Dr. Monica Casper is the Dean of Gender and Women's Studies at San Diego State University. San Diego State is part of the Cal State University system. Here is a recent Tweet: "Just so we're clear on the Right's agenda: racism good, abortion bad, money good, women bad, capitalism good, sustainability bad, stupidity good, science bad, power good, equality bad, white people good, nonwhite people bad. Stench indeed." There is so much wrong with this Tweet that I could do an entire post on it.
Conservatives do not view people as members of a race in assessing whether they are good or bad. We know some whites are good and some are bad - the same as for any race or ethnic group. Capitalism is good (I didn't say perfect) as it has lifted more people out of poverty than any other economic system. Abortion bad? Yes, at times. But I have discussed that issue in recent posts. Women bad? Is she the example? She is a Dean at a state university. Clearly she sees no problem in alienating and insulting much of the student body. Stupidity good? She is proof that it is not.
In the 12/20/21 New York Times was short letter to the editor by a medical doctor. "...in my opinion, with very rare exceptions, no critical care or intensive care beds should be given to unvaccinated patients being treated for Covid-19." That is reprehensible. What's next, asking if the patient voted for Trump? Or is a conservative? I wonder if he ever treated AIDS patients and told them "well, you brought it upon yourself."
Recall that Darrell Brooks is the man who drove his car into a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He killed 6 people and injured over 60 more. He had also posted online "Hitler was right...did the world a favor by killing..." Jews. Here was a CNN Tweet about the terrible event: "Waukesha will hold a moment of silence today, marking one week since a car drove through a city Christmas parade, killing six people and injuring scores of others." You just can't trust those cars. You never know when they're going to decide to drive into a crowd of people. What CNN declined to say was that a Brooks is a black man who drove his car into the Christmas parade.
Steven Spielberg produced a remake of "West Side Story." He stated that it was his intention "to hire a totally Latino, Latinx cast to play the Shark boys and girls." Boys and girls? Whatever. Anyway, in explaining why he chose not to use English subtitles for those who do not speak or understand Spanish, he said this: "If I subtitled the Spanish, I'd simply be doubling down on the English and giving English the power over the Spanish." I have to say, I'm proud of the fact that I have no idea what he is talking about. But I do know that it is some politically correct and woke nonsense. Although I would ask him - are you in favor then of getting rid of "press 1 for English?"
Former, but then, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu had congratulated Biden on his election victory, as is customary for world leaders to do. Here was Trump: "He (Bibi) was very early (in congratulating Biden). Like earlier than most. I haven't spoken to him since. Fuck him." Actually, Bibi was not early in congratulating Biden. Many other world leaders had already called Biden. But Bibi was gracious anyway, saying he "really appreciates" the support Trump gave to Israel. It's just too bad that Trump will never get past his own ego.
Many Democrats have been highly critical of Joe Manchin for his refusal to support Biden's Build Back Better legislation. Of particular note is the nasty Tweet by Bette Midler: "What Joe Manchin, who represents a population smaller than Brooklyn, has done to the rest of America, who wants to move forward, not backward, like his state, is horrible. He sold us out. He wants us all to be just like his state, West Virginia. Poor, illiterate and strung out." Typical elitist condescension. I dare say there are many poor and illiterate people who possess greater common sense and wisdom than doth Ms. Midler.
Saying that West Virginia has less people than Brooklyn only serves to reflect her lack of understanding and/or appreciation for our federal system. Brooklyn has more people than 15 states (not only West Virginia) and Washington, D.C. So what? New York City, at approximately 8.8 million people, is more populous than all but 10 states, with New Jersey being in a tie. Again, so what? I would bet that she never had any concern for the utterances of one Bernie Sanders, a Senator from Vermont. Yet Vermont has only 623,251 people, as compared to West Virginia's 1,767,859 people. And, when it comes to being "strung out," Vermont is not exactly a shining example of a drug free state.
As for the wisdom of Build Back Better, that will have to wait for another post. However, the Democrats have only themselves to blame with their massive pieces of legislation (think the Affordable Care Act). I suspect that they could have gotten bipartisan support for individual pieces of that legislation, had they simply broken it up into separate bills for each of the issues contained in their massive bill. They did, after all, get bipartisan support for the infrastructure bill. But now, they talk as if it's the end of the world. Unlike John McCain, heralded as a Maverick by the left, Joe Manchin gets no such accolades. Rather, it is typical gloom and doom, and fearmongering, from the Democrats and the left.
