Happy 4th Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Monday, July 4, 2022
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61 comments
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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Today the flag will either not fly in front of our home, or perhaps I’ll hang it upside down, at risk of a welfare check by the local PD (who am I kidding, they don’t even respond to DV calls).
I’m not feeling particularly enamored with my nation on its 246th birthday.
Copenhagen shooting: police say no indication of terrorism motive
Que up the “SEE??? Gun laws don’t work!” statements from the right.
Over 80 degrees and who knows how humid at 5:30 this AM. One hour in the garden later I was soaking wet.
Blech.
The MAGAs claim these guys are all FBI. That’s why they cover their faces:
http://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/city-leaders-condemn-white-supremacists-after-doens-march-through-boston/2763038/
I love my state, I don’t love my country, not anymore. California at least will not be Gilead. But renunciation remains on the table.
@OzarkHillbilly:
Nah. The MAGAs lost interest in the case as soon as they found out it was a white guy and not someone named Mohammaed.
This July 4th feels more like a wake than a birthday party
God doesn’t love me enough to have them actually lose, but I will enjoy seeing them twist in the wind for awhile.
@OzarkHillbilly:
They may lose, but if they do the award won’t come close to a $1 billion.
Gavin Newsom for president?? His efforts to raise his national profile and attacking DeSantis, certainly gives that appearance.
Enjoy your 4th all.
Happy Independence Day, you gloomy buggers.
🙂
I’d suggest you return to the embrace of Mother Britannia, but I could hardly advocate you exchange Joe Biden for Boris Johnson.
@OzarkHillbilly:
I sort of expect at some point the defense will devolve into “Our hosts and guests who continued to repeat these stories, with claims that grew more and more outlandish, could only be regarded by any reasonable person as satire based on the known fact that Dominion’s systems are incredibly reliable and accurate. Dominion should be paying us for advertising their equipment.” Consider the number of conservative viewers who never figured out that Stephen Colbert’s character was a parody.
@Michael Cain:
Well, there’s precedent for that. Hasn’t Fox already argued something to the effect that no reasonable person believes Tucker Carlson?
@JohnSF:
Assuming we’re bright enough that this time we wouldn’t join up without proportionate representation in Parliament, and knowing that we outnumber you 5:1, rather than us swapping Biden for Boris, wouldn’t it more likely be you swapping Boris for Trump or Desantis?
@Michael Cain:
Aaargh!
Have to make your putative return to the benefits of Imperial subjugation conditional on explicit acceptance of taxation without representation this time around, I’m afraid. 🙂
@CSK: Yep. And won on that basis.
While I certainly appreciate the disappointment with the current situation some have, I still love what the 4th of July stands for and recognize that the country has never, as far as I know, lived up to every ideal it is founded upon.
Those ideals were a stretch. We have travelled far, and accomplished much, and there is still more to do. I’ve gone to deep red states and found some pretty great people, so I’m not giving up on the USA without a fight.
At times I can feel pretty helpless, but I also know that making me feel helpless is part of the enemies game plan. And I want to stay in this game.
Every day in school I pledged allegiance to a flag that represented liberty and justice for all. I still hold to that.
The America we hold in our minds is a very hard thing to do with actual people. We have made progress, though.
@Sleeping Dog: I see on the front page of the Tampa Bay Times today that Newsom has done a small ad buy in FL. He’s saying people can move to the freedom of CA. I assume this is some sort of test against a national run.
I’ve always pictured Hillsdale college as a small part of the Wingnut Welfare circuit. Sinecures for RW intellectuals to generate propaganda. Also on the front page of the TB Times is a story about them playing a major role in DeUseless’ “reform” of education in FL. I assume they’re doing the same elsewhere. An education policy ALEC.
@Jay L Gischer: Giving up is not an option.
@Jay L Gischer:
Much of which is being undone, or will be. America is well on the way to becoming a quasi-theocratic autocracy a la Hungary.
I have spent every day of the past 36 and a half years working, in some capacity, in our nation’s defense. After the last few years–and especially the last few months–I wonder if all those days were just wasted.
@CSK:
And no reasonable person does. But what does that have to do with FOX’s audience?
@JohnSF:
A Brit, whose tumblr I follow, regularly suggests that we return to bosom of the Queen. That isn’t a reasonable solution either.
@Sleeping Dog:
I think Her Majesty will request that you leave her bosoms alone, thank you very much.
Go find yer own bosoms.
@JohnSF: Sheesh. Now I’ve got that image in my head, ya basterd….
@JohnSF:
Or, as Woody Allen was wont to call them, the royal tomatoes.
@MarkedMan:
Perhaps when Prince Charles becomes King, he might have a bosom he could share?
🙂
For anyone who is interested, a while back we shot a teaser/trailer for a GONE TV series. No series, (yet), and the pandemic didn’t help, but we put this together out-of-pocket as a sort of proof-of-concept.
Happy Fourth of July!
Highland Park Illinois
Police respond to July 4 parade amid reports of shooting
Two confirmed dead so far. Governor just said 9 people shot. Killer was shooting from the roof of a building. Apparently still at large.
