BevoAbyss

Yep. Lot of delusion in this thread because of a big win over Bama (a team that is likely good to very good, but not great). No surprise. Kinda like last year after the 49-0 wipeout of OU, followed by three more losses in the rest of the season. After 13 years of bad UT football and crushed hopes, the dream and delusion are understandable. Fans are hungry for a great Texas team. It's easy to like Sark and his story, but we all know he has yet to have a season with less than four losses. In fact, while at Washington, he had a big win over #3 USC and still managed to go 5-7. Had other big and solid wins (over ranked teams) in seasons at Washington and USC and still never had less than 4 losses. We all hope he runs the table and wins Big 12 title and national title, but his historical record says some losses are likely coming. I hope not, but the first three quarters of the Wyoming game are a warning right before our eyes ... for something kinda like the TCU game last year. This is the year for the stars to line up for Sark. Barring some key injuries, there are no excuses.

And don't forget Speyrer's other legendary catch in the 1970 Cotton Bowl. -- Down 14-17, 2:26 left in 4thQ, 4 and 2 at the Notre Dame 10-yard line. -- James Street, under heavy pressure, tosses a very low pass to Speyrer, who somehow made a diving catch with an Irish DB on his back, scooping the ball just off the grasstop, at the 2-yard line. Epic clutch pass and catch. -- Horns score winning TD three plays later. Royal could have played for tie and still have a title, but that was not Royal's M/O. Pick up the video at 11:24 mark. The reply has best shot of Speyrer's catch.

Anyone know when McConaughey became buddies with Djokovic?

Fantastic. Feel free to print it, frame it, and mount it next to your 2nd Amendment trophy case in your MAGA-adorned man cave.

Spot on. But, there is more. The hidden foundation of the "both sides" (and denialism) posts from conservatives/Republicans in CR. "I'm a reasonable Republican, not a Trumper. "I mean, well, I went to church just like my momma and daddy did. After all, we were a conservative, God-fearing Texas family. I always voted straight R just like my daddy told me. And I loved my daddy. "My daddy told me Reagan and Falwell were damn good men who were gonna make America great again. It was a new morning in America, like that Reagan TV ad I saw in YouTube.Yeah, I heard Nancy and Reagan consulted astrologists and horoscopes to make stupid policy decisions. So what, I mean, my momma and daddy admired the Reagans. But we were not an anti-science and alt-fact family, even though we did not believe humans evolved from apes. We believe the Bible. "I voted for W twice, just like my daddy. I mean, W was a damn good Texan and governor. Now some people see the War on Iraq as a massive war crime and blame Bush and Cheney, but I blame it on 9/11 and terrorism. After all, W was a Christian. He was also for small government, but the Ds always kept the budget so huge, wanting health care benefits for all, etc. That's why I sympathized with the Tea Party; we have way too much taxation, not enough representation. "Sure, I voted for Trump in 2016. To me, I saw a genius capitalist billionaire businessman. Just like Ross Perot. Trump was the best in the biz. After all, he had a cool TV show and he rocked Twitter. I got my UT degree from McCombs and I believe in free market capitalism, just like my daddy. Thus, there was no way to see that Trump was lying fascist and that Christians were taking America backward into what some call a theocracy. No way to see that. I mean the anti-science policies did enable a million Americans to die from Covid. That's kinda nuts. Too bad about Dobbs and women's and LGBTQIA rights and the environment and other issues. After J6, I now see that Trump was a bad apple, not like Reagan and Bush. Once Trump is gone, the GOP will be good again. "To be honest, I did not vote in 2020. I just could not pull the D lever for Biden. That Hunter laptop is still an issue and Biden's too much big government. I still support less government and more conservatives on the Supreme Court, just like my daddy. "After all, I am a reasonable Republican." Lulz.

Thank you Brisket. You get it. Damn, reading through this thread, and many others in CR, it just blows my mind the naive trust many posters have in "law enforcement" and the military and the judiciary to shut down a serious MAGA takeover attempt. J6 was a trial run. MAGA already owns the Supreme Court, many federal judges, and Cannon will help Trump as much as she can. Hell, if almost 50% of voters went for Trump, then you know at least 50% of the following are Trump-MAGA-GQP — the police, US Marshals, Texas Rangers, National Guard, and the military. Among these groups, I'm betting it is more than 60-70% or more, like aggy world. No doubt, some top brass at the Pentagon are MAGA. These groups are not somehow magically outside the cultural forces at play in America. We ain't living in "Adam 12" America. We're living in "Walker: Fascist Texas Ranger" America. The giant pickup trucks are all you need to know.

