 |
| Insurrectionists in the U.S. capital |
Since July, I have occasionally been posting headlines from various news sources and writing comments about them that are either pithy, snarky, wise or brilliantly on point (or a combination thereof). The response has been so overwhelming (thank you, Neibaum Nixon of Blowing Rock, North Carolina) that I have made this a regular feature -- to enthusiastic acclaim. Here then is part ten in what is now a regular and beloved feature.
From the New York Times:
House Sets Impeachment Vote to Charge Trump With Incitement
I would love to see Trumpy removed from office, even its only the day before his term is up. However, it's more important to me -- and I believe the country -- that he face criminal charges. The gray bar motel would be the most fitting place for the dirty bastard to spend his retirement. The number of crimes he's committed while in office are enough to make Al Capone blush. To paraphrase the "man" himself, "lock him up! lock him up! lock him up!"
Justice Dept. Pursues at Least 150 Suspects in Capitol Riot
Here's another group of people who need to face justice. They did nothing less than attempt a coup and threaten and endanger human lives. They also desecrated the capitol building and brought shame on their country.
How White Evangelical Christians Fused With Trump Extremism
I've cited evangelical support for Trump several times as a classic example of conservative Christian hypocrisy. There's nothing that I understand of Jesus' teaching that align with the messages or practices of Donald J. Trump. He has never given anything but lip service to christianity while philandering, lying, cheating and placing his interests before all others. The evangelical embrace of Trumpy speaks to their hatred for and contempt of the poor, ethnic minorities, the LGBT community and their love of the mighty dollar. If there is a second coming, (I'm not convinced there was a first) the son of god is going to have some mighty harsh words for the charlatans who comprise the evangelical movement in the United States.
They Got an Officer!’: How a Mob Dragged and Beat Police at the Capitol
These are the Blue Lives Matter people physically attacking police. They love the police as long as they're beating and shooting Black people. otherwise, not so much. How many times have Black Lives Matter marchers dragged and beaten police officers? Somewhere in the neighborhood of it's never happened.
From CNN:
New terror threat points to plot to surround Capitol, lawmaker says
This is the United States we know live in. "Snowflakes" who cannot and will not accept the results of an election that did not go their way react, not just by crying and bitching and moaning, or even marching, but by threatening violence. And as we saw last week, these are not empty threats. It's impossible to say where this is heading but it could mean weeks, months or years of violence. Terrorism is truly a serious threat in the U.S. and it comes from right wing extremists. (Which is to say white supremacists, nationalists and believers in bizarre conspiracy theories.)
NFL coach declines Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Trump brand has gotten so bad that Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots and a vocal Trump supporter, doesn't want anything to do with him. So now we know what it took to make Trumpy unpalatable to at least some of his supporters: treason. Malfeasance, violating the emoluments clause, incompetence in the face of an epidemic, demeaning the office of the presidency, lying to the American people, none of those were enough. I'm glad there was finally a bridge too far.
The tourists who believe travel restrictions don't apply to them
Fuck those people. Entitled bastards who flaunt safety rules during a pandemic thus risking the lives of others. Let's make sure they understand that rules for public safety apply to everybody. Let me reiterate, fuck those people. (Excuse my language).
America's education system is in need of dramatic reform
What genius finally figured that out? I spent over twenty years teaching in public schools and I can testify to the fact that our school systems -- which have largely remained the same for centuries -- are not designed to reach and teach a large swath of our youth. In the years before I started teaching, the entire time I taught, and in the years since, there have been countless attempts to tinker with schools so that they can more successfully reach all children, especially those in the "at risk" categories. Much of it is a matter of re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Schools don't need reform, they need a whole goddamned revolution. This is a huge topic and one I'm not the most qualified person to address it; but I may take it on in the near future. I will say that I'm glad this story escalates the need for reform to "dramatic."
From the BBC:
Judge halts execution of only woman on US death row
What the hell kind of backwater country sill executes it's citizens? Oh that's right, the United States. The beacon of hope, the leader of the free world, the birthplace of modern democracy still has capital punishment. Shameful.
Florida manatee with 'Trump' etched on back prompts investigation
These people....
Trump calls second impeachment 'ridiculous'
It is ridiculous. He's right. There should never have been an opportunity for a second impeachment. Trumpy should have been removed from office after the first one and would have been but for all his enablers in the U.S. Senate. It's also ridiculous that a president should be so corrupt, so bad, so evil that a second impeachment should be required.
Central Spain records temperatures of -25C after snowstorm
Meanwhile global warming. I know this story is about record low temperatures but global warming is also about extreme weather conditions and events and this may well be another example. The U.S. has to deal with attempted coups and a pandemic but taking on climate change has got to remain a top priority. Reports indicate that 2020 was one of the hottest years on record. The other hottest years are all recent.
From The Washington Post:
Insurrection adds to full plate of calamities Biden will face as he takes office
Poor guy. Talk about a full plate. Biden has to clean up all of Trumpy's messes, address the covid vaccine roll out, revitalize the economy and deal with all these idiots at the base of Trumpy's base who want a second civil war. What a job.
Coronavirus shutdowns have quashed nearly all other common viruses. But scientists say a rebound is coming
A rebound? Oh for the love of God. When do we start getting heavy doses of good news again?
After hiding with maskless Republicans, Rep. Jayapal feared she would catch the coronavirus. Now she’s tested positive.
Maskless Republicans also known as brainless Republicans also known as typical Republicans. During the attack on the Capitol building Rep. Jayal was in lockdown -- as all congresspeople were -- but she had the misfortune to be stuck with a bunch of idiots. Selfish, stupid Republicans (are there any other kind, these days?).
Alabama’s football dynasty collects another title with a 52-24 rout of Ohio State
Here's one of the least interesting sports stories of the year. Alabama won it's sixth national title since 2009. College football has come to be dominated by 'Bama and a few other schools such as Clemson, LSU, Oklahoma and Ohio State. Boring. There's something perverse about the same few schools (all in the south or midwest) dominating the sport. There are and have been and always will be dominant schools in various college sports but there's something insidious about recent college football dynasties. The NCAA reeks of corruption and is stained by corporate fat cats who are profiting mightily off the backs of college students' efforts. Yes, the college students often have full scholarships, but that pales in comparison to the piles of cash NCAA officials collect. Again, I've introduced a topic that deserves more time and energy and research on my part and you may well see it. Suffice to say that if all university football teams adhered to the same academic standards for football eligibility as does my favorite team -- the University of California -- the playing field might actually level a bit.
No comments:
Post a Comment