You're adorable when you're hopeful, Roy, and thanks for trying.
I'm about all out for the U.S. run at the top, at the very least. The fact that The Boy King is tied (at worst) in the polls, knowing what we do about him, is really the only signpost necessary these days and it doesn't point in a pretty direction.
Yeah, the PTSD is strong. And it’s pretty galling that the same people who claimed the reason they opposed aid to Ukraine was because they had learned their lesson about the futility of foreign wars with Iraq are now the same people baying for the blood of Palestinians, because, well…Muslims.
Aside from their vested interest in seeing the Middle East erupt into Armageddon, either from war-mongering and/or because it will bring on the Rapture, conservatives are very, very bad at nuance.
So although there is plenty of conservative bad faith in play, even putting bad faith aside the mere idea that competing facts – Israel has a right to exist, terrorism is always wrong, Israel has imposed an apartheid regime on Palestine, Palestinian citizens shouldn’t pay the price for the actions of Hamas, criticism of Israel’s policies is not antisemitism, Jews have been persecuted for centuries and some bad actors are using this conflict to promote antisemitism – can all be true at the same time is just too complex for conservatives. They just want to know who is wearing the white/black hats. Pick a side.
If only Jared Kushner had been given a little more time, I’m sure that insipid Victorian Ghost Boy could have straightened it all out, lol.
Post 9/11 I bet that there would be no WMD found in Iraq with one of the judges I often practiced in front of. It was a bottle of single malt. The bastard has yet to pay up. Not really all that much to do with your post, but I'm still pissed.
Firstly, as the caffeine slowly, slowly kicks in, I'm contemplating the symmetry of let's say disapproval of terrorist acts by Palestinians and Saudi nationals leads to islamophobia, likewise many of those disapproving the Israeli response leading into anti-semitism. Is it that difficult to target the bad actors without overgeneralizing? Or is there so much latent hate that the slightest trigger is enough to excuse it, make it acceptable?
Anyway, some comrades posted an article how the current war is ending the US longtime mid east policy.
Like an idiot, I assumed they had in mind maybe not doing anything about the 1967 borders, or maybe 1948 with the shit show of creating the Jewish homeland and decolonizing the area like the English screwed up with nearly all their colonies -- India, Africa, etc. What a great time that would have been to implement a clear two state solution, I guess...
Or maybe the comrades were referring back to ancient times and the Balfour declaration and Sykes-Picot in the 1910s.
But, nah, of course I was wrong and the comrades went for our clinically insane response to 9/11. The problem there, besides the problem being at least over a hundred years old, not 20+, is that Netanyahu created a problem that needs some addressing. (I'm sure we can disagree on the problem, but whatever it is, it's way overdue for addressing and resolving.) Our invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq never came close to being any sort of legit problem getting a legit solution. And that Afghanistan reference is really twofold in a way: Post-9/11, of course, but also since the late 70s.
While Americans support Israel, Americans also recognize by and large that Netanyahu has always been a complete dick to the United States. And many Americans (and Israelis) know that Bibi is corrupt, venal, and conniving, but not very smart. He's Israel's Trump.
Here's hoping that the Israeli electorate turfs him out soon. And then undoes his "court reforms" that were intended to let him and his wife skate on the pending corruption charges.
Leave to our new Speaker to tie aid for Israel to protecting tax cheats from the IRS. Modern pseudoconservatism has only two policies: preserve the wealth of donors and foment hate of Others. Johnson will advance both with that creepy smug smile that should be part of any caricature of MAGA’s latest poster boy.
"... 'Never have I encountered a national character that is so feckless, and so indolent, as the Venezuelan one...'”
It reminds me of an old Bloom County cartoon (very old by now), where Margaret Mead's "secret" memoir drops in the news, & Milo Bloom seems to know an awful lot about its bombshell revelation: "Man, these Samoans are a surly lot."
As George Bluth would say, "There's always money in the [casual, reckless ethnic slurs] stand."
Yeah, this time does feel different. More public support for the Palestinians than the Afghans or Iraqis ever had, more public awareness that there are actual humans under those bombs. The days of war as a video game, where we could cheer on the explosions with no thought to the people torn apart by them, are over, I hope. Even the awful MSNBC (who have the Israeli ambassador living in an apartment below the studio with Joyce Vance) will break into official statements from the Israeli government to interview people on the ground in Gaza (when the Israelis haven't cut off all communication, that is) and the hosts do express at least some pro-forma horror at what Palestinians there are experiencing.
