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You are here: Home / Archives for Open Threads / Excellent Links

Excellent Links

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Carrying the The Idiot Ball

by Anne Laurie|  March 9, 20216:26 pm| 179 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Popular Culture, Republican Stupidity

From the genius responsible for both Leverage and the Crazification Factor:

1) A quick thread on what we, in TV writing, call the Idiot Ball. This is a term used to describe when one character, in order to make the show work, has to behave, uncharacteristically, like a complete idiot. It is usually a different character each week. https://t.co/UVAmmxcJpj

— John Rogers (@jonrog1) March 8, 2021

This term was coined, I heard, by actor Hank Azaria, who was complaining about a show he was on and asked “who’s carrying the idiot ball this week?” The modern conservative intellectual movement is now reduced to passing around the idiot ball.

Dr. Seuss is this week’s idiot ball, and in order to be part of the show, you have to carry it. You have to make bad faith or stupid arguments to be part of the show. The difference is, now, *everybody* has to pass the idiot ball around, all episode.

Freedom Fries. Antifa. Dr. Seuss. Millions of missing ballots. Neanderthals. Ordinarily smart people have to pretend to be earnestly dumb and make idiotic arguments about each of these, or be tossed from the show.

Ross absolutely knows that this was a decision by the rights holder to pull books with illustrations which are racist by even lax standards. This is their right, and is actually just smart capitalism. But he has to carry the Idiot Ball.

So now, you have the shorthand. Whenever you hear some ridiculous fake scandal or outrage, you can just chalk it up to “Oh, it’s this week’s Idiot Ball” and it says everything you need to know about both the subject, and the person carrying it.

But remember, the ball’s just the ball. The person carrying it’s the idiot.

So… who’s carrying the Idiot Ball, today? Or battling for possession of same?

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: Carrying the The Idiot BallPost + Comments (179)

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Process

by Anne Laurie|  February 25, 20217:34 am| 238 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Excellent Links, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat

Possibly because the BBC is not American, this is the best analysis of the Recovery Act I’ve seen:

Biden's Covid stimulus plan: It costs $2tn but what's in it? https://t.co/9e2p3EUTZW

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 24, 2021


Suspect it’s a general consensus that the $15 minimum wage will have to be sacrificed, for the moment, but I hope & believe that Biden will dig in hard on providing aid to local governments. Conclusion:

Congressional Republicans are lining up to oppose the entire Covid-19 relief bill, even though there has been little organised national effort to turn public opinion against it.

Conservatives will object to the $1.9tn price tag as too high given the skyrocketing US national debt and then specifically focus on more controversial items like the minimum wage increase and payments to Democratic-controlled states and cities.

In the end, there may be a few Republicans who break ranks and reluctantly support the bill rather than be seen opposing the legislation’s popular measures.

On Tuesday, Biden told reporters that he was optimistic the legislation would pass, but it wouldn’t be “by a lot”. He is probably right on both counts.

show full post on front page

Elsewhere:

Biden also signed a proclamation suspending all of one and part of another proclamation that restricted visa issuing because of the pandemic. The suspension of entry "does not advance the interests
of the United States. To the contrary, it harms the United States," new text says

— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) February 24, 2021

Asked if he’s disappointed more of his cabinet not confirmed, @POTUS says he doesn’t blame US Senate, he blames Trump. “I blame it on the failure to have a transition that was rational.” pic.twitter.com/hF1wHiYqlz

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) February 24, 2021

Thursday Morning Open Thread: ProcessPost + Comments (238)

2024 Open Thread: Primary Considerations

by Anne Laurie|  February 24, 20219:37 pm| 62 Comments

This post is in: 2024 Elections, 2024 Primaries, Excellent Links, Open Threads

“This has nothing to do with hurting the feelings of Iowa or New Hampshire and has everything to do with doing the right thing for the country and the Democratic Party.”

— Brianne Pfannenstiel (@brianneDMR) February 23, 2021

Nope, sorry, not Too Soon:

… The Democratic-controlled Nevada Legislature took a step closer toward that goal this week, introducing a bill that would eliminate the state’s caucus process and replace it with a primary to be held in late January of presidential election years. The bill is likely to sail to approval and be signed by Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat. But the Democratic National Committee will determine whether Iowa (which holds caucuses), New Hampshire (which holds primaries) or Nevada goes first (or another state!) — a decision that is not likely to come for another year and will surely need the approval of President Biden, who lost Nevada to Senator Bernie Sanders in 2020.

The Times recently spoke by phone to Mr. Reid about his desire to change the calendar and make Nevada the first in the nation to vote in the presidential election. The interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Let’s start with the basic question: What is the case for Nevada going first?

