Political Randomness

[Holman]

William Shatner (already known as kind of a reactionary) has decided to host a show of some kind on Russia Today, a Kremlin-controlled network.

[hepcat]

Watching the current political theater of republican governors "deploying" national guard members and cops to the border makes me sick. Why not just publicly masturbate to a picture of Trump if you want his support so badly?

[Holman]

Why not just publicly masturbate to a picture of Trump if you want his support so badly?

Well, they have to save *something* for the debates.

[Daehawk]

Saw a truck go down the road flying an american flag and all I could think was its probably some Trump lovin loudmouthed unvaccinated gun nut when it was probably just a person happy about the 4th of July. Politics have ruined flags for me.

[Alefroth]

I'd go with your gut.

[Brian]

C-Span Presidential Ranking Survey

Just one more reason to like William Henry Harrison. Dude was only President for 30 days and still landed higher on the list.

[Kraken]

Saw a truck go down the road flying an american flag and all I could think was its probably some Trump lovin loudmouthed unvaccinated gun nut when it was probably just a person happy about the 4th of July. Politics have ruined flags for me.

You're not the only one.

SOUTHOLD, N.Y. — The American flag flies in paint on the side of Peter Treiber Jr.’s potato truck, a local landmark parked permanently on County Route 48, doing little more, he thought, than drawing attention to his family’s farm.

Until he tried to sell his produce.

At a local greenmarket where he sells things such as wild bergamot, honey and sunflowers, he had trouble striking a deal until, he said, he let his liberal leanings slip out in conversation with a customer.

“She said, ‘Oh, whew. You know, I wasn’t so sure about you, I thought you were some flag-waving something-or-other,’” Treiber, 32, recalled the woman saying and citing his potato truck display. “That’s why she was apprehensive of interacting with me.”

He paused: “It was a little sad to me. It shows the dichotomy of the country that a flag can mean that. That I had to think, ‘Do I need to reconsider having that out there?’”

Thirteen stripes, a dusting of stars, the American flag has had infinite meanings over the 244 years since the country began flying one. Raised at Iwo Jima, it was a symbol of victory. Lit on fire, it became a searing image of the protests against the Vietnam War. Ribboned around the twin towers on commemorative 9/11 lapel pins, it is a reminder of the threats against a delicate democracy.

Politicians of both parties have long sought to wrap themselves in the flag. But something may be changing: Today, flying the flag from the back of a pickup or over a lawn is increasingly seen as a clue, albeit an imperfect one, to a person’s political affiliation in a deeply divided nation.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump have embraced the flag so fervently — at his rallies, across conservative media and even during the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol — that many liberals such as Treiber worry that the left has all but ceded the national emblem to the right.

[Holman]

Plenty of people have flags out in my neighborhood, but a good number have out a BLM or "Hate Has No Home Here" sign at the same time.

[dbt1949]

Around here it's Confederate Flags and Do not Tread on Me flags.

[hitbyambulance]

Around here it's Confederate Flags and Do not Tread on Me flags.

[Brian]

[Skinypupy]

Driving home from the family BBQ last night, some asshole passed us last night with a giant American flag hanging out one window and a Trump “Fuck Your Feelings” out the other. Little B 12.5 says, “Dad, I bet that guy is a huge jerk”.

Felt like that summed it up pretty well.

[El Guapo]

Still ridiculous that JFK gets ranked as high as he does.

[malchior]

Still ridiculous that JFK gets ranked as high as he does.

He gets a lot of credit for the cuban missile crisis. I suspect some (maybe sizable portion) of the polled were alive at the time. It is why Trump isn't at the very bottom. He will be eventually - civil war 2.0 or not but you have to imagine he has some level of popularity inside the pool (though probably still small).

[El Guapo]

Still ridiculous that JFK gets ranked as high as he does.

He gets a lot of credit for the cuban missile crisis. I suspect some (maybe sizable portion) of the polled were alive at the time. It is why Trump isn't at the very bottom. He will be eventually - civil war 2.0 or not but you have to imagine he has some level of popularity inside the pool (though probably still small).

Honestly I think the evaluation is mostly the result of JFK giving good quotable speeches plus the impact of being tragically assassinated, plus a sprinkling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. But even on that, he played a large role in *causing* the Cuban Missile Crisis by authorizing various assassinations / quasi-invasions of Cuba.

[Holman]

Still ridiculous that JFK gets ranked as high as he does.

He gets a lot of credit for the cuban missile crisis. I suspect some (maybe sizable portion) of the polled were alive at the time. It is why Trump isn't at the very bottom. He will be eventually - civil war 2.0 or not but you have to imagine he has some level of popularity inside the pool (though probably still small).

Honestly I think the evaluation is mostly the result of JFK giving good quotable speeches plus the impact of being tragically assassinated, plus a sprinkling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. But even on that, he played a large role in *causing* the Cuban Missile Crisis by authorizing various assassinations / quasi-invasions of Cuba.