FUCK YOU NRA!
Our rights have been diminished in multple ways and the country is on the brink of disaster. It’s no longer crazed hyperbole to say this might be the last 4th we experience as a nation with our democracy or economy intact.
But the hamburgers and fireworks have already been purchased and it’s important to take care of yourself in times of crisis. Yeah we’re less free today then we were last year but it’s still a day to remember the whole point of the American Experiment: a republic, if we can keep it. Go have a beer and something tasty, watch some fireworks and keep fighting so we can do it again next year.
@Mikey:
Yeah, that has to be painful. I certainly appreciate your efforts.
One important trend that I think is driving events is the erosion of religious affiliation, and in particular, White Christians. The remaining white Christians are alarmed about this and doing all sorts of things about it, none of which seems like it will help them much.
Now, this piece, based on the 2020 Census has a subhead called “The Decline of White Christianity Slows’. The chart associated with it shows Mainline Protestant affiliation actually growing, while Evangelical Protestants continue their decline a Catholics struggle to break even.
Thing is, the Evangelicals are far more associated with Trump, and they are now mired in intra-congregational conflict about how much to involve themselves in politics.
I don’t think the Trump years really reversed this trend. It’s going to continue. We will still have true believers, but at some point they are going to have the same impact as Lyndon LaRouche followers did.
Here’s the link: https://www.prri.org/research/2020-census-of-american-religion/
@Mikey:
No.
‘Nuff said.
@Jay L Gischer: I guess atheists don’t matter. Same as it ever was.
@Mister Bluster:
Five dead, sixteen hospitalized according to NBC.
This is a forum to discuss politics, policies, political philosophies, and all things that are caught in that net.
We are–to the last–a passionate, educated, informed, opinionated, and pig-headed group.
So… I would like to ask every one of you to step back for a minute and be thankful for the framework that allows us to bitch about our government day after day without fear. To be thankful for a country that (despite recent trends) has been the most welcoming country to immigrants–and has built our identity (and national pride) on that fact.
I would us all to remember that, despite all the mistakes we have made, a large part of the world looks to (and depends on) us to protect them. And, to a major degree, we have–mostly by “walking softly and carrying a big stick”
I would like us all to remember that, while it feels like there is animosity between our political factions… we are not Bosnia; we are not Rwanda. Our battles are being fought using words on Facebook and Twitter, not with AK-47s and machetes in our homes and those of our neighbors.
We are at a crisis point. Yes.
But we have been here before, we have stumbled, and we have learned, and we have emerged stronger and better.
It’s up to us to do that again.
Happy Independence Day.
@CSK:..Five dead, sixteen hospitalized according to NBC.
Mayor of Highland Park just said 6 dead
Killer still at large
@Mister Bluster: Now up to 6 dead and 31 injured.
@CSK:
Now it’s six dead, twenty-four injured.
@Mister Bluster: @OzarkHillbilly:
According to CBS, the suspect is a white male, 18-20 years old, “longer” black hair, small build.
@CSK: Donald Turnip supporter?
@Tony W:..supporter…
At this time there is no way to know that.
@OzarkHillbilly: The Murdochs and FNC will settle eventually, probably sooner rather than later. On the plus side, if the case is as strong as strong against Newsmax and OAN, even settling might bankrupt them.
@Michael Reynolds: Looks charming so far. Should do well if you get a taker.
@OzarkHillbilly: I don’t see that as what he’s saying. After all, atheism isn’t broken, only Christianity is.
And maybe Islam, but I can’t know for sure. In any event, every religion that aligns itself with temporal power gets damaged. It’s never politics that changes.
Theater and film director Peter Brook has died. He was 97.
Brook chose to cast child non-actors in his 1963 film adaptation of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
As does atheism. Look at the USSR, China, Cambodia and I’m sure there are others. The powerful subvert any ideology. Religion is just one of many.
@Just nutha ignint cracker: I’m just noting that the poll doesn’t even bother to separate atheists from all the other “unaffiliated”. Hence, we don’t matter.
@MarkedMan: I’m not sure I would say atheism is being “subverrted” in the places you mention. Not a student of atheism, but my understanding is that it doesn’t have an organizing ethos. Which is logical given its primary focus on what is not.
ETA: was able to change “it’s” in the original. Yay!
@OzarkHillbilly: Aha! I didn’t read the link. Just his comment.
I have to dig out the old meme:
Atheism isn’t a religion, anymore than not collecting stamps is a hobby.
On better news, this week Disney+ shows Andor and Season 2 of The Bad Batch as “coming soon.” Alas, no word on Ahsoka.
When I speak of progressives who are their own worst enemies and do damage to the Democratic Patry, I am speaking about people like this f**king clown:
https://nypost.com/2022/07/04/employee-who-refused-to-work-while-mourning-roe-v-wade-fired/
Not surprisingly the company fired him.
Read the whole thing… .Bottom line, he didn’t get fired for being a “Queer brown person” during Pride Month. He was fired because HE CHOSE NOT TO DO HIS JOB!
Idiot. If it can piss me off this much, what does it do to someone more moderate, yet still left leaning?
