there are moments in time when people need to live their convictions
June 24, 2018 4:14 PM Subscribe
Are you being served? Maybe not, if you're a fascist. This story and more coming up, as we review the latest dispatches from an America in crisis.
Lots of folks on Team Trump are having trouble enjoying their meals, as they discover that being an asshole is not actually a protected class:
Meanwhile, outraged citizens are taking to the streets to Occupy ICE. One week in, the Portland occupation is still going strong and is inspiring other direct actions throughout the country. Occupiers are now in place in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, with more cities joining the movement every day.
Other odds and ends:
Lots of folks on Team Trump are having trouble enjoying their meals, as they discover that being an asshole is not actually a protected class:
- Sarah Sanders is 86'd from a restaurant in VA, subsequently complains about it on Twitter in a move that itself seems to have been illegal
- DHS secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who recently defended fascist immigration policies while standing in front of a literal fasces, was hounded out of a Mexican restaurant in DC. She's not sleeping so well these days, either.
- Senior WH adviser and National Forehead Reserve Stephen Miller "scurries away" when confronted in a (different) Mexican restaurant
- Florida AG Pam Bondi, who is doing her best to overturn the ACA, is chased out of a screening of the Mr. Rogers movie
- Attorney General Jeff Sessions may get kicked out of his church
Meanwhile, outraged citizens are taking to the streets to Occupy ICE. One week in, the Portland occupation is still going strong and is inspiring other direct actions throughout the country. Occupiers are now in place in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, with more cities joining the movement every day.
Other odds and ends:
- Scott 'Tactical Pants' Pruitt has spent close to $3000 on pants and polos, and more than $4 million on security, but seems to have produced only one email so far.
- Michael Cohen has resigned from his role with the RNC Finance Committee and his unwavering support for Trump appears to be wavering. Most recently, Cohen and Tom Arnold appear to be doing... whatever the fuck this is about.
- Trump autographs photos of Americans killed by undocumented immigrants in truly bizarre press event. "Tom Selleck. Except better looking. Right? Better looking."
- The United States has withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council (on Juneteenth no less).
- Jason Kessler, organizer of the "Unite the Right" Charlottesville rally, plans an encore in Washington DC on August 12. DC activists, you know what to do.
- Finally, as proof that life goes on and good things are still happening, national treasure and MeFi favorite Alexandra Petri got married yesterday.
Meanwhile, outside the country, the trade war tiff is still rippling outwards in some really odd directions:
Peter Navarro is considered to be the closest to President Trump when it comes to tariffs. He's the most hardline protectionist in the White House. But as we revealed, Navarro used to preach the views of globalists, advocating for free trade and warning against the economic and national security risks of protectionism. We asked Navarro why he changed his tune so dramatically given the underlying economics haven't changed. He wrote lengthy responses to our questions and below we quote him in full.
This is PETER NAVARRO on trade in a book he wrote: "The clear danger of this trend [protectionism] is an all-out global trade war; for when one country excludes others from its markets, the other countries inevitably retaliate."
China is slamming $34 billion worth of US goods with tariffs. Here are the states that will be hurt the most.
The opposite of populist nationalism is not globalist elitism; it is economic realism. And in the end, countries such as Britain, the United States, and now Italy will learn the hard way that reality always eventually wins.
posted by infini at 4:26 PM on June 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
Peter Navarro is considered to be the closest to President Trump when it comes to tariffs. He's the most hardline protectionist in the White House. But as we revealed, Navarro used to preach the views of globalists, advocating for free trade and warning against the economic and national security risks of protectionism. We asked Navarro why he changed his tune so dramatically given the underlying economics haven't changed. He wrote lengthy responses to our questions and below we quote him in full.
This is PETER NAVARRO on trade in a book he wrote: "The clear danger of this trend [protectionism] is an all-out global trade war; for when one country excludes others from its markets, the other countries inevitably retaliate."
China is slamming $34 billion worth of US goods with tariffs. Here are the states that will be hurt the most.
The opposite of populist nationalism is not globalist elitism; it is economic realism. And in the end, countries such as Britain, the United States, and now Italy will learn the hard way that reality always eventually wins.
posted by infini at 4:26 PM on June 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
You know as soon as he grabbed the first photo and signed it without asking all the other families realized they were just going to have to go along with this, like some weird political version of Cat Person
posted by OverlappingElvis at 4:27 PM on June 24, 2018 [34 favorites]
posted by OverlappingElvis at 4:27 PM on June 24, 2018 [34 favorites]
like some weirdo political Cat Person
I really hope you're not equating weird cat people in any way with Trump. Speaking as a weirdo cat person, we're generally harmless and do at least a little bit of good...
posted by jzb at 4:28 PM on June 24, 2018 [13 favorites]
I really hope you're not equating weird cat people in any way with Trump. Speaking as a weirdo cat person, we're generally harmless and do at least a little bit of good...
posted by jzb at 4:28 PM on June 24, 2018 [13 favorites]
(the story)
posted by OverlappingElvis at 4:30 PM on June 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by OverlappingElvis at 4:30 PM on June 24, 2018 [3 favorites]
A headline to summarize an era. There'll be many more like it.
Newsweek: NRA Reporter Claims Immigrant Child Detention Facilities 'Too Nice'
posted by Rust Moranis at 4:31 PM on June 24, 2018 [53 favorites]
Newsweek: NRA Reporter Claims Immigrant Child Detention Facilities 'Too Nice'
posted by Rust Moranis at 4:31 PM on June 24, 2018 [53 favorites]
The thing to remember is that not all trade sanctions are created equally .... the US sanctions are unilateral and technically illegal under the WTO and various treaties. The countries that are responding tit-for-tat are legally doing what the WTO mandates in exactly this situation.
posted by mbo at 4:32 PM on June 24, 2018 [22 favorites]
posted by mbo at 4:32 PM on June 24, 2018 [22 favorites]
Lots of folks on Team Trump are having trouble enjoying their meals, as they discover that being an asshole is not actually a protected class
Good, they should have to develop their own fucking Green Book to figure out where it's safe for them to have dinner. Oh no, that's not the way they wanted a return to the jim crow era? Too bad, should've been more specific, bye felicia.
posted by poffin boffin at 4:36 PM on June 24, 2018 [195 favorites]
Good, they should have to develop their own fucking Green Book to figure out where it's safe for them to have dinner. Oh no, that's not the way they wanted a return to the jim crow era? Too bad, should've been more specific, bye felicia.
posted by poffin boffin at 4:36 PM on June 24, 2018 [195 favorites]
NYT, Trump Calls for Depriving Immigrants Who Illegally Cross Border of Due Process Rights
More worrying, here's a wonkish and frightening thread by David Leopold, an immigration lawyer, on the extent to which Trump can put his "no Judges or Court Cases" policy into practice using absurd authorities Congress has already granted. That's already just about the law, and expanding the use of expedited removal, which was normally only applied to recent entrants near the border, would be quite easy, since virtually nobody carries proof of two years continuous presence.
posted by zachlipton at 4:38 PM on June 24, 2018 [19 favorites]
He has instead gone on the offensive, complaining to aides about why he could not just create an overarching executive order to solve the problem, according to two people familiar with the deliberations. Aides have had to explain to the president why a comprehensive immigration overhaul is beyond the reach of his executive powers.I'm concerned what happens if aides stop trying to explain to him what he can and cannot do.
And privately, the president has groused that he should not have signed the order undoing separations.
More worrying, here's a wonkish and frightening thread by David Leopold, an immigration lawyer, on the extent to which Trump can put his "no Judges or Court Cases" policy into practice using absurd authorities Congress has already granted. That's already just about the law, and expanding the use of expedited removal, which was normally only applied to recent entrants near the border, would be quite easy, since virtually nobody carries proof of two years continuous presence.
posted by zachlipton at 4:38 PM on June 24, 2018 [19 favorites]
Bits and bobs from the WaPo:
McCaskill stays on the trail despite a broken rib — courtesy of Joe Manchin. Senate comity at its finest, Sen McCaskill was choking on food at a luncheon Thursday and Sen Manchin performed the Heimlich maneuver dislodging the blockage and accidentally injuring McCaskill. She is persisting.
Stormy Daniels to meet with prosecutors in Michael Cohen investigation. She's interviewing with SDNY Monday and preparing for a possible grand jury appearance.
posted by peeedro at 4:39 PM on June 24, 2018 [24 favorites]
McCaskill stays on the trail despite a broken rib — courtesy of Joe Manchin. Senate comity at its finest, Sen McCaskill was choking on food at a luncheon Thursday and Sen Manchin performed the Heimlich maneuver dislodging the blockage and accidentally injuring McCaskill. She is persisting.
Stormy Daniels to meet with prosecutors in Michael Cohen investigation. She's interviewing with SDNY Monday and preparing for a possible grand jury appearance.
posted by peeedro at 4:39 PM on June 24, 2018 [24 favorites]
from the "nice family you got there, pity if something happened to it" dept.
Texas Tribune: Kids in exchange for deportation: Detained migrants say they were told they could get kids back on way out of U.S.
posted by murphy slaw at 4:40 PM on June 24, 2018 [47 favorites]
Texas Tribune: Kids in exchange for deportation: Detained migrants say they were told they could get kids back on way out of U.S.
In a detention center near Houston, an asylum seeker from Honduras said he agreed to sign a voluntary removal order from the U.S. after federal officials promised to reunite him with his 6-year-old daughter.(emphasis mine)
posted by murphy slaw at 4:40 PM on June 24, 2018 [47 favorites]
Another avenue for activism -- push for divestment from private prisons. Do you have a pension? A mutual fund? Does your college have an endowment?
Shares in private prison operators CoreCivic Inc and Geo Group rose on Friday as investors bet on increasing demand for their services after U.S. authorities asked about available capacity for the detention of immigrant families. (Reuters, June 22, 2018)That said, divestment is not an end-all-be-all
There is one way in which divestment campaigns can have a positive impact. Campaigns can use divestment as a media hook to generate stigma around certain industries, such as fossil fuel. In the long run, such stigma might lead to fewer people wanting to work at fossil-fuel companies, driving up the cost of labor for those corporations, and perhaps to greater popular support for better climate policies.posted by spamandkimchi at 4:41 PM on June 24, 2018 [18 favorites]
This is a much better argument in favor of divestment than the assertion that you’re directly reducing companies’ share price. If divestment campaigns are run, it should be with the aim of stigmatization in mind. (New Yorker, 2015)
Texas Tribune: Kids in exchange for deportation: Detained migrants say they were told they could get kids back on way out of U.S.
A reminder that a single federal kidnapping charge, particularly one of a child for ransom, will get you twenty years in prison. Multiply by several thousand.
posted by Rust Moranis at 4:46 PM on June 24, 2018 [75 favorites]
A reminder that a single federal kidnapping charge, particularly one of a child for ransom, will get you twenty years in prison. Multiply by several thousand.
posted by Rust Moranis at 4:46 PM on June 24, 2018 [75 favorites]
Organized Communities Against Deportations, an undocumented-led organization that has been a first responder to wide-spread immigration raids and has been leading the fight against the Chicago Gang Database, an unsubstantiated list of people suspected by Chicago Police of being gang members that is shared with ICE and other federal agencies. (via Latino Rebels)
There's a teach-in on June 26th:
There's a teach-in on June 26th:
Chicago's Gang Database is an "Expansive and Focused" system of criminalization and surveillance.posted by spamandkimchi at 4:47 PM on June 24, 2018 [9 favorites]
Join a teach-in for the release of a new report. Register here: http://bit.ly/chiteachin #EraseTheDatabase
Prison Divestment site and @prisondivest twitter account.
posted by spamandkimchi at 4:55 PM on June 24, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by spamandkimchi at 4:55 PM on June 24, 2018 [9 favorites]
Trump Calls for Depriving Immigrants Who Illegally Cross Border of Due Process Rights
When he took a job that says "he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed," that didn't mean to actually kill the laws.
The Due Process clauses in both the 5th and 14th Amendments both refer to "persons," not Americans or citizens.
5th Amendment:
When he took a job that says "he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed," that didn't mean to actually kill the laws.
The Due Process clauses in both the 5th and 14th Amendments both refer to "persons," not Americans or citizens.
5th Amendment:
No person shall ... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law ..14th Amendment:
[N]or shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law ...Plyler v. Doe (1982)
Whatever his status under the immigration laws, an alien is surely a 'person' in any ordinary sense of that term. Aliens, even aliens whose presence in this country is unlawful, have long been recognized as 'persons' guaranteed due process of law by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.”Zadvydas v. Davis (2001)
...once an alien enters the country, the legal circumstance changes, for the Due Process Clause applies to all 'persons' within the United States, including aliens, whether their presence here is lawful, unlawful, temporary, or permanent.”).posted by kirkaracha at 5:09 PM on June 24, 2018 [103 favorites]
China is slamming $34 billion worth of US goods with tariffs. Here are the states that will be hurt the most.
Sad to see the solidly anti-Trump state of California on the list, but with half the damage of Texas (0.5% of its GDP), out of our 50% higher GDP, while Washington will be relatively hit much harder (over 1% of GDP) and Louisiana the hardest (over 2% of GDP); for the second tier, Illinois has about 4X the economy as the others so much less damage - but that's all in total; specific industries are going to get big hits.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:11 PM on June 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
Sad to see the solidly anti-Trump state of California on the list, but with half the damage of Texas (0.5% of its GDP), out of our 50% higher GDP, while Washington will be relatively hit much harder (over 1% of GDP) and Louisiana the hardest (over 2% of GDP); for the second tier, Illinois has about 4X the economy as the others so much less damage - but that's all in total; specific industries are going to get big hits.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:11 PM on June 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
Donald Trump is a racist leading our country toward disaster
“We are gathered today to hear directly from the AMERICAN VICTIMS of ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.”posted by kirkaracha at 5:15 PM on June 24, 2018 [58 favorites]
That refers to a gathering of “angel families,” Trump’s term for those whose relatives were killed by undocumented immigrants — who do commit crimes, of course, though at a lower rate than natural-born Americans (when do the angel families of those killed by white, native-born shooters gather at the White House? Oh, right, that would never happen). The underlying truth that can’t be mentioned enough: Republicans do not fear immigrants because they commit crimes; Republicans fixate on the crimes committed by immigrants in an attempt to justify their fear.
...
It seems clear Republicans fear the idea of a semi-Hispanic United States. Which is crazy because a) we’re already there, 17 percent Latino, mostly citizens and b) by 2050, Hispanics will be a quarter of the population. Deal with it. But not like this.
...
Every day Trump is president the United States drifts away from its ideals, and our future — multi-cultural, with a 25 percent population of Hispanic heritage — becomes harder to achieve. We are not only poisoning our social landscape today but burying caches of poison that will plague us for years to come.
I wonder how this will affect the marketers behind the Trumpy Bear doll, which is "Made in China" (also "Not for children under 12 years").
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:17 PM on June 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:17 PM on June 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Most recently, Cohen and Tom Arnold appear to be doing... whatever the fuck this is about.
Cohen is denying it was anything more than an opportunistic selfie. Given Arnold's demeanor & behavior in interviews, it's suspected drugs are involved.
This is the one time I'm inclined to give Cohen the benefit of the doubt. In hindsight at least it looks like it was irresponsible of CNN to put Arnold on the air.
posted by scalefree at 5:17 PM on June 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
Cohen is denying it was anything more than an opportunistic selfie. Given Arnold's demeanor & behavior in interviews, it's suspected drugs are involved.
This is the one time I'm inclined to give Cohen the benefit of the doubt. In hindsight at least it looks like it was irresponsible of CNN to put Arnold on the air.
posted by scalefree at 5:17 PM on June 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
Trump sends 1,000 immigrants to Mojave Desert prison, staff say it's unsafe & predict 'detainee deaths'
posted by Artw at 5:21 PM on June 24, 2018 [45 favorites]
posted by Artw at 5:21 PM on June 24, 2018 [45 favorites]
I suspect the real news that will matter for a lot of republicans is when they look at their year-to-date returns on their retirement funds. Currently most are at zero percent.
posted by srboisvert at 5:24 PM on June 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 5:24 PM on June 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
the extent to which Trump can put his "no Judges or Court Cases" policy into practice using absurd authorities Congress has already granted
This sort of thing really exposes the weaknesses in the US' conception of separation of powers: politicians have passed too many controversial decisions off to the President or the judiciary. I know presidents can often get around legislative limits anyway, but the present system is ridiculously fragile. It's going to take a solid Democratic legislature and lots of wonkish legislative drafting to fix this.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:25 PM on June 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
This sort of thing really exposes the weaknesses in the US' conception of separation of powers: politicians have passed too many controversial decisions off to the President or the judiciary. I know presidents can often get around legislative limits anyway, but the present system is ridiculously fragile. It's going to take a solid Democratic legislature and lots of wonkish legislative drafting to fix this.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:25 PM on June 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
Trump has returned to Twitter for the evening, ranting about Jimmy Fallon and his hair and now tagging the wrong Clay Higgins. I do feel bad for @ClayHiggins18's phone right now (he has locked his account).
And in CA-48 news, it looks like it's officially going to be Rouda with the Democratic nomination, by the slimmest of margins. He'll take on Rohrabacher.
posted by zachlipton at 5:38 PM on June 24, 2018 [9 favorites]
And in CA-48 news, it looks like it's officially going to be Rouda with the Democratic nomination, by the slimmest of margins. He'll take on Rohrabacher.
posted by zachlipton at 5:38 PM on June 24, 2018 [9 favorites]
amazon workers refuse to work for any project invovling US Immigration
posted by The Whelk at 5:38 PM on June 24, 2018 [118 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 5:38 PM on June 24, 2018 [118 favorites]
Where Is Obama?
His reticence in the Trump era is only hurting his party (Atlantic).
On the other hand: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
posted by growabrain at 5:41 PM on June 24, 2018 [11 favorites]
His reticence in the Trump era is only hurting his party (Atlantic).
On the other hand: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
posted by growabrain at 5:41 PM on June 24, 2018 [11 favorites]
Sarah Huckabee Sanders guide to refusing service: Christian baker can, Red Hen can't
I’m sorry Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant — that is an embarrassing moment for anyone. But she (and all Republicans) must realize that her constant hypocrisy and her decision to use a government account to call out the “injustice” are the exact reasons why she was asked to leave in the first place. Those are two things she has control over, unlike two gay people who just want to get married.posted by kirkaracha at 5:42 PM on June 24, 2018 [58 favorites]
There are 11 Trump-branded hotel properties around the world. Cursory Googling reveals the 11 properties to have a combined 3,400+ rooms.
First Puerto Rico (well, still Puerto Rico) and now immigrant families in the continental United States. It astounds me that a hotel magnate is in charge of the country—in business to stack strategically placed bedrooms on top of each other—yet here we are putting kids in cages, housing families in federal prisons and military bases.
posted by emelenjr at 6:10 PM on June 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
First Puerto Rico (well, still Puerto Rico) and now immigrant families in the continental United States. It astounds me that a hotel magnate is in charge of the country—in business to stack strategically placed bedrooms on top of each other—yet here we are putting kids in cages, housing families in federal prisons and military bases.
posted by emelenjr at 6:10 PM on June 24, 2018 [7 favorites]
Some Democrats fear that Obama reentering the picture would energize conservatives and move the party backwards in time—rather than encouraging new leaders to emerge with an eye toward 2020.
I think that's what he has in mind. No one can miss you if you don't go away. And Trump is unhinged enough to believe -- or encourage his followers to believe -- that Obama would amass some kind of secret army to make himself president for life. If Obama tried to act as Jimmy Carter does, taking stands and making visits to devastated people who genuinely love him, it would infuriate the deathcult so much that I would honestly fear for his life.
Although he does seem like a genuinely kind and decent man, Obama also has a certain opacity, so I don't know if he is bitter about what the country has done. But if he feels that the country has rejected what he stood for, that it has sown the wind and must reap the whirlwind, then I couldn't blame him. But then I'm also someone who woke up muttering Rev. 16:6 without knowing how I knew it, so perhaps I shouldn't ascribe my motivations to anyone else.
posted by Countess Elena at 6:21 PM on June 24, 2018 [33 favorites]
I think that's what he has in mind. No one can miss you if you don't go away. And Trump is unhinged enough to believe -- or encourage his followers to believe -- that Obama would amass some kind of secret army to make himself president for life. If Obama tried to act as Jimmy Carter does, taking stands and making visits to devastated people who genuinely love him, it would infuriate the deathcult so much that I would honestly fear for his life.
Although he does seem like a genuinely kind and decent man, Obama also has a certain opacity, so I don't know if he is bitter about what the country has done. But if he feels that the country has rejected what he stood for, that it has sown the wind and must reap the whirlwind, then I couldn't blame him. But then I'm also someone who woke up muttering Rev. 16:6 without knowing how I knew it, so perhaps I shouldn't ascribe my motivations to anyone else.
posted by Countess Elena at 6:21 PM on June 24, 2018 [33 favorites]
NY Mag has a brand new longform piece by Gabriel Debenedetti that tries to answer some of that question, Where Is Barack Obama?
posted by zachlipton at 6:29 PM on June 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by zachlipton at 6:29 PM on June 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
Senator Warren is clearly shook by what she just saw in a processing center.
posted by prefpara at 6:30 PM on June 24, 2018 [27 favorites]
posted by prefpara at 6:30 PM on June 24, 2018 [27 favorites]
@MichaelAvenatti
Others have been unsuccessfully trying to gain access to facilities for children for weeks so they could provide images to the American people showing the truth. Because people know that we specialize in protecting whistleblowers and delivering info, we have succeeded...
@MichaelAvenatti
This is what Mr. Trump and Mr. Miller's immigration policy really looks like...
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:34 PM on June 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
Others have been unsuccessfully trying to gain access to facilities for children for weeks so they could provide images to the American people showing the truth. Because people know that we specialize in protecting whistleblowers and delivering info, we have succeeded...
@MichaelAvenatti
This is what Mr. Trump and Mr. Miller's immigration policy really looks like...
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:34 PM on June 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
David Roberts:
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:39 PM on June 24, 2018 [215 favorites]
Unsurprisingly, this bit of kneejerk onanism from the WaPo editorial board completely misses the significance of this whole episode. In fact, it gets it wrong in exactly the same way Very Serious People have been getting in wrong in DC for decades.It continues.
The salient fact about US politics is that the right has been going steadily more crazy for decades -- breaking the law, disregarding norms, sinking into a hermetically sealed media bubble filled with paranoid conspiracy theories, seeking to disenfranchise opponents, etc.
At every stage, it gets worse. Norms & values we thought inviolate are crapped on, lawlessness becomes more brazen, ugly prejudices we thought buried, or at least suppressed, roar back to the surface. And with every increment, the question re-presents itself:
What should the rest of us do? The ~25% of Americans who believe & want horrible, illiberal shit ("deplorables," you might call them) have taken over the GOP. They are driving it toward fascism as fast as the system will allow them. What's the right response?
For years, lefties have been warning about this devolution of the GOP, going back to Reagan. They have bene dismissed as crazy partisan hippies, condemned as "uncivil," told they are part of the problem, because being mad about illiberalism is just like illiberalism.
The question has always been, where do you draw the line? At what point in the GOP's devolution do we say: OK, that's too far. We're no longer in Normal Politics. We're in a crisis situation, on the verge of losing our democracy. Where is the line?
The most insidious thing about the descent into illiberalism is that it is incremental. There's no dramatic moment, no Rubicon. Every step seems bad, but only a little worse than the previous step. Smart autocrats are careful not to provide that moment.
As this slide into illiberalism has continued, the mainstream DC establishment, including the sorts of Very Serious People that write major newspaper editorials, have *helped prevent that moment*. They have normalized, normalized, normalized, greasing the skids.
When lefties have tried to draw a line, create a moment, force a reckoning, the establishment has united in a single voice to say: calm down. Let's be civil & work together. Let's not raise our voices or be shrill. Both sides do it. We're still in Normal Politics.
Now here we are with a president who very openly pines for tyranny, explicitly disregards laws & norms, is nakedly racist, lies as often as he breathes, and oh yeah, is now JAILING TODDLERS TO DETER LEGAL IMMIGRATION.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:39 PM on June 24, 2018 [215 favorites]
Earlier MSNBC managed to have an entire discussion about the protests targeting Trump officials without mentioning that this is kind of an American thing. Despite including at least one historian on the panel.
In February 1770 a crowd gathered outside the home of a British customs official to protest and the guy spent a few minutes loading his musket and fired into the crowd, killing a 12 year old. Possibly the crowd was provocative, or possibly it wasn't; in any case his killer received a royal pardon. Christopher Seider, the son of German immigrants, was historically counted as the first casualty of the Revolutionary War:
BEAR IN REMEMBRANCE
That on the 22nd Day of February, 1770:
The infamous
EBENEZER RICHARDSON, Informer,
And tool to Ministerial hirelings,
Most barbarously
MURDERED
CHRISTOPHER SEIDER,
An innocent youth!
Let THESE things be told to Posterity!
And handed down From Generation to Generation,
'Till Time shall be no more!
Forever may AMERICA be preserved,
From weak and wicked monarchs,
Tyrannical Ministers,
Abandoned Governors,
Their Underlings and Hirelings!
And may the Machinations of artful, designing wretches,
Who would ENSLAVE THIS People,
Come to an end,
Let their NAMES and MEMORIES
Be buried in eternal oblivion,
And the PRESS,
For a SCOURGE to Tyrannical Rulers,
Remain FREE.
posted by XMLicious at 6:42 PM on June 24, 2018 [96 favorites]
In February 1770 a crowd gathered outside the home of a British customs official to protest and the guy spent a few minutes loading his musket and fired into the crowd, killing a 12 year old. Possibly the crowd was provocative, or possibly it wasn't; in any case his killer received a royal pardon. Christopher Seider, the son of German immigrants, was historically counted as the first casualty of the Revolutionary War:
That on the 22nd Day of February, 1770:
The infamous
EBENEZER RICHARDSON, Informer,
And tool to Ministerial hirelings,
Most barbarously
MURDERED
CHRISTOPHER SEIDER,
An innocent youth!
Let THESE things be told to Posterity!
And handed down From Generation to Generation,
'Till Time shall be no more!
Forever may AMERICA be preserved,
From weak and wicked monarchs,
Tyrannical Ministers,
Abandoned Governors,
Their Underlings and Hirelings!
And may the Machinations of artful, designing wretches,
Who would ENSLAVE THIS People,
Come to an end,
Let their NAMES and MEMORIES
Be buried in eternal oblivion,
And the PRESS,
For a SCOURGE to Tyrannical Rulers,
Remain FREE.
posted by XMLicious at 6:42 PM on June 24, 2018 [96 favorites]
Thanks Johnny. That thread is fantastic and a must read.
posted by chris24 at 6:42 PM on June 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by chris24 at 6:42 PM on June 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
A) White people lose their effing minds over Barack Obama's mere existence and B) Democrats aren't going to develop leadership any faster with Barack Obama looming over the party. I say Barack gets to keep jetskiing and attending PTA meetings now, but I expect to hear about him doing a bunch of campaign stops once the primaries are over.
posted by grandiloquiet at 6:44 PM on June 24, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by grandiloquiet at 6:44 PM on June 24, 2018 [16 favorites]
WaPo, Separated immigrant children are all over the U.S. now, far from parents who don’t know where they are
posted by zachlipton at 6:48 PM on June 24, 2018 [113 favorites]
The children have been through hell. They are babies who were carried across rivers and toddlers who rode for hours in trucks and buses and older kids who were told that a better place was just beyond the horizon.There are no words.
And now they live and wait in unfamiliar places: big American suburban houses where no one speaks their language; a locked shelter on a dusty road where they spend little time outside; a converted Walmart where each morning, they are required to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, in English, to the country that holds them apart from their parents.
Why must they say those words, some of the children ask at the shelter in Brownsville, on the Mexican border in Texas?
“We tell them, ‘It’s out of respect,’ ” said one employee of the facility, known as Casa Padre, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing their job.
U.S. authorities are compiling mug shots of the children in detention. Immigration lawyers who have seen the pictures say some of them show children in tears.
posted by zachlipton at 6:48 PM on June 24, 2018 [113 favorites]
BREAKING: ICE cancelled operations at their 201 Varick St. NYC location because of the ongoing #OccupyICEnyc““
posted by The Whelk at 6:49 PM on June 24, 2018 [149 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 6:49 PM on June 24, 2018 [149 favorites]
Occupy ICE is really giving me hope. For months I've been wondering why no one was physically doing anything. Rallies and marches and voter registration drives are not going to solve this. I'm not sure how this is going to play out, but anyone who puts their body on the line for a migrant - or any marginalized person - is a hero in my estimation.
When you're full of despair, look around for what people are doing to fight back. Everyone can do something. Tomorrow I'm going to learn how to teach English to refugees. In a week I've taught myself basic Spanish (thanks to Duolingo).Everyone can do something.
posted by AFABulous at 7:01 PM on June 24, 2018 [66 favorites]
When you're full of despair, look around for what people are doing to fight back. Everyone can do something. Tomorrow I'm going to learn how to teach English to refugees. In a week I've taught myself basic Spanish (thanks to Duolingo).Everyone can do something.
posted by AFABulous at 7:01 PM on June 24, 2018 [66 favorites]
They're stealing children and planning to build concentration camps on military bases. The time for "going high" is long gone (if it ever existed at all).
I keep meaning to build a bot that does nothing but respond to whinging from Sanders and the like with a picture of Roast Beef from Achewood going, "A bloo-bloo-bloo bloo bloo!" These poor dears. So hurt, they are.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:02 PM on June 24, 2018 [24 favorites]
I keep meaning to build a bot that does nothing but respond to whinging from Sanders and the like with a picture of Roast Beef from Achewood going, "A bloo-bloo-bloo bloo bloo!" These poor dears. So hurt, they are.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:02 PM on June 24, 2018 [24 favorites]
Given Arnold's demeanor & behavior in interviews, it's suspected drugs are involved.
I remember an interview with Tom Arnold that made it pretty clear he is one of those guys celebrities hang with when they want to have a wild night out on the town, full of regrets that will hopefully never be spoken of again. I don't think HBO would produce it if he had nothing, but I'm not expecting much beyond sleazy innuendo. However, remember that Trump's been accused of raping a 13 year old at a child sex party. If it's a lot of stories like that it may be more mobsters, hookers, drugs, and off color comments than America can handle.
Just like Jimmy Kimmel interviewed Stormy Daniels it sometimes takes a network that understands how to legally talk around these things, with a willingness to accept liability, for these kinds of stories to out. It would not be unfitting for Trump's ouster to come in the form of a mountain of his own sleaze.
posted by xammerboy at 7:33 PM on June 24, 2018 [6 favorites]
I remember an interview with Tom Arnold that made it pretty clear he is one of those guys celebrities hang with when they want to have a wild night out on the town, full of regrets that will hopefully never be spoken of again. I don't think HBO would produce it if he had nothing, but I'm not expecting much beyond sleazy innuendo. However, remember that Trump's been accused of raping a 13 year old at a child sex party. If it's a lot of stories like that it may be more mobsters, hookers, drugs, and off color comments than America can handle.
Just like Jimmy Kimmel interviewed Stormy Daniels it sometimes takes a network that understands how to legally talk around these things, with a willingness to accept liability, for these kinds of stories to out. It would not be unfitting for Trump's ouster to come in the form of a mountain of his own sleaze.
posted by xammerboy at 7:33 PM on June 24, 2018 [6 favorites]
While excommunications for Catholic lawmakers have never been carried out,
From the Sessions article, this is a bizarre and incorrect statement. Have not been carried out in recent memory, maybe, but the Catholic Church has a long history of excommunication of law-makers and law-givers who have acted wrongly, and I’m really starting to believe it’s time for that and interdict to come back.
posted by corb at 7:35 PM on June 24, 2018 [21 favorites]
From the Sessions article, this is a bizarre and incorrect statement. Have not been carried out in recent memory, maybe, but the Catholic Church has a long history of excommunication of law-makers and law-givers who have acted wrongly, and I’m really starting to believe it’s time for that and interdict to come back.
posted by corb at 7:35 PM on June 24, 2018 [21 favorites]
Elizabeth McLaughlin, @Elizabeth_McLau: NEWS: On plane to Alaska, #SecDef Mattis says DHS has asked DoD "to build temporary camps on two of our bases" to house migrants. He would not say which bases. "We are in a logistics support response mode."
HHS officials have recently toured 4 US military bases in TX and AR.
So we can all stop with the Saint Mattis bullshit now, right?
Again, note where they're talking about setting up these internment camps. Like I said in the last thread, they aren't even trying to find places with supporting units that would make this easier on the prisoners. Mattis could work toward that, but he isn't. I'm not even seeing an attempt to mitigate harm here.
Mattis isn't here to save us.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 7:45 PM on June 24, 2018 [42 favorites]
HHS officials have recently toured 4 US military bases in TX and AR.
So we can all stop with the Saint Mattis bullshit now, right?
Again, note where they're talking about setting up these internment camps. Like I said in the last thread, they aren't even trying to find places with supporting units that would make this easier on the prisoners. Mattis could work toward that, but he isn't. I'm not even seeing an attempt to mitigate harm here.
Mattis isn't here to save us.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 7:45 PM on June 24, 2018 [42 favorites]
the Catholic Church has a long history of excommunication of law-makers and law-givers who have acted wrongly
In the U.S.? For their politics?
posted by orange ball at 7:51 PM on June 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
In the U.S.? For their politics?
posted by orange ball at 7:51 PM on June 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Picking the most recent entry that seems relevant from Wikipedia's list of people excommunicated by the Catholic Church:
Plaquemines Parish President Leander Perez, Jackson G. Ricau (secretary of the Citizens Council of South Louisiana) and Mrs. B.J. Gaillot, Jr., president of Save Our Nation, Inc., on April 16, 1962 by Archbishop Joseph Rummel of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. They were excommunicated for aggressively opposing the racial integration of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese starting in the 1963-64 school year. Perez and Ricau were later reinstated into the Church following public retractions.[58]posted by XMLicious at 8:03 PM on June 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
Mattis isn't here to save us
He's here to deliver moderate crimes against humanity.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:05 PM on June 24, 2018 [13 favorites]
He's here to deliver moderate crimes against humanity.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:05 PM on June 24, 2018 [13 favorites]
In the U.S.? For their politics?
He wasn't excommunicated, but the Vatican ordered Robert Drinan to step down as a congressman (in addition to serving in the House, he was also a Jesuit priest - and he was both anti-war and pro-choice).
posted by adamg at 8:06 PM on June 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
He wasn't excommunicated, but the Vatican ordered Robert Drinan to step down as a congressman (in addition to serving in the House, he was also a Jesuit priest - and he was both anti-war and pro-choice).
posted by adamg at 8:06 PM on June 24, 2018 [4 favorites]
Where Is Barack Obama?
I assume Obama's looked into whether or not it's a good idea to speak out. One thing I learned from the election was that I seriously underestimated the amount of animus against Hillary. A word from Obama may well rally Trump's base. However, I was floored at the impact Laura Bush's Op Ed had. More Republican defections would be welcome. I think there are any number of conservative celebrities that could be successfully lobbied.
posted by xammerboy at 8:09 PM on June 24, 2018 [26 favorites]
I assume Obama's looked into whether or not it's a good idea to speak out. One thing I learned from the election was that I seriously underestimated the amount of animus against Hillary. A word from Obama may well rally Trump's base. However, I was floored at the impact Laura Bush's Op Ed had. More Republican defections would be welcome. I think there are any number of conservative celebrities that could be successfully lobbied.
posted by xammerboy at 8:09 PM on June 24, 2018 [26 favorites]
While excommunications for Catholic lawmakers have never been carried out,
From the Sessions article, this is a bizarre and incorrect statement. Have not been carried out in recent memory, maybe, but the Catholic Church has a long history of excommunication of law-makers and law-givers who have acted wrongly, and I’m really starting to believe it’s time for that and interdict to come back.
That article is talking about excommunication in terms of American politics. It doesn't look like any American politician has ever been excommunicated by the Catholic church.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:17 PM on June 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
From the Sessions article, this is a bizarre and incorrect statement. Have not been carried out in recent memory, maybe, but the Catholic Church has a long history of excommunication of law-makers and law-givers who have acted wrongly, and I’m really starting to believe it’s time for that and interdict to come back.
That article is talking about excommunication in terms of American politics. It doesn't look like any American politician has ever been excommunicated by the Catholic church.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:17 PM on June 24, 2018 [1 favorite]
Since we are in unprecedented times, it's time to set new precedents. I'm going to propose this:
Diseases are sometimes named after scientists who discovered them or helped our undertanding of them. Or sometimes named after famous people who suffered from them. Now it's time to name diseases after people whose actions cause significant numbers of people to be afflicted with them.
HHS just decided to stop tracking incidents of MRSA infections in hospitals. So it's time for MRSA to become called "Carson's disease.:
Some time in the next year, there will be a water pollution incident somewhere in the Midwest, because of the EPA no longer protecting rivers from pollution from feedlots. The resulting pollution will either cause blue baby syndrom (nitrate poisoning), or an outbreak of e. coli infections in customers of one or more municipal water systems.
So whichever of these is first, gets renamed "Pruitt Syndrome' in honor of Scott Pruitt.
Then there's the DSM 5 entry on traumatic separation in children. That's obviously Trump Syndrome.
Medical Mefits, what say ye?
posted by ocschwar at 8:18 PM on June 24, 2018 [81 favorites]
Diseases are sometimes named after scientists who discovered them or helped our undertanding of them. Or sometimes named after famous people who suffered from them. Now it's time to name diseases after people whose actions cause significant numbers of people to be afflicted with them.
HHS just decided to stop tracking incidents of MRSA infections in hospitals. So it's time for MRSA to become called "Carson's disease.:
Some time in the next year, there will be a water pollution incident somewhere in the Midwest, because of the EPA no longer protecting rivers from pollution from feedlots. The resulting pollution will either cause blue baby syndrom (nitrate poisoning), or an outbreak of e. coli infections in customers of one or more municipal water systems.
So whichever of these is first, gets renamed "Pruitt Syndrome' in honor of Scott Pruitt.
Then there's the DSM 5 entry on traumatic separation in children. That's obviously Trump Syndrome.
Medical Mefits, what say ye?
posted by ocschwar at 8:18 PM on June 24, 2018 [81 favorites]
Evangelical Historian Explains How Christians Came to Put Trump Ahead of Jesus
John Fea is an evangelical Christian and a historian. When Donald Trump was elected with 81 percent of the self-described white evangelical vote, Fea was both stunned and surprised. “As a historian studying religion and politics, I should have seen this coming,” he notes.posted by jgirl at 8:21 PM on June 24, 2018 [22 favorites]
He identifies and lucidly explores three fundamental flaws in evangelical thinking that have led them to embrace a leader who is wholly unfit by their own once-cherished moral standards, in pursuit of ends they cannot possibly achieve — restoring 1950s America via government action.
Barack and Michelle Obama set up the Obama foundation, focused on leadership and activist training on several different levels.
posted by Sublimity at 8:26 PM on June 24, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Sublimity at 8:26 PM on June 24, 2018 [10 favorites]
It doesn't look like any American politician has ever been excommunicated by the Catholic church.
Per the entry I quoted above, in some parts of Louisiana a "Parish President" is an official of secular government.
posted by XMLicious at 8:26 PM on June 24, 2018 [6 favorites]
Thank you for pointing that out to me, I saw the word "parish" and made a wrong assumption.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:30 PM on June 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:30 PM on June 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
“The @nycDSA Immigrant Justice WG voted to endorse #OccupyICENYC. DSA contingent will be across the street from 201 Varick, north side.
Goals:
🔴 Agitate ICE
🔺Inform the public about ICE’s actions
♦️Show solidarity with occupations across the country“
posted by The Whelk at 8:42 PM on June 24, 2018 [58 favorites]
Goals:
🔴 Agitate ICE
🔺Inform the public about ICE’s actions
♦️Show solidarity with occupations across the country“
posted by The Whelk at 8:42 PM on June 24, 2018 [58 favorites]
Sorry if this was near the end of the last thread, but it's good: Monique Truong on 'The Hypocrisy of Eating at Mexican Restuarants
In fact, Miller and Nielsen's choices reflect how Mexican fare is now a part of the proverbial "American table." For them, as for the rest of the nation, "Mexican-inspired" food is a known quantity, normalized, welcomed, even "elevated" in upscale settings, and far from foreign — unlike many of the people whose culinary traditions helped inspire it.
But no matter which restaurant Miller and Nielsen patronize, we should be appalled by the flagrant disconnect between their gustatory desires and the people who make it possible to satisfy those desires. It doesn't matter what the name out front is or what the menu purports to offer, chances are, every restaurant in the D.C. area has a back-of-the-house contingent (kitchen staff, dishwashers and bussers) full of people who came from Mexico or Central America, with or without documents. In that sense, every restaurant is a "Mexican" restaurant.
posted by TwoStride at 8:52 PM on June 24, 2018 [48 favorites]
In fact, Miller and Nielsen's choices reflect how Mexican fare is now a part of the proverbial "American table." For them, as for the rest of the nation, "Mexican-inspired" food is a known quantity, normalized, welcomed, even "elevated" in upscale settings, and far from foreign — unlike many of the people whose culinary traditions helped inspire it.
But no matter which restaurant Miller and Nielsen patronize, we should be appalled by the flagrant disconnect between their gustatory desires and the people who make it possible to satisfy those desires. It doesn't matter what the name out front is or what the menu purports to offer, chances are, every restaurant in the D.C. area has a back-of-the-house contingent (kitchen staff, dishwashers and bussers) full of people who came from Mexico or Central America, with or without documents. In that sense, every restaurant is a "Mexican" restaurant.
posted by TwoStride at 8:52 PM on June 24, 2018 [48 favorites]
If you object to immigration, you're not allowed to eat a taco, a pizza, a bagel or an egg roll ever again.
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:01 PM on June 24, 2018 [71 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:01 PM on June 24, 2018 [71 favorites]
The thing is, of course they want to eat Mexican food - the only way they have of understanding society is the relationship between customer and server.
posted by The Whelk at 9:17 PM on June 24, 2018 [25 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 9:17 PM on June 24, 2018 [25 favorites]
the only way they have of understanding society is the relationship between customer and server.
And that's why there was such a furious freakout and harassment campaign from the base when Sarah Sanders wasn't served in a restaurant, and why it was so much more vicious than their response to Nielsen and Miller's dining being interrupted by the public. For a particular white suburban-to-exurban middle-to-upper-middle-class demographic, being served in a business is most of their direct interaction with other humans outside their family and is a hugely important part of their identity. Breaking the customer-staff hierarchy is to them as obscene as child concentration camps are to us.
posted by Rust Moranis at 9:32 PM on June 24, 2018 [91 favorites]
And that's why there was such a furious freakout and harassment campaign from the base when Sarah Sanders wasn't served in a restaurant, and why it was so much more vicious than their response to Nielsen and Miller's dining being interrupted by the public. For a particular white suburban-to-exurban middle-to-upper-middle-class demographic, being served in a business is most of their direct interaction with other humans outside their family and is a hugely important part of their identity. Breaking the customer-staff hierarchy is to them as obscene as child concentration camps are to us.
posted by Rust Moranis at 9:32 PM on June 24, 2018 [91 favorites]
Current Affairs presents The Aslyum Process, a flowchart
posted by The Whelk at 9:38 PM on June 24, 2018 [24 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 9:38 PM on June 24, 2018 [24 favorites]
I don't think HBO would produce it if he had nothing, but I'm not expecting much beyond sleazy innuendo. However, remember that Trump's been accused of raping a 13 year old at a child sex party. If it's a lot of stories like that it may be more mobsters, hookers, drugs, and off color comments than America can handle.
I've got no idea what else he can use his less-than-savory contacts to uncover. We'll know before long. I'm just saying he looked high as fuck in that CNN interview & weirdly sketched out when the interviewer tried to pin him down on details of any collaboration with Cohen, backed up by Cohen himself denying it. If there's a pee tape, elevator tape or any other tape to be had out of all this, it's not coming from Cohen.
posted by scalefree at 9:50 PM on June 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
I've got no idea what else he can use his less-than-savory contacts to uncover. We'll know before long. I'm just saying he looked high as fuck in that CNN interview & weirdly sketched out when the interviewer tried to pin him down on details of any collaboration with Cohen, backed up by Cohen himself denying it. If there's a pee tape, elevator tape or any other tape to be had out of all this, it's not coming from Cohen.
posted by scalefree at 9:50 PM on June 24, 2018 [2 favorites]
Obama isn't Superman. It isn't 2008 - for better or worse he's a much more complicated figure now, and he doesn't have a coalition. What he does have is an incredible weight of history that holds him to a uniquely high standard. And it puts him in a tough position that very few people can truly understand. Point being, leave Britney alone. in my opinion.
Vox's podcast The Weeds had an episode about the roots of all the border shit on the 19th, and Dara Lind made an offhand comment that I thought was interesting. She said that when there was that wave of unaccompanied minors in 2014, one of the things the Obama administration did was to publicly say that these were economic refugees - not fleeing violence, and therefore not eligible for asylum. And they did so in partnership with the governments of Guatemala etc., who were obviously happy to make public statements saying that they didn't have a gang violence problem. So the administration was arguing against the wave of asylum claims in general, rhetorically delegitimizing them.
Dara's point was that Trump could actually worked with Central American countries if he wasn't, you know, trump. But I thought it was interesting because a lot of people don't fucking understand that people can seek asylum. The Republican party keeps conflating asylum with normal illegal immigration, deliberately twisting the issue; and at that time, according to Dara, the Obama administration was also obscuring the issue in that same way. And (at risk of derailing) I really don't know why.
(I remember it wasn't clear to me at all at the time, how many of them were refugees. I sort of assumed that a 14 year old wouldn't be making this kind of trip for funzies, but I didn't know for certain and I didn't have ground to argue with people.)
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 9:54 PM on June 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
Vox's podcast The Weeds had an episode about the roots of all the border shit on the 19th, and Dara Lind made an offhand comment that I thought was interesting. She said that when there was that wave of unaccompanied minors in 2014, one of the things the Obama administration did was to publicly say that these were economic refugees - not fleeing violence, and therefore not eligible for asylum. And they did so in partnership with the governments of Guatemala etc., who were obviously happy to make public statements saying that they didn't have a gang violence problem. So the administration was arguing against the wave of asylum claims in general, rhetorically delegitimizing them.
Dara's point was that Trump could actually worked with Central American countries if he wasn't, you know, trump. But I thought it was interesting because a lot of people don't fucking understand that people can seek asylum. The Republican party keeps conflating asylum with normal illegal immigration, deliberately twisting the issue; and at that time, according to Dara, the Obama administration was also obscuring the issue in that same way. And (at risk of derailing) I really don't know why.
(I remember it wasn't clear to me at all at the time, how many of them were refugees. I sort of assumed that a 14 year old wouldn't be making this kind of trip for funzies, but I didn't know for certain and I didn't have ground to argue with people.)
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 9:54 PM on June 24, 2018 [14 favorites]
Asian Americans need to wise up and end our blind loyalty to the Democratic Party
John Yoo strikes again with a tone deaf piece.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 10:00 PM on June 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
John Yoo strikes again with a tone deaf piece.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 10:00 PM on June 24, 2018 [5 favorites]
BuzzFeed, The Federal Agent Behind A Mysterious Leak Investigation Railed Against “Hyphenated-Americans”
More on this from NYT, How an Affair Between a Reporter and a Security Aide Has Rattled Washington Media. This bit jumps out as particularly odd: "The Times is also reviewing her decision, on advice of her personal lawyer, not to immediately tell her editors about a letter she received in February informing her that her records had been seized."
Politico, Emily Holden, Pruitt faces another probe for employee retaliation allegations
NYT, John Schwartz, A Leading Climate Agency May Lose Its Climate Focus , in which NOAA's mission appears to be losing all references to climate.
American Political Science Review, Broockman and Skovron, Bias in Perceptions of Public Opinion among Political Elites. This is a fascinating study about the extent to which the Republican outrage machine has been radically successful at causing politicians of both parties to think that conservative opinions are dramatically more popular than they really are. In particular, they conclude that Republican politicians hear from Republican constituents very disproportionately, so keep calling. The abstract (from a preprint, though I believe it's the same, because Cambridge University Press are a bunch of assholes who disabled copy/paste):
This is how we win elections.
posted by zachlipton at 10:02 PM on June 24, 2018 [97 favorites]
The Customs and Border Protection officer who reportedly tried to pressure a former BuzzFeed News journalist into talking about her sources, and appeared to have collected private information about her and her travels, maintained a website in which he expressed his frustration with his own life and the direction of the government under former president Obama.The legal geniuses over at WSJ seem to think that any sign of bias at the FBI means the entire Mueller investigation has to be shut down; I'm sure they'll agree the same applies here and in every other case involving racist cops. The story goes into more detail on Rambo, and I still can't believe that's his name, and the weirdness of what the hell a CBP officer was doing questioning a reporter.
The officer, Jeffrey Rambo, also teamed up with an FBI agent in 2014 to try to launch a craft beer business in San Diego, a venture that failed.
On cached pages of his website from 2011 he railed against US military intervention in foreign wars, against “hyphenated-Americans” failing to integrate, and against trying to help a “third world shit hole.”
Later he wrote about “sleepless nights spent in anguish wondering how you will rebound.”
Last week the Washington Post reported that in 2017 Rambo interviewed former BuzzFeed News reporter Ali Watkins, who was then working for Politico. In a highly unusual investigative tactic, Rambo questioned her about her sources, and confronted her with allegations about an affair with a senior staffer at the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to the Post.
More on this from NYT, How an Affair Between a Reporter and a Security Aide Has Rattled Washington Media. This bit jumps out as particularly odd: "The Times is also reviewing her decision, on advice of her personal lawyer, not to immediately tell her editors about a letter she received in February informing her that her records had been seized."
Politico, Emily Holden, Pruitt faces another probe for employee retaliation allegations
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is reviewing claims that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt retaliated against a handful of employees who pushed back against his spending and management, according to three people familiar with the process.There are so many inquiries into Pruitt's actions that Politico can only say this adds to the "the roughly dozen other inquiries."
At least six current and former agency officials were reportedly fired or reassigned to new jobs, allegedly for questioning Pruitt's need for a 24-hour security protection — which has now cost at least $4.6 million — as well as his other spending and practices. OSC is in the process of interviewing some of those employees, according to the sources, although an OSC spokesman said the agency cannot comment on or confirm any open investigations.
NYT, John Schwartz, A Leading Climate Agency May Lose Its Climate Focus , in which NOAA's mission appears to be losing all references to climate.
American Political Science Review, Broockman and Skovron, Bias in Perceptions of Public Opinion among Political Elites. This is a fascinating study about the extent to which the Republican outrage machine has been radically successful at causing politicians of both parties to think that conservative opinions are dramatically more popular than they really are. In particular, they conclude that Republican politicians hear from Republican constituents very disproportionately, so keep calling. The abstract (from a preprint, though I believe it's the same, because Cambridge University Press are a bunch of assholes who disabled copy/paste):
The conservative asymmetry of elite polarization and the right-skewed “democratic deficit”—wherein policy is more conservative than majorities prefer on average—represent significant puzzles. We argue that such breakdowns in aggregate representation can arise because politicians systematically misperceive constituency opinion. We demonstrate this argument in US states, where conservative citizens are more active in the public spheres politicians monitor, which we hypothesized might distort politicians’ perceptions of public opinion. With original surveys of 3,765 politicians’ perceptions of constituency opinion on nine issues, we find politicians of both parties dramatically overestimate their constituents’ support for conservative policies. This pattern is robust across methods, years, issues, districts, and states. We also show Republicans overestimate constituency conservatism especially and that this partisan difference may arise from differences in politicians’ information environments. Our findings suggest a novel way democratic representation may fail: politicians can systematically misperceive what their constituents want.@jmannies: At Truman Dinner, @clairecmc asks everyone to stand up who has a preexisting condition. Notes GOP wants to eliminate insurance coverage for them. Most of ballroom stands up
This is how we win elections.
posted by zachlipton at 10:02 PM on June 24, 2018 [97 favorites]
For a particular white suburban-to-exurban middle-to-upper-middle-class demographic, being served in a business is most of their direct interaction with other humans outside their family and is a hugely important part of their identity. Breaking the customer-staff hierarchy is to them as obscene as child concentration camps are to us.
These Nazi fucks *expect* to be served unquestionably by the very people they're trying to scapegoat, deport, dehumanize. It's just another expression of white supremacy. Getting protested by white people, bad but bearable. Getting voted out of the restaurant by staff that is probably largely POC? An unimaginable insult.
posted by chris24 at 10:16 PM on June 24, 2018 [78 favorites]
These Nazi fucks *expect* to be served unquestionably by the very people they're trying to scapegoat, deport, dehumanize. It's just another expression of white supremacy. Getting protested by white people, bad but bearable. Getting voted out of the restaurant by staff that is probably largely POC? An unimaginable insult.
posted by chris24 at 10:16 PM on June 24, 2018 [78 favorites]
@TorEkelandPC
posted by triggerfinger at 10:26 PM on June 24, 2018 [171 favorites]
My dad was tortured by the Gestapo for 4 days and thrown in a concentration camp for being in the Norwegian Resistance. Growing up, he would tell me things he learned in the Resistance. I thought, I'm never going to need this stuff. Here's some things of those things #Thread(It goes on)
First, you're never going to win a head on battle with an adversary that's got you outgunned. That's not the point of the Resistance. The point is to create friction, make it hard for your adversary to operate, to increase transaction costs.
Second, resistance doesn't have to be a dramatic act. It can be a small act, like losing a sheet of paper, taking your time processing something, not serving someone in a restaurant. Small acts taken by thousands have big effects.
Third, use your privilege and access if you've got it. He and his buddies stole weapons from the Nazis by driving up with a truck to the weapons depot, speaking German, acting like it was a routine pick up, and driving away.
Fourth, and this is part of the third point really, sometimes the best way to do things is right out in the open. Because no one will believe something like what you're doing would be happening so blatantly. All good Social Engineers know this...
posted by triggerfinger at 10:26 PM on June 24, 2018 [171 favorites]
Asian Americans need to wise up and end our blind loyalty to the Democratic Party
John Yoo strikes again with a tone deaf piece
Well, at least this latest strike isn’t technically a war crime.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:30 PM on June 24, 2018 [20 favorites]
John Yoo strikes again with a tone deaf piece
Well, at least this latest strike isn’t technically a war crime.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:30 PM on June 24, 2018 [20 favorites]
Fourth, and this is part of the third point really, sometimes the best way to do things is right out in the open. Because no one will believe something like what you're doing would be happening so blatantly
See also: Trump asking Russia to hack Hillary Clinton, Trump Jr meeting with Russian intelligence at Trump Tower.
posted by Justinian at 11:06 PM on June 24, 2018 [13 favorites]
See also: Trump asking Russia to hack Hillary Clinton, Trump Jr meeting with Russian intelligence at Trump Tower.
posted by Justinian at 11:06 PM on June 24, 2018 [13 favorites]
These Nazi fucks *expect* to be served unquestionably by the very people they're trying to scapegoat, deport, dehumanize. It's just another expression of white supremacy.
Don't forget the “Go fucking cook my burrito b—” guy who of course had a tattoo he had to explain away.
posted by XMLicious at 11:18 PM on June 24, 2018 [10 favorites]
G7 and the End of Days
Gorbachev dismantled his country’s empire. He was either visionary or crazy. Is Donald Trump now doing the same to America’s global hegemony? If so, why?
Gorbachev dismantled his country’s empire. He was either visionary or crazy. Is Donald Trump now doing the same to America’s global hegemony? If so, why?
...Trump is indeed dismantling the American-led international system. And he is doing so for Gorbachev’s reason precisely, which is lucid intellectual conviction. Only, Trump’s conviction is different from Gorbachev’s. Gorbachev thought the Soviet bloc was an offense to Communist ideals, properly understood. Trump thinks America’s ideals are an offense to the American national interest. Harry Truman and his colleagues wanted the post-war system to be business-friendly. But their intention was never to build a business empire. The Atlantic alliance was not supposed to be the Hanseatic League. Their idea was to establish and solidify a democratic civilization. The purpose was to guarantee that nothing like the Nazis of the past would ever again emerge, and to fend off the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union in the present. And the purpose was to promote the kinds of social principles that could be agreed upon by social democrats and progressive conservatives.The above is one of four possible scenarios considered by the author, the others being that Trump is in control but consciously using some sort of disruption strategy, that he's a Russian puppet, or that he's just incompetent and crazy. But...
But Trump takes a different view. He considers that America’s relations with the world should, in fact, be a matter of business interests, and nothing else. He considers that, from a business standpoint, the Atlantic alliance, which purports to be pro-American, has ended up being anti-American. The alliance is designed to hoodwink American workers and businessmen into acceding to their own exploitation. The ostensible hegemon is the actual underling. And it is obvious why he takes this view. Hegel believed in the movement of spirit through history. But Trump believes in neither spirit, nor history, nor ideals, nor in anything at all that is abstract, not laws, nor customs, nor even courtesy. He believes in what can be measured by dollars.
This is the source of his charisma. He regards the world as a giant lie, with himself as heroic truth-teller. Every time he puts his thumb in some high-minded person’s eye, he arouses a cheer from people who likewise regard the world and its ideals and principles as a system of deception. He is extremely radical in this respect, and the more extreme his radicalism becomes, the more excitement he arouses. Justin Trudeau said, in response to Trump, “Canadians, we’re polite, we’re reasonable.” And that is why Trump despises Trudeau and the Canadians. Polite reasonableness seems to him the lie of all lies. He tears off the veil. He sees the face of reality. It is ugly. It is Canadian dairy tariffs. And his public cheers, not because they care about dairy farmers but because the elegant hypocrisies of pink-cheeked abominations like Justin Trudeau and the right-thinking Canadians make them retch.
The frightening thing about interpretations 1), 2), 3), and 4) of Trump is that it hardly matters which of them is true. Nor does it matter what is actually happening within Trump’s brain. The America that elected him plainly has no objection to the notion of dismantling the American not-really-an-empire. The Republicans are in favor, and the Democrats are not interested. Nor does anyone outside of the United States appear to be particularly upset.posted by XMLicious at 2:21 AM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
Untrue. Many of us outside of the United States are actually pretty upset. And a lot gets written about that in newspapers and magazines. Of course, one would have to read them to know...
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
The more I think about Trump and Co's behavior the more convinced I am they have no empathy nor plans that go past the present day. Every day is a reality TV show played to their base. You can't understand the real world implications of your actions if you go to a Mexican restaurant after defending barbarous immigration policy, or wear a dress reading "I really don't care" to a children's detention center, or ask photographers to make you look beautiful at a meeting with a genocidal dictator. You must be fundamentally disconnected from the real world.
posted by xammerboy at 2:44 AM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
posted by xammerboy at 2:44 AM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
Oh, and I think all 4 interpretations are correct. Trump is shaking things up just to shake things up, he is something of a Russian agent (more compromised than straight up), he believes the U.S. is a business and he's acting in its interests (but he's a bad business man), and he's crazy (with more than a touch of narcissism and dementia).
posted by xammerboy at 3:00 AM on June 25, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by xammerboy at 3:00 AM on June 25, 2018 [29 favorites]
5) his handlers and enablers have realized that american and international corporatism is inconsistent with the kind of evangelical, white supremacist, crony capitalist regime they want for the usa
the game will be truly over when the corporatists fully realize what the trump administration is trying and that it will be very bad for business - at that point they'll do what they have to do to stop him
posted by pyramid termite at 3:12 AM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
the game will be truly over when the corporatists fully realize what the trump administration is trying and that it will be very bad for business - at that point they'll do what they have to do to stop him
posted by pyramid termite at 3:12 AM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
John Yoo’s got some balls talking about “our” blind loyalty to the Dems. A Republican political appointee to the GW Bush administration? That op ed reads more like a personal vendetta against Obama for undoing all his damage.
posted by emelenjr at 3:32 AM on June 25, 2018 [19 favorites]
posted by emelenjr at 3:32 AM on June 25, 2018 [19 favorites]
(many, many) people down here (NZ) are upset, very concerned, and no-one knows what is going to happen. From here it looks like 1931; but things move fast nowadays. I simply don't know why everyone's not in the streets there, soon it may not be possible (yes I know, permits for protests but this, this looks most urgent) - words fail me when I think about all this.
posted by unearthed at 3:59 AM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by unearthed at 3:59 AM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
In contrast, there seems to be a lot less solidarity here in Australia, probably because our own hands are so dirty. We haven't been deliberately splitting up families, but we've been shipping irregular migrants off to detention camps in smaller Pacific countries in an attempt to discourage other entrants. They're out of sight, out of mind for most Australians, and I suspect what's happening in the US is an unwelcome reminder that we are deliberately immiserating people for no very good reason other than a desire to protect our standard of living from people who would like to share it.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:16 AM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:16 AM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
Capitalism in general: an unwelcome reminder that we are deliberately immiserating people for no very good reason other than a desire to protect our standard of living from people who would like to share it.
posted by jaduncan at 4:33 AM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
posted by jaduncan at 4:33 AM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
Oh, we can do dirty, don't you worry about that (lots of dirty under the carpets), just I think we're like a big village and things you say out loud tend to find their way back home rather quickly.
posted by unearthed at 4:51 AM on June 25, 2018
posted by unearthed at 4:51 AM on June 25, 2018
Another avenue for activism -- push for divestment from private prisons.
And, once the Democrats are back in control of government, for a law abolishing them and any private organization, even a non-profit, from detaining people.
posted by Gelatin at 5:06 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
And, once the Democrats are back in control of government, for a law abolishing them and any private organization, even a non-profit, from detaining people.
posted by Gelatin at 5:06 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
The most powerful old man in the world has taken to the twitters with a shrieked review-bomb of The Red Hen.
Warner warns:
Probably not going to be a good quarter to quit (drinking|huffing glue|etc.).
posted by Buntix at 5:08 AM on June 25, 2018 [63 favorites]
The Red Hen Restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies, doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!---
Warner warns:
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-Va.) hosted a dinner Friday night for more than 100 guests at his house on Martha’s Vineyard as part of the DSCC’S annual Majority Trust retreat. OVERHEARD: Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, joking to the crowd: “If you get me one more glass of wine, I’ll tell you stuff only Bob Mueller and I know. If you think you’ve seen wild stuff so far, buckle up. It’s going to be a wild couple of months.”[Politico]
Probably not going to be a good quarter to quit (drinking|huffing glue|etc.).
posted by Buntix at 5:08 AM on June 25, 2018 [63 favorites]
Nor does anyone outside of the United States appear to be particularly upset.
I can assure you that when the largest economy in the world goes off its rocker, people are plenty upset. When said country spends more on "defence" than China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, France, United Kingdom, and Japan combined, you try to figure out how to do something about it somewhat quietly, or at least try not to be shrill.
Also, the writer either doesn't read anything non-US, or is utterly culturally blind to how other countries express themselves.
posted by Bovine Love at 5:23 AM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
I can assure you that when the largest economy in the world goes off its rocker, people are plenty upset. When said country spends more on "defence" than China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, France, United Kingdom, and Japan combined, you try to figure out how to do something about it somewhat quietly, or at least try not to be shrill.
Also, the writer either doesn't read anything non-US, or is utterly culturally blind to how other countries express themselves.
posted by Bovine Love at 5:23 AM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
/doesn't even both with comment about McDonald's cleanliness...
Meanwhile, the local news in Boston had reported a few days ago that the BPS school superintendant had abruptly resigned from the position. There's been no further local news about it, but the NY Daily News claims that he was allegedly turning student information over to ICE.
posted by TwoStride at 5:33 AM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
Meanwhile, the local news in Boston had reported a few days ago that the BPS school superintendant had abruptly resigned from the position. There's been no further local news about it, but the NY Daily News claims that he was allegedly turning student information over to ICE.
posted by TwoStride at 5:33 AM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
I assume Obama's looked into whether or not it's a good idea to speak out. One thing I learned from the election was that I seriously underestimated the amount of animus against Hillary. A word from Obama may well rally Trump's base. However, I was floored at the impact Laura Bush's Op Ed had. More Republican defections would be welcome. I think there are any number of conservative celebrities that could be successfully lobbied.
I think rallying Trump's base is irrelevant. Trump's base are pizza-gaters. They see George Soros paying protestors. They already think that Obama's deep state army is thwarting Trump. They don't need real life Obama to rally. Imaginary Obama is far more powerful for them.
I think the real concern about Obama being more active is that he can't get elected and he would suck up all the media oxygen available for other Democratic Party leaders who could.
posted by srboisvert at 5:41 AM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
I think rallying Trump's base is irrelevant. Trump's base are pizza-gaters. They see George Soros paying protestors. They already think that Obama's deep state army is thwarting Trump. They don't need real life Obama to rally. Imaginary Obama is far more powerful for them.
I think the real concern about Obama being more active is that he can't get elected and he would suck up all the media oxygen available for other Democratic Party leaders who could.
posted by srboisvert at 5:41 AM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
In California election news, it looks like Harley Rouda will be the Democratic challenger to Kremlin, er I mean Republican, incumbent Dana Rohrabacher in CA-48 (coastal Orange County). I know where I'm going to kick down some cash this summer! #DefeatRohrabacher #TurnCaliforniaAllBlue
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 5:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 5:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
But you want Trump’s base to be confused, disappointed, depressed, not angry and energized. The more whiplash we can give them, like wanting child jails and then having Dear Leader have to come out against child jails, and then the base has to remember which thing they have to pretend to be against, the better. If
Trump has to give up his trade war and do a rhetorical 180 before the midterms, I think that’s another win. Because while his base will follow him wherever he goes and pretend they always believed the things he’s saying today, no matter what he said yesterday, it’s demoralizing to have to change positions all the time, and if some of them don’t bother to vote instead of being fired up and angry, that’s a win. Obama’s chance to fix this was in 2016 and he blew it. He’s better off staying out of it now.
posted by rikschell at 5:51 AM on June 25, 2018 [19 favorites]
Trump has to give up his trade war and do a rhetorical 180 before the midterms, I think that’s another win. Because while his base will follow him wherever he goes and pretend they always believed the things he’s saying today, no matter what he said yesterday, it’s demoralizing to have to change positions all the time, and if some of them don’t bother to vote instead of being fired up and angry, that’s a win. Obama’s chance to fix this was in 2016 and he blew it. He’s better off staying out of it now.
posted by rikschell at 5:51 AM on June 25, 2018 [19 favorites]
Beta O'Rourke is within 5 points of Cruz in a new UT/Teas Tribune poll. (MOE 2.8)
Cruz - 41%
O'Rourke - 36%
Undecided - 17%
Other - 5%
The old saw that an incumbent not over 50% is in danger is not always true – if they have a big lead, it isn't so meaningful – but Cruz is neither over 50 nor leading big.
posted by chris24 at 5:52 AM on June 25, 2018 [54 favorites]
Cruz - 41%
O'Rourke - 36%
Undecided - 17%
Other - 5%
The old saw that an incumbent not over 50% is in danger is not always true – if they have a big lead, it isn't so meaningful – but Cruz is neither over 50 nor leading big.
posted by chris24 at 5:52 AM on June 25, 2018 [54 favorites]
Mattis isn't here to save us
Meanwhile, the knives are out for Mattis, and John Bolton's behind it.
NBC: Mattis Is Out Of The Loop And Trump Doesn't Listen To Him, Say Officials—On Iran, North Korea And Other Major Issues, The Defense Secretary Has Been Out Of The Loop
posted by Doktor Zed at 6:00 AM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
Meanwhile, the knives are out for Mattis, and John Bolton's behind it.
NBC: Mattis Is Out Of The Loop And Trump Doesn't Listen To Him, Say Officials—On Iran, North Korea And Other Major Issues, The Defense Secretary Has Been Out Of The Loop
In recent months, however, the president has cooled on Mattis, in part because he's come to believe his defense secretary looks down on him and slow-walks his policy directives, according to current and former administration officials. The dynamic was exacerbated with Trump's announcement in March that he had chosen John Bolton as national security adviser, a move Mattis opposed, and Mike Pompeo's confirmation as secretary of state soon after. The president is now more inclined to rely on his own instincts or the advice of Pompeo and Bolton, three people familiar with the matter said.[...]Meanwhile, Russia hopes to discuss Syria with Bolton in Moscow (Reuters)—another conversation from which Mattis is being excluded.
"He's never been one of the go-tos in the gang that's very close to the president," a senior White House official said. "But the president has a lot of respect for him."
In recent months, however, the president has cooled on Mattis, in part because he's come to believe his defense secretary looks down on him and slow-walks his policy directives, according to current and former administration officials. The dynamic was exacerbated with Trump's announcement in March that he had chosen John Bolton as national security adviser, a move Mattis opposed, and Mike Pompeo's confirmation as secretary of state soon after. The president is now more inclined to rely on his own instincts or the advice of Pompeo and Bolton, three people familiar with the matter said.
posted by Doktor Zed at 6:00 AM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
From a tweet thread cited eariler: For years, lefties have been warning about this devolution of the GOP, going back to Reagan. They have bene dismissed as crazy partisan hippies, condemned as "uncivil," told they are part of the problem, because being mad about illiberalism is just like illiberalism.
Make no mistake, the complaints about "civility" -- when there are no such complaints about arguing in obvious bad faith, to say nothing of lying -- is a deliberate attempt to move the goalposts and constrain the discourse. It's a major failing of the so-called "centrists" and the media, and gives far too much aid and comfort to dishonest conservative framing.
posted by Gelatin at 6:05 AM on June 25, 2018 [50 favorites]
Make no mistake, the complaints about "civility" -- when there are no such complaints about arguing in obvious bad faith, to say nothing of lying -- is a deliberate attempt to move the goalposts and constrain the discourse. It's a major failing of the so-called "centrists" and the media, and gives far too much aid and comfort to dishonest conservative framing.
posted by Gelatin at 6:05 AM on June 25, 2018 [50 favorites]
Mattis still wants internment/concentration camps set up for tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of people, so he doesn't get a pass for Trump only liking some of his racist and fascist tendencies.
posted by zombieflanders at 6:05 AM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by zombieflanders at 6:05 AM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
If
The United States of America saw what
The United States of America is doing
The United States of America would invade
The United States of America.
– shared with permission from anonymous, who served in the U.S. Armed Forces for 14 years
Generations from now will mark this week as the moment Americans realized we were losing our country as we have known it.
Amy Siskind adds to the documentation of the illiberality.
posted by stonepharisee at 6:18 AM on June 25, 2018 [82 favorites]
The United States of America saw what
The United States of America is doing
The United States of America would invade
The United States of America.
– shared with permission from anonymous, who served in the U.S. Armed Forces for 14 years
Generations from now will mark this week as the moment Americans realized we were losing our country as we have known it.
Amy Siskind adds to the documentation of the illiberality.
posted by stonepharisee at 6:18 AM on June 25, 2018 [82 favorites]
In actual vast right wing conspiracy news from this side of the pond,
Brexit’s Big Short: How Pollsters Helped Hedge Funds Beat the Crash - Private polls—and a timely ‘concession’ from the face of Leave—allowed the funds to make millions off the pound’s collapse.
Shortly before the Brexit poll closed Farage (" a former commodities broker who also went to work for a London currency trading company after he moved into politics") conceded defeat, even though he and the Leave campaign had recent, large scale, poll analysis indicating that they would almost certainly win.
Brexit’s Big Short: How Pollsters Helped Hedge Funds Beat the Crash - Private polls—and a timely ‘concession’ from the face of Leave—allowed the funds to make millions off the pound’s collapse.
Shortly before the Brexit poll closed Farage (" a former commodities broker who also went to work for a London currency trading company after he moved into politics") conceded defeat, even though he and the Leave campaign had recent, large scale, poll analysis indicating that they would almost certainly win.
The news pushed the U.K.’s currency up—herding investors toward a cliff hours ahead of one of the largest crashes for any major currency since the birth of the modern global financial system. Trillions of dollars in asset values would be wiped off the books, but not just yet.posted by Buntix at 6:23 AM on June 25, 2018 [35 favorites]
At 10:52 p.m., the pound rose above $1.50 and reached its highest mark in six months. A few minutes later, Ed Conway, the Sky News economics editor, appeared before a giant screen showing the spike. The pound had been tracking polls for months, Conway explained. Whether they were on couches in London or at trading desks in Chicago, people watching Sky or reading headlines sparked by its coverage had every reason to think Remain would prevail. But not quite everyone.
Behind the scenes, a small group of people had a secret—and billions of dollars were at stake.
I can't recommend that story posted by Buntix highly enough. The words 'Farage' and 'sewer' (and of courseTrump and Putin) are yet again in very close proximity
posted by Myeral at 6:26 AM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Myeral at 6:26 AM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
There's been no further local news about it, but the NY Daily News claims that he was allegedly turning student information over to ICE.
Probably because the local press was all over it before he quit, see, for example, this Globe story: Chang, BPS sued over secrecy surrounding student information sharing with ICE (and the story in fact had surfaced months earlier).
The ICE thing was, possibly, one of many, many things that got the mayor who hired him to hating him, and if Chang, himself an immigrant, didn't quit over an investigation by the US Attorney's office into racial bias at the city's top exam school, I'm not sure the lawsuit by itself would have been enough to make him quit.
posted by adamg at 6:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
Probably because the local press was all over it before he quit, see, for example, this Globe story: Chang, BPS sued over secrecy surrounding student information sharing with ICE (and the story in fact had surfaced months earlier).
The ICE thing was, possibly, one of many, many things that got the mayor who hired him to hating him, and if Chang, himself an immigrant, didn't quit over an investigation by the US Attorney's office into racial bias at the city's top exam school, I'm not sure the lawsuit by itself would have been enough to make him quit.
posted by adamg at 6:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
The Red Hen Restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies, doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!
So, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a government official statement (as determined in Knight v. Trump) defaming a private business and specifically a competing private business in a sector (restaurants) where the predisent has a highly publicized ownership stake? I know that in the flurry of technically legal straight-up evil going around this sort of corruption seems pretty small potatoes, and IANAL, but I'd think there's a very winnable case alleging improper use of governmental authority here, and a plaintiff with undeniable standing to attest to damages.
posted by jackbishop at 6:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [129 favorites]
So, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a government official statement (as determined in Knight v. Trump) defaming a private business and specifically a competing private business in a sector (restaurants) where the predisent has a highly publicized ownership stake? I know that in the flurry of technically legal straight-up evil going around this sort of corruption seems pretty small potatoes, and IANAL, but I'd think there's a very winnable case alleging improper use of governmental authority here, and a plaintiff with undeniable standing to attest to damages.
posted by jackbishop at 6:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [129 favorites]
(many, many) people down here (NZ) are upset, very concerned, and no-one knows what is going to happen. From here it looks like 1931; but things move fast nowadays. I simply don't know why everyone's not in the streets there, soon it may not be possible (yes I know, permits for protests but this, this looks most urgent) - words fail me when I think about all this.
Because it is largely the American way to fail to get excited unless something smacks you squarely across the eyes and personally and negatively affects you, or your money, or your family, or your job, or your close friends and neighbors in descending order of priority. And, frankly, we're too busy trying to keep our own heads above water in large part than to go out looking for other drowning victims.
Arguably part of the human condition, not just Americanism, in a tragedy-of-the-commons kind of way. But we Americans are SO good at it, collectively.
Make no mistake, the complaints about "civility" -- when there are no such complaints about arguing in obvious bad faith, to say nothing of lying -- is a deliberate attempt to move the goalposts and constrain the discourse. It's a major failing of the so-called "centrists" and the media, and gives far too much aid and comfort to dishonest conservative framing.
110% true. "Civility" is to be applied to conservatives, but not granted to centrists or liberals precisely because the desired framing is that conservative ideals are the only ones that 30-40% of our population deem worthy of being acceptable to even debate, much less practice.
posted by delfin at 6:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [17 favorites]
Because it is largely the American way to fail to get excited unless something smacks you squarely across the eyes and personally and negatively affects you, or your money, or your family, or your job, or your close friends and neighbors in descending order of priority. And, frankly, we're too busy trying to keep our own heads above water in large part than to go out looking for other drowning victims.
Arguably part of the human condition, not just Americanism, in a tragedy-of-the-commons kind of way. But we Americans are SO good at it, collectively.
Make no mistake, the complaints about "civility" -- when there are no such complaints about arguing in obvious bad faith, to say nothing of lying -- is a deliberate attempt to move the goalposts and constrain the discourse. It's a major failing of the so-called "centrists" and the media, and gives far too much aid and comfort to dishonest conservative framing.
110% true. "Civility" is to be applied to conservatives, but not granted to centrists or liberals precisely because the desired framing is that conservative ideals are the only ones that 30-40% of our population deem worthy of being acceptable to even debate, much less practice.
posted by delfin at 6:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [17 favorites]
OVERHEARD: Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, joking to the crowd: “If you get me one more glass of wine, I’ll tell you stuff only Bob Mueller and I know. If you think you’ve seen wild stuff so far, buckle up. It’s going to be a wild couple of months.”
Honestly - really, deeply honestly - it is past time for all of this trolling to be over. It is time for Mueller et al. to act. The illegitimate, blatantly lawbreaking and wildly immoral administration is kidnapping and torturing (and likely killing) CHILDREN. Mueller needs to go to war with the army he has. He is the only hope of stopping all of this, as any normal political or bureaucratic brakes are utterly broken.
The citizenry is powerless ... all I can do is call, donate, match, and I have but it is futile when the administrating has been kidnapping and torturing children since MAY.
Mueller needs to act now. The wild months of national reckoning have to start sometime, and kidnapping and torturing children is a clear line. We are well past normal scope of influence. Someone has got to stop this charade, and it's got to be by indictment.
posted by Dashy at 6:30 AM on June 25, 2018 [27 favorites]
Honestly - really, deeply honestly - it is past time for all of this trolling to be over. It is time for Mueller et al. to act. The illegitimate, blatantly lawbreaking and wildly immoral administration is kidnapping and torturing (and likely killing) CHILDREN. Mueller needs to go to war with the army he has. He is the only hope of stopping all of this, as any normal political or bureaucratic brakes are utterly broken.
The citizenry is powerless ... all I can do is call, donate, match, and I have but it is futile when the administrating has been kidnapping and torturing children since MAY.
Mueller needs to act now. The wild months of national reckoning have to start sometime, and kidnapping and torturing children is a clear line. We are well past normal scope of influence. Someone has got to stop this charade, and it's got to be by indictment.
posted by Dashy at 6:30 AM on June 25, 2018 [27 favorites]
The lack of seriousness from Warner is intensely galling. Revealing human rights abuses isn't meant to be the province of a slightly cheap gameshow huckster.
posted by jaduncan at 6:41 AM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
posted by jaduncan at 6:41 AM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
At least two things are stopping Mueller:
Mueller's findings are of dire national importance. He is only going to get one shot at this. It is imperative that he takes the time to dot every i and cross every t, make his findings as undeniable and inarguable as possible and backed by fact, and balance that against the inevitability of having some of his findings supported by evidence that cannot become general public knowledge. (Which will, in and of itself, be seized upon as proof that the whole thing is a railroading because OBVIOUSLY he's lying for partisan purposes or he'd release everything!)
The other thing is that while he may certainly have arrows in his quiver aimed at Trump, he may not have enough to personally involve Trump to the point where he could be potentially brought down. If Trump is unscarred enough to say "Oh well, the indicted people are no longer part of my administration, back to work" with a new batch of corrupt underlings, the country is no better off.
If you come at the king, you best not miss.
posted by delfin at 6:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [123 favorites]
Mueller's findings are of dire national importance. He is only going to get one shot at this. It is imperative that he takes the time to dot every i and cross every t, make his findings as undeniable and inarguable as possible and backed by fact, and balance that against the inevitability of having some of his findings supported by evidence that cannot become general public knowledge. (Which will, in and of itself, be seized upon as proof that the whole thing is a railroading because OBVIOUSLY he's lying for partisan purposes or he'd release everything!)
The other thing is that while he may certainly have arrows in his quiver aimed at Trump, he may not have enough to personally involve Trump to the point where he could be potentially brought down. If Trump is unscarred enough to say "Oh well, the indicted people are no longer part of my administration, back to work" with a new batch of corrupt underlings, the country is no better off.
If you come at the king, you best not miss.
posted by delfin at 6:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [123 favorites]
Josh Marshall of TPM with a timely piece entitled Against Civility:
[Civility] is a mealy-mouthed word that has no clear meaning beyond social delicacy and the importance of not speaking up too aggressively. As a society the line we should guard is opposition to violence, physical intimidation and menace as tools of civic life. [...]posted by Excommunicated Cardinal at 6:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [74 favorites]
When it comes to protests, mean words, civil disobedience, boycotts, public shunning, we may disagree when one of other is wise or called for. But these are entirely legitimate tools of political action, civic action. Many calls for civility are simply calls for unilateral disarmament from those protesting injustices and abuses of power. [...]
Most of the civility talk isn’t about any real red line, any boundary that is critical to the kind of free society we want to preserve and build. It’s more a wet blanket meant to tsk tsk legitimate protest and legitimate resistance to corrupt government, misrule and injustice.
FINALLY a brave Republican senator has made a real threat to Trump-- stalling his judicial nominees-- until the administration stops kidnapping little chi--
what? what's that you say? It's over tariffs? Nothing about the kids in cages?
FML
posted by gwint at 6:46 AM on June 25, 2018 [35 favorites]
what? what's that you say? It's over tariffs? Nothing about the kids in cages?
FML
posted by gwint at 6:46 AM on June 25, 2018 [35 favorites]
I'm very concerned about the midterms at this point. Trump is choosing the battleground, and it's one that he has an advantage on.
As awful as the treatment of immigrant children is, virtually all Republicans and many swing voters agree with it. Fundamentally, conservatives don't think the government should be humane, it should just be fair to all. "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids American citizens and immigrant kids from crossing the border illegally." This isn't a viewpoint I agree with, but a large fraction of Americans (including many sort-of-liberal people) are in that philosophical camp.
Meanwhile, by choosing immigration as the battleground, Trump is distracting voters from his nonexistent health care and economic policies, tax cuts for the super-rich, and his own blatant corruption and absurd personal behavior. Don't get me wrong, the treatment of these kids is horrifying. But it's also a carefully calculated distraction.
I don't think Democrats have fully appreciated this political jujitsu that's going on, or how bad it is for us.
posted by miyabo at 6:49 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
As awful as the treatment of immigrant children is, virtually all Republicans and many swing voters agree with it. Fundamentally, conservatives don't think the government should be humane, it should just be fair to all. "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids American citizens and immigrant kids from crossing the border illegally." This isn't a viewpoint I agree with, but a large fraction of Americans (including many sort-of-liberal people) are in that philosophical camp.
Meanwhile, by choosing immigration as the battleground, Trump is distracting voters from his nonexistent health care and economic policies, tax cuts for the super-rich, and his own blatant corruption and absurd personal behavior. Don't get me wrong, the treatment of these kids is horrifying. But it's also a carefully calculated distraction.
I don't think Democrats have fully appreciated this political jujitsu that's going on, or how bad it is for us.
posted by miyabo at 6:49 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
There's nothing authentic about the visits to Mexican restaurants - they seem intended to draw protest and outrage and enforce stereotypes. Red Hen feels like something else.
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:50 AM on June 25, 2018
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:50 AM on June 25, 2018
Fundamentally, conservatives don't think the government should be humane, it should just be fair to all
Kidnapping kids and putting them in cages. I have to believe at least 51% of voters believe this is wrong enough to vote those who support this policy out. I just have to.
posted by gwint at 6:52 AM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
Kidnapping kids and putting them in cages. I have to believe at least 51% of voters believe this is wrong enough to vote those who support this policy out. I just have to.
posted by gwint at 6:52 AM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
Its my hope that members of this admin get refused at so many places that it just becomes commonplace and we stop talking about it since its as everyday as... ( checks notes ) child imprisonment.
posted by localhuman at 6:53 AM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by localhuman at 6:53 AM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
Re: Civility.
Josh Marshall
Mike Kinsley once wisely noted that half of politics is Republicans getting vapors when Democrats try out tactics Republicans pioneered two cycles earlier.
---
As awful as the treatment of immigrant children is, virtually all Republicans and many swing voters agree with it.
