#american carnage (2022)

[yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere]

undefined

#JennaOrtega as #CamilaMontes in #AmericanCarnage #AmericanCarnage2022

“If she were into girls, i'd try to hit that too.(..) Then again, maybe I can change her mind about that.”

https://twitter.com/ThisIsGSage23/status/1600430443819454464?s=20&t=rjxua38Z9q8kabNQT_5JXA

and also those edits:

https://twitter.com/jennaortvga/status/1538559679634231296?s=20&t=-rK0k6gFY-n12Hnc5sb_AQ

https://twitter.com/tamberluvbot/status/1580647817655119872?s=20&t=oveWMm6ul60IGZfEqrcEjg

[fanofspooky]

Scream Queen -

Jenna Ortega

[mikeseyecandy]

Love these pics of Jenna at Coachella!

[slashericons]

Jenna Ortega as Camila Montes in American Carnage (2022)

[squirrellyshorrorreviews]

American Carnage (2022)

After a governor issues an executive order to arrest the children of undocumented immigrants, the newly detained youth are offered an opportunity to have their charges dropped by volunteering to provide care to the elderly.

Where can I watch it: hulu

review: 6/10 (roast worthy)

ONE FOR THE ROAST LIST!

This is a movie that tries to juggle between being a legitimate horror piece and being a horror comedy and it fails at both. Despite having a lot of makeup work and visual effects that were surprisingly good, it just didn't lean in to any one direction.

The main villains and the character Big Mac seemed to be the only ones aware of how campy the movie they were in is. They made the whole thing much more enjoyable to watch.

It's a fun movie. It's especially fun to watch with friends and yell at the screen for the whole thing. But, I wouldn't go out of the way to watch this with a seriousness on my own time.

[thesoldiersminute]

Jenna Ortega | American Carnage 2022 | Diego Hallivis

[soft-but-tough-cookie]

Jenna Ortega:

Until Jenna does something herself I will continue too stand by her and support her. It has happened to many times where the male co-star fucks up and the female co-star is expected to ‘say/do something’ about it, and if they don’t then they take the fall for the action.

To be clear, I am not ,NOT, supporting p^rcy, He is a terrible person and I will never defend his actions, because despite the accusations he had still done horrendous vile things. I am simply pointing out that his silence had caused people to jump in Jenna for answers.

Jenna is only 20, yes she is an adult, but she is still young. The success of Wednesday has skyrocketed her through media and the last 2 1/2 years she has been jumping from project to project.

Yes Day (2021)

The Fallout (2021)

‘X’ (2022)

American Carnage (2022)

Studio 666 (2022)

Scream 5 (2022)

Wednesday (2022)

Scream 6 (2023)

Finest Kind (just wrapped up production)

and don’t forget the many other roles that fall between those projects.

With that being said, Jenna had been running around for the last 3-4 years of her life. Her management team has probably advised her to not speak out on the issue cause quite frankly it has nothing to do with her.

It is not Jenna’s responsibility to take up for, speak for, defend, negate, or make any public statement regarding accusations against her male co-star.

Regarding the latest photo that is going around of the two of them hanging out recently, there is so much missing context. We as people hiding behind the screen do not know, and most likely will never know, the full context of what goes on in these people’s life. We are also not entitled to know.

With all that being said, I will reiterate my aforementioned comment. Until Jenna herself does something that warrants negative press or attention I will not feed into the media stereotype of women be held responsible for men’s action.

[renrapp]

@pscentral EVENT 10: BEST OF 2022 ↳ JENNA ORTEGA IN HORROR MEDIA

SCREAM dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett STUDIO 666 dir. BJ McDonnell X dir. Ti West AMERICAN CARNAGE dir. Diego Hallivis WEDNESDAY dir. Tim Burton

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

From Michigan

* * * *

Another good day!

August 8, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

The effort of Democrats to use Project 2025 as a millstone to sink Trump's presidential ambitions has Republicans running for the hills. On Wednesday, Trump's longtime evil minion Stephen Miller appeared on Ari Melber’s show on MSNBC to unequivocally deny any connection between Trump and Project 2025. (Miller was Trump's speechwriter who drafted Trump's “American Carnage” inaugural address in 2017.)

Miller claimed that Trump “is his own man” and “he alone decides what policies he will follow.” Miller explained that the near-perfect overlap between Project 2025’s policy goals and Trump's campaign promises is pure coincidence.

Ha! Good one! Who says MAGA extremists don’t have a sense of humor? For Trump to “set his own policies,” the following improbable conditions would need to exist simultaneously: (a) Trump would have to understand the differences in competing policies; (b) he would have to care about policies that did not affect his personal power and wealth; and (c) he would have to do the work of promoting and implementing those policies. Yeah, right! That didn’t happen in Trump's first term, and he has told us that the only policies of his hoped-for second term will be vengeance and retribution.

Ari Melber was having none of Stephen Miller’s disinformation. But Miller was running from Project 2025 as fast as he could. For good reason. Focus group testing has shown that when Republican and Independent voters hear about the substance of Project 2025, they oppose it overwhelmingly.

Republicans know this and are trying to repair the damage of having published their plot to end democracy. See Navigator Research, Focus Group Report: Project 2025. (“After participants viewed clips of the Wall Street Journal video detailing Project 2025, disdain for the plan grew.”)

The problem (for Republicans) is that Democrats have done a great job of identifying Trump as the prime beneficiary of Project 2025. Indeed, on its website, Project 2025 is described as a “Presidential Transition Project.” Since the project was drafted by Trump administration alumni, the “presidential transition” was for Trump, not Biden (now Harris).

