How’s everyone’s weekend going? Thanks for spending a portion of it with the Six.
This past week started with two big pieces of national news – Congress’ passing of the Inflation Reduction Act and of course, The Raid.
Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago compound got raided by the FBI, with the feds apparently on the hunt for classified documents they believe to be held there. The corporate media hot take machine cranked up to Code Red over this development – a buyer’s market for former ‘unnamed intelligence officials’ who got quoted as anonymous sources for articles and sat for cable news interviews seemingly around-the-clock on the talk circuit merry-go-round.
Although opinions on Trump are typically binary – one is either a Hatfield or a McCoy – this action by the government has been widely criticized from all sides; even from left-leaning politicians. To say the raid had nothing to do with politics is as disingenuous as Tesla car owners slapping a “Save the Planet” bumper sticker on the vehicle’s exterior.
(Tesla owners will be pleased to know millions from CHIPS is allocated to build out electric vehicle infrastructure, including a proposal to build public chargers for every 50 miles on major transit arteries. You can finally plan that gasoline-free family road trip to Yellowstone!)
But here’s the most damaging aspect to the Mar-A-Lago raid – it further weakens our trust in the unprejudiced nature of our federal government.
Hunter Biden’s laptop? Whatever you may think about that development, it’s been slow-played by the feds. There are seemingly plenty of other cases that should be the focus of federal resources. But why the intense interest in Jan. 6 and now The Raid?
We as a country are fed up with the selective enforcement. For anyone possessing any semblance of logic and reason, Mar-A-Lago has to be a tipping point.
If the feds were right and do find something on Trump, OK, what then?
It’s like if the CDC today recommended an action to protect us from some illness, sure, they may be right. But that organization has said a lot of stuff the past two years that has proven to be wrong.
Other than those infected with TDRS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) is anyone really listening at this point?
Let’s proceed with the Six.
One unintended benefit to come out of The Raid – re-injection into the media bloodstream of the verb ‘pulverizing.’ The word used by legal experts interviewed about what would justify such a show of force by the feds in storming the Trump residence. “A pulverizing amount of evidence,” one attorney told Insider. Matt Taibbi, publisher the TK News newsletter, writes in this article how, “We’ve reached the stage of American history where everything we see on the news must first be understood as political theater. In other words, the messaging layer of news now almost always dominates the factual narrative, with the latter often reported so unreliably as to be meaningless anyway.” The Raid is the perfect stunt for the latest episode of Performative Playhouse Theater.
Illinois GOP Embraces Trumpism, May Doom Party in November.
Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate for governor, did not have a good week. Aside from news leaking how his campaign is out of money, a years-old video came to light of him comparing abortion to the Holocaust (a friendly PR heads up to politicians…never mention the Holocaust, for any reason, if there are cameras rolling). Even before these revelations, Bailey faces an uphill climb in unseating incumbent J.B. Pritzker – extremist views, which he possesses on a variety of social issues – don’t typically win general elections. But Bailey won the primary by a landslide (with a Trump endorsement to boot) and as this Chicago magazine piece reads, “devotion to conservative principles means he has little chance of fulfilling his mission to fire Pritzker.”
Moral Panics and the Sex Bracelet Hysteria.
In 2003, teens started wearing jelly bracelets. Suddenly, in the eyes of parents, these multi-colored fashion accessories of the moment became something far more sinister. That’s right – on the heels of some breathless media coverage, deeply concerned parents labeled the jelly wrist wear “sex bracelets.” A group of parents became convinced the wearer’s intention was sending secret codes “to signal their willingness to perform a litany of unspeakable deeds.” In this fascinating piece from The Ringer, the author investigates what happens when adults misunderstand youth behavior and turn worries into “a full-blown moral panic.”
Inside the Weird World of Crossword Puzzles.
Media companies are grappling with revenue shortfalls and the complete annihilation of the printed word and the millions of ad revenue that came with it. They are turning to games to induce subscribers. No company has converted more readers into gamers than the New York Times – 1 million in fact, according to The Republic. But what about the writers who compose the puzzle questions? The article takes a look at the underpaid workers who build crossword puzzles, many of whom land these thankless gigs through elite connections.
The Blood and Beauty of Bullfighting.
This is a piece about bullfighting. Reading an article about how great animals are cynically killed by better-armed humans may sound anti-climatic, but there is an intriguing, enthralling – and gory – nature to bullfighting that still draws thousands of spectators to stadiums all over Europe. The author, Christopher North, pens a compelling story with a narrative thrust that brings out the sport and humanity of bullfighting.
Is this Cat Plotting to Murder A Baby?
So here’s the context – a woman from England snapped a bunch of photos of her grandbaby. In the background was the grandmother’s cat – Harvey. When the grandmother sent the photos on the family chat a pattern emerged – Harvey lurking in the background with a menacing cat-stare. The family thought it was funny so they loaded the pictures up to Tik-Tok, created a mash up video, added a catchy headline and wa-la…the video racked up over 2 million views. I’m always fascinated how social media virility works and the case of Harvey the Cat the latest example of the unexplainable randomness of it all.
Thanks for reading everybody and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Have a suggestion for The Sunday Six? Send email to jonjkerr@gmail.com.
I always look forward to your Sunday Six, but even moreso to what you focus on in your comments that precede them! I. greatly appreciate your efforts.
Have a great week Jon and subscribers!