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DeSantis transforms Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Chutkan laughs. Lauro sits back down.

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

Take your GOP plan out of the witness protection program.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Trump’s legal defense is going to be a dumpster fire inside a clown car on a derailing train.

This really is a full service blog.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread: Kids These Days, They Just Don’t Respect the Old Ways

Open Thread: Kids These Days, They Just Don’t Respect the Old Ways

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Slate examines the sorry tale of another American institution in decline:

… Membership totals are hard to track, because the Klan doesn’t willingly release member lists. Over the long term, the KKK is clearly contracting, since its rolls have shrunk from millions in the 1920s to between 3,000 and 5,000 today. But no one knows how membership has changed in the last few years.
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Klan-watchers, however, suspect that the nation’s oldest domestic terrorist organization is indeed struggling to keep pace with other racist hate groups. Young racists tend to think of the Klan as their grandfathers’ hate group, and of its members as rural, uneducated, and technologically unsophisticated. The Klan doesn’t seem to have used the web and social media as well as its competitors. The group’s failure to effectively deploy technology is a bit of an irony, since one of those newfangled motion pictures, The Birth of a Nation, launched the KKK’s second era in 1915.
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The Klan’s history of violence is another challenge to recruitment. The organization will always be associated with the lynching of innocent African-Americans in the 20th century, which puts off more moderate racists.
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The KKK is also suffering from a proliferation of competitors. People who wanted to join a white supremacist movement back in the 1920s didn’t have a lot of choices. Today, there are countless options, enabling an extremist to find a group that matches his personal brand of intolerance. The more extreme groups in the burgeoning patriot movement cater to anti-Muslim, homophobic, and xenophobic sentiment, with less animosity toward African-Americans and Jews. Aryan Nations offers a heavy focus on Christian identity. Some groups preach more violence, while others offer a veneer of intellectualism. American Renaissance, for example, caters to “suit-and-tie” racists, offering pseudo-scientific papers on white supremacy. The group even holds conferences at a hotel near Dulles airport in Virginia…

Also — true story! — Fred Phelps’ Westboro-Baptist family cult picketed a Rick Santorum event. Top WaPo comment:

Gawd, that’s awesome. They were made for each other. I can just imagine Fred Phelps and Rick Santorum exchanging the passionate kiss they’ve always dreamed about. Afterwards I guess they’d have to light each other on fire or something.

Yeah, and you thought the ‘pink slime’ discussion was gross and uncivil…

Reader Interactions

70Comments

  1. 1.

    BGinCHI

    Good coincidence. Just watched the “Clayton Bigsby” sketch from The Chappelle Show (season 1, episode 1: streaming on Nextflix!) again last night. Damn funny stuff.

    If you’ve never see it, do yourself a favor.

  2. 2.

    Amanda in the South Bay

    Today, there are countless options, enabling an extremist to find a group that matches his personal brand of intolerance.

    For example, they could join the Republican Party.

  6. 6.

    David Koch

    The Klan needs to redesign their uniforms. Something that makes them look cool with today’s youth.

    They could also rebrand with some commercial tie-ins with Nike, MTV, and Playstation. Perhaps a new video game, “Grand Theft Auto – Knight Riders” and a realty show, “The Real Housewives of the KKK”. Also, hire a celebrity spokesperson, like Mel Gibson.

  7. 7.

    debg

    I’m wondering if commenters on the WaPo story were Kansans. Even Kansans find Phelps and his crew disgusting (and embarrassing). They just want him to go live in another state.

  8. 8.

    dmsilev

    So many straight lines, so little time (seriously; I should be working right now…). I’ll settle for one:

    American Renaissance, for example, caters to “suit-and-tie” racists, offering pseudo-scientific papers on white supremacy.

    Paging Andrew Sullivan. Andrew Sullivan, please pick up a white courtesy phone.

  9. 9.

    Amir Khalid

    Another historic organization fallen by the wayside. I haz such a big sad for the Ku Klux Klan.

