Right-Wing Populist Party "Brothers of Italy" Stomps Rivals in Sunday Election, Led by Firebrand and Implacable Foe of Lockdowns Georgia Meloni<br>Updated, With Parliament Balance-of-Power

Right-Wing Populist Party "Brothers of Italy" Stomps Rivals in Sunday Election, Led by Firebrand and Implacable Foe of Lockdowns Georgia Meloni
Updated, With Parliament Balance-of-Power

Projected number of seats (seggi) in the Senate (top)
and the Chamber of Deputies (bottom); Center-Right in blue

The left is, of course, melting down. They cannot believe that Italy has chosen a pro-family, pro-religion traditionalist party.

Italy! Can you believe it?!

The New York Times:

Giorgia Meloni Wins Voting in Italy, in Breakthrough for Europe's Hard Right

Italy turned a page of European history on Sunday by electing a hard-right coalition led by Giorgia Meloni, whose long record of bashing the European Union, international bankers and migrants has sown concern about the nation's reliability in the Western alliance.
Results released early Monday showed that Ms. Meloni, the leader of the nationalist Brothers of Italy, a party descended from the remnants of fascism, had led a right-wing coalition to a majority in Parliament, defeating a fractured left and a resurgent anti-establishment movement.

The Italian fascist party was destroyed in 1945. What the hell does it mean that these are the "descendants of fascism"? That they have similar concerns? Is the Times suggesting people should stop being concerned about their borders Because 1941 Fascism?

That is what they're saying, of course.

It will still be weeks before the new Italian Parliament is seated and a new government is formed, leaving plenty of time for political machinations and horse trading in a coalition with major differences. But Ms. Meloni's strong showing, with about 26 percent of the vote, the highest of any single party, makes her the prohibitive favorite to become the country's first female prime minister.
While she is a strong supporter of Ukraine, her coalition partners deeply admire Russia's president, Vladimir V. Putin, and have criticized sanctions against Russia.
"From the Italians has arrived a clear indication," Ms. Meloni, known for her crescendoing rhetoric and cult of personality, said in a victory speech at nearly 3 a.m., "for the center-right to guide Italy."
After saying she had suffered through a "violent electoral campaign" filled with unfair attacks, Ms. Meloni spoke about "reciprocal respect" and recreating "trust in the institutions." She posed flashing a victory sign. "We are at the starting point," she said, adding, "Italy chose us, and we will never betray it."

In Italian, she said, "L'Italia ha scelto noi, e noi non tradiremo L'Italia." The "tra-" in that last word is seen in "betray" and "treason" in English.

The Times frets that the "hard right" is winning across Europe, and chooses to highlight skinheads as decisive parts of winning coalitions, as if they account for more than 1% of the population.

They ignore the millions of farmers and workers and mothers and fathers deciding that they must vote against the left to merely survive.

No, it's all about the skinheads. Skinheads are the Soccer Moms of Europe.

The victory, in an election with lower turnout than usual, comes as formerly taboo and marginalized parties with Nazi or fascist heritages are entering the mainstream -- and winning elections -- across Europe.
This month, a hard-right group founded by neo-Nazis and skinheads became the largest party in Sweden's likely governing coalition. In France this year, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen -- for a second consecutive time -- reached the final round of presidential elections. In Spain, the hard-right Vox, a party closely aligned with Ms. Meloni, is surging.
But it is Italy, the birthplace of fascism and a founding member of the European Union, that has sent the strongest shock wave across the continent after a period of European-centric stability led by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who directed hundreds of billions of euros in recovery funds to modernize Italy and helped lead Europe's strong response to Russia.
"This is a sad day for the country," Debora Serracchiani, a leader of the Democratic Party, which underperformed and will now lead the opposition, said in a statement Monday.

In case you haven't seen Ms. Meloni speaking yet, let me show you why the left is so terrified.

Note that she uses "identity" in a way that we in America aren't accustomed to. It has a different valence, as they say. She's talking about an argument between the globalists and the nationalists, for example, where the globalists say "There is nothing particularly 'Italian' about Italians, we are all interchangeable consumers and workers in the planetary market." Whereas she says, "No, we are Italians, that means something important."

Similarly, when she says, below, "Yes to sexual identity," she means that there is an identity of "man" and "woman" and these are neither interchangeable or changeable.

"Yes to natural families, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology, yes to the culture of life, no to the abyss of death, no to the violence of Islam, yes to safer borders, no to mass immigration, yes to work for our people”
pic.twitter.com/xvxH1UbLO2
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) September 25, 2022

pic.twitter.com/sIYiX8pb3c
— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) September 26, 2022

Here's a translation of her speech there:

Ismaine
@1smaine
Italy's New Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's speech.

Note she's not Prime Minister yet. She's not guaranteed the slot; she's just the prohibitive favorite. The center-right got 44% of the vote, and her party alone got 26%, the most of any party. They surged to that level from 4% in 2018.

Why is the family an enemy? Why is the family so frightening? There is a single answer to all these questions because it defines us because it is our identity, because everything that defines us is now an enemy.
For those who would like us to no longer have an identity and to simply be perfect consumer slaves and so they attack national identity. They attack religious identity. The attack gender identity. they attack family identity.
I can't define myself as an Italian, Christian, woman, mother. Nope. I must be Citizen X, gender X, parent one, parent two. I must be a number.
Because when I am only a number, when I no longer have an identity or roots, then I will be the perfect slave at the mercy of financial speculators, the perfect consumer. that's the reason why that's why we inspire so much fear.
That's why this event inspires so much fear because we do not want to be numbers. We will defend the value of the human being. Every single human being because each of us has a unique genetic code that is unrepeatable. And like it or not, that it's sacred.
We will defend it, we will defend God, country and family
those things that disgust people so much. we will do it to defend our freedom. Because we will never be slave or simple consumers at the mercy of financial speculators. That is our mission.
That is why I came here today. Chesterton wrote more than a century ago. Fires will be kindled to testify that two and to make for four. swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer.

A fuller version of the Chesterton passage she's quoting reads:

"Truths turn into dogmas the instant that they are disputed. Thus every man who utters a doubt defines a religion. And the scepticism of our time does not really destroy the beliefs, rather it creates them; gives them their limits and their plain and defiant shape. We who are Liberals once held Liberalism lightly as a truism. Now it has been disputed, and we hold it fiercely as a faith. We who believe in patriotism once thought patriotism to be reasonable, and thought little more about it. Now we know it to be unreasonable, and know it to be right. We who are Christians never knew the great philosophic common sense which inheres in that mystery until the anti-Christian writers pointed it out to us. The great march of mental destruction will go on. Everything will be denied. Everything will become a creed. It is a reasonable position to deny the stones in the street; it will be a religious dogma to assert them. It is a rational thesis that we are all in a dream; it will be a mystical sanity to say that we are all awake. Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two make four. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer. We shall be left defending, not only the incredible virtues and sanities of human life, but something more incredible still, this huge impossible universe which stares us in the face. We shall fight for visible prodigies as if they were invisible. We shall look on the impossible grass and the skies with a strange courage. We shall be of those who have seen and yet have believed."

The Times says this:

Ms. Meloni came of political age in a post-Fascist, hard right that sought to redefine itself by seizing on new symbols and texts, especially "The Lord of the Rings" and other works by the British writer J.R.R. Tolkien, to distance itself from the taboos of Fascism.

More leftist fear:

Ms. Meloni's victory showed that the allure of nationalism -- of which she is a strong advocate -- remained undimmed, despite the breakthroughs by E.U. nations in coming together to pool sovereignty and resources in recent years, first to combat the coronavirus pandemic and then Mr. Putin's initiation of the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
How, and how deeply, a right-wing coalition in Italy led by Ms. Meloni could threaten that cohesion is now the foremost concern of the European establishment.

As usual, and as in the United States, most of the evidence of "fascism" comes from opposition to open borders:

She grew up with a single mother in a working-class area of Rome, and being a woman, and mother, has been central to her political identity.
Being a woman has also distinguished her, and marked a major shift, from her coalition partners, especially Mr. Berlusconi, the subject of endless sex scandals.
But Ms. Meloni, Mr. Berlusconi and Mr. Salvini share a hard-right vision for the country. Ms. Meloni has called for a naval blockade against migrants and spread fears about a "great replacement" of native Italians. The three share populist proposals for deep tax cuts that economists fear would inflate Italy's already enormous debt, and a traditionalist view of the family.

If you're not a globalist, you're a fascist. If you believe that countries are real and that citizenship means something -- if you don't join John Lennon in "imagin[ing] there's no country" -- you're a fascist.

The same as in America.

NeverTrumpers are all globalist pricks. Among the worst and most cultish of them.

.@GiorgiaMeloni in 2020: "Our main enemy today is the globalist drift of those who view identity, in all its forms, to be an evil to be overcome, and constantly acts to shift real power away from the people to supranational entities headed by supposedly enlightened elites." pic.twitter.com/ACftxdtqBB
— Woj 🇵🇱 (@Woj_Pawelczyk) September 26, 2022

Giorgia Meloni: "Thanks Italy!" History is written. Italy belongs to the Italians, not to Ursula von der Leyen! pic.twitter.com/ebDdL65m2g
— RadioGenova (@RadioGenova) September 26, 2022

Ursula von der Leyen is head of the European Union commission and has threatened Italy's right-wing, saying there will be "consequences" if it departs from "democratic principles." Which was never suggested.

She means open borders, again, probably.

Meloni was a fierce opponent of covid lockdowns, restrictions, and mandates.

This is the victory that produced. Provinces where the center right (where her Fratelli d'Italia was the largest party) in light blue.

Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?

Update: A commenter asked how can 26% be a mandate?

Well, Fratelli d'Italia is one of many parties. They're part of the Center-Right (Centro Destro) coalition. The center right coalition got 44%; FdI got 26%, the most of any individual party.

Remember, these percentages are of national cumulative vote totals. But the races are held in districts, and whoever gets 50%+1 wins that district.

So, what that means is: If you get 44% nationally, you win a lot more than 44% of seats, because while there may be districts in leftwing areas where you only get 15% or 20%, there are going to be a lot of districts where you get 55% or 60% or 70%.

Below, an estimate of how many seats -- Seggi -- the center right is projected to win in the House (Camera) and the Senate (Senato).

According to the Opinio Italia latest projection, in #Italy the center-right alliance is estimated to get 43.4% of the votes for the Senate and 42.9% for the Chamber of Deputies

The vote for #Meloni's #FdI is estimated at 25.5%-25.7%#italyelection https://t.co/lDK940rea2 pic.twitter.com/zd21QcSe6Y
— Ioannis E Kolovos (@ioannisekolovos) September 26, 2022

As you can see, the center right has an outright majority of seats.

Posted by: Ace at 12:16 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 I,Lloyd fetch em

Posted by: Skip's phone at September 26, 2022 12:16 PM (nG50M)

2 Do I get a mum ?

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 26, 2022 12:17 PM (daUIH)

3 "Should we maybe limit immigration to limit the appeal of fascists?"

"Murder xim."

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:18 PM (LvTSG)

4 They won't need to fake a FISA for her at least...

Posted by: Inogame, non alius regit at September 26, 2022 12:18 PM (53oGX)

5 Boldly stated, as always.

Posted by: Gran at September 26, 2022 12:18 PM (GM3/s)

6 Stupid phone

Anyway as a American Thinker article pointed out a European Conservative would be a Democrat here.

Posted by: Skip's phone at September 26, 2022 12:18 PM (nG50M)

7 Bold Leader

Posted by: Inogame, non alius regit at September 26, 2022 12:18 PM (53oGX)

8 We are boldly going.

Posted by: Guy who relates everything to Star Trek at September 26, 2022 12:18 PM (sn5EN)

9 The left is, of course, melting down. They cannot believe that Italy has chosen a pro-family, pro-religion traditionalist party.

*

Someone posted links earlier (JJ's thread?) where the EU is openly stating that they intend to punish her and her voters for their insolence.

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:19 PM (nWVaO)

10 A true bold move would be to invade Ethiopia.

Posted by: Curly Shuffle at September 26, 2022 12:19 PM (TNyrE)

11 I love her speech. And HAH to the moron who thought Ace would make some MILF comment. Serious Ace in the house!

Posted by: Iris at September 26, 2022 12:20 PM (foa6+)

12 Still she will be better than a Marxist

Posted by: Skip's phone at September 26, 2022 12:20 PM (nG50M)

13 No wait! The first woman PM is supposed to be like EVITA

some idiot lefty with a following

Posted by: Kindltot at September 26, 2022 12:20 PM (xhaym)

14 9 Someone posted links earlier (JJ's thread?) where the EU is openly stating that they intend to punish her and her voters for their insolence.
Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:19 PM (nWVaO)

==========

With what army?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:20 PM (LvTSG)

15 Simple yes and no declarative statements.
Amazing how effective they are.

Posted by: gourmand du jour, w new lease on life at September 26, 2022 12:20 PM (jTmQV)

16 Bold indeed.

Posted by: SH (No more Roe) at September 26, 2022 12:21 PM (sX1BW)

17 Hi Ace.

So glad you are covering this. I totally identify with this woman. I have been sending this speech to everyone I can think of this morning. This is what a feminist really is. Proud of everything that makes a woman a woman.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 12:21 PM (Y+l9t)

18 and spread fears about a "great replacement" of native Italians.

*

Say, remember when Biden literally gave a speech and stated that this sort of thing was 100% happening in America, that he supported it, and that it couldn't happen fast enough?

"Conspiracy theory!!!"

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:21 PM (nWVaO)

19 Posted by: Skip's phone at September 26, 2022 12:18 PM (nG50M)

As far as I know there are no Democrats (unless they are DINOs) who are endorsing County, family and faith. Certain no Democrat politician are.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 26, 2022 12:21 PM (vH/6k)

20 PMILF?

Are you a man or a mouse, Chuy?

FILF!

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:21 PM (5r4XQ)

21 Italy changes governments more frequently than I change my underwear.

Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:21 PM (cPDW+)

22 People who give up their identity are surrendering to the space aliens who what to harvest their organs and eat their flesh. True story.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (w2Z7l)

23 Wait until she gets the trains the run on time - which would be a significant improvement in Italy.

Posted by: SH (No more Roe) at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (sX1BW)

24 Simple yes and no declarative statements.
Amazing how effective they are.

This is true.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (ayzS/)

25 Love her and her Roman accent too!

(Romans have a tendency to speak and enunciate emphatically.)

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (dCxaZ)

26 With what army?

*

Probably whatever the cross-border version of the FBI, EPA, etc. is.

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (nWVaO)

27 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (iFTx/)

28 Yep. There haven't been any real Nazis or Fascists since 1945.

Meanwhile, Communists still control entire countries, with standing armies and nuclear weapons.

Guess which group is actually the more significant threat.

Posted by: Rodrigo Borgia at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (bW8dp)

29 That's BOLD, Jerry! BOLD!

Posted by: Kenny Bania at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (Geoni)

30 You know it will be a good day when ace starts off using the word "PMILF". I am not precisely sure what the P stands for -prime? - but I am in!

She looks a bit rough, but Italy,

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (ufFY8)

31 27 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (iFTx/)

========

Idealize manhood?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (LvTSG)

32 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?

They're lunatics. Don't overthink it.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (ayzS/)

33 And HAH to the moron who thought Ace would make some MILF comment.

You mean like he did right in the very first line?

Posted by: Oddbob at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (nfrXX)

34 Elric, someone found out he was a devout Catholic.

Posted by: Catherine at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (ZSsrh)

35 Looks like Cotton is running the AOS

Posted by: REDACTED at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (us2H3)

36 Oh, HELL yeah.

Posted by: CZ=FNG, Free Republic of Florida at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (MkuC5)

37 Wonder how the north/south vote played out. Northern Italy thinks the south is a bunch of unenlightened troglodytes.

Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (SIZS3)

38 And fascist?! I bet conservative, religious Jews in Italy are also supporting her speech.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (vH/6k)

39 I got chills listening to her speech.

So glad the Italians woke up! I was stunned when I saw them meekly fall in line behind the plandemic lockdowns. Italians have traditionally been more individualistic.

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (dCxaZ)

40 " I am not precisely sure what the P stands for -prime? - but I am in!"

Precision. P-MILF.

Posted by: Fender fan at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (sn5EN)

41 She looks a bit rough, but Italy,

*

As an older 29 year old man I think she's a lovely middle aged / upper middle aged woman, and with a charming smile and attitude I bet she's downright hot when she enters a room.

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (nWVaO)

42 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien?

-----------

Well, its not Harry Potter.

Posted by: SH (No more Roe) at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (sX1BW)

43 Oh, come on! That hardly counts as a MILF comment. He's quoting someone.

Posted by: Iris at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (foa6+)

44 She looks a bit rough, but Italy

She's no Sophie Marceau, but I think she's very attractive. She's an adult, a thinker, and courageous.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (ayzS/)

45 I hope she's more successful than the 5-Star that tried something similar a while back. It's time for Euroskeptics and anti-globalists to try their hand. They'd be hard-pressed to fuck up as badly as their predecessors.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (t0OGg)

46 Meanwhile, Communists still control entire countries

...and the New York Times.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (Xrfse)

47 Is anybody ever described in the press as 'hard-left' ?

Posted by: DB at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (geLO8)

48 30 You know it will be a good day when ace starts off using the word "PMILF". I am not precisely sure what the P stands for -prime? - but I am in!

