The most recent 20 comments posted to Making Light by Seth Morris:

A great perspective on the current administration's behavior: http://www.avgeeks.com/pivot/entry.php?id=420 (10 minutes)

If AvGeek is to be believed--and I have no reason to think it isn't--this is a 1946 educational video on the contrasts between democracy and despotism. It says it was produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica Films in collaboration with Harold D. Laswell of Yale, but doesn't say anything about Laswell. The "expert" they refer to is described only as someone who "makes it his job to study these things."

Their distinctions are interesting. They define a despotism as having (1) restricted respect between people and between those in power and the populace and (2) concentration of power; I wouldn't have thought to include the first, but the second sounds pretty definitive to me.

They warn that America is not immune to despotism and give some rubrics for identifying a society headed that way. Their warning signs are (1) unevenness of economic distribution and (2) restriction of information and reduced critical analysis, including both education that discourages critical thinking and media controlled by government and/or corporate interests.

What a change since 1946. I think unanalysed corporate/government media, concentrated power, "just learn the book" education (always called "back to basics"), and centralized power are considered the defining strengths of democracy, at least by the administration.

Janet, I stand corrected and I apologize for any offense. I certainly (believe I) understand your reaction.

My personal opinion of him has gone back and forth over the years; his on-again-off-again drifts towards despondent, hate-based "liberal" activism will eventually cross my put-up-with-it threshold.

The humor, irony, and straight-line-value are all wonderful. Teresa's line about homosexuality being too good for us is fabulous (of course). I'll be repeating it (with attribution :-) ) for at least a week.

Sadly, however, what Maher did was wrong. If a republican attack dog outed a Democratic leader, none of us would be cheering.

Maher is our version of the attack dog. He's the direct, confrontational, across-the-line knee-jerker who keeps Franken looking polite. That they're both fabulous comic writers helps them get away with attacks the Republican hit men look bad using.

Outing someone, whether the allegation is true or not, is just rude, invasive, and hurtful. If Mehlman is gay--by some definition--it threatens his personal life. If it isn't true, it amounts to name-calling (and makes Maher look much worse in the process).

The worst case would be where Mehlman has engaged in (or currently engages in) some activity some consider "gay" and he doesn't.

If Mehlman hasn't identified as gay, let's not use a rumor to attack his party (no matter how much we need and value ammunition against them), his service (I haven't read his voting record and only know of his apologies on behalf of the party for the last 40 years of avoiding representing black americans), or his person.

Still, it is a great set up for jokes.

We're only reading one side of this story, of course. We should compare it to the reporting to Police Bleat....

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