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 ...
fry1laurie says:
One of the great books about the Reagan presidency does the same thing. "The Clothes Have No Emperor: A Chronicle of the American '80s" by Paul Slansky. Funny as hell, also heartbreaking when you realize how much Ronnie & Co. got away with.
Big Tim says:
I'm so jazzed that you're doing so well ! We subscribe to Rolling Stone and you will make that 50 year old magazine even better ! Congratulations and rock on !
geoff says:
"What else can we do but laugh, right?"
DRINK!! (But thanks!)
Dave Bearse says:
A post that links works for me.
Rattakin says:
"Collectively, we appear unable to decide if Trump is some kind of strategic mastermind or so random and impulsive that even he doesn't know what he will say or do next."
Perhaps But individually we all know he's grossly incompetent, insecure, unbalanced, borderline illiterate, loutish, petty, petulant, uneducated, vindictive, puerile, racist, paranoid, unsophisticated, hateful, boorish, misogynistic, ignorant, mendacious, skeevy, intellectually incurious, bigoted, oblivious, unqualified, arrogant, unintelligent, immature, mealy-mouthed, butt-ugly, poorly-dentured, ludicrously-coiffed, and tiny-handed.
And what kind of sick monster doesn't like dogs??
wnsrfr says:
Very enjoyable article, thanks!
What is it with Rolling Stone comment trolls? They are numerous and vigorous…heavy metal fans from Central Pennsylvania?
Ekim says:
@wnsrfr
Their musical experiences began with "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynrd and ended with Ted Nugent…
democommie says:
@ Rattakin:
What's truly scary is that I'm pretty sure that:
A.) That list is right off the top of your head.
B.) The Trumpliguturds KNOW that and they still can only say, "He's NOT a nigger!".
democommie says:
I have had numerous people tell me, over the last 40+ years thatr Lynyrd Skynrd isn't REALLY a bunch of racist assholes.
This:
"I wanted to clarify the discussion of the Confederate Flag in our recent CNN interview. Myself, the past and present members (that are from the South), are all extremely proud of our heritage and being from the South. We know what the Dixie flag represents and its heritage; the Civil War was fought over States rights."
from their facebook page, 2012 (https://www.facebook.com/LynyrdSkynyrd/posts/10151247438817642).
Fuck them.
Ten Bears says:
Forgive
Ten Bears says:
my tea-tottling, but drinking is the worst thing to do. First there's the bread and circuses aspect, the beer and football, the Ambien, Prozac, Viagra and Megyn Kelly crotch-shots Now on NBC! Kool-Aid; then the whole drunk and stupid aspect, we've got enough stupid going on as it is without willfully making it worse; and finally there's the aspect that the booze cookers make as many billions as the oil and drug companies shitting on the rest of us.
Anger is a dish best served cold sober.
Rattakin says:
@ Democommie
A) Yep.
B) Yep.
geoff says:
@Ten Bears, point taken re:drinking, but I DO try to support my local breweries, who seem to be owned by bearded hipsters rather than InBev.
And @DC, as a Florida Man, I must remind everyone that almost all the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd died forty years ago in a plane crash– the guys calling themselves LS today are no more LS than Creedence Clearwater Revisited is the real CCR. I like to think they might have come around on the stars and bars had they lived. Tom Petty certainly did. (And YES HE SHOULD'VE FUCKING KNOWN BETTER IN 1985, but so should I.)
democommie says:
@ geoff:
Yes on the LS band dying with the plane crash. I'd like to think you're right. As for the current group–Duck Dynasty Douchedicks with intstruments, imo.
Tom Petty does seem to have cast out some of his demons along the road.
Vinny says:
I've stopped watching the news. My ginandtacos perusing has also declined. I'm repulsed just seeing his face or hearing his voice, or reading about the horrible things that happen every day because of him. It has become such a disaster, and I know it will only get worse. Much worse. I fear for the future.
Congrats on the article.
Ten Bears says:
We sure have enough of them around here to support, though I'd not confuse most of them with the bearded hipsters of yore.
Major Kong says:
I recall liking Lynyrd Skynrd for a brief period sometime around 1977.
Of course, I thought a lot of stuff was cool then that today has me scratching my head and going "Just what were we thinking?"
democommie says:
@ Major Kong:
In my case, it was more like, "What are we taking?".
Katydid says:
@Demo: heh-heh-heh
Major Kong says:
@Demo
I don't even have that excuse!
geoff says:
Not gonna defend LS (pre almost everybody DYING, of course) too much more here, but they were long-haired dope-smoking freaks, which wasn't too cool in late sixties/ early seventies North FL (which as all of us who've spent time there can tell you is the DEEP SOUTH, baby).
And yes, the current incarnation belong with Charlie Daniels and Ted Nugent as REAL deplorables.
Major Kong says:
Florida is a weird state. The further North you go, the more South it gets.
democommie says:
@Geoff:
Agreed.
@ Major Kong:
It's like Stralia!
Katydid says:
@MK: absolutely. Went to special school in Pensacola; there's a REASON it's called Pensabama. Only good thing about the area; it's 4 hours from New Orleans!