Sorry but no. There has been a huge uproar specifically against this. McConnell even came out and said every senator was against it. 21 R senators signed letter to Trump asking for it to be ended. Trump had to reverse himself. It is a good issue for motivating his racist base, but even there support was down around 55-60%, not the usual 90%. Franklin Graham and other Trump supporting evangelicals came out against it. No doubt it will get his hardcore racists out, but they were probably coming out regardless. It doesn't convince many others.
posted by chris24 at 6:56 AM on June 25, 2018 [50 favorites]
Josh Marshall
Mike Kinsley once wisely noted that half of politics is Republicans getting vapors when Democrats try out tactics Republicans pioneered two cycles earlier.
---
As awful as the treatment of immigrant children is, virtually all Republicans and many swing voters agree with it.
Sorry but no. There has been a huge uproar specifically against this. McConnell even came out and said every senator was against it. 21 R senators signed letter to Trump asking for it to be ended. Trump had to reverse himself. It is a good issue for motivating his racist base, but even there support was down around 55-60%, not the usual 90%. Franklin Graham and other Trump supporting evangelicals came out against it. No doubt it will get his hardcore racists out, but they were probably coming out regardless. It doesn't convince many others.
posted by chris24 at 6:56 AM on June 25, 2018 [50 favorites]
And honestly I don't give a fuck if it's a bad issue for Ds. It's the right thing to do morally to fight concentration camps and fascist dehumanization and torture of an ethnic group.
posted by chris24 at 6:59 AM on June 25, 2018 [94 favorites]
posted by chris24 at 6:59 AM on June 25, 2018 [94 favorites]
I'm very concerned about the midterms at this point. Trump is choosing the battleground, and it's one that he has an advantage on.
As awful as the treatment of immigrant children is, virtually all Republicans and many swing voters agree with it. Fundamentally, conservatives don't think the government should be humane, it should just be fair to all. "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids American citizens and immigrant kids from crossing the border illegally." This isn't a viewpoint I agree with, but a large fraction of Americans (including many sort-of-liberal people) are in that philosophical camp.
I think it's fine to be concerned about midterms - if despair is a sin, then so is complacency. But I believe that getting out the vote, not kissing "swing voter" butt, is what will save us. Repeat after me: There. Are. No. Swing. Voters. Swing voters are relics of the past. So, forget the nonexistent "swing" voter and get the souls to the polls and the butts in the booths. That is the Democrats' Achilles heel.
And take "Democrats In Disarray!" with a heaping helping of salt. The media loves the horse race, OMG DISARRAY narrative, and that drives down turnout. When we vote, we win.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 7:00 AM on June 25, 2018 [60 favorites]
As awful as the treatment of immigrant children is, virtually all Republicans and many swing voters agree with it. Fundamentally, conservatives don't think the government should be humane, it should just be fair to all. "The law, in its majestic equality, forbids American citizens and immigrant kids from crossing the border illegally." This isn't a viewpoint I agree with, but a large fraction of Americans (including many sort-of-liberal people) are in that philosophical camp.
I think it's fine to be concerned about midterms - if despair is a sin, then so is complacency. But I believe that getting out the vote, not kissing "swing voter" butt, is what will save us. Repeat after me: There. Are. No. Swing. Voters. Swing voters are relics of the past. So, forget the nonexistent "swing" voter and get the souls to the polls and the butts in the booths. That is the Democrats' Achilles heel.
And take "Democrats In Disarray!" with a heaping helping of salt. The media loves the horse race, OMG DISARRAY narrative, and that drives down turnout. When we vote, we win.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 7:00 AM on June 25, 2018 [60 favorites]
If you come at the king, you best not miss.
We are well past conventional wisdom. We are kidnapping and torturing children.
Even what's on the public domain is enough, as most of us know. It will take years, maybe a decade or more, to come to a full accounting of the president* 's evils and wrongs. Children are being intentionally traumatized NOW. It's go time.
posted by Dashy at 7:00 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
We are well past conventional wisdom. We are kidnapping and torturing children.
Even what's on the public domain is enough, as most of us know. It will take years, maybe a decade or more, to come to a full accounting of the president* 's evils and wrongs. Children are being intentionally traumatized NOW. It's go time.
posted by Dashy at 7:00 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
It's a sign of the times that an issue denounced by both the left and the right isn't strong enough to let them come together in taking action to defeat it.
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:03 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
posted by ZeusHumms at 7:03 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
(This may not be at home in this thread, mods feel free to delete, but migration flows have acquired a global prominence and are affecting political developments everywhere, so . . .)
WaPo: Algeria abandons 13,000 migrants in the Sahara in waves
posted by stonepharisee at 7:04 AM on June 25, 2018 [40 favorites]
WaPo: Algeria abandons 13,000 migrants in the Sahara in waves
Here in the desert, Algeria has abandoned more than 13,000 people in the past 14 months, including pregnant women and children, stranding them without food or water and forcing them to walk, sometimes at gunpoint, under temperatures of up to 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit).Humanity stands in need of definition and consolidation as never before.
posted by stonepharisee at 7:04 AM on June 25, 2018 [40 favorites]
I think it's fine to be concerned about midterms - if despair is a sin, then so is complacency. But I believe that getting out the vote, not kissing "swing voter" butt, is what will save us.
QFT.
As I mentioned in the previous thread, this cycle is all about turn out.
posted by gwint at 7:04 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
QFT.
As I mentioned in the previous thread, this cycle is all about turn out.
posted by gwint at 7:04 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
SCOTUS just said Texas' blatantly racist redistricting wasn't actually racist, 5-4 decision.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:04 AM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by zombieflanders at 7:04 AM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
They also punted on NC's blatantly racist redistricting and voter suppression, so Roberts' personal vendetta to kill off the VRA entirely after gutting it in Shelby v Holder is still going strong.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:06 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by zombieflanders at 7:06 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
triggerfinger I flagged that Tor Ekland comment as fantastic. Here's one more for his great feed:
@TorEkelandPCposted by yoga at 7:09 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
The ones calling for civility are often the most uncivil among us. #Thread
9:56 AM - 25 Jun 2018
Gorsuch strikes again. Abbott v. Perez opinion pdf. Sotomayor's dissent is longer than the majority opinion. Only one district held to be a racial gerrymander (though it's not really possible to just redraw one district).
posted by melissasaurus at 7:11 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by melissasaurus at 7:11 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
Civil uproar and shouting down the opposition in a public house was once famously celebrated in film. A little restorative from Casablanca.
posted by klarck at 7:11 AM on June 25, 2018 [33 favorites]
posted by klarck at 7:11 AM on June 25, 2018 [33 favorites]
FYI - the Court is done issuing opinions for the day, so we aren't getting the muslim ban case today.
posted by melissasaurus at 7:13 AM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by melissasaurus at 7:13 AM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Most of the civility talk isn’t about any real red line, ... It’s more a wet blanket meant to tsk tsk legitimate protest and legitimate resistance to ... injustice. [from TPM]
If people throw this c-word (civility) at you, push back and be clear that you know "civility" means "deference" and "due deference" to the very hierarchical Republican conservative POV. Absolutely don't apologize for yelling truth to power.
posted by puddledork at 7:19 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
If people throw this c-word (civility) at you, push back and be clear that you know "civility" means "deference" and "due deference" to the very hierarchical Republican conservative POV. Absolutely don't apologize for yelling truth to power.
posted by puddledork at 7:19 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!
Trump's Mirror never fails!
CNN: Trump's Mar-a-Lago kitchen slapped with 13 health violations (h/t @ddale8)
posted by Doktor Zed at 7:21 AM on June 25, 2018 [70 favorites]
Trump's Mirror never fails!
CNN: Trump's Mar-a-Lago kitchen slapped with 13 health violations (h/t @ddale8)
posted by Doktor Zed at 7:21 AM on June 25, 2018 [70 favorites]
Meanwhile, by choosing immigration as the battleground, Trump is distracting voters from his nonexistent health care and economic policies, tax cuts for the super-rich, and his own blatant corruption and absurd personal behavior. Don't get me wrong, the treatment of these kids is horrifying. But it's also a carefully calculated distraction.
I don't think Democrats have fully appreciated this political jujitsu that's going on, or how bad it is for us.
I know you're getting strong pushback on this, but it is sort of the thesis of a New Yorker article I read last week and can't find now. It honestly scares the fuck out of me to think how Trump would use a health or terrorism crisis at this juncture. I think that we have to realize that people are tribal, and we're going to have appeal to people's sense of universal values to override tribal impulses. Which are unfortunately very strong.
posted by angrycat at 7:21 AM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
I don't think Democrats have fully appreciated this political jujitsu that's going on, or how bad it is for us.
I know you're getting strong pushback on this, but it is sort of the thesis of a New Yorker article I read last week and can't find now. It honestly scares the fuck out of me to think how Trump would use a health or terrorism crisis at this juncture. I think that we have to realize that people are tribal, and we're going to have appeal to people's sense of universal values to override tribal impulses. Which are unfortunately very strong.
posted by angrycat at 7:21 AM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Do the people working for the Trump Administration not realize that a relatively high percentage of restaurant workers are immigrants?
They should probably all just stop eating out if they know what's best for them. For every one that gets kicked or chased out, there's probably a dozen more who were quietly served food with sputum (or worse!) in it.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:23 AM on June 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
They should probably all just stop eating out if they know what's best for them. For every one that gets kicked or chased out, there's probably a dozen more who were quietly served food with sputum (or worse!) in it.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:23 AM on June 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
Mod note: Y'all are doing fine right now, but I might start putting these reminders in more regularly just to keep 'em visible over the long course of each of these threads, so:
Please try and keep the focus in here on substantial "what's happening" links and info, to keep this usefully readable for people trying to keep up; keep riffing reasonable contained (a good joke here and there is fine, a long run of 'em or a joke about each thing that comes along is likely to bloat the thread) and avoid spinning up into side-arguments and/or rehashes of past arguments and known sticking points. Keeping these threads manageable is a collaborative effort; it can't just be the mods pruning, it needs to be y'all filtering on the way in. More info in this post from last year. Thanks for your help on this.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:25 AM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
Please try and keep the focus in here on substantial "what's happening" links and info, to keep this usefully readable for people trying to keep up; keep riffing reasonable contained (a good joke here and there is fine, a long run of 'em or a joke about each thing that comes along is likely to bloat the thread) and avoid spinning up into side-arguments and/or rehashes of past arguments and known sticking points. Keeping these threads manageable is a collaborative effort; it can't just be the mods pruning, it needs to be y'all filtering on the way in. More info in this post from last year. Thanks for your help on this.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:25 AM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
Harley-Davidson to Move Some Production From U.S. Because of E.U. Tariffs
Harley-Davidson, the American motorcycle manufacturer, said on Monday that it was shifting some of the production of its bikes outside the United States to avoid European Union tariffs imposed as part of a widening trade dispute.posted by kirkaracha at 7:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
It honestly scares the fuck out of me to think how Trump would use a health or terrorism crisis at this juncture.
After his tweets last year talking about a big surprise or whatever before the midterms, my nightmares have involved many variations of the Reichstag Fire
posted by schadenfrau at 7:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
After his tweets last year talking about a big surprise or whatever before the midterms, my nightmares have involved many variations of the Reichstag Fire
posted by schadenfrau at 7:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
Are you being served? Maybe not, if you're a fascist.
I've been thinking it's time for Jeff Foxworthy to make a comeback, but to remind people to not be racist, misogynist assholes.
"You might be a Nazi if ... you say 'Hitler had some good ideas.' "
"You might be an asshole if ... you can only defend your words by shouting 'Free speech! Free speech!' "
Back to current politics more specifically: Do Trump's Endorsements Move Voters? Tuesday Will Test His Electoral Mojo (NPR, June 25, 2018)
I've been thinking it's time for Jeff Foxworthy to make a comeback, but to remind people to not be racist, misogynist assholes.
"You might be a Nazi if ... you say 'Hitler had some good ideas.' "
"You might be an asshole if ... you can only defend your words by shouting 'Free speech! Free speech!' "
Back to current politics more specifically: Do Trump's Endorsements Move Voters? Tuesday Will Test His Electoral Mojo (NPR, June 25, 2018)
This Tuesday offers two tests of how much Trump's influence can truly boost a candidate after he endorsed South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and New York Rep. Dan Donovan in their primary fights.Pentagon Will Build 2 More Temporary Camps To House Migrants, Mattis Says (NPR, June 25, 2018)
In South Carolina, Trump is going all in for McMaster, who was the first statewide-elected official to endorse his 2016 presidential bid back when Trump was largely a political pariah among Republican officeholders. McMaster was promoted from lieutenant governor when Trump selected then-Gov. Nikki Haley to be his ambassador to the United Nations, and now McMaster finds himself in a runoff against wealthy businessman John Warren.
Trump is appearing at a rally in Columbia for McMaster on Monday, and Vice President Pence also campaigned for him over the weekend. Trump has also frequently tweeted in support of McMaster, writing on Friday that he's a "truly fine man." In past tweets, he's praised him as someone who's "strong on Crime and Borders, great for our Military and our Vets."
...
His rival, Warren, has been arguing he's the candidate more closely aligned to Trump — an outsider businessman who would shake up the political system, as opposed to McMaster, who's held elective office in the state for much of the past 15 years.
...
In comparison to McMaster, the president has taken a more hands-off approach with Donovan ahead of Tuesday. The incumbent is facing a vigorous primary challenge from former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, who is attempting to mount a comeback after pleading guilty to tax evasion charges and serving seven months in federal prison. Part of Grimm's case against Donovan has been that the incumbent isn't supportive enough of Trump.
Of the military's plan to build camps, Mattis said, "providing shelter for people without shelter — we consider that to be a logistics function that is quite appropriate."posted by filthy light thief at 7:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
The secretary described the plan to reporters on board his plane as he traveled to Asia to visit his counterparts in China, South Korea, and Japan.
Mattis compared the temporary camps to the military's response during a humanitarian crisis.
"This is something that we can do. Again, whether it be refugee boat people from Vietnam, people who've been knocked out of their homes by a hurricane – absolutely, it's appropriate the military provide logistic support however it's needed."
My sign for the June 30th protest is going to say "No Camps!"
posted by OnceUponATime at 7:35 AM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by OnceUponATime at 7:35 AM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Of the military's plan to build camps, Mattis said, "providing shelter for people without shelter — we consider that to be a logistics function that is quite appropriate." [...] "This is something that we can do. Again, whether it be refugee boat people from Vietnam, people who've been knocked out of their homes by a hurricane – absolutely, it's appropriate the military provide logistic support however it's needed."
"Moderate" is a misinterpretation of banal.
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:37 AM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
"Moderate" is a misinterpretation of banal.
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:37 AM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
You know what's civil? Taking a knee during a moment that is supposed to be for somber, quiet reflection. And yet, it's not good enough. Go figure.
posted by Etrigan at 7:38 AM on June 25, 2018 [91 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 7:38 AM on June 25, 2018 [91 favorites]
I went kayaking yesterday afternoon. Loaded up the boat and headed south the the biggest lake in the area (most of you from other parts of the country would laugh at it being called a “lake” and not a “pond” or “puddle.” But I digress.) From the hills along the way to the lake, I can see Mexico - I could have been at the border crossing at Nogales in just a few minutes. This all brings up one reason why I seldom go south anymore. Border Patrol. EVERYWHERE. No matter which route you take, you will end up going through a BP checkpoint, with menacing lights, drug dogs, signs, etc. Driving around, their trucks are all over the place. I’m about as white as you can be, I’ve never done drugs, I’m one of those people that just gets waved through, usually without even a cursory “US citizen?” The definition of privilege. Still, that doesn’t mean that one of these days I’m not going to run into a BP officer who gets a wild hair and decides to run me through the wringer before finally letting me through. While I get through easily, I’ll see vehicles that have Latinos in them where everyone is ordered to show ID. I was hoping this all would start to subside. Instead these guys are getting a blank check with Trump in the White House. I don’t know what everyone’s definition of “freedom” is but mine involves not having to go through checkpoints 25 miles inside the border.
posted by azpenguin at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2018 [82 favorites]
posted by azpenguin at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2018 [82 favorites]
Trey Radel (fmr R congressman)
How long until we have Republican or Democrat only restaurants? So fucking stupid. All of it. The owner. Sanders tweeting it. All of it. Just dumb. America, do yourself a favor, befriend a person who has opposite political views and learn from them.
Julian Sanchez
Retweeted Trey Radel
In any other year I’d agree with this. But decent people have nothing to learn from Trump supporters but which direction to spit in. I say this as a libertarian with no particular affection for the Democratic Party. It’s an insult to serious thought on the right to pretend a toxic soup of racism, hero worship, and ressentiment against the educated represents some interesting body of thought worth engaging. By all means, befriend someone with a different political philosophy. But Trumpism finally is what Lionel Trilling once claimed all conservatism was: A set of irritable mental gestures which seek to resemble ideas. Anyone who engages with that poisonous farrago and imagines they’ve confronted a serious opposing ideology is kidding themselves. Engaging with the best political thought you disagree with is an excellent principle. You make a mockery of it if you pretend any old trashheap of inchoate impulses with an electoral coalition behind it counts as “political thought.” If the idea of learning from disagreement is completely detatched from whether the “other side” has anything intelligent or interesting to say, it’s as vacuous a reflex as mechanical partisanship.
Also, my god, can we finally be rid of this lame and cowardly notion that it’s somehow unseemly or narrow minded to judge people personally for their political commitments? Because of course it’s not, and nobody seriously believes that for ANY political commitment. People just get squeamish about admitting that it might be true about a political commitment *with a lot of current adherents.* It’s fundamentally a form of cowardice and denial; pretending we’re still in the realm of normal politics where disagreements are reasonable. People ask rhetorical questions like: “so you think millions of your fellow Americans believe something vile and evil?” And this is, again, cowardice: It is tactitly the refusal to call evil by its name if enough people believe in it. Millions have often believed evil things. I would dearly love to be in the world of reasonable disagreement. I get the impulse to pretend that’s still our political environment. But there’s a point at which denial becomes shameful.
posted by chris24 at 7:44 AM on June 25, 2018 [159 favorites]
How long until we have Republican or Democrat only restaurants? So fucking stupid. All of it. The owner. Sanders tweeting it. All of it. Just dumb. America, do yourself a favor, befriend a person who has opposite political views and learn from them.
Julian Sanchez
Retweeted Trey Radel
In any other year I’d agree with this. But decent people have nothing to learn from Trump supporters but which direction to spit in. I say this as a libertarian with no particular affection for the Democratic Party. It’s an insult to serious thought on the right to pretend a toxic soup of racism, hero worship, and ressentiment against the educated represents some interesting body of thought worth engaging. By all means, befriend someone with a different political philosophy. But Trumpism finally is what Lionel Trilling once claimed all conservatism was: A set of irritable mental gestures which seek to resemble ideas. Anyone who engages with that poisonous farrago and imagines they’ve confronted a serious opposing ideology is kidding themselves. Engaging with the best political thought you disagree with is an excellent principle. You make a mockery of it if you pretend any old trashheap of inchoate impulses with an electoral coalition behind it counts as “political thought.” If the idea of learning from disagreement is completely detatched from whether the “other side” has anything intelligent or interesting to say, it’s as vacuous a reflex as mechanical partisanship.
Also, my god, can we finally be rid of this lame and cowardly notion that it’s somehow unseemly or narrow minded to judge people personally for their political commitments? Because of course it’s not, and nobody seriously believes that for ANY political commitment. People just get squeamish about admitting that it might be true about a political commitment *with a lot of current adherents.* It’s fundamentally a form of cowardice and denial; pretending we’re still in the realm of normal politics where disagreements are reasonable. People ask rhetorical questions like: “so you think millions of your fellow Americans believe something vile and evil?” And this is, again, cowardice: It is tactitly the refusal to call evil by its name if enough people believe in it. Millions have often believed evil things. I would dearly love to be in the world of reasonable disagreement. I get the impulse to pretend that’s still our political environment. But there’s a point at which denial becomes shameful.
posted by chris24 at 7:44 AM on June 25, 2018 [159 favorites]
Oh hey Betsy DeVos's Bethany Christian Services won the contract to provide foster homes for a bunch of the kids taken from their parents at the border. I think I see where this is going:
Step 1: Separate kids from parents at the border, declare the kids to now be "unaccompanied minors."
Step 2: Deport the parents without their kids, declare the kids to now be "abandoned."
Step 3: Adopt out the kids at $50,000 each. PROFIT!
Every thousand kids they can process like this are worth $50 million. There's already a history of kids being kidnapped from Guatemala and other poor countries to feed American demand for adoptable babies. Now they don't even have to leave the country to acquire them!
posted by Jacqueline at 7:46 AM on June 25, 2018 [73 favorites]
Step 1: Separate kids from parents at the border, declare the kids to now be "unaccompanied minors."
Step 2: Deport the parents without their kids, declare the kids to now be "abandoned."
Step 3: Adopt out the kids at $50,000 each. PROFIT!
Every thousand kids they can process like this are worth $50 million. There's already a history of kids being kidnapped from Guatemala and other poor countries to feed American demand for adoptable babies. Now they don't even have to leave the country to acquire them!
posted by Jacqueline at 7:46 AM on June 25, 2018 [73 favorites]
I think the general team of Republican supporters waking up to "actions have consequences" is really interesting. These people used to mingle among themselves, never exposed to a differing opinion, all safe in the knowledge that certain unspoken values were shared.
As soon as they are taken out of their bubble and confronted with the fact, that, no, not everyone thinks other ethnic groups are basically subhuman, and that there are people who actually do have higher ideals than the accumulation of wealth they cannot cope with it, and they cannot refrain from running their mouths - saying all the things out loud in public that got chuckles and knowing nods in private.
And they have lived in this community of their own for so long, they don't even know how to convincingly fake basic human decency anymore.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 7:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
As soon as they are taken out of their bubble and confronted with the fact, that, no, not everyone thinks other ethnic groups are basically subhuman, and that there are people who actually do have higher ideals than the accumulation of wealth they cannot cope with it, and they cannot refrain from running their mouths - saying all the things out loud in public that got chuckles and knowing nods in private.
And they have lived in this community of their own for so long, they don't even know how to convincingly fake basic human decency anymore.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 7:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
Mattis still wants internment/concentration camps set up for tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of people
I don’t believe he does - it seems more like some of his previous attempts to take as much under his umbrella while not seeming to publicly criticize Trump. If it’s run by the military, there can be oversight, is probably what he’s thinking. I think he’s wrong - especially if, as the article upthread suggests, Trump is getting wise that Mattis “looks down on him and slow-walks his policy directives”.
But I also may be underestimating the damage to American democracy if the military, led by the SecDef, started refusing civilian authority. I think we can withstand it and it’s time to do it, but it’s possible the consequences would be far graver than I can see. We’ve never had a coup here - it’s possible the destabilization that it would cause would tear everything down. I just think it’s getting to that place if not there.
posted by corb at 8:02 AM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
I don’t believe he does - it seems more like some of his previous attempts to take as much under his umbrella while not seeming to publicly criticize Trump. If it’s run by the military, there can be oversight, is probably what he’s thinking. I think he’s wrong - especially if, as the article upthread suggests, Trump is getting wise that Mattis “looks down on him and slow-walks his policy directives”.
But I also may be underestimating the damage to American democracy if the military, led by the SecDef, started refusing civilian authority. I think we can withstand it and it’s time to do it, but it’s possible the consequences would be far graver than I can see. We’ve never had a coup here - it’s possible the destabilization that it would cause would tear everything down. I just think it’s getting to that place if not there.
posted by corb at 8:02 AM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
The military is full of deplorables.
Remember that ICE guy with the iron cross tattoo, and it was “actually” a marine tattoo? It probably is, but it’s also totally an Iron Cross tattoo. That’s normal there.
posted by Artw at 8:09 AM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
Remember that ICE guy with the iron cross tattoo, and it was “actually” a marine tattoo? It probably is, but it’s also totally an Iron Cross tattoo. That’s normal there.
posted by Artw at 8:09 AM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
At this point, the 'civility' debate regarding Republicans comes down to determining which camp they're truly in -- the ones who really and fervently believe that those not in their tribe are subhuman and of a lower caste and unworthy of citizenship, much less eligibility to govern, versus the ones who are simply self-absorbed, ignorant of the existence of / need to seek out better information sources, and/or uncomprehending of the true impact of their candidates' actions.
Which is where our screaming comes in. It is no longer acceptable to allow so-called moderate conservatives to remain willfully ignorant of what that enables. You're in, or you're out.
posted by delfin at 8:11 AM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
Which is where our screaming comes in. It is no longer acceptable to allow so-called moderate conservatives to remain willfully ignorant of what that enables. You're in, or you're out.
posted by delfin at 8:11 AM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
Racial and ethnic minority groups made up 40% of Defense Department active-duty military in 2015, up from 25% in 1990.
posted by pyramid termite at 8:12 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by pyramid termite at 8:12 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
Racial and ethnic minority groups made up 40% of Defense Department active-duty military in 2015, up from 25% in 1990.
pyramid termite, can I ask what you mean to show by this?
posted by Krazor at 8:15 AM on June 25, 2018
pyramid termite, can I ask what you mean to show by this?
posted by Krazor at 8:15 AM on June 25, 2018
Not to put words into their mouth but I think the idea is that not everyone in the military is white or a white supremacist and that many who serve are are minorities because they do not have many other options.
posted by Tevin at 8:20 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by Tevin at 8:20 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
that the armed forces are not "full of deplorables" but are actually fairly diverse
posted by pyramid termite at 8:21 AM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
posted by pyramid termite at 8:21 AM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
There’s not gonna be a coup. The military is full of deplorables.
And again, only 44% of the military support Trump. Basically the same as the general population. And only 30% of officers support him.
posted by chris24 at 8:24 AM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
And again, only 44% of the military support Trump. Basically the same as the general population. And only 30% of officers support him.
posted by chris24 at 8:24 AM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
There's already a history of kids being kidnapped from Guatemala and other poor countries to feed American demand for adoptable babies.
Russian 'adoptions' don't suffice, apparently.
posted by Stoneshop at 8:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Russian 'adoptions' don't suffice, apparently.
posted by Stoneshop at 8:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Both "The military is full of deplorables" and "The military is very diverse, in both opinion and race / ethnicity" can be true simultaneously.
And neither of those statements is particularly germane to whether there's a coup, because coups don't happen because the whole Army comes together to vote on whether to throw the president out a window.
posted by Etrigan at 8:38 AM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
And neither of those statements is particularly germane to whether there's a coup, because coups don't happen because the whole Army comes together to vote on whether to throw the president out a window.
posted by Etrigan at 8:38 AM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
ABC: Special counsel obtains Trump ally Erik Prince's phones, computer
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:39 AM on June 25, 2018 [89 favorites]
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:39 AM on June 25, 2018 [89 favorites]
The thing about Trump campaigning in SC is interesting because before I read that I saw this and thought "guess the President is gonna be in SC for some reason today:
@AMA: TFR has been issued for Columbia, SC & area for Mon, June 25 from 6:15 pm EDT through 8:45 pm EDT. Outdoor radio control model aircraft operations are prohibited within a 30 nm radius for the specific times listed. https://rlm.ag/21QMsW https://twitter.com/modelaircraft/status/1011251447885950976/photo/1
This isn't really political in a partisan way, but the subject of the impact of Trump's vacationing and the like have come up in the past and I thought some of you might find this to be interesting. A TFR is a temporary flight restriction established by the FAA for some reason. Possibly safety of folks in the air, possibly for safety of folks on the ground. The word 'temporary' in there is sometimes sort of comic; the one centered on DC with a 30 nautical mile radius (yes, radius) has been in place since 2011 and that one immediately superseded the one before it. It's mostly human-readable if you know that VFR means visual flight rules as opposed to IFR, instrument flight rules.
If you want to look at all the TFRs in the US right now there's a zoomable map provided by the FAA. When they are mucked with, like this one for the Cheeto in Chief's appearance, they show up in the NOTAMs - notices to airmen. If you look at this map you'll see there's a lot of them out in the west which to my very amateur experience is typical - they appear when folks need to be kept away from fires.
My memory is failing me right now but sometime in the last year there was an incident where it was unclear whether some details about restrictions had been properly listed in the NOTAMs. Keeping up on this stuff isn't entirely trivial and pilots are expected to check these things before they head off. If you're interested in seeing the FAA-provided way you can go over to PilotWeb and look at the tools provided. I put in the lat/long that chris24 has in hir profile and got it to barf out the 20nm around that location. Here's my favorite in there:
posted by phearlez at 8:40 AM on June 25, 2018 [25 favorites]
@AMA: TFR has been issued for Columbia, SC & area for Mon, June 25 from 6:15 pm EDT through 8:45 pm EDT. Outdoor radio control model aircraft operations are prohibited within a 30 nm radius for the specific times listed. https://rlm.ag/21QMsW https://twitter.com/modelaircraft/status/1011251447885950976/photo/1
This isn't really political in a partisan way, but the subject of the impact of Trump's vacationing and the like have come up in the past and I thought some of you might find this to be interesting. A TFR is a temporary flight restriction established by the FAA for some reason. Possibly safety of folks in the air, possibly for safety of folks on the ground. The word 'temporary' in there is sometimes sort of comic; the one centered on DC with a 30 nautical mile radius (yes, radius) has been in place since 2011 and that one immediately superseded the one before it. It's mostly human-readable if you know that VFR means visual flight rules as opposed to IFR, instrument flight rules.
If you want to look at all the TFRs in the US right now there's a zoomable map provided by the FAA. When they are mucked with, like this one for the Cheeto in Chief's appearance, they show up in the NOTAMs - notices to airmen. If you look at this map you'll see there's a lot of them out in the west which to my very amateur experience is typical - they appear when folks need to be kept away from fires.
My memory is failing me right now but sometime in the last year there was an incident where it was unclear whether some details about restrictions had been properly listed in the NOTAMs. Keeping up on this stuff isn't entirely trivial and pilots are expected to check these things before they head off. If you're interested in seeing the FAA-provided way you can go over to PilotWeb and look at the tools provided. I put in the lat/long that chris24 has in hir profile and got it to barf out the 20nm around that location. Here's my favorite in there:
!FDC 8/6194 ZBW MA..AIRSPACE HANOVER, MA..TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTION WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 1 NM RADIUS OF 420521N0705216W (BOS178016.9) SFC-2499FT FOR EXPLOSIVE DEVICE CLEAN-UP. PURSUANT TO 14 CFR SECTION 91.137(A)(1) TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT. ONLY RELIEF ACFT OPS UNDER DIRECTION OF HANOVER FIRE DEPT ARE AUTH IN THE AIRSPACE. HANOVER FIRE DEPT TELEPHONE 781-826-2335X0 IS IN CHARGE OF ON SCENE EMERG RESPONSE ACTIVITY. BOSTON /A90/ APCH TELEPHONE 603-594-5551 IS THE FAA COORDINATION FACILITY. MON-FRI EXC HOLIDAY 1030-2200 1807021030-1808312200If you need this to be more topical, the admin is hot to muck about with air traffic control and privatize it. Which when you look at stuff like the above is unsurprising; imagine how profitable schemes to control this information could be if you put it totally in private hands and mandated the use of those systems, rather than the current scheme where the government provides the necessary safety and control and various entrepreneurial companies expand and finesse that data to provide solutions to folks as they desire.
posted by phearlez at 8:40 AM on June 25, 2018 [25 favorites]
There's already a history of kids being kidnapped from Guatemala and other poor countries to feed American demand for adoptable babies. Now they don't even have to leave the country to acquire them!
DeVos is complicit in creating Baby Scoop Era 2.0. The birth rate is down. The stigma of unmarried parenthood is all but gone. So where are we gonna get babies to feed the adoption machine? From the disenfranchised, stateless refugees. Many echoes of what happened in the US and other English-speaking countries in the 1940s-1970s.
Disgusting. Morally repugnant. And so transparent.
(I'm a Baby Scoop Era baby, stolen from my birth mother and adopted out to "more deserving" infertile adoptive parents. Even though we are reunited, her devastation became PTSD, because of course it did. And she and the rest who lose their children will never get over it.)
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 8:40 AM on June 25, 2018 [91 favorites]
DeVos is complicit in creating Baby Scoop Era 2.0. The birth rate is down. The stigma of unmarried parenthood is all but gone. So where are we gonna get babies to feed the adoption machine? From the disenfranchised, stateless refugees. Many echoes of what happened in the US and other English-speaking countries in the 1940s-1970s.
Disgusting. Morally repugnant. And so transparent.
(I'm a Baby Scoop Era baby, stolen from my birth mother and adopted out to "more deserving" infertile adoptive parents. Even though we are reunited, her devastation became PTSD, because of course it did. And she and the rest who lose their children will never get over it.)
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 8:40 AM on June 25, 2018 [91 favorites]
Just a quick reminder that the shitheels in the House are trying to end-run a toxic budget while everyone is distracted by immigration issues. Not to say attention should be shifted - two things can be important at once. Keep both eyes open, the current outrage is providing the perfect cover for what would otherwise be too politically damaging to support.
posted by FakeFreyja at 8:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by FakeFreyja at 8:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
Tweeted in response to Maxine Waters:
@NancyPelosi
In the crucial months ahead, we must strive to make America beautiful again. Trump’s daily lack of civility has provoked responses that are predictable but unacceptable. As we go forward, we must conduct elections in a way that achieves unity from sea to shining sea.
(vomits)
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:45 AM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
@NancyPelosi
In the crucial months ahead, we must strive to make America beautiful again. Trump’s daily lack of civility has provoked responses that are predictable but unacceptable. As we go forward, we must conduct elections in a way that achieves unity from sea to shining sea.
(vomits)
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:45 AM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
There's already a history of kids being kidnapped from Guatemala and other poor countries to feed American demand for adoptable babies.
Oh God, these poor kids. Early attachment trauma is developmental trauma. Even if (and man I would like to see this miracle) they are reunited with their families and somehow compensated for the fucking torture, they are going to need help.
And if they’re “adopted”* out to moneyed white evangelicals, they are not going to get the kind of help they need.
Fuck. These fucking kids. The heart breaks over and over again.
*when can we say “sold”?
posted by schadenfrau at 8:47 AM on June 25, 2018 [26 favorites]
Oh God, these poor kids. Early attachment trauma is developmental trauma. Even if (and man I would like to see this miracle) they are reunited with their families and somehow compensated for the fucking torture, they are going to need help.
And if they’re “adopted”* out to moneyed white evangelicals, they are not going to get the kind of help they need.
Fuck. These fucking kids. The heart breaks over and over again.
*when can we say “sold”?
posted by schadenfrau at 8:47 AM on June 25, 2018 [26 favorites]
Special counsel obtains Trump ally Erik Prince's phones, computer
The novocaine from this morning's dental appointment is wearing off, so it hurts to smile, and I still can't stop myself.
posted by Etrigan at 8:48 AM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
The novocaine from this morning's dental appointment is wearing off, so it hurts to smile, and I still can't stop myself.
posted by Etrigan at 8:48 AM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
no, nancy pelosi, your generation of democratic leadership has become so used to having to compromise with republicans to get anything that you've forgotten how to fight
you can't compromise on concentration camps for children
you can't have unity in a country that puts children in concentration camps
wake up or go
posted by pyramid termite at 8:49 AM on June 25, 2018 [126 favorites]
you can't compromise on concentration camps for children
you can't have unity in a country that puts children in concentration camps
wake up or go
posted by pyramid termite at 8:49 AM on June 25, 2018 [126 favorites]
If this was discussed in the previous thread, my apologizes. I've not seen much response to the White House plan for complete reorganization of the entire federal government (PDF), though it was only slipped out late Friday afternoon. With all the Baby Jail crisis, the midterms, and Red Hen Hot Takes, I'm afraid it's going to be lost in the larger administration's dumpster-fires.
posted by jazon at 8:51 AM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by jazon at 8:51 AM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
Thanks for the point of clarification, termite! Promise I'm not trying to call you out or anything, I was just hoping I might be able to springboard to a personal anecdote on this theme. While I think it's pointless for me and unfair to speculate about the views and opinions held by individual service members, I feel that this specific statistic, by itself, doesn't signify much to me.
I see why people would infer that would mean that the military isn't full of deplorables. It makes sense logically. But if there's anything this election and its aftermath have taught me, it's that people will actively and even zealously act in ways that are contrary to their own self-interest and the interests of their respective communities.
My grandmother, who is, herself, a Latinx Spanish speaking immigrant is full blown MAGA, attends the rallies, and chants BUILD THE WALL vigorously on Facebook and in real life to "defend law-abiding American citizens from the evil foreign hordes." (I exaggerate the exact wording, but I'm still only paraphrasing by a depressingly thin margin.)
Some of the most casual (I suppose internalized) racism I ever heard growing up came unironically from a first-generation Mexican-American that I want to school with in Texas. He claimed he was "different," but those "other people" shouldn't be let in. Not paraphrasing: "We already have enough lazy, poor people here."
My cousin by marriage is a Latinx Marine who I KNOW faced discrimination for his heritage in school (he was an underclassman, but I knew him from band) is also a proud Trump supporter. For him, it's a rule-of law thing. "If you don't want to be imprisoned, don't break the law."
I know a few other people who went into the armed forces after high school, and of the ~6 who went in, I know four of them are hardcore conservatives.
So while I can't, in good conscience, say that the military is full of deplorables, I also can't comfortably agree that it doesn't contain them to a significant and, frankly, still worrying degree. I guess what I'm saying is don't count on ANYONE in the military to be on your side when it comes to immigration policy.
posted by Krazor at 8:57 AM on June 25, 2018 [17 favorites]
I see why people would infer that would mean that the military isn't full of deplorables. It makes sense logically. But if there's anything this election and its aftermath have taught me, it's that people will actively and even zealously act in ways that are contrary to their own self-interest and the interests of their respective communities.
My grandmother, who is, herself, a Latinx Spanish speaking immigrant is full blown MAGA, attends the rallies, and chants BUILD THE WALL vigorously on Facebook and in real life to "defend law-abiding American citizens from the evil foreign hordes." (I exaggerate the exact wording, but I'm still only paraphrasing by a depressingly thin margin.)
Some of the most casual (I suppose internalized) racism I ever heard growing up came unironically from a first-generation Mexican-American that I want to school with in Texas. He claimed he was "different," but those "other people" shouldn't be let in. Not paraphrasing: "We already have enough lazy, poor people here."
My cousin by marriage is a Latinx Marine who I KNOW faced discrimination for his heritage in school (he was an underclassman, but I knew him from band) is also a proud Trump supporter. For him, it's a rule-of law thing. "If you don't want to be imprisoned, don't break the law."
I know a few other people who went into the armed forces after high school, and of the ~6 who went in, I know four of them are hardcore conservatives.
So while I can't, in good conscience, say that the military is full of deplorables, I also can't comfortably agree that it doesn't contain them to a significant and, frankly, still worrying degree. I guess what I'm saying is don't count on ANYONE in the military to be on your side when it comes to immigration policy.
posted by Krazor at 8:57 AM on June 25, 2018 [17 favorites]
I made a MetaTalk post about this weekend's Families Belong Together rally, for sign and organizing ideas and experience reports.
posted by achrise at 8:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
posted by achrise at 8:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
>coups don't happen because the whole Army comes together to vote on whether to throw the president out a window.
Quoted for rare comic relief in these times, still giggling about this one. Oh man.
"OK, everyone, don't forget, this Tuesday is the Defenestration Vote! Tossers are leading in the latest poll, but turnout still matters!"
posted by LooseFilter at 9:12 AM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
Quoted for rare comic relief in these times, still giggling about this one. Oh man.
"OK, everyone, don't forget, this Tuesday is the Defenestration Vote! Tossers are leading in the latest poll, but turnout still matters!"
posted by LooseFilter at 9:12 AM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
There's bad takes, there's worse-than-bad takes, and then there's Cillizza takes.
Why Maxine Waters' low-road strategy on Donald Trump is a very bad idea
Let's start here: There is nothing -- and I mean nothing -- that can be said of Trump and those who work for him that would be a bridge too far for many Democratic activists. They hate Donald Trump. They believe he is a racist. A xenophobe. Someone who is using the presidency to enrich himself. The worst President ever. And so on and so forth.
It felt like gutter politics was everywhere this weekend. [...] Taken together, the past three days felt like a new tear in our collective culture -- the latest in a series of reminders that what separates us may not be all that large, but man oh man is it powerful.
CNN gives him money to do this.
posted by Rust Moranis at 9:14 AM on June 25, 2018 [17 favorites]
Why Maxine Waters' low-road strategy on Donald Trump is a very bad idea
Let's start here: There is nothing -- and I mean nothing -- that can be said of Trump and those who work for him that would be a bridge too far for many Democratic activists. They hate Donald Trump. They believe he is a racist. A xenophobe. Someone who is using the presidency to enrich himself. The worst President ever. And so on and so forth.
It felt like gutter politics was everywhere this weekend. [...] Taken together, the past three days felt like a new tear in our collective culture -- the latest in a series of reminders that what separates us may not be all that large, but man oh man is it powerful.
CNN gives him money to do this.
posted by Rust Moranis at 9:14 AM on June 25, 2018 [17 favorites]
News You May Have Missed (FB page) for 6/24/2018: some small bits of good news, reorganizing government, Koch brothers undermining public transit, sex cult, commerce corruption, methane emissions, and lots on detained children. I sourced the sex cult and corruption stories from Metafilter - thanks for those and for these threads which are keeping me sane.
posted by joannemerriam at 9:17 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by joannemerriam at 9:17 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
jackbishop: IANAL, but I'd think there's a very winnable case alleging improper use of governmental authority here, and a plaintiff with undeniable standing to attest to damages.
On one hand, this is an obvious, awful abuse of power, and I would love for Trump to go bankrupt again, this time defending himself from lawsuits from his abuse of power, but I could also see Red Hen doing better because of Trump's abuse of power, and how polarizing Trump is now, which could possibly undermine claims of damages, but IA(also)NAL.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:18 AM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
On one hand, this is an obvious, awful abuse of power, and I would love for Trump to go bankrupt again, this time defending himself from lawsuits from his abuse of power, but I could also see Red Hen doing better because of Trump's abuse of power, and how polarizing Trump is now, which could possibly undermine claims of damages, but IA(also)NAL.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:18 AM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
achrise: My grandmother, who is, herself, a Latinx Spanish speaking immigrant is full blown MAGA, attends the rallies, and chants BUILD THE WALL vigorously on Facebook and in real life to "defend law-abiding American citizens from the evil foreign hordes." (I exaggerate the exact wording, but I'm still only paraphrasing by a depressingly thin margin.)
When I'm confused by how someone can be like that, it helps to remember that Trump displays constant open contempt for even his own base and their ostensible values, too. "How stupid are the people of Iowa", fulfilling zero notions of conservative Christianity, dry-humping the flag like an alien in a human suit attempting to mimic patriotism, etc.
It's been pointed out from several corners that we can now safely dismiss as unrealistic almost any movie where the heroes win merely by "exposing" the villain's secret scheme or evil motivations, assuming said villain was a powerful/beloved figure in the first place. One such scene from a film I've never seen, A Face in the Crowd, starring Andy Griffith as a hustling politician: he's caught in a condescending monologue after he thinks the camera is off. A variety of Americans watch their TVs aghast that he would call the public "stupid" and worse.
But in real life, what would happen is that all of his supporters would feel in on the joke. "He's right, the public is stupid! He's got my vote." Well, a complicated mix of that and "All politicians are this contemptuous so at least he's honest." (Even though it's not an honest moment, it was a hot mic, but that's still what they'd say, just as Don Blankenship was called "honest" in some corners because his guilt in the deaths of those miners was so hard to deny.)
Rust Moranis: CNN gives him money to do this.
They probably get their money's worth in can-you-believe-this-guy clicks alone, with actual agreement putting them over the top.
posted by InTheYear2017 at 9:24 AM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
When I'm confused by how someone can be like that, it helps to remember that Trump displays constant open contempt for even his own base and their ostensible values, too. "How stupid are the people of Iowa", fulfilling zero notions of conservative Christianity, dry-humping the flag like an alien in a human suit attempting to mimic patriotism, etc.
It's been pointed out from several corners that we can now safely dismiss as unrealistic almost any movie where the heroes win merely by "exposing" the villain's secret scheme or evil motivations, assuming said villain was a powerful/beloved figure in the first place. One such scene from a film I've never seen, A Face in the Crowd, starring Andy Griffith as a hustling politician: he's caught in a condescending monologue after he thinks the camera is off. A variety of Americans watch their TVs aghast that he would call the public "stupid" and worse.
But in real life, what would happen is that all of his supporters would feel in on the joke. "He's right, the public is stupid! He's got my vote." Well, a complicated mix of that and "All politicians are this contemptuous so at least he's honest." (Even though it's not an honest moment, it was a hot mic, but that's still what they'd say, just as Don Blankenship was called "honest" in some corners because his guilt in the deaths of those miners was so hard to deny.)
Rust Moranis: CNN gives him money to do this.
They probably get their money's worth in can-you-believe-this-guy clicks alone, with actual agreement putting them over the top.
posted by InTheYear2017 at 9:24 AM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
Mattis still wants internment/concentration camps set up for tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of people
I don’t believe he does - it seems more like some of his previous attempts to take as much under his umbrella while not seeming to publicly criticize Trump. If it’s run by the military, there can be oversight, is probably what he’s thinking. I think he’s wrong - especially if, as the article upthread suggests, Trump is getting wise that Mattis “looks down on him and slow-walks his policy directives”.
Corb, again: look at where they're talking about setting up these camps. They're talking about the Mojave. The plan floated by the Navy specifically referred to them as "austere."
Even if Mattis truly had his hands tied, even if resigning in protest meant leaving no one in the way of Bolton and the rest, Mattis has it in his power to at least put in as much support and care for these camps to mitigate harm. He's not doing that. We're not seeing that.
And there's been a giant parade of lapses in the military judicial system over the last couple of years. Hell, they want to put JAG officers to work on these asylum claims. Do you think they're giving those guys orders to give every claim a fair read and to advocate for the asylum seekers? At the rate they're spending (unappropriated) money on this internment shit, they could certainly hire civilian lawyers for the job. They aren't doing that. Can't imagine why.
No good comes from getting DoD involved in this mess. None. And Mattis is not even close to a hero. He's slightly better than the rest at polishing his image, but he's as complicit as the rest. If he was out to save the day, this is the time to show it, and that's exactly what he's not doing.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 9:24 AM on June 25, 2018 [48 favorites]
I don’t believe he does - it seems more like some of his previous attempts to take as much under his umbrella while not seeming to publicly criticize Trump. If it’s run by the military, there can be oversight, is probably what he’s thinking. I think he’s wrong - especially if, as the article upthread suggests, Trump is getting wise that Mattis “looks down on him and slow-walks his policy directives”.
Corb, again: look at where they're talking about setting up these camps. They're talking about the Mojave. The plan floated by the Navy specifically referred to them as "austere."
Even if Mattis truly had his hands tied, even if resigning in protest meant leaving no one in the way of Bolton and the rest, Mattis has it in his power to at least put in as much support and care for these camps to mitigate harm. He's not doing that. We're not seeing that.
And there's been a giant parade of lapses in the military judicial system over the last couple of years. Hell, they want to put JAG officers to work on these asylum claims. Do you think they're giving those guys orders to give every claim a fair read and to advocate for the asylum seekers? At the rate they're spending (unappropriated) money on this internment shit, they could certainly hire civilian lawyers for the job. They aren't doing that. Can't imagine why.
No good comes from getting DoD involved in this mess. None. And Mattis is not even close to a hero. He's slightly better than the rest at polishing his image, but he's as complicit as the rest. If he was out to save the day, this is the time to show it, and that's exactly what he's not doing.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 9:24 AM on June 25, 2018 [48 favorites]
Tech workers organize around refusing to work for ICE, continued.
posted by The Whelk at 9:25 AM on June 25, 2018 [62 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 9:25 AM on June 25, 2018 [62 favorites]
Nothing like watching a bunch of white upper class folk telling a black woman that she's being uppity for thinking maybe the nazis in power who are responsible for a new era of concentration camps should be made to feel uncomfortable in public.
posted by MysticMCJ at 9:26 AM on June 25, 2018 [96 favorites]
posted by MysticMCJ at 9:26 AM on June 25, 2018 [96 favorites]
but I could also see Red Hen doing better because of Trump's abuse of power
Someone on FB posted last night about trying to get a table there and finding out they're now booked up for the next three weeks straight.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:26 AM on June 25, 2018 [57 favorites]
Someone on FB posted last night about trying to get a table there and finding out they're now booked up for the next three weeks straight.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:26 AM on June 25, 2018 [57 favorites]
A little ways up-thread were some comments about the extinction of the swing voter. I was curious if so-called undecideds actually ever vote. Came across an interesting article from a few years ago How the Swing Voter Went Extinct.
posted by misterpatrick at 9:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by misterpatrick at 9:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
filthy light thief: I could also see Red Hen doing better because of Trump's abuse of power, and how polarizing Trump is now, which could possibly undermine claims of damages, but IA(also)NAL.
I'd love to see Donald's lawyers make this argument. It would strike at his ego on two fronts. First by emphasizing his unpopularity, and second his impotence -- he wants his word alone to topple businesses, and he'd be angry at anyone suggesting that's beyond his will or power.
If this thing stays on his radar, look for a tweet about Red Hen "not fooling anyone" because the increased patronage is just liberal out-of-towners who "don't count" or something.
posted by InTheYear2017 at 9:34 AM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
I'd love to see Donald's lawyers make this argument. It would strike at his ego on two fronts. First by emphasizing his unpopularity, and second his impotence -- he wants his word alone to topple businesses, and he'd be angry at anyone suggesting that's beyond his will or power.
If this thing stays on his radar, look for a tweet about Red Hen "not fooling anyone" because the increased patronage is just liberal out-of-towners who "don't count" or something.
posted by InTheYear2017 at 9:34 AM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
If this was discussed in the previous thread, my apologizes. I've not seen much response to the White House plan for complete reorganization of the entire federal government
It came up before, and it doesn't really matter except as yet more evidence of what fuckers they are. It's almost entirely a wish list except to get the prezzie he needs 60 Senators to sign on.
So while I can't, in good conscience, say that the military is full of deplorables, I also can't comfortably agree that it doesn't contain them to a significant and, frankly, still worrying degree.
The US military is an organization that consists mostly of 18-25 year old men from vaguely working-class backgrounds. You could expect large chunks of even a random sample from that group to hold attitudes many of us would regard as reprehensible, because even at their best young men tend to be pinheads.
The US military is also one of the very few segments of American society in which it is absolutely commonplace for black people to boss around a gaggle of whiteboys. While of course any organization that large, that is mostly young men, that draws disproportionately from the south and from working-class backgrounds, and that necessarily excludes extra-woke people who refuse to work for the miltiary, is going to have a lot of grade-a doofus deplorables, I would be reluctant to paint it as actively racist.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 9:35 AM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
It came up before, and it doesn't really matter except as yet more evidence of what fuckers they are. It's almost entirely a wish list except to get the prezzie he needs 60 Senators to sign on.
So while I can't, in good conscience, say that the military is full of deplorables, I also can't comfortably agree that it doesn't contain them to a significant and, frankly, still worrying degree.
The US military is an organization that consists mostly of 18-25 year old men from vaguely working-class backgrounds. You could expect large chunks of even a random sample from that group to hold attitudes many of us would regard as reprehensible, because even at their best young men tend to be pinheads.
The US military is also one of the very few segments of American society in which it is absolutely commonplace for black people to boss around a gaggle of whiteboys. While of course any organization that large, that is mostly young men, that draws disproportionately from the south and from working-class backgrounds, and that necessarily excludes extra-woke people who refuse to work for the miltiary, is going to have a lot of grade-a doofus deplorables, I would be reluctant to paint it as actively racist.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 9:35 AM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
because even at their best young men tend to be pinheads
Was once a young man. Can confirm.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 9:39 AM on June 25, 2018 [45 favorites]
Was once a young man. Can confirm.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 9:39 AM on June 25, 2018 [45 favorites]
FFS...
CNN anchor: "I just did an entire segment about civility here, I don't know if you want to call Stephen Miller a white nationalist"
Just in case we weren't clear on civility being a call to stick your head in the sand and pretend the Nazis aren't happening.
posted by Artw at 9:40 AM on June 25, 2018 [88 favorites]
CNN anchor: "I just did an entire segment about civility here, I don't know if you want to call Stephen Miller a white nationalist"
Just in case we weren't clear on civility being a call to stick your head in the sand and pretend the Nazis aren't happening.
posted by Artw at 9:40 AM on June 25, 2018 [88 favorites]
If this was discussed in the previous thread, my apologizes. I've not seen much response to the White House plan for complete reorganization of the entire federal government (PDF), though it was only slipped out late Friday afternoon. With all the Baby Jail crisis, the midterms, and Red Hen Hot Takes, I'm afraid it's going to be lost in the larger administration's dumpster-fires.
On the one hand this is extremely scary, a blueprint for authoritarianism & stripmining America like the aftermath of a leveraged takeover. On the other hand it's about as silly as Michael Scott declaring "Bankruptcy!" to discharge all his bills. You would need to rewrite or nullify thousands of laws & large portions of the Constitution itself. This would require unprecedented coordination with Congress at a time when much of it has never had any experience writing or passing laws at all. They can barely pass laws on things they've been desperate for for years now without tripping over their own feet. This? Preposterous.
Again, not to say it's not a frightening indicator of where they want to go, it is. But even with a Reichstag Fire event giving them an opportunity to swap out the Executive Branch with this new malicious replacement model all at once, the scale of it makes it too unwieldy for even a hyper-competent administration to attempt without grinding down the gears of government until they're stripped & spinning in place. Which these guys very clearly aren't.
posted by scalefree at 9:47 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
On the one hand this is extremely scary, a blueprint for authoritarianism & stripmining America like the aftermath of a leveraged takeover. On the other hand it's about as silly as Michael Scott declaring "Bankruptcy!" to discharge all his bills. You would need to rewrite or nullify thousands of laws & large portions of the Constitution itself. This would require unprecedented coordination with Congress at a time when much of it has never had any experience writing or passing laws at all. They can barely pass laws on things they've been desperate for for years now without tripping over their own feet. This? Preposterous.
Again, not to say it's not a frightening indicator of where they want to go, it is. But even with a Reichstag Fire event giving them an opportunity to swap out the Executive Branch with this new malicious replacement model all at once, the scale of it makes it too unwieldy for even a hyper-competent administration to attempt without grinding down the gears of government until they're stripped & spinning in place. Which these guys very clearly aren't.
posted by scalefree at 9:47 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
Rust Moranis: Tweeted in response to Maxine Waters:
Rust Moranis: There's bad takes, there's worse-than-bad takes, and then there's Cillizza takes.
For context, also from Rust Moranis, but in the prior thread:
Maxine Waters calls on supporters to confront Trump officials in public spaces
"For these members of his cabinet who remain and try to defend him: they're not going to be able to go to a restaurant, they're not going to be able to stop at a gas station, they're not going to be able to shop at a department store, the people are going to turn on them, they're going to protest, they're going to absolutely harass them until they decide that they're going to tell the president 'no I can't hang with you, this is wrong this is unconscionable and we can't keep doing this to children.'"
Reported by Julia Manchester for The Hill, June 24, 2018
My thought: it's not just the separation and imprisonment of immigrant children who are fleeing from other countries, it's the imprisonment of all other asylum seekers, it's Betsy DeVos, private prison companies, and all others profiting off of this fabricated immigration crisis.
And it's Pruitt profiting from his position in power while opening the floodgates for companies to pollute the country, with Trump trying to eliminate a rule that defined which small bodies of water are subject to federal authority under the Clean Water Act, to allow more pollution (but in the meantime, causing chaos and uncertainty for everyone involved, so no one is certain what is permissible).
This is for the Muslim ban, and Russian collusion. This is for trying to continually kill ACA and giving away taxes to the wealthy and fucking over the country.
This is for spreading lies, then decrying "Fake News" every time someone catches them doing something illegal or immoral. This is for everything from Trump's corrupt, illegal administration.
And it's definitely for children torn away from their families, housed out of sight and away from human comforts.
Yes, there's some pendulum swings from Republicans to Democrats and back again, like the Ronald Reagan-era initiated order, also known as the Mexico City policy, which blocks U.S. federal funding for non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counselling or referrals, advocate to decriminalize abortion or expand abortion services, so you could ask "why this harsh push-back now?"
Because under Trump, it's always worse, always amplified, and the Mexico City policy is no different.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:52 AM on June 25, 2018 [38 favorites]
Rust Moranis: There's bad takes, there's worse-than-bad takes, and then there's Cillizza takes.
For context, also from Rust Moranis, but in the prior thread:
Maxine Waters calls on supporters to confront Trump officials in public spaces
"For these members of his cabinet who remain and try to defend him: they're not going to be able to go to a restaurant, they're not going to be able to stop at a gas station, they're not going to be able to shop at a department store, the people are going to turn on them, they're going to protest, they're going to absolutely harass them until they decide that they're going to tell the president 'no I can't hang with you, this is wrong this is unconscionable and we can't keep doing this to children.'"
Reported by Julia Manchester for The Hill, June 24, 2018
My thought: it's not just the separation and imprisonment of immigrant children who are fleeing from other countries, it's the imprisonment of all other asylum seekers, it's Betsy DeVos, private prison companies, and all others profiting off of this fabricated immigration crisis.
And it's Pruitt profiting from his position in power while opening the floodgates for companies to pollute the country, with Trump trying to eliminate a rule that defined which small bodies of water are subject to federal authority under the Clean Water Act, to allow more pollution (but in the meantime, causing chaos and uncertainty for everyone involved, so no one is certain what is permissible).
This is for the Muslim ban, and Russian collusion. This is for trying to continually kill ACA and giving away taxes to the wealthy and fucking over the country.
This is for spreading lies, then decrying "Fake News" every time someone catches them doing something illegal or immoral. This is for everything from Trump's corrupt, illegal administration.
And it's definitely for children torn away from their families, housed out of sight and away from human comforts.
Yes, there's some pendulum swings from Republicans to Democrats and back again, like the Ronald Reagan-era initiated order, also known as the Mexico City policy, which blocks U.S. federal funding for non-governmental organizations that provide abortion counselling or referrals, advocate to decriminalize abortion or expand abortion services, so you could ask "why this harsh push-back now?"
Because under Trump, it's always worse, always amplified, and the Mexico City policy is no different.
Previously, only federally funded family planning organizations were affected. Now the restrictions apply to any nongovernmental group receiving funds provided by the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Department of Defense. So the plan would apply to the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, which funds HIV prevention and treatment in nearly 60 countries, and the President's Malaria Initiative.THIS is why we push back now. THIS is why we should attack all of Trump's political supporters. THIS is why it's not Politics As Usual, and to pretend that it is only normalizes Trump's abnormal activities and actions.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:52 AM on June 25, 2018 [38 favorites]
> There's already a history of kids being kidnapped from Guatemala and other poor countries to feed American demand for adoptable babies.
Russian 'adoptions' don't suffice, apparently.
Heard something interesting about international adoptions this morning, actually. They've gone down quite a bit in recent years - partly because they were some kind of an artificial spike in the first place.
The notion of international adoptions gained a foothold as a kind of finally-get-a-kid-and-save-someone-underprivileged-to-boot move, during the 20th century. A lot of it was promoted in the 50s after the Korean War, with a lot of South Korean orphans heading to the US. Then it was Vietnamese oprhans in the 70s and 80s, followed by Russian and Romanian and Chinese; basically, anywhere were shit was going south and people could feel good about themselves for saving them.
But in the past decade or so, nations that offered their kids for adoption have been holding back - partly because the initial crisis that lead to orphaning children has passed, and partly because there were some countries where the kids weren't really orphans to begin with, like with Guatemala. Or, the kids in question had special needs that outdid their adoptive parents' abiility to cope - there was an incident in 2010 when an American couple adopted a Russian boy who had severe emotional problems, and they couldn't handle it so they simply brought him to the airport and sent him back to Russia, unaccompanied. Russia called for banning all international adoptions outright, and has had tighter control on things since then.
Of course, the whole time this was going on, there were also plenty of American children who needed homes. But the desire to also "do good" with one's adoption was strong, and the demand for international adoptions is strong as well.
I grant there are plenty of other reasons to make this choice that have nothing to do with "do-gooderism" - the radio piece I heard discussed a couple sets of parents who were themselves adopted from another country, and sought to adopt a child from the same country. A childhood friend also had an adoptive brother who was from Korea, and felt positively about that kind of upbringing and thus adopted one child and concieved and delivered her other child. The reasons to choose international adoption are nuanced.
But all of those reasons still lead to a lucrative market for adoption brokers - and their market is drying up.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:56 AM on June 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
Russian 'adoptions' don't suffice, apparently.
Heard something interesting about international adoptions this morning, actually. They've gone down quite a bit in recent years - partly because they were some kind of an artificial spike in the first place.
The notion of international adoptions gained a foothold as a kind of finally-get-a-kid-and-save-someone-underprivileged-to-boot move, during the 20th century. A lot of it was promoted in the 50s after the Korean War, with a lot of South Korean orphans heading to the US. Then it was Vietnamese oprhans in the 70s and 80s, followed by Russian and Romanian and Chinese; basically, anywhere were shit was going south and people could feel good about themselves for saving them.
But in the past decade or so, nations that offered their kids for adoption have been holding back - partly because the initial crisis that lead to orphaning children has passed, and partly because there were some countries where the kids weren't really orphans to begin with, like with Guatemala. Or, the kids in question had special needs that outdid their adoptive parents' abiility to cope - there was an incident in 2010 when an American couple adopted a Russian boy who had severe emotional problems, and they couldn't handle it so they simply brought him to the airport and sent him back to Russia, unaccompanied. Russia called for banning all international adoptions outright, and has had tighter control on things since then.
Of course, the whole time this was going on, there were also plenty of American children who needed homes. But the desire to also "do good" with one's adoption was strong, and the demand for international adoptions is strong as well.
I grant there are plenty of other reasons to make this choice that have nothing to do with "do-gooderism" - the radio piece I heard discussed a couple sets of parents who were themselves adopted from another country, and sought to adopt a child from the same country. A childhood friend also had an adoptive brother who was from Korea, and felt positively about that kind of upbringing and thus adopted one child and concieved and delivered her other child. The reasons to choose international adoption are nuanced.
But all of those reasons still lead to a lucrative market for adoption brokers - and their market is drying up.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:56 AM on June 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
being served in a business
While seaching for names like Carson Disease history has things like Hoovervilles. But be careful what you ask for.
What happened in addition to a spontanous labor action was a showing how one's money can be seen as not able to be a method for exchange. A possible end result in this time will be the removal of the US Dollar as the world standard for exchange. The visible fear here is a group of people decide en mass the US Dollar has no power to obtain goods/services in the world.
And what control does the rest of the world have beyond saying "your money is no good here"? How does the past go...'The history of the present is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of the policy of your money is no good here. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.' The near instant communication that allows MeToo also allows for the shunning of the US currency as a means of exchange.
Tying the Trump name forever to an economic failure would be a blow to his ego. And that can be attractive in today's political lose-win world. The act of pointing out how the Dollar can become non-acceptible can become the Dollar becomming non-acceptible. So be careful what you wish for and the path chosen.
posted by rough ashlar at 9:56 AM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
While seaching for names like Carson Disease history has things like Hoovervilles. But be careful what you ask for.
What happened in addition to a spontanous labor action was a showing how one's money can be seen as not able to be a method for exchange. A possible end result in this time will be the removal of the US Dollar as the world standard for exchange. The visible fear here is a group of people decide en mass the US Dollar has no power to obtain goods/services in the world.
And what control does the rest of the world have beyond saying "your money is no good here"? How does the past go...'The history of the present is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of the policy of your money is no good here. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.' The near instant communication that allows MeToo also allows for the shunning of the US currency as a means of exchange.
Tying the Trump name forever to an economic failure would be a blow to his ego. And that can be attractive in today's political lose-win world. The act of pointing out how the Dollar can become non-acceptible can become the Dollar becomming non-acceptible. So be careful what you wish for and the path chosen.
posted by rough ashlar at 9:56 AM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
And a reminder that there's still good in the world -- last year, in response to Trump's expanded Mexico City policy, a Dutch-led fund raised $300 million to replace U.S. funding for sexual health (NPR, July 28, 2017).
posted by filthy light thief at 9:59 AM on June 25, 2018 [49 favorites]
The Dutch government revealed the new figure on Friday. The "She Decides" initiative — the brainchild of one Dutch official — kicked off earlier this year, and announced $190 million in funding as of early March.On 8 March 2018, "She Decides Day," the figures were even better, exceeding what Trump's administration had cut (PDF)
Thanks to "ongoing enthusiasm," donations from nations, organizations and individuals have since continued to flow in. Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (which also supports NPR) have all pledged new funding, the Dutch statement says, while Rwanda, Chad, South Africa, South Korea, Senegal, Nigeria and Mozambique have signed on as "friends" of the initiative.
In its first year, SheDecides received the backing of over 40,000 individuals, more than 50The goodness in the world is pushing against the wickedness of Trump's administration.
governments, 220 organisations and 36 major champions – one third of them Ministers from across the world. Some $450 million was raised. “We look forward to looking back on our achievements again on 1 March 2019,” says [Robin Gorna, co-Lead of the global SheDecides Support Unit.].
posted by filthy light thief at 9:59 AM on June 25, 2018 [49 favorites]
This morning I rode my bike to work right through East Somerville, where the MS-13 gang was a terrifying presence a few years ago, and where past and present members of the gang still live.
Not a hair fell off my head.
posted by ocschwar at 10:01 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
Not a hair fell off my head.
posted by ocschwar at 10:01 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
But all of those reasons still lead to a lucrative market for adoption brokers - and their market is drying up.
EmpressCallipygos, you forgot one driving motivation for international adoption: So that the pesky birth parents can never be in the picture.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 10:04 AM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
EmpressCallipygos, you forgot one driving motivation for international adoption: So that the pesky birth parents can never be in the picture.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 10:04 AM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
Gallup: Trump scores high on intelligence, strength; low on honesty, likability
Fifty-eight percent said Trump is "intelligent," 51 percent called Trump a "strong and decisive leader" and 50 percent said he's able to "bring about the changes the country needs."
Americans score low on both likability and intelligence.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:10 AM on June 25, 2018 [46 favorites]
Fifty-eight percent said Trump is "intelligent," 51 percent called Trump a "strong and decisive leader" and 50 percent said he's able to "bring about the changes the country needs."
Americans score low on both likability and intelligence.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:10 AM on June 25, 2018 [46 favorites]
Gallup: Trump scores high on intelligence, strength; low on honesty, likability
What's his saving throw on charisma?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:19 AM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
What's his saving throw on charisma?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:19 AM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
58% of what? of whom? 58% of human beings? how can it possibly be that i have somehow UNDERESTIMATED the stupidity of the average american? trump doesn't score high on intelligence in tests that measure sea cucumbers. oh my god im having a fucking stroke
posted by poffin boffin at 10:22 AM on June 25, 2018 [79 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 10:22 AM on June 25, 2018 [79 favorites]
58% of random people spoken to by phone, 70% mobile, 30% landline. I don't understand this at all. Oops didn't paste in the methodology: https://news.gallup.com/file/poll/235916/180625TrumpCharacter.pdf
posted by turkeybrain at 10:24 AM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by turkeybrain at 10:24 AM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
So, 58% of people who answer calls from unknown numbers.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 10:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [88 favorites]
posted by paper chromatographologist at 10:27 AM on June 25, 2018 [88 favorites]
Quick reminder that in the US, 58% is an F. Trump’s perceived intelligence score is “high” only relative to his awful ratings on everything else.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 10:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
What's his saving throw on charisma?
$130,000, same as in town.
posted by azpenguin at 10:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [40 favorites]
$130,000, same as in town.
posted by azpenguin at 10:28 AM on June 25, 2018 [40 favorites]
@realDonaldTrump
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an extraordinarily low IQ person, has become, together with Nancy Pelosi, the Face of the Democrat Party. She has just called for harm to supporters, of which there are many, of the Make America Great Again movement. Be careful what you wish for Max!
I'm going to go have a lie-down now and when I wake up everything will be good
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:30 AM on June 25, 2018 [31 favorites]
Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an extraordinarily low IQ person, has become, together with Nancy Pelosi, the Face of the Democrat Party. She has just called for harm to supporters, of which there are many, of the Make America Great Again movement. Be careful what you wish for Max!
I'm going to go have a lie-down now and when I wake up everything will be good
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:30 AM on June 25, 2018 [31 favorites]
I reported that as targeted harassment and hope everyone else will too. I mean, he just threatened a member of Congress with bodily harm, JFC
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:31 AM on June 25, 2018 [74 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:31 AM on June 25, 2018 [74 favorites]
Reported that tweet as threat of harm to Maxine Waters.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 10:36 AM on June 25, 2018 [44 favorites]
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 10:36 AM on June 25, 2018 [44 favorites]
If something terrible were to happen to Waters because of that tweet, CNN would blame her for having inflamed incivility. Fox would probably put up a "Womp Womp" chyron.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:40 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:40 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
The official Twitter policy is that Trump tweets are not delectable because they are “newsworthy” and they are likewise not going to block him, no matter what he does. Worth reporting anyway though.
posted by Artw at 10:41 AM on June 25, 2018
posted by Artw at 10:41 AM on June 25, 2018
What did I miss? What is Trump referring to w/r/t what Maxine Walters 'called for harm'?
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 10:42 AM on June 25, 2018
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 10:42 AM on June 25, 2018
CNN would blame her for having inflamed incivility
And they'd find some photo where she's doing some sketchy looking thing like wearing a hoodie that would imply that because she's black she's gangsta.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 10:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
And they'd find some photo where she's doing some sketchy looking thing like wearing a hoodie that would imply that because she's black she's gangsta.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 10:42 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
What is Trump referring to w/r/t what Maxine Walters 'called for harm'?
"If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere," Waters, who has called for President Donald Trump to be impeached, told supporters over the weekend.
posted by elsietheeel at 10:45 AM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
"If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them, and you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere," Waters, who has called for President Donald Trump to be impeached, told supporters over the weekend.
posted by elsietheeel at 10:45 AM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
The descriptors "intelligent/strong/decisive" can be applied to someone you basically oppose. A lot of people (mistakenly) figure Trump must be extra-crafty just because he hasn't lost either his office or his base by now. And "strong" might be applied to any sort of authoritarian/bully (although of course in other senses, those people are quite weak). So the only figure concerning me is the 50% saying he'll "bring about the changes the country needs", and it also confuses me because it's well above his approval in other polls, so I'll just assume it's an outlier.
posted by InTheYear2017 at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2018
posted by InTheYear2017 at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2018
So basically, DJT is a big liar again. Representative Waters called for pushing back against his Cabinet, not his MAGA supporters.
(Although ultimately we should be pushing back against anyone who has anything positive or even neutral to say about the Trump administration.)
posted by elsietheeel at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
(Although ultimately we should be pushing back against anyone who has anything positive or even neutral to say about the Trump administration.)
posted by elsietheeel at 10:48 AM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
Remeber kids: Trump is threatening a black person who was born in the '30s that they might not be not welcome at certain places.
58% said he was intelligent. 58 fucking percent.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 10:50 AM on June 25, 2018 [58 favorites]
58% said he was intelligent. 58 fucking percent.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 10:50 AM on June 25, 2018 [58 favorites]
The President of course conflates "Cabinet member" with "supporters" and "push back" with "harm" and we're off to another week of life in Trumpville.
posted by notyou at 10:51 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by notyou at 10:51 AM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
58% said he was intelligent. 58 fucking percent.
I've been having nightmares straight out of Black Mirror over this .
posted by ocschwar at 10:54 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
I've been having nightmares straight out of Black Mirror over this .
posted by ocschwar at 10:54 AM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
Citing Trump, woman in video calls Latino man 'rapist, animal, drug dealer'
Civility.
posted by Artw at 10:54 AM on June 25, 2018 [42 favorites]
Civility.
posted by Artw at 10:54 AM on June 25, 2018 [42 favorites]
If I thought he was capable of it I'd suspect he had "an extraordinarily low IQ person" set up as an auto-replace for the six-letter word he knows he's not allowed to say, no matter how much he wants to. Perhaps the wisdom to know he needs to code it like that is the reason some perceive him as intelligent.
It's somewhat comic that he is saying that be careful or the MAGA folks will start making folks feel unwelcome.
posted by phearlez at 10:55 AM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
It's somewhat comic that he is saying that be careful or the MAGA folks will start making folks feel unwelcome.
posted by phearlez at 10:55 AM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
I am reading Three Tough Chinamen by Scott Seligman. Here (from page 123) is Moy Jin Kee arguing in 1905 for the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
My people are honest. They come to help build up the farms and cities. In the far west they follow agricultural pursuits. There are millions of acres of untilled land in this country. The Chinese can make these deserts bloom. ... In the arts and sciences, the Chinese acknowledge no superiors. ... I claim for my race high-mindedness, honesty and industriousness.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 10:56 AM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
My people are honest. They come to help build up the farms and cities. In the far west they follow agricultural pursuits. There are millions of acres of untilled land in this country. The Chinese can make these deserts bloom. ... In the arts and sciences, the Chinese acknowledge no superiors. ... I claim for my race high-mindedness, honesty and industriousness.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 10:56 AM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Obama should make commercials about the dangers of eating laundry detergent pods and strongly encourage people not to eat them "for the good of the country" and many of our nation's problems will solve themselves.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [79 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 10:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [79 favorites]
Citing Trump, woman in video calls Latino man 'rapist, animal, drug dealer'
That story gets even better. The video was removed from Facebook for "violating community standards".
posted by elsietheeel at 10:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
That story gets even better. The video was removed from Facebook for "violating community standards".
posted by elsietheeel at 10:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
Harley Davidson, Citing Tariffs, to Shift Production Overseas
This kind of thing is happening all over. I hope it continues to get press. Enjoy your new job in the coal mine! You won!
posted by xammerboy at 11:01 AM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
This kind of thing is happening all over. I hope it continues to get press. Enjoy your new job in the coal mine! You won!
posted by xammerboy at 11:01 AM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
AP: Migrant detainees to be housed at 2 bases in Texas
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about a pending announcement that shelter would be provided at Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base. [...]
The number of detained migrants who might be held at Bliss and Goodfellow has not been announced, but the Pentagon had said last week that it had been asked to be prepared to shelter as many as 20,000 unaccompanied children. One official said unaccompanied children detained after crossing the U.S. border would be sheltered at one of the bases and the other base would house families of migrant detainees. Under the arrangement, the Defense Department would provide the land but the operations would be run by other agencies.
Here comes your legacy, Mad Dog. Think you'll be remembered for anything better?
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:05 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record about a pending announcement that shelter would be provided at Fort Bliss and Goodfellow Air Force Base. [...]
The number of detained migrants who might be held at Bliss and Goodfellow has not been announced, but the Pentagon had said last week that it had been asked to be prepared to shelter as many as 20,000 unaccompanied children. One official said unaccompanied children detained after crossing the U.S. border would be sheltered at one of the bases and the other base would house families of migrant detainees. Under the arrangement, the Defense Department would provide the land but the operations would be run by other agencies.
Here comes your legacy, Mad Dog. Think you'll be remembered for anything better?
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:05 AM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
Re: Trump intelligence
Was chatting a lot this last weekend with my father in law, who is a retired nuclear engineer, genuinely a smart and insightful guy if getting on a bit, and if not a lifelong liberal has at least leaned on the liberal side of things for all his life. We talked about Trump and the border a lot, amongst other things, but one thing that we kept coming back to was his belief that smart and hard working people would do well, and I guess by extension anyone who has done well must be smart and hard working. The idea that you could try hard and be smart and have circumstance crush you anyway, or that by birth and dumb luck you could fail your way to the top is anathema to him.
I suspect that link between intelligence and success is a very strong belief for all his generation, and has basically been drummed into the America public consciousness as a truism even though it’s drmonstrably false and the evidence is right in front of us.
Here’s hoping later generations at least learn the lesson that it is bullshit.
posted by Artw at 11:05 AM on June 25, 2018 [76 favorites]
Was chatting a lot this last weekend with my father in law, who is a retired nuclear engineer, genuinely a smart and insightful guy if getting on a bit, and if not a lifelong liberal has at least leaned on the liberal side of things for all his life. We talked about Trump and the border a lot, amongst other things, but one thing that we kept coming back to was his belief that smart and hard working people would do well, and I guess by extension anyone who has done well must be smart and hard working. The idea that you could try hard and be smart and have circumstance crush you anyway, or that by birth and dumb luck you could fail your way to the top is anathema to him.
I suspect that link between intelligence and success is a very strong belief for all his generation, and has basically been drummed into the America public consciousness as a truism even though it’s drmonstrably false and the evidence is right in front of us.
Here’s hoping later generations at least learn the lesson that it is bullshit.
posted by Artw at 11:05 AM on June 25, 2018 [76 favorites]
The military is full of deplorables.
I still remember this delightful little episode from shortly after the inauguration.
posted by non canadian guy at 11:11 AM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
I still remember this delightful little episode from shortly after the inauguration.
posted by non canadian guy at 11:11 AM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
NY Attorney General Candidate Calls for an End to ICE
Guardian Op-Ed by Zephyr Teachout: Ice is a tool of illegality. It must be abolished
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:13 AM on June 25, 2018 [50 favorites]
Guardian Op-Ed by Zephyr Teachout: Ice is a tool of illegality. It must be abolished
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:13 AM on June 25, 2018 [50 favorites]
> his belief that smart and hard working people would do well, and I guess by extension anyone who has done well must be smart and hard working
So he made it to his age without being exposed to any evidence to the contrary? What a lucky guy.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:15 AM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
So he made it to his age without being exposed to any evidence to the contrary? What a lucky guy.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:15 AM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
Here's to hoping the future generations CAN learn from this bullshit ArtW.
I cheered at the link about Erik Prince. That man is a monster that has escaped justice multiple times, and I hope that he gets charged under state crimes in multiple states (I doubt the feds will prosecute him under Sessions) so he spends the rest of his life behind bars and in courtrooms being forced to answer to the public. Here's to hoping that opens up a day that's full of bad news for Mango Moussolini.
posted by thebotanyofsouls at 11:16 AM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
I cheered at the link about Erik Prince. That man is a monster that has escaped justice multiple times, and I hope that he gets charged under state crimes in multiple states (I doubt the feds will prosecute him under Sessions) so he spends the rest of his life behind bars and in courtrooms being forced to answer to the public. Here's to hoping that opens up a day that's full of bad news for Mango Moussolini.
posted by thebotanyofsouls at 11:16 AM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
Trump as a Russian Target - Trump would have been an active target of Russian intelligence since the moment they laid eyes on him for two reasons that come straight from the classical espionage textbook: He has influence; and he is potentially vulnerable to various forms of compromise. Playing by the book, the Russians would have attempted to initiate multi-layered operations to develop varied means of access to him in an effort to establish and ultimately exploit mechanisms of control over Trump and his associates. This is not calling out our president, but rather is a reflection of the reality of how Russian intelligence operates. Indeed, it could even benefit the president to know how this stratagem works. To be fair, I have no information that suggests that our president has been compromised by the Russians. Rather, my intent is to offer to the reader an explanation of the classical vulnerabilities that intelligence officers seek to identify and exploit including sexual indiscretions, greed, corruption, revenge, and most of all, ego. In essence, the pursuit of selfish interests over the common good.
posted by growabrain at 11:23 AM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by growabrain at 11:23 AM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
It May Be Impossible for Our Side to Win a Civility War
When this happens to Democrats, our political culture doesn't regard it as a civility crisis. But when we cast civility aside, even in a non-violent, non-threatening way, it's deemed a national emergency.posted by tonycpsu at 11:30 AM on June 25, 2018 [66 favorites]
Why? In part it's because Republicans have a far superior messaging operation, and far greater discipline. It's also because the right's top media outlets are nakedly partisan, while the "liberal" media becomes a collection of easily worked refs when liberals and Democrats breach decorum.
But I think it's more than that. In our political culture's (warped) view, incivility by the left is regarded as the work of the superior, dominant elite class, while rough treatment of Democrats by the right is the underdogs' revenge against the dominant class. Even the "liberal" media seems to agree on this. And this true even though, at this moment, conservative "underdogs" are defending the party that runs all three branches of government and represents the interests of corporate plutocrats.
Once again we've simply been Out-Framed by the right. Intellectuals are deemed "elite" and condescending; while the moneyed/landed class are simply the virtuous beneficiaries of that good ol' hard work ethic and not "elite" at all.
Wall Street Elite, Country Club Elite, Tax Haven Elite should be monikers applied to them all to change this narrative.
posted by OHenryPacey at 11:37 AM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
Wall Street Elite, Country Club Elite, Tax Haven Elite should be monikers applied to them all to change this narrative.
posted by OHenryPacey at 11:37 AM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
Artw: We talked about Trump and the border a lot, amongst other things, but one thing that we kept coming back to was his belief that smart and hard working people would do well, and I guess by extension anyone who has done well must be smart and hard working. The idea that you could try hard and be smart and have circumstance crush you anyway, or that by birth and dumb luck you could fail your way to the top is anathema to him.
I suspect that link between intelligence and success is a very strong belief for all his generation, and has basically been drummed into the America public consciousness as a truism even though it’s drmonstrably false and the evidence is right in front of us.
Nail, hit, head. I believe that's why people might think Trump is "smart." He's rich! He had his own TV show! He's famous! Now he's President! He has to be smart to accomplish all that!
As the late Ann Richards said about George Bush, He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. It's the cousin to "if you're so smart, why aren't you more successful?" A very naive and sheltered view of what constitutes smarts, and what leads to success.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 11:37 AM on June 25, 2018 [39 favorites]
I suspect that link between intelligence and success is a very strong belief for all his generation, and has basically been drummed into the America public consciousness as a truism even though it’s drmonstrably false and the evidence is right in front of us.
Nail, hit, head. I believe that's why people might think Trump is "smart." He's rich! He had his own TV show! He's famous! Now he's President! He has to be smart to accomplish all that!
As the late Ann Richards said about George Bush, He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. It's the cousin to "if you're so smart, why aren't you more successful?" A very naive and sheltered view of what constitutes smarts, and what leads to success.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 11:37 AM on June 25, 2018 [39 favorites]
It's the cousin to "if you're so smart, why aren't you more successful?"
Take it from Kurt:
“The meanest eating or drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: 'if you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich?' There will also be an American flag no larger than a child’s hand – glued to a lollipop stick and flying from the cash register."
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:43 AM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
Take it from Kurt:
“The meanest eating or drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: 'if you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich?' There will also be an American flag no larger than a child’s hand – glued to a lollipop stick and flying from the cash register."
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:43 AM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
Jay Rosen (of the "send the interns" call) thinks the press should suspend normal relations with the Trump Administration.
By which he means: stop quoting him, don't air his speeches live, if you must quote him do it in the middle of a truth sandwich (truth, lie, truth) to give it proper context.
If only the press would do so. But they won't, because ACCESSSSSSS.
posted by suelac at 11:44 AM on June 25, 2018 [92 favorites]
By which he means: stop quoting him, don't air his speeches live, if you must quote him do it in the middle of a truth sandwich (truth, lie, truth) to give it proper context.
If only the press would do so. But they won't, because ACCESSSSSSS.
posted by suelac at 11:44 AM on June 25, 2018 [92 favorites]
Hell, they want to put JAG officers to work on these asylum claims. Do you think they're giving those guys orders to give every claim a fair read and to advocate for the asylum seekers?
I think in a lot of ways this is like Schroedinger’s Decisions. I have been persecuted by overzealous commanders in conjunction with people from the JAG corps - but the military free speech expert that saved my bacon was a JAG reservist. I can see both good and evil and neutral reasons why you might want to do this, and it’s really hard for me to distinguish which is which from public statements that they know are going straight to the enemy. On the one hand, JAGs have an insane conviction rate - on the other hand, it’s because they choose not to prosecute cases they think they can’t or shouldn’t win.
I trust Mattis because people I trust, who served under him and dealt with him personally, trust in his integrity. So I view his actions through the good-faith interpretation lens. But I can easily see why someone who doesn’t have that personal connection might view it through a totally different lens - and the really hard thing is without insider information it’s hard to know which of us is right.
