BevoAbyss

"MAGA Mean Girl" to describe Bobert? How f*cking cute! And stupid. With a glam shot as if she is a model. This is exactly how the Washington Post and New York Times work to normalize and mainstream fascism, theocracy, and overall idiocy in the political system. I seriously doubt the article accurately describes Bobert's beliefs and ideology as fascist/theocracy, which they are by any dictionary not tossed out of a Texas high school library. We can accurately attack Fox News as a MAGA-GQP propaganda network. But the "liberal" Post and Times have played a massive role in the unwillingness of the mainstream media to use terms like fascism and theocracy to describe MAGA-GQP. Same with that lame Texas Tribune. Always #bothsides ... which equals #nosides ... in a choice between fascism and democracy. Those papers are one reason we are in such a f*cked situation.

Come on, dude. How can you possibly think this? How could you say this to women? People of color? Educators? LGBTQIA? IVF doctors and reproductive doctors? Scientists? Atheists? Environmentalists? ... the list keeps growing. They are passing laws and attacking standards all over the country and own the Supreme Court (plus many federal judges). The GQP has a crystal clear "policy directive" and it is obvious. It's called fascism and theocracy. An idiot-world Team USA ruled by Christian fanatics, racists, barbarians, and billionaires ... with an overweight orange-faced simian at the top of the heap ... with tiny hands on the nuclear buttons. And 45-50% of America is fully on board.

Or maybe Chubb and its CEO are MAGA? Maybe they just want to help Trump win in November? Or expect big favors if Trump wins? Don't forget that numerous German corporations/business leaders lined up behind Hitler in Nazi Germany. Same thing will happen here if Trump is re-elected. I'm betting Chubb is MAGA. Like a lot of CEO/Corporate Boards.

Y'all are leaving out the elephant in the room: religion (Whatever brand of church along the border). Fundamentalist Franklin Graham is doing evangelical tour all along the US-Mexico Border. https://bigbendsentinel.com/2024/03/06/franklin-grahams-god-loves-you-tour-makes-a-stop-in-presidio/ Bottom line: Religious believers are generally much more conservative (though not all believers) on many issues (abortion, etc.) and those vote R. Especially in Texas. I guarantee there ain't no "liberal-leftist-democrat" or "Science Loves You" tour along the border!

According to CNN: Uvalde's officers -- who stood around for 77 minutes during in a mass school shooting -- were cleared of blame by Investigators even though there were "failures." Doublethink in action. Mind-blowing. I've said here before, and I say it again. There is a massive intellectual and moral collapse happening in 40-60% of this country. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/07/us/uvalde-school-massacre-report/index.html

This guy gets it. Entropy, regression, reversal, going backward, terrified of tomorrow, fighting against the future. Luddites ... Unabomber ... MAGA-GQP ... anti-science ... religious fanatics/holy warriors (all-stripes) ... endless dystopian scenarios in Sc-Fi. The goal is always to GO BACKWARD ... into the past ... toward a mythical yesterday ... living in state of nature ... the good ole days of alleged spiritual purity ... worshipping the sacred texts, etc. There shall be no progress or anything that challenges the oral myths, ancient scrolls, sacred texts! It's being going on for centuries. -- In the USA, it has always been present in the SEC Deep South and the deeply religious. Across America, it has picked up steam in the aftermath of Apollo moon landings (the peak of scientific reverence in America) and the evangelical revivalism in the 1970s. Hell, didn't any of y'all see or read Fight Club? Tyler Durden and the Space Monkeys are the fascists of the non-future. As Durden prophesied: "You’ll hunt elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center, and dig clams next to the skeleton of the Space Needle leaning at a forty-five degree angle. . . . You’ll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life, and you’ll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. Jack and the beanstalk, you’ll climb up through the dripping forest canopy and the air will be so clean you’ll see tiny figures pounding corn and laying strips of venison to dry in the empty carpool lane of an abandoned superhighway stretching eight lanes wide and August-hot for a thousand miles. This was the goal of Project Mayhem, Tyler said, the complete and utter destruction of civilization." I can see the kudzu vines swinging from Reunion Tower in Big D. Crosses atop the ruined decaying skyscrapers, lots of visions are easy to imagine in Texas. MAGA and GQP are little different than the Space Monkeys and Project Mayhem, with the addition of the religious fanaticism. Donald Trump is their Tyler Durden!

