ComradeKayAdams

My top 5 (double asterisks for movies that have already been mentioned in the thread): The Last of the Mohicans L.A. Confidential** Mulholland Drive Rear Window The Silence of the Lambs** Honorable Mention #1: The Godfather**: It should probably be my #1 movie of all time, but I’m such a fan of Puzo’s book that it’s tough for the movie to live up to my super high standards. Honorable Mention #2-3: The Big Lebowski**, The Notebook: I’ve probably seen these movies TOO many times, to the point of fatigue. Honorable Mention #4-6: Saving Private Ryan**, Terminator 2, The Thing: I’m normally not a fan of the war, action, and horror movie genres. The fact that I enjoyed these movies so much means they’re worthy of a mention.

Update to my top-5 ranked-choice vote: 1. Zohran Mamdani 2. Brad Lander 3. Zellnor Myrie 4. Scott Stringer 5. Adrienne Adams I removed Jessica Ramos and replaced her with Adrienne Adams. As it turns out, Jessica is indeed a FILTHY RAT and was also running an incompetent campaign. Adrienne is widely perceived to have strong centrist support, which makes her the most competitive challenger to Cuomo should Zohran and the progressives falter. So if you despise Cuomo at all costs but don’t think Zohran can make the final ranked-choice elimination round, then you’ll most likely want Adrienne somewhere on your top-5 list so that you’ll at least have a voice in the final say. Yeah, but the 2020 NYC lockdown occurred because there was evidence of a pandemic and because NYC is one of the most densely populated places in the world. There is no legal justification for an imposition of Sharia law. And besides, pics I’ve seen from Zohran’s recent wedding show a well-assimilated American Muslim with a new wife (Rama Duwaji) not practicing Sharia law. The actual criticisms surrounding Zohran are related to his inexperience and to his potential naivete about what he could realistically accomplish. Cuomo is also hitting him hard for his anti-Israel stance, bizarrely enough, in a U.S. mayoral race. Within wonky progressive circles, social democrats like myself might lightly challenge him on rent freeze details or on his “$30 by ‘30” minimum wage plan (FWIW: it’s currently $16.50 in NYC, $15.50 in NYS, and $7.25 in the US).

A really important question! The short answer is that ICE needs to consistently overstep their authority in order to meet the high daily deportation quotas that the Trump administration established. This overstepping of authority is the specific reason for the ICE protests, regardless of what MAGA’s may try to argue otherwise. The longer answer is that authoritarians use the dehumanization process* as a cudgel for increasing power. What it means to dehumanize, in the legal sense, is to not respect certain rights as universal that are supposed to be thought of as such: due process, free speech, no cruel/unusual punishment, recognition of international law, etc… As soon as the citizenry sees these rights infringed upon, it is their duty to protest and disobey so as to not normalize the aberrant behavior. Intelligent people will understand how the dehumanization process is an eventual boomerang**. MAGA populists, meanwhile, easily fall for the scapegoating*** of brown immigrants (illegal or legal). * - Other examples of creeping authoritarianism: ignoring and undermining decrees from the judicial branch, subsuming the powers of Congress to set tariffs, circumventing the Congressional “power of the purse,” crafting unconstitutional executive orders, increasing voter disenfranchisement, leaving military spending unfettered, hosting military parades, and normalizing military responses to domestic affairs. ** - Speaking of boomerangs…it is said (by some French guy, I think…Foucault?) that fascism is imperialism turned inward. So when an empire expends money and energy abroad to the neglect of its own citizens, the domestic decay leads to internal instability. The government will then attempt to stabilize using tactics it perfected abroad. The point here is that the MAGA authoritarianism we’re witnessing isn’t a black swan event, but rather the predictable product of unchecked post-WW2 imperialism (along with Reagan neoliberalism). *** - Culpability lies with the people responsible for labor exploitation and the people who destroyed collective bargaining leverage in the United States.

