Wednesday, January 1, 2025

2024 in film (Ann and Stan)

Happy New Year.  Ann and Stan here offering our annual look at film.  We note the ten best of the year and also provide some commentary about a film that wasn't the box office blockbuster liars tried to pretend it would be and we also take on the MAGA dirtbag who wrongly announced the demise of DISNEY.



1) WICKED


Let there be no mistake, WICKED is the best film of 2024.  WICKED is everything a film should be and it is a musical that made over $429 million in North America alone. Great performances, great direction, stunning cinematography and sets.  It's a stunning film and it's a classic that kids are going to grow up on for decades to come.  Available on streaming platforms currently for rental or purchase.




2) BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE


Years in the making, this sequel to the 80s classic BEETLEJUICE reunited Winonna Ryder, Michael Keaton and Catherine O'Hara and paired them with Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux to make one of the most satisfying films of the year.  This film should result in Tim Burton's second Academy Award nomination for Best Director.  Second?  That's right, our country's most inspired and original director has only been nominated for Best Director for one feature film (BIG FISH). How does the visionary behind PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE, BEETLEJUICE, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, ED WOOD, DARK SHADOWS, BATMAN RETURNS, BATMAN, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, BIG EYES, PLANET OF THE APES, MARS ATTACKS! and so many more not have an Academy Award for Best Director already -- let alone multiple nominations?  One term for this film?  Magical.  Streaming on HBO. 



3) THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT


Historical films can be boring.  And we all have to pretend  otherwise because it's some noble story -- or some crap like OPENHEIMER passed off as noble (noble films about dropping nuclear bombs on human beings don't neglect the stories of those killed and those who survived but, hey, White people, keep pretending the film wasn't racist).  If you're lucky, a historical film can actually be good and worth watching.  But every now then, as THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT demonstrates, a historical film can be riveting.  Available on NETFLIX.


4) THE SUBSTANCE


There are way too many horror films.  It's like the glut that killed the superhero films.  More originality is needed.  THE SUBSTANCE finds life in the form via a script that constantly surprises, expert directing by Coralie Fargeat and a cast delivering amazing performances.  No one is more amazing than Demi Moore in the lead.  Demi and Kerry Washington (for THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT) should both be on the Best Actress list when the Academy Awards announces their nominees.  This film would be surprising with another actress in the lead role -- the script and the direction are strong enough.  But it wouldn't be the shocker and the gut punch that it is without Demi's performance.  She truly delivers.  Available on AMAZON for purchase, rental or free via a free trial.

  

5) DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE


Ryan Reynolds is back wise cracking.  He's the William Haines of this century.  And that would have delivered a few ticket buyers.  But what made this film a huge hit on opening weekend was Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. -- a character far more beloved than Deadpool.  In his last showing, Logan (Wolverine) had been killed off at the end so there was also interest in how Hugh would return to the role.  That made it a hit opening weekend.  What made it the second biggest film in North America for 2024 was the fact that it delivered.  Ryan and Hugh had real buddy cop chemistry.  The script had surprises and Easter eggs -- including the past superheroes who show up.  It's why the film made $636 million in North America.  Available on DISNEY+.



6)  MARIA


Maria is Maria Callas, an opera singer in the 20th century.  This bio drama stars Angelina Jolie who elevates it to another level.  Add her to Kerry Washington and Demi Moore on the list of women who should be on the Academy Awards' Best Actress nominees list.  She's ably supported by a strong international cast.  But Angelina, all by herself in a chair at a table, is nothing but Maria.  She breathes life into every scene and never hits a wrong note.  This is a strong, very strong bio drama but it's so much more with Angelina in the lead role.  Available on NETFLIX.


7) THELMA



A cute and small film that is hugely satisfying comedy.  June Squibb is senior citizen Thelma who gets scammed.  While her grandson Daniel (Fred Hechinger) understands but her daughter (Parker Posey) and her son-in-law (Clark Gregg) see it as a sign that Thelma's in decline and needs less control of her life.  It may not sound funny but it is very funny.  Very funny.  And this is Richard Roundtree's final film which is another reason to stream it. See this and 2022's MOVING ON where he plays Jane Fonda's ex-husband and grasp that Richard Roundtree went out while he was still at the top of his game.  Available on HULU and DISNEY+.



