;)
March 15, 2023
Afternoon Update:
Joe Rennison & Jason Karaian of the New York Times: "Stock markets tumbled on Wednesday, as investors' fears over the health of the banking industry resurfaced and spread around the world, undoing a rally on Tuesday when the panic appeared to pause. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 fell 1.6 percent at the open of trading, reversing all of the previous day's gains. European markets were also hard hit, with stocks of many of the region's biggest banks falling sharply, as anxiety persists about the fallout from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which were seized by regulators after suffering devastating runs on deposits. The catalyst for the day's turmoil appeared to be Credit Suisse, the mistake-prone Swiss bank that has struggled for years to turn around its fortunes, with customers steadily shifting their assets to rival banks. It recorded the most eye-catching decline, with its shares losing roughly 30 percent, setting yet another record low. On Wednesday, the bank's largest shareholder, Saudi National Bank, ruled out providing more money for Credit Suisse as it struggles with its latest turnaround plan."
Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "Guo Wengui, a fugitive Chinese billionaire, was arrested on Wednesday morning in New York on charges that he orchestrated a complex conspiracy to defraud thousands of his online followers out of $1 billion, the authorities said. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Mr. Guo, 52, was charged with 'lining his pockets with the money he stole,' which they said included buying for himself and his close relatives a 50,000-square-foot mansion, a $3.5 million Ferrari and two $36,000 mattresses, as well as financing a $37 million luxury yacht. Mr. Guo is a business associate of Stephen K. Bannon, a onetime top adviser to ... Donald J. Trump. It was on a yacht belonging to Mr. Guo that Mr. Bannon was arrested in a fraud case in August 2020; Mr. Trump later pardoned Mr. Bannon, who had pleaded not guilty, on those charges." The ABC News story is here.
Rebecca O'Brien & William Rashbaum of the New York Times: "A $19 million luxury yacht deal brokered by Representative George Santos between two of his wealthy donors has captured the attention of federal and state authorities investigating the congressman's campaign finances and personal business dealings.... Prosecutors and F.B.I. agents have sought in recent weeks to question the new owner of the 141-foot superyacht -- Raymond Tantillo, a Long Island auto dealer -- about the boat and his dealings with Mr. Santos, including his campaign fund-raising efforts. Mr. Tantillo bought the boat from Mayra Ruiz, a Republican donor in Miami. Mr. Santos negotiated the payment -- $12.25 million up front, with $6.5 million more in installments -- and advised the two on the logistics of turning over the yacht, according to a person familiar with the sale, which took place a few weeks before his election in November." MB: At least we know now where the previously-impoverished George Anthony got some of his money.
Dino Grandoni of the Washington Post: "The National Audubon Society, one of the country's best-known bird conservation organizations, decided in a closed-door vote this week to retain the name of John James Audubon, famed 19th-century naturalist and wildlife illustrator who was also an unabashed enslaver. The move comes even as about half-a-dozen of the organization's regional chapters have pledged to scrub his name from their titles, part of a broader reckoning over the U.S. environmental movement's history of entrenched racism.... Susan Bell, chair of the board, declined to provide a breakdown of the final vote [of the 27-person board]."
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Michael Shear of the New York Times: President "Biden traveled on Tuesday to Monterey Park, [California,] where a gunman killed 11 people in January during Lunar New Year festivities at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio, to announce a handful of steps designed to improve enforcement of existing [gun] laws that have so far failed to prevent mass shootings in one American community after another. 'Today, I'm announcing another executive order that will accelerate and intensify this work to save lives,' Mr. Biden told a small audience in Monterey Park that included family members and victims of the shooting, which terrorized the Asian American community here.... Mr. Biden, who spent time meeting privately with relatives of the shooting victims, during his public remarks offered a somber recounting -- one by one -- of the 11 people who were killed on 'a day of festivity and light turned into a day of fear and darkness.'... But the president is constrained by the Second Amendment and a political system that has so far refused to make progress on his demands for universal background checks for gun sales, a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and the repeal of immunity from liability for gun manufacturers." An NBC News story is here.
Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The Biden administration said Tuesday that it was withdrawing a land swap deal that would have helped to clear the way for construction of a road through a wildlife refuge in Alaska. The move is a reversal of the government's position and one that could put an end to a project that would cut through the vast wild area, originally protected under President Jimmy Carter. The land swap to create a road through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge was approved under the Trump administration to link King Cove with an airport in nearby Cold Bay. Deb Haaland, the secretary of the Interior Department, said the agency would reconsider an older land swap developed in 2013 that would allow for a road with more restricted use but would still enable Native and other community members in the remote area to access emergency medical care."
Matthew Goldstein & Katie Benner of the New York Times: "The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.... The investigation is in its early stages and it is unclear just what federal prosecutors are focused on.... One potential focus could be sales of company shares by several bank executives in the weeks before the bank's failure, several legal experts said. The sales generated millions of dollars in proceeds, though some of the bank's executives sold stock pursuant to insider selling plans that set the timing of such sales in advance.... For example, under a prearranged plan, Silicon Valley Bank's former chief executive, Gregory Becker exercised options in early March that permitted him to sell shares worth about $3 million.... A number of lawyers said they expected the S.E.C. to also open an inquiry." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ As mentioned in the Comments yesterday & the day before: ~~~
~~~ Julian Mark of the Washington Post: "The recent implosion of Silicon Valley Bank escalated culture war arguments, as some conservative politicians ... blamed the bank's downfall on 'woke' practices. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) called SVB 'one of the most woke banks' because of its 'ESG-type' policies -- a reference to environmental, social and corporate governance-driven investing that has been embraced by billion-dollar asset managers and scorned by conservatives of late. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ... said Sunday that Silicon Valley Bank's diversity, equity and inclusion requirements 'diverted from them focusing on their core mission.' And Monday, Fox News host Tucker Carlson said diversity and inclusion standards are why 'big banks are now increasingly incompetent.'... There's no evidence that SVB's sustainable investing or diversity initiatives contributed to its collapse. Experts have instead pointed to a perfect storm of SVB's significant holdings in U.S. Treasuries and the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes. As the Fed raised interest rates, SVB's bond holdings became less valuable, and the bank sold Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities at a $1.8 billion loss. The disclosure sparked panic...." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Pure bull, as you might suspect. According to Paul Krugman (also linked yesterday), SVB "didn't lend [tech start-ups] a lot of money, since they were often flush with venture capital cash. Instead, the cash flow went in the opposite direction, with tech businesses depositing large sums with S.V.B. -- sometimes as a quid pro quo but largely, I suspect, because people in the tech world thought of S.V.B. as their kind of bank." And as pointed out here, there and everywhere, S.V.B. was instead investing primarily in patriotic American long-term bonds like the disappointing gifts your grandparents might have given you for your birthdays. I suppose you could indirectly blame wokeism on the bank's failure if you think that making the bank more attractive to progressives caused tech companies to park their money with S.V.B. I suppose the Comer/DeSantis/Carlson wing would be more partial to S.V.B. if they had run a more white supremacist sort of PR program. ~~~
~~~ Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times: Also pushing the woke theory of S.V.B. failure: Donald Trump, Jr., Stephen Miller & Josh Hawley, among others. "... this deflection is worth noting for what it represents: the relentless effort to mystify real questions of political economy in favor of endless culture war conflict.... It's not as if no one thought this collapse could happen. 'The failure of Silicon Valley Bank is a direct result of an absurd 2018 bank deregulation bill signed by Donald Trump that I strongly opposed,' Senator Bernie Sanders said in a statement on Sunday. Senator Elizabeth Warren made a similar point in an essay published in The Times on Monday [also linked below].... The people who blame wokeness for the collapse of a bank ... want to ... obscure the extent to which they and their allies are complicit in -- or responsible for -- creating an environment in which banks collapse for lack of appropriate regulation." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