For any PPP lurkers voting in the NYC mayoral primary…I will share with you my official top-5 ranked-choice vote, after much contemplation: 1. Zohran Mamdani (Queens) 2. Brad Lander (Brooklyn) 3. Zellnor Myrie (Brooklyn) 4. Jessica Ramos (Queens) 5. Scott Stringer (Manhattan) Adrienne Adams (Queens) is AOC’s second choice and also Julia Salazar’s fourth choice. Adrienne comes across as super “meh” to me, so I’m not sure what the ranked-choice strategy might be here. Neither AOC nor Julia chose to rank Jessica Ramos. Since I’m not privy to any of the drama surrounding Jessica’s sudden decision to endorse Cuomo, I just put together my own ranking with a heavy emphasis on policy. FWIW: I’m your basic social democracy progressive, to the left of a liberal and to the right of a socialist. You’re asking why Zohran hasn’t publicly declared his stance on Sharia law? Simply because no media people in the city have bothered to ask him. Everyone here assumes that he won’t enforce it on NYC if elected mayor because, well, it would be really really weird for a DSA member to want to do that! I’m not even sure how a mayor could go about imposing such a policy on all NYC’ers. Everyone at the moment is more focused on practical issues like public transportation costs, rent controls, child care availability, minimum wages, and grocery store worker co-ops in “food deserts.” Multiculturalism has its benefits: higher tolerances of others, increased levels of professional creativity, better food options, etc… But I also think you’re putting too much stock in my diversity pride remark. It was a frivolous thought, similar to how a native Buffalonian like myself might take pride in the Bills or the snowy climate or the large concentration of Polish-Americans there. The ethnic, national, and religious diversity within NYC is a unique feature. People oftentimes take pride in uniqueness. Having said all that…I’m probably overstating what most NYC’ers actually think about pride in diversity. Most probably don’t bother thinking about it because they’re so accustomed to it.

Thank you. I very much appreciate you setting the record straight on my positions. I also appreciate your willingness to engage me in conversation. There’s no need to rush responses or even respond at all. I’d rather you take the time to carefully read what I write and then do independent study on this topic, for your own verification, using what I’ve written as a guide if needed. I’ll leave you with two important questions on your journey of moral and intellectual enlightenment: 1. What evidence has led the International Association of Genocide Scholars to their virtually unanimous determination that Israel is committing genocide? 2. Why has Israel, since 10/7/23, accelerated its illegal expansion of West Bank settlements and intensified the violence perpetrated against West Bank (i.e. non-Gazan) Palestinians? On a much lighter note…HECK YEAH, I can totally see you rocking the Arthur Fonzarelli look!! The blue jeans, white t-shirt, (faux) leather jacket, and slicked-back hair is a timeless rebel look…quintessential Leh-nerd. You ARE undoubtedly The Fonz. Always remember to choose a fashion aesthetic that best fits your unique personality, Leh-nerd. Do not chase trends. Care to guess what I’m going with today?? Yup: a floral-patterned bell-sleeved skater dress, black sheer tights, and a crown braid. BOOM. Another easy-peasy weekend morning routine for La Commie Kay.

1. My “interesting perspective” on a Hamas alliance with the United States: I do very much appreciate your willingness to politically tango with La Commie Kay, but please don’t step on my dance toes! I never even so much as intimated that an alliance with Hamas should be an objective. I was merely challenging your silly perspective that Hamas posed some kind of threat to our American way of life. It’s akin to George W. Bush’s “They hate us for our freedoms!” insight. No, they hate us because we’re imperialist sh!theads who, in this instance, are supporting our settler colonial proxy state’s ethnic cleansing. 2. You “reading stories of” Hamas violence against Gazans: OMG…I think I just found your fundamental problem. You badly need to diversify your news sources beyond corporate media ones that are in the pockets of powerful Zionists. The hasbara propaganda is apparent once you compare different media coverages of the same events. The fact that you’re fixated on alleged Hamas violence toward Gazans to the exclusion of Israel’s ACTUAL GENOCIDE of Gazans… 3. How “most Palestinians seem to support Hamas” to you: I think you meant to say Gazans instead of Palestinians. It’s hard to tell what Gazans think right now because it’s hard to do polling in there. Their society has broken down so badly to the point that they can’t properly maintain death records anymore. I can only surmise that many Gazans are unhappy with what Hamas leadership has been able to deliver for them to date, most are simply preoccupied with surviving, and nearly all are understandably angrier with the Israelis performing the genocide on them. Gaza is an entire society of descendants of Nakba refugees, so their resentment is unsurprisingly deep and generational. 4. “The innate goodness and decency of Hamas” you think I see: Now you are crushing my tango toes. STEP OFF. This is reckless and libelous speculation on your part. I’ve never come close to suggesting that in anything I’ve ever wrote. In my personal opinion, many of the leaders and members among the military wing of Hamas are likely irredeemable sociopaths. 5. “The current binary choice world” that you live in: Why do you stubbornly choose to see the world like this?? The real world is wonderfully multifaceted and highly nuanced. You are a willing prisoner inside your own mind. 6. “The path forward” for a partnership with both Israel and Hamas: I refuse to lay out such a path because I insist that both the Israeli government and the Hamas leadership have forfeited their rights to continue governing. They should all be charged with war crimes, sent to The Hague to stand trial, and serve their appropriate prison sentences. 7. A Brief Posting Retrospective with Leh-nerd Skin-erd: All in all, I’d say our discussion so far is going pretty well, no? I’m trying my best to effectuate a kinder, gentler posting philosophy with you called “What would Muppy Do?,” or “WMD” for short. It helps that I’m analogizing our debate to a tango dance instead of a boxing match! We’ll see how long this lasts, though. I have my guarded eyes fixed on you…

