Now that #WoodwardTapes show us reality of Trump and #COVID19, new Fox News editorial by Charlie Kirk is even more bananas. First, Kirk gaslights a thesis: Rather than accept claim that "Trump’s coronavirus response was inadequate...." 1/x foxnews.com/opinion/corona…
Next Kirk gaslights with a "fact" claim: "Remember, the American people were originally told it would take 15 days to slow the spread of COVID-19..." Who said that? Trump: 2/x whitehouse.gov/articles/15-da…
Next Kirk turns a "study" that purported to show shutdowns didn't work. There is a reason this study was only written about in WSJ and Fox News: its author is a conservative economics "expert" who has had bad predictions before: 3/x en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Lu…
Next Kirk links to a May report suggesting 150,000 deaths from isolation and unemployment. But the study's remedies to reduce unemployment is *not* 'opening up economy' but to "employ a new workforce" of contract tracers and community health efforts. 4/x wellbeingtrust.org/news/new-wbt-r…
Kirk wants reframe the #COVID19 debate from Trump's dereliction of duty to a (mythical) Biden attack on freedom. And if Trump traps Biden on this, latter will face a policy of lockdown Americans "are increasingly impatient with...." Evidence? Let's go to the receipts... 5/x
August poll asked which two acts would you think "people who do not have symptoms of coronavirus and are otherwise healthy" should do - stay home or live "normal" life. 65% said stay home. Was 91 in March, so slippage. But consistent 60s since May. 7/x news.gallup.com/poll/308222/co…
Next Kirk claims Trump is "the candidate who is pro-economic growth — an issue the American people overwhelmingly trust him with." Reality: "Trump's net approval rating on the economy has dropped from +16 points in January to just +1 point in July." 8/x cnn.com/2020/07/29/pol…
Finally there is Kirk's attempt at new nickname for Biden: "President Trump should call him Lockdown Joe..." As if Kirk invented the phrase. It dates back on Twitter at least 3 weeks and showed up in @ArkansasOnline Aug. 31 column by Bradley Gitz 9/x arkansasonline.com/news/2020/aug/…
This editorial from Kirk is not only sycophancy but is undercut by the object of that sycophancy. Kirk spins himself into an empty soul. And he cheerleads just like Trump while the reality is opposite. When Kirk writes "even more Americans will rally behind" Trump, I say: /end
Turning Point USA’s AmFest starts today. Trump and Charlie Kirk headline. This year #amfest is sponsored by a company linked to a man who a decade ago went to prison for heading one of the biggest synthetic marijuana operations in the US. That sponsor Kavasutra… 1/x
… is a multi state “kava bar” business with locations in Arizona and Florida among others 2/x kavasutra.com/about
It is owned (at least in part) by Dylan Harrison (pic below), imprisoned in 2013 for a year for selling “Mr. Nice Guy” brand of synthetic marijuana. He made millions in “one of the biggest synthetic marijuana operations in the country” at the time. 3/x wpbf.com/article/dylan-…
At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, about 25 tents housed students calling for the university to divest from Israeli investments usatoday.com/story/news/nat…
And nine anti-war protesters at the University of Minnesota were arrested Tuesday morning after police took down an encampment apnews.com/article/columb…
@CaitlinPacific That the phrase “not what to think but how” has gotten to college tours shows how much conservative lies about higher education have changed it. What a shame Caitlin didn’t consider that. And on the subject of teaching in college…
@CaitlinPacific Teaching in college isn’t teaching debate. It’s not done to pair sides, know your own and strength/weakness of opposition. That is debate. And that a Georgia Board of Regents and Caitlin want more of that tells me…
@CaitlinPacific They don’t want professors to profess. We teach what we profess. We use dissoi logoi and Socratic method to do that. But we profess our POV/opinion/etc. In first year writing aka “how to argue” class I profess a specific …
Tenure gutted. Diversity deleted. Academic freedom under attack. In stark terms hundreds of Georgia #highered @BORUSG faculty describe the impact on research, students, and hiring in the Fall 2023 Georgia @AAUP newsletter. A thread. 1/x aaupgeorgia.org/newsletters
I’m having to watch my back and under
constant stress. This is not how I thought
the height of my academic career – I have
an international reputation in my discipline – would go.
I no longer feel that I can have frank
and open discussions on sensitive topics
with students. 2/x
I teach ethnic minority literature. I do
not feel safe teaching it these days.
I feel demoralized and unappreciated.
We had four failed endowment chair
searches this last year! 3/x
🧵 Much has been said about the Christian Nationalism of new House Speaker Mike Johnson. Charlie Kirk lays out in a concise tweet this ideology he shares with Johnson. Follow along to see the future 1/x
First thing to notice: Kirk and Johnson justify their political ideology with Christian scripture. Kirk uses the doctrine of depravity to justify constitutional “decentralization” of power. This is not same as “separation of power” though linked. Former is a nod to… 2/x
The hatred of federal government by conservatives. That doesn’t mean they hate power, only want it not merely in states but even church-based. Theocracy at local level. 3/x
Tomorrow Turning Point USA begins its third pastors summit. How deep is the organization into the Christian Nationalism and Seven Mountains Mandate that Charlie Kirk embraced in 2020? Let's look at the speakers and sponsors 1/x
First, one of the current leaders of the 7M movement, Ché Ahn, is a speaker. He's part of the New Apostolic Reformation group and spoke at a rally on the eve of the Capitol insurrection 2/x rightwingwatch.org/post/sarah-pal…
Next is Jurgen Matthesius, a 7M pastor at Awaken Church, which is built on the Hillsong foundation. Awaken has programs and plans that cover each of the “7 MountainS." 3/X h/t @Katerqburns leftcoastrightwatch.org/articles/preac…