So the summit between Kim Jong Un (North Korea) and electoral vote winner Donny happened yesterday. The good news is we're still here - for now at least. Somehow neither one's temper got the best of them and decided to get us all blown up real good, Given that either one of them tend to act like little kids we can be forgiven that that could be a possibility.
Now the bad news - while North Korea has said they'd take steps towards complete denuclearization it appears to be the same rehash of promises they've made numerous times in the past. Donny, the deal maker that he is, jumped at the offer without putting anything in place to verify or acknowledging that this will take time and be a somewhat long process (something Obama and company did put into the Iran deal that Donny's so anxious to scrap).
Meanwhile there are reports that the Dept of Homeland Security wants to strengthen our northern border - the one with Canada. While there are obvious problems with things like NAFTA and the G7, claiming the Great White North is a national security threat would be funny if these were normal times. With Donny in charge, it appears to be a way to not have to get Congress' approval before acting like he normally does. All while Donny praises Un, claiming he is loved by his people and is tough because "he has to be" (overlooking the way too many human rights violations).
Will these talks be a beginning in a path toward deescalation and possibly peace on this front? That goes into the time will tell category. However, anyone who thinks this is over is deluding themselves, the path is just beginning and everyone has just dipped a toe in the water before jumping in.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Monday, June 11, 2018
Electoral Vote Winner Donny, the Legal Weed Issue, and Why We Should Be Suspicious
With the summit issue out of the way I'd like to briefly address a toss off line electoral vote winner Donny said just before he left for Canada for the G7 Summit (where his arriving late, leaving early, and acting like a bullying 6th grader has already been discussed elsewhere). One of the things he said to the press was the he'd probably go along with a bipartisan bill to protect legal marijuana. This has led some in the media to hint that the electoral vote winner might kinda sorta be on board with legalizing weed. While some libertarians may find delight in this I have a feeling it's some throwaway line for the midterms that, like anything Donny says that isn't complete fucked up and horrible, shouldn't be believed for a second.
Why? Let's remember that he also hinted at being in favor of this issue while on the campaign trail against Hillary Clinton. So what occurred to prove we shouldn't believe this for even a nanosecond.
One sentence: ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFFY SESSIONS.
Yes, the fact he appointed and the Repubs confirmed a man who once "joked" that he used to think that Ku Klux Klan were okay until he "found out some of them smoked pot" should be the most obvious proof that he has no goddamn intention of seeing this through. Add to ths the increase in proftis for private prisons and the proof should be at least in the ingredients of the pudding if not in the dessert itself.
With that in mind let's say that such a bill did happen and somehow manage to get passed through Congress. While it be a good thing and put a massive dent in the drug war, what are the odds that the Repubs wouldn't attach something completely fucked up such as a complete outlawing of abortion and contraception to the bill or maybe something that overturns the equal protection clause of the Civil Rights Acts of 1965 and brings back discrimination (which, believe me, a lot of Donny's fans would love). You and I know damn well the pretty much no Democrat in good (or even slightly mediocre) conscience could support that and it wold go nowhere.
I worry that is what electoral vote winner Donny is counting on - using the issue to mislead people for midterm votes but making sure nothing gets done that would hinder the red meat his fan base wants. Thus, anytime he shoots something like this off the hip we should act with extreme caution at best and probably assume he's full of it and lying out of his ass.
Part of me wishes it wasn't that way but look at Donny's record.
EDITOR'S NOTE: ON this post I do plan to allow comments. However, I do reserve the right to delete hateful (racist, misogynist, homophobic/transphobic) or otherwise ignoramt shit or to close down comments altogether if that has to be done. Keep that in mind if you wish to comment.
Why? Let's remember that he also hinted at being in favor of this issue while on the campaign trail against Hillary Clinton. So what occurred to prove we shouldn't believe this for even a nanosecond.
One sentence: ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFFY SESSIONS.
Yes, the fact he appointed and the Repubs confirmed a man who once "joked" that he used to think that Ku Klux Klan were okay until he "found out some of them smoked pot" should be the most obvious proof that he has no goddamn intention of seeing this through. Add to ths the increase in proftis for private prisons and the proof should be at least in the ingredients of the pudding if not in the dessert itself.
With that in mind let's say that such a bill did happen and somehow manage to get passed through Congress. While it be a good thing and put a massive dent in the drug war, what are the odds that the Repubs wouldn't attach something completely fucked up such as a complete outlawing of abortion and contraception to the bill or maybe something that overturns the equal protection clause of the Civil Rights Acts of 1965 and brings back discrimination (which, believe me, a lot of Donny's fans would love). You and I know damn well the pretty much no Democrat in good (or even slightly mediocre) conscience could support that and it wold go nowhere.