Before it happened, some 50% of the public were in favor of Israel delaying a ground invasion of Gaza. That would be the -Israeli- public. Here, the Neo-McCarthyites have emerged to seek out anyone who might remotely express "pro" Palestinian sympathies or a call for a ceasefire to have them immediately fired from government, academia, or serving breakfast at Denny's. Meanwhile, morality seems to have been reduced to the Hamas death-squad brand of intimate barbaric slaughter versus the clean, justified kills of Israeli missiles wiping out hundreds of men, women and children in order to eliminate one guy, assuming that was even the alleged purpose.
Since their obvious goal was to set the Middle East on fire, both Hamas and bin Laden are the clear "winners" of their respective terror conflagrations, abetted by some of the worst people in the world on the "civilized" "non-barbaric" side. Either way, the innocents always pay a terrible price, but as long as it's "those" people, well what can you do, *shrug emoji*?
(Jeez, you run out of scare quotes discussing this stuff.)
You alluded to Canada. There were some rather ominous remarks coming from “unnamed officials” of the Cheney Shogunate in the months following the 2001 unpleasantness. The one I recall in particular spoke of the need to bring the Canucks “within our security perimeter,” and that Canada would perforce be obliged cede a certain amount of its sovereignty to US policymakers. Here was one of those rare instances in which German beats English in terms of concision and brevity: the word you were looking for, gentlemen, is 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘴.
I still can't be an anarchist, because I'm pretty sure that Day 2 of anarchy would see the creation of _new_ governments that would be even worse than what we've got now, because that's the historical average, but the anarchist in me notes that nations are nothing _but_ caring much more about one group of people's pain or pleasure than another group's lives and deaths.
You're adorable when you're hopeful, Roy, and thanks for trying.
I'm about all out for the U.S. run at the top, at the very least. The fact that The Boy King is tied (at worst) in the polls, knowing what we do about him, is really the only signpost necessary these days and it doesn't point in a pretty direction.
Yeah, the PTSD is strong. And it’s pretty galling that the same people who claimed the reason they opposed aid to Ukraine was because they had learned their lesson about the futility of foreign wars with Iraq are now the same people baying for the blood of Palestinians, because, well…Muslims.
Aside from their vested interest in seeing the Middle East erupt into Armageddon, either from war-mongering and/or because it will bring on the Rapture, conservatives are very, very bad at nuance.
So although there is plenty of conservative bad faith in play, even putting bad faith aside the mere idea that competing facts – Israel has a right to exist, terrorism is always wrong, Israel has imposed an apartheid regime on Palestine, Palestinian citizens shouldn’t pay the price for the actions of Hamas, criticism of Israel’s policies is not antisemitism, Jews have been persecuted for centuries and some bad actors are using this conflict to promote antisemitism – can all be true at the same time is just too complex for conservatives. They just want to know who is wearing the white/black hats. Pick a side.
If only Jared Kushner had been given a little more time, I’m sure that insipid Victorian Ghost Boy could have straightened it all out, lol.
Post 9/11 I bet that there would be no WMD found in Iraq with one of the judges I often practiced in front of. It was a bottle of single malt. The bastard has yet to pay up. Not really all that much to do with your post, but I'm still pissed.
Lileks. Thanks for reminding me.
All I got to say* is "feckless perfervidity"
*HA!
That VD Hanson was certainly a pernicious asshole wasn't he ?
Wait, what? He's still around ?
Godammit!
Hamish keeps recommending Andrew Sullivan's substack. That and Matt Taiibi. I'm sure he'll let me know if Hanson gets a substack.
Unbelievably, I have thoughts...
Firstly, as the caffeine slowly, slowly kicks in, I'm contemplating the symmetry of let's say disapproval of terrorist acts by Palestinians and Saudi nationals leads to islamophobia, likewise many of those disapproving the Israeli response leading into anti-semitism. Is it that difficult to target the bad actors without overgeneralizing? Or is there so much latent hate that the slightest trigger is enough to excuse it, make it acceptable?
Anyway, some comrades posted an article how the current war is ending the US longtime mid east policy.
