The Republicult™ On Parade

[Brother Mythos]

"New Speaker Wants IRS Budget Cuts To Pay For Israel Aid Package"

"Because as we know, the only Republican priority is millionaire tax cheats."

As per the article:

"House Republicans want to pay for emergency aid for Israel's war by cutting IRS funds aimed at cracking down on rich tax cheats and improving taxpayer service. Isn't that delightful?"

And, further in the article:

"And here's the really outrageous part -- it won't even save money. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office had estimated in 2022 that the $80 billion IRS expansion would cut the deficit by more than $100 billion by improving collections and enforcement."

It's always good to know a political party's real number one priority.

Here's the link:   https://crooksandliars.com/2023/10/new-speaker-wants-irs-budget-cuts-pay

[Brother Mythos]

"MTG Is Trashing Lauren Boebert as a 'Whore' to GOP Colleagues"

" Green and Boebert have been going at it for nearly a year now. But Green's latest move is straight out of the high school cafeteria playbook."

As per the article:

"After Rep. Lauren Boebert helped get Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene kicked out of the House Freedom Caucus over the summer, Greene has been on a payback mission against her former friend-turned-nemesis. And after a date at Beetlejuice The Musical turned into a national conversation about groping, Greene has resorted to a playbook familiar to any woman who survived high school: She's telling GOP colleagues, according to lawmakers, that Boebert is a "whore.""

And, further in the article:

"When The Daily Beast asked Greene about these accusations this week, the Georgia Republican didn't deny them. Instead, she went on a tirade against this reporter." 

There can be only one Queen of the Republicult^TM! Stay classy, ladies.

Here's the link:   https://www.thedailybeast.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-is-trashing-lauren-boebert-as-a-whore-to-gop-colleagues?ref=home

[Brother Mythos]

""It was damning": Brian Stelter excavates Fox News' culture, the Big Lie and Tucker Carlson's exit"

"The media analyst told Salon about reading the Dominion docs, Rupert Murdoch and why Maria Bartiromo is baffling"

This is a long piece, but I found the following to be of particular interest:

As per the article:

"In our conversation we discussed his findings on what – or rather, who — drives Fox's "news" coverage, Rupert Murdoch's abdication of responsibility in allowing his hosts to promote false claims about election fraud, and Fox Business Network anchor Maria Bartiromo's key role in fertilizing The Big Lie."

And, further along in the article:

"You also mention something in the book that I think people will comprehend but may be shocking nevertheless, which is that Fox really is just letting the audience drive the narrative as opposed to serving the audience by giving them information. Now, to anybody who watches Fox, that's pretty apparent. However, to hear it confirmed by voices from within Fox is pretty damning.

It is damning, and I think it's important for all of us to reckon with. We lack a shared reality in the United States because tens of millions of people are subscribing to Fox's mirror world. And that mirror world is basically being generated by the audience. It's uncanny . . . it is in one way simplistic, but I do find it confusing to explain because producers wake up and have to program shows. But at Fox, the audience is in control because the producers and hosts are afraid of repelling the audience, afraid of turning the audience off."

And, still further along in the article:

"There's this notion that The Big Lie began shortly after midnight on election night [in 2020] when Trump declared without proof that there had been massive fraud. But then it was picked up not long after that by [Fox Business anchor] Maria Bartiromo, and that's when Dominion was first mentioned on the air, with words taken directly from an email from a woman named Marlene Bourne. Was that in the Dominion filing?

So this email from Marlene Bourne, this random woman in Minnesota who alleges a vast conspiracy, this email was found by Dominion during the discovery process. It's very clearly a kooky email, several pages long, full of conspiracy theories and ideas. And the woman admits herself that some of the ideas are quote, "wackadoodle." She sent this email to Sidney Powell, who was going to be Maria Bartiromo's guest [on the Nov. 8, 2020 episode of "Sunday Morning Futures"]. Maria Bartiromo also sent it on to Eric Trump, so it reached the Trump family. And this random email became the predicate for the Dominion smear on live TV.

Two things were extraordinary about this. One, Dominion went searching through Fox's servers looking for all the mentions of Dominion before the smear started. And this email was the only email the Dominions lawyers found."

