Talking Points

I sometimes wonder what our elected officials are doing in committees, making good deals behind the scenes, I hope. 

I did read that Gov. Newsom is pushing to modernize how California treats its mentally ill. He'd like to provide more hospital beds and treatments, something the state has needed since the day that Ronald Reagan forwarded the mentally ill into local communities to be homeless.

Newsom also wants to turn San Quentin, with the nation's longest death row, into a rehab and education facility for prisoners. 

We can solve problems. Or we can keep problems as political talking points.  It's a choice.

Authentic

In a loose sense, an authentic person is one who lives up to her own belief system. Putin is an authentic fascist, although he doesn't know it. Trump is an authentic narcissist, although he doesn't know it. Bernie is an authentic democratic socialist, and he does know it.  

I don't think authenticity is rare. We respond to it favorably much of the time. People who are painfully inauthentic (DeSantis, Nixon, Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, Pence, Marco Rubio) may or may not attract enemies, but their friends don't like them (Oscar Wilde). 

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The Anti-Semite

Gov. Ron DeSantis recently said: "The Manhattan district attorney is a Soros-funded prosecutor, and so he, like other Soros-funded prosecutors, they weaponize their office to impose a political agenda on society at the expense of the rule of law and public safety."  

Attacks on George Soros and on "the Hollywood elite" are part of a Nazi political analysis, one that posits a hidden agenda created and enforced by Jews, who supposedly run the western world with the help of women, gays and inferior races. 

I have no idea what DeSantis really believes about anything, but in the GOP race to the bottom, DeSantis sounds worse than Trump. If Trump goes to prison, the yam-faced DeSantis may become the GOP leader. Right now DeSantis is burning books. And next? 

Republicans have a year in which to right their institution. 

Very Proud Boys

At the trial of five louts, the Proud Boys' book of rules came into evidence. America got a look at the organization's rule for masturbation. 

"A Proud Boy may not ejaculate alone more often than once every thirty days. That means he must abstain from pornography during that time and if he needs to ejaculate it must be within one yard of a woman with her consent. The woman may not be a prostitute."

Why this rule? Prouds may believe that holding a full bottle of precious fluids enhances the masculine virtues. 

Biden's Oil.

While running for President, Joe Biden repeatedly promised not to allow new oil drilling in Alaska. Two days ago he confirmed that he intends to sign off on some new Alaskan oil wells. That surprised no one. 

I've never thought Biden was authentic. No one--other than George Washington--has won the presidency by being authentic. Probably can't be done. 

I will vote for Biden in the next election. The Publicans will nominate (as someone suggested) a cocaine bear, a murderous, salivating lunatic.  

The Hatred of Women

We see movements in several hick states to make abortions punishable by death. In South Carolina a bill giving zygotes "equal protection under the homicide laws of the state" is in process. The bill currently has 21 legislators supporting it.  (I assume that the bill will fail thanks to common sense.)

The main emotion driving death for abortion seems to be a hatred of women. Primitive stuff.  

Dr. Sundari Mase

Dr. Sundari Mase, a scientist, may have saved my life. I'm in a risk category. During the first Covid years, Mase, who led the Sonoma County health response, helped keep the death count to about one in 1,000 people. Nationally the count was about one in 340. That means Mase's strictness helped save many lives in Sonoma County. 

She's resigning. She took a bucket of abuse from business owners and nuts in general who demanded a laxer approach to public health. She stood up to racist attacks. The media dug up a story about how, years ago, she was once arrested for drunk driving. 

Mase did have the support of many ordinary Sonoma County people who wanted to survive.  We wore masks. Thank you, Dr. Mase, for not letting anyone stop you from doing the right thing. 

St Petersburg

In St. Petersburg my wife heard a rumor that the Kremlin plans to announce that explorers have found a country other than Russia. I doubt that. Russia is the only real country. But, of course, if other countries do exist in some crude manner, they exist to the west of the civilized world. Somewhere beyond the pale in Cossack territory. We know there are small trans-people there who ride horses, men in baggy pants. 

Social Laughter

The family was sitting around, and I observed that my wife of about 60 years had two personalities. The second one popped up in social situations. She would suddenly start laughing at bad jokes, become extra animated, appear to be having a great time, etc. 

The family stared. Finally one of my daughters said, "Everyone has a second, social personality, except you."

Woke

"Woke" is an informal term defined by Black people about 70 years ago. In the Black community it means someone who is conscious of social injustice and racism. 

In Republican circles "woke" is a euphemism for the N-word. When Ron DeSantis says that "Florida is a place where woke comes to die," he is signaling to racists that he supports them with all his heart and values their beliefs and votes.

Reality

We sometimes judge our ideas by metaphysical standards. "What would God want me to do?" (Answer: nobody knows.) 

But the more you study "metaphysical," the more unsure its meaning becomes. So I don't know what I'm talking about.

Our other main method of judgement is to look for evidence. An example would be a scientific experiment. We test ideas against our human view of reality. 

Here the problem is that reality has a liberal bias. MAGA types can't use reality. They have to ignore reality. They have no sensible way to test their shitty ideas. 

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