Category Archives: Culture

Splits, Hypocrisy, and Bad-Faith Arguments

Posted on Monday 15 September 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

The themes today are about the continued demonization of “the Left” despite the identification of the Charlie Kirk shooter; and how the Right (as did Kirk) claims to valorize “free speech” while quelling anyone who says anything not nice about … Continue reading →

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Kneejerk Accusations

Posted on Friday 12 September 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

While yesterday there was much invective on the right against the left because the victim of Charlie Kirk’s assassination was a well-known MAGA figure. So the left must have done it! That’s their thinking. Vox, Eric Levitz, 11 Sep 2025: … Continue reading →

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The Real Americans?

Posted on Thursday 11 September 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

We live in a bizarre world in which many, perhaps most, Americans deify people who are against basic American values. (Because what really drives conservatives is not the Constitution, but the OT.) So many news posts and Facebook posts about … Continue reading →

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How About a Nobel Prize for Belligerence?

Posted on Sunday 7 September 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

More about Trump’s actions vs his aspirations. You’d think Trump were running to win a Nobel Prize not for peace, but for belligerence. NY Times, David French, 7 Sept 2025: It Doesn’t Seem Wise to Let Trump Decide What War … Continue reading →

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Their Make-Believe World

Posted on Wednesday 6 August 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Trump’s tantrum; His own version of reality; Assaulting reporting, statistics, and the historical record; Ordering an independent office to become as big a liar as he is; Every accusation is a confession; The “Russia Hoax” is whatever he says it … Continue reading →

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We’re Living in a World of Mad Hatters

Posted on Monday 4 August 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

David Brin on the red state/blue state divide; The authors of a report about the 2016 election set the record straight, to correct Tulsi Gabbard, and all the Fox News coverage of her; Tom Nichols on the latest Trump distraction … Continue reading →

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True Colors

Posted on Saturday 5 July 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

More conservative racism: Everyone is *not* welcome; Laura Loomer would boycott brands that don’t use white actors in their TV commercials; MTG thinks evildoers are using weather control to create the deadly floods in Texas; Meanwhile, people who know real … Continue reading →

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Self-destruction, Mafia Politics, TACO, What Aligns the Right, Bread and Circuses

Posted on Wednesday 28 May 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Paul Krugman on the economic damage of America’s withdrawal from the world; You can get away with anything if you donate enough to Trump; TACO: Trump Always Chickens Out; Zack Beauchamp on how the right isn’t driven by materialism, but … Continue reading →

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GOP/conservatives and the Rich; and the Countryside; and Star Wars

Posted on Sunday 18 May 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

The GOP tax bill will hurt lowest earners and help the rich (of course!); NYT’s Jamelle Bouie on Republican hypocrisy and the countryside; Trek v. Wars, and how Wars reveals conservatives’ authoritarian fantasies. – – – NY Times, Tony Romm, … Continue reading →

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We’re Living in an Age of Regression

Posted on Tuesday 13 May 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

In Trump’s America, it’s every parent and child out for themselves; Who decides who’s Christian? The government? Fox News says the Qatari bribe to Trump is fine because FDR gave three planes to the Saudis… 80 years ago; Robert Reich … Continue reading →

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