102 Comments
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Melissa's avatar

Ann, you capture Dear Leader’s narcissistic stupidity and evil so perfectly that I detest him even more every time.

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Dave Posner's avatar

You do know this remark is going on your PERMANENT record!

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Mary Roeser's avatar

Their hair would catch on fire from what I would post.

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Mary Gilbert's avatar

This^^^^

And Ann’s satire hits the nail on the head!

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Mary Roeser's avatar

Yes, it certainly does!!!

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Dr. Sara Nair James's avatar

Always.

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Anne's avatar

How long before they start vetting social media accounts for citizens at the border? And then, citizens applying for Social Security? And, then, anyone they don't like? Then everyone, all the time.

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Linda Heath's avatar

Kind of like what China and North Korea does. We are headed in that direction.

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Julius Marold's avatar

George Orwell's 1984. Big Brother is watching.

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Curtis P's avatar

I just started reading 1984 for the first time. I bought it along with Fight Club, Catch 22, and MAUS at a small independent book shop in Longview, Wash. — a MAGA stronghold — in their banned book section! :/ Next on my banned book list is Animal Farm and To Kill a Mockingbird.

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Julius Marold's avatar

Good reads all and somewhat prescient. Another one to read is Sinclair Lewis' "It Can't Happen Here". It not only can, it is.

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Curtis P's avatar

I bought “It Can’t Happen Here" and read it non-stop shortly after p45’s election. Given it was written in 1935 during the run up to Hitler’s rise, now p47’s open and blatant corruption fueled by his insatiable appetite for power is truly frightening to say the least.

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Phil Kuhn's avatar

You may have already read it, but, if not, Fahrenheit 451 goes along with those quite well. I agree with the others about It Can’t Happen Here.

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Curtis P's avatar

I will add it to my banned book reading list. Magpie Books, the little book store in Longview, Wash. had a few copies. Thanks for the suggestion!

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Rob Boyle's avatar

For an off the wall existential novel, Death Ship by B. Traven. An American loses his papers and becomes "stateless". My favorite because I was in the Merchant Marine but the issue of "stateless" is important and against international law ( ie deporting US citizens without a passport to another country. The insurrection act provides cause for someone to lose their citizenship BUT because of international law you can not become "stateless". If on the other hand you hold multiple citizenships (Elon Musk has three), then you can lose your US Citizenship.

Lately I have been reading oral interview transcripts: (Hymen) David Jenkins who was briefly the son in law of Maynard Dixon, married to Constance Dixon. While a US communist, his life really does show the remarkable protest movements of those times.

Another is Elisa Whitaker Martinez who was wife of Xavier Martinez. Her interview extensively reviews the Bohemian era at the turn of the century.

I have been transcribing the works of my Great Aunt. She was committed in 1926 to Bellevue (before it had a mental health section)...but her transcript was shocking...DAMN they are waterboarding "clients". There was a even a Nurse Ratched of "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest"!

My point here is real life recorded can be even more revealing. I encourage everyone who has an elderly person in their life, capture that knowledge...why rediscover social atrocities that are long embedded into our history.

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Curtis P's avatar

Your reply reminded me of my paternal grandmother Hazel. She was born in early 20th century New Mexico and had many stories of the modernization of America and its effect on the people of her surroundings. Most of which were not too comforting.

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Michael Murphy's avatar

Curtis, may I suggest an addition to your reading list? "It Can't Happen Here," by Sinclair Lewis. It's even scarier than "1984." because it's already happening here.

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Curtis P's avatar

Thanks, Michael, I’ve already read it, but may have to buy another copy and re-read it given the current events.

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Mike Thweatt's avatar

Just to clarify:

“… How long before they start vetting social media accounts for citizens at the border? …”

Means US citizens trying to reenter the US after a trip abroad … “Nah, we’re not sure we want you back, right now. Maybe check back in a few days … NEXT?!“

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Anne's avatar

Well, just when you thought that they could not do something more stupid than what they have already done. That bar just keep sinking deeper and deeper into the muck.

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C. Killion's avatar

Think hellish low.

