When I was recording the podcast last night I was talking about how to make your own online community television station. Relatively speaking the tech is all off the shelf stuff in cloud offerings that you can pay for. It isn’t as nicely integrated as Substack but with tools like owncast out there most of the heavy lifting is already done. The hard part to it wouldn’t be the tech but just the usual concern of actually producing content people would watch and paying for the whole enterprise.
Most of the media sector is on pretty shaky footing financially. The most lucrative ad dollars that bring in the most money are political ads as they have the highest charged rates. If Leonard Leo and company were to take over already right-leaning media firms like Sinclair Broadcast Group, Nexstar, and Gray Television they would capture a hefty portion of the domestic television broadcasting industry. Breaking their affiliation deals wouldn’t be too hard and consolidating them into a single Christian Nationalist TV network would be pretty easy to do on paper. Trinity Broadcasting Networking already exists with a very hefty broadcast footprint. TCT Broadcasting does much the same sort of programming as TBN but has a smaller footprint nationally.
This is a very, very likely scenario. Hopefully people are ready for it.
I know a lot of media has already been gobbled up by far-right conservatives. And this group would do everything possible to squeeze out any station or entity that produced "objectionable-to-them" programming. Under your scenario, it would also probably be impossible for left-leaning politicians to purchase advertising on these stations.
It would definitely be impossible. While there would have to be equal access at the same prices to all candidates it doesn’t mean all candidates would be likely to place ads. Placing ads around Jeopardy is still an extremely lucrative time slot for catching most Americans. Placing ads around any programming on Trinity Broadcasting Network…not so much. Stations shifted that way would definitely be reaching towards the base and only the base. If you were reaching across the aisle you would end up having to do something like George Conway’s efforts pointing out how unwell the Republican standard bearer happens to truly be.
I could also see them taking the left leaning politician's money and then following it a lie-riddled screed like they're doing on Fox News. "Sure, Pete Buttigieg, you can come on, but we're going to lie to our viewers about everything you say."
Leonard Leo is an anti-American neoliberal oligarch. He's protecting white privilege and their wealth. Another malignant narcissist carry the gas cans and matches to turn burn it all down. Christian Nationalism is the tool that gets him there. And the classic invincible ignorance fallacy. This is described as defending one's position while refusing to consider immutable facts to the contrary. Where we once prided ourselves on literacy and intellectualism has been replaced by the Kardashian affect. We are getting dumber. Our politics are always a reflection of our general culture. People are choosing to be ignorant. Their jaded bigotry is their marker. Leonard is counting on this.
I re-watched Idiocracy with my sister-in-law last weekend. She had never seen it. And she was like, "This is from HOW long ago? How did they know this then?" It's frustrating because it feels like so many people are sleepwalking.
In a very real sense, this attack is also an attack on Universities, since English/Art/Theatre/Film Depts. all teach literature and art which would not necessarily be considered porn (at least by common standards), but would definitely be classified as secular. This mandate of what may be taught is already happening at K12. Its imposition on college teaching would violate academic freedom. Would they move beyond public universities to target private ones? Former English professor/University librarian wonders.
The Heritage Foundation has long held the position that the National Endowment for the Arts should be defunded and disbanded. (P2025 doesn't say anything about the NEA.) We saw how this might play out in Florida when the governor refused to give state grants to arts institutions, something many organizations (small museums, art programs and camps, community theaters, dance companies and more) relied upon to function. This would tie with Florida's attack on universities, like the complete takeover of the New College of Florida. That effort is a dry run for Leonard Leo's vision to rid culture and entertainment of anything liberal. In this kind of world, it would be very difficult for a private university or school to function with a mission contrary to the regime's.
Indeed. Teaching students to read with care and to prove their statements with verifiable evidence from reliable sources is deemed indoctrination. (If so, I am happy to have been a subversive agent for my entire working life. ) It would seem that private universities would have to become totally self-funded, since government grants would be withheld.
If Republicans accomplish their Christo-fascist government, private universities that did not toe the regime line would be driven out of business. No amount of self-funding would overcome the full force of a fascist government determined to put an institution out of business.
The one thing they fear more than anything is people who learn to think critically. They don’t want anyone to question anything their churches spoon feed them. Nevertheless, there are a number of young people who have left Christian Nationalist churches and religious homeschooling backgrounds and have trenchant criticism of the shortcomings of their educational backgrounds.
