A quick check of my Trump-related bookmarks as we prepared to kick 2020 to the curb.
Trump pardoned former congressmen convicted of federal crimes – The Washington Post
Drain the swamp!
All the people Trump has pardoned since the election – The Washington Post
They’re not all terrible. Some are actually pretty good. Some are ridiculous.
Is Trump Trying to Stage a Coup? – The Atlantic
Our system is broken, and someone might be better at taking advantage of it.
Trump Is Losing His Mind – The Atlantic
“This is where Trump’s crippling psychological condition—his complete inability to face unpleasant facts, his toxic narcissism, and his utter lack of empathy—became lethal.”
Opinion | The moral hypocrisy of conservative leaders is stunning – The Washington Post
“Explanation No. 2: Maybe these conservative leaders were always committed to the triumph of their views, but not to the values of democracy. Perhaps their main concern was the achievement of certain outcomes — the appointment of conservative judges, restrictions on abortion — and not the application of democratic procedures. If a democratic leader achieves their moral goals, that is fine with them. If it takes a soft authoritarian, that is fine as well.”
Opinion | When it comes to prosecuting Trump, let’s be selective – The Washington Post
Several good points — in some cases, just review and change the law so future presidents can’t get away with this.
Part George III, part toddler
How ‘America First’ Became America Alone – The Atlantic
A nuanced take, showing Trump with a few laudable interests like nuclear disarmament but the lack of attention to the details that would be needed to make it happen. And he blundered by withdrawing from important agreements that gave us soft power vs. China. (No mention of Kurds here.)
Coronavirus has slammed the door shut on highly skilled work visas – Axios
Which may force companies to go overseas.
“There was a time, during the election year of 2016, when it was still possible — barely — to suppose that actual possession of the presidency, and its awesome responsibility, might temper Mr. Trump. That is obviously false now. “
“My observation is that Steingard was never given permission to entertain the idea that his faith need not be dependent on holding to a literal view of Scripture. “
Former top Trump officials are betting he’ll lose – POLITICO
“Anybody who has an IQ of over 100 and has worked for Donald Trump, with the exception of Steve Bannon, is not voting for him.””
“Even having to point that out somehow plays into the liars’ hands, like agreeing to a debate with a creationist or a flat-earther. Such is the current landscape of partisan cable news and wild west social media.”
‘He’s Destroyed Conservatism’: The Republican Case Against Trump’s GOP – POLITICO
“You know, it really struck me when I read the memoir by [the late German Chancellor] Franz von Papen, it’s exactly the same message you hear today. In 1953, he was still trying to justify Hitler: “You have to understand, the Bolsheviks were a threat, we had to counter them.” Of all the books I read to write my book, the Franz von Papen thing haunts me the most. It’s not to say that what happened in Germany is going to happen here. But the idea that you can’t talk about that—well, I think you have to talk about that. The parallel is so striking.”
Michelle Obama makes a moral case against Donald Trump – CNNPolitics
“America’s children, she said, “see our leaders labeling fellow citizens enemies of the state while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists. They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages, and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protestors for a photo-op. Sadly, this is the America that is on display for the next generation — a nation that’s underperforming not simply on matters of policy but on matters of character.””
Coronavirus: How Trump killed tens of thousands of Americans.
“It’s hard to believe a president could be this callous and corrupt. It’s hard to believe one person could get so many things wrong or do so much damage. But that’s what happened. Trump knew we weren’t ready for a pandemic, but he didn’t prepare. He knew China was hiding the extent of the crisis, but he joined in the cover-up. He knew the virus was spreading in the United States, but he said it was vanishing. He knew we wouldn’t find it without more tests, but he said we didn’t need them. He delayed mitigation. He derided masks. He tried to silence anyone who told the truth. And in the face of multiple warnings, he pushed the country back open, reigniting the spread of the disease.”
This is one of the most unpatriotic moments in Trump’s presidency
CNN on disastrous Axios interview: He simply refuses to listen to intelligence — on Russian bounties, on COVID-19, on anything.
Poverty Grew in One-Third of Counties Despite Strong National Economy | The Pew Charitable Trusts
“Most of the biggest increases were in areas both rural and Southern. Those areas generally had residents who lacked job training and skills and industries that suffered downturns.”
Judge finalizes $25 million settlement in Trump’s fraud case | MSNBC
“The circumstances are nothing short of bizarre: a sitting president of the United States has written a check for $25 million to a group of Americans who credibly claimed that he ripped them off by perpetrating a fraud.”
Opinion | The Cult of Selfishness Is Killing America – The New York Times
“You see, the modern U.S. right is committed to the proposition that greed is good, that we’re all better off when individuals engage in the untrammeled pursuit of self-interest. In their vision, unrestricted profit maximization by businesses and unregulated consumer choice is the recipe for a good society.