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Michael Murphy's avatar

I remember something about having to look way, way, up to see a snake's belly in a swamp.

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Anne's avatar

We had six high school exchange students, and the experience enriched the lives of our whole family. These people want to limit thinking rather than expanding it. Such a small-minded approach to life.

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Gee Brandenburg's avatar

"They" are terrified by the new and different, drawing their stagnant way of life about their shoulders like an old granny's shawl.

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Anne's avatar

I love the imagery that you evoke!

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Gee Brandenburg's avatar

Oh, pshaw . . . but thank you kindly.

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Phil Kuhn's avatar

Maybe that should have been “pshawl!”

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Gee Brandenburg's avatar

Oh, very good!

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Phil Kuhn's avatar

I just had to compliment your contribution in kind!

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Mike Thweatt's avatar

Just curious - the imagery actually isn’t evoked … it’s provided. Or does your imagination only get provoked by photographs?

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Anne's avatar

And you are not "curious". You are a pedantic asshole. Or, maybe you are just an ass.

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Mike Thweatt's avatar

? Huh? Not quite sure where that came from … I was only commenting on your choice of saying the cartoon evoked an image - we should assume it provoked some image other than the one provided, I guess?

I was asking if your imagination needed more detail than a cartoon.

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Anne's avatar

And you are still here, being a pedantic ass. How about you fuck off?

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Mike Thweatt's avatar

We MUST send “those people” away! They’re … they’re … why they’re … DIFFERENT!!

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John M Dooley's avatar

The coffee shop stirred my Irish ancestry into proudly claiming victory over the "need not apply" orders, and we anti-Trumpers united will claim victory over the present fascist threat.

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Roger Fradenburgh's avatar

Is the guy behind the desk Todd Chrisley, newly pardoned by Il Trumpe, wiping away a well-earned conviction for millions of dollars worth of bank and tax fraud (Trump's kind of guy)??

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Jane Bodnar's avatar

Ann knows how to sum up our dear leader.

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Sharon Herrick's avatar

Absolutely cogent, to the point, perfect. Oh, yeah, and terrifying.

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Denise Wallace's avatar

We are getting closer and closer to these cartoons !

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Susan C Shea's avatar

Boy, that last one could be applied to so many situations if we don't fight back loudly and often!

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Professor and retired USG's avatar

If social media posts are being scrutinized, then Dear Leader should not apply for a student visa.

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L B Rose's avatar

He wants to make "1984" a reality. Big Brother is watching and is ready to punish whoever the Thought Police select. He even wants to divide the world into three spheres of influence, just like in Orwell's prescient no-longer-a-novel.

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Thomasi McDonald's avatar

The near poetic irony would be if Kmart Mussolini is diagnosed with a rare medical condition that researchers at Harvard were on the brink of curing.

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Anne's avatar

If i were them, I would delay things, just a bit.

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Thomasi McDonald's avatar

Just a wee bit...

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Jerry's avatar

Ha!

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Sandra VO (Maryland)'s avatar

Thomasi, who is Kmart Mussolini?

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ASBermant's avatar

Oh, so true. Thank you, Ann, for perfectly framing the insidiousness of their effort.

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Linda MacDonald's avatar

What is it about the First Amendment this crowd refuses to accept? We the People are supposed to know what THEY are doing in our government. What they are doing presently is largely illegal and unconstitutional. They are not allowed to use our speech to attack our rights to be able to work, study, have a credit card, or anything else! Why did our ancestors fight Hitler and Fascism only to let Fascists attempt to subvert the Constitution and our rights? Time to kick this crowd of crappers out!

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Curtis P's avatar

The SCOUS and Mitch McConnell are the ones who blessed this mess with the immunity ruling and lack of conviction after his second impeachment.

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Linda MacDonald's avatar

If he had been convicted there would not have been an immunity case, would there?

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Curtis P's avatar

Yes, if p45 had been convicted by the Senate, we definitely wouldn’t be having this conversation or having to deal with his insanity and insatiable appetite for power. Unfortunately, both McConnell and SCOUS didn’t fully understand, or appreciate, how corrupt p47 truly is in making their decisions. I hope we can make it through the next 1257 days.

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