Early June is probably the right time for the endorsement. If too early, no one is paying attention. If too late, there’s not enough time to fully take advantage of the publicity boost AOC’s name recognition provides. Now we just need an endorsement from Bernie… Trust me when I say that no one who knows Zohran personally is afraid he would impose Sharia law on NYC! Far-left politicians, nationwide, have virtually an impeccable record respecting the Establishment Clause. NYC is also the most culturally diverse city in the world and likely in human history. It’s a source of pride here. Being Muslim isn’t going to hurt Zohran like some outsider pundits stuck in the 9/11/01 worldview want to think. I’m actually begging Andrew Cuomo to dig deep into that Islamophobia campaign playbook because I think it will backfire spectacularly on him and because Zohran needs every potential advantage he can find in such a close race. Cuomo has already begun that descent with his recent “anti-Zionism = anti-Semitism” rhetoric, but we have less than three full weeks of campaign runway remaining. An Emerson College poll from last week showed Cuomo defeating Zohran 54.4% to 45.6% in the tenth round of ranked-choice voting. This essentially means Zohran has three weekends to convince 1 out of every 20 primary voters to switch their ballot order between him and Andrew.

Oh no! A Muslim!! Eeeek!!! LOL…wear your bigotry proudly, guys… So AOC has now officially endorsed Zohran Mamdani!! You DON’T mess with The Zohran. The NYC Dem Party primary is Tuesday, June 24. Vote Zohran Mamdani as your top choice and fill in your next four choices with names, but make sure to leave Andrew Cuomo completely off your top-5 list. Also: if you live in the greater NYC area, Zohran still needs lots of volunteer help in The Bronx.

TRANSLATION: “It quickly became apparent to me that I had no chance of winning this debate, so I’ll just pretend that Kay condones acts of terrorism and then proceed to quit with feigned righteous indignation. Hopefully she will leave me alone now, and hopefully this response will allow me to save face with my two dozen reactionary Boomer/middle-aged friends who were evidently equally afraid to engage with Kay…since none of them bothered to come to my rescue during our debate…” For the record: yes, I unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism on innocent civilians and non-combatants. I do so on both moral and strategic grounds. But I also vociferously condemn collective punishment, ethnic cleansing, genocide, apartheid ethnostates, and acts of terrorism on Palestinian Americans from mentally ill Zionists…all of which apparently the two dozen TBD PPP reactionary Boomers/middle-agers AND YOU do not. You’re presenting a false binary choice. Why not forego an alliance with both Hamas AND Israel? In what way does Hamas threaten our American way of life?? They are a political organization localized to the Gaza Strip. They’ve never physically harmed an American outside of Israel. You can read their 1988 and 2017 charters to get a sense of their specific grievances, but any issues they have with the U.S. are restricted to our support of a country that has infamously confined their citizens to an “open-air prison” for the past two decades. In what way is Israel a good ally?? We send them ~$4 billion a year in aid, ~$20 billion since 10/7/23, and ~$300 billion total since Israel’s founding. That is not an “America first” policy! In return, our support of them has seriously strained our international and Middle East regional alliances, already sucked us into multiple disastrous Middle East conflicts, and at this point has destroyed whatever remaining moral legitimacy our country had in the post-WW2 era. All this for better economic access to the Suez Canal region, which the Houthis have now strained SPECIFICALLY because of our support for Israel’s genocide??

Child Order Psychology: Middle children are known for being good conflict mediators. I guess I can sorta see that in you, based on your PPP posting history. You oftentimes seek the more centrist or ”reasonable” political position, willingly explore both sides, and avoid emotional extremes. I’m the youngest in my family with two older brothers close in age, so maybe that helps explain my high levels of combativeness on a pro football message board subforum? I hope Muppy chimes in to tell us hers, though I’m afraid to “at” her because I know she hates PPP. Ugh. I’m already bored with this thread topic. Let’s just finish up with an old-fashioned “debate by combat,” Game of Thrones style! 1. Historians of the Nazi Party reached their consensus assessments from public quotes, private letters, interviews, newspaper depictions, and the Nuremberg Trials. << punches Leh-nerd in the nose >> 2. Computer glitch! << left hook to Leh-nerd’s face >> 3. Soda poetry! << right hook to Leh-nerd’s face >> 4. Poignant quote! << devastating uppercut to Leh-nerd’s jaw >> Debate conclusion: TKO! Kay wins another political debate against Leh-nerd! Yay, Kay!! Catwomen: Agreed! I’m familiar with all of the character’s actresses, and I think Julie Newmar wins on physical beauty and charisma. She was crazy tall, too. Catwoman should be tall and physically intimidating. Meaner Memes: Hmmm…upon further review, that meme has been deemed “very meh.” As an homage to our pugilistic repartee, it shall be replaced with this more delightful internet meme:

