Althouse: "In Russia, the dissident Aleksei Navalny uses withering sarcasm in his efforts to bring democracy to Russia."

September 27, 2020

"In Russia, the dissident Aleksei Navalny uses withering sarcasm in his efforts to bring democracy to Russia."

"Navalny, now recovering in Germany from what apparently was an attempt by Russian officials to murder him with Novichok nerve gas, responded to Russian suggestions that he had poisoned himself: 'I boiled Novichok in the kitchen, quietly took a sip of it in the plane and fell into a coma,' he wrote on Instagram. 'Ending up in an Omsk morgue where the cause of death would be listed as "lived long enough" was the ultimate goal of my cunning plan. But Putin outplayed me.'... 'The grins of the people are the nightmares of the dictators,' wrote Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese dissident who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 while in prison."

From "To Beat Trump, Mock Him/The lesson from pro-democracy fighters abroad: Humor deflates authoritarian rulers" by Nicholas Kristof (NYT).

86 comments:

MikeR said...: Mocking Trump... I'm amazed that no one thought of this.; 9/27/20, 9:33 AM
Big Mike said...: Humor is already being used to defeat authoritarians in this country. Trump applies it very well. Kristof is pissed that Trump regards him as too insignificant to mock.; 9/27/20, 9:35 AM
Ken B said...: Time to show the hole cards. If Trump is such an authoritarian, tell me specifically which constitutional rights have been suspended or curtailed. Tell me which court orders have been flouted. Specifics.; 9/27/20, 9:35 AM
DKWalser said...: One of the (many) problems for Democrats is Trump's good humor. He's been mocking them for going on five years. In turn, their party is filled with a bunch of scolds devoid of humor.; 9/27/20, 9:36 AM
Michael K said...: It's a little late to top Trump in the "mock" contest. Besides, Democrats would have to become unmockable, first.; 9/27/20, 9:38 AM
Ken B said...: I’m all for mocking candidates, but it’s strange to me that Kristof thinks mocking Trump would be a new thing. How can you be so clueless to not see how often he is mocked.; 9/27/20, 9:38 AM
Two-eyed Jack said...: How many late-night comedians are kicking themselves for not hitting on this brilliant plan four or five years ago?; 9/27/20, 9:39 AM
Jaq said...: First demonstrate that he is “authoritarian.” Ha ha ha! What am I thinking? He doesn’t want to look at that! It might undermine his whole premise. Best to ignore that line of thought, nip it in the bud before it has a chance to take hold!

Remember, it’s only left wingers who are intellectually crippled by their biases!; 9/27/20, 9:40 AM
rhhardin said...: But Trump has a sense of humor and the left does not.; 9/27/20, 9:40 AM
Wince said...: From... Humor deflates authoritarian rulers" by Nicholas Kristof (NYT).

Thus explaining why hitherto Trump has been excoriated for his sarcastic wit about the "fake news" media and the Deep State?; 9/27/20, 9:41 AM
Matt Sablan said...: So... what they're saying is we need MORE anti-Trump jokes?

I mean... surely the next one will be the one that brings this nascent Nazi to his knees, right?; 9/27/20, 9:43 AM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: I thought you overthrew Trump by voting in a free and fair election. I guess that's out.; 9/27/20, 9:45 AM
RK said...: "To Beat Trump, Mock Him"

I hope for the sake of my sanity that that line was written in 2016.; 9/27/20, 9:46 AM
Temujin said...: "To Beat Trump, Mock Him

That's funny. That's the same thing I've been saying for years about the opinion writers and editors at the NY Times. And the entire woke movement. Someone comes up to you with a raised right hand and a half-calf coconut milk latter in the other, you have to laugh at them.