Indeed. Fox News is a full-on fascist propaganda network (in support of the violent overthrow of democracy by MAGA-GQP), protected by the First Amendment and the very freedom the fascists will crush when in total political power. End of story. Especially in Texas. It's not unlike the newspapers that lined up behind the Nazis/Hitler in 1930s Germany.

With all due respect. This started with Reagan-Bush. Don't forgot Bush 1 said on 1988 campaign trail: "I'll never apologize for the America, I don't care with the facts are." Kicks off Alt-Fact culture and is elected in a landslide. His son W is a evangelical fanatic and got the theocracy stuff rolling... and remains a god in Texas and for many on this site. Fact is: Reagan and the Bushes ushered in this world.

A friend -- deeply involved in Leftist America activism -- has told me face-to-face more than once: "The Far Left is heavily armed. Very heavily!" Adding on, "the MAGA fascists will be very surprised!"

Yep, it's all out in the open. 100%. This is the 2024 election: R Trump: violent fascist theocracy ... OR ... D Biden: imperfect Democrat. Anyone who votes R is saying YES! to a fascist theocracy and the violent end of democracy. This includes all y'all's f*cking MAGA-GQP in-laws, family members, neighbors, co-workers, etc. And this includes my Texas O&G brother who is likely voting Trump ("But Biden is against oil!"). -- This means they are fascists and theocrats, in spirit, if not deed. The only sane choice is D. End of story.

Yep. But it's not hard. Being a long-time atheist, I have learned that there are endless permutations of religion, just like deadly viruses and pandemics that run amok in the natural world. And speaking of the natural world, it's no surprise Dominionists want to destroy it. They believe the destruction of the natural world will hasten the Second Coming. This book ("Divine Destruction") reveals their anti-environmental ideology and was rather eye-opening, to say the least. And they influenced W's eco policies.

With all due respect, I am not sure what is so hard to understand. Plus, I just don't get all the confusion in Surly over what is going down in America. Right before our eyes. (Guess it's because my family did not go to Sunday School and church.) The Billionaires and Bible-thumpers have long embraced in America, at least since the Communist Revolution. -- Billionaires don't want no Commies/Socialists snatching their money and the Bible-thumpers don't want no Atheists attacking their fact-free belief in God. Of course, the rich and religious have schemed together for millennia to maintain power. -- The Billionaires believe Wall Street and the stock market should rule America and the Bible-thumpers believe God and the Church should rule America .... and thus they both believe they have financial and divine rights to rule everyone else. -- Corporations and billionaires will let fascism and theocracy reign supreme if it ensures profits and wealth. The Bible-thumpers want to rule a medieval America, which is the true direction of their belief system. The goal is a theocracy taking America backward by the centuries. Dominate women, LGBTQIA, and people of color first, then the rule the educators, doctors, scientists, atheists.... -- To control the masses and maintain power, the Billionaires and Bible-thumpers sell two related dreams — 1) you can get rich in this life and 2) you can live forever in the afterlife. But ya gotta believe in us! Trust us! It's a seductive brew, but 100% toxic. This toxic brew is leading directly to a fascist theocracy. The Bible-thumpers have been saying it is the goal for decades. What's not to understand?

These fanatics have been coming for abortion and reproductive rights for decades. And they are not stopping there. A theocracy was and is the goal. I saw the origins of this medieval madness at UT in late 1980s-early 1990s. -- Back then, there were various student groups with tables in the "Free Speech" area on the West Mall. Every weekday, numerous student groups with Xeroxed pamphlets and manifestos. Here's what I 100% clearly recall. Reagan Worship and Religious Fanaticism at UT There was a little student group of Christian Creationist-Evangelical-Fundamentalists with a table and with their little manifestos railing against the "sin" of abortion, sex, evolution, and so on. All based on the myths and cherry-picked verses of the Bible. These women/men were dead serious, no facts or logic could reach them, they were already fanatical true believers ... even as students at UT. -- Their God was the ultimate law-giver ... and they were on Earth to make it so ... in Texas and America and beyond. There were in favor of a Christian-ruled "theocracy" for America. Said it right to my face as we discussed various topics. -- And, oh, did they love them some Ronnie Reagan and Jerry Falwell. LOVED them. Hell, those dudes were WORSHIPPED, just like Trump today. This was GQP-MAGA in the origin stage. -- I saw the UT frats, sororities, and business schoolers loving/worshipping them some Reagan, too. Same as 60% of America cheered on "Morning in America" and Bible-thumping all across the land. Anyone not brainwashed by Sunday School knew this was BIG trouble if the Religious Right ever got widespread power. UT Leftists and Libertarians Argue Over Capitalism Yet, the tables of leftists, with their secular religion of Marxism (and new found "relativism"), were only seriously worried about corporations and capitalism. Meanwhile, the libertarians were loving some Reaganomic trickle-down BS capitalism. So, liberals and libertarians argued endlessly over capitalism (and still do), while the Christians worked to seize power. With the fall of of Communism, the Christians felt destined to rule the world. No doubt, 98% of the UT frats/sororities/libertarians voted for W twice in 2000 and 2004 and enabled where we are today. Many are Surly posters. Meanwhile in 2024... Four decades later, the Christian fanatics have the power. These evidence-free idiots are running the f*cking State of Texas and the SEC South, have their guy as the Speaker of the House, own the Supreme Court, they got abortion stopped in many states, and are implementing a fascist theocracy across America led by Trump ... and whoever comes after him. Secular society is in BIG TROUBLE. It may not survive. And the Christian fanatics and puritans will be the ones who destroyed it.