She looks a bit rough, but Italy,

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (ufFY

My guess is it is supposed to be Prime Minister I would fornicate.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (5r4XQ)

49 Marine LePen has some catching up to do

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (dCxaZ)

50 Yeah...a one. But she's no Carla Gugino

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo, food, water at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (V6f9+)

51 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien

*

He messed up their plans to have a big half a billion dollar successful GRRRL POWER streaming franchise.

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (nWVaO)

52 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (iFTx/)

IIRC, Tolkien was a pretty devout Roman Catholic, and LOTR has veiled religious themes in it.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (WSVNH)

53 Jackson's Tolkien work is well regarded. The new woke stuff is shite. Tolkien must be destroyed to square the circle.

Posted by: Jamaica NYC at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (+wdeh)

54 It will still be weeks before the new Italian Parliament is seated and a new government is formed, leaving plenty of time for political machinations and horse trading in a coalition with major differences. But Ms. Meloni's strong showing, with about 26 percent of the vote, the highest of any single party, makes her the prohibitive favorite to become the country's first female prime minister.
++++
Ah, yes. It's a very different approach to the problem than in our system. In our system, they steal the election itself. In their system, they engage in back-room skulduggery to subvert elections through power processes.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (t0OGg)

55 Firebrand PMILF and Implacable Foe of Lockdowns Georgia Meloni

Dude. Giorgia.

All the Italian I know is "Ferrari" and "Piaggio", and even I could tell you that.

Posted by: spindrift at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (h5TKJ)

56 @21

>> Italy changes governments more frequently than I change my underwear.

That's because Italy's parlimentary impliamention is even more fugazi than Canada's.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (up/3i)

57 She looks like she could ride you through a RH sofa

Posted by: REDACTED at September 26, 2022 12:26 PM (us2H3)

58 PMILF = Pasta Mama ILF

Posted by: SFGoth at September 26, 2022 12:26 PM (KAi1n)

59 27 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (iFTx/)

========

Idealize manhood?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:23 PM (LvTSG)

Believe in right and wrong?

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 12:26 PM (bhRsz)

60 I'm thinking spaghetti tonight.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 26, 2022 12:26 PM (anj39)

61 It has a different valence, as they say.

We're letting chemistry into the blog now? Soon it will be math, leading to complete chaos and community breakdown.

Don't become bonded with this! Remember, if you're not part enough the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

Posted by: Duncanthrax at September 26, 2022 12:26 PM (a3Q+t)

62 21 TMI, Muldoon.

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 12:26 PM (IRFCi)

63 IIRC, Tolkien was a pretty devout Roman Catholic, and LOTR has veiled religious themes in it.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (WSVNH)

He was explicitly writing mythology of a world in desperate need of a Savior.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:26 PM (5r4XQ)

64 Can't wait to see this blonde in real fisticuffs with her blonde nemesis, Ms. Van der Leyden.

Posted by: SFGoth at September 26, 2022 12:27 PM (KAi1n)

65 I would happily give her crackers and not kick her out of bed, don't get me wrong.

I am sure she is a firebrand in more ways than one.

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at September 26, 2022 12:27 PM (ufFY8)

66 After saying she had suffered through a "violent electoral campaign" filled with unfair attacks, Ms. Meloni spoke about "reciprocal respect" and recreating "trust in the institutions." She posed flashing a victory sign. "We are at the starting point," she said, adding, "Italy chose us, and we will never betray it."
++++
I don't know how the political code language works in Italy, but to my American ears, that sounds like a declaration of war. Restoring "trust in the institutions" means (to my hearing) "purge those institutions and replace them with my people who will at least pretend to do what they're told to do in the interests of the populace."

I reckon there are some bureaucrats swilling down alcohol at the moment.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:27 PM (t0OGg)

67 >>Italy changes governments more frequently than I change my underwear.

You should change them more frequently. You never know what you might have an accident and have to see a doctor.

Posted by: JackStraw at September 26, 2022 12:27 PM (ZLI7S)

68 Cent'anni, Georgia.

Posted by: Marcus T at September 26, 2022 12:27 PM (tDEa7)

69 "Yes to natural families, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology, yes to the culture of life, no to the abyss of death, no to the violence of Islam, yes to safer borders, no to mass immigration, yes to work for our people"
++++
Them's fightin' words.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:28 PM (t0OGg)

70 Behold the ignorance and illiteracy of the NYT audience. They actually read juvenile cartoonish crap like this - "hard right" (!!!), "remnants of fascism", etc etc without guffawing and wondering why such nonsense is being pushed.

Posted by: rhomboid at September 26, 2022 12:28 PM (OTzUX)

71 She's pro family, pro Italy and pro traditional values.

She must be destroyed.

-the average leftist.

Posted by: NR Pax at September 26, 2022 12:28 PM (4olE8)

72 @14 With what army?

----

IIRC, Italy is partially reliant on certain EU policies in order to maintain it's standard of living.

Posted by: junior at September 26, 2022 12:28 PM (kVOVB)

73 Giorgia Meloni Wins Voting in Italy, in Breakthrough for Europe's Hard Right

And we know why the right is hard, don't we boys?

Posted by: I used to have a different nic, Ashli Babbitt/Rosanne Boyland at September 26, 2022 12:28 PM (GYIa4)

74 52 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (iFTx/)

IIRC, Tolkien was a pretty devout Roman Catholic, and LOTR has veiled religious themes in it.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (WSVNH)
___________________

Yea I get that. But why NOW all of a sudden? Nobody ever said shit before, and not even when the (over-rated) LoTR movies were making tons of money. But now literally overnight he's some boogeyman for the left.

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:28 PM (iFTx/)

75 You should change them more frequently. You never know what you might have an accident and have to see a doctor.

If you're Russian, you never no when you might fall out a window.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:28 PM (ayzS/)

76 The EU: We will punish Italy

Italy: Hey! Attsa matter for you?

Posted by: Archer at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (gmo/4)

77 i added some more stuff near the end, before the last picture.

Posted by: ace at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (B3oWe)

78 Italy joins Sweden, Poland and Hungary deciding that reality beats rhetoric. Wouldn't it be ironic if Iran joins the club before, say, Germany or England.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (Y+l9t)

79 Yes, but will she get kinky in the Vatican?

Posted by: Dr. Bone at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (w2Z7l)

80 The speech that was linked to in the previous thread, was oh so good.

Nothing quite like a pissed off Italian, though she could have used her hands a bit more.

That said, I quite like her.

Posted by: browndog Official Mascot of Team Gizzard at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (BgMrQ)

81 know

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (ayzS/)

82 I'm half-baked! Just like my ideas! And I approve of this mockery.

Posted by: Charlie Crisp (D)imwit-Florida at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (QSPZM)

83 I can't define myself as an Italian, Christian, woman, mother. Nope. I must be Citizen X, gender X, parent one, parent two. I must be a number.
Because when I am only a number, when I no longer have an identity or roots, then I will be the perfect slave at the mercy of financial speculators, the perfect consumer. that's the reason why that's why we inspire so much fear. ...
That is why I came here today. Chesterton wrote more than a century ago. Fires will be kindled to testify that two and to make for four. swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer.
++++
Well, you can't say that she has a weak rhetorical game.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (t0OGg)

84 how do you claim a mandate with 26% (or whatever) of the vote

Posted by: DB at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (geLO8)

85 "Ms. Meloni's victory showed that the allure of nationalism..."

You mean, as opposed to Left's "Animal Farm" styled globalist authoritarianism? 😱

Posted by: Marcus T at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (tDEa7)

86 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien?

*****

They've been doing stuff like that so long that it has become ingrained, almost force of hobbit.

Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (cPDW+)

87 I was listening to a leftist radio show “Democracy Now” and damn the caterwauling. They played some audio of her giving a speech in Spain and I was like “this woman makes lots of sense”.

BTW, we should have a “Brothers of America” group. Love that name.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (apsfW)

88 Hard right but the NYT has never, ever heard of the hard left.

Posted by: That NLurker guy at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (eGTCV)

89 Will the Republicans run on this?

Not if Liz Cheney has anything to say about it!

(Which she will, unfortunately, to the detriment of all)

Posted by: Just Lily at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (Jp2Se)

90 In the first pic Giorgia looks like that comic actress who used to be on MadTV and had a recurring role on King of Queens, Nicole Sullivan.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (J2vNu)

91 Ms. Meloni's victory showed that the allure of nationalism -- of which she is a strong advocate -- remained undimmed, despite the breakthroughs by E.U. nations in coming together to pool sovereignty and resources in recent years, first to combat the coronavirus pandemic and then Mr. Putin's initiation of the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
++++
"Pooled sovereignty." What a delightful bit of word play. Someone got a bonus for coining that, I'm sure.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (t0OGg)

92 Italy changes governments more frequently than I change my underwear.
Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:21 PM

??? You never know when you might see a doctor, you know.

Posted by: Moms Everywhere at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (a3Q+t)

93 So... everything is supposed to be bold?

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (5r4XQ)

94 BTW, we should have a “Brothers of America” group. Love that name.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (apsfW)

Sons of Liberty. For the win.

Posted by: Archer at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (gmo/4)

95 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien?

He forgot to include black people and transgenders in his books.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (I2/tG)

96 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (iFTx/)
---
The Left can never create anything to rival Tolkien. So all they can do is tear him down and destroy his works. They'll fail in the end since LOTR has always withstood the test of time and will continue to do so.

They are Orcs.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (YIVH2)

97 She looks a little too much like Hillary Clinton to ever be a PMILF. But, looks aren't everything.

She's a LotR enthusiast?

Well, if she channels OMG!! Super Elven Slay Kween Guy-Ladriel from LotR's Rings of Angry Ex-Wife Glower to attempt to reverse Italia's 70 year slide into irrelevant decadence then she's doomed.

If she channels Galadriel from the LotR Novels (not the Jackson movies), then she may have a chance.

Posted by: Sharkman at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (4SAb1)

98 I for one, am offended by the term skin head.

Just sayin.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (anj39)

99 And of course typical NYT readers wouldn't have the slightest idea about the facts of the mass migrations from North Africa (or Albania, which is a different and much older disaster) that have burdened Italy so much.

Ignorant, infantile moral narcissism is the most destructive force in the world today. It's almost exclusively a pathology of the most developed societies, and probably largely a direct result of etiolation via prosperity and comfort.

Posted by: rhomboid at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (OTzUX)

100 i added some more stuff near the end, before the last picture.

Interestingly, Naples, Rome, and Florence were all left or other. IOW, the urban divide applies to Italy as well as the US.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (ayzS/)

101 Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?

==========

The GOP will in 2024.

Because Trump will walk to the nomination and make it the GOP's platform despite Mitch wanting to run on nothing.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (LvTSG)

102 IIRC, Tolkien was a pretty devout Roman Catholic, and LOTR has veiled religious themes in it.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (WSVNH)

THIS.

You beat me to it.
Tolkien converted to catholicism.
When he wrote LOTR, he didn't want to make it overtly Christian, but he did incorporate many themes.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (ufFY8)

103 IIRC, Italy is partially reliant on certain EU policies in order to maintain it's standard of living.
Posted by: junior at September 26, 2022 12:28 PM (kVOVB)

Yeah, the first move from Brussels would be to cut off EU funds, direct and indirect, to Italy.

I'm not so sure that "soft power" will work anymore, though; they've tried it with Russia, and Putin's just responded by cutting off their oil.

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (bhRsz)

104 Just wait until people in the rest of Europe are unemployed and freezing this winter.

Only the beginning...

Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (I2/tG)

105 Skinheads are the Soccer Moms of Europe.

worth repeating

Posted by: fluffy at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (UqnOO)

106 @84

>>how do you claim a mandate with 26% (or whatever) of the vote

Justine Treudue was able to finagle being PM with his party getting about 35pct of the vote, which gave him all the power and mandate to crush Canadian citizens.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (up/3i)

107 They say "Hard Right" like that's a bad thing. Today's "hard right" is basically right of center -- where the Democrap party was 50 years ago. My grandfather (coincidentally born in Italy) was a lifelong Democrap. But he was basically in-line with my thinking on almost every political issue. Or at least that's what I'm told; he died when I was like 3 years old.

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (iFTx/)

108
Ciao

Posted by: Yo! Ultra MAGA at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (xAAUL)

109 Why are these people "FAR RIGHT?" Right of what? Right about what? If you just happen to espouse some level of consideration for the actual needs and wants of YOUR VOTERS and can temper that with prudence and wisdom, then you are not some sort of "far right" target for the deeply corrupt and thoroughly dangerous Left to instantly brand as a "RAAAAAAAAAACIST."

Posted by: Erik In Texas at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (z0DEK)

110 The hard right is anything right of Stalin.

Posted by: SOMEASSHOLESTOLEMYPEN at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (ytSiK)

111 Brothers of Italy sounds like a very Italian name. I don't think she qualifies as a brother, however.r.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (vH/6k)

112 100 Interestingly, Naples, Rome, and Florence were all left or other. IOW, the urban divide applies to Italy as well as the US.
Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (ayzS/)

==========

Would the Florentines be willing to tear down the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore to install some windmills?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (LvTSG)

113 I think the latest el gato malo writing has echoes of that Chesterton quote. Governments attract and start with grifters who are then replaced by true believers who can't accommodate reality.

Posted by: InZona (formerly InCali) at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (ep37o)

114 TMI, Muldoon.
Posted by: Bulgaroctonu

********

What? 4 or 5 times a week!

Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:33 PM (cPDW+)

115 Europe's terror of the dread "nationalism" is totally misplaced. They blame nationalism and it's international diplomatic cousin of bilateralism for the Great War. That's bullshit, and it's a dodge. Secrecy was a problem leading up to that conflict, in that nobody knew who everyone's allies and enemies were. Surprise! We're on Serbia's side! Whoops, now there's a continent-wide war!

The problem isn't nationalism or sovereignty or bilateral negotiations, the problem was secrecy. But dictators - and they are *all* dictators - thrive on and need secrecy. So they solved the wrong problem.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:33 PM (t0OGg)

116 >>Ms. Meloni has called for a naval blockade against migrants and spread fears about a "great replacement" of native Italians. The three share populist proposals for deep tax cuts that economists fear would inflate Italy's already enormous debt, and a traditionalist view of the family.

That's "hard right"?

Posted by: Caliban at September 26, 2022 12:33 PM (ni2c1)

117 IIRC, Tolkien was a pretty devout Roman Catholic, and LOTR has veiled religious themes in it.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (WSVNH)
___________________

Yea I get that. But why NOW all of a sudden? Nobody ever said shit before, and not even when the (over-rated) LoTR movies were making tons of money. But now literally overnight he's some boogeyman for the left.

--------

I think they're just lashing out at Tolkien fans for criticizing Amazon's Rings of Wokeness

Posted by: Cave Johnson at September 26, 2022 12:33 PM (9bp5t)

118 So, if I'm for families, free speech and against abortion I'm hard right. The world is insane.

Posted by: Infidel at September 26, 2022 12:33 PM (+J0HH)

119 115 Europe's terror of the dread "nationalism" is totally misplaced. They blame nationalism and it's international diplomatic cousin of bilateralism for the Great War. That's bullshit, and it's a dodge. Secrecy was a problem leading up to that conflict, in that nobody knew who everyone's allies and enemies were. Surprise! We're on Serbia's side! Whoops, now there's a continent-wide war!

The problem isn't nationalism or sovereignty or bilateral negotiations, the problem was secrecy. But dictators - and they are *all* dictators - thrive on and need secrecy. So they solved the wrong problem.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:33 PM (t0OGg)

=========

WWI was caused by the elite who ran the governments of Europe feeling like they could run everything better without the people's knowledge about what they were doing.

This led to the murder of tens of millions of people.

Yes. The problem was little flags being waved at rallies.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (LvTSG)

120 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (iFTx/)

There's a lot of Christian themes in Lord of the Rings as well.

Posted by: InZona (formerly InCali) at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (ep37o)

121 Yes, but will she get kinky in the Vatican?
Posted by: Dr. Bone at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (w2Z7l)

The Vatican is independent of the Italian Republic, so technically that would constitute an international scandal. And probably blasphemy.

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (bhRsz)

122 It is comical the way the FNM considers right of center people(even by Italian standards), neo-nazis, and pro-Russians as all the same thing.

Posted by: 18-1 at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (ESjRY)

123 That is why I came here today. Chesterton wrote more than a century ago. Fires will be kindled to testify that two and to make for four. swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer.

----------

She's quoting Chesterton? It moved ...

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (l0Tk4)

124 Would the Florentines be willing to tear down the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore to install some windmills?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (LvTSG)

Don't give them any ideas.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo, food, water at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (V6f9+)

125 The hard right is anything right of Stalin.
Posted by: SOMEASSHOLESTOLEMYPEN at September 26, 2022

***
Mister, we could use a man like Roger B. Taney again!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (J2vNu)

126 Ricordate che il governo italiano è impostato per governare sulla base di coalizioni. Quindi, mentre il suo partito ha vinto la più grande quota singola di tutti i partiti, è una coalizione di diversi partiti che consente loro di governare come maggioranza. Questo è chiaramente ciò che il popolo italiano vuole in qualche forma. Non sono d'accordo solo sui gradi.