  10. 10.

    Raven

    @David Koch: In the Winder, GA xmas parade about 25 years ago they had a float that had a “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” theme. A little Klan jocularity!

  12. 12.

    dr. bloor

    As the Klan’s history of violence puts off “moderate racists?”. Looks like Bobo has another demographic group to chat with at Applebee’s.

  14. 14.

    Brachiator

    Slate examines the sorry tale of another American institution in decline

    The Klan is in decline, but hate crazification is up.

    I blame the Internets.

  15. 15.

    BGinCHI

    @BO_Bill: Yep, exactly right. Constructed by racists to dominate minority populations.

    Bob, tell BO Bill and the studio audience what he’s won.

  17. 17.

    General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero)

    Who needs the KKK when you have The Tea Party, and its mothership, the GOP. The kluckers are idiots, as are most of the white supremacist groups. What we should be worried about are more mainstream institutions becoming congealed around the concept of political resistance at the state level, and a SCOTUS syncronised with the GOP, more inclined toward hyper federalism to create state enclaves of nutters with the force of law to dissent from the country at large. We will know more of this when a number of long time stare decisis cases reaches the supreme’s on things like the commerce clause, abortion, and religious autonomy from rule of law. It is really all they have left to maintain anything near the status quo, which even that they are rebelling from. And should be why, liberals and dems should focus on keeping the senate out of their hands in the near term, when several of the wingers on the court could drop dead any day. Or, for that matter, the liberal justices as well.

    It could go either way, and clean those tin foil hats. Mine is being reinforced with anti wingnut gibberish panels, as we speek :-)

    It’s Saturday Night At the Apocalypse Theater, turn forward those clocks, and pop up some corn.

  18. 18.

    Yutsano

    @BO_Bill: You’re no fun when you’re phoning it in.

    Meet-up. Tonight. 6 PM. Sazerac Restaurant. Downtown Seattle. There will be liveblogging.

  19. 19.

    BGinCHI

    I’m going to be curious to see how it goes in 2016 when Sherrod Brown runs for Prez, wins, and the ‘nuts have to attack a white guy. Wonder what they’ll do?

  20. 20.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    The more extreme groups in the burgeoning patriot movement cater to anti-Muslim, homophobic, and xenophobic sentiment, with less animosity toward African-Americans and Jews. Aryan Nations offers a heavy focus on Christian identity. Some groups preach more violence, while others offer a veneer of intellectualism.

    I went with the Baptists.

  25. 25.

    Brachiator

    This just in. Santorum Cleans up with the Krazies in the Kansas Caucuses

    With 93 percents of the precincts reporting, Santorum captured an overwhelming 52 percent–although only about 14,500 people– of the vote. Mitt Romney is in second with 21 percent, followed by Newt Gingrich with 14 percent and Ron Paul with 12 percent. Santorum stands to gain a substantial number of Kansas’ 40 delegates.

    A caucus win is not as big as a primary, but it is good for bragging rights.

  27. 27.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    @BO_Bill: Yeah, if there were no people around, we probably wouldn’t be racist. Still doesn’t make it OK.

  28. 28.

    General Stuck (Bravo Nope Zero)

    After reading this campaign like ad/article, FOR OBAMA, maybe, er hard to tell. I had to double take where it came from. National Review. And wondering if they have are growing magic mushrooms in the basement.

    After digging through the details of the jobs report, it is clear that the message we delivered last time, that the lift-off has finally happened, has been confirmed by this report. The high level of job creation, and upward revisions to past months, are only the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps the most striking thing is that voluntary quits skyrocketed. This means that workers are confident enough in the labor market that they are willing to quit their job. There was also a big rush back into the labor market. Folks are willing to look for a job again, because they now expect to be able to find one. It is no coincidence that the private sector is taking off while the government stimulus is winding down. This is consistent with the crowding out story I wrote about in last month’s National Review. The biggest risk to the forecast is that an oil shock might launch us into a sudden reversal. It is rather striking that the economy could do this well with gas prices this high, which suggests that the pressure valve has been opened, and the years of pent-up activity that were suppressed by uncertainty over Obama’s policies is finally being released. Thank God for gridlock.