I worry that is what electoral vote winner Donny is counting on - using the issue to mislead people for midterm votes but making sure nothing gets done that would hinder the red meat his fan base wants. Thus, anytime he shoots something like this off the hip we should act with extreme caution at best and probably assume he's full of it and lying out of his ass.
Part of me wishes it wasn't that way but look at Donny's record.
EDITOR'S NOTE: ON this post I do plan to allow comments. However, I do reserve the right to delete hateful (racist, misogynist, homophobic/transphobic) or otherwise ignoramt shit or to close down comments altogether if that has to be done. Keep that in mind if you wish to comment.
Brief Thought on the North Korean summit that managed to happen almost in spite of Donny and Un
As I type this electoral vote winner Donny and North Korean leader Kim Jung Un are busy in the midst of a summit that's both historic and worrisome. At stake is the fate of North Korea's nuclear weapons and Donny's insistence on complete denuclearization. Also at stake is what Donny might give on the deal.
I think many people would agree that something this historic actually happening is almost a miracle in and of itself. Given Donny's cancelling so Un wouldn't a few weeks back, John Bolton's insistence on the Libya model, and Rudy Giuliani's mouthing that Un was on his hands and knees for this, one would be forgiven if they thought it would fall apart before it happened. While sources close to Donny claim it's going ahead of schedule and he'll leave Singapore early, there are still questions that linger.
First, what will happen with this in the long run. For Donny it's about getting the Nobel Peace Prize and looking good in the corporate owned mainstream media. This is especially true after his behavior at the G7 Summit in Canada last weekend appeared to alienate allies while he insisted Russia be allowed back in the summit. For Un it's harder to say since the mystery around him is something he plays to his advantage. Yes, North Korea's population is impoverished and starving. However, what guarantees do we have that whatever aid or business benefits going to NK will help the people? Also, what's to keep the other side from breaking the treaty? While most people are logical enough to realize nuclear weapons shouldn't be used the fact we're dealing with Donny and Kim Jong Un here means we have to wonder what lies ahead.,
Then there's the difficulty of negotiations even with allies. While Donny has proven he wants to be friendly with tyrants and dictators to the extent of pissing off trusted allies, especially Canada, diplomacy takes time and work to make things come to fruition. This can be hard even with skilled negotiators when dealking with a situation like this. While such negotiators and deal makers know the value of compromise and knowing when to stand firm, Donny claims to go on instinct which means anything can happen. The fact he's leaving early also can be suspect.
This leaves us to wonder what will happen next? While some sort of detente or understanding is needed between the two nations, one also has to keep their fingers crossed that things don't go completely downhill or that the world doesn't get blown to hell.
Time will tell here. Let's hope that what went down this week isn't completely catastrophic.
I think many people would agree that something this historic actually happening is almost a miracle in and of itself. Given Donny's cancelling so Un wouldn't a few weeks back, John Bolton's insistence on the Libya model, and Rudy Giuliani's mouthing that Un was on his hands and knees for this, one would be forgiven if they thought it would fall apart before it happened. While sources close to Donny claim it's going ahead of schedule and he'll leave Singapore early, there are still questions that linger.
First, what will happen with this in the long run. For Donny it's about getting the Nobel Peace Prize and looking good in the corporate owned mainstream media. This is especially true after his behavior at the G7 Summit in Canada last weekend appeared to alienate allies while he insisted Russia be allowed back in the summit. For Un it's harder to say since the mystery around him is something he plays to his advantage. Yes, North Korea's population is impoverished and starving. However, what guarantees do we have that whatever aid or business benefits going to NK will help the people? Also, what's to keep the other side from breaking the treaty? While most people are logical enough to realize nuclear weapons shouldn't be used the fact we're dealing with Donny and Kim Jong Un here means we have to wonder what lies ahead.,
Then there's the difficulty of negotiations even with allies. While Donny has proven he wants to be friendly with tyrants and dictators to the extent of pissing off trusted allies, especially Canada, diplomacy takes time and work to make things come to fruition. This can be hard even with skilled negotiators when dealking with a situation like this. While such negotiators and deal makers know the value of compromise and knowing when to stand firm, Donny claims to go on instinct which means anything can happen. The fact he's leaving early also can be suspect.
This leaves us to wonder what will happen next? While some sort of detente or understanding is needed between the two nations, one also has to keep their fingers crossed that things don't go completely downhill or that the world doesn't get blown to hell.
