Saturday, May 27, 2023

Tweets Of The Day

 

Media cool --

 

 

 

Comforting the comfortable... --

 


The groomer wing of the Christofascist Republican Party --

 

 

 

The blatantly corrupt wing of the Christofascist Republican Party --

 

 


Grandma Bobo:  going after anti-Semites is going after conservatives.  Good to confirm!  --

 


What's that Musk-y smell?  Disinformation is our brand! --

 


Spring offensive on? --

 

 

A Friendly take on Bootsie running for President (h/t SSBC Brian) --

 

 

 

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QOTD: Adding To Trump's Legal Liability

 

From attorney Norm Eisen, assessing the legal peril the Malignant Loser faces with the classified documents case, based on reporting from the Washington Post:

"If Trump instructed his employees to move documents for the obvious purpose of concealing them from investigators — especially if they practiced doing so — then that would speak directly to Trump’s intent in this matter. In light of a grand jury subpoena requiring the return of the classified documents, he would appear to have taken brazen steps to thwart the subpoena and interfere with the Justice Department’s investigation. That intent meets the requirements for an obstruction of justice charge under 18 U.S.C. 1519. 

Similarly, if Trump had really showed off classified documents to people at Mar-a-Lago, then that would add to what we already know of his legal liability. Just by retaining the documents, Trump would face liability for apparent willful possession and retention of the classified documents pertaining to national defense. Under section 793(e) of the Espionage Act, it is a criminal offense for a person without authorization to willfully retain classified documents and fail to deliver them to an officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive them." 

There's no question that he showed them to visitors, guests, if only to brag about his access to them (see this story about third rate rocker Kid Rock). The more weighty question is if he showed them to foreign nationals or shared their contents for personal gain or revenge / extortion. We'll find out in the weeks ahead.


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Pay-To-Play In Bootsie DeSantis' Florida?



It looks like Bootsie operates his regime in Florida like a version of the old protection racket shakedown:

Officials who work for Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration — not his campaign — have been sending text messages to Florida lobbyists soliciting political contributions for DeSantis' presidential bid, a breach of traditional norms that has raised ethical and legal questions and left many here in the state capital shocked.

NBC News reviewed text messages from four DeSantis administration officials, including those directly in the governor's office and with leadership positions in state agencies. They requested the recipient of the message contribute to the governor’s campaign through a specific link that appeared to track who is giving as part of a “bundle” program. 

“The bottom line is that the administration appears to be keeping tabs on who is giving, and are doing it using state staff,” a longtime Florida lobbyist said. “You are in a prisoner’s dilemma. They are going to remain in power. We all understand that.”

NBC News is not naming the specific staffers who sent the text messages because it could out the lobbyists who received the messages and shared them.  [snip]

NBC News spoke with 10 Republican lobbyists in Florida, all of whom said they couldn't remember being solicited for donations so overtly by administration officials — especially at a time when the governor still has to act on the state budget.

That process that involves DeSantis using his line-item veto pen to slash funding for projects that the same lobbyists whom they are asking for political cash have a professional stake in. Most of the lobbyists said they felt pressure to give to the governor's campaign. 

“What the f--- am I supposed to do?” one lobbyist said. “I have a lot of business in front of the DeSantis administration.”

“The ethics behind this is questionable at best, especially when the budget has yet to be acted on,” another Republican lobbyist said.

“It is walking a very close line to what is ethical and possibly legal. It is state employees leveraging their official position to ask people whose livelihood depend on access to state government for money,” a Florida lobbyist said...  (our emphasis)

A person and a party that makes it their agenda to vilify and attack the most vulnerable while busily shaking down lobbyists for campaign contributions actually follows suit for these nihilists, who believe government only exists as a means to enrich and empower them and their cronies.  But this is the "Florida freedom" Bootsie and his fellow two- legged rats want to bring to the rest of America. 

 It looks, however, like Bootsie's ugliness and incompetence may cede the field to even greater ugliness and incompetence in the form of the Malignant Loser.  The devolution continues.

BONUS:  Musk getting into the quid pro quo hustle? 

 

 

(Photo:  A meatball sandwich -- pedo protector "Gym" Jordan, Bootsie, and alleged pedo Matt Gaetz/ Michael Snyder/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

 

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Musk Wants Twitter To Be Right-Wing's New Fox




One of megalomaniac right-winger Elon Musk's traits, beyond his pure weirdness, is his knack of biting off more than he can chew. His purchase of Twitter is a good example: he swept in, fired over 75% of the employees, trashed the platform's moderation standards, and caused advertisers to abandon him as he allowed hate speech and conspiracies back on the site. His defect-prone electric vehicle's performance has caused its stock to sink, as buyers were also turned off by his right-wing brand. 

