History – Politics Plus

Open Thread June 1 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Jun 012025

Yesterday, the radio opera was Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” One of two operas based on Beaumarchais’s trilogy which caused somuch scandal inits day by dissing the aristocracy (They barely made it past the censors.) The other is Mozart’s “Figaro’s Wedding.” There have been numerous attempts at operas intended to get the third play, “La Mère coupable,” into the repertory. So far John Corigliano has come the closest, with his “The Ghosts of Versailles.” It has received a fair number of performances (including one in Los Angeles with Patti Lupone in the role which Marilyn Horne created), but it’s not really in the repertory yet. But I digress. The story in “Barber” is how Count Almaviva courted Rosina with help from Figaro and even more from Rosina, in spite of opposition from her guardian, who wanted to marry her himself – the last thing she wanted. The cast appears to be from all over, and unknown to me, but I never saw or heard a performance I didn’t enjoy. I will say there’s only one tenor who has ever given me chills at the end when the count, his character, threatens the guardian and his sidekick with the Italian 18th-19th century version of “Nice life you’ve got. Be too bad if anything happened to it,” and that was a fellow named Rockwell Blake who must have just leaned on his white privilege. It’s kind of a plot point, so it’s unfortunate more tenors can’t do it. Anyway, I’m off to see Virgil and will check in as usual upon return.

This is good news for a number of reasons, and probably different reasons for different people. For me, there’s the factor that Yosemite means so much to me.

Not exactly news, but definitely good. Even though it’s blue, I can’t always be proud of my state. I can about this.

Kermit the Frog‘s graduation address at the University of Maryland (ending with The Rainbow Connection” and the presentation to Kermit of a Citation from the Governor.) I did not set out to do an double-frog post, honest. (Off topic, but the best-known orange frog will kill you.)

We’ll never know for sure why Harvard picked this moment to back fown on this – but from where I sit, it looks as though being attacked by a corrupt administration has provided a sense of proportion previously masked by privilege.

Randy Trump Derangement (That’s Entertainment) I clipped the ad, but if you want the whole enchilada you can go to YouTube.

Open Thread May 20 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

May 202025

Also going back to last week, in an email from the Vote Common Good PAC there was this: “Early results from our in-depth survey research on religious voters are starting to come in, and they are startling in the best possible way. For the first time, we’re asking the kinds of questions most polls skip — not just what religion someone checks on a form, but how their spiritual identity shapes how they show up in the world…and in the voting booth. I can’t share the details just yet — the study is still in progress — but I can tell you this: what we’re seeing is going to change how Democrats think about religious voters. It’s going to change how we train candidates, how we talk to persuadable voters, and how we win.” This makes me very interested in seeing the results of the survey. I have always felt there was more going on between people and religion – any religion – than met anyone’s eye, and certainly any politician’s eye. Jonathan Haidt’s work speaks to that, but not IMO fully, and in any case he’s not very well known. (I also think that “religion” is the wrong word for belief systems. The “lig” in “religion” is the same “lig” that is in “obligation,” and a belief system or a world view should be something more. But that’s neither here nor there.

I think I must address Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis, which was characterized as “an aggressive form of prostate cancer which has metastasized to the bone.” Obviously this is a very serious diagnosis. It may not be a death sentence. This post from Democratic Underground (passed on from Threads) makes that point. Others who have written about their own experience with the same diagnosis report a wide range of outcomes. Some of those are in the comments at the same article. I don’t think I need to be a doctor to believe that a person’s general health outside particular diagnosis is a factor in how the body deals with any ailment. I’ve seen several places that hormone therapy is a possible alternative to chemo, and at least one added particularly with this diagnosis. I think we can have some confidence that Joe and his medical team will make the best possible choice. That said, nothing is certain. *Incidentally, Jacques Trudeau sent a message of support in English and French.)

Talking Points Memo addresses certain abuses of power which we all knew were coming, but at least are not targeting the poorest and most vulnerable among us. Which does not make them any less disgusting.

This is from Wonkette from Friday. I apologize for taking so long – but there’s nothing that really can be done about this story – I doubt whether overturning Dobbs would even prevent a repeat – you’ll see why. And we’ve already been fighting racism and misogyny for uncountable years but this happened anyway – I should say “is happening.”