This is what a THEOCRACY does. In Cincinnati, in Texas, in Alabama, wherever. This is what happens when the Church and its fact-free myths take over the state. Going flat out f*cking medieval! The "Right to Life" means "Ready for Death." Expect Pain. Expect Violence. And, yes, expect deaths. Many. Coming in the faith-ruled future. Public stonings, floggings, hangings, executions. Doctors, educators, scientists will practice in fear. Medieval America is here.

“When the chips were down he chose America and freedom over Russia.” Lulz. Mitch McConnell is a frat boy fascist who empowered the Handmaid's Tale and death of democracy in America -- end of story. All else is a smokescreen or trivial and irrelevant.

The defining trait is doublethink. Or, as Orwell put it, believing that 2+2=5. Most people think 1984 is all about surveillance and loss of freedom under Big Brother. But, it is doublethink that props up Big Brother, the propaganda, and the entire totalitarian system. And doublethink is all over American culture, hence the rise in fascism and authoritarianism and overall idiocy. Doublethink is the cognitive ability to hold two contradictory beliefs and think both are true at the same time. Rather than feel shame, the doublethinker feels pride in knowing they can cognitively stand astride reality and believe falsehoods are truth. They have to believe that to avoid guilt and shame. That's why MAGA-GQP is impervious to facts and logic. That's why MAGA-GQP always feels superior to everyone, especially any intellectuals -- elitist, educator, leftist, scientist, philosopher, etc... -- who might demand consistency. The media will never demand that in any rigorous manner. It is doublethink -- and the ability to get away with all over the media/cultural landscape -- that empowers MAGA-GQP-Christian theocrats. It's one thing to show the funny hypocrisy, but no one will really press them on the doublethink as a form of madness. Orwell knew doublethink was madness. That the ultimate warning in 1984.

This is 100% spot on. Many of the Founders were "Deist" -- a worldview counter to mere "faith" and "revelation", in favor of rational thinking, empirical evidence, and overall general Enlightenment ideals of the era. The Founders were very imperfect, to be sure, and rife with contradictions (ie, slavery and conquest of indigenous peoples). However, science played a key role in the overall thought of the Founders and how they set up of the Constitution/Division of Powers, etc. See the book, Science and the Founding Fathers by Bernard Cohen (in Amazon, the summary is excellent). That belief in general science and evidence is one reason the VERY FIRST LINE in the First Amendment mandates "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." The Christian Nationalists utterly ignore that line, like they ignore any evidence that counters their fanaticism. Let me add to the posts above: 1) "Christian Nationalists" are, in fact and deed, Christian theocrats. They hide behind the seemingly patriotic term of "nationalists." They 100% want an American theocracy, in which they rule the nation under the Bible. For them, in their historical ignorance, the Bible is the foundation for America and trumps any secular laws or science. -- Hence, we will see much more anti-science lunacy followed by tyranny based in the lunacy and madness. 2) These are not fake Christians. They believe that God ordained that America be a Christian nation ruled by the church, at the very outset. That can only mean that God/Christianity approved of the genocide/ethic cleansing of the indigenous peoples living in the "Americas" prior to 1492. Racism and White Supremacy are 100% at the very start of America. It was never about peace and love, until after conquest, colonization, and conversion to Christianity. In their irrational conquest for "purity," they have proven to be barbaric and blood thirsty. -- Surly posters, please spare the apologia based in cherry-picking verses from the Bible and Sunday School, and noting a few good deeds done for those already colonized. MAGA-GQP-Evangelicals-Fundamentalists-Creationists are not fake Christians.