But His Laptop! Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post: "The contents of one of [Hunter Biden's] laptops, revealed in 2020, have inspired a fantastical conspiracy theory that has been comprehensively debunked by, among others, Asha Rangappa..., of Yale University ... and [a] former FBI agent.... In October 2020, [about 50 former intelligence] officials crafted a statement that appeared in Politico alleging that appearance of the laptop and emails purporting to relate to Hunter Biden's time on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, 'has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.'... [Now], House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Intelligence Committee Chairman Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio) sent letters to the signatories, demanding all documents relating to the statement and directing the former officials to appear for transcribed interviews.... It isn't clear where this is going from here." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Sara Murray, et al., of CNN: "House Oversight Chairman James Comer said in a statement Tuesday the US Treasury Department will allow him to review certain bank activity reports related to members of the Biden family and their business partners. 'After two months of dragging their feet, the Treasury Department is finally providing us with access to the suspicious activity reports for the Biden family and their associates' business transactions,' Comer said in the statement.... Comer has claimed -- without offering any evidence -- that financial records, particularly those involving foreign business deals, could show improper influence over Joe Biden." MB: Wait, wait! Two whole months? Trump's Treasury Department "delayed" releasing Trump's tax returns for nearly four years while Trump sued to keep the returns secret. The Trump Treasury Department intended to never comply with Congressional requests for documents, even where the law explicitly stated the IRS -- a division of Treasury -- was required to do so. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Judy Kurtz of the Hill: "The family of the singer behind the classic tune, 'This Land is Your Land' has a message for Sen. Josh Hawley: This song is not your song to 'co-opt.' The Missouri Republican referenced the 1940 folk music hit by Woody Guthrie last week when introducing the This Land is Our Land Act, S. 684, which would 'ban Chinese corporations and individuals associated with the Chinese Communist Party from owning United States agricultural land.'... 'In this particular case, the co-opting or parodying of the lyric by those not aligned with Woody's lyrics -- i.e. misrepresentation by autocrats, racists, white nationalists, anti-labor, insurrectionists, etc. -- is not condoned,' Nora Guthrie [-- Woody's daughter --] said. While saying she accepted 'This Land is Your Land' being used for political purposes from time to time, Guthrie explained, 'We do not consider Josh Hawley in any way a representative of Woody's values therefore we would never endorse or approve of his reference to Woody's lyrics.'" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Not a good day for Kaiser Donald to visit with senators.
Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "Federal prosecutors in New York involved in the criminal investigation into Donald Trump's social media company last year started examining whether it violated money laundering statutes in connection with the acceptance of $8m with suspected Russian ties, according to sources familiar with the matter. The company -- Trump Media, which owns Trump's Truth Social platform -- initially came under criminal investigation over its preparations for a potential merger with a blank check company called Digital World (DWAC) that was also the subject of an earlier probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission.... The extent of the exposure for Trump Media and its officers for money laundering remains unclear." Lowell provides some of the shady backstory.
Pence Traps Trump into Confessing! Philip Bump of the Washington Post, in a rather convoluted but logical argument, claims Donald Trump just acknowledged that he was responsible for the January 6 insurrection: Trump "says that Pence sending electoral slates back to states would have averted the riot by Trump supporters. This is true.... [Trump is saying that the crowd rioted because Pence didn't do the thing Trump said he could do, which the vice president couldn't. He's saying that the crowd was there to see the election results overturned and became enraged when they weren't. Trump is saying that Jan. 6 was his fault.... Trump isn't doing what he's often done before, which is to suggest that the crowd was simply a group of excited patriots who got a bit out of hand. Now he admits they were reacting to what Pence didn't do, which necessarily depends on what Trump said Pence could do." MB: Now, try to explain this to Donald Trump.
Ed Shanahan of the New York Times: "A Princeton University student was charged on Tuesday with being part of a violent mob that assaulted law enforcement officers during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, federal prosecutors said. The student, Larry F. Giberson Jr., was among a group of rioters who pushed against a phalanx of officers defending the Capitol at a tunnel entrance, according to an affidavit filed by a federal agent. With Mr. Giberson at the front of the crowd as the confrontation unfolded, one officer was briefly crushed between the rioters and the tunnel doors, the affidavit says. Mr. Giberson, 21, waved other rioters into the tunnel and joined a second round of shoving against the officers, the affidavit says. He also tried, unsuccessfully, to start a chant of 'Drag them out!' and cheered on others as they used weapons and pepper spray to attack the police guarding the tunnel, the affidavit says."
