I hope our friends in the UK take what they're seeing here as a cautionary tale and realize that it could happen there, too, if they're not vigilant. We have a lot of work ahead of us to de-MAGAfy this country, and it won't happen in just one election cycle. The empire WILL strike back. MAGAs will try to retake power. It's our job to crush them in the midterms and keep crushing them until that movement dies. Then we need to stake it through the heart and salt the earth so it can't rise again.
It's always harder to clean up a problem than it is to prevent one. I hope our UK friends take that to heart.
The optimism that seems lost and why pity and not pride seems the feeling of our time will return only if a new administration takes over and remains in place. Two or three national election cycles are needed before the mojo fully returns. That means Democratic Party leadership. With all its factions and intraparty arguments, the Democrats present the most significant bulwark against the outright discontent the Republicans offer. Republicans reject balance, compromise, and tolerance that is necessary for a viable society.
As an American living in London, whenever I’m in a social setting with a colleague or client, conversations immediately devolve into ‘I don’t get it. What were Americans thinking when they voted for him again?’ So I’m used to hearing what Rick is hearing. However that’s mostly in London. Once you leave London and the home counties it’s full of the rural disaffected voters. It was the same in 2016 with Brexit. People in London didn’t think anyone would vote to leave and were horribly shocked the next morning with the results. These are the people listening to right wing media and flooding Trafalgar Square for their unite the kingdom rallies.
I'm living in a rural area of the UK and I get that bewildered question from almost everyone who brings up Trump. I haven't met anyone in our current town who approves of him, and only one person in the last 2 years in the Liverpool area who does.
I can’t speak for the more country areas of England, but I get the impression they dislike him but still support Reform or Restore at the same time. Like these concepts are disaggregated. But would love to hear more of your experience.
Joe Biden didn't force millions of Americans to vote back in the guy whose mishandling of COVID resulted in the deaths of 1 million of their fellow citizens, and then incited an insurrection instead of admitting he lost. This impulse to form up the circular firing squad as the answer to all our problems is nothing but a permission slip for the real culprits to keep going. JFC!! BASTA!
I've been very harsh on Rick regularly over his promotion of Ground News, but this is different; this is the very idea of advertising in podcasts. Unfortunately it's like TV commercials; they're a fact of life and every podcast does it. We all gotta keep the lights on.
What renders the LP ads entirely endurable is that they're surrounded by bumpers, with a graphic throughout. That makes it easy peasy to grab your cursor and move it to the end bumper and bingo! you neither see nor hear a word of the ad ;)
It's when Rick tries _inside of his podcast persona_ to promote products that it's unendurable. That Man From Glad shit will start eroding Rick's credibility.
Real odd question here since you were in the UK, Rick. Could a good novelty candidate like Count Binface help our political discourse in any way?
There's plenty of arguments against that: the only reason the Clacton by-election is so funny is because Nigel Farage is a fool and the other parties didn't field candidates, British humor is particularly unique and doesn't translate well, the two party system and other barriers to entry make it difficult to get attention, the US is too damn big for a novelty candidate to make such a splash. Et cetera, et cetera.
On the other hand, the only novelty candidate we've really had in the US is Vermin Supreme, so it could be that no one's ever sufficiently leaned into satire hard enough.
The confluence of factors that is happening with the Clacton by election make it difficult to do this in the US. None of the parties opted to field a candidate and a Congress person couldn’t resign to stop an investigation and then immediately run for their seat again. Also Count Bin face has run in many elections and now has to be taken seriously cause he’s a major contender without other parties in the race.
One of my fave PG songs from my fave PG album (colloquially known as Scratch) and Peter's (quite successful!) attempt to mathify New Wave stomp rock. Gotta love a singalong chorus in 5/4 ;)
I hope our friends in the UK take what they're seeing here as a cautionary tale and realize that it could happen there, too, if they're not vigilant. We have a lot of work ahead of us to de-MAGAfy this country, and it won't happen in just one election cycle. The empire WILL strike back. MAGAs will try to retake power. It's our job to crush them in the midterms and keep crushing them until that movement dies. Then we need to stake it through the heart and salt the earth so it can't rise again.
