Transgender rights, police unions & right-wing forums, after-the-jump …...
But first: Top Comments appears nightly, as a round-up of the best comments on Daily Kos. Surely ... you come across comments daily that are perceptive, apropos and .. well, perhaps even humorous. But they are more meaningful if they're well-known ... which is where you come in (especially in diaries/stories receiving little attention).------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Send your nominations to TopComments at gmail dot com by 9:30 PM Eastern Time nightly, or by our KosMail message board. Please indicate (a) why you liked the comment, and (b) your Dkos user name (to properly credit you) as well as a link to the comment itself.
Recently, a nation approved a law that 1% of newly-hired civil servants must be transgender— and this followed a 2012 law permitting gender self-identification (changing documents without a doctor or judge’s permission), plus medical insurance is allowed to pay for gender-reassignment surgery & hormone therapy.
This law took effect in ... Argentina: known for its gauchos, love of red meat and sharing part of the region’s machismo ethos — and it passed overwhelmingly.
The Economist pointed out some factors explaining these trends:
1) In 2010, it was the first country in the Americas to approve same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples … and had no major problems
2) Its president Alberto Fernández has a son who identifies as non-binary
3) Unlike in Brazil and Central America - there is an absence of political parties catering to activist/evangelical churches, who would storm the barricades
4) Unlike in some countries (such as England), feminist groups are widely supportive and not fearful that cis women would suffer as a result
5) Most importantly: the brutal military dictatorship of 1976-1981 led to the rise of an unusually strong human-rights movement … that has grown not only larger but also more expansive in its scope over the years
One of my favorite analysts has long been Adam Serwer, whose latest book The Cruelty Is the Point outlines how — far from being a by-product of right-wing policies — cruelty is part-and-parcel of it. One chapter deals with police unions (although they frequently use a different word than ‘union’, as they are often at odds with traditional trade unions) …. and the role they play in this area.
Adam Serwer cited the recent interview that CNN’s Jake Tapper conducted with the head of the national Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), noting the organization is quite vocal about those who go against police practices … yet were so circumspect about the attacks on the Capitol Police on January 6 they recently had to “clarify” their position. Read the whole illuminating essay— here is a key passage:
The FOP has many reasons to remain quiet. Much of its rank-and-file membership is strongly supportive of Trump, whom the organization endorsed and worked to elect in 2016 and 2020. FOP leaders also know that some off-duty officers were in the mob, and might not want to suggest that they should be fired or prosecuted.
And they probably also do not want to antagonize right-wing voters who will reflexively support their members as long as any police abuses are aimed at the communities those voters hate and fear.
Of all of the writers in the Never Trump online publication The Bulwark, I enjoy reading Tim Miller: communications director for Jeb Bush 2016, and a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee. I’ve seen him on Nicolle Wallace’s show on MSNBC and — even when I disagree with him — I find him informative and highly entertaining.
Recently his Twitter feed revived a story of his from last month, whereupon former Trump aide Jason Miller founded a right-wing “free-speech” platform called Gettr— which would be good-for-what-ails the right wing (or so he thought):
These great patriots are being CENSORED. And they let you know it on the many platforms where they are mysteriously … still allowed to post.
They are pissed that they can no longer spread deadly misinformation about COVID vaccines. Or plot violent coups. Or harrass women, or trans folks, or other users they hate who happen to share the platform with them.
In order to remedy this anti-MAGA discrimination, these salt-of-the-earth trolls are demanding action from their representatives in Washington. But steering the ship-of-state takes time ….... and the prospect of federal, filibuster-proof message-board moderation legislation seems dim.
Enter: Gettr
Tim Miller suggests anyone using the site should open a spam e-mail account, and in order to troll Jason Miller (no relation), he chose … @PayChildSupport
He goes on to summarize that anyone pledging to have a no-moderation site …. will invariably have to do so: due to the inevitable spoof accounts, catfishing, porn ads and the like. Which led to Jason Miller’s team moderating the site … leading to “Where’s muh free speech?!?” complaints …. meet the new boss …. etc.
Read the story (not that long) at this link— you’ll have a chuckle.
Let’s close with the most popular song written by Paul Cotton during his time with Poco — Paul Cotton died this week at the age of seventy-eight, less than four months after the death of old bandmate Rusty Young.
Now, on to Top Comments:
From Youffraita:
In the front-page story about the latest escapades from PillowGuy— summoning-up Dr. Seuss, GrumpyOldGeek hits it out of the park with this comment.
And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the front-page story about the new availability of Trump Cards for purchase (complete with a mis-spelled word) — a question posed by MarcKyle64 leads first to this reply by skralyx…. and others follow-up.
Next - enjoy jotter's wonderful (and now eternal) *PictureQuilt™* below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment featuring that photo.
TOP PHOTOSAugust 4th, 2021 (NOTE: Any missing images in the Quilt were removed because (a) they were from an unapproved source that somehow snuck through in the comments, or (b) it was an image from the DailyKos Image Library which didn't have permissions set to allow others to use it.)
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And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
7) With all due respect, that is BS. by Medicine Man +1039) A very good start. by third Party please +9312) Mad Cow v. Maddow by Clio2 +8922) there’s only so much room by Greg Dworkin +7126) From our Onomastic by Denise Oliver Velez +66