Perry Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "A federal judge on Wednesday will consider an unprecedented effort to undo long-standing government approval of the abortion medication used in most pregnancy terminations nationwide. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is expected to question lawyers in the case that seeks to restrict access to mifepristone, the medication first approved by the Food and Drug Administration more than 20 years ago.The high-stakes hearing ... will be the first time the judge engages directly with lawyers for the Justice Department, representing the FDA; the company that manufactures and distributes the drug; and the antiabortion group challenging the medication. Kacsmaryk could rule at any time following the hearing, potentially disrupting access to the widely used drug, including in states where abortion is legal.... Kacsmaryk, a nominee of ... Donald Trump, has attracted criticism from abortion rights advocates because of his long-held antiabortion views.... Public health professionals and legal experts have denounced the lawsuit as unsupported by scientific evidence."
Vimal Patel of the New York Times: "On Tuesday, [Wellesley College] students supported a referendum that had polarized the campus and went straight to the heart of Wellesley's identity as a women's college. The referendum, which was nonbinding, called for opening admission to all nonbinary and transgender applicants, including trans men. Currently, the college allows admission to anyone who lives and consistently identifies as a woman."
Mike Isaac of the New York Times: "Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, said on Tuesday that it planned to lay off about 10,000 employees, or roughly 13 percent of its work force, the latest move to hew to what the company's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has called a 'year of efficiency.'... In November, Meta laid off more than 11,000 people, or about 13 percent of its work force at the time." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) CNBC's story is here.
Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: "The special prosecutor named to the 'Rust' case stepped down on Tuesday after lawyers for Alec Baldwin, who is being charged with involuntary manslaughter in the killing of a cinematographer on the film set, argued that her appointment as a prosecutor violated the New Mexico Constitution because she also serves as a state lawmaker. It was the second recent setback for the prosecution. Last month prosecutors downgraded the charges Baldwin faced in the killing of the cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, after his lawyers argued that the Santa Fe County district attorney had erred by initially charging him under a law that was not passed until months after the shooting."
How to Get Two (or More!) Teslas for the Price of One. Daniel Wu of the Washington Post: "Rajesh Randev's s "car was one of two white Teslas parked next to each other on a Vancouver, B.C., street and, in a rush to pick up his children from school, he had gone to the wrong one. Somehow, his Tesla app unlocked a stranger's car -- and allowed him to drive off in it, he said.... He first told his story to Global News last week when he received no replies after reporting the incident to Tesla, he said." Meanwhile, Mohammed Esaeyh -- the brother of the owner of the car Randav was driving -- was able to get into Randev's car -- still in the parking lot -- using the owner's key card. Randev was able to drive Esaeyh's car for about an hour-and-a-half, including making a couple of stops, without any trouble. Randev & Esaeyh later met up to amicably exchange vehicles. "Tesla did not respond to requests for comment." MB: Yo, Elon! Maybe you'll want to get back to working on those Teslas.
Beyond the Beltway
Florida. Sara Boboltz of The Huffington Post: "The state of Florida moved to strip the Hyatt Regency Miami hotel of its liquor license on Tuesday in retaliation for hosting a Christmas-themed drag show, alleging that minors had been in attendance, which is against state law.... The venue had admitted minors if they were accompanied by an adult.... A department spokesperson told Insider that the Hyatt has 21 days to request a hearing and can keep selling alcohol until a final decision is made.Another Florida venue, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, similarly found itself in the agency's crosshairs for hosting a Christmastime drag show last year."