 8) THE LAST SHOWGIRL


Gia Coppola's drama has the spirit that American indies had before big studio's started snapping them up and sapping them up.  A first rate cast -- including Pamela Anderson, Dave Butista, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jason Schwartzman -- shine and register as the plot moves in story teller fashion -- as opposed to the Sy Field cookie cutter fashion that destroyed enthusiasm for film.  Not yet available on streaming.  Sorry but we have pirated copies.  We'll buy streaming copies of the film -- purchase not rent -- when it comes out.  But we heard good things and when it started showing up at the Black barbershops, we got our pirated copies because, if it was as good as we kept hearing, we wanted it on our list.  It wasn't as good as we heard, it was better.  


 9)  INSIDE AND OUT 2


This is a joy of colors and shapes and we mean that in the best way possible.  The biggest film of 2024 in North America, this animated cartoon zips by quickly while still being memorable.  It's also a DISNEY film.  We mention that for a reason.


The disgusting Ron DeSantis certainly carried out a war on DISNEY but even worse was his little bitch Jonathan Turley.  Anti-trans and anti-free speech Jonathan Turley morphed into one of the worst hate merchants in the last five years.  He's disgusting.  And he lies over and over at his website and in his Tweets.  One of his biggest lies?  The death of DISNEY.


Via THENUMBERS.COM, here are the top four films of 2024 in North America:


1  Inside Out 2  Jun 14, 2024  Walt Disney  Adventure  $652,980,194  60,573,301

2  Deadpool & Wolverine  Jul 26, 2024  Walt Disney  Action  $636,745,858  59,067,333

3  Wicked  Nov 22, 2024  Universal  Musical  $429,282,210  39,822,097

4  Moana 2  Nov 27, 2024  Walt Disney  Adventure  $400,008,683  37,106,556


See that?  The number one film of the year was a DISNEY FILM.  As was the number two film and the number four film.  DISNEY is dead?  They had three of year's top four moneymakers.  


Jonathan Turley is a liar and a MAGA piece of crap.  He's a grifter and a menace.


10) VENOM: THE LAST DANCE


The only other superhero film that didn't bomb. $139 million in North America.  Not huge but we're all burnt out on the superhero film.  KRAVEN THE HUNTER, by comparison, bombed with only $21 million domestically (on a $130 million shooting budget).  VENOM had Tom Hardy going for it and also a script that actually moved the story forward (and concluded the franchise) and a fresh and vivid look and feel via director Kelly Marcel.


You know what wasn't fresh?  


Will Smith.  The White press and the Chocolate Covered Bunnies at THE ROOT, tried to tell the world that Will was back! That BAD BOYS RIDE OR DIE was a huge blockbuster and, they claimed in June, one of the year's biggest films at the box office.


Really?  It came in at number 11 for the year in North America.  That's not a really big blockbuster.  Nor is it enough tickets when the shooting budget was over one-hundred million.  The previous film in the franchise, BAD BOYS FOR LIFE, released during the pandemic (when ticket sales were plunging) sold $11 million more in tickets in North America.  


The biggest lie the White press and the Chocolate Covered Bunnies at THE ROOT told was that Will Smith was back.  Sorry to use some white-out or correction tape on top of your Whiteness, but we in the Black community value Martin Lawrence.  So it was really insulting and racist for the press to reduced co-star Martin Lawrence to some sort of day player or background extra.  You can be damn sure that many of us turned out for the film just to see Martin back in a role that we've always loved him in.


Without Martin, the film would have flopped completely.  Will Smith remains a joke.  It was bad enough when he attacked Chris Rock on stage for a joke but now that we all know the faux marriage was over years prior, his hissy fit and assault just underscore what a liar and a fake he is.  At least Jada can admit to bi.  Will's performances all appear to be delivered from a closet.

