Aside from being completely devoid of anything that resembles humor, the thing that strikes me about these Briggs cartoons are the sheer number of them having golf as the subject matter. I mean, what percentage of the American population actually played (or even had access to) golf in the early 20th century?
Brothers in Arms was one of the first 15 Cds I ever bought as a teenager. I played it constantly.
It's such an interesting album to me. The first three tracks (the "hits"): So Far Away (groovy), Money For Nothing (iconic mega hit) and Walk of Life (happy crappy!) are all a trojan horse into the atmospheric, jazz-infused melancholy you're describing. The transition to "Your Latest Trick" is a dramatic downshift. And the true heart of the album "Why Worry" is probably my favorite Dire Straits song ever.
Well, luckily for you, the administration has dropped the charade of indirect violation of the 1st Amendment and now has installed its own Ministry of Truth for the sole purpose of keeping Mr Musk in check.
We should all sleep better now that our betters have seized back control of the public square. It was a stressful few days there.
I sense you'd rather restrict speech than trust people to decipher information for themselves. Even if many of those restrictions are unjust or flat out wrong, the people can't be trusted.
You should just come out and say you are against free speech.
It's an elitist view and not at all uncommon. You'd have a lot of prestigious company.
But I'd rather not hear any more lectures about democracy in peril by the side that is anti-free speech.
I am gobsmacked by the reaction to Musk buying Twitter.
The fear of free speech, especially among groups and institutions entrusted with protecting it (the media, the left), is just something I never thought I'd live to see in this country.
First, there will be moderation of Twitter by Twitter. It just won't be draconian and partisan as it is currently.
Second, what does it tell you that people have a problem with Musk owning Twitter but no issue with Bezos owning WaPo? Or that TikTock is owned by a "privately held" Chinese company?
Third, if anything should cause us to sweat, it should be how the Biden Administration - this week - created a "Disinformation Governance Board" within the Dept of Homeland Security. Oh, and it's being led by Nina Jankowicz, who thought the Hunter Laptop story was Russian disinformation. Shocking.
This was her statement:
“One of the key reasons the Board was established is to maintain the Dept’s commitment to protecting free speech, privacy, civil rights, & civil liberties.”
Cultural dominance equates to compelling others to align with your ideology outside the scope of your own rights. Here's an example:
I not only have the right to marry someone of the same sex, you must make me a cake celebrating that union.
The Left conflates both of these things as a civil right, but they are not the same thing.
Now this is a fringe issue, really, so not a hill to die on, but a pretty clear example of spiking the football, imo.
But now the stakes are much higher. If I do not believe a biological man can be a woman just because they think and say they are - and you are teaching my children otherwise (and perhaps doing so covertly) - we now have a hill to die on.
Someone can respect the rights of a person to transition and call them what they wish to be called, and still have a problem with what is being taught to their children. Again, this is where conflating the two issues becomes an issue.
If this means that Jen Psaki's memos "flagging" "problematic" posts go right into Elon's wastepaper basket, it's a good thing for the American republic and free speech, here and elsewhere.
It's a shame it took an oligarch to restore something that use to be a non-partisan issue in this country.
The Left successfully executed a Culture War for decades. Nothing is more emblematic of that success than gay marriage which went from being rejected by the voters of CALIFORNIA to almost universal acceptance in a matter of years.
So what has gone wrong for them now?
Simple. They shifted from Defense to Offense. From protecting their rights to asserting cultural dominance. And the offensive playbook features the hearts and minds of people's children. A bigger third raill than social security.
That's it. That's the difference. If you cannot grasp that, you will continue to spin your wheels with essays like this one.
I'll make a [ordinary] gentlemen's bet with you Andrew that Biden does not run again. He will insist he is running until the moment he gracefully steps aside in a year or so. Assuming he doesn't have a serious health event before that makes such an announcement moot.
Hot Take Alert:
It's Michelle Obama's nomination, if she wants it.
She'd clobber that entire list in the primaries and give the Dems the best chance at keeping the WH.
If some of the clowns on the WaPo list are considered experienced enough, MO certainly should be in the discussion.
I took the Autotrain from Florida to Virginia this past weekend.
Having a "mask mandate" on an 18 hour trip (where people 1. don't need to wear n95s and 2. can legally remove their masks to eat/drink at their seat or when hanging out in the dining car) was pure theater.