However, even after last week's disastrous roll out of Gov. Ron "Bootsie" DeSantis' campaign on Twitter Spaces, Musk has pretensions of turning Twitter into the right-wing's premier go-to place for disinformation, conspiracies and propaganda, replacing a weakened Fox:

"For years, Fox News has attracted the right-wing base and served as a powerful force in Republican politics so much so that officials target the network's coverage as a political tactic. 

But with the recent firing of Carlson, who raked in millions of views, Fox's recent ratings have slumped and its grip on the Republican base is slipping, presenting a ripe opportunity for another platform to surpass the network's reign. [snip]

The new owner of Twitter has already won over the far-right by relaxing Twitter's policies on hate speech and disinformation and reinstating previously banned right-wing extremists. 

His actions are increasing Twitter's reputation 'as the wild west of disinformation,' said Jill Garvey, chief of staff at Western States Center.

'This is the place now where people can go who want to spread conspiracy theories and content that is not allowed on other platforms,' she said. 'Fox News isn't going anywhere so the threat may be less about Twitter replacing Fox News and more about Twitter just becoming an ever-expanding network of places where disinformation can spread.'"  (our emphasis)

Musk will be vying with other growing right-wing outlets that are already winning Fox's audience, like Newsmax, that are more sophisticated about the media than Musk has been with his deconstruction of Twitter. He's hired a supposed whiz at marketing from NBC/Universal to be Twitter's CEO, although there's much doubt about how much authority she'll wield over Musk's toy. He'll also face competition from emerging Twitter alternatives like Bluesky and Mastodon that provide an alternative to the increasing hate speech and right-wing vitriol. We'll see if his plans to be the new "Bullshit Mountain" succeed or flame out like some of his Teslas.

 

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Friday, May 26, 2023

Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Benjamin Slyngstad, @SlyngCartoons)

(Marshall Ramsey, Mississippi Today)

(Nick Anderson, Reform Austin News, TX)

(Pedro Molina, Counterpoint)

(Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News)

(Rob Rogers, Tinyview.com)

(Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News)

(Paul Noth, @PaulNoth)

(Ivan Ehlers, @IvanEhlers)

(Marian Kamensky, Austria, @cartoonmovement)

(Ted Littleford, The New Haven Independent)

(Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press)

(Jeremy Nguyen, The New Yorker)


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More On The Trump - LIV Golf - Saudi Connection




The Malignant Loser's links to the murderous Saudi regime are well known. They lavishly wined and dined him when he chose them for his first foreign trip in 2017, despite him having called for a ban on Muslim travel to the U.S. The Saudis knew that they had an autocratic, transactional friend in the Malignant Loser, who would keep sending weapons and wouldn't raise human rights issues with them as long as they were "nice" to him. They showed their gratitude by giving his son-in-law $2 billion as the Malignant Loser departed the White House, after gifting $100 million to a fund supported by his daughter Ivanka.

An important article in Salon.com by Heather Digby Parton looks at the latest corrupt bargain between the Saudis and the Malignant Loser: the Saudi-funded LIV golf organization and the Malignant Loser's golf properties. From her article:

"While all the other GOP presidential candidates were busy campaigning on Thursday, USA Today reported that Trump was kicking back at Trump National Golf Course in Virginia, which will soon host a tournament on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour — the third at a property owned by the former president just this year. (Two more will be scheduled at Trump properties in New Jersey and Florida.) Last year, Trump — in typically obtuse style — even scheduled a tournament at the New Jersey club on Sept. 11, drawing outrage from the families of 9/11 victims. Trump said he didn't know what they were talking about and defended Saudi Arabia, telling ESPN that 'nobody has gotten to the bottom of 9/11."  (our emphasis)

That's some bigly, unpatriotic ass kissing by the Malignant Loser. You can hear the Saudi cash register opening after his defense of their complicity in 9/11. Parton continues:

"It's unclear how much money has actually changed hands, but Trump admits that he's been paid a fee, which he calls "peanuts," by the sponsoring Public Investment Fund, the same Saudi government entity that 'invested' in Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner's business to the tune of $2 billion just a couple of months after he left the White House. (That's a deal that makes Hunter Biden's alleged transgressions look like kids gambling for nickels in the lunchroom.) These tournaments generally bring in millions to the clubs that host them so those are some pretty big peanuts." (our emphasis)

The Malignant Loser has a big beef with the PGA after it cancelled the 2022 PGA tournament at his Bedminster golf club after his violent attempted coup on January 6. Supporting LIV golf and pocketing "fees" from the Saudis is a win-win for the Malignant Loser.