It's amazing to read that the Fox News' conspiracy claims promoting "The Big Lie" actually started with an email received from a totally unreliable viewer. So, it appears the inmates truly are running The Republicult^TM Asylum.

Here's the link:   An Analysis of Fox News' Culture

[Brother Mythos]

"Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows sued by book publisher for breach of contract"

As per the article:

"Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is being sued by his publisher for contradicting his book's claim about the the 2020 election.

All Seasons Press alleges that sworn testimony by Meadows undermined "The Chief's Chief," in which he wrote that the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

In a breach of contract lawsuit filed Friday in Florida, All Seasons cited media reports from last month alleging that Meadows knew Trump had lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

"Meadows' reported statements to the Special Prosecutor and/or his staff and his reported grand jury testimony squarely contradict the statements" in "The Chief's Chief," according to the lawsuit, filed in Sarasota, Florida. A central theme of Meadows' book is that "President Trump was the true winner of the 2020 Presidential Election and that election was 'stolen' and 'rigged' with the help from 'allies in the liberal media,'" the court papers read in part."

So, opportunity knocked AND karma hunted him down.

Here's the link:   Mark Meadows Sued by Publisher

[Brother Mythos]

"Wisconsin fake electors acknowledge actions were used to overturn Biden election"

As per the article:

"MADISON — Ten Wisconsin Republicans who posed as electors for Donald Trump in 2020 despite the former president's election loss have acknowledged their actions were part of an attempt to overturn an election.

The statement was made Wednesday as part of a settlement in a lawsuit filed against the Republicans by Democratic electors for Joe Biden that sought $2.4 million in damages."

And, further in the article:

"In the statement released by the false Trump electors, the Republicans wrote they met in the Wisconsin State Capitol to sign paperwork falsely claiming to be electors to be "in compliance with requests from the Trump campaign and Republican Party of Wisconsin."

"The Elector Defendants took the foregoing action because they were told that it was necessary to preserve their electoral votes in the event a court challenge may later change the outcome of the election in Wisconsin. That document was then used as part of an attempt to improperly overturn the 2020 presidential election results," the Republicans wrote."

This lawsuit is ongoing. And, while some of the defendants are now off the hook, others notable ones are not.

Here's the link:   Some Wisconsin Fake Electors Settle Ongoing Lawsuit

[Brother Mythos]

""Can't Even Bring Themselves To Denounce Neo-Nazis": Texas GOP's Internal War Over Hitler Apologists"

As per the article:

"Don't hang out with people who praise Adolf Hitler! It should seem like an easy guideline for anyone to follow, as well as the personal preference of most people. But for Republicans in Texas, asking them to stay away from neo-Nazis is seen very differently. To conspiratorially-minded conservatives, it is a "Marxist" plot against them. Which is why, on Saturday, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas voted down a resolution barring members from associating with anyone "known to espouse or tolerate antisemitism, pro-Nazi sympathies or Holocaust denial."

That that this even had to be put up for a vote is a sign that the "don't pal around with Nazis" rule is viewed by many in the Texas Republican Party as too onerous a restriction. This entire situation started in October when it was revealed that Jonathan Stickland, a former state representative and current leader of the Defend Texas Liberty PAC, held a 7-hour meeting with some of the most repugnant people in American society, including Nick Fuentes, a loudmouthed Hitler apologist who has called for "holy war" on Jews and declared, "all I want is revenge against my enemies and a total Aryan victory." Matt Rinaldi, the chair of the Republican Party of Texas, was also seen entering the building during this time but denies being at the meeting, despite being an outspoken ally of Stickland and his far-right agenda."

It's really just another case of Republicans being Republicans.

Here's the link:   Republicans vote against denouncing Neo-Nazis

[Pergamos]

""Can't Even Bring Themselves To Denounce Neo-Nazis": Texas GOP's Internal War Over Hitler Apologists"

As per the article:

"Don't hang out with people who praise Adolf Hitler! It should seem like an easy guideline for anyone to follow, as well as the personal preference of most people. But for Republicans in Texas, asking them to stay away from neo-Nazis is seen very differently. To conspiratorially-minded conservatives, it is a "Marxist" plot against them. Which is why, on Saturday, leaders of the Republican Party of Texas voted down a resolution barring members from associating with anyone "known to espouse or tolerate antisemitism, pro-Nazi sympathies or Holocaust denial."

