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travis71nm's avatar

The fact that Scott Walker thinks that women wanting control over their own bodies is the result of "radical indoctrination" tells you everything you need to know about not only where the GOP is today but WHY they are there.

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Bruce Brittain's avatar

The "radical indoctrination" of the GOP has been going on for three decades (starting with Limbaugh) by the profitable dis-information industry. The right's "slow civil war" is being directed by this industry, from strategy to tactics. I know, I'm a broken record but that doesn't make me wrong. Goebbels did it for political power, Murdoch does it for money.

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mel ladi's avatar

I cannot bear Scott Walker. He was an undereducated former county administrator (CAO) and a bully. I think we have to look directly at KochтАЩs for his rise in power. He was their vision to kill unions, lower taxes and anything else which would reduce their profits. Follow the money.

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suzc's avatar

There seem to be a LOT of bullies in today's GOP. It seems to characterize each of them.

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Pam Delany's avatar

As a retired (nonunion) state of Wisconsin employee (court reporter, Br 3, Kenosha -- yes, that court), Scott Walker "woke" me up as Act 10 raged on and I was forced to take unpaid forced furlough days, was vilified as a public employee, and workload increased. I will never vote for a Republican again. Scott Walker and the Republican long-game playbook of divide and conquer was the bridge too far. I haven't looked back. Blessed to be wide awake woke! Thank you, Scotty!

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Deutschmeister's avatar

Your point is well made, but in this specific case it is important to note that Scott Walker is a professional opportunist. (Not that many of his peers aren't.) He made both his name and his nut hoodwinking other people with divide-and-conquer, and now that he is a stale old fart whose expiration date has come and gone, he resorts to playing his greatest hits in a pathetic attempt to remain relevant to his audience -- what I call the Ted Nugent Approach.

To the extent that some of us still have to live with what Walker foisted upon us starting in 2011, I can't shake my lingering disdain for those, including talk radio show hosts, who both empowered him and all too willingly and eagerly gave him a forum to start us down the slippery anti-democratic slope that we are on, and to an even greater extreme now. As Charlie likes to say sarcastically of others, but not necessarily of himself: "If only they had been warned."

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JMFK's avatar

Walker is right! I was radicalized by Jesuits, the US Army, college professors, graduate school, and 30 years in R&D and QA working for US and international corporations, all of whom indoctrinated me with the dangerous notion that I should evaluate, analyze, and think for myself. I am so ashamed I let them all do that to me.

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Jeff Smith's avatar

Is this free-thinkers anonymous? If so, sign me up!

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Maggie's avatar

My dad legit believes that Jesuits are radical leftists and banned me from applying to Georgetown.

But it turns out the elderly nuns who oversaw my high school and college education were also "radical leftists" so the jokes on him, isn't it? Oh, and the Benedictines, who educated my brothers also must have been radical leftists, because they've had it with the Republican chicanery. What is the world coming to?

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JM's avatar

I too was indoctrinated! 12 years of Catholic Schooling, 4 years in the military, growing up in Ohio, raising my family in NE, KS, MO and now WisconsinтАж.. rural living at its best.

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GlenD's avatar

Mom was Church of Christ. Thank god Dad was Atheist.

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Kim Nesvig's avatar

IтАЩm curious when the radical indoctrination of WisconsinтАЩs youth occurred. During the tenure of Tony Evers-D (2019-present), or during Walker-$(2011-2019). Perhaps Jim Doyle-D(2003-2011), or Scott McCallum-R (2001-2003), or Tommy Thompson-R(1987-2001). Did this occur during the past 15 years, when so-called Conservatives had an ideological majority in the Wisconsin Supreme Court? Maybe the Wisconsin legislature is to blame? The GOP has enjoyed a majority in both chambers Senate and Assembly since 2013.

TodayтАЩs Wisconsin youth grew up in a state completely controlled by Republicans since 2013. Maybe they are voting against the GOP because of what they have witnessed most of their lives.

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Amy H.'s avatar

Bill Kristol had the best take on this, imo. His response to Walker: "Alternate view. Young people, their souls not deformed by whipped-up resentments and grievances and their minds not corroded by curdled nostalgia, are voting with clearer eyes and more civic spirit than their elders."

Go Bill, Go!

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Bruce Brittain's avatar

Fox whips up "curdled nostalgia" better than most.