Parton notes that the news that Special Counsel Jack Smith has subpoenaed Trump Organization real estate business records indicates that he may suspect a nexus between the Malignant Loser's business dealings and the stolen classified documents at Merde O'Lardo. What's worse is that the Saudis see someone they can have in their pocket who has a possibility of being the 47th President. By "sportswashing" their corrupt image through LIV golf and at the same time literally putting the Malignant Loser on their payroll via "fees" for use of his golf courses, the Saudis see no downside. Jack Smith may see things differently.

(photo: The rotund Malignant Loser at his club in Sterling, VA. Robb Carr / Getty Images)

 

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Tweets Of The Day


Saying the quiet part loud (cont.) --

 


The book banners (cont.) --

 

The decline at CNN accelerates --

 

 

 

 

A Republican so openly corrupt and awful even Republicans want to get rid of him (no, not the Malignant Loser) --


 

The racist, Dumbest Senator continues to hold up Pentagon nominations, disses teachers --

 

 

 

War criminals --

 


You should maybe lay off the toot a little, Junior --

 

 

A failure to relaunch? (happy Friday and h/t to SSBC Brian!) --

 

 

 

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Weekend Music -- Memorial Day

 

Monday is Memorial Day in America, a day we remember those service men and women in all wars who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We gratefully honor their service. 

As has been a tradition with us, we're recognizing Memorial Day with "Beneath the Southern Cross," part of the original Richard Rodgers soundtrack for the NBC "Victory at Sea" World War II documentary series from the early 1950s.  The title refers to the constellation Crux (or Southern Cross) easily visible in the South Pacific.  The RCA Victor Orchestra led by Robert Russell Bennett performs the song, also familiarly known as "No Other Love Have I."

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DeSantis: I'd Pardon Some January 6 Seditionists

 

Fresh off of his disastrous, Hindenburg-level campaign launch flameout, Florida's fascistic, book banning bigot Gov. Ron "Bootsie" DeSantis is desperately courting the extreme right represented by the MAGAts who engaged in seditious insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. On a right-wing radio show yesterday, DeSantis suggested the he'd consider pardoning the rioters, drawing a false equivalence with them to Black Lives Matter protesters, and that he'd look a pardoning the Malignant Loser for Federal crimes he's committed:

"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that, if elected president, he would consider pardoning some of those convicted on charges related to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Hosts of the conservative 'The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show' asked DeSantis if he thinks Jan. 6 defendants 'deserve to have their cases examined by a Republican president,' and whether he would pardon former president Donald Trump if he were 'charged with federal offenses.' DeSantis said that on his first day in office, he would 'have folks that will get together and look at all these cases.'

'Now, some of these case, some people may have a technical violation of the law,' DeSantis said. 'But if there are three other people who did the same thing but just in a context, like [the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020] and they don’t get prosecuted at all, that is uneven application of justice, and so … we will use the pardon power.'”  (our emphasis)

DeSantis was a bit more circumspect when asked whether he'd pardon the Malignant Loser for a variety of Federal crimes he's committed (he can't pardon him for state offenses), knowing that a hard "no" would offend the Malignant Loser's cult members whom he covets:

"Twice in the interview, DeSantis avoided directly answering questions on whether he’d pardon Trump but left open the possibility.

'I would say any example of this favored treatment based on politics, or weaponization, would be included in that review, no matter how small or how big,' the GOP presidential candidate said."

Political "weaponization" of law enforcement has become a favorite mantra of the corrupt, crime-committing Republican / Shooters / Sedition party, and a cynical defense for their criminality. It's not surprising that a desperate Bootsie would express that sentiment, placing him in the camp opposing law enforcement unless they're applying billy clubs to Black protesters' heads.


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Arresting The Insurrectionists -- Bad Man Doing Bad Things



It's another good day for comeuppance in America:

A Kentucky man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Daniel Edwin Wilson, 47, of Louisville, Kentucky is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with obstruction, a felony, and four misdemeanors including:  knowingly entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and parading, demonstrating or picketing on Capitol grounds. He was arrested today in Louisville, KY and is expected to make his initial appearance later today in the Western District of Kentucky.

