September 2, 2015

Ted Rall Laments America’s ‘Moronitude’

September 2, 2015September 4, 2015 Buck Banks

According to this op-ed piece by cartoon satirist Ted Rall, American exceptionalism is indeed anti-intellectualism.

Americans are dumb.

That’s what people say. Especially foreigner non-American people.

But lots of Americans think that Americans are stupid. Not them, of course. They think other Americans are stupid.

It will not, even if you’re an idiot, come as a shock when I admit that one of the Americans who think Americans are intellectually challenged is me.

Moronitude exists everywhere, of course. What makes stupidity in America stand out is that most Americans — the dumb ones — don’t think it’s bad to be dumb. Far from being ashamed, they’re dumb and proud. The dumb ones make fun of the small-and-constantly-shrinking population of intelligent ones, the “nerds.”
[…]

The Strange Bedfellows

September 2, 2015 Buck Banks

They’re a pair that folks look at askance,
One plays coy at the other’s late advance.
Though Donald’s all sass
And Ted is a jackass,
It seems we’re watching a budding bromance.

Graham to Kentucky Clerk: ‘Comply or Resign’

September 2, 2015 Buck Banks

As a public official, comply with the law or resign.

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), in an interview with Hugh Hewitt, on the defiant Kentucky clerk who refuses to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

Nearly Half of Iowa GOP Voters Favor Deporting Undocumented Immigrants

September 2, 2015 Buck Banks

47%

Of likely GOP caucus goers say it’s a good idea to gather up an estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally and send them to their home country, a new Des Moines Register poll in Iowa finds. Among Donald Trump supporters, nearly three-fourths (73 percent) say so.

Cruz-Trump Bromance is Mostly One-Sided

September 2, 2015 Buck Banks

According to people close to the Trump campaign, the relationship has been driven almost entirely by Cruz. The Texas senator has sought Trump out on numerous occasions, both before and after the mogul jumped into the 2016 race… Trump has welcomed the exchanges and meetings, his people said, but he does not see them as especially necessary or helpful to him. Instead, he views Cruz as a useful, friendly face who appreciates him and whom he is happy to be chummy with on debate stages.

— The Washington Post, on the unusual relationship between Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Obama On Verge of Major Iran Nuclear Deal Win

September 2, 2015 Buck Banks

1

Number of Senate votes needed to uphold Obama’s veto of the Republican legislation aimed at blocking the Iran nuclear agreement, the Washington Post reports.

Anti-Gay Marriage Kentucky County Clerk Has Been Divorced Three Times

September 2, 2015 Buck Banks

4

Number of times Rowan (Kentucky) County Clerk Kim Davis has been married, reports U.S. News & World Report. Davis is facing potentially stiff penalties for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, raising questions of hypocrisy and selective application of the Bible to her life.

Day: September 2, 2015

Ted Rall Laments America’s ‘Moronitude’

The Strange Bedfellows

Graham to Kentucky Clerk: ‘Comply or Resign’

As a public official, comply with the law or resign.

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), in an interview with Hugh Hewitt, on the defiant Kentucky clerk who refuses to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

Nearly Half of Iowa GOP Voters Favor Deporting Undocumented Immigrants

47%

Of likely GOP caucus goers say it’s a good idea to gather up an estimated 11 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally and send them to their home country, a new Des Moines Register poll in Iowa finds. Among Donald Trump supporters, nearly three-fourths (73 percent) say so.

Cruz-Trump Bromance is Mostly One-Sided

— The Washington Post, on the unusual relationship between Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).

Obama On Verge of Major Iran Nuclear Deal Win

1

Number of Senate votes needed to uphold Obama’s veto of the Republican legislation aimed at blocking the Iran nuclear agreement, the Washington Post reports.

Anti-Gay Marriage Kentucky County Clerk Has Been Divorced Three Times

4

Number of times Rowan (Kentucky) County Clerk Kim Davis has been married, reports U.S. News & World Report. Davis is facing potentially stiff penalties for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, raising questions of hypocrisy and selective application of the Bible to her life.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“They’ve invested heavily in AI labs. They’ve invested heavily in data centers. So, the first family has a financial stake in this industry, and as a result, the president of the United States is compromised.”

— “Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) on Monday said President Trump will likely not heed calls from technology leaders to implement guardrails on the development of artificial intelligence because of his family’s investments in the industry,” NewsNation reports.

— Jane Haman

“We’re working through some political issues in Israel. I think we agree with them on the end state. They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards.”

— Jared Kushner, quoted by CBS News, on the lack of progress in Gaza.

Numerati

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.

$184 million

50%

38%

31%