I grew up in the Catholic Church. I questioned most things from a young age (it started at about age 7), particularly the concept of confessing my sins to a priest (I figured I could speak with God directly, thank you very much!) And, the whole male-dominated clergy irritated me. My parents pushed me into making First Communion at the age of 8, but after that, I rebelled and said I was not working toward making Confirmation. Best decision I ever made.
“A group of 17 adult film stars has launched a $100,000 ad campaign that will run in front of videos on popular porn sites warning viewers about the Project 2025 — the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation blueprint for the next Republican administration — plan to ban pornography and prosecute porn producers.
And they’re spending their money wisely, running the “hands off my porn” campaign ads in the seven swing states that will decide whether Harris will be running the country or we’ll get stuck with the fascist dictator: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.
While this plan might seem silly (and trust us, the jokes about it are hilarious), targeting young men by telling them a vote for Trump means saying bye-bye to easily accessible porn could make all the difference come November 5. According to the New York Times, Vice President Kamala Harris is losing to Trump among men but has a chance at winning over younger men who might be swayed by the “hands off my porn” campaign.”
And that's just entertainment everyone agrees is porn. EVERYTHING that contradicts Leonard Leo's Christian Nationalist worldview is porn. A movie glorifying single parents or people who live together romantically but aren't married. Gay couples. Trans characters. Storylines where a woman chooses to get an abortion or to not have children or delay childbirth. Stories that present other faiths as laudable. ALL pre-marital sex and intimacy, which includes kissing with tongue and running bases. It's great that the adult film industry is all over this, but it is the tippy-top of the very large iceberg.
Absurd, especially "storylines where a woman chooses to get an abortion or to not have children or delay childbirth." I don't see how a court would uphold this if it got enacted. And that is government censorship
There is a woman in Florida who chose not to have her child…because she had a malignant Grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumor.DeSantis is trying to suppress ads featuring Caroline by threatening stations that air the ads.
Florida is further down the road toward Christo-fascist theocracy than many other states. I'm hopeful it will break the MAGA chokehold there next month.
The last article is as Lauren Brenzel, the head of the Yes on 4 campaign, makes perfectly clear that:
“This campaign has been run above board and followed state law at every turn,” Brenzel said in a statement. “What we are seeing now is nothing more than dishonest distractions and desperate attempts to silence voters.”
Imagine the court is in Abilene, Texas and Matthew Kacsmaryk is the judge. Imagine he rules in favor of censoring storylines that could be damaging to the mental health of women and children. His decision gets appealed at the 5th Circuit, where James Ho writes an epistle on the importance of protecting impressionable women and children from information that could harm them or cause them mental distress. (This is one line of attack they use with abortion, so this isn't a fantasy.) Then imagine the case is appealed to this Supreme Court. At every level, the judiciary has an opportunity to redefine what censorship has historically meant and set new precedent for what it would mean going forward.
After watching how these people have already operated, it is magical thinking to believe they wouldn't do things like this if not constrained.
Right? So it is pointless to say something is unconstitutional. It might be TO YOU. But if they gain power, they will decide what "constitutional" means.
I seriously wonder if Leonard Leo tells the judges/justices how to rule and or if their Federalist Society membership or perks if they do not fall in line (like vacations and paid trips) will be revoked if they don't (I'm guessing, but it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case).
*One* of his brides. He had a lot of wives and concubines...which I asked about a lot as a kid but never got a decent answer as to why it was ok for him to have so many wives. I just looked it up...700 wives and 300 concubines.
For Valentine's month one year, I wrote some verses from Song of Solomon on postcards and mailed them to my husband every day. I put a few words from a verse on each card, and he had to piece them together at the end. All to say the Bible can be useful for seduction. Ha.
I am a Catholic, and I can’t stand Leonard Leo or Opus Dei. People like this are using religion to build a political power base, ignoring our longstanding principles about freedom of conscience. People don’t want Bill Gothard, Leonard Leo or people like them making these decisions for us.
Yes, a white Christian of Eastern European descent equals Christian nationalism, which I call 'CINO', Christian In Name Only. It's all about the power and revenge. It's no wonder Trump & his cronies love Putin’s Russia with Orthodox Christianity along with the oligarchs and their wealth. Reaping power & wealth along with revenge are the only factors in the MAGA movement.
My husband and I were just talking about why people vote against their best interests. In the case of 45, I think it's the pull of the cult in most respects.
Those I know in that world have no other information outlet. They refuse to listen to anyone who says something contrary to their beliefs. And they have an excellent support structure to turn to when they feel attacked. It is very much a cult.