Read again my first paragraph and the post to which I was responding. 1. My “twisted propaganda version” of history: Be specific. Tell me exactly what you think is my propaganda and what is truth. My version of history comes from the widely accepted “New Historians” of Israel (Benny Morris et al.). 2. My alleged TDS: I’ve been calling this conflict a genocide since November 2023 and have been extremely critical of Zombie Zionist Biden the entire time. I was highly critical of my own political people (Bernie + AOC) for not denouncing the genocide much earlier. I’ve been against apartheid Israel since first reading Chomsky in high school. Can we talk about YOUR Trump apologisms?? Any profound thoughts on AIPAC money, Miriam Adelson’s special $100+ million bribe, and Trump’s real estate interests in an ethnically cleansed Gaza?? 3. Palestinians “started a battle” on 10/7/23: Sure, but what U.S. diplomatic events precipitated that battle?? Name them. And how did the broader “war” influence this battle (Balfour Declaration, Nakba, Green Line disputes, Camp David, Oslo Accords, Rabin assassination, both Intifadas, etc.)? 4. Your “barbaric squatters” remark: Oh! A very interesting and revelatory choice of words, indeed! The international community, FYI, does officially recognize the state of Palestine. They consider Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, chunks of southwest Syria, and parts of southern Lebanon to all be land that Israel is illegally occupying. 5. “Not one person in Palestine” publicly condemning attack: Shocking that you’ve been unaware of the peaceful humanitarian leaders and organizations throughout Palestine and abroad! I can excuse most Gazans for not vocally expressing their outrage because they’ve been preoccupied with basic survival in a dystopian landscape for the past 20 months. 6. “No doubt good and peaceful individuals” within Gaza: Your magnanimity warms my heart! Half of all Gazans aren’t even adults, FYI. 7. “They should be able to escape that and go to a more civilized” place: Agreed! Oh, wait…that whole “total blockade” situation in Gaza since 2007…and that whole “ethnic cleansing is wrong” concept… 8. “Palestine has lost any right to exist as a nation and they get what they deserve.” A powerful final thought from you. I’ll counter by arguing that the far superior country, militarily, has certain moral obligations. The U.N. and the ICJ have been compiling an outrageous litany of evidence for recent war crimes against Israel. The far-right Israeli government now openly expresses their plans for ethnic cleansing in both Gaza AND the West Bank. Academic experts on genocide are now unanimous in their agreement on calling this a genocide. These are all pretty glaring examples of Israel’s breach in their moral obligations. Just the other day, Jeremy Scahill (investigative journalist for Drop Site News) revealed details on ceasefire negotiations showing that Israel doesn’t even want Hamas to leave their positions of governance! In other words, Israel WANTS the genocide and ethnic cleansing to continue. The presence of Hamas is Israel’s one remaining justification for their contemptible behavior. So it was never about saving the hostages (no complete resolution after 20 months??) or about destroying Hamas. It was always about stealing more land and taking more natural resources…the settler colonial Zionist raison d’etre since the New Yishuv, wrapped up in a pretty Biblical bow. My solution: systematically dismantle the Jewish ethnostate of Israel. No two states. One state of Palestine, with equal rights for all. Have explicit constitutional protections for minority religious/ethnic groups like Jews. Employ heavy international/U.S. guidance early on to build up a peacefully functioning Palestine-Israel state. Oh I hear ya, but I also look at this as a moral imperative to provide at least some type of response.

You forgot that you had called me a cat?? That must have made reading my previous post a bit unsettling! 1. Why did you use the “overruled” word if you weren’t overruling me and didn’t think you can overrule anyone, including historians? So mysterious… 2. I’ve been consistent this whole time. Top-down government management and bottom-up worker co-op management are two organizational versions of the same system in which “workers own the means of production.” If you nationalize an industry (health care, energy, etc.), the employees in that industry are also taxpaying/voting citizens and therefore part of the ownership group. There are no uber-wealthy CEO’s and workers below the poverty line in a nationalized industry model. There WERE such things, however, throughout the entire Nazi Germany economy. 3. << hugs Leh-nerd >> 4. Hmmm…meh. << punches Leh-nerd >> Leh-nerd’s Catcalling Problems: Yes, I sometimes speak metaphorically. No, I am not an actual cat typing this out with a pair of heavy-handed paws. That would be patently absurd, Leh-nerd. Please try to keep up with me. It’s as if I’m traversing a 5-D hyperspace chessboard of communication with ease, while your 16 pieces are stuck on a congested 1-D line… Also, you should have gone with Catwoman instead of Garfield. Consider their main adversaries, too, and how they match our own adversarial relationship. Catwoman is super bad*ss and loves violently assaulting Batman. Nermal is far too cute. If they were to make a TBD PPP superhero movie for some reason, then obviously 1990’s Renee Zellweger (before Bridget Jones) would play my Catwoman and 1980’s Sloth Fratelli (during Goonies) would play your Batman. Kay’s Mean Meme: I viewed it as a fairly creative variation of the “Son I am Disappoint” meme. Not even a thumbs-up +1 rep boost?? Humph. << punches Leh-nerd >>