Mississippi. Timothy Bella of the Washington Post: "The family of a Black man is calling for a federal investigation into his death after local authorities in Mississippi said they did not suspect foul play after the man's body was found dismembered. Police say his wounds may have been caused by an animal. Rasheem Carter, 25, called his mother for help in early October, telling her that a group of White men in three trucks were chasing him and yelling racial slurs at him in Laurel, Miss., his mother, Tiffany Carter, said at a Monday news conference in Jackson. His remains were found in the woods roughly 20 miles away outside of Taylorsville, Miss., on Nov. 2, after he had been missing for about a month." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Way Beyond
Ukraine, et al.
The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Hungary further delayed NATO ratification for Sweden and Finland. The ruling Fidesz party confirmed the postponement of the process to Reuters after an opposition lawmaker said Fidesz was delaying a parliamentary session that was set for next week. Stockholm and Helsinki have sought to enter the transatlantic alliance but acceptance requires a sign-off from all NATO members. While Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said he supports ratification, some lawmakers in his party have dragged their feet.... Train fanatic Mikhail Korotkov spent years documenting unique trains, including a particularly unusual one belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was the first train enthusiast to post a photo of the sleek, silver train with red-and-gray detailing. But ... an intimidating transcript of his private phone conversations was delivered to him -- via messages on his YouTube page -- in what Korotkov interpreted as a threat from the Kremlin. Afraid for his safety, Korotkov has fled Russia." ~~~
~~~ The Guardian's live updates for Wednesday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.
Dan Lamothe of the Washington Post: "A pair of Russian fighter jets intercepted and forced down an American surveillance drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, U.S. officials said, with one Russian jet colliding with the propeller of the unmanned aircraft after both Russian warplanes dumped fuel on it. The incident prompted Air Force drone pilots to bring down the MQ-9 Reaper in international waters in what U.S. officials said has become a 'pattern of dangerous actions by Russian pilots' while interacting with American and allied aircraft in international airspace. The actions, U.S. military officials said in a statement, 'could lead to miscalculation and unintended escalation' between the two countries." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The story has been updated:
"A State Department spokesman, Ned Price, told reporters that senior U.S. officials intended to communicate 'our strong objections.' 'We are summoning the Russian ambassador to the department, where we will convey this message,' Price said, adding that, in Moscow, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Lynne M. Tracy, had relayed the Biden administration's dissatisfaction to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) The New York Times story is here. CNN's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Marie: Maybe I should mention that the U.S. drone that was downed was not some little toy like the one you gave the kids for Christmas. It looks like a real airplane, but without a pilots' cabin. There's a photo in this CNBC story.
Rubio Stands Up to DeSantis. Leo Sands, et al., of the Washington Post: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is dismissing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a 'territorial dispute and says protecting the European nation is not a vital U.S. interest.... On Tuesday, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) took issue with DeSantis describing the first land war in Europe since World War II as a 'territorial dispute.' In an interview, Rubio told radio host Hugh Hewitt, 'It's not a territorial dispute in the sense that any more than it would be a territorial dispute if the United States decided that it wanted to invade Canada or take over the Bahamas.... This is an invasion,' said Rubio, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, adding, 'I think we do have an interest' in the conflict." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Jonathan Swan & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "Republican foreign policy hawks recoiled at Mr. DeSantis's statement on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' on Fox News on Monday night, in which the governor deviated from the position held by most of the Republican establishment on Capitol Hill, including Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader.... Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, said in an interview on Tuesday morning that he 'could not disagree more' with Mr. DeSantis's characterization of the stakes attached to the defense of Ukraine. 'The Neville Chamberlain approach to aggression never ends well,' said Mr. Graham.... And Senator John Cornyn of Texas told Politico he was 'disturbed' by Mr. DeSantis's comments.... Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey ... said that the remarks were 'a naïve and complete misunderstanding of the historical context of what's going on,' and that authoritarians would fill the void if the U.S. retreated from global leadership.... In 2014 and 2015, after Mr. Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine, Mr. DeSantis criticized President Barack Obama as not doing enough to support Ukraine." ~~~
~~~ Steve M.: "... DeSantis and Trump aren't as out of sync with the party's presidential hopefuls as you'd think. Questions about Ukraine were posed to quite a few declared and possible Republican presidential candidates. Tucker Carlson posted the responses on Twitter. South Dakota governor Kristi Noem -- a strong contender for the VP slot if Trump is the nominee -- sounded quite similar to the two front-runners[.]... Texas governor Greg Abbott probably isn't running for president, but he was sent the questionnaire, and he's also a skeptic[.]... Even Tim Scott, who's clearly supportive of aid to Ukraine, wants to sound like a skeptic[.]... And finally, I want to draw attention to the answer from one of the few declared candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy.... He wants us to be ready for a shooting war with China, and also for a shooting war with Mexico, which makes him sound a lot like Lindsey Graham, Dan Crenshaw, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who've all recently raised the possibility of using the U.S. military in Mexico.... Ramaswamy's pounding of the China and Mexico war drums is a preview of tomorrow's Republicanism today."