Time will tell here. Let's hope that what went down this week isn't completely catastrophic.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Responses to the Parkland Fl School Shooting - The Good, The Bad, and the Just Plain Stupid
Yes, whether we like it or not, the return to the blog can't go forward without addressing the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Fl three weeks and two days ago where Nikolas Cruz managed to carry an AR-15 to school and kill 17 people (14 of his former fellow students [he was expelled the year before] and three teachers) and managed to escape for 45 minutes before being arrested. While naming him was necessary for this paragraph, he will be referred to as the Parkland shooter for the rest of this post so we can avoid giving him anymore publicity or coverage than we have to.
In the past few weeks there have been a number of reactions from both the surviving students to people who watched this unfold in horror on the news. As such, there have been a variety of reactions to the horrific tragedy. Since much of this has been gone over on the news, I will keep this brief and look at the good, the bad, and the truly stupid responses to what went down on Valentines Day 2018 in this Florida town.
THE GOOD:
The good response is from the survivors of the shooting, who went from being frightened to being hurt over the loss of their classmates to being pissed and wanting action to make sure kids in school don't have to worry about getting (to quote one survivor) "shot in the fucking face." Their demands for some sort of action on how damn easy it was for the shooter to get a gun has ignited the debate on gun control, in part due to what they went through and part due to the students having a privilege that helps them get their points across to middle America in a way that might not have been available to those who were protesting in Ferguson a few years back would (to name one example).
It's not an easy path. Already these kids are facing a smear campaign on social media that seems to mesh part school bullying mixed in with the anonymous hatred the worldwide waste of time we call the Internet is known for. Add to that the rumor that these kids were crisis actors and it's apparent that they have a struggle ahead. However, their apparent refusal to give up and follow the advice of grown ups who seem to act more like middle school kids (have you seen our government these days) is a sign of hope. Also find it interesting that some of them apparently plan to work with activists and teens in Chicago on the issue of gun violence, thereby taking down one of right's classic arguments on violence in this country (NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch even brought up Chicago in her speech at this year's CPAC conference just one day after a town hall appearance in Florida where she was confronted by one of the shooting survivors).
Yes, these kids have a long road ahead but never doubt adolescent anger as a fuel to push things forward in a society gone mad.
THE BAD:
The bad response involves the reaction from those who seem to want to blame the actions of the shooter on everything but the guns and his ability to get them so damn easily. I'll focus on a few examples here since this can be very far reaching.
The first bad reaction (though the one that appears understandable on the surface) is to blame this on mental illness. While there are reports of police making numerous calls to the shooter's home over the years (including some reportedly for mental health reasons) this overlooks that many people have diagnoses of mental illness that don't commit violent crimes (some have suggested that they may be more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrate it). While I understand why some people may want to use this as the main reason it is a strawperson that, while it may have some role, is fairly far down on the list.
Then there's the idea that it's the culture's fault. By this I don't mean a society where semi automatic weapons are plentiful and be purchased with few, if any, restrictions on them. I'm talking about people blaming violent movies and video games for the shooting. Some even extend this blame to music and songs. While I know some parents may be concerned about violent media making them numb to the effects of violence, blaming the culture overlooks the fact that many other countries have many of the same violent movies, music, and video games yet don't have the shootings. While the shooting happened just after the new print issue was for the most part completed (though before it got printed due to a combination of weather, the paying job,and illness), I plan on tackling why people like to blame culture for shootings and what their true goals may be by blaming something linked to the First Amendment rather then the Second Amendment in issue 154 (hopefully out in April).
The most ignorant response in reaction to the shooting is one I came across in a meme a relative shared on a social netowrking site (I won't name them since they don't need the publicity) that tried to blame lack of discipline from parents for what happened in Florida. While it mentioned that parents both have to work, it also tried to smear the fact that discipline methods have changed in schools and tried to claim the removal of God from schools led to this. People who believe this may sincerely think this to be the case they overlook a few things. One, we don't know how the Parkland shooter was raised. From news reports we learned he as adopted and lost his dad at a young age and began to unravel last year after his mom died. However, we don't know exactly how he was raised by them and what happened along the way. As for the removal of God from schools, parents who want their kids to learn about religion have a place to send them - it's called the place of worship of their choice. Memes like this appear for several reasons. First, some people actually believe them. Also, sharing them online is also a great way to piss people off who disagree with you (I later came across a meme from the same source (though I don't know if it was posted before or after the one mentioned earlier in this paragraph) claiming those offended were "too narcissistic to consider views other than their own." Either way it overlooks what we don't know about the shooter and tries to pin easy blame on things or beliefs they're against (further continuing the unfrtunate habit in this society that every adult generation likes to believe they're living in the fall of Rome and that the youth of today are at fault somehow) rather than seek actual solutions
THE JUST PLAIN STUPID
The just plain stupid reaction is the response that arming school personnel would guarantee things like this wouldn't happen in the future. Putting aside the fact that there was an armed officer on school grounds who stayed outside while it was going down (for reasons we don't really know yet), the plan sometimes focuses on arming teachers. This plan is widely unpopular. Teachers hate it because they have enough to deal with without trying to make sure they're a good shot. Students are likely not big fans of this response because of the simple reasons that sometimes teachers have bad days. Can you imagine a teacher on a bad day with access to a fully loaded weapon? The mind boggles at what could go wrong there.
