Notices by Badger AF (he/him) DEMOCRACY (badger_af@mstdn.social)

Two things we have to drive a stake through if we ever want to reclaim this country:

1. American exceptionalism
2. Nostalgia

American exceptionalism ties in with the idea that we are somehow different from any other country - people think that somehow we're special because a magical divine being inspired the founders of this country. But he didn't inspire them enough to free the enslaved people.

1/

The 1950s was a short period in our history. This history is recalled fondly mostly by whites men because everyone else remembers it differently back then. Men could easily have their wives committed by meeting with a doctor. The decision on how to treat breast cancer would routinely be talked over between a woman's husband and her doctor.

Black, LGBTQ, Latinx? You had little to no rights.

But whites would wax nostalgic for this short period of time during the 1950s.

3/

The economy was strong because we had pent-up demand after the austerity of the war years and we had amazing production capabilities because of the war. This perfect storm created the middle class. Before that, families did not have nearly much expendable income.

Of course other countries caught up to us and we would forever ask why we can't have the good old days again.

It created a myth of America always being great and having a low divorce rate.

4/

@sand Well, they might feel some remorse when it's their ox getting gored. A lot of these people who voted for him seemed to stop maturing in 5th grade.

It's going to be a tall order to bridge a divide with people who can't even vote their own self-interests.

For a lot of these folks, primary their self-interest is to feel better about themselves at the expense of others.

We're going to see a lot of stories about people who voted for the orange shit having it come back to bite them.

These stories gain traction due to Schadenfreude, irony, and being clickbait for corporate media.

As much as it might give readers a sense of vindication, it still ends up with someone being unjustly punished.

Many are from marginalized folks and it strikes me as punching down.

Not engaging with these stories, and resisting the urge to feel smug is part of being the Resistance.

@phaedral From my understanding, he was also an anti-semite.

Quote still stands, though.

"As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron."

— H.L. Mencken

We've already done that several times, so let's not again, OK?

#VoteBlue

Today's Speed Bump comic strip.

Just look at this tuna noodle casserole. I hope I'm not trying to rise above my station or anything, but I'm like the fricking Salt Bae of french-fried onions.

Just look at it.

Just leaving this here...

@tchambers This editorial by Josh Marshall complements this post: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/another-poll-check-in

A friend of mine was telling me about how MAGA ruins everything—including the Olympics.

Of course they're ruining the joy of everything—they're inherently unhappy people. It will be a great contrast of seeing candidates who smile and laugh versus those who scowl and smirk.

Being MAGA Means Never Having to Say "I'm Happy".

#VoteBlue
#harriswalz2024

Here's what republicans want to bring to the rest of America....

https://mstdn.social/@glassdelusion@mastodon.social/112859712797327319

This is AWESOME—I've really wanted to some see someone tear into trump 2.0 and Kamala brings it.

“Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own game,

So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.”

Kamala's gonna have the nickname "Big Yellow Bus" because she's taking trump's ass to school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKvJJR-6jO4

#KamalaHarris2024
#VoteBlue

And before anyone talks about "can she beat trump?" people have to remember—he had a disastrous presidency, actually lost jobs, displayed his proud ignorance, and in general fucked things up.

He has no policy experience and can't tell you how he'd make anything better with the exception of turning up the heat on the planet.

He's racist, stupid, an adjudicated rapist, a legally-established fraud, and a convicted felon.

He can be beaten and Kamala is the one to do it.

#VoteBlue

The problem wasn't that Biden had a bad performance (he did), but that somehow we have a system that allows a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, a proven fraud and liar to run for President after a disastrous 4 years that left the economy in a shambles, about 100,000 dead due to his incompetence and mishandling of a deadly pandemic, and a failed coup.

That's what's really fucked up with this country.

@WarnerCrocker It would seem "lying with impunity" is the latest corporate business model.

Mittens Romney thinks it would be a good faith gesture for Biden to pardon TFG. What a fucking moron—you don't try and pet a rapid dog.

Ford pardoning Nixon allowed the dirty tricksters and rat-fuckers like Stone to scurry away and rat-fuck another day. Why we had Jan. 6th - because everyone wanted to 'move past this'.

That's like not pressing charges against an abusive spouse and then he (it's almost always a he) comes back and kills you.

Dems need to fight back and hard.

#ConvictedFelon

@Lazarou Do you mean Dems or repubs?

Outside of Raskin, AOC, and Whitehouse, I don't know of any other Dems who are responding to this the way they should.

Dick(less) Durbin needs to resign and let our Governor Pritzker appoint someone who knows how to fight.

Sick of feckless Dems who insist on looking a gift horse in the mouth - "Gee, I'm not sure about the optics of calling a convicted felon "A FUCKING CONVICTED FELON".

Just on a rant today.

#noimmunity4tfg
#ConvictedFelonPOTUS

I don't always agree with WaPo's Jen Rubin, but this is a pretty decent take on Judge Merchan...

#JudgeMerchan