One notable thing about the clerics Putin has hand picked to head his Russian Orthodox Church are that a good many of them served as government informants to the Soviet government. Russian Orthodoxy has always been firmly under the control of the government since Peter the Great abolished the patriarchate and placed the church under the control of the Most Holy Synod, a body of laymen and monastic hierarchy that dictated church practice and ritual, approved canonizations, miracles and relics as well as suppressing people deemed heretics or practicing witchcraft. The Holy Synod ran the. Russian Orthodox Church from 1721 to 1917.
I appreciate this, Kathy. It's always interesting to see how different autocrats use religion to control people...and how not different their tactics wind up being.
Most likely. And limit the kinds of routines they could do. Many Christian schools in my era made cheerleaders sit during game play, on top of wearing skirts to the knee, modest tops, and no movements that caused the skirt to fan out of fly up.
Sorry I think there is a pay wall on that article. Here's part of it:
"Next, we backward engineered from the constraints on these websites. I was aware that lots of Republican state legislators were passing laws that in effect banned Pornhub. If you log on to Pornhub from a VPN out of Texas, you will get a message saying the website is not available because of whatever law. My initial idea was some sort of map, warning that voting Trump will empower legislators like this. But then they put Project 2025 out, which was a gift. It has a page detailing a plan to ban pornography and throw pornographers in jail. I was like, “OK, this will be a simple message.”
The attacks are really on education per se........to roll us back to dark ages when the Church and Elitist landowners ruled over us.
They re-classify art and literature as "pornographic", then outlaw it. Like Comstock re-classifying all birth control including condoms as pornographic, then outlawing it. It's very much about white male power. But not all white males will be invited, only wealthy white men. The redneck white guys who voted for Trump are not allowed to join the club.
Only wealthy white Christian Nationalist men (or those in the cult of white supremacy, which has become the same thing.)
And yes, these attacks dumb people down. They teach people to avoid things that give them different ways to see the world or to ask questions. It’s about critical thinking skills, which are a part of education we haven’t been doing well in the US for a long time.
Andra, given the Evangelical church and churches at large are declining dramatically, how do you think Christian Nationalists will govern when secularism significantly outnumbers people of faith? Think 10-20 years from now. To my knowledge (I forget the source), white Christians make up 44% of the U.S. population, despite Christians being in the majority of all faiths (above 50%).
They want to take over the government so they can force everyone into religious indoctrination, which will then fill up their churches (and their coffers, more importantly) with bodies.
How (see "which will then fill up their churches (and their coffers, more importantly) with bodies.")? I don't see Americans at large going back to church and it is unconstitutional for the government to establish a church or mandate/retaliate people for not attending or being affiliated with faith or attending church.
It is unconstitutional TO YOU. Separation of church and state TO THEM = protect the church from the state. If they are in power, THEY will decide what that means, and it will mean separation of church and state means protect the church from the state. Mike Johnson is on the record saying this. I've written about how they don't plan to necessarily force every American to go to church. Need housing because you're unhoused? You're effectively going through Christian Nationalist religious indoctrination to have a roof over your head. Need food assistance? Same. Need diapers for the baby the state forced you to have? Same. Want a divorce? Same. Caught soliciting a prostitute? Same. Have kids in public school? Same. ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS require some kind of church attendance to continue receiving whatever the participant needs. I wrote about this early on here. If you search "religious indoctrination for assistance" you should find several newsletters.
Thank you for clarifying that I can find more under "religious indoctrination for assistance." I did not recognize this, and I take accountability for that. This behavior should be unconstitutional, but sadly isn't under right-wing courts, churches, groups, and politicians.
This article is unthinkable. How many years will it take him to take over entertainment and culture if he succeeds? To my knowledge, it is unconstitutional to prohibit secular music, content, and movies, including LGBTQ+ content, authors, themes, and acknowledgement.
I'm sure if someone had written an article in 1990 that said, "Leonard Leo is going to take over the judicial branch and infiltrate it with Christian Nationalist judges who interpret the Constitution using their faith as the sole lens," people would have said, "This article is unthinkable!" Yet here we are.
Stephen's comments above are a good window into how quickly he could accomplish this. Several major media outlets are already owned by Christian Nationalists. He could consolidate those. Major 45 donors now own many legacy (corporate) media outlets. They've infiltrated companies like Disney and often use financing to influence content of films and shows. (I don't think Americans realize how much say the funders of films and the like have in the final product. It's a lot.)
