Suggested by Shaker ivyceltress: "What book or TV show do you dream of inserting yourself into?"
Fact
After spending the day immersed in content about Trump's cabinet picks, this is the song stuck in my head. https://t.co/Gsdbbdg6W2
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 30, 2016
Rinse and repeat every day for the foreseeable future.
Recommended Reading
The New York Times Editorial Board: "Mr. Trump, Meet the Constitution."
Greg Sargent at the Washington Post: "Trump's Latest Announcement Doesn't Rein in the Possibility of Corruption."
Jann S. Wenner at Rolling Stone: "The Day After: Obama on His Legacy, Trump's Win, and the Path Forward."
[Content Note: Bigotry] Tressie: "Finding Hope in a Loveless Place."
[CN: Fat hatred] Your Fat Friend: "Nocturnal Animals & the Metaphor of Fat Women."
[CN: Racism] Ijeoma Oluo at The Establishment: "You Don't Have to Like Me—You Just Have to Believe I'm a Human Being."
[CN: Homophobia] Nick Duffy at Pink News: "Every Single Trump Cabinet Member So Far Opposes LGBT Rights."
Jake Swearingen at NY Mag: "Starting January 20, Donald Trump Can Send Unblockable Mass Text Messages to the Entire Nation."
Rage. Seethe. Boil.
[Content Note: Police brutality; death; racism.]
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Brentley Vinson, the officer who shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott in September, will not face charges. The district attorney said at a press conference today "that all evidence suggests [Scott] was armed at the time of his death."
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Brentley Vinson acted in self-defense when he shot and killed the 43-year-old on Sept. 20, said Andrew Murray, Mecklenburg County's district attorney, at a Wednesday press conference.Except: Scott is not accused pointing a weapon at police, and, as I have previously noted, North Carolina is an open-carry state, so it's unclear how, even if Scott were indeed armed, that would constitute an immediate threat to officers in an open-carry state.
"It's a justified shooting based on the totality of the circumstances," he said, adding that Vinson "acted lawfully."
interesting here, DA says Keith Lamont Scott did not raise the gun - meaning a threatening look and gun in hand enough to justify shooting
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) November 30, 2016
Over and over, we see that gun ownership laws, whether they are stand your ground laws, self-defense laws, castle doctrine laws, or open carry laws, simply are not applied equally to white gun owners and nonwhite gun owners. And that is racism, pure and simple. Deadly racism.
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
That Carrier Deal
You may have heard that Trump supposedly struck a TREMENDOUS DEAL with Carrier, the Indiana air conditioner company he's used as the symbol for Rust Belt jobs he wants to keep or "bring back" to the US. Be wary of this news and how it's being reported.
Look at how the @nytimes is already framing the Carrier news, even though we don't know the details of the deal:https://t.co/hXPisHLBNL pic.twitter.com/JytviXxmYK
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) November 30, 2016
If news reports are correct, Carrier is getting a massive tax break while still sending nearly half their Indiana jobs to Mexico. Unreal.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) November 30, 2016
And Trump is already getting rewarded for his largely meaningless announcement with just the framing/coverage he wants: https://t.co/u5kzsW5lO0
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) November 30, 2016
.@nytimes headline on Carrier story suggests Trump is directly responsible for jobs staying. THERE IS LITERALLY NO EVIDENCE OF THAT pic.twitter.com/TU8nWJeswS
— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) November 30, 2016
Every savvy CEO will now threaten to ship jobs to Mexico, and demand a payment to stay. Great economic policy. https://t.co/t2WAJOgh8F
— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) November 30, 2016
We don't know what the deal is or how it was struck. We don't even know if it's actually a good or wise deal.
Also worth noting that Pence is still Indiana governor for the moment. The tax break may be state, not federal. And Pence the one orchestrating this whole thing.
I suspect we're seeing the first example of what the Trump-Pence administration will look like: Pence muscling things behind the scenes; Trump taking the credit. Media offering plaudits because they don't even know what happened or how.
Not good. Not good at all.
I Mean
Trump to name former Goldman Sachs partner Steven Mnuchin as next Treasury secretary, sources tell CNN. https://t.co/Y3Q0NzQQm9 pic.twitter.com/u2rVH4N3Mm
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) November 29, 2016
If the disaffected white working class voters aren't in an uproar by now, maybe they weren't voting b/c they felt alienated after all. Huh. https://t.co/zOXPlCjQCz
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 29, 2016
Over at Shareblue, Alison Parker has more on Mnuchin, as well as Trump's pick for Commerce, billionaire investor Wilbur Ross. Ughhhhh.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Diverkat: "What's the coolest or most interesting fact you've learned recently?"
Quote of the Day
"We're going to fight tooth and nail any attempt to privatize, voucherize, or any other 'ize' you can think of, when it comes to Medicare. To Republicans considering going down this path, my advice is simple: Turn back."—Incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, during a fiery statement today, putting Republicans on notice that the Democrats will fight any efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, privatize Medicare, or defund Planned Parenthood.
Hell yeah!
Recommended Reading
Heather Gerken, David Bollier, Gary Gerstle, and Gar Alperovitz at The Nation: "'All Resistance Is Local': A Plan of Progressive Action for the Trump Years."