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Maryah Haidery's avatar

DonтАЩt get me wrong, I loved BillтАЩs high-minded and astute analysis but I think the prize has to go to CharlieтАЩs succinct and witty тАЬnow do womenтАЭ :)

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David Court's avatar

If you have never heard "You've got to be carefully taught" from South Pacific:

You've got to be taught, to hate and fear

You've got to be taught from year to year

It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear

You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught, to be afraid

Of people whose eyes are oddly made

And people whose skin is a different shade

You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught before it's too late

Before you are six or seven or eight

To hate all the people your relatives hate

You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be carefully taught

Songwriters: Oscar Hammerstein Ii, Richard Rodgers. For non-commercial use only.

You tube has lots of the sung version.

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rlritt's avatar

Love that movie. The book is great too

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David Court's avatar

Not to mention the live musical-stage play.

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Maggie's avatar

I would like to point that the play South Pacific would be another casualty of the prurient drag bans in places like Florida because of the gender-swapping in the musical number "Honey Bun".

I was in my high school's production as one of the nurses, it probably turned be into the brazen hussy that I am today!

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GlenD's avatar

I do love a good hussy...

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knowltok's avatar

Didn't realize we were still allowed to admit that.

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David Court's avatar

Depends where ... and to whom.

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Kate Fall's avatar

There's a town next to me with a drag queen story hour scheduled for April. If I could make an educated guess, I would say 90% of the town is fine with it or just doesn't care either way. But the town supervisor wants to cater to the 10%, so he just added a $5800 "security" fee to the event, so they'll probably have to cancel. The supervisor said "some people just want attention." Irony is dead example #666. Anyway, my point is, here in NY, this bluest of blue states, I'm fully expecting Shakespeare in the Park to be cancelled this summer.

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Brian S's avatar

I bet if drag queen story hour started a go fund me, they'd get enough to cover a year's worth of security fees.

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Kate Fall's avatar

I think Rochester's subreddit may be working on this.

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David Court's avatar

ЁЯСНЁЯдЮЁЯдЮЁЯдЮЁЯдЮЁЯдЮ

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Maggie's avatar

As You Like It: advancing the radical trans agenda for 400 years.

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Susan Travis's avatar

Must share with my English teacher friends!

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Maggie's avatar

T-shirts! Coffee mugs!

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

Here's a similar message, presented in rock form for those whose tastes lean that direction: Rush's "Witch Hunt".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wavKzXX-Vek

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Amy H.'s avatar

Oh, my! I haven't thought about that song in forever. So apt rn. The Moving Pictures album was arguably their best, at least during that phase of the band. I have pulled up some of their other songs from that period the last few years to add to my darker playlists of prescient music.

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

As a longtime committed Rush fan, I can't rank their albums or songs in any consistent fashion: every one is a favorite in some way at some time for me (Edit: well maybe ... except for "I Think I'm Going Bald" ;-).

Is "Bravado" (from Roll the Bones) one you've listened to lately? It's been weighing on my mind. Obligatory video (from a live performance): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ka_oevW2sc

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Sheri's avatar

Have you noticed Donna Halper joins the TNB chat occasionally? I often wonder if people recognize her when her name scrolls past when she comments.

I haven't listened to the first 3 albums in decades, but I can say unequivocally that The Garden is my favorite song with lyrics and La Villa Strangiato is my favorite instrumental. But albums...nope. Can't order them or pick a fave.

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

No! I've not yet been able to catch TNB live and don't generally read the chat while watching the video. I may need to adjust my habits and preferences. I've seen her occasionally comment here, but didn't think it appropriate to fangirl on her. I hope she's noticed the Rush love several of us have brought here.

I still can't listen to "The Garden" without waterfalls of tears, but my son might agree with you. "Mission" and "Available Light" are almost always in my top five; I've sprinkled lyrics from the latter on my website. If I cared about the Grammys, I'd say it's a tragedy that none of their instrumentals ever received one. It's hard for me to rank their longer instrumentals, they're just too good. And then there's that short and saucy slice of heaven that features Geddy's sick bass: "Malignant Narcissism". :chef's kiss:

So nice to see so many Rush fansтАФand females at that!тАФhere.

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Sheri's avatar

Neil Peart had a very clear-eyed view of society in every lyric he wrote.

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

That is an excellent way of putting it.