That that this even had to be put up for a vote is a sign that the "don't pal around with Nazis" rule is viewed by many in the Texas Republican Party as too onerous a restriction. This entire situation started in October when it was revealed that Jonathan Stickland, a former state representative and current leader of the Defend Texas Liberty PAC, held a 7-hour meeting with some of the most repugnant people in American society, including Nick Fuentes, a loudmouthed Hitler apologist who has called for "holy war" on Jews and declared, "all I want is revenge against my enemies and a total Aryan victory." Matt Rinaldi, the chair of the Republican Party of Texas, was also seen entering the building during this time but denies being at the meeting, despite being an outspoken ally of Stickland and his far-right agenda."

It's really just another case of Republicans being Republicans.

Here's the link:   Republicans vote against denouncing Neo-Nazis

I dunno, I'm personally very careful about anything restricting anti-semitism, since there's a bill stating that any opposition to the actions of the Israeli government is anti-semitism.  Considering the Israeli government is currently committing genocide barring folks from associating with anyone who opposes them seems a bit problematic to me.

[Brother Mythos]

I dunno, I'm personally very careful about anything restricting anti-semitism, since there's a bill stating that any opposition to the actions of the Israeli government is anti-semitism.  Considering the Israeli government is currently committing genocide barring folks from associating with anyone who opposes them seems a bit problematic to me.

First off, I am not at all comfortable discussing antisemitism on this forum. However, I strongly believe that criticism of the government of the State of Israel should not be considered antisemitic, and should not in any way be made illegal by the government of the United States of America. And, I also strongly believe that the government of the State of Israel is knowingly and willingly committing war crimes, and that the government of the United States of America is doing little to stop them.

While attempting to compose a response to your post, I quickly found myself wrestling with the perceptions of the terms Semitism, antisemitism, Zionism, anti-Zionism, and neo-Nazism, versus formal definitions of those terms. Then, to make matters even worse for me, I found that, apparently, the definition of "Semitism" has changed during my own lifetime.

In any case, I suspect you are referring to House Resolution 894. So, here's a link:      H. RES. 894

Now then, as per H. RES. 894:

"Whereas the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's
working definition of antisemitism is widely accepted and
serves as a critical tool to help individuals comprehend
and identify the various manifestations of antisemitism;"

So, here's a link to  the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) website:   IHRA - What is  antisemitism?

And, here's the IHRA's working definition of antisemitism:

""Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.""

But, further along on their website, as a specific example of antisemitism, the IHRA lists the following:

"Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis."

Now then, I, for one, do have a serious problem when "contemporary Israeli policy" actually does look to me very much like "historical Nazi policy," but I'm to be labeled a very bad boy by the IHRA if I say that out loud. Then, I found that my congresswoman voted "Present" when H. RES. 894 came up for a vote. So, it appears she also has at least one problem with this resolution. In any case, I think you and I may be in agreement on this particular issue. Do you agree, or disagree?

But, on the other hand, as I once did years ago during a heated "discussion" on this forum concerning documented facts about the life of former Schutzstaffel (SS) Major Wernher von Braun, and his use of slave labor during WWII, I have no problem calling out a Nazi, former or otherwise, for being a Nazi. And, I also believe it's a duty to call out neo-Nazism when it's blatantly apparent.

[Pergamos]

I'd say we agree on what Israel is doing not being ok, I also think we agree that nazis should be called out, and that associating with nazis is no good.  Where it looks like we disagree is in being ok with a legal conflation of anti-semitism with nazism, which for me is completely due to the legal conflation of anti-semitism and anti-zionism.  Anyone who thinks Jews are any worse than any other sort of people is a racist at best, and probably a nazi, but a Jew who criticizes Israel's actions in strong and appropriate ways (comparing the treatment of Gaza with the Nazis clearing of the ghettos, for instance) is legally an anti-semite, and if the law you are angry about Republicans passing had passed, would legally be a nazi.