An honorable mention in stupid reactions is the claim that the school shooting happened because God wasn't allowed in school. As I mentioned earlier those wanting their children to learn about religion can go to the place of worship of their choice for that. This reaction is stupid for two reasons. First, if their creator is all powerful and all knowing that how can he/she.it be stopped at the school door? Also, it overlooks the church shooting in Texas a couple months back where people were killed while praying. Nobody would claim God isn't allowed in a church so, while that wasn't a school shooting, it is a mass shooting with a body count - and that's where this line of reasoning falls apart. While not as stupid as the idea of arming teachers and hoping they don't snap and take out some kids they're trying to teach, it's still pretty ridiculous.
IN A NUTSHELL...
The truth is there are a number of reasons why this tragedy happened., Some have suggested bullying played a role but we'll learn down the road whether that's true or not. Other have pointed out the shooter's alleged racism and misogyny, factors that lead him to fight and got him expelled a year before (the most extreme thing a public school can do). While early reports he was actively part of a white supremacist group (in this case, the Republic of Florida) is murky at best, reports that the shooter had carved a swastika in his magazine and had plenty of ammo makes this one of many likely reasons (especially since the school was reportedly 40% Jewish). Still, since initial reports of tragedies like this tend to be error filled, time will tell as we learn what is true and what is misinformation.
Having said that, we must realize that the good, the bad, and the truly stupid must be looked at and explored in kind. To do otherwise is shoddy aat best and confirmation bias at worst.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For the time being I have decided to allow comments for this. However, I am willing to delete racist, mispgynistic, anti LGBTQ, and anti-semetic comments and will shut down commenting altogether if necessary.
In the past few weeks there have been a number of reactions from both the surviving students to people who watched this unfold in horror on the news. As such, there have been a variety of reactions to the horrific tragedy. Since much of this has been gone over on the news, I will keep this brief and look at the good, the bad, and the truly stupid responses to what went down on Valentines Day 2018 in this Florida town.
THE GOOD:
The good response is from the survivors of the shooting, who went from being frightened to being hurt over the loss of their classmates to being pissed and wanting action to make sure kids in school don't have to worry about getting (to quote one survivor) "shot in the fucking face." Their demands for some sort of action on how damn easy it was for the shooter to get a gun has ignited the debate on gun control, in part due to what they went through and part due to the students having a privilege that helps them get their points across to middle America in a way that might not have been available to those who were protesting in Ferguson a few years back would (to name one example).
It's not an easy path. Already these kids are facing a smear campaign on social media that seems to mesh part school bullying mixed in with the anonymous hatred the worldwide waste of time we call the Internet is known for. Add to that the rumor that these kids were crisis actors and it's apparent that they have a struggle ahead. However, their apparent refusal to give up and follow the advice of grown ups who seem to act more like middle school kids (have you seen our government these days) is a sign of hope. Also find it interesting that some of them apparently plan to work with activists and teens in Chicago on the issue of gun violence, thereby taking down one of right's classic arguments on violence in this country (NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch even brought up Chicago in her speech at this year's CPAC conference just one day after a town hall appearance in Florida where she was confronted by one of the shooting survivors).
Yes, these kids have a long road ahead but never doubt adolescent anger as a fuel to push things forward in a society gone mad.
THE BAD:
The bad response involves the reaction from those who seem to want to blame the actions of the shooter on everything but the guns and his ability to get them so damn easily. I'll focus on a few examples here since this can be very far reaching.
The first bad reaction (though the one that appears understandable on the surface) is to blame this on mental illness. While there are reports of police making numerous calls to the shooter's home over the years (including some reportedly for mental health reasons) this overlooks that many people have diagnoses of mental illness that don't commit violent crimes (some have suggested that they may be more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrate it). While I understand why some people may want to use this as the main reason it is a strawperson that, while it may have some role, is fairly far down on the list.
