Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

How stupid are these people?

Giving up is unforgivable.

They don’t have outfits that big. nor codpieces that small.

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

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

We will not go back.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Their shamelessness is their super power.

Fear or fury? The choice is ours.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

This blog will pay for itself.

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

They want us to be overwhelmed and exhausted. Focus. Resist. Oppose.

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / Late Night National Schadenfreude Open Thread

Late Night National Schadenfreude Open Thread

by | 83 Comments

This post is in: , ,

Nope, not talking about our Republicans.

Mildy NSFW: It turns out ‘faraj‘ means something quite different in Malay. (apologies, Amir!)

Reader Interactions

83Comments

  1. 1.

    Libby's Person

    OT, but much more encouraging to think about – Juno successfully entered orbit around Jupiter! Good job, JPL!

  3. 3.

    burnspbesq

    The only parties not currently in disarray are SNP, Plaid Cymru, and Sinn Fein. That would certainly make for an interesting coalition government.

  6. 6.

    The Ancient Randonneur

    C’mon Rupert! Who throws on what appears to be a Loro Piana blazer over the clothes he slept in last night?

  7. 7.

    Highway Rob

    @Emma: I know you didn’t mean it that way, but I’m digging the idea of an NBA/NHL cross-league smash-up. But that’s surely due solely to lack of sleep.

  9. 9.

    starscream

    Obama should manage this transition for them when he’s done with his current gig.

  13. 13.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Well, the asshats are firing off their pop rockets here in Tracktown. Smells like a firing range outside, sounds like a firing range. Could be a firing range, who knows?

    At least I haven’t heard anything in the 155mm howitzer range.

  15. 15.

    pseudonymous in nc

    Credit due to Lily Allen who noticed and recorded the confab of Flange, Murdoch and disgraced former defence secretary Liam Fox at the Lebedev garden party.

  16. 16.

    Amir Khalid

    By the power vested in me as a foreigner who hasn’t been to Britain since he was a toddler, I nominate
    1) Dr Who for Prime Minister
    2) Billy Bragg for Opposition Leader
    3) David Cameron for England manager
    4) Jeremy Clarkson for UKIP leader
    and
    5) The Spice Girls for Top Gear hosts

  17. 17.

    Stella

    My recently departed dog and her predecessor were terrified of fireworks, but her young underlings are completely unperturbed by them. This was the calmest Fourth in many years.

  24. 24.

    Splitting Image

    Watching this mess unfold has made me wonder whether the men in the Upper-Class Twit of the Year sketch were really the Pythons or whether they recruited five guys off of the street.

    Also, I’m developing a strong urge to re-watch my Jeeves and Wooster DVDs. Something about that series seems timely right now.

  29. 29.

    Amir Khalid

    YouTube has just recommended HAha Goodman’s channel to me. I’ve just been perusing his video titles. The derp is strong in this one.

  31. 31.

    divF

    @Splitting Image:
    I’m split about what we are seeing in the Brexit business – a Pythonesque slap-fight amongst a bunch of ex-Eton toffs, or the beginnings of a dystopian nightmare. When I think of the latter, the Tom Robinson Band’s “Power in the Darkness” keeps running through my head. “England Prevails”, also, too.

  32. 32.

    patroclus

    The entire U.K. is falling apart. All the major political leaders have resigned or are seriously threatened. The pound has been undermined. Their credit rating has dropped 2 notches. Both major parties are split and in disarray. The minor parties have way too few seats to influence anything in Parliament. They can’t even make up their mind as to whether a PM can initiate Article 50 notice or whether Parliament should decide. The Brexiters lied through their teeth throughout the campaign and have no plan whatsoever for implementation and most of them have now quit. The print media, according to studies, provided 84-16% coverage in favor of Brexit and have been attacking the EU for 30 years – a study showed Putin got better coverage than the EU. The visual/sound media provided 50-50 but had to have a Brexiter immediately say nonsense for every claim made by a remainer. The constitutional law society has already said that they are effectively in a constitutional crisis. Business deals are being cancelled or are on indefinite hold. Most economists are projecting a recession of unknown duration. Scotland’s talking secession again (after promising not to for at least 30 years). The status of the Northern Ireland/Irish border is in question. Wales, a net beneficiary of EU spending, is facing a massive funding cut (of which they were unaware until after the referendum). The BoE is under substantial pressure. If it breaks up, will the U.K. continue to deserve a permanent UN Security Council seat? Unless 2/3 of parliament agrees or there is a lost vote of confidence, there will be no general election until 2020. The Queen’s power to dissolve was eliminated in the Fixed Terms Parliament Act. A new PM, whoever it is, will not have faced the voters as a prospective PM. The most pro-European party – the Lib Dems – was obliterated at the last election.