Posted by: Marcus T at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (tDEa7)

127 Someone posted links earlier (JJ's thread?) where the EU is openly stating that they intend to punish her and her voters for their insolence.
Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:19 PM (nWVaO)

They've been doing that to Victor Orban in Hungary for years. The EU's now pushing to deny Hungary EU funds and various EU member states (particularly Germany) want to amend EU rules so that individual nations like Hungary (and Poland, ect) no longer have veto power over proposed EU rules.

Posted by: Thrawn at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (Rl7KJ)

128 I have an expired social membership car for the Sons of Italy. Also the Amerital Club. And the Slovak Club. Used to like having a drink on Sunday mornings in Ohio.

Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (lz5hY)

129 Interestingly, Naples, Rome, and Florence were all left or other. IOW, the urban divide applies to Italy as well as the US.

A lot of countries have a City Party and a Country Party (for example, Orban lost big in Budapest and won big in the rest of country).

Only the City Party is politically legitimate, of course.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (I2/tG)

130 Anyone else buy any Rumble stock?

At 12 bucks it's low enough for anyone to pick up a few and low enough if it ultimately doesn't grow into an alternative you're not losing much.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 26, 2022 12:35 PM (up/3i)

131 I think they're just lashing out at Tolkien fans for criticizing Amazon's Rings of Wokeness

Posted by: Cave Johnson

Cave Johnson is right! Good insight.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:35 PM (ayzS/)

132 Hillary's anal ring has got to be lit this morning!

Burn Hillary Burn!

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at September 26, 2022 12:35 PM (bC9HI)

133 I recommend Giorgia Meloni have sturdy locks installed on her trashcans; Ace is in heat again.

Posted by: GnuBreed at September 26, 2022 12:35 PM (JOtiF)

134 I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?

Well, I don't like the way my stand in Morgoth is portrayed to be honest. And Sauron? What a clown. "I've got my eye on you" hahaha.

Posted by: Stan head of the Biden junta at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (ESjRY)

135 >>>>>how do you claim a mandate with 26% (or whatever) of the vote

they're in a parnership with other parties of the Center Right, who have 44%. Also, their vote share translates to more *seats* than actual votes.

In addition, there is one other party, I think the 5-Stars Party, that wasn't, I think, part of the center-right coalition but will join them, and they have a few seats.

Posted by: ace at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (B3oWe)

136 From what I have seen of Rings of Woke, it is not just woke as hell- it is HORRIBLY written and acted. Calling it puerile dialogue would be an insult to young boys everywhere.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (5r4XQ)

137 So... everything is supposed to be bold?
Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM

I, for one, prefer it.

Posted by: The Barrel at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (a3Q+t)

138 Proud of everything that makes a woman a woman.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 12:21 PM

What...fake tits and a dress aren't enough?

Posted by: "Rachel" Levine at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (4p7Em)

139 Yea I get that. But why NOW all of a sudden? Nobody ever said shit before, and not even when the (over-rated) LoTR movies were making tons of money. But now literally overnight he's some boogeyman for the left.
--------
I think they're just lashing out at Tolkien fans for criticizing Amazon's Rings of Wokeness
Posted by: Cave Johnson at September 26, 2022 12:33 PM (9bp5t)

Yep. Tolkien was cis-het-white and thus worse than Hitler, but LOTR made a lot of money and gained a lot of fans, so he has to be torn down and his creation 'updated for a modern audience'.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo, food, water at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (V6f9+)

140 If nationalism is to resurge in Europe, Italy would be a fairly natural place for it to start, for the same reason that Italy gave is national socialism. They invented Fascism to solve a different problem, but it was also a nationalist agenda. Fascism came out of the schism among the socialists after WWI for a reason.

If there was ever an event that should have - according to all their theories - led to a broad communist revolution, it was that war. But it didn't happen. It didn't happen for a number of reasons, but a big and important reason is that class pales in comparison to faith and nationality when it comes to motivators. The Italians acknowledged that, rejected globalism and embraced nationalism to achieve socialism.

They were among the first to try this last time, too. I just hope the new nationalism isn't also socialist. I suppose time will tell.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (t0OGg)

141 >>>Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?

Why run on that when we have Mideast wars and the Ex-Im Bank?

Posted by: The GOP at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (bhRsz)

142 The center-right has an outright majority of actual *seats* already.

Posted by: ace at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (B3oWe)

143 and various EU member states (particularly Germany) want to amend EU rules so that individual nations like Hungary (and Poland, ect) no longer have veto power over proposed EU rules.

History demonstrates that Germany is the natural leader of Europe.

Posted by: The Left! at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (I2/tG)

144 98. So am I!

Posted by: Sam Drucker at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (IRFCi)

145 -
BTW, we should have a “Brothers of America” group. Love that name.
Posted by: MAGA_Ken at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM (apsfW)

Sons of Liberty. For the win.
Posted by: Archer at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM-
-
-----
We can declare these terrorist organizations as fast as you can come up with them.

Posted by: Teh Fibbies at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (8rX4S)

146 The driving purpose of the NYT is suppression of the truth.

Posted by: That NLurker guy at September 26, 2022 12:37 PM (eGTCV)

147 117 IIRC, Tolkien was a pretty devout Roman Catholic, and LOTR has veiled religious themes in it.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 12:25 PM (WSVNH)
___________________

Yea I get that. But why NOW all of a sudden? Nobody ever said shit before, and not even when the (over-rated) LoTR movies were making tons of money. But now literally overnight he's some boogeyman for the left.

--------

I think they're just lashing out at Tolkien fans for criticizing Amazon's Rings of Wokeness
Posted by: Cave Johnson at September 26, 2022 12:33 PM (9bp5t)
______________________

Hmmmmmm . . . you could be right

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:37 PM (iFTx/)

148 She's no Sophie Marceau, but I think she's very attractive. She's an adult, a thinker, and courageous.
Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (ayzS/)

I think she's incandescently hot...I like passion!

Posted by: browndog Official Mascot of Team Gizzard at September 26, 2022 12:37 PM (BgMrQ)

149 Can we get this glorious woman to debate BigJuicyBooty?

It would be like a baby seal clubbing, but it would be glorious.

Posted by: Defenestratus at September 26, 2022 12:37 PM (9V81o)

150 I think Tolkien was just next in the list of things in western culture that needed to be destroyed

Nothing personal, it was just beloved and not leftist so clearly it had to go and anyone who loved it the way it was cowed into submission.

Posted by: Just Lily at September 26, 2022 12:37 PM (Jp2Se)

151 Someone posted links earlier (JJ's thread?) where the EU is openly stating that they intend to punish her and her voters for their insolence.
Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:19 PM (nWVaO)
++++
Viktor Orban can provide some pointers. They've been turning the screws on Hungary for years. The people of Ireland can provide pointers on what *not* to do. They got to vote on the Lisbon Treaty until they came up with the right answer...

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:37 PM (t0OGg)

152 27 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?

the answer is - because Mr Tolkein inspires us.

Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:37 PM (w0NJk)

153 >>Only the City Party is politically legitimate, of course.

May the odds ever be in your favor.

Posted by: JackStraw at September 26, 2022 12:38 PM (ZLI7S)

154 they're in a parnership with other parties of the Center Right, who have 44%. Also, their vote share translates to more *seats* than actual votes.

In addition, there is one other party, I think the 5-Stars Party, that wasn't, I think, part of the center-right coalition but will join them, and they have a few seats.
Posted by: ace at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (B3oWe)

I'm no expert in Italian politics, but from what I read yesterday, anything over 40% is a majority. Has to be, because of how unstable their political structure usually is.

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 12:38 PM (bhRsz)

155 Posted by: Thrawn at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (Rl7KJ)

Good luck EU. With Europe tacking to the nationalist right the EU will eventually be a single rain drop in a rain storm.

Posted by: thathalfrican - The One at September 26, 2022 12:38 PM (AWtdr)

156 What Europe (and hence the Europe-worshiping fools on the left in America) calls "Far right" we would tend to call center-left. Its a scare phrase used to drive away voters and reasonable people who do not wish to be associated with extremism in any sense.

But the left has become so extreme, so far left, so radical, and so offensive that even such people are driven away from them to ignore the scare phrases.

Someone like this was not elected by crazies, she was elected to shut down and drive away the crazies.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 12:38 PM (Ivdso)

157 Okay, if any of you do the twitters you probably need to get this image:

https://tinyurl.com/2gt2d3uh

It's the Ukraine flag with the caption "The international symbol for "You're about to read a really stupid tweet"

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 12:38 PM (nWVaO)

158 Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?

How about we meet you halfway and compromise with a true, conservative fighter? Mitt Romney? John Kasich? Evan McMuffin? Maybe even someone EXTREME, like Nikki Haley!

Posted by: GOPe leadership at September 26, 2022 12:38 PM (JCZqz)

159 105 Skinheads are the Soccer Moms of Europe.

worth repeating
Posted by: fluffy at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (UqnOO)

Have you been to a European football match? There's a reason they are called football hooligans.

Posted by: Moki at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (JrN/x)

160 "The EU's now pushing to deny Hungary EU funds and various EU member states (particularly Germany) want to amend EU rules so that individual nations like Hungary (and Poland, ect) no longer have veto power over proposed EU rules."

That sounds like a good way to get member nations to become ex-members.

Posted by: FeatherBlade at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (U9TBn)

161 I think they're just lashing out at Tolkien fans for criticizing Amazon's Rings of Wokeness

no it's not this b/c they are using their changes to that property to destroy the things in LOTR that inspired people like us - look at what they've done to the Hobbits, for example. they decide to buy that property, kill it, and wear it as a skin-suit on purpose.

to take it away from our hearts.

Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (w0NJk)

162 Jeebus, a female Hitler. What are we to do?

Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (uJuBh)

163 @123

>>She's quoting Chesterton? It moved ...

It's reminiscent of Margret Thatcher and Hayek, whose book, The Road to Surfdom which she slammed on the table when asked, well what do you believe in by a finance minister.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (up/3i)

164 If there was ever an event that should have - according to all their theories - led to a broad communist revolution, it was that war. But it didn't happen.

The Commies nearly won in the Italian elections of 1948.

The CIA went big against the Communist parties in Western Europe - interestingly, by pushing non-Communist socialist parties.

The CIA figured that you would always have a Left in Western Europe - they just wanted a Left that wasn't controlled by Moscow.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (I2/tG)

165 158 Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?

How about we meet you halfway and compromise with a true, conservative fighter? Mitt Romney? John Kasich? Evan McMuffin? Maybe even someone EXTREME, like Nikki Haley!
Posted by: GOPe leadership at September 26, 2022 12:38 PM (JCZqz)

===========

David French as chief of staff?

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (LvTSG)

166 Is the GOP going to run on this or nah?

You know the GOP is the other half of the uniparty and that the "right" has about 10 people in it, right?

Gop is gonna Gope, as always. If necessary, we'll get to see the feckless and spineless show the iron fist under the velvet glove, but only to the right flank.

Same as it ever was. Except now we notice.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (FCbAQ)

167 From what I have seen of Rings of Woke, it is not just woke as hell- it is HORRIBLY written and acted. Calling it puerile dialogue would be an insult to young boys everywhere.
Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (5r4XQ)
---
EVERYTHING about that show is bad. Even the CGI in many places. Sure they have some pretty New Zealand scenery, but that can only carry a show so far.

Third graders could write a more coherent story and interesting narrative...

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (YIVH2)

168 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien?

My guess is because people rightly and accurately note that Mr Tolkien would not like what they are doing to his property. And, old white man.

That quote from Chesterton is chillingly, shockingly prescient and insightful, as is usual. As brilliant and amazing a mind as both Tolkien and Lewis had, their mentor Chesterton was even greater a mind and thinker.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (Ivdso)

169 Anyone else buy any Rumble stock?

At 12 bucks it's low enough for anyone to pick up a few and low enough if it ultimately doesn't grow into an alternative you're not losing much.
Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 26, 2022 12:35 PM (up/3i)

The SPAC I bought at 11 is now rumble and it seems worthwhile to hang on for a few years to see what develops.

Posted by: LASue at September 26, 2022 12:40 PM (Ed8Zd)

170 I hope the left boycotts Italy. That would be awesome.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at September 26, 2022 12:40 PM (ItG0X)

171 Interestingly, Naples, Rome, and Florence were all left or other. IOW, the urban divide applies to Italy as well as the US.
Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (ayzS/)

==========

Would the Florentines be willing to tear down the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore to install some windmills?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:32 PM (LvTSG)

My sister did a college internship at the university in Florence several years ago. She told us later that although the city is beautiful, the people are assholes.

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (bhRsz)

172 It's reminiscent of Margret Thatcher and Hayek, whose book, The Road to Surfdom which she slammed on the table when asked, well what do you believe in by a finance minister.

I preferred Endless Summer.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (ayzS/)

173 bottom line on Ms Meloni ... she's cool, right? I love this lady!

Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (w0NJk)

174 167
EVERYTHING about that show is bad. Even the CGI in many places. Sure they have some pretty New Zealand scenery, but that can only carry a show so far.

Third graders could write a more coherent story and interesting narrative...
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (YIVH2)

==========

Jay from RLM had a handful of tweets about it, calling it horribly boring. That entertained me. I still haven't watched any of Rings of Power.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (LvTSG)

175 Jeebus, a female Hitler. What are we to do?
Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (uJuBh)

She has just the one ovary, then?

Posted by: Count de Monet at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (4I/2K)

176 I'd hit it.

Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (aursc)

177 I recommend Giorgia Meloni have sturdy locks installed on her trashcans; Ace is in heat again.
Posted by: GnuBreed at September 26, 2022 12:35 PM

Is this an Ewokian equivalent of Pon Farr?

Posted by: Duncanthrax at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (a3Q+t)

178 You can tell how sexist the Brothers of Italy are by the fact that they elected a woman to lead them. They hate women! It's festishization, or, doing jobs men don't want? They picked a cis-white straight woman. Reeeee!

Posted by: SJW activist at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (JCZqz)

179 Test

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (IRFCi)

180 she looks loke she could suck the slag off a MIG nozzle

Posted by: REDACTED at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (us2H3)

181 170 I hope the left boycotts Italy. That would be awesome.
--------------------
Imma making spaghetti tonight.

Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (uJuBh)

182 175 Jeebus, a female Hitler. What are we to do?
Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (uJuBh)

=========

I was told that if women ran the world there would be world peace.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (LvTSG)

183 128 I have an expired social membership car for the Sons of Italy.

fiat 500?

Posted by: kulak anachronda at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (v3pYe)

184 My sister did a college internship at the university in Florence several years ago. She told us later that although the city is beautiful, the people are assholes.

remember the thing with the American student getting imprisoned for murder right? Florence/Tuscany is a corrupt mess (even for Italy)

Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (w0NJk)

185 "Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah? "

And risk being called Nazi's, fascists or being accused of raising Christian hands to God in prayer and having it called a "salute"?

Nah, then they would have to actually explain what they stand for and why those pejoratives are not just simply untrue, but articulate demonstrably why they are not.

Posted by: Marcus T at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (tDEa7)

186 Jay from RLM had a handful of tweets about it, calling it horribly boring. That entertained me. I still haven't watched any of Rings of Power.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (LvTSG)
---
They've turned the hobbits into literal murder hobos. In the latest episode one of the hobbit characters wants to "take the wheels" (i.e., the wagon in which the family lives) from another hobbit family and leave them to die in the wilderness. It's horrific.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (YIVH2)

187
BTW, we should have a “Brothers of America” group. Love that name.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at September 26, 2022 12:30 PM

Just stay out of 'the City of Brotherly Love' late at night if you know what's good for ya.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (y3pKJ)

188 parliamentary politics can be confusing
gotta hand it to the American system though- we can steal a nationwide election in a single night

Posted by: DB at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (geLO8)

189 Precision. P-MILF.
Posted by: Fender fan at September 26, 2022 12:24 PM (sn5EN)

More like PM-ILF

Posted by: OneEyedJack at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (FCbAQ)

190 You know it will be a good day when ace starts off using the word "PMILF". I am not precisely sure what the P stands for -prime? - but I am in!
***
Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (ufFY

I could be wrong, but I think the closest we've come before this is PM'sWILF.

Posted by: LASue at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (Ed8Zd)

191 Gop is gonna Gope, as always. If necessary, we'll get to see the feckless and spineless show the iron fist under the velvet glove, but only to the right flank.

I read this morning that their first action in '24 will be to get rid of the 87k new IRS agents. I don't know how that's possible, given current Federal hiring regs. Possibly they could just defund the IRS, but IDK.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (ayzS/)

192 Signora Meloni needs to fill passenger trains to the brim with recent arrivals from Africa and the Middle East and send them to Brussels.

Several points:

1. The EU uttered not a peep about the predecessor Five Stars government, a party founded on Marxist-Leninism;

2. Ursula is the very definition of a c***.

3. Meloni can lift the sanctions against Russia the nanosecond the EU tries anything.

Posted by: Trump poisoned my cat at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (nMx88)

193 176 I'd hit it.
Posted by: Mr Aspirin Factory at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (aursc)

hope you like sloppy seconds

Posted by: REDACTED at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (us2H3)

194 The Democrats here want to keep what happened in Italy from happening here. That's why the "Republicans are fascists" meme is the narrative they and their propaganda arm are using to slime the right.

