July 21 Open Thread: This Self-Inflicted Cut Hit Bone
I’m going to go ahead and state the obvious here: When you hold a news conference and afterwards 49% of Americans think you committed treason, it doesn’t leave you a lot of wiggle room. The lockstep GOP consists of the 27% who disagreed, not a lot more than the 21% or Republicans who agreed that yes, it was treason. You can spin those numbers at the speed of light and they’ll still radiate “ugly.”
They can’t spin this one in an anti-FBI direction, either — as Jack Shafer points out, this week’s Russian volcano erupted independent of the Mueller investigation.
Why can’t all the Deep State types who’ve gone public actually derail any of this? People like former CIA director James Clapper, the kind who used to be treated as unassailable experts on TV, are all but ignored by the public, and this article explains why: Their track record on guiding the country’s foreign policy over the past two decades is unsullied by success.
The most important story buried in the pyroclastic flow comes from Trump’s Kiddie Kamps, where evidence emerged that the administration intended family separations to be permanent. That’s the sort of policy that gets you convicted of crimes against humanity at The Hague.
Facebook had another bad week when The Zuck said Holocaust deniers deserve a platform, too, but its real problem is one legacy media has dealt with for years:
Facebook is mired in this swamp not because of any recent decision or gaffe, but because the business of determining what news people see is inherently messy. Media companies face tough editorial decisions every day; it’s what they’re built for. Facebook is starting to face them too, on a grand scale. And the fact that this wasn’t what Facebook was built for is an excuse that no longer flies.
Your two cents welcome.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna893381
Excerpts…
The gathering here was just that — an effort to offer an attractive alternative to the rising Sanders-style populist left in the upcoming presidential race. Where progressives see a rare opportunity to capitalize on an energized Democratic base, moderates see a better chance to win over Republicans turned off by Trump.
“The only narrative that has been articulated in the Democratic Party over the past two years is the one from the left,” former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell told NBC News.
“I think we need a debate within the party,” he added. “Frankly, it would have been better to start the conversation earlier.”
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Do any of the collosal failures of this approach ever cross the minds of these people? It’s the old suburban Philadelphia argument.
It really shows you what corporate money does. Winning and governing and addressing people’s material concerns are not the goal here. Status quo, maintaining the oligarchy, and keeping capital flowing in only one direction is the goal.
“Status quo, maintaining the oligarchy, and keeping capital flowing in only one direction is the goal.”
And if a voter agrees that’s the goal, why would he vote for Democrats, who do a less efficient job of it and force him to like gays and minorities in the bargain?
“Do any of the colossal failures of this approach ever cross the minds of these people?
It really shows you what corporate money does. Winning and governing and addressing people’s material concerns are not the goal here. Status quo, maintaining the oligarchy, and keeping capital flowing in only one direction is the goal.”
Nailed it.
OMG – Thanks for that link. These guys are transparently horrible. Every word they utter is more evidence that Carper needs to be trounced.
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Now my question for the day is…
Is Markell endorsing “Delaware” values?
Or, “white people” values?
Or, “millionaire” values?
Or, “real estate tycoon” values?
I can’t tell. And what I really can’t tell is, who relates to these values, and why are they good values?
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And what’s so fucking funny about it?
“You can spin those numbers at the speed of light and they’ll still radiate “ugly.”
It’s pretty clear that Trump has been compromised. He is an asset, either unwittingly because he is an idiot, unwillingly because the Russians have compromised him in some manner, or because he is sees opportunity for personal enrichment.
I’ve always said that Trump is neither conservative or liberal. He simply doesn’t care as long as there is opportunity for Trump to enrich himself or his family.