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Culture War Roundup for the week of October 28, 2024

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A long time ago I was a congressional intern. The issue that generated the most mail was animal rights. Don't be surprised if this killing has political impact.

If you're interested in telling, I would definitely enjoy Recursive Congressional Storytime (with names and details obfuscated to protect the guilty of course)

The only interesting thing is that the Congressman treated his professional staff like dirt, and they hated him for it, but they respected his intelligence and work ethic.

I am surprised that opposing the euthenasia of animals for questionable human health reasons is obviously read as having a right-wing valence. It was easy to see the angle for the ducks and cats thing in Ohio because it was immigrants (allegedly) doing it, but what the hell does Trump or Kamala have to do with squirrels?

It feeds into the culture war. This was a multi agency raid with judicial warrants to kill a squirrel and racoon.

Blue tribe members love to talk about how much government money is spent on rural people. But then things like this are counted as spending money on rural people.

It touches on other aspects. The agents used the search warrant as an opportunity to grill the woman of the house on her immigration status, which is something they never would have done to someone in NYC.

It's common to hear online that people can't understand why other parts of the state would want to separate from NYC when it brings in so much tax revenue.

But a rural view of the situation is sort of like this: A man from the government walks up and demands $5. He then pays his friend $10 to slap you as hard as he can. Then the man goes on a long rant about how much he spends to govern these fucking takers.

Sure, the government man is net spending money. But the rural guy isn't exactly happy about the transaction.

I think it’s more the government intrusion angle than animal rights.

It has a "right wing wing valence" because the Democrats are openly the party of faceless bueurocrats drastically interviening in peoples lives for dubious health reasons and/or to save the planet.

By extension anyone who has a problem with a faceless buerocrats "euthanizing" house pets for dubious health reasons is assumed to be a closet Republican.

Shows the harm of government regulation.