One Must Imagine Sisyphus
Happy
- Albert Camus -
(Comments on the political, social and economic issues of the day, from a liberal perspective)
SCOTUS Wimps?!
As the House continues its hearings on the Gorsuch nomination to the Supreme Court, reports circulate that the Democratic leadership does not see an effective way to oppose the nomination. Horsefeathers! The Republican leadership made up a slogan, “Let the people decide” to justify refusing even to give Garland a hearing. The last year of the Obama Presidency became a lame duck year, with no consideration of his nominee.
The Senate Majority Leader even said that if Hillary Clinton won the election, then Republicans would refuse to consider any of her nominees for the full four years of her term, preferring to keep the Supreme Court seat vacant rather than holding a Democratic nominee. This unprecedented violation of the Senate’s duty to advise and consent, a Constitutional duty, should not be allowed to stand.
Democrats need no reason to oppose the Gorsuch nomination, other than that it is a Trump nomination. Democrats need to hold fast and “Let the people decide” again in 2018 and 2020. It is that simple.
If the Republicans choose to eliminate the Senate filibuster to seat Gorsuch, then this precedent will apply when the Democrats again are in the majority. The nuclear option affects everyone with its fallout.
If the Democrats choose to cave, as they have so often, then it may be time to organize to deny those who vote to approve Gorsuch any Party re-election funding, individual campaign donations, and organizational campaign funds. More, it may be time to find candidates to run against anyone who votes to approve Gorsuch.
Take a bitter leaf from the Tea Party. Form the Green Tea Caucus (“Healthier than the other drink”) and mount the opposition to Democrats who cave. We need to stand together to save the country from the extremists now in power.
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Published on the Huffington Post
Watch Your Language, Dems!
The Democratic Party is in the wilderness, looking for a way back to the Congressional majority in 2018. A lesson from Donald Trump is in order.
Here is a sample of Trump’s campaign rhetoric: (see http://mashable.com/2016/09/26/trump-timeline/)
Labels: Big scam; Lying; Pocahontas; Crazy; Crooked; Pussy; Disgraceful; Lightweight; Terrible; Scum; Slease; Rapists; Loser; Fat pigs; Over-rated; Pathological; Stupid; Disgusting; Ass; Devil; Rigged; Worst; Hate; Nasty; and Bad hombres.
Here is a small sample of Trump’s claims: (see, for example, https://www.thestar.com/news/world/uselection/2016/11/04/donald-trump-the-unauthorized-database-of-false-things.html and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-administration-lies-100_us_58ac7a0fe4b02a1e7dac3ca6)
Claims: Obama tapped Trump Tower; Largest inaugural ever; Always against the Iraq war; Widespread voter fraud; Murder rate horribly increasing; Predicted Brexit; Inherited a mess; Trumpcare will make drugs cheaper than a candy bar; Slowest growth since 1929; Climate change a Chinese hoax; and the U.S. is the highest taxed nation.
What is the common thread in this list? Each is a fact-free emotional label or claim.
Now, in the last year, can anyone remember many memorable statements by Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, or Nancy Pelosi? They each delivered emotion-free facts. Clearly this approach has not worked. Ms. Pelosi retained her position as minority leader, as much for her fund-raising abilities, as for her rhetoric: flat-toned, low volume, complex sentences. The Party needs a new leader in the House.
There are at least three ways to counter Trump and his enablers. First, oppose fact-free emotions with emotional facts. Slogans count! Second, constantly ridicule nonsense. Most important, deliver a positive program appealing to a broad range of voters, especially on the economy, education, health care and jobs. Nothing complex. Everything easy to understand. Again, slogans count!
Here is a sample of some positive proposals: (see http://www.allansblog.net)
o Raise corporate taxes by exposing the myth of high corporate taxes: as a share of personal/corporate income tax revenue, corporate taxes already are less than half of their share 50 years ago: corporate taxes have to go up, not down.
o Campaign for legislation: corporations are not people!
o Provide more and better health care through Medicare for All; pay for medical education in return for ten years of salaried service to under-served communities.
o Launch the Rebuild America Corps, training and salaries for un/under-employed to rebuild and insulate their communities.
o Recruit 10 million volunteer mentors for underachieving schools.