Amanda Taub at the New York Times: "How Stable Are Democracies? 'Warning Signs Are Flashing Red'."
Alison R. Parker at Shareblue: "House Democrats Demand Action from GOP on Trump's Conflicts of Interest."
[Content Note: Shooting; terrorism; bigotry] Sameer Rao at Colorlines: "After OSU Attack, Muslims and Somalis Fear Retribution."
[CN: War on agency] Teddy Wilson at Rewire: "Texas Officials to Force Burial, Cremation of 'Fetal Remains'."
Dianna E. Anderson at Shareblue: "Trump Wanted to Be President, But Now Cannot Be Bothered to Do the Job."
[CN: War injuries] Gardiner Harris at the New York Times: "Obama's Sacred Duty: Visiting the Wounded at Walter Reed."
Andy Towle at Towleroad: "NYC Gay Men's Chorus and the Golden Girls Puppets 'Thank You For Being a Friend'."
Good Grief
Donald Trump has selected Tom Price, who hates the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and reproductive health access, to head the Department of Health and Human Services.
And he has selected Elaine Chao, who was a disaster as Secretary of Labor under George W. Bush, to be his Secretary of Transportation. I have a few thoughts about that over at Shareblue, particularly with regard to why her selection makes terrible sense given his proposed infrastructure plan. Connect the dots. Pay attention. Stay engaged.
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
The Password Is: Automation
I worked on this piece with my Shareblue colleague Anthony Reed: "Here's why Trump's promise to 'bring back jobs' is a cruel lie."
It's a long one, so settle in for a serious read. But it's critically important. The gist is this: The jobs that Trump continually promises to "bring back" have not gone overseas; they've gone period because of automation.
The narrative promulgated by Trump needs to be pushed back on hard and unyieldingly, and this piece will arm you with the facts you need to do it.
This Is Not Normal
My latest for Shareblue: "Trump tweets flag-burners should be jailed or have citizenship revoked."
This is not normal.There is more at the link, including some analysis of how Trump does indeed use his Twitter feed for misdirection, but also the content of those tweets matter. A lot.
It is not normal for a president to use his social media account to tweet chilling opinions about Constitutionally-protected rights.
It is not normal for a president to suggest it is reasonable to have one's citizenship revoked or to be jailed for doing something legal just because he finds it distasteful.
It is not normal to imply that a "year in jail" could be remotely equivalent to being stripped of one’s very citizenship, to be permanently exiled from one's home.
None of this is normal. It is profoundly troubling. And we cannot become inured to such egregious democratic transgressions. This cannot be normalized.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker particolored: "What is your favorite kind of tea? This can include flavor, variety, or brand—however you want to interpret the question!"
Discussion Thread: Post-Election Blues and Resolutions
I know a lot of people (myself included) are still moving through reactions and feelings to the election. And I'm sure not a few people had new things come up over Thanksgiving, if obliged to spend time with pro-Trump folks.
So here's a thread, should you need it, to process with others who totally get it. ♥
Recommended Reading
Paul Waldman at the Washington Post: "Trump Has Already Defeated the News Media and It's Unclear What We Can Do About It."
T. R. Ramachandran at Electionado: "No, the Media DID NOT Accurately Portray Clinton to the American Public."
Ally Boguhn at Rewire: "Report: Trump's Chief Strategist Said Suppressing Some Black Votes 'Not Such a Bad Thing'."
[Content Note: Racism; threats] Ginger McKnight-Chavers at Shareblue: "This Season of Thanks Is a Season of Fear for Black Families."
Matt Wolfe at New Republic: "The Last Unknown Man."
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
Shooting at Ohio State University
[Content Note: Shooting; guns; video may autoplay at link.]
There was an active shooter at Ohio State University. Details are very preliminary at this point. ABC News reports: "Eight people were transported to local hospitals, a spokeswoman for the Columbus Fire Department said, though it is unclear if anyone was shot. Two of the eight people transported are in stable condition, authorities said. At least one person has been listed in critical condition."
There are some reports that the shooter has been killed, but that has not yet been confirmed by law enforcement.
My condolences to the entire community, and my thoughts are with anyone who is awaiting word on family and/or friends at the university.
Please use this thread for info sharing, and, as always, let's keep it an image-free thread. Thanks.
A Few Things to Read
Here are some things I wrote for Shareblue over the weekend, in case you missed them...
A moving message of gratitude to our President.
[Content Note: Eliminationism; Islamophobia; anti-Semitism] California mosques receive pro-Trump letters threatening genocide.
Trump is clowning on Twitter to distract you from a major story on his business.
Trump delegitimizes his own presidency with new "rigged" claims.
Cassandras
Absent from every "why Trump won" hot take: The aggressive mockery of women who were writing 1.5 yrs ago that he was an authoritarian bigot.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 28, 2016
From Day One, I was warning he was dangerous, not fun, not entertaining, and I was branded an overwrought hysteric.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 28, 2016
And now I get to read how no one saw Trump coming. Actually, plenty of people did. But you dismissed us. And dismiss us still.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 28, 2016
Being surprised by Trump is a luxury I never had. I've spent my entire life dealing with men like Trump and knowing exactly who they are, because they are very keen to show me.
