Well, not REALLY for today. This is more stuff I’ve been saving up for the past week or so. But I’ll throw in some news, too…
- Israeli Military Pushes Into Gaza Hospital — Which gives the world, including me, a moment of horrible suspense. This is a critical moment in Israel’s battle against an enemy that deliberately hides among the most vulnerable of innocents. How it goes, and how the world perceives it, is central to the larger question of whether Israel can continue to exist in a world that operates more on knee-jerk reaction than at any time in history.
- House votes to avoid shutdown — Speaker Johnson did it, of course, with overwhelming Democratic support. In case you wonder about the S.C. delegation, my own congressman Joe Wilson voted with Jim Clyburn to keep our country going. All of the other Republicans — Jeff Duncan, Russell Fry, Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman, and William Timmons — voted the other way. Meanwhile, if you want to read something scary that I saw the other day: “Is SC’s Nancy Mace on Trump’s VP short list?“
- SC plans massive move of state employees from downtown Columbia — Well, that’s intriguing. It’s speculated to cost “$334 million more over 20 years.” Thoughts? I don’t know enough about the condition of the current buildings to have an opinion, although I suppose it’s a good idea to replace the one on the extreme end of this range: “The current buildings range from 32 years old to 195 years old.” Of course, much of this is motivated by the Legislature’s recent decision to split DHEC into two major agencies.
- Biden meets with China’s Xi — I like that they’re meeting in the neutral third nation of California. And no, I don’t think Joe’s main goal is to get the pandas back. There’s a lot of more heavy stuff than that…
- Didja know it was Hedy Lamarr’s birthday last week? — Bing made a point of telling me — you know, one of those things that pop up occasionally when you’re using Windows? I took interest because aside from being a babe, she was wicked smaht. I’m posting it six days late so I help you tell the difference between Hedy and Hedley…
Hedy — wicked smaht.
Hedley — not so smaht. Hey, give the governor a harrumph!
Related Posts
No. 1:
How I view the right-wing Israeli government’s campaign in Gaza will not hinge on what the IDF does or doesn’t do at the Al Shifa Hospital. While I have every sympathy with the victims and their families of Hamas’s barbarous attacks in Israel, I definitely do not sympathize with the Israeli government’s response. I stand instead with the IDF veteran of Israel’s 2014 incursion into Gaza who said there is no military solution to the problem that Hamas presents. I stand with Israeli historian of the Shoah, Omar Bartov, and other Israelis like him who describe Israel’s brutal and wholly disproportionate crusade in Gaza as a war crime and a crime against humanity. And I stand with Palestinian rights organizations like Raja Shehadeh’s Al-Haq, which Israel has declared a terrorist organization – baselessly, the CIA concluded using Israel’s own information.
Israel, a country I once saw in a heroic light, has gone mad. It may have been driven mad, but it is mad nonetheless.
Wednesday Observation:
When Democrat nominees appear before Senate Committees, I’ve noticed that Republicans on those committees seem very offended and very upset at what some of the nominees have said about Republicans and Republican positions in the past. (As if they expected the nominees to support positions they believe were bigoted, evil, immoral, or just flat out wrong).
Often, the Republicans are upset at the terms the nominees might have used to describe Republicans or Republican positions- often done when the nominee was 18-19-20 years old in college. Sometimes- even when they were in high school.
For example, pretend hick Republican Senator John Kennedy often seems to be very upset and concerned in such hearings. Recently, he was upset and fussing at a nominee because of what she said when she was in college- in the late 1990s. When he asked the nominee if she had indeed called certain Republicans “bigots,” she said she did and didn’t try to hide it. She also reminded him this was nearly 25 years ago and she- like a lot of people in the room- used terms in college that she might not use today.
Personally, I wish she would have told Kennedy, “Yes, when I was in college, I did use pretty rough language from time to time. But I grew up. Back then as a 20 year old college student, I did the same thing that a 77 year old Donald Trump does almost every day – a man you enthusiastically support. Clearly, he never grew up. But clearly you don’t care how a Republican President talks or speaks about other people.
As pointed out on Sirus radio today, Republican Senators (and House members) have a few patented responses when asked/confronted about Donald Trump’s vile comments.
1) I haven’t heard the comment. (A Tim Scott favorite)
Tim Scott was aware of every comment uttered by any Democrat- even ones uttered thousands of miles away to local news stations- but apparently never kept up with what President Trump said on social media, or in press conferences, or on national television.
2) I haven’t read that story.
3) I didn’t see that post on facebook/X/social media
4) “You’ll have to ask him about it. I don’t answer for him. I answer for myself. ” (often said before trying to defend the vile comment by saying that Trump is just misunderstood).
A poll the other day by barry’s favorite talk radio host, Michael Smerconish, had 77,7% of 22,205 respondents say they agreed with Nikki Haley’s statement that every person on social media should be verified by name. That result was surprising because Smerconish’s typical polling leans very much toward the liberal side.
But I agree with it 100%. If you want to comment in the public square/social media, you should be willing to put your name with your statements. Too much of what is wrong in social media is related to the anonymity that allows people to make false, harmful statements with no recourse. {edited}
I mentioned that in today’s Open Thread….
But in order to approve this so I respond to it, I cut out the parts about Doug griping about his interlocutors….
I heard him mention the poll but wasn’t able to find the results until I went to the website.
I am not sure it’s a big surprise. I generally agree with the idea though. Of course, I think it’s an awful idea for the government to mandate it and it’s not the role of politicians.
I do post on other boards and use my real name most of the time. In those cases, I’ve never had any reason to believe someone would try to reach out to me personally or harm me in some way because they didn’t like my opinion.
Names often get in the way anyway. The issue’s/topics being discussed on here and other boards should be the focus, not personalities or individuals.
It would still be better if you used your full name.
Doug is right that people should post that way. Where he’s wrong is in thinking that’s the only concern.
But as much as he fails to express himself in a civil manner, on the issue of “yes” or “no” on signing comments, he’s right and you’re wrong….