Of course, the people with any sense didn't bother wearing them most of the trip anyway - especially when sleeping. If you are afraid of Covid, don't take an overnight train. Period. Stop.
The federal judge did Dems a big favor. Even Phil Murphy in NJ dropped the mandate today.
The American Left has adopted denialism as a go-to response to criticism of their policies and beliefs. From crime and defund the police to CRT, to transgender athletic performance, to the southern border, etc. To disagree with the progressive activist wing is to be labeled a fill-in-the-blank ad hominem.
It's a losing strategy but they continue to double down on it.
SpaceX's mission statement is “The Company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.”
If it's not a wild shot risk to start a private space company with the goal of colonizing Mars, I'd genuinely like to know what you consider to be a wild shot risk.
On “The Sixth Tee”
Aside from being completely devoid of anything that resembles humor, the thing that strikes me about these Briggs cartoons are the sheer number of them having golf as the subject matter. I mean, what percentage of the American population actually played (or even had access to) golf in the early 20th century?
On “Well-Tuned: Sometimes, Dire Straits is a Good Thing…”
Brothers in Arms was one of the first 15 Cds I ever bought as a teenager. I played it constantly.
It's such an interesting album to me. The first three tracks (the "hits"): So Far Away (groovy), Money For Nothing (iconic mega hit) and Walk of Life (happy crappy!) are all a trojan horse into the atmospheric, jazz-infused melancholy you're describing. The transition to "Your Latest Trick" is a dramatic downshift. And the true heart of the album "Why Worry" is probably my favorite Dire Straits song ever.
On “Is Trump Coming Back to Twitter?”
Well, luckily for you, the administration has dropped the charade of indirect violation of the 1st Amendment and now has installed its own Ministry of Truth for the sole purpose of keeping Mr Musk in check.
We should all sleep better now that our betters have seized back control of the public square. It was a stressful few days there.
"
I sense you'd rather restrict speech than trust people to decipher information for themselves. Even if many of those restrictions are unjust or flat out wrong, the people can't be trusted.
You should just come out and say you are against free speech.
It's an elitist view and not at all uncommon. You'd have a lot of prestigious company.
But I'd rather not hear any more lectures about democracy in peril by the side that is anti-free speech.
"
I am gobsmacked by the reaction to Musk buying Twitter.
The fear of free speech, especially among groups and institutions entrusted with protecting it (the media, the left), is just something I never thought I'd live to see in this country.
First, there will be moderation of Twitter by Twitter. It just won't be draconian and partisan as it is currently.
Second, what does it tell you that people have a problem with Musk owning Twitter but no issue with Bezos owning WaPo? Or that TikTock is owned by a "privately held" Chinese company?
Third, if anything should cause us to sweat, it should be how the Biden Administration - this week - created a "Disinformation Governance Board" within the Dept of Homeland Security. Oh, and it's being led by Nina Jankowicz, who thought the Hunter Laptop story was Russian disinformation. Shocking.
This was her statement:
“One of the key reasons the Board was established is to maintain the Dept’s commitment to protecting free speech, privacy, civil rights, & civil liberties.”
Translation?
2+2=5
On “Student Loan Forgiveness: Watch What Unfolds from Here”
We love to treat symptoms (student debt) and not the disease (the cost to attend college).
For an administration so interested in "root causes" you'd hope they might think about the problem and not just the campaign promise.
On “From Jackasses to Sad Sacks: Democrats Struggle in The Culture War”
I didn't think I was implying that it would be.
But what you (or I) think isn't really the point. It's what people who believe their culture is under threat think. And they are acting accordingly.
On “Elon Musk Buys Twitter”
In such a scenario, I assume Musk would probably have to fire himself as well.
I think a lot people on the right are going to be disappointed that free speech means free speech. And that's their problem.
On “From Jackasses to Sad Sacks: Democrats Struggle in The Culture War”
Cultural dominance equates to compelling others to align with your ideology outside the scope of your own rights. Here's an example:
I not only have the right to marry someone of the same sex, you must make me a cake celebrating that union.
The Left conflates both of these things as a civil right, but they are not the same thing.
Now this is a fringe issue, really, so not a hill to die on, but a pretty clear example of spiking the football, imo.