Republicans are in full panic mode. JD Vance wrote the forward to a book by Project 2025’s author Eric Roberts, “Dawn’s Early Light,” which summarizes Project 2025. The book was scheduled to be published this month (August 2024) but has now been mysteriously delayed until after the election. See Media Matters for America, Delayed publication of Heritage president's book reflects Project 2025 shell game. Unfortunately for JD Vance and Trump, Media Matters has obtained a galley copy of Eric Roberts’ book and is willing to share!

But it gets worse (for Trump). In 2022, Trump shared a private jet ride with Kevin Roberts on the way to a Heritage Foundation conference. (Heritage Foundation is the sponsor and funder of Project 2025). At the Heritage Foundation conference,

Trump delivered a keynote address that gestured to Heritage’s forthcoming policy proposals. “They’re going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do.” Separately, Roberts told The Washington Post in an interview in April of this year that he had previously discussed Project 2025 with Trump as part of offering briefings to all presidential candidates. “I personally have talked to President Trump about Project 2025,”

See Washington Post, Trump took a private flight with Project 2025 leader in 2022. (This article is accessible to all.)

Given that Kevin Roberts said he briefed Trump on Project 2025 and Trump told Heritage that the project “lay[s] the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do,” Trump's claim last month that “Have no idea who is in charge of it” is a blatant lie. Although Trump claims that he and Kevin Roberts did not discuss the project on the flight, Trump's comments at the Heritage Foundation conference make clear that Trump knows exactly what Project 2025 is.

The Trump campaign’s release of Project 2025 was an act of hubris and overconfidence it now regrets, just like its effort to drive Joe Biden out of the race.

Here's the point: Trump has been caught with his hand in Project 2025 cookie jar and we must continue to tie Trump and Vance to the project and make clear that they are lying about their lack of involvement in the project.

On the campaign trail with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have managed to continue the momentum and enthusiasm of the Harris campaign. Trump was missing in action from the campaign trail, while JD Vance stalked Harris and Walz, drawing paltry crowds while showing flashes of anger and arrogance. JD Vance is turning out the be an “anti-candidate” who is a drag on the ticket.

At a rally in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Harris and Walz drew a crowd of 10,000, while a rally in Detroit drew 15,000. Per reports, the interest in the rallies far exceeded the capacity of the venues. See The Guardian, ‘We’re not going back’: thousands rally for Harris and Walz in Wisconsin and Michigan.

A simultaneous appearance by JD Vance in Michigan (Shelby Township) drew a crowd so small it was outnumbered by the press contingent covering the event. See video embedded here. See Newsweek, Liz Cheney Takes New Dig at JD Vance's Rally Sizes. Per Newsweek,

A video of the event shared to X by Michigan political reporter Maggie George suggests that the small number of people attending the Vance speech in support of the candidate was rivaled by the press covering the event.

The small crowd is an indication of the lack of coordination and ground game by the Trump campaign—a lack of focus that starts at the top with Trump. Per reports, Trump is spending more time blaming advisers and complaining about his campaign’s problems than campaigning. See WaPo, Trump complains about campaign as advisers try to focus on attacking Harris. (This article is behind a paywall.)

JD Vance did Trump no favors on Wednesday when he gave a sour response to a reporter’s question about Vance being “joyless” and angry:

Reporter: You have been criticized as being a little too serious, a little angry sometimes. What makes you smile? What makes you happy? JD Vance: Well, I smile at a lot of things, including bogus questions from the media, Dan. A-HAHA-Heh-heh. .  . .But, look, sometimes you got to take the good with the bad. And right now, I am angry about what Kamala Harris has done to this country and done to the American southern border.

After insulting the reporter and describing himself as “angry,” Vance then acknowledged that Trump ��loves to . . . make fun of everybody that’s out there.” See Trump VP Pick Laughs as Reporter Asks 'What Makes You SMILE?

The stark contrast between the well-executed, enthusiastic, joyful campaign of Harris and Walz is dramatic. And it is encouraging. See Salon, "Bringing back the joy": Kamala Harris' rally blows away JD Vance's weird appearance across town | Salon.com

But the race remains tight (tied?) despite positive signs in almost every new poll that suggest a strong trend in favor of Harris and Walz. 

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[tomorrowusa]

Bad news for Republicans: violent crime is down across most of the US.

Donald Trump and far right media want people to believe there is a massive crime wave sparked by hordes of bloodthirsty migrants charging in waves across the southern border. In fact, the spike in crime which began with Trump's botched response to the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

To hear the latest version of Donald Trump’s “American carnage” narrative of a country lost without him, you would think law-abiding citizens are cowering in their homes or stockpiling weapons to deal with a massive crime wave that’s due to illegal border crossings caused by various nations emptying their prisons and by leftist “Soros-funded” prosecutors gleefully opening our own penitentiaries. The idea of an ongoing crime wave is incorporated into all sorts of MAGA rhetoric, including claims that prosecutors pursuing cases against Trump in New York, Atlanta, Florida, and Washington, D.C., should instead be frantically trying and jailing predators who are cavorting on the streets. The alleged threat of murderous “animals” who entered the country illegally has been crystalized by Republican agitprop about the tragic death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who was murdered while jogging, allegedly by an undocumented Venezuelan migrant. But graphic, horrifying anecdotal evidence does not an actual crime wave make. And the more we learn about what’s actually happening in our major cities, the clearer it is that the surge in violent crime that did occur during the COVID-19 pandemic continues to subside. The COVID crime surge largely ended in 2022. Then the incidence of murder and other violent crimes dropped significantly in 2023, according to preliminary federal data, as CNN recently reported:

Fact check: Trump falsely claims US crime stats are only going up. Most went down last year, including massive drop in murder

To the degree that migrants are involved in criminal activity can now be attributed to Trump's blockage of border security legislation in the House by his spineless minions on Capitol Hill.

