Uvalde Shooting--Tragedy...and sad to say "AGAIN!?" As some wise people have said "don't waste a crisis". I hate to use this tragedy for political purposes, BUT the Dems have an opportunity to use this to take the offense on a 2 for 1 culture war, frontal assault. Take control/go on the offense of 2 different narratives...the Pro Life (particularly for those "without a voice") narrative and "parents looking about for the well being of their kids" narrative by focusing on how to protect their kids from actually getting killed vs stuff that won't kill them like trans athletes, CRT, gender identity, "feelings" about race, what books to read, etc. Expose their misplaced sense of priorities over their kids lives. Go on the offense vs constantly playing defense to the narrative Republicans set. Let's have THAT Pro Life discussion. The Dems should say "Bring it On." And expose the Pro Life party as just a Pro Birth party......and then they suddenly transition to the "personal responsibility" party, i.e. "you're on your own".
And in Texas, we have another elementary school shooting! Lots of prayers, condolences - and nothing will happen! We Americans are really a sick group.
Yeah. I hate to be That Guy (and a foreigner to boot!) but American liberals should probably start arming.
The other side is already doing it. They're explicit about their preferred targets. Surely maximum public armament is the end-goal of present American public policy (all signs since Columbine would suggest).
You could have fun little ad campaigns. A Greenest Gun competition. Recycling depots for spent casings. Hemp stock-cozies hand made on etsy. Tik-tok videos on how to home-brew a cordite from compost, vaginal yeast and shredded aluminum cans. An LGBTQ+ Gun Show with gender-neutral shooting competitions.
Come on, arms industry! You're telling me there's not a market there?
(I'm trying to make jokes but this is incredibly depressing)
Really like Busse's stuff, thanks for the pointer. Goes the heart of a gun issue that takes a back seat: gun culture. While gun enthusiasts will gunsplain you to death about all sorts of things, they'll carefully avoid the issue of gun culture. When, for example, politicians feel that the best way to present themselves is with an arsenal in the background, you have to wonder how we got here. And, then, to what degree does gun fetishization drive gun violence in the US?
There's an interesting disconnect between the idea I see here sometimes that "the worst of the anti-voting bill got stripped out, so the rhetoric about it is overheated," versus "the Build Back Better Act didn't happen, but it's still a sign that the progressive wing of the Dems are out of control and need to be brought to heel."
Regarding the second amendment which is horribly misunderstood. It begins: “In order to ensure a well regulated militia …”. Until the mid 1950’s this was understood that the right applied to The National Guard to bear arm, the the NRA, it’s lobbyists, and sacks of money convinced the public that it meant the right of individuals to bear arms. Complete merde! And now a comment for all the reactionary originalists in the audience. At the time the constitution was written the only firearms were muskets and musket type pistols. A skilled musketeer (please don’t confuse with Mouseketeer) could reload and fire at a rate of one shot every two to three minutes. There were no semi automatic or automatic weapons. One shot every two to three minutes. To be consistent with the intent of the founding fathers militias - or extend the right to individuals if you will - should have the right to bear muskets - nothing else. I say let ‘em have at it! No mass murders possible!!!
So Republicans can't speak out against white supremacy-based kiillings without angering their base. I suppose only woke people, indoctrinated by crt, think it's it's wrong to murder people based on race. Republicans have boxed themselves into an all or nothing stance. You're with them or against them. The brainwashing can never be penetrated by truth or decency.
Great newsletter today. Especially appreciated are the gun monikers, Georgia’s Russian leanings and if course they baby formula shortage predicted in 2018 due to Trump’s changes with NAFTA. Thanks, Charlie.
In this country, the only first world country where mass shootings are a regular occurrence, we have more guns than people, and we have a Constitution that is plausibly used to maintain the status quo. So, we're really pretty screwed here. No gun restrictions will pass congress unless Democrats hold the House, 60+ seats in the Senate, and the Oval, and even if something were to pass, it seems likely to me it wouldn't survive this "pro-life" SCOTUS if it were challenged in the courts. So I guess all that's left to do is to relocate.