And this, by Heather Cox Richardson, is from Thursday. It is the history of the Magna Carta. And it is ironic* that I can post it the day after I went on a rant about what royal life is really like – because it has been and still is a huge influence on why monarchies in Europe today are Constitutional Monarchies. Now we ned to ensure that the Kumquat Kleptocrat does not get his hands on our contemporary copy. (*See – irony is not dead.)

Open Thread April 16 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 12:44 pm Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 172025

Posted late because I filed to schedule it. Ooopsie.

Yesterday, Robert Reich announced two awards – a Joseph Welch award for Harvard, and a Neville Chamberlain award for all law firms capitulating to the regime. Joseph Welch, you may remember for saying “Have you no decency?” to Tail Gunner Joe McCarthy – the beginning of the end of McCarthyism. The Chamberlain awards speak for themselves. But the cool thing, the reason why I’m featuring this, is that shortly after the column came out he received a lovely thank you note from Welch’s granddaughter. Sometimes humanity is hereditary, despite many counter-examples.

I really used to like Jon Stewart. I have been really disappointed in him since he returned to the airwaves (and I don’t even watch – it’s the quotes in my news sources which have me cringing.) Wonkette explains this better than I could.

TomCat used to like to say, when Andy Boro witz came up with a particularly pointed satire, that he was reporting straight news (again.) But this time he really is doing that – it’s not satire. The closest it comes to satire is the title. Past that, it literally is straight news.

Belle has been covering the economy very thoroughly lately, from Tariffs and inflation/deflation/stagflation to chances of a recession or even a new Great Depression, and I think I get it. She’s probably overwhelmed with questions about money from a huge chunk of her audience. But it means she’s not covering the currently happening coup. So today I’m going to substitute this highly righteous rant by Lawrence O’Donnell on Harvard. Yes, it’s long, about 20 minutes. I didn’t notice an excess word in any part of it. If you do, feel free to cut it short.

Open Thread April 15 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 152025

Yesterday, Harvard at least stood up to the regime. I’m pretty sure they are the first (at least the first household named university), but I hope will not be the last. And at that, it decided not to use the language “will not negotiate” in the rejection letter. Axios broke the story and by now has more details. Most of my sources yesterday were fixated on the economy, and I certainly am not trying to blow off the possibility of another Great Depression. But it is Robert Reich, IMO, who has the real story – and it isn’t good.

Robert Reich has the direst warning yet. And I might also refer to Harry Litman. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote during the Civil war: “The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.” It’s a nice thought, but peace and good will will not by themselves turn the trick. Accountability is needed. Has our democracy onl exisited up till now because the Nuremberg Trials were held? Would stronger enforcement of Reconstruction have prevented the 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden? Will we ever learn that no consequences means no accountability, and no accountability means the poison never leaves. White supremacists – not all of whom are whie, sadly – ARE the enemy, along with misogynists (and I should add that there is massive overlap.)

This from Heather Cox Richardson on April 9 because that was an important anniversary. Its relevance is not limited to that day – far from it. We are still dealing with consequences of decisions made then.

Open Thread April 12 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Apr 122025

On this date in 1945, we lost President Roosevelt. But, in spite of having to preside over a World War (which our side won, and I’m not sure we could have done so without him), he pushed for and got legislation which set us up for national prosperity which lasted 80 years. And which it has taken less than three months to trash.

I think I accidentally deleted the Open Thread for Friday. And I have no backup. So sorry. If you had commented, that will also be gone.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/supreme-court-alien-enemies-act_n_67f56408e4b046bb946e0242
The Supreme Court has made several decisions regarding immigration and deportation. including good, bad, and indifferent. The net effect is not all that good. HuffPost explains.

https://www.theroot.com/michelle-obama-has-an-answer-for-those-who-think-her-ma-1851775610
If you are not on social media, and don’t follow black news outlets, you may not even be aware of the rumors. I was aware of them and was also pretty sure they were BS. But then, I have lived through a lot of the same kinds of interactions she has, so I know the territory. The little video in the middle is pretty short and really part of the article so I recommend not skipping it (and yes, the fact that I watched it does mean that The Root has stopped disappearing mid-read for me. Yay!)