Then there's the idea that it's the culture's fault. By this I don't mean a society where semi automatic weapons are plentiful and be purchased with few, if any, restrictions on them. I'm talking about people blaming violent movies and video games for the shooting. Some even extend this blame to music and songs. While I know some parents may be concerned about violent media making them numb to the effects of violence, blaming the culture overlooks the fact that many other countries have many of the same violent movies, music, and video games yet don't have the shootings. While the shooting happened just after the new print issue was for the most part completed (though before it got printed due to a combination of weather, the paying job,and illness), I plan on tackling why people like to blame culture for shootings and what their true goals may be by blaming something linked to the First Amendment rather then the Second Amendment in issue 154 (hopefully out in April).
The most ignorant response in reaction to the shooting is one I came across in a meme a relative shared on a social netowrking site (I won't name them since they don't need the publicity) that tried to blame lack of discipline from parents for what happened in Florida. While it mentioned that parents both have to work, it also tried to smear the fact that discipline methods have changed in schools and tried to claim the removal of God from schools led to this. People who believe this may sincerely think this to be the case they overlook a few things. One, we don't know how the Parkland shooter was raised. From news reports we learned he as adopted and lost his dad at a young age and began to unravel last year after his mom died. However, we don't know exactly how he was raised by them and what happened along the way. As for the removal of God from schools, parents who want their kids to learn about religion have a place to send them - it's called the place of worship of their choice. Memes like this appear for several reasons. First, some people actually believe them. Also, sharing them online is also a great way to piss people off who disagree with you (I later came across a meme from the same source (though I don't know if it was posted before or after the one mentioned earlier in this paragraph) claiming those offended were "too narcissistic to consider views other than their own." Either way it overlooks what we don't know about the shooter and tries to pin easy blame on things or beliefs they're against (further continuing the unfrtunate habit in this society that every adult generation likes to believe they're living in the fall of Rome and that the youth of today are at fault somehow) rather than seek actual solutions
THE JUST PLAIN STUPID
The just plain stupid reaction is the response that arming school personnel would guarantee things like this wouldn't happen in the future. Putting aside the fact that there was an armed officer on school grounds who stayed outside while it was going down (for reasons we don't really know yet), the plan sometimes focuses on arming teachers. This plan is widely unpopular. Teachers hate it because they have enough to deal with without trying to make sure they're a good shot. Students are likely not big fans of this response because of the simple reasons that sometimes teachers have bad days. Can you imagine a teacher on a bad day with access to a fully loaded weapon? The mind boggles at what could go wrong there.
An honorable mention in stupid reactions is the claim that the school shooting happened because God wasn't allowed in school. As I mentioned earlier those wanting their children to learn about religion can go to the place of worship of their choice for that. This reaction is stupid for two reasons. First, if their creator is all powerful and all knowing that how can he/she.it be stopped at the school door? Also, it overlooks the church shooting in Texas a couple months back where people were killed while praying. Nobody would claim God isn't allowed in a church so, while that wasn't a school shooting, it is a mass shooting with a body count - and that's where this line of reasoning falls apart. While not as stupid as the idea of arming teachers and hoping they don't snap and take out some kids they're trying to teach, it's still pretty ridiculous.
IN A NUTSHELL...
The truth is there are a number of reasons why this tragedy happened., Some have suggested bullying played a role but we'll learn down the road whether that's true or not. Other have pointed out the shooter's alleged racism and misogyny, factors that lead him to fight and got him expelled a year before (the most extreme thing a public school can do). While early reports he was actively part of a white supremacist group (in this case, the Republic of Florida) is murky at best, reports that the shooter had carved a swastika in his magazine and had plenty of ammo makes this one of many likely reasons (especially since the school was reportedly 40% Jewish). Still, since initial reports of tragedies like this tend to be error filled, time will tell as we learn what is true and what is misinformation.
Having said that, we must realize that the good, the bad, and the truly stupid must be looked at and explored in kind. To do otherwise is shoddy aat best and confirmation bias at worst.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For the time being I have decided to allow comments for this. However, I am willing to delete racist, mispgynistic, anti LGBTQ, and anti-semetic comments and will shut down commenting altogether if necessary.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Catching Up
Hey! Sorry for the lack of action on the blog post front. A combination of being called into work, technical issues, and getting sick delayed things somewhat. I'm going to try to play catch up in the next few posts. Bear with us and again, sorry for the delay.
