What Kind of Fool are We Collectively?

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Author: patd

“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad." "How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

34 thoughts on “What Kind of Fool are We Collectively?”

  1. 2 stanzas in that song written by Anthony Newley that seem pertinent to the political times today and, perhaps,  asked as the pol in chief looks in the mirror:

    What kind of man is this
    An empty shell
    A lonely cell in which
    An empty heart must dwell

    and

    What kind of clown am I
    What do I know of life
    Why can’t I cast away
    This mask of play
    And live my life

  2. Any excuse to listen to Sammy, is always welcome.  I was a fan as a child all the way from “My Uncle, My Daddy, and Me” years on variety shows.  Seeing him live was my birthday present for years, and he still remains the only celebrity death that made me cry.  We knew it was coming, but it still felt like a waste particularly after the tribute show where he danced simply because he had to.

     

  5. April Fools’: A Quiz

     

    Test your knowledge of famous jokes, hoaxes and pranks. Are any of these questions made up? Of course not! This is The New York Times.

    By KEITH WILLIAMS

     

  6. unusual tweet for a goper as reported by the hill in “GOP lawmakers root against Trump in court on ObamaCare”

    Josh Holmes, a GOP strategist and McConnell’s former chief of staff, on Wednesday tweeted it would be smarter politically for Republicans to attack Democrats’ boldly ambitious plans to provide Medicare for all, which could cost as much as $32 trillion over a decade.

    “Dear GOP: When Democrats are setting themselves ablaze by advocating for the destruction of American health care, try to resist the temptation of asking them to pass the kerosene,” he tweeted.

     

  7. Patd

    or the Rat Pack Las Vegas performance when he was picked up and the NAACP was thanked for the “Award”.  Different time and place.  He still caused a stir as the only black man brave enough to do impressions of white movie stars.  Definitely a mixed bag from a different time and changing mores, but always pushing the envelope with his genius and talent despite never attending a day of school.

    The American Masters biography was wonderful. Try to watch if you missed the original broadcast. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/sammy-davis-jr-ive-gotta-be-me-about/10877/

     

  9. patd, if your question is asking whether we are in the process of forming the proverbial circular firing squad, the answer IMHO is yes.  Anyone who believes that the dance done in the last Democratic presidential primary did not damage the nominee in the general election has a short memory.  So long as Bernie! is in this race we’ll see whether the candidates can stick with their own messages and try to get enough states to carry the nomination without resorting to the shade casting that went on the last time.  Thus far I haven’t seen Bernie’s campaign starting down that road, but I can’t say the same for his supporters.  Five years down the road, Lucy Flores complains that Joe’s physical affection when he was offering to help with her 2014 campaign for congress – which she said she never thought was sexual or intended to be – is an affront that somehow needs to be aired – on what we probably all think is the eve of Joe’s entering the nominating process against her chosen candidate.  As WaPo noted in its Vieback, et al piece today

    “I had never experienced anything so blatantly inappropriate and unnerving before,” Flores wrote for The Cut, a blog published by New York magazine. “The vice-president of the United States of America had just touched me in an intimate way reserved for close friends, family, or romantic partners — and I felt powerless to do anything about it.”

    During an interview Saturday, Flores said that she did not feel a sexual overtone in Biden’s alleged behavior toward her, but that this should not lead people to discount its seriousness.

    “My piece is not about insinuating that I was someone who was a traumatized victim of sexual harassment or sexual assault,” Flores said. “What I did feel was an invasion of my bodily autonomy, an invasion of my space. . . . You don’t expect to be touched and kissed and caressed by the vice president of the United States. In no circumstance is that appropriate.”

    Do I believe her account of what happened?  Sure I do.  OK, he was more personal than she was comfortable with, but it is being elevated to the level of SFB’s antics with pornstars, playmates and pussies.  Even Joe acknowledges he’s a touchy guy.

    “Not once — never — did I believe I acted inappropriately,” Biden stated, referring to the “expressions of affection, support and comfort” he has offered throughout his political career. “If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention.”

    “I may not recall these moments the same way, and I may be surprised at what I hear,” Biden stated. “But we have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will.”

