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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" version="2.0"> <channel> <title>The Moderate Voice</title> <atom:link href="https://themoderatevoice.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com</link> <description>An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right</description> <lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 May 2024 15:15:09 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=5.5.14</generator><image> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com</link> <url>http://themoderatevoice.com/media/favicon.ico</url> <title>The Moderate Voice</title></image> <xhtml:meta content="noindex" name="robots" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"/><item> <title>Kristi Noem’s Vice Presidential Trump selection chances now in political gravel pit</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/kristi-noems-vice-presidential-trump-selection-chances-now-in-political-gravel-pit/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/kristi-noems-vice-presidential-trump-selection-chances-now-in-political-gravel-pit/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 05 May 2024 15:11:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[2024 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kristi Noem]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Puppy killing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Republicans]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tim Scott]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Trump Vice President]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277836</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s chances of geing Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential election are now in a political gavel pit, numerous reports say. How out of favor has she fallen? At a big Trump fundraiser last night in Florida he talked about possible veep choices and did not mention Noem. She was originally supposed to<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/kristi-noems-vice-presidential-trump-selection-chances-now-in-political-gravel-pit/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/kristi-noems-vice-presidential-trump-selection-chances-now-in-political-gravel-pit/">Kristi Noem’s Vice Presidential Trump selection chances now in political gravel pit</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284727_768_rgb.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="641" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-277838" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284727_768_rgb.jpg 768w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284727_768_rgb-300x250.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></p><p> South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s chances of geing Donald Trump’s Vice Presidential election are now in a political gavel pit, numerous reports say. How out of favor has she fallen? At a big Trump fundraiser last night in Florida he talked about possible veep choices and did not mention Noem. She was originally supposed to be there, but wasn’t.</p><p>Ever since it was revealed that in her upcoming book Noem <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=noem+book+killing+puppy&oq=noem+book+killing+puppy&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigAdIBCTEwNTA5ajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">almost proudly wrote about shooting and killing a 14-month-old puppy</a> — then triple downed on it after a bipartisan furor broke — her viability for being Trump’s pick has plummeted. And then went further south when it turns out her book mentioned her couragously standing up to North Korea’s dictator when, in fact, she never met him.</p><p> Which raises the another question? Former fabulist GOP Congressman Geore Santos and Kristi Noem: separated at birth?</p><p>Noem’s chances of bring Trump’s V.P. are gone with a wimper like the final wimper a puppy who was shot in the face.</p><p><a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4642282-noem-scott-burgum-trump-vp/">The Hill:</a></p><blockquote><p>Republican senators say South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s (R) viability as a vice presidential candidate has gone up in smoke after she admitted to shooting a 14-month-old puppy, and they are looking to other contenders to round out former President Trump’s ticket.</p><p>Republican lawmakers who have spoken to Trump say he will be “strategic” in his choice and that loyalty will be a top consideration.</p><p>Several GOP senators are touting Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) as their pick for Trump’s running mate.</p><p>These lawmakers argue Trump should pick someone who is Black, Hispanic or a woman to broaden the Republican ticket’s appeal to key demographics in this year’s election.</p><p>And many would like Trump to pick a running mate who could reassure mainstream and moderate Republicans who didn’t vote for him in the primary or who stayed home in 2020.</p><p>But GOP senators say Noem, who was previously thought to be on the short list of potential vice-presidential candidates, has destroyed her chances after revealing she shot a 14-month German wirehair pointer named Cricket because it was poorly behaved.</p><p>“She’s just done, too much drama,” said one Republican senator who stays in touch with Trump.</p><p>The senator said Trump has expressed interest in North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and has spoken approvingly about his moderate position on abortion, an issue Democrats want to put front and center.</p><p>Burgum, who had a short-lived run in the presidential primary, also has a net worth in excess of $1.1 billion, putting him on an elite level in terms of his personal wealth.</p><p>Trump has spoken disapprovingly of Kari Lake, according to the source, because she lost her 2022 gubernatorial bid in Arizona and is now viewed by Senate GOP strategists as having an uphill path to winning retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) seat.</p><p>“I think he will want to have somebody who is not going to upstage him, who will be loyal to him, who will bring him something. That’s why I think Tim Scott will be an attractive pick for him because I think Tim’s very loyal, very well-spoken and smart,” the senator said.</p></blockquote><p>So far the name most often mentioned on Twitter is: Tim Scott.</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/kristi-noems-vice-presidential-trump-selection-chances-now-in-political-gravel-pit/">Kristi Noem’s Vice Presidential Trump selection chances now in political gravel pit</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/kristi-noems-vice-presidential-trump-selection-chances-now-in-political-gravel-pit/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>A Salute to Mark Hamill</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/a-salute-to-mark-hamill/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/a-salute-to-mark-hamill/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[David Robertson]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 04 May 2024 10:05:49 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[At TMV]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Comedy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Holidays]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Humor]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Movies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Parody]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Television]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mark hamill]]></category> <category><![CDATA[star wars]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Star Wars Day]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277809</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>For Star Wars Day 2024, this blog salutes Mark Hamill. Granted, there is more to him than Star Wars, as he explained when he appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers in April of 2019. “I love to tease the fans online. It drives them crazy. I’m sure that Disney’s not that happy about it,<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/a-salute-to-mark-hamill/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/a-salute-to-mark-hamill/">A Salute to Mark Hamill</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_277812" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277812" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Mark-Hamill.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="350" class="size-full wp-image-277812" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Mark-Hamill.jpg 300w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Mark-Hamill-257x300.jpg 257w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277812" class="wp-caption-text">Mark Hamill</figcaption></figure><p>For Star Wars Day 2024, this blog salutes Mark Hamill. Granted, there is more to him than Star Wars, as he explained when he appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers in April of 2019.</p><p>“I love to tease the fans online. It drives them crazy. I’m sure that Disney’s not that happy about it, but what are they gonna do, fire me?” – Mark Hamill to Seth Meyers</p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BKy47rNzm9I?si=LnL3NlbnUgEb3kZu" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>Mark was a Hollywood voice actor before he took the role of Luke Skywalker. In 1973, he was cast as the main male character of Hanna-Barbera cartoon <a href="https://www.wcofun.net/anime/jeannie" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Jeannie”</a> which was based on the “I Dream of Jeannie” TV sitcom. Mark also sings that cartoon’s title song.</p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcAQ1MowC7Q?si=yFSt4_591KSuOhIq" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>Mark displayed his voice-acting ability when he was a guest on “The Muppet Show” during which he impersonated both Kermit and Fozzie.</p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tMV4Bnb-Jhs?si=LOVHJrMPGs5dFgDD" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>Mark is one of the few people to voice himself as well as other characters for the Scooby-Doo franchise.</p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Scooby-Doo-and-Mark-Hamill.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="450" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-277816" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Scooby-Doo-and-Mark-Hamill.jpg 800w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Scooby-Doo-and-Mark-Hamill-300x169.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></p><p>In the “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?” series, <a href="https://www.wcofun.net/scooby-doo-and-guess-who-season-1-episode-13-what-a-night-for-a-dark-knight" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mark voices Batman’s nemesis The Joker</a>, which leads to Mark making a joke about that in <a href="https://www.wcofun.net/scooby-doo-and-guess-who-season-1-episode-15-the-sword-the-fox-and-the-scooby-doo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a later episode in which he voices himself</a>.</p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fu4nNOckXyY?si=XLEMdZLqS2vxcE8L" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>NOTE TO BATMAN FANS: The Scooby episode featuring The Joker is the last TV performance of Kevin Conroy voicing Batman and last TV performance of Mark Hamill voicing The Joker.</p><p>One never knows where Mark might appear . . .</p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VeCD65i7Rt0?si=t9hiYosg3qXeeNCz" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X2XOuF_slYI?si=Uy1Ifkj0ZCpGoA5t" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>. . . as members of the White House Press Corps discovered on 03 April 2024:</p><p>“How many of you had Mark Hamill will lead the press briefing on your bingo card?”</p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XP0MFvuVGs0?si=0SkfYlYyK-88jz94" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p>Apparently, Mark has been in Washington, D.C. at least three times despite Obi-Wan warning him about that place:</p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://y.yarn.co/bcbd2c4a-e1bc-432b-8003-c79ebda3e5db_text.gif" width="400" height="171" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x52fo60" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Obi-Wan gives Mark another warning in MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch [start at the 9:15 mark].</a></p><p>Now, a blog post pertaining to Star Wars wouldn’t be complete without a few gags from <a href="https://dododavid.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Not All There</a>:</p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/df319945acd0ecc9bfdaeff59850baed/tumblr_inline_orczg7Z83f1rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="40" class="aligncenter size-full" /><br /><img loading="lazy" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/3a8b1f5ab4a6cbe0a0fba8f9a7c87a5b/tumblr_inline_orczflxnF91rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="150" class="aligncenter size-full" /><br /><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/b8a2f30983d7bcdf2dc54be9eb407b99/tumblr_inline_orczgyi5Zb1rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="734" height="150" class="aligncenter size-full" /><br /><img loading="lazy" src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/cc7361f58329058e9db78faf68d0bbff/1a8e0dd28a2d0b50-7a/s540x810/db2140ab32739e2396e6a60fafec063f3f30b242.jpg" width="540" height="366" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p>No, not Donald Trump!<br /><img loading="lazy" src="https://i.gifer.com/13Qr.gif" width="180" height="180" class="alignnone size-full" /></p><p>This!</p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/56bb9b3842dc6abca855d53ae9f6ee1c/tumblr_inline_orczhe5KqU1rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="308" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/8d250a9ed5f1a88ba19367c20710b474/tumblr_inline_ofcweou9yE1rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="278" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/0cffcd4f63be576303a11e111135db8d/tumblr_inline_ofcw5lE5aj1rfqd6e_500.jpg" width="430" height="250" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGBV9eX_w0WQr5s4N7B3Vw-Rorh8OC5PU7vRnzfFF8GCgvdOrLrE4J0_wDYrc8MFtbNfoSvTQjLadKZS6QoiIr_IjOO7k04dNaeN02wfCqf3qWTmSWIv99vk305fVxDrdfjWHaVvEE0l7/s1600/800x600+Star+Warts+The+Rise+Of+Ticket+Prices.jpg" width="800" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJaw89LwYzEESkFnNzqwqufiPLDt8mDDURNGAtFJHKGsJibziTD5fD4r38nS1dF0WMmpk87GO7olLknBPen2kq0DpVW2pjNagpPg6uiDOYWfWSfVNowmrIREoDl1GwkOjrdTA8q4X8Dop/s640/Soda+-+Star+Warts.jpg" width="432" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/4ee29c8a6a8c955170b4dfd4da208f22/tumblr_inline_orkiev38qu1rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="320" class="aligncenter size-full" /><br /><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/42193a14caa717fa676b3a7f7d7bd037/tumblr_inline_orkifbyNBA1rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="313" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/57ad2dbc20406c5f420b578149e85b70/tumblr_inline_or1f01COr81rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="600" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/65b343ce64e45f39ed0f719b101889b3/tumblr_inline_ofcw92u5A21rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="448" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://68.media.tumblr.com/3813e92be56c432307974d9b147632eb/tumblr_inline_ofcwhi4vPl1rfqd6e_1280.jpg" width="800" height="538" class="aligncenter size-full" /></p><p>MAY THE FOURTH/FORCE/FARCE BE WITH YOU!