Keep trying to build Will back up.  We don't see it happening and it certainly didn't in 2024. 



This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Tuesday, December 31, 2024.  Look what left outlet is trying to say Kamala and Joe were as bad on immigration as Trump's about to be (and here's the kicker, they're doing that crap while begging you to give them money), MAGA's war with Chump continues, and so much more.



THE NEW REPUBLIC notes MAGA's war with Donald The Chump continues as Laura Loomer joined Steve Bannon to dish that Elon Musk is "a welfare queen." Stephen Collinson (CNN) reports:

             Donald Trump’s siding with Elon Musk over visas for high-tech workers is the most significant example yet of the president-elect favoring powerful elements in his new MAGA coalition over his base’s anti-immigrant DNA that he twice tapped in his rise to power.    

   

            The boiling holiday feud over H-1B visas exposed new fissures across Trump’s broadened support base and reflected the contradictions between his populist ideology and the self-interests of many of the key players in his refashioned inner circle.    

   

            After several days of silence over the controversy, the president-elect stepped in, making clear he supported Musk’s argument for recruitment flexibility for the tech industry.     

 Musk, the richest man in the world, made his case in a series of outspoken posts on X. “The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B,” he wrote to one critic on the platform that he owns. “I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”    

   

            The visa issue erupted into a full-blown storm following comments by Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk’s co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency, which Trump has set up to slash the size of federal operations. The former GOP presidential candidate criticized American culture, education standards and children’s TV that he said “venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.” The comments came perilously close to an elitist’s disdain for millions of Americans and their culture that Republicans have long accused Democrats of promoting.     


Last night on MSNBC, Chris Hayes addressed this ongoing war.



This is not making for a cheerful lead up to inauguration.  Add to that, the fact that we're in the F**k Around and Find Out Stage, as people slowly begin to realize just how stupid they were.


For examples, workers who thought the Chump would rescue them.



Four years?  It's going to be like serving time and those of us who got our votes right in 20204 have every reason to laugh during the next awful years at the idiots who didn't know how to save themselves and stupidly thought that a convicted felon with no accomplishments to brag about after his first term would suddenly develop skill and wisdom.  Nope, The Convicted Felon didn't change, some voters just got more stupid.  Erik De La Garza (RAW STORY) reports:

President-elect Donald Trump’s long-held promise to pardon his supporters who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol is drawing fresh scrutiny from a government ethics group.

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, issued a terse statement Monday calling out Trump and his repeated signals that he is willing to grant clemency to those who breached the Capitol as Congress worked to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

“Some things are fights worth having,” CREW wrote in a social media post on X. “Not allowing Donald Trump to pardon January 6th insurrectionists is one of those things. Two-thirds of the country is with us on this.”



And groups like Latinos for Chump who thought they were the good ones and would be spared.


 
As we noted repeatedly last year, to target immigrants, you have to target potential immigrants.  You have to racially profile.  That means, for example, since the US shares a southern border with Mexico, those seen as Latino -- immigrants, citizens, what have you -- would be harassed and stopped more often than those people who appear to be White European.  So to those Latinos for Trump, you were always idiots to support the man planning to depot immigrants.  

You may have thought you were one with Trump's Anglo White supporters but you were a deeply stupid fool.   Edward Helmore (GUARDIAN) reports:

Law enforcement officials in Lincoln county, Oregon, have condemned an anonymous letter encouraging residents to track down and report “brown people” in the Pacific coast community, particularly those believed to be undocumented.

The letter, titled brown round-up part 1, told recipients to write down the license plate numbers of cars driven by people of color in order to identify people who might not have permanent legal status, the New York Times reported. It instructed readers to send that information to the Department of Homeland Security after Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“This type of behavior is harmful, divisive, and inconsistent with the values we uphold as public servants and community members,” Curtis Landers said in a statement about the letter. “Targeting individuals in this manner erodes trust and undermines the sense of safety and inclusion that we strive to maintain in Lincoln County.”