Pat Robertson combined television (the new electronic media) with theology—along with the usual hate, fear of communism, and lunatic conspiracy, creationist, and anti-science claims. Thus, the 700 Club was the clear forerunner of MAGA, GQP, and Trump. Side note on growing up in Texas: As a teen, I recall occasionally turning our family TV to the 700 Club for a few minutes and laughing. Robertson would pray and I would say to my parents: "He's praying and nothin's happenin'. Ha Ha!" My mom, a God-fearing Christian lady thought Robertson was a scammer, like all preachers. She would say: "Shhh ... change the channel." She believed in the Bible, but not the messengers. My dad, an agnostic, just chuckled and shook his head at Robertson. So lucky that my family did not go to church. Thus, I got to grow up outside the religious brainwashing and became an atheist. Lucky I was! As for Robertson, he was a morally bankrupt lunatic who did grave danger to America and democracy. We're seeing that danger today.

Feel like you're in the middle of a dystopian film? You are!

Saw this and for some strange reason, these numbers keep flashing in my brain: 66-3 66-3 66-3 66-3 66-3

Foosters: With all due respect, your question was not rhetorical or ironic, as best I can tell. One of the other posters seriously answered your question, with no sense your question was rhetorical, and with zero reference to anything I mentioned about fascism and theocracy. I have seen numerous CR posts very much like yours and the other one. Those are the reasons I posted my comment about MAGA = fascist theocracy and the apparent willful blindness in CR (and across America). Of course, I am not the only one in CR who sees some kind of threat from MAGA-GQP. But, here are some of the terms I repeatedly see to describe MAGA: extremists, far right, conservatives, Trumpers, MAGAts, grifters, idiots, chuds, morons, clowns, magadonians, racists, white supremacists, etc etc. All true, of course. And good for some laughs. Sometimes, I see a few mention Christian Nationalist and a handful use the term fascist and hardly anyone uses theocracy (outside of the few atheists like me in CR). Why is this the case? Seems to me that most in CR here were raised religious (and still are to varying degrees). Perhaps many are also ex-conservatives, who would be unable to see that Bush 2 was a fascist and theocrat (recall the "faith-based" programs) who paved the way for MAGA. They have been successfully brainwashed since childhood by their parents to believe that religion is a force for good, though it is now being betrayed by MAGA-GQP. Both sides cherry pick their fave passages. I grew up in Texas and saw this all over the place. So, many in CR have a difficult time seeing their religion being inherently fascist and theocratic, when the historical record is clear across three continents and five centuries. Euro Christians came to the Americas and launched a genocide upon native/indigenous peoples to steal the land and resources, all in the name of God and manifest destiny. Religion is the three Cs; colonize, conquer, convert (those left alive). Peace only comes after the bloodbath. Always. Given the attacks on women, POC, LGBTQIA+, science (etc) are all grounded in religion and MAGA Bible thumping, it's clearly fascism and theocracy. Of course, Democrats and mainstream media will never attack religion or Christianity, so religion gets a free pass, when it is, in fact, the underlying ideology to all things MAGA. The US will be a full-on fascist theocracy and the media will still not call it that. TLDR: In my view, MAGA-GQP cannot be defeated if they are not properly defined and understood. They are fascists and theocrats. This fact is far too under-stated in CR and throughout America.

Well, since Fritz has only made it past the third round twice in 28 Slams (one 4R and one Quarter), it looks like all surfaces neutralize Fritz. He ain't winning no slam. Never. Maybe a semi or two. Face it, American men's tennis has cratered, despite the incessant hype coming from the Tennis Channel, ESPN, Jon Wertheim, et al. Example: "Wow, 13 US men are in the top 100. American men are coming on strong!" blah blah blah.... Same old story since Roddick retired. As it is, there is no American dude on the current tennis scene who can win a slam because they will eventually lose to someone in the collective of Djokovic, Alcaraz, Medvedev, Rune, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Sinner, etc. Making the quarters, occasional semis, or maybe a rare final, that's the peak for US men. __________ Gotta feel for Roddick. He would be a legend in US and tennis world (and millions more wealthier in endorsements)—were it not for that guy named Federer, who cost Roddick three Wimbledons and a second US Open title. Plus, Roddick lost several semi slam matches to Federer.