Bipartisan border deal hits legislative wall as Republicans say they will block bill

Republicans are now officially the owners of border chaos – not the solution to it.

Back to the featured article...

[W]hen a long upward trend in crime during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s — a true crime wave — finally came to an end, then dramatically reversed. The current numbers are beginning to show that we’re more than likely in a long period of stable (and, by past standards, relatively low) crime rates that were briefly interrupted by the many dislocations the pandemic caused in American life (and police effectiveness). So the myth of a deadly threat to Americans stemming from liberal policies on the border and in the justice system is mostly just that. Perceptions of public safety, of course, aren’t always in line with objective reality, and violent crime is horrifying even if it’s not as prevalent as law-and-order demagogues suggest. An October 2023 Gallup survey that coincided with growing evidence of dropping crime rates showed 77 percent of Americans agreed there was “more crime” in the country than in the previous year.

Spectacular crime stories are always going to grab headlines. If it bleeds, it leads has been one of the mainstays of American journalism for centuries. You'll never see a headline in the NY Post like Murder Rate Plummets!.

One thing that is often overlooked is that the "long upward trend in crime during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s" mentioned in the article came to an end in the 1990s during the Clinton administration.

For ideological reasons, Democrats have been too restrained about publicizing their own law and order successes. As with the 1990s, another drop in crime is taking place under a Democratic administration – despite GOP attempts to exploit individual incidents of crime.

Donald Trump himself is a "one man crime wave".

[mistysdefenseattorney]

Im getting so desperate and I need writing ideas so here’s a proper post with my writing and stuff.

More info under the cut-

Here’s a little snippet of a project I recently started:

—

The partygoers chatter had long since faded into silence. The only sound left was wind wailing about around the trees encompassing us, and the tranquility of the stars above.

"What could be better than stargazing?" Lottie plunked down on the dirt and gazed up at the stars as whatever drug Misty spiked the food with began to kick in.

“If only I could show people how it works… if they could feel it with their hands, feel how it moves, how it speaks…”

Lottie sighed, then turned her head to face Shauna who opened her arms to the sky.

“I want.” Shauna sighed. “I want to know what’s out there. There is so much— so much—“

Shaunas voice faltered as she struggled to articulate the enormity of her thoughts. Her eyes remained fixed on the sky, lost in the vast expanse above. “It’s just so beautiful…”

Lottie, still lying on the ground next to her and feeling the effects of the drug, eventually found her thoughts drifting elsewhere. “Wow… it’s like the stars are alive.” She mumbled, “Maybe they’re misunderstood. Or they’re trying to tell us something and we just can’t understand them anymore…”

Shauna nodded, but her focus seemed to waver, her gaze shifting from the sky to the surrounding forest. A hunger, more primal began to stir within her. She started digging her nails into the dirt, making deep furrows in the soil as if trying to anchor herself to reality.

—

I will write for:

Yellowjackets

The fallout (2022 movie)

Fallout (2024 tv series)

The new beetlejuice when it comes out

X/Maxxxine

MAYBE the scream franchise

Finestkind

Wednesday (2022)

American Carnage

Millers Girl

The Babysitter: Killer Queen

—

Characters I will DEFINITELY write for:

Jackie Taylor

Shauna Shipman

Natalie Scatorccio

Taissa Turner

Misty Quigley

Van Palmer

Lottie Matthews

Mabel (finestkind)

Vada Cavell

Phoebe (The Babysitter: Killer Queen)

Mindy Meeks

—

Characters I might write for depending on the prompt:

Camila Montes

Wednesday Addams

Cairo Sweet

Maxine Minx

Lorraine Day

Tara Carpenter

Sam Carpenter

—

Im open to making bots, I will only write small blurbs for now, I will write my boundaries whenever I can.

—

Thanks for reading!

Photos for your time.

[fanofspooky]

Jenna Ortega in horror movies

[mariacallous]

Why Trump is wrong about crime

In Tuesday night’s debate, former President Donald Trump reprised a frequent campaign talking point, asserting that “crime here is up and through the roof.” When ABC News moderator David Muir cited FBI evidence that overall violent crime had declined, Trump countered, “They didn’t include the cities with the worst crime! It was fraud!”

This was classic Trump. Over the last eight years, Trump has fanned fears of violence in America by conflating crime, immigration and cities. In his 2016 inaugural address, Trump painted an apocalyptic picture of “American carnage” with “mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities,” denouncing “the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives.”

At the Republican convention in July, Trump called the nation’s capital “a horrible killing field.” His running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, proclaimed Chicago, the site of the Democratic National Convention, a “combat zone.” Yet data from police chiefs of major U.S. cities shows violent crime declined significantly this year in 69 large cities, including in Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

Trump’s rhetoric about “inner cities” and “blighted communities” is suffused with a long history of racial and ethnic prejudice. It also ignores that crime is not just an urban problem, but affects families and businesses in suburbs and rural areas too, across red and blue America. Yet the city versus “rest of America” rhetoric makes it hard to achieve effective, bipartisan solutions that improve safety across all communities.

