I decided to watch Tucker Carlson last night to see how he would handle the weekend’s news from Ukraine.
He decided not to mention it, not in the entire show.
I watched Hannity then - same thing. No mention of Ukraine at all. I then watched Laura Ingraham - same thing. 3 hours of prime time news and no mention of the most significant event in world news. I did flip over to CNN and MSNBC on occasion, and they were covering Ukraine.
Perhaps it’s just another example of how badly things are going for Putin when his supporters decide the best thing to do is not to mention his war at all.
WE are at fault because Russia attacked Ukraine? Because Russia committed thousands of war crimes and atrocities? If only we gave Putin whatever he wants, he wouldn't be mad at Ukraine. It's like wife-beaters: See what we made him do? How conservatives can think this after seeing Ukraine's bravery is unforgivable. Surrender is the Republican way to end a war.
Yet having to wear little cloth masks during a pandemic is monstrous oppression.
The "myth" the poll "shatters" is that Americans currently (and maybe never did) have no idea what a Liberal Democracy is all about. Sure, our elites do (well, some of them). But in a media age that gives everyone the ability to voice their opinions, our lack of a broad-based civic value system is apparent in these poll results.
Putin has been counting on a restoration of Trump (and his allies) to power to come riding to his rescue all along. Arguably, he launched the war in the first place expecting it to speed that very process along.
The question remains *why* the American right would do such a thing, ripping asunder the American-led world order for the sake of domestic autocratic power and alliance with gangsters and thugs.
My longstanding theory is they think, ironically, the same way military and right-wing juntas throughout Latin America thought during the Cold War.
To them, cultural dominance at home, over people they hate and fear, is the sum total of their world and ambitions. And they see they American-led world order, accurately, as dependent for its continuation on tolerance, diversity, liberal soft power, and (increased) egalitarianism.
Therefore, if they have to pick between continued American power paired with actual free-society values, and American decline paired with domestic domination at the barrel of a gun, they will pick the latter every time. And they see Putin and Trump, accurately, as the champions of the latter approach.
Biden was right to call this out for what it was in his speech last week. I actually would have preferred he went further.
“We are at fault” is a recurring theme here. On Amanda’s last episode of “Need to Know,” she played some particularly chilling clips of Tucker Carlson. Among other things, he was effectively blaming American aggression for the 9/11 attacks. Now this was in the context of his loony toons narrative that the Biden administration is waging war against Trump supporters as though they are terrorists, but it’s in the same vein as the Candace Owens comment.
My biggest question is why Democrats aren’t spinning this into “MAGA hates America” rhetorical gold the way the Republicans surely would, and do.
This is what occurs when decades of disinformation and scare tactics are fed into the GOP mainstream by dishonest republican politicians and right wing media. When GOP adherents are constantly fed a diet of lies, fear and loathing and when these adherents refuse to read or watch any opposing views and ideas, this is what you get. The number of republicans who believe that (for example) the dems are gonna take your guns! far surpasses the number of MAGAites. So, these toxic lies have bled deep into the GOP electorate. It is not easy to deprogram people from these believing these lies and distortions.
For all those asking "How did conservatism get like this?" - a *very* legitimate question - let me highly recommend David Corn's new book: "American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy". (Hint - it goes waaaaaaaay back). A good companion book to pick up would be Stuart Stevens' "It Was All A Lie."
"The gripping tale in AMERICAN PSYCHOSIS covers the last seven decades. From McCarthyism to the John Birch Society to segregationists to the New Right to the religious right to Rush Limbaugh to Newt Gingrich to the militia movement to Fox News to Sarah Palin to the Tea Party to Trumpism, the Republican Party has deliberately nurtured and exploited rightwing fear and loathing fueled by paranoia, grievance, and tribalism. This powerful and important account explains how one political party has harnessed the worst elements in politics to poison the nation’s discourse and threaten American democracy."
David's new book can be gotten here - it's already a best-seller:
I think we all need to re-watch "Charlie Wilson's War" and think hard about Wilson's quote at the very end of the movie, and what happens when we walk away from those we have supported when we get distracted or bored.
Radio silence here: Lindsey Graham is announcing a bill for a 15-week nationwide abortion ban. That should be the headline story across the nation. Everything else is noise.
not a peep, crickets...Do you think the tooth fairy is going to vote? .
Am I crazy or is the 42% of Dems saying the President should be able to remove Judges when they rule against the "national interest" not as radical as it's being portrayed? Like, I'm not in favor of it because national interest is hard to define.
But, say what do you do with a judge that enjoins the FBI into looking into evidence that state secrets were given to foreign powers? Or a judge that rules (totally hypothetically) that US state secrets belong to Russia? Or even a judge that hypothetically makes a ruling based on bribery from a foreign nation?
I know there are existing mechanisms that are theoretically in place to remove judges that act unethically, but the vast majority of people in this country aren't attorneys or judges with knowledge of these systems. Will and Charlie keep pretending that "national interest" means "decisions I disagree with" when...not necessarily? Maybe that's what happens in practice but when people see "judge rules against national interest" that's a hell of a different connotation.
How did a gutless foreign policy (abandoning Ukraine) become "conservative".
I thought the first Trump themed children's book was called "The Emperor has no Clothes".
I decided to watch Tucker Carlson last night to see how he would handle the weekend’s news from Ukraine.
He decided not to mention it, not in the entire show.
I watched Hannity then - same thing. No mention of Ukraine at all. I then watched Laura Ingraham - same thing. 3 hours of prime time news and no mention of the most significant event in world news. I did flip over to CNN and MSNBC on occasion, and they were covering Ukraine.
