Category: America

I’m based in Tampa, and every conversation I have with friends, family, and associates from outside the U.S. begins with them asking if I’m all right, what with everything going on here.

Thanks to Douglas King for the find!

This meme is the gift that keeps giving.

To quote Jonathan Chait’s article in New York magazine, titled Republican Senator Blurts Out That He Hates Democracy:

Four years ago, I wrote a long essay describing this view and its ascent within the Republican party over decades. Its thesis, that the GOP is slowly evolving into an authoritarian party, has been amply borne out by the Trump era.

From the perspective of the right, Trump’s assault on democracy has advanced the cause of freedom and liberty, on net. His regressive tax cuts and deregulation have returned property to their rightful owners. Republicans believe that the political system must retain, and ideally expand, its counter-majoritarian features: restrictive ballot-access rules that restrict the franchise to the most “worthy” citizens, gerrymandered maps that allow the white rural minority to exercise control, a Senate that disproportionately represents white and Republican voters, and a Supreme Court that believes the Republican economic program is written into the Constitution.

My favorite tweet so far is this one, in response to Mike Pence’s weak defense of the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic:

These aren’t my words, but they’re the words of Elayne Griffin Baker, under the title No Joy in the White House:

There’s no literature or poetry in the White House. No music. No Kennedy Center award celebrations.

There are no pets in this White House. No loyal man’s best friend. No Socks the family cat.

No kids’ science fairs.

No times when this president takes off his blue suit-red tie uniform and becomes human, except when he puts on his white shirt-khaki pants uniform and hides from Americans to play golf. There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment of relaxation. No Obamas on the beach in Hawaii moments, or Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport, no Reagans on horseback, no Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape.

I was thinking the other day of the summer when George H couldn’t catch a fish and all the grandkids made signs and counted the fish-less days. And somehow, even if you didn’t even like GHB, you got caught up in the joy of a family that loved each other and had fun. Where did that country go? Where did all of the fun and joy and expressions of love and happiness go?

We used to be a country that did the ice bucket challenge and raised millions for charity. We used to have a president that calmed and soothed the nation instead dividing it. And a First Lady that planted a garden instead of ripping one out.

We are rudderless and joyless. We have lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great. We have lost our mojo, our fun, our happiness. The cheering on of others. Gone.

The shared experiences of humanity that makes it all worth it. Gone.

The challenges AND the triumphs that we shared and celebrated. The unique can-do spirit Americans have always been known for. Gone.

We have lost so much in so short a time.

Stephen Miller, senior advisor to President Trump, has tested positive for COVID-19.

He’s been a key advisor to Trump since his presidency*, with his notable accomplishments being:

• Co-writing the “American Carnage” inaugural speech with human ghoul and border wall fundraiser fraudster Steve Bannon
• Architecting great humanitarian hits such as the Muslim Travel ban and the Trump administration policy of spearating migrant children from their parents
• Working hard to reduce even legal immigration (He’s probably the reason why my green card renewal process took 18 months)
• Preventing the publication of internal administration studies that showed that refugees had a net positive effect on government revenues
• Engineering the resignation of Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, whom he didn’t think was hawkish enough on immigration.
• Making the Trump administration standard-issue unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud

Here’s are a couple of quick videos to help you get better acquainted with Stephen Miller. This one’s from Now This:

And here’s one from those left-leaning hippies at the Wall Street Journal:

And if you’ve got a little more time, here’s Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj on Immigration Enforcement, which includes footage showing that Stephen Miller’s racist tendencies go all the way back to high school: