I think the filibuster should be nuked and I generally like the comic. But I don’t think McConnell would end the filibuster any time soon because much- if not all-the GOP agenda is already not filibusterable vis-a-vis appointments and reconciliation. AND they can do much of what they want to do at the state level as well. As such I think McConnell judges kneecapping Democrats to be more valuable than being able to enact some of his stuff. But yeah the moment McConnell judges it to be in his long term self-interest and is in the majority the filibuster would die an ignorable death.
DLCsays
The Aliens just want To Serve Man.
(it’s a cookbook!)
elfsternbergsays
The most alarming thing is how accurate it is. In an article on teaching Critical Race Theory to college kids, the writer has them read a short SF story about how space aliens show up offering to solve all our problems, but only if we let them re-enslave all Black Americans. A vote is taken, and White America agrees to the deal.
As the writer points out, every year in his class the students agree with the premise, and have agreed with it more every year. They know how many racists and powermongers there among us. They believe that if America could, without shame, confront the evil of slavery a second time they’d embrace it as a beloved long-lost cousin thought dead and buried.
We already engage in a terrifying number of unneeded blood sacrifices– our love of car culture, our acceptance of opiod addiction, our willingness to look the other way as doctors maltreat the obese people , queer people, and minorities, our helplessness in the face of the “warrior cop” mentality. What’s one more?
whheydtsays
I don’t want to see the filibuster ended. I want to see the filibuster rules reverted to what they used to be. Want to filibuster? Start talking. Your filibuster will last as long as you can stay awake and hold the floor of the Senate. Possible silver lining…the stress of doing it might kill a few of the older members of the Senate.
So a touch off topic, but I’ll get there, I think… Someone the other day told me that “Most of Oregon wants to join Idaho”. No most of the PEOPLE in Oregon want to stay Oregon. Several remote counties with low population density want to leave. LAND DOESN’T VOTE, people do.
The GOP and this bent toward populism is based on the idea that empty land on a map should mean in politics. They are doing everything they can to maintain their powerbase and that red map from 2016 is the bludgeon they have chosen. HRC got MORE votes than DJT. We’ve been playing this game for decades. The “Moral Majority” has always been just the most vocal minority. They want to “Take back our country”, but it hasn’t been there’s for a long time. The world has moved on and the only thing their struggle is accomplishing is an increase in human suffering.
macturtle will suspend any rule or tradition if and when it gives him an advantage and do it different tomorrow if it suits his purposes.
the conservatives have never supported democratic principles really though they know all the right words. They only supported the revolution of 1776 because they wanted to rule as part of the ruling class. They were never committed to the ideals of democracy, they still are not committed.
uncle frogy
consciousness razorsays
Totally blowing things out of proportion here. To prevent the aliens from enslaving and eating you, all you have to do is use some of your stolen wealth to rent out the national guard and send it to space to secure the borders. Or whatever. They could really do any mission you like — maybe they’ll help the aliens instead, if that’s what you want. The point is, it’s all very simple and straightforward, and everybody is totally free to do this.
The metaphor is good, but a six-panel layout just leaves out so much.
The aliens have been making this offer for decades, and all sane commentators have been warning about this forever.
The Clintons refused to do anything about the aliens because Reagan Democrats liked aliens and so did the rich, and it might have constricted the stock market by a hundredth of a percent — and the aliens wouldn’t arrive for decades anyway, so obviously it was perfectly safe to kick the can down the road.
Pelosi had several options for bills which would have solved the problem in 2007, and had promised to do something about it during the election, but once the Democrats took Congress she ignored any calls for action because… uh… well, for reasons which never actually became clear, but which cannot possibly be explained without admitting that she’s really terrible at her job, so most Democrats just don’t talk about it.
Obama promised to protect us against them during his campaign, but then refused absolutely to do anything whatsoever. This was presented by Democratic loyalists as somehow being Obama playing 11-dimensional-chess which would somehow magically defeat both the aliens and the Republicans, until December of 2016.
And current Democrats? Like to pretend that this situation materialized on January 21, 2017 and that none of the aging, fossilized, ham-handed, and uninspiring Democratic leadership they back have anything to do with the fact that we are now in a serious crisis. It’s all the fault of Trump and McConnell, and decades of wasted opportunities for extraordinarily stupid, absolutely unforgiveable reasons did not happen. Do not question the wisdom of the Clintons; there was never anything which could have been done; if there was it was not totally obvious; we have always been at war with Eastasia.
I think the filibuster should be nuked and I generally like the comic. But I don’t think McConnell would end the filibuster any time soon because much- if not all-the GOP agenda is already not filibusterable vis-a-vis appointments and reconciliation. AND they can do much of what they want to do at the state level as well. As such I think McConnell judges kneecapping Democrats to be more valuable than being able to enact some of his stuff. But yeah the moment McConnell judges it to be in his long term self-interest and is in the majority the filibuster would die an ignorable death.
The Aliens just want To Serve Man.
(it’s a cookbook!)
The most alarming thing is how accurate it is. In an article on teaching Critical Race Theory to college kids, the writer has them read a short SF story about how space aliens show up offering to solve all our problems, but only if we let them re-enslave all Black Americans. A vote is taken, and White America agrees to the deal.
As the writer points out, every year in his class the students agree with the premise, and have agreed with it more every year. They know how many racists and powermongers there among us. They believe that if America could, without shame, confront the evil of slavery a second time they’d embrace it as a beloved long-lost cousin thought dead and buried.
We already engage in a terrifying number of unneeded blood sacrifices– our love of car culture, our acceptance of opiod addiction, our willingness to look the other way as doctors maltreat the obese people , queer people, and minorities, our helplessness in the face of the “warrior cop” mentality. What’s one more?
I don’t want to see the filibuster ended. I want to see the filibuster rules reverted to what they used to be. Want to filibuster? Start talking. Your filibuster will last as long as you can stay awake and hold the floor of the Senate. Possible silver lining…the stress of doing it might kill a few of the older members of the Senate.
So a touch off topic, but I’ll get there, I think… Someone the other day told me that “Most of Oregon wants to join Idaho”. No most of the PEOPLE in Oregon want to stay Oregon. Several remote counties with low population density want to leave. LAND DOESN’T VOTE, people do.
The GOP and this bent toward populism is based on the idea that empty land on a map should mean in politics. They are doing everything they can to maintain their powerbase and that red map from 2016 is the bludgeon they have chosen. HRC got MORE votes than DJT. We’ve been playing this game for decades. The “Moral Majority” has always been just the most vocal minority. They want to “Take back our country”, but it hasn’t been there’s for a long time. The world has moved on and the only thing their struggle is accomplishing is an increase in human suffering.
Damn it *”theirs”
macturtle will suspend any rule or tradition if and when it gives him an advantage and do it different tomorrow if it suits his purposes.
the conservatives have never supported democratic principles really though they know all the right words. They only supported the revolution of 1776 because they wanted to rule as part of the ruling class. They were never committed to the ideals of democracy, they still are not committed.
uncle frogy
Totally blowing things out of proportion here. To prevent the aliens from enslaving and eating you, all you have to do is use some of your stolen wealth to rent out the national guard and send it to space to secure the borders. Or whatever. They could really do any mission you like — maybe they’ll help the aliens instead, if that’s what you want. The point is, it’s all very simple and straightforward, and everybody is totally free to do this.
The metaphor is good, but a six-panel layout just leaves out so much.
The aliens have been making this offer for decades, and all sane commentators have been warning about this forever.
The Clintons refused to do anything about the aliens because Reagan Democrats liked aliens and so did the rich, and it might have constricted the stock market by a hundredth of a percent — and the aliens wouldn’t arrive for decades anyway, so obviously it was perfectly safe to kick the can down the road.
Pelosi had several options for bills which would have solved the problem in 2007, and had promised to do something about it during the election, but once the Democrats took Congress she ignored any calls for action because… uh… well, for reasons which never actually became clear, but which cannot possibly be explained without admitting that she’s really terrible at her job, so most Democrats just don’t talk about it.
Obama promised to protect us against them during his campaign, but then refused absolutely to do anything whatsoever. This was presented by Democratic loyalists as somehow being Obama playing 11-dimensional-chess which would somehow magically defeat both the aliens and the Republicans, until December of 2016.
And current Democrats? Like to pretend that this situation materialized on January 21, 2017 and that none of the aging, fossilized, ham-handed, and uninspiring Democratic leadership they back have anything to do with the fact that we are now in a serious crisis. It’s all the fault of Trump and McConnell, and decades of wasted opportunities for extraordinarily stupid, absolutely unforgiveable reasons did not happen. Do not question the wisdom of the Clintons; there was never anything which could have been done; if there was it was not totally obvious; we have always been at war with Eastasia.