Well, if you look at Iowa and New Hampshire and you look at how Joe Biden did in those two states — he took fourth and fifth in those two states. Iowa and New Hampshire are not representative of the country. There’s no diversity. So it’s unfair, in my opinion, to have those as the first two primary states because it really gives the wrong impression of what the country is all about.

I’m also convinced the caucus system is as close to worthless as anything can be. Caucuses are unfair. The Democratic Party should get rid of all of them. They’re just not fair…

Do you have any commitments from Democratic officials outside of Nevada or are you trying to get them?

Well, I’ve talked to Tom Perez lots of times when he was chairman, so he knows how I feel. But I have no commitments, that’s not anything that I’ve done. I’m just trying to spark a dialogue that I think is really important now rather than last minute…

Can you speak a bit about what difference it makes in general for who goes first? Like if you’re somebody who’s not paying attention to politics in January of an election year, why should you care who goes first?

I believe that it focuses attention on the election that’s upcoming. And I think it’s important that those states represent what’s happening within the Democratic Party around the country…

Both Harry Reid and (I presume) Chuck Grassley are well aware that they may not be around in 2024, but Reid hasn’t reduced himself to a placeholder for ambitious staffers:

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Iowans have their finger on the political pulse & take our role as #FITN seriously. Our bipartisan, bicameral + bistate partnership w New Hampshire will ensure the Iowa Caucuses continue. #iapolitics

This isn’t the 1st time Harry Reid attacked Iowa & sadly it won’t be the last https://t.co/unr7c0Tzz9

— Grassley Works (@GrassleyWorks) February 23, 2021

Check to see if you have a pulse while you are at it.

— Ronnie Ray Jenkins-Democrat in PA’s 15th. (@Realrrjenkins) February 23, 2021

Argument against keeping Iowa in the pole position (although that’s probably not what Scholten had in mind):

Let me get this straight: Iowa had record turnout and IA GOP had a wave. Now, IA GOP led state legislature want to pass one of the worst voter suppression bills in the nation?

This is what happens when outside interest groups dictate what happens in Iowa! Shameful!!! https://t.co/NRdpDEOgl8

— J.D. Scholten (@JDScholten) February 22, 2021

I remain wild about Harry. (And self-interest aside Nevada has a much better claim on first-in-nation status than Iowa if we must do it that way) pic.twitter.com/4ddrLYZJ48

— Scott Lemieux (@LemieuxLGM) February 3, 2021

Another proposal, from a New Hampshirite (IMO, all caucuses are inherently anti-democratic, but… )

Modest proposal: (1) Replace Iowa with Nevada at front of process, NV remains a caucus. @RalstonReports https://t.co/PI22djjNcw

— Dante Scala (@Graniteprof) February 2, 2021

(3) Bump up South Carolina to third slot for both Ds and Rs.

— Dante Scala (@Graniteprof) February 2, 2021

End result: more racially diverse opening lineup; small states still lead off the process, giving lesser known candidates a fighting chance; all geographic regions represented.

— Dante Scala (@Graniteprof) February 2, 2021

2024 Open Thread: Primary ConsiderationsPost + Comments (62)

Friday Morning Open Thread: Yes, Progress

by Anne Laurie|  February 19, 20217:05 am| 135 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat

??NEW: ?@POTUS? spoke with Governor Abbott conveying his support to the ppl of TX during this trying time (and always), Fed gov will continue to work ?? with TX, and he’ll instruct additional federal agencies to look into immediate next steps for support. #TXlege #TXforever pic.twitter.com/SwRCQwzgEb

— Emmy Ruiz (@emmyruiz46) February 19, 2021

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President Joe Biden, who will meet with G7 world leaders for the first time since taking office, will pledge $4 billion to a coronavirus vaccination program for poorer countries https://t.co/aFAcY2EdCx pic.twitter.com/UNNTD0Geso

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 19, 2021

Equality Act introduced in House to provide sweeping LGBTQ protections https://t.co/4tsyaKaAzJ

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 18, 2021

"Biden and Dems are operating with confidence because they have finally embraced what has long been true: Progressive economic policies are broadly popular. Many of them are supported by the GOP’s large working-class wing."@EJDionne captures the moment:https://t.co/SIwNFiqanv

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) February 17, 2021

… Voters always say they like bipartisanship, because most Americans prefer people to be nice to each other and work together. But what they care more about is solving problems and getting things done. If the party in charge fails in that essential duty, endless bend-over-backward negotiations and a big, inclusive “process” won’t save them…

Sure, Republican politicians will probably swing some of their supporters away from Biden’s economic plan, larger than the one tested by Bright Line Watch, by attacking it as a deficit-growing, inflation-threatening monstrosity — although the GOP’s record of bloating the deficit with tax cuts for the rich leaves the party’s credibility lower than this week’s temperatures.