[. . .]

The letter comes as Trump has vowed an unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration, including “the largest deportation operation in American history”.

Trump’s “border czar”, Tom Homan, said last week he projects needing at least 100,000 beds in immigration detention centers.

“I’m telling you, at the minimum we need 100,000 beds because we’ve got a big population to look for ... 700,000 criminals alone,” Homan told CNN. Homan said the deportation plans will require help from around the government, including the Department of Defense.

“The landing teams have just started working with the agencies and departments. We’ll be gathering information, a lot of information in the next couple weeks, which will help me in my planning process,” Homan said.


On this issue of targeting people, Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) adds:


  Adding to alarm over U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's immigration plans, his "border czar" toldThe Washington Post in an interview published Thursday that the administration plans to return to detaining migrant families with children.

    Tom Homan, who served as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Trump's first term, said that ICE "will look to hold parents with children in 'soft-sided' tent structures similar to those used by U.S. border officials to handle immigration surges," the     Post summarized. "The government will not hesitate to deport parents who are in the country illegally, even if they have young U.S.-born children, he added, leaving it to those families to decide whether to exit together or be split up."

    Since Trump beat Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris last month, migrant rights advocates have reiterated concerns about the Republican's first-term policies—such as     forced separation of families—and his 2024 campaign pledges, from mass deportations to attempting to end birthright citizenship, despite the guarantees of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

    Homan—who oversaw the so-called "zero tolerance" policy that separated thousands of migrant kids from their parents—said: "Here's the issue... You knew you were in the country illegally and chose to have a child. So you put your family in that position."


Chump and Tom Homan are a threat to American families.  Some are only now beginning to realize that.  Some still can't face reality -- but will have to in 2025.  Some opinions on BLUESKY.





When Convicted Felon Donald Trump got re-elected last month, did he announce that for all his appointees "ONLY CROOKS NEED APPLY"?  It certainly seems that way   Naomi LaChance (ROLLING STONE) reports:


Donald Trump's incoming "border czar" Tom Homan has led a consulting firm that openly brags about helping private companies secure federal contracts. Asked about this work, Homan says he has recused himself "from any involvement, discussion, input, or decision of any future government contracts."

Homan, who previously directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the first Trump administration, has also led a conservative nonprofit group, Border911, alongside an executive for a major federal contractor.

Homan is notorious for orchestrating the first Trump administration's family separation policy, when migrant children and parents were torn apart at the border. According to a Department of Homeland Security report, as of April 2024, there were still about 1,400 children who were not confirmed to have been reunited with their families. 

Last week, Homan made headlines for once again publicly pitching the idea of family separation - this time, with a twist. Homan said he would present families with children born in the U.S. with an impossible choice: separate, or leave America together. 


We didn't spend a lot of time on it -- maybe a day and a half -- but we did learn about Teapot Dome in high school.  Did those people just go along with it?  Because it seems like Chump's setting up something far worse and people are just going along with it.




. Paul Krugman, a Nobel Memorial Prize laureate and economics professor at CUNY's Graduate Center, in a Substack post

  1. "For the most part, immigrants are complements, not substitutes, for native-born workers."

    "So original MAGA is wrong to claim that immigration is impoverishing 'real Americans' in general. But tech-bro MAGA is wrong as well as offensive in saying that we need foreign workers because Americans are stupid or lazy. Furthermore, the availability of less expensive foreign tech workers does reduce the incentive of tech firms to train a home-grown work force and undermines the political incentive to improve our education system.

    I'd still argue that something like H-1B makes America richer and stronger, especially given the spillovers generated by a successful technology sector. But Muskaswamy and friends aren't helping their case by insulting Americans' culture and intelligence."

    2. Robert Reich, a former US labor secretary and member of President Bill Clinton's National Economic Council, in a Substack post

    "Allowing many more skilled workers into the United States reduces any incentives on American business to invest in the American workforce.