    And the photos of Stephanie Carter that are supposed to support Flores’ claims – well, Stephanie saw it differently.

    During a 2015 news conference at the White House, the vice president was photographed standing close behind Stephanie Carter, the wife of incoming Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, while holding her shoulders and whispering in her ear. The moment received significant attention online.

    Stephanie Carter, in a blog post on Medium published Sunday night, said she was grateful for Biden’s gesture, describing the moment as “a close friend helping someone get through a big day.” Biden kept his hands on her shoulders “as a means of offering his support,” she wrote.

    And apparently you may not even be able to trust your lying eyes anymore.

    People close to Biden expressed concerns about a proliferation of photoshopped images of him and women on the Internet that make his behavior look overtly sexual. The photos have been circulated by conservative figures and websites.

    WTF? Could we please stop doing the repugns’ work in trying to erode support for the presumptive front runner for them?

  10. Again not the only time Biden has put his hands all over someone

    there are plenty of examples

    Stop defending someone who doesn’t deserve it

  12. I loved it when Sammy was on All In The Family…  that kiss he gave Archie was precious.

    I will not be voting for Biden in the primary.   OK…  at one time men took liberties with touching women that were inappropriate.  They are now on alert that it’s no longer acceptable.  IMO, forgive the stuff unless it was really physically abusive.

    BTW…  loved Bill Maher’s joke this past Friday of Biden asking the question “is there good film in there” when someone used a cell phone to take a selfie with him.                                                                                                  

  15. pogo, flores is this year’s gillibrand.   not sure whether she did this more on behalf of Bernie to diminish joe or more to promote herself with a timely limelight.

    would be interesting to know how either of these ladies deal with the european custom  of cheek kisses when on congressional junkets.

  16. pogo, that “amen” is for your 3:17 comment.  it keeps popping up prior to it for some weird reason.

  18. patd, I’m with you on Flores. Not sure what her exact motive is, but her apparent motive considering her support of Bernie! is certainly suspect.

    And KC, calling out misrepresentations the “victims” dispute is not defending someone who doesn’t deserve it.  I’ve been silent about stupid allegations against other candidates because I either didn’t believe them or I didn’t want to give legs to stuff floated both by the RWNJs out there and the more extreme factions of the Dem Party.  I’ll continue to do that – and where the lies floated are demonstrably false I’ll post the counter information if I see it.  Listen, Joe has been too friendly and touchy in the past by post-#MeToo standards. He’s being painted with too broad a brush IMHO and the insinuations and much of what’s been posted are utter bullshit.  Don’t like him?  Don’t vote for him.  You think he’s too old or represents a Democratic party that has ceased to exist? Don’t vote for him.  You think he’s a perve? Don’t vote for him. But don’t condemn him for bullshit generated by his opponents. That’s what will us get a second trump administration.

  19. what’s going on?

    pogo, that “amen” is for your 3:17 comment.  it keeps popping up prior to it for some weird reason.

  20. in the wee small hours, trail friend jack commented:

    So a Bernie bro accuses Biden of being overly touchy. Sounds like a cultural problem to me, But politics being what they are……
    It took me years to get used to a casual acquaintance hug. now that I am, it seems to be verboten.  So are we all supposed to revert to the clichéd fridged Anglo Saxon  norm?
    Just askin’
    Jack

    and I responded hours later:

    jack, me too.  and what about the compassionate hand of comfort “there there” on the shoulder or the 2 handed “so glad to meet you” handshake?  what are the new boundaries?

    what say you, mixers?  all those photos of candidates hugging supporters (google it to see Bernie does it too) cause for concern?

  21. OK, enough Dem internecine squabbling for now – let’s get to the important stuff of the hour – bracketology.  No, not NCAA basketball bracketology – but the worst SFB cabinet member bracketology from David Drezner.

    Last year, I took advantage of America’s obsession with NCAA brackets to ask a very important question: “Who is the worst member of Trump’s Cabinet?” The winner, as selected by Twitter poll, was Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, which may explain why he stepped down two months later. Another finalist, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, also departed in the past year.

