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NYT, Paul Krugman, 12 Sept 2022<\/strong>: Ukraine Deflates MAGA Macho Myths<\/a><\/p>\n Ukraine is advancing over the Russians, despite the Russian army being more to the liking of the MAGA crowd than the “woke” American military.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Politico, Gary Fineout, 13 Sept 2022<\/strong>: DeSantis uses federal cash to bolster his agenda<\/a><\/p>\n Despite the fact that Republicans all voted against the American Rescue Plan that they are now taking credit for. They’ve done this before. (See my post four days ago.)<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n NYT, Jamelle Bouie, 13 Sept 2022<\/strong>: It Is a Well-Known Truth That Opponents of Democracy Don\u2019t Want You to Have Nice Things<\/a><\/p>\n Expanding on a point from an earlier essay<\/a> that “today\u2019s opponents of democracy are driven by an opposition to the ‘more equitable distribution of wealth and status, which a robust democracy \u2014 and only a robust democracy \u2014 makes possible.’ ”<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n NYT, Sean Illing and Zac Gershberg, 13 Sept 2022<\/strong>: The Greatest Threat to Democracy Is a Feature of Democracy<\/a><\/p>\n “The paradox of democracy,” that while freedom of speech is necessary for democracy, it also makes society, especially given the latest media, more susceptible “to demagoguery, distraction, and spectacle.” (The writers’ book<\/a>.)<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Gregory Feeley<\/strong> (SF writer and college instructor) on Facebook, 13 Sept 2022: I had a sobering Basic Comp class today.<\/a><\/p>\n He has his students read an essay about the upcoming Midterm Election.<\/p>\n Alas, the students did not understand one thing about it. None of them knew what \u201cMidterms\u201d are, few seemed to know that in every election a third of the senators\u2019 and all of the Representatives\u2019 terms are up, whether the president\u2019s is or not. They did not know the word \u201creferendum\u201d or adduce its meaning from context.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n (The essay is this one<\/a> by Nate Cohn, subscriber-only.)<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n On a similar note,<\/p>\n Salon, Chauncey DeVega, 12 Sept 2022<\/strong>: Scholar who saw all this coming: Americans “do not really understand liberal democracy”<\/a>, subtitled “Shawn Rosenberg predicted the ‘inexorable decline’ of democracy in 2019. But he still thinks it’s not too late”<\/p>\n Because too many people are indifferent (or supportive of) Trump and his insurgency mob. The dangers of “right-wing populism and other illiberal forces”. Long interview.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Anti-LGBTQ Group Ranks Florida First In Education<\/a><\/p>\n and<\/p>\n 51% Of FL 10th Graders Fail English Proficiency Exam<\/a><\/p>\n The “anti-LGBTQ” in question in the Heritage Foundation, and the results are because they are much more concerned about parental control and “transparency” in education, than they are with actual academic results.<\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Right Wing Watch, Kyle Mantya, 12 Sept 2022<\/strong>: Mike Lindell Is Bankrolling White Nationalist Christian Fascist Vincent James<\/a>, via Lindell Bankrolls \u201cDeath To Gays\u201d White Nationalist”<\/a><\/p>\n \\<\/p>\n Look at the themes that seem always to go together: election denial; being anti-science; being anti-gay; anti-abortion; prone to conspiracy theorizing. And religious extremism.<\/p>\n \\\\<\/p>\n