They should be mocked, ridiculed, and laughed at.; 9/27/20, 9:49 AM
MadisonMan said...: As if 'the left' has a sense of humor about anything. It's all doom and gloom in the paper.; 9/27/20, 9:50 AM
Kevin said...: Punchline: Kristoff considers himself on the side of pro-democracy fighters in America.; 9/27/20, 9:54 AM
Sebastian said...: "To Beat Trump, Mock Him"

You mean, like, they way progs haven't been mocking him?

"The lesson from pro-democracy fighters abroad"

Wait, progs are "democracy fighters"? How so?

"Humor deflates authoritarian rulers"

Pray tell, what makes DJT "authoritarian? Who's been poisoned recently?

And by the way, if DJT is authoritarian, what label do we use for the rulers who launched and approved an investigation of his campaign and an attack on his administration on the basis of rumors supplied by a Russian, disseminated by a foreign agent who himself worked for Russians?; 9/27/20, 9:56 AM
Jaq said...: I actually saw a movie the other day, TimeTrap, which played recordings of both Obama and Trump talking about space travel without further editorial comment. Just, “this is what our presidents said.” it was shocking.; 9/27/20, 9:57 AM
narciso said...: navalny is pretty sharp. one noted he wasn't well regarded by ben judah in his book on putin.
the crack assassins failed again,; 9/27/20, 10:01 AM
mikee said...: Winnie the Pooh is used to ridcule Xi, the leader of the world's largest totalitarian kleoptocracy. Navalny has some catching up to do in his riducule of Putin.

What Western comic character could be used to ridicule Putin? Or should we go anime on Putin's ass, or (gasp) tentacular hentai?; 9/27/20, 10:02 AM
wendybar said...: This is why we are now just pointing and laughing at Progressives. They are hysterical in their whacked out grief, in that they have NOTHING to run on, except....TRUMP!! Trump is alive and kicking in their heads 24/7. They need professional help.; 9/27/20, 10:02 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Mock the left.
The real Russian Collusion is all Hillary + Russia. (+Maddow and Chi Com juice)

The Clintons made massive amounts of money from Russia while she was Secretary of State.
The DNC/Hillary campaign hired Steele who hired a Russian Oligarch to write made-up garbage about Trump.; 9/27/20, 10:08 AM
mezzrow said...: Here's the thing about ridiculing Trump.

Having Trump as POTUS is a bit like waking up to find your world converted into that of the Simpsons. You are now animated rather than corporeal, but life goes on. Oh, and Krusty The Clown is President. Though he does his Krusty things to your horror, you find that he is actually effective at the job simply by employing common sense at times and in ways you almost never see from government, while treating the existing bureaucracy of government and the press with the contempt it so richly deserves.

How then, does one beclown Krusty? Its what he does. Think of the lyrics below when you're looking at your next Trump rally.

Be a clown, be a clown
All the world loves a clown
Show 'em tricks, tell 'em jokes
And you'll only stop with top folks

Be a crack Jackanapes
And they'll imitate you like apes
Why be a great composer with your rent in arrears
Why be a major poet and you'll owe it for years
When crowds'll pay to giggle if you wiggle your ears
Be a clown, be a clown, be a clown

This really pisses off those composers and poets. They hate Krusty.; 9/27/20, 10:08 AM
mockturtle said...: So...Trump is an 'authoritarian ruler'? He who has lowered taxes, decreased regulations, let state governments handle the pandemic in their own way? Pelosi and Schumer are authoritarian leaders who would absolutely dictate every facet of our lives. But this POV is what one can expect from the NYT.; 9/27/20, 10:09 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Putin needs a dose of his own medicine.

Too bad The Clinton mob, the democrat party elite mob and the Russians can't fight it out in a cage match to where they all end up dead.; 9/27/20, 10:09 AM
Mike Sylwester said...: Navalny was not poisoned

.... The head physician of the Omsk emergency hospital, Alexander Murakhovsky, said that Alexei Navalny’s condition was caused by a sharp drop in blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is also known as diabetic shock.

