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 ...
erik says:
Although I am very amused by the name " Brokeback to the Future" I have to say that Top Gun is quite clearly the most blatantly gay of the two movies.
Ambrosini says:
While Top Gun is more gay, that has really been over used in my opinion. Brokeback To The Future made me laugh more and I never really considered it a gay film, but that has changed after that trailer. My vote is for Brokeback To The Future.
Samantha says:
Brokeback Squadron is so the obvious choice, but Brokeback to the Future presented a really convincing trailer. Hmmm…
…and the Oscar goes to..
Brokeback Squadron
Rick says:
Logically:
Brokeback Squadron… the paramount of gayness.
Brokeback to the Future… the Seinfeld of gayness.
The careers of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal… forever associated with the paramount of gayness.
Thus, Brokeback Squadron is the winner.
Val says:
Okay, but it's Monday now, and Dick Cheney shot someone while hunting. Come on, ginandtacos — I rely on you for this type of thing.
Val says:
Okay, but it's Monday now, and Dick Cheney shot someone while hunting. Come on, ginandtacos — I rely on you for this type of thing.
Rick says:
Very true – where're the scathing, anti-Republican, constitutional bending Nazi analogies? The Democratic public needs the skilled ginandtacos commentary, pronto! Dick Cheney (il)legally shot a man! Surely, you cannot allow this to happen without somehow penciling in a Michael Dukakis joke.