Perhaps it’s just another example of how badly things are going for Putin when his supporters decide the best thing to do is not to mention his war at all.
WE are at fault because Russia attacked Ukraine? Because Russia committed thousands of war crimes and atrocities? If only we gave Putin whatever he wants, he wouldn't be mad at Ukraine. It's like wife-beaters: See what we made him do? How conservatives can think this after seeing Ukraine's bravery is unforgivable. Surrender is the Republican way to end a war.
Yet having to wear little cloth masks during a pandemic is monstrous oppression.
The "myth" the poll "shatters" is that Americans currently (and maybe never did) have no idea what a Liberal Democracy is all about. Sure, our elites do (well, some of them). But in a media age that gives everyone the ability to voice their opinions, our lack of a broad-based civic value system is apparent in these poll results.
Kash Patel is such a disgusting shill. How he ever gained any influence as the empty suit he is I will never understand
Agreed.
Putin has been counting on a restoration of Trump (and his allies) to power to come riding to his rescue all along. Arguably, he launched the war in the first place expecting it to speed that very process along.
The question remains *why* the American right would do such a thing, ripping asunder the American-led world order for the sake of domestic autocratic power and alliance with gangsters and thugs.
My longstanding theory is they think, ironically, the same way military and right-wing juntas throughout Latin America thought during the Cold War.
To them, cultural dominance at home, over people they hate and fear, is the sum total of their world and ambitions. And they see they American-led world order, accurately, as dependent for its continuation on tolerance, diversity, liberal soft power, and (increased) egalitarianism.
Therefore, if they have to pick between continued American power paired with actual free-society values, and American decline paired with domestic domination at the barrel of a gun, they will pick the latter every time. And they see Putin and Trump, accurately, as the champions of the latter approach.
Biden was right to call this out for what it was in his speech last week. I actually would have preferred he went further.
“We are at fault” is a recurring theme here. On Amanda’s last episode of “Need to Know,” she played some particularly chilling clips of Tucker Carlson. Among other things, he was effectively blaming American aggression for the 9/11 attacks. Now this was in the context of his loony toons narrative that the Biden administration is waging war against Trump supporters as though they are terrorists, but it’s in the same vein as the Candace Owens comment.
My biggest question is why Democrats aren’t spinning this into “MAGA hates America” rhetorical gold the way the Republicans surely would, and do.
The obvious strategy for ending the Ukraine war is to win it.
The politics of fear-
This is what occurs when decades of disinformation and scare tactics are fed into the GOP mainstream by dishonest republican politicians and right wing media. When GOP adherents are constantly fed a diet of lies, fear and loathing and when these adherents refuse to read or watch any opposing views and ideas, this is what you get. The number of republicans who believe that (for example) the dems are gonna take your guns! far surpasses the number of MAGAites. So, these toxic lies have bled deep into the GOP electorate. It is not easy to deprogram people from these believing these lies and distortions.
Pretty sure Heritage "abandoned careful analysis in support of cheap, easily rebutted MAGA talking points" many years ago.
For all those asking "How did conservatism get like this?" - a *very* legitimate question - let me highly recommend David Corn's new book: "American Psychosis: A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy". (Hint - it goes waaaaaaaay back). A good companion book to pick up would be Stuart Stevens' "It Was All A Lie."
"The gripping tale in AMERICAN PSYCHOSIS covers the last seven decades. From McCarthyism to the John Birch Society to segregationists to the New Right to the religious right to Rush Limbaugh to Newt Gingrich to the militia movement to Fox News to Sarah Palin to the Tea Party to Trumpism, the Republican Party has deliberately nurtured and exploited rightwing fear and loathing fueled by paranoia, grievance, and tribalism. This powerful and important account explains how one political party has harnessed the worst elements in politics to poison the nation’s discourse and threaten American democracy."
David's new book can be gotten here - it's already a best-seller:
https://www.amazon.com/American-Psychosis-Investigation-Republican-Party/dp/1538723050/ref=sr_1_1?crid=OHAN8JV3BJ1H&keywords=david+corn+american+psychosis&qid=1663081754&sprefix=David+Cor%2Caps%2C1146&sr=8-1
I think we all need to re-watch "Charlie Wilson's War" and think hard about Wilson's quote at the very end of the movie, and what happens when we walk away from those we have supported when we get distracted or bored.
I hate to do it. I'm all in for Ukraine...but
Radio silence here: Lindsey Graham is announcing a bill for a 15-week nationwide abortion ban. That should be the headline story across the nation. Everything else is noise.
not a peep, crickets...Do you think the tooth fairy is going to vote? .
Am I crazy or is the 42% of Dems saying the President should be able to remove Judges when they rule against the "national interest" not as radical as it's being portrayed? Like, I'm not in favor of it because national interest is hard to define.
But, say what do you do with a judge that enjoins the FBI into looking into evidence that state secrets were given to foreign powers? Or a judge that rules (totally hypothetically) that US state secrets belong to Russia? Or even a judge that hypothetically makes a ruling based on bribery from a foreign nation?
I know there are existing mechanisms that are theoretically in place to remove judges that act unethically, but the vast majority of people in this country aren't attorneys or judges with knowledge of these systems. Will and Charlie keep pretending that "national interest" means "decisions I disagree with" when...not necessarily? Maybe that's what happens in practice but when people see "judge rules against national interest" that's a hell of a different connotation.
Tucker asks, "Why do I hate Putin so much? Does he eat dogs?" Well, if he has ever eaten a Swanson frozen dinner, then maybe?