When a person experiences diabetic shock, or severe hypoglycemia, they may lose consciousness, have trouble speaking, and experience double vision. Early treatment is essential because blood sugar levels that stay low for too long can lead to seizures or diabetic coma.

Hypoglycemia can sometimes happen rapidly and may even occur when a person follows their diabetes treatment plan. ....

It is important that the measures are taken immediately. A prolonged coma can lead to brain damage. As Navalny was on a plane up in the air it took quite a while to get him into a hospital. His prolonged coma may have created additional damage to his body. ....

Navalny said himself that he suffered from diabetes in 2019 ....

The 'western' media jumped onto the 'Navalny was poisoned' claim to heap the usual trash on Russia. They also claimed that Navalny is the 'opposition leader' in Russia even as he polls at 2% which is lower than the leader of the communist party and several other real opposition politicians. Nor is Navalny a 'liberal'. He is a rightwing nationalist and racist who sees Cechen and other non-Russian people as cockroaches that should be killed. ...

Several years ago, Navalny released a number of disturbing videos, including one in which he is dressed as a dentist, complaining that tooth cavities ruin healthy teeth, as clips of migrant workers are shown. In another video, he speaks out in favour of relaxing gun controls, in a monologue that appears to compare migrants to cockroaches. ...

The 'western' media also try to connect the 'poisoning' of Navalny to Russia's President Vladimir Putin. That makes no sense at all. Navalny is no danger to Putin and is actually useful for him as he keeps other 'liberals' busy with nonsensical ideas.

During the last years Navalny has made some enemies by uncovering corruption cases. His latest one was about the local governor of Tomsk. It was also the reason why he had flown there. Should Navaly become the victim of a crime the suspects should be sought there.

------

See also: The Back And Forth About Navalny's 'Poisoning'; 9/27/20, 10:09 AM
Big Mike said...: How can you be so clueless?

@Ken B., just yesterday Dana Milbank claimed he and his colleagues were going to start calling Trump “Hitler.”; 9/27/20, 10:12 AM
doctrev said...: Ooh, withering sarcasm. That'll make Russia a democracy.

At least it's a more effective and lethal weapon than Novichok apparently is.; 9/27/20, 10:13 AM
Gunner said...: Kristof is a naive moron. No amount of "laughing" at Hitler, Stalin etc. was going to depose them. Trump is a humorous figure who takes shots at pompous lefties who have power and Kristof hates him for it.; 9/27/20, 10:16 AM
Big Mike said...: @John Lynch, the Dumbocrats are sending in their best of their best of their best — it’s just that at the end of the morning Joe Biden isn’t very good.; 9/27/20, 10:17 AM
Paco Wové said...: "I actually saw a movie the other day... both Obama and Trump talking about space travel... it was shocking."

Why?; 9/27/20, 10:18 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: "Most recently, it has been revealed the sub-source for the Steele Dossier—the guy Christopher Steele relied upon for his vile lies—had already been investigated by the FBI as, of all things, a Russian agent, making the Dossier itself likely deliberate Russian disinformation that was accepted by the FBI anyway because… well… by any means necessary. (The shameless liars at Mueller’s operation claimed the Russians favored Trump, which is ludicrous given this revelation plus the content of the Dossier.)

-RS; 9/27/20, 10:23 AM
Michael said...: Good luck with that. Trump is a master of stand-up comedy, while most Progressives can't recognize a joke, much less tell one.; 9/27/20, 10:28 AM
narciso said...: the kgb assasinated one of their leading exiled figures stepan bandera, the idol of the svoboda faction in the ukraine in munich in 1957 along with another figure lebets, the triggerman stashinsky who worked for the equivalent of smersh, later defected to south africa,

we didn't noticeably go to war over that with russia, of course the r 7 missile that carried sputnik into orbit, was more emblematic,; 9/27/20, 10:28 AM
Achilles said...: Nicholas Christof is clearly a master of sarcasm and how to use it to protect democracy.; 9/27/20, 10:30 AM
JAORE said...: Yeah mockery is the ticket. Subjects ripe for mockery:
Hiding in the basement.
Virtually no accomplishments in almost 50 years as a pol and trying to ignore the few that don't poll well today.
Flip flopping.
Corn Pop.
Dementia.
Hair plugs.