In 2020, for example, the murder rate rose roughly equally in cities run by Republicans and Democrats, with Republican-led states reporting some of the nation’s highest murder rates. The same year, rural areas reported 40% higher gun deaths per capita than in metropolitan areas. Crimes related to substance abuse have also long been higher in rural communities.

To compare crime across cities, suburbs and rural areas, we looked at three states: North Carolina, West Virginia and Ohio, analyzing FBI data from 2019 through 2022, the most recent full year for which data is available for rural areas. FBI crime data isn’t perfect, but it’s the best measure we have for comparing crime trends between urban and rural areas. What it shows is that some suburbs and rural towns had significantly higher per capita crime rates than in nearby cities.

Take violent crime: In 2022 in North Carolina, the suburb of Wadesboro and the rural town of Laurinburg had higher per capita violent crime rates than the nearby city of Charlotte. Some suburbs and rural towns across the three states had higher violent crime rates than Chicago, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., which have been the target of Republican criticism.

Property crime in Laurinburg exceeded the rate in nearby Charlotte. In the same period in West Virginia, property crime rate skyrocketed in the suburb of Nitro, while it fell 27% in the city of Huntington. In Ohio, suburban Whitehall had a higher property crime rate in 2022 than the city of Columbus. In short, crime isn’t just a “city problem.”

Despite partisan rhetoric about “defunding the police,” spending on police has increased in the overwhelming majority of U.S. cities since President Joe Biden took office, and blue states that voted for Biden in 2020 spent 33% more per capita on police than red states that voted for Trump. Policies that decrease income inequality, reduce evictions and improve living conditions in high-poverty neighborhoods have been shown to reduce crime by reducing some factors that cause it.

Unfortunately, “tough on crime” rhetoric has shut down bipartisan conversations about criminal justice reform and stymied solutions. Some Republican-led states are seeking to control cities rather than support cities. Mississippi’s governor last year extended state control to criminal justice in a majority Black city, Alabama lawmakers have proposed a law allowing state officials to appoint local police chiefs and Missouri mandated that Kansas City spend at least 25% of its budget on police funding.

Rather than dictate policy to cities, state and local leaders should cooperate across urban and rural regions. In rural West Virginia – a region hit hard by the opioid epidemic – leaders have been working to help find employment for residents affected by the drug crisis. In Detroit, local leaders are focusing on public health programs to reduce violence, and last year the city experienced its lowest murder rate in 57 years.

The reality is that investing in economic, social and civic well-being of communities reduces crime. Safe streets and social cohesion, in turn, fuel economic growth and private investment that nurture secure, vibrant communities.

Whoever wins in November, our leaders must work together across parties so all American communities can be safe and prosperous.

[grigori77]

My Halloween movies of 2023

Yet again Spooky Season has come and I'm about to kick off my annuel scary movie marathon! This year it's pure horror, too, no real sci-fi or comedy (at least not REALLY) in the mix, just pure scare fests, so it's liable to be a little heavier than usual ... but like always, anyone who wants to have a crack at following me along, I'm gonna be starting tomorrow night and continuing on until the night of the 5th (I know, well over TWO WEEKS of spooky cinema!), so feel free to tag along ...

Apostle

Firestarter (2022)

The Fury

Brotherhood of the Wolf

Lifeforce

Animal

Dragonslayer

Night Teeth

Stung

Velvet Buzzsaw

Nope

Fright Night

The Empty Man

Let Us Prey

Superdeep

Season of the Witch

Fright Night, Part II

American Carnage

Army of the Dead

Hellraiser (2022)

Super Hybrid

Hope you have as much fun as I plan to ...

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

By Kirk Swearingen

In the face of what seems like endless gun carnage in the U.S., Republican politicians call for more mental health funding even while withholding it. Not only are there now more guns than people in this country, many Republicans and the right-wing media continue to profit by leading people, especially younger men, to despair.

They're projecting their own unexamined mental health issues on others. As Salon's Amanda Marcotte has often pointed out, for Republicans it seems that every accusation is a confession.

When Donald Trump and his confederates claim that Democrats cheat in elections, that's what is known as a tell, since cheating at elections is precisely what they themselves are trying their best (or worst) to do.

When Ivy League–educated Republicans attack the liberal "elite." When Trump Republicans profess outrage about the "Biden crime family." When the malignant narcissist who formerly occupied the White House claims that liberals (whom he claims are "socialists," "radicals" or "Marxists") are out to destroy the country. Every accusation is a confession.

So Republican politicians and their media allies call for more mental health spending as a supposed solution to the gun violence crisis, one suspects that's a reflection of their own mental strain in championing an absurd interpretation of the Second Amendment and steadfastly ignoring the fact that people in other large Western nations have issues with mental health too, but for some reason don't shoot each other, or themselves, nearly as often.

Many men who vote Republican, it seems, are too focused on propping up their fragile masculinity to seek help in any case. (It might make them look like "betas.") Far too often, a right-wing man gets so worked up about a perceived threat to his manliness that he goes on a shooting rampage with assault-style weapons, which the Supreme Court has helpfully explained is every American's God-given right, under the twisted logic that there was no "history or tradition" in the 18th century of prohibiting high-powered firearms that hadn't been invented.