The "threat to their democracy" bullshit is what's enabling the federal law enforcement leviathan to go after anyone who even appears to threaten "their democracy" in the name of defeating fascism.

As usual, the Democrat left and their willing dupes the GOP have allowed the narrative and language we're seeing now to root and bear fruit.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (BFigT)

195 remember the thing with the American student getting imprisoned for murder right? Florence/Tuscany is a corrupt mess (even for Italy)
Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (w0NJk)
++++
Amanda Knox. Or, as my buddy called her, "Foxy Knoxy."

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (t0OGg)

196 >>>The Vatican is independent of the Italian Republic, so technically that would constitute an international scandal. And probably blasphemy.

Posted by: Dr. T

>What do you call it when Cadaver Joe Biden shit his trousers at the Vatican?

I'm thinking overtime for the secret service.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (w2Z7l)

197 It's reminiscent of Margret Thatcher and Hayek, whose book, The Road to Surfdom which she slammed on the table when asked, well what do you believe in by a finance minister.

I preferred Endless Summer.
Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (ayzS/)

Great double album of Beach Boy songs by Capitol Records. My first album purchase.

Also a fine surfing adventure movie.

Posted by: Count de Monet at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (4I/2K)

198 181 170 I hope the left boycotts Italy. That would be awesome.
--------------------
Imma making spaghetti tonight.
Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (uJuBh)
===

You a tell a the joke. I a cutta da hair.

Posted by: Jerry Seinfeld's barber Enzo at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (BDZWU)

199 gotta hand it to the American system though- we can steal a nationwide election in a single night

no no don't you remember - it took weeks and weeks for places like PA to print up enough fake mailins

Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (w0NJk)

200 >>The Road to Surfdom

The Beach Boys lesser-known B-side.

Posted by: Taqiyyologist, Rickrolled by Jesus at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (M9XmQ)

201 I was told that if women ran the world there would be world peace.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (LvTSG)

When a real woman is really and justifiably pissed, there will be no peace.

Posted by: CZ=FNG, Free Republic of Florida at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (MkuC5)

202 Well, this should put the kibosh on Nancy's rumored ambassadorship.

Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (SIZS3)

203 That quote from Chesterton is chillingly, shockingly prescient and insightful, as is usual. As brilliant and amazing a mind as both Tolkien and Lewis had, their mentor Chesterton was even greater a mind and thinker.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (Ivdso)

He was brilliant and an amazing writer, but I do agree he has a way of going on in flowery prose to lull you into a false sense of security and then swings a battle axe into your skull to end the piece. It is a very distinctive writing style.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (5r4XQ)

204 Nah.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty of BAD TRUMPY MANS! at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (Vw0Yo)

205 By their nature cities force people to be more communal and have much less individual space. Becomes much easier to introduce conformity or actions which leads to conformity of opinions.

There's a reason globalists want to force people into cities.

Posted by: JackStraw at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (ZLI7S)

206 Joe Mannix, you touched on yet another of my (pointless) yet well-founded and intense bugaboos.

"Nationalism" is of course a totally neutral thing, in itself. Can be used for good, or ill.

What crushed Nazi malignant weaponized delusional ultra-nationalism*??

Glad you asked. American nationalism. British nationalism. Russian nationalism*. In resistance form, Norwegian, Dutch, Serbian, Greek and other nationalisms. Hmmm. Doesn't seem like "nationalism" is a negative in any meaningful way, neccessarily.

* Stalin's reversion to traditional/national themes and symbols, like new military decorations named for historic Russian, not Soviet, heroes, etc, in the face of the German onslaught

Posted by: rhomboid at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (OTzUX)

207 Jay from RLM had a handful of tweets about it, calling it horribly boring. That entertained me. I still haven't watched any of Rings of Power.

He is correct. It is an utter snoozefest.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (ayzS/)

208 IIRC, the last Queen of Italy was a big leftist, so much so that they called her “the Red Queen.”

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (IRFCi)

209 175 Jeebus, a female Hitler. What are we to do?
Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (uJuBh)

She has just the one ovary, then?
---------------
Most likely. Nice tits, though.

Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (uJuBh)

210 You people are fast. Man.

Posted by: Taqiyyologist, Rickrolled by Jesus at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (M9XmQ)

211 The left has nothing to talk about except fantasy so LOTR, HoD, Marvel and DC comic book characters and movie remakes are the only things they can influence. Real world results, inflation, energy costs, supply chain issues, unending illegal migration, has shown that their ideas don't work. People are suffering and it is going to get worse.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (Y+l9t)

212 remember the thing with the American student getting imprisoned for murder right? Florence/Tuscany is a corrupt mess (even for Italy)
Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (w0NJk)

Preach!

Posted by: Dante at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (Ed8Zd)

213 Interestingly, Naples, Rome, and Florence were all left or other. IOW, the urban divide applies to Italy as well as the US.
Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:31 PM (ayzS/)
---
Not really surprising. Seems to be almost a universal constant...Get enough people living in close proximity to one another and they turn hard left.

Keep them spread out and they tend to be more conservative...perhaps because they are in close proximity to reality through nature.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (YIVH2)

214 I have not will not watch Rings of Power. I do watch various Tolkien geek YouTube channels. They've generally tried to be gracious.
However, portraying Galadriel as stupid even though she's thousands of years old has broken their patience.

Posted by: That NLurker guy at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (eGTCV)

215 Sure, this is nice but next week they will elect the Lesbian Vegan Bestiality Party. That is just how Italian politics works.

Posted by: Drew in MO at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (cGlgB)

216 126 Ricordate che il governo italiano è impostato per governare sulla base di coalizioni. Quindi, mentre il suo partito ha vinto la più grande quota singola di tutti i partiti, è una coalizione di diversi partiti che consente loro di governare come maggioranza. Questo è chiaramente ciò che il popolo italiano vuole in qualche forma. Non sono d'accordo solo sui gradi.
Posted by: Marcus T at September 26, 2022 12:34 PM (tDEa7)

I actually could decipher the above to some extent.

I also found it interesting that I understood a good deal of her speech for not being versed in Italian. I studied Spanish and could get by in a pinch...but that was decades ago.

I understand it's all from the same root language, but still it surprised me.

Posted by: browndog Official Mascot of Team Gizzard at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (BgMrQ)

217 You are going to see Italy, Hungary, Poland and others start to push back on the EU. The election in Italy is going to be a spark. That's why the EU is pushing back so hard. You now have one of the largest economies in Europe turning the tide.

Posted by: Marcus T at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (tDEa7)

218 Posted by: rhomboid at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (OTzUX)
++++
Yup, but blaming it lets you ignore the real problem when you're an old-world power player.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (t0OGg)

219 All I've heard about this election is that Meloni is "fringe" and "hard-right" and "fascist." So that makes this line in the story stand out in farcical fashion:

"The victory... comes as formerly taboo and marginalized parties... are entering the mainstream."

Suggesting that traditional morality is "extreme" just punctuates how far the navel-gazing Left have pushed the Overton Window of normalcy to not simply include the formerly unacceptable but to shove what was common knowledge and decency out of the frame. It says a hell of a lot more about those who are defining "normal" than it does about any fundamental shifts in human behavior.

The Chesterton quote Meloni referred to to wrap up her victory speech is dead-on -- being at a juncture where we have to FIGHT to define 2+2=4 and that summer leaves are green. And if, in fact, Italy and the rest of the world's decent people are being pushed to "extreme-right" politicians, it's the insane Left that are doing the pushing, and they brought any fierce blowback directly on themselves.

Posted by: red speck at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (gS3OW)

220 195 remember the thing with the American student getting imprisoned for murder right? Florence/Tuscany is a corrupt mess (even for Italy)
Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (w0NJk)
++++
Amanda Knox. Or, as my buddy called her, "Foxy Knoxy."
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (t0OGg)
_________________

I'm still not sure she wasn't involved in the murder, though. The whole story was weird as fuck.

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (iFTx/)

221 How about we meet you halfway and compromise with a true, conservative fighter? Mitt Romney? John Kasich? Evan McMuffin? Maybe even someone EXTREME, like Nikki Haley!
Posted by: GOPe leadership at September 26, 2022 12:38 PM

Have I ever mentioned that my father was a uniformed Postal Carrier?

Posted by: John Kasich at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (a3Q+t)

222 202 Well, this should put the kibosh on Nancy's rumored ambassadorship.
Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at September 26, 2022 12:44 PM (SIZS3)
===

I've kiboshed before...and I'll kibosh again.

Posted by: Crazy Joe Davola at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (BDZWU)

223 Anthony Boirdain's final travelogue:

"The Road to Surf and Turfdom"

Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (cPDW+)

224 I added an explanation why there is a mandate -- including an estimate of how many seats each party won in the parliament.

Posted by: ace at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (B3oWe)

225 Signora Meloni needs to fill passenger trains to the brim with recent arrivals from Africa and the Middle East and send them to Brussels.

Damn, this place generates some excellent ideas.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (ayzS/)

226 They've turned the hobbits into literal murder hobos. In the latest episode one of the hobbit characters wants to "take the wheels" (i.e., the wagon in which the family lives) from another hobbit family and leave them to die in the wilderness. It's horrific.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (YIVH2)

WTAF?

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (5r4XQ)

227 Yep. Tolkien was cis-het-white and thus worse than Hitler, but LOTR made a lot of money and gained a lot of fans, so he has to be torn down and his creation 'updated for a modern audience'.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, Buy ammo, food, water at September 26, 2022 12:36 PM (V6f9+)

---------

Worse yet, LOTR was based on Norse Mythology -- and everybody knows that the invading & raiding hordes of Northmen Vikings with the original skinhead "white supremacists" ...

/Only half-joking

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (wVh49)

228 I'm still not sure she wasn't involved in the murder, though. The whole story was weird as fuck.
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (iFTx/)
++++
Oh yeah. She may well have killed the guy. I have no idea. But pretty girl from America coupled with abject corruption means ain't nobody ever gonna know the truth.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (t0OGg)

229 202 Well, this should put the kibosh on Nancy's rumored ambassadorship.
---------------
Maybe the Italians will hang her from a lamppost for us?

Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (uJuBh)

230 I now realize my error...

In the immortal words of Florida Evans, DAMN, DAMN, DAMN!

Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (up/3i)

231 223 Anthony Boirdain's final travelogue:

"The Road to Surf and Turfdom"
Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (cPDW+)

*golfclap*

Damn.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (5r4XQ)

232 >What do you call it when Cadaver Joe Biden shit his trousers at the Vatican?

Rectal birth.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko Solutions at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (Vw0Yo)

233 What happened to PIGS...from a few years back...that the rest of the EU was carrying?

Posted by: BignJames at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (AwYPR)

234 ITALEXIT!

finally!!!!!

I want the lira back!

Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (w0NJk)

235 Not familiar with EU procedure - know that consensus (unanimity, basically) is required for many things, like the sanctions. But not sure there is an active, affirmative sort of power there - as in, could Italy move to change or drop sanctions, and get their way? In any case I have no idea about the popularity of the sanctions or where the new coalition would stand on the question.

Posted by: rhomboid at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (OTzUX)

236
Worse yet, LOTR was based on Norse Mythology -- and everybody knows that the invading & raiding hordes of Northmen Vikings with the original skinhead "white supremacists" ...
-----------------
Hey, we only shaved the back of out heads.

Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (uJuBh)

237 Is Giorgia married?

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (IRFCi)

238 215 Sure, this is nice but next week they will elect the Lesbian Vegan Bestiality Party. That is just how Italian politics works.
Posted by: Drew in MO at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (cGlgB)

Those Glutenists? *spits*

Posted by: Gluten Free Lesbian Bestiality Party at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (cupoy)

239 Wow, she's sploosh-tastic!

Posted by: Wyatt Earp at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (d2bW3)

240 how do you claim a mandate with 26% (or whatever) of the vote
Posted by: DB at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (geLO

Parliamentary system. Ever so much better than ours. Made up of thousands of fringe parties each of which exists to ensure the system won't work.

That's how Europe does deep state, baby.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic, Ashli Babbitt/Rosanne Boyland at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (GYIa4)

241 The EU is just another attempt by Germany to control Europe with the assistance of their historical bitch, France.

Posted by: Drew in MO at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (cGlgB)

242 Oh lordy, we're not going to re-litigate the Amanda Knox case (yet) again are we?

Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (cPDW+)

243 * "... WERE the original skinhead "white supremacists" ...

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (wVh49)

244 I have not will not watch Rings of Power. I do watch various Tolkien geek YouTube channels. They've generally tried to be gracious.
However, portraying Galadriel as stupid even though she's thousands of years old has broken their patience.
Posted by: That NLurker guy at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (eGTCV)
---
You can only polish that turd so much...It's still a turd. AZ from Heelvsbabyface pointed out that the so-called "superfans" who were hired to promote the show in a promo video haven't posted a single thing about the show since it began.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (YIVH2)

245 The sections I've seen of Rings of Power look well designed (for the most part, almost all of the hair styles look utterly ridiculous), but the dialog is terribly written and pretentious crap trying to capture Tolkien's epic style but missing the mark terribly. The casting is very curious as well for the most part.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (Ivdso)

246 229 202 Well, this should put the kibosh on Nancy's rumored ambassadorship.
---------------
Maybe the Italians will hang her from a lamppost for us?
Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (uJuBh)

Perhaps this is why Nancy was wanting the job...to stop this.

Posted by: Miss Issippi at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (sI15f)

247 Georgia Meloni: If you want to preserve Italy, you can't erase Italians.

Eric Zemmour: If you want to preserve France, you can't erase the French.

Donald Trump: If you want to preserve America. . .

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (lf83v)

248 How you could do a post on Meloni and exclude her Instagram post is beyond me, Ace.

Posted by: Kevin in ABQ at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (MXm5i)

249 Southern Sicily is also listed as "other". But don't forget they are bearing the brunt of African and Middle Eastern illegal immigration. I wouldn't be too quick to count them as something other than the right. They voted within their traditional parties, largely for economic reasons. But they've had enough and are on board with some of the rights objectives.

Posted by: Marcus T at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (tDEa7)

250 Lennon..."Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man"

Oh yeah, just try to share some Lennon music without "greedy" Lennon getting his cut from his "possession".

Posted by: doesky2 at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (X5MAF)

251 Oh are we concerned about Nazis again? I thought we stopped being concerned about them when Ukraine became the current thing.

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (ppBhU)

252 Should the Italicans storm the EU? The same way they storm AoSHQ?

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (YIVH2)

253 Whatever happened to the earlier "Italian Trump" guy?

Posted by: rhomboid at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (OTzUX)

254 Fascism comes home. Brothers of Italy is typical of other manifestations of rightwing neo-fascism: hostile to gay and transgender issues and access to abortion, along with classic anti-immigrant nativism.

The reaction across the world to gay rights is just stunning. It appears to be a key driver in a lot of places. I saw that Hispanics in South Texas for example are clearly animated by gay marriage and abortion opposition for example in a piece on MSNBC Friday night. I'll never understand why people care so much about what other people are doing that has zero effect on them.

Hungary, Poland, Sweden, now Italy. A fascist Domino effect without firing a single shot.

how much right wing talk radio in italy? fed by putin

This is the result of massive demographic changes across Europe. Native populations are in decline. Immigration is needed just to make the countries function, but this comes at a price, intense xenophobia. Countries hostile to immigration will see the overall quality of their lives decline.

Posted by: Intrepid Democratic Underground AoS Liaison at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (JCZqz)

255 They've turned the hobbits into literal murder hobos. In the latest episode one of the hobbit characters wants to "take the wheels" (i.e., the wagon in which the family lives) from another hobbit family and leave them to die in the wilderness. It's horrific.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (YIVH2)

Wow, I suddenly feel much better about not watching that. Well, actually I was just fine with not watching already, but still.

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (bhRsz)

256 No personal identity, just a number--that's also the dream of big tech.
Put us all into nice little bins, make us all fit their tidy algorithm.
People who won't fit, won't comply, won't submit will be marked for correction and elimination.

Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot didn't kill millions because they opposed communism, they killed them because they didn't fit-- the plan was perfect, the people were not.

As the hero of the liberals once said, "One death is a tragedy, a million is just a statistic."

Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at September 26, 2022 12:50 PM (Zf0+a)

257 What happened to PIGS...from a few years back...that the rest of the EU was carrying?
Posted by: BignJames at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (AwYPR)
++++
They're still there, it's still a disaster, there's still too much debt, there's still too much corruption, there's still not enough economic activity, the ECB is still trying to be the glue that hold the whole mess together.

But now the core is catching up to the periphery. Two years of COVID spending and associated insanity - coupled with the war in Ukraine and the energy disaster - has caused widespread inflation, crippling debt and catastrophic problems *everywhere* and so they stand out a lot less than they used to.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:50 PM (t0OGg)

258 Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?

The GOPe-certainly not. Trump could but has to make a pretty big spectacle throwing the "experts" and lockdown governors under the bus hard and often.

Non-lockdown governors, or those who at least learned from the mistake of listening to the quacks at the CDC, are going to have a much easier time of it.

Posted by: Methos at September 26, 2022 12:50 PM (kOpft)

259 I understand it's all from the same root language, but still it surprised me.
Posted by: browndog Official Mascot of Team Gizzard at September 26, 2022 12:45 PM (BgMrQ)

Ditto.
I took a few years of Espanol in HS and was surprised that I understood a lot of her words. I think her pronunciation and slower speed helped too.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at September 26, 2022 12:50 PM (ufFY8)

260 AZ from Heelvsbabyface pointed out that the so-called "superfans" who were hired to promote the show in a promo video haven't posted a single thing about the show since it began.