</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/a-salute-to-mark-hamill/">A Salute to Mark Hamill</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/a-salute-to-mark-hamill/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Review of Seattle’s ACT Contemporary Theatre’s Presentation of The Lehman Trilogy</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/review-of-seattles-act-contemporary-theatres-presentation-of-the-lehman-trilogy/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/review-of-seattles-act-contemporary-theatres-presentation-of-the-lehman-trilogy/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Doug Bursch]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 21:38:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Arts & Entertainment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Theater]]></category> <category><![CDATA[ACT Contemporary Theatre]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lehman Trilogy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Review]]></category> <category><![CDATA[seattle]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277802</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>If a play has “Trilogy” in the title, it’s going to be long. With a run time of 3 hours and 20 minutes, The Act Contemporary Theatre’s presentation of The Lehman Trilogy feels like a Ken Burns aficionado attempted to turn a ten-hour documentary into a three-act fictionalized play. The result is a densely packed,<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/review-of-seattles-act-contemporary-theatres-presentation-of-the-lehman-trilogy/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/review-of-seattles-act-contemporary-theatres-presentation-of-the-lehman-trilogy/">Review of Seattle’s ACT Contemporary Theatre’s Presentation of The Lehman Trilogy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If a play has “Trilogy” in the title, it’s going to be long. With a run time of 3 hours and 20 minutes, The Act Contemporary Theatre’s presentation of The Lehman Trilogy feels like a Ken Burns aficionado attempted to turn a ten-hour documentary into a three-act fictionalized play. The result is a densely packed, tonally flat presentation of the founding, expanding and eventual dissolution of an American global financial service known as Lehman Brothers. </p><p>Although the show is full of many interesting details concerning Lehman Brothers’ origin story and the company’s remarkable financial growth amid a changing American and world landscape, I felt like I was attending a useful but overlong employer mandated weekend seminar or a three-plus-hour certification class with the possibility of earning college credit. </p><p>When I looked around at the audience stretching and adjusting themselves during the play’s two intermissions, many of the theater goers had the body language of students readying themselves for another hour of note taking. Others seemed to be developing a strategy on how to stay awake with the play ending a little after 11 pm. Note to those in charge: a three-plus-hour running time might necessitate an earlier start than 7:30 pm. I’m not an “eat at 4 pm retired Floridian,” but getting home from the theater around midnight on a Thursday is not my idea of good time management.</p><p>The cast and creative team do their best trying to keep the audience engaged with a script that’s about 80 percent voice over narration. Ben Power’s adaptation of Stefano Massini’s play embraces a mostly tell, seldom show approach, which made me feel as if I were listening to a book report from a student who thought all the details of the book were equally important and worth mentioning regardless of my receptivity. And yes, much of the show and the biographical details are interesting. My wife commented during both intermissions that the show was in fact, “interesting.” Although, her repeated use of “interesting” seemed like she was trying to justify the wisdom of dedicating three-plus-hours to the endeavor. </p><p>The adept and talented ensemble of Bradford Farwell, Robert Pescovitz, and Brandon J. Simmons do their best to make the experience engaging. However, their worthy efforts cannot overcome the play’s weaknesses. Throughout the night, I kept asking myself, “What is this play actually about?” The play touches on a myriad of themes such as the complexities of the immigrant experience, the complexities of running a family business, the complexities of capitalism, the complexities of finding a spouse, the complexities of being a Jew, and the complexities of memorizing way too much narrative dialogue. There are lots of complexities, but not a unifying, theatrically compelling, engaging narrative. </p><p>The play seems most interested in telling Lehman Brothers’ corporate financial history, while peppering in the occasional story of matrimony or family discord. Every once in a while, the play pauses to give a macro history lesson on well-worn topics such as the Civil War or the 1929 stock market crash. At one point, the play gives extra focus to the somewhat apocryphal claim that numerous people died by suicide in response to the stock market crash. I assume the suicide emphasis is included to give weight to the Lehman Brothers’ predicament. Personally, I found the suicide montage to be a sensationalistic substitute for the play’s lack of a clearly compelling dramatic theme and narrative arc. I felt The Lehman Trilogy lacked an engaging dramatic focus to move the play beyond its somewhat interesting, over-long corporate history moorings.</p><p>People extremely fascinated in the evolution of American capitalism, banking and investing strategies may find enough interesting details within The Lehman Trilogy to make the show worth their time. My biggest problem with The Lehman Trilogy was my lack of interest or connection with the characters. Although the play presents the rise and decline of a family business, I found the entire history to be problematic and off-putting. </p><p>The first act matter-of-factly presents the Lehman brothers and the Lehman family leveraging the oppression of others to make a profit. They center themselves within the cotton trade, profiting greatly from slave labor and the need for the south to find buyers in the north. The play focuses almost entirely on their business acumen, over and above the human cost of slave labor profiteering. </p><p>Later in the play, the Lehmans are presented as almost indifferent to the moral complexities of the Civil War, adopting a form of neutrality to preserve the family business. As history passes and the play lengthens, we see each Lehman generation, and eventually the Lehman corporation, pretty much do whatever is necessary to grow their company and satisfy their shareholders. </p><p>The play presents Lehman Brothers’ behavior becoming increasingly unscrupulous, leading to bankruptcy and the destruction of the Lehman Brothers’ company and name. For me personally, the entire Lehman Brothers’ history appears a bit unscrupulous as each generation embraced the morally ambivalent virtues of a capitalistic society that determines personal and national health based on financial growth and stock market gains.</p><p>This leads me to the most uncomfortable aspect of The Lehman Trilogy: the play’s propensity to align with antisemitic tropes. In the Lehman Trilogy program, Rabbi Daniel A. Weiner graciously and tactfully addresses genuine concerns with the play. He writes: </p><blockquote><p>Many will simply assume that the Lehmans are representative of a Jewish affinity for and facility with finance, without a deeper appreciation of this being a classic antisemitic trope emerging from the constraints put on Jews for centuries, denying them access to other means of support, and forcing them to become the “moneylenders” of lore.</p></blockquote><p>The Lehman Trilogy does not make any effort to address the unique challenges of being Jewish within American capitalism. The play also frequently uses Biblical imagery and Jewish religious practices to explain the financial dealings of the Lehman family. At one point, the aspirations of a Lehman family member are compared to building the tower of Babel, a story often used to teach lessons about immoral avarice for wealth and power. The Lehman Trilogy presents a Jewish American story about finance and lending without addressing anti-sematic tropes. The lack of nuance and context makes the material problematic and dated.</p><p>Director John Langs and the rest of the creative team do their best to overcome the weaknesses of The Lehman Trilogy. I particularly enjoyed the set design’s transfiguration throughout the show. If only the play had followed the same dramatic arc as the set. The actors try really hard to act all the words that tell all the stuff about all the things that were said and done by a company that is no more. Even so, after three-plus-hours, the best I can say is…interesting. </p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/review-of-seattles-act-contemporary-theatres-presentation-of-the-lehman-trilogy/">Review of Seattle’s ACT Contemporary Theatre’s Presentation of The Lehman Trilogy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/review-of-seattles-act-contemporary-theatres-presentation-of-the-lehman-trilogy/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>THE SUPREME COURT IS GOOSE-STEPPING FOR TRUMP IN SLOW MOTION</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/277794-2/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/277794-2/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dick Polman, Cagle Cartoons Columnist]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 17:07:53 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[2020 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2024 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Corruption]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fascism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[January 6 coup attempt]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Law]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Supreme Court]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Big Lie]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Conservatives]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dick Polman]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump Immunity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Facism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[MAGA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[MAGA Supreme Court]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mitch McConell]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neil Gorsuch]]></category> <category><![CDATA[popular vote]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Republican Paarty]]></category> <category><![CDATA[True conservantives]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Trump immunity]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277794</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Way back when I was a boy, the U.S. Supreme Court was so revered as an institution that my fourth-grade teacher required us to learn the names of all nine members. We kids could never have imagined that there’d come a day when the highest bench in the land would be so widely reviled. And<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/277794-2/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/277794-2/">THE SUPREME COURT IS GOOSE-STEPPING FOR TRUMP IN SLOW MOTION</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1b1b1b1.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="544" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-277795" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1b1b1b1.jpg 768w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1b1b1b1-300x213.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></p><p>Way back when I was a boy, the U.S. Supreme Court was so revered as an institution that my fourth-grade teacher required us to learn the names of all nine members. We kids could never have imagined that there’d come a day when the highest bench in the land would be so widely reviled.</p><p>And deservedly so, because no matter what its MAGA-infested majority ultimately concocts for Donald Trump’s bogus “immunity” case, enormous damage has already been done. By slow-walking the criminal defendant’s last-ditch appeal to escape accountability, by bending over backwards to entertain fake “immunity” arguments that are found nowhere in the history, text, or structure of the Constitution, the corrupted court has already postponed the long-planned federal trial – virtually ensuring voters will not know, prior to the balloting, whether Trump is guilty of sabotaging the peaceful transfer of power.</p><p>I won’t numb you by highlighting the low moments in last week’s oral argument session, except to point out the majority’s contemptible attempts to held Trump weasel out of his criminal predicament clashed directly with the court’s own long-held principles.</p><p>Here’s how the previous supremes ruled in a case back in 1882: “No man in this country is so high that he is above the law. No officer of the law may set that law at defiance with impunity. All the officers of the government, from the highest to the lowest, are creatures of the law and are bound to obey it. It is the only supreme power in our system of government, and every man who by accepting office participates in its functions is only the more strongly bound to submit to that supremacy.”</p><p>Conservatives, true conservatives, take pride in respecting judicial precedent. There isn’t a scintilla of evidence in case law or in our founding document that a criminally indicted ex-president should be magically shielded, but the current court majority is so radicalized that judicial precedent is consigned to the toilet.</p><p>We’re being goose-stepped in slow motion toward home-grown fascism, and if that reality seems hard to fathom, we need only remember the sleazy ways this court came to be.</p><p>Of the nine justices currently sitting, five were named by presidents – George W. Bush and Trump – who got the job despite losing the popular vote. If the 5-4 Republican majority in 2000 hadn’t summarily halted the Florida election recount and dragged Bush across the finish line, there may have been no Bush presidency, no John Roberts, and no Sam Alito.</p><p>Trump, another popular vote loser, gave us a MAGA trifecta. Neil Gorsuch got his seat only because Senate leader Mitch McConnell refused for a year to let President Obama fill a vacancy. Then came accused rapist Brett Kavanaugh. Then Amy Coney Barrett was sped onto the bench on the eve of the 2020 presidential election, even though McConnell had previously insisted no justice should ever be confirmed on the eve of a presidential election. All three Trump nominees were confirmed by Republican senators who represent only a minority of Americans.</p><p>And the sixth member of this gang, Clarence Thomas, is participating in the immunity case despite the fact his wife was a well-documented player in Trump’s fake “Stop the Steal” movement. Thomas, the well-financed pet of right-wing billionaires (as is Alito) will be free to wield his key vote this month (or in June, however long they wish to delay) because the court’s conflict-of-interest rules have more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.</p><p>All told, says former federal prosecutor Dennis Aftergut, these six justices are potentially “creating the conditions to let the man who nearly destroyed the Constitution get off scot-free. All while setting the stage for him to complete the task.”</p><p>According to a journalist who interviewed Trump at length earlier this month for a Time cover story, the criminal defendant “would let red states monitor women’s pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans” and at his personal discretion “withhold funds appropriated by Congress.” Trump would also fire a U.S. Attorney who doesn’t carry out an order to prosecute someone and consider pardons for supporters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.</p><p>That’s not all. Trump would also “gut the U.S. civil service, deploy the National Guard to American cities as he sees fit, close the White House pandemic-preparedness office, and staff his Administration with acolytes who back his false assertion that the 2020 election was stolen.”