DL Open Thread Monday, May 27, 2024

The Washington Post’s motto is “democracy dies in darkness.” It doesn’t say anything about dispelling it. You probably saw the story last week about Supreme Court justice Sam Alito flying an upside-down American flag outside his home. You would have read about it three years ago if the WaPo had decided to print it then, which is when it learned about it. Liberal media. Heh.

If you’re confused about why a majority of Congress, Democrats included, backs Israel no matter how it treats Palestinians, consider this: the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) plans to spend $100 million on congressional races in 2024, much of it aimed at ousting pro-Palestinian lawmakers in Democratic primaries. This is $100 million more than the Palestinians plan to spend. Hope that clears it up for you.

The NCAA agreed last week to a $2.8 billion settlement with five sports conferences over a host of antitrust claims, an obvious attempt to maintain the organization’s chokehold on minor-league football and basketball. The organizer who convinced the Dartmouth men’s basketball team to unionize vows the movement to unionize all college sports will continue regardless, as it should – pay for play should be a bedrock principle in a capitalist country that has rejected slavery. Good luck organizing the Southeastern Conference, though.

Government trust-busters are at long last going after Ticketmaster, but as this article explains, it’s not just because concertgoers are getting screwed. It’s because artists, venues and promoters are, too. See what happens when you wrong the Swifties? Be warned, Donald Trump.

The floor’s yours.