News Lede
Washington Post: "An intensifying nor'easter, unleashing heavy snow, rain and strong winds, is clobbering the Northeast and the storm won't relent until Wednesday. The weight of the snow on trees and power lines combined with gusts over 40 mph has cut power to more than 250,000 customers. The highest number of outages were in eastern New York and western Massachusetts, according to the utility tracker PowerOutage.us.... Precipitation arrived late Monday and has been falling as snow -- heavy at times -- across interior regions of the Northeast and New England. The snow has been piling up, especially across higher elevations, with accumulations already around 30 inches in the hardest hit areas, and some spots likely to soar as high as three feet by the time the storm ends. Numerous businesses and schools closed Tuesday because of difficult to impossible travel conditions. Hundreds of flights have been canceled or delayed across the Northeast." ~~~
~~~ Marie: I don't think I have nearly 30" here (it's still dark, so I can't tell), but my power was out most of the day yesterday. It's back on now, but that doesn't mean it will stay on. Update: It's light now, and I'm looking at another of what I like to call "a fucking winter wonderland." Tree limbs are heavy with snow, and as beautiful as they may be, they also signal more power outages caused by downed limbs.
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Reader Comments (11)
Aunt Pittypat, in addition to advocating a full scale war with Mexico, is now shouting that the US needs to start shooting Russian planes out of the sky in retaliation for the downing of an unmanned drone. If Russia thinks a drone over the Black Sea is a provocation, how ‘bout we start killing their pilots?
This is just one more in a long line of irresponsible, jingoistic and bellicose jabberings coming from the Right. Their blanket answer for everything is “kill it”, whether that’s healthcare for trans kids, environmental protections, gun safety laws, Mexicans, Russians, or Chinese. There’s no such thing as a proportional or thoughtful response to anything because responsibility is someone else’s lookout. They’re free to scream and shout and call for the most intemperate, reckless bullshit, that is, when it’s not outright inhumane and purposefully harmful.
Cuz that’s all they got.
And when you hear people like Chris Christie characterizing Ron DeSantolini’s propaganda on Ukraine as the result of his misunderstanding of the international significance of giving carte blanche to a Russian dictator, you have to recognize that there’s no doubt about potential outcomes there. As a wannabe authoritarian dictator himself, DeSantolini not only fully understands the significance of a Ukrainian defeat, he’s all for it. After all, his invasion of Disneyworld has made him a superstar with the totalitarian hammerheads.
So that’s what we have. A party dedicated to irresponsible bellicosity, inhuman treatment of those they despise, and unqualified support for authoritarianism.
The Party of Traitors perdures.
And while we’re considering proportional responses…
Yes, the killing of two Americans by some cartel gangsters is a terrible thing. But invading Mexico because of that?
Those people were kidnapped and killed by crooks, not official representatives of the Mexican government. How many Mexican citizens have been used for target practice by official representatives of the US government while trying to cross the border? Some even before they tried.
See, for the Right, one white person is worth 1,000 brown people.
I guess that’s what they call proportional.
Watch Joe Taccopina, the lawyer for Trump in the Daniel's case, on Ari Melber last night. This guy must feel exhausted after only ten minutes of ranting.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-lawyer-ari-melber_n_64115e7fe4b0fef152411bfa
@P.D. Pepe: As usual, you are exceptionally brave. I can't watch "those people" past their first lie, which is usually seconds into their little performances, so I never see much of them. I switched to Netflix after a few moments for Ari & Joe.