</p><p>The moral of the story: Our highest court is not coming to save us. We’ll have to do that for ourselves.</p><p><em>Copyright 2024 Dick Polman, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Dick Polman, a veteran national political columnist based in Philadelphia and a Writer in Residence at the University of ,writes at DickPolman.net. Email him at dickpolman7@gmail.com</em></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/277794-2/">THE SUPREME COURT IS GOOSE-STEPPING FOR TRUMP IN SLOW MOTION</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/277794-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Von Poopy Pants (Cartoon and Video)</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/von-shitzinpants-cartoon-and-video/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/von-shitzinpants-cartoon-and-video/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Clay Jones]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 17:01:09 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[2020 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2024 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Law]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Clay Jones]]></category> <category><![CDATA[claytoonz]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Editorial Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Political Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Trump trials]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Von Shitinpants]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277791</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>If you are the least cooperative legal client of all time while neglecting to pay your legal bills, then you may get stuck with a lawyer so bad that he enters into evidence that your nickname is Von ShitzInPants. That’s what happened to Donald Trump yesterday. Trump’s lawyer, Todd How-The-Fuck-Did-I-Pull-The-Short-Straw Blanche used a social media<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/von-shitzinpants-cartoon-and-video/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/von-shitzinpants-cartoon-and-video/">Von Poopy Pants (Cartoon and Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1a1a111a-scaled-e1714755053261.jpg" alt="" width="760" height="574" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-277792" /></p><p>If you are the least cooperative legal client of all time while neglecting to pay your legal bills, then you may get stuck with a lawyer so bad that he enters into evidence that your nickname is Von ShitzInPants. That’s what happened to Donald Trump yesterday.</p><p>Trump’s lawyer, Todd How-The-Fuck-Did-I-Pull-The-Short-Straw Blanche used a social media post from his client’s former fixer/lawyer, Michael Cohen, to argue that a gag order shouldn’t apply to attacking him.</p><p>Judge Merchan in the hush money trial ordered Trump not to attack witnesses, which Trump has violated on several occasions, at least nine times. Blanche argued that it shouldn’t apply to Cohen because the former fixer has been trolling Trump on social media and on his podcast. As an example, Blanche pulled up one of Cohen’s posts in which he called Trump Von Shitzinpants. And everyone on CNN laughed.</p><p>Seriously, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, and their panel cracked up with Jake pointing out that they can say the word since it’s now in the court record. Von Shitzinpants is news, folks. Over on Fox News, Laura Ingraham was not happy and probably von-crapped in her own pants from watching the CNN folks report the news.</p><p>Ingraham showed the clip of CNN’s panel laughing and then took a long pause, as though she had just shown a clip of Jake Tapper and Dana Bash shooting a puppy in a gravel pit, and then said, “This is CNN.” And then she asked, “Where does James Earl Jones go to get his voiceover back?”</p><p>Laura, just like Trump’s lawyer, just put Von Shitzinpants on the record for Trumpers. None of them were watching CNN when they reported on Von Shitinpants and probably never would have known it if it wasn’t for Laura. Thank you, Laura. Thank you for being so incredibly stupid.</p><p>Now, imagine what it was like for Donald Trump to have to sit silently while his lawyer put Von Shitzinpants in the court record. Was Trump humiliated? Did Trump ask himself why was he paying that guy (and he probably won’t)? Or maybe Trump was asleep and missed it all.</p><p>The story of Trump wearing diapers has not been proven however, Michael Cohen did work closely with Trump for many years. Closely. Probably close enough to smell if Trump was wearing a diaper. I’m just saying.</p><p>Donald Trump has many firsts. The first president (sic) who is twice-impeached. He’s the first president (sic) who’s been indicted. He’s the first president (sic) to receive a gag order. He’s the first president (sic) who’s gone to trial. And now, he’s the first president to have his nickname, Von Shitzinpants, entered into a court record.</p><p>Donald Trump can create all the derogatory nicknames about Joe Biden that he wants, but none of those, like von Shitzenpants, will ever be in a court record.</p><p>Kids, if you haven’t abandoned Elon’s platform yet, your assignment today is to tweet #VonShitzinpants at every Trumper you come across. Keep it trending. Make sure all the goons from Donald Trump Jr, Laura Ingraham, Kevin Sorbo, Ted Nugent, and all the rest of them see it.</p><p>All hail Von Shitzinpants!</p><p><em>Visit <a href="http://www.claytoonz.com">Clay Jones’s website </a>and email him at Clay@claytoonz.com.</em></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/von-shitzinpants-cartoon-and-video/">Von Poopy Pants (Cartoon and Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/von-shitzinpants-cartoon-and-video/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Pundits hope Biden Administration move to reschedule marijuana will get them clicks</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/pundits-hope-biden-administration-move-to-reschedule-marijuana-will-get-them-clicks/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/pundits-hope-biden-administration-move-to-reschedule-marijuana-will-get-them-clicks/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[KATHY GILL, Associate Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 03 May 2024 04:32:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277750</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Most Americans support legalizing pot. Political pundits insist Biden is courting votes by rescheduling the drug. The latest headlines and news stories channeling chart junk creators come from the Associated Press and the Washington Post. Without evidence, each claims that the Biden Administration’s rescheduling of marijuana is designed to win November votes. The implication: Biden<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/pundits-hope-biden-administration-move-to-reschedule-marijuana-will-get-them-clicks/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/pundits-hope-biden-administration-move-to-reschedule-marijuana-will-get-them-clicks/">Pundits hope Biden Administration move to reschedule marijuana will get them clicks</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_277785" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277785" style="width: 1726px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/discoveroregon/27602099288"><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/maryjanes.png" alt="Pot shop in Oregon" width="1726" height="1352" class="size-full wp-image-277785" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/maryjanes.png 1726w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/maryjanes-300x235.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 1726px) 100vw, 1726px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277785" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-size; smaller;">Mary Jane’s Marijuana Shop is located at 3170 W. 11th Avenue in Eugene, Oregon.</span></figcaption></figure><h2 style="font-size: 24px;">Most Americans support legalizing pot. Political pundits insist Biden is courting votes by rescheduling the drug.<br /></h2><p style="font-size: larger;">The latest headlines and news stories channeling chart junk creators come from the Associated Press and the Washington Post. Without evidence, each claims that the Biden Administration’s rescheduling of marijuana is designed to win November votes. The implication: Biden is catering to a minority.</p><p>In the AP story, the lede references 20-somethings but the included polling data are for individuals 45+. Almost two-thirds of those polled support legalizing pot. There is no evidence for the headline claim. </p><p>The Washington Post follows suit, claiming “Democrats hope move to reschedule marijuana will help them in November.” Of the nine people quoted, three are Democrats. Only one, in paragraph 17, makes the claim in the headline.</p><p> I call this reporting style “Pundits hope move to reschedule marijuana will get them clicks.”</p><div style="max-width:75%; margin-bottom: 1.5rem;"><a href="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_4551-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_4551-scaled.jpg" alt="Chart-junk headlines, AP and WaPo" width="2560" height="2560" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-277756" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_4551-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_4551-300x300.jpg 300w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_4551-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a></div><h2 style="margin-bottom: 0rem;">Biden’s decriminalization efforts are not “new”</h2><p><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/bidens-historic-marijuana-shift-is-his-latest-election-year-move-for-young-voters" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">From the AP story</a>:</p><blockquote style="font-size: 1.2em; padding-left: 10px; border-left: 5px solid gray; margin-top: -10px; padding-top: 0px;"><p>Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law <strong>in October 2022</strong> and moved to <strong>pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession</strong> of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions (emphasis added).</p></blockquote><p>According to Pew Research, as of April 2024 <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/10/facts-about-marijuana/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">only “11% say the drug should not be legal in any form</a>.”</p><h2 style="margin-bottom: 0rem;">The group most affected by decriminialization is Black, not young</h2><p>Rathering than pandering to youth as AP opined, perhaps Biden is seeking fairness and justice.</p><p><a href="https://www.naacpldf.org/cannabis-laws-racism/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">From the NAACP</a>:</p><blockquote style="font-size: 1.2em; padding-left: 10px; border-left: 5px solid gray; margin-top: -10px; padding-top: 0px;"><p>Despite using cannabis at a slightly lower rate than their white counterparts, Black people are roughly four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis.</p></blockquote><p><a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/marijuanas-racist-history-shows-the-need-for-comprehensive-drug-reform/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">From John Hudak</a>: </p><blockquote style="font-size: 1.2em; padding-left: 10px; border-left: 5px solid gray; margin-top: -10px; padding-top: 0px;"><p>The second edition of my book Marijuana: A Short History [was released June 30, 2020], and it explores the explicitly racist roots of cannabis policy in the United States as well as the broader War on Drugs. It highlights how politicians across the political divide spent much of the 20th century using marijuana as a means of dividing America. By painting the drug as a scourge from south of the border to a “jazz drug” to the corruptive intoxicant of choice for beatniks and hippies, marijuana as a drug and the laws that sought to control it played on some of America’s worst tendencies around race, ethnicity, civil disobedience, and otherness…</p><p>Despite cannabis usage rates between whites and non-whites being similar, Black Americans are arrested for cannabis offenses at a rate of nearly 4:1, compared to whites.</p></blockquote><h2 style="margin-bottom: 0rem;">Both articles are rife with unsupported claims</h2><p><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/bidens-historic-marijuana-shift-is-his-latest-election-year-move-for-young-voters" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Without a quotation or a link</a>, Jonathan J. Cooper claimed in “Biden’s historic marijuana shift is his latest election year move for young voters”:</p><blockquote style="font-size: 1.2em; padding-left: 10px; border-left: 5px solid gray; margin-top: -10px; padding-top: 0px;"><p>Facing softening support from a left-leaning voting group that will be crucial to his reelection hopes in November, Biden has made a number of election year moves intended to appeal in particular to younger voters. His move toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug is just the latest, coming weeks after he canceled student loans for another 206,000 borrowers. He has also made abortion rights central to his case for reelection.</p></blockquote><p>Unsourced claims: three of them.</p><ol style="margin-left: 1.5rem;"><li>The election is six months away. What “softening support”? </li><li>Rather than beginning in an “election year,” the Biden Administration started its decriminalization efforts in October 2022.</li><li>Biden’s <a href="https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2023/10/10/biden-administration-student-loan-forgiveness" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">second attempt</a> to broadly cancel student loan debt started in October 2023. Student loan forgiveness is not a knee-jerk, ‘new’ attempt to woo voters. <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The first: August 2022</a>. U.S. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Supreme Court rejection: June 2023</a>. This week, he <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/1248473475/art-institutes-student-loan-forgiveness-debt-relief" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">forgave loans taken out by students who were hoodwinked</a> by The Art Institutes. </li></ol><p>It’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/01/marijuana-biden-democrats-election/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deja vu at the <em>Washington Post</em></a>. </p><blockquote style="font-size: 1.2em; padding-left: 10px; border-left: 5px solid gray; margin-top: -10px; padding-top: 0px;"><p> Attorney General Merrick Garland’s announcement Tuesday that he was rescheduling marijuana under federal law was just the latest turn in what Biden’s advisers see as a key political strategy — along with issues such as student loan relief and climate policy — to unlock votes this fall.</p></blockquote><p>In addition, the Post engaged in he-said stenography, reposting claims as though they are credulous:</p><blockquote style="font-size: 1.2em; padding-left: 10px; border-left: 5px solid gray; margin-top: -10px; padding-top: 0px;"><p> The influential House Republican Policy Committee released a briefing in February that declared that “there is nothing ‘recreational’ about the use of marijuana,” while arguing that the drug was associated with violent crime and declines in worker productivity.</p></blockquote><p>The claim is neither checked nor contextualized.</p><p>Check: A literature review in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online (2021) found:</p><blockquote style="font-size: 1.2em; padding-left: 10px; border-left: 5px solid gray; margin-top: -10px; padding-top: 0px;"><p>Results suggest that there is a link between cannabis use and violence; however, <strong>this relationship is strictly correlational, and the strength of this relationship varies depending on the population</strong> (e.g., populations with severe and persistent mental illness versus the general population). These findings have important ramifications for treatment considerations and for public health and safety approaches (emphasis added).