14 thoughts on “Friday Open Thread”

1. Heather Cox-Richardson is particularly insightful today.

   It's well worth reading the whole thing. Her article helps me understand the constant harping on (scary)Socialism(/scary) that we see even today. The word socialism has a long racially coded history going back to the post civil war efforts to prevent African Americans from gaining financial or civil equality.

   It has been hard for me to see the historical outlines of the present-day attack on American democracy clearly. But this morning, as I was reading a piece in Vox by foreign affairs specialist Zack Beauchamp, describing Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s path in Florida as an attempt to follow in the footsteps of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, the penny dropped.

   Here’s what I see:

   Before Trump won the presidency in 2016, the modern-day Republican Party was well on its way to endorsing oligarchy. It had followed the usual U.S. historical pattern to that point. In the 1850s, 1890s, 1920s, and then again in the modern era, wealthy people had come around to the idea that society worked best if a few wealthy men ran everything. 

   Although those people had been represented by the Democrats in the 1850s and the Republicans in the 1890s, 1920s, and 2000s, they had gotten there in the same way: first a popular movement had demanded that the government protect equality of opportunity and equal justice before the law for those who had previously not had either, and that popular pressure had significantly expanded rights. 

   Then, in reaction, wealthier Americans began to argue that the expansion of rights threatened to take away their liberty to run their enterprises as they wished. To tamp down the expansion of rights, they played on the racism of the poorer white male voters who controlled the government, telling them that legislation to protect equal rights was a plan to turn the government over to Black or Brown Americans, or immigrants from southern Europe or Asia, who would use their voting power to redistribute wealth. 

   The idea that poor men of color voting meant socialism resonated with white voters, who turned against the government’s protecting equal rights and instead supported a government that favored men of property.

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2. Ohio state Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) said that getting pregnant as a result of rape is “an opportunity” for the rape victim to be a mother and “help” her rapist’s child “be a productive human being.”

   Don't worry when Republicans get into office it will be chaos. I'm sure everything will be okay for your family.

    

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   1. Yeah, and then there's the custody issue…

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3. Boebert allegedly decided to confront Greene about it at a House Freedom Caucus meeting in March several blocks from the Capitol. The confrontation got heated and one witness later said that they thought Greene and Boebert were going to get physically violent until another Freedom Caucus member “stepped in to de-escalate.” Three unnamed people connected to the Freedom Caucus confirmed the story.

   https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/29/house-republican-freedom-caucus-challenges-00023071

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   1. Yes, they described it as nearly coming to blows in a "cage match."

      What a fundraising gimmick for the House Freedom Caucus!

      Can you think of all those old and horny, straight white men in the GOP who would pay good money to watch the cat fight between these two! 

      They could hold it a Mar-A-Lago and You-Know-Who would have a ringside seat!

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4. Boebert versus Greene reminds me of a classic girl vs. girl fight I witnessed in 10th grade high school.

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   1. Comparing those two to 10th grade girls is offensive. To 10th grade girls.

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5. Has anybody heard from V? I hope his wife's surgery went well today.

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6. Docs found a large but not cancerous tumor in her thyroid, took it out, no complications and they think it will restore the energy she has been missing.  She just came home.

   Looks like all should be well for a while.

   Life is a lottery, ain't it?

   Thanks to all youvwho buoyed our spirits.

    

    

    

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   1. Glad to hear it, V. Thyroid disorders suck. Here's hoping that's the end of her troubles with it.

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   2. Excellent news!

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   3. Yippee! Good News!

      Get well soon Mrs. V.!

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   4. Yay! Best wishes for her full recovery.

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7. Fabulous news, V!

    

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