The Virtual Pub Is Open
[Explanations: lol your fat. pathetic anger bread. hey your gay.]
Belly up to the bar,
and be in this space together.
As tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US, we will be taking the next few days off and will see you back here Monday!
If you are celebrating Thanksgiving, I hope it is a happy one or at least not a terrible one, and if you are traveling, I wish you safe travels.
I am, as ever, very thankful for you.
This Is Terrifying
[Content Note: White supremacy.]
You might have heard that Trump "condemned" white supremacy. Yeah, that was garbage.
He's basically staffing an entire administration with people who have ties to white supremacy.
And guess what? His latest nominee, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, has a vile history of defending the Confederate flag.
This is a nightmare from which we cannot awaken.
Recommended Reading
Nic Dawes at the Columbia Journalism Review: "Maneuvering a New Reality for US Journalism."
Gabriel Sherman at New York Magazine: "Experts Urge Clinton Campaign to Challenge Election Results in 3 Swing States."
[Content Note: Descriptions of bigotry; violent imagery] e.c.c. at eccpoetry: "Revenge."
Also: I've got a few thoughts on the selection of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. Spoiler Alert: THUMBS DOWN.
On Fascism, Trumpism, and the Whitesheets
[Content note: descriptions of white surpemacist violence and intimidation. Links may contain triggering material.]
Throughout the election season, on social media and in academic settings, I had the same argument with colleagues. Was it apropriate to compare Trump to Hitler? To Mussolini? Academics adhering to one or another of the many definitions of fascism, and those of us who saw alarming historical parallels were often shushed with the admonition that such comparisons were not to be made lightly, the correction that Trump didn’t quite match historical parallel X because of Y point, and the assertion that Trump wouldn’t win anyway.
Well. The time for academic debate about Trump is over.
James McDougall at the University of Oxford partly speaks for me in his piece about identifying Trumpism as fascism:
Discussion of fascism suffers from an excess of definition. That often, ironically, allows far-right groups and their apologists to disavow the label because of some tick-box characteristic which they can be said to lack. But just as we can usefully talk about socialism as a recognisable political tradition without assuming that all socialisms since the 1840s have been cut from one mould, so we can speak of a recognisably fascist style of politics in Europe, the US, Russia and elsewhere. It is united by its espousal of a set of core ideas.The theatrical machismo, the man or woman “of the people” image, and the deliberately provocative, demagogic sloganeering that impatiently sweeps aside rational, evidence-based argument and the rule-bound negotiation of different perspectives – the substance of democracy, in other words – is only the outward form that this style of politics takes.
More important are its characteristic memes. Fascism brings a masculinist, xenophobic nationalism that claims to “put the people first” while turning them against one another. That is complemented by anti-cosmopolitanism and anti-intellectualism. It denounces global capitalism, blaming ordinary people’s woes on an alien “plutocracy” in a language that is both implicitly anti-Semitic and explicitly anti-immigrant, while offering no real alternative economics. In the US, that was perfectly exemplified in Trump’s closing campaign ad.
I highly recommend the whole thing. (And, by the way, if you are wondering how to prepare for all this, I heartily recommend Milena Popova’s “ ‘Welcome to fascism’ reading list.”)
Encouragingly, major American media outlets are recognizing that Trump’s success takes place in a world of rising global white nationalism and new alliances amongst authoritarian regimes. And when the Holocaust Museum called out a recent “alt-right” conference for what it was—--Neo-Nazism--and reminded Americans that the Holocaust began with words before action, media outlets took notice. And Trump’s threatening meeting with major media outlets and attacks on Broadway theatre are being taken for what they are, too. They are a serious threat to basic rights of expression, rather than amusing buffoonery, as too many of Trump’s outrages were presented for most of the 2016 election.
Yet too many on the left still seem to be struggling to comprehend how fascism, this foreign export, could so quickly become mainstream in the United States. In the week after the election, the Southern Poverty Law center collected over 700 hate incidents, many more than the previous three months combined. Who are these people? Jen Broderman at the Daily Banter calls Trumpists who threatened Megyn Kelly’s life “brownshirts” at the Daily Banter, while Forbes writer Dan Simon recalls Oswald Moseley’s blackshirts while challenging Trumpism’s hate. Such comparisons, I think, are useful in driving home the reality of what we face.
Yet they also provide the comforting illusion that Trump’s movement is essentially foreign. The cutesy name-bullying tactic of calling him “Drumpf,” per his family’s original German surname, was of a piece with this. His followers are outside the American norm, his thought process essentially foreign to the United States. I agree in one important respect: Nazi salutes, swastikas, and the like are an insult to the generation of Americans who fought In the Second World War, particularly those like the Tuskeegee Airmen or the 442nd Infantry Regiment who tackled fascism despite being considered second class citizens in their own country. Such allegiance to Nazism is a rejection of the best of American values, the genuine progress in the United States since 1945, and the hard work of activists to bring us forward.