But Biden and the Democrats are operating with confidence because they have finally embraced what has long been true: Progressive economic policies are broadly popular. Many of them (notably those checks) are supported by the GOP’s large working-class wing.

Let’s also recognize that when Republican congressional leaders claim to want bipartisanship, they are not operating in good faith. That’s a strong statement, but it’s rooted in reality, not partisanship. Republicans want nothing like what Biden wants. “Now is the time we should be spending,” the president said in Milwaukee. “Now is the time to go big.” The biggest counter so far, from a minority of Republicans, is only a third the size of Biden’s…

Most Americans are neither anti-government ideologues nor culture-war extremists. They turn to the federal government to act boldly in a time of crisis not because they love government in the abstract but because they understand it as the only entity capable of taking on certain large tasks. That’s why Biden is confident about the course he’s on — and it’s why he shouldn’t back down.

Friday Morning Open Thread: Yes, ProgressPost + Comments (135)

Garbage in; Garbage out

by ruemara|  February 13, 20213:43 pm| 128 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Open Threads

Lock art on a San Francisco wire fence

I fully admit that I was desperately trying to get myself hired in the tech boom of the 1990’s. I knew that things were poised to shift dramatically and I wasn’t about to miss out. Of course, I started in computer programming in the 90’s at NYU. I was well aware of the bro misogyny, the racism etc. But I figured that even with those issues, skill and competence would be valued in the merit based wonderland of Silicon Valley. Well. So here we are, 30 years into the tech transformation of the world and… tech philosophy has created so many serious threats to Democracy across the world that I’m entirely sure we can’t afford to let them believe they are a meritocracy that can regulate themselves.
Today’s article in the NY Times just cements that these are bad people, in a bad culture, with bad leaders. Silicon Valley’s Safe Space talks about Slate Star Codex, a blog that became very popular with the in tech crowd that was focused on Rationalist discourse. And of course, it was bigoted as HELL.

“Slate Star Codex was a window into the Silicon Valley psyche. There are good reasons to try and understand that psyche, because the decisions made by tech companies and the people who run them eventually affect millions. And Silicon Valley, a community of iconoclasts, is struggling to decide what’s off limits for all of us. At Twitter and Facebook, leaders were reluctant to remove words from their platforms — even when those words were untrue or could lead to violence. At some A.I. labs, they release products — including facial recognition systems, digital assistants and chatbots — even while knowing they can be biased against women and people of color, and sometimes spew hateful speech.”

For far too many in the tech world, they are so disconnected and so incapable of viewing minorities as people, they believe discussions on rights, access and equality to be simply a mental stimulation exercise. Even when they themselves are minorities, they align far too much to cis white patriarchy to combat the dangers it represents. To quote a woman who subsequently had to lock down her Twitter account for an obvious truth, Straight Black men are the white men of Black people. That extends to a lot of minority groups. For example, let’s look at what then general partner in Andreesen Horowitz, Balaji Srinivasan, said about doxing a journalist writing for Tech Crunch in 2013 on the links between Star Codex and Silicon Valley –

“If things get hot, it may be interesting to sic the Dark Enlightenment audience on a single vulnerable hostile reporter to dox them and turn them inside out with hostile reporting sent to *their* advertisers/friends/contacts,” Mr. Srinivasan said in an email viewed by The Times, using a term, “Dark Enlightenment,” that was synonymous with the neoreactionary movement. …”

Think about that. A general partner in a powerful investment firm saying that they should dox a journalist to protect their safe space to argue the pros and cons of whether women have the right temperament and intellectual heft for tech careers; if blacks have similar intellectual capacity; that affirmative action is anti-white men.

This blog is now gone. Deleted in the past, as people grew to understand the foul underbelly of Libertarian bigotry passed of as just Rationalist thinking from our best minds that has infused tech around the world. But… just because it’s gone from one space, doesn’t mean it’s really gone. The founder of Slate Star Codex is now on Substack with his old posts under a new name, Astral Codex Ten. I won’t link to it. He’s earning about $250k to do this. Have any of the people involved learned anything? No. They still think that we need to be able to discuss these disruptive ideas. So, neonazis, eugenicists, racists, misogynists should all have a platform so we can have a cozy discussion to weigh points. Except for social justice warriors who keep shutting down all this great rationalist discussion with reality. They need to stay out. Brave new future the tech world is building. Looks a lot like the autocratic past. We need to regulate tech. Fast.