It's called a fascist theocracy, ruled by white Christian America. It's been building since Reagan, right through the Bushes, Perot, Tea Party, and Trump-MAGA. They've stacked the Supreme Court, they got Roe overturned, they're overturning environmental laws, they're banning books, they're openly targeting POC, LBTQIA+, immigrants, doctors, nurses, educators, librarians, scientists, election officials, and "woke" corporations, all while worshipping AR-15s and doing nothing to stop mass shootings of kids. The level of political denialism and willful blindness in CR is just astonishing. And depressing.

Spot on. Sad, but oh so true. Depressing. There's gotta be a significant chunk of UT that is conservative and MAGA. I doubt it changed much from when I was at UT in 1980s-1990s—though UT was generally liberal, there were boatloads of frat/sorority conservatives at UT, especially in the capitalist business school. Same with all the Christians on campus then and now. So no surprise there is MAGA-GQP fascism at UT. Lulz for those on the Surly football board who think the UT move to SEC was only about $$$ and "big boy" football. The UT-OU move was nothing less than SEC-MAGA-Confederate Conference colonizing Texas and Oklahoma. It was a post-BLM, post-Covid move orchestrated at the highest levels, well above Del Conte and even above Hartzell. Abbott, Board of Regents, and Big Money Donors were all on board. No way Abbott, BOR, or Big Money lets Texas join the Woke Conference in California. Face it, UT may well be largely liberal (especially among faculty), but it is now in the MAGA Confederate conference. Makes me want to puke. I'll be honest, I doubt I will watch any of the games, except OU and maybe A&M, Bama, Florida.

There is no possible "rational" discussion with "lean hard R" fascists in 2023 who pretend to be reasonable conservatives, as if we are still in the 1970s. None. Nada. No way. Fascists are not reasonable or rational. Below is the correct timeline (cross post). Anyone defending, voting for, enabling Trump-MAGA-GQP-Abbott-Cruz-Cornyn-Desantis, et al, is a fascist and should be treated as a fascist. End of story.

Friends, the Supreme Court rulings do not exist in a vacuum. Sorry for long post, but it is necessary. We're witnessing a massive intellectual collapse in a huge of swath of America: 45-60% of citizens. Building for decades. From the Supreme Court on down to the average Karen/Kevin who have colonized the internet and social media. The end game can only be total destruction. Cause of Collapse — Collapse was born in the erosion/entropy of any unifying secular narrative, at least anything beyond endless entertainment and consumption to show tribal identities. The last time Americans were mostly united on something was likely the Apollo moon landing. But TV and cable soon fragmented American consciousness and the internet completed the project. — Collapse was amplified post-2000 by social media and the weaponization of religion, seeking to impose itself in the secular void it is helping to create. — Art and science have mostly failed on the secular narrative, despite the incredible achievements and discoveries of science. A rising percentage (30%+) of Americans are not religious, but can only find secular narratives among some Superhero films/comics. The majestic awe-inspiring universe should be the ground for a unifying narrative, but philosophers are utterly dropping the ball. — Plus, few people will accept (much less embrace) being not central to society or the universe/or being utterly insignificant. Religion's big promise is God making the believer feel important/central to society and the universe, with an eternal destiny. (There's a way out with no religion, but that is another long post.) Effect of Collapse — The collapse is reflected in the inability of 150+ million Americans to think based on evidence and logic, apart from sheer emotion and reaction now amplified by social media. Unable to think clearly and consistently, unable to separate image from empirical truth, screens from reality. Images and screens are now used to construct mental realities/conspiracies utterly detached from actual reality. Add on Bible-thumping weaponry and you have a virulent, deadly formula. Disneyland, Vegas strip, Times Square, the Super Bowl, these are the symbols and masks for the artificial delusions and mediated/manufactured "events" that dominant our consciousness and culture on an everyday basis. — I have seen this absolutely with friends and relatives, plus all across culture. Trump-MAGA-GQP is the latest stage of this process, but not the first nor the last. Trump-MAGA-GQP exist alongside WWF, Dancing with the Stars, Masked Singer, Kardashians, American Idol, Ancient Aliens, Bigfoot Hunters, NASCAR, SyFy, UFO conspiracies—the list is endless. There is damn near zero legit science on TV or streaming compared to paranormal-conspiracy-celebrity idiocy. Conclusion When something is collapsing, it eventually hits bottom, with the end result being total destruction. TOTAL From the Supreme Court on down. That means the destruction of reason, logic, truth, facts, evidence, human rights, legal principles, and civil liberties. Destruction of private sanity and public safety (hence the worship of guns, violence) go together, along with destruction of peace and quiet, destruction of civility and kindness. Destruction of secularism and secular education. The list is goes on, but the destruction of consciousness eventually ends in the total destruction of the environment and Earth's ecosystems. Hence, the Supreme Court attacking the EPA. Poisoned water is just another step. Climate change? It's far more like climate destruction on a planetary scale. Don't forget the nukes, now back in play. Climate and/or nukes, the final destination is: Planet of the Apes (1968 version) TLDR: We're seeing a massive intellectual/educational collapse in secular society. Buckle up, more destruction is coming.