So many American conservatives live in a seemingly incessant state of fear — about books and experts and science and liberals and immigrants and independent women and people of color and people with different sexual preferences or gender identities — that it's no wonder they appear mentally and emotionally unhealthy. Then there are the evangelical and fundamentalist Christians who form the most reliable MAGA Republican base: Their alleged belief in Jesus Christ has become so warped they now perceive their savior in the person of our twice-impeached, four-times-indicted ex-president. None of this signals a group of well-adjusted human beings. The HBO series "The Righteous Gemstones," a dark comedy about shallow, grifting televangelists stunted and spoiled by wealth, has to work hard to outdo what we see at Trump rallies.

Come on, it's not like we weren't warned about all this. Remember Trump's infamous 2016 response to Hillary Clinton: "No puppet, no puppet … You're the puppet!" Did that sound like a mentally well-adjusted adult? Or an adult of any kind? How about this lovely Mother's Day greeting, earlier this year. Who defends themselves against allegations of criminal actions by saying, "I'm a legitimate person"? Who frequently posts in all caps on social media, flinging incomprehensible accusations at political opponents?

As for anti-"woke" warrior Ron DeSantis, his campaign against Trump appears to be a spectacular failure, even as he apparently mimics Trump's fragile ego, accompanying vindictiveness and bizarre obsession with manliness. Like "personality" Tucker Carlson's 2022 special on "The End of Men," DeSantis' anti-Pride video was pretty darned homoerotic.

Along with the right-wing cable news machine profiting by actively diminishing the mental acuity of its viewers, "manfluencer" grifters like Andrew Tate, selling "alpha male" misogyny to lonely, insecure young men, have made fortunes encouraging them to become misogynistic white nationalists — essentially mini-Trumps, but with actual muscle tone (not just in risible fantasy). It's good to see some mentally healthy young people fight back with satire.

When a serial liar and hatemonger like Trump remains the choice of a large majority of Republican voters even after two impeachments, an ever-growing count of felony indictments and an ongoing attempted coup; when voters send deeply unserious, dysfunctional or delusional individuals to Congress as their representatives; when fascist-fanboy Governors like DeSantis and Greg Abbott model their states after authoritarian regimes and deploy stochastic terrorism to put marginalized populations at risk of violence, is it any wonder that ordinary citizens feel permanently on edge, in a state of chronic existential dread?

But the right won't give up — I don't mean on issues of principle or policy, since it doesn't have any, but in its crusade to "own the libs," take rights away from people who are not like them and enforce theocratic minority rule. In fact, that mean-spirited crusade is the basis of the right's tribal identity. As Adam Serwer of The Atlantic famously pointed out some time ago, the cruelty is the point:

“Taking joy in that suffering is more human than most would like to admit. Somewhere on the wide spectrum between adolescent teasing and the smiling white men in the lynching photographs are the Trump supporters whose community is built by rejoicing in the anguish of those they see as unlike them, who have found in their shared cruelty an answer to the loneliness and atomization of modern life.”

As I reread those lines, I think back to the cheering and laughter of the Trump supporters during CNN's pathetic "town hall" rally for Trump in May, as he turned in his typical shameless performance of lies, bluster, bullying and whining. Here's a suggested campaign slogan: "Trump 2024: Come for the Lying, Stay for the Crying." As Salon contributor Mike Lofgren has observed, the GOP's "heart of darkness" has moved beyond just whining; They want retribution, payback for all the real or perceived slights they have suffered, and they believe only their cult leader can deliver it.

Brian Klaas, a professor of global politics at University College London, writes that we end up with bad people in power so often for three main reasons: power acts as a magnet for corruptible people (often "Machiavellian narcissists, perhaps with a dash of psychopathy thrown in too"); holding power tends to corrupt people; we tend to give people power for the wrong reasons.

"Corruptible people are disproportionately drawn to power, disproportionately good at wriggling their way into it and disproportionately likely to cling to it once they've got it," Klaas notes. We can fix this, he argues, by fixing our political system, recruiting better candidates and instituting real accountability for wrongdoing. Good systems, he says, attract good people. Fighting corruption is an integral part of the Democratic Playbook published by the Brookings Institution. A political system dominated by money, "dark" or otherwise, is not working.

Most politicians would not entertain the thought that they are mentally unwell. They are simply playing the game; looking to gain advantage in any way that works and is not blatantly illegal (with some notable exceptions. But does that kind of Machiavellian behavior, part of the "dark triad," suggest a well-functioning mind and spirit? We too often shrug at politics, accepting the narrative that it's just a game. But it's not; it is freedom or tyranny, dignity or subjugation, life or death.

Those who dehumanize their political opponents by referring to them as enemies and who call teachers, librarians and parents "groomers" have mental health issues far exceeding those of young people struggling with questions of sexual orientation or gender identity. Men who work to limit women's autonomy over their own bodies, or for that matter conservative women who punch down to bolster their fragile status have serious issues to work on and should quit afflicting them on the rest of us.

To be fair, a great many of us in America face our own mental health issues across the political spectrum. More of us, almost certainly, should seek the counsel of friends and professionals. We are chronically depressed and lonely. Political polarization has separated friends and family members from each other. The religious right has embraced an evangelism of intolerance against other people whose mental and emotional struggles they don't understand. While Republicans play-act as defenders of the working class, they labor tirelessly to drive working people deeper into lives of endless labor and debt servitude.

As the late, great American novelist Kurt Vonnegut would have said, about this and about his currently banned books: "So it goes." I don't think he meant to indicate cynical acceptance, more like an acknowledgment of humanity's deep history of stupidity and intolerance — and the need to carry on nonetheless. So we work diligently to maintain our own sense of self, our fragile balance, our purpose and our will — even in a country where, far too often, the inmates are running the asylum.

