The Phony War on American Culture

The Phony War on American Culture

Consider how gender is one focus of their culture war campaign. Transgender people hardly affect our personal lives, despite the Republican campaigns to make it a voting issue. In America, only 1.3 million adults and 300,000 children identify as transgender out of a population of 332 million. Only 36 transgender athletes compete in college sports that include over half a million participants. Yet the Republican legislature in Kansas recently banned transgender girls from female high school sports, despite having only three transgender girls out of 41,00 competing in the state. Indeed, they should be respected and accommodated in some way. Yet, GOP legislators are considering a flood of bills to restrict transgender behavior, flooding email boxes with requests for donations, blasting isolated events on Fox News, and making them campaign issues.

Pakistan lurches to dictatorial rule as authorities launch vendetta against Imran Khan and supporters of his Islamic populist PTI

The long simmering political crisis in Pakistan is now boiling over. Terrified that the campaign of ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan for immediate new elections could inadvertently precipitate an explosion of mass working class anger against brutal IMF-dictated austerity, soaring food prices and mass joblessness, the government and military are resorting to dictatorial forms of rule.

Pakistan lurches to dictatorial rule as authorities launch vendetta against Imran Khan and supporters of his Islamic populist PTI

Related:

PTI leader, US envoy hold meeting at home

Biden Stoops to Conquer Brazil’s Lula

The tragicomic “insurrection” in Brasilia on Sunday was destined to meet a sudden death. The universal condemnation and, in particular, the brusqueness with which the Biden Administration distanced itself from the protestors, sealed their fate. Certainly, this revolt is no “civil war,” although it is difficult to make predictions about new protests in the country.

Biden Stoops to Conquer Brazil’s Lula

The “Nation Rebuilding Industry” Salivates Over Ukraine

American taxpayers must prepare to foot the bill.

The powerful military-industrial complex, with generous campaign contributions funneled via K-Street lobbyists to both parties, celebrated a huge victory yesterday. By getting overwhelming majorities in both chambers to approve a whopping, unprecedented $856 billion Pentagon bill, America’s defense industries are assured of continued prosperity for years to come. Pentagon budgets are rarely cut year after year and generally only rise with time.

The “Nation Rebuilding Industry” Salivates Over Ukraine

Strikes & protests in France (and demonstrations in the US)

Strikes grow as Macron postpones threat to crush French refinery strike

Related:

French left-wing parties gather protesters to march in Paris, as refinery strikes persist

The French call for NATO exit

MSM was all over the cost of living protests but nothing about the Anti-NATO protests. Videos have emerged of police repression in Paris (at which protest, I’m unsure). Meanwhile, in the US, the Poor People’s Campaign, and allies, held multiple demonstrations to get out the vote (which were mainly covered by local news).

The SPD and Greens seek to gag rock musician Roger Waters and silence criticism of NATO’s war in Ukraine

Members of the Munich city council, a coalition of the SPD and the Green Party, are seeking to prevent Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters from performing his This Is Not a Drill show at the city-owned Olympiahalle on May 21, 2023. Advance sales for the concert have already begun.

The SPD and Greens seek to gag rock musician Roger Waters and silence criticism of NATO’s war in Ukraine

A leftist victory in Brazil’s election could be the lifeline Cuba, Venezuela need right now

A leftist victory in Brazil’s election could be the lifeline Cuba, Venezuela need right now

Yet, Lula will likely not seek major changes that would jeopardize current U.S.-Brazil relations.

Morgenstern adds that, “with Biden, Lula would have an ally with some tension … his interest (in the U.S.) has always been purely economic,” but “Lula’s friends are enemies of even the American left … the communist dictatorships of Latin America, China, Russia, the Palestinian Authority.”

Derosa argues, “the political forces represented by Lula are anti-American by definition,” yet he notes that, “Lula is skilled in negotiations and has always maintained a posture of dialoguing with everyone. He wouldn’t make a trade break, but he will certainly prefer multilateral relations … he would hardly break with the U.S., even more so while the United States is governed by the Democratic Party.”

As to why Lula’s close association with dictatorships has never been wielded against him in Brazil, Morgenstern sees a significant difference between parties in Brazil and elsewhere: “The Brazilian ideological left really believes that ‘social inequality’ is the biggest problem in the universe, so it is a declared fan of dictatorships (Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua), unlike the American left.”

So much wrong with these analyses. I found no evidence that Russia, or the PA, are communist and many would argue that China is communist in name only. As for dictatorships, the Democrats love them! Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, UAE?! 🤦🏼‍♀️

The 1619 Project and the New York Times’ glorification of the UK monarchy

In its coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles, the New York Times has published article after article celebrating the pageantry of the British monarchy. In so doing, the newspaper responsible for publishing the 1619 Project has entangled itself in many layers of contradictions.

The 1619 Project and the New York Times’ glorification of the UK monarchy