a lot of the Religious Right.
One tiny bit of good news: Per the NYT Breaking News: "The Supreme Court cleared the way for a House committee to receive Donald Trump’s tax returns, refusing his request to block their release." A bit of hope that the SC isn't as far in Trump's pocket as he thinks.
Thank you, Amanda Carpenter, for reading Pence's book so I don't have to. Your excellent summary clarifies once again that the root cause of January 6 was trump's Big Lie. Even Pence believed that wholesale election fraud was real, and that he simply lacked the power to do anything about it on electoral-vote-counting day. We should refrain from granting Pence superhero status. He did thwart the coup attempt on Jan. 6 just by doing his job. But he propagates the Big Lie to this day, and has done nothing to help hold the coup plotters accountable.
Hey he resisted arrest and threatened cops, if he was black he would be dead.
From Joshua Tait: "What does it tell skeptics when evangelicals throw in their lot with a cruel, venal, and unrepentant man like Trump? Or that leading Southern Baptists associate with movements inspired by the Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán?"
Or when ostentatious Christians portray Vladimir Putin as first of all a champion of Christian civilization?
For many among the natcons, Christianity seems to be primarily an instrument for beating up leftists and pushing LGBTQ people back into the closet. And perhaps keeping women subordinate. It's a view of Christianity that isn't well suited to reversing a long secularizing trend.
Natcons say that a common religion provides "unity." which is true only insofar as people actually believe that the creed is true (or at least they aren't required to affirm propositions they do not believe to be true). Tradcons gloss over (or outright deny) what history shows about the downside of a state-enforced creed and demands for religious conformity. "You must acknowledge these doctrines as absolutely, unquestionably true, and you must accept then on faith because, by their nature, they cannot be proved" is a formula that has brought a lot of strife and suffering -- which is why the Framers rejected a state-sponsored creed. So it's dismaying to see people suggesting that the Framers got it wrong.