[whatstruthgottodowithit]

The Girl He Left Behind [Part Twenty Two]

Fandom: American Actor, RPF, Elvis Presley, Elvis Movie 2022

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Original Female Character

Characters: Elvis Presley, Addison Goodwin, Gladys Presley, Vernon Presley, Minnie May ‘Dodger’ Presley, Red West, Sonny West, Gene Smith, Billy Smith, Original Female Characters, Colonel Tom Parker, Billy Smith, Marci Cunningham, Steve Cunningham, Jerry Schilling, Mary Jenkins, Alan Fortas, Marty Lacker, Original Male Characters, Mona Goodwin, Joe Goodwin

Word Count: 3000 // Rating: Mature

Summary: When Elvis returns home to Graceland from the Army he’s followed by the headlines ‘The Girl He Left Behind’ but what the media don’t know is that Priscilla wasn’t the first. No, that title belongs to someone Elvis will never forget.

Tags/ Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Graceland, Poverty, Friends to Lovers, 1950s Elvis, Bad Parenting, Surprise Surprise the Colonel Is a Colossal Prick, Parental Loss, Grief, Fun Fairs, Kissing, Vaginal Sex, Oral Sex, Movie Nights, Arguing, Tension, Denial of Feelings, Age Gap Romance, Underage, Addison is 17 Elvis is 22, Guilt, Betrayal, Extortion, Blackmail, Jealous, Army Elvis, American Draft, US Army, Lying, Time Shift with Elvis moving to Memphis, Flashbacks, Caught

Notes: I hate the colonel.

LINK TO ALL PARTS // AO3 LINK // PINTEREST LINK

@girlblogger2002 @sania562 @caitlin1996​ @literally-just-elvis-fics @notstefaniepresley​ @artlesson8892 @18lkpeters​

Elvis was nervous. He couldn’t help it. Last night he had been sure he was doing the right thing but after talking with Addison in the cold light of morning he wondered if he might have messed up. Now he just hoped that whatever fire he had started he would be able to put out.