</p></blockquote><p>Context: “A<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8729263/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the leading causes</a> of the global burden of disease and injury (WHO, 2021).” <a href="https://www.alcoholrehabguide.org/alcohol/crimes/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">About 15% of robberies</a> are linked to alcohol use in the U.S. and 37% of sexual assaults and rapes… 2/3rd of victims suffering from violence by a current or former spouse or partner report that the perpetrator had been drinking.”</p><p>With reporting like this, why does the GOP need ads?</p><p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/discoveroregon/27602099288" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Featured image: Flickr</a></p><div style="max-width: 100px; margin:auto; margin-top: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; "> <svg version="1.1" x="0px" class="svg-section-break" y="0px" viewBox="0 0 124.6 24.3" style="enable-background:new 0 0 124.6 24.3;" xml:space="preserve"> <g> <polygon points="61.8,0.5 55.4,11.7 0,11.7 0,12.7 54.8,12.7 48.4,23.8 49.5,23.8 63,0.5 "></polygon> <polygon points="69.8,11.7 76.3,0.5 75.1,0.5 61.6,23.8 62.8,23.8 69.2,12.7 124.6,12.7 124.6,11.7 "></polygon> </g> </svg></div><p>Talk to me: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/kegill.bsky.social" target="social" rel="noopener noreferrer">BlueSky</a> | <a href="https://facebook.com/kathyegill" target="social" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://mastodon.social/kegill" target="social" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mastodon</a> | <a href="https://Twitter.com/kegill" target="social" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a></p><div style="max-width: 100px; margin:auto; margin-top: 25px; margin-bottom: 25px; "> <svg version="1.1" x="0px" class="svg-section-break" y="0px" viewBox="0 0 124.6 24.3" style="enable-background:new 0 0 124.6 24.3;" xml:space="preserve"> <g> <polygon points="61.8,0.5 55.4,11.7 0,11.7 0,12.7 54.8,12.7 48.4,23.8 49.5,23.8 63,0.5 "></polygon> <polygon points="69.8,11.7 76.3,0.5 75.1,0.5 61.6,23.8 62.8,23.8 69.2,12.7 124.6,12.7 124.6,11.7 "></polygon> </g> </svg></div></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/pundits-hope-biden-administration-move-to-reschedule-marijuana-will-get-them-clicks/">Pundits hope Biden Administration move to reschedule marijuana will get them clicks</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/pundits-hope-biden-administration-move-to-reschedule-marijuana-will-get-them-clicks/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Columbia University protests look increasingly like those in 1968 as police storm campuses nationwide</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/columbia-university-protests-look-increasingly-like-those-in-1968-as-police-storm-campuses-nationwide/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/columbia-university-protests-look-increasingly-like-those-in-1968-as-police-storm-campuses-nationwide/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Voice]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2024 19:02:13 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hamas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[History]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Palestinians]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Police]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Protests]]></category> <category><![CDATA[1968 unrest]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Black Power]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Campus police]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Campus protests]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Campus protests 2024]]></category> <category><![CDATA[College divestment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[free speech]]></category> <category><![CDATA[higher education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Israel-Hamas Conflict]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Student protests]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277747</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The police have regularly been called in to squelch student protests over the past century. Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images Stefan M. Bradley, Amherst College Columbia University has become the epicenter of student protests over the war in Gaza. In the following Q&A, Stefan Bradley, a history professor at Amherst College and author of<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/columbia-university-protests-look-increasingly-like-those-in-1968-as-police-storm-campuses-nationwide/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/columbia-university-protests-look-increasingly-like-those-in-1968-as-police-storm-campuses-nationwide/">Columbia University protests look increasingly like those in 1968 as police storm campuses nationwide</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="theconversation-article-body"><figure> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591538/original/file-20240501-16-shtj37.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=8%2C35%2C5955%2C3952&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" /><figcaption> The police have regularly been called in to squelch student protests over the past century.<br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/officers-stand-watch-as-they-prepare-to-enter-the-campus-of-news-photo/2150910419?adppopup=true">Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><p> <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stefan-m-bradley-540901">Stefan M. Bradley</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/amherst-college-2155">Amherst College</a></em></span></p><p><em>Columbia University has become the epicenter of student protests over the war in Gaza. In the following Q&A, Stefan Bradley, a history professor at Amherst College and author of the 2009 book “<a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.5323/jafriamerhist.96.3.0425?journalCode=jaah">Harlem vs. Columbia University: Black Student Power in the Late 1960s</a>,” touches on the similarities and differences between the protests of the 1960s and now.</em></p><h2>How do protests now differ from those of 1968?</h2><p>Similarities lie in students’ opposition to war, racism and prejudice.</p><p>A key difference is social media, which has contributed greatly to the ability of students to mobilize. News of various actions and protests spreads quickly.</p><p>Violence or the threat thereof is another difference. Initial demonstrations at Columbia University in April 1968 started with the threat of violence between radical students who wanted to end the university’s ties to war research during the Vietnam War and terminate a university gymnasium construction project and mostly white athletes who wanted to push forward with it. The gym had been designed for mostly Black and brown Harlem residents to enter one door and Columbia affiliates in another. Columbia affiliates also had greater access to various parts of the gym, leading residents to refer to the situation as “Gym Crow.” </p><p>Considering the institution’s history of expansion and the uprisings surrounding the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that took place just weeks earlier, tension was in the air. Taking the demonstration to the gym site, student activists then clashed with police in the park before returning to campus to take over Hamilton Hall, the same building where dozens of Columbia student activists in this year’s protests over Gaza were arrested on the night of April 30, 2024.</p><p>Until April 30, students were less disruptive than they’d been in the past. The <a href="https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/04/17/dozens-of-protesters-occupy-south-lawn-call-for-divestment-from-israel-ahead-of-shafik-testimony/">encampments on the South Lawn</a> did not prevent major functions of the university.</p><p>But after students took over Hamilton Hall, the calculus has changed. By breaking into the building and barricading themselves in, the campus activists provided administrators with even more justification to call on the police to remove them.</p><h2>How so?</h2><p>Officials in 1968 called city police to forcibly remove students, who had subsequently taken over four more buildings, and to make arrests. It quickly turned violent. Police charged into buildings and around campus to make arrests. In a building called Math Hall, activists, including Tom Hayden – author of the <a href="https://images2.americanprogress.org/campus/email/PortHuronStatement.pdf">Port Huron Statement</a>, a leftist manifesto that called on students to work against racism, imperialism and poverty – fought back. Police struck observers and activists alike with batons. </p><p>With long-standing critiques of the university in their minds, and the death of King in their hearts, Harlem residents were ready to support protesting students.</p><figure class="align-center "> <img alt="Police officers in a black in white vintage photograph wield batons as they move to cut off students." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591543/original/file-20240501-16-83oq0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591543/original/file-20240501-16-83oq0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591543/original/file-20240501-16-83oq0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591543/original/file-20240501-16-83oq0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591543/original/file-20240501-16-83oq0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=589&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591543/original/file-20240501-16-83oq0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=589&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591543/original/file-20240501-16-83oq0g.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=589&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"/><figcaption> <span class="caption">NYPD officers run to head off striking students during the series of protests on the campus of Columbia University in New York City in 1968.</span><br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/officers-running-in-to-head-off-striking-students-during-news-photo/1295198148?adppopup=true">Authenticated News via Getty Images</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><p>Black Power leaders such as Stokely Carmichael and H. Rap Brown explained to the press that if Columbia did not negotiate with the Black students in Hamilton, then the university would have to deal with the <a href="https://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/?a=d&d=cs19680427-01&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------">“brothers out on the streets”</a> of Harlem. The threat of a coalition with Harlem neighbors aided in the success of the activists in ending the university’s construction of a private gymnasium in nearby Morningside Park and the cessation of the school’s ties to the Institute for Defense Analyses, a consortium of flagship and elite higher education institutions conducting government-funded defense research during the Cold War.</p><p>The threat of violence loomed with the recent building capture and arrests at Hamilton. The 2024 protest is starting to resemble the 1968 protest in terms of students feeling uncomfortable with their university’s decision-making and administrators feeling compelled to regain control of campus. The differences are becoming slimmer and the similarities thicker.</p><h2>What about the use of symbolism?</h2><p>In 1968 and today, students used symbolism to send a message. </p><p>Fifty-six years ago, demonstrators also took over Hamilton Hall – named after Alexander Hamilton – renaming it Malcolm X University and hanging images of Stokely Carmichael. </p><p>Today, protesters renamed it Hind’s Hall – in honor of a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2024/hind-rajab-israel-gaza-killing-timeline/">6-year-old Palestinian child killed</a> by Israeli tank fire in Gaza – and flew a Palestinian flag from a Hamilton window.</p><h2>What is the legacy of the 1968 protest?</h2><p>The major legacy is that students are the moral compass of these well-endowed, elite institutions – even if they engage in disruptive behavior. They are willing to act on campus when no one else will. If left to the trustees, administrators, faculty and staff, the university would likely be quiet and civil while waiting for the marketplace of ideas and countless committees to suss out what to do about real-time humanitarian crises.</p><p>Young people have always been impatient in their calls for justice. In 1968, the issues were Columbia’s construction of a gymnasium in West Harlem and the university’s relationship with the IDA; in the 1980s, it was the <a href="https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/students-blockade-columbia-university-to-protest-apartheid/">university’s financial interests in apartheid South Africa</a>; and in the 2010s, the school’s investments in <a href="https://inthesetimes.com/article/at-columbia-divestment-is-the-new-black">private prison corporations</a>. The 1968 rebellion taught later generations not to accept indiscriminate killing and injustice.</p><p>Another legacy is that the deployment of police to break up demonstrations may end disruptions in the short term, but it may also end up radicalizing moderate students who see their friends get arrested or injured.</p><h2>What makes a protest successful?</h2><p>Of course, students want every demand met, but that is often unlikely to happen. A better mark of success is the disruption of the status quo and the amount of attention they bring to issues. In that regard, the protests have been a success.</p><p>Conflict at a place like Columbia garners attention because of its location in the media capital of the world. When administrators respond to issues students raise by focusing on policies and procedures, it can give the impression that the issues are not important. </p><p>Fifty-six years ago, campus activists inspired students abroad to chant “<a href="https://studentantiwar.blogs.brynmawr.edu/stories-from-the-frontlines/frountline-in-usa/create-two-three-many-columbias-that-is-the-watchword/">Two, Three, Many Columbias!</a>” Administrators may want to remain apolitical, but campus demonstrators want to know where their tuition goes and have a say in how it is spent. Highlighting the conflict between key sources of funding – the students paying tuition and the school’s major donors – is a notable victory.</p><h2>How unprecedented are the student arrests?</h2><p>There is precedence for student arrests on and off campus. The NYPD violently arrested more than 700 students in April 1968 and dozens more in May. </p><p>When students in the 20th century rebelled against the idea that the university was supposed to act <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/in_loco_parentis">in the place of their parents</a>, higher education officials turned to law enforcement in the hope that students would comply.</p><p>There were arrests at the <a href="https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b210-i082">Fisk Institute</a> in 1925 for protests over strict student rules, including those that limited participation in civil rights movements; there was the <a href="https://www.thefire.org/news/berkeley-haverford-have-we-forgotten-progressive-history-free-speech-college-campuses">Berkeley Free Speech Movement</a>, when students demanded the right to pass out civil rights literature on campus.