Digging deeper you find that they are all instagram "influencers" who mentioned almost nothing about Tolkien, geek culture, or fantasy in their profiles and have at most 1-2 Tolkien-related images in the thousands of pictures on each site... all of which were around the time that lame "superfans" ad came out.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 12:50 PM (Ivdso)

261 the state dept is running an independent war in Ukraine

Posted by: REDACTED at September 26, 2022 12:50 PM (us2H3)

262 Support Melonism.

Posted by: Lithiated gp For Pep at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (24fqN)

263 Interesting that Bologna an The state of Reggio Emilia are solidly in the blue. The often voted Communist in earlier years.

Posted by: Jinx the Cat at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (5/Hp1)

264 My eyes glaze over every time I read the phrase "far right". GK Chesterton is "far right" now.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (44ww/)

265 yes yes, euro commies are hysterical. This chick sounds great.

Posted by: sockamster, Aos ShowRunner at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (OuH7W)

266 ... how much right wing talk radio in italy? fed by putin ...
Posted by: Intrepid Democratic Underground AoS Liaison at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (JCZqz)
++++
Man, that Putin guy really gets around!

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (t0OGg)

267 Where does Nancy Pelosi want to serve as U.S. ambassador?

LOLGF.

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (lf83v)

268 Hey, we only shaved the back of out heads.

Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM (uJuBh)

--------

Heh.

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (BG/Pe)

269 What Marcus T said. The mass migration disaster in Italy is virtually unknown in the US (well, of course - the mass migration disaster in much of the US itself is virtually unknown in the US). It began with Albania, a while back, but the flood waters really began with the insane EU behavior back in 2014/15.

Posted by: rhomboid at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (OTzUX)

270 “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (iFTx/)

271 Interesting that around the world, the Left has decided that they get to define the opposition party.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - move forward at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (5HBd1)

272 A recent article I read (I wish I could remember where) said the Republican candidates running as GOPe were getting really weak primary support, right even with Democrats running in their primaries.

But Republicans running as MAGA candidates, particularly those with a Trump endorsement, were getting huge support.

McConnell should take note, but he won't. Because he really doesn't care if Republicans win or lose, he only cares that he wins or loses.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (iTk1g)

273 Nice post, ace. But I still don't get why every time we have a post about Italy some yahoo has to post a comment about Amanda Knox. Mussolini sure, I get it, and Sophia Loren, it IS the Horde after all. But Amanda Knox? Come on people!

Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (cPDW+)

274 no it's not this b/c they are using their changes to that property to destroy the things in LOTR that inspired people like us - look at what they've done to the Hobbits, for example. they decide to buy that property, kill it, and wear it as a skin-suit on purpose.

to take it away from our hearts.

------

Maybe, but I kinda think you're giving the left too much credit here. I don't think the showrunners or writers on the new Amazon show know or understand enough about Tolkien to want to destroy it. They're just a bunch of dumbass 20-somethings who saw the movies when they were 5 and thought were cool, and now they're making some lame fanficiton using the same woke grrl-power rulebook that Disney uses.

Posted by: Cave Johnson at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (9bp5t)

275 One day I'd really like to meet one of these hard right socialists the NYT is so worried about.

They must be terribly confused people.

Posted by: sniffybigtoe at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (UuD2k)

276 I'll never understand why people care so much about what other people are doing that has zero effect on them.

Posted by: Intrepid Democratic Underground AoS Liaison at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (JCZqz)

Huh.
Kinda like average Joe going to church on Sunday and having the feds take your picture.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (anj39)

277 “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (iFTx/)
++++
Yup. And fables serve a similar purpose. It's one the reasons I get so annoyed when people screw around with fairy tales, fables, folklore, etc.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (t0OGg)

278 Nancy Pelosi should be caned in St. Peter's Square.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (w2Z7l)

279 Epic post, Ace! Must have taken hours to compile that.

Posted by: Lithiated gp For Pep at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (24fqN)

280 I love that the NYT is referring to Meloni's party as a "descendent of fascist parties".

Now, lets do "Democrats".

Posted by: Huck Follywood at September 26, 2022 12:53 PM (iTk1g)

281 Kari Lake was on Maria Bartiromo's show yesterday.
Double ROWR

Posted by: wth at September 26, 2022 12:53 PM (v0R5T)

282 I have never been there, but I think Sardinia would be a great place to wait things out. From what I hear, they would fit in a lot around here.

Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at September 26, 2022 12:53 PM (lz5hY)

283 The Road To Surf City by Jan and Dean (1963) was the first surf song to reach #1 on the charts. Written by Brian Wilson and Jan Berry. Brian's dad Murray Wilson went apeshit over Brian 'giving away' a #1 song and decreed no more collabs.

Posted by: Count de Monet at September 26, 2022 12:53 PM (4I/2K)

284 Interesting that around the world, the Left has decided that they get to define the opposition party.
Posted by: Notsothoreau - move forward at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (5HBd1)

This is easy once you control the narrative and the media.
You can make up any word you want. "Hate" crime comes to mind.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (anj39)

285 273 Nice post, ace. But I still don't get why every time we have a post about Italy some yahoo has to post a comment about Amanda Knox. Mussolini sure, I get it, and Sophia Loren, it IS the Horde after all. But Amanda Knox? Come on people!
Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (cPDW+)

ur killin me

Posted by: Merideth Kercher at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (us2H3)

286 The Hobbits are now Murder Hobos?

I guess I will not eat Rings of Power harder than I already am.

Thanks for the heads-up on it. Now I'm no longer interested in ever seeing it.

Posted by: Just Lily at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (Jp2Se)

287 i'm guessing that "meloni" is italian for "melons".

Posted by: kulak anachronda at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (lgPNG)

288 remember the thing with the American student getting imprisoned for murder right? Florence/Tuscany is a corrupt mess (even for Italy)
Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (w0NJk)

Try south of Rome. I spent quite some time around Anzio, Gaeta, Cassino and the Amalfi coast. Never had a bad experience with the Italians. All of them were more than gracious and eager to have us visit their country.

Only bad thing was that we got a parking ticket - which had to be paid at the police station. Turned out to be a not-so-bad experience as the lady at the station that I paid the ticket to was... how do I say this tactfully... Italian woman are gorgeous. How about that?

Posted by: Defenestratus at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (9V81o)

289 Re Ace's update, I love that in Italian "left" still translates as "sinister."

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (bhRsz)

290 27 What's with the left suddenly shitting all over Tolkien? I can see why they don't like the Christianity of CS Lewis, but what did Tolkien ever do?
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:22 PM (iFTx/)

Rings of Power on Amazon Prime. Not even kidding. The smooth-brains over there decided Tolkien needed to be 'updated to reflect the world today', the Tolkien fandom revolted, and BOOM! just like that Tolkien's legendarium is crypto-fascist and anyone objecting to Amazon's fanfic is a Nazi.

Posted by: J. Random Dude and his amazing tablet at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (dsNxU)

291 254 The reaction across the world to gay rights is just stunning. It appears to be a key driver in a lot of places. I saw that Hispanics in South Texas for example are clearly animated by gay marriage and abortion opposition for example in a piece on MSNBC Friday night. I'll never understand why people care so much about what other people are doing that has zero effect on them.

This is the result of massive demographic changes across Europe. Native populations are in decline. Immigration is needed just to make the countries function, but this comes at a price, intense xenophobia. Countries hostile to immigration will see the overall quality of their lives decline.
Posted by: Intrepid Democratic Underground AoS Liaison at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (JCZqz)

=========

Think there's a connection between gay sex and lowering of birth rates?

Hey...if you don't want fascists to take over, maybe try to make the countries you rule appealing to the people who live there? Maybe don't shit on the countries themselves, import new populations, or directly antagonize the people that live there.

Just a thought.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (LvTSG)

292 I assume far right in Europe is American center left?

Posted by: USNtakim deplorable still. at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (q7YwT)

293 Andrew Cuomo is a pimp. He could never have outfought Georgi Meloni.

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (lf83v)

294 282 I have never been there, but I think Sardinia would be a great place to wait things out. From what I hear, they would fit in a lot around here.
Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at September 26, 2022 12:53 PM (lz5hY)

It has some of the oldest structures built by man on it.

Posted by: sniffybigtoe at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (UuD2k)

295
Interesting that around the world, the Left has decided that they get to define the opposition party.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - move forward at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM

Alinsky is probably printed in every language by now.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (y3pKJ)

296 244 You can only polish that turd so much...It's still a turd. AZ from Heelvsbabyface pointed out that the so-called "superfans" who were hired to promote the show in a promo video haven't posted a single thing about the show since it began.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:48 PM (YIVH2)

==========

Now, that's hilarious.

If there were people who latched onto these superfans because they thought they were genuine, they're not even getting any encouragement to watch.

Amazon deserves all the fail. They're even failing at astroturfing.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (LvTSG)

297 The EU hates Meloni, claiming (without evidence!!) her party has nazis in it.

Meanwhile, the EU supports Ukraine, where there are actual nazis... Just noting the contradiction.

Posted by: Huck Follywood at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (iTk1g)

298 BTW, the New York Times has a hit piece on the Pacific Northwest-based Providence Medical Services, alleging that they use unethical tactics to collect bills.

I'm sure that the fact that Providence is Catholic, and refuses to do abortions and transgender surgeries, has nothing to do with the NYT's choice of targets. I'm sure that Providence's bill collection tactics are uniquely bad.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (I2/tG)

299 Not *WATCH Rings of Power.

Good grief autocucumber!

Posted by: Just Lily at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (Jp2Se)

300 I have never been there, but I think Sardinia would be a great place to wait things out.

Casu marzu for everyone!

Hooray?

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (2gbgu)

301 "Trump could but has to make a pretty big spectacle throwing the 'experts' and lockdown governors under the bus hard and often."

This could be tricky, as the whole episode, including at least individual Trump dust-ups with certain non-lockdown (or weak, and recovered, lockdown) governors, like Kemp, put him on the wrong side of the question.

Being polite and soft-edged here.

Posted by: rhomboid at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (OTzUX)

302 Wow, from reading the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and watching NBC and CBS, all I gotta say is, Ethiopia and Haile Selassie must be REALLY worried right now!

I hear the Savoia-Marchetti SM 79 with the latest service packs and upgrades is really something else!

Posted by: William F. 'Buck' Dharma at September 26, 2022 12:56 PM (oedLL)

303 Italy is kind of close to Ukraine, isn't it? So I stand with the Italians.

Posted by: wth at September 26, 2022 12:56 PM (v0R5T)

304 It has some of the oldest structures built by man on it.
Posted by: sniffybigtoe at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (UuD2k)
==========
like the roof on my house?

Posted by: Huck Follywood at September 26, 2022 12:56 PM (iTk1g)

305 I reckon there are some bureaucrats swilling down alcohol at the moment.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!)

To be fair, that's what bureaucrats normally do and it is party time in Italy.

Posted by: SFGoth at September 26, 2022 12:56 PM (KAi1n)

306 They've turned the hobbits into literal murder hobos. In the latest episode one of the hobbit characters wants to "take the wheels" (i.e., the wagon in which the family lives) from another hobbit family and leave them to die in the wilderness. It's horrific.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (YIVH2)

-----------

That sounds like a scene out of the "Yellowstone"
TV series prequel "1883."

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (HyAgf)

307 how do I say this tactfully... Italian woman are gorgeous. How about that?

Posted by: Defenestratus at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (9V81o)

It was a bit of culture shock when I went out into the world and saw that all women didn't look like my mom and her sisters, SILs.

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (dCxaZ)

308 I think her pronunciation and slower speed helped too.
Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at September 26, 2022 12:50 PM (ufFY

Absolutely.

If she had been speechafying at "cab driver" speed, I would have been lost.

Posted by: browndog Official Mascot of Team Gizzard at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (BgMrQ)

309 "EVERYTHING about that show is bad. Even the CGI in many places. Sure they have some pretty New Zealand scenery, but that can only carry a show so far. "

The CGI and New Zealand scenery made the Lord of the Rings movies tolerable, barely. Wokism wasn't a thing yet, fortunately, or they would've been a complete disaster.

Posted by: Ripley at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (MxEKc)

310 But Amanda Knox? Come on people!

Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (cPDW+)

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (XIJ/X)

311 If the NYT ever, even once, cast aside the suppression of truth and their far led agenda the left would fire bomb their building.

Posted by: That NLurker guy at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (eGTCV)

312 Is Giorgia married?
Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 12:47 PM

Per the interwebz, not married, but "partnered" with a guy. They have a daughter.

Sorry.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (4p7Em)

313 Well, you can't say that she has a weak rhetorical game.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:29 PM (t0OGg)

———

It’s more than that. It’s inescapable logic. The Left globalists want you to be a number the Right respects you as a person.

Posted by: MAGA_Ken at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (apsfW)

314 This could be tricky, as the whole episode, including at least individual Trump dust-ups with certain non-lockdown (or weak, and recovered, lockdown) governors, like Kemp, put him on the wrong side of the question.

rhomboid I heard him in a recent interview STILL pushing the vaccines. he will NEVER admit to being wrong on the shots or the interventions. it's a weak spot; he should shut up about it.

Posted by: BlackOrchid at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (w0NJk)

315 272 But Republicans running as MAGA candidates, particularly those with a Trump endorsement, were getting huge support.

McConnell should take note, but he won't. Because he really doesn't care if Republicans win or lose, he only cares that he wins or loses.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (iTk1g)

=========

Dave in Fla mentioned this.

The GOPe is dying. It's not dead, but it is dying. It will cling to power for as long as it can, but the eventual retirement of Mitch McConnell (2026, I guess) will be when we might see real change in Congress at the federal level. Until then, it's happy fun time at the state level.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (LvTSG)

316 It has some of the oldest structures built by man on it.
Posted by: sniffybigtoe at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (UuD2k)

Not a good place for catching really big fish, though.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (WSVNH)

317 I thought casu marzu was Romanian?

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 12:58 PM (IRFCi)

318 It has some of the oldest structures built by man on it.
Posted by: sniffybigtoe at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (UuD2k)

They took three weeks to construct my hovel!

Posted by: Taylor Lorenz at September 26, 2022 12:58 PM (h5TKJ)

319 Kari Lake was on Maria Bartiromo's show yesterday.
Double ROWR
Posted by: wth at September 26, 2022 12:53 PM (v0R5T)

I still remember the Money Honey showing off her rack at that dinner after Trump got elected.

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at September 26, 2022 12:58 PM (ufFY8)

320 Casu marzu for everyone!

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (2gbgu)

Gotta' have crackers.

Posted by: BignJames at September 26, 2022 12:58 PM (AwYPR)

321 I could be wrong, but I think the closest we've come before this is PM'sWILF.
Posted by: LASue at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM (Ed8Zd)

There was that scandi PM who got in "trouble" recently for partying. Don't recall what country.

Posted by: I used to have a different nic, Ashli Babbitt/Rosanne Boyland at September 26, 2022 12:58 PM (GYIa4)

322 Per the interwebz, not married, but "partnered" with a guy. They have a daughter.
_____________

A daughter?

Posted by: Joe Biden at September 26, 2022 12:59 PM (lf83v)

323 I'm a fan of the true crime genre, but Knox never tripped my trigger.

Posted by: Lithiated gp For Pep at September 26, 2022 12:59 PM (24fqN)

324 I added an explanation why there is a mandate -- including an estimate of how many seats each party won in the parliament.

Posted by: ace at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (B3oWe)

Nice. There's a Netflix (?) show from a few years ago about a woman elected PM of Denmark(its subtitled); the first few episodes deal with her forming a coalition government , negotiating with the various factions she needs, and shows a lot of the pitfalls and how hard it is.

Posted by: LASue at September 26, 2022 12:59 PM (Ed8Zd)

325 Jeebus, a female Hitler. What are we to do?
Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 12:39 PM (uJuBh)
........

I think she's more of a Mussolini.

Posted by: wth at September 26, 2022 12:59 PM (v0R5T)

326 The gopE just shit their pants thinking they could not be able to throw the 2022 election even as hard as they have tried.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at September 26, 2022 12:59 PM (u4CEu)

327 266 ... how much right wing talk radio in italy? fed by putin ...
Posted by: Intrepid Democratic Underground AoS Liaison at September 26, 2022 12:49 PM (JCZqz)
++++
Man, that Putin guy really gets around!
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM

They call Marco Levini "The Great One". Not even a dog whistle at this point with the right wing fascists!

Posted by: Zombie Rusho Limbaughni at September 26, 2022 12:59 PM (JCZqz)

328 They ignore the millions of farmers and workers and mothers and fathers deciding that they must vote against the left to merely survive.

Italy has been suffering economically ever since they switched to the Euro. The pain reached fever peak lately though. Right before the plandemic, some visitors from Italy told me how college graduates have to work for a year or two without pay in order to establish their creds. Only then can they start applying to other employers and start earning actual money.

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 12:59 PM (dCxaZ)

329 270 “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 12:51 PM (iFTx/)

I've never heard that...I like it.

Posted by: browndog Official Mascot of Team Gizzard at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (BgMrQ)

330 Nancy Pelosi should be caned in St. Peter's Square.
Posted by: Dr. Bone at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (w2Z7l)
===============

Pay per view home run!

Posted by: Hollywood Exec at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (iTk1g)

331 It's horrific.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 12:42 PM (YIVH2)

That's just because you are insufficiently aware of JRR Tolkien's true meaning of The Hobbit.

You might think it was a sweet and wonderful children's fable to be read to the little ones, but the reality is that it is a critique of the heteronormative patriarchy of depression era England.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (XIJ/X)

332 The GOPe is dying. It's not dead, but it is dying. It will cling to power for as long as it can, but the eventual retirement of Mitch McConnell (2026, I guess) will be when we might see real change in Congress at the federal level.

--------------

This sounds right, but power is a funny thing. Mitch seems reluctant to change, but he's not the first politician to change when the voters start voting differently. I don't have a lot of hope, but maybe he will see the light.

Posted by: SH (No more Roe) at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (sX1BW)

333 There was that scandi PM who got in "trouble" recently for partying. Don't recall what country.
Posted by: I used to have a different nic, Ashli Babbitt/Rosanne Boyland at September 26, 2022 12:58 PM (GYIa4)

Finland. Forget what the PM's name is.

Definitely a looker, but just as definitely millennial trash.

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (bhRsz)

334 The Hobbits are now Murder Hobos?

"HARFOOTS! THEY'RE HARFOOTS!"
--Amazon executives worried about lawsuits

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (Ivdso)

335 Is the term murder hobo being bandied about as some kind of disparagement?!?

Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls - pro murder hobo at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (2gbgu)

336 It has some of the oldest structures built by man on it.
Posted by: sniffybigtoe at September 26, 2022 12:55 PM (UuD2k)

Not a good place for catching really big fish, though.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (WSVNH)

It's a great place to make bait.

Posted by: Napoleon XIV at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (AiZBA)

337 Now, Romanian — there’s a cool Romance language.

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 01:01 PM (IRFCi)

338 "Countries hostile to immigration will see the overall quality of their lives decline"

So they'll be just like Switzerland. Which, BTW , the globalist elites never manage to boycott for their racist immigration policies.

Posted by: Ripley at September 26, 2022 01:01 PM (MxEKc)

339 It's horrific.

Meanwhile, orcs are shown mourning their dead and burying them with respect and ritual.

Harfoots: evil and cruel
Orcs: thoughtful and respectful

Got it.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:01 PM (Ivdso)

340 326 The gopE just shit their pants thinking they could not be able to throw the 2022 election even as hard as they have tried.
Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at September 26, 2022 12:59 PM (u4CEu)

=========

When the GOPe is the only power in the GOP, they can make that happen.

They're fighting yesterday's war, though. With Trump in the picture, who is affirmatively putting forward a vision for the future of the party, they can't just counter with nothing. They have to counter with their own vision.

The problem is that their vision doesn't include us, they know it, and they can't present anything else without pissing off their donors.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:01 PM (LvTSG)

341 Until then, it's happy fun time at the state level.

State Senator Doug Mastriano, running for PA Governor is the only Republican who publically spoke out against the FBI raiding the home of the pro-lifer

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 01:01 PM (dCxaZ)

342 The GOPe is dying. It's not dead, but it is dying. It will cling to power for as long as it can, but the eventual retirement of Mitch McConnell (2026, I guess) will be when we might see real change in Congress at the federal level.

It's definitely already happening, but I think '24 will be the main inflection point. To quote Dylan:

Come senators, congressmen, Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway, Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt, Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin', Will soon shake your windows, And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 01:02 PM (ayzS/)

343 50 >>>Yeah...a one. But she's no Carla Gugino.

Sigh. I've been a Gugino fanboy since she first appeared as Wayne's girlfriend on Wonder Years.

Posted by: red speck at September 26, 2022 01:02 PM (gS3OW)

344
Per the interwebz, not married, but "partnered" with a guy. They have a daughter.

So there's a chance then?

Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at September 26, 2022 01:02 PM (ufFY8)

345 And thre totally support democratic unelected elites at the EU addres threatening Italy if they didn't vote the way the EU demanded.

Funny they did this to Poland and Hungary too, but they're completely silent about Zelensky going full dictator and barring opposition to run for office.

Hopefully Italy starts with their EU exit now, and we're end this decade with all EU leaders being taken out to the chop-chop machine.

Posted by: Rbastid at September 26, 2022 01:02 PM (Ri6cH)

346 Is the term murder hobo being bandied about as some kind of disparagement?!?
Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls - pro murder hobo at September 26, 2022 01:00 PM (2gbgu)
++++
Everyone wants the pelts but nobody wants to think about where they come from.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 01:02 PM (t0OGg)

347 But Amanda Knox? Come on people!

Posted by: Muldoon at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (cPDW+)

Frankly, I have never read nor cared anything about the Amanda Knox deal. Not that it isn't important to some people; it just never piqued my interest.

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 01:03 PM (bhRsz)

348 The first thing she is going to do is close all of the Olive Gardens in Italy.

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 01:03 PM (lf83v)

349 Have I ever mentioned that my father was a uninformed Postal Carrier?
Posted by: John Kasich at September 26, 2022 12:46 PM (a3Q+t)

So a chip off the old block, huh?

Posted by: OneEyedJack at September 26, 2022 01:03 PM (FCbAQ)

350 342 It's definitely already happening, but I think '24 will be the main inflection point.
Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 01:02 PM (ayzS/)

=========

If Trump (or DeSantis) becomes president in 2024, they'll be met with the same hardheadedness of a Mitch McConnell led Senate. Neither Trump nor DeSantis will be able to get rock-ribbed conservatives through the Senate with Mitch still in charge.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:03 PM (LvTSG)

351 315
The GOPe is dying. It's not dead, but it is dying. It will cling to power for as long as it can, but the eventual retirement of Mitch McConnell (2026, I guess) will be when we might see real change in Congress at the federal level. Until then, it's happy fun time at the state level.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM

No! There is another. (looks at John Cornyn, Joni Ernst, Lindsay Graham)

Posted by: GOPe Yoda at September 26, 2022 01:04 PM (JCZqz)

352 What an outstanding post, by the way!!

Posted by: Hollywood Exec at September 26, 2022 01:04 PM (iTk1g)

353 Andrew Cuomo is a pimp. He could never have outfought Georgi Meloni.

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 12:54 PM (lf83v)

---------

No way a babe like that would wear nipple rings, either ...

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 01:04 PM (HyAgf)

354 346 Everyone wants the pelts but nobody wants to think about where they come from.
Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 01:02 PM (t0OGg)

==========

The Revenant, starring Ace of Spades.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (LvTSG)

355 unelected elites at the EU = Neo Nazi Party.

Posted by: Archer at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (gmo/4)

356 Harfoots: evil and cruel
Orcs: thoughtful and respectful

Got it.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:01 PM (Ivdso)
---
Yep. They completely invert their moral compass to depict the hobbits as murderous cretins, while the Orcs are noble and worthy of respect. Hollywood does not have any clue how to depict "good" v. "evil" because they don't know what those actually are.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (YIVH2)

357 >>>Meanwhile, orcs are shown mourning their dead and burying them with respect and ritual.

Hey, they were shown doing that in The Two Towers, too!

You know, if by "burying them with respect and ritual" you mean "eating them."

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (bhRsz)

358
No! There is another. (looks at John Cornyn, Joni Ernst, Lindsay Graham)

*cough*

Posted by: John Thune at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (ayzS/)

359 Frankly, I have never read nor cared anything about the Amanda Knox deal. Not that it isn't important to some people; it just never piqued my interest.
Posted by: Dr. T
___

There's a lot of things in the past 20 years or so that made news, but I didn't hear about or, or just refused to pay attention.
Had other things going on besides video games, movies, or celeb gossip.

Posted by: SMH at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (xzNDG)

360 "Hard Right," "Far Right", "Extreme Right" -- they're conservative traditionalists. Their policies would have been middle of the road not that long ago.

All scare terms by the media. No one is ever labeled "Far Left."

Posted by: Ordinary American at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (H8QX8)

361 McDonald's is in a trap that the left set.

They were called racist for heavily advertising in black areas and on black media (with black actors), thus leading to obesity and ill health in black communities.

So McDonald's said "shoot, okay we won't do that".

Now the left is suing them for discriminating against black media companies by not advertising on them.

https://tinyurl.com/ynxe6kzu

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (Ivdso)

362 200>>The Road to Surfdom
The Beach Boys lesser-known B-side.
Posted by: Taqiyyologist, Rickrolled by Jesus at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM

We're the Serf Patrol, we're comin' to your town
(nuh, nuh, nuh, nuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuh)
We're gonna take your chicks and pound you to the ground
(nuh, nuh, nuh, nuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuh)

Posted by: Beto Ochoa at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (dzZCL)

363 What an outstanding post, by the way!!

Posted by: Hollywood Exec at September 26, 2022 01:04 PM (iTk1g)

--------

Agreed, and loved how Ace included the full Chesterton quote.

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (HyAgf)

364 Watched Father Stu on Netflix last night, with Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, and Malcolm MacDowell.
Really good.
True story.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (ufFY8)

365 The left runs the same playbook worldwide.

Posted by: steevy at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (yezA1)

366 We saw this coming and bugged out.

Posted by: Domino's Pizza at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (5/Hp1)

367 Liberals are really big on calling the right "fascist" while totally ignoring how Mussolini was a leader in the Italian Socialist Party, and when they got trounced in elections he just had them renamed.

Same as how liberals always ignore how the Nazis were socialist.

And how the Russian commies they love so mitch, pretty much helped the Nazis gain power and start the holocaust.

If you actually learned history they'd realize every horrible thing from the 20th century onward, was caused by leftist, which today's leftist all try to deny.

Posted by: Rbastid at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (Ri6cH)

368 Everyone wants the pelts but nobody wants to think about where they come from.
_________

Like the merkins?

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (lf83v)

369 If Trump (or DeSantis) becomes president in 2024, they'll be met with the same hardheadedness of a Mitch McConnell led Senate. Neither Trump nor DeSantis will be able to get rock-ribbed conservatives through the Senate with Mitch still in charge.

I really don't think so. At that point, it will be beyond obvious what happens to the the old GOPe types who stand in the way of the revolution.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (ayzS/)

370 351 No! There is another. (looks at John Cornyn, Joni Ernst, Lindsay Graham)
Posted by: GOPe Yoda at September 26, 2022 01:04 PM (JCZqz)

========

I did say might...

The presumptive successor is apparently Thune. This is why the Rick Scott challenge to Mitch is so important. I seriously doubt Scott beats Mitch for leadership in 2023, but he's put his hat in the ring and will be able to build on his previous effort for next time. We shall see.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (LvTSG)

371 Michael Malice explained:

GOPe looks at democrats, and says they keep us from the #1 spot, but #2 is still very good.

GOPe looks at MAGA and says they will boot us from #2 to #3, and that is worthless. I will fight these fuckers tooth and nail.

Of course positions that don't have a solid raison detre and following are built on sand, which wasn't the case ten years ago.

Posted by: BourbonChicken at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (44ww/)

372 McDonald's is in a trap that the left set.

They were called racist for heavily advertising in black areas and on black media (with black actors), thus leading to obesity and ill health in black communities.

So McDonald's said "shoot, okay we won't do that".

Now the left is suing them for discriminating against black media companies by not advertising on them.

*

I'm lovin' it.

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM (nWVaO)

373 Holy crap! I go to the EU and order Papa John's and I get the Bride of Mussolini.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM (w2Z7l)

374 I wish I was Italian. That woman is strong as a bull. We have maybe what two or three pols like her?

Posted by: Indignacio Vindacatorem at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM (oWBc3)

375 McDonald's is in a trap that the left set.
___

Guess they're not lovin' that.

Posted by: SMH at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM (xzNDG)

376 355 unelected elites at the EU = Neo Nazi Party.
----------------
Insurrectionists. Castraters of Our Democracy!

Posted by: Pudinhead at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM (uJuBh)

377 Per the interwebz, not married, but "partnered" with a guy. They have a daughter.

So there's a chance then?
Posted by: anchorbabe fashion cop at September 26, 2022 01:02 PM

And the Horde doesn't disappoint.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM (4p7Em)

378 339
Meanwhile, orcs are shown mourning their dead and burying them with respect and ritual.

Harfoots: evil and cruel
Orcs: thoughtful and respectful
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:01 PM

The orcs are evil and white...whatever their culture does in colonizing and offensive. The harfoots are charming and inoffensive ethnic. We can't judge their culture with our tainted Western values!

Posted by: SJW Rings of Power fan at September 26, 2022 01:08 PM (JCZqz)

379 Willowed, dammit!

"If the executive finds that it is unable to equally and effectively apply the law, then the law is deemed null and void until Congress votes for re-authorization."
-An idea (that will never, ever come true)

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 11:16 AM

Arguably, that's what a "veto" is for. As far as convincing the executive branch to apply the law fairly and as written goes, that's what "impeachment" is for because, arguably, failing to apply to equally and fairly apply a law is a violation of the oath to "faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States". I might suggest amending the oath to include equal and fair application of the laws, to make that explicit.

Posted by: Cybersmythe at September 26, 2022 01:08 PM (GNhqo)

380 @315

>>The GOPe is dying. It's not dead, but it is dying.

Perhaps, but not fast enough, if MAGA and America First Nationalists don't wrest the party away from the GOP within the next couple of election cycles, there isn't going to be much of America left to salvage at the rate the maniacs in control are busting out the joint.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 26, 2022 01:08 PM (up/3i)

381 "I'm sure that the fact that Providence is Catholic, and refuses to do abortions and transgender surgeries, has nothing to do with the NYT's choice of targets."

I hope Providence sues NYT for defamation.

Posted by: FeatherBlade at September 26, 2022 01:08 PM (U9TBn)

382 You know, if by "burying them with respect and ritual" you mean "eating them."
Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (bhRsz)

"Alas, poor Orcrick. I chew him well."

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 01:08 PM (WSVNH)

383 Come senators, congressmen, Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway, Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt, Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin', Will soon shake your windows, And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'
Posted by: Archimedes

I know I am the only optimist on the blog, but I really think we are at a tipping point. People have had enough. They don't want green energy, people sexualizing their kids, illegal immigrants, crime and political persecution.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 01:08 PM (Y+l9t)

384 I bet she makes a great meatball sub.

Posted by: wth at September 26, 2022 01:09 PM (v0R5T)

385 The GOPe is dying. It's not dead, but it is dying. It will cling to power for as long as it can, but the eventual retirement of Mitch McConnell (2026, I guess) will be when we might see real change in Congress at the federal level. Until then, it's happy fun time at the state level.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (LvTSG)

Might. Once McConnell goes, you still have Thune, Barrasso, Blunt, Ernst, Rick Scott and Grassley. Out of that lot, maybe (maybe!) Barrasso and Scott are worthwhile. Most will be there for a while.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at September 26, 2022 01:09 PM (Z9VB8)

386 Mussolini was clear on his ideology: "I am and shall remain a socialist and my convictions will never change! They are bred into my very bones."

Clearly Mussolini was NOT a socialist.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at September 26, 2022 01:09 PM (u4CEu)

387 See the market is still in full Brandon mode. Fuck me hard.

Posted by: Indignacio Vindacatorem at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (oWBc3)

388 I bet she makes a great meatball sub.

Posted by: wth at September 26, 2022 01:09 PM (v0R5T)

Italian beef sammichs for all!

Posted by: Archer at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (gmo/4)

389 What happened to the Dutch babe that was helping the protesting farmers?

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (IRFCi)

390 I know I am the only optimist on the blog, but I really think we are at a tipping point. People have had enough. They don't want green energy, people sexualizing their kids, illegal immigrants, crime and political persecution.

*

I'll sadly refer you to the TEA Party and Trump's election.

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (nWVaO)

391 Neither Trump nor DeSantis will be able to get rock-ribbed conservatives through the Senate with Mitch still in charge.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
____________________

Mitch is as unpopular here in Ky as he is nationwide. If he should choose to run again at 102 or however old he is, he's toast with any descent primary opponent.

Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (SIZS3)

392 Not a Karen.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (ZCool)

393 BTW, what's the Italian equivalent of Chuy?

"When the moon hits your eye
Like a Maloni pie --
That's a Chewy ..."

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (BG/Pe)

394 I know I am the only optimist on the blog, but I really think we are at a tipping point. People have had enough. They don't want green energy, people sexualizing their kids, illegal immigrants, crime and political persecution.

Agree, although there can be a slight delay between that sentiment and the actual revolution, as people get organized. That's why I'm predicting '24 as the inflection.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (ayzS/)

395 Meanwhile, orcs are shown mourning their dead and burying them with respect and ritual.

Harfoots: evil and cruel
Orcs: thoughtful and respectful

But the orcs are also the whitest orcs you've ever seen, for exactly the reason you'd guess, which leads to some mixed messaging.

Posted by: Methos at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (kOpft)

396 How can she be declared the winner? The votes from Dade County are still coming in.

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (lf83v)

397 @367

>>If you actually learned history they'd realize every horrible thing from the 20th century onward, was caused by leftist, which today's leftist all try to deny.

