More on the IR Act
Vox has an explainer: The Inflation Reduction Act, explainedThe climate bill is also a health care bill (and it does a few things on taxes, too).
Continue reading →Category Archives: Politics
Useful legislation
No, it doesn’t go far enough. And yes, we still have more work to do—we must keep pushing. But this is a real victory, especially on climate change. For details on the likely effects of the bill, listen to this podcast at Dave Roberts’ Volts, where he discusses the impact of this bill with experts. And I’ll re-up this post from Bill McKibben, which outlines what our next steps must be if the bill does pass: Making Momentum Matter! – Post-Manchin, the climate fight morphs in many ways. I’ll post more analysis as I can.
Continue reading →Victor Orban, Leader of CPAC
An authoritarian white nationalist, just the sort of politician Republicans love. Listen to his words below, and hear the cheers. Orban’s type of patriarchal government—anti-gay, anti-feminist, anti-multiculturalism—is the government they wish to impose on the rest of us. Don’t look away. Viktor Orban is an authoritarian who trafficks in antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories, embraces antisemitic imagery, and engages in racist rhetoric. Republicans welcoming him with a standing ovation at #CPAC is all you need to know about the danger of today's @GOP. https://t.co/kvtoTOBXOo — Jewish Dems (@USJewishDems) August 5, 2022 ETA: Laura Jedeed has more.
Continue reading →Kansas!
The first vote in the post-Dobbs era has ended, and Kansas, considered a very red state these days, has voted to keep abortion legal in the state. (gift link, no paywall) This is an enormous victory for women, and for freedom everywhere. That the vote was not even close should be somewhat reassuring, but there is still a very long road ahead to the mid-terms. Let’s not get complacent. Remember: The people who will put themselves in charge of our bodies to demand our reproductive labor, will put themselves in charge of our bodies to demand every other kind of … Continue reading →
The Manchin Act
The deeply imperfect “Inflation Reduction Act” is so important to pass. I won’t truly believe in the passage until I see it, of course, because our dysfunctional Congress does tend to kill every potential step forward. But this bill contains many policies that can help us make real progress against the most important emergency we face: climate change and the resulting disruption to current ecological systems on earth, systems that humans and other living things rely on for survival. From Rebecca Solnit and Terry Tempest Williams: Humanity can’t equivocate any longer. This is a climate emergency …The climate emergency has … Continue reading →
Nature is savage
More states are arguing about anti-abortion legislation this week. Know what’s happening in your state, and tell your legislators to protect reproductive choices. I can't overstate just how horrible the past few weeks have been. Pregnant women have been refused treatment, put in the ICU, put on breathing machines, forced into unnecessarily childbirth only to watch a wanted baby die, hemorrhaged, lost their uteruses.https://t.co/2xxnbqiAne — Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) July 20, 2022 Mother Nature's story of reproduction is bloody, messy, savage. Most fertilized eggs never become babies (if God knits you in the womb, he kills most of his creations). The … Continue reading →
And this comes as no surprise
Read the whole thing, then contact your Congresscritters and state officials. Demand that all Americans have their full rights respected. We can’t let these bigots determine how we live our lives. Gift link, should get you past the paywall for a while. After Roe, Republicans Sharpen Attacks on Gay and Transgender Rights Since the Supreme Court decision last month overturning Roe v. Wade, anti-gay rhetoric and calls to roll back established L.G.B.T.Q. protections have grown bolder….many Republican officials and candidates across the country have made attacking gay and transgender rights a party norm this midterm season. In Texas, Attorney General … Continue reading →
The great disconnect
The Globe and Mail of Canada presents a lot of polling data showing how the people of the United States have grown more progressive in nearly every area of public policy, and on most measures of cultural significance as well. And, as we have noted, conservatives have worked hard for decades to impose conservative policies on the nation even as this liberal greening has continued. This is a recipe for disaster. Americans are more liberal and tolerant than ever. Too bad about their institutions …Those aren’t cherry-picked figures: It is hard to find any area of values or beliefs where … Continue reading →
Beyond the Scenes ~ The Daily Show ~ July 12, 2022
The whole episode is worth a listen, starting off with Roy Woods, Jr. interviewing Jordan Klepper and his field producer about their Daily Show segments with MAGA types on Jan. 6, and other strange people at other rallies. I’ve set this up to start at a later segment (at 38:42), where Chris Hayes talks about the events of January 6th, and what they might mean for our future elections. Below the video I’ve included a transcript of a portion of this discussion that seems especially pertinent to those future elections. As always, any transcription errors are my own. Transcript from … Continue reading →
Abortion resources
You might notice I’ve added a new page for abortion resources. So far I’ve only added the links I’d surfaced when Roe v. Wade was murdered. Over the next week or two I’ll add in a few lines about the various organizations, their services, note locations (particularly which orgs are outside the US). I intend to keep the info up to date and online indefinitely. If you know of orgs that aren’t included but should be, let me know. Meanwhile, the free states where abortion is still protected are ramping up services as they must now embrace an increased wave … Continue reading →