Garbage in; Garbage outPost + Comments (128)

Friday Evening Open Thread: Nevertheless, WE Persisted

by Anne Laurie|  February 12, 20217:00 pm| 153 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Proud to Be A Democrat, Violent Insurrection at the Capitols

It was a month ago when I found this broken eagle while cleaning the Capitol after the insurrection. I kept it as a tender reminder of the enormous work ahead to heal. This is one of several symbols I want to share with you as we think what comes next for our nation (THREAD) pic.twitter.com/u4SRgA8lxX

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 6, 2021

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Been waiting for the right time to share this…

SYMBOL OF THREAT: This shattered window on the center doors of the Capitol is the last remaining major damage I saw left as I walked around the Capitol last night. It remains as a symbol of the hate that penetrated our democracy and flooded inside. pic.twitter.com/9DM0ffWM7V

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 6, 2021

SYMBOL OF UNCERTAINTY: I now have to pass through two layers of razor wire fencing to get to work at the Capitol. I walked the perimeter this week with the National Guard and they said they have no idea how long this protection will be necessary.

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 6, 2021

SYMBOL OF RESILIENCE: I saw this quote over a door in the Capitol. It reminded me that healing is more than about accountability of the President and others that participated that day. “Oppressions and injustice and hatred is a wedge designed to attack our civilization” pic.twitter.com/wdGs3uHIqD

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 6, 2021

SYMBOL OF HOPE: When I arrived at my office this week, there were hundreds of cards from all over the country expressing hope from the image of me cleaning the rotunda. One woman said the actions reminded her of her immigrant mother and father who taught her humility. pic.twitter.com/dMujD2jgOA

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 6, 2021

We cannot, for a moment, treat the attack of 1/6 as something normal that happened. It was a truly dark day in our nation's history and it deserves a response of that magnitude.

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 6, 2021

We must also work to strengthen the very institutions placed under attack. Our democracy is far too fragile if a demagog with a social media account and a megaphone can incite an insurrection.

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 6, 2021

And finally, we need to recognize that this is the job of all of us – not just those at the Capitol. We are part of a singular American story. I am working on some ideas to do just this and I hope to work with all of you. I hope that is the true legacy of Jan 6. (end)

— Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) February 6, 2021

Friday Evening Open Thread: Nevertheless, WE PersistedPost + Comments (153)

Impeachment Open Thread: Interesting Takes

by Anne Laurie|  February 7, 202110:15 am| 179 Comments

This post is in: Excellent Links, Impeach the Motherfucker!, Open Threads, Trump Crime Cartel

With Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial approaching, @BBCRosAtkins examines the decisions Republicans face https://t.co/szu8GXOUV8 pic.twitter.com/qVtuDIaP4o

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) February 5, 2021

Yeah, well, it’s Sunday, we’ve got a few minutes, might as well brace ourselves in advance…

show full post on front page

Arguments are set to begin Tuesday in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol. It appears unlikely that he'll be convicted. Five key questions about what to expect in the case. https://t.co/OIV7voGxht

— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) February 6, 2021

"We’re going into this seeing an opportunity to convict" https://t.co/QjDbCadsUq

— New York Magazine (@NYMag) February 5, 2021

… Heading into the trial, how optimistic are you?

I think we’re going into this seeing an opportunity to convict. I recognize that it’s going to be a challenge, but we think that the facts are so compelling and you have jurors who were also victims. They ran for their lives. They sent the same text messages to their loved ones that I sent to mine. There’s got to be a sense among them that this can’t ever happen again. One of the ways to make sure it doesn’t happen again is to hold accountable the guy that incited it.

What are you hearing about how your Republican colleagues are feeling?

There are my one-on-one friendships, where they’ll confide that they don’t like the guy, The guy’s got to go. He’s awful. There are the ones who say that they’re afraid of primaries. I’ve got a friend on the Judiciary Committee, he’ll come over to me after a heated exchange between both sides, and he’ll just kind of eye roll what he just said. It’s a matter of trying to determine who’s really afraid and making decisions out of fear, who can’t stand him and wants to show the resolve to do the right thing, who thinks it’s just a joke — and they’re in on the joke and they just have to do this because of the pro-wrestling effect — and then who actually believes in him? Those are the four categories that I have found among my colleagues.

But in the Senate, I think you’re going to see a serious case. We’re encouraged that McConnell seems open-minded and he wants a fair process. I think the fact that he’s not in office, the dynamics are going to be a little bit different in that no one can say this is politically motivated –– not that the last one was, but you can’t say this is an effort to undermine his presidency. His presidency is over. This is truly about trying to hold him accountable, to deter someone from doing this again, and to disqualify him from ever being able to do this again…

You’re a former prosecutor. What’s the most interesting thing about this case from that perspective?

I think the jurors as victims is the most unique thing you will ever see in a trial. Right? I mean, a Senate juror’s obviously different from a regular juror in that you don’t get to pick who you have on your jury. They self-selected by being in the Senate. But you’ve never seen a trial, would never see a trial, where the jurors are truly victims. That’s such a unique part of this…

Impeachment Open Thread: Interesting TakesPost + Comments (179)

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