    Allowing many more skilled workers into the US also reduces the bargaining power of skilled workers already in America — and thereby reduces any incentive operating on other Americans to gain the skills for such jobs.

    And opening America to skilled workers also reduces the incentive on foreign nations to educate and nurture their own skilled workforces. Why should they, when their own skilled workers can easily migrate to America?

    The major beneficiaries in the US of opening the nation to skilled workers from abroad are CEOs and venture capitalists like Musk and [David Sacks], whose profits and wealth would be even higher if they could siphon off cheaper skilled workers from abroad."


Let's note this.




Some people -- like Tabitha -- told you the truth ahead of the election.  Some people flat out lied to you.  Might be a good time to note COMMON DREAMS.  They're fundraising right now.  And if you donate to them, you can support both-sides b.s.  Yeah, in August, September and the first half of October, they assisted Donald Chump by repeatedly attacking Kamala Harris every day -- multiple times a day.  I have given them credit for finally stopping that b.s. 

But?

That Jessica Corbett story above?  Read after where we cut her off and you'll find that she's a Trumper because only a Trumper -- faced with Donald's planned round ups -- would then try to both sides it by attacking Kamala and Joe on immigration.

That's right, give them your money so that the kind of center-right garbage that you get on the Sunday chat and chews can reign supreme online as well.  



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Monday, December 30, 2024

Rudy G needs to BE in the POKEY

So when the hell is grifter Rudy Giuliani going to jail already?  He has refused to abide by a legal ruling, he's shown contempt for the court.  When does he get dragged off and put behind bars?  There are clearly two systems of justice in this country.  




Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is currently embroiled in his legal battle stemming from a defamation lawsuit filed by Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss. In 2023, a jury awarded Freeman and Moss $148 million after finding that Giuliani had defamed them by falsely claiming they attempted to manipulate the 2020 presidential election results. Giuliani recently filed a motion opposing sanctions requested by Freeman and Moss for his failure to surrender certain assets, arguing that the plaintiffs had not filed an "oath."
Giuliani stated, "A temporary receiver, before entering upon his duties, shall be sworn faithfully and fairly to discharge the trust committed to him," citing state law.
Giuliani claimed the oath was necessary for their receivership to commence. Freeman and Moss are seeking to collect on the judgment by pursuing Giuliani's assets, including his World Series rings and a Manhattan apartment lease.

[. . .]

Attorneys for Freeman and Moss argued that Giuliani's actions have demonstrated a deliberate attempt to evade the consequences of the judgment.


He needs to be behind bars.  The fact that he's managed to avoid judgement this entire time reflects poorly on the entire system.



This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Monday, December 30, 2024.  MAGA rumbles with their billionaire bosses.




Elon Musk on Sunday asked for "more positive" content to be posted to the social media network he owns, resulting in some reminders about his own negative attitude at times.

Musk, the richest man in the world and an appointee of President-elect Donald Trump, took to X to say, "Please post a bit more positive, beautiful or informative content on this platform." 

As the war on the right that he started continues, Elon now tries to offer a new spin to his remarks as he prays to himself that he can fool and control MAGA again:
Elon Musk admitted that the H1-B visas are “broken” and floated a potential fix as he sought to cool a raging civil war within the MAGA base over the immigration program for highly skilled foreign workers.

Just a day after vowing to “go to war on this issue” and telling detractors to “F— yourself,” Musk, the world’s richest man, acknowledged some of the criticisms of the program getting abused and argued that the US should make it more costly to hire foreigners.

“Easily fixed by raising the minimum salary significantly and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the H1B, making it materially more expensive to hire from overseas than domestically,” Musk wrote on X late Saturday in response to a thread claiming H1-B visas were being used to hire low-wage programmers and developers.



If you rested over the weekend and avoided the news, this may be new to you.  Here's some commentary that took place on the topic.