It's also pointless to say "that's unconstitutional" when their entire goal for decades has been to either rewrite the Constitution in their image through a convention or take over the judiciary and interpret the Constitution in their image. It won't matter what precedent has set to be unconstitutional or constitutional when we have judges and justices who are willing to throw that all out and rewrite it in their Christian Nationalist image.
Good points. I read on Michele Hornish and Jess Piper's Substack that Democrats are just beginning to invest and win over rural voters again after decades of Democrats (and many still do to this day) find them unwinnable electorally.
Do you think Democrats will win over rural voters again (such as in Missouri)? I'm skeptical. The Democratic Party has a messaging and elitist problem that is evident to rural, working class voters, and in my view, Democrats have not provided rural voters a thorough plan to fix their problems and educate them about the wealthy and their role in making America's problem more significant. Perhaps they will win in some suburban areas and over women because of abortion, but if they want to win big, they need to win over voters over the age of 45 and men (who tends to support the GOP). I want to see Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arizona, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and parts of Georgia and Florida turn solid blue (that aren't blue). I think we'll save democracy that way. Especially with curriculum censorship, health conditions, hostility to voting rights and LGBTQ+ equality and medical care, and reproductive rights, to name a few. I haven't seen any major changes on the electoral map, for instance, of Missouri hypothetically turning blue, if you know what I mean. That's why I'm skeptical and am pondering about how long they will accomplish this. There needs to be a systematic, unified effort by Democrats. Republicans are far more unified and on the same page than Democrats.
I am going to read what they have to say. I live in a rural area in Northern CA. It is "red." As much as I love the geographic area (it is very beautiful) dealing with the narrow-minded, extreme views is very difficult.
For what reason again? I forget, but I believe it was because of an event that recognized transgender people. After all, I read the cultural arts funding was overwhelmingly bipartisan, so I don't get what his motive was for vetoing it. The GOP isn't oppositional to the arts like they are about voting rights, for instance.
Speaking about Christo-fascist extremism, is it to win over and get the approval of Evangelical voters? I suppose it is because he is very likely going to run for president in 2028. He's only 46. Please let me know if you think my thoughts are inaccurate. I don't view Florida as a Christo-fascist state regarding voters, given it doesn't have a high Evangelical population, such as Louisiana and Arkansas. Regarding motives, what is he trying to gain besides his biases?
He is trying to suppress access to things that make people think critically or see the world differently. He is in a camp that believes children “decide” to be gay or trans because they see it portrayed so much in the arts, books, film, etc.
Is it true gay and transgender people are portrayed significantly "in the arts, books, film, etc."? I'm unsure and unaware of such knowledge if its true.
In addition, every politician has biases that Americans disagree with, but why does he push it onto Floridians compared to other politicians? I wonder what he is trying to gain from doing so? Is it to become president in 2028 and align himself with Evangelicals and their narrow worldview for potential support like Trump did in 2016? I don't know it he's doing it because he is who he is (personality/ego) or if it is to advance his political career. His term expires in January 2027 and can't run again.
The kicker is how full of obscenity the Bible is.
Right? And violence.
Daughters getting their father drunk so they can fuck him; selling daughters into slavery. Etc.
I learned what incest was in Christian Nationalist elementary school...from the Bible, thankfully. Not from being a victim.
Exactly. Murder, rape, incest.
When I was recording the podcast last night I was talking about how to make your own online community television station. Relatively speaking the tech is all off the shelf stuff in cloud offerings that you can pay for. It isn’t as nicely integrated as Substack but with tools like owncast out there most of the heavy lifting is already done. The hard part to it wouldn’t be the tech but just the usual concern of actually producing content people would watch and paying for the whole enterprise.
Most of the media sector is on pretty shaky footing financially. The most lucrative ad dollars that bring in the most money are political ads as they have the highest charged rates. If Leonard Leo and company were to take over already right-leaning media firms like Sinclair Broadcast Group, Nexstar, and Gray Television they would capture a hefty portion of the domestic television broadcasting industry. Breaking their affiliation deals wouldn’t be too hard and consolidating them into a single Christian Nationalist TV network would be pretty easy to do on paper. Trinity Broadcasting Networking already exists with a very hefty broadcast footprint. TCT Broadcasting does much the same sort of programming as TBN but has a smaller footprint nationally.
This is a very, very likely scenario. Hopefully people are ready for it.