So, so many things to mock about Trump.; 9/27/20, 10:32 AM
Phil 314 said...: It always comes back to Russia.; 9/27/20, 10:34 AM
chuck said...: Poor Nicholas. I hope he is kept warm and comfortable in his little room.; 9/27/20, 10:37 AM
Iman said...: Mock Trump? I’m still repeatedly watching Teh Sharting Congresscritter Nadler video and his weird penguin shuffle with a pantload.

Now THAT was funny.; 9/27/20, 10:38 AM
Bill, Republic of Texas said...: Wait, progs are "democracy fighters"? How so?

We'll they're fighting democracy with everything they have.; 9/27/20, 10:39 AM
Amadeus 48 said...: "The lesson from pro-democracy fighters abroad: Humor deflates authoritarian rulers."

Two can play this game. Watch out, Demmies!

CNNMSNBCCBSNBCABCPBSNPRNYTWAPOAP are well into self-parody. Schumer, Pelosi, Schiff, Nadler and the House Dems (Club Depends) look like a SNL skit. Biden exhausts himself every morning with plug and denture maintenance, and Kamala can't stop laughing.

Send in the clowns!; 9/27/20, 10:41 AM
Amadeus 48 said...: I used to love Nick Kristoff on Seinfeld.; 9/27/20, 10:42 AM
Kate said...: Someone needs to send a Baby Trump blimp to float outside this guy's window.; 9/27/20, 10:47 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: We are not living in a democracy for obvious reasons.; 9/27/20, 10:50 AM
bgates said...: For five years, my colleagues and I have taken pains to avoid mocking the president.; 9/27/20, 10:53 AM
NCMoss said...: Trump's accusation of "fake news" still stings after all these years; good!; 9/27/20, 10:53 AM
Narr said...: I've always had the impression that little Nicky Kristof is an expert on being mocked.

Narr
Mocker and derider; 9/27/20, 10:54 AM
Fernandinande said...: "To Beat Trump, Mock Him"

That already didn't work.

"/The lesson from pro-democracy fighters abroad: Humor deflates authoritarian rulers"

If only that were true.; 9/27/20, 10:54 AM
Howard said...: Trump is attention whore. Ignoring him is best strategy. He thrives on being mocked; 9/27/20, 10:58 AM
Bilwick said...: You know, because "liberals" (i.e., "tax-happy, coercion-addicted, power-tripping government humpers and State fellators") are SO anti-authoritarian!; 9/27/20, 10:59 AM
Narr said...: Navalny should have refused that black licorice he was offered on the plane, I guess.

Narr
A name like Putin is punishment enough; 9/27/20, 11:01 AM
chickelit said...: rhhardin said...But Trump has a sense of humor and the left does not.

Why is that? I think that is a topic worth exploring in and of itself. Certainly the people who oppose my conservative views are humorless scolds. But I can't get at the why because they won't talk to me.; 9/27/20, 11:08 AM
Jaq said...: A typical stunt: They taped a picture of Milosevic on the side of a barrel and invited passers-by to take a swing at it with a baseball bat. The resulting photos of the police “arresting” the barrel and hauling it away were widely publicized and made Milosevic seem less mighty and more ridiculous.

We all know that Trump arrests people who mock him, just like all of the other authoritarians.; 9/27/20, 11:16 AM
Yancey Ward said...: This Novichuk stuff must be the least deadly nerve "gas" ever invented. Everybody survives being poisoned with it. Seriously, if Putin wanted Navalny dead, he would poison him with lead, not Novichuk. It appears that our collective thinking ability has declined into sheer imbecility.; 9/27/20, 11:20 AM
Mikey NTH said...: While he is correct that "mocking the man" is the way to get to "the man", Kristoff doesn't realize that as part of the establishment *he is* the man. Trumjp is the anti-establishment counter-culture.