Friday night, Ruth expalined  "The Chump has hit the fan:"


Did you notice?  We are still over 24 days or so before Convicted Felon Donald Chump is sworn in and reoccupies the White House and he is floundering, staggering around like a dying corpse. Chump's betrothed Elon Musk and maid of honor Vivek Ramaswamy have been in the news for their insulting attacks on American workers and insisting that immigrants need to be brought into this country because American workers do not have the skills (Mr. Musk) and they watch the wrong T.V. programs (Miss Ramaswamy).  They are now being savaged by many MAGA voters.  Brad Reed (RAW STORY) reports:


MAGA influencer Laura Loomer appeared on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast on Friday to warn President-elect Donald Trump against letting X owner Elon Musk into his administration.

In an interview with Bannon, Loomer charged that Musk had major conflicts of interest and said that it could turn into a major scandal if Trump keeps him in his inner circle.

"I am simply trying to warn the Trump administration about something that is going to blow up in their face," she said. "And it actually has the risked of getting President Trump impeached in his second term if the Democrats take back the House and are able to spin and create a narrative that... they are enriching themselves in the Trump administration. I'm trying to warn them about a serious issue on the horizon."


Monica Sager (NEWSWEEK) adds:


In a stream of posts on the alt-tech social platform Gettr, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon warned that billionaire Elon Musk's "true colors" are showing with the ongoing debate about the H-1B visa program.

"True Colors Shining Through," Bannon captioned a post that included an Axios article about how a "MAGA Civil War" has broken out "over race, immigration and billionaires versus the working class."

[. . .]

Bannon has previously called Musk a "stone-cold liar" and said "his paymasters" are from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), referencing the billionaire's extensive business ties to the East Asian nation.

Bannon had also said that Tesla was Musk's only thing "of real value," adding that Musk "uses it for margin loans." Those criticisms came in 2023 before Musk was publicly a leading Trump supporter.


Former U.S. House Representative Joe Walsh has weighed in, "And you are right -- Musk & Ramaswamy are being eaten right now by an intolerant, nationalistic mob that they played a large role in helping to create. They both deserve to be eaten by their mob."  So that is a non-MAGA Republican take. 



Musk exploded and raged on Twitter.  Then someone emerged on Twitter to defend him -- someone most believe was Musk himself trying to pretend to be someone else.   Most who believe that it was really Elon includes Elon's daughter Vivian Wilson.



As for Vivek, Ann noted:

What makes someone trash?  Maybe insulting their own country.  Take this:

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a close Donald Trump ally tasked with helping to dismantle the federal government, is facing scorn from both sides of the aisle for saying America has a culture problem — it focuses on prom queens and sports over math and science — and that's why tech companies hire more people from India and China.


Don't remember hearing that kind of talk from him when he was trying to get the Republican Party's presidential nomination.  He lost.  Now he's going to let the country know what he really thinks of it. 

He's upset, it turns out, because in the 90s America watched Saved By The Bell.  Huh?

No, it doesn't make sense but what also doesn't make sense is that I never watched Saved By The Bell and I'm not the only one who didn't watch.  It was probably a popular show but it did not grip me.  

He's angry because -- look at him -- he can't do a single push up but America, he insists, glorifies cheerleaders and football players.  

Poor little nerd.  Someone gave him an atomic wedgie and it traumatized him for life.

Vivek Ramaswamy's stupidity saves him to a degree.  It's hard to rage against a hate merchant when they're also offering bad pop cultural references that don't mean -- even on the most basic level -- what they claim.  Or does no one get that Ross was the Urkel of FRIENDS and Ross got Rachel and well as good paying jobs?

As the war on the right that Elon started continues, Elon now tries to offer a new spin to his remarks as he prays to himself that he can fool and control MAGA again:

Elon Musk admitted that the H1-B visas are “broken” and floated a potential fix as he sought to cool a raging civil war within the MAGA base over the immigration program for highly skilled foreign workers.

Just a day after vowing to “go to war on this issue” and telling detractors to “F— yourself,” Musk, the world’s richest man, acknowledged some of the criticisms of the program getting abused and argued that the US should make it more costly to hire foreigners.

