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Renee DiResta's avatar

Appreciate this post. Pointing out how the rhetoric works is the appropriate response. “Nobody debates that she aimed her car at the officer and pressed on the accelerator” from Vance (lightly paraphrasing) and “It’s clear that it’s being coordinated…” from Noem are also rhetorical power moves that try to delegitimize the evidence people saw and set authoritative frames. Restating the reality of video evidence suddenly seems like a defensive appeal.

matt schaar's avatar

“Have you said thank you once” was a surprisingly prescient Vanceism for our current regime.

Sunnygirl58's avatar

Excellent piece. It needs a much bigger and wider audience.

Monnina's avatar

Any of us many thousands in all modern democratic nation states who were raped by powerful VIPs as children and have spent a lifetime being subjected to disbelief, ridicule and violent effacement for speaking our truth are familiar with this Playbook. Name it what it is: Rape Culture. This is why more enlightened times condemned rape as the most heinous of crimes. Worse than murder. Because once you normalise rapists your civilisation ends.

Pam Valente's avatar

Fuckity fuck fuck fuck ice-holes. My entire congressional delegation heard from me today. I did manage not to use the F bomb. Thanks for today's opportunity.

Kyle D Bickel's avatar

Fuck ICE. Fuck Trump. Fuck Noem. Fuck Vance. Fuck Miller. Fuck Johnson. Fuck Leavitt. Fuck every single MAGA Congressperson and cabinet member who supports this psychopathic POS president and is too chicken-shit to stand up for our constitution and our people. And fuck anyone who says Renee Good deserved to be murdered. Is that enough fucking swearing for you, you fucking nazi-worshipping, ignorant, racist mothertfucking snowflakes?

Esther Van Lent's avatar

So perfectly written.

Elena Small's avatar

How familiar this rhetoric is to anyone who’s weathered an abusive relationship.

YourBonusMom's avatar

I remember this exact strategy being employed against David Hogg after the Parkland massacre. He was being interviewed and dropped a couple of f-bombs while talking about the shooting and the “thoughts and prayers” being glibly offered to the victims’ families and survivors in lieu of actual prevention of another tragedy. The pearl-clutching and church-lady exclamations of “Language, young man!” was all anyone on the right had to say about it. They don’t care if kids or anyone else dies as long as it doesn’t cause problems for them personally.

Susan Falzo's avatar

Well said. Thank you!

Cindy's avatar
Jan 9Edited

This essay *should* be called The Apology Trap - at least it should be the subtitle. Excellent analysis

Sher''s avatar

Not to worry! My swearing is the least of my concerns.

Layla's avatar

Trumps also said Fuck in a public forum along with many other swear words and other(some might call) offensive language on the national stage. When you hold the highest office in the land you are held to higher standards. Well we see your standards and you can all fuck yourselves!!

Joyce Strong's avatar

💙💪🏻💔🔥