Thus, the country that for centuries had developed a system of government and justice became a victim to the whims of a psychopathic personality who in the short period of four years threatened to destroy had-earned advances towards a democratic and pluralistic society. It shows that unless we are serious in restoring the values fundamental to its existence, we will become one of those countries south of the border pejoratively called “banana republics.”
A Fragile Democracy | The Smirking Chimp
The coronavirus pandemic relief bill passed by the House of Representatives this week would raise the federal minimum wage in steps until it reached $15 an hour in 2025. But an increase in the minimum wage has been removed from the Senate’s legislation. At least for now, it is stuck at $7.25.
Forget $15 an Hour — the Minimum Wage Should Be $24
“It is despicable and unacceptable that there is not unanimous support among Democrats in Congress for a $15 minimum wage,” said Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
‘Shameful’: Millionaire Senators Vote Against Popular Minimum Wage Raise That Would Lift Millions Out of Poverty | Common Dreams News
A half-century after the death of Civil Right activist Malcolm X, lawyers revealed new evidence of NYPD and FBI involvement in his assassination.
Deathbed Confession: FBI and NYPD Responsible for Malcolm X Assassination | The Smirking Chimp
Setting a precedent now is essential
Accountability for high crimes needs to exist for not just the current president but future ones, too.
Trump Precedent: No President Should Be Above the Law
The defeated president called for chaos and his supporters responded by storming the Capitol in Washington, disrupting the counting of electoral votes. Robert MackeyRobert Mackey January 7 2021, 9:44 a.m.
Trump Unleashes Mob to Disrupt U.S. Government
Despite rapidly widening inequality and what could be described as a humanitarian disaster unfolding, the American political elite is instead having a “let them eat cake” moment.
America’s ‘let them eat cake’ moment
Can the Democrats afford to have him jailed? (ODT)
“Live from Palm Beach, it’s the Power Hour with Donald Trump!” The studio audience erupts in cheers as the former president ambles on to his Oval Office set and takes his place behind a replica of the fabled Resolute desk. The walls are lined with portraits of Trump and posters with the words “rigged” and “stolen”.
Donald Trump may be chasing a TV gig after the US election — and millions of fans could tune in – ABC News
“In a historic moment, the majority of Americans have voted for a new leader representing caring, decency, inclusion and multilateralism – and rejecting hate, divisiveness, narcissism and authoritarianism.
World Watches America
Joe Biden and the Democrats have steadfastly refused to articulate a compelling alternative political vision to Donald Trump’s reactionary right-wing politics. Trump looks likely to have lost, but without creating an alternative to defeat it, Trumpism could return with a vengeance four years from now.
Whoever Wins, This Election Is Not the End of Trumpism
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“We’ll be going to the US Supreme Court, we want all voting to stop”
Trump falsely and predictably claims he already won the 2020 election – The Verge
“Trump has attacked virtually every important check-and-balance institution in the US that’s got in his way – the intelligence community, judges, the media. Every significant constraint, he wants to get rid of it.” Of course, he’s also opposed to the ultimate constraint in a democracy – the outcome of elections, unless he happens to win.
. “It’s got crazy when you have a US president promoting completely outrageous false information like QAnon,” the fantasist conspiracy movement. “He came into office completely unprepared and instead of being awed by the responsibility, he’s failed to take it seriously. From top to bottom, he’s filled his administration with mediocrities whose only qualification is loyalty to the President’s family. “Almost every statement that comes out of his mouth is a lie. It’s hard to imagine anyone with worse judgment and less qualified to be president.”
“He came into office completely unprepared and instead of being awed by the responsibility, he’s failed to take it seriously. From top to bottom, he’s filled his administration with mediocrities whose only qualification is loyalty to the President’s family.
“Almost every statement that comes out of his mouth is a lie. It’s hard to imagine anyone with worse judgment and less qualified to be president.”
The end of democracy? If Trump loses, Trumpism still wins
Federal agents employed “a vast arsenal of weapons,” including toxic smoke grenades, against protesters in Portland. Sharon Lerner
Environmentalists Sue Homeland Security for Chemical Weapons Use
Less than a week after executing Christopher Vialva in front of his mother and aunt, the DOJ announced it will kill Orlando Hall next.
The Hidden Cruelty of Trump’s Executions
Police enforcement is against First Amendment Rights: ” The right to protest is protected by both the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble.”
A Human Rights Watch investigation found that police deliberately trapped and assaulted medics, legal observers, and peaceful protesters.
New York Faces Lawsuits After Police Violence
Yet another Global virus hit 144 different countries (ODT)
via What Are US Forces Doing Abroad? We Don’t Necessarily Know. | The Nation
Witness to Corporate Crime committed in plain sight. America is a Fascist State when a Corporation can and does fly in the face of peoples elected governments no matter what their persuasion. Sending the message that the State is whatever the Corporations declare it to be. Justice and Equality are under Corporate control. (ODT)
Trump is an inveterate liar, having told thousands and thousands of lies during his 2.5 years in office.
One of the things he has repeatedly lied about is El Paso.
In his State of the Union address, Robert Moore wrote for Texasmonthly.com, Trump alleged that El Paso had been one of the worst cities in the US for crime but that since the partial border wall built in 2008-2010 it had abruptly become safe:
“The border city of El Paso, Texas, used to have extremely high rates of violent crime—one of the highest in the country, and (was) considered one of our nation’s most dangerous cities. Now, with a powerful barrier in place, El Paso is one of our safest cities.”
Rep. Veronica Escobar tweeted out newspaper headlines from 20 years ago touting El Paso as the third safest city in the US:
The year 2000 was eight years before the wall started being built.
Moore points out that border towns across the US have low crime rates, exactly the opposite of what Trump would expect.
By depicting El Paso as crime infested when Mexicans were supposedly unconstrained by a wall, Trump implied that Mexicans are criminals, bringing their crime over the border.
In other words, their commerce itself is undesirable.
That’s rhetorical economic terrorism. But then some young man heard the words and took them to heart and implemented them. That is White al-Qaeda.
via White al-Qaeda, Trump and Economic Terrorism against El Paso
That said, the decline of moral standards and creeping dishonesty amongst the US leadership is broad. For instance, asked this week why Washington endorsed the Israeli seizure of the Golan Heights but sanctioned Russia for its reabsorption of Crimea, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told senators there was an “international law doctrine,” which would be explained later. Of course, it turned out there was no such thing.Pompeo’s boss also struggles with the truth. On Thursday, Trump said “I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It’s not my thing.”Yet, in 2016 he called it “a treasure trove,” saying “I love WikiLeaks.”
via American values: Embassies are for chopping up journalists, not protecting them — RT Op-ed
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