JFK also benefits from being the last president whose personal misbehavior was considered off-limits by the press. (Well, maybe that was LBJ, but his personal misbehavior was cruder and less titillating. Plus he got shit done.)

[Jaymann]

At least he edged out that asswipe Reagan.

[malchior]

Andrew Sullivan was essentially a #NeverTrump OG and the thread he just endorsed is top to bottom fallacious garbage that is one step from GQP/#MAGATRUTHER shit. It is really disappointing that "sane" Conservatives just seem to end up driving off the road eventually. Right-wing propaganda is corrosive. It is a movement in deep decline.

[LordMortis]

I started to read, but quickly came to the conclusion that I am not the target audience to click through 30+ tweets to read a message. It's not that I don't the attention span (that which probably is too limited). It's that I don't have the patience. It's like you are presenting 30+ premises leading to a conclusion and you expect me digest them in real time. If it takes you 30+ tweets to convey your message, you chose the wrong method of publication. I am also a curmudgeon when it comes to any text conversations that make it to five texts. I prefer them to end at 2 or 3.

More power to ally'all who have adapted to contemporary communication and happily absorb it.

[Holman]

Andrew Sullivan went downhill a long time ago.

[malchior]

I started to read, but quickly came to the conclusion that I am not the target audience to click through 30+ tweets to read a message. It's not that I don't the attention span (that which probably is too limited). It's that I don't have the patience. It's like you are presenting 30+ premises leading to a conclusion and you expect me digest them in real time. If it takes you 30+ tweets to convey your message, you chose the wrong method of publication. I am also a curmudgeon when it comes to any text conversations that make it to five texts. I prefer them to end at 2 or 3.

More power to ally'all who have adapted to contemporary communication and happily absorb it.

Long threads aren't always great - sometimes they are. In this case that isn't the real point. If you get to the 3rd Tweet, it was presented as his hypothesis and it was obviously wrong. A few spot checks further down the thread showed the whole thing was typical right-wing garbage. RIP another #NeverTrumper.

We basically have Tom Nichols and a few other #NeverTrumpers left. I don't see Nichols falling into that void but a lot of conservatives have gone down the rabbit hole lately. It's not encouraging.

[El Guapo]

Andrew Sullivan went downhill a long time ago.

I was going to say, I think he's been straddling the line between serious commentator and troll for awhile now. He has his moments of both.

[malchior]

Andrew Sullivan went downhill a long time ago.

I was going to say, I think he's been straddling the line between serious commentator and troll for awhile now. He has his moments of both.

Right. I agree but that thread is complete horse shit. I don't get how he can even defend it in his troll-ish way.

[malchior]

No big surprise but another story with sourcing about Epstein working for foreign governments including Israel.

[Kraken]

My porch light burned out.

The blue CF bulb outlasted several of the blue incandescents that predeceased it. I've had a blue porch light since we painted the house blue decades ago. It's pleasing to the eye and it provides just enough illumination without being dazzling. It also used to be unusual.

Blue porch lights are suddenly proliferating as a sign of solidarity with the police. A few months ago my town had a high-profile incident in which a K9 officer was killed and two human cops were wounded. Blue line flags and blue lights are everywhere now.

Despite the politics swirling around my decision, I just ordered a new blue LED bulb. I have no beef with the local constabulary and genuine sympathy for their recent loss. At the same time, I support BLM and know that this unintended symbol might broadcast the wrong message and imply solidarity with neighbors whose views I don't share. There were already plenty of thin blue line flags and Blue Lives Matter signs in town and that's not my tribe.

Screw it. I like blue lights.

[Paingod]

There were already plenty of thin blue line flags and Blue Lives Matter signs in town and that's not my tribe.

It's funny how the blue line became a symbol of hate. Originating in the 1950's, it used to be in honor of police. It had been minorly controversial, encouraging "Us vs. Them" mentality. Then the Black Lives Matter movement happened and too many frothing chest thumpers weaponized the blue line in response. Now it's offensive.

I wish I didn't feel the same way about the US flag. When I see someone flying a flag on the back of their pickup truck, I believe that 9999 out of 10000 times, that person is going to be a Red Hat wearer who'll scream about stolen elections, fake news, the Jy-nah virus, and other assorted nuttery.

Thankfully, the US flag in front of a building doesn't make me feel the same way. It's just selective applications of it.

[hepcat]

That's why it's time to take these symbols back. Fly the American flag...but alongside a Biden/Harris poster. Put up a blue light next to a BLM banner. We need to destroy this all or nothing narrative that today's politics seem to gravitate towards.

[LawBeefaroni]

That's why it's time to take these symbols back. Fly the American flag...but alongside a Biden/Harris poster. Put up a blue light next to a BLM banner. We need to destroy this all or nothing narrative that today's politics seem to gravitate towards.

What if I support the flag/nation but am not a Biden (or Trump) acolyte?

