Cops Are Always Trash

For those who are wondering why so much attention has been focused on the response of the Capitol Police to the Trump-inspired riots, here’s a data-driven article that provides some useful frame of reference. https://t.co/MAdlWGRd23

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 8, 2021

And here’s one that is more anecdotal.https://t.co/Qzpw8mCi39

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 8, 2021

And here’s a look back at the response to last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests.https://t.co/IYTfawbWe5

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 8, 2021

Remember when they broke all the water bottles to help BLM to wash out tear gas in their eyes? https://t.co/1dk9d8XQi0

— universal’s only bimbo ✨ (@missuniversal91) January 7, 2021

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, America…

 

by @zizii2

…Who’s the ugliest of us all?

In case there was ever any doubt about our unvarnished national character, the conclusion of the Republican Party nomination Tuesday night, laid it bare for all to see. One of only 2 viable political parties within the sole superpower on this planet, that wields thousands of nuclear weapons, decided in a delirious fit of racial and xenophobic apoplexy, to put a madman just one ballot round in line to ascend the presidency!

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Yes, only 10 million Americans actually cast ballots to nominate Donald Trump to be flag bearer of the Republican Party, but with party Chair Reince Priebus’ seal of approval, that outcome multiplies to represent the will of a good half of this country. Let that sink in.

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While the other half of us recoil at the sheer horror that the existential threat of Trump’s endorsed candidacy portends, we’ve seen in the last 24 hours the utter venality of the Republican Party and its media minions on full display. Country be damned. The people be damned. Global alliances be damned. Competency? Who needs that? Wheeeeee, Trump is a giant amusement park rodeo they must ride all the way to the White House. And the hordes fueling this putrid dough of a a candidate? Who cares! Just feed them more bigotry. Nothing matters but naked power. This is one fucking ugly country!

Just when you thought things couldn’t get more ridiculous

The above is a real tweet by GOP frontrunner and favorite Donald J. Trump.

Il Douche seems to have a problem with geography. First, his first major campaign ad substituted Morocco for Mexico. And now he thinks that Germany’s occupation of France from World War II is still in effect.

On the one hand this is farcical. Il Douche is trying to prove the aphorism that eventually Americans will elect a President as stupid as they are. But, of course, in this case farce can easily transmute into tragedy.

Barack Obama has been the most significant president in American history. He has not only saved the economy, brought healthcare to millions, restored US prestige across the globe, and solved several intractable diplomatic issues, but, by the mere fact of being black, has undone the opposition party. Although the GOP hates the Clintons as well, I don’t think President Hillary Clinton elected and re-elected in 2008 and 2012 would have made the GOP go as apeshit as Barack Hussein Obama.

For example, this is what Speaker of the House Paul Ryan had to say in 2013 as a just-failed vice presidential candidate:

“I think we need to find out how to close these loopholes and do it in such a way that we don’t infringe upon people’s Second Amendment rights,” he said in an interview with the editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

“We had this issue, 2001, 1999 I think … when I first got into Congress,” Ryan continued. “At the time I remember thinking, ‘You know, there is a loophole here. We should address that.'”

Stop making us be racists!

I found this picture on the Twitter box yesterday. I shook my head and pursed my lips and moved on. Saved it for future use, however.

I had no idea that the future is today.

Over on the National Review (no link, as I don’t wish to give them clicks directly), there’s an article blaming Il Douche’s rise to—wait for it—that damned Obama! Yes, see, it’s all Barack Obama’s fault that a large swathe of white America has lost its puny little minds. If only someone not as black were inhabiting the White House the country would be a paradise of racial comity.

That’s the lie right there. This country has never been a paradise of racial comity. As the President acknowledges, things have improved. But a lot of that improvement was, I believe, cosmetic. The racial animus simmered underground, waiting for a chance to boil up, as in Yugoslavia once it was freed from Marshal Tito’s iron grip. Only in this regard is Pres. Obama “responsible” for white people losing their shit; his election and conduct as president have held up a glaring light to their prejudices, and as often happens with human beings, once a fault is revealed we tend to scream louder that it’s not us, it’s them.

The First Time as Tragedy, the Second Time as Farce

Well, Il Douche went full Nazi yesterday. At a rally, he proposed banning all Muslims from entering the US. The crowd, of course, went wild.

Various GOP grandees clutched their pearls and averred that this was unconstitutional, un-American, and bad politics. Even Dick “Darth Vader” Cheney snapped back at Il Douche. (Of course, he was probably mostly concerned with his rich Saudi friends not being able to visit him at his secure, undisclosed location.)

Forgive me if I take their protestations with an ounce of salt.

The GOP, for 50 years, has covertly stoked racism among the white working class, the people who feel disenfranchised since the social justice movements of the 1960s and who form the bedrock of the Republican voting base. As a wise Republican once said, you can no longer say “nigger”, but you can say “welfare queen”, or “forced busing”. The code is understood.

