Cruelty is the point.

Marjorie Taylor Greene threatened to punch out newly elected Rep. Sarah McBride if she saw her in the women’s bathroom. McBride, if you missed it, is the first trans woman elected to Congress.

The grandstanding Rep. Nancy Mace started the ball rolling by introducing a resolution banning any person from using a bathroom other than that aligning with their biological sex. Mace, who was apparently “pro-trans” in a former life, found mileage and money to gain by quite intentionally targeting her new colleague. Speaker Mike Johnson cheerily endorsed the measure. Welcome Wagon this is not.

The success of Trump’s re-election campaign is at least partially attributable to tapping into anti-trans sentiments. The campaIgn spent $21 million on ads falsely attacking Kamala Harris’s record on transgender issues. Harris has been far from trans-friendly although, to be fair, she hasn’t threatened to punch anyone.

I have written previously about my experiences with a handful of brave, sensitive, intelligent transgender students – now adults. That a nation’s continued existence would pivot on this minuscule, powerless minority is a travesty.

The bathroom issue is, of course, a political sideshow. If there is reason for anyone to fear using a bathroom, it is evidently Marjorie Taylor Greene you should be on the lookout for. It does make me wish Caitlyn Jenner was the new representative in Congress. The Greene v. Jenner Netflix special would dwarf Jake Paul v. Mike Tyson.

We are in a precarious political and cultural time. Human rights progress is being peeled back, layer-by-layer and allegedly progressive folks are yielding with barely a whimper. As the saying goes, give ‘em an inch and they’ll take a mile. Daunted by accusations of “wokeness,” the entire Democratic establishment is conceding miles, not inches, and setting back social progress light years.

Even so-called trans activists are equivocating. A NYT article this week summarized the capitulation and was accompanied by scores of comments in the “It’s about time!” vein. Profiles in social justice courage are hard to find.

Universities are “cracking down” on pro-Palestinian protests. It would be a shame to have concern over the slaughter of 42,000 innocent humans interrupt campus decorum and distract hard-working MBA candidates from their selfless missions.

DEI programs are being abandoned. Affirmative action, already dead, is pilloried anyway, just in case it tries to rise from the ashes of conservative incineration. A significant majority of the population appears to believe that “reverse racism” is the real racial problem in America.

The whole damn liberal commentariat seems to believe that “identity politics” is the ruination of the nation. Even some Black, gay, women, Latinx folks and others of non-white-male identity have joined that chorus. Baffling.

Because what do we have but our identity? We straight white men have never been obliged to contemplate our “identity” because it confers nothing but advantage. I cannot for the life of me recall any instance where my “identity” was a disadvantage or drew me to seek common cause with other white men to protect our fragile rights or position in society. But to others, “identifying” with kindred spirits by race, sexuality, gender or other defining characteristics, is a crucial comfort in navigating a world that often seems inhospitable.

“Identity politics” is the act of assessing the overt and covert ways that one’s existence is under threat from the majority and organizing with others to seek justice and equality. The ones who revile and resist identity politics would erase your reality by insisting on colorblindness or defining you as aberrant. Such people cannot and will not acknowledge that there are ways to be in the world that vary from their own perception and experience.

It is difficult to imagine an area of political activity where identity is a neutral variable.

Economic policies disadvantage people of color.

Climate change disproportionately affects poor and Black people.

Health policies – especially post-Dobbs – disproportionately harm women.

Anti-gay legislation – well, duh.

Anti-trans resolutions get you punched by Marjorie Taylor Greene.

I could fill pages with more (and better) examples.

Yet when voters, students or others find common cause with those who endure the same systemic and systematic harm, they’re dismissed as engaging in “identity politics.”

When I observe people with power and privilege attacking trans folks I want to scream, “Pick on someone your own size!”

But really, that’s unrealistic. There aren’t many people as small as Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor not-so-swift Greene.