</p><p>In 1970, there were also police or National Guard-involved shootings of students at <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sins-our-past-leaders-apologize-1970-jackson-state-shootings-n1267511">Jackson State</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/04/kent-state-massacre-marked-start-of-americas-polarization">Kent State</a>, a predominantly white university.</p><p>In 2016, police battled students <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/uc-davis-pepper-spray-video_n_570fc93fe4b03d8b7b9fb62b">protesting tuition hikes in California</a>. There were no fatal shootings, but nonlethal weapons like pepper spray were deployed. Inviting police onto campus introduces an element that concedes power to those not interested in the educational well-being of students.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading="lazy" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/228851/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p><p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stefan-m-bradley-540901">Stefan M. Bradley</a>, Professor of Black Studies and History, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/amherst-college-2155">Amherst College</a></em></span></p><p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/columbia-university-protests-look-increasingly-like-those-in-1968-as-police-storm-campuses-nationwide-228851">original article</a>.</p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/columbia-university-protests-look-increasingly-like-those-in-1968-as-police-storm-campuses-nationwide/">Columbia University protests look increasingly like those in 1968 as police storm campuses nationwide</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/columbia-university-protests-look-increasingly-like-those-in-1968-as-police-storm-campuses-nationwide/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>UNIVERSITY OF MTG (CARTOON)</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/university-of-mtg-cartoon/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/university-of-mtg-cartoon/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[CAGLE CARTOONS]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2024 16:51:52 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[2024 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Extremists]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Palestinians]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Protests]]></category> <category><![CDATA[College Protest]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gaza]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hamas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marjorie Taylor Greene]]></category> <category><![CDATA[protests]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277743</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/university-of-mtg-cartoon/">UNIVERSITY OF MTG (CARTOON)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_277744" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277744" style="width: 768px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284674_768_rgb.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="544" class="size-full wp-image-277744" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284674_768_rgb.jpg 768w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284674_768_rgb-300x213.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277744" class="wp-caption-text">by Frank Hansen, PoliticalCartoons.com</figcaption></figure><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/university-of-mtg-cartoon/">UNIVERSITY OF MTG (CARTOON)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/university-of-mtg-cartoon/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Third parties will affect the 2024 campaigns, but election laws written by Democrats and Republicans will prevent them from winning</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/third-parties-will-affect-the-2024-campaigns-but-election-laws-written-by-democrats-and-republicans-will-prevent-them-from-winning/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/third-parties-will-affect-the-2024-campaigns-but-election-laws-written-by-democrats-and-republicans-will-prevent-them-from-winning/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Voice]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2024 16:45:42 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[2024 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bobby Kennedy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Democratic Party]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Duverger's law]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jr.]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Republican Party]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ross Periot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Third Parties]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277740</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks on March 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. Mario Tama/Getty Images Barry C. Burden, University of Wisconsin-Madison Once again, the U.S. is entering a presidential campaign with some voters expressing curiosity about independent and minor-party candidates. None of those candidates has a real shot at victory in November,<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/third-parties-will-affect-the-2024-campaigns-but-election-laws-written-by-democrats-and-republicans-will-prevent-them-from-winning/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/third-parties-will-affect-the-2024-campaigns-but-election-laws-written-by-democrats-and-republicans-will-prevent-them-from-winning/">Third parties will affect the 2024 campaigns, but election laws written by Democrats and Republicans will prevent them from winning</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="theconversation-article-body"><figure> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590732/original/file-20240426-16-3vy0jz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=25%2C0%2C5676%2C3522&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" /><figcaption> Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks on March 30, 2024, in Los Angeles.<br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/independent-presidential-candidate-robert-f-kennedy-jr-news-photo/2126502292?adppopup=true">Mario Tama/Getty Images</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><p> <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barry-c-burden-1464371">Barry C. Burden</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wisconsin-madison-939">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a></em></span></p><p>Once again, the U.S. is entering a presidential campaign with some voters <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2024/trump-vs-biden-vs-kennedy-vs-west-vs-stein">expressing curiosity about independent and minor-party candidates</a>. None of those candidates has a real shot at victory in November, but they might influence the race and politics beyond the election.</p><p>There was a time about a century ago when minor-party and independent candidates <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00490.x">were a prominent feature of the U.S. political system</a>. While mostly limited to victories in state and local elections, they offered perspectives screened out by the Democrats and Republicans, on issues ranging from immigration to trade. </p><p>Occasionally, a promising presidential candidate will bring issues from outside the two-party system. Wealthy businessman <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1992">H. Ross Perot won 19% of the popular vote in 1992</a> on a message opposing free trade and federal budget deficits. <a href="https://features.apmreports.org/arw/campaign68/d1.html">George Wallace’s segregationist platform</a> allowed him to win electoral votes in five southern states in 1968. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-M-La-Follette">Progressive Robert La Follette picked up 16% of the vote in 1924</a> while railing against corporate power and corruption.</p><p>As a <a href="https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/burden">scholar of political parties</a>, I find these cases remarkable because the U.S. political system generally reinforces two-party dominance. </p><figure class="align-center zoomable"> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590735/original/file-20240426-16-yplul5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three men in suits talking with each other while standing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590735/original/file-20240426-16-yplul5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590735/original/file-20240426-16-yplul5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590735/original/file-20240426-16-yplul5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590735/original/file-20240426-16-yplul5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590735/original/file-20240426-16-yplul5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590735/original/file-20240426-16-yplul5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590735/original/file-20240426-16-yplul5.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"/></a><figcaption> <span class="caption">Independent candidate H. Ross Perot, left, participates in a presidential debate in October 1992 with major-party candidates President George Bush, a Republican, and Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, the Democratic contender.</span><br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/independent-cand-tx-magnate-ross-perot-incumbent-pres-bush-news-photo/50474668?adppopup=true">Cynthia Johnson/Getty Images</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><h2>Scaring away minor parties</h2><p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1962968">theory outlined by French scholar and jurist Maurice Duverger</a> says that a system where a single person who gets the most votes wins office – as is the case with most prominent elections in the U.S. – will tend to foster two big parties. </p><p>The effect of what’s known as “Duverger’s law” often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2005.02.004">scares away minor-party supporters</a> when the major-party race becomes competitive. Those minor-party supporters want to avoid spoiling the election by tilting it to the party they like least. </p><p>In addition, <a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/ebook/9781400826377/the-formation-of-national-party-systems">growth of the federal government</a> has discouraged local alternatives to the two major parties that pop up in more decentralized systems. It seems that the more political discourse is focused on national political issues rather than state and local concerns, the more that state parties come to resemble their national counterparts.</p><h2>Making it hard to run</h2><p>The Democrats and Republicans are not passive observers of Duverger’s law. The two major parties have largely run minor-party competitors out of business in intentional ways. </p><p>First, Democratic and Republican officeholders adopt laws making it more difficult for others to run. Creation of the secret ballot around the turn of the 19th century provided one such opportunity. In nearly every state, lawmakers adopted state-created ballots and then banned <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1860557">ballot “fusion</a>,” a once-widespread practice that allows multiple parties to nominate the same candidate. </p><p>Fusion would allow small parties to hitch a ride on big-name candidates without their supporters being concerned about “spoiling” the election. For example, if the Libertarian Party also endorsed a Republican presidential candidate, voters inclined toward the Libertarians could vote for the candidate that both parties endorsed. This allowed voters to support their preferred parties without jeopardizing the GOP’s chances of defeating the Democratic nominee. </p><p>Legislators also implemented <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/glj99&div=32&id=&page=">“sore loser” laws</a> over the course of the 20th century. These laws prevent candidates who fail to win primaries from running in the general election, stopping a candidate initially inside a party from then running outside the two-party structure. </p><p>While major parties guaranteed themselves lines on the ballot by making sure state laws put their parties on ballots, minor-party and independent candidates must gather signatures on petitions to compete. Requiring more signatures tends to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1049096507071065">reduce the number of candidates</a> who appear on the ballot. Although lawsuits brought by candidates have led to some rules around petitioning to be struck down, it remains a significant hurdle in many states. </p><p>The major parties often marginalize minor parties by co-opting minor-party concerns into their platforms. Especially when a new party or independent candidate attracts support around a neglected issue, at least one of the major parties will try to weave it into their appeals. </p><p>In the New Deal era, Democrats <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00490.x">tacked in a liberal direction</a> after being challenged by the Populist Party, which had championed policies for labor unions and farmers. After seeing Perot draw so much support for his reform proposals in 1992, <a href="https://press.umich.edu/Books/T/Three-s-A-Crowd2">Republicans corralled many of his supporters</a> in the 1994 midterm elections by advocating for ideas Perot had advanced, such as a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and congressional term limits.</p><figure class="align-center zoomable"> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590738/original/file-20240426-18-jx8ufz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two men talking, in side-by-side headshots." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590738/original/file-20240426-18-jx8ufz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590738/original/file-20240426-18-jx8ufz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590738/original/file-20240426-18-jx8ufz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590738/original/file-20240426-18-jx8ufz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590738/original/file-20240426-18-jx8ufz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590738/original/file-20240426-18-jx8ufz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/590738/original/file-20240426-18-jx8ufz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=534&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"/></a><figcaption> <span class="caption">Polls show widespread dissatisfaction with the two major parties and the people they will likely nominate: President Joe Biden, left, and former President Donald Trump.</span><br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/this-combination-of-pictures-created-on-september-29-2020-news-photo/1228795203?adppopup=true">Jim Watson and Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><h2>Nationalized politics</h2><p>Current times might seem ripe for an independent or minor-party candidate for president. The <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/10/19/support-for-more-political-parties-in-the-u-s-is-higher-among-adults-under-age-50/">public generally wants more than two choices</a>. There is widespread dissatisfaction with the two major parties and the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/538/americans-hated-candidates-biden-trump/story?id=108655435">people they will likely nominate</a> to run for president. </p><p>There is little doubt that the Democrats and Republicans have become highly polarized on policy issues and their political styles. It is tempting to believe that polarization of the major parties opens more opportunities for less ideological parties to compete. This would mimic the late 19th century in the U.S., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197530993.003.0003">when major-party polarization was high</a> and minor parties were frequent competitors. </p><p>But <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X18814479">polarization actually discourages flirting with a minor party</a> because the costs of losing are greater.