Chat Away

Thanks, Amk

A Tweet Or Two

No state has an unemployment rate at or above 7%, first time in almost 9 years. https://t.co/XXS8wKySjf

— Morgan Housel (@morganhousel) November 23, 2015

NSA to shut down bulk phone surveillance program by Sunday https://t.co/qkouSSCQxw via @Reuters

— Dan Froomkin/PressWatchers.org (@froomkin) November 27, 2015

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Gas prices hit 10-month low, down 70 cents from last year: https://t.co/pRCruNekyq #Headline via @businessinsider pic.twitter.com/2FS5jB1TJ0

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) November 23, 2015

#BREAKING Economic growth in the third quarter revised up to 2.1% from initial 1.5% estimate https://t.co/rjVUTCWL90

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 24, 2015

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The people who do this have the blood of innocent lives on their hands

https://twitter.com/WesleyLowery/status/666981916705480705

Black students at the University of Missouri talk about the reality of being #BlackOnCampus: https://t.co/jFX7j8vb9D

— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 16, 2015

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To call fetal tissue "baby parts" shows a childish ignorance about medical research. Imagine a Dr. calling muscle tissue "people meat"...

— No I Didn’t (@AndyRichter) November 29, 2015

https://twitter.com/BrettLoGiurato/status/670660298580361216

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https://twitter.com/ClinicEscort/status/670337616596877313

https://twitter.com/ClinicEscort/status/670337787040800769

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https://twitter.com/ClinicEscort/status/670338299320508417

https://twitter.com/ddiamond/status/670327676482252801

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One more reason to be thankful for Shonda Rhimes

How @ShondaRhimes Is Changing the Dialogue About Abortion on TV https://t.co/8466Qq4DpJ #Scandal pic.twitter.com/5fzXz9GNQ8

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 20, 2015

Last night's #Scandal was cheered by fans & Planned Parenthood as bold prime-time statement: https://t.co/oRL7IcAsdv pic.twitter.com/PXomeRWfAR

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 20, 2015

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.@FLOTUS is making a #ReachHigherApp to help students own their future: https://t.co/VGQiOox45v

— Kresge Education (@kresgedu) November 19, 2015

https://twitter.com/HuffPostBiz/status/667420973306658816

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Thanks, President Obama

President Obama just endorsed the most comprehensive LGBTQ rights bill ever https://t.co/eRGt8G0Taa

— Vox (@voxdotcom) November 10, 2015

https://twitter.com/aterkel/status/664832660028710916

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How the Syrian refugee crisis shows the hypocrisy of ‘All Lives Matter’ https://t.co/W0MbePnfjh pic.twitter.com/Cu9koOSO4D

— Southern Poverty Law Center (@splcenter) November 21, 2015

Why is this me pic.twitter.com/L1CKCicPqo

— M🐉 (@keeeeeenz) August 27, 2015

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Such delusions. Newsflash, stop ripping off a Teddy Roosevelt comic

Now we know what Ted Cruz thinks he looks like. https://t.co/3Jzff8TmcO

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) November 19, 2015

https://twitter.com/WesleyLowery/status/667428704407191554

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11/16/15: Jewell Jones made history as youngest member ever sworn as Inkster City Councilman. #TheObamaGeneration pic.twitter.com/TUlVgRXX2B

— Alycee (@jazziz2) November 19, 2015

Jennifer Lawrence says she can't support Republicans, and here's why: https://t.co/9qrBVKsRQL pic.twitter.com/OYyh52UVAJ

— Mic (@mic) November 12, 2015

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Job creation is actually FASTER in states that raised the minimum wage: https://t.co/9UMssbKQqK #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/ifucDRf15H

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) November 11, 2015

What the CIA knew before 9/11: New details https://t.co/d6HYz78igL | Getty pic.twitter.com/v5W5MLCrt8

— POLITICO (@politico) November 13, 2015

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BOOM

The 50 most powerful people in the world https://t.co/mW14gvXyJO pic.twitter.com/HfhIKCWljZ

— Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) November 17, 2015

https://twitter.com/TheRealTrangPak/status/667555204489850880

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LOL

When people tell you to stop "acting black" pic.twitter.com/xX5x5X8bfc

— Larry Legend (@larryislegend) November 27, 2015

https://twitter.com/PunkLtd/status/665072787359272960

American Tribalism: Road to Rwanda Redux

by @zizii2

I have been spooked these last 10 days by the insanity that erupted here in the US since the Paris terrorist attacks. I wanted to give words to my thoughts. But I froze. Then I rediscovered this piece I began writing in April 2013, but had abandoned for being too alarmist! If only I knew….

