The photos of the "crowds" at the tank parade remind me of when Bill Hicks would come on stage in an almost-empty club, scan the room slowly, and announce "I've had more people in bed than this" ...
When the president sends a cabinet member on TV to announce "We are using the military to liberate an American city from its elected leaders," where do you go from there. What is left to say. The idea of that being anything short of a near-universal "Wait, what the fuck is going on" moment proves how far we've backslid.
This is from 2022 but it was absolutely right. The practiced buffoonery of Trump 1, all the "just kiddings" and "seriously but not literallys" absolutely succeeded in desensitizing people who are hardly paying any attention to the harder stuff they always intended to do next. ...
The basic fallacy in chasing votes by being "tough on immigration" is that the modal American's position on the issue is "Deport the Bad ones and keep the Good ones," and they alone know who is which, and that simply does not translate into workable policy. So this kind of gestapo stuff horrifies some of the same people who cheered when Trump promised to do it. There are true sociopaths who love this, but "No, I meant only the BAD immigrants! Not my coworker/friend/neighbor!" is as likely a reaction as enthusiasm. You cannot do immigration policy that satisfies these people because what they want is nonsensical.
So by the time center-left parties fully commit to chasing the far right by "getting tough" on immigration, the backlash has already begun to build and they walk right into it. "I thought you people wanted this!" No, they want something impossible and convinced themselves they'd could have it - the "eat whatever you want AND lose weight!" of immigration policies.
It is hard to grasp but large masses of Americans are both racist/xenophobic AND not racist/xenophobic enough to applaud what Trump is doing. It's goldilocks shit, they want a level of racism/xenophobia calibrated exactly to their personal preferences, and you just can't make that policy. Don't try. ...
AP: Trump extends olive branch, invites Musk to White House cellar to taste some brand new amontillado ...
peggy says:
Those indoor shorts you link to are way longer than the ones my HS's volleyball team wore (which the current team still wears)–they refer(red) to them as "butts."
Christina says:
Thank you.
Actually, compare all the women's uniforms with the men's uniforms in the same sport and you'll note a trend, dare I say, even a pattern.
And beyond the obvious 'male gaze' and cheap ratings-getting aspects of it, studies have been done that show that performance is affected negatively by these sorts of outfits.
Samantha says:
I've always, from consciousness on, wondered why women's clothes seem to put them at a disadvantage in terms of mobility, climate protection, and general practicality. It's as if women have been set up from birth not to be able to get away or protect themselves without a big, stong, appropriately clad man on her arm.
j says:
Uhhh….what was that you were saying? *continues gazing intently at NBC volleyball coverage*
Cassie says:
Heh, I just heard a bit on this on NPR this evening. They interviewed a beach volleyball player who had medaled at Athens and she said that bikinis were the uniform of choice because they were the most comfortable to play in due to the fact that they prevented "sweat and sand from collecting in uncomfortable places." Well ok then, I guess they would know better than you or I.
I'm a pretty effing big feminist, but I have a hard time buying the sentiment being expressed here that they are obviously caving to the patriarchy. Beach volleyball may not be the most honored of sports, but these people have invested a significant part of their lives in training and probably want those medals as much as any other athlete. I can't see them jeopardizing that to look hot or for ratings or whatever it is people seem to be suggesting. Do people really think that if a one piece or a leotard or a jumper or burqua would improve their game, they wouldn't don one immediately?