DL Open Thread Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024

The first day of the Democratic National Convention went off smoothly – the biggest glitch was James Taylor getting bumped from the schedule because cheering went on so long. The best news: the Gaza protest fell far short of organizers’ plans. “The turnout appeared to be well below the tens of thousands that organizers had hoped for and short of the 15,000 they claimed turned out,” according to the BBC. Most American outlets failed to include that context, instead simply reporting that “thousands” marched, which is true, but not the whole truth. For example, this USA Today story has a photo cutline about someone “picking up signs at Union Park” without mentioning that those signs are lying on the ground because attendance was well below expectations and nobody ever carried them.

The damage being wrought by the corporate-humping Supreme Court is incredibly far-ranging. This story explains that four recent decisions are already slowing progress on climate policy, which was of course their intent. “Freedom,” to Republicans, means “the freedom to exploit others.” And that’s all it’s ever meant.

Here’s another example of the effects of SCOTUS fuckery: Kroger, the supermarket chain trying to merge with Albertsons, has sued the FTC, claiming it doesn’t have the authority to stop it. Expect much, much more of this in months and years to come.

One of the traits of people with dementia is repetitive behavior, doing the same pointless thing over and over. I mention this because the subhumans of the House committee investigating Joe Biden recommended impeachment despite no evidence of any crime. Yeah, I called them subhumans, but I won’t call them animals. I’m kind to animals.

The floor’s yours.