Yes, I very much think the Palestine protestors have peaceful intentions!! Isolated incidents of violence from mentally disturbed people don’t define or negate an entire political/humanitarian movement. Would you like me to carefully review all the violent hate crimes, in the U.S. alone since 10/7/23, by self-avowed Zionists against Palestinian Americans?? Where were all you PPP sh!theads when, say, Joseph Czuba murdered Wadee Alfayoumi??!! I’m kind of relieved, though, to see Israel apologists FINALLY admitting that they want Trump to crack down on free speech. This is the natural impulse for those who can’t defend the indefensible: a certifiable GENOCIDE funded by the American taxpayer. But those who would like to try anyway with me should first understand that this conflict spatially extends beyond the Gaza Strip and temporally before 10/7/23. So before attempting to tango with La Commie Kay, you must first have a decent understanding of the West Bank settler encroachments and the New Yishuv of the pre-Nakba era. And so I’ll now patiently await among the verdant subforum foliage, like a political praying mantis, ready to rip some f*cking Zionist heads off after our disputatious embrace. Peace, -Kay

It’s technically not a definitional component of communism, either. Authoritarianism has historically accompanied communism** because of the difficulty in scaling communism up to fit a society any larger and more diverse than what you’d likely find on a hippie commune. Any system of governance that poorly models collective human behavior will devolve into extreme violence. Anarcho-capitalism is on the opposite side of that same communist coin. ** - While we’re being super technical here…I should note that the historical/practical instances of communism failed in coming close to matching the academic/theoretical definition of communism. Don’t get cute with me, Leh-nerd. You’re the one who called me a cat. Now you think of me more as someone who is youthful, adorable, persistent, brilliant, self-confident, and always able to declare victory. Hmmm…yes, let’s roll with Stewie! 1. You’re getting cute with me, Leh-nerd. YOU “overruled” ME. I was simply regurgitating the consensus thoughts of credible academic HISTORIANS. Therefore, YOU are overruling (i.e. disagreeing with) the HISTORIANS. Transitive property, bruh. 2. True. Direct government management has historically been far more common than worker cooperatives. 3. You’re very welcome! 4. I see where you’re going with this, but I will easily argue that modern American conservatives have far more overlap with historical fascists than do my democratic socialist comrades. Regarding your aborted Garfield remark: Let’s go ahead and “flesh it out” before we “flush it out.” Garfield is known for being lazy, fat, and a lover of lasagna. I am a workaholic, have a 19.3 BMI, and have been a 100% vegan for many years now. Diagnosis: FAIL.

Oh rest assured, 100% of the fear distribution is with the mousy prey. You have entered a lion’s den that is the history of political philosophy. This is well within my PURRRview. I FEEL I KNow a very significant amount on this topic. And my legendary posting stamina can render you CATatonic. I don’t KNEAD to massage your ego, either, as your predictable fate was of your own volition. So now hear ME OUt: 1. This is the consensus opinion of credible academic historians, based on all sorts of well-researched evidence. You’re overruling them?? 2. There are many versions of socialism, but all with one common denominator: workers owning the means of production. I reject your rejection. 3. Yes, branding, which is quite distinct from ACTUALLY BEING. 4. No, that was a reference to the fact that the Nazis quickly moved to crush all political opposition soon after taking control. Hitler offered no approach to socialism (see: point #2). He governed in accordance with fascism. I’m sure some of his early supporters who wanted socialism also liked his ultranationalism, calls for a strong centralized government, and hatred of Jews. None of that, however, are necessary features of socialism. Again…I know plenty of actual card-carrying DSA members. They all seem to be anti-nationalists, federalists, and humanists of some type. << Narrator: Kay carefully licks the backs of her hands, saunters over to a corner of her bedroom, curls up in a curious ball, and proceeds to sleep for the next eighteen hours. >>