    With all the turnover in Trump’s Cabinet, 2019 is a brand-new race, so it’s time to list the top six seeds again! Although there are some returning favorites, do not count out some of the newcomers to Team Trump!

    Drezner counts them down from 1-6.  There are some obvious choices in the mix, but you are bound to quibble about the order of the top 6.  My top 3 would be Ross, Neilsen and DeVoss in that order.   How do you rank them?

  22. Biden uses touching to reinforce his position of power in a social siuation.  As the superior, he believes he can touch people in ways he deems appropriate.  By contrast, a subordinate is not afforded the same liberties because they lack sufficient hierarchical standing in social settings.   This kind of dynamic went unchallenged for generations, but now social media is providing channels for criticism of it.

     

    All that said, “keep your hands to yourselves” is a standard so basic, we expect young children to follow it.

  24. there is a huge I say huge difference between what Biden does and what a hug on the rope line is

    He’s your guy great but he has been anti abortion in the past and certainly the Anita Hill hearing’ s were not his finest hour but don’t pretend he acted appropriately.  Maybe you think it isn’t disqualifying but I do

    For the most part, men don’t try to fondle me in public places during political events – although I have gotten an occasional act that I thought was a bit forward.  If someone tried to smell my head and kiss the top of it without some prior discussion  I would flatten them on the spot

  25. If Kamala Harris sniffed someone’s head and kissed them on the head — I cannot even imagine the kerfuffle that would result

    I thought Bink did a good job of explaining the problem

  26. lest we forget who said (and did) this.

     

    not joe, not mayor pete, not cory, not beto, not Bernie nor any of the rest of the candidates — so why are the pitchforks not out to get that guy?

  27. I think if Democrats could they would get SFB for that behavior but SFB’s behavior is a Republican problem and they don’t care but that is all the more reason for Democrats to care and to act.

    No one who thinks thinks that SFB is anything but a sleazy woman hating asshole — after all this is a man who would have had sex with his daughter if he could havr gotten a way with it.

    Unfortunately he has the Republican Guard to protect him.  And the Saudi’s too

  28. I can’t believe people are using the argument  –what about Trump to dismiss the charges against Biden

    pretty lame and basically saying if it’s ok for Trump then it’s ok for everyone else.  jeesh

  29. False equivalence. Right here on the trail. I call bullshit. No one here –  NO ONE – has said that there is any comparison between SFB grabbing pussies and screwing porn stars with Biden’s actions touching shoulders and kissing heads – unless you are. Shoulders do not equal pussies. GMAFB.

    Patd, back to your initial question- a goddam fool. We have a goddam idiot of a president doing all sorts of stupid shit today and we’re worried about whether Joe Biden meant to be nice or pervy to a failed politician five years ago. How fucking foolish is that?

  30. I’m not a huge follower of Karen Tumulty but she’s making sense today at WaPo

    White House counselor Kellyanne Conway pronounced on Fox News Sunday that Biden has a “big problem,” which was more than a little ironic coming from someone whose boss was elected president amid multiple accusations of sexual assault and after declaring he liked to grab women by their genitals.

    On Monday, another woman, former congressional aide Amy Lappos, told the Hartford Courant that Biden rubbed noses with her at a 2009 fundraiser in Connecticut.

    What we all are learning, we should hope, is that we should respect women who have the courage to come forward about their experiences with unwanted physical contact. They deserve the benefit of the doubt both about their versions of events and about how they were made to feel.

    But it is also important — and a sign that a social movement is maturing into a social norm — to recognize that not every offense is of equal severity.

    Also worth factoring in is whether an alleged perpetrator was acting with malevolence or just cluelessness. Flores indicated that she believed Biden’s actions were demeaning and disrespectful, but not violent or sexual. Nor does it sound like a power move on Biden’s part.

    We state so much we believe to be factual or at least obvious. There is a contrary viewpoint that when expressed articulately make sense.

  31. Let us not compare the rubber of noses to the POTUS = Pisser Of The United States.

  33. “There is a contrary viewpoint that when expressed articulately make sense.”

    pogo, I bet mr. ping pong just said “amen, brother”  🙂

    the task as I see it most days is to “articulately make sense.”

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