    This is not a good situation and there doesn’t appear to be anything pointing to stability any time soon.

  35. 35.

    redshirt

    @patroclus:

    The entire U.K. is falling apart. All the major political leaders have resigned or are seriously threatened. The pound has been undermined. Their credit rating has dropped 2 notches. Both major parties are split and in disarray. The minor parties have way too few seats to influence anything in Parliament. They can’t even make up their mind as to whether a PM can initiate Article 50 notice or whether Parliament should decide. The Brexiters lied through their teeth throughout the campaign and have no plan whatsoever for implementation and most of them have now quit. The print media, according to studies, provided 84-16% coverage in favor of Brexit and have been attacking the EU for 30 years – a study showed Putin got better coverage than the EU. The visual/sound media provided 50-50 but had to have a Brexiter immediately say nonsense for every claim made by a remainer. The constitutional law society has already said that they are effectively in a constitutional crisis. Business deals are being cancelled or are on indefinite hold. Most economists are projecting a recession of unknown duration. Scotland’s talking secession again (after promising not to for at least 30 years). The status of the Northern Ireland/Irish border is in question. Wales, a net beneficiary of EU spending, is facing a massive funding cut (of which they were unaware until after the referendum). The BoE is under substantial pressure. If it breaks up, will the U.K. continue to deserve a permanent UN Security Council seat? Unless 2/3 of parliament agrees or there is a lost vote of confidence, there will be no general election until 2020. The Queen’s power to dissolve was eliminated in the Fixed Terms Parliament Act. A new PM, whoever it is, will not have faced the voters as a prospective PM. The most pro-European party – the Lib Dems – was obliterated at the last election.

    This is not a good situation and there doesn’t appear to be anything pointing to stability any time soon.

    So, it’s anarchy in the UK?

  37. 37.

    Anne Laurie

    @Amir Khalid: Two tweets I’ll probably never get the chance to frontpage here:

  41. 41.

    WarMunchkin

    I’m reasonably worried about what happens to nuclear powers when their right wings trigger nationalist instability. Yet another reason why complete nuclear disarmament is the way to go.

  43. 43.

    fuckwit

    For some reason, the sheer idiocy and farce of the whole Brexit business and its aftermath reminds me of the California Recall Election in the early 2000’s– the one that gave us Arnold.

  46. 46.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @fuckwit:

    the one that gave us Arnold.

    Wasn’t that the one triggered by Enron?

    Anyway, even if nobody is interested, democracy continues south of the equator.

    Counting from last Saturday’s election is continuing. Apparently by one guy and an abacus.

    Results not changed. Both major parties are short of a majority. Whichever party gets the most seats will have to have the support of some independents to form government, aka a hung parliament.

    The Liberal (conservative) Party is in slow motion leadership meltdown while waiting on the result. Which is not expected until Friday or even later, depending on recounts.

  47. 47.

    Mary G

    I have a British friend who has been laughing and pointing at Trump for a whole year now. Who is funny now?

  48. 48.

    Amir Khalid

    @Viva BrisVegas:
    I noticed yesterday that Pauline Hanson is still in the politics business. It’s been twenty years since she was the most famous Aussie pol in Asia, but can I presume she’s still the same old racist xenophobe?

  49. 49.

    Mnemosyne

    @Viva BrisVegas:

    Wasn’t that the one triggered by Enron?

    If by “triggered” you mean “bought and paid for,” then yes. One of the very first things Arnold did after being elected was drop CA’s lawsuit against Enron for price gouging, so it was value for money as far as they were concerned.

  50. 50.

    Prescott Cactus

    @Viva BrisVegas:

    Counting from last Saturday’s election is continuing. Apparently by one guy and an abacus.

    We went with computer touch screens and filed the sys with bugs and malware. Instant results, but whomever paid the programer wins. . .

    P.S. Every try the Indian Pacific; Perth to Sydney ? ? ?

  51. 51.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @Amir Khalid:

    It’s been twenty years since she was the most famous Aussie pol in Asia, but can I presume she’s still the same old racist xenophobe?

    She’s back as a senator (from my state, to my shame) with potentially two fellow senators. Her latest brainstorm is to put cameras into mosques, just to keep an eye on what is going on.

    She’s matured like an old wine, in other words turned into vinegar.

  52. 52.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @Prescott Cactus:

    We went with computer touch screens

    We stuck with pencil and paper for the obvious reasons.

    I haven’t been on the Indian Pacific train, but I’ve driven it in a car.

    All I can say is that there is a lot of nothingness between Port Augusta and Perth. If you like that sort of thing, the Indian Pacific may be for you.

  54. 54.

    Mike J

    @opiejeanne: ingredient list: cherries, sugar, water, kirsch, whipped cream, chocolate, Not much to go wrong, and even if it did it would still probably taste good.