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Elections, Taxes and the Years End: The Good, The Bad, and the WTF?
It's been a busy week in a lot of ways. Sorry for the radio silence but between the paying job, projects, and just trying to survive I'd been distracted from keeping things up to date. So here's what went down the past week. The Good, The Bad, and the WTF!
Let's start with the good. In this case, Roy Moore losing the special election against Doug Jones in Alabama to replace now attorney general Jeffy Sessions. It's scary that it took allegations of child molestation to show Moore in all his scariness when many of his views (his disregard for the Constitution when it clashed with his interpretation of Christianity, his birtherism towards Barack Obama, believing the country';s best time was during slavery -to name just a few) should've shown him to be unelectable but in a climate like ours it's seen as "fake news" (a term that's a far cry from when Jon Stewart would call the Daily Show that as a way to point out that it was a comedy show , albeit one that dealt with real news and events). People with even a slight bit of sanity owe African Americans, especially African American women, in Alabama thanks for their turnout - in spite of voter suppression attempts (it must be said that, while sheer numbers overcame that last week, the Repubs will continue to push this shit and try to make it even harder to vote).
The bad is the passage of electoral vote inner Donny's tax reform bill. Pushed through when most people in either the House or Senate didn't read it, it's clear from what we know that it's going to benefit the one percent at the expense of the rest of us. While Donny and the Repubs claim this will help the middle class, it's really going to help rich people in Congress more than anyone else - and their donors. Ironically they keep having to re-vote due to having accidentally took out the decuctions corporations wanted and, today, because it violated three senate rules for bills. While Donny will gloat that it's a win fo rhim. It's his only win.
In the WTF - what the hell's up with Donny and his minions claiming the FBI is doing a coup against him via the Mueller probe? It's ironic that, while the FBI has abused its power in the past (remember COINTELPRO?) the Intercept reports that apparently this probe is by the book. So why now? Part of it is cover to get the right wing base riled up and allow cover for Donny to try and fire asst atty General Rod Rosenstein, if not Mueller, to get someone who would shitcan the head of the probe towards Donny and Russia. Donny thinks he'll be exonerated but as we learn more it appears Russia did play a role in influencing the election (though we should be just as concerned about shit like Operation Crosscheck and other attempts to disenfranchise people).
Where does that leave us now. It looks like our tax structure will trickle down from the poor and working people to the one percent. Meanwhile the AL Atty General is reportedly investigating voter fraud in last week's election (you don't suppose this is an attempt to steal the election for Creeper Judge Roy Boy). And the holidays are coming up. Meanwhile Doug Jones has said he's looking to reach across the aisle (even though the GOP has no desire for any bipartianship that doesn't include Democrats giving the right everything they want)
One thing is certain. While 2018 is an election year, that means that the battles we see now will be in the public view as the new year emerges.
Let's start with the good. In this case, Roy Moore losing the special election against Doug Jones in Alabama to replace now attorney general Jeffy Sessions. It's scary that it took allegations of child molestation to show Moore in all his scariness when many of his views (his disregard for the Constitution when it clashed with his interpretation of Christianity, his birtherism towards Barack Obama, believing the country';s best time was during slavery -to name just a few) should've shown him to be unelectable but in a climate like ours it's seen as "fake news" (a term that's a far cry from when Jon Stewart would call the Daily Show that as a way to point out that it was a comedy show , albeit one that dealt with real news and events). People with even a slight bit of sanity owe African Americans, especially African American women, in Alabama thanks for their turnout - in spite of voter suppression attempts (it must be said that, while sheer numbers overcame that last week, the Repubs will continue to push this shit and try to make it even harder to vote).
The bad is the passage of electoral vote inner Donny's tax reform bill. Pushed through when most people in either the House or Senate didn't read it, it's clear from what we know that it's going to benefit the one percent at the expense of the rest of us. While Donny and the Repubs claim this will help the middle class, it's really going to help rich people in Congress more than anyone else - and their donors. Ironically they keep having to re-vote due to having accidentally took out the decuctions corporations wanted and, today, because it violated three senate rules for bills. While Donny will gloat that it's a win fo rhim. It's his only win.
In the WTF - what the hell's up with Donny and his minions claiming the FBI is doing a coup against him via the Mueller probe? It's ironic that, while the FBI has abused its power in the past (remember COINTELPRO?) the Intercept reports that apparently this probe is by the book. So why now? Part of it is cover to get the right wing base riled up and allow cover for Donny to try and fire asst atty General Rod Rosenstein, if not Mueller, to get someone who would shitcan the head of the probe towards Donny and Russia. Donny thinks he'll be exonerated but as we learn more it appears Russia did play a role in influencing the election (though we should be just as concerned about shit like Operation Crosscheck and other attempts to disenfranchise people).