Yet, I am equally aware that violent white supremacy is not some foreign value imported to the United States. Instead of borrowing “Blackshirt” and “Brownshirt,” those European labels from the early 20th century, perhaps we should look closer to home. We’ve seen this play before, and it keeps producing more nauseating sequels. Once again, the Whitesheets are marching.
The KKK and similar groups have been more prominent in this election than in any in my memory, and with good reason. Trump appeals simultaneously to white supremacy, to anti-immigrant nativism, and to conservative Protestant Christianity. It's perfectly in line with over a century of homegrown hatred. Klan doctrines have expanded to give virulent antigay hate a more prominent place than in years past, and these groups have been violently anti-abortion since at least the 1990s. In this, the Klan is only mirroring the mainstream right wing, but also maintaining its old role as moral arbiter. The hate incidents at the SPLC have anti-LGBTQ violence as the third largest category. The Klan of the 1920s presented itself as the enforcer of moral doctrine, punishing adulterous wives and alcoholic husbands alongside waging its war on the lives, bodies, and civil rights of African-Americans and other minorities. Attacking "sinful" queers is of a piece with this.
And anti-blackness has also been a truly central part of the post-election violence, making up the second largest category of hate incidences. Trump’s insistence on the essentially depraved and depressed nature of black communities speaks to something very old within American white supremacist psyches, masking its viciousness in the language of paternalism. Like the Redeemer Democrats of the Reconstruction era, Trump insists on framing black progress as black failure, and for years has framed black political leadership (embodied by president Obama) as essentially invalid, via birther conspiracies. Those comparing this election’s results to Germany in 1933 aren’t necessarily wrong, but the U.S. election of 1876 is also very instructive.
The largest category of post-election violence listed at the SPLC? Anti-immigrant incidents. Today’s anti-immigrant incidences focus heavily on Hispanic and Muslim Americans, whether actually immigrants or not. In the 1920s, Catholic immigrants as well as Italians and Poles received a great deal of the Klan’s ire (without any lessening of its anti-black violence, of course.)
It’s tempting to focus on the contradictions amongst the various forms of white supremacy that Trumpism encompasses. The KKK and its attendant movements have long embraced states’ rights as a bulwark against federal power, when that federal power is used to promote civil rights or provide benefits for people of color as well as whites. Nazism, fascism, and attendant movements emphasize authoritarian national power, seemingly a contrast to the libertarian-streaked ideologies of traditional white supremacists. But there is less contradiction here than liberals may wish for. The KKK has a long history of seizing political power at the local, state, and regional level. With David Duke breathlessly praising Steve Bannon’s position in Trump’s White House, it’s pretty easy to see their comfort with assuming federal power, as long as that power is wielded in the service of white supremacy.
Trump has not yet fully harnessed the power of his Whitesheets, and plenty of them are not formally affiliated with a hate movement. They have been here for years, attacking Black Lives Matter movements, perpetuating Gamergate, setting themselves up with the ridiculous “alt.right” label, as if there is anything “alternative” about white supremacy, misogyny, queerphobia, nativism, Christian supremacy, and the like. We do not yet have the Trump Army, the Trump Scouts, or similar paramilitary organizations directly controlled by Trump, merging the forces of his NeoNazi, KKK, and other organized supporters. Nor has he openly admitted to having any control over them. The spontaneous post-election hate incidents, however, give an indication of how dangerous the Trumpists are, even without direction or central organization. And it emboldens every prosecutor who already treats nonwhite defendants as less than human, every forced-birth protester agitating at Planned Parenthood’s door, every law enforcement agent cheering on the water hoses at Standing Rock.
Yes, it is long past time that white liberals, particularly those with straight, cis, Christian privilege, admit that Trumpism functions much like fascism and Nazism. But it is also operates a lot like our familiar, home-grown white supremacy, empowered on a national scale to come out of the shadows and stop hiding behind coded language. Too many Americans have been living in a police state for years, because of the color of their skin, immigration status, religion, or other reasons. And that has been under Presidents Obama, Bush, Clinton—relatively moderate men, at least compared to the dictator wannabe we have just elected. In order to prepare for him, we must be able to look both abroad and at home.
Whether hidden under a sheet or openly “heil”-ing the President Elect, the face of Trumpism is not some faded sepia picture from decades past. It is not even the face of its insufferable leader, who will doubtless continue to weakly distance himself from those carrying out hate in his name, even as he winks at their crimes. It is a face we have known for a long time, and see every day. It is the face of our neighbors, our fellow Americans, contorted in hate and anger. Only by recognizing that, can we hope to survive.
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
Appalling
You may have heard about Trump's various meetings with reporters over the past couple of days. Over at Shareblue, my colleague Tommy Christopher, who covered the White House for over six years, gives some crucial insight into what went down.
However bad you imagine it was, it's even worse.
Utterly Ludicrous
I've got a new piece at Shareblue about how Donald Trump is staffing his cabinet like he's picking sides for dodgeball:
Donald Trump tweeted that he is now considering retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.As ever, there is more at the link.
This announcement comes exactly one week after Carson's business manager and close friend Armstrong Williams told The Hill that he was not interested in serving as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, because "Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, he's never run a federal agency."
The same article noted Carson's name was also being floated as a candidate for Secretary of Education. Williams said that no specific position had been offered to Carson, "but everything was open to him."