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220226632
Be sure to at least scan the comments on the Democratic Underground post. I checked the link to Snopes, but feel free – it is a good solid link. Yes, this is what ICE is doing.

Belle Debit Card

Cat

Open Thread March 27 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:08 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 272025

Yesterday, there was an interesting development. Last week the cartoonist Michael deAdder signed up to be exclusive to Meidas Touch. Then yesterday, Ann Telnaes did the same with the Contrarian. It appears that the Progressives on Substack are doing something right. Also yesterday, Joyce Vance wondered what it will take to break through the psychological chains which bind them to the Canteloupe Caligula and his ilk. I can answer that in one short phrase: a resounding defeat. I would like to think it wouldn’t have to be a military defeat, but there is no guarantee. I know this because I am old enough to remember that after the Allies occupied Germany, soldiers consistently said that it was impossible to find anyone who would admit to having been a Nazi. If – and I’m afraid it is an if – we manage to pull off that decisive a victory, it will be difficult to impossible to find anyone who will admit to having been MAGA. But it will have to be a victory as decisive as World War II was. And then we – although I don’t expect to be present – will have to come up with a way to have the First Amendment and at the same time be able to stifle MAGA opinions. That is not going to be easy. But if it isn’t done, there will be another takeover by authoritarians in about 80 years – two generations.

I’m not reading the New Yorker newsletter much any more, but this one’s subject line didn’t say New Yorker, it said Ronan Farrow, and I find him to be both accurate and readable. Besides the horrific callousness in this story, I hope you will pause for a few seconds and think about how much misogyny shared by how many people it took for this to happen. There are more predators here than just the obvious one.

Robert Reich tells it like it is – and without saying so in so many words, demonstrates that Nazi Germany existed not only because of the actions of tha Nazis, but also because of the inaction of non-Nazis. I don’t mean to demean the resistance in Germany – look up Sophie Scholl and the White Rose Society if you don’t know or don’t remember it. They were valiant. But meanwhile, many other Germans were collaborating. There’s a much quoted line from “Judgment at Nuremberg” (so much quoted I am likely not to het it exactly right) when near the end a character playing one of the convicted German judges says to Spencer Tracy’s character, “I swear to you that I did not know it was happening,” and Tracy replies, “You knew the first time you sentences a man to death whom you knew to be innocent.”

Open Thread March 16 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:02 am Open Thread, Personal, Politics

