It took events like Dresden to truly break the back of fascism. Republicans should think carefully...

...about what they wish for, particularly for this country.

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Dresden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Dresden_in_World_War_II

The problem with that logic is that a large share of the Republicans are opponents of contraception.

Using an extremely strange analogy, Independent Women’s Voice CEO Heather Higgins told the outlet, “Republicans are like your uncle, who really loves you and loves the women in his family, but he’s bad about showing it. It’s just not in their natural vocabulary. And we’re trying to help them learn how to make this be more part of their vocabulary and tell them that they need to talk about these things that their constituents all support, and be more visible and vocal."

Ms. Higgins might be more reassuring if her words spoke to any kind of good faith within the Republican party when it comes to the reproductive rights of women. But over the last twenty years or so, there has been an increasing hostility toward womens' rights among Republicans, and that has led to the recapitulation of culture war battles that were seemingly already settled in distant history.

And as hard as that is to believe, years of propaganda by radtrad outlets like EWTN and the Opus Dei "think" tank EPPC as well as radtrad influence on Protestant fundamentalist groups like the Southern Baptists have led to a situation where politicians are completely open about their opposition to things long seen as a birthright, including legal contraception.

I see that the antivaxxers are still using the thought-terminating cliches and anti-Semitism...

...from Ye Olde Tymes. " (((Globalist's))) New World Order " ?! What time is it, 1991?! Deader than disco. And "medical freedom" = freedom to infect your neighbor with a disease that can lead to diabetes, vascular and lung damage, etc. thanks to long Covid.

If the world had responded to Covid with a tenth of the authoritarian measures that these people claim, we would be well on our way out of this pandemic.

The JFK administration first advocated the community-based clinic/hospital model for...

...mental-health care, as far as I can tell. If they weren't first, they certainly played a pioneering role. Unfortunately, a lot of confounding factors interfered with that plan: NIMBYism, supply-side economics, tax revolts, and of course Vietnam. By the time the Reagan regime took over, the attitude was "anything the government does is socialism, and the more government does, the socialist-er it is". Thought-terminating clichés replaced public policy.

Unfortunately, there are Church-affiliated organizations like EWTN and "think" tanks like EPPC...

...that treat every utterance from conservative Popes as if they were in fact ex cathedra in nature. This occurred all through the pontificates of both John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Even worse, EWTN "stars" like Raymond Arroyo would make constant appearances on Fox News programs (particularly Laura Ingraham's show) to further muddy the waters.

Here's the late Stuart Adamson of Big Country...

...doing an a capella version at the end of a New Year's Eve 1983 concert...in Glasgow! It's around 7:20.

The audience immediately joins in. They sing the "for days of auld lang syne" version.

The "Paradox of Tolerance".

"Let the voters decide!" hypocrisy (Dave Whamond cartoon)

Just saw this one today in the local paper.

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(Kinda) apropos, does anyone here remember this (from 2018)?

"Treason for the Season!"

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/fox-treason-for-the-season/

Yes, a number of years ago, Pope Francis demoted Cardinal Burke, and last month...

...he dismissed Bishop Joseph Strickland from his position in the diocese of Tyler, TX.

https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/pope-francis-bishop-strickland-rally-18494446.php