“Easily fixed by raising the minimum salary significantly and adding a yearly cost for maintaining the H1B, making it materially more expensive to hire from overseas than domestically,” Musk wrote on X late Saturday in response to a thread claiming H1-B visas were being used to hire low-wage programmers and developers.


Elon has created a nightmare for Donald Chump.  It's harming the brand, the message and the cohesion.  It's even left the professional liars at FOX "NEWS" scrambling.Corbin Bolies (THE DAILY BEAST) notes:

The Fox & Friends Weekend hosts tried their best on Sunday to make sense of the MAGA mess over H-1B visas last week, but even they admitted Donald Trump’s flip-flop on the program “left a lot of people confused.”

Hosts Rachel Campos-Duffy, Charlie Hurt, and Will Cain reflected on the online meltdown over the visas, which are backed by close Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The issues, they said, were in abuses of the system that prioritized cheaper labor over Musk-type prodigies.

 Even they couldn't make sense of him.  But who could?  The man who brought hate merchants back to Twitter and allowed Tweets endorsing the lynching of Black people and Tweets calling for the murder of gay people and Tweets where Maga's proclaimed that they were going to go into Target and shoot it up, this man or 'man' couldn't then handle when he was on the receiving end of what he'd done to others.  And did you notice?  His pep squad -- Matt Taibi, Glenneth Greenwald and the others -- didn't object.  It was censorship, they insisted, pre-Musk when Twitter banned people for hate speech.  Over the weekend as Musk banned people for being critical, the fake asses said nothing.  Not one word.  


The MAGA meltdown comes at a bad time for Donald Chump.  Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) observes:  

At a time when Donald Trump's inner circle should be working on getting his Cabinet nominees primed for getting Senate approval, now time is being spent tamping down on a foreign worker controversy that has riled the president-elect's base forcing him to have to weigh in.

At the center of the controversy are comments made by Trump advisors Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk about America needing more H-1B foreign specialty workers which has erupted into a war with Trump's MAGA base that had been promised "America First" policies.

 
He's not even sworn in and already Chump has to address one brewing scandal after the other.  Let's wind down with this from Michael Albert (ZNET):


Donald, the idiot, the madman, the consummate cowardly thug is preparing to unleash shock and awe to paint his agenda onto the American and the world stage such as we have never seen before. Day one, two, three…infinity. He will attempt to unleash the hounds of horror. Why? 

To impose his horrendous agenda—of course. But what’s his rush? To embrace MAGA ever more intimately and to draw those who inhabit its fringes to its center. To instill well beyond MAGA’s fringes futility so debilitating that we either shut up and hunker down to protect ourselves or we kiss up and hope for a few goodies while others suffer. You doubt this prognosis? Okay, suppose we get oil madness, high waters rising, storms beyond measure, deportations beyond counting, gilded billionaire enrichment, intensified austerity, gutted regulations, fascist retooling of government, international mayhem, and vengeful repressive violence not by shock and awe but by slow boiling in a monstrous kettle. How different is that in the end? 

What’s the alternative? Resistance. And what is that? It is saying no by every effective means one can employ. It is no longer laughing and winking. No longer denying what this thug is all about. No longer shrugging it off. It is telling the truth to all in range, so all souls can hear it, openly, loudly, no sugar coating—and trying to act on it. 

When someone with the steering wheel of a gargantuan tank revs the motor and hollers I am going to drive this wonderful magnificent machine upside your head, does it make sense to assume that he doesn’t mean it? That he is just joking? Is it sensible to predict that he won’t be able to aim it? Is it wise to say that someone else, something else, is going to stop him? Or to suppose he is just going to run over a neighbor. For those reasons should we not read the news today and instead return to dressing this morning, and tomorrow morning, and the next and the next, preparing each day for familiar life and familiar life only as if there is no tank? There is no emergency? Does it make sense, even, to list reasons why others won’t resist and then proclaim that because they’re not going to resist you won’t either? Maybe it does make some limited kind of sense, but will it stop the tank?





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