The post Tempest in a Pee Pot appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

There are many legitimate concerns that we are drifting – perhaps plummeting – toward autocracy.  Certainly Donald Trump’s declaration of dictatorial intent is a flashing warning sign.

There are also legitimate concerns of a steady drift toward theocracy, given the majority Catholic leanings on the Supreme Court and the unfathomable influence of Christian nationalism and evangelicalism on American politics.

And there is the reality of our partial plutocracy, where monied interests exert explicit and implicit control over nearly every aspect of our lives.  This has been true for many years, but on steroids since the Citizens United ruling legitimized corporate bribery.

But these various “ . . . . cracies” are dwarfed by the irreversible “cracy” taking hold in the nation today:  Idiotocracy.

The most visible manifestations of Idiotocracy are found in the Trump phenomenon, best exemplified by the man himself.  The man is disgracefully, remarkably, irredeemably, frighteningly ignorant.  He is intellectually illiterate, astoundingly incurious and bereft of even cursory knowledge of the government he disdains.  His supporters are an enthusiastically compliant flock, having all of those traits themselves.

But those potshots are too easy.  The greater Idiotocratic threats to our formerly democratic republic are found in the steady assault on fact and reason within various public and private institutions.

A recent example is in the dual SCOTUS cases that show the Court prepared, once again, to demolish decades of precedent by shattering the so-called Chevron Doctrine.  Without getting too far into the weeds, the Chevron Doctrine essentially requires that the implementation and interpretation of regulatory statutes give deference to the expertise of civil servants and others with scientific training and experience.   In other words, scientists should make environmental and other judgments rather than, say, Lauren Boebert.  But the arguments this week seemed to point toward the Boebert approach.

The money behind the assault on Chevron comes from Charles Koch and his oil and gas buddies, who are regularly rankled by pesky experts who point out that they are making the planet uninhabitable.  Why should they or anyone else defer to the lifelong experts at the EPA when Jim Jordan, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar and all the other Rhodes Scholars they bought in Congress can better interpret complex statutes?

The perpetuity of the Idiotocracy is the project of the assault on education.  Here too, folks like the Koch Bros. and other billionaires like the Waltons, are hard at work creating an endless supply of useful idiots for the Idiotocracy by letting one generation of low information customers choose low or no-information schools for their children.  The vast majority of school vouchers, for example, are used for religious schools, many of which deny climate change, deny evolution and often have only one textbook – and you can guess which one.

The Idiotocractic assault on education aims to produce more citizens – if you can call them that – who emulate Nikki Haley and erase slavery from the list of Civil War causes.  The very successful Idiotocratic attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have even convinced some Democrats that we don’t need no darned affirmative action and let’s just judge everyone on their SAT scores.

The Idiotocrats use the “who could argue?” language of parental rights to dumb down school libraries and curricula.  Here, as with the dismantling of the Chevron Doctrine, marginalizing the wisdom, training and experience of real educators is the point.  Who, after all, is better equipped to decide what is taught in schools: an actual teacher or a parent from the Westboro Baptists, who knows that God kills soldiers because of them gays?  I exaggerate only very, very slightly.

There are multiple dimensions to the right wing threats to our republic.  Backlash to decades of racial progress, gay rights and women’s rights animates a great deal of contemporary conservative politics.    

But the Idiotocracy capitalizes on another reality of the MAGA enthusiasts.  For many decades – perhaps for all of time – a large slice of the American pie has been comprised of people who are tired of the eggheads and damn snooty folks in their Ivory Towers telling them what’s what.  Nothing new there, but their bitching used to be confined to the back fence, the local bar or the four-wheeler club (don’t take offense – I’m sure there are a few Bernie Sanders four-wheelers).

But now the Idiotocrats hold power.  The Supreme Idiot was president and may be again. The GOP side of Congress is riddled with Idiotocrats and the rest of their seats are filled by cowards.

