The Banter Brief: Bo Jo And Robos
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1. Most important story of the week
Boris Johnson became Prime Minister of Great Britain. How did this happen? His increasingly extremist party thought he was the best man for the job despite having a track record of persistent lying, dividing the country, refusing to take responsibility for anything, and flip flopping on every issue imaginable (Johnson once said of Heathrow airport’s plan to expand that he would “lie down in front of those bulldozers and stop the construction of that third runway,” before changing his mind and dropping his opposition when running for PM).
Bo Jo was not elected by the British public, but the odds are he will call a general election very soon given he is extremely confident of defeating Jeremy Corbyn. If he does, Johnson will have more of a mandate to lead the country out of the European Union and fulfill his pledge to the army of Brexiters responsible for propelling him into Downing Street.
2. Poll Analysis
A Fox News poll has Joe Biden thumping Trump in 2020 by a whopping 10 points:
The poll concluded that Democrats are basically viewing the presidential race as a “who can beat Trump” contest:
Among those saying winning is more important, Biden is the top choice by a wide 26-point margin. Those prioritizing major economic change support Biden and Sanders about equally.
Donald Trump has understandably ignored this poll completely given it comes from a source he can’t call “Fake News”.
3. Quote of the Week
George Monbiot in the Guardian explains why the ultra rich are now backing fascists and nationalists around the globe rather than the boring technocrats of the 90’s and 00’s:
What the oligarchs want is not the same as what the old corporations wanted. In the words of their favoured theorist, Steve Bannon, they seek the “deconstruction of the administrative state”. Chaos is the profit multiplier for the disaster capitalism on which the new billionaires thrive. Every rupture is used to seize more of the assets on which our lives depend. The chaos of an undeliverable Brexit, the repeated meltdowns and shutdowns of government under Trump: these are the kind of deconstructions Bannon foresaw. As institutions, rules and democratic oversight implode, the oligarchs extend their wealth and power at our expense.
4. What to watch on Netflix
“Chambers” is a series set in Arizona about a teenager (Sivan Alyra Rose) who gets a heart transplant and starts to experience the feelings and memories of her troubled donor. It’s a strange, experimental series steeped in Native American culture and New Age spiritualism that is worth watching if you give it some time. Netflix has canceled “Chambers” after only one season, but it’s an intriguing premise that was perhaps a bit too far out for a mainstream audience. What makes it interesting is that the series assumes a Native American perspective and explores its growing reach into mainstream American culture. Whether one agrees with it or not, it’s a brave effort to plunge the audience into a completely new (or old) reality that has refused to die despite efforts to suppress it. It’s also a decent mystery thriller with some very good acting (Uma Thurman is phenomenal as a grieving mother), so give it a go even if you don’t believe in crystal healing or demonic possessions.
5. Good news
According to the FCC there were apparently 47.8 billion robocalls last year, half of which were from scammers (and all of which were irritating as hell). On Wednesday this week however, the House passed a bipartisan bill to stop robocalls. The measure, named the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act, passed by an astonishing 429 votes to 3.
While Democrats and Republicans are locked in one of the most acrimonious political battles in modern history, they can at least agree that getting tape recorded calls with offers to erase your debt or clean your carpets is a particularly grotesque form of torture.
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