Like an idiot, I assumed they had in mind maybe not doing anything about the 1967 borders, or maybe 1948 with the shit show of creating the Jewish homeland and decolonizing the area like the English screwed up with nearly all their colonies -- India, Africa, etc. What a great time that would have been to implement a clear two state solution, I guess...
Or maybe the comrades were referring back to ancient times and the Balfour declaration and Sykes-Picot in the 1910s.
But, nah, of course I was wrong and the comrades went for our clinically insane response to 9/11. The problem there, besides the problem being at least over a hundred years old, not 20+, is that Netanyahu created a problem that needs some addressing. (I'm sure we can disagree on the problem, but whatever it is, it's way overdue for addressing and resolving.) Our invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq never came close to being any sort of legit problem getting a legit solution. And that Afghanistan reference is really twofold in a way: Post-9/11, of course, but also since the late 70s.
While Americans support Israel, Americans also recognize by and large that Netanyahu has always been a complete dick to the United States. And many Americans (and Israelis) know that Bibi is corrupt, venal, and conniving, but not very smart. He's Israel's Trump.
Here's hoping that the Israeli electorate turfs him out soon. And then undoes his "court reforms" that were intended to let him and his wife skate on the pending corruption charges.
Leave to our new Speaker to tie aid for Israel to protecting tax cheats from the IRS. Modern pseudoconservatism has only two policies: preserve the wealth of donors and foment hate of Others. Johnson will advance both with that creepy smug smile that should be part of any caricature of MAGA’s latest poster boy.
"Sanity has a fighting chance" but in the asylum the sane are not free, and have reason to be paranoid.
"Give sanity a fighting chance." I like it.
I love this quote from the oldy-moldy days:
"... 'Never have I encountered a national character that is so feckless, and so indolent, as the Venezuelan one...'”
It reminds me of an old Bloom County cartoon (very old by now), where Margaret Mead's "secret" memoir drops in the news, & Milo Bloom seems to know an awful lot about its bombshell revelation: "Man, these Samoans are a surly lot."
As George Bluth would say, "There's always money in the [casual, reckless ethnic slurs] stand."
Yeah, this time does feel different. More public support for the Palestinians than the Afghans or Iraqis ever had, more public awareness that there are actual humans under those bombs. The days of war as a video game, where we could cheer on the explosions with no thought to the people torn apart by them, are over, I hope. Even the awful MSNBC (who have the Israeli ambassador living in an apartment below the studio with Joyce Vance) will break into official statements from the Israeli government to interview people on the ground in Gaza (when the Israelis haven't cut off all communication, that is) and the hosts do express at least some pro-forma horror at what Palestinians there are experiencing.
Before it happened, some 50% of the public were in favor of Israel delaying a ground invasion of Gaza. That would be the -Israeli- public. Here, the Neo-McCarthyites have emerged to seek out anyone who might remotely express "pro" Palestinian sympathies or a call for a ceasefire to have them immediately fired from government, academia, or serving breakfast at Denny's. Meanwhile, morality seems to have been reduced to the Hamas death-squad brand of intimate barbaric slaughter versus the clean, justified kills of Israeli missiles wiping out hundreds of men, women and children in order to eliminate one guy, assuming that was even the alleged purpose.
Since their obvious goal was to set the Middle East on fire, both Hamas and bin Laden are the clear "winners" of their respective terror conflagrations, abetted by some of the worst people in the world on the "civilized" "non-barbaric" side. Either way, the innocents always pay a terrible price, but as long as it's "those" people, well what can you do, *shrug emoji*?
(Jeez, you run out of scare quotes discussing this stuff.)
You alluded to Canada. There were some rather ominous remarks coming from “unnamed officials” of the Cheney Shogunate in the months following the 2001 unpleasantness. The one I recall in particular spoke of the need to bring the Canucks “within our security perimeter,” and that Canada would perforce be obliged cede a certain amount of its sovereignty to US policymakers. Here was one of those rare instances in which German beats English in terms of concision and brevity: the word you were looking for, gentlemen, is 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘴.
I still can't be an anarchist, because I'm pretty sure that Day 2 of anarchy would see the creation of _new_ governments that would be even worse than what we've got now, because that's the historical average, but the anarchist in me notes that nations are nothing _but_ caring much more about one group of people's pain or pleasure than another group's lives and deaths.