With all due respect: time's up for denials. You can post all kinds of percentages to somehow make it seem like it is not as horribly bad as it is. Just an evasion of the underlying reality suggested by the voting totals. Bottom line: 45-50% of voters in Texas and America are down with fascism in various forms ... even if, or especially if, it means the marginalization/oppression of groups they hate or do not like, respect, care about, or think about. We are facing future rule by a violent fascist theocracy. It's all right before our eyes. The 2024 prez election will be close and Dem and Indie voters must realize how dire is the situation. Dems must turn our in huge numbers and some Indies will have to vote D. Will it happen? I don't know. But it sure as hell won't happen if people think it's just 10-20% who make up the bad guys— i.e. the fascists and theocrats yearning to rule with violence— and the rest are just Christian freedom lovers! F*ck that BS.

Lulz. With all due respect, what this really means in 2023 GQP Texas is: "I lean hard fascist, but I've never been a fan of fascist Paxton. Of course, I am a fan of many other fascists and voted for them, just not fascist Paxton. I dig fascists running the state of Texas. I think of myself as a free market capitalist, but really, fascists are my peeps." Just admit it.

Legit question. Thanks. I do not have an instant, easy answer that will win the next election. However, I do know a failed strategy when I see one. Though I was born/raised in Texas and graduated from UT, I have not lived in Texas in almost 30 years. Career took me elsewhere. However, I own some Texas ranch land and when passing through Dallas/Austin/ Houston, I sometimes see friends and family (mostly liberals and Democrats, but some MAGA/MAGA adjacent). Here's what I see, hear, and know. The "Beto Play Nice Plan" is a proven failure. — Beto's plan might well have worked in the 1970s-1980s. Not in the 2020s-2030s. — I am not saying be an asshole. A person can be nice and still use the correct terms and definitions to describe the political conditions. Be firm. Don't cave. — If Hollywood can make The Handmaid's Tale, then why can't Democrats and media use the correct terms, as dramatized in that series? It's all right before our eyes. — Yet, my Beto-voting Dem friends in Dallas/Houston are mostly in denial. Joined several for tacos and tequila last summer. They somehow think it is not as bad as it is. Amazing! In between tequila shots, we were doing screen shots of online dictionaries and seeing how the definitions of fascism and theocracy applied to Texas. At least one friend has since told me that our conversation has her (no pics) thinking much more about seeing fascism/theocracy and not mere "right wing" extremism. Obviously, an anecdotal example. Sometimes it's not an easy process to see the forest amid the trees. The Beto/Democrat Plan is aspirin for a cancer. — MAGA-GQP are a cancer for Democracy in Texas (and America). The rights of many groups are in peril. Democracy may well die, with horrors to come. I think Beto once used the term "post truth is pre-fascism" in a tweet. But that was about it, as far as I can tell. Beto's correct, but pre-fascism was the Reagan era. Now is fascism. — What happens when you have recurring headaches that start out mild, and you take aspirin, which works for a while? Only the headaches slowly intensify across several years. Then your doctor does a blood test, X-Ray, and you have brain cancer. What happens? You have to treat it with radical steps. No more aspirin. Beto is the aspirin. Who are the audiences? It's not MAGA-GQP. Almost all are completely beyond hope, as best I can tell. However, a tiny percentage might be open to seeing the obvious. There are two key points to clearly explain and reinforce to Texans. 1) MAGA-GQP are fascists and theocrats, according to any dictionary not tossed out of a school library. 2) The very first right in the First Amendment is freedom from religion, not freedom of religion. Look it up. All of this needs to be repeated endlessly. In-person, across all media platforms. With dictionary definitions. With the text of the First Amendment. Repeat, repeat, repeat. American Exceptionalism and "it can't happen here" must be countered with the mounting evidence. Audience 1: The media, journalists, editors. — As best I can tell, the media (newspapers, TV, Texas Tribune) have utterly failed to identify the political situation in Texas. — Dems can start by asking the media why MAGA-GQP are not identified as fascists and theocrats. And keep asking. And keep on asking. Pull out a freaking dictionary on their phones. Tell the reporters that these Reagan-era terms are no longer accurate. "Conservative," "Right wing." "Extremist." "Far right." Etc. — For example, the Texas Tribune is intellectually bankrupt, it just doesn't know it. Under the guise of being "fair" and "objective," the Tribune 100% enables and empowers MAGA every day. As such, the Tribune is a threat to democracy. If the Tribune was a cancer doctor, every patient would die. — On the other hand, I see thoughtful people using fascism and theocracy across many social media/blogging platforms, such as Substack, Medium, and others like it. Of course, their audiences are tiny compared to TV, newspapers, and megachurches. — The Dems need a statewide plan to do this. Across all platforms. Of course, they likely never will. Audience 2: A percentage of independents. — How many? I do not know. Surely, there is a percentage of indies who are smart enough to realize MAGA-GQP are fascists/theocrats when they hear those terms. People are saying this in some platforms. Some protesters have fascism on their signs. Audience 3: Non-believers in religion. This is over 20% of Texans and growing fast across America. When in the hell are Dems gonna speak out and represent that group? That includes me and I have never ever felt the Dems accurately see the obvious about religious fanaticism. Religious freedom does not mean freedom from critique. Democrats seem oblivious to this. Sadly, the secular education and secular media systems have largely failed. — Especially when it comes to critical thinking. Even more in politics and religion. — Of course, this will not solve everything. Thought and action are needed across culture. Texas corporations and university leaders are not gonna do anything. If MAGA-GQP can scare parents over CRT and woke and Marxists (etc.), then surely the Dems can deploy the terms fascism and theocracy. Someone has to step up their game in the political arena. The only option is Democrats. It sure as hell ain't the freaking Libertarians. TLDR/Bottom Line. Someone has to fight the cancer to democracy. And it begins with the right diagnosis. It might well be too late.

