Some Scots really hate Trident submarines: Daily Bullshit, July 19, 2016 (updated)

Updated for Ann Coulter’s comments on Roger Ailes’ alleged sexual harassment.[1]


Apparently the number of people “detained or suspended” [note: phrasing corrected on July 20, 2016] in a purge following last weekend’s attempted coup in Turkey is now approaching 20,000. Gallup also reports that “[m]ajorities of Turks surveyed before the coup in 2016 expressed confidence in the military (84%), the local police (78%) and the national government (58%). Slightly less than half (45%) said they are confident in the judicial system or the courts.”[2] No word yet on what they think now.


Scottish independence movement

I’m loving this ‘democratic deficit’[3] rationale. Why can’t we use it in the U.S.?

Alexandra Sims, “Scottish independence ‘fast approaching’ after Trident vote, SNP’s Angus Robertson claims,” Independent, July 19, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/scottish-independence-fast-approaching-after-trident-vote-snps-angus-robertson-warns-a7143861.html


Donald Trump

The #NeverTrump movement has now officially failed to prevent Donald Trump from securing the Republican nomination.[4] It remains to be seen what neoconservatives do now, but as I have said previously, I’ve nearly completely lost interest in this election: Both major party candidates—Republican nominee Trump and Democratic presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton—are absolutely unacceptable to me.

As to Melania Trump’s plagiarized speech, Alan Levinovitz says everything I have to say about it, although I might be slightly more lenient on the word count and I might move more quickly in the direction of flunking a student for the entire class even if the plagiarism only occurs on one assignment. Excuses are irrelevant. This is a hard and fast rule and anyone who has ever attended an accredited university in the U.S. should know it. Levinovitz, however, is also correct to acknowledge cultural differences on the matter.[5]

Jonathan Easley, “GOP nominates Trump for president,” Hill, July 19, 2016, http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/288418-gopinates-trump-for-president

Alan Levinovitz, “Melania Trump’s plagiarized Republican convention speech would get an F in my class,” Vox, July 19, 2016, http://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12228244/melania-trump-speech-republican-convention-plagiarism


Roger Ailes

There is apparently some uncertainty as to Roger Ailes’ future at Fox News,[6] but Ann Coulter (you didn’t seriously expect unimpeachable sources for a story like this, did you?) seems to think that Megyn Kelly would only come forward with a sexual harassment allegation if it was clear that Roger Ailes was on his way out.[7] Apparently, Fox News denies that Kelly has made any such allegation.[8]

This is all a little too rich for me. Ailes is the sort of person I’d basically prefer to ignore. He’s mostly full of shit and built a disreputable “news” network that reports shit. As far as I know, while most scholars might choose more diplomatic language than I use here, this view is widely, perhaps even nearly universally, held within academia. And as I watch this drama, I can only suspect that he holds some leverage over the Murdochs that is not being publicly disclosed.

Joe Flint, “21st Century Fox Negotiating Exit of Fox News Chief Roger Ailes,” Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/21st-century-fox-negotiating-exit-of-fox-news-chief-roger-ailes-1468962852

Hadas Gold, “21st Century Fox says Roger Ailes remains at Fox News,” Politico, July 19, 2016, http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/07/roger-ailes-to-leave-fox-news-225824

Ryan Grim and Michael Calderone, “Ann Coulter Says ‘Every Woman Who Has Ever Been Employed By Fox’ Has Stories About Roger Ailes,” Huffington Post, July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ann-coulter-roger-ailes_us_578e5fb2e4b07c722ebc5efd


  1. [1]Ryan Grim and Michael Calderone, “Ann Coulter Says ‘Every Woman Who Has Ever Been Employed By Fox’ Has Stories About Roger Ailes,” Huffington Post, July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ann-coulter-roger-ailes_us_578e5fb2e4b07c722ebc5efd
  2. [2]Gallup to Gallup Analytics list, July 19, 2016, http://www.gallup.com/products/170987/gallup-analytics.aspx
  3. [3]Alexandra Sims, “Scottish independence ‘fast approaching’ after Trident vote, SNP’s Angus Robertson claims,” Independent, July 19, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/scottish-independence-fast-approaching-after-trident-vote-snps-angus-robertson-warns-a7143861.html
  4. [4]Jonathan Easley, “GOP nominates Trump for president,” Hill, July 19, 2016, http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/288418-gopinates-trump-for-president
  5. [5]Alan Levinovitz, “Melania Trump’s plagiarized Republican convention speech would get an F in my class,” Vox, July 19, 2016, http://www.vox.com/2016/7/19/12228244/melania-trump-speech-republican-convention-plagiarism
  6. [6]Hadas Gold, “21st Century Fox says Roger Ailes remains at Fox News,” Politico, July 19, 2016, http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/07/roger-ailes-to-leave-fox-news-225824
  7. [7]Ryan Grim and Michael Calderone, “Ann Coulter Says ‘Every Woman Who Has Ever Been Employed By Fox’ Has Stories About Roger Ailes,” Huffington Post, July 19, 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ann-coulter-roger-ailes_us_578e5fb2e4b07c722ebc5efd
  8. [8]Sara Jerde, “Fox News Awkwardly Addresses Roger Ailes Drama On Air,” Talking Points Memo, July 19, 2016, http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/fox-news-addresses-ailes-drama-on-air