The next couple weeks may prove me and several others wrong, but as of today, Biden looks ready to pick Senator Kamala Haris from California as his running mate. This would fulfil Biden’s promise to select a woman and reinforce his demonstrated advantage with African Americans going into the general election. Also, Harris has shown excellent prosecutorial skill during Senate hearings (esp. Barr’s confirmation) and in a primary debate where she put the smackdown on Biden himself.
What a time to be a governor. I know it’s cynical because of the death and suffering caused by COVID-19, but we should also remember that anyone who has run for any statewide office must have more than a bit of ambition. They are seeking power to do good, but they are still all seeking power. And the pandemic, along with Trump’s anemic response, has left a power vacuum that governors are filling to help save lives (and burnish their public personas). …
Things are moving fast, which is weird because we are in a major economic slowdown. The consolidation of power, however, has picked up the pace, and we will now see tech platforms leverage the unprecedented power we have handed them over the past decade. We are a long way down the road from “Don’t be evil.” Even though it was Google that coined and then abandoned that powerful maxim, it is the conduct of another tech giant that is of grave and immediate concern.
Will live argument change the way we understand justice in the United States, or will greater accessibility to the high court’s inner workings increase our partisan divide?
It’s a big day. For the first time in history, anyone can listen in on Supreme Court oral argument as it happens. Yes, the public could previously go into the hallowed chamber, but only so many were able to obtain such privilege. Starting today, however, anyone with an internet connection can access the audio live. …
Today’s big story is Biden’s response to the Tara Reade allegations. To briefly recap, Reade is making allegations that Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 by forcibly inserting his fingers into her vagina without consent. This is horrifying conduct that is uncomfortable to even talk about, but the focus of the conversation should start with the allegation, and not everyone’s reaction to the allegations. …
John Seabrook has an article in the New Yorker about rock legend Robbie Robertson. Here’s the link: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/03/16/the-band-disbanded
I’ve had strong feelings about Robbie and his conduct towards other members of The Band. I put the rant on Twitter and now you can read it here, all in one place!
Here’s the thing. @r0bbier0berts0n’s reputation rehab tour has to stop. It is insulting and self-aggrandizing and totally fucking dismissive of the genius and contributions of the other members of #TheBand /1
And I am sorry, but I don’t think @jmseabrook is helping. How do you say in one paragraph that @r0bbier0berts0n will make sure people “remember” Levon Helm as something more than Virgil Caine… /2
And then a couple paragraphs later you give credence to @r0bbier0berts0n assertion that Levon was just a paranoid ass with vicious drug dependency. That’s the version of Levon Helm Robertson will make sure gets remembered. /3
At least @jmseabrook points out that @r0bbier0berts0n admits to abusing drugs while he was trying to get everyone to stop abusing drugs. One can see why that might not be too effective at bringing about change. /4
The truth is that @r0bbier0berts0n, from the beginning of #TheBand did not see his bandmates as equals, and he concealed that fact. They never had a chance to get on equal footing financially b/c @r0bbier0berts0n exploited their dependency, their talent, and their innocence. /5
This is appalling, but forgivable. @r0bbier0berts0n and everyone else in The Band got out alive, and that is something that weighed on Robbie when he put down #TheBand. He didn’t want anyone (including himself) dying on his watch. /6
Also, think of how young @r0bbier0berts0n was when this all got so big so fast. There was no way he wanted to let the opportunity to do something world-changing slip by. I applaud that instinct, but the cost was too high. /7
They should have been equals. They had equal talent and contribution, no matter what @r0bbier0berts0n says. They should have shared the money equally. /8
But instead, he milked them for all they were worth. He took their creativity and their emotion and passed it off as his own. And when they later asked him to pay, he refused. /9
In the song #CaledoniaMission, the narrator (Robbie) can’t get the heathen (Levon) out of Arkansas. He foretells his own departure from the prison where he tried to help the heretic. /10
Why is @r0bbier0berts0n everywhere now, working harder than he has ever worked in his life? Because this is the last chance he has to write the legacy. No one is left alive to challenge him. /11
It is sad that @jmseabrook simply credits @r0bbier0berts0n’s stmnt that all other members of The Band agree with him that Levon was wrong. The proof is on millions of albums sold over the last 5 decades. “Words and music by R. Robertson.” /12
It made me sad to see (from afar) Rick and Levon die without getting to enjoy the fruits of a legacy they created. They changed music and they changed the world. Richard and Garth too. /13
But to @r0bbier0berts0n they were tools. Lower forms of life who tried to cheat him out of what he deserved so that they could buy more drugs. /14
And maybe the saddest part is that @r0bbier0berts0n was a genius too. He did so much and wrote such incredible songs. And he completely squandered that legacy. /15
And as much as I have anger about his apparent greed, I find @r0bbier0berts0n’s amazing lack of self-awareness to be very appropriate for these times. /16