With all due respect to you and Rep. Johnson, that speech sums up the problem with the Democrats: total weak sauce. That little speech is not gonna have any effect on MAGA-GQP seizing elections in Houston. Zip. Nada. None. Sounded like the speech of the losing team! When in the hell are Democrats gonna take off the gloves and announce they will not let fascists and theocrats take over the state of Texas? Clearly, bluntly, proudly. I submit that until MAGA and the GOP become synonymous with fascism/theocracy in the minds and words of Democrats, the Dems are doomed to lose. You cannot defeat what you fail to identify. Failure to identify means a failure understand. You cannot defeat what you fail to understand. End of story. And likely the end of democracy in Texas.

Texas is run by a gang of fascists. Time's up for denial, apologia, and excuse-making. Fascism, as displayed in Texas, is an authoritarian, ultranationalist, religious ideology with several key components. 1) A highly regimented society, with centralized, top-down rule. 2) Protected classes (white, male, wealthy, capitalist, Christian), some of which are championed/worshipped as top shelf role models (Musk, Osteen, Abbott, various celebs, athletes, etc). 3) Attacking of marginalized groups (POC, LGBTQIA+, women, secularists and secular educators, doctors/nurses, scientists and eventually non-fascist intellectuals, atheists, and environmentalists). 4) The cult of the "great leader" and complete reverence for the public/social media spectacle, wherein the great leaders/rulers are seen as prophets of the great destiny, precisely as they mock, insult, ridicule, and humiliate the marginalized groups. The more idiotic and dumbed down the media spectacle, the more powerful it enables fascism. 5) The engineered collapse and takeover of secular educational systems, to be used for propaganda and religious indoctrination. Vouchers, end tenure, set up bogus think tanks (Civitas), which pretends to be "free market," while also a mask for public Christian propaganda (Oh, it's coming!). Secular liberal UT is a massive target. Civitas will be like a cancer attacking from within. 6) The unwavering belief in a sacred text (Bible) and insane conspiracy theories (Q), both needed to counter events/facts/realities they do not like. Since religion gets a free pass, no one of import will attack that component. Thus, the fascists will have free reign to believe their unseen God has their back and that they are spiritually elite, have the moral high ground, and are compassionate, precisely as they oppress and humiliate and eventually kill. It's called doublethink. 7) All of the above is backed by violence and the worship of violence (AR-15s, guns, cops, soldiers, military, war). Way more violence is coming. Finally, the belief in all of the above as a great destiny and spiritual war, which justifies the violence, oppression, and environmental destruction. The above is why Gregg Abbott is a fascist. Elon Musk is a fascist. So are Paxton, Cruz, Cornyn and anyone else in MAGA-GQP, anyone voting for MAGA-GQP, or anyone who is fascism-adjacent and enabling MAGA-GQP. I seriously doubt any media or institution will identify the above as fascism and attack MAGA-GQP on that ground. Neither will the Democrats. Rather, they will all just use largely innocuous terms like "conservative," "right wing," "far right," "extremists" -- the very terms used for Reagan 40 years ago. And Texas and MAGA-GQP are far far right of Reagan. Bottom line: Texas MAGA-GQP are fascist. Texas may well become a fascist theocracy.