And I could be wrong! But when so many other people in this administration are clearly and flagrantly evil, I don’t think it’s the worst thing to hold to hope.
posted by corb at 11:45 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
I think in a lot of ways this is like Schroedinger’s Decisions. I have been persecuted by overzealous commanders in conjunction with people from the JAG corps - but the military free speech expert that saved my bacon was a JAG reservist. I can see both good and evil and neutral reasons why you might want to do this, and it’s really hard for me to distinguish which is which from public statements that they know are going straight to the enemy. On the one hand, JAGs have an insane conviction rate - on the other hand, it’s because they choose not to prosecute cases they think they can’t or shouldn’t win.
I trust Mattis because people I trust, who served under him and dealt with him personally, trust in his integrity. So I view his actions through the good-faith interpretation lens. But I can easily see why someone who doesn’t have that personal connection might view it through a totally different lens - and the really hard thing is without insider information it’s hard to know which of us is right.
And I could be wrong! But when so many other people in this administration are clearly and flagrantly evil, I don’t think it’s the worst thing to hold to hope.
posted by corb at 11:45 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
Trump as a Russian Target - Trump would have been an active target of Russian intelligence since the moment they laid eyes on him for two reasons that come straight from the classical espionage textbook: He has influence; and he is potentially vulnerable to various forms of compromise. Playing by the book, the Russians would have attempted to initiate multi-layered operations to develop varied means of access to him in an effort to establish and ultimately exploit mechanisms of control over Trump and his associates.
Also Trump is part of a vulnerability chain. He has compromised a number of political actors himself. There are a couple of AGs who dropped charges against him in open and shut cases who also happened to get campaign donations from him. Was Schneiderman sitting on Trump cases because he was compromised and/or blackmailed? Are other state AGs? Things get really murky and ugly when you are talking about the political donor class.
posted by srboisvert at 11:47 AM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
Also Trump is part of a vulnerability chain. He has compromised a number of political actors himself. There are a couple of AGs who dropped charges against him in open and shut cases who also happened to get campaign donations from him. Was Schneiderman sitting on Trump cases because he was compromised and/or blackmailed? Are other state AGs? Things get really murky and ugly when you are talking about the political donor class.
posted by srboisvert at 11:47 AM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
I suspect that link between intelligence and success is a very strong belief for all his generation.
It's not just his generation. This trope has been heavily promoted by Fox News. Megyn Kelly used to do whole segments on how Trump's wealth alone meant he would make a great president. It's been a central tenet of conservative thought since Ayn Rand, and is so deeply imbedded in its ethos I doubt it can ever be eradicated. What's new and helps compound the problem is that experience governing is now considered a bad thing. Any kind of previous service or voting record is trotted out as evidence of the candidate being a shill or compromised.
posted by xammerboy at 11:48 AM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
It's not just his generation. This trope has been heavily promoted by Fox News. Megyn Kelly used to do whole segments on how Trump's wealth alone meant he would make a great president. It's been a central tenet of conservative thought since Ayn Rand, and is so deeply imbedded in its ethos I doubt it can ever be eradicated. What's new and helps compound the problem is that experience governing is now considered a bad thing. Any kind of previous service or voting record is trotted out as evidence of the candidate being a shill or compromised.
posted by xammerboy at 11:48 AM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
I saw this a moment ago: @Profepps: "It’s striking how quickly an elite society can transform the question of inhumanity to the powerless into that of civility to the powerful."
Right?
Listen, if you're having a conversation with someone about politicians getting kicked out of restaurants and you don't, at least 3 times, utter the phrase "They kidnapped children and put them in cages" you are doing it wrong.
posted by gwint at 11:49 AM on June 25, 2018 [97 favorites]
Right?
Listen, if you're having a conversation with someone about politicians getting kicked out of restaurants and you don't, at least 3 times, utter the phrase "They kidnapped children and put them in cages" you are doing it wrong.
posted by gwint at 11:49 AM on June 25, 2018 [97 favorites]
So I view his actions through the good-faith interpretation lens. But I can easily see why someone who doesn’t have that personal connection might view it through a totally different lens - and the really hard thing is without insider information it’s hard to know which of us is right.
He took a job in the Trump administration. There is no good faith here.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 11:50 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
He took a job in the Trump administration. There is no good faith here.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 11:50 AM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
I trust Mattis because
I mean this seriously and with all respect: what would make you no longer trust Mattis? If you don't already have a list prepared for yourself of things Mattis could do or allow that would make you lose faith in him, I think you should make one now. Because I think if you had done so a year or two ago, that list would be pretty well crossed out by now.
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:50 AM on June 25, 2018 [52 favorites]
I mean this seriously and with all respect: what would make you no longer trust Mattis? If you don't already have a list prepared for yourself of things Mattis could do or allow that would make you lose faith in him, I think you should make one now. Because I think if you had done so a year or two ago, that list would be pretty well crossed out by now.
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:50 AM on June 25, 2018 [52 favorites]
Also this, from @NoTotally:
Short history lesson about civility, and this was really, really recent, so let's marvel at how quickly some forget. After Ferguson, BLM/M4BL protests were deemed uncivil by moderates who were far more concerned with appearances than change. Colin Kaepernick wanted to use his platform and visibility to help. He began by sitting during the national anthem, which is a relatively quiet but powerful and visible statement that is "civil," by moderate definition, and has historical precedent. Worried about whether his actions could be misconstrued as disrespectful- in other words, "uncivil," he consulted with a friend in the military, and they decided that kneeling- typically a sign of respect- might mitigate bad-faith perception. Take a look at the news, or run a Google search. Did civility prevent Kap's message from being obscured? Did it protect him from the rabid, nationalist, racists who willfully misconstrue any resistance as indecent? You don't have to crack open a history book to see the moving target of "civility" or to understand that bullies on one side and cowards on the other are complicit in acts of inhumanity.posted by gwint at 11:53 AM on June 25, 2018 [113 favorites]
look as long as Mattis is still employed at the WH there's still time for him to throw Trump down a ventilation shaft at a dramatically opportune moment
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:55 AM on June 25, 2018 [36 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:55 AM on June 25, 2018 [36 favorites]
Remember that ICE guy with the iron cross tattoo, and it was “actually” a marine tattoo? It probably is, but it’s also totally an Iron Cross tattoo. That’s normal there.
This jogged my memory, and I wanted to circle back to this while we're talking about civility and how we treat each other. Talia Lavin was a fact checker for the New Yorker until last week. She has a Village Voice column, and a pretty loud and intense Twitter presence. She's also the person who got Alex Trebeck to say Turd Ferguson a couple years back.
So when she saw the ICE agent photo, she did the exact same thing we did in this thread and tweeted about the tattoo. Other people did the same thing we also did in this thread and provided more information about the symbol. She deleted the tweet within 15 minutes, saying she didn't want to spread misinformation. ICE then proceeded to attack her by name (almost, they spelled her name wrong twice), blaming her for starting the story (she didn't), which caused the conservative outrage machine to do it's thing, resulting in articles in the New York Post, Washington Times, a Michelle Malkin nastygram, etc... The New Yorker put out a statement apologizing, followed soon thereafter by her "resigning" from her job. She's apologized again. And then conservative media ran a round of articles to celebrate her unemployment, along with a vitriolic and threatening article from the Daily Stormer. Now she gets harassed on Twitter and Tucker Carlson has her in his sights.
The extent to which government resources are being used to single out and attack private citizens for slights or quickly corrected errors (see also Dave Weigel's "packed to the rafters" mistake) is deeply disturbing, with very real personal consequences for the lives on the other end of this.
If Sarah Sanders' lies received one hundredth of the consequences Lavin got for a promptly deleted and corrected tweet, I might give a damn about talking about civility.
posted by zachlipton at 11:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [175 favorites]
This jogged my memory, and I wanted to circle back to this while we're talking about civility and how we treat each other. Talia Lavin was a fact checker for the New Yorker until last week. She has a Village Voice column, and a pretty loud and intense Twitter presence. She's also the person who got Alex Trebeck to say Turd Ferguson a couple years back.
So when she saw the ICE agent photo, she did the exact same thing we did in this thread and tweeted about the tattoo. Other people did the same thing we also did in this thread and provided more information about the symbol. She deleted the tweet within 15 minutes, saying she didn't want to spread misinformation. ICE then proceeded to attack her by name (almost, they spelled her name wrong twice), blaming her for starting the story (she didn't), which caused the conservative outrage machine to do it's thing, resulting in articles in the New York Post, Washington Times, a Michelle Malkin nastygram, etc... The New Yorker put out a statement apologizing, followed soon thereafter by her "resigning" from her job. She's apologized again. And then conservative media ran a round of articles to celebrate her unemployment, along with a vitriolic and threatening article from the Daily Stormer. Now she gets harassed on Twitter and Tucker Carlson has her in his sights.
The extent to which government resources are being used to single out and attack private citizens for slights or quickly corrected errors (see also Dave Weigel's "packed to the rafters" mistake) is deeply disturbing, with very real personal consequences for the lives on the other end of this.
If Sarah Sanders' lies received one hundredth of the consequences Lavin got for a promptly deleted and corrected tweet, I might give a damn about talking about civility.
posted by zachlipton at 11:58 AM on June 25, 2018 [175 favorites]
I trust Mattis because people I trust, who served under him and dealt with him personally, trust in his integrity.
You know who else is friends with Mattis? I mean, who is personally friends with Mattis? My aunt--my grandmother's successor on the Hill, who picked up her legacy with glee. My father's younger sister. You remember my grandmother, right? She's the one who was a massive McCain partisan--remember, my grandfather went to school with John McCain and my family bound theirs up with him in politics?
My aunt is a worse human being, and I would have said that before the election. I don't think I know a person who I trust less on a level of integrity. And she could not shut up about how excited she was for Mattis and all the opportunities this had for him. She's DoD too, I think--or at least, glancing at her current LinkedIn, military-adjacent without being personally in the service.
I don't trust Mattis because a person I would not trust as far as I could throw her loves him; because he is beloved by the same people I thought were more honorable than they turned out to be the moment they thought they or their allies stood to gain by Trump and his faction. I don't personally know Mattis' character, of course. But I am wary of leaning on honor, these days.
posted by sciatrix at 12:00 PM on June 25, 2018 [39 favorites]
You know who else is friends with Mattis? I mean, who is personally friends with Mattis? My aunt--my grandmother's successor on the Hill, who picked up her legacy with glee. My father's younger sister. You remember my grandmother, right? She's the one who was a massive McCain partisan--remember, my grandfather went to school with John McCain and my family bound theirs up with him in politics?
My aunt is a worse human being, and I would have said that before the election. I don't think I know a person who I trust less on a level of integrity. And she could not shut up about how excited she was for Mattis and all the opportunities this had for him. She's DoD too, I think--or at least, glancing at her current LinkedIn, military-adjacent without being personally in the service.
I don't trust Mattis because a person I would not trust as far as I could throw her loves him; because he is beloved by the same people I thought were more honorable than they turned out to be the moment they thought they or their allies stood to gain by Trump and his faction. I don't personally know Mattis' character, of course. But I am wary of leaning on honor, these days.
posted by sciatrix at 12:00 PM on June 25, 2018 [39 favorites]
Nail, hit, head. I believe that's why people might think Trump is "smart." He's rich! He had his own TV show! He's famous! Now he's President! He has to be smart to accomplish all that!
The funny thing is if you look at how people live north of Boston, in Cambridge or Somerville, you'd think they were all morons. The high student debt load and housing prices, along with Yankee culture discouraging displays of wealth, all add up to having nothing to wave around to prove ones smarts.
posted by ocschwar at 12:00 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
The funny thing is if you look at how people live north of Boston, in Cambridge or Somerville, you'd think they were all morons. The high student debt load and housing prices, along with Yankee culture discouraging displays of wealth, all add up to having nothing to wave around to prove ones smarts.
posted by ocschwar at 12:00 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Toying with the idea of funding a "Maxine Waters Commemorative Playing Card Set" a'la the "Iraqi Most-Wanted cards" with pictures of Trump and his cabinet/cronies past & present so folks can recognize the people who don't deserve service.
posted by achrise at 12:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
posted by achrise at 12:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
The entire civility debate is a non-starter. It's not a real fight and you cannot win it.
The right does not recognize hypocrisy. It means nothing to them. There is no such a thing as a standard they would allow to be used against them as well as for them. There is only their side, who are to be the beneficiaries of every evaluation of every situation, and the other side, who are to be find wanting, however the scales have to be tipped or moved. They give zero fucks whether they argue for an ironclad standard on Monday then violate it flagrantly and argue for its abolition on Tuesday. They are likewise comfortable to switch again on Wednesday. And again on Thursday.
The only constant they stick with is, "FUCK YOU, YOU'RE WRONG."
Why make yourself tired trying to talk your way past this? They don't give a fuck. There's no sense wearing yourself out trying to find just the right words to get them to see their hypocrisy. They don't give a fuck and never will.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [89 favorites]
The right does not recognize hypocrisy. It means nothing to them. There is no such a thing as a standard they would allow to be used against them as well as for them. There is only their side, who are to be the beneficiaries of every evaluation of every situation, and the other side, who are to be find wanting, however the scales have to be tipped or moved. They give zero fucks whether they argue for an ironclad standard on Monday then violate it flagrantly and argue for its abolition on Tuesday. They are likewise comfortable to switch again on Wednesday. And again on Thursday.
The only constant they stick with is, "FUCK YOU, YOU'RE WRONG."
Why make yourself tired trying to talk your way past this? They don't give a fuck. There's no sense wearing yourself out trying to find just the right words to get them to see their hypocrisy. They don't give a fuck and never will.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [89 favorites]
But I can easily see why someone who doesn’t have that personal connection might view it through a totally different lens - and the really hard thing is without insider information it’s hard to know which of us is right.
Except that I don’t think it matters what kind of person Mattis is, or what his intentions are, even if he were one of the angels. He’s not going to be overseeing these camps personally. Policies like this take on their own weight and momentum. The sheer existence of the camps normalizes putting people in camps, out of sight, out of mind, no longer really human. The separation of children will continue to constitute torture and severe trauma, resulting in grievous injuries from which these children might never recover. (seriously, complex PTSD first came to light as a way of explaining the unique trauma of having survived a concentration camp or a hostage situation, which obviously applies to many abusive relationships and families, and severe attachment trauma is ANOTHER terrible trauma on top of that; these children are being tortured just by being separated from their families and put in camps.) And the DOD providing facilities hidden from public sight and accountability while abdicating responsibility for running those facilities to contractors without proper training or oversight and in an emergency rush is how you get Abu Ghraib. Only with added women and children.
When people — guards — have to see this every day, they deal with the cognitive dissonance of being the person helping to hurt others by finding ways to feel contempt for the people they’re hurting. The usual ways that oppressed people try to rebel and salvage some sense of agency and dignity — through disobedience, sabotage, theft, etc — become justifications for further oppression. They find ways to dehumanize them in order to stay sane, and then they validate these feelings with their peers by abusing the shit out of their prisoners. And it only gets worse from there.
There is no way for this to be not torture, and not concentration camps. It doesn’t matter what Mattis intends, or what he thinks, or whether he’s trying to make the concentration camps slightly less worse. They are still inherently evil, and no amount of intentions can change that. And Mattis is smart enough to know that.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [73 favorites]
Except that I don’t think it matters what kind of person Mattis is, or what his intentions are, even if he were one of the angels. He’s not going to be overseeing these camps personally. Policies like this take on their own weight and momentum. The sheer existence of the camps normalizes putting people in camps, out of sight, out of mind, no longer really human. The separation of children will continue to constitute torture and severe trauma, resulting in grievous injuries from which these children might never recover. (seriously, complex PTSD first came to light as a way of explaining the unique trauma of having survived a concentration camp or a hostage situation, which obviously applies to many abusive relationships and families, and severe attachment trauma is ANOTHER terrible trauma on top of that; these children are being tortured just by being separated from their families and put in camps.) And the DOD providing facilities hidden from public sight and accountability while abdicating responsibility for running those facilities to contractors without proper training or oversight and in an emergency rush is how you get Abu Ghraib. Only with added women and children.
When people — guards — have to see this every day, they deal with the cognitive dissonance of being the person helping to hurt others by finding ways to feel contempt for the people they’re hurting. The usual ways that oppressed people try to rebel and salvage some sense of agency and dignity — through disobedience, sabotage, theft, etc — become justifications for further oppression. They find ways to dehumanize them in order to stay sane, and then they validate these feelings with their peers by abusing the shit out of their prisoners. And it only gets worse from there.
There is no way for this to be not torture, and not concentration camps. It doesn’t matter what Mattis intends, or what he thinks, or whether he’s trying to make the concentration camps slightly less worse. They are still inherently evil, and no amount of intentions can change that. And Mattis is smart enough to know that.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [73 favorites]
Because rules are rules, even if you made those trips as a diplomat engaged in (what was then seen as) an American triumph: Ex-Nato chief refused visa waiver to US because of Iran trips
posted by Joe in Australia at 12:07 PM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
posted by Joe in Australia at 12:07 PM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
I don't think it would matter much to me personally who I knew that trusted or did not trust someone who was responsible for the construction and oversight of concentration camps for children, as I feel confident of my own choice to not trust that person without the need for anyone else's opinion on things not related to the construction and oversight of concentration camps for children.
posted by poffin boffin at 12:08 PM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 12:08 PM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
Jason Kander is going to run for mayor of KCMO. I'm going to pack up and move across the state after work tonight.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 12:08 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
posted by fluttering hellfire at 12:08 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
The point of the Two Minutes Hate wasn't that Goldstein had actually insulted party members, yet somehow it was useful to have him on the screen. The rest is left as an exercise for the reader*, although I also recall something about the future looking like a boot eternally stamping on a face. Just saying it might be the act of an idiot to assume that there will ever be an assumption that the other side is of equal value. Because there will not, and normal rules don't apply to fascists, even though they will of course claim that they are being unfairly repressed and must be brave to save the country from the Other.
*See also:
posted by jaduncan at 12:12 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
*See also:
+ Pol Pot and non-KR supporters
+ Stalin and non-Communists
+ Stalin and random Communists
+ Erdogan and Gulen
+ Erdogan and the Kurds
+ Assad and pretty much everyone
+ etc etc.
posted by jaduncan at 12:12 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Also Trump is part of a vulnerability chain. He has compromised a number of political actors himself. There are a couple of AGs who dropped charges against him in open and shut cases who also happened to get campaign donations from him.
This line of thinking only increases my anxiety when I consider the occasional praise of Trump by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in conjunction with how many thousands of dollars Trump and his family have donated to him over the years (almost $20,000). One would think that a politician from New York would know exactly what Trump is about, but instead, I now wonder what Trump secretly knows about him.
posted by Doktor Zed at 12:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
This line of thinking only increases my anxiety when I consider the occasional praise of Trump by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in conjunction with how many thousands of dollars Trump and his family have donated to him over the years (almost $20,000). One would think that a politician from New York would know exactly what Trump is about, but instead, I now wonder what Trump secretly knows about him.
posted by Doktor Zed at 12:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
I think it’s the local politicians, the ones in a position to matter to a real estate developer / money launderer who commits a lot of crimes who likely have something to worry about there.
Cy Vance, I’m looking at you.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:19 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Cy Vance, I’m looking at you.
posted by schadenfrau at 12:19 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
NYT, Vogel, At a Toast to Trump, the North Korean Anthem Has a Starring Role
Washingtonian, Jessica Sidman, Read the Messages and Threats Sent to the Wrong Red Hen. The Red Hen in Washington DC has taken to posting "#NOTTHATREDHEN" on their windows. The messages they've received are something else.
posted by zachlipton at 12:21 PM on June 25, 2018 [27 favorites]
The North Korean national anthem got plenty of fanfare at the Virginia Women for Trump’s birthday party for the president on Sunday. Corey Stewart, the Republican Senate candidate from Virginia, got the hook.I know this game is well past its prime, but can you even imagine what would be happening if some people threw a birthday party for Obama at his property where his supporters modeled Iranian attire and played the Iranian national anthem?
The Tea for Trump toast to an absent President Trump drew hundreds of women in hats, tats and floral finery to the Trump International Hotel for an afternoon of what Alice Butler-Short, the organization’s president, called “God, fashion and politics or God, politics and fashion, whichever.”
...
Female pro-Trump organizers and donors modeled some 50 gowns, which, like a fireworks display, grew shinier and more elaborate toward the finales. At one key moment, a woman in a flowing, black and white, Asian-style costume appeared. As martial-sounding music played, she walked the runway with arms outstretched, carrying what looked like a red velvet and gilded Valentine’s Day candy box. The women cheered as she paused, lifting the box to the heavens.
Ms. Butler-Short took the stage, her substantial, bejeweled gold lamé millinery bobbing. “That signified our great president and the negotiations he is having with North Korea,” she said. The music, she explained, was the North Korean national anthem.
Some time after that, the Deplorable Choir from Houston, three women in red dresses and fringed red cowboy boots, took the stage, saying, “We’ve been called every name in the book and we know that’s not true.” Their anthem for the women went like this:
“We love God and family, we support our troops through everything.
“We got Trump 2020 on the back of our pickup truck.”
Washingtonian, Jessica Sidman, Read the Messages and Threats Sent to the Wrong Red Hen. The Red Hen in Washington DC has taken to posting "#NOTTHATREDHEN" on their windows. The messages they've received are something else.
posted by zachlipton at 12:21 PM on June 25, 2018 [27 favorites]
The new AG for New York State, Barbara Underwood, has been moving full steam ahead with the lawsuit against the Trump foundation (I found it delicious that Ivanka and her brothers were named as well). So maybe there was something to the speculation that Schneiderman was compromised; Underwood does not appear to be.
I agree that any politicians "compromised" in some way and vulnerable to Trumpian blackmail would be ones in a position to give him trouble over his real estate deals, specifically in New York State.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 12:28 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
I agree that any politicians "compromised" in some way and vulnerable to Trumpian blackmail would be ones in a position to give him trouble over his real estate deals, specifically in New York State.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 12:28 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
The messages they've received are something else.
And with the blessing (and encouragement) of the White House. Via official communique. Barf.
posted by Barack Spinoza at 12:29 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
And with the blessing (and encouragement) of the White House. Via official communique. Barf.
posted by Barack Spinoza at 12:29 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
But I can easily see why someone who doesn’t have that personal connection might view it through a totally different lens - and the really hard thing is without insider information it’s hard to know which of us is right.
So far every "adult in the room" that has been vouchsafed by those who know them and have personally worked for them has slowly shown themselves to be morally bankrupt. It's second nature for a lot of government employees keep their private and policy opinions to themselves. Many go so far as to not vote. Personal or working relationships with these guys have not been a great indicator of how they'll act once in power so far.
Bush and Co were supposed to be conservatism's dream team, but they managed to start a war based on a lie with no plan whatsoever for day two of that war. They were the worst stewards of the economy, maybe ever. They were not as ideologically as bad as Trump, but all of them had stellar insider reputations as the brightest, most capable, upright members of their party, and all of them turned out to be incapable dirt bags.
posted by xammerboy at 12:35 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
So far every "adult in the room" that has been vouchsafed by those who know them and have personally worked for them has slowly shown themselves to be morally bankrupt. It's second nature for a lot of government employees keep their private and policy opinions to themselves. Many go so far as to not vote. Personal or working relationships with these guys have not been a great indicator of how they'll act once in power so far.
Bush and Co were supposed to be conservatism's dream team, but they managed to start a war based on a lie with no plan whatsoever for day two of that war. They were the worst stewards of the economy, maybe ever. They were not as ideologically as bad as Trump, but all of them had stellar insider reputations as the brightest, most capable, upright members of their party, and all of them turned out to be incapable dirt bags.
posted by xammerboy at 12:35 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
New Yorker, Jane Mayer, A Parlor Game at Rebekah Mercer’s Has No Get Out of Jail Free Card, in which the Mercer family invites guests over to play a strange game, which seems to even acknowledge Russian meddling? I don't even.
Robert Mercer, the New York hedge-fund magnate whose huge donations to pro-Trump groups in 2016 have been credited with putting Donald Trump in the White House, has kept a low profile since the election. But his daughter Rebekah, who runs the family’s foundation, now has a way to relive the thrill of the campaign with friends around her dinner table. In March, on a ski vacation at a rented house near Vail, Colorado, she brought a batch of copies of the “Rules of Play” for an elaborate parlor game called the Machine Learning President. Essentially, it is a race to the Oval Office in three fifteen-minute rounds. It’s a role-playing game, more like Assassin than like Monopoly, although players of this game do start out with an allotment of “cash” to spend on pushing their agendas, which can include “algorithmic policing” and “mass deportation.”posted by zachlipton at 12:37 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
“Tonight, the name of the game is POWER,” reads the first page of the “Rules of Play.” Each player, it goes on, “will assume a new political identity.” Instead of becoming Colonel Mustard or Mrs. Peacock, as in the board game Clue, each player takes on the role of a political candidate or a “faction,” in the game’s parlance. Among the possible roles are Mike Pence, Elizabeth Warren, Black Lives Matter, Russia, Y Combinator, Tom Steyer, Wall Street, Evangelicals, the Koch Network, and Robert Mercer himself. (Through a lawyer, Rebekah Mercer acknowledged possessing the game’s “Rules of Play” but denied any role in the creation of the game or that the game reflects her family’s views.)
Update on the Occupy ICE situation in Portland: as of 10:30 this morning, Portland Protesters Who Have Shut Down the ICE Building Ordered to Leave Federal Property or Face Arrest
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 12:39 PM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 12:39 PM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
I suspect that the majority of political pundits, operators and reporters who are calling for civility are people who regularly dine with Republicans.
posted by srboisvert at 12:41 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 12:41 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
Rebekah Mercer, of the “it’s unfair to call me a Nazi” op-ed. These fuckers are more toxic to democracy than Trump and Putin combined.
Meanwhile, possibly unrelatedly but let’s face it not unrelated: Why Older People Are Using the Blood of Teenagers to Live Longer
posted by Artw at 12:43 PM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
Meanwhile, possibly unrelatedly but let’s face it not unrelated: Why Older People Are Using the Blood of Teenagers to Live Longer
posted by Artw at 12:43 PM on June 25, 2018 [22 favorites]
NYT, John Schwartz, A Leading Climate Agency May Lose Its Climate Focus , in which NOAA's mission appears to be losing all references to climate.
The wildest thing about this to me (and I'm not re-linking the NYT, because fuck them) is that, if I recall correctly, the President's budget eliminated NASA's upcoming climate satellite missions because, the argument goes, NASA's job is space and climate is NOAA's job. Now we see of course that this administration wants climate to be no one's job. (That whole argument is bullshit to start because NASA does satellites and space-based sensors and so NOAA would have to get NASA to help them put up the satellites anyhow).
posted by runcibleshaw at 12:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
The wildest thing about this to me (and I'm not re-linking the NYT, because fuck them) is that, if I recall correctly, the President's budget eliminated NASA's upcoming climate satellite missions because, the argument goes, NASA's job is space and climate is NOAA's job. Now we see of course that this administration wants climate to be no one's job. (That whole argument is bullshit to start because NASA does satellites and space-based sensors and so NOAA would have to get NASA to help them put up the satellites anyhow).
posted by runcibleshaw at 12:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
Rebekah Mercer, of the “it’s unfair to call me a Nazi” op-ed. These fuckers are more toxic to democracy than Trump and Putin combined.
I agree with you. No one family should have this much money, and nobody should be able to buy and pay for politicians, like the Mercers. Even "benevolent" rich donors who are on our side can threaten to throw their weight around: George Soros says he will take his toys and go home if Kirsten Gillibrand is nominated.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 12:47 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
I agree with you. No one family should have this much money, and nobody should be able to buy and pay for politicians, like the Mercers. Even "benevolent" rich donors who are on our side can threaten to throw their weight around: George Soros says he will take his toys and go home if Kirsten Gillibrand is nominated.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 12:47 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
“Tonight, the name of the game is POWER,”
I see the writers still don’t trust their audience
“How can we make them really get that these billionaires only see them as pawns?”
“Fuck I don’t know. Literal parlor game.”
Annnnnd most of us still don’t get it
posted by schadenfrau at 12:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
I see the writers still don’t trust their audience
“How can we make them really get that these billionaires only see them as pawns?”
“Fuck I don’t know. Literal parlor game.”
Annnnnd most of us still don’t get it
posted by schadenfrau at 12:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
Mod note: Reminder that there's enough idiocy going around in e.g. the highest eschelons of government that we don't need to go search for more just to beef up the thread.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:57 PM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:57 PM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
When it comes to the civility debate it is worth remembering that not only is there a double standard at work (incivility from Republicans is normative and never criticized) but most important that **ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING** the Democrats or anyone to the left of Newt Gingrich does will be presented as incivility run rampant.
Look at the football players who take a knee during the anthem. A quieter, more respectful, less disruptive, form of protest cannot be imagined. Yet it was presented as rampant incivility.
The definition of incivility is flexible and is continually extended to cover absolutely any behavior from the left.
There are no circumstances under which the media will abandon the lie that the left is uncivil and insufficiently polite to the Republicans, and nothing any Republican can ever do that will cause the press to hector them about civility.
Anyone claiming that there's a lack of civility on the Democratic side is, whether they intend to or not, simply calling for Democrats to STFU and let the Republicans do whatever they want with no criticism at all.
The only rational course of action is to dismiss any and all calls for Democratic civility as enemy action.
posted by sotonohito at 1:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [65 favorites]
Look at the football players who take a knee during the anthem. A quieter, more respectful, less disruptive, form of protest cannot be imagined. Yet it was presented as rampant incivility.
The definition of incivility is flexible and is continually extended to cover absolutely any behavior from the left.
There are no circumstances under which the media will abandon the lie that the left is uncivil and insufficiently polite to the Republicans, and nothing any Republican can ever do that will cause the press to hector them about civility.
Anyone claiming that there's a lack of civility on the Democratic side is, whether they intend to or not, simply calling for Democrats to STFU and let the Republicans do whatever they want with no criticism at all.
The only rational course of action is to dismiss any and all calls for Democratic civility as enemy action.
posted by sotonohito at 1:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [65 favorites]
I forget who was this hero commenter in the last thread, but someone called Cruz's office and asked the staffer to imagine how the senator would feel if separated from his glistening egg sacks. In this life, you take joy wherever you can find it, and in all this sadness, that anecdote is a balm. Thank you, internet friend.
posted by angrycat at 1:08 PM on June 25, 2018 [71 favorites]
posted by angrycat at 1:08 PM on June 25, 2018 [71 favorites]
Meanwhile, possibly unrelatedly but let’s face it not unrelated: Why Older People Are Using the Blood of Teenagers to Live Longer
If this were 2015 or before, I would have assumed that was an Onion link.
But now? It would not surprise me if it turns out the blood was taken from immigrant children personally by Betsy DeVos, and that Scott Pruitt appropriated EPA funds to get the treatment for himself.
posted by Foosnark at 1:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
If this were 2015 or before, I would have assumed that was an Onion link.
But now? It would not surprise me if it turns out the blood was taken from immigrant children personally by Betsy DeVos, and that Scott Pruitt appropriated EPA funds to get the treatment for himself.
posted by Foosnark at 1:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
Increasing threats to Homeland Security include burned animal carcass left on staffer’s porch
In one example, a senior DHS official living in the Washington. D.C. area found a burnt and decapitated animal on his front porch, according to an official with knowledge of the incident.
The anonymity and vagueness of the story (what kind of animal? bird? beast? immigrant?), the lack of a lib-terror-threat press conference with photos broadcast on Fox, and the fact that Trump isn't (yet) tweeting BURN ALL DEMOCRATS AND LEAVE THEIR CARCASSES ON PHONY MEDIA PORCHES are all good indicators that this 100% did not happen and that they're lying to garner sympathy.
posted by Rust Moranis at 1:10 PM on June 25, 2018 [26 favorites]
In one example, a senior DHS official living in the Washington. D.C. area found a burnt and decapitated animal on his front porch, according to an official with knowledge of the incident.
The anonymity and vagueness of the story (what kind of animal? bird? beast? immigrant?), the lack of a lib-terror-threat press conference with photos broadcast on Fox, and the fact that Trump isn't (yet) tweeting BURN ALL DEMOCRATS AND LEAVE THEIR CARCASSES ON PHONY MEDIA PORCHES are all good indicators that this 100% did not happen and that they're lying to garner sympathy.
posted by Rust Moranis at 1:10 PM on June 25, 2018 [26 favorites]
Toying with the idea of funding a "Maxine Waters Commemorative Playing Card Set" a'la the "Iraqi Most-Wanted cards" with pictures of Trump and his cabinet/cronies past & present so folks can recognize the people who don't deserve service.
Done & done. KNOW YOUR DEPLORABLES! Playing Cards.
posted by scalefree at 1:13 PM on June 25, 2018 [46 favorites]
Done & done. KNOW YOUR DEPLORABLES! Playing Cards.
posted by scalefree at 1:13 PM on June 25, 2018 [46 favorites]
Wow, so I guess the child prisons are out of the news cycle now? That was fast.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 1:16 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 1:16 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Wow, so I guess the child prisons are out of the news cycle now? That was fast.
They're still in the cycle, but in the context of whether it's OK to be rude about them.
posted by Rust Moranis at 1:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [33 favorites]
They're still in the cycle, but in the context of whether it's OK to be rude about them.
posted by Rust Moranis at 1:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [33 favorites]
the fact that Trump isn't (yet) tweeting BURN ALL DEMOCRATS AND LEAVE THEIR CARCASSES ON PHONY MEDIA PORCHES are all good indicators that this 100% did not happen and that they're lying to garner sympathy.
or it was just a rotisserie chicken from grubhub
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:19 PM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
or it was just a rotisserie chicken from grubhub
posted by prize bull octorok at 1:19 PM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
I do think the right does honestly believe that they are being civil all the time. After all, a large percentage of them want a large percentage of us to be tortured for all eternity, and yet they don't spit in our faces every time they see us. That presumably does take a certain amount of effort. A large percentage want to call us n*s, f*s, b*s, etc, and yet in daily face-to-face interactions they don't. And they don't scream at us constantly for being uppity, or elite, or whatever. When you strongly hate a large number of people, it is a real effort not to show it. That's why they revile "political correctness" so much -- it's the icon of that sense of self-control they have to exercise all the time they are around us.
Up until moments of crisis such as now, they have seen peaceful interaction on the street as being the product of symmetric civility: they hate us yet (mostly) resist spitting on us, and we hate them yet mostly resist doing the same. But that symmetry, like all such symmetries, has largely been misprojection: they think we are biting our tongues effortfully like they are in order to avoid social discomfort, whereas on our side our "civility" is due either to a mistaken benefit of the doubt (they don't *literally* want to torture us for eternity and/or are woefully ignorant/misinformed about policy) or because we actively fear for our lives if were are "uncivil." Two very asymmetric sides. But it shows that "civility" is I think not so much a concept of the center as it is a concept of the right, particularly a right that sees itself as outcast and confined, constantly working not to spit, hit, curse, and hurt.
And that effort is real; it's the best we could achieve with them absent actual persuasion. And now they see it may all be for naught: even all that effort -- condescending to go to a Mexican restaurant without calling all the servers w*s -- is not enough for us. And it never should have been enough, except that we (correctly) were fearful of the repercussions. But sometimes things are even worse than those repercussions, and here we are. Why aren't we being "civil" any more? Not because we are no longer making the social effort -- that was always their misprojection onto us -- but because we now fear the alternatives even more than the usual repercussions, and because (some of) those who mistakenly granted the benefit of the doubt are finally realizing their error. But for their side, it really was always a matter of civility, and as they drop that effort (to their relief), the mealymouthed center is right about one thing: it will get -- or at least, look -- worse. But that's a good thing.* They'll call us n*s and lock us up, we'll call them Nazis and protest in the streets, and the confused center will be forced to think whether those two things are truly symmetrical.
[* Well, better would have been to keep it all bottled up until they died off, but we seem to have missed that boat...]
posted by chortly at 1:22 PM on June 25, 2018 [51 favorites]
Up until moments of crisis such as now, they have seen peaceful interaction on the street as being the product of symmetric civility: they hate us yet (mostly) resist spitting on us, and we hate them yet mostly resist doing the same. But that symmetry, like all such symmetries, has largely been misprojection: they think we are biting our tongues effortfully like they are in order to avoid social discomfort, whereas on our side our "civility" is due either to a mistaken benefit of the doubt (they don't *literally* want to torture us for eternity and/or are woefully ignorant/misinformed about policy) or because we actively fear for our lives if were are "uncivil." Two very asymmetric sides. But it shows that "civility" is I think not so much a concept of the center as it is a concept of the right, particularly a right that sees itself as outcast and confined, constantly working not to spit, hit, curse, and hurt.
And that effort is real; it's the best we could achieve with them absent actual persuasion. And now they see it may all be for naught: even all that effort -- condescending to go to a Mexican restaurant without calling all the servers w*s -- is not enough for us. And it never should have been enough, except that we (correctly) were fearful of the repercussions. But sometimes things are even worse than those repercussions, and here we are. Why aren't we being "civil" any more? Not because we are no longer making the social effort -- that was always their misprojection onto us -- but because we now fear the alternatives even more than the usual repercussions, and because (some of) those who mistakenly granted the benefit of the doubt are finally realizing their error. But for their side, it really was always a matter of civility, and as they drop that effort (to their relief), the mealymouthed center is right about one thing: it will get -- or at least, look -- worse. But that's a good thing.* They'll call us n*s and lock us up, we'll call them Nazis and protest in the streets, and the confused center will be forced to think whether those two things are truly symmetrical.
[* Well, better would have been to keep it all bottled up until they died off, but we seem to have missed that boat...]
posted by chortly at 1:22 PM on June 25, 2018 [51 favorites]
Did anyone just hear the segment on NPR? Some reporter reporting on divisions in the Democratic Party. Likened Maxine Waters to Trump in terms of tactics and confrontation vs the more conciliatory Pelosi. What the actual fuck.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 1:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 1:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
Mattis' integrity is not really the question. The question is what, precisely, he is going to fucking DO. -- And same question for the people he assigns down the chain. Where specifically are all those morals going to guide them? I have no trouble believing that he has served his country faithfully and with integrity - I don't have direct evidence of that, but I don't find it hard to believe either. It's easy to believe that he, and lots of Republicans, are people of faith and conviction who sincerely believe they are doing what the country needs them to do. That's not incompatible with committing human rights abuses. It's just not. We've seen people have a lot of different takes on morality. Mattis specifically has said a lot of shit about illegal immigration, and IIRC he's repeated the spin of "they're fake asylum claims and fake families". Maybe "oversight" just means "commit human rights abuses but more organized and without using racist slurs".
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 1:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 1:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
So, can a DC restaurant owner say "Good evening. Before I show you to your table, I should inform you that I and my staff will only be serving you because the law requires it, otherwise we would be asking you to leave"?
posted by ocschwar at 1:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by ocschwar at 1:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Did anyone just hear the segment on NPR? Some reporter reporting on divisions in the Democratic Party. Likened Maxine Waters to Trump in terms of tactics and confrontation vs the more conciliatory Pelosi. What the actual fuck.
NPR is not your friend.
posted by Rust Moranis at 1:28 PM on June 25, 2018 [35 favorites]
NPR is not your friend.
posted by Rust Moranis at 1:28 PM on June 25, 2018 [35 favorites]
When a guy you like and respect says he's ok with child or family internment camps, you don't start approving of the camps you stop liking and respecting the guy. Some things are wrong because they are just wrong. Internment camps are one of these things. Even if they were going to be overseen by the ghost of Mr. Rogers himself. Some things are just wrong and they should poison the entire past and future of the people who support them.
posted by melissasaurus at 1:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [82 favorites]
posted by melissasaurus at 1:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [82 favorites]
I suspect that the majority of political pundits, operators and reporters who are calling for civility are people who regularly dine with Republicans.
Amanda Marcotte (Salon)
My guess is the real reason Beltway editors flipped out on the Red Hen owner is her noble action makes them look bad. Their willingness to rub elbows with baby jailers at D.C. parties is looking even more complicit.
---
Jonathan Ladd (Brookings Fellow)
Recent events provide a great illustration that, while it is a social norm in polite society to support nonviolent protest, in the face of actual nonviolent protests, most political and social elites really want no protest at all.
- When people imagine nonviolent protest, elite only think of hopefully ineffective strategies like scheduled, fully permitted marches or rallies. Or strongly but politely worded opinion columns.
- Actual effective nonviolent protests involve making life more difficult/uncomfortable/embarrassing for the targets of the protest. That's why it sometimes works.
- Why are they boycotting and driving the bus system out of business? Do they want to live in a society without viable bus companies! How can we live like that? What a confrontational and hostile strategy! Can't we wait and do this in a more civil way? Why do the suffragettes keep pestering politicians in their free time?
- I could go in like this, but you should just read Martin Luther King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," which addresses precisely this point.
posted by chris24 at 1:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [108 favorites]
Amanda Marcotte (Salon)
My guess is the real reason Beltway editors flipped out on the Red Hen owner is her noble action makes them look bad. Their willingness to rub elbows with baby jailers at D.C. parties is looking even more complicit.
---
Jonathan Ladd (Brookings Fellow)
Recent events provide a great illustration that, while it is a social norm in polite society to support nonviolent protest, in the face of actual nonviolent protests, most political and social elites really want no protest at all.
- When people imagine nonviolent protest, elite only think of hopefully ineffective strategies like scheduled, fully permitted marches or rallies. Or strongly but politely worded opinion columns.
- Actual effective nonviolent protests involve making life more difficult/uncomfortable/embarrassing for the targets of the protest. That's why it sometimes works.
- Why are they boycotting and driving the bus system out of business? Do they want to live in a society without viable bus companies! How can we live like that? What a confrontational and hostile strategy! Can't we wait and do this in a more civil way? Why do the suffragettes keep pestering politicians in their free time?
- I could go in like this, but you should just read Martin Luther King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," which addresses precisely this point.
posted by chris24 at 1:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [108 favorites]
Even if they were going to be overseen by the ghost of Mr. Rogers himself.
It's worth noting that Mr Rogers would find a very Mr Rogers way to refuse the job, probably whilst saying that every child deserves a parent and he knows that America is better than that. It's more kind than telling people to go fuck themselves, but it's the same amount of principle and the same outcome. I can't imagine a Mr Rogers concentration camp, and there's a reason for that.
posted by jaduncan at 1:40 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
It's worth noting that Mr Rogers would find a very Mr Rogers way to refuse the job, probably whilst saying that every child deserves a parent and he knows that America is better than that. It's more kind than telling people to go fuck themselves, but it's the same amount of principle and the same outcome. I can't imagine a Mr Rogers concentration camp, and there's a reason for that.
posted by jaduncan at 1:40 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
- I could go in like this, but you should just read Martin Luther King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," which addresses precisely this point.
I paraphrased the most relevant part in the last thread and I hope everyone does read it. And I wish every single person on TV in defense of the direct action against Trump officials would quote or reference it. I have seen none. The only person who came close was, I believe, Symone Sanders who at least pointed out that people talking bullshit about how MLK wouldn't do things like this and instead displayed civility through example etc were, indeed, talking bullshit and putting forward a milquetoast version of MLK that wasn't real. Which I was glad to see, but I really need someone to point out that the people calling for "civility" are the very model of the "white moderate" that is the real stumbling block to justice.
posted by Justinian at 1:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
I paraphrased the most relevant part in the last thread and I hope everyone does read it. And I wish every single person on TV in defense of the direct action against Trump officials would quote or reference it. I have seen none. The only person who came close was, I believe, Symone Sanders who at least pointed out that people talking bullshit about how MLK wouldn't do things like this and instead displayed civility through example etc were, indeed, talking bullshit and putting forward a milquetoast version of MLK that wasn't real. Which I was glad to see, but I really need someone to point out that the people calling for "civility" are the very model of the "white moderate" that is the real stumbling block to justice.
posted by Justinian at 1:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
(but I'm sure they would see that, too, as uncivil. How dare you uncivilly point out the terribleness of my position!)
posted by Justinian at 1:45 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 1:45 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Congratulations to the Trumps: You Played Yourselves
I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I'm starting to think that the Trump family doesn't quite have our best interests in mind. Maybe I'm reaching here, but it seems like there's a hidden code in the bellicose messaging coming from the White House and its inhabitants this week.posted by kirkaracha at 1:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
After a news cycle filled to the brim with sinister stunts at the expense of the health, liberty, and safety of thousands, President The Joker and first lady Harley Quinn turned to the nation and proudly announced, "We are The Joker and Harley Quinn," to which the entire nation wearily replied, "No duh."
...
Between Trump's whole "Richard III as a Twitter bot" persona, the first lady's fashion trolling, and Ivanka Trump's vacillation between deafening silence and combative subtweets, the First Family ends this week looking like the bumbling hyena henchmen from The Lion King. The problem: there's no Scar, unless you count the jagged gash across the soul of the country.
...
The thing that's so annoying about this point in the narrative is that we don't even have smart bad guys. That's probably better for us, for our well-being, even—as wild as it may seem—for our mental health. But that, too, is the coldest of comforts. The Trumps are not disguising their values or their intentions. They are playing the roles of themselves. And by playing themselves—you see where I'm going with this right?—they played themselves.
28-Year-Old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Might Just Be the Future of the Democratic Party (Vogue) the primary is tomorrow New Yorkers.
posted by The Whelk at 1:49 PM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 1:49 PM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
I'm really bothered by seeing how much play the civility nonsense is getting out there today in contrast to the attention on the gross abuse of asylum seekers and how it specifically targets their children for extended trauma.
I get that both of these things are worth talking about but the one involving child abuse and human rights violations is the one that actually matters.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:52 PM on June 25, 2018 [19 favorites]
I get that both of these things are worth talking about but the one involving child abuse and human rights violations is the one that actually matters.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:52 PM on June 25, 2018 [19 favorites]
Leaked ICE Manual Shows Gov't Allowing Informants To Engage In Illegal Behavior, Impersonate Lawyers, Journalists, And Doctors
posted by M-x shell at 1:58 PM on June 25, 2018 [61 favorites]
posted by M-x shell at 1:58 PM on June 25, 2018 [61 favorites]
Leaked ICE Manual Shows Gov't Allowing Informants To Engage In Illegal Behavior, Impersonate Lawyers, Journalists, And Doctors
These are state crimes, and liberal states should prosecute federal agents that commit state crimes while in that state. It's time to relitigate when a federal agent is acting within the scope of his federal duties.
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:05 PM on June 25, 2018 [70 favorites]
These are state crimes, and liberal states should prosecute federal agents that commit state crimes while in that state. It's time to relitigate when a federal agent is acting within the scope of his federal duties.
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:05 PM on June 25, 2018 [70 favorites]
chortly: Up until moments of crisis such as now, they have seen peaceful interaction on the street as being the product of symmetric civility: they hate us yet (mostly) resist spitting on us, and we hate them yet mostly resist doing the same.
Yes. This reality of a certain kind of "symmetry" is something that gets overlooked. There is a conservative equivalent to the liberal sense that we've been giving and giving while the other side keeps taking and taking... and it's simply the bare fact of civil rights, and the more-or-less progressive path those have followed (with setbacks, to be sure). It's women rising in the workplace, it's pressing 1 for English, it's "Women can marry women now?" The very first word deplorables use to describe kneeling African-American football players is "ungrateful", because they believe that under a neutral state of affairs the athletes to earn far less money, and hence the owners are already going above and beyond; they see an Overton window skewed leftward by millions of dollars. (Urrrgh.)
Most of the decorum-espousing centrists realize on some level that this is what's going on! It's precisely why, unlike so many media topics where "both sides" is the order of the day, the calls simply can't be evenhanded. You might talk about liberals needing to be polite (or rude). But you can't continue the conversation by turning to the right and saying "You, too, need to practice civility" because that's a cringe-worthy understatement when the problem isn't right-wing incivility but hatefulness. The usual "balance" approach would, in this domain, topple over with the acknowledgement of the actual moral stakes involved. The fetishized Balance is momentarily sacrificed for the sake of its own long-term preservation.
(This is awful, but it's not the worst possible world -- if they allowed Balance to override everything, then they'd have to treat the conservative conception of demographic issues as legitimate in itself -- not just the people espousing them, as with all the Nazi-humanizing columns, but the ideas. They don't quite cross that bridge, generally speaking, though they veer close a lot. Instead, they just kind of push that part outside their peripheral vision, resulting in stories with missing pieces, giving the impression that liberals keep being intolerant of Nothing In Particular, I Guess.)
posted by InTheYear2017 at 2:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
Yes. This reality of a certain kind of "symmetry" is something that gets overlooked. There is a conservative equivalent to the liberal sense that we've been giving and giving while the other side keeps taking and taking... and it's simply the bare fact of civil rights, and the more-or-less progressive path those have followed (with setbacks, to be sure). It's women rising in the workplace, it's pressing 1 for English, it's "Women can marry women now?" The very first word deplorables use to describe kneeling African-American football players is "ungrateful", because they believe that under a neutral state of affairs the athletes to earn far less money, and hence the owners are already going above and beyond; they see an Overton window skewed leftward by millions of dollars. (Urrrgh.)
Most of the decorum-espousing centrists realize on some level that this is what's going on! It's precisely why, unlike so many media topics where "both sides" is the order of the day, the calls simply can't be evenhanded. You might talk about liberals needing to be polite (or rude). But you can't continue the conversation by turning to the right and saying "You, too, need to practice civility" because that's a cringe-worthy understatement when the problem isn't right-wing incivility but hatefulness. The usual "balance" approach would, in this domain, topple over with the acknowledgement of the actual moral stakes involved. The fetishized Balance is momentarily sacrificed for the sake of its own long-term preservation.
(This is awful, but it's not the worst possible world -- if they allowed Balance to override everything, then they'd have to treat the conservative conception of demographic issues as legitimate in itself -- not just the people espousing them, as with all the Nazi-humanizing columns, but the ideas. They don't quite cross that bridge, generally speaking, though they veer close a lot. Instead, they just kind of push that part outside their peripheral vision, resulting in stories with missing pieces, giving the impression that liberals keep being intolerant of Nothing In Particular, I Guess.)
posted by InTheYear2017 at 2:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
Leaked ICE Manual Shows Gov't Allowing Informants To Engage In Illegal Behavior, Impersonate Lawyers, Journalists, And Doctors
And it's from 2008. They've had another ten years to rot in the dark.
posted by Rust Moranis at 2:07 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
And it's from 2008. They've had another ten years to rot in the dark.
posted by Rust Moranis at 2:07 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
I'm going to side with corb regarding Mattis. I'm sure he is as disgusted as the rest of us with the baby jailers. But my best guess is he feels he has one job right now, to be there in case of an "emergency". Even, if necessary, to throw his body on that grenade. A good strategist knows to keep his powder dry and not to fight every front at once. There are enough people fighting ICE and his resignation wouldn't affect that issue one iota.
posted by M-x shell at 2:07 PM on June 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by M-x shell at 2:07 PM on June 25, 2018 [5 favorites]
Re civility: I make the point again beautifully enumerated by bile and syntax that “Many of us, myself included, are socialized to be more outraged at breaches of etiquette than breaches of justice. Etiquette is largely about maintaining an unjust social order, where it's worse for you to tell your racist relatives to shut the fuck up at Thanksgiving than it is for them to spew their nonsense where your little cousins can hear.”
Also,
“I have some difficult news for everyone: Progressives aren’t interested in diversity. We aren’t interested in inclusion. We aren’t interested in tolerance. The progressives I know give exactly zero shits about those things.
We have no interest in everyone getting treated the same. We have no interest in giving all ideas equal airtime. We have no interest in “tolerating” all beliefs. I don’t know where this fairy tale comes from, but it’s completely disconnected from every experience I’ve had with progressive liberal folks in my lifetime.
When conservatives cross their arms and glare and shout “It’s not fair! You’re supposed to welcome everyone but you aren’t being nice to me!” it stings about as much as if they shouted, “It’s not fair, you’re supposed to be wearing tutus and juggling flaming donuts!”
The progressive liberal agenda isn’t about being nice. It’s about confronting evil, violence, trauma, and death. It’s about acknowledging the ways systemic power, systemic oppression, systemic evil, work in our world around us. I’m not fighting for diversity. I’m not fighting for tolerance. I’m fighting to overturn horrific systems of dehumanizing oppression.“
And right now we are fighting to keep kids with their families and kids and their families out of cages. Fuck civility.
posted by supercrayon at 2:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [126 favorites]
Also,
“I have some difficult news for everyone: Progressives aren’t interested in diversity. We aren’t interested in inclusion. We aren’t interested in tolerance. The progressives I know give exactly zero shits about those things.
We have no interest in everyone getting treated the same. We have no interest in giving all ideas equal airtime. We have no interest in “tolerating” all beliefs. I don’t know where this fairy tale comes from, but it’s completely disconnected from every experience I’ve had with progressive liberal folks in my lifetime.
When conservatives cross their arms and glare and shout “It’s not fair! You’re supposed to welcome everyone but you aren’t being nice to me!” it stings about as much as if they shouted, “It’s not fair, you’re supposed to be wearing tutus and juggling flaming donuts!”
The progressive liberal agenda isn’t about being nice. It’s about confronting evil, violence, trauma, and death. It’s about acknowledging the ways systemic power, systemic oppression, systemic evil, work in our world around us. I’m not fighting for diversity. I’m not fighting for tolerance. I’m fighting to overturn horrific systems of dehumanizing oppression.“
And right now we are fighting to keep kids with their families and kids and their families out of cages. Fuck civility.
posted by supercrayon at 2:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [126 favorites]
Let's just stop assuming conservatives actually have anyone really worth supporting or even really defending anymore. We warned them about Ryan and Romney's soulless rapacity in 2012 and all we got were lectures about how mean we were being. We provided plentiful evidence that the GOP Justices want to gut voting and civil rights and were told we were overreacting. We tried pointing out that Rubio and Cruz were evil motherfuckers who are proud to do stuff like hang around with anti-LGBTQ terrorists and demand that Muslims be stripped of their right to practice their faith unmolested, and it was brushed off. We tried showing how McCain and Flake and Sasse are paper tigers who occasionally make noise but almost never follow through when they think they can get away with it, and were never acknowledged. We talked about how McMullin is an extreme right-wing nutjob and Mattis is a war criminal and a fascist collaborator and were ignored.
And let's not forget that all of this both-sidesism and one-sided calls for "civility" was already their MO for years before Trump ever descended that escalator. Their lack of any sort of introspection into how much responsibility they have for where we are now is a large part of what enables the evil to spread. The fact is that modern conservatism is a cult, and I think that trying to deprogram anybody who's still willing to stick with it out of some combination of bigotry, hatred of taxes, desire to curtail the public safety net, or just plain old mindless devotion is a fool's errand. There is no such thing as a good-faith conservative to vote for anymore. Hell, there's is no such thing as a conservative worth a damn at all, at least not in the GOP. If conservative voters really wanted to support any sort of fellow conservative that has even a modicum of moral and ethical value, they'd be voting for centrist Democrats and letting the left move the Overton window until there's a right with at least a tiny bit of value in keeping around--in the unlikely event it ever happens. Until it does, though, it's best to just focus on helping those they won't.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:11 PM on June 25, 2018 [36 favorites]
And let's not forget that all of this both-sidesism and one-sided calls for "civility" was already their MO for years before Trump ever descended that escalator. Their lack of any sort of introspection into how much responsibility they have for where we are now is a large part of what enables the evil to spread. The fact is that modern conservatism is a cult, and I think that trying to deprogram anybody who's still willing to stick with it out of some combination of bigotry, hatred of taxes, desire to curtail the public safety net, or just plain old mindless devotion is a fool's errand. There is no such thing as a good-faith conservative to vote for anymore. Hell, there's is no such thing as a conservative worth a damn at all, at least not in the GOP. If conservative voters really wanted to support any sort of fellow conservative that has even a modicum of moral and ethical value, they'd be voting for centrist Democrats and letting the left move the Overton window until there's a right with at least a tiny bit of value in keeping around--in the unlikely event it ever happens. Until it does, though, it's best to just focus on helping those they won't.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:11 PM on June 25, 2018 [36 favorites]
The civility debate is stupid and pointless because it reinforces the false assertion, that somehow people still believe, that maybe if we were just nicer about how we talk about human rights violations, maybe if we just hugged the nazis instead of hating them, then maybe bad things would stop happening, and we could win over trump's voters to the side of sanity and normal human behavior. Which is, of course, ridiculous, as they're a total loss at this point and any time spent on them is time wasted. So are the undecideds/people who have never voted before going to be won over by one side saying "imprisoning babies is morally good and correct, actually" and the other saying "we need to be nice to the baby jailers because they have feelings too"? I guess we'll find out.
anyway direct action
posted by poffin boffin at 2:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [45 favorites]
anyway direct action
posted by poffin boffin at 2:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [45 favorites]
I really hate the likening of Sarah Sanders being refused service to anything cakeshop related. She wasn’t asked to leave because she’s a woman, or because she’s white, or because she’s straight or a mother or anything else that she doesn’t control. She was asked to leave because her actions made the waitstaff uncomfortable serving her. Actions have consequences, and to compare having to accept those consequences to being discriminated against really pisses me off. (Something something party of personal responsibility?)
posted by Weeping_angel at 2:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [89 favorites]
posted by Weeping_angel at 2:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [89 favorites]
M-x shell Obviously we can't know what's going on in Mattis' mind, but I think it's giving him far too much benefit of the doubt to simply assume that he's sticking around to intervene if Trump starts trying to nuke someone or whatever.
I recall, several news cycles ago, the prevailing theory was that Mattis was in a sort of mutual defense pact with a couple of the other military types so that if one of them got canned the others would quit in protest to bring America's attention to the evils of Trump. Didn't happen.
One possibility that needs serious consideration is that Mattis is doing exactly what he wants, for a President he's comfortable serving.
I understand why we'd like to think that some of the people surrounding Trump are secretly on the side of good (for definitions of "good" that are limited to "survival of the human species"), but I don't see any real evidence to support that conclusion.
Like the perennial Melania whisperers who insist that the pretty white lady must really be nice, I find it odd that the Mattis whisperers seem to totally ignore the "he's fine with all this evil" possibility.
I'll agree that it's possible Mattis is at least on the side of not letting Trump nuke Beijing because he was feeling a bit pissy that morning. But I don't see why that possibility should be accorded a higher likelihood than the possibility that Mattis is just in favor of what Trump is doing (if not the crudeness with which he goes about it).
Most of the Never Trump Republicans turned out to be basically objecting to Trump on tone, not policy content. Why should Mattis be different?
posted by sotonohito at 2:20 PM on June 25, 2018 [17 favorites]
I recall, several news cycles ago, the prevailing theory was that Mattis was in a sort of mutual defense pact with a couple of the other military types so that if one of them got canned the others would quit in protest to bring America's attention to the evils of Trump. Didn't happen.
One possibility that needs serious consideration is that Mattis is doing exactly what he wants, for a President he's comfortable serving.
I understand why we'd like to think that some of the people surrounding Trump are secretly on the side of good (for definitions of "good" that are limited to "survival of the human species"), but I don't see any real evidence to support that conclusion.
Like the perennial Melania whisperers who insist that the pretty white lady must really be nice, I find it odd that the Mattis whisperers seem to totally ignore the "he's fine with all this evil" possibility.
I'll agree that it's possible Mattis is at least on the side of not letting Trump nuke Beijing because he was feeling a bit pissy that morning. But I don't see why that possibility should be accorded a higher likelihood than the possibility that Mattis is just in favor of what Trump is doing (if not the crudeness with which he goes about it).
Most of the Never Trump Republicans turned out to be basically objecting to Trump on tone, not policy content. Why should Mattis be different?
posted by sotonohito at 2:20 PM on June 25, 2018 [17 favorites]
I'm sure he is as disgusted as the rest of us with the baby jailers. But my best guess is he feels he has one job right now, to be there in case of an "emergency". Even, if necessary, to throw his body on that grenade.
If purposely creating lifelong trauma for innocent children and their families fleeing violence doesn't make you think "emergency", our conception of morality is so far apart we can have no useful conversation about it. There is no evidence to indicate that those of us opposing ICE have this handled. He has power he is choosing not to use. No cookies; no pats on the back. This is complicity.
posted by Emmy Rae at 2:20 PM on June 25, 2018 [41 favorites]
If purposely creating lifelong trauma for innocent children and their families fleeing violence doesn't make you think "emergency", our conception of morality is so far apart we can have no useful conversation about it. There is no evidence to indicate that those of us opposing ICE have this handled. He has power he is choosing not to use. No cookies; no pats on the back. This is complicity.
posted by Emmy Rae at 2:20 PM on June 25, 2018 [41 favorites]
When conservatives cross their arms and glare and shout “It’s not fair! You’re supposed to welcome everyone but you aren’t being nice to me!” it stings about as much as if they shouted, “It’s not fair, you’re supposed to be wearing tutus and juggling flaming donuts!”
It isn’t nice, it isn’t nice;
You’ve told us once, you’ve told us twice.
Well, if that’s freedom’s price,
We don’t mind.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:20 PM on June 25, 2018 [14 favorites]
It isn’t nice, it isn’t nice;
You’ve told us once, you’ve told us twice.
Well, if that’s freedom’s price,
We don’t mind.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:20 PM on June 25, 2018 [14 favorites]
Civility is just the way they turn the debate from the persecution of the powerless to the comfort of the powerful.
And if these were white kids in the cages sleeping on mats with foil for cover, they'd be breaking down doors AR-15s in hand. Civility in the face of torture is just white supremacy, because these are brown kids, not *their* kids.
posted by chris24 at 2:23 PM on June 25, 2018 [72 favorites]
And if these were white kids in the cages sleeping on mats with foil for cover, they'd be breaking down doors AR-15s in hand. Civility in the face of torture is just white supremacy, because these are brown kids, not *their* kids.
posted by chris24 at 2:23 PM on June 25, 2018 [72 favorites]
The thing about the Mercers' game is that it winds up revealing way too much. Policy choices radically altering the lives of millions and millions of lives like "Minimum Wage Increase" and "Mass Deportation of Undocumented Immigrants" are literally just a game to these people, because nothing they can conceive of government doing could materially change their lives. Any tax changes that could meaningfully impact their lifestyles are unthinkable, so all that's left is a game they can play with poor people's lives.
And I think that circles back to the damn civility discussion. Politics isn't a game; it's the means by which we decide who gets what. If you're a lawmaker or a high-ranking government official, I can see how it's tempting to want to distance yourself from that, how draining it would be to have to constantly face the consequences of these decisions. And so there's a tendency to view politics as a team sport rather than life-changing decisions about resource allocation. You get your shots in for your team, the other side takes theirs, and everyone goes home to a nice dinner before they do it again. And you'd have to do that to some extent; you would destroy yourself if you approached every political debate as passionately and personally as it deserves, nor could society function if every decision was treated as the last straw.
But government matters so little to these people's lives, despite the fact that they've invested enormous time and money into bending it to their will, that they react to people taking it seriously the same way you'd look on in horror at someone who gets way, way too into a game of Monopoly. "It's just a game," you plead, as they plot revenge against three generations of your family after you create a housing shortage. But we've taken it so far away from decisions that matter that actual unelected billionaires sit around and play a parlor game about how hilarious it is that they run the country.
On the other hand, the Dow is now down 2,500 points since late January. That still won't change the Mercer lifestyle one bit, but trashing the economy is the one thing that might get through to some of these people.
posted by zachlipton at 2:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [45 favorites]
And I think that circles back to the damn civility discussion. Politics isn't a game; it's the means by which we decide who gets what. If you're a lawmaker or a high-ranking government official, I can see how it's tempting to want to distance yourself from that, how draining it would be to have to constantly face the consequences of these decisions. And so there's a tendency to view politics as a team sport rather than life-changing decisions about resource allocation. You get your shots in for your team, the other side takes theirs, and everyone goes home to a nice dinner before they do it again. And you'd have to do that to some extent; you would destroy yourself if you approached every political debate as passionately and personally as it deserves, nor could society function if every decision was treated as the last straw.
But government matters so little to these people's lives, despite the fact that they've invested enormous time and money into bending it to their will, that they react to people taking it seriously the same way you'd look on in horror at someone who gets way, way too into a game of Monopoly. "It's just a game," you plead, as they plot revenge against three generations of your family after you create a housing shortage. But we've taken it so far away from decisions that matter that actual unelected billionaires sit around and play a parlor game about how hilarious it is that they run the country.
On the other hand, the Dow is now down 2,500 points since late January. That still won't change the Mercer lifestyle one bit, but trashing the economy is the one thing that might get through to some of these people.
posted by zachlipton at 2:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [45 favorites]
On the other hand, the Dow is now down 2,500 points since late January.
Yeah, this is really pissing me off. My retirement accounts have just stagnated. I'm 42. I really wanted to give working the finger the second I hit my 62nd birthday but now idk.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 2:42 PM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yeah, this is really pissing me off. My retirement accounts have just stagnated. I'm 42. I really wanted to give working the finger the second I hit my 62nd birthday but now idk.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 2:42 PM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Any tax changes that could meaningfully impact their lifestyles are unthinkable
Oh I’m thinking of it plenty
But idk if it’s a tax at that point so much as just plain old seizure
posted by schadenfrau at 2:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
Oh I’m thinking of it plenty
But idk if it’s a tax at that point so much as just plain old seizure
posted by schadenfrau at 2:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
re: The Mercer's game, see the Alex Harrowell's Eccentric Billionaire Theory of Politics, mentioned in the new Brexit thread (ditto Ike's "The Millionaire Oil Men of Dallas Are Stupid").
posted by Doktor Zed at 2:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Doktor Zed at 2:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Well.. I mean... The Dow’s still pretty fucking high, dude. It’s just stopped surging exponentially for the time being. Once Trump abolishes some more regulations it’ll start right up again.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 2:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
You were always on track for at least two more economy meltdowns, separate from Trump's administration, before retirement anyway, so start moving to bonds and you'll probably be fine.
posted by sideshow at 2:46 PM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by sideshow at 2:46 PM on June 25, 2018 [8 favorites]
So now gutless fucking piece of shit Chuck Schumer is calling Maxine Waters un-American.
@NoahCRothman : Waters now repudiated by both Democratic House minority and Senate minority leaders.
@darth: just like the republican house majority and senate majority leaders reprimanded steve king ...*checks notes* wait never mind
It's almost as if they want to lose elections and suck up to even Trump more.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [87 favorites]
@NoahCRothman : Waters now repudiated by both Democratic House minority and Senate minority leaders.
@darth: just like the republican house majority and senate majority leaders reprimanded steve king ...*checks notes* wait never mind
It's almost as if they want to lose elections and suck up to even Trump more.
posted by zombieflanders at 2:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [87 favorites]
I think we've got another entry for the MeFi potus45 megathread lexicon.
"National Treasure Alexandra Petri"
"Stopped Clock Jennifer Rubin"
"Gutless Fucking Piece of Shit Chuck Schumer"
posted by tonycpsu at 2:52 PM on June 25, 2018 [58 favorites]
"National Treasure Alexandra Petri"
"Stopped Clock Jennifer Rubin"
"Gutless Fucking Piece of Shit Chuck Schumer"
posted by tonycpsu at 2:52 PM on June 25, 2018 [58 favorites]
Like the perennial Melania whisperers who insist that the pretty white lady must really be nice
So, you were like, brainwashed, right?
posted by benzenedream at 2:56 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
So, you were like, brainwashed, right?
posted by benzenedream at 2:56 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
He has power he is choosing not to use. No cookies; no pats on the back. This is complicity.
No, I'd say that being the designer and commander of concentration camps whilst defending them to the press is more active participation and support.
posted by jaduncan at 2:57 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
No, I'd say that being the designer and commander of concentration camps whilst defending them to the press is more active participation and support.
posted by jaduncan at 2:57 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
This is like the Real World San Francisco and the republicans are Puck and and the democrats are Cory.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 2:58 PM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by fluttering hellfire at 2:58 PM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
"Gutless Fucking Piece of Shit Chuck Schumer"
He was JUST re-elected too, so we can’t even sic Cynthia Nixon on him
Fuck you Chuck
FUCK YOU
posted by schadenfrau at 2:58 PM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
He was JUST re-elected too, so we can’t even sic Cynthia Nixon on him
Fuck you Chuck
FUCK YOU
posted by schadenfrau at 2:58 PM on June 25, 2018 [34 favorites]
I think it was Reverend Stowe in the run up to Civil War who was like, 'send Bibles AND rifles to bleeding Kansas. Jesus is fucking pissed at this shit' to paraphrase. And did stunts like auction off a slave during church service to illustrate the evils of slavery. There's a long glorious history of rude honorable opposition.
posted by angrycat at 3:00 PM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by angrycat at 3:00 PM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
How is harassing political opponents NOT American?????????
posted by gucci mane at 3:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by gucci mane at 3:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Brian Buetler: Shame the Trumpers
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [46 favorites]
There are only so many official channels for enforcing moral standards in American public life. One is elections, which happen pretty rarely, and, thanks to gerrymanders and the electoral college, frequently reward popular vote losers. Another is the law, where courts are increasingly stacked against the majority. Under those circumstances, shame is a potent weapon, and it’s little surprise that people invested in the status quo want those who can wield it to unilaterally disarm.Ultimately Chuck Schumer and the entire media establishment are far more concerned about whether their Sunday tee time or happy hour mixer with their good Republican friends will be pleasant than babies in cages. When concentration camps came to America, Chuck Schumer had *concerns*, for the camp guards.
posted by T.D. Strange at 3:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [46 favorites]
It's almost as if they want to lose elections and suck up to even Trump more.
If national Democrats wanted to take the enthusiasm of the base and shit on it, this would be the best way to do it
Losing: Easier than winning
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 3:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
If national Democrats wanted to take the enthusiasm of the base and shit on it, this would be the best way to do it
Losing: Easier than winning
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 3:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
You were always on track for at least two more economy meltdowns, separate from Trump's administration, before retirement anyway, so start moving to bonds and you'll probably be fine.
The four week T-bill this week is earning almost as much as S&P 500 dividends (in aggregate), joining the rest of the Government's short term debt in beating the measure. Expect more of that as the government piles in more debt to pay for Trump's tax cuts.
posted by notyou at 3:04 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
The four week T-bill this week is earning almost as much as S&P 500 dividends (in aggregate), joining the rest of the Government's short term debt in beating the measure. Expect more of that as the government piles in more debt to pay for Trump's tax cuts.
posted by notyou at 3:04 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
'ICE Is Everywhere': Using Library Science to Map the Separation Crisis (Emily Dreyfuss for Wired, June 25, 2018)
posted by filthy light thief at 3:04 PM on June 25, 2018 [79 favorites]
On Father’s Day, Alex Gil decided he had to do something about children being separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border.The article includes a screencap of the map, which depicts Private juvenile detention facilities (blue dots), ICE facilities in use since 2014 (large orange dots), and ICE facilities not in use (small orange dots). In the interactive website, you can click on a blue or large orange dot and get the facility name, a larger Google Maps aerial pic, and for detention facilities, a graph of average daily population.
Since May, the US government had taken more than 2,300 kids away from their families as a result of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' new "zero tolerance" immigration policy, which calls for criminally prosecuting all people entering the country illegally. Reports started surfacing of the ensuing chaos at the border; in one especially horrible case, a child was reportedly ripped from her mother's breast. As outrage grew, the question came up over and over again: Where were the children? Between the ad-hoc implementation of "zero tolerance" and the opaque bureaucracy of the immigration system in general, migrant advocates, journalists, and even politicians struggled to find clear answers.
Gil, a father of two, knew he could be useful. As the digital scholarship librarian at Columbia University, Gil's job is to use technology to help people find information—skills he had put to use in times of crisis before.
Along with his colleague at Columbia, historian Manan Ahmed, Gil assembled a team of what he calls “digital ninjas” for a “crisis researchathon.” These volunteers were professors, graduate students, researchers, and fellows from across the country with varied academic focus, but they all had two things in common: an interest in the history of colonialism, empire, and borders; and the belief that classical research methods can be used not just to understand the past but to reveal the present.
They set up a Telegram chat and a master Google spreadsheet, and then they began looking for any publicly available data—government immigration records, tax forms, job listings, Facebook pages—they could use to isolate and locate the detention centers that could be holding these children.
The result of their week of frantic research is Torn Apart / Separados, an interactive web site that visualizes the vast apparatus of immigration enforcement in the US, and broadly maps the shelters where children can be housed. The name is meant to evoke not only the families who have been separated, but the way in which this sundering rips the social fabric of our country.
“It shows that ICE is everywhere,” Gil says. “We ourselves were shocked even though we study this. A lot of America thinks this phenomenon is happening in this limited geographical space along the border. This map is telling a different story: the border is everywhere.”
posted by filthy light thief at 3:04 PM on June 25, 2018 [79 favorites]
I don't link to Twitter, but Zoe Quinn used it to declare a corrected motto for democrats: "when they go low, we go fucking nowhere". And got a favorited reply "lemme just add, after over a decade in competitive grappling: "when they go low, we go high" is a strategy that almost always puts you flat on your own back".
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [26 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [26 favorites]
Yeah, this is really pissing me off. My retirement accounts have just stagnated. I'm 42. I really wanted to give working the finger the second I hit my 62nd birthday but now idk.
If you're 42, you benefit from a low Dow because you are buying shares cheaper. You can buy more shares now than you would if the Dow was high. They have 20 years to go up, you are in good shape.
Not so great for the people 20 years older than you, though.
posted by Quonab at 3:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
If you're 42, you benefit from a low Dow because you are buying shares cheaper. You can buy more shares now than you would if the Dow was high. They have 20 years to go up, you are in good shape.
Not so great for the people 20 years older than you, though.
posted by Quonab at 3:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
The President of the United States called a Congresswoman "low IQ" but she's the one who is "un-American." jfc
posted by gwint at 3:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [56 favorites]
posted by gwint at 3:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [56 favorites]
@tomwatson:
I'll expand. Since Trump was elected, this is the worst day politically for @SenSchumer and @NancyPelosi - by far. A truly awful day. A deep self inflicted wound that may not heal. Worse: they don't yet know it. (And you won't find a stauncher Pelosi backer than me).posted by non canadian guy at 3:14 PM on June 25, 2018 [74 favorites]
It is the absolute height of clueless entitled privilege to insist that you should suffer no social discomfort just because you are putting children into concentration camps. Maxine Waters, who remains a godamn boss and my forever fave, was suggesting that the bare minimum consequence for child concentration camps should be social discomfort. Top Democrats responded by saying whoa bridge too far though, what if someone is mean to you about the child concentration camps you support while you’re eating dinner? You might feel bad about the child concentration camps you support! You might not be served at a restaurant and then have to eat at fucking chick fil a or wherever shitty white people eat. And that just cannot happen, it is unAmerican for people who support child concentration camps to be made to feel bad or refused service. They should be allowed to do what they please and say whatever perverse wickedness comes into their minds with zero pushback.
So, here’s the thing though. Get fucked. If the worst thing that happens to you is that you get yelled at while trying to buy gas well guess what your kids weren’t stolen from you and then lost in an uncaring, cruel, racist labyrinth where you may never find them. That some stupid white people are equating getting yelled at to having your child stolen is obscene.
posted by supercrayon at 3:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [139 favorites]
So, here’s the thing though. Get fucked. If the worst thing that happens to you is that you get yelled at while trying to buy gas well guess what your kids weren’t stolen from you and then lost in an uncaring, cruel, racist labyrinth where you may never find them. That some stupid white people are equating getting yelled at to having your child stolen is obscene.
posted by supercrayon at 3:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [139 favorites]
The President straight up unambiguously threatened her with physical violence, but she's the un-American one, along with anyone else who doesn't say, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?"
posted by dirigibleman at 3:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [25 favorites]
posted by dirigibleman at 3:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [25 favorites]
He also called her an "extraordinarily low IQ person" and Schumer can't wait but jump over himself to insult her even further. Way to go, guys.
posted by gucci mane at 3:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
posted by gucci mane at 3:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
Cynthia Nixon and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorse each other
I don’t care if they win*, no matter what, whatever is blossoming here (12 minute video of their press conference, via twitter) is heartwarming and inspiring and beautiful.
*I do hope they win that would be magical
posted by robotdevil at 3:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [30 favorites]
I don’t care if they win*, no matter what, whatever is blossoming here (12 minute video of their press conference, via twitter) is heartwarming and inspiring and beautiful.
*I do hope they win that would be magical
posted by robotdevil at 3:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [30 favorites]
If you're 42, you benefit from a low Dow because you are buying shares cheaper. You can buy more shares now than you would if the Dow was high. They have 20 years to go up, you are in good shape.
Not so great for the people 20 years older than you, though.
You are assuming that the United States gets competent leadership in the future and can restore economic growth and confidence. Given that the past is a good predictor of what is possible in the future the specter of a possible "Trump" even once this particular Trump is gone will dampen investor confidence for at least a generation if not more.
I'd say at this point the big hope for the United States regaining investment is if other countries implode so badly that the United States seems stable by comparison. Great Britain seems to be onboard with the program but the EU, Canada and China are not making the appropriate catastrophic decisions.
posted by srboisvert at 3:22 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Not so great for the people 20 years older than you, though.
You are assuming that the United States gets competent leadership in the future and can restore economic growth and confidence. Given that the past is a good predictor of what is possible in the future the specter of a possible "Trump" even once this particular Trump is gone will dampen investor confidence for at least a generation if not more.
I'd say at this point the big hope for the United States regaining investment is if other countries implode so badly that the United States seems stable by comparison. Great Britain seems to be onboard with the program but the EU, Canada and China are not making the appropriate catastrophic decisions.
posted by srboisvert at 3:22 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
Sarah Sanders: 'Just because you don’t see a judge doesn’t mean you aren't receiving receive due process'
posted by Rust Moranis at 3:23 PM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by Rust Moranis at 3:23 PM on June 25, 2018 [7 favorites]
I'm with Tom Watson. I've been a firm supporter of Pelosi but it's now clear she's aged out of relevancy. I don't mean simply that she's old, which would be rude and not on point, but that she came up in a different political era and her instincts no longer serve us well.
This in no way means I won't vote for any and every Democratic candidate, nor will my support waver if Pelosi gets re-elected House Minority leader or Speaker and I hope nobody else's will either.
Ditto for Chuck "I have no idea what I'm doing" Schumer.
posted by Justinian at 3:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [42 favorites]
This in no way means I won't vote for any and every Democratic candidate, nor will my support waver if Pelosi gets re-elected House Minority leader or Speaker and I hope nobody else's will either.
Ditto for Chuck "I have no idea what I'm doing" Schumer.
posted by Justinian at 3:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [42 favorites]
"Gutless Fucking Piece of Shit Chuck Schumer"
That's not a new part of the lexicon. He caved so hard on the shutdown there would have been hundreds of deaths if miners were involved.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 3:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
That's not a new part of the lexicon. He caved so hard on the shutdown there would have been hundreds of deaths if miners were involved.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 3:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
I'm starting to axegrind with this issue, so this is the last time I'll say it: I don't care if you are Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, or an outraged progressive at the checkout grocery line. If you are talking about restaurants and "civility" instead of forced separation of families, you have played into the hands of your enemies.
If you need another framing to help you along, try this one, courtesy of @IjeomaOluo:
If you need another framing to help you along, try this one, courtesy of @IjeomaOluo:
If somebody helped rip your child out of your arms and kept that child locked away from you for weeks & months...posted by gwint at 3:33 PM on June 25, 2018 [117 favorites]
Would you serve them a hamburger?
No? Ok what if it was your neighbor's child locked away?
Still no?
Trying to find the line here where children stop mattering...
The rage against incivility is obviously a callback to the days when "those people" could be treated properly for being "uppity". If you let the servants/proles get away with disrespect, soon they might figure out they can take over in an instant from their "betters".
posted by benzenedream at 3:34 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
posted by benzenedream at 3:34 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
No? Ok what if it was your neighbor's child locked away?
Still no?
What color's the neighbor?
posted by Rust Moranis at 3:34 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Still no?
What color's the neighbor?
posted by Rust Moranis at 3:34 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
I'm definitely not a politician and I've been burned more than once second guessing Nancy Pelosi, but it seems like the simplest, thread the needle course would have been to: politely demure from commenting on a colleague's impassioned speech and refocus on the ongoing catastrophe. There's a bit of that there in Pelosi's tweet, but it leans too heavily on correcting Waters.
As for Senator Schumer. He needn't have noted anything about this: Waters is not a member of the Senate minority.
Now they've split the energy into three strands: rescuing kidnapped kids; a debate over whether or not lying apparatchiks deserve civility; the willingness of Democratic leaders to defuse GOP timebombs.
posted by notyou at 3:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [14 favorites]
As for Senator Schumer. He needn't have noted anything about this: Waters is not a member of the Senate minority.
Now they've split the energy into three strands: rescuing kidnapped kids; a debate over whether or not lying apparatchiks deserve civility; the willingness of Democratic leaders to defuse GOP timebombs.
posted by notyou at 3:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [14 favorites]
The President straight up unambiguously threatened her with physical violence, but she's the un-American one, along with anyone else who doesn't say, "Thank you, sir, may I have another?"
I just resistbotted my Congressional delegation, demanding they stand up for Waters. No one of worth will value Schumer more (or vote with him) because he caved to the GOP's abuse. They lose the confidence of a popular ally (an African-American legislator with decades of experience fighting the good fight!) and they gain nothing.
posted by suelac at 3:37 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
I just resistbotted my Congressional delegation, demanding they stand up for Waters. No one of worth will value Schumer more (or vote with him) because he caved to the GOP's abuse. They lose the confidence of a popular ally (an African-American legislator with decades of experience fighting the good fight!) and they gain nothing.
posted by suelac at 3:37 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
jesus I wish some news would drop today so we could quit playing 'yes, and'
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:38 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:38 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
Mod note: One deleted, let's reel this back in a bit; less "omg these fuckers", more actual updates. Also ok to just take a brief break from the thread and do something else, we're all children of light with a lot to give the world.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 3:40 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 3:40 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
I simply don't know why everyone's not in the streets there
Some theories:
Some theories:
- Almost half of American households can't afford basics like rent or food.
- A quarter of Americans have no social network. [PDF, 2006, couldn't find a more recent study but I can't imagine things have improved]
- Americans have no time off from work.
- Only a tenth of American workers are unionized.
- Almost half of Americans are in favor of the Trump administration's actions.
Justinian: I've been a firm supporter of Pelosi but it's now clear she's aged out of relevancy. I don't mean simply that she's old, which would be rude and not on point, but that she came up in a different political era and her instincts no longer serve us well.
I've felt the same way, and always defended Pelosi, because so much of the criticism flung at her boiled down to: She's 1) a woman 2) in her 70's 3) from San Francisco. Which is bullshit criticism. Replacing her always amounted to "let's get a centrist white male not from the coasts who can appeal to the much-vaunted White Working Class and stop the Republicans from being meanies." For those people, I have some news...
But yes, I think Pelosi, and Schumer, did come of age in a different political era and haven't changed with the times in that regard. So if Nancy Pelosi is replaced, let it be with Barbara Lee or Maxine Waters or Ted Lieu or (some other progressive willing to take the gloves off).
And I also agree that the scapegoating of the Democrats for not being "nice" to people who want to imprison little kids is because Dems are now the party of women/POC/LGBT people. How very dare they not defer to their betters. And the NYT reporters and columnists, even if they are nominally Democrats, think of themselves as Not Like All Those Other Democrats, plus most are white and have Ivy League degrees and family money.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 3:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [31 favorites]
I've felt the same way, and always defended Pelosi, because so much of the criticism flung at her boiled down to: She's 1) a woman 2) in her 70's 3) from San Francisco. Which is bullshit criticism. Replacing her always amounted to "let's get a centrist white male not from the coasts who can appeal to the much-vaunted White Working Class and stop the Republicans from being meanies." For those people, I have some news...
But yes, I think Pelosi, and Schumer, did come of age in a different political era and haven't changed with the times in that regard. So if Nancy Pelosi is replaced, let it be with Barbara Lee or Maxine Waters or Ted Lieu or (some other progressive willing to take the gloves off).
And I also agree that the scapegoating of the Democrats for not being "nice" to people who want to imprison little kids is because Dems are now the party of women/POC/LGBT people. How very dare they not defer to their betters. And the NYT reporters and columnists, even if they are nominally Democrats, think of themselves as Not Like All Those Other Democrats, plus most are white and have Ivy League degrees and family money.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 3:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [31 favorites]
On the other hand, the Dow is now down 2,500 points since late January.