Whilst Addison headed to the market with Mary he’d promised her he’d try and get another couple of hours sleep but instead he’d asked for his Daddy to invite the Colonel over to talk. Now he was pacing around his living room wondering what he was going to say to the man or more to the point wondering if he was even going to show up. Elvis hated feeling as if he was in the wrong but the way Addison had seemed so worried when he had gotten home last night had made him doubt whether he was doing the right thing.   ‘Where is he?’ Elvis grunted kicking the edge of the fireplace with his toe. ‘He’ll be here,’ Vernon said glancing towards the door. ‘Would it kill him to be on time,’ Elvis grumbled. ‘I don’t think you’re in any position to criticise do you?’ came a familiar voice as the Colonel appeared moving into the room and slipping into his mother’s chair as if it was his own home. Elvis moved to sit on the couch, his daddy at his side.   ‘Thanks for coming Colonel,’ Vernon said, ‘can I get ya anything?’ ‘No,’ the Colonel said, ‘thank you, Vernon.’ ‘Colonel, look I’m sorry okay-’ Elvis started but the Colonel didn’t appear to be listening to him. He didn’t even let him finish before he dropped a wad of heavy newspapers on the coffee table before Elvis’ eyes.   ‘ELVIS THE PELVIS BELONGS IN THE JUNGLE’ ‘ELVIS ENCOURAGES CARNAGE ON HOME TURF’ ‘HAS ELVIS FINALLY GONE TOO FAR?’   ‘And plenty more like it. Not to mention the segments on talk shows and the chatter on the radio,’ the Colonel said, ‘but what do I know.’ ‘Colonel I’m sorry okay? I get it,’ he said, ‘and whatever we need to do to fix this I’ll do it, okay?’ ‘And if that includes things you might not like?’ the Colonel said sceptically leaning forward. Elvis shared an uneasy look with his father. ‘Like what?’ Vernon asked. ‘Keep a more wholesome image,’ the Colonel said making Vernon’s eyes narrow. Elvis’ didn’t though. They didn’t need to, he knew exactly what he was trying to say.   ‘You mean Addison,’ he said. The Colonel shrugged. ‘No,’ Elvis said adamantly shaking his head but the Colonel merely continued. ‘This is the scandal that broke the camel’s back,’ the Colonel said, ‘to risk adding fuel to the fire could do irreparable damage.’ ‘We’re not splitting up. I can’t do it. It’s non-negotiable,’ Elvis said. The Colonel stared at him blankly before he pulled a cigar out of his jacket pocket and lit it allowing Elvis’ refusal to linger in the air.   ‘Okay. So, she’s non-negotiable. Am I to take it you want to marry this girl?’ he asked tilting his head and narrowing his eyes as he watched Elvis, searching his face as if he was anticipating the boy was going to lie to him. ‘I do,’ Elvis said earnestly. He glanced at his daddy who smiled at him, albeit weakly. ‘And how do you propose you’re going to support her?’ the Colonel asked taking another drag of his cigarette. The question took Elvis off guard as he baulked, ‘how will I support her? Look around.’ ‘And when there’s no work to be had because you’ve driven everyone away? You’ve already scandalised them with your gyrations, you’ve upset people with your race records and now you expect them to just accept you when you shack up with a girl you…bought,’ he said, venom dripping off the word. ‘Bought?! I never-’ Elvis protested loudly, anger flooding through him as he watched the old man sitting there unbothered. He had no idea what he was going on about. ‘But you did pay her mother off,’ the Colonel said cutting him off and making Vernon’s eyes bulge as they both realised what he had meant. ‘That’s different and you know it,’ Elvis said angrily. How could he dare insinuate that Addison coming to live with them had been something seedy? That he had paid Mona off as some way to get Addison to fall in love with him. He hadn’t done it to make her love him. He had done it because he loved her. ‘It’s not what’s true it’s what they’ll believe,’ the Colonel reasoned, ‘look, all I want is for you to be happy. And whilst I can see that Addison makes you happy, I can’t ignore the fact that your relationship will cause problems for your image. We need to rebuild and…and if you are not willing to let her go the only other way I can think is…drastic.’   ‘What is it?’ Elvis asked, his voice thick. The Colonel and Vernon shared an uneasy look one that signalled to Elvis he was missing something. That notion was reinforced as his father sighed and leaned towards him so he could reach for something in his back pocket. He produced a wad of folded papers, a solemn look on his face as he offered them to Elvis to take. Elvis glanced at both men before he took it out of his Daddy’s hands and unfolded it.   The words leapt out at him from the page bringing with them a wash of fear.   SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM - ORDER FOR REPORT TO INDUCTION   To Elvis Aaron Presley, Graceland, 3764 Highway 51 South, Memphis TN.   Greeting: You are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces of the United states, and to report At Rm 8A38, Fort Chaffee Joint Manoeuvre Training Center, Fort Smith, AR 72916 On January 20th 1958 at 0900   He scanned the letter trying to digest the words on the page but they wouldn’t go in. He couldn’t believe it.   ‘Draft papers?’ he asked finally tearing his gaze away from the letter in front of him to look at the Colonel who remained stoic. All it took was one look at his Daddy to realise that this was no joke. They were serious. ‘They came yesterday morning,’ Vernon said, ‘we thought we were better off waiting till your show was over…’ ‘How does this fix anything?’ Elvis asked failing to see how shipping him off overseas would help in any way. If anything he figured sending him away to be some other country’s problem would do nothing but hinder his career. Wouldn’t they just forget about him? ‘It alters your image. Instead of the outspoken rocker, you become a loyal and devoted servant of our nation. They cut your hair, you wear the uniform, and they forget all about your problems. By the time you come back, your fans will have missed you so much they’ll be clambering to buy your latest album, movie execs will long to cast you in their latest flick and you’ll be the all-American boy your current critics can’t help but like,’ the Colonel said. Elvis watched as he explained, his voice light as though he was telling him about the plot of a new movie he had signed him up for. Yet nothing about this deal felt light.   ‘How long?’ Elvis asked nervously. His father’s gaze fell to his lap as the Colonel shifted nervously in his seat. It was the first time he had seen him falter. ‘Well,’ the Colonel said, ‘that’s to be-’ ‘How long?!’ Elvis repeated in a stern voice. ‘Two years,’ the Colonel said quietly. ‘God damn it,’ Elvis said throwing the papers down on the coffee table and standing up so he could pace though he didn’t have much room to given that the living room was now being taken over by the extravagant Christmas tree they had put up a few days before. ‘But we aren’t at war and I’m sure they’ll be lenient with you given your status…it’ll be over before you know it,’ the Colonel said. Elvis scoffed and walked away from the pair resting his arm against the fireplace as he watched the fire inside flicker and crackle before his eyes.   Neither Vernon nor the Colonel spoke instead they watched him trying to process everything that had been laid on him in such a small amount of time. Elvis’ head was swimming. He was trying to piece it all together but he still couldn’t see the vision the Colonel had. Would it really change how people saw him or would he just fade into oblivion? He supposed the Colonel had a point. If there was one thing his country prided itself on it was patriotism so it wouldn’t hurt his image. Not to mention if he didn’t comply, if he used his celebrity status to get out of it that would surely be the end of his career altogether. And what use would he be then? People relied on him. It was more than just him he had to think about.   