That gamergating fuckwit isn’t there anymore?
I’d occasionally read Popehat, but he pretty much put me off it entirely.
6 Likes
https://twitter.com/popehat/status/630861545514233856
https://twitter.com/popehat/status/500239577387659265
And so forth and so forth.
That’s a bit strong. He has objectionable political views, but they are (or at least were – I don’t follow him) of the “anarcho-capitalist” (quoted because it’s an oxymoron) type rather than fascistic. He left the blog after posting an article where through a somewhat laboured parable he compared Muslims to Nazis (and did not mean this as a compliment).
12 Likes
FWIW, my problem with popehat is that he is a creature of the system. That gives him a lot of expertise in how the system works. But it can be a blindspot in recognizing when the system itself is the inappropriate tool. He’s reasonably good at talking about bad decisions within the system, but not so much when the mindset of the system itself does not fit the problem. To me, it feels a lot like when people who identify libertarians are blind to how their libertarianism sometimes is just authoritarianism in sheeps clothes.
13 Likes
I think I believe in the Bible now.
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” (Revelation 6:8)
8 Likes
Clarke really was/is a more than bit of a trolley over at Popehat. I mostly consider Ken one of the good guys, except when it comes to his his categorical and reflexive defense of all things Clarke (I hope that has changed since I last posted in a thread on that topic…)
8 Likes
Broken clocks and all that.
2 Likes
“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.” The Rolling Stones
4 Likes
The more I read about authoritarian regimes, the more apparent it becomes that they exist in an alternate reality. The elites define what’s real, and the people often know better and only go along with it in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. But, their actual belief isn’t necessary—just their willingness to be part of the theater in order to function in society and stay out of prison.
Personally, if there’s war with the media, I’m betting on the media to win, but I still think that we’re behind the curve. There were points during the Clinton-Trump debates were I was saying to myself: “It’s cute the way she thinks that facts still matter.” We can’t deal with irrational people by explaining to them that they’re being irrational—we need some other way. And therein lies the rub, because America hasn’t experienced authoritarianism before, and we don’t have the toolbox that activists in other countries do.
14 Likes
I know petitions aren’t going to do a hell of a lot in this climate, but here’s one from SPLC. https://www.splcenter.org/stephen-bannon-has-no-business-white-house Besides that, donations to them will help them fight nazis like Bannon.
15 Likes
‘Questioning his integrity’ — are you kidding me? The media has zero integrity, zero intelligence, and no hard work.”
This is where he reveals:
a. he knows little about journalism
b. he is kidding himself
or
c. thinks his lame posturing is fooling anybody but Trumps stupidest supporters
18 Likes
Why, its almost as if the media could be some sort of “fourth estate” that served to reign in abuses of power. But, then again, I’m pretty sure that Steve Bannon doesn’t know anything about that since he is in favor of abuse of power, as long as it is in conformity with his goals.
(I’d really like to see the media really be a forth estate, and always question and fact check anything the Trump administration says on or off the record before publishing.)
20 Likes
More to the point, Bannon needs to go because the things he says are persuasive.
As horrifying and unlikely-seeming as the idea may be, a large and seemingly growing number of Americans are swallowing this fascist bullshit wholesale. We are still in week one and the administration has already plowed ahead with many of its worst promises, burying us in lies as fast as they can spin them.
23 Likes
This is the best Popehat thread we’ve had in years…
4 Likes
As a news aggregator, it amazes me that people like this still continue to operate as if “news” only resides within the United States, not to mention that they ignore that such things as First Amendment Rights exist. Actually, on Trump’s campaign there were instances of Donald’s faux pas in somehow alluding that he existed above certain laws, such as him representing people that “might be very upset” were he not to get nominated. In essence, this is an assertion that the laws governing democratic process somehow did not apply to, what, his sense of entitlement or narcissism? His erratic behaviour and “locker room” friends might necessitate another round of Phentermine for everyone!
3 Likes
Well, to be fair, Breitbart News has:
That’s the sum of his journalism experience, isn’t it?
13 Likes
Since Bannon is driving all of the official policy of this administration – writing his speeches, executive orders, and agendas – I think the press should collectively start ignoring Trump entirely to drive the President crazy, and focus on Bannon. Having an actual Nazi acting out his Grand Moff Tarkin fantasies is going to destroy this country way faster than having an alzheimers patient officially in charge.
32 Likes
Of course, if the media were the opposition, the very last thing they should do is “shut up”. It’s the opposition’s job to oppose the sitting government.
Especially when the sitting government is a pack of idjits.
23 Likes
Game on Bitch!
7 Likes
Again, this is brilliant news. A bit of adversity might be good for the WaPo and NYT folks who’ve grown fat and indolent playing stenographers to the regime. Maybe this shocks them into being, y’know, journalists for a change. And hell, if you aren’t marked for death as a journalist, how do you know that you are doing a good job?
11 Likes
They don’t need to fool everyone. They certainly didn’t need to fool everyone to get him in office; even many of his fellow Republicans knew he was full of shit but they put him in power anyway for the sake of the party.
13 Likes