Bloomberg: Navarro Seeks to Calm Investor Concern on Trump Trade Policy
posted by Doktor Zed at 4:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Bloomberg: Navarro Seeks to Calm Investor Concern on Trump Trade Policy
“There’s no plans to impose investment restrictions on any countries that are interfering in any way with our country. This is not the plan,” he said in an interview on CNBC Monday with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 400 points. “The whole idea that we’re putting investment restrictions on the world -- please discount that.”[...]LeslieNielsenNothingToSeeHere.gif.
Stocks pared losses after Navarro’s softening of the Trump administration’s trade rhetoric. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the day down 1.3 percent, the ninth drop in the past 10 trading days.[...]
The Treasury Department is due to announce restrictions on Chinese investment in the U.S. by Friday. The action is part of the Trump administration’s responses to China’s alleged intellectual-property theft, as laid out in a report that followed an eight-month investigation by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.[...]
Navarro said markets should “let the process work” and President Donald Trump is “going to get good information this week on where the chess board stands and make decisions accordingly.”
posted by Doktor Zed at 4:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
In Illinois governor's race news, it's looking great for Bruce Rauner that he's maintaining a minuscule lead over "the abstract concept of electing any random person who's not a billionaire". I mean, he's not past the margin of error there, so all we can really say at this point is that it would be close.
posted by Copronymus at 4:07 PM on June 25, 2018
posted by Copronymus at 4:07 PM on June 25, 2018
I know how we all feel about Maddow exclusives, but:
@maddow: MSNBC has obtained the first non-government video footage from inside a facility that serves children who have been taken from their parents by the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” border policy. Shot surreptitiously inside a facility late last week by a worker who has since quit her job there, the footage includes a distraught young girl who pleads to speak with her mother. The Rachel Maddow Show will broadcast the footage at 9PM ET, MSNBC.
posted by zachlipton at 4:11 PM on June 25, 2018 [25 favorites]
@maddow: MSNBC has obtained the first non-government video footage from inside a facility that serves children who have been taken from their parents by the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” border policy. Shot surreptitiously inside a facility late last week by a worker who has since quit her job there, the footage includes a distraught young girl who pleads to speak with her mother. The Rachel Maddow Show will broadcast the footage at 9PM ET, MSNBC.
posted by zachlipton at 4:11 PM on June 25, 2018 [25 favorites]
I believe she may have gotten that footage from one of Michael Avenatti's whistleblower clients, which should make it more worthwhile:
Looking forward to joining @maddow tonight at 9 ET to discuss the disclosure of new evidence relating to the draconian border policy. We will continue to bring evidence to the American public and speak truth to power. #Bastaposted by FelliniBlank at 4:15 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
James LaPorta and Spencer Ackerman, Daily Beast: Detention Camps on Military Bases ‘Smacks of Totalitarianism,’ Troops Say
“The infrastructure of these bases aren’t all that great and it ensures almost complete anonymity for the program safely tucked behind gate and guard,” the intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity. “Not anyone in particular, but commanders can barely handle sexual assault, retirement ceremonies gone wrong, command overreach, and operational tempos. Are they going to be in charge of this? Goodfellow in particular was kicking students off base due to space concerns. [Goodfellow Air Force Base] also has water issues where everyone carries around jugs of water because the faucet tastes like you are drinking a spoon.”
The officer continued: “In short, having Manzanar [one of the sites of America’s World War II-era internment camps] 2018 on Goodfellow, or any other base, is a disaster that stands against everything the military value system is supposed to be. Seems to me the president and his administration are trying to use [Thank You For Your Service] equity here to cover up the black eye they got from bungling this.”
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [54 favorites]
“The infrastructure of these bases aren’t all that great and it ensures almost complete anonymity for the program safely tucked behind gate and guard,” the intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity. “Not anyone in particular, but commanders can barely handle sexual assault, retirement ceremonies gone wrong, command overreach, and operational tempos. Are they going to be in charge of this? Goodfellow in particular was kicking students off base due to space concerns. [Goodfellow Air Force Base] also has water issues where everyone carries around jugs of water because the faucet tastes like you are drinking a spoon.”
The officer continued: “In short, having Manzanar [one of the sites of America’s World War II-era internment camps] 2018 on Goodfellow, or any other base, is a disaster that stands against everything the military value system is supposed to be. Seems to me the president and his administration are trying to use [Thank You For Your Service] equity here to cover up the black eye they got from bungling this.”
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [54 favorites]
Also relevant, from that article:
Yingling said that the dilemma facing servicemembers is that what he called a policy of “hostage-taking”—effectively, families seeking reunification of their children will have to renounce any asylum claims that brought them to the United States—was not unambiguously illegal. Without straightforward illegality, a soldier on Bliss or airman on Goodfellow cannot refuse to execute an order to aid with the detention, and Yingling expected that any noncompliance would promptly result in military discipline, if not prosecution. He predicted that “not a single flag officer would resign or otherwise raise a syllable of protest” if lower-ranking servicemembers face discipline for failing to support the camps.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
Yingling said that the dilemma facing servicemembers is that what he called a policy of “hostage-taking”—effectively, families seeking reunification of their children will have to renounce any asylum claims that brought them to the United States—was not unambiguously illegal. Without straightforward illegality, a soldier on Bliss or airman on Goodfellow cannot refuse to execute an order to aid with the detention, and Yingling expected that any noncompliance would promptly result in military discipline, if not prosecution. He predicted that “not a single flag officer would resign or otherwise raise a syllable of protest” if lower-ranking servicemembers face discipline for failing to support the camps.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 4:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
I...I...I...wait. No, listen. I was over there and then I opened Twitter. After that I'm not really sure, it all gets blurry. No I don't need any...look. I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine. It's the world that doesn't make sense. Do you get that? The world. It doesn't make sense. All of it, any of it. I was opening Twitter. And then...OK then, YOU try to explain it. Go on, I DARE you.
@realDonaldTrump "@catpenis: @realDonaldTrump I respect your integrity sir. Rock on."
posted by scalefree at 4:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
@realDonaldTrump "@catpenis: @realDonaldTrump I respect your integrity sir. Rock on."
posted by scalefree at 4:24 PM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
@realDonaldTrump: Why is Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), perhaps in a near drunken state, claiming he has information that only he and Bob Mueller, the leader of the 13 Angry Democrats on a Witch Hunt, knows? Isn’t this highly illegal. Is it being investigated?
@jdawsey1: His plane has been circling the Columbia airport due to storms for more than 30 minutes -- as a packed crowd waits inside a gym here.
Love to see how civil he is when he's bored.
posted by zachlipton at 4:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
@jdawsey1: His plane has been circling the Columbia airport due to storms for more than 30 minutes -- as a packed crowd waits inside a gym here.
Love to see how civil he is when he's bored.
posted by zachlipton at 4:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [11 favorites]
Who’s Really Crossing the U.S. Border, and Why They’re Coming
posted by jgirl at 4:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by jgirl at 4:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
For any of y'all who are pissed off at the mainstream media for doing what they do, check out the Chapo Trap House and Citations Needed podcasts.
posted by bookman117 at 4:29 PM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bookman117 at 4:29 PM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also be sure to attend your local Democratic Socialists of America meetings.
posted by bookman117 at 4:31 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by bookman117 at 4:31 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
The civility thing: I can't tell you how often I see the Magahatters being all, "well if the 'illegals' just FOLLOWED THE RULES" or "Well why was that black teen RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COPS" in response to the news and it's enraging as essentially they are saying that what they see as uncivil behaviour is what invites force. So I absolutely think that we need to do more to not abandon the civility discussion but rather link it to the sustained and pernicious way that civility is a tool of white supremacy.
posted by TwoStride at 4:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by TwoStride at 4:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
(You can now listen to me talk about the movement for postal and public banking here, also socialist musical theatre)
posted by The Whelk at 4:47 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 4:47 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Mod note: A few deleted; let's just totally shortcut the "it's not worth derailing about David Lynch" derail.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 4:55 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 4:55 PM on June 25, 2018 [9 favorites]
https://boingboing.net/2018/06/23/victorville.html
God Damn this. I am a Californian born and bred and this humiliates me. Another interment camp? God Damn this.
posted by SPrintF at 4:56 PM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
God Damn this. I am a Californian born and bred and this humiliates me. Another interment camp? God Damn this.
posted by SPrintF at 4:56 PM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
Alan He (CBS)
Maxine Waters is not sorry. "First of all I am very, very upset and concerned. I’ve had sleepless nights. Because I believe in peaceful, very peaceful protest. I have not called for the harm of anybody this President has lied again...This Don the Con man will say anything."
posted by chris24 at 5:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [75 favorites]
Maxine Waters is not sorry. "First of all I am very, very upset and concerned. I’ve had sleepless nights. Because I believe in peaceful, very peaceful protest. I have not called for the harm of anybody this President has lied again...This Don the Con man will say anything."
posted by chris24 at 5:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [75 favorites]
Portlanders demonstrating how you do civility:
@NinaMehlhaf
Homeland Security Police just came back to deliver more fliers warning of arrest if protesters don’t allow access to ICE holding center driveway and doors. Protesters “walked” them out of the camp with recordings of the crying children separated at the border playing on speaker
posted by Rust Moranis at 5:05 PM on June 25, 2018 [69 favorites]
@NinaMehlhaf
Homeland Security Police just came back to deliver more fliers warning of arrest if protesters don’t allow access to ICE holding center driveway and doors. Protesters “walked” them out of the camp with recordings of the crying children separated at the border playing on speaker
posted by Rust Moranis at 5:05 PM on June 25, 2018 [69 favorites]
Guardian opinion: Ice is a tool of illegality. It must be abolished.
According to documents from the Department of Homeland Security’s office of inspector general, which reviews complaints against Ice and Border Patrol, there were 1,124 allegations of sexual abuse and assault from 2010 to 2017, primarily from detainees in Ice custody. In fact, Department of Homeland Security OIG officials earlier indicated that they had received some 33,000 abuse complaints from 2010 to 2016.
posted by adamvasco at 5:11 PM on June 25, 2018 [37 favorites]
According to documents from the Department of Homeland Security’s office of inspector general, which reviews complaints against Ice and Border Patrol, there were 1,124 allegations of sexual abuse and assault from 2010 to 2017, primarily from detainees in Ice custody. In fact, Department of Homeland Security OIG officials earlier indicated that they had received some 33,000 abuse complaints from 2010 to 2016.
posted by adamvasco at 5:11 PM on June 25, 2018 [37 favorites]
When I was a kid, my neighbors were the Takashsis. They were great. Gary, their son, was my best pal and Mrs. Takasahsi was super nice. Mrs. Takahashi told me about her familes' time in the camps. I still can't understand why my best friend, and good neighbor, had to be locked up. Because, before God, they were the best people I've ever known. So why!
posted by SPrintF at 5:11 PM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by SPrintF at 5:11 PM on June 25, 2018 [13 favorites]
Trump finally made it to South Carolina, and it's starting on a weird note:
@ddale8: Trump tries to make fun of Mark Sanford, who famously claimed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail while he was with his lover in Argentina, but Trump calls it "the Tallahassee Trail."
He's now discussing the states he won in the 2016 election. It is 2018.
Unlike most of his efforts to campaign for people, he's actually talking up the candidate and encouraging people to vote. He usually forgets that part. Of course, his argument for why people should vote is that the press will report it's embarrassing for Trump if they don't: "So please get your asses out tomorrow and vote."
After dispensing with the campaigning he came there for, he's returned to his usual ranting about the press and forgetting what he's talking about mid-sentence. He wants more credit for ticket sales at the Olympics.
posted by zachlipton at 5:16 PM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
@ddale8: Trump tries to make fun of Mark Sanford, who famously claimed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail while he was with his lover in Argentina, but Trump calls it "the Tallahassee Trail."
He's now discussing the states he won in the 2016 election. It is 2018.
Unlike most of his efforts to campaign for people, he's actually talking up the candidate and encouraging people to vote. He usually forgets that part. Of course, his argument for why people should vote is that the press will report it's embarrassing for Trump if they don't: "So please get your asses out tomorrow and vote."
After dispensing with the campaigning he came there for, he's returned to his usual ranting about the press and forgetting what he's talking about mid-sentence. He wants more credit for ticket sales at the Olympics.
posted by zachlipton at 5:16 PM on June 25, 2018 [23 favorites]
Fox is running with Burnedanimalgate. No new evidence and, once again, no identification of said animal because DHS was too lazy to even fill out the lie properly. But it makes no difference: now sixty million meatheads think that every proud homeland security officer's porch is an antifa/MS-13 charnel house.
Fox News: Burned and decapitated animal left on Homeland Security staffer's porch, report says
posted by Rust Moranis at 5:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
Fox News: Burned and decapitated animal left on Homeland Security staffer's porch, report says
posted by Rust Moranis at 5:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
It's never about who "has civility." It's always about who in the society has the power of manipulating symbols such as "civility" so as to alter behaviour and reinforce power.
When you opponent attempts to distract by a thing that's conspicuously not about power, it's usually about power.
posted by runcifex at 5:21 PM on June 25, 2018 [14 favorites]
When you opponent attempts to distract by a thing that's conspicuously not about power, it's usually about power.
posted by runcifex at 5:21 PM on June 25, 2018 [14 favorites]
Can someone explain what the whole @catpenis thing is about? Looking through her account it doesn't seem she is a Trump supporter. I mean, I'm used to being in a state of confusion these days but whaaaa?
posted by misterpatrick at 5:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by misterpatrick at 5:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'd summarize anything newsworthy from this speech, but it honestly resists all classification. As Daniel Dale puts it: "I don't say this lightly: this is one of the weirdest speeches I've ever seen Trump give."
In a few minutes, he read the David Lynch interview, discussed the realness of his hair, told weird Jimmy Fallon stories, complained about The Apprentice, discussed how good Melania looked next to the King of Jordan, ranted about press coverage of Melania's absence, and said that what Gallup does should be illegal because "it's called suppression." It's just weird as hell, even by his standards.
posted by zachlipton at 5:31 PM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
In a few minutes, he read the David Lynch interview, discussed the realness of his hair, told weird Jimmy Fallon stories, complained about The Apprentice, discussed how good Melania looked next to the King of Jordan, ranted about press coverage of Melania's absence, and said that what Gallup does should be illegal because "it's called suppression." It's just weird as hell, even by his standards.
posted by zachlipton at 5:31 PM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
I didn't see Charles Pierce's op ed in Esquire posted in the thread, so sorry if it's a double. It just restates everything we've been saying the past day here. "The Civility Debate Has Reached Peak Stupidity"
posted by Catblack at 5:33 PM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by Catblack at 5:33 PM on June 25, 2018 [20 favorites]
I'm with Tom Watson. I've been a firm supporter of Pelosi but it's now clear she's aged out of relevancy. I don't mean simply that she's old, which would be rude and not on point, but that she came up in a different political era and her instincts no longer serve us well.
Same with Bill Nelson but unfortunately he's on his way to losing to Rick Scott.
posted by photoslob at 5:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
Same with Bill Nelson but unfortunately he's on his way to losing to Rick Scott.
posted by photoslob at 5:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
Well, this is carthartic. Michelle Goldberg, NYT Opinion: We Have a Crisis of Democracy, Not Manners -- Trump officials deserve public shaming.
There’s a moral and psychic cost to participating in the fiction that people who work for Trump are in any sense public servants. I don’t blame staff members at the Virginia restaurant, the Red Hen, for not wanting to help Sanders unwind after a hard week of lying to the public about mass child abuse. Particularly when Sanders’s own administration is fighting to let private businesses discriminate against gay people, who, unlike mendacious press secretaries, are a protected class under many civil rights laws.posted by FelliniBlank at 5:55 PM on June 25, 2018 [127 favorites]
***
Whether or not you think public shaming should be happening, it’s important to understand why it’s happening. It’s less a result of a breakdown in civility than a breakdown of democracy. Though it’s tiresome to repeat it, Donald Trump eked out his minority victory with help from a hostile foreign power. He has ruled exclusively for his vengeful supporters, who love the way he terrifies, outrages and humiliates their fellow citizens. Trump installed the right-wing Neil Gorsuch in the Supreme Court seat that Republicans stole from Barack Obama. Gorsuch, in turn, has been the fifth vote in decisions on voter roll purges and, on Monday, racial gerrymandering that will further entrench minority rule.
All over the country, Republican members of Congress have consistently refused to so much as meet with many of the scared, furious citizens they ostensibly represent. A great many of these citizens are working tirelessly to take at least one house of Congress in the midterms — which will require substantially more than 50 percent of total votes, given structural Republican advantages — so that the country’s anti-Trump majority will have some voice in the federal government.
But unless and until that happens, millions and millions of Americans watch helplessly as the president cages children, dehumanizes immigrants, spurns other democracies, guts health care protections, uses his office to enrich himself and turns public life into a deranged phantasmagoria with his incontinent flood of lies.
Can someone explain what the whole @catpenis thing is about? Looking through her account it doesn't seem she is a Trump supporter. I mean, I'm used to being in a state of confusion these days but whaaaa?
I think he was just bored. Air Force One had to circle over Charlottesville as it was raining & the 70 year old little boy wanted to say a naughty word to pass the time. Just a guess?
posted by scalefree at 6:03 PM on June 25, 2018
I think he was just bored. Air Force One had to circle over Charlottesville as it was raining & the 70 year old little boy wanted to say a naughty word to pass the time. Just a guess?
posted by scalefree at 6:03 PM on June 25, 2018
@DevlinBarrett: “What other country has judges?” — President Trump, not out of context
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 6:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 6:03 PM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
The catpenis tweet is from 2014. Trump liked to copy/paste random things people said about him back then. I wish no part of that made any sense whatsoever.
posted by zachlipton at 6:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by zachlipton at 6:06 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
The @catpenis manual quote tweet is from 2014, a more innocent time, when we thought that Rob Ford was the most shameful and ridiculous person who could ever get elected.
posted by maudlin at 6:07 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by maudlin at 6:07 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
Spicer developing a new talk show
The former White House spokesman would host “some of the most interesting and thoughtful public figures for a drink and some lite conversation at a local pub or cafe,” according to the pilot’s pitch sheet, obtained by The New York Times on Monday. No network has picked up the show yet but the pilot episode of “Sean Spicer’s Common Ground" is expected to be filmed in July.
“The relaxed atmosphere is an ideal setting for Sean to get to know his guests as they discuss everything from the media to marriage,” the pitch states. “They might even tangle over the merits of making your bed or the value of a great point guard.” The Times reported that Debar-Mercury, the syndicator of major daytime series like “The Wendy Williams” show and “Family Feud,” is co-producing the pilot with Pilgrim Media Group. “In this current environment, I think it’s important to have a platform where we can have civil, respectful, and informative discussions on the issues of the day,” Spicer told the Times on Monday.
First as farcical tragedy, then as tragic farce.
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
The former White House spokesman would host “some of the most interesting and thoughtful public figures for a drink and some lite conversation at a local pub or cafe,” according to the pilot’s pitch sheet, obtained by The New York Times on Monday. No network has picked up the show yet but the pilot episode of “Sean Spicer’s Common Ground" is expected to be filmed in July.
“The relaxed atmosphere is an ideal setting for Sean to get to know his guests as they discuss everything from the media to marriage,” the pitch states. “They might even tangle over the merits of making your bed or the value of a great point guard.” The Times reported that Debar-Mercury, the syndicator of major daytime series like “The Wendy Williams” show and “Family Feud,” is co-producing the pilot with Pilgrim Media Group. “In this current environment, I think it’s important to have a platform where we can have civil, respectful, and informative discussions on the issues of the day,” Spicer told the Times on Monday.
First as farcical tragedy, then as tragic farce.
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
Maddow is playing video from the Cayuga Center in East Harlem where kids separated from their parents have been brought for day programs (they sleep at foster homes at night). A young girl named Jessica is crying for her mom. The former employee who took the video (represented by Avenatti, naturally) said she's concerned about the low level of staffing at the center as more kids have been brought there. Maddow also has audio of an adult telling people at one of these facilities not to talk to reporters because that could mean they'll be there for a very long time.
(Take care of yourself. It's ok not to click.)
posted by zachlipton at 6:19 PM on June 25, 2018 [35 favorites]
(Take care of yourself. It's ok not to click.)
posted by zachlipton at 6:19 PM on June 25, 2018 [35 favorites]
Paraphrasing from Twitter: Every time I go to Planned Parenthood for a routine checkup I am screamed at and accused of killing babies. Don't talk to me about civility.
Civility is just another tool of the white patriarchy. It's a tone argument in different clothes. Same shit, different day. It's a shiny distraction from the beat-up truth.
posted by Dashy at 6:32 PM on June 25, 2018 [97 favorites]
Civility is just another tool of the white patriarchy. It's a tone argument in different clothes. Same shit, different day. It's a shiny distraction from the beat-up truth.
posted by Dashy at 6:32 PM on June 25, 2018 [97 favorites]
Meanwhile, in Maryland, where our blue-state Republican governor, Larry Hogan, is running for reelection:
The Motor Vehicle Administrator, a Hogan appointee, revealed recently that more than 18,000 people who registered to vote or updated their voter information at MVA kiosks over the past year or so did not have their registration information forwarded to the Board of Elections. Those who are aware of their rights as a voter can ask for a provisional ballot on election day, but we know from studies that these extra steps greatly decrease the likelihood that someone will vote.
Anyway, some Maryland Democrats claimed foul play, which the Hogan administration dismissed as a "conspiracy theory." Today, the administration revealed the problem is much worse than they admitted at first--81,000 voters (about 2% of registered voters) are affected.
The last time something like this happened was in 2006. The last time Maryland had a Republican governor running for reelection was in 2006.
Don't trust Republicans, kids.
posted by duffell at 6:34 PM on June 25, 2018 [80 favorites]
The Motor Vehicle Administrator, a Hogan appointee, revealed recently that more than 18,000 people who registered to vote or updated their voter information at MVA kiosks over the past year or so did not have their registration information forwarded to the Board of Elections. Those who are aware of their rights as a voter can ask for a provisional ballot on election day, but we know from studies that these extra steps greatly decrease the likelihood that someone will vote.
Anyway, some Maryland Democrats claimed foul play, which the Hogan administration dismissed as a "conspiracy theory." Today, the administration revealed the problem is much worse than they admitted at first--81,000 voters (about 2% of registered voters) are affected.
The last time something like this happened was in 2006. The last time Maryland had a Republican governor running for reelection was in 2006.
Don't trust Republicans, kids.
posted by duffell at 6:34 PM on June 25, 2018 [80 favorites]
I don’t blame staff members at the Virginia restaurant, the Red Hen, for not wanting to help Sanders unwind after a hard week of lying to the public about mass child abuse.
Point of order: she didn't spend the week lying to the public about mass child abuse, she spent part of the week being too chickenshit to do her job of lying to the faces of the American people and sent out Kirstjen Nielsen to do it.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:37 PM on June 25, 2018 [26 favorites]
Point of order: she didn't spend the week lying to the public about mass child abuse, she spent part of the week being too chickenshit to do her job of lying to the faces of the American people and sent out Kirstjen Nielsen to do it.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:37 PM on June 25, 2018 [26 favorites]
Bill de Blasio, who oversees a system where people spend weeks in illegal detention on Rikers because of paperwork (missing their kids' graduations), is on MSNBC explaining how traumatic it is for kids to be separated from their parents, and I am trying to avoid punching my screen out.
posted by zachlipton at 6:40 PM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
posted by zachlipton at 6:40 PM on June 25, 2018 [18 favorites]
Need more Waterses.
Maxine Waters reads list of times Trump has called for violence
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:41 PM on June 25, 2018 [118 favorites]
Maxine Waters reads list of times Trump has called for violence
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:41 PM on June 25, 2018 [118 favorites]
White Nationalist Senate Candidate Corey Stewart Says the Civil War Wasn't About Slavery
White nationalist and Virginia GOP Senate nominee Corey Stewart has proclaimed himself to be a big fan of Confederate monuments, even though his lutefisk-loving ass was born in Minnesota.It's a shame he denies his native state. Minnesota fought nobly for the United States during the Civil War.
With that in mind, it’s a little bewildering that Stewart apparently doesn’t know the first thing about the Civil War or what his Confederate heroes were fighting for.
In an interview for The Hill, Krystal Ball asked Stewart if the Confederate flag represented some of the “uglier parts of American history.”
“I don’t at all,” Stewart responded. “If you look at the history, that’s not what it meant at all, and I don’t believe that the Civil War was ultimately fought over the issue of slavery.”
posted by kirkaracha at 7:01 PM on June 25, 2018 [56 favorites]
- Minnesota, barely three years old at the time of the Civil War, was the first State to respond to President Abraham Lincoln’s request for volunteer regiments.
- The first group of Minnesota soldiers sent into battle were known as The First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.
- During the four years of the Civil War (1861-1865), Minnesota sent 25,000 men into battle against the Confederate Army. This represented about half of the state’s eligible male population.
- More than 100 black men from Minnesota enlisted in the Union Army even though the state’s total black population was just 259 (including men, women and children).
- The First Minnesota regiment played an important role in winning the Battle of Gettysburg by making a heroic charge against Confederate soldiers on the evening of July 2, 1863. Some historians believe their actions turned the tide of this battle, and the war. The First Minnesota charged the Confederates in spite of five to one odds.
- The First Minnesota regiment took part in many important battles and campaigns including: Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, Antietam and Gettysburg.
Hamilton Nolan is one of the few writers helping me feel like I'm hanging on to a shred of sanity.
This Is Just The Beginning:
It is telling that many of those who make their living in the political industrial complex, whether Democrat or Republican or Washington Post editorial page, find the idea of socially shunning people because of their politics to be abhorrent. Their shudders are a symptom of the fact that DC is indeed a swamp—a friendly swamp, where all the gators and slugs and mudfish meet up at the end of the day for cocktails, because to them, politics is a job. To the rest of us, politics is the use of power in a way that has very real effects on our lives.
posted by mostly vowels at 7:13 PM on June 25, 2018 [71 favorites]
This Is Just The Beginning:
It is telling that many of those who make their living in the political industrial complex, whether Democrat or Republican or Washington Post editorial page, find the idea of socially shunning people because of their politics to be abhorrent. Their shudders are a symptom of the fact that DC is indeed a swamp—a friendly swamp, where all the gators and slugs and mudfish meet up at the end of the day for cocktails, because to them, politics is a job. To the rest of us, politics is the use of power in a way that has very real effects on our lives.
posted by mostly vowels at 7:13 PM on June 25, 2018 [71 favorites]
Fox News: Burned and decapitated animal left on Homeland Security staffer's porch, report says
I bet it is a squirrel that chewed on an electrical wire. 2018 is just that stupid.
posted by srboisvert at 7:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
I bet it is a squirrel that chewed on an electrical wire. 2018 is just that stupid.
posted by srboisvert at 7:26 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
NYT, Jim Tankersley, The New Tax Form Is Postcard-Size, but More Complicated Than Ever.
This really seems like they made it a whole lot worse. The form is smaller, but there are six schedules you might complete to know what to put on it. And the article says this replaces not just the Form 1040, but the 1040A and the 1040EZ, thus making things more complicated for people who have simple tax situations (this looks much worse than the one-page 1040EZ). And you still have to stick it in an envelope, because nobody actually wants to do their taxes on a literal postcard and have the entire Postal Service looking at their Social Security Number.
This seems like a phenomenal waste of IRS resources.
posted by zachlipton at 7:34 PM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
This really seems like they made it a whole lot worse. The form is smaller, but there are six schedules you might complete to know what to put on it. And the article says this replaces not just the Form 1040, but the 1040A and the 1040EZ, thus making things more complicated for people who have simple tax situations (this looks much worse than the one-page 1040EZ). And you still have to stick it in an envelope, because nobody actually wants to do their taxes on a literal postcard and have the entire Postal Service looking at their Social Security Number.
This seems like a phenomenal waste of IRS resources.
posted by zachlipton at 7:34 PM on June 25, 2018 [32 favorites]
Interesting piece about the pro democracy origins of Machine Learning President from Cambridge Analytica critics Scout.ai*.
* Be warned Chrome doesn't think its encryption certificate is valid.
posted by abulafa at 7:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
* Be warned Chrome doesn't think its encryption certificate is valid.
posted by abulafa at 7:44 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Is this that "working toward the fuhrer" I've heard so much about or did someone in the Trump administration demand a postcard sized tax form?
posted by runcibleshaw at 7:45 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by runcibleshaw at 7:45 PM on June 25, 2018 [3 favorites]
Someone in the White House probably ordered the IRS to make the tax forms smaller and whoever fielded the request slow rolled them by taking it extremely literally because obviously they can't just arbitrarily rewrite the tax codes so they made it smaller physically.
posted by feloniousmonk at 7:49 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by feloniousmonk at 7:49 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
Rust Moranis: "ABC: Special counsel obtains Trump ally Erik Prince's phones, computer"
Oh please, please let this asshole be taken down in the Cheeto crime ring prosecutions.
posted by Mitheral at 7:51 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
Oh please, please let this asshole be taken down in the Cheeto crime ring prosecutions.
posted by Mitheral at 7:51 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
Just catching up - calling Maxine Waters "an extraordinarily low IQ person" seems like textbook libel - he's saying provably false things about her in order to damage her reputation. We allow a lot of leeway in talks about celebrities and politicians, but this wasn't a vague claim like "she's stupid" or "she's incompetent and should never have been elected."
IQ scores are measurable. (Exactly what they measure is hotly debated, but we do have tests for them anyway.) We know what a "low IQ score" is, and I'm willing to bet that Rep. Waters doesn't have one.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 8:16 PM on June 25, 2018 [27 favorites]
IQ scores are measurable. (Exactly what they measure is hotly debated, but we do have tests for them anyway.) We know what a "low IQ score" is, and I'm willing to bet that Rep. Waters doesn't have one.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 8:16 PM on June 25, 2018 [27 favorites]
Oh, if there were to be a case where both Waters and Trump have to take IQ tests with public results for both... Trump would not fare well. He'd have measurable proof of his inferiority in that regard to her. I'm smart (hopefully?) enough to know that IQs are kinda a bullshit measure too, but I'd still love to see him humilated.
posted by downtohisturtles at 8:21 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
posted by downtohisturtles at 8:21 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
My niece made this video today, this campaign has been my life for 2 years
posted by The Whelk at 8:28 PM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:28 PM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
We know what a "low IQ score" is, and I'm willing to bet that Rep. Waters doesn't have one.
The fact that not a single reporter in the press room has been goading Trump into taking an IQ test so we can compare it with Waters tells me every single one of them is complicit.
posted by mmoncur at 8:43 PM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
The fact that not a single reporter in the press room has been goading Trump into taking an IQ test so we can compare it with Waters tells me every single one of them is complicit.
posted by mmoncur at 8:43 PM on June 25, 2018 [10 favorites]
The fact that not a single reporter in the press room has been goading Trump into taking an IQ test so we can compare it with Waters tells me every single one of them is complicit.
Or it never occurred to them because there's no point stooping to Trump's idiocy and giving his trolling more airtime?
posted by J.K. Seazer at 8:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
Or it never occurred to them because there's no point stooping to Trump's idiocy and giving his trolling more airtime?
posted by J.K. Seazer at 8:48 PM on June 25, 2018 [16 favorites]
Here's a letter for your Democratic Representatives and Senators. Congressional Leaders should be supporting Representative Waters, or at least staying out of her way, instead of this feckless hand-wringing bullshit about decorum.
I am a constituent in [zip code], and I am contacting you to voice my support for Representative Maxine Waters. She rightly encouraged people to publicly shame Trump's Cabinet Members by driving them from public spaces. Representative Waters was encouraging people to peacefully hold ostensible civil servants, who are actively separating children from their parents, accountable for their actions, which have already traumatize thousands of children forever.posted by Excommunicated Cardinal at 9:00 PM on June 25, 2018 [74 favorites]
I agree with Representative Waters that the public should be shaming them wherever they go. I am not bothered if Sarah Sanders, Stephen Miller, Kjersten Nielsen, or any other cabinet member can't go out to eat without having to be held accountable for separating children from their parents.
I expect you, as my [Representative/Senator], to take two actions. First, I expect you to issue a statement of support for Maxine Waters. Second, I expect you to convey my extreme displeasure to the Minority Leader's statement regarding the words of Representative Waters. Why is advocacy and human rights for the vulnerable subordinate to "civility" to the powerful?
The Minority Leader's response is the shameful one, not Representative Waters' resistance to human rights abuses.
Sincerely,
[your name]
calling Maxine Waters "an extraordinarily low IQ person" seems like textbook libel - he's saying provably false things about her in order to damage her reputation. We allow a lot of leeway in talks about celebrities and politicians, but this wasn't a vague claim like "she's stupid" or "she's incompetent and should never have been elected."
It sounds like it would end up being more trouble than it would be worth to Waters. She is well liked by her constituents, plus she's a political figure, so standing might be tricky. I can't imagine that Waters taking an *IQ test* as a plaintiff suing Trump for libel would be welcomed by many Black scholars and activists. She gets a lot of flack for being unfiltered, but she knows her district and how to be heard when the men talk over her and underestimate her conviction. Her cause is not served well by proving her intelligence using a metric that isn't considered a standard, especially not on its own.
But I do think the Red Hen restaurant might want to talk to someone who knows the law. Trump's comments about their cleanliness were obviously made up and were intended to cause financial harm to their business. I'm not a lawyer, but I'd sure want to talk with one if I were in their position.
posted by krinklyfig at 9:12 PM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
It sounds like it would end up being more trouble than it would be worth to Waters. She is well liked by her constituents, plus she's a political figure, so standing might be tricky. I can't imagine that Waters taking an *IQ test* as a plaintiff suing Trump for libel would be welcomed by many Black scholars and activists. She gets a lot of flack for being unfiltered, but she knows her district and how to be heard when the men talk over her and underestimate her conviction. Her cause is not served well by proving her intelligence using a metric that isn't considered a standard, especially not on its own.
But I do think the Red Hen restaurant might want to talk to someone who knows the law. Trump's comments about their cleanliness were obviously made up and were intended to cause financial harm to their business. I'm not a lawyer, but I'd sure want to talk with one if I were in their position.
posted by krinklyfig at 9:12 PM on June 25, 2018 [28 favorites]
Boston Globe, Yvonne Abraham, DA candidates address an unusual constituency, in which six DA candidates will appear at a debate inside the city jail, where they'll take questions from inmates and service providers who work with them.
More of this please.
posted by zachlipton at 9:21 PM on June 25, 2018 [44 favorites]
More of this please.
posted by zachlipton at 9:21 PM on June 25, 2018 [44 favorites]
The fact that not a single reporter in the press room has been goading Trump into taking an IQ test so we can compare it with Waters tells me every single one of them is complicit.
I too enjoy meaningless burns but it's ok for journalists to be journalists
posted by prize bull octorok at 9:25 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
I too enjoy meaningless burns but it's ok for journalists to be journalists
posted by prize bull octorok at 9:25 PM on June 25, 2018 [15 favorites]
I am not someone that would normally support kicking someone out of a restaurant for their opinions, but these are no longer normal times. I have gone from thinking Trump is unpredictable and wrongheaded to believing he is actively leading this country toward some noxious evil. Trump is now talking about getting rid of our inalienable right to a trial, one of the bedrock rights of the constitution. You shouldn't be civil when civilization is threatened.
posted by xammerboy at 9:27 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by xammerboy at 9:27 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
Not mentioning the long history of Black people being accused of having lower IQs is leaving a story on the table and failing to inform readers.
A cynic might suggest that that form of incivility seems to matter less. Who can say what the dividing line is?
posted by jaduncan at 9:28 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
A cynic might suggest that that form of incivility seems to matter less. Who can say what the dividing line is?
posted by jaduncan at 9:28 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
I too enjoy meaningless burns but it's ok for journalists to be journalists
I totally get "Professionalism", but someone makes a claim, and I call "Bullshit!", it's THEIR responsibility to support the claim THEY made.
I, for one, would welcome our press asking better follow up questions. If only, "Since you mention IQ, for the record, when was your IQ tested and what was the score?"
posted by mikelieman at 9:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
I totally get "Professionalism", but someone makes a claim, and I call "Bullshit!", it's THEIR responsibility to support the claim THEY made.
I, for one, would welcome our press asking better follow up questions. If only, "Since you mention IQ, for the record, when was your IQ tested and what was the score?"
posted by mikelieman at 9:36 PM on June 25, 2018 [4 favorites]
They aren’t being kicked out of restaurants for their opinions. They’re being kicked out of restaurants for being fucking collaborators in carrying out the desires of white supremacists.
posted by azpenguin at 9:40 PM on June 25, 2018 [101 favorites]
posted by azpenguin at 9:40 PM on June 25, 2018 [101 favorites]
scalefree: “You would need to rewrite or nullify thousands of laws & large portions of the Constitution itself. This would require unprecedented coordination with Congress at a time when much of it has never had any experience writing or passing laws at all. They can barely pass laws on things they've been desperate for for years now without tripping over their own feet. ”I've been thinking about this since yesterday. No they won't have to pass any laws or amend the Constitution. Just like separating families seeking asylum and dozens of other things that have happened over the last 18 months, they'll just start doing it and who will stop them?
posted by ob1quixote at 9:41 PM on June 25, 2018 [48 favorites]
Is the media ignoring the biggest scandal in presidential history? Writer behind Broidy-Trump Theory explains
posted by growabrain at 9:51 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by growabrain at 9:51 PM on June 25, 2018 [6 favorites]
President Trump, Deal Maker? Not So Fast
His 17 months in office have in fact been an exercise in futility for the art-of-the-deal president. No deal on immigration. No deal on health care. No deal on gun control. No deal on spending cuts. No deal on Nafta. No deal on China trade. No deal on steel and aluminum imports. No deal on Middle East peace. No deal on the Qatar blockade. No deal on Syria. No deal on Russia. No deal on Iran. No deal on climate change. No deal on Pacific trade.posted by kirkaracha at 10:09 PM on June 25, 2018 [12 favorites]
Even routine deals sometimes elude Mr. Trump, or he chooses to blow them up. After a Group of 7 summit meeting this month with the world’s leading economic powers, Mr. Trump, expressing pique at Canada’s prime minister, refused to sign the carefully negotiated communiqué that his own team had agreed to. It was the sort of boilerplate agreement that every previous president had made over four decades.
...
Mr. O’Donnell, the former casino president, said Mr. Trump has always oversold his deal-making skills. The casino he managed, Mr. O’Donnell noted, brought in $100 million a year yet still went bankrupt. “The fact is, Trump casinos should have been one of the greatest success stories in the history of casino gambling, but bad deal making caused him to lose all three properties,” he said.
Now the consequences are much higher. “Deal making as president,” Ms. Sherman said, “is a multidimensional proposition where the stakes are war and peace, prosperity and depression.”
Is the media ignoring the biggest scandal in presidential history?
Lying about yet another affair isn't "the biggest scandal" this week. And he committed treason to steal the election, so, no.
posted by T.D. Strange at 10:13 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
Lying about yet another affair isn't "the biggest scandal" this week. And he committed treason to steal the election, so, no.
posted by T.D. Strange at 10:13 PM on June 25, 2018 [24 favorites]
Not to derail but it's been bugging me all day why the current clown administration would choose Fort Bliss as a site for child concentration camps. I lived on Bliss for 7 years when I was an Army spouse so I know the base really well. Where in the hell would put a camp for 1000+ children without shutting the main post down?! It's not a good idea: Bliss is not *near* El Paso nor is El Paso "just outside the gate" of Bliss (there is no "the" gate of Fort Bliss, there's several), as the soldier in the article that the estimable scaryblackdeath linked above, said. El Paso EVELOPES the main post and housing areas of Fort Bliss. I live just 2 blocks from the south fence of Fort Bliss: I can hear reveille and retreat inside my house. I work at a school that literally shares a fence with Bliss: 40% of our students are military. Main post is packed with housing and shopping centers... East Bliss is mostly Biggs Airfield and medical clinics so where would they put an internment camp?!
So I did my Googles and remembered this.
I used to work for an archaeological contractor on historic site mitigation on the Dońa Ana Range: the infrastructure there is beyond basic. It was all built during WW2 and lacks the most basic things like electricity, indoor plumbing or hard lines for phones or Wi-Fi.
I'll leave you with this El Paso Times Op-Ed from a guy who Does Not Get It.
posted by blessedlyndie at 10:14 PM on June 25, 2018 [42 favorites]
So I did my Googles and remembered this.
I used to work for an archaeological contractor on historic site mitigation on the Dońa Ana Range: the infrastructure there is beyond basic. It was all built during WW2 and lacks the most basic things like electricity, indoor plumbing or hard lines for phones or Wi-Fi.
I'll leave you with this El Paso Times Op-Ed from a guy who Does Not Get It.
posted by blessedlyndie at 10:14 PM on June 25, 2018 [42 favorites]
I've been thinking about this since yesterday. No they won't have to pass any laws or amend the Constitution. Just like separating families seeking asylum and dozens of other things that have happened over the last 18 months, they'll just start doing it and who will stop them?
There's things Trump cares about & things he doesn't. If he cares, he'll put at least a half-assed, slapdash effort into it. He may change his mind completely & give opposite orders 3 days in a row but at least he'll try, at least until he gets bored. If he doesn't care it may as well not exist. Who in the administration has both the clout & competency to see this through? They burned through the last of those people months ago.
I get that it's Trump's ultimate vision. There's just no vehicle to get him from here to there. With ICE there's a preexisting organization & a network of companies to outsource to. What's the equivalent for a grand reorg? Where's the blueprint, the framework, the ideology to breathe life into the new government? Who implements it & brings some actual expertise into the room? Halliburton? Jennings & Rall?
posted by scalefree at 10:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
There's things Trump cares about & things he doesn't. If he cares, he'll put at least a half-assed, slapdash effort into it. He may change his mind completely & give opposite orders 3 days in a row but at least he'll try, at least until he gets bored. If he doesn't care it may as well not exist. Who in the administration has both the clout & competency to see this through? They burned through the last of those people months ago.
I get that it's Trump's ultimate vision. There's just no vehicle to get him from here to there. With ICE there's a preexisting organization & a network of companies to outsource to. What's the equivalent for a grand reorg? Where's the blueprint, the framework, the ideology to breathe life into the new government? Who implements it & brings some actual expertise into the room? Halliburton? Jennings & Rall?
posted by scalefree at 10:17 PM on June 25, 2018 [1 favorite]
Here is another article, from CNBC, with details about the Broidy/Berchard/Qatar/Cohen/Trump affair that I hadn't seen before. It appears that Broidy is suing Qatar et al because he believes they infiltrated his email server & stole many thousands of messages that incriminated him on the Berchard cover-up as well as a bunch of other things. Maybe they tipped off the FBI or something? Because it also seems records were discovered when the FBI searched Cohen's stuff as part of its ongoing mega-investigation into his various nefarious activities.
At any rate, Broidy's lawsuit does link the Qatar & Berchard affairs together in a possibly believable way that makes me think twice about any Trump connection. If Broidy is trying to cover up his payments to cover up a Trump/Berchard affair, bringing up a lawsuit to have a lawyers, a judge, and a jury carefully sift through the relevant evidence seems like a poor way to go about it.
On the other hand, it hadn't quite penetrated my thick skull that Broidy and Cohen were BOTH "deputy finance chairs" at the Republican National Committee until just recently. So, two little peas in a pod. Broidy resigned that position soon after these allegations came to light; Cohen has resigned more recently.
posted by flug at 10:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
At any rate, Broidy's lawsuit does link the Qatar & Berchard affairs together in a possibly believable way that makes me think twice about any Trump connection. If Broidy is trying to cover up his payments to cover up a Trump/Berchard affair, bringing up a lawsuit to have a lawyers, a judge, and a jury carefully sift through the relevant evidence seems like a poor way to go about it.
On the other hand, it hadn't quite penetrated my thick skull that Broidy and Cohen were BOTH "deputy finance chairs" at the Republican National Committee until just recently. So, two little peas in a pod. Broidy resigned that position soon after these allegations came to light; Cohen has resigned more recently.
posted by flug at 10:18 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
If Broidy is trying to cover up his payments to cover up a Trump/Berchard affair, bringing up a lawsuit to have a lawyers, a judge, and a jury carefully sift through the relevant evidence seems like a poor way to go about it.
It appears, once again, that "Truth is, these guys are not very bright" applies.
posted by Stoneshop at 10:54 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
It appears, once again, that "Truth is, these guys are not very bright" applies.
posted by Stoneshop at 10:54 PM on June 25, 2018 [2 favorites]
Rachel Maddow showing horrific, heart breaking, NSFL video smuggled from inside one of the Trump concentration camps by Michael Avenatti’s new client
posted by growabrain at 11:19 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
posted by growabrain at 11:19 PM on June 25, 2018 [21 favorites]
The Government Had No Intention of Reuniting Separated Families
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:31 PM on June 25, 2018 [66 favorites]
There is no comprehensive database, and the administration has clearly stated that reunification may not be in the cards. Even parents released on bond may try fruitlessly to find children who have been sent across the country. In New York, where the children are entitled to immigration hearings, lawyers are finding it hard to get them onto any docket. More and more they appear to be in some kind of procedural and legal limbo, with counselors and lawyers trying to craft systems to protect them as the policies shift on the ground. On Saturday night, DHS put out a fact sheet about reunification plans, but the toll-free numbers apparently still do not work, and many children have not yet spoken to a family member. On Monday, Vox reported that the government would only promise to attempt to reunite families who gave up their asylum requests and voluntarily agreed to be deported.I don't suppose the administration has any plan to kill these prisoners, but that hardly absolves them: keeping people alive (let alone healthy, and sane) takes active preparation. They really don't care about them at all. People are going to have medical crises, be assaulted, and suffer from psychological ailments. Ultimately, I presume they're going to be deported - what preparations have been made for that? Will they just be dumped at a border station? People are absolutely going to die.
What has become quite clear is that the Trump administration is not prioritizing reunification, or seemingly even terribly concerned about it. More terrifying is that it is clear that a rollout that was months in the making seemingly didn’t include provisions for properly identifying and coordinating which children were removed from their families and how to reconnect them. It pains me to write these words, but it certainly seems that the administration truly had no intention of reunifying these families.
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:31 PM on June 25, 2018 [66 favorites]
I, for one, would welcome our press asking better follow up questions. If only, "Since you mention IQ, for the record, when was your IQ tested and what was the score?"
This legit feels like a topic that will always end badly in this setting. Trump will say something horrifying, revealing once again that he has no shame, and political journalists are mostly poorly informed when it comes to science, especially the kind of 'science' employed by crypto racists who are using it to advocate for white supremacy, or just that they are personally the smartest, which tbh seems to be a long held belief by Trump. It's like debating the total number of people killed in the Holocaust, and whether they were Jews- It's important to get the facts on the record, but this isn't a game where being morally convinced is going to inform a difficult subject, like a brain-measuring contest started by POTUS to stir up heinous shit and ridicule anyone who is acting in good faith. The IQ test has some important baggage, and it can't be easily explained in sound bytes to people who haven't done any research and might still think lie detector tests are reliable.
posted by krinklyfig at 12:34 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
This legit feels like a topic that will always end badly in this setting. Trump will say something horrifying, revealing once again that he has no shame, and political journalists are mostly poorly informed when it comes to science, especially the kind of 'science' employed by crypto racists who are using it to advocate for white supremacy, or just that they are personally the smartest, which tbh seems to be a long held belief by Trump. It's like debating the total number of people killed in the Holocaust, and whether they were Jews- It's important to get the facts on the record, but this isn't a game where being morally convinced is going to inform a difficult subject, like a brain-measuring contest started by POTUS to stir up heinous shit and ridicule anyone who is acting in good faith. The IQ test has some important baggage, and it can't be easily explained in sound bytes to people who haven't done any research and might still think lie detector tests are reliable.
posted by krinklyfig at 12:34 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
The Government Had No Intention of Reuniting Separated Families
They said they would be separating families. As cynical as I am, I did not take them at their word and assumed there was an implied "temporary"; but no, there is no bottom to this racist black hole.
posted by benzenedream at 1:15 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
They said they would be separating families. As cynical as I am, I did not take them at their word and assumed there was an implied "temporary"; but no, there is no bottom to this racist black hole.
posted by benzenedream at 1:15 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
So now gutless fucking piece of shit Chuck Schumer is calling Maxine Waters un-American.
That is a really astoundingly pathetic and sniveling absence of backbone, on top of not being true.
The conventional American reaction would be to tar and feather all C-level Trumpists and run them out of town on rails just for the fucking trade war tariff shit raising the prices of imported comfort goods. If Waters could be accused of in any way being un-American it would be for a mild response in proposing that we merely yell at the grafter child-thieving sycophantic government servants of Benedict-Arnold-times-a-million who are cheerfully helping him slouch his way into a dozen Abu Ghraibs for refugee kids.
posted by XMLicious at 1:23 AM on June 26, 2018 [21 favorites]
More terrifying is that it is clear that a rollout that was months in the making seemingly didn’t include provisions for properly identifying and coordinating which children were removed from their families and how to reconnect them.
And yet I can track my fucking Amazon packages from Kentucky to Auckland. Vulnerable terrified children are clearly of less priority than my books and movies though right?
posted by supercrayon at 1:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
And yet I can track my fucking Amazon packages from Kentucky to Auckland. Vulnerable terrified children are clearly of less priority than my books and movies though right?
posted by supercrayon at 1:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
Supercrayon, the difference is that Amazon regards you as a customer.
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:36 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by Too-Ticky at 2:36 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Maddow is playing video from the Cayuga Center in East Harlem where kids separated from their parents have been brought for day programs (they sleep at foster homes at night).
A friend forwarded a call for Spanish speaking families in NYC to foster these kids. Information sessions are every other Wednesday at 1767 Park ave 2nd Fl, Orange doors. I can send more info via memail.
posted by melissasaurus at 2:47 AM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
A friend forwarded a call for Spanish speaking families in NYC to foster these kids. Information sessions are every other Wednesday at 1767 Park ave 2nd Fl, Orange doors. I can send more info via memail.
posted by melissasaurus at 2:47 AM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
this civility conversation is a fascinating aspect of this nightmare
their definition of 'civility' conflates two different things: acting in a non-vulgar way so as to not bother other people and then the general not bothering people
'white nationalism' is not a vulgar epithet but telling white people that they're racist bothers them so much.
politely refusing service (I assume it was polite) to Sarah Sanders on the grounds that she promotes bad behavior that hurts people is not vulgar. But it bothered her very much. Or she pretended it did because the whole victimhood thing is working for them.
But it is not uncivil to disturb people. That's just ridiculous. You can argue for civility and still (with civility) deny Sanders service at the Little Red Hen. What they're doing is taking the effect (being bothered) and saying any instances of that must be caused by incivility
Thus insulting Maxine Waters's IQ becomes equivalent to denying service to Sanders
Ugh. Let the killer robots take over already.
posted by angrycat at 4:21 AM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
their definition of 'civility' conflates two different things: acting in a non-vulgar way so as to not bother other people and then the general not bothering people
'white nationalism' is not a vulgar epithet but telling white people that they're racist bothers them so much.
politely refusing service (I assume it was polite) to Sarah Sanders on the grounds that she promotes bad behavior that hurts people is not vulgar. But it bothered her very much. Or she pretended it did because the whole victimhood thing is working for them.
But it is not uncivil to disturb people. That's just ridiculous. You can argue for civility and still (with civility) deny Sanders service at the Little Red Hen. What they're doing is taking the effect (being bothered) and saying any instances of that must be caused by incivility
Thus insulting Maxine Waters's IQ becomes equivalent to denying service to Sanders
Ugh. Let the killer robots take over already.
posted by angrycat at 4:21 AM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
I really hate the likening of Sarah Sanders being refused service to anything cakeshop related. She wasn’t asked to leave because she’s a woman, or because she’s white, or because she’s straight or a mother or anything else that she doesn’t control. She was asked to leave because her actions made the waitstaff uncomfortable serving her. Actions have consequences, and to compare having to accept those consequences to being discriminated against really pisses me off.
Your complaint lies with Sarah Sanders, then, because she is the person who equated her own treatment with that of the cakeshop case.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:27 AM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
Your complaint lies with Sarah Sanders, then, because she is the person who equated her own treatment with that of the cakeshop case.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:27 AM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
It sounds like what happened to Sanders was perfectly civil (although what that means in this case is just that the usual suspects on the right are weaponising anything and everything to their purpose, so it really means nothing at all). I suspect what will happen to them in the future isn't that sort of direct protest, or even that all their food smells faintly of urine, but they might find that the service is indefinably but noticeably worse than the people around them, the waiters polite but cold and unhelpful; that the food will take a long time to arrive and when it does, it's cold. Nothing that can be caught and punished, just a general, low key unpleasantness. They could make a scene, but that would just be embarrassing themselves (particularly as all the people looking on have had wonderful service and warm food). Of course they can refuse to leave a tip, but that will just tell the waiting staff that their mission has been accomplished.
*Sigh.* Just fanfic, of course, but I suspect that that's what everyday resistance will look like.
posted by Grangousier at 4:32 AM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
*Sigh.* Just fanfic, of course, but I suspect that that's what everyday resistance will look like.
posted by Grangousier at 4:32 AM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
Harley-Davidson to Move Some Production From U.S. Because of E.U. Tariffs
I didn't see posting on Trump's train-wreck the follow-up to this.
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
15h15 hours ago
posted by mikelieman at 5:06 AM on June 26, 2018 [30 favorites]
I didn't see posting on Trump's train-wreck the follow-up to this.
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
15h15 hours ago
Surprised that Harley-Davidson, of all companies, would be the first to wave the White Flag. I fought hard for them and ultimately they will not pay tariffs selling into the E.U., which has hurt us badly on trade, down $151 Billion. Taxes just a Harley excuse - be patient!Bold strategy Cotton, calling HD cowards.
posted by mikelieman at 5:06 AM on June 26, 2018 [30 favorites]
Foreign Policy: America’s Uncivil Protests Are Straight Out of Latin America
Donald Trump's domestic critics are following South America's successful anti-strongman playbook
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 5:13 AM on June 26, 2018 [46 favorites]
Donald Trump's domestic critics are following South America's successful anti-strongman playbook
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 5:13 AM on June 26, 2018 [46 favorites]
More HD tweets, from an hour ago:
Early this year Harley-Davidson said they would move much of their plant operations in Kansas City to Thailand. That was long before Tariffs were announced. Hence, they were just using Tariffs/Trade War as an excuse. Shows how unbalanced & unfair trade is, but we will fix it.....And about twenty minutes ago:
....When I had Harley-Davidson officials over to the White House, I chided them about tariffs in other countries, like India, being too high. Companies are now coming back to America. Harley must know that they won’t be able to sell back into U.S. without paying a big tax!
A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country-never! Their employees and customers are already very angry at them. If they move, watch, it will be the beginning of the end - they surrendered, they quit! The Aura will be gone and they will be taxed like never before!posted by box at 5:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
Trump values jobs in proportion to how likely they are to appear in an ED pill commercial so it makes sense that he’s already tweeted about the Harley thing five times this morning
posted by theodolite at 5:40 AM on June 26, 2018 [71 favorites]
posted by theodolite at 5:40 AM on June 26, 2018 [71 favorites]
Theodolite, your comment needs to go into some archeological data archive for future historians to truly understand what life on the “most ridiculous” timeline was like for us.
posted by nikaspark at 5:47 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by nikaspark at 5:47 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
China drops import tariffs on feed ingredients from Asian neighbours as US dispute mounts
China on Tuesday said it would remove import tariffs on animal feed ingredients including soybeans from five Asian neighbours, in a sign that Beijing wants to boost foreign supplies of the commodities as a trade dispute with the United States escalates.
The Ministry of Finance said it would drop tariffs on soybeans, soybean cake and fishmeal originating in Bangladesh, India, Laos, South Korea and Sri Lanka from July 1.
America First!
posted by PenDevil at 5:52 AM on June 26, 2018 [18 favorites]
China on Tuesday said it would remove import tariffs on animal feed ingredients including soybeans from five Asian neighbours, in a sign that Beijing wants to boost foreign supplies of the commodities as a trade dispute with the United States escalates.
The Ministry of Finance said it would drop tariffs on soybeans, soybean cake and fishmeal originating in Bangladesh, India, Laos, South Korea and Sri Lanka from July 1.
America First!
posted by PenDevil at 5:52 AM on June 26, 2018 [18 favorites]
Early this year Harley-Davidson said they would move much of their plant operations in Kansas City to Thailand. That was long before Tariffs were announced.
It was another genius move by this administration that caused that, pulling out of the TPP.
posted by peeedro at 5:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [28 favorites]
It was another genius move by this administration that caused that, pulling out of the TPP.
posted by peeedro at 5:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [28 favorites]
The Trump versus Harley dissonance must be causing some serious Acid Reflux amongst the mid-life crisis actors!
posted by srboisvert at 6:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [66 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 6:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [66 favorites]
Trevor Noah had a great bit on SHS and restaurant protests last night, and I would actually love for a restaurant to try his protest idea of just not serving her food but insisting that she had a full plate because the chef said so.
posted by TwoStride at 6:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [57 favorites]
posted by TwoStride at 6:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [57 favorites]
I really hate the likening of Sarah Sanders being refused service to anything cakeshop related. She wasn’t asked to leave because she’s a woman, or because she’s white, or because she’s straight or a mother or anything else that she doesn’t control. She was asked to leave because her actions made the waitstaff uncomfortable serving her.
She was judged not by the color of her skin, but by the content of her character. And I am a-okay with that.
posted by chris24 at 6:04 AM on June 26, 2018 [103 favorites]
She was judged not by the color of her skin, but by the content of her character. And I am a-okay with that.
posted by chris24 at 6:04 AM on June 26, 2018 [103 favorites]
Looks like Trump’s going to ruin Canada’s economy.* Once that happens it’ll be easier for Canada’s conservatives to plead poverty when it comes to funding health care, social programs and everything else they’d like to cut, privatize or do away with together. I would also expect an uptick in racism and xenophobia as standards of living drop. Here in Toronto the only money most people have is tied up in their property values, so if housing prices drop significantly they will flock to anyone who promises to halt that slide by any means, no matter how unworkable or unrealistic, or at least finds a scapegoat. Anyway, this is my gloomy Canadian prediction for the morning. It’s a beautiful day, at least.
* someone I know is having a house built and just found out it’s going to cost them an extra $25,000 because of Trump’s tarriffs.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
* someone I know is having a house built and just found out it’s going to cost them an extra $25,000 because of Trump’s tarriffs.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
It’s a beautiful day, at least.
PSA: Self-care. You don't have to click. Your dog wants to go for a walk. Breath. (( hugs ))
posted by mikelieman at 6:17 AM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
PSA: Self-care. You don't have to click. Your dog wants to go for a walk. Breath. (( hugs ))
posted by mikelieman at 6:17 AM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
For those who are geo-blocked from the Daily Show clip. Here's the same Trevor Noah clip, but from Comedy Central UK's channel.
posted by papercrane at 6:19 AM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by papercrane at 6:19 AM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Vis-a-vis the trade war: This is what you get when you elect demagogues in a climate of world-historic inequality. Trump isn't beholden to the conventional Republican circuit since he didn't come up through the party; instead, they're beholden to him, so there are no rich people to go behind the scenes and put the arm on him. And the various big Trump funders - Mercers, Kochs, etc - are so rich that the only thing global economic collapse is going to do is make them richer, so while they have enough power to put the arm on Trump, they don't want to.
posted by Frowner at 6:19 AM on June 26, 2018 [28 favorites]
posted by Frowner at 6:19 AM on June 26, 2018 [28 favorites]
The Trump versus Harley dissonance must be causing some serious Acid Reflux amongst the mid-life crisis actors!
Fairly easily resolved or deflected by blaming the foreigners in the equation, as usual. Considering the current level of xenophobic hostility in the US, it's scarifying to contemplate how these trade wars and their likely effect on the economy will impact immigrants and visitors.
posted by FelliniBlank at 6:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Fairly easily resolved or deflected by blaming the foreigners in the equation, as usual. Considering the current level of xenophobic hostility in the US, it's scarifying to contemplate how these trade wars and their likely effect on the economy will impact immigrants and visitors.
posted by FelliniBlank at 6:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
I love how the media salivate over “Dems in Disarray!!11!!1” but the Harley president (not a compliment) is openly warring with Harley fucking Davidson this morning. It’d be glorious if it weren’t for the trade war and all.
posted by Barack Spinoza at 6:39 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by Barack Spinoza at 6:39 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
The alleged advantages of free market capitalism really don’t come to much if they just devolve to “whoever is richest wrecks everything then buys the wreckage at fire sale prices”.
posted by Artw at 6:40 AM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by Artw at 6:40 AM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
So I had no idea there was an election today until I saw stickers on Facebook. It took me 20 freaking minutes of googling before I confirmed that 1. the election is ONLY a federal primary and nothing else and 2. both my federal Dem incumbents are running uncontested.
Yay, but also IT SHOULD NOT BE THIS COMPLICATED.
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:46 AM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
Yay, but also IT SHOULD NOT BE THIS COMPLICATED.
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:46 AM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
NYT, Jim Tankersley, The New Tax Form Is Postcard-Size, but More Complicated Than Ever.
This is so dumb. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Changing line numbers on tax forms messes up SO many things - every single tax prep software program will need to be updated, instructions and guides will need to be updated, and new worksheets will need to be created - and most states piggyback on the federal forms to some extent, so those things need to happen at the state level too. Most people file electronically anyway, so the size of the form doesn't matter, and no one is going to be mailing an actual postcard with their SSN and income listed on it. You can print your tax owed/refund amount on a grain of rice and say "see attached schedules" - it doesn't make the tax preparation process any easier.
Some fun responses from taxtwitter: 1, 2
Some actual responses from taxtwitter: 1, 2
posted by melissasaurus at 6:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [36 favorites]
This is so dumb. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Changing line numbers on tax forms messes up SO many things - every single tax prep software program will need to be updated, instructions and guides will need to be updated, and new worksheets will need to be created - and most states piggyback on the federal forms to some extent, so those things need to happen at the state level too. Most people file electronically anyway, so the size of the form doesn't matter, and no one is going to be mailing an actual postcard with their SSN and income listed on it. You can print your tax owed/refund amount on a grain of rice and say "see attached schedules" - it doesn't make the tax preparation process any easier.
Some fun responses from taxtwitter: 1, 2
Some actual responses from taxtwitter: 1, 2
posted by melissasaurus at 6:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [36 favorites]
The Red Hen restaurant would make a killing in tshirts right now. But alas, only gift certs.
posted by ian1977 at 6:56 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by ian1977 at 6:56 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
The Trump versus Harley dissonance must be causing some serious Acid Reflux amongst the mid-life crisis actors!
This morning's Financial Times (link, but paywall), included a short item featuring H-D plant workers on break commenting about the potential for layoffs and how they'd vote in 2020 as a result of the effect the President's policies is having on their livelihoods.
posted by notyou at 6:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [31 favorites]
This morning's Financial Times (link, but paywall), included a short item featuring H-D plant workers on break commenting about the potential for layoffs and how they'd vote in 2020 as a result of the effect the President's policies is having on their livelihoods.
“He’s making changes, trying to get the country back where it needs to be,” said one Harley worker, grinding a cigarette butt into the pavement before returning to work.(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
posted by notyou at 6:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [31 favorites]
Rest assured, when that dude loses his job, it's going to be the fault of someone else. Immigrants, liberals, Obama, Hillary, take your pick.
Meanwhile, try to contain your surprise:
Trump’s VA pick, a longtime aide to polarizing politicians, has defended extreme views
(WaPo, Paul Sonne and Lisa Rein)
Meanwhile, try to contain your surprise:
Trump’s VA pick, a longtime aide to polarizing politicians, has defended extreme views
(WaPo, Paul Sonne and Lisa Rein)
Throughout, Wilkie showed a willingness to fight on the front lines of his bosses’ culture wars. Earlier this year he led efforts to justify Trump’s near wholesale ban on transgender troops. In 1997, he rebutted a Democratic proposal to ensure equal pay for working women. And in 1993, he publicly defended a failed push by Helms to support an organization whose logo included the Confederate flag.posted by soren_lorensen at 7:06 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
The hits from McConnell's Supreme Court just keep on coming.
@chrisgeidner: First decision is NIFLA v. Becerra. Thomas has the 5-4 decision split along ideological lines, finding that the California law's licensed notice "likely violates" the First Amendment and the unlicensed notice "unduly burdens speech." Breyer wrote the dissent. #SCOTUS
Here's the opinion there. That's an attack on California's law targeting "crisis pregnancy centers"; the law requires all pregnancy clinics to provide accurate information about their license status, what health care services they provide (i.e. whether they provide abortion). The case will go back for further proceedings.
posted by zachlipton at 7:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
@chrisgeidner: First decision is NIFLA v. Becerra. Thomas has the 5-4 decision split along ideological lines, finding that the California law's licensed notice "likely violates" the First Amendment and the unlicensed notice "unduly burdens speech." Breyer wrote the dissent. #SCOTUS
Here's the opinion there. That's an attack on California's law targeting "crisis pregnancy centers"; the law requires all pregnancy clinics to provide accurate information about their license status, what health care services they provide (i.e. whether they provide abortion). The case will go back for further proceedings.
posted by zachlipton at 7:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
It got worse.
@ReutersLegal: Breaking: #SCOTUS rules for President Trump over challenge to administration's travel ban targeting people from several Muslim-majority countries.
Here's that opinion, live blog at SCOTUSblog.
Ah. Fuck you Mitch.
posted by zachlipton at 7:16 AM on June 26, 2018 [61 favorites]
@ReutersLegal: Breaking: #SCOTUS rules for President Trump over challenge to administration's travel ban targeting people from several Muslim-majority countries.
Here's that opinion, live blog at SCOTUSblog.
Ah. Fuck you Mitch.
posted by zachlipton at 7:16 AM on June 26, 2018 [61 favorites]
My story is simple. So just shut up, all of you.
I like burritos. It's that simple, guys. I like beef and bean and chicken and bean. And I like the people that serve me. That's my baseline.
So when I was younger, me and my coworkers went every Friday to a "berto" for carne asada burritos. We did not care that the dudes in the back were Iranian. They just made the best burritos in town, damn.
Yeah, we were chowing down on Mexican food made by dudes from Iran, because that is America! America is the strength of immigrants putting food on the table because that is what they do.
I believe in America. E PLURIBUS UNUM! Godammit! How long until you get the idea!
posted by SPrintF at 7:18 AM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
I like burritos. It's that simple, guys. I like beef and bean and chicken and bean. And I like the people that serve me. That's my baseline.
So when I was younger, me and my coworkers went every Friday to a "berto" for carne asada burritos. We did not care that the dudes in the back were Iranian. They just made the best burritos in town, damn.
Yeah, we were chowing down on Mexican food made by dudes from Iran, because that is America! America is the strength of immigrants putting food on the table because that is what they do.
I believe in America. E PLURIBUS UNUM! Godammit! How long until you get the idea!
posted by SPrintF at 7:18 AM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Hey all, just checking in briefly. Two things to relate:
1) Another big primary night tonight, with New York federal, among others. Previews in the usual places.
2) Based on signs and graffiti, the Communists here in Bergen, Norway are not having any of this civility stuff.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:27 AM on June 26, 2018 [24 favorites]
1) Another big primary night tonight, with New York federal, among others. Previews in the usual places.
2) Based on signs and graffiti, the Communists here in Bergen, Norway are not having any of this civility stuff.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:27 AM on June 26, 2018 [24 favorites]
If President Obama had responded to Mitch McConnell's flouting of the spirit of the Constitution by appointing Merrick Garland during the Congressional recess, these 5-4 rulings would be going the other way. It's a tragedy. I hope the next Democratic president understands that if only one side skirts the rules, the other side loses, and innocent people suffer. Results are more important than decorum.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:29 AM on June 26, 2018 [97 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:29 AM on June 26, 2018 [97 favorites]
Kennedy's concurrence in the travel ban case is full clown. Here's the TLDR: gosh I hope the executive branch voluntarily decides not to violate our most basic Constitutional directives, since I am choosing not to restrain it!
posted by prefpara at 7:30 AM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
posted by prefpara at 7:30 AM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
If the chambers flip in November, could a reversal of 1182(f), the law they’re leaning on that gives the President such broad powers, reverse the ban as well?
posted by corb at 7:32 AM on June 26, 2018
posted by corb at 7:32 AM on June 26, 2018
The judicial situation is going to get worse and probably means the effective end of rule of law and democracy if unaddressed. Really hope the Democrats can manage an actual response at some point.
posted by Artw at 7:32 AM on June 26, 2018 [26 favorites]
posted by Artw at 7:32 AM on June 26, 2018 [26 favorites]
If President Obama had responded to Mitch McConnell's flouting of the spirit of the Constitution by appointing Merrick Garland during the Congressional recess, these 5-4 rulings would be going the other way
Personally, I wish every asshat here in Michigan who couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Clinton atones for every 5-4 decision for the rest of my life, but hey. What’re ya gonna do?
posted by Barack Spinoza at 7:33 AM on June 26, 2018 [34 favorites]
Personally, I wish every asshat here in Michigan who couldn’t bring themselves to vote for Clinton atones for every 5-4 decision for the rest of my life, but hey. What’re ya gonna do?
posted by Barack Spinoza at 7:33 AM on June 26, 2018 [34 favorites]
If the chambers flip in November, could a reversal of 1182(f), the law they’re leaning on that gives the President such broad powers, reverse the ban as well?
In this case I wouldn't count on the Democrats being able to overcome a filibuster.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:34 AM on June 26, 2018
In this case I wouldn't count on the Democrats being able to overcome a filibuster.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:34 AM on June 26, 2018
Majority: The law doesn't say the president can't be an asshole, so we'll let it stand.
Sotomayor: All evidence indicates it's a Muslim ban and therefore unconstitutional. Simply stating it in the language of national security dues not make it anything other than a Muslim ban.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:35 AM on June 26, 2018 [81 favorites]
Sotomayor: All evidence indicates it's a Muslim ban and therefore unconstitutional. Simply stating it in the language of national security dues not make it anything other than a Muslim ban.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:35 AM on June 26, 2018 [81 favorites]
Justice Roberts:
Roberts then goes on to explicitly overturn and denounce Korematsu, which is an interesting twist.
could a reversal of 1182(f), the law they’re leaning on that gives the President such broad powers, reverse the ban as well?
Why would Trump sign such a bill?
posted by zachlipton at 7:36 AM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
The President of the United States possesses an extraordinary power to speak to his fellow citizens and on their behalf. Our Presidents have frequently used that power to espouse the principles of religious freedom and tolerance on which this Nation was founded. In 1790 George Washington reassured the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island that “happily the Government of the United States . . . gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance [and] requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens.” 6 Papers of George Washington 285 (D.Twohig ed. 1996). President Eisenhower, at the opening of the Islamic Center of Washington, similarly pledged to a Muslim audience that “America would fight with herwhole strength for your right to have here your own church,” declaring that “[t]his concept is indeed a part of America.” Public Papers of the Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower, June 28, 1957, p. 509 (1957). And just days after the attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush returned to the same Islamic Center to implore his fellow Americans—Muslims and non-Muslims alike— to remember during their time of grief that “[t]he face of terror is not the true faith of Islam,” and that America is “a great country because we share the same values of respect and dignity and human worth.” Public Papers of the Presidents, George W. Bush, Vol. 2, Sept. 17, 2001, p. 1121 (2001). Yet it cannot be denied that the Federal Government and the Presidents who have carried its laws into effect have—from the Nation’s earliest days—performed unevenly in living up to those inspiring words.As I read that: "Presidents have said a lot of things about religious tolerance, but they've long been crap at doing it, so what does it matter that this one has said bigoted stuff?"
Plaintiffs argue that this President’s words strike at fundamental standards of respect and tolerance, in violation of our constitutional tradition. But the issue before us is not whether to denounce the statements. It is instead the significance of those statements in reviewing a Presidential directive, neutral on its face, addressing a matter within the core of executive responsibility. In doing so, we must consider not only the statements of a particular President, but also the authority of the Presidency itself.
Roberts then goes on to explicitly overturn and denounce Korematsu, which is an interesting twist.
could a reversal of 1182(f), the law they’re leaning on that gives the President such broad powers, reverse the ban as well?
Why would Trump sign such a bill?
posted by zachlipton at 7:36 AM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
Roberts then goes on to explicitly overturn and denounce Korematsu, which is an interesting twist.
I'd call this a fig-leaf, but of course it is an important and excellent decision. Similarly, yesterday's decision to condemn Texas House District 90 (and only Texas House District 90) as unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered is an important and excellent decision.
It is almost as if the court is adding small good elements to its opinion to render the many bad elements more palatable. Perhaps it makes Justice Kennedy feel more comfortable voting in favor.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:41 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
I'd call this a fig-leaf, but of course it is an important and excellent decision. Similarly, yesterday's decision to condemn Texas House District 90 (and only Texas House District 90) as unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered is an important and excellent decision.
It is almost as if the court is adding small good elements to its opinion to render the many bad elements more palatable. Perhaps it makes Justice Kennedy feel more comfortable voting in favor.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:41 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
When concentration camps came to America, Chuck Schumer had *concerns*, for the camp guards.
That's part of the beauty of moving to military bases for detainment:
1) The people doing the work all willingly signed up for it.
2) The American culture of "Thank you for your service."
The only way to make the detainment worse would be finding an Indian tribe who'd use their land for a fat stack of cash or establishment of new tribal land for a tribe that has none.
posted by rough ashlar at 7:41 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
That's part of the beauty of moving to military bases for detainment:
1) The people doing the work all willingly signed up for it.
2) The American culture of "Thank you for your service."
The only way to make the detainment worse would be finding an Indian tribe who'd use their land for a fat stack of cash or establishment of new tribal land for a tribe that has none.
posted by rough ashlar at 7:41 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Meanwhile, on the election interference front, it doesn't sound like either Trump's DHS or the FBI is very willing to help prevent it. NYT: Top Tech Companies Met With Intelligence Officials to Discuss Midterms
posted by Doktor Zed at 7:48 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
The meeting, which took place May 23 at Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., was also attended by representatives from Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Oath, Snap and Twitter, according to three attendees of the meeting who spoke on condition of anonymity because of its sensitive nature.[...]And on Twitter, @realDonaldTrump quotes a Fox talking head: '“The most profound question of our era: Was there a conspiracy in the Obama Department of Justice and the FBI to prevent Donald Trump from becoming President of the U.S., and was Strzok at the core of the conspiracy?” Judge Andrew Napolitano'
But the people who attended described a tense atmosphere in which the tech companies repeatedly pressed federal officials for information, only to be told — repeatedly — that no specific intelligence would be shared.
The tech companies shared details about disinformation campaigns they were witnessing on their platforms, but neither the F.B.I. nor the Department of Homeland Security was willing or able to share specific information about threats the tech companies should anticipate, the people said.[...]
One attendee of the meeting said the encounter led the tech companies to believe they would be on their own to counter election interference.[...]
Part of the problem, officials say, is that the White House has expressed little interest in the problem of Russian interference, and that the apathy has had a trickle-down effect. Without pressure from the top, it can be difficult to bring together all the different strands of intelligence collected across America’s spy agencies, and evaluate how to act on it.
posted by Doktor Zed at 7:48 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
This is the line we draw in the sand now and forever: as long as he's campaigning, #45 gets NO MORE SUPREME COURT PICKS no matter what. no fucking ifs ands and buts. They set this precedent, there's no pussy-footing or "civility" or whatever around it. No more picks during a re-election campaign.
posted by andruwjones26 at 7:51 AM on June 26, 2018 [60 favorites]
posted by andruwjones26 at 7:51 AM on June 26, 2018 [60 favorites]
Yeah Kennedy's concurrence (page 45) is some weird shit. He's pretty much saying that there's a lot of stuff government officials can say or do that might violate the Constitution but aren't subject to judicial scrutiny, but it's very important those officials follow the Constitution anyway . What does he think his job is exactly? Why have a whole category of stuff where the Supreme Court only acts as cheerleaders instead of justices?
Meanwhile, Roberts writes, "As a result, we may consider plaintiffs’ extrinsic evidence, but will uphold the policy so long as it can reasonably be understood to result from a justification independent of unconstitutional grounds." This seems to be pretty much just giving Trump a template to enact whatever bigotry into law he wants as long as he can come up with a half-decent reason. And with racists, there's always some reason.
posted by zachlipton at 7:54 AM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
Meanwhile, Roberts writes, "As a result, we may consider plaintiffs’ extrinsic evidence, but will uphold the policy so long as it can reasonably be understood to result from a justification independent of unconstitutional grounds." This seems to be pretty much just giving Trump a template to enact whatever bigotry into law he wants as long as he can come up with a half-decent reason. And with racists, there's always some reason.
posted by zachlipton at 7:54 AM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
Reading through this is a slog, and it’s hard for me to copy/paste on my phone, but it looks like on page 19 of the opinion, Roberts is saying Congress broadened the President’s powers to exclude people post-WWII, in 1952, which makes me bleakly sure that the powers which were broadened to enable more exclusion of Nazis are now being used by proto-Nazis.
Also on page 31, Roberts cites an awful lot of Kennedy-written opinions - was he using Kennedy to argue with Kennedy?
Also the opinion seems like it’s overturning the preliminary injunction but remanding it back to the lower courts - does that mean non-injunctive challenges could proceed?
posted by corb at 7:54 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Also on page 31, Roberts cites an awful lot of Kennedy-written opinions - was he using Kennedy to argue with Kennedy?
Also the opinion seems like it’s overturning the preliminary injunction but remanding it back to the lower courts - does that mean non-injunctive challenges could proceed?
posted by corb at 7:54 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Ok who’s got the antidote to despair today? Whenever you’re ready, obviously, but now is a good time.
posted by schadenfrau at 7:56 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by schadenfrau at 7:56 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
Bloomberg has a whisperer, and a prediction.
posted by Harry Caul at 7:59 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by Harry Caul at 7:59 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Paul Manafort is still in jail...
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:59 AM on June 26, 2018 [30 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:59 AM on June 26, 2018 [30 favorites]
From that Bloomberg link:
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is preparing to accelerate his probe into possible collusion between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russians who sought to interfere in the 2016 election, according to a person familiar with the investigation.posted by Barack Spinoza at 8:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Mueller and his team of prosecutors and investigators have an eye toward producing conclusions -- and possible indictments -- related to collusion by fall, said the person, who asked not to be identified. He’ll be able to turn his full attention to the issue as he resolves other questions, including deciding soon whether to find that Trump sought to obstruct justice.
A few days ago Amanda Marcotte wrote an insightful piece about Trump and his alleged incompetence. Basically she argues that when it comes to trolling and cruelty, Trump is, if not brilliant, at least skillful and capable. And that a great many of his acts make perfet sense if viewed as efforts to produce maximum cruelty.
We've got Trump's Mirror, we've got Trump's Razor, I think we need a rule about that too.
Trump's Law maybe. Never attribute to incompetence what can be more adequately explained as deliberate cruelty.
The Trump administration's total lack of any way to reunite separated families isn't incompetence. It's deliberate, calculated, intentional, and well executed, cruelty. There was never any intent to reunited the families, the children are being taken away forever because that's what inflicts the most anguish on the victims.
Trump has said on many occasions that he is a vindictive, cruel, person. It's long past time that we believed him.
Like Marcotte, I've got no doubt that Trump is, at best, a bit dim. But when it comes to cruelty, malice, and vengeance on his foes (real or imagined) Trump is pretty darn good at it.
And that ties back into his trolling. He revels in his cruelty with just **BARELY** the tiniest fig leaf of denial that the media can cling to and pretend he's normal while his base laughs along with him at the suffering of the groups and individuals they hate.
When cruelty and incompetence are both possibilities to explain Trump's behavior, it's probably best to assume cruelty until evidence to the contrary is found. Assuming incompetence when Trump's acts can be explained by cruelty is, sadly, naive.
posted by sotonohito at 8:02 AM on June 26, 2018 [47 favorites]
We've got Trump's Mirror, we've got Trump's Razor, I think we need a rule about that too.
Trump's Law maybe. Never attribute to incompetence what can be more adequately explained as deliberate cruelty.
The Trump administration's total lack of any way to reunite separated families isn't incompetence. It's deliberate, calculated, intentional, and well executed, cruelty. There was never any intent to reunited the families, the children are being taken away forever because that's what inflicts the most anguish on the victims.
Trump has said on many occasions that he is a vindictive, cruel, person. It's long past time that we believed him.
Like Marcotte, I've got no doubt that Trump is, at best, a bit dim. But when it comes to cruelty, malice, and vengeance on his foes (real or imagined) Trump is pretty darn good at it.
And that ties back into his trolling. He revels in his cruelty with just **BARELY** the tiniest fig leaf of denial that the media can cling to and pretend he's normal while his base laughs along with him at the suffering of the groups and individuals they hate.
When cruelty and incompetence are both possibilities to explain Trump's behavior, it's probably best to assume cruelty until evidence to the contrary is found. Assuming incompetence when Trump's acts can be explained by cruelty is, sadly, naive.
posted by sotonohito at 8:02 AM on June 26, 2018 [47 favorites]
Resistance is working. Public shaming is working. We have truth, humanity, and stamina on our side. Together, we will win.
posted by erisfree at 8:03 AM on June 26, 2018 [21 favorites]
posted by erisfree at 8:03 AM on June 26, 2018 [21 favorites]
Sotomayor's dissent is really brutal and excellent. She throws Masterpiece Cakeshop back in their faces (look at pdf page 89 on). Too bad it's a dissent and not the majority opinion.
posted by prefpara at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [37 favorites]
posted by prefpara at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [37 favorites]
Thanks a lot for that Charles Peirce article.
Suckabee/Nielsen/Miller's Civility-gate is made all the more absurd because:
Also, Fuck Chuck Schumer.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
Suckabee/Nielsen/Miller's Civility-gate is made all the more absurd because:
- Their base is the exact crowd who loves the idea of "We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to Anyone"
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders--along with her father, brother, and boss--has been impolite, rude, discourteous, disrespectful, unmannerly, bad-mannered, impertinent, impudent, ungracious, brusque, sharp, curt, offhand, gruff, churlish, snippy, boorish, and downright shitty, in public, more-or-less constantly, since we've known about any of them.
- They were at Haute "Mexican" restaurants in the DMV, where we all hate them
- Baby Concentration Camps
- This is the party that elected Donald Trump president
Also, Fuck Chuck Schumer.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
I feel like we've been told Mueller is "close" to announcing something/making the next move/preparing to do something for a very, very, very long time.
posted by agregoli at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by agregoli at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
Rebecca Solnit: Not Caring is a Political Art Form
Sometimes it seems to me a better way to organize the political spectrum than along a continuum of right and left would be the ideology of disconnection versus the ideology of connection. In the short term we are working to protect the rights of immigrants and to prevent families from being torn apart at the border—and to address the relationship between our greenhouse gas emissions and the global climate, between our economic systems and poverty, between what we do and what happens beyond us, because the ideology of isolation is in part a denial of cause and effect relations, and a demand to be unburdened even from scientific fact and the historical and linguistic structures governing truth.
posted by Emmy Rae at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
Sometimes it seems to me a better way to organize the political spectrum than along a continuum of right and left would be the ideology of disconnection versus the ideology of connection. In the short term we are working to protect the rights of immigrants and to prevent families from being torn apart at the border—and to address the relationship between our greenhouse gas emissions and the global climate, between our economic systems and poverty, between what we do and what happens beyond us, because the ideology of isolation is in part a denial of cause and effect relations, and a demand to be unburdened even from scientific fact and the historical and linguistic structures governing truth.
posted by Emmy Rae at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
Mod note: Folks, going to ask that we leave it there on "should we be generally optimistic or pessimistic, is there any hope, does anything ever go right", because inevitably this descends into a bunch of people feeling they need to say even more about why there's no hope, and we don't need that. So - specific updates yes, general doomsaying no.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
Also, JFC, Thomas uses his concurrence to argue against injunctions for affected classes - like, their /existing at all/. I just want to throw something at him.
posted by corb at 8:08 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by corb at 8:08 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
So, in the cake case, the Supreme Court ruled that the wrong decision was made because the officials said things that might indicate an anti-religious bias even though the ruling was made on non-religious grounds and did not reference any animosity to religion.
But in the Muslim ban case the Supreme Court ruled that even though the government explicitly said it was targeting Muslims it was OK because the rule doesn't say it's anti-Muslim and didn't reference any animosity to Islam.
