Trump helped me grow up politically.

In the past, I got too angry reading the conservative side of politics. I suppose that was immature of me. Trump was the first president that made me interested in politics because what he was doing seemed so wrong. Because he was so disgusting, it helped me appreciate the other side when they are not disgusting and reasonable.

I see the value now of reading right wing writings. One is that they are a reality check with the left's rhetoric. They can take it too far sometimes, it doesn't seem fair, but there are other times when it hits the mark. It also helps to see the side I like portrayed in a negative light.

I got frustrated that conservatives would defend Trump, I began to feel like there was no debate, it was more of a silly game of my guys is in power. There is no justification to a nihilistic power grab, and the whims of a nihilist. They may say there is some underlying ideology, but it's pretty scant.

Now that the next president will be Biden, some huge misstep withstanding, it's time to begin discussing politics again.

Seeing Trump violate all the norms of Washington, I see the value now of Reagan and Bush trying to follow most of them. I guess it's good to see someone come in and shake it up, but I found the right wing shake up pretty disturbing, damaging. Biden has a lot of work to do.

I've also realized that the fear of communism on the right is pretty off the point. Roads are commonly owned, and there is a degree of communism in America. It's socialism when the fire department shows up. It's OK to not want too much government interference in the market, though of course that will include farm subsidies, which is a key part to red state America.

I'm not as worried about contradictions as I used to be. To be large is to contain the multitudes. America is founded on the twin contradictions of freedom and equality. Equality is going to curb freedoms. Freedom is going to curb equality. It's OK to have contradictions, and I don't want one side to win. I appreciate the dialectic of America. My point is that it shouldn't be between the right and the center, it should be between the right and left. I still think the right is a death cult.

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Manet and Degas

Brilliant video explaining the exhibit. Go to the Met and see the exhibit! It's really quite special. In the last gallery the painting this sketch is based off of, of the execution of a Mexican president. The painting has been cut into sections, and the surviving Degas has reassembled them. NY Times review

The case for Harris

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AOC

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