US Politics

The concentration camp comment did wind people up though. She didn’t say these camps are like concentration camps, she called them concentration camps

Only a problem for people who conflate "concentration camp" and "death camp". OK, so there's a lot of them around.

I agree except I’d argue it’s a problem for us all (not just the offended) when we dilute the language of holocaust atrocities.

Its perfectly possible to lock down your borders, lock up refugees, deport illegals without putting them in concentration camps.

Really? Aren’t they all horrible in practice? Perhaps that is the plan - show a Hungarian style border (wall and all) as the least evil way of blocking the movement of people?

Perhaps that is the plan - show a Hungarian style border (wall and all) as the least evil way of blocking the movement of people?

That's absolutely the plan

"I agree concentration camp doesn't mean Nazi death camp but she shouldn't have diluted the language of the holocaust " Makes no sense.

It just means a concentration of people. The British had them in Africa. The Russians had them for captured German soldiers, just herd them into a field with no cover and starve them.

the language of the holocaust draws a distinct line between a concentration camp and an extermination camp, so I’m not really seeing the dilution.

Quite. I'm pretty sure AOC was aware of the distinction and entirely accurately describing the detention camps she visited.

"I agree concentration camp doesn't mean Nazi death camp but she shouldn't have diluted the language of the holocaust " Makes no sense.

It makes perfect sense. People (rightly or wrongly) equate ‘concentration camp’ with the holocaust death camps - therefore damage done. That’s what matters, not the dictionary definition.

#fyrefestival

Worst poem ever...

So correct that rather than doubling down on the incorrect association.

If you meant to say "The wording was unwise because a lot of people conflate those things and some of them will respond in a purely reactionary way rather than think about it.", that's worth debate although I'm not sure I agree. But you said "diluting the language of the holocaust" which puts you on the side of the petty, Anglo-centric nationalists who are the ones doing the diluting.

Ok, but it wasn’t ‘unwise’ if it was calculated, had the desired reaction etc. She’s not stupid. It’s debatable whether it was worth it. She obviously thought it was. That’s unfortunate imho mainly because hyperbole in politics isn’t just unpleasant. As a tactic hyperbole tends to favour the least ethical actors leading the least educated audience and those aren’t on the left!

which puts you on the side of the petty, Anglo-centric nationalists who are the ones doing the diluting.

Lol. The reductive partisan argument. “You’re either with us or against us” yeah?

Did she do that?

The reductive partisan argument. “You’re either with us or against us” yeah?

No, I'm saying you're making a basic category error and ending up in the same dishonest position as the MAGA crowd happens to be the result. I guess it feels grander if you can say "diluting the language of the holocaust" than just disagreeing with the wording.

I’ve been really enjoying ‘The Family’ on Netflix. Very interesting angle on us politics.

I'm about to watch the second episode now.

I disagree with the wording (and somewhat the intent) for the reasons above ... that you haven’t countered.

Of course I don’t care who else shares my position because it is an honest one.

You’re being hacky af.

The counter arguments, which people (including me) have raised, are a) that we don't have to accept that you can't talk about concentration camps as a separate thing from death camps and b) that she was trying to do that, not evoke the death camps (a distinction she has insisted on subsequently.

To be fair, the first point is more objectively debatable than the second, since the second is a matter of her motivation and we can't know that.

You're being hacky af.

You've consistently chosen the worst possible interpretations of everything I've said. I can't do much about that.

Impeachment announcement expected from Pelosi "multiple sources" per CNN

Trump Ukraine row: Democrats 'to launch Trump impeachment inquiry' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-49814927

Given that the Dems have deliberately kept their powder dry on the subject of impeachment, it would appear that they think something really chunky is going to fall out of this whistleblower's revelations.

^ whistleblower has approached one of the intelligence committees to testify directly if he can

Ukraine has already been at the centre of so much Trump shit eg. Manafort/Gates, the change to Republican policy on arming Ukraine in 2016.