Likewise I note that the Supreme Court rejected claims from doctors that state laws forcing them to read medically inaccurate information (that is, lies) to patients seeking abortion violated their free speech. But the Court has now ruled that laws prohibiting "Crisis Pregnancy Centers" from lying are unconstitutional impositions on their free speech.
Yet again we have the Democrats (in this case the Democratic Justices) falling for Lucy and the football. Surely **THIS** time, they tell themselves, the Republicans will be reasonable and they can kick that football into the stratosphere!
And this time, like every time in the past, the Republicans yank the football away at the last second and leave the Democrats baffled, confused, and hurt that those good and honorable Republicans would behave in such a way. No one could possibly have predicted this, they say to themselves.
Do you suppose Sotomayor and the other "liberal" justices who joined with the Republicans on the cake decision feeling even slightly remorseful and foolish? Or are they convincing themselves that by voting with the Republicans they were "taking the high ground" rather than being played for suckers?
posted by sotonohito at 8:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
But in the Muslim ban case the Supreme Court ruled that even though the government explicitly said it was targeting Muslims it was OK because the rule doesn't say it's anti-Muslim and didn't reference any animosity to Islam.
Likewise I note that the Supreme Court rejected claims from doctors that state laws forcing them to read medically inaccurate information (that is, lies) to patients seeking abortion violated their free speech. But the Court has now ruled that laws prohibiting "Crisis Pregnancy Centers" from lying are unconstitutional impositions on their free speech.
Yet again we have the Democrats (in this case the Democratic Justices) falling for Lucy and the football. Surely **THIS** time, they tell themselves, the Republicans will be reasonable and they can kick that football into the stratosphere!
And this time, like every time in the past, the Republicans yank the football away at the last second and leave the Democrats baffled, confused, and hurt that those good and honorable Republicans would behave in such a way. No one could possibly have predicted this, they say to themselves.
Do you suppose Sotomayor and the other "liberal" justices who joined with the Republicans on the cake decision feeling even slightly remorseful and foolish? Or are they convincing themselves that by voting with the Republicans they were "taking the high ground" rather than being played for suckers?
posted by sotonohito at 8:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
I just posted this on my Facebook but it bears repeating here:
When the right accuses the left of “incivility” for refusing service to someone for their political activity, immediately after the right legalizes refusing service to someone on the basis of their sexuality, and legalizes putting children in literal cages, this is a technique of emotional abuse commonly referred to as DARVO:
Deny
Accuse
Reverse Victim and Offender
It forces the accused off-balance and provokes them into a reaction commonly referred to as JADE:
Justify
Argue
Defend
Explain
Don’t fall for it. The purpose of these accusations is not to do anything but take the attention off what the right is ACTUALLY DOING in real life. It is an attempt to psych you out and make you unsure about the legitimacy of your own response.
Your response to inhumane practices and moral injustice is, rightfully, outrage and a call to eradicate it, and to depose the people who want to enact it and enforce it. Focus on that.
posted by Autumnheart at 8:10 AM on June 26, 2018 [101 favorites]
When the right accuses the left of “incivility” for refusing service to someone for their political activity, immediately after the right legalizes refusing service to someone on the basis of their sexuality, and legalizes putting children in literal cages, this is a technique of emotional abuse commonly referred to as DARVO:
Deny
Accuse
Reverse Victim and Offender
It forces the accused off-balance and provokes them into a reaction commonly referred to as JADE:
Justify
Argue
Defend
Explain
Don’t fall for it. The purpose of these accusations is not to do anything but take the attention off what the right is ACTUALLY DOING in real life. It is an attempt to psych you out and make you unsure about the legitimacy of your own response.
Your response to inhumane practices and moral injustice is, rightfully, outrage and a call to eradicate it, and to depose the people who want to enact it and enforce it. Focus on that.
posted by Autumnheart at 8:10 AM on June 26, 2018 [101 favorites]
Regarding Sarah Huckabee Sanders getting kicked out of The Red Hen -- "I really don't care" and wish we could talk about something else. Like the camps. And the fact that apparently it's now legal to discriminate against whole religious groups as long as you lie and say you're doing something else.
But I came across this Twitter thread which I think makes a very good point about the broader general issue of double standards for civility.
But I came across this Twitter thread which I think makes a very good point about the broader general issue of double standards for civility.
What we (political scientists) know is that self-identified conservatives tend to hold generally left-leaning policy positions. Self-identified liberals are also left-leaning. [...]posted by OnceUponATime at 8:11 AM on June 26, 2018 [53 favorites]
So there are very few, if any, liberals who hold positions from the right (greater than 0.5) end of the spectrum. There are a significant number of self-identified conservatives who hold attitudes on the left end of the issue spectrum.
What this means is that policy-centric campaigning will only work for Democrats. The GOP needs to use more identity- and threat-based appeals.
This is backed up by my research with @julie_wronski demonstrating that the GOP is more powerfully fueled by (white, Evangelical) identity politics than Democrats are fueled by their own groups’ identities.
So, there is empirical evidence that the GOP is better incentivized to use rhetoric based on identity threat. They are therefore more prone to using inflammatory language, and more threatened by challenges to their supremacy.
This puts Democrats in the position of needing to respect the feelings of their opponents, while those opponents are motivated largely by the power of outrage. It’s not an even fight. So it is important to avoid equalizing civility claims.
He revels in his cruelty with just **BARELY** the tiniest fig leaf of denial that the media can cling to and pretend he's normal while his base laughs along with him at the suffering of the groups and individuals they hate.
This is the hallmark of all narcissists. They are the greatest person to those that barely know them. To anyone who depends on them (children, employees), they are brutally cruel, but they always get away with it.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:11 AM on June 26, 2018 [18 favorites]
This is the hallmark of all narcissists. They are the greatest person to those that barely know them. To anyone who depends on them (children, employees), they are brutally cruel, but they always get away with it.
posted by Sophie1 at 8:11 AM on June 26, 2018 [18 favorites]
Hadn’t seen this posted yet:
Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Who Deserves a Place at the Table (Adam Gopnik | The New Yorker)
Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Who Deserves a Place at the Table (Adam Gopnik | The New Yorker)
Nothing is more fundamental to human relations than deciding who has a place at the table—and nothing is more essential to our idea of humanism than expanding that table, symbolically and actually, adding extra chairs and places and settings as we can. Jesus—at least as he is reported, or invented, by the author of the Gospel of Mark—was the Kropotkin of commensality, blowing up the long history of Jewish food rules, by feasting with publicans and tax collectors and prostitutes and sinners of all kinds. It was nearly the whole point of his ministry. The Homeric Greeks, as any reader of the Odyssey will recall, obsessed about sharing food and offering places at the feast: to fail to offer food to the well-worn traveller is an insult to the gods (one of whom may, after all, have disguised herself as the needy wanderer). The modern restaurant—invented in Paris, after the Revolution—is a little temple of commensality: all you need, as shown in so many early Chaplin shorts, is five cents to enter and then to share.posted by Barack Spinoza at 8:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [70 favorites]
All of this, of course, leads us to the less spectacular but still potent instance of Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, who, over the weekend, was asked to leave a farm-to-table restaurant in Virginia called the Red Hen. It was not some fiery mob that drove her out, by the way, like protesters did to Kirstjen Nielsen at a D.C. Mexican restaurant last week; Sanders was asked to leave by the restaurant’s owner. “I’m not a huge fan of confrontation,” the Red Hen’s Stephanie Wilkinson said afterward. “I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. [But] this feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.”
... On the other hand, the Trump Administration is not a normal Presidential Administration. This is the essential and easily fudged fact of our historical moment. The Trump Administration is—in ways that are specific to incipient tyrannies—all about an assault on civility. To the degree that Trump has any ideology at all, it’s a hatred of civility—a belief that the normal decencies painfully evolved over centuries are signs of weakness which occlude the natural order of domination and submission. It’s why Trump admires dictators. Theirs are his values; that’s his feast. And, to end the normal discourse of democracy, the Trump Administration must make lies respectable—lying not tactically but all the time about everything, in a way that does not just degrade but destroys exactly the common table of democratic debate.
That’s Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s chosen role in life—to further those lies, treat lies as truth, and make lies acceptable. This is not just a question of protesting a particular policy; in the end there are no policies, only the infantile impulses of a man veering from one urge to another. The great threat to American democracy isn’t “policy” but the pretense of normalcy. That’s the danger, for with the lies come the appeasement of tyranny, the admiration of tyranny, and, as now seems increasingly likely, the secret alliance with tyranny. That’s what makes the Trump Administration intolerable, and, inasmuch as it is intolerable, public shaming and shunning of those who take part in it seems just. Never before in American politics has there been so plausible a reason for exclusion from the common meal as the act of working for Donald Trump.
And what about civility? Well, fundamental to, and governing the practice of, civility is the principle of reciprocity: your place at my table implies my place at yours. Conservatives and liberals, right-wingers and left-wingers, Jews and Muslims and Christians and Socialists and round- and flat-Earthers—all should have a place at any table and be welcome to sit where they like. On the other hand, someone who has decided to make it her public role to extend, with a blizzard of falsehoods, the words of a pathological liar, and to support, with pretended piety, the acts of a public person of unparalleled personal cruelty—well, that person has asked us in advance to exclude her from our common meal. You cannot spit in the plates and then demand your dinner. The best way to receive civility at night is to not assault it all day long. It’s the simple wisdom of the table.
So, in the cake case, the Supreme Court ruled that the wrong decision was made because the officials said things that might indicate an anti-religious bias even though the ruling was made on non-religious grounds and did not reference any animosity to religion.
Justice Sotomayor agrees with you: "Notably, the Court recently found less pervasive official expressions of hostility and the failure to disavow them to be constitutionally significant. Cf. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Comm’n...It should find the same here."
There's no coherent judicial philosophy here, just Calvinball.
posted by zachlipton at 8:19 AM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
Justice Sotomayor agrees with you: "Notably, the Court recently found less pervasive official expressions of hostility and the failure to disavow them to be constitutionally significant. Cf. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Comm’n...It should find the same here."
There's no coherent judicial philosophy here, just Calvinball.
posted by zachlipton at 8:19 AM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
Most of the time, Supreme Court dissents end, “I respectfully dissent.” This time, Sotomayor left off “respectfully.” That might not seem like a lot, but it’s a signal of how profoundly distasteful she finds the majority judgment.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:20 AM on June 26, 2018 [76 favorites]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 8:20 AM on June 26, 2018 [76 favorites]
> Do you suppose Sotomayor and the other "liberal" justices who joined with the Republicans on the cake decision feeling even slightly remorseful and foolish? Or are they convincing themselves that by voting with the Republicans they were "taking the high ground" rather than being played for suckers?
Sotomayor (and Ginsburg) dissented in Masterpiece Cakeshop. Kagan and Breyer joined the majority, which was likely a tactical move, not so much for the Court as currently comprised, but for a future time when we hopefully have 5 or more members that give a shit about intellectual honesty and consistency.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:22 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Sotomayor (and Ginsburg) dissented in Masterpiece Cakeshop. Kagan and Breyer joined the majority, which was likely a tactical move, not so much for the Court as currently comprised, but for a future time when we hopefully have 5 or more members that give a shit about intellectual honesty and consistency.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:22 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
One of my concerns about resistance is that we no longer have the strong support networks and social infrastructure that we did the last time a widespread resistance movement was successful. Divide and conquer is a real thing. The Civil Rights movement relied on strong social networks and mutual material support, and so they were able to weather decades of bullshit while they accomplished their legislative and judicial goals.
We don’t have those social networks or infrastructure anymore. Most people are isolated. Most people are living paycheck to paycheck. And we don’t have a friendly judiciary.
I think any resistance movement is going to have to reconcile these things if it has a hope of survival, let alone success. We have to be able to take care of each other. Mutual aid and support will need to be one of the main missions so that people do feel like they can throw their bodies on the gears. Food, shelter, childcare, legal aide, medical care. People won’t resist if they know they’ll lose everything for what might be an ineffectual gesture. (Unless they have nothing to lose, at which point we are fucked.)
And honest to God, I don’t know how to do that, and I don’t know anybody who does.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:27 AM on June 26, 2018 [32 favorites]
We don’t have those social networks or infrastructure anymore. Most people are isolated. Most people are living paycheck to paycheck. And we don’t have a friendly judiciary.
I think any resistance movement is going to have to reconcile these things if it has a hope of survival, let alone success. We have to be able to take care of each other. Mutual aid and support will need to be one of the main missions so that people do feel like they can throw their bodies on the gears. Food, shelter, childcare, legal aide, medical care. People won’t resist if they know they’ll lose everything for what might be an ineffectual gesture. (Unless they have nothing to lose, at which point we are fucked.)
And honest to God, I don’t know how to do that, and I don’t know anybody who does.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:27 AM on June 26, 2018 [32 favorites]
Mod note: A few comments deleted; again, please lay off the general broad predictions/ ruminations/ doom/ betrayal/ "what I'm afraid will happen" etc scenarios. We have gone over them a million times. In the name of keeping these threads more usable and less repetitious, please stick to actual events. If you need to vent emotions or just chitchat please go to the WTF thread or Chat or elsewhere on the site.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:29 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:29 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
To follow up: I think this is the thing we need to learn how to do. I think that is how we move forward.
Does anyone know how to do this? I guess this is community building?
posted by schadenfrau at 8:30 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Does anyone know how to do this? I guess this is community building?
posted by schadenfrau at 8:30 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
@nancyleong: This is an incredibly disingenuous statement by Roberts. It is bizarre to say that "Korematsu has nothing to do with this case," when Trump literally invoked Japanese internment on TV in 2015 to justify the legality of a Muslim ban. "What I'm doing is no different than FDR" Trump said that on Good Morning America. Korematsu has everything to do with this case.
posted by zachlipton at 8:30 AM on June 26, 2018 [70 favorites]
posted by zachlipton at 8:30 AM on June 26, 2018 [70 favorites]
Divide and conquer is a real thing
Care for your comrades. Sometimes this is donating to a bail Fund, sometimes it’s showing uo to add yur body, sometimes it’s cooking food or giving someone a ride. We are all in this together.
If giving money doesn’t feel like *enough* then give until it hurts, and give directly.
posted by The Whelk at 8:31 AM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
Care for your comrades. Sometimes this is donating to a bail Fund, sometimes it’s showing uo to add yur body, sometimes it’s cooking food or giving someone a ride. We are all in this together.
If giving money doesn’t feel like *enough* then give until it hurts, and give directly.
posted by The Whelk at 8:31 AM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
Also Today is election day in New York's 14th Congressional District! All the solidarity in the world with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
posted by The Whelk at 8:33 AM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:33 AM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
Like Marcotte, I've got no doubt that Trump is, at best, a bit dim. But when it comes to cruelty, malice, and vengeance on his foes (real or imagined) Trump is pretty darn good at it.
I prefer this, Trump's Malice. Much more descriptive if a bit less grammatical. You know what you're getting, it describes itself.
posted by scalefree at 8:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
I prefer this, Trump's Malice. Much more descriptive if a bit less grammatical. You know what you're getting, it describes itself.
posted by scalefree at 8:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Does anyone know how to do this? I guess this is community building?
Community building's one way of putting it but more simply we just require more physical human proximity and direct nonmercantile human-to-human communication. People need to be doing literally anything around and with other human beings that doesn't involve screens or customer service interactions.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:39 AM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Community building's one way of putting it but more simply we just require more physical human proximity and direct nonmercantile human-to-human communication. People need to be doing literally anything around and with other human beings that doesn't involve screens or customer service interactions.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:39 AM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
I don’t know how to do that, and I don’t know anybody who does.
Allow me to direct you to your local IWW. An injury to one is an injury to all.
posted by corb at 8:39 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
Allow me to direct you to your local IWW. An injury to one is an injury to all.
posted by corb at 8:39 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
To follow up: I think this is the thing we need to learn how to do. I think that is how we move forward.
Does anyone know how to do this?
There's a Bronx/Upper Manhattan DSA meeting this Thursday at 6:30pm in Washington Heights [tweet; FB link]. If anyone else is planning to attend, memail me!
posted by melissasaurus at 8:39 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Does anyone know how to do this?
There's a Bronx/Upper Manhattan DSA meeting this Thursday at 6:30pm in Washington Heights [tweet; FB link]. If anyone else is planning to attend, memail me!
posted by melissasaurus at 8:39 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Trump Compares His Propaganda to North Korea’s at Bizarre South Carolina Rally
“They took down anti–United States signs all over North Korea,” he said. “They’re down. They took ‘em down. Anti-U.S. signs, like I put up anti-media signs all over the place.”posted by kirkaracha at 8:43 AM on June 26, 2018 [34 favorites]
Well, yes, Trump’s method for discrediting the news media is quite similar to North Korea’s method of discrediting the United States. How unusually insightful of Trump to recognize the parallels, which would normally discomfit a democratically elected official.
Trump and his supporters insisted that the original Muslim travel ban was only temporary and that they just needed 90 days to "figure out what is going on."
That was 514 days ago, so they've had plenty of time to figure out whatever it was they needed to figure out. Thus, despite today's Supreme Court decision, there shouldn't be any need to resurrect the ban, right?
Unless they were lying about it only being temporary...
posted by Jacqueline at 8:43 AM on June 26, 2018 [43 favorites]
That was 514 days ago, so they've had plenty of time to figure out whatever it was they needed to figure out. Thus, despite today's Supreme Court decision, there shouldn't be any need to resurrect the ban, right?
Unless they were lying about it only being temporary...
posted by Jacqueline at 8:43 AM on June 26, 2018 [43 favorites]
@nancyleong: This is an incredibly disingenuous statement by Roberts. It is bizarre to say that "Korematsu has nothing to do with this case," when Trump literally invoked Japanese internment on TV in 2015 to justify the legality of a Muslim ban. "What I'm doing is no different than FDR" Trump said that on Good Morning America. Korematsu has everything to do with this case.
It fits with the conceit of the opinion, which is to pretend that a hypothetical Reasonable Republican President™ (presumably the same one Pence keeps saying he works with) signed the order and then evaluate it completely divorced from the statements the actual president has made.
If there's a silver lining to this bullshit, it's that the conservatives' insistence on ruling for their team every time leads to contradictory logic that will all but require future justices (assuming as always that the current structure of American government and life on Earth continue into saner times) to ignore stare decisis and overturn some or all of these decisions because it's impossible to reconcile them in an objective analysis.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:45 AM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
It fits with the conceit of the opinion, which is to pretend that a hypothetical Reasonable Republican President™ (presumably the same one Pence keeps saying he works with) signed the order and then evaluate it completely divorced from the statements the actual president has made.
If there's a silver lining to this bullshit, it's that the conservatives' insistence on ruling for their team every time leads to contradictory logic that will all but require future justices (assuming as always that the current structure of American government and life on Earth continue into saner times) to ignore stare decisis and overturn some or all of these decisions because it's impossible to reconcile them in an objective analysis.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:45 AM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
TPM: McConnell Camp Gloats About Gorsuch After SCOTUS Upholds Trump Travel Ban
Content Warning: images of smiling McConnell.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:49 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Content Warning: images of smiling McConnell.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:49 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
We can debate civility until the cows come home but there's one stark fact that sticks out. If Democrats voted in mid terms like they did in presidential years the Republican party as it stands would cease to exist. It would be forced to change after being wiped out nationally and in many state houses. Racism and kowtowing to fascism would be completely unviable as a political strategy.
You want to stop this? Vote. Get everyone out there to vote. Help people out to vote. Democrats need to just run on policy, run on GOTV.
The people are there. The people are consistently there in years divisible by 4. We don't need swing voters or independents, just get our own people to the polls and we win. Republicans bring out 70-80% of their presidential voters in a mid term. Democrats? Somewhere around 60-70%. The sheer few number of people that vote in what could be easy wins are mind boggling.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [47 favorites]
You want to stop this? Vote. Get everyone out there to vote. Help people out to vote. Democrats need to just run on policy, run on GOTV.
The people are there. The people are consistently there in years divisible by 4. We don't need swing voters or independents, just get our own people to the polls and we win. Republicans bring out 70-80% of their presidential voters in a mid term. Democrats? Somewhere around 60-70%. The sheer few number of people that vote in what could be easy wins are mind boggling.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [47 favorites]
One very small consolation.
Quinta Jurecic (Lawfare)
the reason trump "won" this case is that they diluted the ban down TWICE
posted by chris24 at 8:51 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Quinta Jurecic (Lawfare)
the reason trump "won" this case is that they diluted the ban down TWICE
posted by chris24 at 8:51 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
They're going to run around doing a victory dance on this and the media will pull its usual breathless bullshit about the regime being "powerful" and "triumphant" and having "momentum."
Don't buy it. They're still completely incompetent. The policy is still bigoted, still bullshit, still entirely worthy of protest and contempt. They're still engaged in mass child abuse targeting legal asylum seekers, too.
Find your protest for this coming Saturday and show up.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 8:52 AM on June 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
Don't buy it. They're still completely incompetent. The policy is still bigoted, still bullshit, still entirely worthy of protest and contempt. They're still engaged in mass child abuse targeting legal asylum seekers, too.
Find your protest for this coming Saturday and show up.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 8:52 AM on June 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
#NoMuslimBan emergency protests today following the SCOTUS decision. About a couple dozen organized so far.
posted by AFABulous at 8:52 AM on June 26, 2018 [21 favorites]
posted by AFABulous at 8:52 AM on June 26, 2018 [21 favorites]
CBS: Experts say U.S. among 10 most dangerous nations for women
posted by zombieflanders at 8:52 AM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
posted by zombieflanders at 8:52 AM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
note: scaryblackdeath's link and mine are two different protests
posted by AFABulous at 8:53 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by AFABulous at 8:53 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Oklahoma teachers went on strike. Nearly 100 of them are now running for office to unseat Republican lawmakers. - Alexia Fernández Campbell, Vox
About two-dozen lawmakers in the state and house voted against a bill that gave teachers a $6,000 average pay raise by hiking taxes on cigarettes, gas drilling, and internet sales. The measure ultimately passed, but those who voted against it have faced teachers’ ire: “We will remember in November” teachers commented on Facebook as they passed around a list of lawmakers who voted against the measure or voted against attempts to open discussion on public education.posted by ZeusHumms at 9:04 AM on June 26, 2018 [38 favorites]
Their stance has made them the most vulnerable incumbents heading into Tuesday’s primary election. Ten of the 19 House Republicans in the state legislature who voted against the tax bill to give teachers a raise are now being challenged by at least one teacher or school administrator — in several races, three or four educators are challenging them.
TPM: McConnell Camp Gloats About Gorsuch After SCOTUS Upholds Trump Travel Ban
There is no daylight between Trump and the current Republican Party.
posted by C'est la D.C. at 9:04 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
There is no daylight between Trump and the current Republican Party.
posted by C'est la D.C. at 9:04 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
In case you were wondering: The Red Hen and the Weaponization of Yelp -- WIRED looks at how Yelp responds to surges of trolls and counter-trolls down- and up-voting establishments.
zachlipton: @chrisgeidner: First decision is NIFLA v. Becerra. Thomas has the 5-4 decision split along ideological lines, finding that the California law's licensed notice "likely violates" the First Amendment and the unlicensed notice "unduly burdens speech." Breyer wrote the dissent.
In other words: Supreme Court Sides With California Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers
Maybe it's time to picket these fake facilities with simple signs: This Is Not A Family Planning Center
posted by filthy light thief at 9:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [38 favorites]
zachlipton: @chrisgeidner: First decision is NIFLA v. Becerra. Thomas has the 5-4 decision split along ideological lines, finding that the California law's licensed notice "likely violates" the First Amendment and the unlicensed notice "unduly burdens speech." Breyer wrote the dissent.
In other words: Supreme Court Sides With California Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers
Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, said in a statement, "To be clear, this case was not about abortion. Malicious abortion politics definitely were the motivation behind it, but the case centered on the inappropriate mandate of the state compelling pro-life clinics to promote abortion in violation of their consciences. The case was about forced speech."Again and AGAIN, I am reminded there is no such thing as "conservative civility" when it comes to politicized topics. Abortion providers made to be quasi-hospitals? It's the only way! (Overturned, but the damage is lasting.) Anti-abortion "clinics" allowed to look like actual family planning centers, even with similar names and people wearing scrubs? Not a problem!
The case began in 2015 when California passed a law known as the Reproductive FACT Act. (It stands for Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care and Transparency.)
The impetus was twofold — first, allegations that pregnancy centers opposed to abortion were using deceptive practices; and second, concern that lower-income women, in particular, weren't aware of the free pregnancy-related services California provides, from prenatal and delivery care to birth control and abortion.
The FACT Act requires unlicensed crisis pregnancy centers to post a sign or otherwise disclose to their clients in writing that the center is not a licensed medical facility and has no licensed medical provider who supervises the provision of services. The disclosure requirement extends to advertising, which anti-abortion pregnancy centers objected to as an attempt to "drown out" their message.
Maybe it's time to picket these fake facilities with simple signs: This Is Not A Family Planning Center
posted by filthy light thief at 9:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [38 favorites]
Jimmy Fallon leans into Trump feud: Melania, “I don’t think your anti-bullying campaign is working” - Rachel Leah, Salon.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:06 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:06 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
If Democrats voted in mid terms like they did in presidential years the Republican party as it stands would cease to exist.
The DNC should buy up a bunch of billboards all over the country in October that simply say:
(So, to whom should I send my tax info for that fat political strategist paycheck?)
posted by Jacqueline at 9:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
The DNC should buy up a bunch of billboards all over the country in October that simply say:
STOP TRUMPThat's it. That's all they need to say. Don't bother mentioning candidates or policies, you'll just confuse people.
VOTE DEMOCRAT
NOVEMBER 6
(So, to whom should I send my tax info for that fat political strategist paycheck?)
posted by Jacqueline at 9:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
Asking the FCC and DHS to, you know, do their jobs -- Senator to FCC: How much do police stingrays drain a cellphone battery? -- "If the Commission does not conduct or require testing, please explain why…" (Cyrus Farivar for Ars Technica, June 26, 2018)
posted by filthy light thief at 9:15 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
Recently, as part of Sen. Wyden's ongoing efforts to shed more light on the shadowy technology, the Department of Homeland Security told the senator that there were foreign-controlled fake cell-tower surveillance devices in Washington, DC. DHS said that, not only did it not know how to find them, the agency could not determine whether stingrays interfere with 911 calls.Seems like this is more of a concern to national safety and security than so many other things DHS and FCC focus on.
Now, Wyden wants to know what the FCC knows about this type of disruption. Amongst his slew of new questions—which he has said the agency must answer by July 13—he wants to know about what level of testing it has done, and if it hasn’t, why not.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:15 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
Quinta Jurecic (Lawfare)
the reason trump "won" this case is that they diluted the ban down TWICE
It is increasingly likely with this decision that they will now feel empowered to enact more draconian bans.
Both statements are true, and both of them are reason to keep fighting.
Unfortunately, this isn't a matter of "keep fighting." His power to discriminate against Muslims in this way now carries with it the imprimatur of the SCOTUS.
We have a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that is quite literally denying that cases of discrimination which are to all intents and purposes equivalent have anything to do with one another. For the court, that's an extremely dangerous precedent to set. Case law creates a foundation for future cases, and if that foundation were to become contradictory within itself, then that undermines the judicial system -- but it also works the other way: case laws reinforce one another.
So in 1944, SCOTUS sided with the government and said that the exclusion order in Korematsu was constitutional. A second, extremely similar ruling based on nearly equivalent circumstances removes much of the potential wiggle-room with regard to similar cases, and also strengthens Presidential power under similar circumstances.
That's why I say this isn't a matter of "keep fighting." The fight is now being defined in a particular way, and the end result is problematic. Whether or not Trump tries to invoke more draconian bans, we've now been told by the Judiciary that he has the power to create and enforce exclusionary policies that use religious and geographic discrimination as a metric. Electing a new President and a new Congress may not help. New executive orders and new legislation will need to work around the parameters set by this ruling, or be in danger of constitutional challenge.
posted by zarq at 9:16 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
the reason trump "won" this case is that they diluted the ban down TWICE
It is increasingly likely with this decision that they will now feel empowered to enact more draconian bans.
Both statements are true, and both of them are reason to keep fighting.
Unfortunately, this isn't a matter of "keep fighting." His power to discriminate against Muslims in this way now carries with it the imprimatur of the SCOTUS.
We have a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that is quite literally denying that cases of discrimination which are to all intents and purposes equivalent have anything to do with one another. For the court, that's an extremely dangerous precedent to set. Case law creates a foundation for future cases, and if that foundation were to become contradictory within itself, then that undermines the judicial system -- but it also works the other way: case laws reinforce one another.
So in 1944, SCOTUS sided with the government and said that the exclusion order in Korematsu was constitutional. A second, extremely similar ruling based on nearly equivalent circumstances removes much of the potential wiggle-room with regard to similar cases, and also strengthens Presidential power under similar circumstances.
That's why I say this isn't a matter of "keep fighting." The fight is now being defined in a particular way, and the end result is problematic. Whether or not Trump tries to invoke more draconian bans, we've now been told by the Judiciary that he has the power to create and enforce exclusionary policies that use religious and geographic discrimination as a metric. Electing a new President and a new Congress may not help. New executive orders and new legislation will need to work around the parameters set by this ruling, or be in danger of constitutional challenge.
posted by zarq at 9:16 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
Definitely Not Sean Spicer: We can debate civility until the cows come home but there's one stark fact that sticks out. If Democrats voted in mid terms like they did in presidential years the Republican party as it stands would cease to exist. It would be forced to change after being wiped out nationally and in many state houses. Racism and kowtowing to fascism would be completely unviable as a political strategy.
You want to stop this? Vote. Get everyone out there to vote. Help people out to vote. Democrats need to just run on policy, run on GOTV.
The people are there. The people are consistently there in years divisible by 4. We don't need swing voters or independents, just get our own people to the polls and we win. Republicans bring out 70-80% of their presidential voters in a mid term. Democrats? Somewhere around 60-70%. The sheer few number of people that vote in what could be easy wins are mind boggling.
I flagged this comment as excellent. The Democratic voters who said "meh" at the midterms are part of why we are in this mess. "We elected our dream President! He'll make everything better all by his lonesome! Now we can just blow everything else off!" But that's water under the bridge. And I don't think MeFites, by and large, do this. At least not the ones reading this thread.
Postcards to Voters is a great low-stakes way to get involved, and can help those who live in blue states feel like we're doing something. (People in my area do have a good turnout, and they vote Democratic. I'm lucky.)
Dems seem also to have wised up and are running people in local elections. That's how you flip a state, in fact, that is how the R's flipped so many states. We can re-flip them starting at the bottom.
Schadenfrau makes a good point - things are harder because we don't have as many real-time social and political supports as we used to. The decline of unions and of liberal Catholic and mainline Protestant churches has depressed Democratic voting and solidarity, I think. If we could revive unions, that would help. I think Unitarian Universalist and Quaker congregations are now a big hub for social justice work and Democratic/DSA organization. I am going to start going to my local UU church again.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 9:23 AM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
You want to stop this? Vote. Get everyone out there to vote. Help people out to vote. Democrats need to just run on policy, run on GOTV.
The people are there. The people are consistently there in years divisible by 4. We don't need swing voters or independents, just get our own people to the polls and we win. Republicans bring out 70-80% of their presidential voters in a mid term. Democrats? Somewhere around 60-70%. The sheer few number of people that vote in what could be easy wins are mind boggling.
I flagged this comment as excellent. The Democratic voters who said "meh" at the midterms are part of why we are in this mess. "We elected our dream President! He'll make everything better all by his lonesome! Now we can just blow everything else off!" But that's water under the bridge. And I don't think MeFites, by and large, do this. At least not the ones reading this thread.
Postcards to Voters is a great low-stakes way to get involved, and can help those who live in blue states feel like we're doing something. (People in my area do have a good turnout, and they vote Democratic. I'm lucky.)
Dems seem also to have wised up and are running people in local elections. That's how you flip a state, in fact, that is how the R's flipped so many states. We can re-flip them starting at the bottom.
Schadenfrau makes a good point - things are harder because we don't have as many real-time social and political supports as we used to. The decline of unions and of liberal Catholic and mainline Protestant churches has depressed Democratic voting and solidarity, I think. If we could revive unions, that would help. I think Unitarian Universalist and Quaker congregations are now a big hub for social justice work and Democratic/DSA organization. I am going to start going to my local UU church again.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 9:23 AM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
I'm trying to ignore the parallels between China and President-For-Life Xi Jinping and the (as-of-yet) not backed-up rantings of Trump: Watch the John Oliver segment that got Oliver’s name banned in China -- Content about Oliver "violates relevant laws and regulations" in China. (Timothy B. Lee for Ars Technica, June 25, 2018)
posted by filthy light thief at 9:24 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
China has begun censoring mentions of HBO comedian John Oliver on social media and restricting access to the HBO website. The crackdown began late last week after Oliver ran a scathing 20-minute segment [YT] on his HBO show, Last Week Tonight, mocking Chinese president Xi Jinping.Mentioned previously in FanFare.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:24 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
We don’t have those social networks or infrastructure anymore. Most people are isolated.
I'm not sure if Cortex et al will delete this, but I do want to gently push back against this. Now, I don't know where you are, and I acknowledge that you personally may feel isolated. But my Facebook feed is a cavalcade of women (and men, but lots of mid-30s and older women) who are using social media to organize and fight. There are resistance organizations in 14 locations in my state that didn't exist 18 months ago. The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law put out a call for volunteer lawyers in a single post and got more than 1,000 volunteers overnight, from all over the country. The DSA is booming. Women are running for office in record numbers and each one of those campaigns is a tiny network of people who are meeting for the first time.
People are making connections and doing what they can. People who have the freedom to protest and physically put their bodies in the cogs are doing so. People who can't (I'm one of those) are giving money and time to support those who do.
I don't deny that many people are isolated, and may feel helpless. But it is much easier than it ever was for people to reach out to - and be reached by - the message that WE ARE NOT ALONE. WE STAND TOGETHER AND FIGHT.
posted by anastasiav at 9:25 AM on June 26, 2018 [39 favorites]
I'm not sure if Cortex et al will delete this, but I do want to gently push back against this. Now, I don't know where you are, and I acknowledge that you personally may feel isolated. But my Facebook feed is a cavalcade of women (and men, but lots of mid-30s and older women) who are using social media to organize and fight. There are resistance organizations in 14 locations in my state that didn't exist 18 months ago. The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law put out a call for volunteer lawyers in a single post and got more than 1,000 volunteers overnight, from all over the country. The DSA is booming. Women are running for office in record numbers and each one of those campaigns is a tiny network of people who are meeting for the first time.
People are making connections and doing what they can. People who have the freedom to protest and physically put their bodies in the cogs are doing so. People who can't (I'm one of those) are giving money and time to support those who do.
I don't deny that many people are isolated, and may feel helpless. But it is much easier than it ever was for people to reach out to - and be reached by - the message that WE ARE NOT ALONE. WE STAND TOGETHER AND FIGHT.
posted by anastasiav at 9:25 AM on June 26, 2018 [39 favorites]
I'm not joking in the slightest about keeping the message as simple as "Stop Trump; Vote Democrat."
As a ballot access petitioner for Libertarian candidates, I spend a lot of time talking face-to-face with registered voters. Sadly, the average voter is as dumb as a stump*. But they all know who Trump is.
I used to get asked questions about candidates' positions on pet issues like abortion, guns, taxes, etc. But for the past two petitioning cycles in Virginia, the #1 question is now "Is he against Trump?"
*As evidenced by their inability to follow short written directions and fill in four simple pieces of information correctly without someone looking over their shoulder the whole time.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:25 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
As a ballot access petitioner for Libertarian candidates, I spend a lot of time talking face-to-face with registered voters. Sadly, the average voter is as dumb as a stump*. But they all know who Trump is.
I used to get asked questions about candidates' positions on pet issues like abortion, guns, taxes, etc. But for the past two petitioning cycles in Virginia, the #1 question is now "Is he against Trump?"
*As evidenced by their inability to follow short written directions and fill in four simple pieces of information correctly without someone looking over their shoulder the whole time.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:25 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
supercrayon: "And yet I can track my fucking Amazon packages from Kentucky to Auckland. Vulnerable terrified children are clearly of less priority than my books and movies though right?"
To be fair your amazon packages get a bar code that generally lasts the duration of the delivery process. We probably should be glad the Cheeto's minions aren't tattooing bar codes on everyone they pickup.
The Card Cheat: "Looks like Trump’s going to ruin Canada’s economy.* "
melissasaurus: "no one is going to be mailing an actual postcard with their SSN and income listed on it. "
And like all things Cheeto the "Postcard" tax form, being the size of a letter sheet folded in half, isn't even a legal postcard.
posted by Mitheral at 9:28 AM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
To be fair your amazon packages get a bar code that generally lasts the duration of the delivery process. We probably should be glad the Cheeto's minions aren't tattooing bar codes on everyone they pickup.
The Card Cheat: "Looks like Trump’s going to ruin Canada’s economy.* "
Canada could announce its imminent suspension of U.S. drug patents on Canadian soil. There is precedent for that. Before NAFTA and its predecessor, the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Ottawa routinely granted Canadian drugmakers the right to produce U.S. drugs. Canada could leave the door open to extending that practice to other U.S. intellectual property rights, as well, from computer components to U.S. cultural products.Hey Justin, let's threaten a roll back of copyright terms on American IP to 10 years; everything else enters the public domain. And get everyone on the receiving end of this tradewar to set drug patents on American products to 1 year. An actual win for everyone in the world (well except Americans) from this stupid trade war.
melissasaurus: "no one is going to be mailing an actual postcard with their SSN and income listed on it. "
And like all things Cheeto the "Postcard" tax form, being the size of a letter sheet folded in half, isn't even a legal postcard.
posted by Mitheral at 9:28 AM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
23andMe is donating a bunch of DNA testing kits to help match kids to parents. Their software/service is already set up to match you with DNA relatives -- they found me a bunch of distant cousins -- so all they have to do is let the migrants' test kits skip the queue and they should be able to determine which kids go to which parents pretty quickly.
How to reunite these families is a political issue, not a logistical problem.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:36 AM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
How to reunite these families is a political issue, not a logistical problem.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:36 AM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
When you're organizing through Facebook, Twitter, and Google, you're already getting a limited view of matters because of self-selection, but also these companies have been rapidly working to ban, delist, and hide organizing activities that threaten state authority.
We're aware of this. However, in a rural state, Facebook is a great "first touch" for people who maybe don't have a group close by, but who can get connected to in person events because of something (even just a post by a friend about a meeting) on Facebook.
Organizing on Facebook isn't all about actual organizing. A lot of the time its just letting other people know that others in their community hold the same views they do. I can get more traction from updating my profile photo and seeing who likes it than I can from actually posting an event.
Middle aged women are the top users of FB now. Fear us.
posted by anastasiav at 9:36 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
We're aware of this. However, in a rural state, Facebook is a great "first touch" for people who maybe don't have a group close by, but who can get connected to in person events because of something (even just a post by a friend about a meeting) on Facebook.
Organizing on Facebook isn't all about actual organizing. A lot of the time its just letting other people know that others in their community hold the same views they do. I can get more traction from updating my profile photo and seeing who likes it than I can from actually posting an event.
Middle aged women are the top users of FB now. Fear us.
posted by anastasiav at 9:36 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
Comstock won 53-47 in 2016. A 16 point swing.
MonmouthPoll
VIRGINIA CD10 POLL: US House election
All potential voters:
@JenniferWexton (D) 49
@RepComstock (R) 39
Likely voters:
Standard model - Wexton 50 / Comstock 41
Dem-surge model - Wexton 51 / Comstock 40
---
Harry Enten (538)
Retweeted MonmouthPoll
I said yesterday if the Dems weren't leading here they were in big league trouble. They're up double-digits.
posted by chris24 at 9:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
MonmouthPoll
VIRGINIA CD10 POLL: US House election
All potential voters:
@JenniferWexton (D) 49
@RepComstock (R) 39
Likely voters:
Standard model - Wexton 50 / Comstock 41
Dem-surge model - Wexton 51 / Comstock 40
---
Harry Enten (538)
Retweeted MonmouthPoll
I said yesterday if the Dems weren't leading here they were in big league trouble. They're up double-digits.
posted by chris24 at 9:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
1903: Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It eventually becomes an iconic American brand and important employer.
1999: Harley-Davidson opens their first overseas factory, in Brazil. The Republican Party is known as the party of free trade, small government and open markets.
2016: Presidential candidate Donald Trump pledges to restore the American manufacturing industry through policies such as leaving the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other trade agreements, and applying massive tariffs to imports, in addition to the traditional Republican policy of cutting taxes. He wins the Republican Party nomination, and subsequently the Presidency.
January 23, 2017: Shortly after his inauguration, President Trump withdraws from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
February 2, 2017: President Trump invites Harley-Davidson executives to the White House as a symbol of how American industry would thrive under his policies.
December 22, 2017: Trump signs H.R. 1, referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
January, 2018: Harley-Davidson reports reduced income, citing a $53.1 million income tax charge related to enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The company announces that they are cutting 260 jobs in Missouri, while opening a new plant in Thailand.
April 24, 2018: Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich acknowledges that the company’s decision to move jobs to Thailand was due to President Trump’s decision to leave the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
May 31, 2018: President Trump launches a trade war against the European Union by imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum.
June 22, 2018: The European Union responds by enacting tariffs on more than $3 billion worth of U.S. goods, including motorcycles.
June 25, 2018: Harley-Davidson announces that the reciprocal tariffs from the European Union will result in them partially moving production overseas.
June 26, 2018: President Trump demands that “A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country-never!”, seemingly unaware that many have been built overseas for decades. He threatens to destroy the company through taxation. While largely declining to criticize their President, the Republican Party continues to claim to be the party of free trade, small government and open markets.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:44 AM on June 26, 2018 [83 favorites]
1999: Harley-Davidson opens their first overseas factory, in Brazil. The Republican Party is known as the party of free trade, small government and open markets.
2016: Presidential candidate Donald Trump pledges to restore the American manufacturing industry through policies such as leaving the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other trade agreements, and applying massive tariffs to imports, in addition to the traditional Republican policy of cutting taxes. He wins the Republican Party nomination, and subsequently the Presidency.
January 23, 2017: Shortly after his inauguration, President Trump withdraws from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
February 2, 2017: President Trump invites Harley-Davidson executives to the White House as a symbol of how American industry would thrive under his policies.
December 22, 2017: Trump signs H.R. 1, referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
January, 2018: Harley-Davidson reports reduced income, citing a $53.1 million income tax charge related to enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The company announces that they are cutting 260 jobs in Missouri, while opening a new plant in Thailand.
April 24, 2018: Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich acknowledges that the company’s decision to move jobs to Thailand was due to President Trump’s decision to leave the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
May 31, 2018: President Trump launches a trade war against the European Union by imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum.
June 22, 2018: The European Union responds by enacting tariffs on more than $3 billion worth of U.S. goods, including motorcycles.
June 25, 2018: Harley-Davidson announces that the reciprocal tariffs from the European Union will result in them partially moving production overseas.
June 26, 2018: President Trump demands that “A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country-never!”, seemingly unaware that many have been built overseas for decades. He threatens to destroy the company through taxation. While largely declining to criticize their President, the Republican Party continues to claim to be the party of free trade, small government and open markets.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:44 AM on June 26, 2018 [83 favorites]
The California law also required certain places to post a notice saying that abortion was legal, and available at low or no cost at nearby places. The npr story says that only applies to licensed facilities, not the crisis pregnancy centers ... That was sort of obscured in the earlier reporting I read. I thought it applied to both. Either way that's a clearer example of forced speech - I mean, it's a slightly stronger argument, although I still don't buy it.
(For a licensed facility that amounts to advertising your competitors; for a CPC it's forced speech that goes completely against all their convictions. And it's not the only or even the best possible method the state could use to inform people. At least that was the discussion on the podcast I listen to. But it's also just neutral factual information, with no value judgment - they're not required to say abortion is good. They could surround that notice with pictures of baby Jesus crying if they wanted.)
The other part of the law was just a truth in advertising requirement, that unlicensed facilities clearly disclose that they were unlicensed. Says nothing about abortion at all. There have been lots of fkn truth in advertisement laws, like the tag on political ads, "paid for by the committee of" whatever whatever.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 9:44 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
(For a licensed facility that amounts to advertising your competitors; for a CPC it's forced speech that goes completely against all their convictions. And it's not the only or even the best possible method the state could use to inform people. At least that was the discussion on the podcast I listen to. But it's also just neutral factual information, with no value judgment - they're not required to say abortion is good. They could surround that notice with pictures of baby Jesus crying if they wanted.)
The other part of the law was just a truth in advertising requirement, that unlicensed facilities clearly disclose that they were unlicensed. Says nothing about abortion at all. There have been lots of fkn truth in advertisement laws, like the tag on political ads, "paid for by the committee of" whatever whatever.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 9:44 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
@scottbix: The new video from the Russian pop star who helped arrange Don Jr.’s Trump Tower meeting, features: – Trump partying in a hotel room with bikini-clad pageant contestants – Emin slipping Ivanka a briefcase – Emin paying off Stormy Daniels in an elevator
I expected things to be bad, but I really wasn't prepared for them to be this damn weird.
posted by zachlipton at 9:46 AM on June 26, 2018 [33 favorites]
I expected things to be bad, but I really wasn't prepared for them to be this damn weird.
posted by zachlipton at 9:46 AM on June 26, 2018 [33 favorites]
CheesesOfBrazil posted a link upthread to the Foreign Policy story, America’s Uncivil Protests Are Straight Out of Latin America. It's really worth a read - I learnt a new term today.
A series of recent events suggests that Trump’s opponents are warming up to the escrache, a strategy straight out of the playbook of Latin American activists when confronting the human rights transgressions of their authoritarian regimes. It entails accosting and humiliating public officials outside of their domicile and workplace, or even in the streets and other public spaces.posted by RedOrGreen at 9:47 AM on June 26, 2018 [32 favorites]
[...]
Two central questions are raised by the arrival of the escrache on U.S. shores: Do they work, and are they any good for democracy? Based on the Latin American experience and that of Spain, where escraches became a massive political headache in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the answer to the first question is a resounding yes. The tactic can serve to raise societal awareness about moral wrongs; it can also promote solidarity across a variety of causes. Most important, however, it can lead to a change in policy and even transform politics. The answer to the second question is less clear: The escrache is an unambiguous assault on civility — but it’s also a telling sign that something is already very rotten in the body politic.
I said yesterday if the Dems weren't leading here they were in big league trouble. They're up double-digits.
Virginia US House races are going to be a bloodbath for the Republicans this year.
The GOP Senate nominee is so loathsome that a bunch of people will go to the polls to basically vote "fuck that guy" (Stewart) "and his little dog too" (downticket Republican).
I hang out with Republicans when I go to AFP events to eat the delicious Koch dollars, and ever since the primary they have been SUPER depressed. They know it's over for them in Virginia.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:47 AM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
Virginia US House races are going to be a bloodbath for the Republicans this year.
The GOP Senate nominee is so loathsome that a bunch of people will go to the polls to basically vote "fuck that guy" (Stewart) "and his little dog too" (downticket Republican).
I hang out with Republicans when I go to AFP events to eat the delicious Koch dollars, and ever since the primary they have been SUPER depressed. They know it's over for them in Virginia.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:47 AM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
Middle aged women are the top users of FB now. Fear us.
I have so much gratitude for you all, not a lot of fear (anymore). I wish I could send a hand written thank you card to each and every one of you.
posted by W Grant at 9:49 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
I have so much gratitude for you all, not a lot of fear (anymore). I wish I could send a hand written thank you card to each and every one of you.
posted by W Grant at 9:49 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Emin slipping Ivanka a briefcase – Emin paying off Stormy Daniels in an elevator
Hey I can't watch video right now and really need a [real] or [fake] tag for this.
posted by contraption at 9:49 AM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
Hey I can't watch video right now and really need a [real] or [fake] tag for this.
posted by contraption at 9:49 AM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
To be fair your amazon packages get a bar code that generally lasts the duration of the delivery process. We probably should be glad the Cheeto's minions aren't tattooing bar codes on everyone they pickup.
Wristbands. They could have done wristbands.
posted by scalefree at 9:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Wristbands. They could have done wristbands.
posted by scalefree at 9:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Jacqueline: "The DNC should buy up a bunch of billboards all over the country in October that simply say:
STOP TRUMP
VOTE DEMOCRAT
NOVEMBER 6"
Jacqueline: "I'm not joking in the slightest about keeping the message as simple as "Stop Trump; Vote Democrat.""
Trump has a 45% approval rating -- there are huge swaths of this country where being associated with Trump is a positive, not a negative. E.g. just yesterday Trump was campaigning for the incumbent South Carolina governor. These billboards would completely backfire and in fact hurt the Democrats.
posted by crazy with stars at 9:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
STOP TRUMP
VOTE DEMOCRAT
NOVEMBER 6"
Jacqueline: "I'm not joking in the slightest about keeping the message as simple as "Stop Trump; Vote Democrat.""
Trump has a 45% approval rating -- there are huge swaths of this country where being associated with Trump is a positive, not a negative. E.g. just yesterday Trump was campaigning for the incumbent South Carolina governor. These billboards would completely backfire and in fact hurt the Democrats.
posted by crazy with stars at 9:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
One thing that has become clear to me is that the forces of white supremacy have won the wider war. We're just fighting a rear guard action at this point to limit the fallout. I took this position a while ago and I got heat for it. However, within my black social network, more and more are starting to see what I see.
posted by RedShrek at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by RedShrek at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
Hey I can't watch video right now and really need a [real] or [fake] tag for this.
They're all impersonators, but it's a real music video. Hillary's there too!
posted by theodolite at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2018
They're all impersonators, but it's a real music video. Hillary's there too!
posted by theodolite at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2018
Emily Stewart, Vox: There are primaries in 5 states [New York, Utah, Oklahoma, Maryland, and Colorado] today. Here’s what time the polls close.
Brief overview of 6/26 primaries and issues at at stake.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Brief overview of 6/26 primaries and issues at at stake.
posted by ZeusHumms at 9:51 AM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
There's a weird as hell bit (ok it's all weird as hell) at 1:19, where fake-Trump is watching models on the bed, we see it through the eyes of surveillance cameras, then someone is shown editing fake-Trump out of the video, and then the text "TRUE_FAKE" appears on screen, all in a couple seconds. Fake Keith Schiller even appears, waiting with his back turned outside.
I mean I know I'm being trolled, but what?
posted by zachlipton at 9:55 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
I mean I know I'm being trolled, but what?
posted by zachlipton at 9:55 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
Speaking of primaries, MN's early voting starts this Friday. August 14 is the official Primary Day.
Edit: from Sec of State's website:
All Minnesota voters will have these races on their ballot:
U.S. Senator
U.S. Senator (special election)
U.S. Representative
Governor & Lt. Governor
Secretary of State
State Auditor
Attorney General
State Representative
Judicial offices
posted by Emmy Rae at 9:55 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Edit: from Sec of State's website:
All Minnesota voters will have these races on their ballot:
U.S. Senator
U.S. Senator (special election)
U.S. Representative
Governor & Lt. Governor
Secretary of State
State Auditor
Attorney General
State Representative
Judicial offices
posted by Emmy Rae at 9:55 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
23andMe is donating a bunch of DNA testing kits to help match kids to parents. Their software/service is already set up to match you with DNA relatives -- they found me a bunch of distant cousins -- so all they have to do is let the migrants' test kits skip the queue and they should be able to determine which kids go to which parents pretty quickly.
It's nice that they're donating their time and resources, but I'm worried about the privacy implications. Normally, 23andMe requires informed consent from either the person being tested or their legal guardian. I guess now they're OK with the government consenting on behalf of young children in custody? What about the parents -- are they being told that their DNA is going to be in a database forever? Can they really be said to have freely agreed to this, even though it's under threat of never being able to see their kids again?
In general, I'm not a huge fan of creating databases of people's DNA linked to their alleged immigration status.
posted by teraflop at 9:56 AM on June 26, 2018 [45 favorites]
It's nice that they're donating their time and resources, but I'm worried about the privacy implications. Normally, 23andMe requires informed consent from either the person being tested or their legal guardian. I guess now they're OK with the government consenting on behalf of young children in custody? What about the parents -- are they being told that their DNA is going to be in a database forever? Can they really be said to have freely agreed to this, even though it's under threat of never being able to see their kids again?
In general, I'm not a huge fan of creating databases of people's DNA linked to their alleged immigration status.
posted by teraflop at 9:56 AM on June 26, 2018 [45 favorites]
It's nice that they're donating their time and resources, but I'm worried about the privacy implications.
Indeed, and I believe I saw that RAICES has turned down the offer on that grounds.
posted by suelac at 10:00 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
Indeed, and I believe I saw that RAICES has turned down the offer on that grounds.
posted by suelac at 10:00 AM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
To be fair your amazon packages get a bar code that generally lasts the duration of the delivery process. We probably should be glad the Cheeto's minions aren't tattooing bar codes on everyone they pickup.
Wristbands. They could have done wristbands.
They are.
That link is about parents wearing colored wrist bands. There was another link I saw elsewhere that I can't track down that showed immigrant children having wrist bands with numbers on them that were supposed to help with tracking. I don't remember if it would match the kids to their parents though.
And listen, I know we're all worried about tracking and government surveillance, and we should be but we need to do whatever it goddamn takes to get these kids back with their families and out of detention. If we then need to fight to stop tracking them afterward, we'll have that fight.
posted by runcibleshaw at 10:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Wristbands. They could have done wristbands.
They are.
That link is about parents wearing colored wrist bands. There was another link I saw elsewhere that I can't track down that showed immigrant children having wrist bands with numbers on them that were supposed to help with tracking. I don't remember if it would match the kids to their parents though.
And listen, I know we're all worried about tracking and government surveillance, and we should be but we need to do whatever it goddamn takes to get these kids back with their families and out of detention. If we then need to fight to stop tracking them afterward, we'll have that fight.
posted by runcibleshaw at 10:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
While the 23and Me offer is a great program and DNA testing is probably the only avenue forward in a lot of cases is should be noted that it isn't a magic bullet. Even setting aside the problems of sample collection for parents who have been deported; there are a significant portion of kids who will be adopted or for other reasons may not match the DNA of their legal guardians.
scalefree: "Wristbands. They could have done wristbands."
Ya an obvious improvement; though apparently they are doing nothing now so a sharpie would be an obvious improvement. It has the problem that unlike in hospitals and events where wrist bands are used the person with the band may not value the band. Finger and or foot printing should have been done at time of retention too. And if you are doing finger printing anyways (which I think ICE does) minors and people accompanying minors should have copies of single cards with the minor's and the parent's print on them in their files.
But of course Trump Nazi's aren't even good at the things the Nazis did well; their record keeping sucks.
posted by Mitheral at 10:03 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
scalefree: "Wristbands. They could have done wristbands."
Ya an obvious improvement; though apparently they are doing nothing now so a sharpie would be an obvious improvement. It has the problem that unlike in hospitals and events where wrist bands are used the person with the band may not value the band. Finger and or foot printing should have been done at time of retention too. And if you are doing finger printing anyways (which I think ICE does) minors and people accompanying minors should have copies of single cards with the minor's and the parent's print on them in their files.
But of course Trump Nazi's aren't even good at the things the Nazis did well; their record keeping sucks.
posted by Mitheral at 10:03 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
If you are a registered voter in New York State, the board of elections has a handy "voter registration detail" site which will also tell you what your Election, County Legislative, Senate, Assembly and Congressional districts are, as well as what Ward you're in if applicable.
New Yorkers who need to find their local polling place can click here.
posted by zarq at 10:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
New Yorkers who need to find their local polling place can click here.
posted by zarq at 10:05 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
While the 23and Me offer is a great program and DNA testing is probably the only avenue forward in a lot of cases is should be noted that it isn't a magic bullet.
DNA testing parents and children is a good way to get some mothers killed.
posted by srboisvert at 10:06 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
DNA testing parents and children is a good way to get some mothers killed.
posted by srboisvert at 10:06 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Mod note: A few comments deleted; please skip the "color me unsurprised that YOU think that bad thing" framing of stuff, just go ahead and make your positive points without needing to wrap it in personal criticism of other people in the thread.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 10:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
Ohhh it's a music video from a Russian pop star. That was the clarification I needed.
posted by contraption at 10:10 AM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by contraption at 10:10 AM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
I mean I know I'm being trolled, but what?
Good lord, this is a classic KGB black propaganda tactic, updated for the 21st century. Putin doesn't expect anyone to mistake it for real (apart from the very stupid and the fringe, who'll help boost it on their own). Instead, this tactic relies on introducing as much noise as possible into the system in order to drown out accurate information. This is signal-jamming by way of trolling.
Back in late 2016/early the IC predicted that the Russians would start releasing fake Trump videos in order to discredit genuine revelations, but I didn't expect this to include sub-MTV music videos.
posted by Doktor Zed at 10:11 AM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
Good lord, this is a classic KGB black propaganda tactic, updated for the 21st century. Putin doesn't expect anyone to mistake it for real (apart from the very stupid and the fringe, who'll help boost it on their own). Instead, this tactic relies on introducing as much noise as possible into the system in order to drown out accurate information. This is signal-jamming by way of trolling.
Back in late 2016/early the IC predicted that the Russians would start releasing fake Trump videos in order to discredit genuine revelations, but I didn't expect this to include sub-MTV music videos.
posted by Doktor Zed at 10:11 AM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
VIRGINIA CD10 POLL: US House election
All potential voters:
@JenniferWexton (D) 49
@RepComstock (R) 39
This is my district, I'm already seeing yard signs saying "Dump Comstock" at houses that haven't displayed yard signs in the past.
posted by peeedro at 10:13 AM on June 26, 2018 [21 favorites]
All potential voters:
@JenniferWexton (D) 49
@RepComstock (R) 39
This is my district, I'm already seeing yard signs saying "Dump Comstock" at houses that haven't displayed yard signs in the past.
posted by peeedro at 10:13 AM on June 26, 2018 [21 favorites]
Apologies, I didn't mean for my previous comment to come off as hostile as it did.
To redo my post in a nicer way: I think that the democratic party will get nowhere simply opposing Trump. They need to share a positive, motivating vision of a better world. A coherent ideological program, that's what really drives voters to the polls, and that's why republicans are so successful. Republican ideology and desired policies are horrible, but they at least have a clearly articulated vision that they're obviously working toward. People respond to that.
Democrats too often seem vocally dedicated mainly to preserving the status quo above all else. The party needs to instead focus messaging and action around accomplishing tangible goals, even if we're a long way from fully realizing them! We need something to work toward. Medicare for All is a great example of a simply articulated policy that will dramatically improve our society and voters' lives in a way that will get them to the polls.
posted by One Second Before Awakening at 10:14 AM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
To redo my post in a nicer way: I think that the democratic party will get nowhere simply opposing Trump. They need to share a positive, motivating vision of a better world. A coherent ideological program, that's what really drives voters to the polls, and that's why republicans are so successful. Republican ideology and desired policies are horrible, but they at least have a clearly articulated vision that they're obviously working toward. People respond to that.
Democrats too often seem vocally dedicated mainly to preserving the status quo above all else. The party needs to instead focus messaging and action around accomplishing tangible goals, even if we're a long way from fully realizing them! We need something to work toward. Medicare for All is a great example of a simply articulated policy that will dramatically improve our society and voters' lives in a way that will get them to the polls.
posted by One Second Before Awakening at 10:14 AM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Also, if you're in New York, you might want to see if the person in your party's primary is running unopposed. Save yourself a trip to the polls.
posted by zarq at 10:14 AM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by zarq at 10:14 AM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Good lord, this is a classic KGB black propaganda tactic, updated for the 21st century.
Yeah, Surkov might as well be reaching through the screen and slapping us in the face. It's a fascinating and unabashed bit of propaganda.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:15 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Yeah, Surkov might as well be reaching through the screen and slapping us in the face. It's a fascinating and unabashed bit of propaganda.
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:15 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
There's absolutely no way Putin would allow Emin to produce this video without his tacit approval, especially not with Trump trying to arrange a summit with him as soon as next month. Volodya is blatantly rubbing Donnie's face in how much krompromat he has on him. It's the kind dominance play that's the only way to deal with Trump.
posted by Doktor Zed at 10:16 AM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
posted by Doktor Zed at 10:16 AM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
Varying GOTV strategies aren't necessarily in competition with each other. I agree we shouldn't be trying to cater to erstwhile Trump voters, but plenty of potential Democratic voters are deeply fucking cynical about visions and promises about how politicians are going to make their lives better. We absolutely should be fully supporting low-overhead ways to motivate them to get out and vote, even if it's just to give Trump the metaphorical finger. Billboards don't mean we can't talk about health care.
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:22 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:22 AM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Daily Beast, Woodruff, Immigration Attorney Says ICE Broke Her Foot, Locked Her Up (cw: picture of injured foot)
An immigration attorney said an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer broke her foot and locked her in a room early Tuesday morning in Kansas City, Missouri.posted by zachlipton at 10:33 AM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
Andrea Martinez told The Daily Beast she was dropping off a 3-year-old immigrant at an ICE facility to be reunited with his mother before they are to be deported to Honduras. Martinez said she was accompanying the boy, his pregnant mother, and his father into an ICE field office but Martinez was denied access. That’s when Martinez said she was “knocked to the ground and bloodied” by an ICE officer.
Also, if you're in New York, you might want to see if the person in your party's primary is running unopposed. Save yourself a trip to the polls.
I disagree with this suggestion because voting in the primary confirms that your voter registration is in order.
posted by jointhedance at 10:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [50 favorites]
I disagree with this suggestion because voting in the primary confirms that your voter registration is in order.
posted by jointhedance at 10:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [50 favorites]
but plenty of potential Democratic voters are deeply fucking cynical about visions and promises about how politicians are going to make their lives better.
We do have a cynicism and apathy problem, and it becomes a vicious circle. The more cynical potential Dem voters become, the less they are engaged - and the less they are engaged, the more elected Dem politicians will listen to donors only and chase the elusive "swing" voter.
I think we are starting to see more engagement (too bad about what it took to get there), more women in politics and running for Democratic offices (hooray!) and we are seeing elected officials (like Dianne Feinstein!) shifting to the left in response to pressure from constituents.
I think, if we only had this energized electorate back in 2010...but, H2O under the over-water structure. We are seeing results from increased Dem turnout and Democratic candidates running.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
We do have a cynicism and apathy problem, and it becomes a vicious circle. The more cynical potential Dem voters become, the less they are engaged - and the less they are engaged, the more elected Dem politicians will listen to donors only and chase the elusive "swing" voter.
I think we are starting to see more engagement (too bad about what it took to get there), more women in politics and running for Democratic offices (hooray!) and we are seeing elected officials (like Dianne Feinstein!) shifting to the left in response to pressure from constituents.
I think, if we only had this energized electorate back in 2010...but, H2O under the over-water structure. We are seeing results from increased Dem turnout and Democratic candidates running.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:38 AM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
I disagree with this suggestion because voting in the primary confirms that your voter registration is in order.
There doesn't appear to be any voting in uncontested primaries.
posted by Etrigan at 10:41 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
There doesn't appear to be any voting in uncontested primaries.
posted by Etrigan at 10:41 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Apologies, I didn't mean for my previous comment to come off as hostile as it did.
FWIW, I took no offense. I know I have significant political differences with most of my fellow MeFites. But right now the immediacy of needing to stop the Trump Administration makes those differences seem like minor quibbles.
I think that the democratic party will get nowhere simply opposing Trump. They need to share a positive, motivating vision of a better world. A coherent ideological program, that's what really drives voters to the polls, and that's why republicans are so successful.
There are only 19 weeks until the General Election. Work on that other stuff for 2020, but for now, I beg you, please concentrate on whatever clear, simple message will motivate your people to go to the polls on November 6!
You have enough votes from people who already identify/lean Democrat to flip a bunch of districts without persuading a single swing voter. Y'all just suck at actually showing up. :(
I understand the allure of planning a grand long-term strategy, but please deal with the current emergency first. We have a narcissistic megalomaniacal tyrant in the White House and we need divided government ASAP. I'm doing the best I can on my end to siphon off as many GOP votes to the LP as possible but I need y'all to bring it on your end too.
posted by Jacqueline at 10:42 AM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
FWIW, I took no offense. I know I have significant political differences with most of my fellow MeFites. But right now the immediacy of needing to stop the Trump Administration makes those differences seem like minor quibbles.
I think that the democratic party will get nowhere simply opposing Trump. They need to share a positive, motivating vision of a better world. A coherent ideological program, that's what really drives voters to the polls, and that's why republicans are so successful.
There are only 19 weeks until the General Election. Work on that other stuff for 2020, but for now, I beg you, please concentrate on whatever clear, simple message will motivate your people to go to the polls on November 6!
You have enough votes from people who already identify/lean Democrat to flip a bunch of districts without persuading a single swing voter. Y'all just suck at actually showing up. :(
I understand the allure of planning a grand long-term strategy, but please deal with the current emergency first. We have a narcissistic megalomaniacal tyrant in the White House and we need divided government ASAP. I'm doing the best I can on my end to siphon off as many GOP votes to the LP as possible but I need y'all to bring it on your end too.
posted by Jacqueline at 10:42 AM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
@JenniferJJacobs (Bloomberg)
TRUMP says U.S. immigration policy should simply be: "YOU CAN'T COME IN." He just told members of Congress that the US immigration policy right now is a "hodgepodge of laws." "It’s so simple. It’s called, 'I’m sorry you can’t come in.'"
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:56 AM on June 26, 2018 [28 favorites]
TRUMP says U.S. immigration policy should simply be: "YOU CAN'T COME IN." He just told members of Congress that the US immigration policy right now is a "hodgepodge of laws." "It’s so simple. It’s called, 'I’m sorry you can’t come in.'"
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:56 AM on June 26, 2018 [28 favorites]
Meanwhile, down here in Florida, I saw a pro-Bill Nelson TV commercial today that proudly labeled him as "not too left, not too right" and as a moderate centrist all the way around. Maybe that's what it'll take to beat Rick Scott in this state, but I cringe when I hear him sold as a moderate. I want the leftiest leftist that ever lefted to balance out Marco Rubio's presence, but I know that's unrealistic here.
posted by Servo5678 at 10:59 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 10:59 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
To be fair your amazon packages get a bar code that generally lasts the duration of the delivery process. We probably should be glad the Cheeto's minions aren't tattooing bar codes on everyone they pickup.
Wristbands. They could have done wristbands.
Hmm, can we resuscitate the POW wristband movement concept and use it for separated families?
posted by phearlez at 11:00 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Wristbands. They could have done wristbands.
Hmm, can we resuscitate the POW wristband movement concept and use it for separated families?
posted by phearlez at 11:00 AM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
I disagree with this suggestion because voting in the primary confirms that your voter registration is in order.
The sites I linked to above (including this one) allow any voter to confirm that their registration is in order. New Yorkers don't need to show up at a polling place for that. Corrections are done by mail, online or in person.
As Etrigan notes, one can't vote in an uncontested congressional primary election in NYS. The candidates are running unopposed. They're going to win by default.
posted by zarq at 11:00 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
The sites I linked to above (including this one) allow any voter to confirm that their registration is in order. New Yorkers don't need to show up at a polling place for that. Corrections are done by mail, online or in person.
As Etrigan notes, one can't vote in an uncontested congressional primary election in NYS. The candidates are running unopposed. They're going to win by default.
posted by zarq at 11:00 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
TRUMP says U.S. immigration policy should simply be: "YOU CAN'T COME IN." He just told members of Congress that the US immigration policy right now is a "hodgepodge of laws." "It’s so simple. It’s called, 'I’m sorry you can’t come in.'"
"Please, please, don't throw us in the briar patch," says the tech industry HR people of Canada, Ireland, London, Tel Aviv, Singapore....
posted by Quindar Beep at 11:00 AM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
"Please, please, don't throw us in the briar patch," says the tech industry HR people of Canada, Ireland, London, Tel Aviv, Singapore....
posted by Quindar Beep at 11:00 AM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
Maybe not London.
posted by Artw at 11:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [24 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:01 AM on June 26, 2018 [24 favorites]
Democrats too often seem vocally dedicated mainly to preserving the status quo above all else.
There is no status quo. It's been killed dead by the Trump/GOP chimera. All we have are shards of our standards and institutions, covered in the stink of white supremacy and greed. It is not, nor it cannot come to good. But break my heart...
The idea that the Democratic leadership is anything but a raft in a sea of political bullshit is not useful. Any change must come from us. We need to force Democrats and the few sane Republicans left that we need to repair and upgrade our norms, because without them we will sink into a shattered, second-rate former democracy.
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:07 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
There is no status quo. It's been killed dead by the Trump/GOP chimera. All we have are shards of our standards and institutions, covered in the stink of white supremacy and greed. It is not, nor it cannot come to good. But break my heart...
The idea that the Democratic leadership is anything but a raft in a sea of political bullshit is not useful. Any change must come from us. We need to force Democrats and the few sane Republicans left that we need to repair and upgrade our norms, because without them we will sink into a shattered, second-rate former democracy.
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:07 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
To be fair, if we'd implemented Trump's proposed "I'm sorry you can't come in" policy in 1885 when Friedrich Drumpf immigrated to the US at age 16 and changed his name to Fredrick Trump the US would be a much better place....
Pulling the ladder up, Republican policy since 1854!
posted by sotonohito at 11:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
Pulling the ladder up, Republican policy since 1854!
posted by sotonohito at 11:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
Maybe not London.
You don't have to run faster than a bear, just faster than one of your friends.
posted by Quindar Beep at 11:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
You don't have to run faster than a bear, just faster than one of your friends.
posted by Quindar Beep at 11:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
Aside from calling to close all the borders, Trump had some other things to say today, including pining for the old days when tariffs were high enough to fund the government:
@benpershing: It's Throwback Tuesday for POTUS. Per WH pool report: "He cited the days of tariffs before the income tax, recalling President McKinley. 'You didn’t need any income tax,' he said."
@KThomasDC: Trump: "They want us to choose 5,000 judges. How do you choose 5,000 judges? Can you imagine the corruption just from a normal standpoint, just common sense. Can you imagine the corruption? Go to the barber shop, grab somebody, make him a judge."
Nobody has proposed 5,000 new immigration judges or anything close to that (Cruz proposed 375, and there's like 80 or so that Congress has appropriated and authorized but the government hasn't even hired), but it's telling that he can't conceive of hiring people without them all being corrupt.
Here's a document that DOJ filed with the court in one of the child separation cases. It's information for parents being separated from their children with a complicated series of instructions for who to call to find them again. The Spanish version is just riddled with language errors. A small detail, but a telling one.
ICE Modified Its 'Risk Assessment' Software So It Automatically Recommends Detention
Daniel Dale says Trump has shattered his dishonesty record with 103 false claims last week, mostly because he talked a lot.
@LibyaLiberty:
posted by zachlipton at 11:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [61 favorites]
@benpershing: It's Throwback Tuesday for POTUS. Per WH pool report: "He cited the days of tariffs before the income tax, recalling President McKinley. 'You didn’t need any income tax,' he said."
@KThomasDC: Trump: "They want us to choose 5,000 judges. How do you choose 5,000 judges? Can you imagine the corruption just from a normal standpoint, just common sense. Can you imagine the corruption? Go to the barber shop, grab somebody, make him a judge."
Nobody has proposed 5,000 new immigration judges or anything close to that (Cruz proposed 375, and there's like 80 or so that Congress has appropriated and authorized but the government hasn't even hired), but it's telling that he can't conceive of hiring people without them all being corrupt.
Here's a document that DOJ filed with the court in one of the child separation cases. It's information for parents being separated from their children with a complicated series of instructions for who to call to find them again. The Spanish version is just riddled with language errors. A small detail, but a telling one.
ICE Modified Its 'Risk Assessment' Software So It Automatically Recommends Detention
When an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer arrests an undocumented immigrant, whether they have been residing in the US for years or were picked up trying to cross the border, the agency must make a custody decision. This decision determines whether the immigrant will be released on bond or detained in one of ICE’s prison-like detention centers until their court date. Since 2013, ICE has relied on a computerized Risk Classification Assessment that uses statistics to determine whether the immigrant should be released, and if so, on what on what bond amount.Tim Wu, The Supreme Court Devastates Antitrust Law. Nobody had time for Ohio v American Express, but the implications are not good for future antitrust actions.
According to a new investigative report from Reuters, however, last year ICE changed the risk assessment software so that it always recommends detention for apprehended immigrants to conform to Trump’s “zero tolerance” stance on illegal immigration. This change led to an almost immediate increase in the detention of immigrants with little to no criminal history, who would’ve normally been released on bond until their court date. In 2017, ICE booked more than 43,000 immigrants into its detention centers—more than three times the number of detainees in the year prior.
Daniel Dale says Trump has shattered his dishonesty record with 103 false claims last week, mostly because he talked a lot.
@LibyaLiberty:
Just got off the phone with an Arab American friend with family in a country on the Muslim Ban list. She was broken. “Maybe it’s time to stop fighting. Maybe we just have to accept that America is just another country. There’s nothing special here. This can’t be home.”I can't do a good Chrysostom impression, but Taniel has a great spreadsheet of races to watch tonight
I wanted to tell her we could never stop fighting, giving in is a win for the bigots & racists. But you know what? They did win. They won big. And even though I will never give up fighting, the uphill battle has become something very different. We now speak different languages. When I say constitution, bill of rights, they don’t mean the same thing anymore. They exist as figments of an imagination that has no foothold in the present-Like a cartoon where the running character looks down & realizes they’ve run out of road, they’re floating above a ravine. Like holding a wad full of a currency no longer accepted by vendors. I can’t sugarcoat it. America let me down today. Tomorrow I will get up & keep fighting, keep hoping,keep remembering the good that defines this young nation that gave me a home & an identity. But today,I mourn.
posted by zachlipton at 11:12 AM on June 26, 2018 [61 favorites]
Just voted a 100% female ticket in my D primary. Sure, it is red state Oklahoma, but it felt great. Also...medical marijuana FTW!
posted by HyperBlue at 11:14 AM on June 26, 2018 [42 favorites]
posted by HyperBlue at 11:14 AM on June 26, 2018 [42 favorites]
As Etrigan notes, one can't vote in an uncontested congressional primary election in NYS. The candidates are running unopposed. They're going to win by default.
Thanks for the clarification. New York, you are weird.
I was thinking of a situation like yesterday in Maryland, where it turns out the Motor Vehicle Administration did not forward voter registration information from 80,000 people to the Board of Elections..Maryland's primary election day is today. If MVA hadn't fessed up then primary voters could have outed the error.
posted by jointhedance at 11:20 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Thanks for the clarification. New York, you are weird.
I was thinking of a situation like yesterday in Maryland, where it turns out the Motor Vehicle Administration did not forward voter registration information from 80,000 people to the Board of Elections..Maryland's primary election day is today. If MVA hadn't fessed up then primary voters could have outed the error.
posted by jointhedance at 11:20 AM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
recalling President McKinley
Because things worked out SUPER GREAT for him.
posted by elsietheeel at 11:20 AM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
Because things worked out SUPER GREAT for him.
posted by elsietheeel at 11:20 AM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
NYT Opinion: What My 6-Year-Old Son and I Endured in Family Detention
The day-to-day conditions were horrible. The food was often expired, the milk was spoiled, and we weren’t provided with snacks for our children between meals. When we saved food for snacks, it was taken from us and thrown out because of concerns about rats in the dorms. Children went to bed hungry. And we could get water between meals only by asking the officers. Sometimes they wouldn’t bring any. The water we did have made us sick.
It was no place for human beings, let alone for families with small children. When our children were sick, we waited days for medical attention. When one mother whose daughter had asthma informed the officers that her child needed medical care, she was told that she should have thought about that before she came to the United States. Another mother asked for medical assistance for her son but it never came. She was deported, and her son died just a few months later.
[...] The younger children were very confused about why they were trapped inside. The stories they acted out when they were playing always recreated the dangerous journey they had just gone through to get here. The characters in their games became coyotes (smugglers who help people cross the border), “la migra” (border patrol agents) and immigration judges. The detention center became their entire world. [...] Other children I know from the detention center are clearly traumatized, afraid of police officers and constantly worried about going back. They remember it for what it was: a prison.
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:28 AM on June 26, 2018 [66 favorites]
The day-to-day conditions were horrible. The food was often expired, the milk was spoiled, and we weren’t provided with snacks for our children between meals. When we saved food for snacks, it was taken from us and thrown out because of concerns about rats in the dorms. Children went to bed hungry. And we could get water between meals only by asking the officers. Sometimes they wouldn’t bring any. The water we did have made us sick.
It was no place for human beings, let alone for families with small children. When our children were sick, we waited days for medical attention. When one mother whose daughter had asthma informed the officers that her child needed medical care, she was told that she should have thought about that before she came to the United States. Another mother asked for medical assistance for her son but it never came. She was deported, and her son died just a few months later.
[...] The younger children were very confused about why they were trapped inside. The stories they acted out when they were playing always recreated the dangerous journey they had just gone through to get here. The characters in their games became coyotes (smugglers who help people cross the border), “la migra” (border patrol agents) and immigration judges. The detention center became their entire world. [...] Other children I know from the detention center are clearly traumatized, afraid of police officers and constantly worried about going back. They remember it for what it was: a prison.
posted by Rust Moranis at 11:28 AM on June 26, 2018 [66 favorites]
Thanks for the clarification.
No problem!
New York, you are weird.
Yep. It's nice, though. All i have to do is punch in my address and everything i need is at my fingertips. The board of elections has a mobile app. Their site even lists out who's running and for what party. Wish it was like that nationwide.
I was thinking of a situation like yesterday in Maryland, where it turns out the Motor Vehicle Administration did not forward voter registration information from 80,000 people to the Board of Elections..Maryland's primary election day is today. If MVA hadn't fessed up then primary voters could have outed the error.
Holy cow. That's awful.
posted by zarq at 11:34 AM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
No problem!
New York, you are weird.
Yep. It's nice, though. All i have to do is punch in my address and everything i need is at my fingertips. The board of elections has a mobile app. Their site even lists out who's running and for what party. Wish it was like that nationwide.
I was thinking of a situation like yesterday in Maryland, where it turns out the Motor Vehicle Administration did not forward voter registration information from 80,000 people to the Board of Elections..Maryland's primary election day is today. If MVA hadn't fessed up then primary voters could have outed the error.
Holy cow. That's awful.
posted by zarq at 11:34 AM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
For the record, the next thing Trump said after "you can't come in" was "You have to go into a legal process." So even though this would be very unsurprising on his part, he didn't literally propose a total ban on all immigration.
Instead, it's more of the usual head-smashingly obtuse (and racist) simplification. From his perspective, immigration-related policies are over-complicated egghead nonsense when we should just Let The Good Ones In and Keep The Bad Ones Out. It's another example of what I've mentioned before, how the act of ranting "No details! Just get it done!" connotes Real Leadership to some people.
When applied to the national immigration debate, this mindset has meant that instead of discussing what the laws ought to be and how to conduct those laws, people treat "illegal" as this innate status somehow outside social constructs. Then they act like the entire debate is about whether or not to use law enforcement to reify this obvious-to-them status of "illegality". So Trump sees mumbo-jumbo in any system where the law doesn't reduce to "Illegal immigration is hereby banned" (even though that doesn't work as law because of the obvious circularity).
That's why if Democrats passed laws that loosened (and simplified!) restrictions so that more people could become legal citizens, these people would, without sensing the irony, just scream about the system "rewarding the illegals" (and they wouldn't just mean grandfathering in someone who had broken actual laws). That's the mental apparatus they've made to support and hide the racism behind "law and order".
posted by InTheYear2017 at 11:34 AM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
Instead, it's more of the usual head-smashingly obtuse (and racist) simplification. From his perspective, immigration-related policies are over-complicated egghead nonsense when we should just Let The Good Ones In and Keep The Bad Ones Out. It's another example of what I've mentioned before, how the act of ranting "No details! Just get it done!" connotes Real Leadership to some people.
When applied to the national immigration debate, this mindset has meant that instead of discussing what the laws ought to be and how to conduct those laws, people treat "illegal" as this innate status somehow outside social constructs. Then they act like the entire debate is about whether or not to use law enforcement to reify this obvious-to-them status of "illegality". So Trump sees mumbo-jumbo in any system where the law doesn't reduce to "Illegal immigration is hereby banned" (even though that doesn't work as law because of the obvious circularity).
That's why if Democrats passed laws that loosened (and simplified!) restrictions so that more people could become legal citizens, these people would, without sensing the irony, just scream about the system "rewarding the illegals" (and they wouldn't just mean grandfathering in someone who had broken actual laws). That's the mental apparatus they've made to support and hide the racism behind "law and order".
posted by InTheYear2017 at 11:34 AM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
Schumer never once publicly criticized the Democrats who voted with the GOP to deregulate banks, give Trump more surveillance powers, or confirm a torturer as head of CIA. But this...
posted by bookman117 at 11:43 AM on June 26, 2018 [66 favorites]
posted by bookman117 at 11:43 AM on June 26, 2018 [66 favorites]
we weren’t provided with snacks for our children between meals. When we saved food for snacks,
Not that I want think anybody in this thread is like HOW DARE THEY EXPECT SNACKS BETWEEN MEALS, but:
1. It speaks to the complete and utter lack of preparation of these assholes to deal with small child care that they hadn't fucking thought that small children would get hungry between meals, because, I just.
2. Let me repeat a point: people would save food for children, so that the kids wouldn't go to bed hungry, and then these monsters would throw it away and not replace it.
3. To give you an idea of the caloric needs of small children, my two year old weighs 28 pounds, and needs about 1,000 calories a day. It isn't an accurate way of scaling things, but to give you a rough sense of how much he eats compared to the size of his wee little body, if you grossed him up to 180 pounds, for example, he'd need 6,000 calories a day, or basically what a male heavyweight rower eats when ramping up for the Olympics.
4. Children are being traumatized and going hungry when their parents are there. What the fuck do you think is happening to all those children in cages when their parents aren't there?
I read the articles yesterday about parents in detention centers sleeping with their legs around their children, because the parents were afraid the kids would be snatched in the night by the government. I am so angry.
Time to cancel that MM LaFleur order and throw some more money to RAICES.
posted by joyceanmachine at 11:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [76 favorites]
Not that I want think anybody in this thread is like HOW DARE THEY EXPECT SNACKS BETWEEN MEALS, but:
1. It speaks to the complete and utter lack of preparation of these assholes to deal with small child care that they hadn't fucking thought that small children would get hungry between meals, because, I just.
2. Let me repeat a point: people would save food for children, so that the kids wouldn't go to bed hungry, and then these monsters would throw it away and not replace it.
3. To give you an idea of the caloric needs of small children, my two year old weighs 28 pounds, and needs about 1,000 calories a day. It isn't an accurate way of scaling things, but to give you a rough sense of how much he eats compared to the size of his wee little body, if you grossed him up to 180 pounds, for example, he'd need 6,000 calories a day, or basically what a male heavyweight rower eats when ramping up for the Olympics.
4. Children are being traumatized and going hungry when their parents are there. What the fuck do you think is happening to all those children in cages when their parents aren't there?
I read the articles yesterday about parents in detention centers sleeping with their legs around their children, because the parents were afraid the kids would be snatched in the night by the government. I am so angry.
Time to cancel that MM LaFleur order and throw some more money to RAICES.
posted by joyceanmachine at 11:50 AM on June 26, 2018 [76 favorites]
For the record, the next thing Trump said after "you can't come in" was "You have to go into a legal process." So even though this would be very unsurprising on his part, he didn't literally propose a total ban on all immigration.
I suspect you know this, but I gotta yell it anyway:
There is already a legal process. That is the entire fucking problem here. We weren't just letting in anyone who wanted to come from those countries. He claimed that we were being too lax and needed to have this Muslim travel ban as a stopgap measure, eighteen months ago, and he and his State Department and Homeland Security Department and every other department haven't done jack nor shit in the meantime to correct whatever errors were in the system that were allowing these countries to flood us with terrorists, none of whom have killed an American in the U.S. since he was still getting Vietnam deferments and being sanctioned by the U.S. government for racism.
