the bastards' last stand

The most memorable moment of the first debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was his assertion that in Springfield, OH "they are eating the dogs, the people that came in, they are eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there." The quote has inspired several surprisingly catchy songs and accusations of racism and xenophobia. The statement is based on assertions by residents of Springfield. It has supposedly been debunked because the city manager said he has no credible evidence of pets being taken, despite residents of the town continuing to suggest it is happening. Either they are lying because they hate Haitians or they are accurately describing their experience of the Haitian influx to their town. Are the descriptions xenophobic only if they are false or because they are shared publicly at all? Accusations of racism or xenophobia are reflexive responses to any possibly negative assertion about black or migrant subjects. It does not mat

In early September, Megyn Kelly interviewed four Minnesota veterans of the Iraq War. One of the veterans, Paul Herr, offered a memorable quote. "Fear is a reaction, bravery is a choice." Although he was talking about vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz and his decision to retire from the National Guard before fulfilling his commitment, it could easily apply to Kamala Harris and her campaign strategy. For anyone not paying attention due to the recent end of a coma, her strategy has been to avoid unscripted engagement with the press. In the time since becoming the nominee she has done only one interview. It was an hour or more edited to 16 minutes, she was accompanied by Tim Walz, and it featured very little follow up questioning. A growing chorus of political commentators are suggesting that she needs to talk more to the press to let the American people know who she is. The changing polling suggests that there is a growing awareness of her character and who she is from her cont