It’s Your Party, you can cry if…

by liberal japonicus Chaplin once said “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” So watching UK politics is a bit like that for me. Which is an introduction to this New Statesman podcast about the Your Party conference. Here it is I do want to be careful, we’ve seen … Read more

uncomfortability?

by liberal japonicus Tossing this interview with Zack Polanski, leader of the Greens, on the rest of politics, there’s lots of things to talk about, but for me, I was spent most of the time wondering about the word ‘uncomfortability’. (at 11:11) It is apparently a neologism that is being used more and more.

Am I missing something?

by liberal japonicus Rachel Reeves, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, just delivered her budget to parliament and the leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch gave her reply and I’ve cued it up (I think) below. If you don’t want to wade thru the whole thing, at least check out from 1:57. Some other background, … Read more

An openish thread featuring the comedy stylings of Steve Witkoff

by liberal japonicus An open thread was requested to talk about the Witkoff deal. Some prescient comment from March on Witkoff, the man called ‘the dumbest of Trump’s advisors’ by one of Woodward’s background sources. Witkoff is also good at giving away negotiating positions, when he chooses to do so. This includes a certainty that … Read more

When virtues become vices

by liberal japonicus I earlier noted Vance’s defenestration of his wife re: her religion, so when this article about how MAGA is none too pleased about Vivek Ramaswamy running for Ohio governor came up, it prompted a few thoughts. From the article: Ramaswamy posted a message on X soon after Trump’s endorsement, writing: Thank you, … Read more

Still I Rise

by liberal japonicus via Maya Angelou re: this You may write me down in historyWith your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I’ll rise. Does my sassiness upset you?Why are you beset with gloom?’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wellsPumping in my living room. Just like moons … Read more

Politics thread

by GftNC One of my problems with the new settings, particularly since we now have a much greater frequency and number of threads (added to the short, if original size, list of Recent Comments), is that the list of Recent Posts is so short. It’s got harder to go back and check what is the … Read more

The South shall writhe again

by liberal japonicus This New York Times panel, consisting of Jamelle Bouie, David French and Tressie McMillan Cotton, is like catnip to a cat for me. On the assumption that not everyone wants to listen to it, I’ll pull out soundbites that really hit with me. Cottem had an earlier column that is referenced in … Read more