Mar 162025

Yesterday, the radio opera was Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” You are welcome to skip the details, although I hope you’ll give it a chance – I am going into more detail than usual, because Beethoven was one of us. I don’t suppose he would be thought progressive today, but in his day he was as progressive as they came, and loud about it. Like pretty much all the progressives of the day, he was fooled for a while by Napoleon – they all thought “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” – until he wasn’t. But this opera is our opera – all about political corruption and the courage to oppose and expose it. Here’s the story: Leonora (Eleanor in English) Florestan is a young (or youngish) woman whose husband disappeared two years ago, shortly after attempting to expose the corruption of the “governor” of a political prison named Pizarro. She has tried and failed to learn anything about hos whereabouts. In desperation, she disguises herself as a young man and applies for a n apprentice warden job at the prison governed by Pizarro, under the alias “Fidelio.” She is a bright, intelligent, conscientious worker, and makes excellent impressions on the warden, Rocco, and also on his daughter, Marcellina, who is ready to throw over her previous suitor, Jaquino, to marry “him,” and Rocco supports Fidelio as a suitor. (This leads to a comic quartet.) Fidelio changes the subject by offering to help Rocco in his duties in the dungeon. Rocco’s response make her almost positive her husband is there. Everyone leaves but Rocco, and Pizarro arrives. Rocco tells him that his (Pizarro’s) boss, the minister (cabinet member) plans a surprise inspection the next day. Pizarro orders Rocco to murder and bury Florestan, who is a close friend of the minister. He also orders that a trumpet be sounded at the minister’s arrival. Rocco refuses to do the murder, but agrees to dig the grave. Pizarro will do the murder himself. Fidelio has come back close enough to overhear the plot, although not soon enough to be 100% sure it’s Florestan they are talking about With Marcellina’s help, she persuades Rocco to let the prisoners out into the garden for a while (her real motivation is in case she’s wrong and Florestan is not in the dungeon, she might see him among the other prisoners), and a touching chorus ensues. It’s on the short side, for fear Pizarro might hear them. Pizarro does hear and demands an explanation. Rocco says they were given a little outdoor time in honor of the King’s name day. Pizarro grants permission for Fidelio to marry Marcellina and also to help Rocco in the dungeons. The prisoners are locked up again as the act ends. Act II begins with a long aria (technically a “scena”) by Florestan – his trust in God, his love of Eleanor, a fantasy that she comes to save him, and then more or less hallucinates being free. Finally he collapses and falls asleep. Fidelio and Rocco enter and start digging the grave. Florestan wakes up, and she recognizes him (his voice, actually), but he doesn’t yet recognize her. He learns that the prison he is in is governed by Pizarro, and realizing he’s doomed, asks to send a message to his wife, but is turned down. He begs for water, and Fidelio is allowed to give him some, She then begs to be allowed to give him a crust of bread and is granted permission. Rocco gives the signal to Pizarro that the grave is ready and Fidelio is told to leave, but hides instead. Pizarro pulls out a knife to kill Florestan, but Leonora jumps between them, saying “First kill his wife!” revealing her true identity. She pulls out a gun, which stymies Pizarro, and just then the trumpet is heard. Pizarro and Rocco leave, Florestan says “Leonora! What have you done for me?” to which she replies, “Nothing, my Florestan, nothing.” Whereupon they have a love duet. The scene changes –
everyone is now out of the dungeon, the minister is there, and the whole plot comes out. Florestan is freed and Pizarro is imprisoned. All the other prisoners are also freed. The chorus sings about how lucky a man is who has a good wife, and all are happy, except Marcellina and of course Pizarro.

This is of course still up in the air (or I hope it is – I think we would have heard if had passed), but the 19th gives background not just on the measure but on co-sponsors Pettersen and Luna (and even though it would have been really hypocritical for her not to co-sponsor this after her own experience, I have to give her credit for co-sponsoring it.)

OK, I admit this is anything but good news. But Robert Reich‘s sharing of his memories is so sweet, and even downright funny in spots, that at least it’s not depressing

Open Thread March 9 2025

Posted by Joanne Dixon at 6:00 am Politics

Mar 092025

Yesterday, the radio opera was Puccini’s “La Boheme” – a very short and very tragic opera which was the first vinyl recorded opera I ever bought – and then within ten years bought again with a different cast afer the lead tenor in the second recording died – because he – Richard Tucker – was such a legend I was afraid if I didn’t buy it right away it would sell out. It’s short – without intermissions it’s under two hours – but it packs a punch. Also, as is only to be expected at my age, during the broadcast I learned of the death of someone else I cared about – bass Paul Plishka, who I mentioned in passing a while ago while talking about the Kennedy Center. At least he didn’t die young -he had a 51 year career, and left a legacy which includes a reputation for kindness to all but particularly to young (nervous) singers. Rest in peace, Paul. Next week I’ll gave more to say about the opera, which will have the theme of courageous opposition to political corruption (and political revenge.) Also yesterday I was (and still am) coping with changing my email address – and preparing to visit Virgil today. But I’ll manage to check in in a comment as always. Also, I put in a substitute for Belle today – Rocky Mountain Mike – to keep it upbeat. I hope he gives you a chuckle.

This from Colorado Public Radio is a bit on the old side, but since it’s still in the early stages I don’t think that matters. I kind of hope to be around to see the finished project. One thing, no one on this project would censor a military history photo of the “Enola Gay,” which the current administration is doing, for heaven’s sake.

This comes from Democratic Underground, and it’s not exactly news – in fact it’s from prehistory – but it is hard evidence (literally hard) that love transcends time. The farther I read into it, the more deeply I was touched. And you can see from the comments that that was a common response.

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