![](\"https:\/\/cdn.theatlantic.com\/thumbor\/x1DPLctYjVv9Tk8pExRLh2GsbNI=\/0x0:4668x2626\/976x549\/media\/img\/mt\/2022\/07\/End_of_America\/original.jpg\")
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The Atlantic, Tom McTague, 12 Aug 2022<\/strong>: What America\u2019s Great Unwinding Would Mean for the World<\/a>, subtitled, “The conundrum facing America\u2019s allies is how to cope with a great imperial power in decline that is still a great imperial power.”<\/p>\n I will read this closely and comment later. Meanwhile for today, links I’ve collected today and in the past two or three weeks, with minimal comments.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n NYT, Farhad Majoo, 11 Aug 2022<\/strong>: Alex Jones and the Wellness-Conspiracy Industrial Complex<\/a><\/p>\n How Alex Jones lures suckers attracted to conspiracy theories, then sells them snake oil, and makes millions.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Salon, Amanda Marcotte, 12 Aug 2022<\/strong>: Trump puts a target on the FBI: Cincinnati gunman shows danger posed by an endless supply of dupes<\/a><\/p>\n Not unrelated to previous link. Suckers and dupes.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Washington Post, John Wagner, 12 Aug 2022<\/strong>: National Archives counters Trump\u2019s baseless claims about Obama records<\/a><\/p>\n Trump does a whataboutism<\/a> concerning Obama’s documents he took to Chicago (for his library), but the National Archives and Records Administration in fact still controls them, and corrects Trump.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Washington Post, (former conservative) Max Boot, 12 Aug 2022<\/strong>: Republicans went crazy over the Trump search. Now they look idiotic.<\/a><\/p>\n Republicans all criticized the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago before knowing anything about it.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Washington Post, Alexandra Petri, 12 Aug 2022<\/strong>: If Trump has nuclear documents at home, I\u2019m sure it\u2019s for good reason<\/a><\/p>\n The thinking of Trump supporters. Satire.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Christians stage an unauthorized production of “Hamilton” in order to spread their propaganda. (Ninth commandment, anyone?)<\/p>\n OnlySky, Hemant Mehta, 6 Aug 2022<\/strong>: A Texas church illegally performed \u2018Hamilton\u2019 to spread anti-gay bigotry<\/a><\/p>\n Washington Post, Timothy Bella, 8 Aug 2022<\/strong>: Church\u2019s altered \u2018Hamilton\u2019 is followed by sermon comparing homosexuality to addiction<\/a><\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Some from last week.<\/p>\n Washington Post, Jennifer Rubin, 8 Aug 2022<\/strong>: How many nutty stances can one party take?<\/a><\/p>\n About everything Republicans are against. What are they for? Suppressing the things they are against.<\/p>\n What and whom are Republicans for? According to their votes: forced birth, protecting big corporations and tax cheats from paying taxes, the National Rifle Association and Second Amendment absolutists, oil companies and Big Pharma, to name a few things. The ties that bind them \u2014 aversion to lifesaving coronavirus vaccines, election denial, censorship<\/a>, reverence for the Confederacy and persecution of LGBTQ Americans \u2014 used to be considered beyond the pale. Now, they are standard positions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \\<\/p>\n Salon, Amanda Marcotte, 8 Aug 2022<\/strong>: Biden’s big win exposes GOP’s nihilism: Republicans resort to lies to fight Inflation Reduction Act<\/a>, subtitled “Republicans reject an all-carrot-no-stick effort to save the planet for the babies they wish to force women to have”<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Washington Post\/MSN, Christopher Buckley, 5 Aug 2022<\/strong>: Tracing the Republican Party\u2019s devolution to one man: Newt Gingrich<\/a><\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Salon, Kathryn Joyce, 4 Aug 2022<\/strong>: After Kansas smackdown, anti-abortion right in denial: Either it didn’t happen or it doesn’t matter<\/a><\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Florida Politics, via Joe.My.God<\/strong> DeSantis Vows To Prioritize Hiring Enlisted Military Vets As Teachers Over People With \u201cShoehorn U\u201d Ed Degrees<\/a><\/p>\n Just another example of David Brin’s observation that Republicans have declared war against all fact-based professions.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n NYT, Charles M. Blow, 3 Aug 2022<\/strong>: The Republican Party Is the Anti-Democracy Party<\/a><\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n NYT, Thomas B. Edsall, 3 Aug 2022<\/strong>: Trump Has Big Plans for 2025, and He Doesn\u2019t Care Whether You Think He\u2019ll Win<\/a><\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n The Atlantic, Peter Wehner, 1 Aug 2022<\/strong>: Trump Supporters Think They\u2019re in a Fight to the Death<\/a>, subtitled “Fear, hate, and grievances animate the new Republican Party.”<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Salon, Nathaniel Manderson, 27 Jul 2022<\/strong>: Do right-wing evangelicals really want a “Christian nation”? Hell no!<\/a><\/p>\n Subtitle: Whatever ruthless, loveless, vicious vision of America these people have, it definitely isn’t “Christian”<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n CNN, Ronald Brownstein, 26 Jul 2022<\/strong>: Red states are building a nation within a nation<\/a><\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n NYT, guest essay by Peter Pomerantsev, 26 Jul 2022<\/strong>: Ukraine Is the Next Act in Putin\u2019s Empire of Humiliation<\/a><\/p>\n The way Putin needs to humiliate in order to win parallels Trump’s need for everyone but him to lose.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n There are older links I’ve saved but haven’t posted, but the news is changing so quickly lately, events of 3 or 4 weeks ago have likely been overtaken.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Atlantic, Tom McTague, 12 Aug 2022: What America\u2019s Great Unwinding Would Mean for the World, subtitled, “The conundrum facing America\u2019s allies is how to cope with a great imperial power in decline that is still a great imperial power.” … Continue reading