This is about us isn't it?
--
Democrat Party 1828 - 2022

Posted by: Thomas Bender at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (up/3i)

398 McConnell should take note, but he won't. Because he really doesn't care if Republicans win or lose, he only cares that he wins or loses.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at September 26, 2022 12:52 PM (iTk1g)

Pithy and true.

Posted by: LASue at September 26, 2022 01:11 PM (Ed8Zd)

399 386 Mussolini was clear on his ideology: "I am and shall remain a socialist and my convictions will never change! They are bred into my very bones."

Clearly Mussolini was NOT a socialist.
Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at September 26, 2022 01:09 PM (u4CEu)

=========

"He just used the socialist label as marketing to win votes. He was dangerous because he was a right-wing populist."
-Lefist

"So...he was a right wing populist who only gained power by using left wing rhetoric?"

"Yup! Left wing rhetoric is really popular! We should follow anyone who is a populist leftist!"

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:11 PM (LvTSG)

400 McDonalds gets 40% of its revenue from 13% of the population - their advertising is working fine.

Posted by: Indignacio Vindacatorem at September 26, 2022 01:11 PM (oWBc3)

401 I'm lovin' it.
Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM (nWVaO)
You deserve a break today.

Posted by: Barely ManEnough at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (ufFY8)

402 Rings of Power should be right up my alley but I've never watched an episode and won't.

Star Wars taught me all the new takes on F/SF are going to suck and shit on their earlier incarnations so why bother.

Posted by: 18-1 at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (ESjRY)

403 No way a babe like that would wear nipple rings, either ...
Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 01:04 PM

Mine are nipple dumbbells, you putz!

Posted by: Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (a3Q+t)

404 353
No way a babe like that would wear nipple rings, either ...
Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 01:04 PM

Fine, fine...only one way to know for sure, so I volunteer to check.

Posted by: Intrepid Democratic Underground AoS Liaison at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (JCZqz)

405 >>> 383
==
I know I am the only optimist on the blog, but I really think we are at a tipping point. People have had enough. They don't want green energy, people sexualizing their kids, illegal immigrants, crime and political persecution.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 01:08 PM (Y+l9t)

In one of H. Beam Piper's stories he has one character hassle another about the ineffectiveness of social "sciences"; he says they always try to work *against* social forces rather than *with* them.

Funny how the vast majority of people start to get ... irritable ... when you try to mess with their children. And on top of all the other bullshit, well...

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (llON8)

406 391
Mitch is as unpopular here in Ky as he is nationwide. If he should choose to run again at 102 or however old he is, he's toast with any descent primary opponent.
Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (SIZS3)

=========

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

He won his last primary by over 60 points.

He's in for as long as he chooses to run.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (LvTSG)

407 364 Watched Father Stu on Netflix last night, with Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, and Malcolm MacDowell.
Really good.
True story.
Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at September 26, 2022 01:06 PM (ufFY

______________

The actual story is actually better and more interesting, though. Google it. The movie makes Stu out to be pretty much a saint and blindly accepting of his condition. In real life, he suffered denial, anger, and resentment before finally reaching acceptance. That’s more interesting and realistic -- and more human.

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (iFTx/)

408 The Road to Surfdom
The Beach Boys lesser-known B-side.
Posted by: Taqiyyologist, Rickrolled by Jesus at September 26, 2022 12:43 PM

We're the Serf Patrol, we're comin' to your town

Serf City, here we come

Posted by: JoeF. at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (mR6Gs)

409 Might. Once McConnell goes, you still have Thune, Barrasso, Blunt, Ernst, Rick Scott and Grassley.

That is why I say the senate is NOT 50/50 but 55/45 maybe even 58/42.

Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (u4CEu)

410 Can Italy's election integrity be trusted?

Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (64VyN)

411 The bottom line on every horror we face is that the only thing that matters to the Ruling Class is open borders and the great replacement. The. Only. Thing.

Posted by: Trump poisoned my cat at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (nMx88)

412 ""My sister did a college internship at the university in Florence several years ago. She told us later that although the city is beautiful, the people are assholes."

When I was there it seemed to be a college town, and yeah, beautiful, but definitely filled with assholes as you would find in a college town. I hear people go there to study cooking, which is surprising, because the worst food I had in italy was from there. Wprst pizza I ever had. The joke is I had to go to italy for the worst pizza. Everywhere else the pizza was great, but in florence it was shit.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (VwHCD)

413 374 I wish I was Italian. That woman is strong as a bull. We have maybe what two or three pols like her?
Posted by: Indignacio Vindacatorem at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM

You're talking about me, right? I made Washington squeal like a pig!

Posted by: Senator Joni Ernst at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (JCZqz)

414 No! There is another. (looks at John Cornyn, Joni Ernst, Lindsay Graham)
--------------
*cough*
Posted by: John Thune at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (ayzS/)
============
there might be sixteen or eighteen others.

Posted by: I prefer not to know at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (wKrqy)

415

You know, if by "burying them with respect and ritual" you mean "eating them."
Posted by: Dr. T

MEAT'S BACK ON THE MENU, BOYS!!!!

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (n+4am)

416 What happened to the Dutch babe that was helping the protesting farmers?

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 01:10 PM (IRFCi)

I don't know. Maybe she took a job a Vandersexxxx, Amsterdam's most erotic club.

Posted by: Archer at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (gmo/4)

417 McDonalds gets 40% of its revenue from 13% of the population - their advertising is working fine.
Posted by: Indignacio Vindacatorem

*

Sheeeeeeet
- Nike

Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (nWVaO)

418 >>> 410 Can Italy's election integrity be trusted?
Posted by: Quarter Twenty at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (64VyN)

Obviously not! Putin rigged it so Italy would drop sanctions! Recount NOW!

REEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Posted by: leftists at September 26, 2022 01:14 PM (llON8)

419 I know I am the only optimist on the blog, but I really think we are at a tipping point. People have had enough. They don't want green energy, people sexualizing their kids, illegal immigrants, crime and political persecution.

I pray that you are right.

Posted by: Notorious BFD at September 26, 2022 01:14 PM (Xrfse)

420 Can Italy's election integrity be trusted?
_______

Et tu, Brute?

Posted by: Julius Caesar at September 26, 2022 01:14 PM (lf83v)

421 "Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?"

needs at minimum the slogan:

did you LIKE the last 30 months?

Posted by: Kindltot at September 26, 2022 01:14 PM (xhaym)

422 Sweden and Italy in2022.

Posted by: Joe XiDen at September 26, 2022 01:14 PM (x000d)

423 Mussolini broke with the other socialists over the question of socialism in one country or all at once.

If you are a socialist it does matter - but to expect non-socialists to see this as a fundamental difference is...stupid.

Posted by: 18-1 at September 26, 2022 01:14 PM (ESjRY)

424 What a shame we can't find a leader, man or woman, who can speak as elegantly, fiercely and righteously as this woman.

Posted by: Ordinary American at September 26, 2022 01:15 PM (H8QX8)

425 Ted Cruz for Senate leader! I keed I keed.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at September 26, 2022 01:15 PM (ZCool)

426 But the orcs are also the whitest orcs you've ever seen, for exactly the reason you'd guess, which leads to some mixed messaging.

Yeah that was a pretty obvious and painfully woke decision. Orcs are dark skinned, thats RAYCISS! Our orcs are properly light colored.

Also they are damaged by sunlight, except when they aren't.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:15 PM (Ivdso)

427 Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?"

needs at minimum the slogan:

did you LIKE the last 30 months?

At least since Nov 2020 its been great!

Posted by: Mitch McConnell at September 26, 2022 01:15 PM (ESjRY)

428 Agree, although there can be a slight delay between that sentiment and the actual revolution, as people get organized. That's why I'm predicting '24 as the inflection.

++++
I'm hoping for the "things happen slowly and then all at once".

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 01:15 PM (Y+l9t)

429 385 The GOPe is dying. It's not dead, but it is dying. It will cling to power for as long as it can, but the eventual retirement of Mitch McConnell (2026, I guess) will be when we might see real change in Congress at the federal level. Until then, it's happy fun time at the state level.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 12:57 PM (LvTSG)

Might. Once McConnell goes, you still have Thune, Barrasso, Blunt, Ernst, Rick Scott and Grassley. Out of that lot, maybe (maybe!) Barrasso and Scott are worthwhile. Most will be there for a while.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at September 26, 2022 01:09 PM (Z9VB

Don't forget me!

Posted by: John Cornyn at September 26, 2022 01:15 PM (AMIL/)

430 If you are a socialist it does matter - but to expect non-socialists to see this as a fundamental difference is...stupid.

You said it.

Posted by: Pin-Dancing Angels at September 26, 2022 01:16 PM (ayzS/)

431 Finally we are talking about countries that have respectable women's volleyball teams and women pole vaulters!

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 01:16 PM (lf83v)

432 Her name is Giorgia.
The KKK once existed in Georgia.
Need I say more?

Posted by: Joe XiDen at September 26, 2022 01:16 PM (x000d)

433 Sheeeeeeet
- Nike
Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 01:13 PM (nWVaO)

Sheeee-iit.

Posted by: Clay Davis at September 26, 2022 01:16 PM (ufFY8)

434 I don't understand this but I know some of you IT geeks will get it:

https://tinyurl.com/yck7vwdv

goes to the tw@tts

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 01:16 PM (dCxaZ)

435 My sister did a college internship at the university in Florence several years ago. She told us later that although the city is beautiful, the people are assholes.
Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 12:41 PM (bhRsz)
___________________

Rome is worse. Amazing city but full of major-league assholes. And in serious need of deodorant. I thought Florence and everyplace else I was in Italy the people were OK.

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 01:16 PM (iFTx/)

436 "Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?"

We'll have to focus group it first.

Posted by: Frank Luntz's Odorous Vagina at September 26, 2022 01:16 PM (ZCool)

437 HAHAHAHAHAHA!

He won his last primary by over 60 points.

He's in for as long as he chooses to run.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
__________________

I said serious primary opponent. That dude was cannon fodder and a lot has happened since then. Mitch is very beatable in a primary now.

Posted by: Biff Pocoroba at September 26, 2022 01:16 PM (SIZS3)

438 I'm hoping for the "things happen slowly and then all at once".

Ditto.

Posted by: Archimedes at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (ayzS/)

439 Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (Ivdso)

I think i could remember the company this happened to about 20 years ago, but in reverse (could have actually been McDonalds then too) where they were sued for ignoring black areas or advertising to blacks, then when they started to they were sued for targeting blacks for unhealthy lifestyles.

The left knows they can switch their grift around again and again, because there addres enough weak companies, and stupid jurors, that whol always side with giving the freeloaders money.

Posted by: Rbastid at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (Ri6cH)

440 We're the Serf Patrol, we're comin' to your town

Serf City, here we come

Posted by: JoeF. at September 26, 2022 01:12 PM (mR6Gs)

Serfing Bird...Well a bird, bird, bird, bird is the word....

Posted by: Archer at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (gmo/4)

441 I read a lot of lefty sites for fun. They are typically clueless as to what they're talking about.

They say things like, "Fight the power! We need the FBI to round up all of the people who questioned the 2020 election and put those fascists in jail."

Posted by: MJ at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (zwDuR)

442 Her english is pretty good. Way easier to understand than my grandparents. Actually, I was surprised how clear their english was in Rome. Very easy to understand them.

Posted by: Berserker-Dragonheads Division at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (VwHCD)

443
Here is my hands-down favorite story from the last week: LA Unified School District had some video on their Instagram, featuring the usual parade of ultra-woke freaks, but this time pushing "Food Neutrality."

This is the idea that no foods are "good" or "bad" for you, that ideas like "junk food" are based on "false food standards," and "systems of oppression" that create "false hierarchies." Really crazy woke shit, this time telling kids that donuts are just as good for you as vegetables.

Unsurprisingly, LA parents were less than enthusiastic about the District telling Junior that healthy eating habits are bigotry, and people began digging around, and turned up the fact that the preachy, woke BIPOC "nutritionist" in this video is actually a flack for... Mondelez Int'l, the global megacorp that makes a ton of America's most unhealthful foods, including Chips Ahoy and Oreos.

Ya couldn't make this shit up if you tried.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (oINRc)

444 My sister did a college internship at the university in Florence several years ago.
_______

I think it's very diverse and inclusive that the Italians named a city after the Jefferson's maid.

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 01:18 PM (lf83v)

445 Posted by: Moron Robbie - Don't insist that I accept what you are when you can't accept what you are at September 26, 2022 01:07 PM (nWVaO)

The horde has more wisdom in their nics than the MFM and Hotgas have in their entire publications.

Posted by: LASue at September 26, 2022 01:18 PM (Ed8Zd)

446 I remember the left traditionally saw Tolkien's orcs as black people. Which is about as racist as you could imagine.

Tolkien did have people from the regions south of Gondor but i think they were supposed to be Arabs and Berbers. But the point remains...the people in Gondor and the area around it were white because they were Europeans. There were people in other parts of the world but...they weren't in Europe except coming in as armies to conquer it.

Which is...pretty damn historical accurate

Posted by: 18-1 at September 26, 2022 01:18 PM (ESjRY)

447 Posted by: wth at September 26, 2022 01:09 PM (v0R5T)

Hate to break it to you, but the young Italian women have thrown off their aprons in favor of the smartphones.

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 01:18 PM (dCxaZ)

448 The leftist plotters have seen this coming ... 2+2=4 is racist math, and green grass is what Hitler believed. Not accepting insane propaganda means you must be destroyed. Biden's speech calling most of America a domestic terror threat is like that EU lady threatening Italy if they "vote wrong". (as if the EU was ever about "democracy")

Posted by: illiniwek at September 26, 2022 01:18 PM (Cus5s)

449 Don't forget me!

Posted by: John Cornyn at September 26, 2022 01:15 PM (AMIL/)

What am I, chopped liver?

Lindsey you know who.

Posted by: BignJames at September 26, 2022 01:18 PM (AwYPR)

450 Hard Right in Europe means not Communist.

Posted by: G'rump928(c) at September 26, 2022 01:19 PM (yQpMk)

451 People have had enough. They don't want green energy, people sexualizing their kids, illegal immigrants, crime and political persecution.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 01:08 PM (Y+l9t)

They don't? We do, and we're going to make it mandatory. Or else you're racist, or something.

Posted by: Joe and Hunter Biden, with an army of MAPs at September 26, 2022 01:19 PM (JCZqz)

452 "Brothers of Italy" . . . Super Mario Bros?

Posted by: Elric Blade at September 26, 2022 01:19 PM (iFTx/)

453 Shit Clay Davis says

https://youtu.be/4UXJZgOiVAI

Posted by: Clay Davis at September 26, 2022 01:19 PM (ufFY8)

454 443 Mondelez Int'l, the global megacorp that makes a ton of America's most unhealthful foods, including Chips Ahoy and Oreos.

Ya couldn't make this shit up if you tried.
Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (oINRc)

==========

Corporations are good. Just ask a leftist about Pfizer and Moderna.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:19 PM (LvTSG)

455 Yep. They completely invert their moral compass to depict the hobbits as murderous cretins, while the Orcs are noble and worthy of respect. Hollywood does not have any clue how to depict "good" v. "evil" because they don't know what those actually are.
Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at September 26, 2022 01:05 PM (YIVH2)

You say they inverted the moral compass, but don't have a clue?
I say they do have a clue, which is why they choose to invert the moral compass.
They know. They know whom they serve too.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at September 26, 2022 01:19 PM (FCbAQ)

456 "Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two makes four. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer. That time has arrived. We are ready."

Exhilarating.

Posted by: Ordinary American at September 26, 2022 01:19 PM (H8QX8)

457 The thing is hamburger and french fries are not actually that bad for you (especially if you get the veggies on the hamburger). That crappy "supersize me" show he cheated pretty hard to make things worse for himself.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:20 PM (Ivdso)

458 who? whom? I dunno there.
Pedants, help me out

Posted by: OneEyedJack at September 26, 2022 01:20 PM (FCbAQ)

459 >>>McConnell should take note, but he won't. Because he really doesn't care if Republicans win or lose, he only cares that he wins or loses.

>Mitch is a bottom feeder. He's the deep state swamp at its worst. Or he's just stupid.

Posted by: Dr. Bone at September 26, 2022 01:20 PM (w2Z7l)

460 The new Orangewoman Bad.

Posted by: Czech Chick at September 26, 2022 01:20 PM (J9wxX)

461 Hate to break it to you, but the young Italian women have thrown off their aprons in favor of the smartphones.
Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 01:18 PM (dCxaZ)

I could stand to watch Giada de Laurentis cooking while wearing only a strategically-placed smartphone.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 01:20 PM (WSVNH)

462 Stand Tall
Stay Loyal
Remain Free
And Always Value Honor
~ Sonny Barger
RIP

Posted by: Beto Ochoa at September 26, 2022 01:21 PM (dzZCL)

463 McDonalds gets 40% of its revenue from 13% of the population - their advertising is working fine.
Posted by: Indignacio Vindacatorem
........

The U.S. obesity prevalence in 2020 was 41.9%
(if you believe the CDC)

Posted by: wth at September 26, 2022 01:21 PM (v0R5T)

464 457 The thing is hamburger and french fries are not actually that bad for you (especially if you get the veggies on the hamburger). That crappy "supersize me" show he cheated pretty hard to make things worse for himself.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at September 26, 2022 01:20 PM (Ivdso)

=========

The funniest part is he interviewed this rail thin runner who ate two Big Macs a day since the Big Mac was introduced.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:21 PM (LvTSG)

465
I know I am the only optimist on the blog, but I really think we are at a tipping point. People have had enough.

-------

True... but the problem is, people don't matter. The ruling class is long past giving a damn about public opinion.

