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 ...
Julie says:
You could put this in there somewhere?
http://xkcd.com/714/
JohnR says:
Perhaps if it had been McCubbins and Schwannstucker it would have drawn more comment. Next time, pick a more uplifting cite before you cast the first stone at our glass house! That is all.
Matthew says:
Every post needs more dick jokes, on every blog and forum, ever.
Shane says:
Julie, Excellent.
Ed, I considered making a typical academic comment about your post failing to consider Douglas Arnold's theories about the relationship between regulatory agencies and Congress or any mention of iron triangles, or the important role of the judiciary in enabling the public to serve as watch dogs…but I didn't want to come off too nerdy. :-)
Hobbes says:
Hey, now, I'm still reading the paper. I occasionally have to put it down and look like I'm doing what I'm being paid to do, you know.
barry says:
i wouldn't take lack of comments as lack of interest. I found it very interesting, but there wasn't a great deal left to say…
Matthew says:
QUIET ALL OF YOU!
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN (BY NOT SPEAKING).
MORE DICK JOKES!
robot eating says:
I was to understand that there would be pie.
Hazy Davy says:
Or more snark.
Or pics of rats.
Wisakedjak says:
snarky dick jokes warm the cockles of my heart
Hobbes says:
I'll just leave this here:
http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1810#comic