Where does that leave us now. It looks like our tax structure will trickle down from the poor and working people to the one percent. Meanwhile the AL Atty General is reportedly investigating voter fraud in last week's election (you don't suppose this is an attempt to steal the election for Creeper Judge Roy Boy). And the holidays are coming up. Meanwhile Doug Jones has said he's looking to reach across the aisle (even though the GOP has no desire for any bipartianship that doesn't include Democrats giving the right everything they want)
One thing is certain. While 2018 is an election year, that means that the battles we see now will be in the public view as the new year emerges.
Friday, December 1, 2017
In (Custody) Like Flynn.....
Like many of you I got up this morning and went online for whatever reason (for me, it was to make another call to the Senate regarding the BS tax plan the Repubs are forcing down our throats) and got some news that, while it shouldn't be a surprise, did become one nonetheless.
Yep, the rumors from the past week turned out to be true. Electoral vote winner Donny's former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn turned himself in and is charged in the probe of special prosecutor Robert Mueller. Flynn is expected to plead guilty to one count of making false statements to federal authorities. Now there was suspicion that something would be up when Flynn's legal team stopped working to the legal team of electoral vote winner Donny about a week or so ago. While this was floated as a possibility so was a hint that he might have agreed to work with them without charges.
Now we know a plea deal was made. As part of the plea Flynn has agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election. That is a big deal in the probe since, even though Flynn's time working in the White House was brief. Flynn did play a fairly big role in the election campaign and, ironically, helped lead a chant of "Lock Her Up" towards Donny's opponent in the election, former Sen. Hillary Clinton during the GOP Convention last year.
The irony here is palpable but the fact that Flynn agreed to a plea deal means that there's a lot more underneath the surface. I've read a suggestion or two that Flynn is doing this to protect his son, Michael Flynn Jr. [who gained attention in the probe over a reported plot to kidnap a Turkish dissident living in Pennsylvania and fly him somewhere to be detained for Turkey]). However, while there's still a bit to unpack one thing has emerged. As part of the plea deal Flynn is reportedly willing to testify that he was authorized by the Trump campaign and then candidate Donald Trump (now electoral vote winner Donny) to make contact with the Russians during the 2016 Presidential campaign.
Yes, you read that right. Flynn apparently is now admitting that he was cleared by Donny and his minions to speak with Russia during the campaign. In addition, ABC News reports that this decision was made within the last 24 hours. It also states that Flynn felt abandoned by his former boss. Whether this decision was made by expensive legal bills, a (rumored) decision to protect his kin, or actual need to help this country it does drop a bomb of sorts into the mix.
For now, the usual round of denials and whatboutism from the right will likely be ramped up a bit. One White House lawyer (TY Cobb) has even referred to Flynn as "a former Obama administration official." What can't be denied is that Flynn's plea deal is a big deal in this probe since, as attorney and writer Seth Abramson has pointed out on a twitter thread a deal like the one Flynn was given is offered "only when it can incriminate someone "higher up in the food chain" than them.
So who'd be higher up than Flyns that a deal would be offered?. Well, Atty. General Jeffy Session is at the similar, if not same, level in the hierarchy (at least in terms of national security). But he's not higher up enough for this (though Jeffy might get caught in the net somehow). This leaves what Keith Olbermann said in his final political commentary that Nixon counsel turned Watergate whistleblower John Dean told him. Mueller wouldn't get a deal with Flynn to get Manafort or Don Jr. Mueller would offer the deal with Michael Flynn "to get Donald Trump."
As I said before this is far from the end of the story. Flynn's deal with the probe is a big deal given his role in the campaign opens up a door that intensifies a journey that could lead to taking down electoral vote winner Donny, co-electoral vote winner Mikey Pence, or both,
This is unlikely to happen right away and a lot of things could happen on the road until then (including a possibility that the GOP forces out Donny after getting the tax cuts they want so damn bad). What this deal does mean is that, while the right wing media and Donny's minions and talking heads say otherwise, that Mueller's probe is far from over. This also means that, if Mueller is fired in some sort of Saturday night massacre similar to what Nixon pulled (and what ultimately did him in), enough tension would erupt that the blowback would taint Donny enough that, even if he managed to get pardoned, he would be considered toxic to the Americna political landscape.
