Some quick takes

*   Yeah, this business of attacking statues:  it's starting to get a bit too much of a "cultural revolution 2" vibe about it.   It's not the end of the world if some ill deserving historical figure gets his bronze dumped in the river; but it's not as if it ultimately does much to achieve social reform, either.   Moving Confederate hero statues in an orderly manner, though - that's OK.   But kids - getting out and voting is much, much more important.

*   Speaking of Confederate - the NASCAR decision to ban the flag is, I reckon, going to drive the wingnut Right berserk.   Honestly, I would not be surprised if there is some nutter who goes on a shooting rampage over this.   I have opined before that it's pretty incredible that it has taken this long for Americans to realise the insult that pride in that flag represents to such a huge slab of Americans.   David Roberts recently tweeted:

and recommended this New Yorker piece by the great Adam Gopnik:  How the South Won the Civil War.   I haven't read it yet, but must do so soon, before the shooting starts again.

Or - am I misreading this?   Is this cultural moment so strong (and polling indicates it is) that even the great majority of NASCAR fans will accept this?  

*  Ah, Sinclair Davidson:   out there calling a private company's decision not to provide a movie as part of its product line "censorship".   Who knew that a libertarian could be so post modern as to insist "censorship" means just whatever he wants it to mean, and those private companies had better agree with him and stop doing it.  And so should the ABC, or it should be defunded! 

He just makes the stupidest statements on issues involving racism, closely followed by issues of free speech and "censorship".  

Oh, and to round it off:   he's a complete loser on the matter of tobacco plain packaging.  Ha.