So many possibilities, among these and many others. The Democratic Party needs to pick a few and unite around the campaign to take back the House in 2018. Time to focus and get to work!
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Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Published on the Huffington Post
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One NoTrump: Unmaking America 2017: January
Initiating a (monthly) series of observations of some less-public but no less problematic actions by the Administration and Congress.
The Holman Rule. One of the first actions taken by House Republicans threatens the integrity of the Civil Service. As reported in the Washington Post, the House reinstated an 1876 rule which “allows any member of Congress to propose amending an appropriations bill to single out a government employee or cut a specific program.” (1) The amendment could cut the salary of any employee to $1.
Worth repeating: under the Holman Rule, any individual member of Congress could cut a civil service salary to $1. Any civil servant recommending a policy or decision offending any Congressman could lose his or her salary. This is a prescription for total politicization of the civil service, completely undermining the integrity of the civil service.
This would return us to the time of the “spoils system,” during which government workers were fired at will whenever a new Party took office, and were replaced with Party loyalists. Andrew Jackson first initiated the spoils system on a large scale after his election in 1828.
Public revulsion with the spoils system climaxed in 1883, when the Pendleton Act created a professional civil service, based upon merit, rather than Party loyalty. The concept was that the government needed the steady workings of professionals to provide continuity, rather than lurching one way or the other after each Presidential election.
Suppose a government scientist reviews the literature on climate change, and concludes that the preponderance of evidence supports a conclusion that humans are primarily responsible for climate change, and that the process threatens coastal cities around the world. Is it a stretch to imagine a member of Congress singling out that civil servant for a salary cut? Nothing could threaten the integrity of objective science more.
The civil service system has served the country well for over 130 years.
If used at all, the Holman Rule will paralyze the civil service, rewarding party loyalty (as defined by every individual member of Congress), over public service. The first step toward a Republican reign of terror.
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Wednesday, 1 February 2017
Published on the Huffington Post
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The World Needs to Resist the Trumpettes
Trump and his radical Republican Congress have begun their reign of terror. However, bullies need to be resisted. Bullies need to be told “No.” The challenge is as much global as domestic.The world needs to organize for mutual support and resistance. Current examples:
The United Nations is facing severe cuts in U.S. financial support.
Response? Start by giving the right-wing what it has demanded for many years: move the United Nations out of the U.S., say to Geneva, Switzerland. Even discussing such a move would send a significant symbolic message. More basic, U.N. members need to pledge to replace any budget cuts with their increased contributions. The loss of U.S. leverage on the U.N. would be a positive step for the rest of the world.
Mexico is facing punitive border taxes on its exports to the U.S.
Response? First, many countries could pledge to impose taxes on U.S. exports which doubled those imposed by the U.S. Second, countries need to cushion the impacts on Mexico by increasing their Mexican imports, and/or by providing direct financial aid. Resisting American bullying in this first instance would significantly reduce America’s power to punish other countries at will.
U.S. contributions to NATO may be reduced
Response? Continuing to accept the “American shield” over Europe may come with conditions harming Eupopean unity and stability. If the U.S. tries to dictate unacceptable conditions, then it may be time for a strong and independent European defense force. Expensive, yes, but what price sovereignty?
The global “gag rule” on international health providers threatens women’s lives
The Trumpette zeal for stamping out not just abortion services, but also any discussions of abortion, will directly harm millions of women, especially in less-developed countries.
Response? The Netherlands already has expressed interest in setting up an international fund to replace lost U.S. funding. Other countries and individuals could pledge to contribute to this fund, replacing U.S. funds in full.
It is only the first week of the Trump administration. Other examples of threats to the international community will arise. It is clear that the world’s leaders must organize to resist the Trumpettes’ radical right-wing policies. It is not too early to convene an international conference to consider these and other issues, and to develop a concerted and effective strategy of resistance. Any takers?
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Saturday, 28 January 2017
Published on the Huffington Post
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