N.B.: They have been trying the "Trump is thin-skinned" since 2015 and it has never worked, so showing the savvy of Field Marshal Haig, it is over the top again.; 9/27/20, 11:31 AM
Jupiter said...: "If Trump is such an authoritarian, tell me specifically which constitutional rights have been suspended or curtailed."

Oh, for Goodness Sake! All of them! The right to loot and burn cities, the right to persecute Christians, the right to kill babies, the right to import foreign criminals, the right to seize private property -- I could go on and on. The man is a monster, a totalitarian tyrant! He even took away RGB's right to name her successor! If he could, he'd take away our right to harass and assault innocent strangers at their dinner-tables!; 9/27/20, 11:33 AM
MikeR said...: "Nya, nya, nya, nya,
Thinks he's a beast,
'cause he brought peace
To the Middle East..."; 9/27/20, 11:37 AM
Jamie said...: First demonstrate that he is “authoritarian.”

Yup. My first thought was, "That would probably work... if Trump were an authoritarian ruler."; 9/27/20, 11:38 AM
Nonapod said...: They've spent the past four years attempting to mock Trump. Every single late night host, including SNL writers and performers, CNN and MSNBC hosts, the harridans on the view, podcasters, youtubers, and an endless parade of social media commenters have ceaselessly mocked Trump. It hasn't made a dent. So no, mocking him doesn't work, mostly because he's not a humorless authoritarin despite what many on the left seem to believe.; 9/27/20, 11:40 AM
Yancey Ward said...: "Trump is attention whore. Ignoring him is best strategy. He thrives on being mocked"

Blind Howard finds a nut for once.

That is the problem for the Democrats, Howard- they have made Trump the least ignored man since Jesus Christ.; 9/27/20, 11:50 AM
cubanbob said...: To mock someone one has to have a sense of humor. The Left today has no sense of humor. Indeed humorless people tend to be dangerous people. Just ask Beria.; 9/27/20, 11:57 AM
Michael K said...: Howard is half right. Mocking doesn't touch him. As for "Attention Whore" name a president who was not a narcissist. At least since McKinley.; 9/27/20, 12:06 PM
Deevs said...: Huh. Reminds me of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3YZbUluOpI

Oh, and so you know what you're getting into, it's a comedy bit about a brave comedian putting it all on the line to mock Trump.; 9/27/20, 12:08 PM
chuck said...: But Trump has a sense of humor and the left does not.

Pelosi has a great sense of humor. The funniest thing I've seen in the past year was the mock solemnity of the House leaders marching to the Senate to present the articles of impeachment. Monte Python couldn't have done it better.; 9/27/20, 12:12 PM
unknown said...: I am a little suspicious of this failed poisoning allegedly committed by Russia. Pretty sure the Russian government has a lot of experience with poisonings. If they wanted him dead, they would’ve killed him. Not ALMOST killed him.; 9/27/20, 12:31 PM
Narayanan said...: Putin learned nothing from Hillary red button >>>> Seth Richsky not Novichok; 9/27/20, 12:43 PM
J. Farmer said...: To beat Trump, mock him.

Worst. Advice. Ever.

You could call that the Lincoln Project Strategy. Watching the establishment fawn over two clueless nitwits like Steve Schmidt and Rick Wilson was embarrassing.

The way to beat Trump is to recognize he has a constituency, the white working class, that has a valid critique of the established order. Within the Anglo establishment, it is common practice to consider these people with utter disdain. David Cameron once described them as "a bunch of...fruitcakes and loonies and closet racists mostly." Hillary infamously branded them the deplorables. It's a common defense of globalization to dismiss its critics as being motivated by racism or xenophobia or pure stupidity rather than any real economic dislocation. The message the white working class gets is that their problems are either (a) not real, or (b) their own fault.

