The rioters at the US Capitol are not people to be admired. They’re deluded, they’re racist, they’ve gone absolutely wrong in a violent and disturbing way. But there is one thing to admire about those Trumpist seditionists: They are soaked head to toe with a peculiarly American attribute: cussedness. American cussedness os rooted in our […]
Category: politics
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Trump, Racism, and the American Id
…the problem with Trump: He is the Republican Party’s Santa Claus.
This headline definitely rubbed me the wrong way. I’m all for small-‘s’ socialism where appropriate — health care, education, social security, appropriately modest defense — but I’m having a hard time imagining many people who would receive a University-wide e-mail who could credibly complain of being oppressed. Sure, there’s racism, sexism, and the erosions of […]
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The Cost Of Truth Telling
Assistant secretary of State P.J. Crowley resigned yesterday because he said of Bradley Manning’s mistreatment in military custody “is ridiculous and counterproductive and stupid” Ron Schiller resigns in disgrace for saying “The Tea Party is fanatically involved in people’s personal lives and very fundamental Christian* — I wouldn’t even call it Christian. It’s this weird […]
So this guy started two wars on the most doubtful of premises, and is responsible for tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths, tens of thousands of maimings, traumatic brain injuries, and cases of PTSD. And he sleeps like a baby. What do you call a person who is not affected by killings he is responsible […]
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Congratulations Republicans!
I’m not going to stay up and find out in real time about this election. There’s a few close ones but I have no appetite for the ever-increasingly-fine slicing of the baloney on TV. Congratulations Republicans and ‘Independents.’ You got what you wanted: A bumper crop of hypocrites, ignoramuses, frauds, hacks and weasels. You now […]
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The Republican Party: Party of Death
The Republican Party, and the conservative political philosophy centered around it, is, contrary to their loud chest-beating about Freedom and the ‘sanctity of Life,’ centered around death. Why do I say this? Consider their positions: Wants to fight a multi-front war against Islamic terrorism. With little real chance of actually stopping terrorists, Republicans supported the […]
I keep hearing on TV that the ‘Generic Republican’ has a 10% lead over the ‘Generic Democrat’ in polls. Apparently, because the President and the Democratic Congress haven’t found the magic wand to cure all the problems our country faces, they’re going to vote for Republicans. Because Republicans always do a good job of governing, […]
Maria Bustillos nails it on the Awl Blog “…I cannot help but think that it is flat wrong to teach anyone that he or she should not read, or love, or identify with, any book he or she pleases.” George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, originated a great turn of phrase — “”There is one, […]
Should I be surprised that the same people who are scared to death that black folks might get over on them, feel that an Islamic Center a couple of blocks from the WTC site in New York is, as Sarah Palin so vividly termed it, a stab in the heart? Let me just say this: […]
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THE MYTH OF BLACK ON WHITE ‘RACISM’
This whole Shirley Sherrod makes me want to puke. It’s bad enough that Shirley Sherrod got screwed. But that’s just one instance of a disturbing idea in Right Wing politics — that there’s some sort of rise in reverse racism. They look for ways black people are racist and how that’s keeping the white man […]
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MNML POLITICS: IRAN
People want to intervene militarily in Iran? Really? What are they basing that on — how well that has gone in Iraq and Afghanistan? I’ve had co-workers, college room-mates and friends from Iran. Iran is a highly educated, literate, and in many ways progressive country. They are currently under the thumb of a toxic, criminal […]
Elena Kagan’s expression in reaction to Chuck Grassley’s Crazy Old Man act is priceless. For the record I first saw Chuck Grassley speak in public 40 years ago and my instinctive reaction is “that man is brain damaged.” Nothing he’s done in the intervening years has changed my mind. Lately though, he’s gone from conservative […]
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, who were jailed for being openly gay in Malawi. News reports say they’ve considered leaving Malawi. I say, “come to Iowa!” You can get married here! People are nice! I’ll put up $100 to help you get here! Who’s with me!
Posted this morning to the Little Village Blog My favorite sign — inexpertly enhanced in The Gimp: I spoke to them briefly — apparently the man knew me but for the life of me I couldn’t remember who he was — sorry dude! They were responding in character when people asked them about their sign: […]
I’ve been accused of stating the obvious like it’s my own personal revelation. But it’s hard to know sometimes when the blindingly obvious is just blindingly obvious, and when it still needs saying. Elon James White is like Professor Frink: He makes you laugh, he makes you think.
Produced by my man Kembrew Mcleod who is a fellow contributer to Little Village and University of Iowa Associate Professor, and Benjamin Franzen, U of I graduate. Check the PBS for your local viewing time here. And here’s the trailer:
A state representative wants to rewrite the legal description of Iowa’s state seal so that it no longer includes a reference of a citizen soldier “with a plow in his rear.”
Marine Corps Director of Public Affairs Upset about portrayal of Marines I’m sure the USMC has their better moments, and attracts some truly dedicated, courageous young people to the profession of protecting our country. On the other hand they also take a lot of confused young people looking for a purpose in life and turn […]