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Jeet Heer @HeerJeet
, 5 tweets, 1 min read Read on Twitter
1. I understand the impulse to eulogize George H. W. Bush, who possessed some virtues that are keenly missed at this particularly moment, but it behoves us to get real.
2. To see Bush Sr. as the anti-Trump is, crucially, to tell only half the story. It's true that Bush's institutionalism, internationalism, belief in alliances, competence, politeness and general sanity all set him apart from Trump.
3. On several crucial fronts Bush Sr. wasn't the alternative to Trump but one of the important precursors to him: race-baiting (Willie Horton), the willingness to sacrifice LGTBQ people to appease the religious right, the use of pardons to cover-up abuse.
4. As with McCain, it's important to see Bush Sr. in round: as possessing genuine virtues but also embodying some of the toxic politics that have brought us where we are. Both parts of the story are important.
5. My broader argument about Bush Sr.'s place in history: newrepublic.com/article/152493…
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More from @HeerJeet see all

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There's a really important conversation going on in economics about gender bias in the field. This is an illuminating thread reporting on a panel discussion about the topic.
In terms of the gender/economics debate, I wonder if the question might not be illuminated by some intellectual history. The field has been shaped to a significant degree by figures who defined themselves in opposition to social movements (like feminism).
I'd love, for example, to see a gender analysis of the work of F.A. Hayek, who once argued that John Stuart Mill became a socialist because he has henpecked by the feminist Harriet Taylor
Read 4 tweets
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1. I think it's time to do another thread on this history of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
2. The founder of the Ethics and Public Policy Center was Ernest Lefever who was rejected for a Reagan administration nomination in 1981 because of testimony of 2 of his brothers, one who said he was incompetent, the other who said he was a racist.
3. From 1996 to 2001, the President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center was Elliott Abrams, who had perviously been convicted for lying to Congress during the Iran/Contra scandal.
Read 5 tweets
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1. Are critics allowed to change their minds? Do such changes undermine their authority? My colleague @Jo_Livingstone & I take up this question in an extended conversation.
2. Among the topics discussed: Harlan Ellison, Anthony Powell, F.R. Leavis, Queenie Leavis, Susan Sontag, Leni Riefenstahl, Sidney Hook's suppression of his early work, @nicholsonbaker8 & more!
3. Looking back on it, one thing I wish I had raised is the cost of not changing your mind. Pauline Kael, one of the best critics who ever lived, illustrates the point, she adamantly refused to rewatch movies, which limited her response to more complex work.
Read 6 tweets

Related threads

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George H.W. Bush — in many senses Trump’s opposite — shared his penchant for using the American flag as a political weapon. Over the past three decades, nearly all GOP leaders were happy to do the same — except for Mitch McConnell. Let’s review. 1/
Running for president in 1988 against Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis, Bush’s team discovered that in 1977 Dukakis had vetoed a bill that would require teachers to lead kids in pledging allegiance to the flag each day or pay a fine. 2/
Concerned about the bill’s constitutionality, Dukakis had sought an advisory opinion from Massachusetts’ top court, which concluded that the bill would infringe on teachers’ First Amendment rights. Relying on the opinion, Dukakis vetoed the bill. 3/
masscases.com/cases/sjc/372/…
Read 24 tweets
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George H.W. Bush was the last Republican President the United States of America will ever have.

Keep reading to see what I mean.
In 1989, I was a 10-year old girl in the audience at George H.W. Bush's inauguration ceremonies.

I've never aligned with the modern Republican party, but George H.W. Bush's message in this speech was one of the most formative messages in my childhood.
c-span.org/video/?5855-1/…
For first time in my life, as one of those points of light, George Bush made me understand that *even across party lines,* our enduring goal as Americans should be that we aim to be part of something more...

something beyond our ego, something greater than ourselves.
Read 16 tweets
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George H.W. Bush invaded Panama, dropped 88,500 tons of bombs on Iraq/Kuwait, and escalated the war on drugs and mass incarceration.

And that’s his legacy as president.

He also has a legacy as CIA Director and Vice President.
Upon becoming Ronald Reagan’s Vice President, Bush visited the Philippines to greet dictator Ferdinand Marcos, praising him for his “pledge to democracy” and “service to freedom” after killing and torturing innocent civilians.
As the U.S.-backed Indonesian forces committed genocide in East Timor, George H.W. Bush endorsed the genocide first as CIA Director in 1975, then as Vice President, and ultimately as President.
Read 5 tweets
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George H.W. Bush, 41st president of the United States, dead at 94 fxn.ws/2FSBLC6 #FoxNews
Read 25 tweets
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George H.W. and Barbara Bush set an example for all Americans.

They were always in good spirits.

They were incredibly civil and understanding.

They had perfect humor.

They had a strong marriage and made each other cry with their love even at old age.

RIP George H.W. Bush.
George H.W. met his beloved Barbara at a Christmas dance. They soon became separated by WWII, but didn't let it stop them. They sent each other dozens of love letters.

When George H.W. began rereading one, he broke down in tears on camera.

RIP

This power couple will be missed.
RIP George H.W. Bush

He set an example for us all with his overall attitude, humor, and marriage that we will be telling our kids and grandkids about for decades.
Read 3 tweets
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1) Thread

Warren Buffett's disturbing ties to 9/11

#WarrenBuffett
#Offutt AFB
#Omaha
#Nebraska
#911Commission
2) #WarrenBuffet was holding his annual Classic Charity event at #Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, #Nebraska, near #Omaha, on 9/11/2001.
3) Admiral Richard Mies was Commander in Chief of the US Strategic Command at #Offutt AFB at the time.
Read 47 tweets

Trending hashtags

#Nebraska #WikiLeaks #Remembering41 #Traitor #PWND #EnoughIsEnough #USVIA #Massachusetts #MSM #RhodeIsland #1MDB #TeamNutShellReport #PAM #Virginia #BackChannel #NoShit #911Commission #ThePatriotTimes #Ironic #PAMFAM #RAM #Iraq #Omaha #branding #SaturdayMorning

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