I have to pick a tribe or be cast into the wilderness.*


*"Cast into the wilderness" here, of course, just means not flying the flag.

[hepcat]

That's why it's time to take these symbols back. Fly the American flag...but alongside a Biden/Harris poster. Put up a blue light next to a BLM banner. We need to destroy this all or nothing narrative that today's politics seem to gravitate towards.

What if I support the flag/nation but am not a Biden (or Trump) acolyte?

I have to pick a tribe or be cast into the wilderness.*


*"Cast into the wilderness" here, of course, just means not flying the flag.

I replied to the post I did within the same context as they. You may fly (or not fly) the American flag for whomever you wish. More power to you.

[LawBeefaroni]

That's why it's time to take these symbols back. Fly the American flag...but alongside a Biden/Harris poster. Put up a blue light next to a BLM banner. We need to destroy this all or nothing narrative that today's politics seem to gravitate towards.

What if I support the flag/nation but am not a Biden (or Trump) acolyte?

I have to pick a tribe or be cast into the wilderness.*


*"Cast into the wilderness" here, of course, just means not flying the flag.

I replied to the post I did within the same context as they. You may fly (or not fly) the American flag for whomever you wish. More power to you.

That's my point. I don't want to fly it for anyone other than myself. But if I don't contextualize it, assumptions will be made. So better to not fly it.

[hepcat]

Hence my belief that "taking it back" in the manner I wrote will eventually lead to the destruction of one side co-opting symbols such as this, and eventually (hopefully) a cessation in assumptions like the one mentioned here.

[LawBeefaroni]

Hence my belief that "taking it back" in the manner I wrote will eventually lead to the destruction of one side co-opting symbols such as this.

I guess I'm just not a soldier in the take back fight if it means putting up a Biden/Harris poster.



I had a Chicago flag out and someone spray-painted ACAB on my building.

[hepcat]

Hence my belief that "taking it back" in the manner I wrote will eventually lead to the destruction of one side co-opting symbols such as this.

I guess I'm just not a soldier in the take back fight if it means putting up a Biden/Harris poster.

You can put up a Kanye West poster if you'd like. The struggle remains the same. I was just putting forth a scenario based on the foremost target of the right's methodology in co-opting such symbols, as well as one based on the original poster's political leanings (or at least what I've surmised them to be from previous postings).

As for flying it for yourself, that's fine too. We won't think less of you for not participating in the struggle.

[LawBeefaroni]

Hence my belief that "taking it back" in the manner I wrote will eventually lead to the destruction of one side co-opting symbols such as this.

I guess I'm just not a soldier in the take back fight if it means putting up a Biden/Harris poster.

You can put up a Kanye West poster if you'd like. The struggle remains the same. I was just putting forth a scenario based on the foremost target of the right's methodology in co-opting such symbols.

American flag on pickup truck is forever lost. Blue line flag is forever lost.

I think American flag on porch is still relatively safe but you to need to have a very bland, neutral porch. Even as much as a single garden gnome could set someone off.


It's noble to try to hang on and fight the co-option of cherished symbols but sometimes it's a lost cause and hanging on is more trouble than it's worth. Just ask the Finns.

[hepcat]

Fringe cases gonna fringe.

[Zarathud]

American flag and Rainbow flag should cover you. We have to fix our warping post before putting up any flags.

[LordMortis]

That's why it's time to take these symbols back. Fly the American flag...but alongside a Biden/Harris poster. Put up a blue light next to a BLM banner. We need to destroy this all or nothing narrative that today's politics seem to gravitate towards.

Only I don't advertise politics of my house at all but if I did, that it what I would like to do. I like it a lot.

[Isgrimnur]

American flag and Rainbow flag should cover you. We have to fix our warping post before putting up any flags.

Which way is it leaning?

[ImLawBoy]

Hence my belief that "taking it back" in the manner I wrote will eventually lead to the destruction of one side co-opting symbols such as this.

I guess I'm just not a soldier in the take back fight if it means putting up a Biden/Harris poster.

You can put up a Kanye West poster if you'd like. The struggle remains the same. I was just putting forth a scenario based on the foremost target of the right's methodology in co-opting such symbols.

American flag on pickup truck is forever lost. Blue line flag is forever lost.

I think American flag on porch is still relatively safe but you to need to have a very bland, neutral porch. Even as much as a single garden gnome could set someone off.

We're currently looking for houses and are focusing far NW side. A place we're looking at in Oriole Park has a pole with US flag, and there are lots of other flags in the neighborhood. Of course, it's a heavy police/fire neighborhood where a BLM sign is more likely to lead to problems than a US flag, I suspect.

[Sudy]

I've never really understood flag-flying patriotism. It strikes me a little like hanging a photo of my house in my bedroom. "Yes, I live here". I didn't really have a choice, but I'd like to think I'd live here even if I did. Dead people did a whole lot of good and bad things here much like anywhere else, but we choose to remember the good things more. Plus we have poutine. Fuck, I think I'm in a cult.