Today's Tweet(s)

Senator Ron Johnson, R-WI

Our hearts break for the loss of life today in Charlottesville. There is no place for such violence.

— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) August 13, 2017

They're fucking Nazis, you feeble minded corporate tool. You're not going to lose votes saying "I deplore fucking Nazis." #Idiot https://t.co/I2VgUStEC9

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) August 13, 2017

How Do We Expect Less?

The bar is being lowered pretty much in keeping with 45*'s eroding approval numbers.

Baltimore Sun, Dan Rodricks:

Did anyone expect President Donald J. Trump to wax eloquent and consoling with regard to Charlottesville? Did we really think he would condemn the torch-bearing white supremacists who assembled there? Do a majority of Americans count on Trump to provide wisdom, guidance and inspiration in times of trouble?

No. No. And no.

Handed an opportunity to shock us with a display of principled leadership, Trump on Saturday could have distanced himself from the alt-right and white nationalists he empowered with his “Make America Great Again” campaign. But he did not come close to that. He never uttered any of the descriptors we use for people who carry Confederate flags and chant, “Jews will not replace us.”

Instead, he blamed “many sides” for the violence that erupted in Charlottesville.
“Many sides” presents a false equivalence, putting neo-Nazis on the same footing as those who stand against them.

I do believe we just heard a Press Poodle pointing out one of my pet-peeve Logical Fallacies (False Equivalence) when it comes to our Great Debate these days.

3 Dead In Charlottesville Yesterday

All three died while serving their community as best they knew how.

Heather Heyer

VSP Berke Bates

VSP Lt Jay Cullen

Mixed Up In A Good Way

Charlottesville, Summer of 2017

What can you say about a country where a guy would be willing to lay down his life protecting the rights of people who would just as soon see him dead?

That is indeed a wonderment, but you say, "God bless the United States of America."

Read Your Charlie

Charlie Pierce at Esquire has a quick and partial recap:

I see that the Bedminster Improv opened early on Thursday.

"Frankly, the people who were questioning that statement, was it too tough? Maybe it wasn't tough enough. They've been doing this to our country for a long time, for many years, and it's about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries. So if anything, maybe that statement wasn't tough enough. And we're backed 100 percent by our military, we're backed by everybody and we're backed by many other leaders. And I noticed that many senators and others came out today very much in favor of what I said. But if anything that statement may not be tough enough… Sure, well always consider negotiations. But they've been negotiating now for 25 years. I talk. Somebody has to do it.
-snip-

But Putin threw out our diplomats.

"I want to thank him because were trying to cut down our payroll, and as far as I'm concerned I'm very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll. There's no real reason for them to go back. I greatly appreciate the fact that we've been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We're going to save a lot of money."

I hear the late show is completely different. That's frightening.

Today's Tweet

Seems to me this is exactly what Obama was talking about - "They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

The rubes get played - there's one born every minute, and two slickers like 45* to take him for every nickel he's worth.

Supporter: 'When Trump speaks you can understand him, don't have to look up the big words; If he had to cheat to get in, I'm OK with that.' pic.twitter.com/tCMOjoBZlb

— Adam Khan (@Khanoisseur) August 11, 2017

Follow the developments at The Guardian

One Of The Problems

Whooo yeah - sure glad I chose to be born white, and middle class, in the American suburbs.  Best decision I ever made.

I realize folks who post this crap on social media aren't consciously going outa their way to be shitty. This is not intended to be mean-spirited. Indeed, it's supposed to be a good Life Lesson for all those mopey little pity puppies out there who just need to buck up and put on their big-girl panties and lace 'em up and get in there and blah blah blah.

But the lack of intent to be shitty doesn't make it less shitty for someone not born to the dominant demographic.

We start with a (mostly) appropriate feeling of pride and gratitude where our own situations are concerned, but we end up with the kind of bullshit attitude that poor people are poor - and they have all those poor people problems - because they're somehow morally deficient.

And that ends up making us say some of the stoopidest fucking things:

Words

St George of Carlin, in a prophetic address to The Press Club.

hat tip = FB Friend D Rapier

Today's Tweet

I'm becoming less convinced that 45* is actually still POTUS.

Oh for eff's sake Trump got this "Fire and fury" crap from Bannon who got it from a video game (h/t @politico) pic.twitter.com/ZoaTlWwxdV

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) August 10, 2017

Without Adult Supervision

Paraphrasing Mr Mencken: Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste or the intelligence of the American consumer.  Wal-Mart seems to work very hard at proving it.