Government ownership of a factory IS one form of “workers owning the means of production.” In this instance, the collective taxpayers/voters are the owners and the government handles the administrative affairs of the factory. I think you misinterpreted what I wrote: I NEVER denied the historical reality that far-left governments have imprisoned their political opponents. I merely stated that it wasn’t a defining feature of socialism, whereas it IS for fascism. By “defining feature,” I mean “a description that an academic political philosopher would use to help characterize the term.” I personally know lots of card-carrying DSA members, and none of them believe in throwing their political opponents in jail. I mean, sure…EXCEPT FOR THE HISTORICAL FACT that the actual Nazi politicians never saw themselves as socialists, never governed with the implementation of proper socialist policies, and actively fought against real German socialists. By the time the German citizens who supported the Nazis specifically for their socialist branding figured out what was going on, it was too late to dissent. Claiming the Nazis were “socialists” because it was in their party name is simply devoid of any critical historical analysis. It would be like evaluating contemporary American politics by simply stating Democrats must therefore be inherently more “democratic” than Republicans, or that Republicans must therefore be better promulgators of representative democracy than Democrats. These are all just names branded for whatever political expediency at the point of initial historical application. The era of Pax Kay-Leh-na, as established in the Papal Conclave thread, is now under great duress. Proceed with caution, Leh-nerd…

You’re conflating “socialism” with “dirigisme.” The simple question regarding socialism is whether or not “the workers own the means of production.” You appear to be acknowledging that wealthy capitalists dominated the economic landscape of Nazi Germany, and that any collective bargaining was severely restricted under Nazi rule. So there’s your answer… Imprisoning one’s political opponents isn’t any defining feature of socialism. All types of governments throughout history have done this or not done this. It IS, however, a definitional component of far-right fascism. Reddogblitz is 100% correct. The “socialist” in “National Socialist German Workers’ Party” was rhetorical propaganda meant to appeal to the German proletariat in the earliest years of Nazism. Hitler and the Nazis then waged an all-out war with any and all left-leaning German political opponents.

Muppy (and Two Bills Drive): “Less is very often more.” Kay: “MORE is more!!!” William Shakespeare: “Brevity is the soul of wit, Commie Kay.” Kay: “Thou shalt shut thy filthy wh*re mouth, Zombie Bill.” No, but I hear y’all…I think the natural constraints of poetry are probably healthier for me. Prose is where I tend to let my spiked mohawk hair down and really lose control. Speaking of words… The Female Rocker Evaluation Committee should consider another dimension to our analyses: lyrics! My clear-cut favorite female rock lyricist has to be Regine Chassagne from Arcade Fire. She is a bona fide poet and is preternaturally soulful within a “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll” industry that typically treats the lyrics like an afterthought. If written properly, the lyrics are supposed to accentuate both the vocals and the instruments while driving you to very emotive places. “Haiti” and “Sprawl 2 (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” are a couple of my favorites, off the top of my head, among many others of Regine’s that do just that. Oh, and “In the Backseat” about her mother’s death…ugh…simple but powerful…she’s sooo good… P.S. I do ADORE your compliments, of course, but your cognitive insecurities shock and sadden me. Know that the concept of “intelligence” is highly nuanced and fluid. Comparisons of it are ultimately kind of pointless, anyway. Your apparent curiosity, humility, open-mindedness, and efforts to surround yourself with people whose knowledge and talents kindle you is what matters in this life. P.S.P.S. I unfortunately haven’t been able to spend much time lately enjoying NYC. Lots of work-related travel, plus the occasional out-of-town weekend hike or rock-climbing adventure. This month, however, I’ll be spending my weekends volunteering for Zohran Mamdani’s NYC mayoral campaign! Woohoo!! You DON’T mess with The Zohran! (P.S.)^3. Ugh…LOL…I just can’t help myself…as you know, I enjoy political subversion in the form of murderous literary imagery (or at least you do now, and to which PPP’s Leh-nerd can testify). So here’s a lyrical poem to commemorate my upcoming political canvassing efforts, with the rhythm set to “Abraham’s Daughter” by Arcade Fire (I’m sure the meter is out of whack, but whatevs…this is early morning online pro football message board subforum poetry, not The New Yorker): Andrew took Zohran’s hand And led him to Todt Hill, While Zohran’s canvasser hid and watched. She dared not breathe. She was so still. Just as an oligarch donor cheered for the slaughter, Zohran’s canvasser raised her voice. Then the oligarch asked Kay what her name was. Kay said, “I have none.” Then the oligarch asked, “How can this be?!” “ERIC ADAMS NEVER GAVE ME ONE.” And with Andrew’s wallet up, raised for the slaughter, Zohran’s canvasser raised her bow. “How darest you, voter, defy your next mayor!” “You better let young Zohran go.”