And evidently remains so, despite Carson's reported assertion that he is unqualified for these roles — roles which each require wildly disparate areas of expertise. The person who would be qualified to run the HHS, the Department of Education, and HUD would be a unique person indeed.
Carson is not the only person in Trump's circle who has been floated for multiple roles. Rudy Giuliani, for example, has been alternately said to be in the running for Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Director of National Intelligence.
Trump is signaling that relevant experience is totally irrelevant to him. The only qualification he values is fealty.
Honestly, this garbage is so galactically absurd it would be hilarious if I weren't keenly aware what devastating consequences it's going to have.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Kathy_A: "What was your most useful class that gave you lifelong abilities?"
That's a really good question! I'm not sure of the answer, to be honest, but the first thing that comes to mind is geometry. Learning how to do proofs was really influential in teaching me how to think through problems. And that has hung with me in a big way.
It Gets Even Scarier
I've got a new piece at Shareblue about how Donald Trump's comments about not pursuing further investigations of Hillary Clinton and/or the Clinton Foundation are very troubling:
Trump is asserting a power the United States president does not have, and, more importantly, should not have.There is, as always, more at the link.
Investigations by Congress, the Department of Justice, and federal law enforcement are not governed by the president's whim.
But in both his original threat, and now in his reversal, he indicates that he believes otherwise.
It is a dually cynical bid: To reinforce the narrative that Clinton has done something worth investigating (again), and to present himself as fair and just. Neither are accurate.
There is no magnanimity in backing off a threat that never should have been made in the first place.
And his evident belief that justice turns at the wave of the president's hand is chilling.
Recommended Reading
David A. Fahrenthold at the Washington Post: "Trump Foundation Admits to Violating Ban on 'Self-Dealing,' New Filing to IRS Shows."
Sydney Ember at the New York Times: "Trump, After Canceling, Attends New York Times Meeting."
Jodi Jacobson at Rewire: "Media Watch: Trump Is Trying to Control the Press, and We Must Not Let Him."
[Content Note: Rape culture] Tamerra Griffin at BuzzFeed: "Draft Washington Post Column Claimed Trump Said He Was 'Sexually Attracted' to His Teenage Daughter."
[CN: Police brutality; images of injury] Yessenia Funes at Colorlines: "21-Year-Old Water Protector Faces Arm Amputation After Dakota Access Pipeline Police Confrontation."
[CN: Transphobia] Michael Fitzgerald at Towleroad: "Transgender Americans Voice Safety Concerns Following GOP Election Victories."
And a few things from Shareblue...
Tommy Christopher: "Every indicator suggests Trump does not have a mandate, but Clinton does."
Alison R. Parker: "Democrats resolve to be 'the barrier' and bring the fight to Trump."
Matthew Chapman: "North Carolina Republicans refuse to admit they lost the governor's race."
Me: "Careless Trump crony exposes strategic planning papers to media."
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
An Observation
It's one I've made plenty of times before, but, given the rounds and rounds of "Democrats are doomed from playing identity politics!" garbage going around, I am going to make it again.
Hillary Clinton did not "play identity politics" by treating people other than straight, white, cis, Christian, able-bodied men as human beings.
The person playing identity politics in this election was Donald Trump.
And the only reason that it's not viewed precisely so is because we regard privilege identities as the norm from which all others deviate.
Stay Engaged
[Content Note: Anti-Semitism.]
Last night, Donald Trump continued his hostility toward the press and circumvented them entirely by releasing a video online detailing his First 100 Days agenda.
And he described that agenda as "a list of executive actions we can take on day one," which is "based on a simple core principle—putting America first."
"America First" is a phrase with anti-Semitic roots, which the Anti-Defamation League has repeatedly urged him to stop using. Instead of removing it from his lexicon, he's now using it to define a "core principle" of his agenda.
Meanwhile, CNN convened a panel last night to discuss the views of a white supremacist who isn't sure "if Jews are people."
Here is the segment. That chryon. These times. pic.twitter.com/5vXn5GM7ll
— Colin Jones (@colinjones) November 21, 2016
Y'all realize all the media calls for "understanding" Trump supporters was laying the groundwork for running segments like that one, right?
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 22, 2016
See, now it's their duty to hold panels in which is discussed the views of someone who doesn't believe Jews are human.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 22, 2016
As a result, Twitter's trending topics were a horrifying nightmare.
Cool trending topics. And by "cool," I mean horrifying. pic.twitter.com/yFqKhBKHRj
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 22, 2016
And that was before they ran yet another panel later in the evening on white supremacy featuring four white men.
I dig CNN's diverse panel discussing white supremacy. pic.twitter.com/gKNGaK9p6S
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 22, 2016
Some of these men may be Jewish, but it is nonetheless concerning that CNN feels it's fine to exclude people of color and/or women from a panel on white supremacy (which, as I will continue to observe, is deeply and inextricably tied to patriarchy).
We are in scary times. And we need to continue to pay attention to these details. They are important. Critically so.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Odalis Aiza: "What has been your most life-changing paradigm shift (as in when a popular myth is convincingly debunked)?"
Shaker Gourmet
Whatcha been cooking up in your kitchen lately, Shakers?