But two years. Two years in a foreign country without his family, without Addison, it seemed too much to bear. Still, if he had to. If there was no other way; to save his relationship, his family, his career. He’d do it. He just had to be sure that he’d keep all of that.   He turned to look at the Colonel trying to force down the nerves from his voice as he spoke, ‘Addison. Where does she fit into all of this?’ ‘Well, when you come back she’ll be of age. The distance will give us enough time to spin a narrative. Friends who didn’t realise how much they cared for one another until forced apart by circumstance and then if by that time you still wish to marry her so be it,’ the Colonel said. ‘What about my ‘availability?’ Elvis said dubiously, ‘I thought you said the key to record sales was making girls believe it could be them I’m singing about. Having a wife doesn’t exactly support that.’ ‘Well, I imagine your fans will be so happy to have you home they’ll be more lenient about having you off the market. And as I said, two years is enough time for us to warm them to the idea,’ the Colonel said.   Elvis closed his eyes. The more the Colonel explained it the less it seemed like the end of the world. It wasn’t ideal, sure, and it wouldn’t be easy but he knew the alternative wasn’t a path he should go down. If all it took was two years of playing soldier for him to get back to doing what he loved with the people he loved around him he’d do it. But as he opened his eyes he spied a picture on the mantle that made his blood run cold. His mama.   ‘Daddy,’ he said looking at Vernon, ‘does mama know about any of this?’ ‘We’ve spoken about it,’ Vernon said uneasily. ‘And?’ Elvis asked feeling his heart beat quicker in his chest. Vernon seemed to think of his answer carefully before he spoke, signalling to Elvis that his mother had not taken the news well. All his life she had worried about him, some of it unnecessarily, yet now she had a valid reason. ‘And she’s not exactly thrilled but she agrees it’s for the best,’ he said. ‘And you?’ Elvis asked. Vernon looked at his son with a sad smile. ‘I think the Colonel makes valid points,’ he said. Elvis nodded.   ‘Fine,’ he said bitterly, ‘but if I’m doing this I’m doing it on my terms.’ ‘Of course,’ Vernon said though the Colonel didn’t say anything, his gaze questioning as if he was awaiting Elvis to lay out his terms before he agreed to anything. ‘I get to tell Mama, properly. I mean I know she already knows a little but I want to sit her down and tell her myself.’ ‘Sure,’ Vernon said, ‘whatever you want.’ ‘Addie too,’ he said, ‘she hears about this from me only okay?’ ‘Whatever you say,’ the Colonel nodded. ‘And I don’t wanna be some patsy they all make fun of. The guy who sings to the troops but disappears when times get tough. If I’m going to do this I’m going to do it properly you understand? No special orders, no pulling strings,’ Elvis said. Again the Colonel nodded as he shuffled out of his seat and stood up so he was face to face with Elvis. Elvis allowed him to put his hand on his shoulder though it wasn’t a comfort of any sort for either of them.   ‘You’ve made the right decision son,’ he said with a small smile before he walked away leaving Elvis alone with his father. Once he was out of sight Elvis flopped down into the chair beside Vernon with an almighty oomph. He was exhausted though he supposed having a day of your world being turned upside down could do that to a man. He didn’t look up for a moment, instead staring back at the fire he had been watching before, as a million thoughts whizzed through his mind.   ‘You okay son?’ Vernon asked after a moment. ‘Would you be?’ he asked looking at his father with a sigh. ‘S’pose not,’ his father said pulling out his cigarette case from his pocket followed by a match. He offered Elvis one and although the boy turned it down he watched as Vernon sparked up, taking a long initial drag with a look of relief on his face as the nicotine hit his tense system.   ‘Do you really think it’ll be okay?’ Elvis asked quietly making his father sigh. ‘Who knows? But I think you gotta do what you think is right in the moment,’ Vernon said, ‘and this, well, it feels like the right thing to do.’ ‘And Mama?’ Elvis asked. Vernon smiled sadly. ‘We’ll figure it out,’ he said, ‘it won’t be easy.’ ‘Yeah, neither will getting it past Addie,’ he said grimly. Vernon offered him a look of sympathy. He wondered how she’d take it. His mother he could predict. She demand he didn’t go or cry but Addison he couldn’t weigh up. He just hoped she wouldn’t pull away. Shouting and crying he could take, her pulling away from him would crush him. He knew why of course. She’d had nothing but hurt in her life and now he was adding to it, something he had endeavoured never to do. He just hoped she understood it wasn’t through choice. If there were any other way, one that would protect them both he’d do it.   ‘Well you better get to thinking,’ Vernon said pulling him from his thoughts. He looked at his father confused for a moment before he heard movement in the kitchen and the sound of chatter. Addison and Mary. The pair were back from their run out to the market. As he heard laughter come from that direction an ache formed inside of him.   ‘Wish me luck,’ he said pushing up off the chair and past his Daddy. He walked to the kitchen though he didn’t go in straight away, the door was ajar which allowed him to peek through. She had her back to him, unloading things from their bags onto the counter as she chatted away with Mary about what they were going to make for Christmas dinner, excitement laced through her voice as she talked.   As he listened to her Elvis felt the ache inside him worsen as though someone was holding his heart in their hand and squeezing every time he heard her laugh. He fell back against the wall for support which caused the door that had been just ajar open a little wider with a squeak.   ‘If that’s one of those damn boys fishing around for snacks before I’ve even unpacked I swear to God,’ Mary called craning her neck to see who the culprit was. Elvis ducked inside holding his hands up. ‘Just me,’ Elvis said as he came to stand behind Addison trapping her in between the kitchen island and himself. She turned for just a moment, smiling at him before she went back to pulling things out of the bag in front of her. ‘Ah, I suppose it’s a different kind of sugar you’re after huh?’ Mary chuckled as she took items from where Addison had placed them. ‘Mary,’ Addison chastised as a red flush ran up her neck. Elvis chuckled. ‘She’s not wrong,’ Elvis said turning her around to face him, his hands pulling her to him by her waist, ‘good time at the market?’ ‘Fine, busy though,’ she said placing her hands on his chest. ‘Christmas rush,’ Mary said, ‘everybody loses their damn mind over one day.’ ‘Oh come on,’ Elvis said, ‘it’s the best time of the year.’ ‘I forgot how much you love Christmas,’ Addison giggled. ‘Don’t you?’ Elvis asked reaching to move a strand of hair from her face. ‘I guess,’ she said, ‘it’s always been me and my dad. Just quiet y’know?’ ‘Well then I can’t wait to show you how it’s done,’ he said leaning in to kiss her. She allowed him to but then she pulled back far too soon for his liking, moving to help Mary once more.   He watched her move around the kitchen, a wealth of sorrow inside him. It wasn’t fair. They had just gotten right. She was settled, happier than ever and he was going to ruin it. Plough through her life like Mona did. Leave her as Joe had. The guilt was crushing.   He had to tell her at some point, he knew that, but not right now. If he had to throw a grenade into their life he was at least going to give her something happy to look back on until they were reunited.   He’d tell her after Christmas.