How’s this for a proportional response?
Nora Guthrie, reacting to cowardly (Run, Josh, Run!) fascist Josh Hawley’s co-opting of her father Woody Guthrie’s masterful song “This Land is Your Land” for his own purposes, states that while she recognizes that this song is often used for political purposes, Hawley’s type of ideological purposes in no way comport with those of her dad’s, so please to be ceasing and desisting.
What she could (should?) have said was “Listen, stupid. The guitar my dad used when singing that song had a message written on it: “This machine kills fascists”. That means you, dickhead.”
https://images.dailykos.com/images/812359/story_image/WoodysGuitar.jpg?1591025838
Ba-dee, ba-dee, ba-dee…um…Woke! Yeah, that’s it!
So here’s a winger pundit* throwing around the winger word of the year, “Woke”, being asked to define it. Her answer makes Jackie Gleason’s “Hummeda, hummeda, hummeda” sound like the soul of eloquent discourse.
Her excuse is that, well, it’s tough to define, um, and um, creation of hierarchies of oppression, and um, well…word salad.
So basically her understanding of “woke”, “the creation of hierarchies of oppression”, is 180 degrees opposite it’s actual meaning which is, in part IDENTIFYING hierarchies of oppression, an appreciation of how power structures impact society in ways not always (or even mostly) salubrious.
But you guys all know that when everyone from DeSantolini to the Fat Fascist, to Gym Jordan and drooling imbecile James Comer are tossing the word around, not a one of them has a fucking clue what it means. All they know is that it has some origin in black culture, which is enough for a collective “Aieeee!”.
Get a brain, morans.
*Oh yeah, and that word “pundit”? Look it up: “an expert in a particular subject or field who is frequently called on to give opinions about it to the public.” It’s from a Sanskrit word meaning learned or skilled. Oh, you mean like this person? Ba-dee, ba-dee, ba-dee…yeah, I know, language is always evolving. At this point, more often than not, it means any jabroni who gets screen time to yak on stuff they know nothing about. Just sayin’…”Expert”…*chuckle, chuckle*…
https://www.mediaite.com/politics/this-is-gonna-be-one-of-those-moments-that-goes-viral-conservative-pundit-short-circuits-when-asked-to-define-wokeness/
Marie,
Got yer power back?
Hey, I saw last week some knucklehead R state rep in New Hampshire screeching expletives at a plow driver for…doing his job. There’s no end to winger idiocy and off the leash anger. “Everyone is out to get us! Arrrgh!”
All you guys who grew up with a shovel in your hands half the winter know that there’s one immutable truth about snow storms. Five minutes after you shovel out your driveway, along comes a truck and plows you back in again. Snow’s on the road, it has to go somewhere. So you just dig out again. You grin and bear it. Unless you’re a Republican elected official. Then it’s “awwwoooo!”
I see where some places in the North Country are getting three feet! (Great for the skiers). Even places like Concord and Hampton Beach have almost two feet. Light the fire and pull out a few books you’ve been meaning to get to.
Sent to me by another RC reader.
Not a smile in a carload but seems appropriate on the Ides of March.
https://michael-hudson.com/2023/03/why-the-banking-system-is-breaking-up/
@Akhilleus: Oh, I don't think "woke," as understood by Bethany there & others, is all that hard for them to define. They just can't do it in public. That's because what they mean by "woke" is: (1) "people who aren't straight, white Christians." This is usually amended to include (2) "straight, white Christians who abide those who aren't."
Marie,
Quite. It’s just funny to watch all the fancy dancing as they try to pretend it’s anything more than yet another manifestation of their inbred toxic bigotry.
Yesterday a friend showed me hilarious tweets all about people’s fictional “woke banks.” I don’t know how to show you, but it was good to read how clever people are in response to the serial stupidity of the cult, lampooning them mercilessly. We need to do more of that!