Share your favorite recipes, solicit good recipes, share recipes you've recently tried, want to try, are trying to perfect, whatever! Whether they're your own creation, or something you found elsewhere, share away.
Also welcome: Recipes you've seen recently that you'd love to try, but haven't yet!
* * *
Y'all.
[Recipe here. Video autoplays at link.]
WHO IS GOING TO MAKE THIS FOR ME RIGHT NOW OM NOM NOM NOM.
Sounds Terrific!
[Content Note: Video may autoplay at link.]
Everything is going great!
Executives and anchors from the country's five biggest television networks are meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower on Monday afternoon.Cool. I'm sure they won't be discussing anything we'd want or need to know about. Transparency is for losers who don't reflexively trust people with power to always do the right thing!
The meeting was organized by Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, who is now a senior adviser to Trump.
NBC's Chuck Todd and Lester Holt; CNN's Wolf Blitzer and Erin Burnett; CBS's Norah O'Donnell, Charlie Rose, John Dickerson, and Gayle King; and ABC's George Stephanopoulos were some of the anchors who were seen entering Trump Tower shortly before 1 p.m.
A source said ABC's David Muir and Martha Raddatz were expected to attend.
Sources said the meeting would involve Trump, Conway and representatives from ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and Fox News. (NBC's cable news channel MSNBC is included in the NBC invitation, Conway noted.)
The substance of the meeting is intended to be off the record, meaning the participants will not divulge what is said.
In other news that's totes not related: "Over the weekend, there were a flurry of stories about how Donald Trump and his family are already using the presidency to leverage his overseas businesses as well as his new DC hotel. Well, now there's more. This time in Argentina. ...According to a report out of Argentina, when Argentine President Mauricio Macri called President-Elect Trump to congratulate him on his election, Trump asked Macri to deal with the permitting issues that are currently holding up the project."
Don't worry. Trump and Marci say it never happened. Good to know! Therefore, there's definitely no reason to be concerned that "no one knew anything about the visit from Trump's Indian business partners until it appeared in the Indian press either. It seems like this is likely happening on many fronts. It's just being hidden from the American press. We only hear about it when it bubbles to the surface in the countries where Trump is pushing his business deals."
Obviously, there's nothing to even know! Secrecy is fine. They'll let us know if there's anything about which to worry.
*jumps into Christmas tree*
Recommended Reading
[Content Note: White supremacy] Joseph Goldstein for the New York Times: "Alt-Right Exults in Donald Trump's Election with a Salute: 'Heil Victory'."
David Cole in the New York Review of Books: "What James Comey Did."
[CN: Misogynoir; white supremacy] Morgan Parker for the New York Times: "How to Stay Sane While Black."
[CN: Bigotry; references to Holocaust] Arizona Bell for The Establishment: "Expatriatism in the Time of Trump: Why I Refuse to Stay in America."
Matt Shuham for Talking Points Memo: "Sanders Urges Supporters: Ditch Identity Politics and Embrace the Working Class."
There was also a ton of good stuff at Shareblue over the weekend:
Ginger McKnight-Chavers: "Trump reverses course and settles three lawsuits against his university."
Katie Paris: "#NotWithHim: Lack of support for Trump breaks new records."
Me: "Republican state legislator to propose sweeping abortion ban in Indiana."
Dianne E. Anderson: "State legislatures already clamping down on dissent and religious minorities."
Matthew Chapman: "Trump's picks for key positions hold dangerously intolerant views."
Me: "Heed the warning: Hamilton is the spectacle to conceal the scandal."
Tommy Christopher: "Lewandowski Q&A derails to audience jeers and laughter."
Dianna E. Anderson: "Romney reverses course from Trump critic to Trump crony."
Me: "Trump is really hoping you won't pay attention to this."
Matthew Chapman: "Trump is already poised to commit an impeachable offense on day one."
Me: "Priebus will not rule out Muslim registry; says aspects of Islam 'are problematic'" and "Pence refuses to rule out torture during Trump administration."
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
Believe This: Donald Trump Is Who He Says He Is
Along the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton often quoted Maya Angelou: "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."
Donald Trump has shown us who he is. He has told us who he is.
He is not a closet moderate. Nor is he a man without an ideology. Going back to the 1970s, he was engaging in racist housing discrimination. Throughout his entire public career, he has engaged in overt misogyny.
Now that he is on the precipice of assuming the presidency, with a Republican Congressional majority and a Supreme Court vacancy, a number of commentators and politicians continue to urge us to "give him a chance" and to predict he will not fulfill his most chilling policy proposals and live up to his worst potential.
This is foolish advice.
When have you ever heard of Trump being given a chance, any time in his whole life, that he didn't use to abuse or exploit people?
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 15, 2016
When you have you ever heard of an abusive and exploitative person being given exponentially more power and becoming kinder and more decent?
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 15, 2016
If there is any hope of reigning in Trump, it is not by acquiescence and hoping for the best. To the absolute contrary, it is in treating him as though he will govern precisely the way he has threatened, with precisely the same bigotry with which he campaigned.
Throughout his entire candidacy, we were admonished to wait for a pivot that never came. And now we are in the same place yet again. There is no pivot. There is only Trump.