[Brother Mythos]

I'd say we agree on what Israel is doing not being ok, I also think we agree that nazis should be called out, and that associating with nazis is no good.  Where it looks like we disagree is in being ok with a legal conflation of anti-semitism with nazism, which for me is completely due to the legal conflation of anti-semitism and anti-zionism.  Anyone who thinks Jews are any worse than any other sort of people is a racist at best, and probably a nazi, but a Jew who criticizes Israel's actions in strong and appropriate ways (comparing the treatment of Gaza with the Nazis clearing of the ghettos, for instance) is legally an anti-semite, and if the law you are angry about Republicans passing had passed, would legally be a nazi.

I don't claim to have a deep understanding of the differences between any "legal definitions" of antisemitism and anti-Zionism, as I'm not a lawyer. But, I believe I'm correct in assuming that the IHRA's definition of antisemitism is widely accepted as a "legal definition."

I haven't been able to find an IHRA definition of anti-Zionism. However, I have found an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) definition. So, here's the link:   ADL Definition of anti-Zionism

Within the long ADL definition is the following statement:

"Anti-Zionism is distinct from criticism of the policies or actions of the government of Israel, or critiques of specific policies of the per-state Zionist movement, in that it attacks the foundational legitimacy of Jewish statehood." [emphasis added]

And, I'm totally fine with this statement.

[Brother Mythos]

"Rudy Giuliani sued again by Georgia election workers seeking to bar more defamation"

As per the article:

"Rudy Giuliani was sued again by two former Georgia election workers who last week won a nearly $150 million defamation verdict against him for false statements the lawyer made about them while representing Donald Trump after the 2020 election.

The latest federal lawsuit seeks an injunction to "permanently bar" Giuliani from making further defamatory statements against the mother and daughter, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss."

Well, that didn't take long. I can't help but wonder if ol' Rudy is trying to set up a "Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity" defense for his upcoming criminal trials. Still, it really does look like the elevator doesn't go all the way to the top.

Here's a link:   Giuliani Sued Again by the Same People

[Brother Mythos]

"An Iowa fight over a Satanic display reminds us: Republicans believe "free speech" is only for them"

As per the article:

"It's become a holiday tradition, especially in the red states. Every year, in response to overtly Christian displays put up in government buildings, the Satanic Temple petitions to set up a display honoring Lucifer in state capitols. They usually succeed. See, the Supreme Court long ago created a loophole in the First Amendment to allow religious displays, by arguing that as long as every group gets to have one, it doesn't violate the "no establishment of religion" clause. By putting up altars to Satan next to the annual nativity scenes, the Satanic Temple makes their point about the silliness of this loophole.

More important, however, is the trolling part. Every year, Christian conservatives discover the Satanic display and have a loud, public temper tantrum about it. In this, Satanists prove their point: Conservatives claim to respect religious plurality, but it's a lie. The overt religious iconography on government property was always about promoting the Christian nationalist view that theirs is the only "real" American religion." 

So, this is just one more example of the Republicult^TM being the Republicult^TM.

Here's a link:      The Republicult^TM Position on "Free Speech"

[Brother Mythos]

"'The devil is real': Ex-candidate rallies young GOPers after beheading Satanic statue"

Today, there's a twofer!

As per the first article:

"A former Republican candidate who has admitted to beheading a Satanic Temple statue recalled why he acted at a rally with young Republicans.

At Turning Point Action's America Fest conference on Tuesday, a crowd cheered as former Mississippi candidate Michael Cassidy took the stage.

Cassidy previously admitted to Fox News that he beheaded the Baphomet statue at the Iowa State Capitol."

Here's the link:   Satanic Holiday Display Beheaded

But, not to worry. Here's the second article:

"Who is Michael Cassidy? Man Who Beheaded Satanic Statue in Iowa Charged"

As per the second article:

"In a statement sent to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Satanic Temple Iowa said: "We were excited to participate in our Capitol's Holiday display for the first time this year. As you can expect, we were saddened to find our holiday display vandalized on the morning of December 14th. We believe that everyone should have the freedom to celebrate together and participate in the holiday season.