I know a lot of media has already been gobbled up by far-right conservatives. And this group would do everything possible to squeeze out any station or entity that produced "objectionable-to-them" programming. Under your scenario, it would also probably be impossible for left-leaning politicians to purchase advertising on these stations.
It would definitely be impossible. While there would have to be equal access at the same prices to all candidates it doesn’t mean all candidates would be likely to place ads. Placing ads around Jeopardy is still an extremely lucrative time slot for catching most Americans. Placing ads around any programming on Trinity Broadcasting Network…not so much. Stations shifted that way would definitely be reaching towards the base and only the base. If you were reaching across the aisle you would end up having to do something like George Conway’s efforts pointing out how unwell the Republican standard bearer happens to truly be.
I could also see them taking the left leaning politician's money and then following it a lie-riddled screed like they're doing on Fox News. "Sure, Pete Buttigieg, you can come on, but we're going to lie to our viewers about everything you say."
Leonard Leo is an anti-American neoliberal oligarch. He's protecting white privilege and their wealth. Another malignant narcissist carry the gas cans and matches to turn burn it all down. Christian Nationalism is the tool that gets him there. And the classic invincible ignorance fallacy. This is described as defending one's position while refusing to consider immutable facts to the contrary. Where we once prided ourselves on literacy and intellectualism has been replaced by the Kardashian affect. We are getting dumber. Our politics are always a reflection of our general culture. People are choosing to be ignorant. Their jaded bigotry is their marker. Leonard is counting on this.
I re-watched Idiocracy with my sister-in-law last weekend. She had never seen it. And she was like, "This is from HOW long ago? How did they know this then?" It's frustrating because it feels like so many people are sleepwalking.
In a very real sense, this attack is also an attack on Universities, since English/Art/Theatre/Film Depts. all teach literature and art which would not necessarily be considered porn (at least by common standards), but would definitely be classified as secular. This mandate of what may be taught is already happening at K12. Its imposition on college teaching would violate academic freedom. Would they move beyond public universities to target private ones? Former English professor/University librarian wonders.
The Heritage Foundation has long held the position that the National Endowment for the Arts should be defunded and disbanded. (P2025 doesn't say anything about the NEA.) We saw how this might play out in Florida when the governor refused to give state grants to arts institutions, something many organizations (small museums, art programs and camps, community theaters, dance companies and more) relied upon to function. This would tie with Florida's attack on universities, like the complete takeover of the New College of Florida. That effort is a dry run for Leonard Leo's vision to rid culture and entertainment of anything liberal. In this kind of world, it would be very difficult for a private university or school to function with a mission contrary to the regime's.
Indeed. Teaching students to read with care and to prove their statements with verifiable evidence from reliable sources is deemed indoctrination. (If so, I am happy to have been a subversive agent for my entire working life. ) It would seem that private universities would have to become totally self-funded, since government grants would be withheld.
If Republicans accomplish their Christo-fascist government, private universities that did not toe the regime line would be driven out of business. No amount of self-funding would overcome the full force of a fascist government determined to put an institution out of business.
The one thing they fear more than anything is people who learn to think critically. They don’t want anyone to question anything their churches spoon feed them. Nevertheless, there are a number of young people who have left Christian Nationalist churches and religious homeschooling backgrounds and have trenchant criticism of the shortcomings of their educational backgrounds.
I was indoctrinated to never question what my pastor or another religious authority figure said. We were never to question. Never.
I grew up in the Catholic Church. I questioned most things from a young age (it started at about age 7), particularly the concept of confessing my sins to a priest (I figured I could speak with God directly, thank you very much!) And, the whole male-dominated clergy irritated me. My parents pushed me into making First Communion at the age of 8, but after that, I rebelled and said I was not working toward making Confirmation. Best decision I ever made.
Yes, as you said in one of the comments above, the problem is that “objectionable” means “objectionable-to-them.” That’s scary shit!
I know, because EVERYTHING is objectionable to them.
Except what meets their approval.
“A group of 17 adult film stars has launched a $100,000 ad campaign that will run in front of videos on popular porn sites warning viewers about the Project 2025 — the ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation blueprint for the next Republican administration — plan to ban pornography and prosecute porn producers.
And they’re spending their money wisely, running the “hands off my porn” campaign ads in the seven swing states that will decide whether Harris will be running the country or we’ll get stuck with the fascist dictator: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.