It is the Idiotocracy we should fear most because its growing influence will enable the autocracy, the theocracy and the plutocracy.   When asked what kind of government we’d been given, Benjamin Franklin famously responded, “A democracy, if you can keep it.”

Not looking so good.

The post Fear the Idiotocracy! appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

[WORLD]

• Earthquake strikes Turkey killing over 20,000 people. President Erdogan has been heavily criticized for his response to the disaster and has arrested over 100 contractors despite himself being caught on camera bragging about relaxing building codes.
• February 24th marks the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion and occupation of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini!
• President Biden makes a surprise visit to war-torn Kyiv in a demonstration of support to the Ukrainian resistance.

[NATIONAL]

• The U.S. military shot down multiple objects attempting to enter North American airspace in wake of a high-profile Chinese balloon making its way across the continent. It probably wasn’t aliens.
• Train that likely should have been labeled as Highly Hazardous derails in East Palestine, Ohio leaking toxic chemicals into the environment killing wildlife and farm animals – with deep concerns for human health as well.
• SNAP benefits to help provide food for those in need during the COVID pandemic have ended on February 28th, many food banks are anticipating increased demand.
• Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 16 years in prison for his sex crimes.
• Marjorie Taylor Greene calls for a “national divorce” to separate the Red and Blue states, essentially calling for the dissolution of the United States.

[LOCAL]

• Multiple local schools across the state, including Boulder High, were evacuated after an elaborate fake gun threat.
• Members of Dacono City Council oust long term City Manager A.J. Euckert in a surprise vote during the February 13th meeting. 
• Black farmers in Aurora County have been stalked and harassed by their neighbors in what is believed to be a racially motivated community effort to drive them off their land.
• Pueblo County Sheriff’s sued for the wrongful death of Richard Ward, who was killed while he was with family picking up his little brother from middle school.
• Boulder County law enforcement used money from opioid settlements to purchase controversial surveillance equipment.
• CBS News report reveals a New York-based hedge fund has been buying Colorado River water rights over the last five years, sparking debate over who should have access to limited river resources.
• Adam Frisch announces he will run to unseat Lauren Boebert, Colorado’s national embarrassment, in 2024.

Small Talk

“The time is now for Democrats to take the lead when it comes to fulfilling our promise to create safer communities and pass real solutions that will cut down on gun violence in our communities today.” – Colorado Senate President Steve Fenberg (D-Boulder) affirmed while introducing four new gun safety bills

“The physics of the air in our buildings and the climate in which we live affect things that can make us sick and how long they persist. Now we have conservative indications of how long coronaviruses like the one that causes COVID-19 can stick around in the air and be an infectious disease threat.” – Professor of Engineering Mark Hernandez said about CU Boulder’s research on airborne diseases

“The commissioners’ decision to approve these new positions is a first step in building the capacity required to advance our wildfire mitigation efforts.” – Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy on adding twelve new wildfire mitigation staff positions

“[We need] more flexible zoning to allow more housing, streamlined regulations that cut through red tape, expedited approval processes for projects like modular housing, sustainable development, and more building in transit-oriented communities.” – Governor Polis on Colorado’s efforts to create more walkable cities

By the Numbers:

The post Month in Review | March 2023 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation will be taking over the role of the Colorado Wild Rabbit Foundation.

•  Ten of our neighbors were murdered in cold blood at the Boulder Table Mesa King Soopers, including three employees and one responding officer. Our hearts are still heavy with the loss, even as the news cycle moves on to the hundreds of other shootings that are replacing the COVID death reports as America “returns to normal.”

•  Boulder King Soopers shooter, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, appeared before Boulder District Court Judge Thomas Mulvahill at the Boulder County Justice Center on March 25, 2021. Additionally, a gag order was rejected, DA Dougherty plans to introduce more charges, and the defense implied a mental health defense.

•  Restore Colorado launched with 17 participating restaurants and businesses beginning their direct support of regional regenerative farming. Restore Colorado is a groundbreaking public-private collaboration between Zero Foodprint, Mad Agriculture, Boulder County, the City of Boulder, and Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency, according to a Boulder County press release. The official launch day was Earth Day, April 22, 2021.