Unless people start running around with torches and pikes and tumbrels and so forth, nothing changes. Their course is set and they don't plan to alter it just because a bunch of grubby peasants don't know what's good for them.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at September 26, 2022 01:21 PM (oINRc)

466 ... Unsurprisingly, LA parents were less than enthusiastic about the District telling Junior that healthy eating habits are bigotry, and people began digging around, and turned up the fact that the preachy, woke BIPOC "nutritionist" in this video is actually a flack for... Mondelez Int'l, the global megacorp that makes a ton of America's most unhealthful foods, including Chips Ahoy and Oreos. ...
Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (oINRc)
++++
They have a PR man who is ultra-based and, possibly, somehow, more cynical than I am.

Posted by: Joe Mannix (Not a cop!) at September 26, 2022 01:21 PM (t0OGg)

467 The horde has more wisdom in their nics than the MFM and Hotgas have in their entire publications.
Posted by: LASue at September 26, 2022 01:18 PM

*sidles slowly away from Charlie Brown*

Posted by: Linus at September 26, 2022 01:21 PM (4p7Em)

468 Rome has some great restaurants, but Florence does as well. Konnubio. Yum.

Posted by: WIsh I could be there at September 26, 2022 01:21 PM (ebLy4)

469 They say things like, "Fight the power! We need the FBI to round up all of the people who questioned the 2020 election and put those fascists in jail."
Posted by: MJ at September 26, 2022 01:17

That's where I'm nicer than they are. I'd only be seeking to round up the FBI. NYT staff and Antifa.

Posted by: That NLurker guy at September 26, 2022 01:22 PM (eGTCV)

470 New thread

Posted by: Dr. T at September 26, 2022 01:22 PM (bhRsz)

471 >>> 454 443 Mondelez Int'l, the global megacorp that makes a ton of America's most unhealthful foods, including Chips Ahoy and Oreos.

Ya couldn't make this shit up if you tried.
Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at September 26, 2022 01:17 PM (oINRc)

==========

Corporations are good. Just ask a leftist about Pfizer and Moderna.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, searching for the Invisible Man with Dracula and Frankenstein's monster at September 26, 2022 01:19 PM (LvTSG)

A vaxxed and boosted cow-orker not long ago made an off-hand mildly negative remark about "big pharma". Not expecting cow-orker to refuse the next jab, unfortunately.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at September 26, 2022 01:22 PM (llON8)

472 Nood Nazi

Posted by: SMH at September 26, 2022 01:22 PM (xzNDG)

473 ...Pedants, help me out
Posted by: OneEyedJack at September 26, 2022 01:20 PM (FCbAQ)

I prefer broaches.

Posted by: Napoleon XIV at September 26, 2022 01:22 PM (AiZBA)

474 I could stand to watch Giada de Laurentis cooking while wearing only a strategically-placed smartphone.

HA

My buddy had a mad crush on her and went to a Food Network event in Philly to get her autograph.
His kids mocked him for being in love with a midget.

Posted by: kallisto at September 26, 2022 01:22 PM (dCxaZ)

475 I could stand to watch Giada de Laurentis cooking while wearing only a strategically-placed smartphone.
______________

You came for Giada DeLaurentis.

You'd settle for Lidia Bastianich.

You'll get Mama Celeste.

Posted by: Adirondack Patriot at September 26, 2022 01:22 PM (lf83v)

476 Nood. SMH with the first.

Posted by: Aetius451AD Work Laptop at September 26, 2022 01:23 PM (5r4XQ)

477 >>>Mitch is a bottom feeder. He's the deep state swamp at its worst. Or he's just stupid.

Sea Turtle then.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at September 26, 2022 01:23 PM (ZCool)

478 I’ve been seeing ads for Covid shots on the TV here in NoVa. Pfizer, of course.

Posted by: Bulgaroctonus at September 26, 2022 01:23 PM (IRFCi)

479 Her party won 26%, where recent polls predicted 4%. Would be entertaining to see a montage of these self-annointed experts offering their pre-election analysis and superimpose the percentage by which their analysis missed the mark

Posted by: Joe Kidd at September 26, 2022 01:23 PM (RMN7W)

480 She told us that although the city is beautiful, the people are assholes

Everywhere else the pizza was great, but in florence it was shit.

Posted: Berserker-Dragonheads Division

She would have learned this if she basically just asked any Sicilian, hell or any Italian south of Rome.

Florence is basically the Upper East Side, or Martha's Vineyard, of Italy.

Posted by: Rbastid at September 26, 2022 01:23 PM (Ri6cH)

481 Mussolini was clear on his ideology: "I am and shall remain a socialist and my convictions will never change! They are bred into my very bones."
Clearly Mussolini was NOT a socialist.
Posted by: Jukin the Deplorable a Clear and Present Danger at September 26, 2022 01:09 PM (u4CEu)

Understand, though. The POSITIONS and POLICIES of the Italian Fascist party were all over the place and best described as incoherent.

Ralph Raico had a lot of lectures on Italian Fascism, which he held in amused contempt, referring to it once as being, "philosophically incapable of running a gelato stand"

Posted by: Kindltot at September 26, 2022 01:24 PM (xhaym)

482 I could stand to watch Giada de Laurentis cooking while wearing only a strategically-placed smartphone.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at September 26, 2022 01:20 PM (WSVNH)

Except Giada never eats her food, is a wino, and has a pencil neck Mrs DIG hates her with the heat of a thousand suns. She likes the cooks who are a bit chubby, like Ree Drummond and the singer/actor chick Trisha Yearwood. She says they are fat because they like the food they make.

Lol, can't argue with that logic.

Posted by: Deplorable Ian Galt at September 26, 2022 01:25 PM (ufFY8)

483 424 What a shame we can't find a leader, man or woman, who can speak as elegantly, fiercely and righteously as this woman.
Posted by: Ordinary American at September 26, 2022 01:15 PM

We have a few...the trouble is, they don't always follow through with action after the strong words that get them elected. Kari Lake certainly speaks well, so I'm interested in seeing what her future holds.

Posted by: Grimmy at September 26, 2022 01:27 PM (JCZqz)

484 McDonalds gets 40% of its revenue from 13% of the population - their advertising is working fine.
Posted by: Indignacio Vindacatorem

We're caught in a trap
I can't walk out
Because I love your money too much, baby

Posted by: McDonalds at September 26, 2022 01:27 PM (4I/2K)

485 Georgi Meloni; The face of the new evil: Defending Family, religion and borders.

I watched Georgi's speech and found it absolutely charming when she dug through her notes for the Chesterton quote. Probably staged, but, still, a very nice touch.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing(5pTK/) at September 26, 2022 01:28 PM (5pTK/)

486 'Giorgia, Giorgia, the whole night through, just an old sweet song, Giorgia on my mind...'

Posted by: Eromero at September 26, 2022 01:31 PM (0OP+5)

487 It started with:
Drag Queen story hour and then
Lia Thomas winning gold in women's swimming and then
A hospital bragging about mutilating children and then
Parents being labeled domestic terrorists and then....
Now do that with energy starting with recycling and ending up with rolling blackouts and mandating electric cars.
Then Crime ending with releasing without bail for moderate and emptying out prisons.
The left always wants more and will never be satisfied.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 01:31 PM (Y+l9t)

488 We have a few...the trouble is, they don't always follow through with action after the strong words that get them elected. Kari Lake certainly speaks well, so I'm interested in seeing what her future holds.

Posted by: Grimmy at September 26, 2022 01:27 PM (JCZqz)

-------

Ditto, and hope we get more than a one seat majority in each house of the legislature (which gave every weak-ass R an effective veto over any legislation.

Posted by: ShainS -- Go Galt or Go Rome at September 26, 2022 01:31 PM (TYD8r)

489 Moderate should have revenue murder.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 01:32 PM (Y+l9t)

490 We're the Serf Patrol, we're comin' to your town

Serf City, here we come

Americans don't Serf. At least we didn't used to. Now I'm not so sure.

Posted by: Chairborne!...Desk From Above! at September 26, 2022 01:32 PM (eqk2H)

491 Read not revenue.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at September 26, 2022 01:32 PM (Y+l9t)

492 484 McDonalds gets 40% of its revenue from 13% of the population - their advertising is working fine.
Posted by: Indignacio Vindacatorem
I had no idea the 6 or 7 sausage biscuits I get each Sunday for Sunday school made me a statistic.

Posted by: Eromero at September 26, 2022 01:35 PM (0OP+5)

493 I had no idea the 6 or 7 sausage biscuits I get each Sunday for Sunday school made me a statistic.
Posted by: Eromero at September 26, 2022 01:35 PM (0OP+5)

You're putting my kids through college.

Posted by: McDonald's Manager at September 26, 2022 01:37 PM (yQpMk)

494 I think the WEF is probably upset right about now, because they've tried really really hard to stamp out MAGA, because they darn well know MAGA can easily become MDGA, or, MFGA. It's already become MIGA. (Make Finland Great Again or Make Denmark Great Again.)

The WEF really is not interested in sovereign countries looking out for the interests of their own citizens.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing(5pTK/) at September 26, 2022 01:42 PM (5pTK/)

495 Yea I get that. But why NOW all of a sudden? Nobody ever said shit before, and not even when the (over-rated) LoTR movies were making tons of money. But now literally overnight he's some boogeyman for the left.

Well, amazon spent a billion dollars to make this "Rings of Soy" thing they've got going on.

The actual LOTR fans, the ones that know Tolkien's works backwards, forwards and sideways have caused the show (again, that Amazon spent a BILLION dollars on) to be regarded as a failure and a laughing stock.

The lefties, as a proxy for Amazon, have decided that the best way to delegitimize the fans or decrease their attacks on the show is to delegitimize the author.

Posted by: GMan at September 26, 2022 01:43 PM (GfWuY)

496 Grande Giorgia!
Btw the story of Amanda Knox took place in Perugia, my mother's hometown, not in Florence, my own city of birth. And it had nothing to do with people, it was just corrupted magistrates. Nobody with a brain believed she and her BF were guilty.

Posted by: Anacleto Mitraglia at September 26, 2022 01:44 PM (G7lxV)

497 We're the Serf Patrol, we're comin' to your town

Serf City, here we come

Everybody goin' serfin' (three kicks of the bass drum) serfin' USA

Posted by: CtHillary, dead but dreaming at September 26, 2022 02:03 PM (zSyrn)

498 >>>Meloni was a fierce opponent of covid lockdowns, restrictions, and mandates.

Hear, hear!

Posted by: m at September 26, 2022 02:03 PM (r8enq)

499 Well, what the heck:

Posted by: m at September 26, 2022 02:04 PM (r8enq)

500 500!!!

Posted by: m at September 26, 2022 02:04 PM (r8enq)

501 Great news out of Italy! Since it makes all the usual suspects furrow their brows, huff and puff and call people names, then it makes me so happy.

Meanwhile over at RedState.com, Trump hater and unmitigated asshole - RS writer Mike Miller - continues his personal war against Trump by doing his best to stir up dissent between Desantis and Trump. And he writes for a site that claims to want Republicans to win. Keep the anti-Trump editorials going and I can guarantee you less wins, even in this economic enviroment.

Posted by: Tracy at September 26, 2022 02:06 PM (ajI0T)

502 Even Bologna has had enough of this shit.

Posted by: Ted Torgerson at September 26, 2022 02:08 PM (vN+oL)

503 Wow, these clips, if you can follow along in the very accessible Italian she is using, are a very very pleasant surprise. The Italy I remember studying Italian there 20 years ago was very different, leftism ridden place. Between the massive immigration, economic contortions of the Euro and EU regulation, and then the covid tyranny they must be very pissed off to be voting such plain spoken forceful messages.

Posted by: Dune is a harsh mistress at September 26, 2022 02:10 PM (JOqTG)

504 People like Meloni and Mayra Flores give me hope. Their piety and love of country may save the West yet. As they say: God, family, country.

Yes, siamo pronti. I hope.

Posted by: Ultra pj at September 26, 2022 02:21 PM (G1dq6)

505 “Is the GOP going to finally run on this or nah?”

The Establishment GOP is going to fight “this” tooth and nail. To the extent any GOP candidate wins running on “this” the national/state GOP are going to run to the Biden Junta’s Gestapo for assistance in finding the “crime” for each of these “domestic extremists.”

Let’s realize what we are up against, and stop ridiculing those on our side, such as Jim Jordan, for not doing more. Before criticizing allies, criticize yourself and think about what more YOU can do.

Posted by: Just a dummy at September 26, 2022 02:26 PM (U2W4Y)

506 So she beat the Sinister party, the airplane party and the move muh beer party.

Posted by: DaveA at September 26, 2022 02:48 PM (FhXTo)

507 Some amusing trivia: melone in Italian means melon (that wasn't hard now was it) and the plural is meloni. Giorgia actually made fun of her own name by being photographed holding up two cantaloupes right where you'd imagine they should be. She said it was so you'd remember her. It worked. At least she has a sense of humor! Things should get interesting at some point (Italian politics being notoriously sclerotic, she might not actually have her hands on the reins for a while).

Posted by: Here in Italy at September 26, 2022 02:58 PM (JOYpZ)

508 I think I like Meloni. She seems to have some common sense, which is rare in politicians today. And she certainly has the right enemies.

Posted by: Ralph at September 26, 2022 03:30 PM (Qf//C)

509 I think I missed it.

Posted by: Braenyard, _ want nuremberg trials? badger your congressman at September 26, 2022 03:48 PM (q43pd)

510 When she fumbles with the papers for the Chesterton quote it actually makes you pay attention to quote at the end... Clever girl

Posted by: Parody Song Enjoyer at September 26, 2022 04:41 PM (H0sa3)

511 The establishment aka globalists, are being rejected everywhere. Next step is to call them to justice.

Posted by: A. Landmesser at September 26, 2022 07:26 PM (EcD5Y)

512 480 "She would have learned this if she basically just asked any Sicilian, hell or any Italian south of Rome.

Florence is basically the Upper East Side, or Martha's Vineyard, of Italy."

Having been to Firenze (for whatever reason, the English translations of Italian place names suck donkey balls. The worst example is Leghorn for Livorno), I think that is probably true of downtown Firenze. Suburban Firenze, on the other hand, where my high-school group and I stayed, is the Akron or Gary of Italy: grimly industrial. I remember being very surprised that you could have such ugliness in such a stereotypically lovely country.

Posted by: Joe Smith at September 26, 2022 11:24 PM (YlQsV)

513 With all due respect to our host, the map above is a bit misleading, because the Italian election system is *really* complicated. Their parliament has two houses: the Chamber of Deputies, with 400 seats, and the Senate, with 200. Both have power, and support from both are needed for a government to stay in place. In each house, roughly 3/8 of the seats are elected from single-member districts (which one assumes are basically equal in population), in which you are actually voting for a candidate, and the person with the most votes wins, even if it isn't a majority--in other words, basically our traditional House of Reps elections. The other 5/8 are elected from larger districts (which if I'm not mistaken, correspond to the official provinces of Italy, with the exception that the big cities get one or two districts of their own.) Each district gets a varying number of seats (again, one assumes this is based on population), and the seats in each district are divvied up on a proportional basis; therefore, in this part of the election, you vote solely for a party, and the party decides who fills the seats that they get.

Posted by: Joe Smith at September 26, 2022 11:47 PM (YlQsV)

514 Part 2 From what I understand, it is basically impossible to ticket split--if you vote for an individual candidate from Party A, you have to vote for Party A in the proportional part of the election, and vice versa. Nevertheless, the results are quite different between the two parts of the election, one assumes both because of the different rules and the differing districts. In the individual phases for each house, the right-wing coalition cleaned up, basically winning all of the rural seats and even some big-city districts; they took 80-85% of those seats. On the other hand, in the proportional phases, they got 45% of the vote and roughly 45% of the seats.

Posted by: Joe Smith at September 26, 2022 11:59 PM (YlQsV)

515 Part 3 The best maps I've found so far are here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Italian_general_election

(I know, Wikipedia, but still). Keep in mind that in the proportional maps, the overall color for each district is the coalition/party that got the most votes, but you have to look at the little circles to see who won the actual seats. For example, the Five Star Movement, a weird kind of populist party that is pretty left on the economy and environment but pretty right on immigration and getting out of the EU, got the most votes all over Southern Italy: however, they still didn't win a majority of any seats in any district, because the other parties got a lot of votes as well.

Posted by: Joe Smith at September 27, 2022 12:04 AM (YlQsV)

516

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Posted by: Kelly Taylor at September 27, 2022 10:30 AM (rDXbF)

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Posted by: Ginger at October 01, 2022 12:01 AM (1uRgE)

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Right-Wing Populist Party "Brothers of Italy" Stomps Rivals in Sunday Election, Led by Firebrand and Implacable Foe of Lockdowns Georgia MeloniUpdated, With Parliament Balance-of-Power

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Right-Wing Populist Party "Brothers of Italy" Stomps Rivals in Sunday Election, Led by Firebrand and Implacable Foe of Lockdowns Georgia Meloni
Updated, With Parliament Balance-of-Power