For the record, he's literally a racist.
posted by Etrigan at 11:55 AM on June 26, 2018 [85 favorites]
I suspect you know this, but I gotta yell it anyway:
There is already a legal process. That is the entire fucking problem here. We weren't just letting in anyone who wanted to come from those countries. He claimed that we were being too lax and needed to have this Muslim travel ban as a stopgap measure, eighteen months ago, and he and his State Department and Homeland Security Department and every other department haven't done jack nor shit in the meantime to correct whatever errors were in the system that were allowing these countries to flood us with terrorists, none of whom have killed an American in the U.S. since he was still getting Vietnam deferments and being sanctioned by the U.S. government for racism.
For the record, he's literally a racist.
posted by Etrigan at 11:55 AM on June 26, 2018 [85 favorites]
I said yesterday if the Dems weren't leading here (Comstock) they were in big league trouble. They're up double-digits.
---
Virginia US House races are going to be a bloodbath for the Republicans this year. The GOP Senate nominee is so loathsome that a bunch of people will go to the polls to basically vote "fuck that guy" (Stewart) "and his little dog too" (downticket Republican).
Larry Sabato (UVa Center for Politics)
Tight as a tick in VA Senate. Kidding. Kaine +18, 54-36% in new Q poll. Corey Stewart is about as weak as expected.
posted by chris24 at 11:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
---
Virginia US House races are going to be a bloodbath for the Republicans this year. The GOP Senate nominee is so loathsome that a bunch of people will go to the polls to basically vote "fuck that guy" (Stewart) "and his little dog too" (downticket Republican).
Larry Sabato (UVa Center for Politics)
Tight as a tick in VA Senate. Kidding. Kaine +18, 54-36% in new Q poll. Corey Stewart is about as weak as expected.
posted by chris24 at 11:57 AM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
White House proposal would slash legal immigration rates by 44 percent this year and result in 22 million fewer immigrants over the next five decades
Normally I wouldn’t have to ask, but - this is if not reversed, right? This isn’t that if the law passed it couldn’t be changed for that length of time?
Apologies if this seems obvious, I just feel I can’t count on normal assumptions and norms anymore.
posted by corb at 12:05 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Normally I wouldn’t have to ask, but - this is if not reversed, right? This isn’t that if the law passed it couldn’t be changed for that length of time?
Apologies if this seems obvious, I just feel I can’t count on normal assumptions and norms anymore.
posted by corb at 12:05 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Quindar Beep: "
"Please, please, don't throw us in the briar patch," says the tech industry HR people of Canada, Ireland, London, Tel Aviv, Singapore...."
Also research into, well, most anything.
InTheYear2017: "For the record, the next thing Trump said after "you can't come in" was "You have to go into a legal process." So even though this would be very unsurprising on his part, he didn't literally propose a total ban on all immigration.
"
Of course not, where would he get his next spouse? And I'm sure he'd like to keep the door open for people who can roll up with a wheel-barrel full of money.
posted by Mitheral at 12:05 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
"Please, please, don't throw us in the briar patch," says the tech industry HR people of Canada, Ireland, London, Tel Aviv, Singapore...."
Also research into, well, most anything.
InTheYear2017: "For the record, the next thing Trump said after "you can't come in" was "You have to go into a legal process." So even though this would be very unsurprising on his part, he didn't literally propose a total ban on all immigration.
"
Of course not, where would he get his next spouse? And I'm sure he'd like to keep the door open for people who can roll up with a wheel-barrel full of money.
posted by Mitheral at 12:05 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Schumer never once publicly criticized the Democrats who voted with the GOP to deregulate banks, give Trump more surveillance powers, or confirm a torturer as head of CIA. But this...
I was just telling a friend -- who's a constituent of No Buck Chuck's -- that while I've often referred to "Writers" constructing the narrative that is our current reality (eg, like many here, often saying things like "Come on, Writers, that name is a little too on the nose!"), if I truly thought we were living through a constructed narrative, I might hold out hope that Schumer and other Dems like him are going to be revealed as having set Trump up big time in the final act of the story: presenting a very public and accommodating face while secretly enabling the resistance, log-jamming and slow-footing all of Trump's plans.
I don't think that any longer. I think what we see is what Schumer and others are truly like.
That they don't understand Trump calling Waters a "low IQ person" is his tv friendly way of saying "stupid n-word" is amazing to me. And in Pelosi's case, her reprimand of Waters didn't earn her a damn thing from Trump. He still insulted her a few hours later.
Am I wrong to think that we used to hear about President's holding such opinions after they left office? The Negros living like dogs thing with Nixion came to light after he was no longer President, didn't it? And here we have Trump putting the flimsiest of covers over his publicly expressed opinions, and people are coming down on the Democrats about civility.
I wish I knew why so many Democrats bought into the kiss up/kick down thing.
posted by lord_wolf at 12:05 PM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
I was just telling a friend -- who's a constituent of No Buck Chuck's -- that while I've often referred to "Writers" constructing the narrative that is our current reality (eg, like many here, often saying things like "Come on, Writers, that name is a little too on the nose!"), if I truly thought we were living through a constructed narrative, I might hold out hope that Schumer and other Dems like him are going to be revealed as having set Trump up big time in the final act of the story: presenting a very public and accommodating face while secretly enabling the resistance, log-jamming and slow-footing all of Trump's plans.
I don't think that any longer. I think what we see is what Schumer and others are truly like.
That they don't understand Trump calling Waters a "low IQ person" is his tv friendly way of saying "stupid n-word" is amazing to me. And in Pelosi's case, her reprimand of Waters didn't earn her a damn thing from Trump. He still insulted her a few hours later.
Am I wrong to think that we used to hear about President's holding such opinions after they left office? The Negros living like dogs thing with Nixion came to light after he was no longer President, didn't it? And here we have Trump putting the flimsiest of covers over his publicly expressed opinions, and people are coming down on the Democrats about civility.
I wish I knew why so many Democrats bought into the kiss up/kick down thing.
posted by lord_wolf at 12:05 PM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
Unfortunately, this isn't a matter of "keep fighting." His power to discriminate against Muslims in this way now carries with it the imprimatur of the SCOTUS.
What infuriates me most about the reverse engineering on the decision ("well, even though Trump said it was a Muslim ban, it's plausible it might not be, so it isn't") is that they didn't even consider whether it had any chance of accomplishing its pretended aim: to increase security of the US. To do that, the defendants would have had to prove some incremental benefit from blocking all immigration over and above the rigorous vetting that was occurring. Of course, it's nonsense that we're threatened by these legal immigrants, so the "conservative" (read, white supremacist) SCOTUS majority would have had to rule against Trump, and there was no way they were going to do that.
posted by Mental Wimp at 12:05 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
What infuriates me most about the reverse engineering on the decision ("well, even though Trump said it was a Muslim ban, it's plausible it might not be, so it isn't") is that they didn't even consider whether it had any chance of accomplishing its pretended aim: to increase security of the US. To do that, the defendants would have had to prove some incremental benefit from blocking all immigration over and above the rigorous vetting that was occurring. Of course, it's nonsense that we're threatened by these legal immigrants, so the "conservative" (read, white supremacist) SCOTUS majority would have had to rule against Trump, and there was no way they were going to do that.
posted by Mental Wimp at 12:05 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Rust Moranis: TRUMP says U.S. immigration policy should simply be: "YOU CAN'T COME IN." He just told members of Congress that the US immigration policy right now is a "hodgepodge of laws." "It’s so simple. It’s called, 'I’m sorry you can’t come in.'"
Liberty Enlightening the World could be retrofitted with a giant STOP sign, and "The New Colossus" could be covered up with "I'm Sorry You Can't Come In" -Donald Trump, with a hastily erected statue of SHS with a speaker repeating "We're simply out of resources" (which is what she said about flopping on the earlier stated end to the "zero tolerance" policy).
posted by filthy light thief at 12:07 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Liberty Enlightening the World could be retrofitted with a giant STOP sign, and "The New Colossus" could be covered up with "I'm Sorry You Can't Come In" -Donald Trump, with a hastily erected statue of SHS with a speaker repeating "We're simply out of resources" (which is what she said about flopping on the earlier stated end to the "zero tolerance" policy).
posted by filthy light thief at 12:07 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
A small bit of good news: The city council of the town next to mine voted unanimously to cancel ICE's bed rental contract with the municipal jail last night. People have been pressing the council on this for months. The council meeting started with them considering an amendment to the contract to only lease the jail beds for detainees charged with suspected felonies / serious misdemeanors and ended with them canceling the contract altogether.
posted by bassooner at 12:11 PM on June 26, 2018 [42 favorites]
posted by bassooner at 12:11 PM on June 26, 2018 [42 favorites]
The New, New Colossus
“Keep, ancient shitholes, your storied filth!” cries she
With silent lips. “Keep your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost back,
I snuff my lamp beside the iron door!”
posted by Mental Wimp at 12:11 PM on June 26, 2018 [26 favorites]
“Keep, ancient shitholes, your storied filth!” cries she
With silent lips. “Keep your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost back,
I snuff my lamp beside the iron door!”
posted by Mental Wimp at 12:11 PM on June 26, 2018 [26 favorites]
TRUMP says U.S. immigration policy should simply be: "YOU CAN'T COME IN." He just told members of Congress that the US immigration policy right now is a "hodgepodge of laws." "It’s so simple. It’s called, 'I’m sorry you can’t come in.'"
THIS IS THE US LAW RIGHT NOW.
I repeat my statement from the previous thread. There are three ways to get into the US legally:
1) Be elite. (Internationally renowned or extraordinarily rich)
2) Marry an American (still not a guarantee).
3) Win a lottery, H-1B or DV.
Any other way to get into the US is just temporary. You're going to get sent home after you stop being useful to us. H-2A? You're temporary. J-1? We give you a year after we train you to maybe find a H-1B and then you're gone. There is no real skilled worker migration program for the United States like, say, EVERY OTHER DEVELOPED FUCKING COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
Everything about the US immigration system is about legally (as possible) traversing a map that's literally labeled "HERE BE DRAGONS" and letting a trickle of the most elite people in the world take up residence, some spouses, and a lucky hundred thousand or so, give or take. The United States has a net migration rate of somewhere around 3 per thousand. This is about half the migration rates of countries like Canada and Australia.
The system has literally routed around the economic damage caused by prejudice in our legal immigration systems to use undocumented workers for labor.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 12:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [36 favorites]
THIS IS THE US LAW RIGHT NOW.
I repeat my statement from the previous thread. There are three ways to get into the US legally:
1) Be elite. (Internationally renowned or extraordinarily rich)
2) Marry an American (still not a guarantee).
3) Win a lottery, H-1B or DV.
Any other way to get into the US is just temporary. You're going to get sent home after you stop being useful to us. H-2A? You're temporary. J-1? We give you a year after we train you to maybe find a H-1B and then you're gone. There is no real skilled worker migration program for the United States like, say, EVERY OTHER DEVELOPED FUCKING COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
Everything about the US immigration system is about legally (as possible) traversing a map that's literally labeled "HERE BE DRAGONS" and letting a trickle of the most elite people in the world take up residence, some spouses, and a lucky hundred thousand or so, give or take. The United States has a net migration rate of somewhere around 3 per thousand. This is about half the migration rates of countries like Canada and Australia.
The system has literally routed around the economic damage caused by prejudice in our legal immigration systems to use undocumented workers for labor.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 12:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [36 favorites]
4) Be a refugee.
posted by Mental Wimp at 12:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Mental Wimp at 12:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
From Pramila Jayapal:
BREAKING: I am very proud to be the first sitting member of Congress whose campaign workers have unionized (with @CWG_Workers!). Unions give workers a critical voice and they are the backbone of our middle class, and I hope we can be a model for campaigns throughout the country.
Changing my vote to Jayapal/Harris 2020.
posted by Sophie1 at 12:37 PM on June 26, 2018 [52 favorites]
BREAKING: I am very proud to be the first sitting member of Congress whose campaign workers have unionized (with @CWG_Workers!). Unions give workers a critical voice and they are the backbone of our middle class, and I hope we can be a model for campaigns throughout the country.
Changing my vote to Jayapal/Harris 2020.
posted by Sophie1 at 12:37 PM on June 26, 2018 [52 favorites]
4) Be a refugee.
Not anymore. We had 11 Syrian refugees admitted YTD back in April.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 12:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Not anymore. We had 11 Syrian refugees admitted YTD back in April.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 12:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Milo Yiannopoulos Encourages Vigilantes to Start ‘Gunning Journalists Down’
Milo Yiannopoulos has started issuing reporters threatening messages when asked to comment for stories. “I can’t wait for the vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight,” the right-wing nationalist told Observer over text message, in response to a longer feature in development about an Upper East Side restaurant he is said to frequent.
Terroristic threats? That's a deporterin'.
posted by Rust Moranis at 12:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [72 favorites]
Milo Yiannopoulos has started issuing reporters threatening messages when asked to comment for stories. “I can’t wait for the vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight,” the right-wing nationalist told Observer over text message, in response to a longer feature in development about an Upper East Side restaurant he is said to frequent.
Terroristic threats? That's a deporterin'.
posted by Rust Moranis at 12:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [72 favorites]
This whole thing affects students and scientists so much. I can think of three people known to me from "Muslim-ban" countries who will basically have to choose between finishing their studies here without going home to see their parents for years or abandoning their studies, and if they hit any funding or visa snags while they're here, that will be it for them. Not to mention the people from Muslim countries who are post-docs or staff scientists who are long-term residents who basically can't go home if they ever want to come back to their jobs. I mean, these are people that I literally know, some of them people whose visas I actually worked on to get them here. The actual best people.
And all my Somali neighbors who would like, eg, to bring family members to join them, or go see relatives in Somalia or neighboring regions. This is a blow against my neighborhood, mostly applauded by garbage humans who have never even met a Muslim.
I think of all the nice, everyday people whose lives are thrown into chaos by this - it's just garbage, and I'm supposed to go about my life as if this country weren't burning down around our ears.
I mean, this really is war, it's internal war, information war, stochastic war. It's not going to look like two armies.
posted by Frowner at 12:41 PM on June 26, 2018 [82 favorites]
And all my Somali neighbors who would like, eg, to bring family members to join them, or go see relatives in Somalia or neighboring regions. This is a blow against my neighborhood, mostly applauded by garbage humans who have never even met a Muslim.
I think of all the nice, everyday people whose lives are thrown into chaos by this - it's just garbage, and I'm supposed to go about my life as if this country weren't burning down around our ears.
I mean, this really is war, it's internal war, information war, stochastic war. It's not going to look like two armies.
posted by Frowner at 12:41 PM on June 26, 2018 [82 favorites]
US immigration law has always, paradoxically, stacked the decks against immigrants. Quotas and bans happened in the 19th and 20th centuries. Racism and ignorance was rampant back then, too.
The current situation isn't all that much different than it was a century or more ago, when US banned Asian immigrants from citizenship and set quotas on whether or not and how long they and other groups could stay in the country.
History is repeating itself, as it often does.
posted by zarq at 12:41 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
The current situation isn't all that much different than it was a century or more ago, when US banned Asian immigrants from citizenship and set quotas on whether or not and how long they and other groups could stay in the country.
History is repeating itself, as it often does.
According to Pew Research Center studies, in less than 40 years, there will be no ethnic majority group in the U.S., and by 2065, Asians are projected to become the largest immigrant group.but Trump's immigration plans could keep whites in the U.S. majority for up to five more years. That's not a coincidence.
posted by zarq at 12:41 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
Just gonna paste here what I sent to Dick Durbin, my senator, because if I hafta shout into the void, at least I'm gonna do it loudly:
Please convey to your colleagues Pelosi and Schumer my deep dissatisfaction with their condemnation of Maxine Waters's call for public shunning of members of the Trump administration. This is not a normal presidency, and children are in cages. Don't act like "civility" will save us. You want Dems fired up to vote in November? You guys are gonna need to start showing a lot more fire yourselves, not this namby-pamby "let the monsters eat in peace" crap.
Yrs, etc
posted by salix at 12:41 PM on June 26, 2018 [57 favorites]
Please convey to your colleagues Pelosi and Schumer my deep dissatisfaction with their condemnation of Maxine Waters's call for public shunning of members of the Trump administration. This is not a normal presidency, and children are in cages. Don't act like "civility" will save us. You want Dems fired up to vote in November? You guys are gonna need to start showing a lot more fire yourselves, not this namby-pamby "let the monsters eat in peace" crap.
Yrs, etc
posted by salix at 12:41 PM on June 26, 2018 [57 favorites]
Michael Bloomberg is considering running in 2020 as a Democrat. At the end of his second term he would be 86 years old. So would Joe Biden. Bernie Sanders would be 87. I feel strongly that these gentlemen would be better off endorsing and campaigning for candidates they support rather than running for President themselves.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:43 PM on June 26, 2018 [89 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 12:43 PM on June 26, 2018 [89 favorites]
This whole thing affects students and scientists so much.
I need to talk to my boss about setting up a satellite office in Halifax because of this shit.
posted by ocschwar at 12:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
I need to talk to my boss about setting up a satellite office in Halifax because of this shit.
posted by ocschwar at 12:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
@LisaDNews: HHS WOULD NOT ANSWER: - ! If they are STILL receiving kids who are being separated from their parents.! (I asked 3 times.) - What ages the kids are and why they have not answered that question tho many of us have asked it for over a week.
@jacobsoboroff: .@HHSGov also says they still have 2,047 separated children in their custody. That means since the last update over the weekend, only *six* separated kids have been reunited with their parents.
Unless they are STILL adding more separated children, which they refuse to answer.
These don't seem like unreasonable questions.
Of course there's no WH press briefing today. Sanders was going to appear on Fox News anyway, but someone deleted that tweet after people pointed out that she was talking to Fox and not the public.
posted by zachlipton at 12:51 PM on June 26, 2018 [37 favorites]
@jacobsoboroff: .@HHSGov also says they still have 2,047 separated children in their custody. That means since the last update over the weekend, only *six* separated kids have been reunited with their parents.
Unless they are STILL adding more separated children, which they refuse to answer.
These don't seem like unreasonable questions.
Of course there's no WH press briefing today. Sanders was going to appear on Fox News anyway, but someone deleted that tweet after people pointed out that she was talking to Fox and not the public.
posted by zachlipton at 12:51 PM on June 26, 2018 [37 favorites]
Trump, just now talking about laying telephone line on a battlefield: "That was a long time ago, before we have what we have today, called a cellophone"
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 12:51 PM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 12:51 PM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Of course there's no WH press briefing today. Sanders was going to appear on Fox News anyway, but someone deleted that tweet after people pointed out that she was talking to Fox and not the public.
I'm legitimately surprised by this. After the Supreme Court fuckery today I thought they'd want to get up on the podium for a victory lap in front of a press room that would undoubtedly focus on that as the news of the day. I can only hope this means the press room really is focused more on the internment issue and the White House still doesn't want to face them on it.
Or maybe they're just not planning to do press conferences anymore because somebody asked SHS if she had any empathy.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 12:57 PM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
I'm legitimately surprised by this. After the Supreme Court fuckery today I thought they'd want to get up on the podium for a victory lap in front of a press room that would undoubtedly focus on that as the news of the day. I can only hope this means the press room really is focused more on the internment issue and the White House still doesn't want to face them on it.
Or maybe they're just not planning to do press conferences anymore because somebody asked SHS if she had any empathy.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 12:57 PM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
@jacobsoboroff: .@HHSGov also says they still have 2,047 separated children in their custody. That means since the last update over the weekend, only *six* separated kids have been reunited with their parents.
See also: The Trump administration says it has reunited more than 500 families. One legal group in Texas has confirmed 4 cases.
I think that range is accurate.
posted by Rust Moranis at 12:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [32 favorites]
See also: The Trump administration says it has reunited more than 500 families. One legal group in Texas has confirmed 4 cases.
I think that range is accurate.
posted by Rust Moranis at 12:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [32 favorites]
So, I just sent Chuck Schumer an email (the bits about meeting him are true, BTW):
I have been a supporter of yours for several years, and had the honor of meeting you in person at a fundraiser back in 1998. I believe that the event was hosted by a friend of yours, [name redacted]; at the time I was his executive assistant.posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [79 favorites]
However, 20 years later, I find myself questioning my support. Recently you chastised Senator Maxine Waters, stating that her advocating civil disobedience was "Un-American."
Senator Schumer: at a time when the current administration is violating the First Amendment through the implementation of travel bans against Muslim-majority nations, asylum seekers are having their children forcibly removed from them, and there is an ongoing investigation of a foreign country's involvement in our last presidential election, civil disobedience against those who perpetrate crimes against our government is not only not "unAmerican" - it is ESSENTIAL AND NECESSARY.
I urge you to heed the wishes of your constituency and actually stand up to this assault on our government. It is what I elected you for in 1998 (you may recall at that meeting, a friend of mine congratulated you for voting against Bill Clinton's impeachment three times), it is what I have been electing you for ever since. Please give me a reason to re-elect you now.
Here's a video of Elaine Cho protecting Mitch McConnell from protestors (who were not being violent)
posted by Brainy at 1:01 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by Brainy at 1:01 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
But of course Trump Nazi's aren't even good at the things the Nazis did well; their record keeping sucks.
Y’all still don’t get it, do you? The Nazi’s meticulous record keeping came back to bite them in the ass at Nuremberg. Records keep people accountable.
They’re doing this intentionally.
posted by joedan at 1:10 PM on June 26, 2018 [69 favorites]
Y’all still don’t get it, do you? The Nazi’s meticulous record keeping came back to bite them in the ass at Nuremberg. Records keep people accountable.
They’re doing this intentionally.
posted by joedan at 1:10 PM on June 26, 2018 [69 favorites]
June 26, 2018 - Kaine Up 18 Points In Virginia U.S. Senate Race, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters Have Almost 2-1 Negative View Of GOP
me
posted by Jacqueline at 1:15 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
me
posted by Jacqueline at 1:15 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
In today's leopard eating faces news:
posted by fluttering hellfire at 1:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [33 favorites]
At the beginning of June, the Mid Continent Nail Corporation in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, had more than 500 employees. But Donald Trump’s recent updates to tariffs on steel goods caused the company to lose 50 percent of its business in two weeks and forced the factory to lay off 60 temporary workers. Newsweek reports that the business may be forced to cut 200 additional jobs by the end of next month.LOL
Mid Continent imports its steel from Deacero, its own parent company located in Mexico. That steel is now subject to a 25 percent tax. Bosses are hoping that the U.S. Commerce Department will expedite a tariff exclusion on steel wire. Soon. Though the nail company is one of the largest employers in the Ozark foothills, CNN Money reports that the business is “on the brink of extinction.” If things continue along this same path, the company could be completely shut down by Labor Day, with all 500 jobs lost.
Donald Trump won 56.4 percent of the vote in Missouri, with Hillary Clinton taking just under 38 percent. In Cape Girardeau County, Trump's percentage of the vote grew to 72 percent; in Butler County, which includes Poplar Bluff and the Mid Continent factory, he won support from 79.1 percent of voters.
posted by fluttering hellfire at 1:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [33 favorites]
Some backstory from Mike Masnick (the Techdirt editor) on that Mercer role-playing game: I Helped Design The Election Simulation 'Parlor Game' Rebekah Mercer Got, And It's Not What You Think. This is a really weird story.
posted by zachlipton at 1:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by zachlipton at 1:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
More good polling news for Ds today.
NBC News/Marist Polls:
FL Sen:
Bill Nelson (D) 49%
Rick Scott (R) 45%
AZ Sen:
Kyrsten Sinema (D) leads all GOP candidates by double digits
Sinema leads Arpaio by +25
Leads McSally by +11
Leads Ward +10
OH Sen:
Sherrod Brown (D) 51%
Jim Renacci (R) 38%
posted by chris24 at 1:28 PM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
NBC News/Marist Polls:
FL Sen:
Bill Nelson (D) 49%
Rick Scott (R) 45%
AZ Sen:
Kyrsten Sinema (D) leads all GOP candidates by double digits
Sinema leads Arpaio by +25
Leads McSally by +11
Leads Ward +10
OH Sen:
Sherrod Brown (D) 51%
Jim Renacci (R) 38%
posted by chris24 at 1:28 PM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
I'd just like you all to take a brief moment to enjoy this campaign ad by County Executive candidate George Leventhal for Montgomery County in Maryland. I'm not voting for him, but also the ad did not affect my decision.
posted by numaner at 1:28 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by numaner at 1:28 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
The Guardian: Seventeen states sue trump administration over family separations:
In the court filing on Tuesday in the US district court in Seattle, the states contended that the administration’s policy deprives parents and children of due process and denies immigrants fleeing violence the right to apply for asylum.
“The administration’s practice of separating families is cruel, plain and simple,” the New Jersey attorney general, Gurbir Grewal, said in an emailed statement. “Every day, it seems like the administration is issuing new, contradictory policies and relying on new, contradictory justifications. But we can’t forget: the lives of real people hang in the balance.”
Edited to add from CNBC:
The states that sued are Massachusetts, California, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
posted by Emmy Rae at 1:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
In the court filing on Tuesday in the US district court in Seattle, the states contended that the administration’s policy deprives parents and children of due process and denies immigrants fleeing violence the right to apply for asylum.
“The administration’s practice of separating families is cruel, plain and simple,” the New Jersey attorney general, Gurbir Grewal, said in an emailed statement. “Every day, it seems like the administration is issuing new, contradictory policies and relying on new, contradictory justifications. But we can’t forget: the lives of real people hang in the balance.”
Edited to add from CNBC:
The states that sued are Massachusetts, California, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
posted by Emmy Rae at 1:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
Trump's immigration plans could keep whites in the U.S. majority for up to five more years. That's not a coincidence.
The GOP is banking on remaining relevant for five more years thanks to Trump, and at which point they should be overwhelmed and voted out of power in increasing numbers ...
... Or they could pay heed to Post-2012 Election "Autopsy" (officially its "Growth and Opportunity Project") report, which as noted in that Washington Post article, strongly calls out the following:
And this is old news now, but Sally Bradshaw, a veteran Republican official and a longtime aide to Jeb Bush and George H.W. Bush, co-authored the Republican National Committee’s “autopsy” report, which many in the party ignored, despite its worthwhile recommendations, parted ways with her party when she said she couldn't back Trump
Too bad she couldn't sway the GOP to be even a bit more forward-looking.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
The GOP is banking on remaining relevant for five more years thanks to Trump, and at which point they should be overwhelmed and voted out of power in increasing numbers ...
... Or they could pay heed to Post-2012 Election "Autopsy" (officially its "Growth and Opportunity Project") report, which as noted in that Washington Post article, strongly calls out the following:
We are not a policy committee, but among the steps Republicans take in the Hispanic community and beyond, we must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform. If we do not, our Party’s appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only. We also believe that comprehensive immigration reform is consistent with Republican economic policies that promote job growth and opportunity for all.How long will voter intimidation, disenfranchisement, racism and xenophobia keep the party afloat? Another 5 years?
And this is old news now, but Sally Bradshaw, a veteran Republican official and a longtime aide to Jeb Bush and George H.W. Bush, co-authored the Republican National Committee’s “autopsy” report, which many in the party ignored, despite its worthwhile recommendations, parted ways with her party when she said she couldn't back Trump
Bradshaw told CNN, “As much as I don’t want another four years of (President Barack) Obama’s policies, I can’t look my children in the eye and tell them I voted for Donald Trump. I can’t tell them to love their neighbor and treat others the way they wanted to be treated, and then vote for Donald Trump. I won’t do it.”Huh, white men in power chose to not listen to the warnings of a woman? That's a shocker. But she saw what the majority of the country saw: Donald Trump is a bully who is bad for the country.
Too bad she couldn't sway the GOP to be even a bit more forward-looking.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
WaPo, Josh Rogin, Biden: European leaders reeling from Trump’s hostile behavior
Jason Rezaian (the one held by Iran for 544 days), Call Trump’s travel ban what it is: an Iran ban
In lighter news, the Mayor of Warren, Michigan does not want to talk to you while he's jogging, and he'd appreciate it if you'd stop harassing him about the Post Office.
posted by zachlipton at 1:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
One European diplomat told me that in a private White House meeting in March, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven explained to Trump that Sweden, although not a member of NATO, partners with the alliance on a case-by-case basis. Trump responded that the United States should consider that approach. A senior administration official told me Trump was joking.I—I don't think he was. I'm also not past the whole "Swedish Prime Minister has to explain they're not NATO members" thing.
Jason Rezaian (the one held by Iran for 544 days), Call Trump’s travel ban what it is: an Iran ban
The Supreme Court decision is yet another reminder to Iranians everywhere that they have no allies — neither in their home country’s government nor in that of the United States. The sad irony is that the travel ban plays into the hands of the clerical regime that still runs the country.Unsurprisingly, Manafort has lost his motion to dismiss the Virginia indictment.
Young Iranians, in particular, have traditionally viewed the United States — a country they see as the embodiment of openness, meritocracy, and rule of law — as the antithesis of Iran’s overbearing theocracy. Now the Supreme Court has unmistakably delivered the message that Iranians don’t deserve to partake of the American Dream — even as visitors.
This week, protestors in Iran’s largest cities are once again taking to the streets to express their discontent with the dismal state of their country. And this is the moment the United States has chosen to label all of its Iranian admirers as undesirables.
The Trump administration likes to parrot the line that it supports the aspirations of Iranians to achieve a better, more democratic future for themselves. From now on, this claim stands exposed as fiction. Rest assured that the mullahs in Tehran couldn’t be happier.
In lighter news, the Mayor of Warren, Michigan does not want to talk to you while he's jogging, and he'd appreciate it if you'd stop harassing him about the Post Office.
posted by zachlipton at 1:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
Wristbands / barcodes / genetic tests, this is all just blowing my mind.
It is not like this is some insurmountable problem and the natural state of government services is ignorance and entropy! Like, there are things called records and databases (yes, I know you all know this) where when you put a child in PRISON you keep track of their name, photo, and the names and location of their parents.
It is the willful spiteful disregard and lack of care that has created this issue. It would not have happened this way but by design.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:32 PM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
It is not like this is some insurmountable problem and the natural state of government services is ignorance and entropy! Like, there are things called records and databases (yes, I know you all know this) where when you put a child in PRISON you keep track of their name, photo, and the names and location of their parents.
It is the willful spiteful disregard and lack of care that has created this issue. It would not have happened this way but by design.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:32 PM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
The United States has a net migration rate of somewhere around 3 per thousand. This is about half the migration rates of countries like Canada and Australia.
The USA takes in the most legal immigrants in absolute numbers. But in per capita terms it AFAIK just barely cracks the top 20 (which is still pretty high, just not in the higest echelon). But generally even the places that place above the USA in per capita terms, such as Canada, have stricter merit-based systems which require education and job offers even for "unskilled" worker VISAS. But the experience itself is often more unpleasant for navigating the system in the USA even though we allow far more of unskilled-type immigrants than most.
So it's a mixed bag and not as simple as "the US allows the most immigrants rah rah!" vs "the US doesn't allow as many immigrants per capita boo boo!".
that said, fuck ICE.
posted by Justinian at 1:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
The USA takes in the most legal immigrants in absolute numbers. But in per capita terms it AFAIK just barely cracks the top 20 (which is still pretty high, just not in the higest echelon). But generally even the places that place above the USA in per capita terms, such as Canada, have stricter merit-based systems which require education and job offers even for "unskilled" worker VISAS. But the experience itself is often more unpleasant for navigating the system in the USA even though we allow far more of unskilled-type immigrants than most.
So it's a mixed bag and not as simple as "the US allows the most immigrants rah rah!" vs "the US doesn't allow as many immigrants per capita boo boo!".
that said, fuck ICE.
posted by Justinian at 1:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
In my fantasy dreamworld, someone would create an app to play the audio of the children crying at the push of a button, whenever the user spotted a Trump administration official. Maybe occasionally interspersed with "shame". If it could sync the audio with other users doing the same thing, it couldn't be ignored.
Note that my fantasy dreamworld should not have a NEED for such an app, but here we are.
posted by Soliloquy at 1:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
Note that my fantasy dreamworld should not have a NEED for such an app, but here we are.
posted by Soliloquy at 1:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
at which point they should be overwhelmed and voted out of power
Not if they succeed at disenfranchising people and gaming the system. Have you not heard how many conservatives now insist "We're a republic, not a democracy?" That's because they know they are not a majority, so they don't believe, any more, in majority rule. Other than 2004 (which was special circumstances with memory of 9/11 fresh, and the Iraq war new) they have not won the popular vote in a presidential race since 1988.
They have control of all three branches of government right now, even though they did not win a majority of votes for open house or senate seats, or the presidency, in 2016.
They want a system like apartheid South Africa. Minority rule. And they are getting more and more open about saying so.
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:37 PM on June 26, 2018 [59 favorites]
Not if they succeed at disenfranchising people and gaming the system. Have you not heard how many conservatives now insist "We're a republic, not a democracy?" That's because they know they are not a majority, so they don't believe, any more, in majority rule. Other than 2004 (which was special circumstances with memory of 9/11 fresh, and the Iraq war new) they have not won the popular vote in a presidential race since 1988.
They have control of all three branches of government right now, even though they did not win a majority of votes for open house or senate seats, or the presidency, in 2016.
They want a system like apartheid South Africa. Minority rule. And they are getting more and more open about saying so.
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:37 PM on June 26, 2018 [59 favorites]
Republican National Committee’s “autopsy” report, which many in the party ignored, despite its worthwhile recommendations
They didn't ignore it, they concluded that we have to get rid of and suppress voting by all the nonwhites
posted by benzenedream at 1:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
They didn't ignore it, they concluded that we have to get rid of and suppress voting by all the nonwhites
posted by benzenedream at 1:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
FL Sen:
Bill Nelson (D) 49%
Rick Scott (R) 45%
Bill Nelson could seriously be the only Democratic Senate incumbent to lose his seat in the Trump mid-term. Imagine that being your legacy, because Nelson has done precious little else in 18 years as a wooden stiff in the Senate.
posted by T.D. Strange at 1:44 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Bill Nelson (D) 49%
Rick Scott (R) 45%
Bill Nelson could seriously be the only Democratic Senate incumbent to lose his seat in the Trump mid-term. Imagine that being your legacy, because Nelson has done precious little else in 18 years as a wooden stiff in the Senate.
posted by T.D. Strange at 1:44 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
I'd just like you all to take a brief moment to enjoy this campaign ad by County Executive candidate George Leventhal for Montgomery County in Maryland. I'm not voting for him, but also the ad did not affect my decision.
How can you not vote for him after that awesome ad?
posted by kirkaracha at 1:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
How can you not vote for him after that awesome ad?
posted by kirkaracha at 1:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Some backstory from Mike Masnick (the Techdirt editor) on that Mercer role-playing game: I Helped Design The Election Simulation 'Parlor Game' Rebekah Mercer Got, And It's Not What You Think. This is a really weird story.
Three observations. First: The designer claims that "The game was also designed to be non-partisan, and fairly balanced between the various positions and factions."
In the real world, the positions and factions are most certainly not balanced, especially when it comes to asymmetric information warfare and propaganda campaigns. If the stated goal of the game is to "help think though various scenarios of how tech and politics might mix in the future", then it is starting from an extremely faulty premise.
Second: how could AI experts not see that any simulation sufficient to game-out successful defenses to information warfare can also be used to game-out successful offensive strategies. If the game has any real-world value at all, then they need to understand that it is not somehow inherently positive or morally neutral. It could just as easily be used for evil purposes as for good. Luckily, given the first point, the game probably has very little real-world value, since it's built on an imaginary level playing field.
Third: The designer claims that "playing the actual game requires a lot more [than the Mercers had access to] -- including a bunch of facilitators who understand the game, and a backend engine that they most certainly did not have (nor would they have understood it if they had seen it)."
So what? That means it was even more of a parlor game for the super rich and not the supposed educational game that the designer claims. That seems to back up the original narrative, not debunk it.
posted by jedicus at 1:48 PM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Three observations. First: The designer claims that "The game was also designed to be non-partisan, and fairly balanced between the various positions and factions."
In the real world, the positions and factions are most certainly not balanced, especially when it comes to asymmetric information warfare and propaganda campaigns. If the stated goal of the game is to "help think though various scenarios of how tech and politics might mix in the future", then it is starting from an extremely faulty premise.
Second: how could AI experts not see that any simulation sufficient to game-out successful defenses to information warfare can also be used to game-out successful offensive strategies. If the game has any real-world value at all, then they need to understand that it is not somehow inherently positive or morally neutral. It could just as easily be used for evil purposes as for good. Luckily, given the first point, the game probably has very little real-world value, since it's built on an imaginary level playing field.
Third: The designer claims that "playing the actual game requires a lot more [than the Mercers had access to] -- including a bunch of facilitators who understand the game, and a backend engine that they most certainly did not have (nor would they have understood it if they had seen it)."
So what? That means it was even more of a parlor game for the super rich and not the supposed educational game that the designer claims. That seems to back up the original narrative, not debunk it.
posted by jedicus at 1:48 PM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Unsurprisingly, Manafort has lost his motion to dismiss the Virginia indictment.
This was the judge who earlier questioned if Mueller had authority - and who Trump... trumpeted - so perhaps not completely unsurprisingly. But we end up where even a Republican-appointed judge who was dubious completely ruled against Manafort/Trump and for Mueller.
posted by chris24 at 1:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
This was the judge who earlier questioned if Mueller had authority - and who Trump... trumpeted - so perhaps not completely unsurprisingly. But we end up where even a Republican-appointed judge who was dubious completely ruled against Manafort/Trump and for Mueller.
posted by chris24 at 1:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
The Onion: Tips For Staying Civil While Debating Child Prisons
Remind yourself that you’re just two people having a cocktail at the same D.C. party and that politics is a game to you.
posted by Rust Moranis at 2:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [62 favorites]
Remind yourself that you’re just two people having a cocktail at the same D.C. party and that politics is a game to you.
posted by Rust Moranis at 2:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [62 favorites]
The forcible relocation of U. S. citizens to concentration camps, solely and explicitly on the basis of race, is objectively unlawful and outside the scope of Presidential authority.The Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump’s travel ban isn’t a ‘Muslim ban,’ annotated
posted by kirkaracha at 2:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
From yesterday, from a tweet thread regarding the pearl-clutching over nonviolent protest: - I could go in like this, but you should just read Martin Luther King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail," which addresses precisely this point.
In 1963. It's shameful that some Americans haven't learned better in 55 years.
posted by Gelatin at 2:02 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
In 1963. It's shameful that some Americans haven't learned better in 55 years.
posted by Gelatin at 2:02 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
Imagine that being your legacy, because Nelson has done precious little else in 18 years as a wooden stiff in the Senate.
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:44 PM
Sotomayor - Yea
Kagan - Yea
ACA - Yes
Met with and would have voted for Merrick - Yea
Gorsuch Confirmation - No
ACA Repeal Vote - No
He is the ONLY Democrat elected to a statewide office in Florida. Call him a centrist democrat all you want. I'd like someone more progressive but a more progressive option doesn't exist. Christ, did you see the candidates that were run against Rubio in 2016?
posted by 6ATR at 2:08 PM on June 26, 2018 [44 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:44 PM
Sotomayor - Yea
Kagan - Yea
ACA - Yes
Met with and would have voted for Merrick - Yea
Gorsuch Confirmation - No
ACA Repeal Vote - No
He is the ONLY Democrat elected to a statewide office in Florida. Call him a centrist democrat all you want. I'd like someone more progressive but a more progressive option doesn't exist. Christ, did you see the candidates that were run against Rubio in 2016?
posted by 6ATR at 2:08 PM on June 26, 2018 [44 favorites]
From the descriptions of this "Machine Learning President" game, I suspect that it's not really accurately described as a "game" in the conventional sense (not even like a "Vampire" or "Assassins" type of parlor game). It seems to me like it was set up like more of the kind of exercise you do in a corporate training seminar to learn about lean manufacturing or agile scrum project management or whatever. But, the designers of the thing haven't actually released the thing itself yet so who knows.
posted by mhum at 2:10 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by mhum at 2:10 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Vice: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s MAGA Socks Might Have Violated Federal Law
Today, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke tweeted a photo of himself wearing “Make America Great Again!” socks. The tweet has since been deleted, and Zinke weirdly reposted a censored version, apologizing for “not realizing it had what could be viewed as a political slogan.”
posted by Rust Moranis at 2:15 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Today, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke tweeted a photo of himself wearing “Make America Great Again!” socks. The tweet has since been deleted, and Zinke weirdly reposted a censored version, apologizing for “not realizing it had what could be viewed as a political slogan.”
posted by Rust Moranis at 2:15 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
He is the ONLY Democrat elected to a statewide office in Florida. Call him a centrist democrat all you want.
Sure, I'll take 6 more years of wooden stiff voting for Democratic leadership and judges over the alternative, but he's running on no real record of doing anything and running a shitty, uninspiring and stupid campaign to augment his minimal accomplishments. Even compared to other moderate red-staters like Manchin and McCaskill, who seem to have the pulse of their state no matter how much I dislike them, Nelson decidedly does not.
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:17 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Sure, I'll take 6 more years of wooden stiff voting for Democratic leadership and judges over the alternative, but he's running on no real record of doing anything and running a shitty, uninspiring and stupid campaign to augment his minimal accomplishments. Even compared to other moderate red-staters like Manchin and McCaskill, who seem to have the pulse of their state no matter how much I dislike them, Nelson decidedly does not.
posted by T.D. Strange at 2:17 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
CNN, Manu Raju, Steve King says retweet of Nazi sympathizer's message was unintentional, won't delete tweet, in which a racist digs in.
posted by zachlipton at 2:25 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by zachlipton at 2:25 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
In 1963. It's shameful that some Americans haven't learned better in 55 years.
Or in 1849, a mere one hundred and sixty nine years ago. [previously on MeFi] (And, spoiler alert, it was about racism then, too.)
It's hard to imagine something more American than civil disobedience, but here we are.
posted by ragtag at 2:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Or in 1849, a mere one hundred and sixty nine years ago. [previously on MeFi] (And, spoiler alert, it was about racism then, too.)
It's hard to imagine something more American than civil disobedience, but here we are.
posted by ragtag at 2:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Michael Bloomberg is considering running in 2020 as a Democrat. At the end of his second term he would be 86 years old. So would Joe Biden. Bernie Sanders would be 87. I feel strongly that these gentlemen would be better off endorsing and campaigning for candidates they support rather than running for President themselves.
+infinity. And ditto the likes of Richard Painter in MN, who jumped right into an, almost certainly doomed, Senate bid as a born-again Democrat. Memo to old white former Republican guys - welcome to the blue fold, but please, serve the party before you expect it to serve you!
I don't really want to see Yet Another White Man as the Dem nominee in 2020. Unless it's Sherrod Brown or Jeff Merkley - ah hell, Ralph Northam has been knocking it out of the park lately. But women, especially, deserve better than "a bloo bloo bloo we can't affoooooord to run a woman" BS. My dream is a Gillibrand/Harris or Harris/Gillibrand ticket winning by a landslide and rubbing disgruntled #MeToo-is-Too-Far noses in it from coast to coast.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 2:28 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
+infinity. And ditto the likes of Richard Painter in MN, who jumped right into an, almost certainly doomed, Senate bid as a born-again Democrat. Memo to old white former Republican guys - welcome to the blue fold, but please, serve the party before you expect it to serve you!
I don't really want to see Yet Another White Man as the Dem nominee in 2020. Unless it's Sherrod Brown or Jeff Merkley - ah hell, Ralph Northam has been knocking it out of the park lately. But women, especially, deserve better than "a bloo bloo bloo we can't affoooooord to run a woman" BS. My dream is a Gillibrand/Harris or Harris/Gillibrand ticket winning by a landslide and rubbing disgruntled #MeToo-is-Too-Far noses in it from coast to coast.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 2:28 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
Soliloquy: Note that my fantasy dreamworld should not have a NEED for such an app, but here we are.
There's a gadget for that (Amazon link) to play back 104 seconds of audio. And there's also an app for that -- Instant Buttons: The Best Soundboard (free, Google Play store) / Custom Soundboard (free, iTunes store)
posted by filthy light thief at 2:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
There's a gadget for that (Amazon link) to play back 104 seconds of audio. And there's also an app for that -- Instant Buttons: The Best Soundboard (free, Google Play store) / Custom Soundboard (free, iTunes store)
posted by filthy light thief at 2:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Democrat Says They Should've 'Shut Down the Senate' Over GOP Blocking Obama SCOTUS Nominee.
In which we see another institutional group which made poor life decisions because they were convinced Clinton would the election and any damage could be undone once she took office. Senate Democrats join Barack Obama's administration, the news media, every single voter who got all pissy about Hillary Clinton winning the primary, and most of all James "I've made a huge mistake" Comey on that list.
tl;dr - Senate Democrats didn't go nuclear when Garland didn't get a hearing because they figured Clinton would pick someone even better. And then we all died, oh well.
posted by Justinian at 2:37 PM on June 26, 2018 [80 favorites]
In which we see another institutional group which made poor life decisions because they were convinced Clinton would the election and any damage could be undone once she took office. Senate Democrats join Barack Obama's administration, the news media, every single voter who got all pissy about Hillary Clinton winning the primary, and most of all James "I've made a huge mistake" Comey on that list.
tl;dr - Senate Democrats didn't go nuclear when Garland didn't get a hearing because they figured Clinton would pick someone even better. And then we all died, oh well.
posted by Justinian at 2:37 PM on June 26, 2018 [80 favorites]
Mari Uyehara writing for GQ: Blacklist Every Last One of Them
What the condescending, confused political establishment misses is that the restaurant industry have a duty to its immigrant community, the same men and women who harvest our tomatoes, pack our meat, pick our crab, milk our cows, clear our tables, wash our dishes, and cook our food. According to the National Restaurant Association, 23 percent of all restaurant workers in America are foreign born; Pew pegs the number of undocumented immigrants at 11 percent. Immigrant labor produces 79 percent of the country’s dairy and 1.5–2 million immigrants work in the produce industry. Farmers across the country say that Americans don’t want these jobs, but we haven’t opened up legal immigration to meet the demands of our society. Immigrants feed us by doing the work we won’t. And increasingly, they’ve been targeted by the Trump administration with systematic terrorization tactics, upending their lives, safety and families.posted by Catblack at 2:44 PM on June 26, 2018 [73 favorites]
Protestors are outside the Red Hen right now. One is carrying a "Trump is Love Sign."
The station's web site reports that Stephanie Wilkinson, co-owner of The Red Hen, has resigned as executive director of Main Street Lexington.
posted by jgirl at 2:57 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
The station's web site reports that Stephanie Wilkinson, co-owner of The Red Hen, has resigned as executive director of Main Street Lexington.
posted by jgirl at 2:57 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Soliloquy: Note that my fantasy dreamworld should not have a NEED for such an app, but here we are.
With Serval mesh networking, you could have Android phones form an ad-hoc local network, synchronize, and then hop around the room taking turns playing the file. IT would take a long time for security to identify each person whose phone is doing it, especially if the protesters are playing dumb and accusing other guests of being the ones doing it.
posted by ocschwar at 2:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
With Serval mesh networking, you could have Android phones form an ad-hoc local network, synchronize, and then hop around the room taking turns playing the file. IT would take a long time for security to identify each person whose phone is doing it, especially if the protesters are playing dumb and accusing other guests of being the ones doing it.
posted by ocschwar at 2:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Jimmy Fallon leans into Trump feud: Melania, “I don’t think your anti-bullying campaign is working”
When Fallon had Trump within arm's reach, he tousled Trump's hair like his best buddy, but now that there is a feud he takes a swing -- at his wife.
Coward.
posted by JackFlash at 2:59 PM on June 26, 2018 [54 favorites]
When Fallon had Trump within arm's reach, he tousled Trump's hair like his best buddy, but now that there is a feud he takes a swing -- at his wife.
Coward.
posted by JackFlash at 2:59 PM on June 26, 2018 [54 favorites]
Protestors are outside the Red Hen right now. One is carrying a "Trump is Love Sign."
Another is carrying a sign about God burning LGBT people so I guess it balances out.
posted by Rust Moranis at 3:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
Another is carrying a sign about God burning LGBT people so I guess it balances out.
posted by Rust Moranis at 3:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
The station's web site reports that Stephanie Wilkinson, co-owner of The Red Hen, has resigned as executive director of Main Street Lexington.
I feel bad for her. She took a stand, and she's going to be harassed for the next year. I'm sure the death threats have already started. I hope people have hooked her up with Crash Override.
posted by suelac at 3:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
I feel bad for her. She took a stand, and she's going to be harassed for the next year. I'm sure the death threats have already started. I hope people have hooked her up with Crash Override.
posted by suelac at 3:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
A man was pouring a liquid on the Red Hen, and police took him away, thankfully, according to Channel 4 in D.C.
posted by jgirl at 3:08 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by jgirl at 3:08 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Civility, always civility.
posted by Artw at 3:13 PM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by Artw at 3:13 PM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
The MBTA, the Boston-area transit system, opened bids yesterday for track and signal work on the Green Line. Per the Globe's Adam Vaccaro:
The T expected the work to be worth $66.5m, but the low bid was $74m. The difference was attributed largely to tariffs and steel prices.posted by adamg at 3:17 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
What the condescending, confused political establishment misses is that the restaurant industry have a duty to its immigrant community, the same men and women who harvest our tomatoes, pack our meat, pick our crab, milk our cows, clear our tables, wash our dishes, and cook our food. According to the National Restaurant Association, 23 percent of all restaurant workers in America are foreign born; Pew pegs the number of undocumented immigrants at 11 percent. Immigrant labor produces 79 percent of the country’s dairy and 1.5–2 million immigrants work in the produce industry. Farmers across the country say that Americans don’t want these jobs, but we haven’t opened up legal immigration to meet the demands of our society. Immigrants feed us by doing the work we won’t. And increasingly, they’ve been targeted by the Trump administration with systematic terrorization tactics, upending their lives, safety and families.
posted by Catblack at 2:44 PM on June 26 [18 favorites −] [!]
A good reminder that immigrants are absolutely necessary in all Western societies (maybe except Japan), both for the economy and for basic functionality. Ironically, considering that bus, one of the big losers of Brexit is the NHS because it is utterly dependent on immigrant workers. In the US, every link in the the food chain is dependent on immigrant workers. In the EU, for all the whining about immigration, every single aspect of the economy is dependent on immigration, which is why Merkel so innocently said "wir schaffen das". What she, and so many other politicians forget is that no one has explained to the general public how things really are. Since I'm in a positive mood today, I imagine that they consistently make this huge mistake because they forget that not everyone knows what they know, and they forget that part of their duty as leaders is to educate the public. There are other possible interpretations, of course.
When I was young, I so often speculated about how it really felt to live during the 30's. A lot of my favorite literature was from then, but still, I couldn't feel it. Now, as we are going through a very similar situation, I get how it was almost impossible to describe the emotional impact of everything collapsing at a tremendous speed around us. When we read Tucholsky or Zweig or Nordahl Grieg, it was with the hindsight of knowing that in the end, the Americans saved civilisation and democracy. The evil disappeared, and their tragic deaths seemed futile and meaningless. The drama in their books and poetry seemed slightly overwrought, even as it was fascinating. Now, as it is clear that the Americans will not be here to save us, the fear of losing everything becomes much more real. My eldest daughter recently read The World of Yesterday, and it was very clear to me that she read it much more in the spirit it was written than I did when I was her age. Which is so immensely sad, I can hardly bear it.
posted by mumimor at 3:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by Catblack at 2:44 PM on June 26 [18 favorites −] [!]
A good reminder that immigrants are absolutely necessary in all Western societies (maybe except Japan), both for the economy and for basic functionality. Ironically, considering that bus, one of the big losers of Brexit is the NHS because it is utterly dependent on immigrant workers. In the US, every link in the the food chain is dependent on immigrant workers. In the EU, for all the whining about immigration, every single aspect of the economy is dependent on immigration, which is why Merkel so innocently said "wir schaffen das". What she, and so many other politicians forget is that no one has explained to the general public how things really are. Since I'm in a positive mood today, I imagine that they consistently make this huge mistake because they forget that not everyone knows what they know, and they forget that part of their duty as leaders is to educate the public. There are other possible interpretations, of course.
When I was young, I so often speculated about how it really felt to live during the 30's. A lot of my favorite literature was from then, but still, I couldn't feel it. Now, as we are going through a very similar situation, I get how it was almost impossible to describe the emotional impact of everything collapsing at a tremendous speed around us. When we read Tucholsky or Zweig or Nordahl Grieg, it was with the hindsight of knowing that in the end, the Americans saved civilisation and democracy. The evil disappeared, and their tragic deaths seemed futile and meaningless. The drama in their books and poetry seemed slightly overwrought, even as it was fascinating. Now, as it is clear that the Americans will not be here to save us, the fear of losing everything becomes much more real. My eldest daughter recently read The World of Yesterday, and it was very clear to me that she read it much more in the spirit it was written than I did when I was her age. Which is so immensely sad, I can hardly bear it.
posted by mumimor at 3:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
So, having just voted in the Maryland primary semi-successfully, please print out an actual sample ballot for your district instead of relying on endorsement lists. The school board and party races will thank you (abstractly).
For the lesser known, down ballot races I might as well have written down Peter I Staker for Montgomery County Cricket Master.
posted by Slackermagee at 3:37 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
For the lesser known, down ballot races I might as well have written down Peter I Staker for Montgomery County Cricket Master.
posted by Slackermagee at 3:37 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
A good reminder that immigrants are absolutely necessary in all Western societies (maybe except Japan), both for the economy and for basic functionality.
Not to turn this into a derail, but the idea that Japan doesn't need foreign labor is a common misconception that fuels right-wing beliefs about the effectiveness of immigration restrictions. In particular, Japan's draconian immigration policies are exacerbating a major shortage of nursing and elder care workers.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 3:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [43 favorites]
Not to turn this into a derail, but the idea that Japan doesn't need foreign labor is a common misconception that fuels right-wing beliefs about the effectiveness of immigration restrictions. In particular, Japan's draconian immigration policies are exacerbating a major shortage of nursing and elder care workers.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 3:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [43 favorites]
Not to turn this into derail, but the idea that Japan doesn't need foreign labor is a common misconception that fuels right-wing beliefs about the effectiveness of immigration restrictions. In particular, Japan's draconian immigration policies are exacerbating a major shortage of nursing and elder care workers.
Thanks, I wasn't sure about this, but rather thought so.
posted by mumimor at 3:40 PM on June 26, 2018
Thanks, I wasn't sure about this, but rather thought so.
posted by mumimor at 3:40 PM on June 26, 2018
I haven't felt a lot of urgency to contact my senator (Schumer) since I agree with many of his stances, the Maxine Waters stuff was beyond the pale. I tried calling and didn't get through so I just sent this email:
Message Topic: Immigration
Subject: Sen Schumer's Comments on Rep Waters
Hello,
I'm writing to express my extreme displeasure at Senator Schumer's comments regarding Representative Maxine Waters' speech advocating that members of the Trump administration should be unwelcome in public because of their heinous policies.
It is remarkably spineless of Senator Schumer when, faced with literal concentration camps in our country, to make a tone argument against a member of his own party. I have been a life long member of the Democratic party and I will continue to be so, but I cannot and will not condone such pandering and false equivalences in the face of facism. Literal evil is being perpetrated by this administration. If Senator Schumer is unwilling to stand up to hatred in our country he should step down and let another Democrat who willing to do so speak up.
I eagerly await a response from the Senator apologizing for his inappropriate remarks to Representative Waters and condemning the false equivalence put forth by the Trump administration of putting children in concentration camps and being rude to those who are running the camps.
Dr. ChutneyFerret
p.s. Incidentally, I have categorized this message topic as "Immigration" because you do not have a category for "What the hell was my Senator thinking when he said that?" and immigration is the closest topic to it given the racist, xenophobic dystopia this administration is trying to drag us into. The incredibly myopic comments that are the topic of this message aside, I do appreciate when the Senator has stood up to the President and his administration.
posted by ChutneyFerret at 3:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [47 favorites]
Message Topic: Immigration
Subject: Sen Schumer's Comments on Rep Waters
Hello,
I'm writing to express my extreme displeasure at Senator Schumer's comments regarding Representative Maxine Waters' speech advocating that members of the Trump administration should be unwelcome in public because of their heinous policies.
It is remarkably spineless of Senator Schumer when, faced with literal concentration camps in our country, to make a tone argument against a member of his own party. I have been a life long member of the Democratic party and I will continue to be so, but I cannot and will not condone such pandering and false equivalences in the face of facism. Literal evil is being perpetrated by this administration. If Senator Schumer is unwilling to stand up to hatred in our country he should step down and let another Democrat who willing to do so speak up.
I eagerly await a response from the Senator apologizing for his inappropriate remarks to Representative Waters and condemning the false equivalence put forth by the Trump administration of putting children in concentration camps and being rude to those who are running the camps.
Dr. ChutneyFerret
p.s. Incidentally, I have categorized this message topic as "Immigration" because you do not have a category for "What the hell was my Senator thinking when he said that?" and immigration is the closest topic to it given the racist, xenophobic dystopia this administration is trying to drag us into. The incredibly myopic comments that are the topic of this message aside, I do appreciate when the Senator has stood up to the President and his administration.
posted by ChutneyFerret at 3:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [47 favorites]
CNN, Manu Raju, Steve King says retweet of Nazi sympathizer's message was unintentional, won't delete tweet, in which a racist digs in.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:03 PM on June 26, 2018 [37 favorites]
Asked why he wouldn't delete a message from someone who has praised Nazi Germany, King said: "Because then it'd be like I'm admitting that I did something, now I'm sorry about it. I'm not sorry. I'm human."We know it's conservative practice to never admit a mistake, but good gravy. They really are saying the quiet parts loud.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:03 PM on June 26, 2018 [37 favorites]
Daily Beast: Border Agent Threatened to Put Immigrant’s Daughter Up for Adoption, ACLU Says
Because Maria had committed a misdemeanor offense by crossing the border, she and her daughter were sent to a processing center where a CBP officer allegedly gave Maria a stark choice. (Maria is a pseudonym to protect her identity.) If she gave up her asylum claim and returned to Guatemala, she and her daughter would remain together. If she applied for asylum, on the other hand, Maria would be thrown in jail for a year and her daughter would be put up for adoption. Maria would never see her daughter again.
posted by Rust Moranis at 4:16 PM on June 26, 2018 [50 favorites]
Because Maria had committed a misdemeanor offense by crossing the border, she and her daughter were sent to a processing center where a CBP officer allegedly gave Maria a stark choice. (Maria is a pseudonym to protect her identity.) If she gave up her asylum claim and returned to Guatemala, she and her daughter would remain together. If she applied for asylum, on the other hand, Maria would be thrown in jail for a year and her daughter would be put up for adoption. Maria would never see her daughter again.
posted by Rust Moranis at 4:16 PM on June 26, 2018 [50 favorites]
Unsurprisingly, Manafort has lost his motion to dismiss the Virginia indictment.
The VA judge did ultimately rule for the government, but the order included the judge's extended and blatantly prejudicial commentary railing against Mueller himself, the appointment of Mueller to begin with, and the entire concept of Special Counsel's as 'a thing'.
Federal Judge Launches Meandering Attack On Mueller And Special Counsels
T. S. Ellis is a Republican judge appointed by Reagan.
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
The VA judge did ultimately rule for the government, but the order included the judge's extended and blatantly prejudicial commentary railing against Mueller himself, the appointment of Mueller to begin with, and the entire concept of Special Counsel's as 'a thing'.
Federal Judge Launches Meandering Attack On Mueller And Special Counsels
T. S. Ellis is a Republican judge appointed by Reagan.
posted by T.D. Strange at 4:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
Jackpot! The "Mr. President, fuck you!" staffer is an intern for one of my Senators, Maggie Hassan. Her name was immediately published by Fox News, of course, but Senator Hassan stood up for her:
I don't have accounts on any social media platforms but if the intern (a college student) needs anyone to draw aggro for her, and you're in a position to safely and productively help, please do so.
posted by XMLicious at 4:20 PM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
“This young woman immediately accepted responsibility for her actions and is facing consequences for them,” Hassan told Sean Sullivan of the Washington Post on Tuesday. “The president is doing neither.”I thanked my Senator for doing so in my email urging her to condemn Democratic Congressional leadership for their dismissal of Maxine Waters.
Hassan said taking away the Marriott’s ID badge will restrict her access to the Capitol complex for the remainder of her internship. In defending her intern, Hassan took the opportunity to criticize Trump.
“I think it’s really important to understand that this behavior shouldn’t be equated with the president’s destructive and divisive actions, like ripping health care away from people by failing to protect pre-existing conditions; going out, gutting the ACA; like separating children from their parents at our southern border,” Hassan told the Post.
I don't have accounts on any social media platforms but if the intern (a college student) needs anyone to draw aggro for her, and you're in a position to safely and productively help, please do so.
posted by XMLicious at 4:20 PM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
T. S. Ellis is a Republican judge appointed by Reagan.
He spends a lot of his ruling fellating Scalia for his lone dissent in a case decided 7-1.
"Yes, my team lost 7-1 but that bases empty homer was a thing of beauty!"
posted by Justinian at 4:21 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
He spends a lot of his ruling fellating Scalia for his lone dissent in a case decided 7-1.
"Yes, my team lost 7-1 but that bases empty homer was a thing of beauty!"
posted by Justinian at 4:21 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Senate Democrats didn't go nuclear when Garland didn't get a hearing because they figured Clinton would pick someone even better. And then we all died, oh well.
Oh, the embarrassment.
posted by The Tensor at 4:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Oh, the embarrassment.
posted by The Tensor at 4:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
“This young woman immediately accepted responsibility for her actions and is facing consequences for them,” Hassan told Sean Sullivan of the Washington Post on Tuesday. “The president is doing neither.”
Good for you, Maggie. Contrasting the minor offense of your intern to the egregious behavior of the POTUS* is the correct thing to do. Other Democrats, pay attention (I'm side-eyeing you, Chuck).
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:30 PM on June 26, 2018 [48 favorites]
Good for you, Maggie. Contrasting the minor offense of your intern to the egregious behavior of the POTUS* is the correct thing to do. Other Democrats, pay attention (I'm side-eyeing you, Chuck).
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:30 PM on June 26, 2018 [48 favorites]
“I think it’s really important to understand that this behavior shouldn’t be equated with the president’s destructive and divisive actions, like ripping health care away from people by failing to protect pre-existing conditions; going out, gutting the ACA; like separating children from their parents at our southern border,” Hassan told the Post.
Now THAT’S how you pivot from the insincere tone policing and civility concern trolling to re-focus on what’s really important!
It’s not that some folks have used crude language at you or disrupted your enchilada platter. It’s that they felt they had to because you’re actively corrupt, harming others, and abusing the public trust.
posted by darkstar at 4:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [54 favorites]
Now THAT’S how you pivot from the insincere tone policing and civility concern trolling to re-focus on what’s really important!
It’s not that some folks have used crude language at you or disrupted your enchilada platter. It’s that they felt they had to because you’re actively corrupt, harming others, and abusing the public trust.
posted by darkstar at 4:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [54 favorites]
Fuck this arsehole:
Tough words from VP Pence in Brasilia today: He told Latin American nations: "Just as the United States Respects Your Borders and Your Sovereignty, We Insist That You Respect Ours."
The first reply says it all:
Nicaragua (1912-1933)
Mexico (1914)
Haiti (1915-1934)
Dominican Republic (1916-1924)
Guatemala (1954)
Chile (1973)
Panama (1989)
cc: @VP
posted by adamvasco at 4:46 PM on June 26, 2018 [85 favorites]
Tough words from VP Pence in Brasilia today: He told Latin American nations: "Just as the United States Respects Your Borders and Your Sovereignty, We Insist That You Respect Ours."
The first reply says it all:
Nicaragua (1912-1933)
Mexico (1914)
Haiti (1915-1934)
Dominican Republic (1916-1924)
Guatemala (1954)
Chile (1973)
Panama (1989)
cc: @VP
posted by adamvasco at 4:46 PM on June 26, 2018 [85 favorites]
CNN: Sarah Sanders to receive Secret Service protection
posted by Rust Moranis at 4:49 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Rust Moranis at 4:49 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
CNN: Sarah Sanders to receive Secret Service protection
Well, it's not like the SS is out of people, or budget, what with protecting this entire cadre of traitors and con men.
And the spokesperson who needs the SS still hasn't told us #WHERE ARE THE GIRLS.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 4:53 PM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
Well, it's not like the SS is out of people, or budget, what with protecting this entire cadre of traitors and con men.
And the spokesperson who needs the SS still hasn't told us #WHERE ARE THE GIRLS.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 4:53 PM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
... because obviously the measured response to being turned away at a restaurant is to have the Secret Service there to compel those uppity waitstaff into service.
posted by Archelaus at 5:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [33 favorites]
posted by Archelaus at 5:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [33 favorites]
Sarah “I’m an honest person” Sanders, re: being asked to leave a restaurant because she lies on behalf of Trump every damn day that she bothers to show her face at the podium:
"Healthy debate on ideas and political philosophy is important, but the calls for harassment and push for any Trump supporter to avoid the public is unacceptable."
They’re never going to stop lying. Fuck their mewling cries for civility.
posted by palomar at 5:03 PM on June 26, 2018 [31 favorites]
"Healthy debate on ideas and political philosophy is important, but the calls for harassment and push for any Trump supporter to avoid the public is unacceptable."
They’re never going to stop lying. Fuck their mewling cries for civility.
posted by palomar at 5:03 PM on June 26, 2018 [31 favorites]
I’m not sure how this works - if someone denies her service do the SS shoot them? Do they get to sit at the table too? Does the public pick up their whole tab or just starters?
posted by Artw at 5:07 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Artw at 5:07 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
I’m not sure how this works - if someone denies her service do the SS shoot them?
SS's SS aren't for service-refusal, they're to keep people from harassing and embarrassing her in public and to discourage the Nielsen/Miller Mexican Restaurant treatment. A group of loud and angry people getting into her space and armed security would not necessarily mix well.
posted by Rust Moranis at 5:12 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
SS's SS aren't for service-refusal, they're to keep people from harassing and embarrassing her in public and to discourage the Nielsen/Miller Mexican Restaurant treatment. A group of loud and angry people getting into her space and armed security would not necessarily mix well.
posted by Rust Moranis at 5:12 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Not that she shouldn’t have another day in her entire life that she doesn’t have that recording of crying children played at her, but has that actually happened, to date? Quietly being refused service is the specific insult she’s suffered so far.
posted by Artw at 5:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
posted by Artw at 5:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Elizabeth Warren has posted a detailed account of what it was like in the detention center she visited. Exactly as brutal as you'd think.
posted by adamg at 5:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [50 favorites]
posted by adamg at 5:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [50 favorites]
Hi. I'm not sure if anyone has posted this yet; I'm sorry to repost if they have.
East Bay DSA is joining Families Belong Together for a protest this Saturday, June 30, at the ICE detention center in Richmond. More info here:
https://act.moveon.org/event/families-belong-together_attend1/20020/
If you need a ride I can pick you up from North Berkeley BART at 10:30 AM. Please MeMail me.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 5:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
East Bay DSA is joining Families Belong Together for a protest this Saturday, June 30, at the ICE detention center in Richmond. More info here:
https://act.moveon.org/event/families-belong-together_attend1/20020/
If you need a ride I can pick you up from North Berkeley BART at 10:30 AM. Please MeMail me.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 5:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is preparing to accelerate his probe into possible collusion between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russians who sought to interfere in the 2016 election, according to a person familiar with the investigation...He’ll be able to turn his full attention to the issue as he resolves other questions, including deciding soon whether to find that Trump sought to obstruct justice.
I'm nervous about this two-report plan. Whatever the outcome of the report on obstruction of justice is it seems likely to become a proxy for the entire investigation and diminish the importance of the report on collusion. And since the primary directive of Mueller's appointment is to "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated," it seems like that report should come first.
Also, based on the publicly-available information it seems likely that Trump obstructed justice, which was an impeachable offense for both Nixon and Clinton. So if the report says he obstructed justice do we just wait around until the Democrats (hopefully) take the House in November?
And what if the report finds he didn't obstruct justice? He'll immediately claim to be vindicated and demand the investigation be stopped, probably with universal support from Republicans.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:41 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
I'm nervous about this two-report plan. Whatever the outcome of the report on obstruction of justice is it seems likely to become a proxy for the entire investigation and diminish the importance of the report on collusion. And since the primary directive of Mueller's appointment is to "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated," it seems like that report should come first.
Also, based on the publicly-available information it seems likely that Trump obstructed justice, which was an impeachable offense for both Nixon and Clinton. So if the report says he obstructed justice do we just wait around until the Democrats (hopefully) take the House in November?
And what if the report finds he didn't obstruct justice? He'll immediately claim to be vindicated and demand the investigation be stopped, probably with universal support from Republicans.
posted by kirkaracha at 5:41 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
(Made a meetup link)
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 5:47 PM on June 26, 2018
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 5:47 PM on June 26, 2018
GUYS. Linda Sarsour (and Jess macintosh and other awesome women) was just on Chris Hayes and she referenced MLK's letter from the Birmingham Jail! Finally! Someone did it! Good on Sarsour and Hayes. For that little added frisson of awesome she specifically equated Chuck Schumer to the "white moderate" that MLK was warning us about who prefers order over justice. And it was so perfect. It's obvious to me that Hayes is on the side of the supposedly un-civil here rather than the old fuckin' white guys (and Pelosi) calling for everyone to just get along. I wish he'd just say it out loud but I suppose he doesn't do that sort of commentary often and lets his guests do it for him.
All of these people should know better. Schumer. Pelosi. Dan Rather was spouting nonsense about civility on CNN. Historian Douglas Brinkley, for whom I hold great respect generally, doing the same. Civility, civility, civility. People exactly like them did the same about abolition. About women's suffrage. The Civil Rights movement. The anti-Vietnam movement. OF course I support your aims but I cannot support your methods of direct action. Oh no. Just wait, be patient.
You'd think people with a great grasp of history, and I believe most of those I listed do, would see that history will not be on their side any more than it was on the side of MLK's "white moderates" during the Civil Rights era.
posted by Justinian at 5:49 PM on June 26, 2018 [72 favorites]
All of these people should know better. Schumer. Pelosi. Dan Rather was spouting nonsense about civility on CNN. Historian Douglas Brinkley, for whom I hold great respect generally, doing the same. Civility, civility, civility. People exactly like them did the same about abolition. About women's suffrage. The Civil Rights movement. The anti-Vietnam movement. OF course I support your aims but I cannot support your methods of direct action. Oh no. Just wait, be patient.
You'd think people with a great grasp of history, and I believe most of those I listed do, would see that history will not be on their side any more than it was on the side of MLK's "white moderates" during the Civil Rights era.
posted by Justinian at 5:49 PM on June 26, 2018 [72 favorites]
Jebus, seriously, this waiting on the Mueller investigation feels like when I was waiting to get the results back from my bone marrow biopsy.
I mean, I know it takes time to do it right, but aieeee, the survival of the organism may literally depend upon the results!
posted by darkstar at 5:50 PM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
I mean, I know it takes time to do it right, but aieeee, the survival of the organism may literally depend upon the results!
posted by darkstar at 5:50 PM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
There's even a bipartisan Congressional Civility Caucus, started earlier this year.
posted by jgirl at 5:56 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by jgirl at 5:56 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's obvious to me that Hayes is on the side of the supposedly un-civil here rather than the old fuckin' white guys (and Pelosi) calling for everyone to just get along. I wish he'd just say it out loud but I suppose he doesn't do that sort of commentary often and lets his guests do it for him.
He did say that people are conflating things by acting as though moral obligations and optimum political moves always coincide: a politician may well be required by a non-vestigial conscience to take an action that will immediately get them voted out of office.
posted by XMLicious at 5:56 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Chris Hayes pretty much said it on Seth Meyers.
posted by lauranesson at 6:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by lauranesson at 6:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
About civility: I don't have a single tear to shed for any inconvenience or animosity SH Sanders experiences as fallout for her job as obvious liar for hire by fascists.
But I also can't see a denial-of-service movement accomplishing anything other than shifting the national conversation from being about our governance choices towards how the Trump administration is being treated.
Ultimately private power to cause inconvenience just isn't going to do much compared to changing who's holding office. And if there's elections to be won (please, God, let it be so), I'd guess the former conversation is better.
posted by wildblueyonder at 6:08 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
But I also can't see a denial-of-service movement accomplishing anything other than shifting the national conversation from being about our governance choices towards how the Trump administration is being treated.
Ultimately private power to cause inconvenience just isn't going to do much compared to changing who's holding office. And if there's elections to be won (please, God, let it be so), I'd guess the former conversation is better.
posted by wildblueyonder at 6:08 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
At the time of separation, most of the mothers were told their children would be back. One woman had been held at "the icebox," a center that has earned its nickname for being extremely cold. When the agent came to take her child, she was told that it was just too cold for the child in the center, and that they were just going to keep the child warm until she was transferred. That was mid-June. She hasn't seen her child since.From the account by Elizabeth Warren that adamg posted upthread.
One mother had been detained with her child. They were sleeping together on the floor of one of the cages, when, at 3:00am, the guards took her away. She last saw her 7-year-old son sleeping on the floor. She cried over and over, "I never got to say goodbye. I never got to say goodbye." That was early-June, and she hasn't seen him since.
posted by joyceanmachine at 6:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [18 favorites]
I would say that there’s something to be said for making their time in office as uncomfortable and unpleasant as possible. And to say that they are being treated exactly as they are treating others.
posted by Autumnheart at 6:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by Autumnheart at 6:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
I can't look at the continued talk about civility while the family separation shit is still going on. All weekend, I thought, "The pressure on this abuse of asylum seekers is having an effect. Maybe it's only quieting because it's the weekend. Maybe it'll ramp back up on Monday."
Instead, half the volume in every discussion of politics was taken up by this civility nonsense. It's Twitter, it's Facebook, it's every little media clip I see (and no, I don't watch cable news actively, because screw that). And now it's Tuesday--late Tuesday, after the Muslim Ban decision is handed down--and there's still the same volume.
Is everyone this hung up on it? Is everyone scared to stay focused on this thing? Are we all really this ridiculous?
posted by scaryblackdeath at 6:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [27 favorites]
Instead, half the volume in every discussion of politics was taken up by this civility nonsense. It's Twitter, it's Facebook, it's every little media clip I see (and no, I don't watch cable news actively, because screw that). And now it's Tuesday--late Tuesday, after the Muslim Ban decision is handed down--and there's still the same volume.
Is everyone this hung up on it? Is everyone scared to stay focused on this thing? Are we all really this ridiculous?
posted by scaryblackdeath at 6:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [27 favorites]
Re: the "Crisis Pregnancy Center" ruling, is there some reason the real clinics can't just start advertising themselves with phrases like "We employ licensed doctors," or "we perform medical procedures" or something like that that subtly calls out the fake versions without mentioning them at all? Can they advertise with things like "make sure to ask for medical credentials at any pregnancy center" or "the only women's health center in the X area with licensed physicians"? I know the fake versions are more numerous and very willing to use deception, but is this a line they'd cross?
posted by Kitty Stardust at 6:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by Kitty Stardust at 6:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
I posted earlier today that the right complaining about the civility issue is a classic emotional abuse technique designed to throw their opponent off balance, DARVO (Deny, Accuse, Reverse Victim and Offender). It provokes a response, JADE (Justify, Argue, Defend, Explain). The purpose is to put the person on the defensive who’s calling you out on your bullshit, and to make yourself out as the victim while they question the legitimacy of their accusation.
It’s a very common and very effective psych-out. Most people fall into the trap because they don’t realize that the point of doing it isn’t to make the offender realize they’re in the wrong, but to take the spotlight off the offender and put it on the accuser.
posted by Autumnheart at 6:21 PM on June 26, 2018 [44 favorites]
It’s a very common and very effective psych-out. Most people fall into the trap because they don’t realize that the point of doing it isn’t to make the offender realize they’re in the wrong, but to take the spotlight off the offender and put it on the accuser.
posted by Autumnheart at 6:21 PM on June 26, 2018 [44 favorites]
Is everyone this hung up on it? Is everyone scared to stay focused on this thing? Are we all really this ridiculous?
Sarah Huckabee Sanders made it a thing. Fuck any other framing. She could have left quietly and shut up.
posted by dilaudid at 6:22 PM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
Sarah Huckabee Sanders made it a thing. Fuck any other framing. She could have left quietly and shut up.
posted by dilaudid at 6:22 PM on June 26, 2018 [12 favorites]
> Is everyone this hung up on it? Is everyone scared to stay focused on this thing? Are we all really this ridiculous?
Both direct action to fight the administration and political pressure on Congress are going to be necessary to put an end to this -- neither is sufficient alone -- and the civility debate has a huge impact on how effective the latter will be. If "our side" hides behind a cloak of "civility" as a means of doing nothing, then all the protest in the world short of a coup won't mean anything. Elected representatives need to understand that this is an issue that it's okay to be uncivil about, to flip the table about, to interrupt a press secretary's dinner about. I think we can walk and chew gum here.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:25 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
Both direct action to fight the administration and political pressure on Congress are going to be necessary to put an end to this -- neither is sufficient alone -- and the civility debate has a huge impact on how effective the latter will be. If "our side" hides behind a cloak of "civility" as a means of doing nothing, then all the protest in the world short of a coup won't mean anything. Elected representatives need to understand that this is an issue that it's okay to be uncivil about, to flip the table about, to interrupt a press secretary's dinner about. I think we can walk and chew gum here.
posted by tonycpsu at 6:25 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
It looks as if people are going to be employing escrache and shaming, harassing, and otherwise not permitting Republican officials to keep pretending it's all just politics as normal and we're all nice and civil.
Given that reality, the best course of action is to figure out how to steer the conversation in an America where Republicans are subject to escrache.
I think we can steer things pretty well if we try. And by "we" I mean elected Democrats and Democratic spox. The most obvious technique is to simply direct the conversation back to the cause of the loss of civility:
"It's just not right to harass Sen McConnell!"
"What's not right is Sen McConnell aiding an administration that is ripping families apart!"
The Democrats and Democratic voices have two choices: they can either embrace the Republican calls for civility and disown a movement that's sprung up organically, or they can recognize the PR gift they've been given and run with it.
Schumer and Pelosi have already started with a misstep, but that can be corrected.
posted by sotonohito at 6:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
Given that reality, the best course of action is to figure out how to steer the conversation in an America where Republicans are subject to escrache.
I think we can steer things pretty well if we try. And by "we" I mean elected Democrats and Democratic spox. The most obvious technique is to simply direct the conversation back to the cause of the loss of civility:
"It's just not right to harass Sen McConnell!"
"What's not right is Sen McConnell aiding an administration that is ripping families apart!"
The Democrats and Democratic voices have two choices: they can either embrace the Republican calls for civility and disown a movement that's sprung up organically, or they can recognize the PR gift they've been given and run with it.
Schumer and Pelosi have already started with a misstep, but that can be corrected.
posted by sotonohito at 6:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
Ocasio-Cortez over Crowley 57-43 with 82% reporting.
Still not done, but that's a hell of a lead. Wow.
I do think this is exactly what Democrats should be doing, pushing left for better candidates in primaries in districts where the demand is clearly there. I also think it's an extremely low turnout race, and I'd be cautious about generalizing it too broadly. That leftist candidates can build enthusiasm to take on an entrenched incumbent in an election designed to generate as little interest as possible to protect incumbents is a delightfully exploitable quirk of our system, but I'm not convinced it inherently proves "so goes NY-14 so goes the nation."
I very much hope she wipes the floor with him.
posted by zachlipton at 6:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [49 favorites]
Still not done, but that's a hell of a lead. Wow.
I do think this is exactly what Democrats should be doing, pushing left for better candidates in primaries in districts where the demand is clearly there. I also think it's an extremely low turnout race, and I'd be cautious about generalizing it too broadly. That leftist candidates can build enthusiasm to take on an entrenched incumbent in an election designed to generate as little interest as possible to protect incumbents is a delightfully exploitable quirk of our system, but I'm not convinced it inherently proves "so goes NY-14 so goes the nation."
I very much hope she wipes the floor with him.
posted by zachlipton at 6:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [49 favorites]
If folks are interested in the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez race, results are coming in.
Ocasio-Cortez is ahead by about 13.5% with 74% of the precincts reporting. Unless the remaining precincts are really large, Crowley would have to almost double his share of the vote to win.
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Ocasio-Cortez is ahead by about 13.5% with 74% of the precincts reporting. Unless the remaining precincts are really large, Crowley would have to almost double his share of the vote to win.
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Every time a Democrat is successfully primaried from the Left, an angel gets it's wings, a baby smiles, and a trump voter falls down a manhole.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 6:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [62 favorites]
posted by mrjohnmuller at 6:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [62 favorites]
"It's just not right to harass Sen McConnell!"
The beaufy of that argument, already used by Elaine Chao, his wife, is that it implicitly admits that the GOP's executive branch appointees are very much fair game for this now.
THank you, Mrs. Chao, the camel thanks you for letting his nose in the tent.
posted by ocschwar at 6:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
The beaufy of that argument, already used by Elaine Chao, his wife, is that it implicitly admits that the GOP's executive branch appointees are very much fair game for this now.
THank you, Mrs. Chao, the camel thanks you for letting his nose in the tent.
posted by ocschwar at 6:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Can I unfurl the red flags yet?
I want to unfurl the red flags.
posted by The Whelk at 6:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
I want to unfurl the red flags.
posted by The Whelk at 6:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
Of course they’re clutching their pearls about “civility.” It’s just like the old saying - they only call it class warfare when we fight back.
posted by azpenguin at 6:40 PM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
posted by azpenguin at 6:40 PM on June 26, 2018 [20 favorites]
Jeff Sessions Jokes About Separating Immigrant Children From Parents During L.A. Immigration Speech
The rhetoric we hear from the other side on this issue—as on many others—has become radicalized. We hear views on television today that are on the lunatic fringe frankly. And what is perhaps more galling is the hypocrisy. These same people live in gated communities many of them and are featured at events where you have to have an ID even to hear them speak. They like a little security around themselves. And if you try to scale the fence, believe me, they’ll be even too happy to have you arrested and separated from your children. They would like to see that. So they want borders in their lives but not yours. Not the American people’s. This is why the American people are sick of the lip service and the hypocrisy
Even though a few people laughed, this was no joke. Jeff Sessions is combining and conflating two invented us-vs-them dynamics (they want to invade and steal your country and the other they want to lock up your children). It's a bad combo. And remember, every goddamned insane evil thing they accuse the other side of, they believe themselves, intend to do themselves or are already doing themselves: Sessions does not want to stop at immigrant kids.
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:45 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
The rhetoric we hear from the other side on this issue—as on many others—has become radicalized. We hear views on television today that are on the lunatic fringe frankly. And what is perhaps more galling is the hypocrisy. These same people live in gated communities many of them and are featured at events where you have to have an ID even to hear them speak. They like a little security around themselves. And if you try to scale the fence, believe me, they’ll be even too happy to have you arrested and separated from your children. They would like to see that. So they want borders in their lives but not yours. Not the American people’s. This is why the American people are sick of the lip service and the hypocrisy
Even though a few people laughed, this was no joke. Jeff Sessions is combining and conflating two invented us-vs-them dynamics (they want to invade and steal your country and the other they want to lock up your children). It's a bad combo. And remember, every goddamned insane evil thing they accuse the other side of, they believe themselves, intend to do themselves or are already doing themselves: Sessions does not want to stop at immigrant kids.
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:45 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
i was so happily surprised when I tuned into the Ocasio-Cortez/Crowley results! Also Adem Bunkeddeko in my district is only narrowly behind the incumbent Yvette Clarke right now. Primaries, man.
posted by ferret branca at 6:46 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by ferret branca at 6:46 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Is everyone this hung up on it? Is everyone scared to stay focused on this thing? Are we all really this ridiculous?
Don't be fooled. It's a deliberate attempt to muddy the waters of discourse, change the topic, and defuse a potent avenue of criticism and attack. It is one of the things the conservative politico-media complex is very good at doing, and the nature of the establishment and corporate media makes it all that much easier for them. The important thing to remember is that nobody anywhere actually believes the bullshit civility argument they are making. They all know they're acting in bad faith. It's a manuever, a tactic.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 6:46 PM on June 26, 2018 [28 favorites]
Don't be fooled. It's a deliberate attempt to muddy the waters of discourse, change the topic, and defuse a potent avenue of criticism and attack. It is one of the things the conservative politico-media complex is very good at doing, and the nature of the establishment and corporate media makes it all that much easier for them. The important thing to remember is that nobody anywhere actually believes the bullshit civility argument they are making. They all know they're acting in bad faith. It's a manuever, a tactic.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 6:46 PM on June 26, 2018 [28 favorites]
With more than 80% of the vote in, a 28-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America has a double-digit lead over a 10-term incumbent who was thought to be the next Democratic leader of the House.