"We have rebuilt our display, and will complete our time in the Capitol on Saturday, with a few words about religious plurality and freedom of speech. The person responsible for the vandalism was identified, and we are pursuing legal recourse. We want to thank our community and everyone who has supported us at this time. We plan to return next year, with a sturdier and statelier display, and we hope that our community will continue to show up and assist with those efforts.""

Here's the link:   Satanic Temple Iowa Rebuilt Holiday Display

So, the Satanic Temple Iowa has the situation under control. Our American First Amendment rights are still being legally exercised and defended.

[altered]

TST is an entryist neo-Nazi grifting organization run by a man so horrible that anyone choosing to associate themselves with him should be given the same treatment he deserves. We're talking Stormfront-tier levels of bad.

https://queersatanic.com/lucien-greaves-and-the-satanic-temple-have-a-lot-to-answer-for/

In other news, since I'm choosing to finally speak up about your nonsense, how fucking dare you parrot the fucking ADL, the biggest Zionist propaganda organization in the Western fucking world, about anti-Zionism. Multiple rabbis have written at extraordinary length about how Israel as it stands is a project that goes directly against Torah, and how every Israeli soldier and citizen that goes onto the Temple Mount is risking entering the Holy-of-Holies, which given none of these motherfuckers are the right kind of priests (because there currently can't even be the right kind of priests, a whole lot of preconditions are necessary for that!) is an ENORMOUS sin. Like capital punishment sin. Like buddy, you better just convert to another religion, because you're fucked forever sin. Not to mention shit like an IDF soldier touching a Torah parchment (!) with a FUCKING KNIFE (!!!!!!!) ON FUCKING CAMERA. Any Jew can tell you that's layers upon layers of oh god fuck no what the fuck is wrong with you fucking holy shit holy fuck. And Israeli ministers are literally saying shit like "we should turn Gaza into Auschwitz". That's not a misquote or a paraphrase.

The leadership and the upper classes of Israel are all bloodthirsty monsters who have not just forgotten their history but have chosen to repeat it but with themselves in the driver's seat. Their actions will lead to a rise in anti-semitic violence because people will blame Jews as a whole for them, because they claim to speak for all Jews while actively shitting on Torah. Anti-Zionism isn't just okay, it should be the position of any right-thinking fucking person on the goddamn planet.

You are cheering on neo-Nazi entryists and blithely repeating the propaganda arm of a group of genocidal monsters that just so happen to be Jewish. I, a Jew, am saying shut the fuck up forevermore, you politically illiterate dunce. You may speak again when you have the barest fucking understanding of how to check whether the shit you spew is based in anything but the PR wing of a bunch of horse-laughing movie villains.

[Brother Mythos]

"See 10 pieces of classic literature banned from schools in a Florida county"

As per the article:

"A law often touted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricts the kinds of books that can be available in public schools has led teachers in the state's Orange County to remove hundreds of books from their shelves — including some that are widely considered literary classics.

The Orlando Sentinel has compiled a list of all 673 books pulled from the shelves in the county, and it shows that Florida's law resulted in the removal of books that go well beyond often-targeted titles such as "Gender Queer" by author Maia Kobabe."

Just 10 of the 673 books taken from the shelves on Florida's Orange County are described in this article. And, among them is Catch-22, by Joseph Heller.

This book has special meaning for me, as I had purchased it just prior to a long cruise, when I was in the military. After reading it, I had loaned it to a number of my shipmates, and the book was very popular. Before too long, the guys were nicknaming some of our officers, and others, after characters in the book. I fondly remember many a discussion about who most deserved to be called "Colonel Cathcart," as we had several, truly worth candidates. And, I found myself honored with the nickname "Yossarian." Now, in truth, it may not have been entirely intended to be an honor, but at least it wasn't obscene, as was my previous nickname. Further, the book was required reading in one of my classes at "uni," as the British often call university.

Here's the article link:      10 Pieces of Classic Literature Banned from Florida County Schools

And, here's a non-login, non-paywall link to the full 673 book list:   All 673 Books Removed from Orange County Classrooms

I'm surprised Fahrenheit 451 isn't on this list.