Here is the piece completed with a few edits…

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Rwanda: A Haunting Lesson

April 6 marked the (21st) anniversary of the launch of the genocidal nightmare in the central African country of Rwanda that ended 100 days later with 800,000 people dead, and a nation scarred deeply. That was 11.4% of the total population of 7 million. Nearly three-quarters of those massacred were Tutsis who comprised 14% of the entire population.

The word “anniversary” seems inappropriate because although it is technically a neutral term it still invokes positive associations and anticipation. No one should anticipate a genocide nor look forward to marking milestones in its aftermath. Yet mark, we must. The lessons are not simply framed in dog-eared history tomes or award winning films about a bygone tragedy. The lessons are here. With us. Today.

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In societies wracked by mass economic, social and political faultlines the signs are always there for a Rwanda Redux, or a Srebrenica. Hate Radio. Divide and conquer. Nihilism. Opportunistic politicians and cultural loudmouths. Group resentment. Grievance. Silence and apathy from the majority population. Now, all of these do not a genocide trigger. But they exist to be manipulated if conditions ripen.

“The Rwandan genocide resulted from the conscious choice of the elite to promote hatred and fear to keep itself in power. This small, privileged group first set the majority against the minority to counter a growing political opposition within Rwanda. Then, faced with RPF success on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, these few power holders transformed the strategy of ethnic division into genocide. They believed that the extermination campaign would reinstate the solidarity of the Hutu under their leadership and help them win the war, or at least improve their chances of negotiating a favorable peace. They seized control of the state and used its authority to carry out the massacre. (UnitedHumanRights.Org)”

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What We’re Facing

From ThinkProgress:

Journalists for Univision, the largest Spanish-language television station in the United States, were removed from a Donald Trump campaign event in Florida on Friday. The news was first reported by Jorge Ramos, Univision’s flagship news anchor, on Twitter, and was later confirmed by the Hollywood Reporter. A spokesperson for the campaign claims that the Univision TV crew was barred from covering the event because “Mr. Trump is suing Univision for $500 million and until that is resolved it is a conflict of interest.”

Trump sued the popular Spanish-language network, claiming that Univision breached an agreement to broadcast Miss Universe pageants through 2019 — although it’s unclear why Trump still has a stake in this lawsuit since he sold the Miss Universe Organization in September.

So. Donald Trump, the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination, has barred Univision, the most popular Spanish language broadcaster in the US, from covering his campaign.

Oh, yes, it’s all about “I’m suing them, so it’s a conflict of interest.” But, as the article makes clear, Donald has sold off his interest in the Miss Universe pageant, so the suit is strange to say the least.

No, the suit continues to continue Donald’s campaign of denigrating Latinos. And barring Univision from covering his campaign events is merely logical in this campaign.

What my community is facing in this election is a campaign of defamation. From the Freedom Caucus securing Paul Ryan’s promise to not pursue immigration reform to Donald Trump’s scurrilous attacks on Latinos, we’re one of the convenient targets of the GOP. (African Americans and Muslims also round out the cast of characters.)

So, forgive me if I’m not very interested in relitigating the fights of 2007 and 2008 between Pres. Obama and Hillary Clinton. I have a slightly different view of things.

They thought they could control them

Yesterday, Jorge Ramos of Univision was unceremoniously escorted out of a Donald Trump press conference by one of the Hair’s goons, for daring to ask a question “out of turn”. Trump told Mr. Ramos to “sit down”, and then to “go back to Univision”. (I guess even The Hair wasn’t prepared to say “go back to Mexico, you wetback.”) Our brave press corps… did nothing. Journalists of conscience would have gotten up en masse and walked out right behind Mr. Ramos. I’m old enough to remember when the good and the great of the major media outlets rallied around Fox News when President Obama took off the gloves with them. Imagine if Pres. Obama had done something like this at one of his campaign press conferences, or, heaven forbid, at a presidential one. Calls for his impeachment would be hurling in 72 point type on newspapers and from well-coiffed news anchors.

However, even though I was going to write at length about this contretemps, I realized that the expulsion of Mr. Ramos is not the story. It is a mere manifestation of a much darker reality.

I mocked Trump (I refuse to be polite and call him “Mr.”). I thought he was the greatest thing to happen to Democrats since Dan Quayle. And, if by some malfeasance he does manage to be the GOP nominee, he lost the general election yesterday. The image of the Latino Walter Cronkite being frog-marched out of a press availability will galvanize the Latino community like nothing else. Not because Latinos are celebrity-mongers who will rally around Mr. Ramos, but because he and his treatment represent what Latinos fear the most from the GOP. Trump just handed the Latino community the symbol it needed, in a way which even his outrageous words didn’t.

But I’m no longer mocking him. I’m taking him very seriously. Because what may have begun as a lark is no longer that. It’s obvious that Trump is taking this campaign to heart, and is in it to win. And that should give everyone a good scare.