Nope. Not me. That last and only time I had anything flag-like (or red-white-blue) on my body was wearing freaking "bicentennial tennis shoes" in 1976 as a teenager. Lame-o. By the early 80s, I had seen enough of the Reagan-Falwell merger of Flag and Bible to be revulsed by flag-waving fanaticism and blind patriotism. I have not celebrated Fourth of July since sometime around 1982 or so. Proudly not patriotic, not nationalist, not religious. Read enough atheist philosophy books and saw enough of Sagan's Cosmos series to see the sheer idiocy of all that. That's why I do not wear any flags, fly any flags, worship any flags. Flags are for unevolved humans.

I don't think Republicans suck. That's far too easy. I think Republicans are fascists (and many are theocrats). Why? The evidence is clear, the GQP policies speak for themselves. Fascism, theocracy. Guns. Flag. Bible. Ten Commandments. Shoved down the throats of secular society. Attacks on women, immigrants, People of Color, scientists, doctors, nurses, educators, the list is growing. It's f*cking fascism and theocracy. Yet, for some reason, there is a reluctance at this site to call GQP/MAGA/Trump what they are: fascists and theocrats. Across 40 freaking years, the Republican Party has moved politically in one direction, and one direction only. Straight into fascism and theocracy. The timeline is below. McCroskey and anyone else: Facts, evidence, and history don't care if you are some self-described "conservative" in mourning, wondering what the hell happened to America, because your violent-fanatical-idiot world GQP is completely off the rails and hurtling America down the side of the mountain, dead into the valley of fascism/theocracy. And, to feel better, you gotta somehow trash old man Biden as he tries to plug the holes in the dam of democracy, cracking under the downhill flood of fascism. The evidence has been there all along. If you voted for Reagan, Bush 1, Bush 2, Trump, or supported Perot or the Tea Party, then you have enabled, supported, or wholly agreed with the direction of the timeline.

Tommy Tuberville is a fascist theocrat. Perfect for the SEC territories. Looking at a map, the SEC is little more than the Southeastern Confederacy Conference. Or the Fascist Football Conference. And UT has said, "Hell yeah, let's join 'em." Truly sad. We are told this was just about "money" and "eyeballs" and playing "Big Boy Football." All true, but only part of the reason. We cannot ignore the cultural context. The move to the SEC was a post-BLM, post-Covid, MAGA-world cultural alignment orchestrated from the very top. Why? To show the liberal, woke, secular intelligentsia on UT campus — and in the state of Texas — where the Top MAGA Men/Women in Texas have their hearts and minds. The SEC move was orchestrated and approved at the highest levels—above Hartzell and Del Conte. They are the Yes Men, the public cheerleaders. This move does not happen without Abbott and BOR-MAGA power brokers 1000000% on-board. No freaking way. No way does Abbott/BOR let UT join the West Coast Woke conference. Never. Can you imagine the whining of Ted Cruz, Cornyn, and many UT alums if UT joined with California, even though the Austin economy is fueled by California firms, with their names on factories and skyscrapers in Austin. Name one firm in the SEC territories with their name on a skyscraper in Austin or Texas. The SEC move and the new Civitas Institute (funded with millions, staffed with academic Christians/Theists) both serve the same purpose. Culturally align The University of Texas with the MAGA-fascism-theocracy-unbridled billionaire corporate capitalism that politically run the state of the Texas. It all makes me very sad.

You left out fascist. Frankly, I find it interesting that so many people in Surly will use every kind of word and term to creatively describe Trump, MAGA, GQP and their goals. Yet so few will use the single word that is 100% most accurate: fascist.

This is the timeline. From Far Right Reagan to Fascist Trump.