  57. 57.

    opiejeanne

    @Mike J: Sounds delicious; those ingredients would make me happy even if it turned to soup.
    A week from Friday I’m baking at least six pies for my daughter’s wedding, at least one cherry pie with cherries we grew. The rest will be apple or blackberry, with berries from last year’s garden. Pies are easy as long as someone else peels the apples, but the cherry pie requires tapioca as a thickener (my mom’s recipe, except she never wrote it down). I kind of wing it, using online recipes as suggestions.

  58. 58.

    opiejeanne

    @Mike J: Oooh! Pistachios.

    Has it quieted down at your place yet? I think whoever owns the Howitzer has gotten tired and toddled off to bed, finally, but there were some spectacular fireworks, Disneyland quality, in my neighborhood. Some rich people live up here on Hollywood Hill.

    Our poor cats were not taking it well.

  60. 60.

    SRW1

    @starscream:

    Obama should manage this transition for them when he’s done with his current gig.

    LOL. Kind of what Fallon, the UK foreign secretary, has suggested. According to him, the UK may need to hire US and/or Aussie professionals to negotiate with the EU, as the UK itself hasn’t done any complex negotiations over the last 40 years, relying instead on, wait for it, the EU. And the Aussies may be busy sorting out their own election mess.

  61. 61.

    Raven Onthill

    “Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that Blair should stand trial over the war, calling it an illegal invasion.” — Juan Cole.

    This seems to explain the move against Corbyn, who most of Labour’s MPs don’t like very much anyway.

  63. 63.

    Cat48

    @Anne Laurie:

    It’s 4:20am Eastern & he’s still at it. That’s what happens when one writes fairy tales about Bernie & Hillz for over a year & you start to believe them. Hopefully, he’ll settle down eventually. I don’t follow him so he can carry on.

  65. 65.

    Cat48

    The U.K. has no Trade Representatives. Obama could send them a few. They’re trying to hire someone who might know something about trade.

  66. 66.

    Marcolin

    Forgive me for being fairly sentimental but for some reason I feel like recounting this.

    I live in the eastern coast of Maryland, in a district that’s blood red and atypical of the rest of Maryland. Despite being very rural my local polling place is within walking distance of my home; about a mile or so away. I’ve made a ritual of walking there and back and voting every election. A seemingly commonplace occurrence in 2008 continues to stick in my mind.

    Despite not being a morning person I was awake and active very early on Nov 4. I marched the almost full mile to my local polling place before 8 am to the local serving as voting place only to find someone a hair outside the ‘no campaigning any closer’ signs waiting for me. He offered me a cup of coffee before broaching politics; he then asked me if I would be willing to vote for Barack Obama.

    It was not a hard sell; I was a young long-haired sandal wearing hippy who was enthusiastic about voting for Obama. After cementing my vote for Obama the man sobered a bit and asked if I would vote for Frank Kratovil – our centrist democratic nominee for the house. The last representative, a republican, had seen the tea party and shit himself before endorsing Kratovil (blasphemy!). I reluctantly agreed and Kratovil actually won, living a short-lived (2 years!) campaign before 2010 when the voters fell back asleep.

    I don’t know why it stands out so much other than the fact that unknown polling agent deserves a raise,

  68. 68.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    @Raven Onthill: I don’t think there is a single explanation or reason for the move against Corbyn. While I’m dubious about the motives of a lot of the rebels, it’s not like he hasn’t handed them plenty of ammunition as well. It’s not just in the U.S. that the left really, really needs to find some leadership that is not only ideologically sound, but also managerially competent and capable of leadership.

  69. 69.

    TheMightyTrowel

    @SRW1:

    And the Aussies may be busy sorting out their own election mess.

    I like your optimism. We’ve had 4 PMs in the last 4 years, only 2 of which were voted in (if, of course you consider Gillard’s adroit handling of the cross-benchers to form and hold together a minority govt as her being ‘voted in’). The conservative LNP, who probably will clinch victory are imploding in a nasty right v. centrist intra-party feud while the results are still being counted. No one quite knows what to do about Labor and Pauline fucking racist Hanson got voted back into office (thanks, Queensland).

    On the plus side, my electorate decisively booted our Lib MP in favour of a much better Lab prospect so if I write to my MP I might actually get a response. Also we might get more excellent Drag Queen satire.

  70. 70.

    Greenergood

    @Major Major Major Major:
    No, the nukes issue was not solved before the Scottish referendum. If it wasn’t for the fact that Scotland ‘hosts’ the nuclear ‘deterrent’ and supplies the North Sea oil that’s floated the UK gov’t for the past 40+ years, then Westminster wouldn’t give a toss if we became independent. In the 1960s, the nuclear submarine base was considered too dangerous to be close to London’s population, so they put it in the Central Belt [main population] of Scotland instead.