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Nnena Okeke's avatar

"their minds not corroded by curdled nostalgia" is such an excellent turn of phrase

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Tim Coffey's avatar

Walker's unspoken message is "conservatives" -- and I use that term loosely -- are never wrong, but the voters are. It's the message of a man whose head is firmly entrenched up his backside and is incapable of any honest introspection.

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GlenD's avatar

The view is all rainbows and roses. But why does it smell like shit?

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Susan A.'s avatar

This isn't limited to "conservatives". I often blame ignorance and/or stupidity on why those people think the way they do (or misogyny or racism or religion). Giving him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he's trying to figure out why people don't look at things the way he does.

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Tim Coffey's avatar

ItтАЩs not limited to тАЬconservativesтАЭ but it is prevalent in that world.

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Apr 7, 2023
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Sheaster's avatar

Republicans works for me- trust me, I know what it means...

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Apr 7, 2023
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Sheaster's avatar

Sorry about that. My point was you need not use nicknames to make YOUR point. I believe every person hanging around The Bulwark knows the current Republican party is overflowing with racism & bigotry. Using the correct names to me means, "They're so bad just the NAME conjures up all the negative images needed."

It's a me thing... :)

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David Court's avatar

Would you want to "introspect" given where you say his head (and eyes) are?

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Tim Coffey's avatar

Rhetorical question? :)

Look, I think that any successful, well adjusted person has racked up some failures and has indulged in wishful thinking. If you don't learn from those experiences, you stay stuck and you never grow. My point about Walker is he sounds like someone who is 100% certain that his views are correct, and if voters don't recognize that, somehow they're indoctrinated and need to be deprogrammed. Although I don't read him anymore, Andrew Sullivan spoke back in the Obama years about how the modern GOP has fused religious fundamentalist thinking with politics, which leads to a black and white view of the world. In Walker's mind, he can't possibly be wrong. He can't entertain that possibility because if he did, his entire worldview would likely fall apart.

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Rita Parker's avatar

Everyone should watch the Mortal Storm. It's an old black and white movie from the 40's with Jimmy Stewart. But it perfectly encapsulates the GOP of today. Once decent people drinking the Nazi Kool aid. Families broken. This is today's GOP. The Walkers of the world don't want free thought. They are trying to suffocate anything they don't like. It's going to ultimately cost them.

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Deutschmeister's avatar

Just saying ... the formal medical term for what Walker and his adherents are experiencing is called Headupassness. There is no cure for it other than seeking and acquiring actual knowledge and experience.

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suzc's avatar

By losing elections and with them all that cushy power and wealth.

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Jeff Smith's avatar

We always called it a "cranial-rectal inversion." It doesn't have to be chronic, but somehow usually is...

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Douglas Peterson's avatar

I've heard that if it continues in the same direction long enough, one begins to see the light again.

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Apr 7, 2023
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Walternate ЁЯЗ║ЁЯЗжЁЯЗиЁЯЗжЁЯЗкЁЯЗ║ЁЯЗ╣ЁЯЗ╝ЁЯЗйЁЯЗ░ЁЯЗмЁЯЗ▒ЁЯЗ▓ЁЯЗ╜ЁЯЗ╡ЁЯЗж's avatar

Once again...

Ideas are not conveyed in a vacuum. Ideas are wrapped in the manner by which they are conveyed.

You very well may have good ideas; but when you wrap them in such vulgar hostility, I stop hearing you through the noise of your manner of conveyance.

Just sayin'...

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Amy H.'s avatar

Yeah, I got the same sense from this. Apparently people voting "conservative" are free thinking Patriots. Anyone not voting conservative is indoctrinated. Quite rich coming from someone who didn't complete college.

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Maggie's avatar

It's true though. I was radically indoctrinated by the Sisters of the Holy Cross and then medical school and then a MPH and my own pregnancy and providing prenatal care to hundreds of women to think that the WI abortion ban is a terrible policy that will result in more dead women and dead babies.

On the bright side, it only took ten years of post-secondary education, my career, and my marriage and subsequent child-bearing to radicalize me. So if Scott Walker starts now, he might be able to de-radicalize me over the course of say...15 years? Maybe more like 20.

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GlenD's avatar

Or, with any luck at all, never.

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Apr 7, 2023
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Sheaster's avatar

If I surrounded myself with only great minds the room would be vacant.

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Linnea's avatar

Scott Walker's intellect is about the same as a piece of used toilet paper. He is a creature of the GQP.

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