On the bright side, ERs have gotten really good at treating gunshot wounds. Practice makes perfect! Only about one out of every three gunshot victims dies of their injuries. Imagine how things would look if we weren't so excellent at saving the lives of victims of gun violence.
So much of the racism and gun problem dates to the years immediately after 9/11. We didn't take anti-Muslim/immigrant xenophobia seriously after 9/11, and we all shrugged our shoulders when the Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004. Then when armed political militias began to rise after Obama was elected and started showing up fully armed to intimidate federal law enforcement at the Bundy Ranch and Malhour Wildlife Refuge, we still shrugged. Same when they showed up to Ferguson in 2014 to defend white property. Then J6 happened and we *finally* started taking political militias sort of seriously.
PEOPLE. Armed political militias have been on the rise for 15 years in tandem with the internet conspiracy trend and y'all are just now waking up to the fact that 18 year-olds can strap on body armor, pick up an AR-15, and get their rage out at the local minority-dominant supermarket or women's fitness center. Keep in mind that these guys are the *amateurs*. The Mandalay Bay shooting is what it looks like when someone with actual experience and skillset snaps and decides to convert his gun collection into an arsenal for public mass-murder.
Anyone who wants to convince me that voting has not been made more difficult in Georgia should explain to me why making it a crime to give people standing in line to vote a bottle of water is somehow making our elections more secure.
I’m white, and I am afraid that one of my Black friends will be killed because of the color of their skin. Maybe the pollsters should have extended their sample
Uvalde Shooting--Tragedy...and sad to say "AGAIN!?" As some wise people have said "don't waste a crisis". I hate to use this tragedy for political purposes, BUT the Dems have an opportunity to use this to take the offense on a 2 for 1 culture war, frontal assault. Take control/go on the offense of 2 different narratives...the Pro Life (particularly for those "without a voice") narrative and "parents looking about for the well being of their kids" narrative by focusing on how to protect their kids from actually getting killed vs stuff that won't kill them like trans athletes, CRT, gender identity, "feelings" about race, what books to read, etc. Expose their misplaced sense of priorities over their kids lives. Go on the offense vs constantly playing defense to the narrative Republicans set. Let's have THAT Pro Life discussion. The Dems should say "Bring it On." And expose the Pro Life party as just a Pro Birth party......and then they suddenly transition to the "personal responsibility" party, i.e. "you're on your own".
And in Texas, we have another elementary school shooting! Lots of prayers, condolences - and nothing will happen! We Americans are really a sick group.
Re: Georgia voting law
Report back in 2+ years when the GOP controlled legislature takes control of Fulton county's vote counting and voids thousands of ballots.
Yeah. I hate to be That Guy (and a foreigner to boot!) but American liberals should probably start arming.
The other side is already doing it. They're explicit about their preferred targets. Surely maximum public armament is the end-goal of present American public policy (all signs since Columbine would suggest).
You could have fun little ad campaigns. A Greenest Gun competition. Recycling depots for spent casings. Hemp stock-cozies hand made on etsy. Tik-tok videos on how to home-brew a cordite from compost, vaginal yeast and shredded aluminum cans. An LGBTQ+ Gun Show with gender-neutral shooting competitions.
Come on, arms industry! You're telling me there's not a market there?
(I'm trying to make jokes but this is incredibly depressing)
Really like Busse's stuff, thanks for the pointer. Goes the heart of a gun issue that takes a back seat: gun culture. While gun enthusiasts will gunsplain you to death about all sorts of things, they'll carefully avoid the issue of gun culture. When, for example, politicians feel that the best way to present themselves is with an arsenal in the background, you have to wonder how we got here. And, then, to what degree does gun fetishization drive gun violence in the US?