While this plan might seem silly (and trust us, the jokes about it are hilarious), targeting young men by telling them a vote for Trump means saying bye-bye to easily accessible porn could make all the difference come November 5. According to the New York Times, Vice President Kamala Harris is losing to Trump among men but has a chance at winning over younger men who might be swayed by the “hands off my porn” campaign.”
https://www.pride.com/politics/porn-actors-project-2025
And that's just entertainment everyone agrees is porn. EVERYTHING that contradicts Leonard Leo's Christian Nationalist worldview is porn. A movie glorifying single parents or people who live together romantically but aren't married. Gay couples. Trans characters. Storylines where a woman chooses to get an abortion or to not have children or delay childbirth. Stories that present other faiths as laudable. ALL pre-marital sex and intimacy, which includes kissing with tongue and running bases. It's great that the adult film industry is all over this, but it is the tippy-top of the very large iceberg.
Absurd, especially "storylines where a woman chooses to get an abortion or to not have children or delay childbirth." I don't see how a court would uphold this if it got enacted. And that is government censorship
There is a woman in Florida who chose not to have her child…because she had a malignant Grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumor.DeSantis is trying to suppress ads featuring Caroline by threatening stations that air the ads.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/desantis-brain-cancer-patient-abortion-1235128999/
Florida is Project 2025 !🛑
Florida is further down the road toward Christo-fascist theocracy than many other states. I'm hopeful it will break the MAGA chokehold there next month.
https://www.local10.com/news/politics/2024/10/10/fcc-rebukes-desantis-for-dangerous-threats-against-tv-stations-airing-yes-on-4-abortion-ad/
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article293882159.html
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article293879044.html
The last article is as Lauren Brenzel, the head of the Yes on 4 campaign, makes perfectly clear that:
“This campaign has been run above board and followed state law at every turn,” Brenzel said in a statement. “What we are seeing now is nothing more than dishonest distractions and desperate attempts to silence voters.”
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article293879044.html#storylink=cpy. I encourage any reader to read the articles I attached above.
Imagine the court is in Abilene, Texas and Matthew Kacsmaryk is the judge. Imagine he rules in favor of censoring storylines that could be damaging to the mental health of women and children. His decision gets appealed at the 5th Circuit, where James Ho writes an epistle on the importance of protecting impressionable women and children from information that could harm them or cause them mental distress. (This is one line of attack they use with abortion, so this isn't a fantasy.) Then imagine the case is appealed to this Supreme Court. At every level, the judiciary has an opportunity to redefine what censorship has historically meant and set new precedent for what it would mean going forward.
After watching how these people have already operated, it is magical thinking to believe they wouldn't do things like this if not constrained.
They don't seem to care about the law - only what the GOP and Leonard Leo demand regarding their priorities and how they expect them to rule
Right? So it is pointless to say something is unconstitutional. It might be TO YOU. But if they gain power, they will decide what "constitutional" means.
I seriously wonder if Leonard Leo tells the judges/justices how to rule and or if their Federalist Society membership or perks if they do not fall in line (like vacations and paid trips) will be revoked if they don't (I'm guessing, but it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case).
Ugh. I think all amendments should be very clear, such as the 19th, 20th, 21st, 25th, and 26th Amendments, to name a few.
Yeah. Song of Solomon. Granted it was about his bride but damn!
*One* of his brides. He had a lot of wives and concubines...which I asked about a lot as a kid but never got a decent answer as to why it was ok for him to have so many wives. I just looked it up...700 wives and 300 concubines.
Sex addiction legally sanctioned? 😏 I’m not surprised you didn’t get an answer.
Yes I knew that. I didn’t mention it because it might’ve morphed into a whole other topic well not really 😁
For Valentine's month one year, I wrote some verses from Song of Solomon on postcards and mailed them to my husband every day. I put a few words from a verse on each card, and he had to piece them together at the end. All to say the Bible can be useful for seduction. Ha.
😆🥰
I am a Catholic, and I can’t stand Leonard Leo or Opus Dei. People like this are using religion to build a political power base, ignoring our longstanding principles about freedom of conscience. People don’t want Bill Gothard, Leonard Leo or people like them making these decisions for us.
Opus Dei is an extremist group that sprung out of the Franco regime. So no wonder they crave a dictator.
Yes, a white Christian of Eastern European descent equals Christian nationalism, which I call 'CINO', Christian In Name Only. It's all about the power and revenge. It's no wonder Trump & his cronies love Putin’s Russia with Orthodox Christianity along with the oligarchs and their wealth. Reaping power & wealth along with revenge are the only factors in the MAGA movement.
