What Is the Venn Diagram Between Whitewashing and White Supremacy?

Posted on Monday 31 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Signalgate and white mediocrity;
  • How we are seeing tribal impulses eroding the high ideals designed to overcome them;
  • How the Trump administration is indifferent to refugees… except for whites from South Africa;
  • Jill Lawrence at The Bulwark about Trump’s bid to whitewash American history;
  • Short items about RFK, National Review, and Paul Krugman about how MAGA is bad for business.
– – –

I’m mentioned white supremacy a couple times. It’s seemed to me that the goal of DOGE is to reinstate white supremacy, that DEI is bad because it treats the entire nation’s population as worthy of consideration, while Trump and MAGA care only about whites, and everyone else should be disappeared.

Here’s one result.

Salon, Rann Miller, 31 Mar 2025: Signalgate is a consequence of anti-DEI hysteria, subtitled “White mediocrity has become a national security risk”

Beginning with a prominent example, which most people have probably forgotten about.
Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Morality, Politics | Comments Off on What Is the Venn Diagram Between Whitewashing and White Supremacy?

I read the news today, oh boy.

Posted on Sunday 30 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly
  • How mold is taken as a miracle, another example in an endless series throughout history;
  • Short items about Trump, tariffs, and auto prices; lying about American history; how “make America healthy again” means the opposite; how a vaccine expert has been fired from the FDA; and how DOGE wants to privatize everything.

And in the news today, more lies, more reversals, from the Trump administration. He’s changed his mind. He doesn’t remember what he said. “Witch hunt” is one of his favorite terms, from his limited vocabulary, to dismiss any accusation against his band of incompetents. I suspect he was no idea what the actual witch hunts were about. It’s exhausting to try to keep up. We’re living in an upside-down, Alice in Wonderland world. And yet still he has fans.

Let me post this. It’s more significant that it might seem at first glance.

Continue reading →

Posted in Human Nature, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on I read the news today, oh boy.

Adolescence of Boys, and of the Species

Posted on Saturday 29 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

For once we happened to watch a much-discussed current show only a week after it debuted (instead of months later or years later). This is the Netflix show Adolescence (Wikipedia link).

It’s four hour-long episodes, about a 13-year-old boy in an English village who is accused of killing, with a knife, a girl classmate. Each episode is shot in one continuous take, and the episodes are sequential but not continuous. Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Human Nature, Psychology | Comments Off on Adolescence of Boys, and of the Species

The Reality of the World Will Fight Back

Posted on Friday 28 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly
  • How the current administration deals in “alternative facts”;
  • With a reminder of some central themes of this blog;
  • Now the Smithsonian Institution is targeted for “improper ideology,” which seems to mean that the prejudices and stereotypes of decades ago are to be restored;
  • Heather Cox Richardson on the administration’s definition of “the Left”;
  • Hillary Clinton on the current administration’s hijinks: “It’s not the hypocrisy; it’s the stupidity”;
  • Short items on even WSJ being accused to fake news; whether Trump believes in the fee market or not (as he orders car companies not to raise prices in response to his tariffs); ending laws against child labor; now they’re abducting people in broad daylight; business leaders compare Trump to a mob boss; Christians are now plotting to overturn Obergefell (as predicted); how Pam Bondi thinks judges have no authority to overrule the president.
– – –

First, a reminder of the current situation.

The Bulwark, Mona Charen, 28 Mar 2025: What Happens When the Government Starts Reporting ‘Alternative Facts’?, subtitled “The truth is the last weapon of the opposition.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Human Nature, Politics | Comments Off on The Reality of the World Will Fight Back

Of Course We Knew, or Should Have Known, This Was Coming

Posted on Thursday 27 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Frank Bruni on the fiasco of Trump’s cabinet;
  • The Guardian’s Emma Brockes calls them “a bunch of pathetic sleazebags”;
  • And the stunning hypocrisy of this scandal compared to Hillary Clinton’s emails;
  • Short items on the new Lavender Scare, how a GOP rep thinks NPR and PBS “hate our Lord” (dadgum!); and how scientists mull leaving the US.
    – – –

    Frank Bruni nails it.

    NY Times, Frank Bruni, 27 Mar 2025: Trump’s Crackerjack Cabinet Is a Fiasco Foretold [gift link]

    It’s been pointed out time and again that Trump’s choices for his cabinet were among the least qualified people to hold those positions, ever.

    Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Politics | Comments Off on Of Course We Knew, or Should Have Known, This Was Coming

Fewer and Fewer Are Mincing Words

Posted on Wednesday 26 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Tom Nichols on the recent crisis;
  • Paul Krugman concludes Trump’s people are both incompetent and evil;
  • Even Fox News blames incompetence;
  • Europe reacts to insults;
  • Children with measles are getting sick from overdoses of Vitamin D, per JFK Jr.’s advice;
  • The Trump administration is cancelling medical research;
  • And MTG identifies migrants with rapists.
– – –

On the major story this week, let’s look at Tom Nichols’ take.

The Atlantic, Tom Nichols, 26 Mar 2025: The Trump Team’s Denials Are Laughable, subtitled “The president’s officials must know that what they did in the Signal group chat was wrong—and dangerous.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Politics | Comments Off on Fewer and Fewer Are Mincing Words

OK For Me But Not For Thee

Posted on Tuesday 25 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Reactions to yesterday’s story;
  • A comment about how perhaps Americans are actually not very good people;
  • Robert Reich recalls the four pillars of civil society: universities, science, the media, and the law; all the ones the current administration is trying to tear down.
– – –

Following up on yesterday’s story. They’re minimizing or even denying that the incident happened, and it’s triggered Trump’s reflex to insult anyone who impugns him or his administration in any way. (Yet again, he’s always concerned about ratings and accuses publications he doesn’t like of “failing.”)

AlterNet, Alex Henderson, 25 Mar 2025: ‘Hire clowns, expect a circus’: Leaked chat exposes ‘stupidity and recklessness’

Continue reading →

Posted in Morality, Politics, Social Progress | Comments Off on OK For Me But Not For Thee

Security Breach; Socialism vs. Capitalism

Posted on Monday 24 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Today’s big news is about the security breach by Pete Hegseth, and whether he or anyone else will face consequences;
  • Heather Cox Richardson on the 15th anniversary of Obamacare;
  • And my reflections on the motivations behind the debates between capitalism and socialism, and why some conservatives think government workers are useless scum;
  • And how in the 21st century there’s a White House Faith Advisor scamming people for $1000.

Can you imagine what Republicans would have said if Biden or one of his officials had done this?

The Atlantic Jeffrey Goldberg, 24 Mar 2025: The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans, subtitled “U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Security Breach; Socialism vs. Capitalism

Today’s Doom Watch

Posted on Sunday 23 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

A beautiful weekend here in the Bay Area.

We’re witnessing the downfall of the United States as an idealistic nation that for many decades has led the world on enlightenment principles and scientific achievements. At the same time, most people won’t notice this downfall. And it’s happened before.

  • Why doesn’t MAGA care that Musk donated hundreds of millions and is getting government contracts worth billions?
  • Another explanation of why conservatives do not prevail in academia;
  • Why not pray to God for everything? (Because prayer doesn’t work, and God is an illusion);
  • And how a dual state is arising in the US, as it did in Nazi Germany.
– – –

NY Times, Eric Lipton, 23 Mar 2025: Musk Is Positioned to Profit Off Billions in New Government Contracts

Subtitled: “The boost in federal spending for SpaceX will come in part as a result of actions by President Trump and Elon Musk’s allies and employees who hold government positions. Supporters say he has the best technology.”

Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Comments Off on Today’s Doom Watch

Tribalistic Politics

Posted on Saturday 22 March 2025 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Frank Bruni on why Trump keeps attacking Biden;
  • Paul Krugman, via Adam Tooze, on how Trump has prejudices rather than ideas;
  • Heather Cox Richardson recalls how Republicans have tried to create their own reality;
  • Why MAGA voters want their opponents to suffer, and why Trump voters love him despite everything.
– – –

It’s not enough for Trump to win; his enemies must be excoriated as well. The attitudes of a zero-sum tribalist.

NY Times, Frank Bruni, 20 Mar 2025: Why Trump Can’t Quit Biden [gift link]

For President Trump and many of his closest aides and allies, every day is a great day to beat up on Joe Biden. They treat bashing the previous occupant of the White House as proper political hygiene, best repeated and ritualized, the autocrat’s equivalent of flossing your teeth.

Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Religion | Comments Off on Tribalistic Politics