The All Things Political Topic - What's Going On...?

[Hurlshort]

Tuesday I gave a whole lesson on the 1st amendment and free speech. I addressed the Charlie Kirk shooting, but my focus was mostly on the freedom of religion, speech, media, and protest that the 1st amendment covers. 

Now the FCC has pushed a network to remove Jimmy Kimmel from his late-night show. He wasn't removed because of costs or ratings, he was removed immediately after the FCC made threatening statements.

I'm not sure how to proceed with my lesson. 

edit: Also what the hell is happening that the head of the FCC is going on podcasts? Like when did that become a thing?

Edited Thursday at 01:08 PM by Hurlshort

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

I think the thing that strikes me the most about the beatiification of Kirk (apologies to @Malcador for stealing it, but it fits too well) is how little of it outside of the anti-reality bubble of fascists and adjacents (who think Kirk being a propagandist is based and good) actually features Kirk's own words. Kirk is probably one of the most recorded men in history but there many are columns from "respectable" liberals and centrists that somehow manage to not include a single word of his when eulogizing him. It's insane to me how suddenly we have to pretend a guy who had been showing us just who he is for a decade is someone completely different.

Obviously I don't think he should have been killed (hello Kash).

1 hour ago, Lexx said:

It's facebook, so bear with me, but I thought the video was interesting and some around here should probably watch it: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1127212979501787

It's a decent explanation of how most reactionary media works, but the people who need it most extend the benefit of the doubt to people in the orbit Kirk was a part of out of ideological motivations rather than logical.

1 hour ago, Hurlshort said:

Also what the hell is happening that the head of the FCC is going on podcasts? Like when did that become a thing?

The right generally and Trumpworld specifically have made particular podcasts their go-to media engagements. It'd be a surprise if he wasn't.

[Malcador]

CBC is subjecting me to this moron too 

 

 

[rjshae]

3 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

Tuesday I gave a whole lesson on the 1st amendment and free speech. I addressed the Charlie Kirk shooting, but my focus was mostly on the freedom of religion, speech, media, and protest that the 1st amendment covers. 

Now the FCC has pushed a network to remove Jimmy Kimmel from his late-night show. He wasn't removed because of costs or ratings, he was removed immediately after the FCC made threatening statements.

I'm not sure how to proceed with my lesson. 

edit: Also what the hell is happening that the head of the FCC is going on podcasts? Like when did that become a thing?

For me, I think the lesson is that the First Amendment doesn't protect us from media conglomerates controlling the message. The irony is that Kimmel's show wasn't suspended for something he said about Kirk, but apparently about the killer being another gun nut like the Trumpies.

[BruceVC]

4 hours ago, Malcador said:

So you're impressed by shiny things, too.

 

Thats a simplification of what impresses me

But a lavish  event like  this at a 1000 year old castle does impress me

Its not about Trump, its the effort and outcome of the banquet that I admire 

The decorum and dress code as well

This is what was on the menu, interestingly the menu was in French
 

• Hampshire Watercress Panna Cotta with Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad
• Organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes with a thyme and savoury infused jus
• Vanilla ice cream bombe with Kentish raspberry sorbet interior with lightly poached Victoria plums

And then expensive wine was served for those quests that drink
 

• Wiston Estate, Cuvée, 2016
• Domaine Bonneau de Martray, Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru, 2018
• Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, 2000
• Pol Roger, Extra Cuvée de Réserve, 1998

 

[Pidesco]

9 hours ago, BruceVC said:

What is your definition of fascism and can you give some examples of how the US is currently a fascist state? Or are you saying its becoming a fascist state but examples would still be interesting

And do you think this is permanent  if the US is a fascist state, so for example if the Dems win the next election will the US continue to be fascist?

Or do you mean its only a fascist state if Trump is president?

Sorry for the questions but I want to get clarity on what you believe 

 

 

Descent into fascism is a process not an end state. 

 

Examples:

• using government regulatory authorities to silence speech the powerful don't like.
• Plain clothes security forces rounding up people without due process. 
• The Supreme Court using the shadow docket to push through blatantly unconstitutional decisions in favor of the current administration 
• The rule of law being repeatedly ignored with no consequences 

 

I'd say that for the midterms to change anything the dems would have to have crushing victories in both the House and the Senate. I'm not sure, but I think in the Senate that's utterly impossible, even with the assumption of entirely free and fair elections. Also that assumption is becoming less and less guaranteed. Additionally, even if the dems win overwhelmingly, if they keep behaving in the same way they did during the Biden mandate, they will, at best, be an hiatus. 

 

I don't think Trump is necessary anymore, at this point the GOP seems entirely captured by its far right faction. Still, what happens to the GOP with a dead Trump is a bit of an open question. I sometimes have conversations with a colleague of mine who thinks Vance would be worse than Trump. I think he'd be a lame duck. 

 

[HoonDing]

1 hour ago, Pidesco said:

Descent into fascism

[Pidesco]

4 minutes ago, HoonDing said:

[Malcador]

2 hours ago, BruceVC said:

Thats a simplification of what impresses me

But a lavish  event like  this at a 1000 year old castle does impress me

Its not about Trump, its the effort and outcome of the banquet that I admire 

The decorum and dress code as well

This is what was on the menu, interestingly the menu was in French
 

• Hampshire Watercress Panna Cotta with Parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad
• Organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes with a thyme and savoury infused jus
• Vanilla ice cream bombe with Kentish raspberry sorbet interior with lightly poached Victoria plums

And then expensive wine was served for those quests that drink
 

• Wiston Estate, Cuvée, 2016
• Domaine Bonneau de Martray, Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru, 2018
• Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, 2000
• Pol Roger, Extra Cuvée de Réserve, 1998

 

Very accurate for a simplification, then.

[uuuhhii]

usa label antifa as terror organization

so blatant it might as well be parody

[rjshae]

4 hours ago, uuuhhii said:

usa label antifa as terror organization

so blatant it might as well be parody

Apparently DJT has done this before, but nothing came of it. As usual he's wasting government money and resources chasing his own alternate reality viewpoint.

[BruceVC]

10 hours ago, Malcador said:

Very accurate for a simplification, then.

If you classify a formal dinner with an established level of decorum that includes a  dress code as " shiny things " then you right 

Typically " shiny things " would be someone driving a Ferrari or a personal choice to wear lots of diamonds at some celebrity event and fans say " wow....look at those diamonds "

A 1000 year old historical castle and a military procession is not typically considered that but  whatever makes you happy 

 

Edited 19 hours ago by BruceVC

[Bartimaeus]

On 9/18/2025 at 12:42 PM, Pidesco said:

I think in the Senate that's utterly impossible

It's basically impossible. Susan Collins will be vulnerable in Maine and Thom Thillis is retiring in North Carolina: those two are the best pick-up opportunities for Democrats. After that, it gets a lot more dicey, with seats in Ohio, Texas, Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Florida being the most likely to flip. I say "most likely to flip" but of course, none of them are actually likely to flip. In contrast, Democrats will be defending competitive seats in both Georgia and Michigan, and somewhat competitive seats in Minnesota and New Hampshire. There's a long time between now and the election, though: if the economy explodes even more between now and then, Democrats may have a hurricane storming behind them...or perhaps we might not have elections at all.

I don't think anyone can really predict what will happen to the Republican Party once Trump goes...especially not knowing exactly where the party will be before he goes. Like other cults of personality, he's the linchpin that holds it all together, and history has numerous examples of both implosions and of someone successfully being able to fill the void...and while I don't see any obvious candidates for who could do it, the opportunity will certainly present itself.

Edited 25 minutes ago by Bartimaeus