•  Boulder County Public Health announced Friday April 16th that the county was moving to Level Blue effective immediately, but with some modifications. The lower level of coronavirus restrictions includes increased capacities for events, restaurants, gyms and bars.

•  Boulder County launched the Boulder County Carbon Conscious Certification (BCCCC) for licensed commercial cannabis cultivators. The certification recognizes cultivators who exhibit a commitment towards saving energy and reducing their carbon footprint. The certification comes with a new package seal that “allows the consumer and others in the supply chain to know that they’re supporting a cultivator who is working towards carbon neutral cannabis production.”

•  Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation will be taking over the role of the Colorado Wild Rabbit Foundation, reports the Camera. That organization plans to close within the next few years, giving Greenwood time to finish construction on a brand new “bunny hotel” to house the rabbits.

•  Walter Mondale, 42nd vice president under the Carter administration from 1977–1981, died on April 19th, at the age of 93. Rest in Peace.

•  J&J Vaccines were pulled from shelves after 6 – of nearly 6 million doses – resulted in blood clots, one of which resulted in death. Women around the country were quick to point out that birth control has a higher rate of blood clot and death. The vaccine’s safety is being studied to understand the cause.

•  President Biden, after running on a platform of ending the border wall and releasing kids from cages has *checks notes* done neither of those things. More kids are in cages (meaning held beyond the legal 72 hour limit before they should be transferred to ORR), and border wall construction continues.

Small Talk

“We adopted a slightly modified version of the state’s dial framework to ease into recovery, taking data into account to ensure restrictions gradually ease and allow individuals and business to have guidance consistent with the state’s dial that we have been operating under up until this point.”
– Lexi Nolen, Executive Director of Boulder County Public Health

“That stays with you forever. You can’t unsee anything in this job. And Michael will remember forever what he saw in that King Soopers, as well as the conversations with victims. Those things will haunt him.”
– George Brauchler, former DA, on what DA Michael Dougherty faces in prosecuting the King Soopers Shooter

“Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country’s history.”
– Former President Jimmy Carter, in a statement from the Carter Center

“It shall be the policy of my administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall.”
– President Biden, who has removed border funding from his 2023 budget plan while continuing to use Trump appropriated taxpayer funds to build the wall

“The Fake News Media is attacking me for being TOO PRO-LIFE (100%). Last night, Congress passed a bill which is not clear about preventing buying of body parts of babies murdered in the womb. I voted NO.”
– Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, who, along with CO Rep. Boebert, voted against a bill to reauthorize a bone marrow transplant program

By The Numbers

The post Month In Review | April 2021 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Graphic by De La Vaca

Over the course of the last several years, we’ve watched the party of Lincoln abandon any pretense of honor. The Trump era was a paean to rationalization of means — that no matter what the cost, the goal is all that matters. And to that end, the GOP sacrificed any hint of honor or moral high ground they may have once clung to — arguable as that may have been since the Nixon era.

Today’s GOP is a bust. It has strayed so far from the simple platform of limited government and personal freedom that it no longer bears any resemblance to a party of liberty. Now, it’s a cabal of corrupt ghouls, shaking down an uneducated base with wild conjecture, insane conspiracies and unyielding pride in ignorance. The party’s stars are its worst offenders — acolytes in the Trump cult of personality who continue to push the party ever rightward, past conservatism into an ugly miasma of authoritarianism steeped in jingoism, xenophobia, racism, anti-Semitism and bigotry.