As well as tricking the uneducated masses to mainline garbage and vote against their own interests.
My husband and I were just talking about why people vote against their best interests. In the case of 45, I think it's the pull of the cult in most respects.
Those I know in that world have no other information outlet. They refuse to listen to anyone who says something contrary to their beliefs. And they have an excellent support structure to turn to when they feel attacked. It is very much a cult.
One notable thing about the clerics Putin has hand picked to head his Russian Orthodox Church are that a good many of them served as government informants to the Soviet government. Russian Orthodoxy has always been firmly under the control of the government since Peter the Great abolished the patriarchate and placed the church under the control of the Most Holy Synod, a body of laymen and monastic hierarchy that dictated church practice and ritual, approved canonizations, miracles and relics as well as suppressing people deemed heretics or practicing witchcraft. The Holy Synod ran the. Russian Orthodox Church from 1721 to 1917.
I appreciate this, Kathy. It's always interesting to see how different autocrats use religion to control people...and how not different their tactics wind up being.
Will they also make the NFL cheerleaders wear more clothes? Lol
Most likely. And limit the kinds of routines they could do. Many Christian schools in my era made cheerleaders sit during game play, on top of wearing skirts to the knee, modest tops, and no movements that caused the skirt to fan out of fly up.
Andrea, this was in Slate. It's genius. https://slate.com/life/2024/10/donald-trump-kamala-harris-election-project-2025-ad.html?pay=1728967775921&support_journalism=please
It’s almost like they went thru one of my lists of scenarios. 😂 I hope these move the needle for a few voters.
Sorry I think there is a pay wall on that article. Here's part of it:
"Next, we backward engineered from the constraints on these websites. I was aware that lots of Republican state legislators were passing laws that in effect banned Pornhub. If you log on to Pornhub from a VPN out of Texas, you will get a message saying the website is not available because of whatever law. My initial idea was some sort of map, warning that voting Trump will empower legislators like this. But then they put Project 2025 out, which was a gift. It has a page detailing a plan to ban pornography and throw pornographers in jail. I was like, “OK, this will be a simple message.”
We have a sub for Slate, so I could read it.
The attacks are really on education per se........to roll us back to dark ages when the Church and Elitist landowners ruled over us.
They re-classify art and literature as "pornographic", then outlaw it. Like Comstock re-classifying all birth control including condoms as pornographic, then outlawing it. It's very much about white male power. But not all white males will be invited, only wealthy white men. The redneck white guys who voted for Trump are not allowed to join the club.
Only wealthy white Christian Nationalist men (or those in the cult of white supremacy, which has become the same thing.)
And yes, these attacks dumb people down. They teach people to avoid things that give them different ways to see the world or to ask questions. It’s about critical thinking skills, which are a part of education we haven’t been doing well in the US for a long time.
Andra, given the Evangelical church and churches at large are declining dramatically, how do you think Christian Nationalists will govern when secularism significantly outnumbers people of faith? Think 10-20 years from now. To my knowledge (I forget the source), white Christians make up 44% of the U.S. population, despite Christians being in the majority of all faiths (above 50%).
They want to take over the government so they can force everyone into religious indoctrination, which will then fill up their churches (and their coffers, more importantly) with bodies.
How (see "which will then fill up their churches (and their coffers, more importantly) with bodies.")? I don't see Americans at large going back to church and it is unconstitutional for the government to establish a church or mandate/retaliate people for not attending or being affiliated with faith or attending church.
It is unconstitutional TO YOU. Separation of church and state TO THEM = protect the church from the state. If they are in power, THEY will decide what that means, and it will mean separation of church and state means protect the church from the state. Mike Johnson is on the record saying this. I've written about how they don't plan to necessarily force every American to go to church. Need housing because you're unhoused? You're effectively going through Christian Nationalist religious indoctrination to have a roof over your head. Need food assistance? Same. Need diapers for the baby the state forced you to have? Same. Want a divorce? Same. Caught soliciting a prostitute? Same. Have kids in public school? Same. ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS require some kind of church attendance to continue receiving whatever the participant needs. I wrote about this early on here. If you search "religious indoctrination for assistance" you should find several newsletters.
Thank you for clarifying that I can find more under "religious indoctrination for assistance." I did not recognize this, and I take accountability for that. This behavior should be unconstitutional, but sadly isn't under right-wing courts, churches, groups, and politicians.