As I've said for 20 years, "fiscally liberal and socially conservative" is the path to success.; 9/27/20, 12:49 PM
Rusty said...: Remember when Obama had D'nesh guy arrested for making a film?
How many people has Trump arrested?; 9/27/20, 12:51 PM
Andrew said...: I haven't had time to read the comments, so this has probably been said already. But Trump has very thick skin, and can endure being mocked. He'll fight back when it's expedient, or he'll ignore it. It's the Democrats, the political establishment, and the news media that are incapable of enduring mockery. They do not handle it well. Trump is an expert at getting under an enemy's skin. One of the greatest pleasures of his presidency is watching him mock the pretensions of the ruling class, and their scribes.; 9/27/20, 1:08 PM
pacwest said...: Trump is attention whore. Ignoring him is best strategy. He thrives on being mocked

That could be said of some of the attention whores, er, commenters on this site. Projection. Yet again.; 9/27/20, 1:10 PM
Gk1 said...: "That is the problem for the Democrats, Howard- they have made Trump the least ignored man since Jesus Christ."

Since Jon Stewart retired the left lost its humor mojo going after republican politicians. Mostly it's because his gen-x audience grew up and saw democratic politicians were just as filled with crap and didn't have any answers either.

So they thought they could just mock Trump the comedian, that would be easy they thought. Where are they now? Alec Baldwin's 200th appearance as Trump hasn't moved the needle. No one gathers around the watercooler talking about that brilliant Seth Myer's takedown of Trump. No one cares. Sad!; 9/27/20, 1:20 PM
n.n said...: Trump is to recognize he has a constituency, the white working class

Yes, White, White Hispanic, White Black, White Yellow, White Orange, etc.; 9/27/20, 1:24 PM
rhhardin said...: Sacrasm is never withering. It's the world's dumbest form of humor. If you can't exactly figure out what to mean, say something that you don't mean and require the listener to infer the thought that you never quite had yourself.; 9/27/20, 1:25 PM
n.n said...: Russia has a democracy. The people vote, but not with the prevailing, global consensus. Water Closet, including the impeachment hoax, was an effort to force social justice through a repeat of the violent coup in Kiev, Egypt, Libya, Syria (almost), etc. Russians, Putin, to their credit, did not take the bait.; 9/27/20, 1:29 PM
Narr said...: Farmer, do you know the work of Jim Goad, particularly Redneck Manifesto ?

Narr
An American classic; 9/27/20, 1:58 PM
Barry Dauphin said...: Hasn't it long been the role of comics to mock those in authority. Maybe we can add Kristof to the dumb list.; 9/27/20, 1:59 PM
Bilwick said...: "Hasn't it long been the role of comics to mock those in authority." That was sort of put in storage when Red Diaper Barry was elected. As I think Instapundit observed, it was when "liberals" changed their bumper stickers from "Question Authority" to "Obey."; 9/27/20, 2:53 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Narr:

Farmer, do you know the work of Jim Goad, particularly Redneck Manifesto?

Indeed. I went to a high school with a lot of anti-establishment/anti-PC students. We had an anarchist club that produced an underground alternative to the school paper. Our motto was "avant-garde with an attitude" (we only wrote in lowercase). We were obsessed with ANSWER Me!, the magazine Jim published with his wife, Debbie, and I remember reading The Redneck Manifesto in the summer between my sophomore and junior years. I reread it a few years ago after reading J.D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy, which covers similar material. I still preferred Goad's perspective.; 9/27/20, 3:13 PM
Ron Winkleheimer said...: The establishment considers Trump to be authoritarian because their definition of democracy isn't that the citizens are ultimately in charge. Their definition of democracy is that "they" are in charge.; 9/27/20, 3:57 PM
RDD said...: Right... Trump has anything in common with Putin and Xi. No wonder the NYT is tanking.; 9/27/20, 4:06 PM
StephenFearby said...: DM

Russian spy who was accused of murdering Alexander Litvinenko is tasked with heading up the probe into Alexei Navalny's poisoning

Andrei Lugovoy was accused by Britain of poisoning Alexander Litvinenko

"...[Lugovoy]...is still wanted by British authorities over Litvinenko's poisoning with radioactive polonium-210 in 2006, but Russia has denied his extradition."

