Open Thread

I read: “. . . international human rights standards on freedom of expression generally protect misinformation unless a strong justification exists for limits, such as foreign interference in elections. Otherwise, human rights standards guarantee the “freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers … through any … media of … choice,” according to a key United Nations convention.”

It is just a somewhat random snippet from some academic trying out cheap research for political relevance, but why so mushy?

What is the point of an argument where one commits to “protecting misinformation” (!) as positive but immediately concede the legitimacy of an exception as capacious as “foreign interference in elections”.

I read the manifesto of that guy who set himself on fire outside one of Trump’s trials and I was impressed by the combination of sound grammar and great aerial leaps from association across massive evidentiary gaps to the revelation of elite malevolence and wrong-doing. I could not say he was wrong exactly. He seemed to get the jist right even if he could not “prove” anything well enough to motivate public opinion. I wondered to myself if his rhetoric and reasoning was any worse than the political name-calling and airy wielding of ungrounded abstractions and “narratives” that seem to accompany actual making of war policy, say.

Are the people who think war in Ukraine or Gaza is right and just any more sane because they advocate setting people they do not know or identify on fire rather that themselves?

” RightToLife” is really about forced-childbirth slavery as part of a broader agenda of domination and control.

Those women who resent the attempted re-imposition of forced-childbirth slavery badly enough to make it the determining factor in how/what they vote for will probably vote for a straight Democratic ticket as well as voting for RightToChoice Ammendments to their State Constitutions in States which are having such a measure on their ballots. We will see in the coming general election whether there are enough such resentful women to make a difference in various state-level elections, including the Presidential election.

My personal feeling based on mere intuition is that the coming 2024 elections will be strictly a “measure of our hatred”. Whichever brand name candidate/Party is more deeply feared, loathed and hated by more people will drive the majority of votes to the other brand name candidate/Party. Very few of the voters will be voting FOR something . . . maybe 2 or 2 million at most. They will be voting for a third, fourth or fifth party candidate.

The other thing to watch will be to see whether the turn-out numbers or the stay-home numbers are bigger, and if so . . . by how much.

I wonder what the tally is on who has spent more in the NATO/Russian war in Ukraine.
How much has NATO sent to Ukraine verses how much has Russia spent on the war.
Before the latest rounds of aid I’ve seen reporting that around 200-300 billion dollars had been sent to Ukraine since the war started (this does not include all the aid sent from 2014-2021).
Russia’s estimated military spending was around 70 billion in 2021. Estimates are that that has increased to around 100 billion.
This does not include the economic loses Europe has experienced from sanctions.

It appears the Ukraine war might rather then be a money pit for Russia be one for NATO.
I can imagine Russian leaders talking:
“Why don’t we just end this war already?”
“We’d rather NATO waste its resources on a lost cause then find something productive to do. Did you see America just approved 95 billion more?”
“The capitalist west will sell us the rope with which we will hang them.”

To sleep, perchance to dream.

I awoke from my Saturday night slumber and vivid dreams to discover the Saturday massacre perpetrated by the Ewenited States congress weasels.

Tossing billions to tyrants, blood letting civil rights, and Tik Tok , the clock tics on as the world burns.

Hey, not to be that Downer Debby, I do recognize Spring’s advent in the northern hemisphere and blossoming tulips, daffodils and crocuses. It’s not all about the stench and misery of feed lot cattle and slaughter houses. Pretty much though in these times.
Reap your riches and wishes where ye may.