But now the stakes are much higher. If I do not believe a biological man can be a woman just because they think and say they are - and you are teaching my children otherwise (and perhaps doing so covertly) - we now have a hill to die on.
Someone can respect the rights of a person to transition and call them what they wish to be called, and still have a problem with what is being taught to their children. Again, this is where conflating the two issues becomes an issue.
People's kids are the third rail.
On “Elon Musk Buys Twitter”
Twitter's value is in its efficiency. It's the most important social media platform because it serves as a de fact utility.
"
If this means that Jen Psaki's memos "flagging" "problematic" posts go right into Elon's wastepaper basket, it's a good thing for the American republic and free speech, here and elsewhere.
It's a shame it took an oligarch to restore something that use to be a non-partisan issue in this country.
On “From Jackasses to Sad Sacks: Democrats Struggle in The Culture War”
The Left successfully executed a Culture War for decades. Nothing is more emblematic of that success than gay marriage which went from being rejected by the voters of CALIFORNIA to almost universal acceptance in a matter of years.
So what has gone wrong for them now?
Simple. They shifted from Defense to Offense. From protecting their rights to asserting cultural dominance. And the offensive playbook features the hearts and minds of people's children. A bigger third raill than social security.
That's it. That's the difference. If you cannot grasp that, you will continue to spin your wheels with essays like this one.
On “What Should Liberals Do About Elon Musk?”
You didn't answer my question, but no matter. Follow up Q:
When did you learn to stop worrying and love authoritarianism?
"
You mean like what Desantis is attempting with Disney in Florida?
Do you really want to live in a country where thought crimes are punished because they can be?
I personally don't.
"
"Liberals would very much like to silence Musk or curb his influence."
Perhaps what "liberals" could do is embrace the liberal idea of not silencing people they disagree with ... Start there.
On “The Joy of Opening Time Capsules: 2022 Edition”
Senate:
53 (R)
47 (D)
House:
245 (R)
190 (D)
On “WaPo’s Top 10 Democratic Presidential Candidates List Has One Big Problem”
I'll make a [ordinary] gentlemen's bet with you Andrew that Biden does not run again. He will insist he is running until the moment he gracefully steps aside in a year or so. Assuming he doesn't have a serious health event before that makes such an announcement moot.
Hot Take Alert:
It's Michelle Obama's nomination, if she wants it.
She'd clobber that entire list in the primaries and give the Dems the best chance at keeping the WH.
If some of the clowns on the WaPo list are considered experienced enough, MO certainly should be in the discussion.
On “Travel Mask Madate Struck Down: Read It For Yourself”
I took the Autotrain from Florida to Virginia this past weekend.
Having a "mask mandate" on an 18 hour trip (where people 1. don't need to wear n95s and 2. can legally remove their masks to eat/drink at their seat or when hanging out in the dining car) was pure theater.
Of course, the people with any sense didn't bother wearing them most of the trip anyway - especially when sleeping. If you are afraid of Covid, don't take an overnight train. Period. Stop.
The federal judge did Dems a big favor. Even Phil Murphy in NJ dropped the mandate today.
On “Here Comes the Groom(ing)”
The American Left has adopted denialism as a go-to response to criticism of their policies and beliefs. From crime and defund the police to CRT, to transgender athletic performance, to the southern border, etc. To disagree with the progressive activist wing is to be labeled a fill-in-the-blank ad hominem.
It's a losing strategy but they continue to double down on it.
On “Elon Musk makes offer to purchase Twitter outright”
SpaceX's mission statement is “The Company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.”
Also, you didn't answer the question.
"
Not sure what he has done previously to make you think any of that. His free speech advocacy is not anything new.
"
If it's not a wild shot risk to start a private space company with the goal of colonizing Mars, I'd genuinely like to know what you consider to be a wild shot risk.
"
Elon Musk is winning the Simulation.
On “Wonderful Cruelty: It’s Not Funny Until Someone Gets Hurt”
I've never seen John Cleese coming, but I bet it's hilarious.
"
Comedy is about surprise. Laughter is an involuntary reaction to something unexpected. That's why timing is essential.
I think the Brits value "clever" over "funny". Perhaps being clever always requires a foil, but "funny" does not.