This is 100% correct. So was DEVO in the 1980s. In my lifetime on this speck hurtling through the cosmos, the Christians (and highly religious from all faiths) have been all about restricting choices in the name of God's will, "Satan" is evil, "Sex is a sin," the "Bible says so," etc.. etc...etc. Especially restricting the choices for women, but eventually everyone. I saw it with the Baptist Bible thumpers at my high school, who were no different than the GQP theocrats running Texas and now moving for a national takeover. LULZ to everyone from the Left or Right who is somehow "surprised" by what the GQP is. ... or "can't understand" it .... or think the "incels" are to blame... or the "grifters" ... or the "weird". All terms I have seen used in Surly to describe the GQP and remain in denial. Bottom line, The Christians/GQP and are taking society backward. Jerry Falwell said that was the goal 40 years ago! Hell, badass DEVO saw it coming 40 F*CKING YEARS AGO! Their name was about the devolution of society. The "new wave" foretold the old wave. Here are lyrics that conclude their song, "Freedom from Choice." "Freedom of Choice is what you got, Freedom from choice is what you want" Indeed, we are in DEVO-lutionary times... the Devolutionists are running Texas and the SEC South ... The Devolutionists are winning.

With all due respect, there is one group, and one group only "driving" it -- Christians and the highly religious, incel or not. No different than the Bible-thumping Baptists in my Texas high school a few decades ago. Christian fundamentalists, evangelicals, creationists (FEC) are on the march, almost completely unchecked, across America. The Christian FEC have taken over the GQP, own the Supreme Court. They a get a free pass from the US media and corporate America, yet still complain that their "freedoms are under attack." These are NOT fake Christians or fake faithful, so save the apologia for someone else. The history of Christianity (and religion in general) across the millennia has long been fueled by patriarchy, misogyny, sexism, and oppression of women (not to mention the racism and genocide of native peoples). Add on the anti-science idiocy, and we see a movement taking 21st century society backwards by decades and centuries. The cultural goal is not merely to end recreational sex. It is to turn the clock back to the Christian view of the good ole days of "faith and virtue" -- to use the law of the state to impose pain, guilt, humiliation, misery, and endless degradation of women as autonomous self-directing humans with equal rights. As was clear in the ancient legal citations in the Alito Dobbs opinion, the goal is to return to medieval times, with a violent fascist theocracy ruling an ever-more barbaric America. And, you know what -- the Democrats will not call them out (in any serious way) for fear of losing voters. Or being called "intolerant." Imagine that, can't call out the most intolerant people in America for fear of being called intolerant ... and attacking their "freedoms." As they attack the freedoms of everyone else!

Theocracy on the march in America. Clock going backward by decades, centuries, to Alito's medieval times. Texas, Bama, Mississippi are leading the way. Looks like UT joined the right conference for the theocratic politics of MAGA-ruled Texas. The SEC, formerly just the confederate conference, now home to the idiot world combo of malignant MAGA fascists and Bible-thumping theocrats. FYI: Anyone on this board who thinks Texas joined the SEC only for "big boy" football/sports and $$$ is utterly naive. Football/sports is the smokescreen for the underlying BOR-BMD goal is to align Texas with the fascist theocracy emerging from the South.

Bottom line: Rogan is just the latest illustration of a massive intellectual collapse or devolution in 50-60% (or more) of the US population. How/Why? Not sure when it "began," but it accelerated after the Apollo moon landings, secularism's great technological triumph for all to see. 1) TV has long been accelerating the collapse -- especially with endless shows celebrating every kind of idiocy, supernaturalism, UFOs, Ancient Aliens, conspiracy theories, and presenting anti-intellectualism/anti-science as a virtue, etc. -- Why did I say 50-60%? Because I have met far too many people on the "Left" (or libs or dems) who believe in array of conspiracy theories and general anti-science beliefs. All in the name of being "anti-capitalist" or "anti-corporate" and embracing cultural relativism. Meaning that all beliefs are "relative" and there are no universal standards for empirical truths -- except, of course, for the belief in anti-capitalism. -- The first anti-vaxxers I ever met (or even heard about) were leftist/liberals at UT-Austin around 1990. 2) Followed by social media platforms, which are empowering idiocy far beyond TV and are literally overrunning our secular education systems. 3) Underneath much of this is religion, of course, especially the unchecked proliferation of evangelicalism-fundamentalism-creationism since the 1970s. 4) The failure of art, science, and secular philosophy to develop a meaningful narrative for a shared destiny in the wake of Apollo moon landings, Hubble telescope, and the cosmology of the big bang. For example, Hollywood cranks out endless space monsters and Star Wars rebel-tribal battles, nowhere enough 2001 or Star Trek quest for knowledge and understanding. -- The failure to develop a widely embraced narrative to unity humanity as a single species, sharing a tiny planet with all other life forms, hurtling around a spiral galaxy in a universe of two trillion galaxies stretching across 100 billion light years. 5) The first 4 are anchored in humanity's narcissism (collectively and individually), which might be impossible to overcome, as we all want the universe to revolve around us and our little existence, to make us feel super-special with an important or eternal destiny. Thus, consumerism, social media, and religion fit the bill. Bottom line, I think America is devolutionary toast, long-term, and will drag down the rest of the world. Final stop: Planet of the Apes (1968 version). And the evolution starts all over again.