LOL…”spiked mohawk”…I love it, Muppy!! Methinks my political subforum irreverence, however, belies my true self. Punk and/or goth doesn’t quite fit my personality. The uniquely Commie Kay fashion aesthetic can best be described as such: “cosmopolitan hippy: an ethereal, iridescent fusion of stoic Manhattan professionalism met with impish Brooklyn bohemianism.” Or something. So I just finished perusing this thread. I’d like to add Meg White (White Stripes), Karen Orzolek (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Regine Chassagne (Arcade Fire), and Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) to the discussion. I also want to re-emphasize the awesomeness of Grace Slick, Kim Gordon, P.J. Harvey, and Dolores O’Riordan. And my official answer for my favorite rocker chick is Melissa Auf der Maur. Her pairing with Courtney Love for Hole** was absolutely SUBLIME. I once told my Dad (a huge Nirvana fan) that I think Hole was actually better than Nirvana. His immediate response was that I should be removed from the family will. While I did deserve that response, I think my point also stands that Hole is very underrated. I’ll definitely look through your OTW music posts this summer, Mups! It already looks like we have some overlap in interests. My own musical tastes are pretty eclectic and mood-based. I can listen to anything ranging from indie rock to hard rock to classic rock to pop to hip-hop. Best wishes to you and your musically gifted family members in all your artistic pursuits!! Remember to “at” me if the PPP MAGA boys give you any trouble this summer. Oh, you KNOW how I like to rage against that particular machine…<< baleful Tom Morello wah-wah pedal sounds >> ** - Not-so-fun fact: the bassist Melissa replaced was a native Buffalo girl who had died of a drug overdose.

Hey, Mup! Here’s a few more I’ll add to the master list: 1. Melissa Auf der Maur (bass guitarist, most notably from Hole) 2. Emily Haines (lead vocalist, Metric) 3. Siouxsie Sioux (lead vocalist, Siouxsie and the Banshees) Apologies if any of them have already been mentioned. I only skimmed through this thread. I had a brief “creative phase” in my life when I learned to play the bass guitar and wanted to sing in a rock band. It lasted about a year or two, until I realized I had no musical talent whatsoever. I still enjoy listening to all types of rock music, though!

Regarding the bolded: it’s so transparent and distasteful how MAGA’s manipulate class warfare rhetoric to feign populism. Their Sophie’s Choice presentation of “trade school money versus Harvard research money” is an obvious false dichotomy. One can easily fund both by, say, raising taxes on the wealthy and/or cutting military spending. And since the Trump administration is operating like the U.S. dollar is in no danger of ever losing its global reserve currency status, then running a budget deficit with a Keynesian stimulus package should also be on the table. MAGA, however, is all about the vibes of trolling! Sound public policy is too boring. Withholding STEM research funding at elite universities, as well as denying international researchers access to these research labs, does such enormous long-term damage to our economy and national security. I guess MAGA doesn’t realize how large a percentage of groundbreaking research is achieved in just a small handful of universities. Maybe they don’t understand how most fundamental STEM research can only be funded by big government and not by profit-prioritizing private corporations. Perhaps they don’t care how all the government pauses and general policy uncertainty diminish our international STEM reputation. But this is what happens when you replace policy wonks and eggheads in your administration with conservative media personalities. This is what happens when you 100% cater to a voting base whose only science lab experiences were growing meth in their basements and whose only “advanced degrees” are their subsequent periodontal assessments. To be clear: there is NO institutionalized anti-Semitism on any of the elite U.S. university campuses. None at all. Zionists are just upset because organized protests against apartheid, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide are condoned and increasing in momentum. It’s difficult to justify starving 2 million civilians for nearly 3 months and running, on top of murdering journalists at record numbers (200+ and counting) while sniping children and destroying 90% of all buildings in Gaza (including practically every hospital and school). As the evidence against Israel mounts and the hasbara propaganda fails, the only recourse for cowardly Zionists is to suppress free speech. My only problem with the campus protests is that their message is way too watered-down and acquiescent to the feelings of liberal Zionists. We are so far beyond the option of a two-state solution now… The Israeli objective all along was land theft for a Biblical Greater Israel, not rescuing hostages or self-defense against Hamas. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir don’t even bother to equivocate on these intentions, and the IDF and the violent West Bank settlers apparently follow suit with these directives. A recent PSU poll shows that 82% of Israeli citizens support the ethnic cleansing of Gaza (which is also Trump’s plan, by the way) and 47% support the outright genocide of Gazans, so to be clear: it is NOT just the far-right Israeli government that’s the problem! The only moral and practical resolution to this quagmire now is the one-state solution…i.e., the systematic dismantling of this degenerate Jewish ethnostate via international BDS policies. It’s what worked with South Africa in the 1980’s. One state, full and equal rights for all, with no preferences for ethnicity or religion. Syria and Lebanon should have their stolen land returned, too.

