I spoke with some folks who attend NOLA Carnival annually

[malaise]

They are boycotting this year over ICE, matters immigration and Mike Johnson. I find that very interesting.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Interesting but incredibly sad

Mardi Gras is about fun and dressing up and eating and drinking prior to the start of lent. It is a display of costumes and floats and good times. And yet fascism must intervene. For no apparent reason. The Republican Party is cancer.

[malaise]

3. Indeed

Sad is right
Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago carnivals are also facing serious problems with Donvict’s murders in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

[PatSeg]

5. These days, it feels like almost everything is sad

And it feels like nothing will ever be the same again.

[malaise]

7. Not sure it will be fixed in my lifetime

The young folks will fight back

[PatSeg]

15. I don't expect to see it in my lifetime either

Though I am hopeful that sometime in the future, a better world will rise out of the ashes. I don't think we can just fix what has been broken and move on. I believe we will need a major reset worldwide, one that will end warfare, poverty, and unbridled greed.

With close to 9 billion people plus accelerating global climate change, the world can no longer just slap short term band aids on our many problems. We've had countless opportunities to do better, but the same old bad players keep taking over and shoving us backwards.

So I am fairly optimistic, but probably not in my lifetime. Hopefully my grandchildren?

[dem4decades]

2. I find it hard to believe enough people will boycott to make a difference.

[wiggs]

4. Understandable. Combined with other tourists staying away, tariffs, layoffs, projects and programs cancelled,

safety nets diminished, other countries finding ways to avoid an unreliable trading partner, work force deportations, war concerns, etc...I don't see how the economy doesn't crater. Mardi Gras boycott or whiskey boycotts are just a few examples of the many, many negative economic factors that seem to occur every week.

I realize the top 20% are responsible for much of the recent spending, but how does the economy stay afloat without the rest of us participating? AI race might be a short term boost...but what else?

[stopdiggin]

6. "20% are responsible for much of the recent spending"

"but how does the economy stay afloat without the rest of us participating?"

It doesn't. And only the most foolish (or ideologically married) economist would be making such an argument.
In a very short period of time, people will be deciding they are NOT going on a cruise (or a couple of baseball games) - or hosting that blow-out 30-40 thousand dollar wedding this year. (or next). Sissy can get married in the back yard (like her momma did).

[malaise]

9. Great post

And after all the madness, he’s even ditching some of the tariffs.

[mdbl]

8. Louisiana is magat country

I don't think some people protesting in NO will change much politically in that state. I would love to be proven wrong though.

[malaise]

10. Agree

We’ll see

[rampartd]

11. we have several satirical krewes who are about to tear trump a new one

probably heavy on les mis imagry

i'll post links as they emerge.

[malaise]

12. Please do

I love that part of carnival in Trinidad

[Nictuku]

13. How interesting

I have only been to New Orleans once, and it was not Mardi Gras. But I feel like I lived there.

This is because for at least 5 years, I was involved and eventually ran an online (White Wolf) RPG game called "Cajun Nights".

This was an all-text environment, - everything had to be described - a writer's paradise. I'm sure I spent hundreds of hours into researching and describing 'the grid'. I think it is still out there somewhere, but no longer active. Everyone now wants graphical games, no longer the written words it seems.

There are A LOT of politics around Carnival, the Krews. We had our NOLAPD detectives and cops, and politicians (usually Mage), bar owners and of course (they don't exist) Vampires, Werewolf and Magi. Man, that was a long time ago, about 25 years.

Thanks for letting me take a stroll down memory lane here.

As to your post, I LOVE that they are doing this. I bet there is a lot of politicking behind the scenes surrounding this years Mardi Gras. I wonder what the Unions and Local Police are saying.

[malaise]

14. Thanks for your response

Yes I imagine the buzz is quite something