This article is unthinkable. How many years will it take him to take over entertainment and culture if he succeeds? To my knowledge, it is unconstitutional to prohibit secular music, content, and movies, including LGBTQ+ content, authors, themes, and acknowledgement.
I'm sure if someone had written an article in 1990 that said, "Leonard Leo is going to take over the judicial branch and infiltrate it with Christian Nationalist judges who interpret the Constitution using their faith as the sole lens," people would have said, "This article is unthinkable!" Yet here we are.
Stephen's comments above are a good window into how quickly he could accomplish this. Several major media outlets are already owned by Christian Nationalists. He could consolidate those. Major 45 donors now own many legacy (corporate) media outlets. They've infiltrated companies like Disney and often use financing to influence content of films and shows. (I don't think Americans realize how much say the funders of films and the like have in the final product. It's a lot.)
It's also pointless to say "that's unconstitutional" when their entire goal for decades has been to either rewrite the Constitution in their image through a convention or take over the judiciary and interpret the Constitution in their image. It won't matter what precedent has set to be unconstitutional or constitutional when we have judges and justices who are willing to throw that all out and rewrite it in their Christian Nationalist image.
Good points. I read on Michele Hornish and Jess Piper's Substack that Democrats are just beginning to invest and win over rural voters again after decades of Democrats (and many still do to this day) find them unwinnable electorally.
See: https://substack.com/@michelehornish/note/c-72559045
People like Michele and Jess are doing critical work. I'm a fan of both of them (and so many other kickass Democratic ladies.)
Do you think Democrats will win over rural voters again (such as in Missouri)? I'm skeptical. The Democratic Party has a messaging and elitist problem that is evident to rural, working class voters, and in my view, Democrats have not provided rural voters a thorough plan to fix their problems and educate them about the wealthy and their role in making America's problem more significant. Perhaps they will win in some suburban areas and over women because of abortion, but if they want to win big, they need to win over voters over the age of 45 and men (who tends to support the GOP). I want to see Alaska, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arizona, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and parts of Georgia and Florida turn solid blue (that aren't blue). I think we'll save democracy that way. Especially with curriculum censorship, health conditions, hostility to voting rights and LGBTQ+ equality and medical care, and reproductive rights, to name a few. I haven't seen any major changes on the electoral map, for instance, of Missouri hypothetically turning blue, if you know what I mean. That's why I'm skeptical and am pondering about how long they will accomplish this. There needs to be a systematic, unified effort by Democrats. Republicans are far more unified and on the same page than Democrats.
Jess Piper and Michelle Hornish write about turning rural red voters blue
I am going to read what they have to say. I live in a rural area in Northern CA. It is "red." As much as I love the geographic area (it is very beautiful) dealing with the narrow-minded, extreme views is very difficult.
I will look. To simplify my message, do you, Andra, think Democrats will win over rural voters again? You would know better than me.
Chris, DeSantis vetoed ALL cultural arts funding (32 million) in Fl this year.
For what reason again? I forget, but I believe it was because of an event that recognized transgender people. After all, I read the cultural arts funding was overwhelmingly bipartisan, so I don't get what his motive was for vetoing it. The GOP isn't oppositional to the arts like they are about voting rights, for instance.
His motive for vetoing it was Christo-fascist extremism. I have a direct quote from him coming tomorrow.
Speaking about Christo-fascist extremism, is it to win over and get the approval of Evangelical voters? I suppose it is because he is very likely going to run for president in 2028. He's only 46. Please let me know if you think my thoughts are inaccurate. I don't view Florida as a Christo-fascist state regarding voters, given it doesn't have a high Evangelical population, such as Louisiana and Arkansas. Regarding motives, what is he trying to gain besides his biases?
He is trying to suppress access to things that make people think critically or see the world differently. He is in a camp that believes children “decide” to be gay or trans because they see it portrayed so much in the arts, books, film, etc.
Is it true gay and transgender people are portrayed significantly "in the arts, books, film, etc."? I'm unsure and unaware of such knowledge if its true.
In addition, every politician has biases that Americans disagree with, but why does he push it onto Floridians compared to other politicians? I wonder what he is trying to gain from doing so? Is it to become president in 2028 and align himself with Evangelicals and their narrow worldview for potential support like Trump did in 2016? I don't know it he's doing it because he is who he is (personality/ego) or if it is to advance his political career. His term expires in January 2027 and can't run again.