</p><p>The current era differs from the late 19th century because in earlier periods of U.S. history voter concerns were more parochial, media outlets were more locally oriented and parties were mostly state-based entities. That left a lot of room for third-party progressives in the upper Midwest and conservative Dixiecrats in the South to find support.</p><p>Lately, party politics has become nationalized, and national issues dominate even local politics. The <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo27596045.html">homogenization of party politics</a> across the country over the past century has led to greater <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0898588X22000013">similarity in a party’s platforms across the states</a>. Nearly every political issue that arises coincides with the alignment between the major parties, rather than being taken up by a splinter group in a state or region.</p><h2>Chicken and egg</h2><p>There are substantial hurdles to minor-party success. On one hand, a campaign organized around a single individual such as Perot or Wallace can get hung up on the liabilities of that person, and the organization can evaporate when its leader leaves the scene. </p><p>On the other hand, a campaign organized around a larger movement or set of ideas can suffer from the lack of a compelling figure to lead it. The Green Party is reasonably well organized and often gets on the ballot, but it is missing an attention-grabbing leader. The group No Labels tried to gain ballot access for a bipartisan ticket in 2024 but failed because it <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/04/04/1242890689/no-labels-election-presidential-candidate">could not identify compelling candidates</a>.</p><p>Although a third party is not likely to have much electoral success anytime soon, they do enrich American politics. </p><p>The campaigns of <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2991792">Perot</a> in 1992 and <a href="https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=4804">Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan</a> in 2000 increased overall voter turnout. Injecting new ideas and forcing the major parties to incorporate a wider array of interests remain the most tangible results of minor-party and independent campaigns.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading="lazy" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226877/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p><p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barry-c-burden-1464371">Barry C. Burden</a>, Professor of Political Science, Director of the Elections Research Center, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wisconsin-madison-939">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a></em></span></p><p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/third-parties-will-affect-the-2024-campaigns-but-election-laws-written-by-democrats-and-republicans-will-prevent-them-from-winning-226877">original article</a>.</p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/third-parties-will-affect-the-2024-campaigns-but-election-laws-written-by-democrats-and-republicans-will-prevent-them-from-winning/">Third parties will affect the 2024 campaigns, but election laws written by Democrats and Republicans will prevent them from winning</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/third-parties-will-affect-the-2024-campaigns-but-election-laws-written-by-democrats-and-republicans-will-prevent-them-from-winning/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Trump held in contempt (Cartoon)</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/trump-held-in-contempt-cartoon/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/trump-held-in-contempt-cartoon/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[CAGLE CARTOONS]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2024 16:38:44 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Law]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cartoon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Contempt]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Editorial Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Trump held in contempt]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Trump Trial]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277737</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/trump-held-in-contempt-cartoon/">Trump held in contempt (Cartoon)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284693_768_rgb.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="501" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-277738" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284693_768_rgb.jpg 768w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/284693_768_rgb-300x196.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/trump-held-in-contempt-cartoon/">Trump held in contempt (Cartoon)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/trump-held-in-contempt-cartoon/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>What the Supreme Court is doing right in considering Trump’s immunity case</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/what-the-supreme-court-is-doing-right-in-considering-trumps-immunity-case/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/what-the-supreme-court-is-doing-right-in-considering-trumps-immunity-case/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Voice]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2024 16:30:15 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[2024 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Family]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Law]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Supreme Court]]></category> <category><![CDATA[20234 Presidential election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Brett Kavanaugh]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jack Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Neil Gorsuch]]></category> <category><![CDATA[New York Times]]></category> <category><![CDATA[NPR]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Presidential immunity]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277734</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>There was a lot of press attention paid to the Trump immunity hearing at the Supreme Court building on April 25, 2024. Mandel NGAN / AFP/Getty Images Claire B. Wofford, College of Charleston Following the nearly three-hour oral argument about presidential immunity in the Supreme Court on April 25, 2024, many commentators were aghast. The<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/what-the-supreme-court-is-doing-right-in-considering-trumps-immunity-case/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/what-the-supreme-court-is-doing-right-in-considering-trumps-immunity-case/">What the Supreme Court is doing right in considering Trump’s immunity case</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="theconversation-article-body"><figure> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591362/original/file-20240430-16-1rr5bb.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=0%2C12%2C8243%2C5475&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" /><figcaption> There was a lot of press attention paid to the Trump immunity hearing at the Supreme Court building on April 25, 2024.<br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/members-of-the-press-work-outside-the-us-supreme-court-on-news-photo/2149550654?adppopup=true">Mandel NGAN / AFP/Getty Images</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><p> <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/claire-b-wofford-1348609">Claire B. Wofford</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/college-of-charleston-734">College of Charleston</a></em></span></p><p>Following the nearly <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?534673-1/trump-v-united-states-oral-argument-presidents-immunity-claim">three-hour oral argument</a> about presidential immunity in the Supreme Court on April 25, 2024, <a href="https://www.salon.com/2024/04/29/legal-experts-shameful-puts-us-one-vote-away-from-the-end-of-democracy/">many commentators were aghast</a>. The general theme, among legal and political experts alike, was a hand-over-the-mouth, how-dare-they assessment of the mostly conservative justices’ questioning of the attorneys who appeared before them in the case known as <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-939">Trump v. United States</a>.</p><p>Rather than a laser-focused, deep dive into the details of Trump’s attempt to subvert the 2020 election, virtually all of the nine justices instead raised larger questions, peppered with hypotheticals – hello again, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/provocative-question-trumps-immunity-fight-ordering-rivals-assassinated/story?id=109581560">Seal Team Six</a>! – about <a href="https://theconversation.com/trumps-immunity-arguments-at-supreme-court-highlight-dangers-while-prosecutors-stress-larger-danger-of-removing-legal-accountability-228652">the reach of executive power</a>, the intent of the nation’s founders and the best way to promote a stable democracy. </p><p><a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2023/23-939_l5gm.pdf">Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s</a> “I’m not focused on the here and now of this case” and Justice Neil Gorsuch’s “We are writing a rule for the ages” drew particular fire.</p><p>The headline and subheadline on the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/26/us/politics/supreme-court-trump-immunity-election.html">New York Times analysis by Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak complained</a> that the court had taken “Trump’s immunity arguments in unexpected direction” with “very little about the President’s conduct.” And the story itself fumed that the justices had responded to Trump’s claim that he should not face charges as a “weighty and difficult question.” </p><p>Slate’s Amicus podcast <a href="https://slate.com/podcasts/amicus/2024/04/trump-v-united-states-is-a-test-of-democracy-and-the-supreme-court-failed-it">decried the court</a> for failing to focus on the “narrow question” the case presented, instead going “off the rails” and “bouncing all over the map” with various legal arguments. A <a href="https://the1a.org/segments/if-you-can-keep-it-trump-the-supreme-court-and-immunity/">guest on NPR’s 1A program lamented</a> that the court had “injected new questions” into the oral argument to “slow-walk” the case and prevent Trump from facing trial before the election.</p><p>But here’s what the pundits seem to have forgotten: What happened that day in the court should have surprised no one, especially those <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7cOGzcwAAAAJ&hl=en">constitutional scholars like me</a> familiar with Supreme Court procedure.</p><figure class="align-center zoomable"> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591498/original/file-20240501-16-5cm9cf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man in a dark suit and red tie emerging from a building with a police officer near him." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591498/original/file-20240501-16-5cm9cf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591498/original/file-20240501-16-5cm9cf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591498/original/file-20240501-16-5cm9cf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591498/original/file-20240501-16-5cm9cf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591498/original/file-20240501-16-5cm9cf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591498/original/file-20240501-16-5cm9cf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591498/original/file-20240501-16-5cm9cf.jpeg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"/></a><figcaption> <span class="caption">Donald Trump’s attorneys told the Supreme Court that the actions of a president should be immune from criminal prosecution.</span><br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/former-u-s-president-donald-trump-returns-to-court-during-news-photo/2150354064?adppopup=true">Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><h2>Five words ‘change everything’</h2><p><a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/trump-v-united-states-2/">Trump’s case stemmed from</a> his prosecution by Special Counsel Jack Smith for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump claimed he, as president, was immune from prosecution, and he took his case to the Supreme Court.</p><p>When parties appeal their case to the court, they must tell the justices what specific legal question or questions they want the justices to answer. As <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/psquar/qqad130">a colleague and I have explored</a> in a recent academic journal article, the court generally accepts what is called the “<a href="https://www.law.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs5421/files/downloads/QuestionPresentedTipSheet.pdf">Questions Presented</a>” as given, agreeing to hear a case without making any adjustments to its legal framing.</p><p>Sometimes, however, the court will alter the legal question in some way. Why it does this is an issue that scholars like myself are just beginning to explore. And because it is that question – not the one the litigant initially asked – that frames the legal analysis, the justices can exert real control over both the case itself and the development of the law.</p><p>Trump v. United States is a classic example. When attorneys for the former president <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-939/300410/20240212154110541_2024-02-12%20-%20US%20v.%20Trump%20-%20Application%20to%20S.%20Ct.%20for%20Stay%20of%20D.C.%20Circuit%20Mandate%20-%20Final%20With%20Tables%20and%20Appendix.pdf">filed their request with the court</a>, the question presented by them was “Whether the doctrine of absolute presidential immunity includes immunity from criminal prosecution for a President’s official acts.” </p><p>When it granted the petition in late February 2024, the court <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/022824zr3_febh.pdf">changed this language to</a> “Whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.” </p><p>Five of those additional words – “if so to what extent” – changed everything. They sent a clear-as-day signal that the court would move well beyond the simple yes-or-no of whether Trump could be prosecuted.</p><figure class="align-center zoomable"> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591364/original/file-20240430-18-y4rw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Nine men and women seated in two rows, wearing black robes." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591364/original/file-20240430-18-y4rw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/591364/original/file-20240430-18-y4rw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591364/original/file-20240430-18-y4rw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591364/original/file-20240430-18-y4rw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591364/original/file-20240430-18-y4rw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591364/original/file-20240430-18-y4rw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/591364/original/file-20240430-18-y4rw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"/></a><figcaption> <span class="caption">The full Supreme Court, with nine justices, heard oral arguments in the immunity case.