There's an interesting disconnect between the idea I see here sometimes that "the worst of the anti-voting bill got stripped out, so the rhetoric about it is overheated," versus "the Build Back Better Act didn't happen, but it's still a sign that the progressive wing of the Dems are out of control and need to be brought to heel."
Regarding the second amendment which is horribly misunderstood. It begins: “In order to ensure a well regulated militia …”. Until the mid 1950’s this was understood that the right applied to The National Guard to bear arm, the the NRA, it’s lobbyists, and sacks of money convinced the public that it meant the right of individuals to bear arms. Complete merde! And now a comment for all the reactionary originalists in the audience. At the time the constitution was written the only firearms were muskets and musket type pistols. A skilled musketeer (please don’t confuse with Mouseketeer) could reload and fire at a rate of one shot every two to three minutes. There were no semi automatic or automatic weapons. One shot every two to three minutes. To be consistent with the intent of the founding fathers militias - or extend the right to individuals if you will - should have the right to bear muskets - nothing else. I say let ‘em have at it! No mass murders possible!!!
So Republicans can't speak out against white supremacy-based kiillings without angering their base. I suppose only woke people, indoctrinated by crt, think it's it's wrong to murder people based on race. Republicans have boxed themselves into an all or nothing stance. You're with them or against them. The brainwashing can never be penetrated by truth or decency.
Great newsletter today. Especially appreciated are the gun monikers, Georgia’s Russian leanings and if course they baby formula shortage predicted in 2018 due to Trump’s changes with NAFTA. Thanks, Charlie.
In this country, the only first world country where mass shootings are a regular occurrence, we have more guns than people, and we have a Constitution that is plausibly used to maintain the status quo. So, we're really pretty screwed here. No gun restrictions will pass congress unless Democrats hold the House, 60+ seats in the Senate, and the Oval, and even if something were to pass, it seems likely to me it wouldn't survive this "pro-life" SCOTUS if it were challenged in the courts. So I guess all that's left to do is to relocate.
On the bright side, ERs have gotten really good at treating gunshot wounds. Practice makes perfect! Only about one out of every three gunshot victims dies of their injuries. Imagine how things would look if we weren't so excellent at saving the lives of victims of gun violence.
Ron Johnson basically admitted that the GOP is the white supremacists party by complaining the domestic terror bill targets Republicans.
Nope, still no mention of Liz Cheney joining with McCarthy and Scalise to vote against the domestic terror bill.
Wouldn't that make Cheney soft on terror too?
"Trump’s about to go down in Georgia?"
With the Charlie Daniels band playing the violin, not the fiddle. Maybe a harmonica, whatever..
I hope they know the Swan song.
So much of the racism and gun problem dates to the years immediately after 9/11. We didn't take anti-Muslim/immigrant xenophobia seriously after 9/11, and we all shrugged our shoulders when the Assault Weapons Ban expired in 2004. Then when armed political militias began to rise after Obama was elected and started showing up fully armed to intimidate federal law enforcement at the Bundy Ranch and Malhour Wildlife Refuge, we still shrugged. Same when they showed up to Ferguson in 2014 to defend white property. Then J6 happened and we *finally* started taking political militias sort of seriously.
PEOPLE. Armed political militias have been on the rise for 15 years in tandem with the internet conspiracy trend and y'all are just now waking up to the fact that 18 year-olds can strap on body armor, pick up an AR-15, and get their rage out at the local minority-dominant supermarket or women's fitness center. Keep in mind that these guys are the *amateurs*. The Mandalay Bay shooting is what it looks like when someone with actual experience and skillset snaps and decides to convert his gun collection into an arsenal for public mass-murder.
Anyone who wants to convince me that voting has not been made more difficult in Georgia should explain to me why making it a crime to give people standing in line to vote a bottle of water is somehow making our elections more secure.
I’m white, and I am afraid that one of my Black friends will be killed because of the color of their skin. Maybe the pollsters should have extended their sample