It's always harder to clean up a problem than it is to prevent one. I hope our UK friends take that to heart.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The optimism that seems lost and why pity and not pride seems the feeling of our time will return only if a new administration takes over and remains in place. Two or three national election cycles are needed before the mojo fully returns. That means Democratic Party leadership. With all its factions and intraparty arguments, the Democrats present the most significant bulwark against the outright discontent the Republicans offer. Republicans reject balance, compromise, and tolerance that is necessary for a viable society.
As an American living in London, whenever I’m in a social setting with a colleague or client, conversations immediately devolve into ‘I don’t get it. What were Americans thinking when they voted for him again?’ So I’m used to hearing what Rick is hearing. However that’s mostly in London. Once you leave London and the home counties it’s full of the rural disaffected voters. It was the same in 2016 with Brexit. People in London didn’t think anyone would vote to leave and were horribly shocked the next morning with the results. These are the people listening to right wing media and flooding Trafalgar Square for their unite the kingdom rallies.
I'm living in a rural area of the UK and I get that bewildered question from almost everyone who brings up Trump. I haven't met anyone in our current town who approves of him, and only one person in the last 2 years in the Liverpool area who does.
I can’t speak for the more country areas of England, but I get the impression they dislike him but still support Reform or Restore at the same time. Like these concepts are disaggregated. But would love to hear more of your experience.
Very nice videos. Beautiful park. I almost made it to London in 2024. I’m feeling hopeful for America. 🙏🇺🇸
Come to Canada and say this.
Joe Biden and team could have done so much more to stop Trump. I'll never understand why the left us this mess.
Joe Biden didn't force millions of Americans to vote back in the guy whose mishandling of COVID resulted in the deaths of 1 million of their fellow citizens, and then incited an insurrection instead of admitting he lost. This impulse to form up the circular firing squad as the answer to all our problems is nothing but a permission slip for the real culprits to keep going. JFC!! BASTA!
Stop blaming others for someone’s sins
Isn’t it amazing? They think a man who’s been out of office for the last 18 months is responsible for the current mess our country is in.
Personally, I'm as sick of the BlameDemocratsFirst crowd as I am of the MAGA cult.
Oh, but I thought Xi was another of trump’s bff? Why would he want him to lose.
It's expensive I'll pay with attention.
You’ve lost me because you are launching into selling products instead of giving us good info and brilliant writing.
Increase your contribution if you find ads that offensive.
No, Rick's pod doesn't have membership tiers that eliminate ads, though some pods promote themselves with ad-free membership experiences.
I know...
I've been very harsh on Rick regularly over his promotion of Ground News, but this is different; this is the very idea of advertising in podcasts. Unfortunately it's like TV commercials; they're a fact of life and every podcast does it. We all gotta keep the lights on.
What renders the LP ads entirely endurable is that they're surrounded by bumpers, with a graphic throughout. That makes it easy peasy to grab your cursor and move it to the end bumper and bingo! you neither see nor hear a word of the ad ;)
It's when Rick tries _inside of his podcast persona_ to promote products that it's unendurable. That Man From Glad shit will start eroding Rick's credibility.
Real odd question here since you were in the UK, Rick. Could a good novelty candidate like Count Binface help our political discourse in any way?
There's plenty of arguments against that: the only reason the Clacton by-election is so funny is because Nigel Farage is a fool and the other parties didn't field candidates, British humor is particularly unique and doesn't translate well, the two party system and other barriers to entry make it difficult to get attention, the US is too damn big for a novelty candidate to make such a splash. Et cetera, et cetera.
On the other hand, the only novelty candidate we've really had in the US is Vermin Supreme, so it could be that no one's ever sufficiently leaned into satire hard enough.
Count Binface is very entertaining. You know he's legitimate when you see articles bashing his platform.
The confluence of factors that is happening with the Clacton by election make it difficult to do this in the US. None of the parties opted to field a candidate and a Congress person couldn’t resign to stop an investigation and then immediately run for their seat again. Also Count Bin face has run in many elections and now has to be taken seriously cause he’s a major contender without other parties in the race.
Don't forget the Rent Is Too Damn High guy with the awesome facial hair ;)
In honor of Rick's trip ...
Now playing: Peter Gabriel, D.I.Y.
One of my fave PG songs from my fave PG album (colloquially known as Scratch) and Peter's (quite successful!) attempt to mathify New Wave stomp rock. Gotta love a singalong chorus in 5/4 ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7LrEB63li8