Support for this proposition is, if anything, more emotional than intellectual. I’ve long been struck by the intensity of right-wing anger against relatively trivial regulations, like bans on phosphates in detergent and efficiency standards for light bulbs. It’s the principle of the thing: Many on the right are enraged at any suggestion that their actions should take other people’s welfare into account.”
Mark Milley’s apology is a major escalation in civil-military tensions under Trump.
“Rather than delivering it remotely, as various leaders have done for other military academies, Trump—against the wishes of West Point’s leaders—demanded that the Army cadets return to campus, isolate themselves for two weeks, and then, during the ceremony itself, sit in tight formation, ignoring CDC guidelines on social distancing.”
Opinion | Donald Trump Is Our National Catastrophe – The New York Times
“Until we have a president who can say, as Lincoln did in his first inaugural, “We are not enemies, but friends” — and be believed in the bargain — our national agony will only grow worse.”
The Coronavirus Revealed America’s Failures – The Atlantic
Strongest part here is the look at our three major 21st century crises. The first two had at least some semblance of bipartisan response. This one does not.
“Under our current leadership, nothing will change. If 9/11 and 2008 wore out trust in the old political establishment, 2020 should kill off the idea that anti-politics is our salvation.”
He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump’s Failure on the Virus – The New York Times
“Mr. Trump’s response was colored by his suspicion of and disdain for what he viewed as the “Deep State” — the very people in his government whose expertise and long experience might have guided him more quickly toward steps that would slow the virus, and likely save lives”
“An imbecile at the head of the US government would always be a problem. But an imbecile so narcissistic that he elevates his own stunted knowledge above the judgment of medicine and science is a calamity.”
Opinion | Trump to New York: Drop Dead – The New York Times
“The rest of the country may regard New York as a black hole of need. But in fact the opposite has always been true; we’re forever sweeping more into the federal till than we receive in services. In 2018, according to the state comptroller’s office, we gave $26.6 billion more to Washington than we got back, ranking us dead last for federal benefits.”
“What is happening now is the inevitable result of a party that embraced fear, weaponized xenophobia and regarded facts as dangerous, left-wing landmines that must be avoided.”
Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person – Equality Includes You – Medium
“The concept of Intersectionality recognizes that people can be privileged in some ways and definitely not privileged in others.”
‘Christian left’ is reviving in America, appalled by treatment of migrants
Yes, Bush and Obama deported people. They didn’t veer into abject cruelty and scapegoating.
Sure, we have a great economy. We’ve had it for a while, actually. So what are we getting from it? When you have a big windfall, what do you do? If you have credit-card debt, do you pay it off, or do you incur more? Do you buy a new car while ignoring the hole in your roof?
Full text: Mitt Romney’s remarks on impeachment vote – POLITICO
“The President asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival.
The President withheld vital military funds from that government to press it to do so.
The President delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders.
The President’s purpose was personal and political.
Accordingly, the President is guilty of an appalling abuse of the public trust.”
Trump Tied Ukraine Aid to Inquiries He Sought, Bolton Book Says – The New York Times
“In recent days, some White House officials have described Mr. Bolton as a disgruntled former employee, and have said he took notes that he should have left behind when he departed the administration.”
Impeachment trial: John Barrasso downplays new evidence of Trump’s misconduct – Vox
“You can’t present new evidence.”
Followed by “See, there’s no new evidence!” or “New evidence doesn’t matter.”
Trump Impeachment: Senate Acquittal Will Mean No Appetite for Truth | National Review
“Desperate Republicans have offered strained arguments. They say, with straight faces, that this shakedown was part of Trump’s overall anti-corruption campaign. Really? Like his efforts with Turkey, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Russia? And if Trump were truly concerned about corruption in Ukraine, why did he show no interest in the matter before 2019? Why did his own ambassador to the European Union say, “Trump doesn’t give a s*** about Ukraine. He cares only about the big stuff like the Biden investigation.”?”
“The proposal to eliminate parts of the NEPA should not simply be viewed as anti-environment or anti-climate change — it should be viewed as anti-conservative. By rolling back essential parts of the law that provide voice to otherwise underserved and underheard communities, the Trump administration would reveal who it truly works for: not the forgotten man and woman, who would once again be silenced without the NEPA available to provide voice against potentially invasive and harmful projects, but rather the fossil fuel industry that is more concerned with making a profit than protecting communities and ecosystems.”
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like 2003 – The Atlantic
Phony terrorism claim, check.
“Greeted as liberators,” check. (Note Iraqi parliament vote)
“In 2019, public support for abortion rights is the highest it has been in 20 years of polling, according to the Pew Research Center. A reported 61% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and only 12% of the public want to see abortion made illegal. A third of Republicans support abortion rights, according to a 2017 Pew Research poll, and in states where lawmakers have attempted to ban abortion entirely, most voters do not support it.”
Mostly Modern Media 