For now, Donny has the white nationalists/white supremacists and white conservative christians (i.e.: "evangelicals/fundamentalists/charismatics) on his side. However, if the snowball rolls far enough and picks up enough to become an avalanche even they may be less willing to stay on the Good Ship Donny as leaks sink it all around them.
Regardless of what goes down it's far from over. Stay on the lookout.
UPDATE: Technically Flynn ended up pleading guilty to four false statements (two response he gave regarding the Russians, one on sanctions, and one on Israel.) While the latter two have some importance on their own, the Russia ones remain the focus of the probe - and the most pertinent as of this time.
Yep, the rumors from the past week turned out to be true. Electoral vote winner Donny's former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn turned himself in and is charged in the probe of special prosecutor Robert Mueller. Flynn is expected to plead guilty to one count of making false statements to federal authorities. Now there was suspicion that something would be up when Flynn's legal team stopped working to the legal team of electoral vote winner Donny about a week or so ago. While this was floated as a possibility so was a hint that he might have agreed to work with them without charges.
Now we know a plea deal was made. As part of the plea Flynn has agreed to cooperate with the ongoing investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election. That is a big deal in the probe since, even though Flynn's time working in the White House was brief. Flynn did play a fairly big role in the election campaign and, ironically, helped lead a chant of "Lock Her Up" towards Donny's opponent in the election, former Sen. Hillary Clinton during the GOP Convention last year.
The irony here is palpable but the fact that Flynn agreed to a plea deal means that there's a lot more underneath the surface. I've read a suggestion or two that Flynn is doing this to protect his son, Michael Flynn Jr. [who gained attention in the probe over a reported plot to kidnap a Turkish dissident living in Pennsylvania and fly him somewhere to be detained for Turkey]). However, while there's still a bit to unpack one thing has emerged. As part of the plea deal Flynn is reportedly willing to testify that he was authorized by the Trump campaign and then candidate Donald Trump (now electoral vote winner Donny) to make contact with the Russians during the 2016 Presidential campaign.
Yes, you read that right. Flynn apparently is now admitting that he was cleared by Donny and his minions to speak with Russia during the campaign. In addition, ABC News reports that this decision was made within the last 24 hours. It also states that Flynn felt abandoned by his former boss. Whether this decision was made by expensive legal bills, a (rumored) decision to protect his kin, or actual need to help this country it does drop a bomb of sorts into the mix.
For now, the usual round of denials and whatboutism from the right will likely be ramped up a bit. One White House lawyer (TY Cobb) has even referred to Flynn as "a former Obama administration official." What can't be denied is that Flynn's plea deal is a big deal in this probe since, as attorney and writer Seth Abramson has pointed out on a twitter thread a deal like the one Flynn was given is offered "only when it can incriminate someone "higher up in the food chain" than them.
So who'd be higher up than Flyns that a deal would be offered?. Well, Atty. General Jeffy Session is at the similar, if not same, level in the hierarchy (at least in terms of national security). But he's not higher up enough for this (though Jeffy might get caught in the net somehow). This leaves what Keith Olbermann said in his final political commentary that Nixon counsel turned Watergate whistleblower John Dean told him. Mueller wouldn't get a deal with Flynn to get Manafort or Don Jr. Mueller would offer the deal with Michael Flynn "to get Donald Trump."
As I said before this is far from the end of the story. Flynn's deal with the probe is a big deal given his role in the campaign opens up a door that intensifies a journey that could lead to taking down electoral vote winner Donny, co-electoral vote winner Mikey Pence, or both,
This is unlikely to happen right away and a lot of things could happen on the road until then (including a possibility that the GOP forces out Donny after getting the tax cuts they want so damn bad). What this deal does mean is that, while the right wing media and Donny's minions and talking heads say otherwise, that Mueller's probe is far from over. This also means that, if Mueller is fired in some sort of Saturday night massacre similar to what Nixon pulled (and what ultimately did him in), enough tension would erupt that the blowback would taint Donny enough that, even if he managed to get pardoned, he would be considered toxic to the Americna political landscape.
For now, Donny has the white nationalists/white supremacists and white conservative christians (i.e.: "evangelicals/fundamentalists/charismatics) on his side. However, if the snowball rolls far enough and picks up enough to become an avalanche even they may be less willing to stay on the Good Ship Donny as leaks sink it all around them.
Regardless of what goes down it's far from over. Stay on the lookout.
UPDATE: Technically Flynn ended up pleading guilty to four false statements (two response he gave regarding the Russians, one on sanctions, and one on Israel.) While the latter two have some importance on their own, the Russia ones remain the focus of the probe - and the most pertinent as of this time.
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