Please read the next paragraph carefully:

 According to court documents, Wilson began planning, in the winter of 2020, to obstruct and interfere with the joint session of Congress at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to certify the electoral college vote. On Dec. 22, 2020, Wilson—who in a Telegram chat group went by the moniker “Live Wire”—responded to a discussion regarding traveling to Washington, D.C. for Jan. 6, 2021 by writing, “Ooh Rah. Curb stomp crew all in!!!” Later that same day, Wilson wrote, “We are willing to work and coordinate with others but I am a gray ghost ranger,” referring to Wilson’s affiliation with a particular militia.  Wilson also discussed bringing firearms to Washington, D.C. for Jan. 6, 2021, but he ultimately wrote, on Dec. 24, 2020, “In my opinion I don’t think it’s time to gun up for the sixth we have to play this out but if they seat biden on the 20th all bets are off it’s gonna happen even if Trump wins we have to get this government under control it’s been crossing my mind if we go to a Civil War do we try to take Washington DC first or do we try to take state capitals first.”  On Dec. 27, 2020, Wilson wrote, “I am ready to lay my life on the line. It is time for good men to do bad things.”

So, he's a committed anti- government, right- wing militia insurrectionist.  Thank you for clarifying that, Wilson.  Continuing:

On Jan. 6, 2021, Wilson was captured in open-source and U.S. Capitol CCTV footage at the U.S. Capitol, wearing a pair of blue jeans, tan boots, and a blue hooded sweatshirt, carrying a red backpack and an olive-green fabric pouch, and at times, wearing a gas mask. A review of the U.S Capitol’s CCTV footage revealed that, at approximately 2:37 PM, Wilson entered the U.S. Capitol building through the Upper West Terrace Door. After entering the building, Wilson walked into the Rotunda, where he remained for several minutes. From the Rotunda, Wilson walked through Statuary Hall. He then returned to the Rotunda and ultimately exited through the East Rotunda Doors at approximately 2:49 PM.

In an interview with FBI agents on March 9, 2021, Wilson repeatedly denied being inside the Capitol building. [Ed.- not surprisingly, he's a chickenshit liar, too.] A search warrant was obtained and, on June 3, 2022, during the execution of the warrant, law enforcement seized six firearms from Wilson’s residence, which were stored in a backpack and inside a cabinet in his residence, covered by clothing. Wilson was prohibited from possessing firearms at the time, due to previous felony convictions. At least two of the seized firearms were loaded at the time of seizure, and another two did not have serial numbers.  [snip]

In the 28 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

The lines are open. 

(Photo:  Wilson, circled, in his gas mask entering the Capitol on January 6, 2021 /  FBI)


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Thursday, May 25, 2023

Sentencing The Insurrectionists -- Stewart Rhodes Gets 18 Years (UPDATED)

 


One of the leaders of the January 6 insurrection, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, gets his comeuppance:

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison Thursday in the first punishment to be handed down for seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

The sentence is the longest given to any of the hundreds of people found guilty of involvement in the pro-Trump riot.

“You sir, present an ongoing threat and a peril to this country, to the republic and the very fabric of our democracy,” Judge Amit P. Mehta told Rhodes.

The judge said he had never before expressed such a belief about a defendant appearing in his court. He described Rhodes, who founded his far-right, anti-government group in 2009, as a disturbingly charismatic figure who manipulated dozens of his followers into coming to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

“They too are victims, victims of the lies, the propaganda, the rhetoric and ultimately the intention that you conveyed,” Mehta said.

Noting that Rhodes has continued to spread conspiracy theories and violent rhetoric in interviews from behind bars, Mehta predicted, “The moment you are released you will be prepared to take up arms against your government.”...

The seditious shit was unrepentant:

“I’m a political prisoner, and like President Trump, my only crime is opposing those who are destroying our country,” he told the court. Comparing himself to Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn, he promised that from prison he would “expose the criminality of this regime.”

That sure validated what the judge said, and the sentence Rhodes received. 

Next up for sentencing:  Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio. 

UPDATE:  Another Oath Keeper, Jessica Watkins, was sentenced on May 26 to 8 1/2 years for her actions on January 6.

(Photo:  Susan Walsh/AP)


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Today's Cartoons

 

(click on images to enlarge)

(Andy Marlette, Creators.com)


(Ed Hall, Artizans.com)


(Walt Handelsman, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans)

(Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer)


 (Christopher Weyant, caglecartoons.com)

(Rainer Hochfeld, caglecartoons.com)

(Matt Davies, Newsday)

(Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(John Deering, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

(John Darkow, Columbia Missourian)

(Joe Collignon, caglecartoons.com)

(Marshall Ramsey, Mississippi Today)

(Elisabeth McNair, The New Yorker)


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Tweets Of The Day

 

Throwing some POTUS shade at "Bootsie" DeSantis --


 


More shade for "Bootsie" in the Florida sun --  


 

 


Sentencing January 6 seditionists: big fish / little fish -- 


 

 

Trump said he "loves the poorly educated" who put him in office --  



Screamer Marjorie "Traitor" Greene calls for decorum, gets laughter in response -- 