"...Traces of the deadly polonium-210 were found in each of the hotel rooms that Lugovoy had stayed in, in the restaurant he dined in, and on two planes he traveled on."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8771625/Russian-spy-accused-killing-Alexander-Litvinenko-head-probe-Alexei-Navalnys-poisoning.html

You see, Lugovoy is such a noted expert on poisoning people he HAD to be appointed to this commission. Particularly because:

'...According to one report "as a deputy in the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption, alleged KGB assassin turned politician Lugovoy has already denounced the Navalny poisoning as an attack by Western intelligence services."'

https://cbrneworld.com/news/andrei-lugovoy-to-play-key-role-in-nalvany-investigtion; 9/27/20, 4:39 PM
Nichevo said...: J. Farmer said...
To beat Trump, mock him.

Worst. Advice. Ever.

You could call that the Lincoln Project Strategy. Watching the establishment fawn over two clueless nitwits like Steve Schmidt and Rick Wilson was embarrassing.

The way to beat Trump is to recognize he has a constituency, the white working class, that has a valid critique of the established order.

How can somebody so smart be so stupid stupid? That's not beating Trump! That's losing to Trump! Actually it's losing to the people, whose side Trump has taken the job of representing.

They could do that, heed the concerns of "his constituency." They don't want to do that. It doesn't suit their book. You really think that there's no reason they do or don't choose one set of policy prescriptions or another except perversity or spite?

You should shut up and listen to Buwaya more. I believe he sees the problem very clearly.; 9/27/20, 5:28 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Nichevo:

You should shut up and listen to Buwaya more. I believe he sees the problem very clearly.

I'm still trying to figure out what your criticism of my comment is. Buwaya's views are quite convergent with my own. What do you assert he sees more clearly? It seems you misunderstand my position.; 9/27/20, 7:23 PM
Unknown said...: A few years ago I attended a neighborhood meeting with Kwik Trip planners, who sought to build their store in a small vacant lot adjacent to a Catholic school on one side, residences tightly lining another side, and a busy intersection where children from three schools would cross. The Kwik Trip people stressed and repeated how their founder was adamant about having clean restrooms and making sure employees collected comments dropped in a box in those restrooms. One neighbor spoke up, asking the mayor, but how will we enforce any promises they make to us now. The mayor started to dance around the question, we will this, we will that, we will have a community liaison. The neighbor stuck to his point, but how will the community liaison enforce the promises? The mayor started a couple more dilatory answers. The neighbor would say, that's doesn't answer the question, how will we enforce this? The mayor now had no answer. So this is when I stepped in. I said, in a clear voice that carried the room, "Go to the restroom and fill out a card." The whole room, including the mayor and the Kwik Trippers, convulsed in laughter. The vote was unanimous against Kwik Trip. Nothing against Kwik Trip, only that location. Later that evening, I received a death threat.; 9/28/20, 2:17 AM
Jaq said...: This is why they were scared shitless to let anybody make fun of Obama. Remember the rodeo clown that they sent for re-education? But Kristoff is right, it did make Obama appear weak and insecure.; 9/28/20, 9:12 AM
Nichevo said...: So this is when I stepped in. I said, in a clear voice that carried the room, "Go to the restroom and fill out a card." The whole room, including the mayor and the Kwik Trippers, convulsed in laughter. The vote was unanimous against Kwik Trip. Nothing against Kwik Trip, only that location. Later that evening, I received a death threat.

I don't get it.; 9/29/20, 5:28 PM