Acolytes like Colorado’s own Lauren Boebert, doing her best to utterly embarrass Colorado’s 3rd District in the House of Representatives on a daily basis. She’s a III%er in a pant suit¹, a high-school dropout whose biggest claims to fame include food-poisoning 80 people at a Garfield County fair in 2017 where her restaurant served pork sliders to the unsuspecting attendees (without proper permits)²; multiple arrests and failure to appear warrants for a range of petty offenses³; and tweeting out the location of the Speaker of the House amid an armed insurrection⁴. To date, she has accomplished nothing in Congress, aside from a steady spate of tweets demonstrating both a complete lack of understanding of either the Constitution of the United States or the basic machinations of government. She’s peddled Q-anonsense multiple times on Twitter and Facebook and tried to carry a gun into the House chambers⁵.

And then there’s “Jewish Space Laser” celebrity Marjorie Taylor Greene⁶, who’s spent her first several weeks in Congress making Colorado’s 3rd District look reasonable, compared to Georgia’s 13th. This is the bully who stalked Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg through the streets of Washington D.C. verbally accosting the child for wanting gun control reform⁷. She embarrassed herself so thoroughly that she was ejected from committee assignments — effectively turning her into a lame duck about 20 minutes after she moved into her office⁸. Her social media accounts are littered with endorsements of the flat-out stupidest theories spun up over the last several years, including pizzagate, election fraud, 9/11 and false flag theories about the Sandy Hook and Parkland school shootings⁹.

But what’s worse — these aren’t rando nutbags who snuck into office. This is the face of the new GOP. And for proof, all you had to do was tune into CPAC last month to see it live. From the most horrific rendition of the Star Spangled Banner ever inflicted upon a willing audience¹⁰ to the parading of a golden Trump statue — holding a fairy wand and sporting a pair of American flag shorts and flip flops¹¹ — to the stage itself, carefully constructed into the shape of an Odal Rune¹².

For the uninitiated, the Odal Rune is a symbol that was first adopted by Nazi SS troops during WWII and has since been chosen by the National Socialist Movement as their logo, replacing the neo-nazi organization’s swastika¹³. The dog-whistles at this point are just big, bold neon signs.

CPAC’s theme this year — a tempest in a teapot — was “America Uncancelled,” a foot-stamping tantrum aimed at myriad cases of members of the party and their cohorts being held accountable for the things they’ve said and done via social media¹⁴. Things like the outrage expressed over former Mandalorian cast member Gina Carano’s brain-dead and tone-deaf Instagram post comparing Republicans today to Jews in the Holocaust¹⁵. Or, ya know, former President Trump’s deplatforming from Twitter for his seditious and unyielding attacks on the U.S. Constitution that resulted in an insurrection attempt at the Capitol building on Jan. 6. Of course, the first thing CPAC did — prior to the 4-day event even starting — was “cancel” one of its speakers for unleashing a torrent of horrifically anti-Semitic tweets¹⁶.

The CPAC agenda¹⁷ included sessions titled, “Why the Left Hates The Bill of Rights… and We Love It,” “Protecting Elections: How judges & Media Refused to Look at the Evidence,” “Same Badge, Different Beat: To Protect and Serve, Or Socialist Social Workers?” “California Socialism: Promising Heaven, Delivering Hell,” “Losing My Religion? Why a Christian Worldview is Foundational to Political Engagement,” a session on Climate Change (with noted climate expert …Kevin Sorbo?), and several other sessions on “Protecting Elections” and the myriad of alleged threats China poses to the United States.

And, of course, it all culminated with a speech by the former POTUS himself. It was a rambling, 90-minute long, lie-filled rant, where the disgraced, twice-impeached former Chief Executive hammered on his election fraud lie, lied about Biden’s plan to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline, lied about “dead voters,” lied about Biden’s refugee vetting plans, lied about South American deportations, and on, and on. And all of it was music to the ears of the largely maskless crowd in attendance¹⁸.

To call it all a circus would be a disservice to the Ringling Brothers. Yet that’s what the GOP has become, a spectacle. A clown show committed to the insane acrobatics of runaway fear-mongering, with a ring-master who refuses to go quietly into the night, even though his own spotlight has been dimmed. 

The post Whither is the GOP? | Duly Noted appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.