Idiot.
The person of interest in the Highland Park shooting is Robert Eugene Crimo III, twenty-two.
@EddieInCA:..Idiot…
This is called pissing into the wind.
@Mister Bluster:
This is called trivia. I haven’t read the story, but from comments here apparently some nobody did something stupid. The problem is that the NY Post and others jump on this as somehow representing the Democratic Party. Did any Democrat encourage this? Is this part of any democrat’s campaign? How is this on Democrats? If we want it to stop we must either ban nobodies from doing stupid or get our billionaires to fund a better messaging apparatus. The latter seems more feasible.
Hopefully an amusing anecdote on an otherwise dreary day…
Yesterday a friend and I went to an outdoor party to see a couple of DJs: local legends, DJ Heather, Derrick Carter and from the UK, the headliner, Hot Since 82:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiMsfpeq0eU&list=OLAK5uy_nTQp6lx5ixzfyjYnSNSNT6Sm6b8Ep1ftM&index=3
It was a beautiful day out in the courtyard of a small film studio. They had a little stage and a couple of bars. Had several refreshing vodka lemonades while I wished for a food truck. The friend I was with, lets call her E, is gorgeous. She’s a 6 ft4, skinny, blonde, looks like a model. She frequently gets hit on, especially inappropriately, by 20 year old women. She’s old enough where its not appropriate to reciprocate that.
I on the other hand, affectionally refer to myself a 6ft Southside Bridgetroll. I’m sure I’m in a story book somewhere used to frighten Republican children. The only thing I got going for me in the looks department is my beautiful artisan crafted nose. I never get hit on, which is a shame because I am, ahem, an attention whore. I say that not to diminish myself in anyway, but just as a statement of fact. I dress provocatively, I’m loud, I’m brash, I’m kind of a lot.
So, we’re just hanging out, E gets hit on like 3 times and I’m like, “no don’t hit on me, you’ll turn to stone…” When this guy walks over and hits on E. She shoots him down. So he does the next thing that pops in to his head, which is to grab my hand and spin me around, like 3 times. I was like ok, that’s enough of that, but I like the attention. Side note, this is the second time some guy has done this to me. Why do straight guys think this particular move is going to get them anywhere? The first time it happened some other women checked on me afterwards to see if I was in trouble. I gently shoot Mr. Spinny down and go back to dancing with my vodka lemonade. He really wasn’t my type.
Little while goes by and he comes back. Same thing. Hits on E, gets shot down, spins me around a couple of times and then asks me to dance. I’m like no, no thanks. He then asks a seriously ridiculous question. With a straight face, he asks me if “I’m a latina?”. Friends, I look like all of my ancestors from the U.K. I could not look less English if I tried. At this point, my desire for attention has been replaced by utter confusion. Mr. Spinny then wanders off.
I go back to dancing, spend some time in line for the porta potties, more vodka lemonade. He comes back again. Again, hits on E who tells him she’s a lesbian. He doesn’t miss a beat, moves to me, I flash my wedding ring, he moves on.
Some time passes and Mr. Spinny decides that things have radically changed in all of our lives and he tries again. E shoots him down. He again asks if I’m latina and then looks at me like I have six heads (at this point the snakes were angry) when I tell him no, English. He grabs my hand and tries for one more spin which I contra spin away from. My desire for attention replaced with mild annoyance.
The experience left me with many questions. The primary of which was, “how do straight guys ever get laid?” Seriously, all a guy has to do is tell me I look pretty and my hair looks nice and I would be buying them drinks. This whole spin move thing and the other weird crap guys do. How do any of them ever get anywhere.
Anyway, one last tidbit of amusement for you. If you’ve read this and thought to yourself, I wonder what her type of guy is, allow me to present my crush:
https://www.instagram.com/johnsummit/
He’s dreamy…
@EddieInCA: For me, it made me feel sad that he lost his job because he’s a snowflake, but I made no associations with either liberals or progressives because the movements can’t control the actions of the individuals. The same sort–or worse–of bad faith action happens in evangelicalism, and I can’t control it there either. Ya can’t fix stupid, so you have to decide on policy apart from the people who advocate it. That’s hard to do and doesn’t come naturally to humans.
@CSK: A person with a vowel on the end of his name. We could have expected something like this from that kind.
(We now return you to 2022.)
@Beth: Why does he wear sunglasses on his lips? And use that picture for his avatar? WA!
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
He’s been arrested. Really strange-looking dude. Calls himself a rapper.
@Just nutha ignint cracker:
I don’t think he actually knows how to use sunglasses. But that’s ok, he’s beautiful. As for his avatar pic, I showed it to my partner and she said “I can smell that picture. It smells like Drakkar Noir and Axe Body Spray.” She makes fun of me a lot and deservedly so.
We went on the whale watching cruise. There were no orca within range, which makes me sad, but it was reported that J, K, and L pods still exist – they just have to travel further to get their salmon these days.
We did see a humpback whale coming out through Deception Pass, which is something that never happened here in my youth. Several Dahl’s porpoises, sea lions and seals. Also some bald eagles.
Then the fireworks were fantastic.