They support Israel – only if their ultrarich donors can cheat on taxes

I’ve written about the media mentioning Biden’s age every chance they get, including in headlines, and doing so much more often than they mention the nasty guy’s age, though he’s only three years younger – and showing his age more. Mark Sumner of Daily Kos reported that the nasty guy has gotten incoherent enough that the other Republican candidates for president have noticed. The age insults the nasty guy has been slinging at Biden the other candidates are now slinging at him. And polls show the attacks hurt the nasty guy more than they do Biden. An Associated Press article posted to Kos reports that a case in Colorado that challenges the nasty guy’s right to be on the ballot has begun. This is the first case dealing with him being ineligible because he has violated the Constitution’s “insurrection” clause. Another in Minnesota is about to start. More such cases have been filed in other states. No matter the outcome it will go to the state or federal Supreme Court. The article describes the history and legal reasoning behind these cases. Kerry Eleveld of Kos reported that Republicans in the House want to pass aid to Israel so badly – they’ve decided the money has to be offset with cuts somewhere else. Yes, that’s a false choice. Also, that somewhere else is the enhanced funding given to the IRS to track down rich tax cheats. And chopping this money – letting the rich go on cheating – actually increases the deficit.

So here we are, according to Republicans: Either billionaires get to cheat on their taxes and we can aid Israel ... or not. ... But the lunacy of House Republicans tying Israel aid to cuts at the IRS so America's top 1% can get out of paying their fair share is so on brand. Sure, they support Israel, but only if their ultrarich friends and donors don’t have to pay their taxes.

Monte Wolverton tweeted a cartoon almost a week ago and before the House attached cuts to the IRS to aid to Israel. But the words have been true for years, likely decades. The cartoon shows an elephant saying, “The people should be free from big government ... so they can serve big corporations!” Dartagnan of the Kos community wrote about a poll done by the Public Religion Research Institute. One of many questions they’ve asked several times over the last two years is about “Americans’ tolerance for violence as a means of resolving their political differences.” Dartagnan quoted the poll report:

Nearly a quarter of Americans (23%) agree that ‘because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country,’ according to the survey. ... Currently one-third of Republicans support violence as a means to save the country, compared with 22% of independents and 13% of Democrats, the survey found. More specifically, Republicans who have favorable views of Donald Trump were found to be "nearly three times as likely as Republicans who have unfavorable views of Trump" to support political violence. ... Support for political violence jumps to even higher levels among Americans who believe that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump (46%); Americans who hold a favourable view of Trump (41%); Americans who believe in the so-called “replacement theory” (41%); Americans who affirm the core tenet of white Christian nationalism, that God intended America to be a new promised land for European Christians (39%).

Dartagnan added:

What that tells us is that roughly half of the really “enthusiastic” Trump voters approve of violence to achieve whatever it is they believe in.

There are also sections of the report that correlate approval of violence with QAnon conspiracy beliefs and Fox New viewing. Leading up to the 2020 election a gang of men (a militia of men?) plotted to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer. The plan was prevented. Nine of the men were convicted or accepted plea deals. Another five were acquitted. The trial of three of those acquitted, two of them twins, was just a couple months ago. Now we get to the strange part. Hunter of Kos reported Rachelle Smit, a member of the Michigan House and a Republican, gave the twins a legislative tribute celebrating their “courage” for “keeping alive our cherished liberties” and that “The People of Michigan owe a debt of gratitude” to the pair. When the Detroit News asked Smit didn’t clarify what she meant by all that. Wrote Hunter:

As you can imagine, Whitmer's office is blasting Smit for honoring men connected to the plot to kidnap the governor, since it self-evidently appears that Smit is celebrating that kidnapping plot and signaling to would-be future domestic terrorists that they can count on the state Republican Party to have their backs. Smit isn't doing anything to dissuade people from thinking that. She's had every opportunity to pipe up to explain herself—and she hasn't. Nor could we find any of her fellow Republicans distancing themselves from this bizarre "tribute."

One of the (likely many) reasons why the Unite the Right rally of 2017 was held in Charlottesville, VA was the prominent statue of Confederate general (thus American traitor) Robert E. Lee. Dartagnan reported the statue was removed in 2021. It had been erected in 1924, well after Lee surrendered and in the midst of the Jim Crow era. And now the statue has been (or is being – there’s about five tons of metal) melted down. The foundry doing the work is black owned and is somewhere in the South. Reports are carefully not mentioning the city or even the state because lots of people would be quick to intimidate and harass the workers and owner. The Swords into Plowshares organization is a part of this work. Sometime in the future the metal will be transformed into a public art work, an expression of “democratic values and inclusive aspirations,” to be displayed in Charlottesville. Merriam-Webster reported they have added 690 words or new definitions to their dictionary this year. It’s a sign of a healthy language. Their post lists some of those words. I don’t see myself using many of them (especially those used in gaming, sports, or food). Even so, here are a few of my favorites: ngl – not gonna lie bingo card – a list of possible or likely scenarios, as in: Didn’t have that on my bingo card. smishing – the text version of phishing rewild – to return to a more natural state, to restore an ecosystem rage quit – to quit something in anger doomscroll – excessive online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad or angry chef’s kiss – a gesture of satisfaction or approval kiss-and-cry – the area next to a skating rink where figure skaters wait for their scores (in front of cameras). Commentators have been using this term for several Winter Olympics and it’s just been added to the dictionary now?