Every fresh chance he is given comes at the expense of the lives and safety of the people who will be most grievously harmed by his proposed policies.
Our focused compassion should be given to them, not to our president-elect who has not done a single thing to earn it.
We must believe him when he shows and tells us who he is—and respond accordingly.
Blog Note
As some of you may have seen already on Twitter, Peter Daou has resigned from his leadership position at Shareblue, and I have been promoted to Editor-in-Chief.
I am very excited—and overwhelmed—by this challenge. It is an enormous responsibility, and I am going to endeavor mightily to do justice to all the work Peter did leading the team to lay the foundation on which we hope to build.
For most of the past year, I've been working two full-time jobs—here and at Shareblue, as their content strategist. This new position will require most of my time, and something has to give, lest I completely flame out. So my role at Shakesville will be reduced.
But I want to make abundantly clear that this community is not going anywhere.
I will still be a contributor here, and I am working with the rest of the team to strategize a way forward to free up some of my time while also maintaining this space, on which I know so many of you rely.
After the results of the election, please know that I am keenly aware that this community is more important for many of you than ever. It has always been, and remains, critically important to me.
I hope you will bear with us as we figure out this transition, and bear with me as I navigate my way through finding a workable balance.
The Virtual Pub Is Open
[Explanations: lol your fat. pathetic anger bread. hey your gay.]
Belly up to the bar,
and be in this space together.
The Friday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by biscuits.
Recommended Reading:
Sean: Elizabeth Warren Eviscerates Trump on the Senate Floor: 'I Am Ready to Fight'
Jenn: [Content Note: Racism; internment; Islamophobia] Trump Supporter Cites Japanese American Incarceration to Justify Planned Muslim Registry
Sameer: [CN: Anti-immigrationism] #SanctuaryCampus Protests Demand Safe Havens for Undocumented Students Across Country
Fannie: [CN: Bigotry] Election Fallout Part 3: On the White Working Class
Diana: [CN: War on agency] The Day After the Election, I Went Back to Work as an Abortion Provider, and I Won't Stop
TLC: [CN: Transphobia] Identity Documents and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election: What We Know, and What You Can Do
Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!
Welp
📈 Top lookups: fascism, bigot, resurgence, diatribe, socialism, misogyny, xenophobe, communication, culture, racism. Welcome to Friday.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) November 18, 2016
Recommended Reading
Sarah Kendzior for The Correspondent: "We're Heading into Dark Times. This Is How to Be Your Own Light in the Age of Trump."
[Content Note: White supremacy] Jamil Smith for MTV News: "Ain't That America."
[CN: White supremacy] Ijeoma Oluo for The Establishment: "We Have to Create a Culture That Won't Vote for Trump."
Rinku Sen for Colorlines: "Trump Reminds Us the Racial Justice Movement Is Growing."
[CN: Hate crimes] Auditi Guha for Rewire: "A Preview of Trump's America? Hate-Based Incidents Spike Nationwide."
Eric Levitz for New York Magazine: "Trump Planning 'Victory Tour' of the States That Voted for Him."
Kenneth Vogel for Politico: "David Brock gathering donors to 'kick Donald Trump's ass.'"
David Corn for Mother Jones: "The NSA Chief Says Russia Hacked the 2016 Election. Congress Must Investigate."
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
Yes, I'm Angry. Why Aren't You?
[Content Note: Emotional auditing.]
To the Ostensible Progressives Telling Us to Settle Down, to Get Over It, to Stop Being So Angry:
If you have even the merest capacity of imagination, it shouldn't be difficult for you to conjure your emotional reaction if you were a citizen, or resident, of a country that promised liberty and justice for all, and then that country elected (not by popular vote) a president who ruthlessly campaigned on myriad bigotries and relentlessly suggested that liberty and justice were really just for some, and those some didn't include you.
If you are indeed in possession of the capacity of imagination, you have no doubt concluded by this juncture that such a scenario, coupled with a lack of immediate recourse, might make you angry.
So the idea that a marginalized person exhibiting anger is somehow overreacting, or hysterical, or "crazy," or just plain wrong in some way, is actually quite indecent, not to mention rather daft.
Here's the other thing: If you are a person of privilege who fancies yourself capable and desirous of doing meaningful ally work, you will never, ever, criticize the tone of a person who does not share your privilege for being "too angry."
And you will never do this because, if you are indeed capable and desirous of doing meaningful ally work, not only will you have internalized an understanding of the perfect rationality of the anger expressed by marginalized people, but you will also share that anger.
How can any decent person look at a political and cultural landscape of increasingly violent hostility toward marginalized people and not be angry, right? Good, I'm glad we agree.
In which case, I presume you're actually glad for my anger, and that of other people targeted by this administration, because you know that the opposite of anger, for a progressive, is complacence—and there can be no progress if everyone is perfectly complacent with the way things are.
Progress is dependent on people who get angry, because anger—productive anger, motivating anger, directed anger, rational anger—is the root of much valuable progress.
We angry folks know that positive and needed progressive change comes by virtue of anger.
Progress ain't fueled by rainbows and gumdrops.
