Thursday Open Thread

7 thoughts on “Thursday Open Thread”

1. Well at least my gas stove should be safe for the next four years.

   And speaking of things with open flames, anybody know when and where the Rob Reiner self immolation is taking place?  Searched the net and haven't found any info when the Meathead will go up in flames. Please post if you hear anything and circle back to me.

    

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   1. Don't be a ding-bat. Your gas stove would have been safe if Harris had been elected. As for Rob Reiner, aren't you talking about a mis-statement from either 2016 or 2020?

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   2. Enjoy the gas.  You seem to be huffing quite a bit of it though, so you may want to get some fresh air. 

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   3. Sarcasm is a form of "argument by insult".

      It is designed to denigrate, not inform.

      I would like to hear supporting arguments for the Trump policies you hope for.

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2. Autocracy Comes to America: "Democracy is a luxury when you can’t pay your bills.” David Urban.

   Assessing the newly transformed MAGA-friendly political landscape, the pro-Trump lobbyist and political commentator David Urban said on CNN: “Democracy is a luxury when you can’t pay your bills.”

   Democracy as a luxury. Democracy in good times only. Democracy when it suits you.

   This mindset – a precursor to fascist regimes in other countries – is why it feels like a white-wash to ascribe Trump’s victory to economic issues. It feels like a safe, socially acceptable reason to cite for rejecting Kamala Harris and the Biden baggage she carried.

   It’s easy for political reporters and TV commentators to slip into gentle analysis of the election results by focusing on the economic factors (to the exclusion of misogyny, racism, and host of other drives of the electorate). But it doesn’t necessarily follow that Biden-era inflation and post-pandemic backlash means jettisoning democracy. That’s a choice.

   When we talk about democracy as a luxury that means everything that comes with democracy: free and fair elections, majority rule, and the rule of law.

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3. Understanding why Trump won is important in order figure out a way forward.

   Harris ran a great campaign, but it was completely incapable of penetrating the MAGA bubble. The media landscape now consists of Fox News, Social Media & Podcasts. To a great extent if you are in that bubble you the MAGA lies as facts, no matter how far-fetched. The economy is terrible. Their eating the cats. Trump is a great business man. 

   It is insufficient for us to live in the "reality bubble", but I don't have a magic solution. We'll have to do the slog of communication and "I told you so".

   I do figure that JD Vance won't be able to win the culture wars, but he is completely capable of breaking NATO, encouraging Russia, raising tarriff-taxes on imported goods, lowering taxes on the rich. This will explode the deficit, and lead to inflation and dramatically higher interest rates.

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   1. The sad fact is that disinformation powered this election, from trump, from the media, and from outside actors.  Sadly, that is our new reality.  It is grim and dystopian and it's unlikely to change.  

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