Think of the vast variety of landscapes and cultures, cities and remote outposts, it has brought into our nation's homes over the decades with a seamless blend of erudition and accessibility.
And now turn your gaze upon the full extent of its rot:
As part of its January 2017 issue exploring our evolving understandings and definitions of gender, National Geographic is featuring nine-year-old transgender rights activist Avery Jackson on its cover—the first time a trans person has made the cover of the magazine.Beginning next month, hordes of energized legislators, cabinet-and-agency-head appointees, staff and advisors to executive-branch personnel, and pundits and wonks are going to affect massive change to areas of our national life that are the proper purview of government: health-care policy, tax policy, environment policy, foreign policy and the like.
But we must not take our eye off the evil being spread throughout our culture. Institution by institution, the Left is ruining the foundations of our society, inuring us to the mainstreaming of the grotesquely abnormal.
This is not government's fight, save for the occasional court case. It's mainly a struggle that has to take place in spheres such as conversations in homes and workplaces and on social media. As we know, it requires courage, because it means withstanding accusations of bigotry.
But the policy arenas in which reversals of the damage done in the last eight years seem likely will be mere window dressing if the rot at the core of how we live is not also reversed.
It is task number one.
If it comes down to the mainstreaming of grotesquely abnormal, if not illegal vs. an authoritarian president backed by an authoritarian legislature and cabinet, I choose the mainstreaming. The tao of grotesquely abnormal is such that it will remain so despite any edicts from on high.
ReplyDeleteReread the post. This is not about edicts
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ReplyDeleteYou said policy will reverse what you term the damage done. You also seem to call for a total eclipse of the heart. Some might say that has already occurred. Love & mercy will never be turned away.
ReplyDeletePolicy will reverse the policy damages. I enumerated several fronts on which Congress is going to get to work right away (and those don't involve "edicts.") The "transgender" issue is cultural. And what the flip is a "total eclipse of the heart?"
ReplyDeleteIn what sense do you anticipate the incoming legislature will be "authoritarian"?
ReplyDeleteTotal eclipse of the heart is love and mercy, called for by the Pope you love to trash. To the extent that the Republican members of Congress support Der Leader Big Bully the Trumpman, they will be authoritatian. To the extent that they support Der Other Leader, Big Ahole the Nettieman, the will be authoritarian. To the extent they authorize preemptive war (which ISIS wants), they will be authoritarian. To the extent they support Trump's wall (and making Mexico pay for it), they will be authoritarian. I truly hope Trump has to struggle more, not less, with Congress than his predecessor did.
ReplyDelete"In his op-ed, Evan McMullin said the president-elect, both before winning on Election Day and since, has relied regularly on authoritarian tactics to further empower himself at the expense of the American system of government.
“He had questioned judicial independence, threatened the freedom of the press, called for violating Muslims’ equal protection under the law, promised the use of torture and attacked Americans based on their gender, race and religion,” McMullin wrote in evaluating Trump’s candidacy. “He had also undermined critical democratic norms including peaceful debate and transitions of power, commitment to truth, freedom from foreign interference and abstention from the use of executive power for political retribution.”
Trump has done little to demonstrate shifts in his tactics since winning the presidency, McMullin continued. He said Trump’s recommendation that flag burning be punishable by a prison term or a revoking of citizenship “was consistent with the authoritarian playbook he uses,” as was his suggestion that he “won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally."
Read more at http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/evan-mcmullin-nytimes-op-ed-trump-232185
You're still, in your attempt to explain how you anticipate the incoming Congress, to be "authoritarian," talking about the executive branch. "Support" is a very general term. What is the Congress supposed to do when Trump gets an issue right? lets start with the first order of business. Congress will be signing off on some great Cabinet and agency appointments, people who would be pursuing excellent policy aims in education, energy, defense, taxation and law enforcement no matter what president had appointed them.
ReplyDeleteAlso, that mention of "Nettie" - I'm assuming your talking about the Israeli prime minister - oh, also seems kind of noteworthy that you refer to hime as an "a-hole" right after extolling the rightness of love and mercy - seems kind of out of left field. Perhaps you were thinking of the appointment of Friedman as Israeli ambassador. Do you not think it is a good move to have someone in that position understanding that an undivided Jerusalem is the eternal capital of that nation-state?
Re: McMullen: he was still available as a write-in on election day. A lot of people acted on that opportunity. Officially, only God and my wife know what I did in that voting booth, but I think you can go over LITD posts right up to midday November 8 and draw an accurate conclusion.
A unified Jerusalem will benefit Israel only but the ultimate loss will way outweigh their gain. I refer to war down the road sometime, if not now. I have plenty of love and mercy for everyone, and am in need of it as anyone.
ReplyDeleteSo it sounds like you take back the claim that the new Congress is sure to be "authoritarian."
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