The idea that Trump or MAGA or GQP is close to being "finished" or have no policies or agenda or legislative prowess is utterly laughable. Hell, it is unfolding right before our eyes! MAGA-GQP-Trump has been building for 40 f*cking years. Since Reagan and the Bushes, especially W the idiot and the Tea Party. Trump will leave the scene, at some point, but the next GQP leader will be just as fascist (or worse), even as they seem reasonable. -- They have very clear policies, all well-known, which are 100% fascist and theocratic. Their stated goal is white Christian rule under the Bible, which "trumps" the Constitution. They own the Supreme Court and shot down Roe, women flee for their lives to exercise their reproductive rights, Abbott has a war machine and prison camp at the border with guns aimed at immigrants (brown people). The rights of LGBTQIA people are under assault. They are systematically undermining elections, voting rights, and secular education, while banning books, attacking science-doctors-educators. And this is all for starters. It is the plan that keeps working across time: Target/terrorize others, celebrate violence, claim patriotism, undermine knowledge, champion a sacred text, anoint "great leader," attack "reality," sow chaos, seize power, impose violent rule, silence/marginalize any resistance, etc... But, yeah, Trump and GQP and MAGA are "finished" and have no winning agenda. Only some well-off dudes in the burbs could believe that....

LULZ on any comment that claims Trump or MAGA or GQP is "finished" or destroyed or have no policies.

At least Texas Monthly called it what it is: "Christian Theocracy." That rag known as Texas Tribune (#bothsides) does not have the brains and/or backbone to label anything MAGA-GQP as Christian Theocracy. Same with any Texas newspaper or TV-radio news, I would imagine. None of this is surprising, if one has been paying attention for the past 4 decades. I'll say it again: the Christian fascist theocracy been building since Reagan-Falwell, expanding right through the Bushes and megachurch clown-show Texas, and seizing power through Trump chaos and MAGA idiot-world America. Any vote for Reagan, the Bushes, Trump, or any Texas GOP politician helped enable all this Bible-thumping theocratic, fascist BS.

This is a friendly reply everyone. Exactly. I used the term "football gods" as a metaphor for fortunate or random events in the universe that often seem inexplicable. It's a metaphor! This is not making an excuse for Texas losing or going aggy. Repeat: It is a metaphor! Did y'all not take a literature class at UT? Never listened to rock music? Metaphors galore. 1. I never said Washington was not the better team. They clearly were last night. -- Sometimes the "best team" wins, despite the football gods or random strange events (Washington did). Sometimes the "worse team" wins (Tech in 08) due to strange, fortunate events (Gideon dropped INT followed by Crabtree catch). That's what are also often called "upsets." 2. But, somehow Texas had 4 shots to win the game with the Huskies, through the gaffes/fortunate events that gave Texas a shot. Pick what ever metaphor you want: Washington opened the door or failed to close the door, random luck, fortunate events, football gods, tossed a bone. (Switzer called OU's continual lucky plays "Sooner Magic." Grrrrrr!) 3. Last night, it was as if the football gods (or random chance in the universe) reached out to Texas, as if to say, here is your chance to make up a bit for 2008 (Tech) and 2009 (Bama). The Longhorns blew the chance to play for a very winnable title in Houston. I get it, we are all happy with the Big 12 title and Sark this year has done way more than the previous two dudes and late Mack. That's great. But history shows "title chances" are generally rare and you have to seize chances (especially the unlikely chances) when presented, and especially when you are not the best team on the field. That's why the loss was "catastrophic" and will remain so, no less than 08 Tech, 09 Bama, 01 Colorado. Just my take, using some book learnin' from UT (and elsewhere). Carry on. Have a good year!