Two-Party System Funnies

It's under attack. From, and by, itself.

At least at first, America’s founders famously disliked political parties, and so failed to provide for them in the Constitution. Like them or not, however, the two-party system has prevailed for 95% of our history. Given that third parties face high barriers to obtain ballot access, are shut out of televised debates and routinely denied media exposure, the duopoly is likely to be with us for the foreseeable future.

A corollary to Toqueville’s observation that a well-informed electorate is essential to democracy is that fuzziness and confusion at the ballot box means that voters cannot make an informed decision, will feel cheated and fooled, and will eventually lose faith in electoral politics altogether.

Alas, our two-party system is being corrupted by forces and reforms that trick and manipulate voters.

Continue reading ...

"Gas Price Wars" Funnies

This Week in Gas Prices (the Only Thing That Matters in US politics, apparently)

And the Battle for The Soul of America opens a new front ... in your mailbox.

The Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade seemed to be helping Democrats' polls as we move into the 2022 midterm elections. But Democrats don’t appear as interested in legalizing abortion on the federal level as they do in campaigning (and specifically, raising money) on the issue. It makes you wonder: do they want Republicans to mess everything up so that they get elected?

And five more.

Sunday Armageddon Funnies

... by Emad Hajjaj for the al-Araby al-Jadeed newspaper in London.

"Export Your Problems" Funnies

How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Bill)

Here's a problem I wish Texas could export: Christian fascists.

“A worst case scenario is: you unleash hell on your kids and in your home,” said Jamie Gooch. “(Hocus Pocus 2) is based on witches harvesting children for blood sacrifices ... “Do not watch this film,” she warned. “Everybody thinks it’s fake and innocent, but they could be casting any type of spell that they want to, anything could be coming through that TV screen into your home.”

Sure hope her neighbors have a raucous Halloween party on tap.

Julian Assange’s case is not just about (him). It is also about news outlets like The New York Times and The Guardian, which published scores of stories based on information they were given by WikiLeaks. It was clearly a collaboration, yet only one guy is sitting in a British jail and facing a life sentence in the United States.

We might not always like or agree with people who become symbols of press freedom, but that freedom is essential to who we are as a nation.

"Climb It Emergency" Funnies

Hurricane warning (from 2017):

At the "Harmacy", from Jen Sorensen

Many women are finding that in states with strict abortion bans, drugstores won't fill their prescriptions without special confirmation from a doctor or a privacy-invading consultation with the pharmacist. It's yet another way in which anti-choice extremism is upending healthcare. This article in The Guardian provides an overview.