    Thank God for gridlock? This shit is deep. So they are saying wingnut obstruction is what has caused the econ recovery? Talk about kissing that chicken before a roll in the coup.

  29. 29.

    Martin

    @David Koch:

    They could also rebrand with some commercial tie-ins with Nike, MTV, and Playstation. Perhaps a new video game, “Grand Theft Auto – Knight Riders” and a realty show, “The Real Housewives of the KKK”. Also, hire a celebrity spokesperson, like Mel Gibson.

    I agree this is a serious marketing problem. The KKK should hire the agency that did the Miracle Whip campaign. Nothing says hip and exciting like fake mayonnaise. They could come up with an iOS app like grindr. I doubt ‘niggr’ has been taken. That’ll buy them some serious social networking cred, help them connect with other members, that kind of stuff.

    The video game is a no-brainer. I think take something like Left Behind: Eternal Forces, but instead of battling the non-Jesus selected, just make them all brown. Easy conversion. Do some in-game purchases to raise money – pipe bombs for the MLK parade mission, etc.

    And Rush need the ad support, so maybe a tie-in with him. Should be a natural fit.

  31. 31.

    BO_Bill

    Hey Yutsano, we’re not far apart! With the proper incentives, I am sure that I could learn and grow as an individual. However, many caring and peaceful Democrats monitor these conversations and I have people who depend on my continued health and subsequent income.

  35. 35.

    Joseph Nobles

    People who wanted to join a white supremacist movement back in the 1920s didn’t have a lot of choices.

    This is actually not true. The Klan was one of dozens of 100% Americanism/national preparedness groups in the 1920’s. What none of the others had was a masterpiece of film art for a recruitment informercial: Griffith’s “The Birth Of A Nation.”

    But it was such a swift and total victory that the Klan also got the lion’s share of the pushback. In Alabama, once the planters and industrialists realized the Klan was no longer a support element for their power but was actually threatening it, they made moves to get the membership lists released. Membership plummeted.

  37. 37.

    asiangrrlMN

    The organization will always be associated with the lynching of innocent African-Americans in the 20th century, which puts off more moderate racists.

    “More moderate racists.”

    ::Sigh::

  39. 39.

    Martin

    @asiangrrlMN: What? Look, just because I want you to die a horrible death doesn’t mean I’m committed enough to actually kill you. See, I’m a moderate.

  40. 40.

    RAM

    @Jewish Steel: Indeed. It was a good thing I wasn’t drinking anything when I read it. But then I figured circumstances suggested it was a good idea to do just that. Which I did. One more bottle of Negra Modelo bites the dust…

  42. 42.

    Mike in NC

    American Renaissance, for example, caters to “suit-and-tie” racists, offering pseudo-scientific papers on white supremacy. The group even holds conferences at a hotel near Dulles airport in Virginia…

    Sounds like a perfect venue for Perfesser Gingrich. He even lives in McLean!

  43. 43.

    BGinCHI

    @Yutsano: It’s just like a moderate homophobe: they wait until after the same-sex wedding to beat the shit out of the groom and groom/bride and bride.

  47. 47.

    CarolDuhart2

    Wine and cheese parties where folks read and discuss Mein Kampf. Swastika tie and lapel pins. Custom tailored Klan robes. The “we don’t provoke violence, you understand, but sometimes folks have it coming” crowd.

    We won’t start it, like our low-bred cousins, but if opportunity presents itself, well…you know.

  50. 50.

    piratedan

    American Renaissance, for example, caters to “suit-and-tie” racists

    “I’m not a racist, but I DO employ racist henchmen….”

  57. 57.

    JPL

    The Post seems to be cleaning up the comment section. I did think this was clever.

    Maybe they showed up because one of them googled “Santorum”

  58. 58.