THE PEOPLE’S FLAG IS DEEPEST RED
posted by The Whelk at 6:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [71 favorites]
THE PEOPLE’S FLAG IS DEEPEST RED
posted by The Whelk at 6:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [71 favorites]
AP calls NY-11 (Staten Island) for Donnvan over Grimm in the GOP primary, looks like 64-36 or so. That's what the GOP is looking to see, given Grimm's, er, history
posted by zachlipton at 6:49 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by zachlipton at 6:49 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
...I also can't see a denial-of-service movement accomplishing anything other than shifting the national conversation from being about our governance choices towards how the Trump administration is being treated.
Ultimately private power to cause inconvenience just isn't going to do much compared to changing who's holding office.
Someone more familiar with this history will perhaps correct me here but I believe this is exactly what happened to Charles Boycott in the late 19th century, an English land agent in Ireland when it was still a colony of the British Empire. He is of course the reason why we have the word "boycott", the action against him was followed by land reform legislation being taken up by Parliament, and coincidentally a few decades later Ireland became an independent country. The above Wikipedia article has a quote from Charles Stewart Parnell, an MP and one of the people put on trial for conspiracy charges for organizing against Boycott:
On 19 September 1880, Parnell gave a speech in Ennis, County Clare to a crowd of Land League members. He asked the crowd, "What do you do with a tenant who bids for a farm from which his neighbour has been evicted?" The crowd responded, "kill him," "shoot him." Parnell replied:If it works against colonial overlords—and again someone may correct me, but it seems like it mattered more than just voting did at that point—I think we should not dismiss it in our situation.I wish to point out to you a very much better way – a more Christian and charitable way, which will give the lost man an opportunity of repenting. When a man takes a farm from which another has been evicted, you must shun him on the roadside when you meet him – you must shun him in the streets of the town – you must shun him in the shop – you must shun him on the fair green and in the market place, and even in the place of worship, by leaving him alone, by putting him in moral Coventry,^ by isolating him from the rest of the country, as if he were the leper of old – you must show him your detestation of the crime he committed.
posted by XMLicious at 6:50 PM on June 26, 2018 [35 favorites]
@AP_Politics: BREAKING: U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley defeated by young challenger in Democratic primary in New York.
SAY HER NAME, ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, YOU WORTHLESS WIRE SERVICE
@alykatzz: Before everyone starts drafting left-wave takes on the NY primary results: the candidate breathing down Rep. Yvette Clarke's neck has an MBA and is in favor of charter schools. Overall message is frustration with institutional Democrats.
Anyway, do itRockapella The Whelk!
posted by zachlipton at 6:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
SAY HER NAME, ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, YOU WORTHLESS WIRE SERVICE
@alykatzz: Before everyone starts drafting left-wave takes on the NY primary results: the candidate breathing down Rep. Yvette Clarke's neck has an MBA and is in favor of charter schools. Overall message is frustration with institutional Democrats.
Anyway, do it
posted by zachlipton at 6:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
Quotes from a Buzzfeed article yesterday, on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Ryan C. Brooks)
“Obviously Joe’s going to win, but she’s run a very energetic campaign and managed to gain some traction,” George Arzt, a New York political operative and Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s campaign spokesperson (who’s facing her own primary challenge), told BuzzFeed News. “The race is going to come down to turnout, and there’s no one who can get the vote turned out like the Queens Democratic Party and the Bronx Democratic Party.”posted by pjenks at 6:56 PM on June 26, 2018 [33 favorites]
“He’s the heavy favorite in the race and she’s gotten some attention from some media outlets, but it’s not sticking well enough,” said New York Democratic strategist and former aide to Kirsten Gillibrand Jon Reinish. “People in that district have been represented by Crowley for a long time. They know who he is and I think that her assertion that he’s not progressive enough falls on deaf ears.”
HASHTAG TRY SOCIALISM
HASHTAG DSAUSA.ORG SOCIALISTS.MYC
HASHTAG EVERYONE GETTING DRUNK WITH ME IS PRAXIS
posted by The Whelk at 6:56 PM on June 26, 2018 [72 favorites]
HASHTAG DSAUSA.ORG SOCIALISTS.MYC
HASHTAG EVERYONE GETTING DRUNK WITH ME IS PRAXIS
posted by The Whelk at 6:56 PM on June 26, 2018 [72 favorites]
That leftist candidates can build enthusiasm to take on an entrenched incumbent in an election designed to generate as little interest as possible to protect incumbents is a delightfully exploitable quirk of our system, but I'm not convinced it inherently proves "so goes NY-14 so goes the nation."
I mean, with all due respect, fuck that. I’m female and this is the kind of shit that makes me want to quit my day job and run too, or at the very least volunteer and/ or donate my ass off. The blue wave is the female wave and the morale boost with this one is going to be electric. She was endorsed by BROAD CITY. Badass witches, unite!
posted by robotdevil at 6:57 PM on June 26, 2018 [56 favorites]
I mean, with all due respect, fuck that. I’m female and this is the kind of shit that makes me want to quit my day job and run too, or at the very least volunteer and/ or donate my ass off. The blue wave is the female wave and the morale boost with this one is going to be electric. She was endorsed by BROAD CITY. Badass witches, unite!
posted by robotdevil at 6:57 PM on June 26, 2018 [56 favorites]
Not to abuse the edit window: hey The Whelk thanks for starting the metafilter DSA wave. Y’all made me join too!
posted by robotdevil at 6:57 PM on June 26, 2018 [24 favorites]
posted by robotdevil at 6:57 PM on June 26, 2018 [24 favorites]
COMRADES ALL!
posted by The Whelk at 7:02 PM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 7:02 PM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
TrumpsTaxes: "Um...with 41% of votes counted, Oklahoma Democrats are currently outvoting Oklahoma Republicans 140K to 137K. Democrats are also outvoting, or are tied with, Republicans in each measurable Cong District thus far.
"It's still early, but I think something is happening in Oklahoma."
posted by FelliniBlank at 7:03 PM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
"It's still early, but I think something is happening in Oklahoma."
posted by FelliniBlank at 7:03 PM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
is there some reason the real clinics can't just start advertising themselves with phrases like "We employ licensed doctors," or "we perform medical procedures" or something like that that subtly calls out the fake versions without mentioning them at all?
No reason except money -- money that is badly needed to provide medical services to those who desperately need it. Have you seen the proliferation of billboards advertising those fake pregnancy clinics? Where's the millions of dollars to combat that going to come from?
posted by JackFlash at 7:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
No reason except money -- money that is badly needed to provide medical services to those who desperately need it. Have you seen the proliferation of billboards advertising those fake pregnancy clinics? Where's the millions of dollars to combat that going to come from?
posted by JackFlash at 7:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
@alykatzz: Before everyone starts drafting left-wave takes on the NY primary results: the candidate breathing down Rep. Yvette Clarke's neck has an MBA and is in favor of charter schools. Overall message is frustration with institutional Democrats.
Worth pointing out that her challenger Adem Bunkeddeko was endorsed over Clarke by the New York Times. And looking over his campaign site, his positions are overall very leftist, with the biggest one being affordable housing (a crisis-level problem in the district).
This tweet is honestly pretty disingenuous.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Worth pointing out that her challenger Adem Bunkeddeko was endorsed over Clarke by the New York Times. And looking over his campaign site, his positions are overall very leftist, with the biggest one being affordable housing (a crisis-level problem in the district).
This tweet is honestly pretty disingenuous.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
great shot of AOC, realizing how big her lead is
posted by pjenks at 7:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [46 favorites]
posted by pjenks at 7:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [46 favorites]
And an update -- TrumpsTaxes: "And with 56% reporting Republicans are now outvoting Democrats 193K to 189K. Not surprised that they took over, but I'm still impressed."
posted by FelliniBlank at 7:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by FelliniBlank at 7:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
So, should we be civil with a man who thinks he can joke about the 1900 odd remaining kids who are crying themselves to sleep tonight?
(I'm taking an online class on rhetoric. This week's homework is on questions.)
posted by ocschwar at 7:10 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
(I'm taking an online class on rhetoric. This week's homework is on questions.)
posted by ocschwar at 7:10 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
What are you thinking tonight if you're Andrew Cuomo?
"Is there a 24 hour tattoo parlor nearby, and how big can they ink 'abolish ICE?'"
Also the look on Ocasio-Cortez's face here is beautiful.
posted by zachlipton at 7:12 PM on June 26, 2018 [37 favorites]
"Is there a 24 hour tattoo parlor nearby, and how big can they ink 'abolish ICE?'"
Also the look on Ocasio-Cortez's face here is beautiful.
posted by zachlipton at 7:12 PM on June 26, 2018 [37 favorites]
These same people live in gated communities many of
Do liberal areas even have these?? I've only encountered gated communities in Red States.
posted by ocschwar at 7:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Do liberal areas even have these?? I've only encountered gated communities in Red States.
posted by ocschwar at 7:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
I hope Schumer is watching NY-14 and quakeing in his boots. It's still 5 years from now, but remember his cowardly betrayal of Maxine Waters to carry water for Trump 24 hours before Ocasio-Cortez won. Don't forget. Don't forgive.
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:15 PM on June 26, 2018 [57 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 7:15 PM on June 26, 2018 [57 favorites]
I am busting out some sake to celebrate a huge win for the Democratic Socialists! Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rules! I'm usually so dour in these threads but tonight I party.
I'm so psyched to see the DSA continue kicking electoral ass!
posted by One Second Before Awakening at 7:15 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
I'm so psyched to see the DSA continue kicking electoral ass!
posted by One Second Before Awakening at 7:15 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
It looks to me like the shitty anti-democratic pro-incumbency low-turnout model New York pol system of holding the primaries for Federal stuff and state stuff on different days has come back to bite incumbents in the ass. Good. If you institute shitty anti-democratic low-turnout systems you deserve to lose because of them.
posted by Justinian at 7:16 PM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 7:16 PM on June 26, 2018 [29 favorites]
Do liberal areas even have these?? I've only encountered gated communities in Red States.
There are gated communities in California. In the red parts.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:17 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
There are gated communities in California. In the red parts.
posted by kirkaracha at 7:17 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
There are gated communities in Washington state, just not many. They’re not a liberal/conservative thing, they’re a rich/not rich thing.
posted by palomar at 7:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
posted by palomar at 7:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
I’m blasting the red flag and forming emails and texts like HEY GUESS WHAT MOTHERFARCKER
posted by The Whelk at 7:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 7:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
The worst take, from someone who doesn't seem to have been told anything about what just happened. @realDonaldTrump: Wow! Big Trump Hater Congressman Joe Crowley, who many expected was going to take Nancy Pelosi’s place, just LOST his primary election. In other words, he’s out! That is a big one that nobody saw happening. Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!
Counterpoint, from the next Congresswoman from NY-14 [in the past, not an immediate response or anything], who does know what she's talking about: “When I stick to my issues it's clear I'm fighting Trump without having to mention his Twitter. This guy is gross, offensive in every way & he's going to be a bad person seven days a week. If we focus on his messaging, the only thing it's going to do is erode our mental health.”
posted by zachlipton at 7:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [58 favorites]
Counterpoint, from the next Congresswoman from NY-14 [in the past, not an immediate response or anything], who does know what she's talking about: “When I stick to my issues it's clear I'm fighting Trump without having to mention his Twitter. This guy is gross, offensive in every way & he's going to be a bad person seven days a week. If we focus on his messaging, the only thing it's going to do is erode our mental health.”
posted by zachlipton at 7:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [58 favorites]
I have to imagine that the hastily called meetings at the DNC and DCCC are going to be quite interesting tomorrow.
posted by azpenguin at 7:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by azpenguin at 7:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
I have to imagine that the hastily called meetings at the DNC and DCCC are going to be quite interesting tomorrow.
"Let's go over all the reasons why this was a total fluke and in no way indicative of anything whatsoever, ok good talk guys"
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [49 favorites]
"Let's go over all the reasons why this was a total fluke and in no way indicative of anything whatsoever, ok good talk guys"
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [49 favorites]
"Let's go over all the reasons why this was a total fluke and in no way indicative of anything whatsoever, ok good talk guys"
It's clearly not a fluke but it does seem like something different is happening in New York than happened in that other large liberal bastion, California. Establishment types did quite well here. Why the disconnect? Better challengers in NY? The top-two jungle primary in CA spooking voters into tactical voting?
Unclear.
posted by Justinian at 7:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
It's clearly not a fluke but it does seem like something different is happening in New York than happened in that other large liberal bastion, California. Establishment types did quite well here. Why the disconnect? Better challengers in NY? The top-two jungle primary in CA spooking voters into tactical voting?
Unclear.
posted by Justinian at 7:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Latest trump tweet:
He really has no fucking clue about politics.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 7:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
He really has no fucking clue about politics.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 7:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
Relentless Street game from Ocasio-Cortez , plus apparent sloth/arrogance from Crowley.
What I want to know is : where were his union/machine people? That's meant to be the thing that was impossible to beat....
posted by lalochezia at 7:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
What I want to know is : where were his union/machine people? That's meant to be the thing that was impossible to beat....
posted by lalochezia at 7:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
I am totally ready to sit across a table from Sarah Sanders and have her talk to me openly and honestly. If she can split a muffin with me and try to justify Trump's lies, well, more power to her. But I am ready to look her in the eye right now and declare SHAME. SHAME for all your lies that have cost this country so much. SHAME! I don't care where you eat or who you choose to dine with. SHAME for all the sickness you have brought upon us.
posted by SPrintF at 7:40 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by SPrintF at 7:40 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
@freedlander: [Video, cw: Congressman singing] Crowley closes out with a performance of Born to Run dedicated to @Ocasio2018
Other races:
Oklahoma passed medical marijuana
Romney wins the Utah GOP primary
NY-9: Rep. Clarke expanded her lead to 656 votes, with 93% reporting.
NY-23 (Tom Reed's district): Still a close race here between Tracy Mitrano and Max Della Pia. All I know about this race is that Mitrano is the person who used to send bulk all-caps emails telling us not to pirate stuff when I was in college, and the guy who played Martok on DS9 (and, on a separate occasion, drove me to drink) is running as an independent. Do people have any picks here?
Maryland Governor: AP calling it for former NAACP head Ben Jealous with 39%, a strong lead over 2nd place candidate Rushern Baker (30%) in a very crowded field, with 73% reporting. Read more about Jealous; this will be a race to watch.
posted by zachlipton at 7:42 PM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
Other races:
Oklahoma passed medical marijuana
Romney wins the Utah GOP primary
NY-9: Rep. Clarke expanded her lead to 656 votes, with 93% reporting.
NY-23 (Tom Reed's district): Still a close race here between Tracy Mitrano and Max Della Pia. All I know about this race is that Mitrano is the person who used to send bulk all-caps emails telling us not to pirate stuff when I was in college, and the guy who played Martok on DS9 (and, on a separate occasion, drove me to drink) is running as an independent. Do people have any picks here?
Maryland Governor: AP calling it for former NAACP head Ben Jealous with 39%, a strong lead over 2nd place candidate Rushern Baker (30%) in a very crowded field, with 73% reporting. Read more about Jealous; this will be a race to watch.
posted by zachlipton at 7:42 PM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
Relentless Street game from Ocasio-Cortez , plus apparent sloth/arrogance from Crowley.
It's not like Crowley had a bad voting record either. 4% from Club For Growth, 3% from AFP so the libertarian billionaires hate him which is always a good sign.
In my (bad) opinion I'd say populism with a mix of visibility and perception.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 7:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's not like Crowley had a bad voting record either. 4% from Club For Growth, 3% from AFP so the libertarian billionaires hate him which is always a good sign.
In my (bad) opinion I'd say populism with a mix of visibility and perception.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 7:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Ocasio-Cortez winning is WILD.
posted by rorgy at 7:48 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by rorgy at 7:48 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
This is another good article on Ben Jealous, it will be a race to watch.
posted by peeedro at 7:56 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by peeedro at 7:56 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
“The last time Mr. Crowley, 56, even had a primary challenger, in 2004, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez was not old enough to vote.” (NYT)
posted by Barack Spinoza at 7:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Barack Spinoza at 7:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
It's not like Crowley had a bad voting record either.
That's kind of the bare minimum you'd expect from the representative of one of the most heavily Democratic districts in the country, though.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
That's kind of the bare minimum you'd expect from the representative of one of the most heavily Democratic districts in the country, though.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
I was going to make a comment about him suffering from the disadvantage of being yet another bland old corporate-friendly white dude... except he's 56 which makes him a baby in Democratic leadership. That in and of itself is a problem, obviously. Democratic Leadership shouldn't share a mailing list with AARP.
posted by Justinian at 8:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 8:00 PM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Trump is retweeting a ton of nonsense, even by his usual standards.
WaPo, Gregory S. Schneider, Outside the Red Hen, fire and ire on social media come to life
Civility.
posted by zachlipton at 8:07 PM on June 26, 2018 [69 favorites]
WaPo, Gregory S. Schneider, Outside the Red Hen, fire and ire on social media come to life
The quaint red restaurant, its dirty green awnings made famous by a disapproving tweet Monday from President Trump, was scheduled to open for dinner service at 5 p.m. Protesters began showing up around 3.The article goes on to explain that people with extremely homophobic banners showed up, causing the Confederate flag wavers to cross the street because "We don’t want anything to do with that crazy religious bigot stuff."
At first, it was just two guys holding Trump banners, a Confederate flag and a Corey Stewart for U.S. Senate sign. Standing in a steady rain, mobbed by three or four TV crews who had been stationed across from the darkened restaurant since morning, the pair said they were there to call for civility.
“Just to let these people know that we don’t appreciate their communism and their kicking out our public servant,” said Chris Wayne, 35, of Monterey, a mountain hamlet about an hour north of Lexington.
Wayne gave his occupation as “vigilante” — he pointed to the “VGL-NTE” license plates of his red Ford Super Duty pickup — and said that “politics shouldn’t decide whether you can eat dinner or not.
...
Soon, the police showed up to tell Orea he could yell, but he was going to have to put down the bullhorn. A ponytailed man came up with a bucket of chicken manure and dumped it on the corner in front of the Red Hen and was promptly arrested. More patrol cars arrived and blocked off the street in the town of 7,000.
Civility.
posted by zachlipton at 8:07 PM on June 26, 2018 [69 favorites]
Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!
This is the correct take. The ten-term Democratic Congressman lost his Democratic Primary election to a Democratic Socialist because he was insufficiently nice and respectful to Donald Trump.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:11 PM on June 26, 2018 [67 favorites]
This is the correct take. The ten-term Democratic Congressman lost his Democratic Primary election to a Democratic Socialist because he was insufficiently nice and respectful to Donald Trump.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:11 PM on June 26, 2018 [67 favorites]
If trump thinks that the equivalent of Boss Tweed was disrespectful, just wait until he gets a taste of the DSA.
Regardless, this should be a clear signal to the tired Democratic establishment that ground game and exciting political messaging that doesn't come hand delivered from Chase Bank are what will win elections.
posted by codacorolla at 8:16 PM on June 26, 2018 [27 favorites]
Regardless, this should be a clear signal to the tired Democratic establishment that ground game and exciting political messaging that doesn't come hand delivered from Chase Bank are what will win elections.
posted by codacorolla at 8:16 PM on June 26, 2018 [27 favorites]
In other good news, newly minted alt-right gal pal, Chelsea Manning is struggling to crack 5% in her primary.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:17 PM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:17 PM on June 26, 2018 [25 favorites]
I was going to make a comment about him suffering from the disadvantage of being yet another bland old corporate-friendly white dude... except he's 56 which makes him a baby in Democratic leadership. That in and of itself is a problem, obviously. Democratic Leadership shouldn't share a mailing list with AARP.
Crowley loss does not sound like a win for Pelosi/Hoyer.
It sounds like Taps for the whole Dem hierarchy.
Wake-up call for a party that has put off a generational change for too long
Ben Jacobs: Incumbents in Maryland got killed tonight. Joe Vallario, longtime chair of House Judiciary lost as did Mac Middleton, chair of Senate Finance as well as Joan Carter Conway and Nathaniel McFadden in Baltimore
Also in Maryland: Cardin 80.5 - Manning 5.7. Still not clear what Manning thought she was doing here, but it sure wasn't running an actual campaign.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:19 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
Crowley loss does not sound like a win for Pelosi/Hoyer.
It sounds like Taps for the whole Dem hierarchy.
Wake-up call for a party that has put off a generational change for too long
Ben Jacobs: Incumbents in Maryland got killed tonight. Joe Vallario, longtime chair of House Judiciary lost as did Mac Middleton, chair of Senate Finance as well as Joan Carter Conway and Nathaniel McFadden in Baltimore
Also in Maryland: Cardin 80.5 - Manning 5.7. Still not clear what Manning thought she was doing here, but it sure wasn't running an actual campaign.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:19 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
Why the disconnect? Better challengers in NY?
The Whelk lives in NYC.
But I am genuinely glad to see this. I’m no DSA member, but they’ve been showing some pretty decent solidarity at least on this coast.
posted by corb at 8:20 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
The Whelk lives in NYC.
But I am genuinely glad to see this. I’m no DSA member, but they’ve been showing some pretty decent solidarity at least on this coast.
posted by corb at 8:20 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
That picture Pat Kiernan tweeted of Ocasio-Cortez realizing how big her lead was made me burst into sobs. Like zero to explosive tears in about .6 seconds. My joy is unbounded, my shocked glee overwhelming.
posted by minervous at 8:21 PM on June 26, 2018 [26 favorites]
posted by minervous at 8:21 PM on June 26, 2018 [26 favorites]
[federal] Judge bars separation of immigrants from children, orders reunification.
posted by Justinian at 8:25 PM on June 26, 2018 [58 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 8:25 PM on June 26, 2018 [58 favorites]
I’m struggling to follow how someone who says these things is an “alt-right gal pal”.
posted by nikaspark at 8:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by nikaspark at 8:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Here we go! @Reuters: JUST IN: U.S. Judge in San Diego bars separation of immigrants caught at border from children, orders reuinification
Here's the court order: Ms. L v. ICE
Here's the court order: Ms. L v. ICE
The unfortunate reality is that under the present system migrant children are not accounted for with the same efficiency and accuracy as property.posted by zachlipton at 8:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [36 favorites]
...
Defendants, and their officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and all those who are in active concert or participation with them, are preliminarily enjoined from detaining Class Members in DHS custody without and apart from their minor children, absent a determination that the parent is unfit or presents a danger to the child, unless the parent affirmatively, knowingly, and voluntarily declines to be reunited with the child in DHS custody.
That picture Pat Kiernan tweeted of Ocasio-Cortez realizing how big her lead was made me burst into sobs. Like zero to explosive tears in about .6 seconds. My joy is unbounded, my shocked glee overwhelming.
You should see the video. Sorry for causing more tears.
posted by Justinian at 8:27 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
You should see the video. Sorry for causing more tears.
posted by Justinian at 8:27 PM on June 26, 2018 [16 favorites]
The article goes on to explain that people with extremely homophobic banners showed up, causing the Confederate flag wavers to cross the street because "We don’t want anything to do with that crazy religious bigot stuff."FTFY.
Civility.The Aristocrats.
posted by smcameron at 8:30 PM on June 26, 2018 [17 favorites]
That picture Pat Kiernan tweeted of Ocasio-Cortez realizing how big her lead was made me burst into sobs. Like zero to explosive tears in about .6 seconds. My joy is unbounded, my shocked glee overwhelming.
I'm right there with you guys. It's been a rough day but I couldn't ask for a better way to close it out.
Votes matter, guys. Every vote, every race, every time.
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 8:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
I'm right there with you guys. It's been a rough day but I couldn't ask for a better way to close it out.
Votes matter, guys. Every vote, every race, every time.
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 8:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
So, will Ocasio-Cortez now face a strongish R challenger, or is her election just a formality at this point? Is this a district that would only run a token R, or none at all?
posted by anastasiav at 8:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by anastasiav at 8:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
for parties tonight, we can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old, for the union makes us strong
posted by The Whelk at 8:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
The court order requires that DHS release this class of parents:
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
The class is defined to include: “All adult parents who enter the United States at or between designated ports of entry who (1) have been, are, or will be detained in immigration custody by the [DHS], and (2) have a minor child who is or will be separated from them by DHS and detained in ORR custody, ORR foster care, or DHS custody absent a determination that the parent is unfit or presents a danger to the child.” (See Order Granting in Part Mot. for Class Cert. at 17.) The class does not include parents with criminal history or communicable disease, or those apprehended in the interior of the country or subject to the EO.I say the order requires them to be released because the Flores settlement still bans DHS from detaining children for more than 20 days, and there’s little chance of these cases being resolved in 20 days.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 8:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
So, will Ocasio-Cortez now face a strongish R challenger, or is her election just a formality at this point?
Clinton won it 78-20. Crowley beat his Republican opponent 83-17. Sooooooo.
posted by Justinian at 8:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
Clinton won it 78-20. Crowley beat his Republican opponent 83-17. Sooooooo.
posted by Justinian at 8:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
"To get the crowd to quiet down at the @Ocasio2018 victory party, the speaker is yelling mic check -- crowd yelling back mic check. For you kids, this is from Occupy. Occupy is coming to Congress."
posted by The Whelk at 8:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [110 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:35 PM on June 26, 2018 [110 favorites]
You should see the video. Sorry for causing more tears.
From her comments: "There is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018."
posted by TwoStride at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [48 favorites]
From her comments: "There is nothing radical about moral clarity in 2018."
posted by TwoStride at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [48 favorites]
So, will Ocasio-Cortez now face a strongish R challenger, or is her election just a formality at this point? Is this a district that would only run a token R, or none at all?
It's a PVI D+29 district, maybe the most Democratic district in the entire country. There's not a Republican alive that could win there.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
It's a PVI D+29 district, maybe the most Democratic district in the entire country. There's not a Republican alive that could win there.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]
So, will Ocasio-Cortez now face a strongish R challenger, or is her election just a formality at this point? Is this a district that would only run a token R, or none at all?
Token R. Bluer than blue.
posted by lalochezia at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
So, will Ocasio-Cortez now face a strongish R challenger, or is her election just a formality at this point? Is this a district that would only run a token R, or none at all?
In the last two elections, the Republican finished behind "Blank, Void, or Write-In". There are no strongish R challengers in that district.
posted by Etrigan at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
In the last two elections, the Republican finished behind "Blank, Void, or Write-In". There are no strongish R challengers in that district.
posted by Etrigan at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [19 favorites]
Ocasio-Cortez over Crowley 57-43 with 82% reporting.
I was in my old stomping grounds in the Bronx at the start of May, and her posters were all over the place (and really -- the best fucking election posters I've ever seen, that was super-inspiring shit). They were everywhere. Public spaces, sure, but more importantly, inside every shop window. She had ground game. She was making contact.
I have been following her on FB since then, and she is simply relentless. Relentless but positive. She is fighting for positive change. She knows the local issues, and knows what needs to happen to fix them. Her message was clearly connecting.
Crowley? From the comments I've read, he may be a force in Washington, but he was invisible locally. He had zero presence on the ground. Seeing him in debate with Ocasio-Cortez, he was simply stunned -- he had no idea of the magnitude of ICE, had no idea of the importance of the issue to his constituents. Ocasio-Cortez steamrolled over that guy. He clearly had lost touch with what mattered to his constituents. Between her message of positive change and his complete absence -- it was no contest.
All politics is local. Crowley lost the local. Ocasio-Cortez made contact in a huge way, and that's what made this result. Good for her, and good for the Bronx and Queens. They have a VOICE.
I look forward to hearing more from her in the coming years. She can only improve the conversation.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [86 favorites]
I was in my old stomping grounds in the Bronx at the start of May, and her posters were all over the place (and really -- the best fucking election posters I've ever seen, that was super-inspiring shit). They were everywhere. Public spaces, sure, but more importantly, inside every shop window. She had ground game. She was making contact.
I have been following her on FB since then, and she is simply relentless. Relentless but positive. She is fighting for positive change. She knows the local issues, and knows what needs to happen to fix them. Her message was clearly connecting.
Crowley? From the comments I've read, he may be a force in Washington, but he was invisible locally. He had zero presence on the ground. Seeing him in debate with Ocasio-Cortez, he was simply stunned -- he had no idea of the magnitude of ICE, had no idea of the importance of the issue to his constituents. Ocasio-Cortez steamrolled over that guy. He clearly had lost touch with what mattered to his constituents. Between her message of positive change and his complete absence -- it was no contest.
All politics is local. Crowley lost the local. Ocasio-Cortez made contact in a huge way, and that's what made this result. Good for her, and good for the Bronx and Queens. They have a VOICE.
I look forward to hearing more from her in the coming years. She can only improve the conversation.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:36 PM on June 26, 2018 [86 favorites]
I’m struggling to follow how someone who says these things is an “alt-right gal pal”.
I don't know, it could be all those game nights she spent with Lucian Wintrich and Cassandra Fairbanks and at the moment I saw her laughing with Gavin McInnes I stopped trusting her as far as I can throw her.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
I don't know, it could be all those game nights she spent with Lucian Wintrich and Cassandra Fairbanks and at the moment I saw her laughing with Gavin McInnes I stopped trusting her as far as I can throw her.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:39 PM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
I was only aware of the party, and I’m honestly tired of the left forever shitting on people for mistakes and dumping them overboard. Seriously. Over it.
posted by nikaspark at 8:42 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by nikaspark at 8:42 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
Luckily we don't have to care about Manning or her motives in the context of politics that actually matter after tonight. Let's hope she moves on and finds some direction in her new life, and stays out of the political spotlight unless she's actually ready for it.
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:43 PM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 8:43 PM on June 26, 2018 [22 favorites]
I know there's a lot to come and a lot of work and nothing is sure but right now I'm frantically texting and hugging my comrades and we keep saying "It happened it actually happened" because none of us can actually believe it happened.
second year running a candiate for local elections BTW, this is NYC DSA's second year with a dedicated electoral team.
Democracy is coming to the USA.
posted by The Whelk at 8:45 PM on June 26, 2018 [64 favorites]
second year running a candiate for local elections BTW, this is NYC DSA's second year with a dedicated electoral team.
Democracy is coming to the USA.
posted by The Whelk at 8:45 PM on June 26, 2018 [64 favorites]
Democracy is coming to the USA.
Would you say... This is what Democracy Looks Like?
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:46 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
Would you say... This is what Democracy Looks Like?
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:46 PM on June 26, 2018 [41 favorites]
Yeah, my personal feelings are that she’s not ready to take stuff like this on and my hope is that she is able to find a peaceful life outside notability. That said I don’t have any negative feelings towards her, I have compassion.
posted by nikaspark at 8:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by nikaspark at 8:47 PM on June 26, 2018 [6 favorites]
Oklahomans vote in favor of State Question 788, legalizing medical marijuana.
From the article:
Now that the state question has been legalized, lawmakers can make amendments to the legislation before it goes into effect.
After lawmakers amend the state question, the Oklahoma State Department of Health will have 30 days to make available on its website an application for a medical marijuana license. Then, within 60 days after SQ 788's passage, Health Department officials will have to establish a regulatory office that will receive applications for medical marijuana licenses, recipients and dispensary growers.
posted by TrishaU at 8:48 PM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
From the article:
Now that the state question has been legalized, lawmakers can make amendments to the legislation before it goes into effect.
After lawmakers amend the state question, the Oklahoma State Department of Health will have 30 days to make available on its website an application for a medical marijuana license. Then, within 60 days after SQ 788's passage, Health Department officials will have to establish a regulatory office that will receive applications for medical marijuana licenses, recipients and dispensary growers.
posted by TrishaU at 8:48 PM on June 26, 2018 [15 favorites]
Wow, that video makes me love AOC.
[and the Crowley video of him dedicating "Born to Run" to OAC (and singing it pretty well) gave me the good feels, too; recommend watching both]
posted by mabelstreet at 8:53 PM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
[and the Crowley video of him dedicating "Born to Run" to OAC (and singing it pretty well) gave me the good feels, too; recommend watching both]
posted by mabelstreet at 8:53 PM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
You should see the video. Sorry for causing more tears.
That just fraction of a second where you can see her collect herself and get back in the game, just about in between two frames... holy shit.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 8:55 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
That just fraction of a second where you can see her collect herself and get back in the game, just about in between two frames... holy shit.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 8:55 PM on June 26, 2018 [13 favorites]
In other words, he’s out! That is a big one that nobody saw happening. Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!
This is a prime example of gaslighting.
Is it true, or even coherent? No. Doesn't matter.
The POTUS* Spake and now it's something that is now true. Until the next time POTUS* Speaketh again.
Now the Deplorables have another new pre-packaged nonsense pivot to use.
This entire opera is absolutely jaw dropping. Putin just bluffed a hand (while cheating the long game) and Trump dumped everything he had. Again. And again, and...
This is not normal. How has Trump not been sanctioned by an adult yet?
posted by porpoise at 9:03 PM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
This is a prime example of gaslighting.
Is it true, or even coherent? No. Doesn't matter.
The POTUS* Spake and now it's something that is now true. Until the next time POTUS* Speaketh again.
Now the Deplorables have another new pre-packaged nonsense pivot to use.
This entire opera is absolutely jaw dropping. Putin just bluffed a hand (while cheating the long game) and Trump dumped everything he had. Again. And again, and...
This is not normal. How has Trump not been sanctioned by an adult yet?
posted by porpoise at 9:03 PM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
for parties tonight, we can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old, for the union makes us strong
This is your regularly scheduled reminder that those words - which are great - were not written by Pete Seeger, but rather Ralph Chaplin, for the IWW, or the Industrial Workers of the World, who are still a real, living, breathing union that embraces workers everywhere, skilled or not, citizens or not, imprisoned or not. You can join, no matter who you are, reading this, unless you are a cop or a boss with hiring and firing authority.
posted by corb at 9:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [68 favorites]
This is your regularly scheduled reminder that those words - which are great - were not written by Pete Seeger, but rather Ralph Chaplin, for the IWW, or the Industrial Workers of the World, who are still a real, living, breathing union that embraces workers everywhere, skilled or not, citizens or not, imprisoned or not. You can join, no matter who you are, reading this, unless you are a cop or a boss with hiring and firing authority.
posted by corb at 9:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [68 favorites]
Well, dangit, my candidate, Cary Kennedy, who I've backed since caucus and for whom I've knocked on 600+ doors , is not the Dem nominee for governor in Colorado. Congrats to Jared Polis, who goes on to face Walker Stapleton in the general. I'm encouraged by Ocasio-Cortez's win, amazing news, and also by the raw vote totals in CO--almost 74K more Dem ballots cast than R in the governor's race, with 50% of counties reporting. Planning to spend July volunteering with the county Democratic party on voter registration, then get back into canvassing later in the summer. I'm also working on a Metafilter-inspired cross stitch sampler that says "Despair is a sin." Onward to November.
posted by danielleh at 9:06 PM on June 26, 2018 [27 favorites]
posted by danielleh at 9:06 PM on June 26, 2018 [27 favorites]
@jonfavs: Much of the DC media equates being further left with being angry or strident, since that’s what happens on the right. But from what (admittedly little) I’ve seen of @Ocasio2018’s campaign, she’s hopeful, inspiring, optimistic, and galvanizing.
I've never really thought of it this way, but so much of our mental picture of a primary challenge is angry Tea Party folks waving bigoted signs, and that both sides narrative keeps getting perpetuated (to be fair, stuff like mic checking Elijah Cummings's speech on racial equality at the DNC does not help here). We're going to hear a lot about Cantor and Tea Party comparisons and whatever, but the positivity of what's happening, people coming together to say we can take care of each other better, shouldn't be falsely balanced against an astroturf campaign of a bunch of white guys upset there's a black President and they have to pay taxes.
posted by zachlipton at 9:10 PM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
I've never really thought of it this way, but so much of our mental picture of a primary challenge is angry Tea Party folks waving bigoted signs, and that both sides narrative keeps getting perpetuated (to be fair, stuff like mic checking Elijah Cummings's speech on racial equality at the DNC does not help here). We're going to hear a lot about Cantor and Tea Party comparisons and whatever, but the positivity of what's happening, people coming together to say we can take care of each other better, shouldn't be falsely balanced against an astroturf campaign of a bunch of white guys upset there's a black President and they have to pay taxes.
posted by zachlipton at 9:10 PM on June 26, 2018 [51 favorites]
(Corb I've been on the fence about joining the IWW or donating and I think I really should- they're an important part of our history and do a lot of on the ground work.)
posted by The Whelk at 9:12 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 9:12 PM on June 26, 2018 [10 favorites]
Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!
I hope Chuck Schumer is paying attention to this line, because when you're facing assholes like the modern GOP and insist on being civil all the time, no exceptions, they will use your civility like a shield only to pop up from behind it and sucker punch you and continue to expect civility in return. Trump knows this in his bones, it's essential to how bullies operate, and he's taunting the civility-at-all-costs types with this line.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [27 favorites]
I hope Chuck Schumer is paying attention to this line, because when you're facing assholes like the modern GOP and insist on being civil all the time, no exceptions, they will use your civility like a shield only to pop up from behind it and sucker punch you and continue to expect civility in return. Trump knows this in his bones, it's essential to how bullies operate, and he's taunting the civility-at-all-costs types with this line.
posted by jason_steakums at 9:14 PM on June 26, 2018 [27 favorites]
This thread got me looking at my local DSA chapter; I followed them on Twitter and today they tweeted:
posted by shirobara at 9:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [24 favorites]
Supreme Court got you down?I've been calling my representatives and paying attention to what they've been doing -- and by and large, feeling that even though they're both Democrats, they're still in denial about the enormity of what's happening. This tweet spoke to me more than anything any of them have said. Joined today.
Join DSA and get rid of ‘em. 🌹
posted by shirobara at 9:18 PM on June 26, 2018 [24 favorites]
The article goes on to explain that people with extremely homophobic banners showed up, causing the Confederate flag wavers to cross the street because "We don’t want anything to do with that crazy religious bigot stuff."
Civility.
Well, don’t forget, it was called the “Civil” War.
posted by darkstar at 9:20 PM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
Civility.
Well, don’t forget, it was called the “Civil” War.
posted by darkstar at 9:20 PM on June 26, 2018 [7 favorites]
NYT story on AOC
Representative Steny Hoyer, a longtime rival of Ms. Pelosi’s, now is freed from having to worry about Mr. Crowley in his ambition to be leader. But some House Democrats, speaking anonymously to discuss a delicate topic, said Tuesday night that given the party’s changing face, it would be difficult to dump Ms. Pelosi for an older, white male lawmaker.
In a flurry of phone calls and text messages, Democratic lawmakers floated names such as Cheri Bustos of Illinois, Linda Sanchez of California, Joseph Kennedy of Massachusetts and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts as potential younger alternatives to Ms. Pelosi.
But Ms. Pelosi has made clear she intends to seek the post again if Democrats take back the House and it is not clear that any potential alternative candidate could build a coalition to defeat her.
posted by lalochezia at 9:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
Representative Steny Hoyer, a longtime rival of Ms. Pelosi’s, now is freed from having to worry about Mr. Crowley in his ambition to be leader. But some House Democrats, speaking anonymously to discuss a delicate topic, said Tuesday night that given the party’s changing face, it would be difficult to dump Ms. Pelosi for an older, white male lawmaker.
In a flurry of phone calls and text messages, Democratic lawmakers floated names such as Cheri Bustos of Illinois, Linda Sanchez of California, Joseph Kennedy of Massachusetts and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts as potential younger alternatives to Ms. Pelosi.
But Ms. Pelosi has made clear she intends to seek the post again if Democrats take back the House and it is not clear that any potential alternative candidate could build a coalition to defeat her.
posted by lalochezia at 9:26 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
zachlipton: NY-23 (Tom Reed's district): Still a close race here between Tracy Mitrano and Max Della Pia. All I know about this race is that Mitrano is the person who used to send bulk all-caps emails telling us not to pirate stuff when I was in college, and the guy who played Martok on DS9 (and, on a separate occasion, drove me to drink) is running as an independent. Do people have any picks here?
Zach, I'm in NY23, and today was my first-ever contested Congressional primary election. If you want a good bit of color, here's a local piece. Honestly, all the candidates were pretty great and their basic positions were very much the progressive liberal Democratic positions. I'm much more interested in the coming fight against Tom Reed.
That said...
Tracy Mitrano is the establishment candidate. She had most of the endorsements, won most straw polls, and I'm sure she'd be very good as a congressperson, but she never sold it to me. It felt like the campaign machine was going through the motions - for example, we hung around near her stand at the Ithaca festival, right next to her, and she was too busy to say Hi to my son in a wheelchair. Small thing, but I have a bunch of similar stories. No real campaign contact, other than a couple of fliers in the mail. I know this is unfair - she was probably very active in parts of the district that aren't as liberal as Ithaca, and we've stopped answering our land line because it is just a constant barrage of spam. If she's our nominee, I have a small nagging worry about how effective the campaign will be.
Meanwhile, two young and knowledgeable canvassers from Max Della Pia really sold his candidacy to us at our front door. (Direct voter contact works!) Della Pia is an Air Force veteran, worked for Senator Carl Levin, and he was also the only person to mention science and climate change in his closing argument to primary voters, so I was feeling pretty positive about him.
So I convinced my brother in law to vote for Della Pia earlier, but then at the last minute my sister-in-law convinced me and my wife to vote for Aaron Golden, who is young, smart, owns a local running store, is very active in the anti-fracking scene, and apparently really impressed her at a candidates forum. He's coming in 4th, it looks like, in a 5 person field. So if Max Della Pia comes within a few votes and then loses to Tracy Mitrano, it will have been me and my sister-in-law who failed to tip the balance. Yikes!
And now, checking the primary results: Della Pia is leading Mitrano by 26 votes out of 21,661 votes, with all counties reporting 100%. That is ridiculously close - I guess it comes down to absentees now. ("Too close to call" gives me PTSD flashbacks to Florida 2000.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 9:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Zach, I'm in NY23, and today was my first-ever contested Congressional primary election. If you want a good bit of color, here's a local piece. Honestly, all the candidates were pretty great and their basic positions were very much the progressive liberal Democratic positions. I'm much more interested in the coming fight against Tom Reed.
That said...
Tracy Mitrano is the establishment candidate. She had most of the endorsements, won most straw polls, and I'm sure she'd be very good as a congressperson, but she never sold it to me. It felt like the campaign machine was going through the motions - for example, we hung around near her stand at the Ithaca festival, right next to her, and she was too busy to say Hi to my son in a wheelchair. Small thing, but I have a bunch of similar stories. No real campaign contact, other than a couple of fliers in the mail. I know this is unfair - she was probably very active in parts of the district that aren't as liberal as Ithaca, and we've stopped answering our land line because it is just a constant barrage of spam. If she's our nominee, I have a small nagging worry about how effective the campaign will be.
Meanwhile, two young and knowledgeable canvassers from Max Della Pia really sold his candidacy to us at our front door. (Direct voter contact works!) Della Pia is an Air Force veteran, worked for Senator Carl Levin, and he was also the only person to mention science and climate change in his closing argument to primary voters, so I was feeling pretty positive about him.
So I convinced my brother in law to vote for Della Pia earlier, but then at the last minute my sister-in-law convinced me and my wife to vote for Aaron Golden, who is young, smart, owns a local running store, is very active in the anti-fracking scene, and apparently really impressed her at a candidates forum. He's coming in 4th, it looks like, in a 5 person field. So if Max Della Pia comes within a few votes and then loses to Tracy Mitrano, it will have been me and my sister-in-law who failed to tip the balance. Yikes!
And now, checking the primary results: Della Pia is leading Mitrano by 26 votes out of 21,661 votes, with all counties reporting 100%. That is ridiculously close - I guess it comes down to absentees now. ("Too close to call" gives me PTSD flashbacks to Florida 2000.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 9:31 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
(Corb I've been on the fence about joining the IWW or donating and I think I really should- they're an important part of our history and do a lot of on the ground work.)
Heck yes to this. IWW meetings/actions are a great place to connect with people who understand democracy, direct action, and class-consciousness outside of electoral politics.
I was involved with IWW pretty heavily for a few years in the 90s and it really formed my political point of view... so much so that it took me until this December to realize that I had to get my non-electoral ass in gear and join up with East Bay DSA!
(Which I did, and am pretty amazed by everything the organization is taking on nationwide. Like, kinda shocked, actually. What a time. What a time.)
posted by eyesontheroad at 9:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
Heck yes to this. IWW meetings/actions are a great place to connect with people who understand democracy, direct action, and class-consciousness outside of electoral politics.
I was involved with IWW pretty heavily for a few years in the 90s and it really formed my political point of view... so much so that it took me until this December to realize that I had to get my non-electoral ass in gear and join up with East Bay DSA!
(Which I did, and am pretty amazed by everything the organization is taking on nationwide. Like, kinda shocked, actually. What a time. What a time.)
posted by eyesontheroad at 9:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
Perhaps he should have been nicer, and more respectful, to his President!
I dare him to say this at the corner of White Plains Road and Pelham Parkway. See how true it is.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
I dare him to say this at the corner of White Plains Road and Pelham Parkway. See how true it is.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]
I really DGAF who is Speaker, and any Democrat jockeying for it now before the real work is done can get fucked. Win first. Stop fucking losing to Trump. Stop Trump. The last thing any of us cares about is which one of you miserable careerist fucks that fiddled while the world burns gets to claim credit for all the work WE DID in your name for lack of any alternative to save the republic.
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [88 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:38 PM on June 26, 2018 [88 favorites]
With the State of Hawaii v. Donald J. Trump SCOTUS decision, has anyone seen what the official reasoning is for why the travel ban didn't prevent Kim Yong-chol from visiting Washington or whether it would interfere with Trump's White House invitation to Kim Jong-un? Diplomatic visas aren't barred maybe?
posted by XMLicious at 9:48 PM on June 26, 2018
posted by XMLicious at 9:48 PM on June 26, 2018
> [NY23] Della Pia is leading Mitrano by 26 votes out of 21,661 votes, with all counties reporting 100%. That is ridiculously close - I guess it comes down to absentees now. ("Too close to call" gives me PTSD flashbacks to Florida 2000.)
Aaaand here we go - statement from the campaign of incumbent Republican Tom Reed [NY23]:
posted by RedOrGreen at 9:51 PM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
Aaaand here we go - statement from the campaign of incumbent Republican Tom Reed [NY23]:
“It’s no surprise that with a field of Extreme Ithaca Liberal options to choose from, the Democrats couldn’t make a definitive selection in their Primary on Tuesday,” said Nicholas Weinstein, Campaign Manager for Tom Reed for Congress. “With their unanimous support for higher taxes, heroin injection sites in our neighborhoods and government-run socialized medicine, these Extreme Ithaca Liberals have clearly demonstrated to the voters that they are out of touch with our values in the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes and Western New York. We look forward to continuing to highlight how extreme and out of touch they are as they sort through the absentee ballots.”We can smell the fear, Tom.
posted by RedOrGreen at 9:51 PM on June 26, 2018 [23 favorites]
This is the platform that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ran on and she WON! We need more candidates like this.
posted by The Whelk at 9:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [73 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 9:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [73 favorites]
Diplomatic visas aren't barred maybe?
Yes. Diplomatic visa holders were explictly exempted, and there are provisions for case-by-case waivers that could apply in any case; the ban wasn't absolute in situations where the government wanted to let someone in (but the waivers were a sham for ordinary people).
posted by zachlipton at 9:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yes. Diplomatic visa holders were explictly exempted, and there are provisions for case-by-case waivers that could apply in any case; the ban wasn't absolute in situations where the government wanted to let someone in (but the waivers were a sham for ordinary people).
posted by zachlipton at 9:58 PM on June 26, 2018 [2 favorites]
We've mentioned many here tonight, but Taniel's spreadsheet has now been filled out with lots of delicious results in various key races if you want to catch up.
It's been a really long day.
posted by zachlipton at 10:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
It's been a really long day.
posted by zachlipton at 10:04 PM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]
Extreme Ithaca Liberals? These guys are just self-parodies at this point. How many people even live in Ithaca, 73? (yes, yes, I know there's actually a few more than that.) I do hope this becomes a thing, though.
Jake Jortles - Extreme Calumet City Liberal! Wrong for Schaumburg, wrong for America.
posted by Justinian at 10:06 PM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
Jake Jortles - Extreme Calumet City Liberal! Wrong for Schaumburg, wrong for America.
posted by Justinian at 10:06 PM on June 26, 2018 [14 favorites]
I wondered if Ocasio-Cortez was going to be the first Millennial in Congress, so I checked - no, Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is currently the youngest Representative; she was born July 2, 1984. (Millennials seem to start in 1982, although there are some disagreements.)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be just barely old enough, by a few months, to be President in January of 2025.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 10:16 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be just barely old enough, by a few months, to be President in January of 2025.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 10:16 PM on June 26, 2018 [8 favorites]
I have been following her on FB since then, and she is simply relentless. Relentless but positive. She is fighting for positive change. She knows the local issues, and knows what needs to happen to fix them. Her message was clearly connecting.
Ocasio spoke at a progressive Muslim group iftar a few months back that my family and I attended in our district. Crowley isn't our rep and we couldn't vote for her against him. But she attended anyway and spoke passionately and eloquently about issues that really do matter to working class and middle class Queens residents. She spoke about our values and ways that Trump and the GOP stand in opposition to them. She spoke about Crowley, and why she was running against him. And she spoke about the importance of voting, which was the purpose of the event. Not taking the right to vote for granted
By the time she was done, I would have happily moved to her district just to be able to vote for her. Fantastic candidate.
So anyway, she spoke for a while, and then so did Grace Meng and Tahseen Chowdhury. Chowdhury is running against IDC member Jose Peralta. Who is also not our rep.
It suprised me that Ocasio and Chowdhury took the time to speak with people who weren't going to be their constituents. But they were wise to do so. Because this is Queens, and despite it's huge size, the borough isn't that big. Word of mouth goes a long way.
I'm thrilled she won. That district isn't going to a Republican any time soon so she's probably going to become one of the youngest people in Congress come November.
posted by zarq at 10:19 PM on June 26, 2018 [54 favorites]
Ocasio spoke at a progressive Muslim group iftar a few months back that my family and I attended in our district. Crowley isn't our rep and we couldn't vote for her against him. But she attended anyway and spoke passionately and eloquently about issues that really do matter to working class and middle class Queens residents. She spoke about our values and ways that Trump and the GOP stand in opposition to them. She spoke about Crowley, and why she was running against him. And she spoke about the importance of voting, which was the purpose of the event. Not taking the right to vote for granted
By the time she was done, I would have happily moved to her district just to be able to vote for her. Fantastic candidate.
So anyway, she spoke for a while, and then so did Grace Meng and Tahseen Chowdhury. Chowdhury is running against IDC member Jose Peralta. Who is also not our rep.
It suprised me that Ocasio and Chowdhury took the time to speak with people who weren't going to be their constituents. But they were wise to do so. Because this is Queens, and despite it's huge size, the borough isn't that big. Word of mouth goes a long way.
I'm thrilled she won. That district isn't going to a Republican any time soon so she's probably going to become one of the youngest people in Congress come November.
posted by zarq at 10:19 PM on June 26, 2018 [54 favorites]
Yassss AOC fuckin A we needed a win after today’s round of horseshit.
posted by supercrayon at 10:19 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by supercrayon at 10:19 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]
July 2, 1984
guess who has a libra 1984 birthday and now looking at city council election dates
posted by The Whelk at 10:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
guess who has a libra 1984 birthday and now looking at city council election dates
posted by The Whelk at 10:23 PM on June 26, 2018 [40 favorites]
Some fun NY-14 maps, including turnout and race data. I'll leave it to the locals here to share conclusions.
posted by zachlipton at 10:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by zachlipton at 10:29 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]
January:Oh god we need to like, run socialist candidates or something this is awful.
April: targeted action via low level civic involvement has a bigger return on invest then hitting for big races
July: Who wants to send me to congress you socialism loving fucks?!
posted by The Whelk at 10:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [98 favorites]
April: targeted action via low level civic involvement has a bigger return on invest then hitting for big races
July: Who wants to send me to congress you socialism loving fucks?!
posted by The Whelk at 10:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [98 favorites]
Yay Wobblies!
If you are interested in general civil defense as well as worker's rights, you can join the IWW-General Defense Committee. One does not have to be red carded, or a member of the IWW itself, to join the GDC and become gray carded.
I joined earlier this year. Finding a community of like minded activists has been really rewarding.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
If you are interested in general civil defense as well as worker's rights, you can join the IWW-General Defense Committee. One does not have to be red carded, or a member of the IWW itself, to join the GDC and become gray carded.
I joined earlier this year. Finding a community of like minded activists has been really rewarding.
posted by spinifex23 at 11:34 PM on June 26, 2018 [11 favorites]
Well. I joined the DSA too this week. It's all the Whelk's fault, of course.
posted by litlnemo at 12:10 AM on June 27, 2018 [25 favorites]
posted by litlnemo at 12:10 AM on June 27, 2018 [25 favorites]
A fantastic Twitter thread on civility by Angus Johnson of @studentactivism:
Okay. I've found it. The absolute culmination of the "we have to build bridges with the far right" argument.
posted by Joe in Australia at 1:39 AM on June 27, 2018 [34 favorites]
Okay. I've found it. The absolute culmination of the "we have to build bridges with the far right" argument.
URGES GOOD WILL BY JEWS FOR NAZIS[hat tip: Wired ]
posted by Joe in Australia at 1:39 AM on June 27, 2018 [34 favorites]
Crowley loss does not sound like a win for Pelosi/Hoyer.
It sounds like Taps for the whole Dem hierarchy.
Wake-up call for a party that has put off a generational change for too long
Glamour Senior Political Reporter Celeste Katz @CelesteKatzNYC: "House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's statement on the #NY14 blowout is a three-paragraph homage to defeated incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley, with a one-sentence nod to the winner: “I congratulate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her victory.” #ElectionDay"
Incidentally, Pelosi's statement says nothing about making a concerted effort to go after Trump and his GOPers (merely referring, in passing, to "the historic challenges of the Trump administration"). Compare that to Crowley's model concession: "if we don't win back the House this November, we will lose the nation we love. This is why we must come together."
Meanwhile, Ben Dreyfuss @bendreyfuss tweets, "The video of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez realizing she won is my favorite thing in the whole world http://bit.ly/2MpOF92 (via @NY1)"
posted by Doktor Zed at 2:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [41 favorites]
It sounds like Taps for the whole Dem hierarchy.
Wake-up call for a party that has put off a generational change for too long
Glamour Senior Political Reporter Celeste Katz @CelesteKatzNYC: "House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's statement on the #NY14 blowout is a three-paragraph homage to defeated incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley, with a one-sentence nod to the winner: “I congratulate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her victory.” #ElectionDay"
Incidentally, Pelosi's statement says nothing about making a concerted effort to go after Trump and his GOPers (merely referring, in passing, to "the historic challenges of the Trump administration"). Compare that to Crowley's model concession: "if we don't win back the House this November, we will lose the nation we love. This is why we must come together."
Meanwhile, Ben Dreyfuss @bendreyfuss tweets, "The video of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez realizing she won is my favorite thing in the whole world http://bit.ly/2MpOF92 (via @NY1)"
posted by Doktor Zed at 2:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [41 favorites]
Interesting corrections being made to the NYT article: the Google snippet shows it containing the phrase: ""We beat a machine with a movement, and that is what we have done today," said Ocasio-Cortez, a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders who has...", whereas the article now has Sanders mentioned only in the phrase "In the 2016 presidential campaign she worked for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders." and no longer quotes her on the "machine" other than in this appended correction: This story has been corrected to show that Ocasio-Cortez said "meet a machine," not "beat a machine."
posted by progosk at 3:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by progosk at 3:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I don’t think this had been mentioned, but from OAC’s Twitter, sounds like there was much fuckery at the polls:
Good morning!
Polls haven’t even opened yet and Team @JoeCrowleyNY is already breaking election law 🤗
Campaign posters right at the entrance of polling stations before opening - they‘re illegal within 100 ft.
Thoughts, @BOENYC?
Then this:
Hearing that Team @JoeCrowleyNY is taking our campaign posters, affixing them to trees, and then reporting them to @NYCSanitation to fine us.
They are trying to ratchet us into $10k worth of fines.
If you see anyone affixing our posters illegally, STOP THEM and take a photo.
And she won by a huge margin despite all that. People in NY do not sound surprised by such fuckery, by the way. But luckily she and her supporters were on top of this, calling it out on Twitter and sending people to polling places. Also apparently there were reports of closed/ wrong poll sites and purges. Shows the importance of having a connected network with people on the ground. It’s not easy but we can fight this stuff with the power of organizing.
posted by robotdevil at 3:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [30 favorites]
Good morning!
Polls haven’t even opened yet and Team @JoeCrowleyNY is already breaking election law 🤗
Campaign posters right at the entrance of polling stations before opening - they‘re illegal within 100 ft.
Thoughts, @BOENYC?
Then this:
Hearing that Team @JoeCrowleyNY is taking our campaign posters, affixing them to trees, and then reporting them to @NYCSanitation to fine us.
They are trying to ratchet us into $10k worth of fines.
If you see anyone affixing our posters illegally, STOP THEM and take a photo.
And she won by a huge margin despite all that. People in NY do not sound surprised by such fuckery, by the way. But luckily she and her supporters were on top of this, calling it out on Twitter and sending people to polling places. Also apparently there were reports of closed/ wrong poll sites and purges. Shows the importance of having a connected network with people on the ground. It’s not easy but we can fight this stuff with the power of organizing.
posted by robotdevil at 3:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [30 favorites]
The Trumpist gomers are selling his Crowley tweet as him being strategically happy because obviously all the other far-left Socialists in competitive districts will be rejected by the voters in November, even if Ocasio-Cortez wins in a heavily gerrymandered Dem district.
The flop sweat is hilarious.
posted by Etrigan at 3:34 AM on June 27, 2018 [18 favorites]
The flop sweat is hilarious.
posted by Etrigan at 3:34 AM on June 27, 2018 [18 favorites]
Trial runs for fascism are in full flow
Interesting article:
Interesting article:
To see, as most commentary has done, the deliberate traumatisation of migrant children as a “mistake” by Trump is culpable naivety. It is a trial run – and the trial has been a huge success. Trump’s claim last week that immigrants “infest” the US is a test-marketing of whether his fans are ready for the next step-up in language, which is of course “vermin”. And the generation of images of toddlers being dragged from their parents is a test of whether those words can be turned into sounds and pictures. It was always an experiment – it ended (but only in part) because the results were in.posted by PontifexPrimus at 4:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [51 favorites]
[...]
Millions and millions of Europeans and Americans are learning to think the unthinkable. So what if those black people drown in the sea? So what if those brown toddlers are scarred for life? They have already, in their minds, crossed the boundaries of morality. They are, like Macbeth, “yet but young in deed”. But the tests will be refined, the results analysed, the methods perfected, the messages sharpened. And then the deeds can follow.
More completely terrifying than interesting, I think. Another quote:
Fascism does not need a majority – it typically comes to power with about 40 per cent support and then uses control and intimidation to consolidate that power. So it doesn’t matter if most people hate you, as long as your 40 per cent is fanatically committed.posted by schadenfrau at 4:29 AM on June 27, 2018 [54 favorites]
Don't be fooled. It's a deliberate attempt to muddy the waters of discourse, change the topic, and defuse a potent avenue of criticism and attack. It is one of the things the conservative politico-media complex is very good at doing, and the nature of the establishment and corporate media makes it all that much easier for them. The important thing to remember is that nobody anywhere actually believes the bullshit civility argument they are making. They all know they're acting in bad faith. It's a manuever, a tactic.
Reminds me of that Sartre quote I've seen around so much recently:
Reminds me of that Sartre quote I've seen around so much recently:
Never believe that anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But they are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words. The anti-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse for, by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert. If you press them too closely, they will abruptly fall silent, loftily indicating by some phrase that the time for argument is past.posted by Proofs and Refutations at 4:51 AM on June 27, 2018 [47 favorites]
That does it, I'm joining the Wobblies too. It's about time.
I am so not a joiner, but they've been looking out for working people for over a century, and doing so with principle, fire and verve. So far as I can tell, nobody acting at scale is clearer on what mutual aid means, and nobody understands direct action better. I'll be proud to carry the card of One Big Union.
posted by adamgreenfield at 4:58 AM on June 27, 2018 [22 favorites]
I am so not a joiner, but they've been looking out for working people for over a century, and doing so with principle, fire and verve. So far as I can tell, nobody acting at scale is clearer on what mutual aid means, and nobody understands direct action better. I'll be proud to carry the card of One Big Union.
posted by adamgreenfield at 4:58 AM on June 27, 2018 [22 favorites]
In more Good Socialist News, East Bay Edition: Jovanka Beckles will advance to the November election for CA Assembly District 15:
East Bay Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is celebrating the primary victory of DSA member and Richmond City Council Member and Vice Mayor Jovanka Beckles, who will advance to the run-off election for California Assembly District 15 (AD15) in November. With some ballots still remaining to be counted, Beckles has clinched the second place slot over Oakland City Council Member, Dan Kalb, who conceded this afternoon.posted by Rosie M. Banks at 5:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
Without financial or political backing from corporate interests, the Beckles campaign relied instead on support from DSA, Our Revolution, and Richmond Progressive Alliance. Based on her record of passing the first rent control law in California in decades as well as "Ban the Box," and leading the way in forcing Chevron into compliance with environmental and worker safety standards, Beckles has organic support from the working people of the East Bay.
Also, think what you want of Joe Crowley, but his dedication of "Born to Run" to the triumphant AOC was a class move.
Hopefully this is but the first of many victories for her. I am beyond thrilled for her, delighted for her district, and cannot wait to see what she does in Congress.
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [41 favorites]
Hopefully this is but the first of many victories for her. I am beyond thrilled for her, delighted for her district, and cannot wait to see what she does in Congress.
posted by adamgreenfield at 5:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [41 favorites]
In New Mexico governor race, Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham leads Republican Steve Pearce 51% to 38% in a new poll by SurveyUSA.
Currently NM is led by Republican Susana Martinez, Chair of the Republican Governors Association, who is term limited.
posted by chris24 at 5:49 AM on June 27, 2018 [19 favorites]
Currently NM is led by Republican Susana Martinez, Chair of the Republican Governors Association, who is term limited.
posted by chris24 at 5:49 AM on June 27, 2018 [19 favorites]
Some more info on above. in 2014, Martinez (R) won by 14. But Clinton won the state by 8 in 2016.
posted by chris24 at 5:56 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by chris24 at 5:56 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Glamour Senior Political Reporter Celeste Katz @CelesteKatzNYC: "House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's statement on the #NY14 blowout is a three-paragraph homage to defeated incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley, with a one-sentence nod to the winner: “I congratulate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her victory.” #ElectionDay"
She's pissed her friend lost, and with him they lose some seniority in the House. She should have thought of that months ago and planned accordingly, but she wouldn't because she never thought Ocasio could win. The Party underestimates how furious and frightened Democrats are (especially in what should be strongholds of support) at their peril.
That statement is such sour grapes bullshit. She should be thankful not only that one of the Bluest districts in the country voted for someone in her party in a roaring voice but also that she can now see the handwriting is on the wall. Crowley couldn't, but thanks to his trouncing Pelosi can. In a just world she would shift course and shift the course of the Party. But she won't, because she's part of the same corrupt machine and lethargic attitudes that helped give us Trump in the first place and continues to enable him.
So Ocasio won in a Latin-majority district by emphasizing her Puerto Rican and Bronx roots, decrying a Democratic political infrastructure that is calcified and corrupt, and by working really, really hard to connect with voters on the issues they care about. The economy. Healthcare. Education. She made emotional connections with voters on levels that district has never seen from the only Congressman they had. Who doesn't even send his kids to our public schools and doesn't live here half the year.
She ran a textbook underdog campaign and won. Beat a guy who outraised her by a factor of 10 in a district that had voted him into office 10 times.
The Party needs to evolve or die.
posted by zarq at 6:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [107 favorites]
She's pissed her friend lost, and with him they lose some seniority in the House. She should have thought of that months ago and planned accordingly, but she wouldn't because she never thought Ocasio could win. The Party underestimates how furious and frightened Democrats are (especially in what should be strongholds of support) at their peril.
That statement is such sour grapes bullshit. She should be thankful not only that one of the Bluest districts in the country voted for someone in her party in a roaring voice but also that she can now see the handwriting is on the wall. Crowley couldn't, but thanks to his trouncing Pelosi can. In a just world she would shift course and shift the course of the Party. But she won't, because she's part of the same corrupt machine and lethargic attitudes that helped give us Trump in the first place and continues to enable him.
So Ocasio won in a Latin-majority district by emphasizing her Puerto Rican and Bronx roots, decrying a Democratic political infrastructure that is calcified and corrupt, and by working really, really hard to connect with voters on the issues they care about. The economy. Healthcare. Education. She made emotional connections with voters on levels that district has never seen from the only Congressman they had. Who doesn't even send his kids to our public schools and doesn't live here half the year.
She ran a textbook underdog campaign and won. Beat a guy who outraised her by a factor of 10 in a district that had voted him into office 10 times.
The Party needs to evolve or die.
posted by zarq at 6:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [107 favorites]
Bill Kristol
Interesting:
Trump's approval/disapproval is not terrible: AZ: 41%-47%; FL: 45%-46%; OH: 42%-49%.
His "deserves re-election" is terrible: AZ: 35%-57%; FL: 37-54%; OH 34%-58%.
A key slice of voters "approve" of Trump but don't want to vote for him in 2020.
---
Also from the same poll:
NBC: Battleground state polls find more voters prefer Congress as a check on Trump
Interesting:
Trump's approval/disapproval is not terrible: AZ: 41%-47%; FL: 45%-46%; OH: 42%-49%.
His "deserves re-election" is terrible: AZ: 35%-57%; FL: 37-54%; OH 34%-58%.
A key slice of voters "approve" of Trump but don't want to vote for him in 2020.
---
Also from the same poll:
NBC: Battleground state polls find more voters prefer Congress as a check on Trump
In Arizona, 52 percent of registered voters say they’ll use their vote to send a message that the country needs more Democrats to serve as a check on Trump, while 36 percent said the nation needs more Republicans to pass his agenda...posted by chris24 at 6:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [17 favorites]
In Florida, another key swing state that’s home to one of the marquee Senate races of the cycle, 49 percent of voters favor a Congress that serves as a check on Trump, while 40 percent want lawmakers to assist Trump in passing legislation...
And in Ohio, 51 percent want more Democrats in Congress in order to counter Trump’s efforts, while 35 percent say they’d like to see more Republicans on Capitol Hill to help the president advance his agenda.
Democratic Party institutions being Democratic Party institutions we should probably find a way to identify left leaning primary winners that are vulnerable to underfunding and send money their way.
posted by Artw at 6:14 AM on June 27, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by Artw at 6:14 AM on June 27, 2018 [17 favorites]
Bill Kristol: A key slice of voters "approve" of Trump but don't want to vote for him in 2020.
But will anyway.
posted by pjenks at 6:14 AM on June 27, 2018 [15 favorites]
But will anyway.
posted by pjenks at 6:14 AM on June 27, 2018 [15 favorites]
A key slice of voters "approve" of Trump but don't want to vote for him in 2020.
That’s a whole lot of idiots and narcissists who cannot, under any circumstances, admit when they have made a mistake.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:18 AM on June 27, 2018 [25 favorites]
That’s a whole lot of idiots and narcissists who cannot, under any circumstances, admit when they have made a mistake.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:18 AM on June 27, 2018 [25 favorites]
"Extreme Ithaca Liberals!"
This is a Tom Reed thing. He ran on that line in 2014 and 2016. His campaign also has a website.
posted by zarq at 6:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is a Tom Reed thing. He ran on that line in 2014 and 2016. His campaign also has a website.
posted by zarq at 6:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
SCOTUSblog notes that today's final Supreme Court session (10am) is "the last chance for a verbal retirement announcement from the bench before the summer." (link is today's live blog)
The last two decisions, to be announced this morning, are Janus v. AFSCME (Union dues) Florida v. Georgia (water dispute).
posted by pjenks at 6:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
The last two decisions, to be announced this morning, are Janus v. AFSCME (Union dues) Florida v. Georgia (water dispute).
posted by pjenks at 6:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
35 percent say they’d like to see more Republicans on Capitol Hill to help the president advance his agenda.
I know you're tired of my endless shrill shrieking, Void, but lemme just do one more: the GOP controls all three branches of federal government by a healthy margin, including a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Their inability to get anything done has nothing to do with not having enough Republican congresspeople. It has everything to do with their inability to navigate the bare minimum of political processes, and their repeated tendencies toward pushing their own moderates across the aisle by repeatedly floating batshit crazy ideas.
posted by Mayor West at 6:25 AM on June 27, 2018 [28 favorites]
I know you're tired of my endless shrill shrieking, Void, but lemme just do one more: the GOP controls all three branches of federal government by a healthy margin, including a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Their inability to get anything done has nothing to do with not having enough Republican congresspeople. It has everything to do with their inability to navigate the bare minimum of political processes, and their repeated tendencies toward pushing their own moderates across the aisle by repeatedly floating batshit crazy ideas.
posted by Mayor West at 6:25 AM on June 27, 2018 [28 favorites]
a whole lot of idiots and narcissists
AKA Trump's base.
I don't know how many of you guys remember that show The Following where Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy do epic battle against truly, truly terrible writing, but it's the heartwarming tale of a serial killer who starts a half-baked Edgar Allen Poe-based quasi-religious cult of other serial killers. And at the time I was like, "pshaw, malignant narcissists would never band together like that, what a ridiculous concept!"
Unlike some other folks, I can admit I was wrong. I was wrong. Trumpism is a cult made up entirely of sociopaths, narcissists, abusers and assholes, all miraculously and improbably united under the banner of the biggest sociopathic narcissist abuser asshole of them all.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:28 AM on June 27, 2018 [35 favorites]
AKA Trump's base.
I don't know how many of you guys remember that show The Following where Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy do epic battle against truly, truly terrible writing, but it's the heartwarming tale of a serial killer who starts a half-baked Edgar Allen Poe-based quasi-religious cult of other serial killers. And at the time I was like, "pshaw, malignant narcissists would never band together like that, what a ridiculous concept!"
Unlike some other folks, I can admit I was wrong. I was wrong. Trumpism is a cult made up entirely of sociopaths, narcissists, abusers and assholes, all miraculously and improbably united under the banner of the biggest sociopathic narcissist abuser asshole of them all.
posted by soren_lorensen at 6:28 AM on June 27, 2018 [35 favorites]
Jim Acosta gets lectured by a MAGA lady that if we don’t “tone it down” and “watch the language,” “there’s going to be a Civil War.” (SLTwitter)
We’ve talked about this here, and I’ve spent WAY too much time thinking about it, late at night, because of what I see as structural inequality built into our increasingly corrupt political system. Like this has been my fear for a while.
But I also think the shadowy villainous cabal types are pushing it. A couple of people in the comments mention that it’s a favorite topic of likely Putin bots, and I’ve seen it bubbling up in various places.
I...I don’t know what to do. I mean, vote, canvas, all that. But the current Dem leadership does not seem equipped to handle this. Or more to the point: I’m not sure it matters, so long as we have a literal propaganda machine advocating Civil War.
How long before it makes it to Fox News? Those ghouls found a way to be ok with torturing children; I hardly think Civil War is beneath them.
I just...do not know what to do. Not just on a personal level. I mean, my options are limited to voting and local action. But as a country, I don’t even know what to advocate for anymore. The abusive partners in this shitty group marriage keep escalating their abuse, and I do not know how we get it to stop.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:33 AM on June 27, 2018 [23 favorites]
We’ve talked about this here, and I’ve spent WAY too much time thinking about it, late at night, because of what I see as structural inequality built into our increasingly corrupt political system. Like this has been my fear for a while.
But I also think the shadowy villainous cabal types are pushing it. A couple of people in the comments mention that it’s a favorite topic of likely Putin bots, and I’ve seen it bubbling up in various places.
I...I don’t know what to do. I mean, vote, canvas, all that. But the current Dem leadership does not seem equipped to handle this. Or more to the point: I’m not sure it matters, so long as we have a literal propaganda machine advocating Civil War.
How long before it makes it to Fox News? Those ghouls found a way to be ok with torturing children; I hardly think Civil War is beneath them.
I just...do not know what to do. Not just on a personal level. I mean, my options are limited to voting and local action. But as a country, I don’t even know what to advocate for anymore. The abusive partners in this shitty group marriage keep escalating their abuse, and I do not know how we get it to stop.
posted by schadenfrau at 6:33 AM on June 27, 2018 [23 favorites]
In my most optimistic moments I imagined Ocasio-Cortez giving Crowley only a good scare, so I didn't even both to check the results last night until I was about to go to bed, and I almost dropped my phone. 15 points! That's a proper stomping. I wish I'd been able to vote for her—I'm outside her district by a matter of blocks.
(Also, I never thought I'd see so many Wobblies on Metafilter, hot damn.)
posted by enn at 6:37 AM on June 27, 2018 [21 favorites]
(Also, I never thought I'd see so many Wobblies on Metafilter, hot damn.)
posted by enn at 6:37 AM on June 27, 2018 [21 favorites]
The Party needs to evolve or die.
Since I'm in NY, I usually have pretty accurate representation, but I made a point this morning of calling Schumer's office and pointing out 1) Schumer has been pretty good when it's Business as Usual. 2) Business is not usual now -- we have Secret Baby Jails, etc.. and 3) the 20 year incumbent got his clock cleaned by this woman in NY-14, and I then read her platform, pointing out that THIS is what people are turning out to vote for, and it's time for the Senator to get his act together.
THEN, I called Gillibrand's office, and asked that she talks to Schumer, and gets him pointed in the right direction, again reading the platform that kicked the 20 year incument's ass...
posted by mikelieman at 6:42 AM on June 27, 2018 [57 favorites]
Since I'm in NY, I usually have pretty accurate representation, but I made a point this morning of calling Schumer's office and pointing out 1) Schumer has been pretty good when it's Business as Usual. 2) Business is not usual now -- we have Secret Baby Jails, etc.. and 3) the 20 year incumbent got his clock cleaned by this woman in NY-14, and I then read her platform, pointing out that THIS is what people are turning out to vote for, and it's time for the Senator to get his act together.
THEN, I called Gillibrand's office, and asked that she talks to Schumer, and gets him pointed in the right direction, again reading the platform that kicked the 20 year incument's ass...
posted by mikelieman at 6:42 AM on June 27, 2018 [57 favorites]
Evidence we're changing the conversation about ICE - heard on NPR this morning as they reported on Ocasio-Cortez:
"she ran on progressive issues such as Medicare-for-all and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement"
It's just a regular progressive issue now!
posted by Emmy Rae at 6:46 AM on June 27, 2018 [69 favorites]
"she ran on progressive issues such as Medicare-for-all and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement"
It's just a regular progressive issue now!
posted by Emmy Rae at 6:46 AM on June 27, 2018 [69 favorites]
In other News York City news, the successful school zone camera program is expiring because our legislature is run by assholes. Child fatalities and injuries are down 21% since they were installed.
State Senator Marty Golden opposes the program. He likes to speed through school zones.
Friend of mine was arrested at a protest regarding this over the weekend.
posted by zarq at 6:51 AM on June 27, 2018 [32 favorites]
State Senator Marty Golden opposes the program. He likes to speed through school zones.
Friend of mine was arrested at a protest regarding this over the weekend.
posted by zarq at 6:51 AM on June 27, 2018 [32 favorites]
THEN, I called Gillibrand's office, and asked that she talks to Schumer, and gets him pointed in the right direction, again reading the platform that kicked the 20 year incument's ass...
Gillibrand's ready to fight. On her Twitter @SenGillibrand yesterday, she promised one for the Supreme Court:
Gillibrand's ready to fight. On her Twitter @SenGillibrand yesterday, she promised one for the Supreme Court:
The Roberts Court has repeatedly put corporations over people, including the dangerous Epic Systems decision, which undermined workers' well-being.posted by Doktor Zed at 6:58 AM on June 27, 2018 [29 favorites]
It is clear that the president wants to use the courts to shape policy that he can’t get passed through Congress, like his discriminatory travel ban.
If a vacancy occurs during this term, after the Garland heist, the balance of the court could be tilted even more against women's, workers', and civil rights for decades to come by the president’s list of 25 judges who have passed his litmus test of overturning Roe v. Wade.
We need fair-minded judges who will uphold the value of equality. This current list represents a clear danger to women's health and should be rejected in favor of a bipartisan nominee should there be a vacancy on the bench.
JackFlash: Have you seen the proliferation of billboards advertising those fake pregnancy clinics? Where's the millions of dollars to combat that going to come from?
Billboard Liberation Front and Cacophony Society seem like appropriate avenues to provide ... corrected messaging.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:03 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Billboard Liberation Front and Cacophony Society seem like appropriate avenues to provide ... corrected messaging.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:03 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
@wheeler
OMG, a restaurant just refused to serve Ivanka and threw bread rolls at her head. The restaurant was called "Polling Station". I don't know the location, but we should boycott the entire chain.
posted by Artw at 7:06 AM on June 27, 2018 [67 favorites]
OMG, a restaurant just refused to serve Ivanka and threw bread rolls at her head. The restaurant was called "Polling Station". I don't know the location, but we should boycott the entire chain.
posted by Artw at 7:06 AM on June 27, 2018 [67 favorites]
I...I don’t know what to do. I mean, vote, canvas, all that. But the current Dem leadership does not seem equipped to handle this. Or more to the point: I’m not sure it matters, so long as we have a literal propaganda machine advocating Civil War.
How long before it makes it to Fox News? Those ghouls found a way to be ok with torturing children; I hardly think Civil War is beneath them.
These channels have been advocating for violence against liberals for a while, remember. It hasn't yet boiled over for two reasons: one, the conservative position is rooted in desperately trying to pretend they are the Good Guys and being the first one to shoot makes that real hard; and two, they desperately need to believe they are supported by a silent majority, and actually having to go to war against blue states will expose how unlikeable the "red" side really is.
Despair is a sin. It might happen, but what's much more likely to happen is that Democrats win the House in November, force the Republicans in Congress to impeach Trump, and then suddenly Trump's supporters will make themselves very scarce.
posted by Merus at 7:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
How long before it makes it to Fox News? Those ghouls found a way to be ok with torturing children; I hardly think Civil War is beneath them.
These channels have been advocating for violence against liberals for a while, remember. It hasn't yet boiled over for two reasons: one, the conservative position is rooted in desperately trying to pretend they are the Good Guys and being the first one to shoot makes that real hard; and two, they desperately need to believe they are supported by a silent majority, and actually having to go to war against blue states will expose how unlikeable the "red" side really is.
Despair is a sin. It might happen, but what's much more likely to happen is that Democrats win the House in November, force the Republicans in Congress to impeach Trump, and then suddenly Trump's supporters will make themselves very scarce.
posted by Merus at 7:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
The Trump tweet about Crowley losing indicates some political ignorance, yes, but more so his infinite capacity for grudges. If Bob Corker or Jeff Flake were still running in the fall, but got defeated by a Democrat, Trump would gloat about that too. He is very happy to cut off his nose if it will spite your face.
Mayor West: GOP controls all three branches of federal government by a healthy margin, including a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
Hmm? Their Senate majority is quite narrow, that's why they've resorted to blue-moon procedural tricks to pass things like the tax cut, while the really hardcore Republican wish list is basically untouched.
General no-fun-allowed alert to anyone who read kirkaracha's comment too quickly and excitedly: The Ivanka thing is a joke. (For now.)
posted by InTheYear2017 at 7:19 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Mayor West: GOP controls all three branches of federal government by a healthy margin, including a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
Hmm? Their Senate majority is quite narrow, that's why they've resorted to blue-moon procedural tricks to pass things like the tax cut, while the really hardcore Republican wish list is basically untouched.
General no-fun-allowed alert to anyone who read kirkaracha's comment too quickly and excitedly: The Ivanka thing is a joke. (For now.)
posted by InTheYear2017 at 7:19 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Mod note: Couple deleted. "I'm scared this will end in Civil War" and "just how stupid/bad/etc are Trump supporters" and "must we be pessimistic or must we be optimistic" are all general conversations we've had many, many, many times; please let those be and stick to actual updates on real events in here. There's the WTF thread if you need to vent about feeling scared, and other threads if you want to shoot the breeze.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
Supreme Court Deals Blow To Government Unions - Scott Horsley, Nina Totenberg for NPR
In a blow to organized labor, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that government workers who choose not to join a union cannot be charged for the cost of collective bargaining.posted by ZeusHumms at 7:25 AM on June 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
The vote was a predictable 5-to-4 margin. Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion with the court's conservatives joining him.
"Under Illinois law, public employees are forced to subsidize a union, even if they choose not to join and strongly object to the positions the union takes in collective bargaining and related activities," Alito wrote. "We conclude that this arrangement violates the free speech rights of nonmembers by compelling them to subsidize private speech on matters of substantial public concern."
The decision reverses a four-decades-old precedent and upends laws in 22 states. It also comes on the last day of this Supreme Court term, the period on the final sentence of a chapter that began with the appointment of conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch and saw conservative wins in decision after decision. This term was also an affirmation of the risky political gambit played by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who denied even a confirmation hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, President Obama's pick for the court after Justice Antonin Scalia died.
The Ivanka thing is a joke. (For now.)
This is your once-a-megathread desperate plea for the use of [real] and [fake] tags. Shit is so far into "I can't believe this is happening" territory that I no longer possess the ability to discriminate on my own.
posted by ragtag at 7:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [44 favorites]
This is your once-a-megathread desperate plea for the use of [real] and [fake] tags. Shit is so far into "I can't believe this is happening" territory that I no longer possess the ability to discriminate on my own.
posted by ragtag at 7:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [44 favorites]
The Ivanka thing is a joke. (For now.)
This isn't: Ivanka Trump donates $50K to megachurch caring for migrant children separated from families
She gave money to a Handmaid's Tale prisonchurch to abuse the disappeared children with, so she's sympathetic now.
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:29 AM on June 27, 2018 [41 favorites]
This isn't: Ivanka Trump donates $50K to megachurch caring for migrant children separated from families
She gave money to a Handmaid's Tale prisonchurch to abuse the disappeared children with, so she's sympathetic now.
posted by Rust Moranis at 7:29 AM on June 27, 2018 [41 favorites]
Dave Weigel
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), who's in line to chair Budget if Dems win House, is unabashed about where the party needs to go. "If I'm chairman of the Budget Committee next year, we'll have hearings on Medicare for All."
posted by chris24 at 7:32 AM on June 27, 2018 [56 favorites]
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), who's in line to chair Budget if Dems win House, is unabashed about where the party needs to go. "If I'm chairman of the Budget Committee next year, we'll have hearings on Medicare for All."
posted by chris24 at 7:32 AM on June 27, 2018 [56 favorites]
North Korea Rapidly Upgrading Nuclear Reactor Despite Summit
posted by gwint at 7:32 AM on June 27, 2018 [31 favorites]
posted by gwint at 7:32 AM on June 27, 2018 [31 favorites]
InTheYear2017 Hmm? Their Senate majority is quite narrow
No successful filibusters have stopped their agenda, therefore they have a filibuster proof majority.
Different rules apply for Democrats and Republicans. A 51 vote majority (counting the Vice President) means the Republicans have a filibuster proof majority, while having 60 votes did not give the Democrats a filibuster proof majority.
Basically when it comes to the Republicans, 40 votes is a functional majority in the Senate and 51 is filibuster proof.
posted by sotonohito at 7:32 AM on June 27, 2018 [13 favorites]
No successful filibusters have stopped their agenda, therefore they have a filibuster proof majority.
Different rules apply for Democrats and Republicans. A 51 vote majority (counting the Vice President) means the Republicans have a filibuster proof majority, while having 60 votes did not give the Democrats a filibuster proof majority.