Time for Dems to refresh and step away from business as usual (thread) -- 


 


Ukraine's air defenses deliver again. Slava Ukraini ! --  



Timberrrrr... D'oh !  -- 


 

 

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Wagner's Prigozhin Talks Of "Russian Revolution"




Russian war criminal and ex-convict Yevgeniy Prigozhin, leader of the infamous Russian mercenary force Wagner Group, after a brief photo op in the decimated center of Bakhmut, is withdrawing his forces before Ukraine can encircle and destroy them. In the meantime, he's issuing dire warnings that Russia faces another revolution over Russia's failures in Ukraine and over resentment of the oligarchs that dictator Vladimir Putin relies on as his power base. From the Washington Post:

"In a lengthy interview with Konstantin Dolgov, a political operative and pro-war blogger, Prigozhin, the founder and leader of the Wagner mercenary group, also asserted that the war has backfired spectacularly by failing to 'demilitarize' Ukraine, one of President Vladimir Putin’s stated aims of the invasion. He also called for totalitarian policies.

'We are in a situation where we can simply lose Russia,' Prigozhin said, using an expletive to hammer his point. 'We must introduce martial law. We unfortunately … must announce new waves of mobilization; we must put everyone who is capable to work on increasing the production of ammunition,' he said. 'Russia needs to live like North Korea for a few years, so to say, close the borders … and work hard.'” (our emphasis)

The vast majority of people in authoritarian Russia would find themselves behind bars for suggesting that Putin's "special military operation" in Ukraine has failed in its mission, and Prigozhin may still end up there. He's treading on sensitive ground for Putin when he attacks the oligarchs that prop up Putin's regime and siphon money to his pockets:

"Citing public anger at the lavish lifestyles of Russia’s rich and powerful, Prigozhin warned that their homes could be stormed by people with 'pitchforks.' He singled out Ksenia Shoigu, the daughter of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who was spotted vacationing in Dubai with her fiancé, Alexei Stolyarov, a fitness blogger.

'The children of the elite shut their traps at best, and some allow themselves a public, fat, carefree life,' Prigozhin said in the interview, which was released Wednesday on video. 'This division might end as in 1917, with a revolution — when first the soldiers rise up, and then their loved ones follow.'” (our emphasis)

We can't imagine that imagery sits well with the Kremlin, and particularly the Russian military command. Prigozhin, himself an oligarch, has avoided punishment until now, but his rhetoric toward Putin and the Kremlin has gotten to the point where one side has to break. We imagine that Prigozhin will be broken and end up in a Russian prison camp (where he was recruiting Wagner fighters) long before the "revolution" that he forecasts happens.

(photo: War criminal Prigozhin. via BBC)

 

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Quotes Of The Day -- Battlegrounds

 

"It is sometimes said that corporate America is a battleground in the culture wars. This has taken on ugly new meaning in the case of Target, which just announced that it will pull some LBGTQ-friendly merchandise from shelves after experiencing threats that affected its employees’ 'sense of safety.'

"Target’s surrender — which came after concerted attacks from MAGA media personalities — points to a bigger story: The anti-woke right is increasingly wielding heavy-handed tactics — including state power and violent threats — to block corporations from making their own decisions about how to adapt to social change. Though the right is losing this battle at large, it is innovating and having some success..." -- Greg Sargent in the Washington Post, leading off a column "Target's surrender to MAGA rage shows how anti-wokeness really works."  Sargent discusses how the revanchist culture war the MAGAts are engaged in targets (no pun) corporations and institutions that are simply responding to shifts in the culture at large, toward more tolerance and inclusion (yes, propelled by profit considerations).  Expect more heavy- handed, violent tactics.  Why?  Read on.

____________________

“When authoritarian leaders lose office, they come back, like, 10 times worse — they never get less extreme, they always get more extreme.  January 6 was a profoundly radicalizing event for the base, for the GOP and for Trump himself, because even assaulting the Capitol you could get away with. His campaign events have to be seen as that of an extremist radicalizing people and emotionally reeducating people to hate people.”... --  Ruth Ben-Ghiat, historian at New York University and scholar on authoritarianism, quoted in another Washington Post article, "The deepening radicalization of Donald J. Trump."  The "reeducation" of people to employ violent acts against people they've been taught to hate is a method used by fascists throughout history to gain or maintain power.  What we've seen in the  Republican /Seditionist/ Shooters Party is this "reeducation" has been part and parcel of the radicalization of the party and its base for more than half a century, culminating in its lizard id, the Malignant Loser.  It preceded him and will outlast him.


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