Yeah, pretty much. It’s a standard Pigovian tax that should stay within the purview of local and state government. It has cleared all reasonable environmental reviews. Early quality control reports in Manhattan are promising (though there are admittedly some parking logistical issues still to be sorted out just north of the congestion pricing district). Favorability poll numbers in the metro area are climbing. Similarly implemented programs in London and Singapore have been successful for quite a long time. Oh yeah…and the Biden administration already approved it! So on what grounds is the Trump administration planning to overturn it?? Working-class people from Jersey and Strong Island can use public transportation…just as the Pigovian tax intended! Residents still complaining should finally make do on their hollow threats and move to a red state. Everyone else will focus on pushing local government to do something useful with all this additional MTA revenue. On that to-do list, I recommend upgrading the public transportation infrastructure and planting more urban trees. Also: please vote Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday, June 24 (while leaving Andrew Cuomo completely off your top-5 ballot list). Dunno…you tell us. I suspect another opportunity to “own the libs” and nothing more.

Reaching these men is super easy: offer a candidate who connects with them on their economic anxieties. Have a policy platform centered on economic issues like universal health care, living wages, collective bargaining, the ACTUAL return of quality domestic manufacturing jobs, and defrayed costs for colleges and trade schools. The modern Democratic Party had a candidate once upon a time who did this. They called his ardent male supporters “Bernie Bros.” What happened to such a salable candidate?? Recall my previous post in this thread regarding Citizens United v. FEC… I see the attacks on Harvard as an extension of the aforementioned. If you don’t offer these people pragmatic solutions to their real-life problems, they’ll just turn to various alternative “policies” that amount to nothing more than “libtard-pwning” virtue-signaling. The Harvard situation also neatly ties in with my Alexis de Toqueville reference in that same previous post. Anti-intellectualism and xenophobia are deeply ingrained American traditions, and we’re seeing the practical damage done when MAGA’s formulate STEM research policies without understanding how modern STEM research operates. The Harvard anti-Semitism accusations, of course, are a continuation of these dullardly MAGA dullards dullarding about…Zionist propaganda is effective on people unable to distinguish between Hamas and Palestine, or to parse the nuanced etymology/phraseology of “intifada” and “from the river to the sea.”

Yup, I basically see Trumpism the same way: rebranded Reaganism and an inevitable consequence of late-stage neoliberalism. It’s always some new culture war topic that divides and conquers the American people when election season arrives: gay marriage, a war on Christmas, illegal immigrants, “dudes” wearing super cute dresses, etc… I figure this thread will quickly reach the conclusion that we are all given a binary presidential choice, and most of us are employing what we believe to be a “lesser of two evils” electoral strategy. It’s then a basic human psychological reflex to defend and justify our choices up to the point when reality can no longer be ignored. An important question worth exploring is “why” we ended up with these two particular choices in the first place: Trump versus Biden/Harris. The short answer: see “Citizens United v. FEC” (2010). The long answer: see “Democracy in America” (1840) by Alexis de Toqueville. My only caveat here with anything Toqueville is that he is widely credited as perceiving Americans to be fundamentally “good” people. I would strongly challenge that assertion at every step along the way in American history, well past 1840. A society worth saving never even considers denying universal human rights to undocumented immigrants, nor does it obsess over its collective 401(k) status as its government funds an active genocide in Gaza. Growing up against a post-9/11 political backdrop, it was readily apparent that fascism is simply imperialism turned inward. Call it “God’s divine will” or call it “karma,” but we Americans deserve Donald Trump and everything that is to unfold. On that note…um, happy Memorial Day?? FACT: PPP is a better place with Muppy involved.

LOL…that was only intended to be a remark on how DIFFERENT we are, not on my perceived superiority to you in any way. We really need to work on your self-esteem!! This is probably among my more critical functions as one of your split personalities. Another likely reason your forgotten childhood trauma led to my creation was to develop your political morality. In the coming weeks and months, let’s delve a bit deeper into the following issues: 1. Progressive taxation policies for returning stolen wealth back to the working class. 2. Universal health care. 3. American imperialism. 4. Zionism. 5. Capitalism’s role on ecosystem degradation. 6. Factory farming regulations. << NARRATOR: Kay puts down her Intro Psychology textbook, turns on Identity (2003) starring John Cusack, and remembers to log out from her Two Bills Drive account so that either Leh-nerd or Muppy can log into theirs. >>