    The anti-nuclear stance is a major issue on the Scottish independence agenda, and during the indy ref, the SNP insisted that post-independence the subs would be told to go south, but in terms of realpolitilk, they would probably be permitted to stay until England could figure out an alternative in return for whoppingly big amount of money and other concessions. A replacement for the current Trident submarines is under scrutiny just now – probably around £10 billion has been spent in preliminary research so far, but the ‘main gate’ vote hasn’t come up in Westminster yet, (it should’ve been coming up this month, but things are a little wonky in Britannia just now). This vote would release what was estimated at the time of the indy ref in 2014 to be @ £150 billion, but just pre-Brexit had escalated to £210 billion, and now that the pound is creaking, will probably be at least £300+ billion.. Plus throw in another £20 billion or so to make a new base for these Cold War white elephants somewhere in England. Austeriy? What’s austerity? As in the US, when it comes to nuclear dildos, there’s no such thing as austerity.

    Norway and Scotland started drilling for North Sea oil around the same time. Norway maintained its high-tax, high-public spending regime, putting its North Sea oil revenues in a rainy-day fund, which is now enormous. Because Scotland is not an independent country, revenue from Scottish North Sea oil went to Westminster, which used it to reduce taxes on the wealthy, and pay people to go on the dole, while decimating heavy industry and privatising anything that moved – the UK is now over £1 trillion in debt.

    And yes, after winning the Brexit referendum in no minor part by stirring up anti-immigrant prejudice, we’re going to have to import pesky immigrants to help us negotiate ourselves away from the evil immigrant-loving EU, while all the big boys that got us into this mess have run away.

  71. 71.

    Debbie(aussie)

    @TheMightyTrowel: I swear by FSM that I did most absolutely and positively NOT vote for any of the batshit right wing nut jobs, nor did they get a preference. But, bugger it, enough of my fellow Qlders did. It is to cry??

  72. 72.

    Patricia Kayden

    @patroclus: Your entire comment is a warning to Trump supporters. There is no doubt that we would awaken to such horrors if Trump wins the presidency. Just like the Brexiters have no plan to govern, Trump would have no idea how to actually govern this country.

  73. 73.

    Patricia Kayden

    @starscream: You must not like President Obama very much to wish such a mess on him. He needs some serious rest after 8 years of dealing with useless and hostile Republicans.

  75. 75.

    Barb2

    @Greenergood

    Thanks for the details about Trident. The western US sub base is just down the road aways. I know several retired Navy and contractors who are wondering about the boats.
    Lots of contractors did time in Scotland, probably still do. I only know the retired guys.

  76. 76.

    Nelle

    @opiejeanne: I use tapioca as a thickener too, using the recipe out of the Mennonite cookbook. Besides tapioca, the other important ingredient is almond flavoring.

  77. 77.

    PaulWartenberg2016

    So the UK is falling apart because the Far Right leadership pushed for a disruptive Leave bill through a lazy, ill-informed media and got exactly what they wanted… which is wrecking their economy and ruining the lives of the very voters they all lied to.

    And the US is falling apart because of previous and current Far Right leadership are pushing a political agenda of racism, tax cuts, and social safety net destruction while championing expensive and bloody wars through a lazy, ill-informed media.

    Anybody notice a connection?

    It’s in one of those photos up top.

    Rupert Murdoch.

    F-cking up the Western world with his lie-filled, race-hate-spewing channels of Far Right Not-News.

    I swear to God, Bin Laden ain’t got nothing on Rupert.

  79. 79.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @Viva BrisVegas: Hang in there.

    Is fresh elections the best possible result? Would anything be different if you folks voted again (you have mandatory voting, so I assume some large group would have to change their minds rather than simply getting people out to vote)?

    Good luck!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  80. 80.

    Anya

    @Raven Onthill: I doubt anyone cares about Tony Blair that much to break their party over him. At most, they’re ambivalent about him. I think Corbyn is a shitty executive who couldn’t manage his caucus or develop any alliances. He was also poor at collaborating with the Remain team. He believes all the right things but can’t deliver.

  81. 81.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Mike J: I clicked on the link & went immediately into insulin shock. Thanks so much for the trigger warning, asshole!

    ETA: I see VDE got there first. Saccharophobes of the world, untie!

  83. 83.

    Steve Finlay

    As a Canadian, I have always held an unfair prejudice against the name “Nigel”. To me, it has always denoted a worthless upper class twit with a giant ego, and with the intelligence, morals and courage of a parasitic guinea worm.

    It now appears that I have to remove the word “unfair” from the statement above.

Comments are closed.