Basically when it comes to the Republicans, 40 votes is a functional majority in the Senate and 51 is filibuster proof.
posted by sotonohito at 7:32 AM on June 27, 2018 [13 favorites]
Note that by federal law, unions are required to negotiate for all workers equally, file grievances for them, provide legal representation for them even if they aren't union members, but under this ruling are unable to charge them dues for that service.
posted by JackFlash at 7:35 AM on June 27, 2018 [35 favorites]
posted by JackFlash at 7:35 AM on June 27, 2018 [35 favorites]
Damn, if we got Reps from Kentucky talking about MFA, Dem leadership may actually be learning some lessons.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:36 AM on June 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by zombieflanders at 7:36 AM on June 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
chris24: In New Mexico governor race, Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham leads Republican Steve Pearce 51% to 38% in a new poll by SurveyUSA.
Currently NM is led by Republican Susana Martinez, Chair of the Republican Governors Association, who is term limited.
The fact that Susana Tejana (deriding her for being from Texas, though worked in southern New Mexico, the territory of Pearce) won re-election gutted me, but I'm so very happy that New Mexico is swinging back to be full blue (Democrats regained the NM House in 2016, putting the legislative chambers at odds with the governor -- and NM was called for Hillary before California was, which makes me happy, even though we're an hour behind CA).
In the off-chance that Pearce wins, at least he's on record saying he'll overturn some of the terrible education "reforms" foisted upon the state by Susana.
Also, I'm happy that Pearce is leaving his post as the only Republican in the NM congressional delegation, but I hope Xochitl Torres Small, a water rights attorney from Las Cruces (biggest city in southern New Mexico, though its overshadowed by its close neighbor, El Paso, in Texas), though race ratings this year indicate lean or likely Republican, and I don't know enough of the groundwork in the south to suggest otherwise. While it's good that either way we'll have another woman in Congress, Yvette Herrell has the support not only of the New Mexico Republican Party's activist base but also the House Freedom Caucus.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:37 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Currently NM is led by Republican Susana Martinez, Chair of the Republican Governors Association, who is term limited.
The fact that Susana Tejana (deriding her for being from Texas, though worked in southern New Mexico, the territory of Pearce) won re-election gutted me, but I'm so very happy that New Mexico is swinging back to be full blue (Democrats regained the NM House in 2016, putting the legislative chambers at odds with the governor -- and NM was called for Hillary before California was, which makes me happy, even though we're an hour behind CA).
In the off-chance that Pearce wins, at least he's on record saying he'll overturn some of the terrible education "reforms" foisted upon the state by Susana.
Also, I'm happy that Pearce is leaving his post as the only Republican in the NM congressional delegation, but I hope Xochitl Torres Small, a water rights attorney from Las Cruces (biggest city in southern New Mexico, though its overshadowed by its close neighbor, El Paso, in Texas), though race ratings this year indicate lean or likely Republican, and I don't know enough of the groundwork in the south to suggest otherwise. While it's good that either way we'll have another woman in Congress, Yvette Herrell has the support not only of the New Mexico Republican Party's activist base but also the House Freedom Caucus.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:37 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
North Korea Rapidly Upgrading Nuclear Reactor Despite Summit
What the hell? Just two weeks ago the President said "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea". How can he not have known? Is there a breakdown in the US Intelligence Community? He wouldn't lie about something as important as this, surely??
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:38 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
What the hell? Just two weeks ago the President said "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea". How can he not have known? Is there a breakdown in the US Intelligence Community? He wouldn't lie about something as important as this, surely??
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:38 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
"Under Illinois law, public employees are forced to subsidize a union, even if they choose not to join and strongly object to the positions the union takes in collective bargaining and related activities"
That's as may be, but the effect of this decision will be to make it very, very tempting for government employees to become free riders, choosing to take a (very) small boost in pay while still getting union benefits. This will stretch union resources thinner, reducing the value of the union, and leading to a vicious cycle of more workers opting to keep a bit of money.
This decision is not about First Amendment rights. It's about destroying unions. The First Amendment is just a pretense.
posted by jedicus at 7:41 AM on June 27, 2018 [44 favorites]
That's as may be, but the effect of this decision will be to make it very, very tempting for government employees to become free riders, choosing to take a (very) small boost in pay while still getting union benefits. This will stretch union resources thinner, reducing the value of the union, and leading to a vicious cycle of more workers opting to keep a bit of money.
This decision is not about First Amendment rights. It's about destroying unions. The First Amendment is just a pretense.
posted by jedicus at 7:41 AM on June 27, 2018 [44 favorites]
No successful filibusters have stopped their agenda, therefore they have a filibuster proof majority.
The Toomey immigration bill got 54 votes in the Senate but failed to proceed because they didn't get 60. Actually 3 of the 4 immigration bills got 50+ but less than 60, but Toomey was one that all Rs voted for and the vast majority of Ds voted against. It penalized sanctuary cities and didn't do anything to fix DACA.
posted by chris24 at 7:41 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
The Toomey immigration bill got 54 votes in the Senate but failed to proceed because they didn't get 60. Actually 3 of the 4 immigration bills got 50+ but less than 60, but Toomey was one that all Rs voted for and the vast majority of Ds voted against. It penalized sanctuary cities and didn't do anything to fix DACA.
posted by chris24 at 7:41 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
> Incidentally, Pelosi's statement says nothing about making a concerted effort to go after Trump and his GOPers (merely referring, in passing, to "the historic challenges of the Trump administration").
Ms. Pelosi, your house is literally starting to burn down as we speak, and yet your rhetoric sounds like it was written for a seventh-grade social studies assignment.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:41 AM on June 27, 2018 [15 favorites]
Ms. Pelosi, your house is literally starting to burn down as we speak, and yet your rhetoric sounds like it was written for a seventh-grade social studies assignment.
posted by The Card Cheat at 7:41 AM on June 27, 2018 [15 favorites]
Damn, if we got Reps from Kentucky talking about MFA, Dem leadershipCongressmen may actually be learning some lessonswhat their constituents want.
posted by 6ATR at 7:42 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by 6ATR at 7:42 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Teusday’s primaries were good for the left
posted by The Whelk at 7:44 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 7:44 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
Have you not heard how many conservatives now insist "We're a republic, not a democracy?"
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:37 PM on June 26 [53 favorites +] [!]
Agree with your post, but this insistence is not new. Take for instance this video from 1966. What really chaps my hide is that this conservative meme is a false dichotomy in service of their agenda. "Democracy" and "republic" are not mutually exclusive terms. In fact, it's right there in the name of some countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, etc.), although they might not adhere to the relevant principles. A republic is a way of organizing a government of smaller governments, and democracy is one way of running that government. As usual, the conservative argument is disingenuous and heavily canted toward their super secret agenda.
posted by Mental Wimp at 7:44 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by OnceUponATime at 1:37 PM on June 26 [53 favorites +] [!]
Agree with your post, but this insistence is not new. Take for instance this video from 1966. What really chaps my hide is that this conservative meme is a false dichotomy in service of their agenda. "Democracy" and "republic" are not mutually exclusive terms. In fact, it's right there in the name of some countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, etc.), although they might not adhere to the relevant principles. A republic is a way of organizing a government of smaller governments, and democracy is one way of running that government. As usual, the conservative argument is disingenuous and heavily canted toward their super secret agenda.
posted by Mental Wimp at 7:44 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Fall Of A Democratic Leader Caps Strong Primary Night For Progressives (NPR, June 26, 2018)
Back to the article for more recaps from last night:
posted by filthy light thief at 7:48 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
In GOP primaries, President Trump was able to lift two candidates to victory on Tuesday, with one of his earliest allies, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, winning his GOP primary runoff and New York Rep. Dan Donovan also beating back a challenge from former Rep. Michael Grimm.So tweeting is enough now to "swing" support for a candidate? -_-
The president has been burned by making endorsements in the past that didn't pan out (twice in Alabama's special Senate election last year), but he put two more wins in the bank after stumping Monday night for McMaster and tweeting his support for Donovan last month.
Back to the article for more recaps from last night:
A former organizer for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign, Ocasio-Cortez ran a vigorous race over Crowley in the increasingly diverse Bronx and Queens district, and she used her Puerto Rican heritage to identify with the district's rapidly growing Latino population. A Democratic socialist who previously worked for the late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, she backs abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and supports Medicare for all and free public college. Ocasio-Cortez's victory comes in a year when Democratic women have been prevailing in many primary contests.There's more on the GOP primary wins and losses in the article, but I'll leave those there.
...
Three other New York City Democratic members — Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Yvette Clarke and Eliot Engel — also faced primary challenges of note. All three ended up winning, though Clarke only prevailed by about four points.
Progressives also prevailed in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Maryland, which also highlighted the differing approaches battling for supremacy in that party. Jealous, a former NAACP president who was endorsed not only by Sanders but by New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and other progressive figures, defeated Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker, who had wrapped up the support of much of the state's political establishment, such as Sen. Chris Van Hollen and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer.
Both candidates are African-American, and now Jealous has a chance to become the first black governor in Maryland history if he wins — and only the third elected across all 50 states. But Jealous will have a difficult race against incumbent GOP Gov. Larry Hogan. Even though Maryland is traditionally a blue state, the centrist Hogan remains extremely popular — even among Democrats — and has been a frequent critic of Trump.
Several competitive New York House seats are also a key part of Democrats' calculus to winning back the House, and in one important contest the more liberal candidate beat the establishment choice. In the 24th District, college professor Dana Balter, who was running as the more progressive pick with the backing of MoveOn.org and all four county committees, prevailed over the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's favored candidate, Juanita Perez Williams. Local officials had complained about DCCC meddling in the race, and now it's Balter who will challenge GOP Rep. John Katko this fall.
In New York's 1st Congressional District, former commercial real estate lending executive Perry Gershon, who spent nearly $1 million of his own money in the contest, bested three other women candidates to claim the Democratic nomination, bucking national trends that have seen female hopefuls advance in other races. He'll face GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin in a Long Island district Trump carried by about 12 points.
And in the 19th District, attorney Antonio Delgado won the Democratic nomination and will challenge Republican Rep. John Faso. Democrats hope to make this seat competitive as well; Trump won it by about seven points, but former President Obama carried it twice.
In Colorado, Democrats have been angling for a long time to take out Republican Rep. Mike Coffman in his suburban Denver district , which Hillary Clinton carried by 9 points. The DCCC got their preferred pick there, with attorney Jason Crow easily beating energy consultant Levi Tillemann, who had been pressured by Hoyer, the House Democratic whip, to abandon his bid.
...
Democratic Rep. Jared Polis won his party's nomination to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper in Colorado, which could make history. If Polis wins in November, he would be the first openly gay man ever elected governor in the country. EMILY's List backed former state Treasurer Cary Kennedy. While Democratic women have sailed in House races this year, they've had more trouble in gubernatorial contests.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:48 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Note that by federal law, unions are required to negotiate for all workers equally, file grievances for them, provide legal representation for them even if they aren't union members, but under this ruling are unable to charge them dues for that service.
I have a prediction in the back of my mind that unions are going to eventually become a kind of outsourced HR by the companies for everything but signing the checks. Externalize all costs.
posted by rhizome at 7:51 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
I have a prediction in the back of my mind that unions are going to eventually become a kind of outsourced HR by the companies for everything but signing the checks. Externalize all costs.
posted by rhizome at 7:51 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
In a blow to organized labor, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that government workers who choose not to join a union cannot be charged for the cost of collective bargaining.
I’m not sure it’s actually that much of a blow to organized labor as the business unions would have it, though. Like - the act of forcing dues is essential to the business union model, but is actually specifically negative in the solidarity union model, where who is paying dues tells you who is involved in the union and who has stopped paying dues tells you who you need to go talk to and bring back into the fold.
And you know - the bosses aren’t really scared of the unions that spend more money on political donations than strike funds, or unions that negotiate cozy no-strike and “management rights” clauses. They aren’t scared of unions where people kind of believe they’re in a union, they guess. They’re scared of unions where there is actual labor unrest and direct action on the shop floor and wildcat strikes. None of which requires mandatory union dues.
posted by corb at 7:52 AM on June 27, 2018 [24 favorites]
I’m not sure it’s actually that much of a blow to organized labor as the business unions would have it, though. Like - the act of forcing dues is essential to the business union model, but is actually specifically negative in the solidarity union model, where who is paying dues tells you who is involved in the union and who has stopped paying dues tells you who you need to go talk to and bring back into the fold.
And you know - the bosses aren’t really scared of the unions that spend more money on political donations than strike funds, or unions that negotiate cozy no-strike and “management rights” clauses. They aren’t scared of unions where people kind of believe they’re in a union, they guess. They’re scared of unions where there is actual labor unrest and direct action on the shop floor and wildcat strikes. None of which requires mandatory union dues.
posted by corb at 7:52 AM on June 27, 2018 [24 favorites]
sotonohito: No successful filibusters have stopped their agenda, therefore they have a filibuster proof majority.
Aside from whenever actual filibusters have occurred (it depends on your definition, since they almost never get to the point of someone actually talking a la Mr Smith Goes to Washington)... it doesn't take one to have significance, just the implied threat of one. As it stands, the Democrats (while still less progressive than they ought to be) aren't going to let the Poor-People Hunting License Act of 2018 or whatever come to a vote.
I just want to be clear that if the Senate Republicans had a literal filibuster-proof majority, the result would be terrifying. Their not having one is a small blessing in this, the Not-Quite-Worst Timeline (now with Ocasio-Cortez!).
6ATR: Damn, if we got Reps from Kentucky talking about MFA, Dem leadershipCongressmen may actually be learning some lessonswhat their constituents want.
I think this was discussed upthread, but one weirdness in our present politics is that a lot of the policy views of the median conservative are closer to the left than those of his left-wing counterpart are to the right. This leaves white identity grievances as the only tool available to Republicans, hence increasing polarization even as there's (in theory) plenty of national agreement. That doesn't mean Republicans are about to bend on healthcare, because a sick/poor populace is a less empowered one (and the donors always come first). But it does mean Democrats should be absolutely unafraid to run on that stuff (and the hell with those donors).
posted by InTheYear2017 at 7:53 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Aside from whenever actual filibusters have occurred (it depends on your definition, since they almost never get to the point of someone actually talking a la Mr Smith Goes to Washington)... it doesn't take one to have significance, just the implied threat of one. As it stands, the Democrats (while still less progressive than they ought to be) aren't going to let the Poor-People Hunting License Act of 2018 or whatever come to a vote.
I just want to be clear that if the Senate Republicans had a literal filibuster-proof majority, the result would be terrifying. Their not having one is a small blessing in this, the Not-Quite-Worst Timeline (now with Ocasio-Cortez!).
6ATR: Damn, if we got Reps from Kentucky talking about MFA, Dem leadershipCongressmen may actually be learning some lessonswhat their constituents want.
I think this was discussed upthread, but one weirdness in our present politics is that a lot of the policy views of the median conservative are closer to the left than those of his left-wing counterpart are to the right. This leaves white identity grievances as the only tool available to Republicans, hence increasing polarization even as there's (in theory) plenty of national agreement. That doesn't mean Republicans are about to bend on healthcare, because a sick/poor populace is a less empowered one (and the donors always come first). But it does mean Democrats should be absolutely unafraid to run on that stuff (and the hell with those donors).
posted by InTheYear2017 at 7:53 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Justinian: [federal] Judge bars separation of immigrants from children, orders reunification.
More details from NPR: Judge Bars Migrant Family Separations, Orders Return Of Children Within 30 Days (June 27, 2018)
posted by filthy light thief at 7:55 AM on June 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
More details from NPR: Judge Bars Migrant Family Separations, Orders Return Of Children Within 30 Days (June 27, 2018)
A federal judge in San Diego has barred the separation of migrant children and ordered that those currently detained under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy be reunited with families within 30 days.Partially more "lenient" than the Flores Settlement that prohibits the federal government from keeping children in immigration detention centers for more than 20 days, which the Department of Justice asked a federal district court to modify just last week (via The Hill), but also more stringent for younger children, and specifying when parents should be able to talk to their children.
The order, which came down late Tuesday, is the result of an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit. It requires children younger than five who are detained in federally contracted shelters to be returned to their parents even sooner — within 14 days. Parents are entitled to speak with their children within 10 days, according to the ruling by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:55 AM on June 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
If anyone is interested in helping with expanding the Torn Apart site, there are hackathons happening this week during the Digital Humanities conference in Mexico, and we can use more data sets, personal connections to useful people (lawyers, journalists, anyone with information we can incorporate), as well as willing people to check datasets, etc. We also need programmers, but I think they'd need to be physically present. Memail me if you can help at all. And above all, we need to know what additions to the site could be most helpful for its various users (activists, media, affected families).
posted by lollusc at 7:58 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by lollusc at 7:58 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Say, fuck this (via a reporter who was at Crowley's watch party, worth noting I can't find another source for this): “It’s unfortunate that he had a primary,” said the Bronx Borough president, Ruben Diaz, Jr. of @JoeCrowleyNY. “We need him in Washington DC. Washington is about consistency and seniority.”
Yeah, how's that been working out for us lately?
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:01 AM on June 27, 2018 [65 favorites]
Yeah, how's that been working out for us lately?
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:01 AM on June 27, 2018 [65 favorites]
ProPublica and Fathom have built an application that tracks the more than $16 million in spending at Trump Organization by political committees and federal government agencies.
The vast majority of the money — at least $13.5 million, or more than 84 percent of what we tracked — was spent by Trump’s presidential campaign (including on Tag Air, the entity that operates Trump’s personal airplane). Republican Senate and House political committees and campaigns have shelled out at least another $2.1 million at Trump properties. At least $400,000 has been spent by federal, state and local agencies. (For example, the Florida Police Chiefs Association held its summer conference last year at the Trump National Doral Miami.) The state and local tally appears to be a gross undercount because of the agencies’ spotty disclosures and reporting.posted by jgirl at 8:04 AM on June 27, 2018 [15 favorites]
It's interesting, as a non-american observer, watching the recent tone in these threads. I can't for the life of me be bothered to read the whole thread but instead write scripts to parse them and serve up slices of them in more palatable chunks. Like, say, heavily favourited comments a day or two before they hit the 'Popular' RSS feed.
A while ago I started appending to the end of my script a little Markov chain comment generator that weirdly makes a decent stab at approximating the tone of the current thread.
This morning my favourite examples were:
posted by mce at 8:05 AM on June 27, 2018 [30 favorites]
A while ago I started appending to the end of my script a little Markov chain comment generator that weirdly makes a decent stab at approximating the tone of the current thread.
This morning my favourite examples were:
These Nazi fucks expect to be in the House Freedom Caucus .So yeah there's something in the air. Please don't stop pushing.
So will Ocasio Cortez race results are coming in th it looks like it's officially going to be kept away from their children would be rude and not the majority of political bullshit is not the only women's health center in the Bronx Democratic Party Likened Maxine Waters I don't care and economic policies that use religious and geographic discrimination as a congressperson but she knows her district and how to do whatever it goddamn takes to get there more women in particular was kicking students off base due to storms for more than days and there was an election designed to
Crowley concedes and endorses AOC No snark good for definitions of good news newly minted alt right gal pal Chelsea Manning is struggling to crack open a history of rude honorable opposition .
posted by mce at 8:05 AM on June 27, 2018 [30 favorites]
the bosses aren’t really scared of the unions
Bullshit. Why have Republicans, and the Kochs and the Mercers spent millions to pass laws eviscerating unions if they aren't scared of them? Just in the last few months there have been teacher strikes in Arizona, Kentucky, Oklahoma and West Virginia --all red states. Bosses are terrified and loath unions, especially public sector unions.
posted by JackFlash at 8:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [58 favorites]
Bullshit. Why have Republicans, and the Kochs and the Mercers spent millions to pass laws eviscerating unions if they aren't scared of them? Just in the last few months there have been teacher strikes in Arizona, Kentucky, Oklahoma and West Virginia --all red states. Bosses are terrified and loath unions, especially public sector unions.
posted by JackFlash at 8:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [58 favorites]
Washington is about consistency and seniority.
Yeah it does seem to be a wad of ancient dust-farters doing exactly the same worthless things forever.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
Yeah it does seem to be a wad of ancient dust-farters doing exactly the same worthless things forever.
posted by Rust Moranis at 8:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
Customs And Border Agency Halts Many 'Zero Tolerance' Detentions, Citing Workload - Bill Chappell, NPR
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Despite pressure from President Trump for the U.S. to arrest and prosecute anyone caught crossing the border illegally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its agents will temporarily suspend the practice of detaining adults who arrive with children — something that had been a tenet of Trump's "zero tolerance" policy.Seems to be independent of all the other pro and anti immigrant activities.
CBP agents will no longer refer migrant parents and children for prosecution when they're caught at the U.S. southern border, Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said, telling reporters that the system — which was widely criticized for separating families, until Trump eased his policy somewhat last week — hasn't worked out.
posted by ZeusHumms at 8:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
The speed camera issue mentioned by zarq is appalling. A couple good Dems are running against Golden; one of them, Ross Barkan, was super excited about Ocasio-Cortez's win, since he's a journalist who's been documenting Queens Dem machine madness, and AOC, at the Village Voice. Also worth noting that Blake Morris is challenging my lovely state senator who singlehandedly stopped the cameras cause he wants an armed officer in every school.
Somewhat relatedly, I saw someone upthread say Crowley wasn't around his district much for local issues. But somehow he found time to inveigh against bike lanes. AOC is for the lane but still concerned about parking though she's willing to engage with advocates. I wish I had more confidence that our elected officials would work to stop us from dying while we're out walking. I hope AOC's constituents work to hold her accountable. And vote Barkan (or Gounardes) and Morris!
posted by ferret branca at 8:14 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
Somewhat relatedly, I saw someone upthread say Crowley wasn't around his district much for local issues. But somehow he found time to inveigh against bike lanes. AOC is for the lane but still concerned about parking though she's willing to engage with advocates. I wish I had more confidence that our elected officials would work to stop us from dying while we're out walking. I hope AOC's constituents work to hold her accountable. And vote Barkan (or Gounardes) and Morris!
posted by ferret branca at 8:14 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
> “It’s unfortunate that he had a primary,” said the Bronx Borough president, Ruben Diaz, Jr. of @JoeCrowleyNY. “We need him in Washington DC. Washington is about consistency and seniority.”
This reads like a parody of a careerist politician type. If a character in a movie said it I'd roll my eyes because it would seem like too broad a caricature.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
This reads like a parody of a careerist politician type. If a character in a movie said it I'd roll my eyes because it would seem like too broad a caricature.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [14 favorites]
This simple comment from the (mostly-garbage) Gothamist comment section really resonated with me:
I never really had any kind of strong opinion about Crowley. I can't remember anything he said or did that particularly stuck out as good or bad. But I liked what Ocasio-Cortez had to say, and I admired her for taking a stand. My vote was definitely a positive one for her, rather than a negative one against Crowley.
I feel like a lot of people in the DC and pundit spaces just aren't quite getting this. Bottom line, Ocasio-Cortez won because she engaged with the community and gave them compelling reasons to vote for her. Not 'against Crowley.'
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [79 favorites]
I never really had any kind of strong opinion about Crowley. I can't remember anything he said or did that particularly stuck out as good or bad. But I liked what Ocasio-Cortez had to say, and I admired her for taking a stand. My vote was definitely a positive one for her, rather than a negative one against Crowley.
I feel like a lot of people in the DC and pundit spaces just aren't quite getting this. Bottom line, Ocasio-Cortez won because she engaged with the community and gave them compelling reasons to vote for her. Not 'against Crowley.'
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [79 favorites]
There are no bright lines between "business unions" and "solidarity unions." Direct action isn't free, either for the organizers or the participants. Starving unions of the resources they need to bargain on behalf of their members and to exert their influence in the electoral process to support pro-labor candidates will lead to the death of unions. This ruling will do great harm to organized labor in the US at a time when it's already got one foot in the grave. "But people can join the IWW and strike illegally if it's really important" is not an acceptable substitute.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:18 AM on June 27, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by tonycpsu at 8:18 AM on June 27, 2018 [29 favorites]
What are the chances of the Unions jettisoning the Free Riders? There has to be Freedom of Association aspects to this where you aren't forced to provide benefits to people who aren't actually members?
posted by mikelieman at 8:18 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by mikelieman at 8:18 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
I am in a district near Crowley's and I'm a member of my local Democratic Club. I got notices from them leading up to the primary asking me to come help get out the vote for Crowley. (I did not.) When I heard that he had skipped a debate with her and sent a surrogate, I thought that demonstrated an unattractive sense of entitlement on his part, and I'm sure others felt similarly.
Speaking of the DSA: what other chapters are following New Orleans's lead with brake light clinics?
posted by brainwane at 8:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
Speaking of the DSA: what other chapters are following New Orleans's lead with brake light clinics?
posted by brainwane at 8:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
Washington is about consistency and seniority
WHICH EXPLAINS ITS RECORD LEVELS OF POPULARITY
posted by entropicamericana at 8:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [28 favorites]
WHICH EXPLAINS ITS RECORD LEVELS OF POPULARITY
posted by entropicamericana at 8:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [28 favorites]
Why have Republicans, and the Kochs and the Mercers spent millions to pass laws eviscerating unions if they aren't scared of them? Just in the last few months there have been teacher strikes in Arizona, Kentucky, Oklahoma and West Virginia --all red states. Bosses are terrified and loath unions, especially public sector unions.
We are already seeing the results of: "What if more Democrats voted in other than presidential elections?" (We win!) "What if more women run for office?" (They win if they are Democrats!)
If we can get union membership energized like this, we will see results. "What if everyone eligible to join a union did? Including the Wobblies?" (I bet unions would start kicking ass and taking names again. One of the reasons the 1950s was so good for white, male workers at least, was unions.)
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:24 AM on June 27, 2018 [16 favorites]
We are already seeing the results of: "What if more Democrats voted in other than presidential elections?" (We win!) "What if more women run for office?" (They win if they are Democrats!)
If we can get union membership energized like this, we will see results. "What if everyone eligible to join a union did? Including the Wobblies?" (I bet unions would start kicking ass and taking names again. One of the reasons the 1950s was so good for white, male workers at least, was unions.)
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:24 AM on June 27, 2018 [16 favorites]
What are the chances of the Unions jettisoning the Free Riders? There has to be Freedom of Association aspects to this where you aren't forced to provide benefits to people who aren't actually members?
You can become a members only union but you also lose exclusive bargaining rights. Given SCOTUS has just abolished free-rider fees a lot of unions might convert to members only. Expect most red states to have legislation allowing non-union state employees to benefit from a most favoured nation style status in regards to union contracts.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
You can become a members only union but you also lose exclusive bargaining rights. Given SCOTUS has just abolished free-rider fees a lot of unions might convert to members only. Expect most red states to have legislation allowing non-union state employees to benefit from a most favoured nation style status in regards to union contracts.
posted by Definitely Not Sean Spicer at 8:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
The speed camera issue mentioned by zarq is appalling.
It really is. For some extremely thorough coverage of this whole thing, check out Streetsblog NYC, which has been covering the speed camera fight for years.
The backstory is that nearly 50 fucking years ago, Albany bailed out NYC from a financial crisis but with a bunch of conditions, including forbidding us from levying fines without going through Albany first. And since the Senate is currently led by Republicans, this means speed cameras have been used as a political football by the TINY minority of Republican Senators from NYC, including Golden (who constantly speeds and once killed someone doing so) and Felder (who demanded all kinds of ridiculous, never-gonna-pass concessions like 'armed guards in all schools' to support speed cams). They also both take donations from the Police Benevolent Association, who oppose speed cams because they keep fucking catching cops speeding (oh, sorry, because "they threaten police jobs").
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:28 AM on June 27, 2018 [32 favorites]
It really is. For some extremely thorough coverage of this whole thing, check out Streetsblog NYC, which has been covering the speed camera fight for years.
The backstory is that nearly 50 fucking years ago, Albany bailed out NYC from a financial crisis but with a bunch of conditions, including forbidding us from levying fines without going through Albany first. And since the Senate is currently led by Republicans, this means speed cameras have been used as a political football by the TINY minority of Republican Senators from NYC, including Golden (who constantly speeds and once killed someone doing so) and Felder (who demanded all kinds of ridiculous, never-gonna-pass concessions like 'armed guards in all schools' to support speed cams). They also both take donations from the Police Benevolent Association, who oppose speed cams because they keep fucking catching cops speeding (oh, sorry, because "they threaten police jobs").
posted by showbiz_liz at 8:28 AM on June 27, 2018 [32 favorites]
And you know - the bosses aren’t really scared of the unions that spend more money on political donations than strike funds, or unions that negotiate cozy no-strike and “management rights” clauses. They aren’t scared of unions where people kind of believe they’re in a union, they guess. They’re scared of unions where there is actual labor unrest and direct action on the shop floor and wildcat strikes. None of which requires mandatory union dues.
I'm with corb, here: this isn't much of a blow to the kind of unions America needs. Australia doesn't allow unions to charge mandatory dues either, and that hasn't historically been much of a barrier to strike action. (The barriers are usually legal ones.)
There are no bright lines between "business unions" and "solidarity unions."
I'm just learning about business unions now but it's seeming like there actually is a substantial difference between the two. Part of the reason unionisation has been such a struggle in the US is that the 'business' unions fought against racial integration on the basis that it hurt their white workers.
The thing about freeloading is, the fatal argument against a union is that it doesn't speak for the majority of workers. Freeloaders might not pay their union dues, but they usually don't cross the picket line either, which means that they're at least contributing solidarity. It's far, far worse to cross the picket line than to skimp on paying your union dues. Freeloading is an issue, but the union's best energies are directed against employers, not their fellow workers.
posted by Merus at 8:32 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
I'm with corb, here: this isn't much of a blow to the kind of unions America needs. Australia doesn't allow unions to charge mandatory dues either, and that hasn't historically been much of a barrier to strike action. (The barriers are usually legal ones.)
There are no bright lines between "business unions" and "solidarity unions."
I'm just learning about business unions now but it's seeming like there actually is a substantial difference between the two. Part of the reason unionisation has been such a struggle in the US is that the 'business' unions fought against racial integration on the basis that it hurt their white workers.
The thing about freeloading is, the fatal argument against a union is that it doesn't speak for the majority of workers. Freeloaders might not pay their union dues, but they usually don't cross the picket line either, which means that they're at least contributing solidarity. It's far, far worse to cross the picket line than to skimp on paying your union dues. Freeloading is an issue, but the union's best energies are directed against employers, not their fellow workers.
posted by Merus at 8:32 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Streetsblog is the best. And we can thank the State Senate Republicans for the two-primary setup pointed out by lalex, too. They're a busy bunch. I find it really satisfying that this incumbent-protecting strategy backfired so hard for Crowley.
posted by ferret branca at 8:33 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by ferret branca at 8:33 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
When I heard that he had skipped a debate with her and sent a surrogate, I thought that demonstrated an unattractive sense of entitlement on his part, and I'm sure others felt similarly.
A refusal to debate the challenger also featured heavily in my State House election where a DSA candidate trounced a previously-unchallenged white male incumbent.
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:33 AM on June 27, 2018 [21 favorites]
A refusal to debate the challenger also featured heavily in my State House election where a DSA candidate trounced a previously-unchallenged white male incumbent.
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:33 AM on June 27, 2018 [21 favorites]
What are the chances of the Unions jettisoning the Free Riders? There has to be Freedom of Association aspects to this where you aren't forced to provide benefits to people who aren't actually members?
Since 1944 the Supreme Court has endorsed the "rule of fair representation" that requires unions to bargain and provide services for non-union members, so no, they can't just abandon free riders.
What do you think are the chances that this Supreme Court will overturn that precedent the way they just overturned the 40-year-old agency precedent? The right wingers get to pick and choose which long-standing union laws they want to endorse and which they want to overturn.
posted by JackFlash at 8:36 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Since 1944 the Supreme Court has endorsed the "rule of fair representation" that requires unions to bargain and provide services for non-union members, so no, they can't just abandon free riders.
What do you think are the chances that this Supreme Court will overturn that precedent the way they just overturned the 40-year-old agency precedent? The right wingers get to pick and choose which long-standing union laws they want to endorse and which they want to overturn.
posted by JackFlash at 8:36 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
> I'm with corb, here: this isn't much of a blow to the kind of unions America needs.
It's a major blow to the unions that America *has*, though. And who do you think are the people most likely to comprise the unions you think that America needs? Unions are people, and current union members are going to be devastated by the Roberts court's assault on organized labor. I am not convinced by these accelerationist arguments that are trying to cast this in a more positive light.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:39 AM on June 27, 2018 [31 favorites]
It's a major blow to the unions that America *has*, though. And who do you think are the people most likely to comprise the unions you think that America needs? Unions are people, and current union members are going to be devastated by the Roberts court's assault on organized labor. I am not convinced by these accelerationist arguments that are trying to cast this in a more positive light.
posted by tonycpsu at 8:39 AM on June 27, 2018 [31 favorites]
Washington is about consistency and seniority.
I get this sentiment from the perspective of retaining institutional knowledge. But clinging on forever just delays the issue. The solution is both to mentor the next generation and to bring back things like the Office of Technology Assessment.
posted by C'est la D.C. at 8:40 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
I get this sentiment from the perspective of retaining institutional knowledge. But clinging on forever just delays the issue. The solution is both to mentor the next generation and to bring back things like the Office of Technology Assessment.
posted by C'est la D.C. at 8:40 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
brainwane: The Pittsburgh DSA has done some brake light clinics.
posted by Stacey at 8:41 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Stacey at 8:41 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
If you think that a large portion of Americans are very comfortable with free rides and "f you, I got mine," you can see how this will definitely hurt unions. The PR campaign against them (and actually, the whole industry of anti-union lawyers, consultants, charter school advocates, etc.) has really worked.
posted by armacy at 8:45 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by armacy at 8:45 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
Just a quick take on MD primaries results. Most of the Democratic primary winners have been the party favorites and also moderates, with strong support from business and Washington Post. David Trone (Rep MD-06), Angela Alsobrooks (Prince Georges County Exec), Ben Cardin (US Sen), among others were all establishment. Afaik the only non-establishments that won are Ben Jealous (Governor) and Marc Elrich (Montgomery County Exec), and the latter is still not clear yet since provisional ballots haven't been counted (possibly by July 6th). I still have more to look up but it seems the moderates have more wins than the progressives.
posted by numaner at 8:46 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by numaner at 8:46 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
“We need him in Washington DC. Washington is about consistency and seniority.”
Senior Democrats focus on a winning message for voters: HEY IT'S MY TURN
posted by benzenedream at 8:46 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Senior Democrats focus on a winning message for voters: HEY IT'S MY TURN
posted by benzenedream at 8:46 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
When I heard that he had skipped a debate with her and sent a surrogate, I thought that demonstrated an unattractive sense of entitlement on his part, and I'm sure others felt similarly.
He did actually end up agreeing to debate her at one point and OMG did he come out of it looking terrible. Not sure if this was before or after the surrogate thing.
I mention this in case folks are confused by New Yorkers talking about folks still running primary races.
One thing I am confused about regarding NY is what exactly is Cynthia Nixon's status on the ballot? What does she have to do, or has she already done it?
posted by robotdevil at 8:47 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
He did actually end up agreeing to debate her at one point and OMG did he come out of it looking terrible. Not sure if this was before or after the surrogate thing.
I mention this in case folks are confused by New Yorkers talking about folks still running primary races.
One thing I am confused about regarding NY is what exactly is Cynthia Nixon's status on the ballot? What does she have to do, or has she already done it?
posted by robotdevil at 8:47 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Inside Facebook and Twitter’s secret meetings with Trump aides and conservative leaders who say tech is biased (SL WAPO)
Honestly just posting this here so I have something to refer to the next time someone on the blue says that the people at Twitter are doing the best they can.
posted by tofu_crouton at 8:49 AM on June 27, 2018 [27 favorites]
Honestly just posting this here so I have something to refer to the next time someone on the blue says that the people at Twitter are doing the best they can.
posted by tofu_crouton at 8:49 AM on June 27, 2018 [27 favorites]
Part of the reason unionisation has been such a struggle in the US is that the 'business' unions fought against racial integration on the basis that it hurt their white workers.
This is an often repeated anti-union slur but quite ignorant of actual labor history. I've commented on this before but it bears repeating since the myths are so tenacious.
But remember, the reason Martin Luther King was in Memphis, where he gave his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech and gave up his life, was in support of a union labor strike. And union labor leaders helped organize the Rosa Parks bus boycott in Montgomery.
There is a long, mixed history of race and labor unions. The craft unions of the AFL in the 1920s and 1930s were particularly segregationist. On the other hand, the CIO led the way in job integration in the 30s and 40s, including over 80,000 black steelworkers, long before the rest of society even thought about integration.
Company bosses often exploited and exacerbated racial animus, using black workers to break strikes at primarily white factories and white workers to break strikes at primarily black factories. But after WWII most factory unions were integrated, even though some of the building trades remained recalcitrant. By the 1960s, African Americans represented 25% of union membership, twice their percentage in the country's population. Unions were way ahead of the rest of the country on integration.
Most importantly, unions have been the primary vehicle for lifting African Americans from Jim Crow poverty into middle class wage jobs. Today, both black and white union members lead better lives due to their solidarity.
posted by JackFlash at 8:51 AM on June 27, 2018 [68 favorites]
This is an often repeated anti-union slur but quite ignorant of actual labor history. I've commented on this before but it bears repeating since the myths are so tenacious.
But remember, the reason Martin Luther King was in Memphis, where he gave his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech and gave up his life, was in support of a union labor strike. And union labor leaders helped organize the Rosa Parks bus boycott in Montgomery.
There is a long, mixed history of race and labor unions. The craft unions of the AFL in the 1920s and 1930s were particularly segregationist. On the other hand, the CIO led the way in job integration in the 30s and 40s, including over 80,000 black steelworkers, long before the rest of society even thought about integration.
Company bosses often exploited and exacerbated racial animus, using black workers to break strikes at primarily white factories and white workers to break strikes at primarily black factories. But after WWII most factory unions were integrated, even though some of the building trades remained recalcitrant. By the 1960s, African Americans represented 25% of union membership, twice their percentage in the country's population. Unions were way ahead of the rest of the country on integration.
Most importantly, unions have been the primary vehicle for lifting African Americans from Jim Crow poverty into middle class wage jobs. Today, both black and white union members lead better lives due to their solidarity.
posted by JackFlash at 8:51 AM on June 27, 2018 [68 favorites]
Mod note: One deleted; if folks want to continue about unions, probably better to make a separate post for that discussion.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:54 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:54 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
With regard to Ben Cardin, he's a well-liked incumbent (always harder to unseat) and Chelsea Manning was not a strong or credible challenger. Ocasio-Cortez, on the other hand, was a good challenger who ran a strong campaign.
Since the energized progressive movement is new (really since 2016) it's going to take a while to win races in areas with well-liked moderate incumbents. Progressives aren't even running in many areas right now. I think what Ocasio-Cortez' victory showed is that progressives and DSA tickets can win - it's not an impossible dream anymore. Matthew Yglesias at Vox calls this a striking win for the left.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:55 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Since the energized progressive movement is new (really since 2016) it's going to take a while to win races in areas with well-liked moderate incumbents. Progressives aren't even running in many areas right now. I think what Ocasio-Cortez' victory showed is that progressives and DSA tickets can win - it's not an impossible dream anymore. Matthew Yglesias at Vox calls this a striking win for the left.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 8:55 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Inside Facebook and Twitter’s secret meetings with Trump aides and conservative leaders who say tech is biased (SL WAPO)
Honestly just posting this here so I have something to refer to the next time someone on the blue says that the people at Twitter are doing the best they can.
I really think we might need to, en masse, with announcements, Leave Twitter.
posted by Brainy at 8:59 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Honestly just posting this here so I have something to refer to the next time someone on the blue says that the people at Twitter are doing the best they can.
I really think we might need to, en masse, with announcements, Leave Twitter.
posted by Brainy at 8:59 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
The backstory is that nearly 50 fucking years ago, Albany bailed out NYC from a financial crisis but with a bunch of conditions, including forbidding us from levying fines without going through Albany first. And since the Senate is currently led by Republicans, this means speed cameras have been used as a political football by the TINY minority of Republican Senators from NYC, including Golden (who constantly speeds and once killed someone doing so) and Felder (who demanded all kinds of ridiculous, never-gonna-pass concessions like 'armed guards in all schools' to support speed cams). They also both take donations from the Police Benevolent Association, who oppose speed cams because they keep fucking catching cops speeding (oh, sorry, because "they threaten police jobs").
I came in to rant about this. Especially about the PBA. If you are a cop or a retired cop and you get pulled over for speeding or going through a red light in NYC, all you have to do is flash your badge or PBA card and your fellow union-member cop will let you go. It also works for parking illegally. This is a license to break the law. It is not the way things are supposed to work. Cops should be required to obey traffic rules when they're not on duty. Retired cops should never, ever be able to break the law. That's not a "perk" of the job or their pensions. And yet they all have a 'get out of tickets/fines/jail for free" card because of the police union, the Policeman's Benevolent Association. The reason the PBA is against the cameras is, as showbiz liz notes, because cameras are impersonal. They don't give cops special treatment when they go 11 miles an hour or more over the speed limit in a school zone, during school hours.
You see, the cameras don't run 24 hours a day. They're only active when children might get hit by a car speeding its way through a yellow light, running a red or blowing past a stop sign.
No one at the PBA asks the obvious question of why the hell an off-duty or retired cop needs to drive dangerously through a school zone, and they can't answer the question of why they should be allowed to, either. Heaven forbid a cop get a ticket for endangering children, after all.
The most infuriating thing about this to me as a New Yorker and as a parent of elementary school age children is the politicians' bland assertions that traffic lights and stop signs are effective deterrents. In most cases they were already there before the speed cameras were installed and they didn't prevent kids getting hit by cars and injured or killed. We know that the cameras force drivers to slow down and obey traffic laws. So Felder and Golden, etc., are lying. Streetsblog covered Sunday's rally:
posted by zarq at 9:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [55 favorites]
I came in to rant about this. Especially about the PBA. If you are a cop or a retired cop and you get pulled over for speeding or going through a red light in NYC, all you have to do is flash your badge or PBA card and your fellow union-member cop will let you go. It also works for parking illegally. This is a license to break the law. It is not the way things are supposed to work. Cops should be required to obey traffic rules when they're not on duty. Retired cops should never, ever be able to break the law. That's not a "perk" of the job or their pensions. And yet they all have a 'get out of tickets/fines/jail for free" card because of the police union, the Policeman's Benevolent Association. The reason the PBA is against the cameras is, as showbiz liz notes, because cameras are impersonal. They don't give cops special treatment when they go 11 miles an hour or more over the speed limit in a school zone, during school hours.
You see, the cameras don't run 24 hours a day. They're only active when children might get hit by a car speeding its way through a yellow light, running a red or blowing past a stop sign.
No one at the PBA asks the obvious question of why the hell an off-duty or retired cop needs to drive dangerously through a school zone, and they can't answer the question of why they should be allowed to, either. Heaven forbid a cop get a ticket for endangering children, after all.
The most infuriating thing about this to me as a New Yorker and as a parent of elementary school age children is the politicians' bland assertions that traffic lights and stop signs are effective deterrents. In most cases they were already there before the speed cameras were installed and they didn't prevent kids getting hit by cars and injured or killed. We know that the cameras force drivers to slow down and obey traffic laws. So Felder and Golden, etc., are lying. Streetsblog covered Sunday's rally:
The evidence speaks for itself: Speeding violations have dropped 63 percent on streets with the cameras. Citywide traffic fatalities have fallen every year since the first speed cameras were installed in 2013. By allowing the program to sunset, Senate Republicans are going to get people killed.You would think renewing a bill that prevents dead children would be a no-brainer for the legislature, but nope.
posted by zarq at 9:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [55 favorites]
One thing I am confused about regarding NY is what exactly is Cynthia Nixon's status on the ballot? What does she have to do, or has she already done it?
The primaries for state offices aren't until September. So her primary isn't until then.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
The primaries for state offices aren't until September. So her primary isn't until then.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
He did actually end up agreeing to debate her at one point and OMG did he come out of it looking terrible.
She walloped him. He was clearly unprepared, both in terms of content and in terms of facing AOC. On the issue of ICE, all he could do was say "Yup... yup... yup..." in agreement with AOC's passionately-presented points, including agreeing with her statement that his response to the ICE crisis was to push more papers around.
His performance was so poor that it went beyond demonstrating that he was unprepared for that debate, but led directly to the question "Just what the hell have you been doing in that office for the last twenty years?!?"
Ocasio-Cortez just ran over Crowley -- but it wasn't about Crowley, he just happened to be there. It was about the issues in the community and the positive means of addressing them. AOC's passion, awareness, connectivity, and boldness is what pushed AOC to victory, not any anti-establishment message. She showed herself to be the Real Deal, and he showed himself to be a seat-warmer.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:01 AM on June 27, 2018 [39 favorites]
She walloped him. He was clearly unprepared, both in terms of content and in terms of facing AOC. On the issue of ICE, all he could do was say "Yup... yup... yup..." in agreement with AOC's passionately-presented points, including agreeing with her statement that his response to the ICE crisis was to push more papers around.
His performance was so poor that it went beyond demonstrating that he was unprepared for that debate, but led directly to the question "Just what the hell have you been doing in that office for the last twenty years?!?"
Ocasio-Cortez just ran over Crowley -- but it wasn't about Crowley, he just happened to be there. It was about the issues in the community and the positive means of addressing them. AOC's passion, awareness, connectivity, and boldness is what pushed AOC to victory, not any anti-establishment message. She showed herself to be the Real Deal, and he showed himself to be a seat-warmer.
posted by Capt. Renault at 9:01 AM on June 27, 2018 [39 favorites]
One thing I am confused about regarding NY is what exactly is Cynthia Nixon's status on the ballot? What does she have to do, or has she already done it?
New York State has ballot fusion: we have a whole mess of political parties, each with their own methods for picking candidates. However, your vote counts for a candidate (regardless of which party they are registered under). So, for example, if a candidate is listed under three different parties, a vote for any party line is a vote for that same candidate.
One of those parties, the Working Families party, has already endorsed Cynthia Nixon, and she will appear on the ballot for them.
The Democratic Party has it's state primary in September, and so Nixon and Cuomo (the incumbentasshole governor) are vying for the Democratic line on the ballot. Cuomo has a shit-ton of cash, a lot of endorsements (some of which were, IMHO, almost certainly strongarmed), and is polling well.
Most people vote on Republican or Democratic party lines, so it is important (but not strictly necessary) to win the Democratic primary.
posted by ragtag at 9:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
New York State has ballot fusion: we have a whole mess of political parties, each with their own methods for picking candidates. However, your vote counts for a candidate (regardless of which party they are registered under). So, for example, if a candidate is listed under three different parties, a vote for any party line is a vote for that same candidate.
One of those parties, the Working Families party, has already endorsed Cynthia Nixon, and she will appear on the ballot for them.
The Democratic Party has it's state primary in September, and so Nixon and Cuomo (the incumbent
Most people vote on Republican or Democratic party lines, so it is important (but not strictly necessary) to win the Democratic primary.
posted by ragtag at 9:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Melting ICE? A handful of Democrats turn up the heat.
posted by Artw at 9:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Artw at 9:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
not any anti-establishment message
She had an anti-establishment message and it was also effective. She talked during in-person appearances about the intransigence of the Democratic party's machinery, and it along with how big party donors and support from unions and other institutions had kept Crowley in office despite his absence from the district and clueless distance from their problems. She included part of that rhetoric about Crowley in her viral campaign video.
posted by zarq at 9:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [16 favorites]
She had an anti-establishment message and it was also effective. She talked during in-person appearances about the intransigence of the Democratic party's machinery, and it along with how big party donors and support from unions and other institutions had kept Crowley in office despite his absence from the district and clueless distance from their problems. She included part of that rhetoric about Crowley in her viral campaign video.
posted by zarq at 9:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [16 favorites]
Here’s What It’s Like to Work at a Shelter for Immigrant Kids
Some facilities are so overstretched, employees often wait hours for a break to go to the bathroom.
Some facilities are so overstretched, employees often wait hours for a break to go to the bathroom.
Those who stay say they do so to hold onto above-minimum-wage jobs — tough to find in Brownsville, which has an unemployment rate almost twice that of the nation — and concern for children who are alone, coping with hardship and uncertainty.posted by jgirl at 9:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
“Yes, it’s a lot of stress, but you do something,” said one employee. “You feel that you actually got to accomplish something…
“And the kids will actually ask you, are you going to come tomorrow?”
There are 11 Trump-branded hotel properties around the world. Cursory Googling reveals the 11 properties to have a combined 3,400+ rooms.
And each more luxurious than the last.
posted by flabdablet at 9:33 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
And each more luxurious than the last.
posted by flabdablet at 9:33 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
I don't recall this being posted in the thread but in light of the AOC primary win it seems particularly relevant as it goes deep into the weeds on DCCC campaign funding. Well worth a listen. This is My Party and I'll Try if I want to. On This American Life.
posted by misterpatrick at 9:34 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by misterpatrick at 9:34 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
> [One deleted; if folks want to continue about unions, probably better to make a separate post for that discussion.]
Done.
posted by tonycpsu at 9:36 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Done.
posted by tonycpsu at 9:36 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Melting ICE? A handful of Democrats turn up the heat.
At least Pelosi isn't on the fence about ICE, though her condemnation via her office could be stronger: “Leader Pelosi believes that ICE has been on the wrong end of far too many inhumane and unconstitutional practices to be allowed to continue without an immediate and fundamental overhaul,” Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, said in an email. “No one can watch ICE play such a central role in the heartbreak and horror of family separation without reasonably concluding that a drastic overhaul is desperately needed, and soon.”
The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis @mikedebonis, however, reports:
* D.C. office tel. 202-225-8901
** D.C. office tel. 202-225-6676
*** D.C. office tel. 202-225-5401
posted by Doktor Zed at 9:42 AM on June 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
At least Pelosi isn't on the fence about ICE, though her condemnation via her office could be stronger: “Leader Pelosi believes that ICE has been on the wrong end of far too many inhumane and unconstitutional practices to be allowed to continue without an immediate and fundamental overhaul,” Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, said in an email. “No one can watch ICE play such a central role in the heartbreak and horror of family separation without reasonably concluding that a drastic overhaul is desperately needed, and soon.”
The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis @mikedebonis, however, reports:
Dems clearly wary about #AbolishICE rhetoric. From reporter session today:His colleague Dave Weigel @daveweigel points out, "Apples and oranges, but the GOP hasn't exactly lost votes by running to abolish the IRS. It's never going to do it, but it creates a vision for voters to get excited about."
@RepAdamSmith*: "That's kind of like when the GOP said we should get rid of IRS."
@RepLindaSanchez**: "Or the Dept of Education."
Smith: "...ICE does not have to do what Pres Trump is telling them to do."
@RepJohnYarmuth***, who participated, also skeptical:
"We're all being asked about whether we want to abolish ICE. I don't think that's the appropriate response. ... We need very, very vigilant oversight over these agencies and we need transparency."
* D.C. office tel. 202-225-8901
** D.C. office tel. 202-225-6676
*** D.C. office tel. 202-225-5401
posted by Doktor Zed at 9:42 AM on June 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
Some local coverage of Ocasio-Cortez's win, from City Limits (includes district-by-district turnout percentages) and Astoria Post ("The two faced off in two debates, of a planned four."), and from a local subreddit.
And here's the June 19th NYT opinion piece (by their Editorial Board) where they criticize Crowley for sending a surrogate to that debate: "This is the second primary debate in which Mr. Crowley was a no-show."
posted by brainwane at 9:46 AM on June 27, 2018
And here's the June 19th NYT opinion piece (by their Editorial Board) where they criticize Crowley for sending a surrogate to that debate: "This is the second primary debate in which Mr. Crowley was a no-show."
posted by brainwane at 9:46 AM on June 27, 2018
Am pleased to see Harris come around:
But Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., has reconsidered her position on the agency. Harris, who is also viewed as a potential 2020 candidate, said Sunday during an interview with NBC News that “we need to probably think about starting from scratch” in immigration enforcement. Back in March, Harris said during an MSNBC interview that “ICE has a purpose, ICE has a role, ICE should exist.”
Should have been her position from the off, mind.
posted by Artw at 9:46 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
But Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., has reconsidered her position on the agency. Harris, who is also viewed as a potential 2020 candidate, said Sunday during an interview with NBC News that “we need to probably think about starting from scratch” in immigration enforcement. Back in March, Harris said during an MSNBC interview that “ICE has a purpose, ICE has a role, ICE should exist.”
Should have been her position from the off, mind.
posted by Artw at 9:46 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
Has The Keebler Elf filed an appeal yet regarding the migrant children?
It's going to be pretty surreal if a year from now we wind up impeaching 5 justices for child abuse.
posted by ocschwar at 9:56 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
It's going to be pretty surreal if a year from now we wind up impeaching 5 justices for child abuse.
posted by ocschwar at 9:56 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Should have been her position from the off, mind.
I don't know if her position has changed, per se. What she should have done is give a far more complex statement than "ICE should exist." She was the AG for California. She shouldn't have a problem speaking at length to explain herself.
The problem with ICE is that the agency does have a very specific role related to border security and preventing terrorism, and that role goes beyond what United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was handling prior to 9/11. The department was formed specifically to focus exclusively on plugging gaps in CBP coverage, that CBP either couldn't or wasn't able to handle. What they're intended to do is important. The power they've been given, acquired and are wielding is a gross and disgusting violation of both their mandate and American values. So yes, our immigration policies need to be rethought and reconstructed from the ground up. But some limited form of ICE or the problems it was created to fix will probably be included in that.
posted by zarq at 9:56 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
I don't know if her position has changed, per se. What she should have done is give a far more complex statement than "ICE should exist." She was the AG for California. She shouldn't have a problem speaking at length to explain herself.
The problem with ICE is that the agency does have a very specific role related to border security and preventing terrorism, and that role goes beyond what United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was handling prior to 9/11. The department was formed specifically to focus exclusively on plugging gaps in CBP coverage, that CBP either couldn't or wasn't able to handle. What they're intended to do is important. The power they've been given, acquired and are wielding is a gross and disgusting violation of both their mandate and American values. So yes, our immigration policies need to be rethought and reconstructed from the ground up. But some limited form of ICE or the problems it was created to fix will probably be included in that.
posted by zarq at 9:56 AM on June 27, 2018 [5 favorites]
But some limited form of ICE or the problems it was created to fix will probably be included in that.
Just give the job back to the US Marshalls. The problem with ICE is they ONLY deal with brown people.
posted by ocschwar at 9:58 AM on June 27, 2018 [18 favorites]
Just give the job back to the US Marshalls. The problem with ICE is they ONLY deal with brown people.
posted by ocschwar at 9:58 AM on June 27, 2018 [18 favorites]
One of those parties, the Working Families party, has already endorsed Cynthia Nixon, and she will appear on the ballot for them.
AFAIK she retains the option to just not appear on the ballot if she loses the Democratic primary. My very limited impression of her so far is that she's serious enough not to continue in that event, since at that point she would know that her support among voters limits her role to serving as a spoiler helping elect the Republican candidate Molinaro.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 10:01 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
AFAIK she retains the option to just not appear on the ballot if she loses the Democratic primary. My very limited impression of her so far is that she's serious enough not to continue in that event, since at that point she would know that her support among voters limits her role to serving as a spoiler helping elect the Republican candidate Molinaro.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 10:01 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
What the hell? Just two weeks ago the President said "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea". How can he not have known? Is there a breakdown in the US Intelligence Community? He wouldn't lie about something as important as this, surely??
Somebody (I would credit if I could remember who or where) noticed the other day that the Presidential Daily Briefs are no longer, y'know, daily, at least not on the President's public schedule. I don't know if that means anything.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 10:15 AM on June 27, 2018
Somebody (I would credit if I could remember who or where) noticed the other day that the Presidential Daily Briefs are no longer, y'know, daily, at least not on the President's public schedule. I don't know if that means anything.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 10:15 AM on June 27, 2018
zarq: You would think renewing a bill that prevents dead children would be a no-brainer for the legislature, but nope.
With the heated debates over gun control w/r/t school safety, I've come to realize there are a dwindling number of "no-brainers."
Speaking of (hopeful) no-brainers: Good News! The Privacy Wins Keep Coming (Brian Barrett for Wired, June 27, 2018)
With the heated debates over gun control w/r/t school safety, I've come to realize there are a dwindling number of "no-brainers."
Speaking of (hopeful) no-brainers: Good News! The Privacy Wins Keep Coming (Brian Barrett for Wired, June 27, 2018)
On Monday, police in Florida abandoned a pilot program that had put Amazon’s facial recognition powers at their disposal. On Wednesday, representatives from the country’s most powerful technology companies will gather in San Francisco to take a hard look at the industry’s approach to privacy. And on Thursday, the California legislature will vote on a bill that would grant internet users more power over their data than ever before in the United States. Any of these alone would mark a good week for privacy. Together, and combined with even more major advancements from earlier this month, they represent a tectonic shift.posted by filthy light thief at 10:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
Progress can be difficult to measure; it often comes in drips and drops, or not at all for long stretches of time. But in recent weeks, privacy advocates have seen torrential gains, at a rate perhaps not matched since Edward Snowden revealed how the National Security Agency spied on millions of US citizens in 2013. A confluence of factors—generational, judicial, societal—have created momentum where previously there was none. The trick now is to sustain it.
...
But there are signs that the fallout from Cambridge Analytica has still had a wide impact. After The New York Times broke the story of carriers sharing location data with third parties—and the abuse of that system—in May, it took just five weeks for Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint to curtail the practice. They did so in part at the urging of senator Ron Wyden (D - Oregon), but also to avoid the sustained public opprobrium Facebook and Equifax endured. What had for so long felt like shouts into a void ultimately echoed throughout the industry.
You can see those reverberations in the Wednesday summit organized by the Information Technology Industry Council, a trade group that represents Facebook, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung, and dozens of other major tech companies. First reported by Axios, the meeting will focus not on standards or tariffs, but on a topic that has often seemed anathema in Silicon Valley.
"Protecting consumers’ privacy is a top concern for our industry. As technologies evolve, we continually examine our approach to privacy,” says ICIT spokesman Jose Castaneda. “This week’s convening will continue an important conversation that examines how our users’ and customers’ privacy is protected while also ensuring our ability to meet their demands for innovative products and services."
Part of that conversation will surely involve Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, which went into effect this spring, tightening the ways in which companies handle user data. But it also reflects a newfound urgency stateside.
“I sometimes joke that’s how you know something is serious, when the trades get involved,” [says Michelle Richardson, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Freedom, Security, and Technology Project]. “That’s when they pull out the big guns.”
The companies' voluntary actions have been buttressed by the legislative and judicial branches. Last week, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Carpenter v. United States that will generally require the government to get a warrant before it accesses cell site location information. But the decision has even broader implications for how courts will view digital privacy going forward.
“At its core, Carpenter is a recognition that there are fundamental changes we’ve witnessed over the last two or three decades in the technologies that we use every day for communications and connecting with others, and that these technologies have implications for individual rights,” says Alan Butler, senior counsel at the non-profit Electronic Privacy Information Center. “That’s a point at which we’re on the other side of a sea change.”
Just give the job back to the US Marshalls.
ICE was founded with a very specific mandate that goes beyond apprehending fugitives, which is all that the Marshalls do. ICE also operates outside of the US, in multiple countries. Their role is to help secure our borders, especially against trafficking, smuggling and terrorist threats. They're not supposed to act as the administration's gestapo with regard to legal and illegal immigrants in the way they are doing now.
The problem with ICE is they ONLY deal with brown people.
This isn't true.
Don't assume that what is currently happening is their mission, nor what they are supposed to be doing.
posted by zarq at 10:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
ICE was founded with a very specific mandate that goes beyond apprehending fugitives, which is all that the Marshalls do. ICE also operates outside of the US, in multiple countries. Their role is to help secure our borders, especially against trafficking, smuggling and terrorist threats. They're not supposed to act as the administration's gestapo with regard to legal and illegal immigrants in the way they are doing now.
The problem with ICE is they ONLY deal with brown people.
This isn't true.
Don't assume that what is currently happening is their mission, nor what they are supposed to be doing.
posted by zarq at 10:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Ray Walston, Luck Dragon: Somebody (I would credit if I could remember who or where) noticed the other day that the Presidential Daily Briefs are no longer, y'know, daily, at least not on the President's public schedule. I don't know if that means anything.
It wasn't me, but here's a source to back it up: Trump’s schedule shows that his daily briefing was only daily in three weeks of his presidency (Philip Bump for Washington Post, February 9, 2018)
posted by filthy light thief at 10:27 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
It wasn't me, but here's a source to back it up: Trump’s schedule shows that his daily briefing was only daily in three weeks of his presidency (Philip Bump for Washington Post, February 9, 2018)
On Friday morning, The Post reported that President Trump has broken with past presidential practice, choosing to receive the daily intelligence briefing orally, instead of the full written report, as past president have.Why bother with facts and details when you are "like, really smart" with a "very good brain"?
“The arrangement underscores Trump’s impatience with exhaustive classified documents that go to the commander in chief — material that he has said he prefers condensed as much as possible,” our Carol D. Leonnig, Shane Harris and Greg Jaffe write. “But by not reading the daily briefing, the president could hamper his ability to respond to crises in the most effective manner, intelligence experts warned.”
What’s more, time set aside on Trump’s public schedule for the president to receive the daily briefing has waned over the course of the year, even as the time of those briefings slipped later into the morning. Last February, his first full month in office, Trump had 11 scheduled briefings that began, on average, at a bit past 9:30 a.m. The next month he had 18 briefings, starting a bit past 10:45 a.m. on average.
Last month, he had nine scheduled briefings that began at 11 a.m.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:27 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
The NRA's scared. This is a surprisingly satisfying watch.
The New Socialist Face of the Democratic Party
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:28 AM on June 27, 2018 [24 favorites]
The New Socialist Face of the Democratic Party
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:28 AM on June 27, 2018 [24 favorites]
The presidents briefing is Fox News and whatever rich person he runs into at the golf club, let’s not pretend it’s anything else.
posted by Artw at 10:29 AM on June 27, 2018 [39 favorites]
posted by Artw at 10:29 AM on June 27, 2018 [39 favorites]
“He has already stated that he doesn’t read. How do you become knowledgeable if you don’t read?” - George Christie, former long-time president of the Hell's Angels charter in Ventura, California, talking about Trump of course.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:35 AM on June 27, 2018 [29 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:35 AM on June 27, 2018 [29 favorites]
Inside Facebook and Twitter’s secret meetings with Trump aides and conservative leaders who say tech is biased (SL WAPO)
...
posted by tofu_crouton at 8:49 AM on June 27 [17 favorites +] [!]
The right wing will not stop until they control all of the media. They've done an outstanding job of not only creating the illusion of media that are basically mouthpieces for their propaganda, but they've succeeded in muting the presentation by mainstream media of simple facts that are uncomfortable to them or antithetical to their ideology. They've leveled the idea of expert to mean anyone with an opinion who will express it on TV or in print and they've created "think tanks" whose only purpose is to grind out justifications for their ideology. And now they'd like to see only right-wing ideas expressed on Facebook and Twitter.
They are afraid of the truth and know they can't win in the face of it.
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:45 AM on June 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
...
posted by tofu_crouton at 8:49 AM on June 27 [17 favorites +] [!]
The right wing will not stop until they control all of the media. They've done an outstanding job of not only creating the illusion of media that are basically mouthpieces for their propaganda, but they've succeeded in muting the presentation by mainstream media of simple facts that are uncomfortable to them or antithetical to their ideology. They've leveled the idea of expert to mean anyone with an opinion who will express it on TV or in print and they've created "think tanks" whose only purpose is to grind out justifications for their ideology. And now they'd like to see only right-wing ideas expressed on Facebook and Twitter.
They are afraid of the truth and know they can't win in the face of it.
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:45 AM on June 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
CNN: The Trump administration has more than 2,000 children it separated from their parents in its custody. In a six-day span, that number only went down by six children
It's still unknown, though, whether those children were reunited with parents, other family or otherwise transferred out of Health and Human Services custody, and the government has not answered questions about the circumstances of their release.
So we just have their word that they're "releasing" only one a day, and no information is being given about the specifics thereof. Has anybody thought to ask if they're alive?
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:45 AM on June 27, 2018 [20 favorites]
It's still unknown, though, whether those children were reunited with parents, other family or otherwise transferred out of Health and Human Services custody, and the government has not answered questions about the circumstances of their release.
So we just have their word that they're "releasing" only one a day, and no information is being given about the specifics thereof. Has anybody thought to ask if they're alive?
posted by Rust Moranis at 10:45 AM on June 27, 2018 [20 favorites]
Despite Trump's all caps tweet backing it, the all-Republican "compromise" immigration bill just completely crashed and burnt on the House floor, 121-301, all Democrats and 112 Republicans voting no. The even more horrible "conservative" bill got 193 votes last week.
Laughing extremely hard at Paul Ryan right now.
posted by zachlipton at 10:52 AM on June 27, 2018 [56 favorites]
Laughing extremely hard at Paul Ryan right now.
posted by zachlipton at 10:52 AM on June 27, 2018 [56 favorites]
That's absolutely brutal. I can't remember the last time I saw a bill actually get brought to the floor with so little support. Why would Trump insert himself with that ranty ALL CAPS tweet when it was so obvious how badly this bill would do? It just don't make no sense at all.
posted by Justinian at 10:54 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 10:54 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
So we just have their word that they're "releasing" only one a day, and no information is being given about the specifics thereof. Has anybody thought to ask if they're alive?
Also in unanswered questions: 'where are the girls?' Still no answer? I'm not finding any news articles on this after the 21st. Was this asked and answered or something? Or is that just the sort of question that floats around unattended-to, now?
posted by A Terrible Llama at 10:55 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
Also in unanswered questions: 'where are the girls?' Still no answer? I'm not finding any news articles on this after the 21st. Was this asked and answered or something? Or is that just the sort of question that floats around unattended-to, now?
posted by A Terrible Llama at 10:55 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
Why would Trump insert himself with that ranty ALL CAPS tweet when it was so obvious how badly this bill would do?
Because he doesn't understand anything about how government works. He'll probably blame the filibuster for this.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:57 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
Because he doesn't understand anything about how government works. He'll probably blame the filibuster for this.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:57 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
tl;dr - Senate Democrats didn't go nuclear when Garland didn't get a hearing because they figured Clinton would pick someone even better.
Sure, they only let McConnell get away with the precedent of denying a sitting President a SCOTUS pick, and blatantly about party politics at that. And here we are.
No Democrat should grant unanimous consent to anything, up to and including the motion to adjourn for lunch, under this regime.
posted by Gelatin at 10:57 AM on June 27, 2018 [26 favorites]
Sure, they only let McConnell get away with the precedent of denying a sitting President a SCOTUS pick, and blatantly about party politics at that. And here we are.
No Democrat should grant unanimous consent to anything, up to and including the motion to adjourn for lunch, under this regime.
posted by Gelatin at 10:57 AM on June 27, 2018 [26 favorites]
A Terrible Llama - Elizabeth Warren's Facebook post mentions that she did see girls.
posted by Sweetdefenestration at 10:59 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Sweetdefenestration at 10:59 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Speaking of the DSA: what other chapters are following New Orleans's lead with brake light clinics?
St Louis DSA did it in April.
A quick Googling found LA, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Miami, Chicago, DC...
posted by Foosnark at 11:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
St Louis DSA did it in April.
A quick Googling found LA, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Miami, Chicago, DC...
posted by Foosnark at 11:00 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
@scotusreporter: ALERT: justice kennedy is retiiring
Holy fuck.
posted by zachlipton at 11:01 AM on June 27, 2018 [68 favorites]
Holy fuck.
posted by zachlipton at 11:01 AM on June 27, 2018 [68 favorites]
Well, as the "swing" justice, I guess he wanted to hold on until he could really "swing" the court.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:06 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:06 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Kennedy has announced his retirement.
Fuck.
posted by suelac at 11:07 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Fuck.
posted by suelac at 11:07 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Elizabeth Warren has posted a detailed account of what it was like in the detention center she visited. Exactly as brutal as you'd think.
And remember, they had time tosanitize the crime scene prepare for her arrival.
posted by Gelatin at 11:07 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
And remember, they had time to
posted by Gelatin at 11:07 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
If Democrats do not pull a Mitch and block any nomination from Trump....
posted by lazaruslong at 11:07 AM on June 27, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by lazaruslong at 11:07 AM on June 27, 2018 [17 favorites]
Everyone get in touch with your congress critters now about the handling of SCOTUS noms.
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:09 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 11:09 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
I can’t find a date. Is it immediate? When is it happening?
posted by greermahoney at 11:10 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by greermahoney at 11:10 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Does Justice Kennedy's retirement become the focus of all the campaigns for every Congressional mid term election?
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Chuck! Hey, silent majority here. Look, we're gonna need you to fight like you've never fought before, and we need you to win us a real justice. So if you could get on that, that'd be great.
/coffee
posted by petebest at 11:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
/coffee
posted by petebest at 11:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
... they can't actually block the nomination. McConnell was able to do so because he had a majority in the Senate.
I'm not saying they shouldn't do everything possible to gum up the works. But it will ultimately fail. This cannot be stopped and will continue to haunt the nation for decades and decades to come.
posted by Justinian at 11:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [23 favorites]
I'm not saying they shouldn't do everything possible to gum up the works. But it will ultimately fail. This cannot be stopped and will continue to haunt the nation for decades and decades to come.
posted by Justinian at 11:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [23 favorites]
Mod note: A few deleted. Please don't fill up the thread with "we're doomed" stuff; keep the thread for actual updates and usable information.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:11 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
If Kennedy retires and RBG dies (assuming this is even possible), we'll have a court composed of 3 Democratic appointees and 6 Republican appointees even though the Democratic Presidential candidate has won the national popular vote in 6 of the last 7 elections.
When a Democrat takes the White House in 2020, they will have a moral fucking imperative to pack the court.
posted by 0xFCAF at 11:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [69 favorites]
When a Democrat takes the White House in 2020, they will have a moral fucking imperative to pack the court.
posted by 0xFCAF at 11:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [69 favorites]
"Swing" the midterms is more like it. Someone looked at the polls and realizing dangling a Supreme Court seat was the best way to stem big loses. Every race turns into a fight over Roe.
I can’t find a date. Is it immediate? When is it happening?
Effective July 31.
posted by zachlipton at 11:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
I can’t find a date. Is it immediate? When is it happening?
Effective July 31.
posted by zachlipton at 11:12 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Wow, this just changed the tenor of the midterms for both sides.
posted by mynameisluka at 11:15 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by mynameisluka at 11:15 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
It's inevitable that Trump will get someone nominated by this Republican Senate. "Let's pack the court" probably isn't a good election slogan, but it should be a goal for anyone who opposes what is happening to this country.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:15 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:15 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.-- Mitch McConnell
At this critical juncture in our nation's history, Texans and the American people deserve to have a say in the selection of the next lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.-- John Cornyn
The only way to empower the American people and ensure they have a voice is for the next President to make the nomination to fill this vacancy.
Under no circumstance should the Republican Senate majority confirm a Supreme Court nominee as Americans are in the midst of picking the next president.-- Michael A. Needham, president of Heritage Action
The next justice could fundamentally alter the direction of the Supreme Court and have a profound impact on our country, so of course the American people should have a say in the court’s direction.-- Mitch McConnell
You don’t fill Supreme Court vacancies in the middle of a presidential election.-- Mitch McConnell
President Trump started his reelection campaign on Inauguration Day.
Ceterum autem censeo Trumpem esse delendam
posted by kirkaracha at 11:15 AM on June 27, 2018 [89 favorites]
they can't actually block the nomination. McConnell was able to do so because he had a majority in the Senate.
Can’t they filibuster it?
posted by corb at 11:16 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Can’t they filibuster it?
posted by corb at 11:16 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Does Justice Kennedy's retirement have any effect on the Special Counsel investigation?
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:16 AM on June 27, 2018
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:16 AM on June 27, 2018
Nixon didn't make any SC appointments while under investigation, neither should Trump.
posted by peeedro at 11:16 AM on June 27, 2018 [50 favorites]
posted by peeedro at 11:16 AM on June 27, 2018 [50 favorites]
> "Let's pack the court" probably isn't a good election slogan
At this point, it kind of seems like an excellent one.
posted by tonycpsu at 11:16 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
At this point, it kind of seems like an excellent one.
posted by tonycpsu at 11:16 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Fuck. He's going to appoint Jeanine Pirro isn't he?
posted by bluecore at 11:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bluecore at 11:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Can’t they filibuster it?
McConnell threw that out the window to get Gorsuch confirmed.
posted by azpenguin at 11:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
McConnell threw that out the window to get Gorsuch confirmed.
posted by azpenguin at 11:17 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
Can’t they filibuster it?
McConnell permanently killed the filibuster for nominees as part of the Gorsuch confirmation. It's off the rulebook entirely, not just disregarded as a practical matter.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:18 AM on June 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
McConnell permanently killed the filibuster for nominees as part of the Gorsuch confirmation. It's off the rulebook entirely, not just disregarded as a practical matter.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:18 AM on June 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
Retirement is effective as of July 31st, 2018.
posted by Existential Dread at 11:19 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Existential Dread at 11:19 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Someone looked at the polls and realizing dangling a Supreme Court seat was the best way to stem big loses.
But it's not up to the GOP establishment, it's up to Trump. Is he really going to wait half a year to nominate, with the minor chance of facing a Democratic Senate? I expect he'll nominate someone of his own choosing fairly quickly and dare the GOP Senate to oppose him.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:19 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
But it's not up to the GOP establishment, it's up to Trump. Is he really going to wait half a year to nominate, with the minor chance of facing a Democratic Senate? I expect he'll nominate someone of his own choosing fairly quickly and dare the GOP Senate to oppose him.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 11:19 AM on June 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
McConnell threw that out the window to get Gorsuch confirmed.
Right, Democrats filibustered Gorsuch and McConnell removed judicial filibusters entirely. A minority party cannot stop a judicial appointment. Trump could nominate Richard Spencer to the Supreme Court and Democrats could not stop it if Republicans were on board.
From a purely Machiavellian standpoint (which would seem to fit McConnell to a T) it strikes me that the best political move would be for the Republicans not to seat a new justice before the Midterms in order to drive Republican turnout. Because turnout advantage is the only way for Democrats to overcome the shitty structural advantages that Republicans have given themselves.
There doesn't seem to be a downside for them to me. Because if you drive turnout you stem your losses or even gain in the Senate. And if you still lose out you just ram through the nominee in December before the new Congress gets seated.
It's cynical, evil, and cutthroat so I except McConnell to do it.
posted by Justinian at 11:19 AM on June 27, 2018 [27 favorites]
Right, Democrats filibustered Gorsuch and McConnell removed judicial filibusters entirely. A minority party cannot stop a judicial appointment. Trump could nominate Richard Spencer to the Supreme Court and Democrats could not stop it if Republicans were on board.
From a purely Machiavellian standpoint (which would seem to fit McConnell to a T) it strikes me that the best political move would be for the Republicans not to seat a new justice before the Midterms in order to drive Republican turnout. Because turnout advantage is the only way for Democrats to overcome the shitty structural advantages that Republicans have given themselves.
There doesn't seem to be a downside for them to me. Because if you drive turnout you stem your losses or even gain in the Senate. And if you still lose out you just ram through the nominee in December before the new Congress gets seated.
It's cynical, evil, and cutthroat so I except McConnell to do it.
posted by Justinian at 11:19 AM on June 27, 2018 [27 favorites]
This is it. The real reshaping of America begins now. Hold on tight and fight for your ever-loving lives.
posted by adamgreenfield at 11:20 AM on June 27, 2018 [45 favorites]
posted by adamgreenfield at 11:20 AM on June 27, 2018 [45 favorites]
with the minor chance of facing a Democratic Senate
See my comment; they have 2.5 months of lame duck Senate between the election and the new Congress. So there is no chance of being surprised by a Democratic Senate. They'll know well in advance if they need to ram through the nomination.
posted by Justinian at 11:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
See my comment; they have 2.5 months of lame duck Senate between the election and the new Congress. So there is no chance of being surprised by a Democratic Senate. They'll know well in advance if they need to ram through the nomination.
posted by Justinian at 11:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [10 favorites]
If there's one tiny glimmer for me, it's that Ocasio-Cortez winning last night sent a shot across the bow of those Dems who would play nice and go along to get along. Play nice and help Trump and your ass is gonna get primaried.
posted by azpenguin at 11:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by azpenguin at 11:21 AM on June 27, 2018 [9 favorites]
Kennedy's legacy will be the Muslim Ban and giving Trump the power to undo every vaguely good thing he ruled on. Well done Anthony. Enjoy your place in history.
posted by chris24 at 11:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [54 favorites]
posted by chris24 at 11:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [54 favorites]
From a purely Machiavellian standpoint (which would seem to fit McConnell to a T) it strikes me that the best political move would be for the Republicans not to seat a new justice before the Midterms in order to drive Republican turnout.
Is this the best move for both Trump and the Republican Party? Or would Trump benefit more from pushing this through ASAP?
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Is this the best move for both Trump and the Republican Party? Or would Trump benefit more from pushing this through ASAP?
posted by ZeusHumms at 11:22 AM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
From a purely Machiavellian standpoint (which would seem to fit McConnell to a T) it strikes me that the best political move would be for the Republicans not to seat a new justice before the Midterms in order to drive Republican turnout.
This is what I thought too, but I'm seeing a bunch of:
@rickklein: per @jonkarl - White House will push for a nomination and confirmation before the midterms.
Hard to say if that will stay true, given the way these people operate, but it doesn't seem to be the plan to wait right now, and it would be a long time to wait. If I can think of the craven political opportunity of dragging it out to promote turnout, surely they can, so I'm not quite sure what I'm missing beyond "they want to do more horrible things sooner." Or Trump just DGAF about the midterms and Republican turnout.
posted by zachlipton at 11:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
This is what I thought too, but I'm seeing a bunch of:
@rickklein: per @jonkarl - White House will push for a nomination and confirmation before the midterms.
Hard to say if that will stay true, given the way these people operate, but it doesn't seem to be the plan to wait right now, and it would be a long time to wait. If I can think of the craven political opportunity of dragging it out to promote turnout, surely they can, so I'm not quite sure what I'm missing beyond "they want to do more horrible things sooner." Or Trump just DGAF about the midterms and Republican turnout.
posted by zachlipton at 11:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
@scotusreporter: ALERT: justice kennedy is retiiring
Holy fuck.
posted by zachlipton at 11:01 AM on June 27 [30 favorites +] [!]
I predict the fastest nomination and confirmation of a new justice ever. These pukes will be pissing themselves over the chance to put another right-wing partisan hack on the court before the next election.
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Holy fuck.
posted by zachlipton at 11:01 AM on June 27 [30 favorites +] [!]
I predict the fastest nomination and confirmation of a new justice ever. These pukes will be pissing themselves over the chance to put another right-wing partisan hack on the court before the next election.
posted by Mental Wimp at 11:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Trump could nominate Richard Spencer to the Supreme Court and Democrats could not stop it if Republicans were on board.
Repubs will absolutely and without question be 100% on board with whoever he nominates, even if it's fucking Kim Jong Un.
posted by poffin boffin at 11:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Repubs will absolutely and without question be 100% on board with whoever he nominates, even if it's fucking Kim Jong Un.
posted by poffin boffin at 11:23 AM on June 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
Trump's incapable of waiting for anything he wants. He'll begin picking and nominating asap.
posted by Harry Caul at 11:24 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Harry Caul at 11:24 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Kennedy's legacy will be the Travel Ban and giving Trump the power to undo every vaguely good thing he ruled on. Well done Anthony. Enjoy your place in history.
Yeah, congrats, Anthony. Fucking NOBODY is going to remember you for Lawrence and Obergefell.
Christ, I'm so upset. The Supreme Court has been the top issue in my voting for decades.
posted by joyceanmachine at 11:24 AM on June 27, 2018 [31 favorites]
Yeah, congrats, Anthony. Fucking NOBODY is going to remember you for Lawrence and Obergefell.
Christ, I'm so upset. The Supreme Court has been the top issue in my voting for decades.
posted by joyceanmachine at 11:24 AM on June 27, 2018 [31 favorites]
I think if its a foregone conclusion then the key is to use it to feed the already impressive dem enthusiasm in the midterms (as opposed to the all too easy defeatist mindset that could choose to view this as a reason to give up the fight).
but god it is fucking awful.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:25 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
but god it is fucking awful.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:25 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I don't think Trump will go for the long-term strategic move over the immediately emotionally gratifying upraised-middle-finger...
posted by tivalasvegas at 11:25 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by tivalasvegas at 11:25 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
If I can think of the craven political opportunity of dragging it out to promote turnout, surely they can, so I'm not quite sure what I'm missing beyond "they want to do more horrible things sooner."
The White House is significantly dumber and more impulsive than McConnell, who is very much the face of banal, systematic evil. McConnell is absolutely willing to annoy Trump in order to keep his majority.
posted by jedicus at 11:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
The White House is significantly dumber and more impulsive than McConnell, who is very much the face of banal, systematic evil. McConnell is absolutely willing to annoy Trump in order to keep his majority.
posted by jedicus at 11:26 AM on June 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
Any chance he chooses Sessions to fix his investigation recusal problem?
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:26 AM on June 27, 2018
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 11:26 AM on June 27, 2018
But if they ram through a nominee before the midterms doesn't that just piss of progressives and Democrats even more without the advantage of dangling the seat in front of Republicans to get them to the polls? What am I missing?
Is the theory it will depress progressives so much we'll drink ourselves into a stupor on election day? That's not a bad theory but I don't think it's correct?
posted by Justinian at 11:27 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Is the theory it will depress progressives so much we'll drink ourselves into a stupor on election day? That's not a bad theory but I don't think it's correct?
posted by Justinian at 11:27 AM on June 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Well... do the Republicans have an effective majority right now? They are at 51-49 and as I recall McCain and Thad Cochrane aren't exactly showing up. That's a bare majority if you include Pence. Is there anyone else among the republicans not showing up consistently?
At minimum the Democrats should demand a quorum call before any action on a supreme court nominee and make the 49 Republicans physically put their butts in the seats. If they can't muster 49 for some reason they could even send all but one of the Democrats out and the chamber would in fact lack a quorum.
Yes this may seem like highly technical gamesmanship, but desperate times...
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 11:28 AM on June 27, 2018 [50 favorites]
At minimum the Democrats should demand a quorum call before any action on a supreme court nominee and make the 49 Republicans physically put their butts in the seats. If they can't muster 49 for some reason they could even send all but one of the Democrats out and the chamber would in fact lack a quorum.
Yes this may seem like highly technical gamesmanship, but desperate times...
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 11:28 AM on June 27, 2018 [50 favorites]
Plus Flake has been rumbling about not voting for judges until tariffs are voted on.
posted by Harry Caul at 11:30 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Harry Caul at 11:30 AM on June 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
why couldnt you wait anthony
I feel like someone had a conspiracy theory 20 or so threads ago that I would really like to cling to right now about how Kennedy had some sort of deal for one of his former clerks that wasn’t a monster? Does anyone remember that? I would like not to drink myself to death.
posted by corb at 11:30 AM on June 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
I feel like someone had a conspiracy theory 20 or so threads ago that I would really like to cling to right now about how Kennedy had some sort of deal for one of his former clerks that wasn’t a monster? Does anyone remember that? I would like not to drink myself to death.
posted by corb at 11:30 AM on June 27, 2018 [8 favorites]
Ha, yeah. Time for the rubber to meet the road on that claim, Senator Flake.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 11:31 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 11:31 AM on June 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
Plus Flake has been rumbling about not voting for judges until tariffs are voted on.
Flake's record so far on judges that make Kennedy look like a flaming commie is 100% approval. That's how reliable he is.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:31 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
Flake's record so far on judges that make Kennedy look like a flaming commie is 100% approval. That's how reliable he is.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:31 AM on June 27, 2018 [7 favorites]
That's a very silly conspiracy theory to put any stock in. Even if Kennedy did make that deal why would sitting Republican Senators keep to it and approve such a nomination if Trump even made it?
posted by Green With You at 11:34 AM on June 27, 2018 [
posted by Green With You at 11:34 AM on June 27, 2018 [
These acts of defiance give me hope. Not a lot, but just maybe we can pull through this.
posted by jzb at 4:25 PM on June 24, 2018 [27 favorites]