DMZ America Podcast #139: Mitch McConnell and the Biden Age Question, Death to the Death Penalty, Gen Z Hates Dating Apps

Award-winning political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis take on the week’s news and current events on the DMZ America podcast.

The world of politics shifted dramatically with the announcement by longtime Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell that he would step aside from his position as minority leader, but stay in the Senate. A succession battle has already begun. What Ted and Scott are more interested in the message being sent by an 81-year-old politician, who has been seeing struggling with aging in public, to the president.

Idaho botched the attempted execution of a high-profile serial killer at the same time as Texas successfully executed an inmate who was probably innocent. Meanwhile, Alabama and Ohio say they will continue to use the bizarre and torturous nitrogen method to kill more inmates, despite the fiasco in Alabama a few weeks ago. How can it be, Ted and Scott ask, that the United States continues to deploy capital punishment? As an added bonus: a discussion of Christianity!

Finally, Bumble and other dating apps are having major financial issues as Generation Z turns against the idea of finding true love online in favor of doing it the old-fashioned way.

Watch the Video Version: here.

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What About the Other 434?

The House of Representatives voted to expel George Santos, Republican of New York, following a report by the Ethics Committee that found he had committed crimes. Many of the Congressmen who voted in favor were little better than he was.

DMZ America Podcast #95: Senate Votes to Deauthorize Iraq War, DeSantis the Gitmo Torturer, Reparations to Black Americans

 Two of America’s top political analysts, left-wing cartoonist Ted Rall and right-wing cartoonist Scott Stantis, discuss the week’s events and cultural happenings on the DMZ America podcast.

In a surprising move, the United States Senate has voted to revoke the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force legislation that presidents beginning with George W. Bush relied upon in order to invade and occupy Iraq, as well as a number of other military conflicts. Will the House of Representatives follow suit? The answer is more complex than you might expect. Will Congress reassert its Constitutional exclusive right to wage war?

The Washington Post revealed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a possible top contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, enthusiastically participated in torture as a JAG at Guantánamo Bay concentration camp in 2006, where he suggested that hunger-striking inmates be force-fed and personally supervised and smiled while observing what international human rights organizations universally describe as torture. DeSantis hasn’t denied the shocking charges. Will Trump make it an issue? Would a Democratic challenger? What does it say about the United States that the story doesn’t seem to be catching on?

San Francisco and the State of California are contemplating the issue of reparations to Black American descendants of slaves in order to compensate them for being the victims of systemic racism. Setting aside the issue of the vast amount of money involved, who would qualify? What would be the practical considerations of such a program? Is it even possible to compensate for such enormous injustice that is baked into the American economic and political system?

Watch the Video Versions of DMZ America Podcast #95:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 95 Sec 1: Senate Votes to Deauthorize Iraq War

DMZ America Podcast Ep 95 Sec 2: DeSantis the Gitmo Torturer

DMZ America Podcast Ep 95 Sec 3: Reparations to Black Americans

 

It’s My Party and I’ll Conflate If I Want To

Ever since Donald Trump became president, Democrats have taken to equating the fate of their own party to the fate of American democracy. In a two-party system, the logical conclusion is that this is profoundly undemocratic.

DMZ America Podcast #78: Kyrsten Sinema’s Bait and Switch, Brittney Griner Home After Prisoner Swap with Russia

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema took the wind out of the sails of Senatorial Democrats two days after they got a 51-seat majority, announcing that she will no longer be a Democrat. Meanwhile, WNBA player and convicted marijuana transporter Brittney Griner is back home in Texas after being traded for a Russian arms dealer. Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall and Scott Stantis, battling the flu, nevertheless find the energy to tell you what it all means and why you should care.

 

 

When Democrats Win, Democrats Win

Contrary to polls that indicated that they would suffer devastating losses in the midterm elections, Democrats retained control of the Senate. Good for them, but what are they going to do for us voters?

How a Bill Becomes a Law, 2023

Divided government and wild dysfunction has completely decimated the traditional idea of how the United States government is supposed to pass and enact legislation. Look for nothing of value to get through Congress or, for that matter, from the President’s desk.

For Democrats, the More Republican Damage the Better

The Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade seems to be helping Democrats polls as they head into the 2022 midterm elections. But Democrats don’t seem as interested in legalizing abortion on the federal level as they do in campaigning on the issue. It makes you wonder: do they want Republicans to mess everything up so that they get elected? How much of a price do we have to pay for a Democratic victory??

Be Careful What You Mitch for

Polls indicate that Democrats are about to suffer a shellacking in the 2022 midterm elections. Voters are unhappy about inflation, supply chain problems and other issues, but Republicans should be careful what they want — once they are in charge of Congress, they will catch much of the blame for the issues that allowed them to win in the first place.

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