</span><br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/justices.aspx">Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><h2>The court doing its job</h2><p>With their reformulation of the question, the justices would instead be determining how, when and for what acts any president could ever be held criminally responsible. </p><p>That is a much larger inquiry, one that necessarily involves formulating a legal test to draw a line between what is constitutionally permissible and what is not. That the justices spent oral argument trying do exactly that is not a problem, much less an outrage: It’s just the court, the highest appellate court in the land, doing its job.</p><p>The scope of the argument, the expansiveness of the coming opinions and the time suck for the justices to write them and the possible vanishing of Trump’s prosecution are not at all shocking. The court signaled it would address the broader question months ago when it took the case; the time to fault the court for making the case about more than just Donald Trump was then, not now.</p><p>But perhaps commentators’ response to the oral argument can be a good lesson. Americans are <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4365955-clinton-on-trumps-dictator-comment-take-him-at-his-word/">told to take Trump at his word</a>, expecting his second term to contain <a href="https://time.com/6972021/donald-trump-2024-election-interview/">all the extremes</a> he gleefully says it will. </p><p>When the Supreme Court indicates what legal question it will answer, the smart response is to do the same thing – pay attention and believe. This may not make the ultimate outcome any less distasteful to many, but at least it won’t be quite as disturbing.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading="lazy" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/229101/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p><p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/claire-b-wofford-1348609">Claire B. Wofford</a>, Associate Professor of Political Science, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/college-of-charleston-734">College of Charleston</a></em></span></p><p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-supreme-court-is-doing-right-in-considering-trumps-immunity-case-229101">original article</a>.</p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/what-the-supreme-court-is-doing-right-in-considering-trumps-immunity-case/">What the Supreme Court is doing right in considering Trump’s immunity case</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/what-the-supreme-court-is-doing-right-in-considering-trumps-immunity-case/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>THANK DONALD TRUMP</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/thank-donald-trump/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/thank-donald-trump/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Don Hermann, Columnist]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2024 00:08:36 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[At TMV]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277722</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>As a businessman, he’s a failure. As a human being, he’s a failure.He doesn’t seem to have a kind bone in his body. He’s a liar. A cheat. A sexual abuser. And a coward. However, he does possess a quality enabling him to press people’s emotional buttons. He understands anger. He understands being left out.<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/thank-donald-trump/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/thank-donald-trump/">THANK DONALD TRUMP</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-277727" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/trump-1779709_640.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="494" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/trump-1779709_640.jpg 640w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/trump-1779709_640-300x232.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></p><p>As a businessman, he’s a failure. As a human being, he’s a failure.He doesn’t seem to have a kind bone in his body. He’s a liar. A cheat. A sexual abuser. And a coward.</p><p>However, he does possess a quality enabling him to press people’s emotional buttons. He understands anger. He understands being left out. He understands the fragility of people’s feelings. He understands Fear.</p><p>He has used that understanding to manipulate various groups of people to his advantage. Many in middle class America.The very wealthy. And most importantly, the media.</p><p>Let’s face it, if it weren’t for Donald Trump, we would be living in a completely different world.</p><p>CNN might not be in business. MSNBC might not be in business. FOX would have been right behind the other two. Trump Morning, Noon and Night is keeping the ratings through the roof and the cash registers ringing.</p><p>Rachel Maddow might not be a household name. Neither would Wolf Blitzer and Sean Hannity. And a host of others entertaining us ad nauseam.</p><p>Donald Trump was Book Publishers best story.</p><p>Saturday Night Live. Would reruns keep Lorne Michaels smiling?</p><p>Where would Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel be? Doing stand-up in night clubs?</p><p>It’s hard to believe, but there may not be a New York Times, at least as we know it. And a host of other newspapers, both liberal and conservative.</p><p>The Polls and Focus Groups certainly wouldn’t be top of the mind. Would be recognized for what they are: borderline effective.</p><p>It makes you wonder where the IPhone would be. And the IPad.</p><p>Would the stock market be somewhere in the unexpected territory of the atmosphere?</p><p>Would our Leaders be more thoughtful? And certainly more intelligent? And have more integrity? (I say “more” advisedly.)</p><p>The Supreme Court might have more justices who understood justice.</p><p>America might still be respected like the good old days.</p><p>January 6 theme would have been a horror movie.</p><p>If Donald Trump had pulled any of his shenanigans, he probably would be finishing his fourth year in a federal facility.</p><p>Mitch McConnell would be recognized for what he is. An angry, divisive individual whose purpose is anything but contributing to the healthy growth of our country.</p><p>Lindsey Graham is so lost. Another major disappointment. A sad individual who is caught up in finding himself. A lot like Mitch McConnell.</p><p>The Democrats would probably be in a position to capitalize on their genuine desire to help people. Be less defensive and more assertive. Not wait for Trump’s accusations and feel compelled to respond. It’s called Leadership.</p><p>Some religions wouldn’t be a way to divide and attract hateful, angry leaders to gain personal power.</p><p>Trump in his way has had an enormous impact in almost all aspects of our lives. Nationally and internationally.</p><p>Maybe some soul searching should be on the menu. There’s plenty to chew on.</p><p>I would add something to the plate. Trump isn’t going to be around forever.</p><p>We still have mouths to feed. And things to do to make the most of our lives.</p><p>Where are we going to be without Trump? Are our lives going to be turned upside down? There’s been so much mediocrity around, how are we going to fill the needs of the marketplace?</p><p>Are we in for a recession? Or worse?</p><p><a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/trump-trumpism-candidate-narcissist-1779709/">Image: Pixabay</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/thank-donald-trump/">THANK DONALD TRUMP</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/thank-donald-trump/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Medal of Honor Tuesday: Army Tech. 5th Grade Joe Pinder Jr.</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/medal-of-honor-tuesday-army-tech-5th-grade-joe-pinder-jr/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/medal-of-honor-tuesday-army-tech-5th-grade-joe-pinder-jr/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dorian de Wind, Military Affairs Correspondent]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:39:15 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[At TMV]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[History]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Inspiration and Living]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Military]]></category> <category><![CDATA[War]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Army Tech. 5th Grade Joe Pinder Jr.]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Battle of Normandy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[D-Day]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Medal of Honor]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Normandy Invasion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World War II]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277711</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>With the 80th anniversary of D-Day -- the “Battle of Normandy” -- coming up in a little more than a month, it is only fitting that the Medal of Honor recipient recognized in this week’s DoD “Medal of Honor Monday” is one of the heroes who participated in “the greatest amphibious operation ever undertaken.”</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/medal-of-honor-tuesday-army-tech-5th-grade-joe-pinder-jr/">Medal of Honor Tuesday: Army Tech. 5th Grade Joe Pinder Jr.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_277714" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277714" style="width: 319px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-054750.png" alt="" width="319" height="438" class="size-full wp-image-277714" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-054750.png 319w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-054750-218x300.png 218w" sizes="(max-width: 319px) 100vw, 319px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277714" class="wp-caption-text">Army Tech. 5th Grade Joe Pinder Jr., Medal of Honor recipient.</figcaption></figure><p>With the 80th anniversary of D-Day — the “Battle of Normandy” — coming up in a little more than a month, it is only fitting that the Medal of Honor recipient recognized in <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3757821/medal-of-honor-monday-army-tech-5th-grade-john-j-pinder-jr/">this week’s DoD “Medal of Honor Monday</a>” is one of the heroes who participated in “the greatest amphibious operation ever undertaken.”<strong>*</strong> </p><p>June 6, 1944, was the day when more than 150,000 allied troops from 13 countries stormed the beaches of Normandy marking the beginning of the end of World War II.</p><figure id="attachment_277718" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277718" style="width: 540px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-061944.png" alt="" width="540" height="425" class="size-full wp-image-277718" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-061944.png 540w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-061944-300x236.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 540px) 100vw, 540px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277718" class="wp-caption-text">A famous image of the Normandy coast on D-Day. (National Archives)<br /></figcaption></figure><p>It was a day when <a href="https://www.history.com/news/d-day-casualties-deaths-allies">2,501 American troops</a> gave their lives.</p><p>It was also a day when so many displayed extraordinary heroism. Twelve service members would be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor — nine posthumously.</p><p><a href="https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/john-j-pinder-jr">A video at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society web site</a> chronicles the actions of three of these heroes: Pvt. Carlton William Barrett, Lt. Jimmie W. Monteith Jr. and Army Tech. 5th Grade John J. Pinder Jr. </p><p><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-29-195441.png" alt="" width="383" height="218" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-277715" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-29-195441.png 383w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-29-195441-300x171.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 383px) 100vw, 383px" /></p><p>Monteith and Pinder were killed on June 6, 1944, and received the Medal of Honor posthumously.</p><p>Barrett survived, was presented with the Medal of Honor on November 17, 1944, and died on March 3, 1986.</p><p>Army Tech. 5th Grade John J. Pinder Jr. is this week’s honoree.</p><p><a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/3757821/medal-of-honor-monday-army-tech-5th-grade-john-j-pinder-jr/">Here is Katie Lange at DoD News</a>:</p><blockquote><p>…Pinder was drafted into the Army in January 1942. He was a radio operator assigned to the 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. </p><p>While overseas, Joe Pinder took part in various combat campaigns, including those in Africa and Sicily, before being tapped to take part in D-Day — the biggest land, air and sea invasion in history that finally gave the Allies a foothold in Nazi Europe. By this time, Pinder had worked his way up to the rank of technician 5th grade, the equivalent of a corporal.</p><p>On June 6, 1944, Pinder’s unit was in the first wave of Allied troops to assault Colleville-sur-Mer — better known as Omaha Beach. Unfortunately, the Germans were ready for them and immediately began pummeling transport ships before troops were able to land near shore. </p><p>An artillery shell landed near Pinder’s boat and tore holes in it, killing some men immediately and causing chaos among those left inside. As the vessel began to fill with water, its ramp opened to let the men out about 100 yards offshore. Devasting machine gun and artillery fire rained down on them as they tried to wade their way to land in waist-deep water. Many were killed before they even got to shore.</p><p>As Pinder struggled through the waves, he carried vitally important radio equipment on his shoulder — and back then, radios used in war weighed about 80 pounds. He was only a few yards from his boat when he was hit twice by enemy fire, with one hit tearing into the left side of his face. Witnesses said Pinder continued forward holding the equipment in one arm and the flesh from his face with the other hand.</p><p>Refusing to take cover or get medical attention, Pinder delivered the radio to the shore. He then turned around and went back into the fire-swept surf to gather more parts and equipment. He knew setting up communications was crucial to directing naval and air support that could take out the German installations decimating the shoreline. It was the only way they would survive the ordeal.</p><p>Pinder ran back into the surf twice that day, despite the fierce pain he suffered. On the third trip, he was hit a few times by a machine gun, but he still refused to stop. He got back to the beach and helped troops set up the communications equipment before passing out from blood loss. He died later that day. </p></blockquote><p>Lange writes that one of Pinder’s younger siblings, Harold Howard “Hal” Pinder, had also been drafted as a bomber pilot in the Army Air Corps and that the two brothers met up in England in 1943. (Below)</p><figure id="attachment_277716" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277716" style="width: 404px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-054641.png" alt="" width="404" height="432" class="size-full wp-image-277716" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-054641.png 404w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-30-054641-281x300.png 281w" sizes="(max-width: 404px) 100vw, 404px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277716" class="wp-caption-text">Army Tech. 5th Grade Joe Pinder Jr., right, poses with his brother, Hal, at an airfield in England in 1943.</figcaption></figure><p>Nazi fighters attacked Hal Pinder’s B-24 Liberator while on a bombing mission over Germany on 29 January 1944. His B-24 crashed in Belgium. Hal was taken prisoner by the Nazis and returned home 14 months later, when the war ended. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Bronze Star. The younger Pinder died on 21 October 2008.</p><p>His brother, Medal of Honor Recipient John Pinder, born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania June 6,1912, was initially buried at a U.S. military cemetery in Normandy, but was returned home in 1947 and now rests in Grandview Cemetery, Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.</p><p>——</p><p><strong>* </strong> Douglas Brinkley, “The Longest Day,” <em>Time</em> Magazine</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/medal-of-honor-tuesday-army-tech-5th-grade-joe-pinder-jr/">Medal of Honor Tuesday: Army Tech. 5th Grade Joe Pinder Jr.</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/medal-of-honor-tuesday-army-tech-5th-grade-joe-pinder-jr/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>NOEM MORE DOG (CARTOON)</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/noem-more-dog-cartoon/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/noem-more-dog-cartoon/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[CAGLE CARTOONS]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 15:28:48 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Animal Rights]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Violence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[2024 Presidential Election]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cricket]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dog killer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dogs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Editorial Cartoons]]></category> <category><![CDATA[inhumanity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Puppies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Puppy killer]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277708</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/noem-more-dog-cartoon/">NOEM MORE DOG (CARTOON)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure id="attachment_277709" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-277709" style="width: 768px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" src="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/284628_768_rgb.png" alt="" width="768" height="543" class="size-full wp-image-277709" srcset="https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/284628_768_rgb.png 768w, https://themoderatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/284628_768_rgb-300x212.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-277709" class="wp-caption-text">Noem more dog by Frank Hansen, PoliticalCartoons.com</figcaption></figure><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/noem-more-dog-cartoon/">NOEM MORE DOG (CARTOON)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/noem-more-dog-cartoon/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Teens see social media algorithms as accurate reflections of themselves, study finds</title> <link>https://themoderatevoice.com/teens-see-social-media-algorithms-as-accurate-reflections-of-themselves-study-finds/</link> <comments>https://themoderatevoice.com/teens-see-social-media-algorithms-as-accurate-reflections-of-themselves-study-finds/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Voice]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 13:09:13 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mental Health]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Psychology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Adolescent psychology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[adolescents]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Algorithms]]></category> <category><![CDATA[online]]></category> <category><![CDATA[social media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social media Algorithm Adolescent psychology Adolescents Technology Teens TikTok Online algorithms]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[teens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[TikTok]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://themoderatevoice.com/?p=277705</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Teens say ‘for you’ algorithms get them right. Photo illustration by Spencer Platt/Getty Images Nora McDonald, George Mason University Social media apps regularly present teens with algorithmically selected content often described as “for you,” suggesting, by implication, that the curated content is not just “for you” but also “about you” – a mirror reflecting important<a class="read-more" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/teens-see-social-media-algorithms-as-accurate-reflections-of-themselves-study-finds/"> […]</a></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/teens-see-social-media-algorithms-as-accurate-reflections-of-themselves-study-finds/">Teens see social media algorithms as accurate reflections of themselves, study finds</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="theconversation-article-body"><figure> <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/590538/original/file-20240425-20-j9u6ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C3997&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" /><figcaption> Teens say ‘for you’ algorithms get them right.<br /> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/in-this-photo-illustration-a-teenager-uses-her-mobile-phone-news-photo/1977638069">Photo illustration by Spencer Platt/Getty Images</a></span><br /> </figcaption></figure><p> <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nora-mcdonald-1157126">Nora McDonald</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/george-mason-university-1331">George Mason University</a></em></span></p><p>Social media apps regularly present teens with algorithmically selected content often described as “for you,” suggesting, by implication, that the curated content is not just “for you” but also “about you” – a mirror reflecting important signals about the person you are.</p><p>All users of social media are exposed to these signals, but researchers understand that teens are at <a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sherry-turkle/alone-together/9780465093656/">an especially malleable stage</a> in the formation of personal identity. Scholars have begun to demonstrate that technology is having <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Generations/Jean-M-Twenge/9781982181611">generation-shaping effects</a>, not merely in the way it influences cultural outlook, behavior and privacy, but also in the way it can shape personality among those brought up on social media. </p><p>The prevalence of the “for you” message raises important questions about the impact of these algorithms on how teens perceive themselves and see the world, and the subtle erosion of their privacy, which they accept in exchange for this view.</p><h2>Teens like their algorithmic reflection</h2><p>Inspired by these questions, my colleagues <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=6AkP0EcAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">John Seberger</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=sV43f5AAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">Afsaneh Razi</a> of Drexel University and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=u3BoLzgAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">I</a> asked: How are teens navigating this algorithmically generated milieu, and how do they recognize themselves in the mirror it presents?</p><p>In our qualitative interview study of teens 13-17, we found that personalized algorithmic content does seem to present what teens <a href="https://programs.sigchi.org/chi/2024/program/content/146940">interpret as a reliable mirror image of themselves</a>, and that they very much like the experience of seeing that social media reflection.</p><p>Teens we spoke with say they prefer a social media completely customized for them, depicting what they agree with, what they want to see and, thus, who they are.</p><blockquote><p>If I look up something that is important to me that will show up as one of the top posts [and] it’ll show, like, people [like me] that are having a nice discussion.</p></blockquote><p>It turns out that the teens we interviewed believe social media algorithms like TikTok’s have gotten so good that they see the reflections of themselves in social media as quite accurate. So much so that teens are quick to attribute content inconsistencies with their self-image as anomalies – for instance, the result of inadvertent engagement with past content, or just a glitch.</p><blockquote><p>At some point I saw something about that show, maybe on TikTok, and I interacted with it without actually realizing.</p></blockquote><p>When personalized content is not agreeable or consistent with their self-image, the teens we interviewed say they scroll past it, hoping never to see it again. Even when these perceived anomalies take the form of extreme hypermasculine or “nasty” content, teens do not attribute this to anything about themselves specifically, nor do they claim to look for an explanation in their own behaviors. According to teens in our interviews, the social media mirror does not make them more self-reflective or challenge their sense of self.</p><p>One thing that surprised us was that while teens were aware that what they see in their “for you” feed is the product of their scrolling habits on social media platforms, they are largely unaware or unconcerned that that data captured across apps contributes to this self-image. Regardless, they don’t see their “for you” feed as a challenge to their sense of self, much less a risk to their self-identity – nor, for that matter, any basis for concern at all.</p><figure> <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-1FRco3Bjyk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">The human brain continues to develop during adolescence.</span></figcaption></figure><h2>Shaping identity</h2><p>Research on identity has come a long way since sociologist Erving Goffman proposed the “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/61106/the-presentation-of-self-in-everyday-life-by-erving-goffman/">presentation of self</a>” in 1959. He posited that people manage their identities through social performance to maintain equilibrium between who they think they are and how others perceive them.</p><p>When Goffman first proposed his theory, there was no social media interface available to hold up a handy mirror of the self as experienced by others. People were obligated to create their own mosaic image, derived from multiple sources, encounters and impressions. In recent years, social media recommender algorithms have inserted themselves into what is now a three-way negotiation among self, public and social media algorithm. </p><p>“For you” offerings create a private-public space through which teens can access what they feel is a largely accurate test of their self-image. At the same time, they say they can easily ignore it if it seems to disagree with that self-image. </p><p>The pact teens make with social media, exchanging personal data and relinquishing privacy to secure access to that algorithmic mirror, feels to them like a good bargain. They represent themselves as confidently able to tune out or scroll past recommended content that seems to contradict their sense of self, <a href="https://facebookpapers.com/">but research shows otherwise</a>.</p><p>They have, in fact, proven themselves highly vulnerable to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.03.007">self-image distortion and other mental health problems</a> based on social media algorithms explicitly designed to create and reward hypersensitivities, fixations and dysmorphia – a mental health disorder where people fixate on their appearance.</p><p>Given what researchers know about the <a href="https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/parenting/social-media-affects-teens-brains/">teen brain</a> and that stage of social development – and given what can reasonably be surmised about the malleability of self-image based on social feedback – teens are wrong to believe that they can scroll past the self-identity risks of algorithms.</p><figure> <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wl-TJyPKu_s?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy discusses the harms teens face from social media.</span></figcaption></figure><h2>Interventions</h2><p>Part of the remedy could be to <a href="https://theconversation.com/teens-on-social-media-need-both-protection-and-privacy-ai-could-help-get-the-balance-right-222052">build new tools</a> using artificial intelligence to detect unsafe interactions while also protecting privacy. Another approach is to help teens reflect on these “data doubles” that they have constructed.</p><p>My colleagues and I are now exploring more deeply how teens experience algorithmic content and what types of interventions can help them reflect on it. We encourage researchers in our field to design ways to challenge the accuracy of algorithms and expose them as reflecting behavior and not being. Another part of the remedy may involve arming teens with tools to restrict access to their data, including limiting cookies, having different search profiles and turning off location when using certain apps. </p><p>We believe that these are all steps that are likely to reduce the accuracy of algorithms, creating much-needed friction between algorithm and self, even if teens are not necessarily happy with the results.</p><h2>Getting the kids involved</h2><p>Recently, my colleagues and I conducted a <a href="https://aiyouthcscw2023.wordpress.com/">Gen Z workshop</a> with young people from <a href="https://encodejustice.org/">Encode Justice</a>, a global organization of high school and college students advocating for safe and equitable AI. The aim was to better understand how they are thinking about their lives under algorithms and AI. Gen Zers say they are concerned but also eager to be involved in shaping their future, including mitigating algorithm harms. Part of our workshop goal was to call attention to and foster the need for teen-driven investigations of algorithms and their effects.</p><p>What researchers are also confronting is that we don’t actually know what it means to constantly negotiate identity with an algorithm. Many of us who study teens are too old to have grown up in an algorithmically moderated world. For the teens we study, there is no “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3584931.3611281">before AI</a>.” </p><p>I believe that it’s perilous to ignore what algorithms are doing. The future for teens can be one in which society acknowledges the unique relationship between teens and social media. This means involving them in the solutions, while still providing guidance.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading="lazy" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226302/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p><p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nora-mcdonald-1157126">Nora McDonald</a>, Assistant Professor of Information Technology, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/george-mason-university-1331">George Mason University</a></em></span></p><p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/teens-see-social-media-algorithms-as-accurate-reflections-of-themselves-study-finds-226302">original article</a>.</p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com/teens-see-social-media-algorithms-as-accurate-reflections-of-themselves-study-finds/">Teens see social media algorithms as accurate reflections of themselves, study finds</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://themoderatevoice.com">The Moderate Voice</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://themoderatevoice.com/teens-see-social-media-algorithms-as-accurate-reflections-of-themselves-study-finds/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel></rss><!--Performance optimized by W3 Total Cache. 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