    MikeJ

    @Yutsano: I think he waited just to forgo the special election. Had he quit earlier there would have been a special election to replace him, now the special election is actually held on election day in November. There’s no sideshow campaign , and it saves the state some money too.

    The interesting thing is that the special election is to decide who holds the seat from November to January. That election will take place with the current CD boundaries. At the same time, voters will elect a representative for the 113th congress using the new boundaries, and about half of the CD is gone and replaced.

  60. 60.

    scav

    Would take a bit longer but costume dramas are popular again. Remake Birth of a Nation only add lots more below stairs intrigue and maybe a Duchess or two.

  62. 62.

    Yutsano

    @MikeJ: It depends on how the new district is designed if a Dem holds it, but odds are they will. The Republicans are surprisingly disorganized this year. I think they’re all concentrating on getting McKenna elected, since their choices to attempt to replace Cantwell are all jokes.

  64. 64.

    demimondian

    Well, despite calling themselves “white”, most members of the clan are actually kind of pink on the outside. That makes them pink slime, right?

  66. 66.

    Yutsano

    Sazerac update: just confirmed reservation with restaurant (they called while I was away from the phone) and I mentioned that peeps will be looking for the Balloon Juice table. She got a kick out of that!

  67. 67.

    gene108

    @Mnemosyne (iTouch):

    Saw the picture of Ellen and her lover at the bottom of the cracked link. OMG.

    What’s with famous gays/lesbians marrying people young enough to be their kids.

    Barney Franks lover is 42 and Barney’s something like 72.

    I’m sorry, if this isn’t politically correct, but there needs to be some way to see if these gays are truly in love or if one of them is just gold digging and/or trying to make up for lost youth with a hot young thang by their side.

    Why the tabloids lay off this shit, while muckraking straight couples for marrying a generation younger is beyond me.

  68. 68.

    VincentN

    @gene108:

    Is this a spoof?

    Rich, famous gay people probably marry younger for the same reasons that rich, famous straight people do. There’s no big mystery there.

    I’m sorry, if this isn’t politically correct, but there needs to be some way to see if these gays are truly in love or if one of them is just gold digging and/or trying to make up for lost youth with a hot young thang by their side.

    Uh, no, we don’t.

  69. 69.

    gene108

    @VincentN:

    Is it a spoof? Eh…maybe a bit…

    Just pointing out gay couples get a lot of privacy from the tabloids compared to straight couples. The media was all over Ashton-and-Demi Moore’s marriage, for example.

    Yet Ellen and her girl toy make very few headlines on E!

    Heck, look at Ben Afleck’s courtship of Jennifer Lopez. The media was all over those two. South Park even did a spoof.

    You never see gay couples get that kind of media attention, except for LiLo’s short lived fling with Samantha the DJ.

    There seems to be a double standard, in my opinion. It’s as if talking openly about gay couples in public is somehow taboo.

  70. 70.

    Mnemosyne

    @gene108:

    What’s with famous gays/lesbians marrying people young enough to be their kids.

    There’s only a 15 year age difference between Portia de Rossi and Ellen Degeneres. I suppose technically Ellen is old enough to have been Portia’s teen mom, but that’s not usually what people mean when they say someone is old enough to be someone’s mother/father. IMO, there’s gotta be at least a 20 or 25 year gap before you start claiming someone is old enough to be their spouse’s parent.

    And, frankly, the question is more “Why do rich/famous people marry much younger husbands/wives?” You can’t really look at, say, Donald Trump or Kelsey Grammer and declare it’s a “gay thing.” Hell, if you look at old Hollywood, 50ish Humphrey Bogart marrying 19-year-old Lauren Bacall was way ickier than 60ish Barney Frank marrying a guy who’s in his mid-40s.

    ETA: And don’t even get me started on borderline pedophiles like Charlie Chaplin and Errol Flynn. If you have to go to Mexico to marry your pregnant girlfriend because she’s too young for you to legally marry her in the US even with parental consent, that’s a problem.

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