The fact is, if you're not angry, you're probably not helping. And if you're preoccupied with policing our anger, you're actively hurting us. And we've got plenty of that already, thanks.
Submitted Without Comment
LOL perfect. https://t.co/P5C0wZSv2H
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 18, 2016
Everything Is Fine. (Everything Is Not Fine.)
[Content Note: Islamophobia; anti-Semitism; racism; sexual assault.]
President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly offered the job of national security adviser, which does not require Senate confirmation, to former military intelligence chief Michael Flynn. You might remember him from the Republican National Convention, when he enthusiastically led a round of "Lock her up!" chanting, because he's super neat.
Flynn, 57, who served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, has advised Trump on national security issues for months. Flynn broke from other national security experts who denounced Trump, joining the then-candidate on the campaign trail and leading chants against Hillary Clinton, including those that called for her to be locked up.An anonymous former National Security Council official told Politico that Flynn's appointment is "scary," and said: "There's been hope that despite what candidate Trump said on the trail that he was going to as president surround himself with folks that were more tempered in their views. But Mike Flynn, I mean, is definitely not in that same category."
As national security adviser, he would work in the White House and have frequent access to the president.
...A controversial figure, Flynn has been criticized for regularly appearing on RT, the Russian state-owned television station, and once attended an RT gala, sitting two seats from Russian president, Vladimir Putin. He later said his speaker's bureau had arranged the trip and that he saw no distinction between RT and TV news organizations like CNN.
Flynn, who wrote in his 2016 book, The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies, that he was "not a devotee of so-called political correctness."
In February, the general posted on Twitter, "Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL." Then, in July, he retweeted an antisemitic post mocking the Clinton campaign's blaming of Russian hackers for leaked emails: "CNN implicated. 'The USSR is to blame!' Not anymore, Jews. Not anymore." Flynn later deleted his retweet and apologized, saying it was a mistake; the tweet about Muslims has not been deleted.
No shit.
* * *
In other news, Trump has also reportedly tapped Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General.
While serving as a United States prosecutor in Alabama, Mr. Sessions was nominated in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan for a federal judgeship. But his nomination was rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee because of racially charged comments and actions. At that time, he was one of two judicial nominees whose selections were halted by the panel in nearly 50 years.As Wesley Lowery noted on Twitter, President Obama's two Attorney Generals were the first Black man (Eric Holder) and the first Black woman (Loretta Lynch) to hold the job. Trump's pick thinks the NAACP is "un-American."
In testimony before the committee, former colleagues said that Mr. Sessions had referred to the N.A.A.C.P., the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other civil rights groups as "un-American" and "Communist-inspired." An African-American federal prosecutor then, Thomas H. Figures, said Mr. Sessions had referred to him as "boy" and testified that Mr. Sessions said the Ku Klux Klan was fine "until I found out they smoked pot." Mr. Sessions dismissed that remark as a joke.
Mr. Sessions was also accused of speaking disparagingly of the Voting Rights Act and the stringent oversight it placed on Southern states.
And in addition to being racist, Sessions also defended Trump's "grab them" comment by saying that doesn't even constitute sexual assault.
One of the things I have been thinking about a lot is how many of the advancements we've made in anti-rape advocacy are dependent on the federal government. Title IX and campus sexual assault, for example. These strategies have been imperfect, but important. And now we're going to lose them. Say goodbye, for example, to federal grants to process backlogs of untested rape kits.
* * *
And finally: Trump has reportedly selected Rep. Mike Pompeo for CIA director. He "gained prominence for his role in the congressional investigation into the 2012 attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya." Pompeo is a big advocate of surveillance, and has accused American Muslim religious leaders of encouraging terrorism.
He is keen to roll back the Iran nuclear deal, tweeting yesterday: "I look forward to rolling back this disastrous deal with the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism."
* * *
You know who knows Trump didn't win because of economic anxiety? Trump. He knows why he won. And that's why every pick so far is an openly racist white man. Being a rape apologist is an added bonus.
He is going to govern precisely as he campaigned. And anyone who ever thought otherwise was profoundly mistaken.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker Professor_Peacock: "What is something you do on a daily basis that you don't remember learning how to do?"
The first thing that comes to mind is reading. I started reading by age 3, so it predates most of my memories of anything, including learning how to read. I'm sure I went through the entire thing of learning the alphabet and how to sound out words and all of that, but I don't actually recall any of it.
What I do recall is being very bored in kindergarten when my classmates were being taught the very basics of reading, because I already knew them. Eventually my kindergarten teacher enlisted me (not because she needed my help, but because I was bored) to sit with kids who were having trouble and work with them on their letters.
Your Best Photograph
(My apologies for forgetting to do one of these threads for so long!)
If you're a photographer, even if a very amateur one (like myself), and you've got a photo or photos you'd like to share, here's your thread for that!
It doesn't really have to be your best photograph—just one you like!
Please be sure if your photo contains people other than yourself, that you have the explicit consent of the people in the photos before posting them.
* * *
Here's one I took two days ago of one of my favorite subjects—the sunset:
A Curiosity
[Content Note: Harassment; abuse; bigotry; references to self-harm.]
I wonder if any of the people relentlessly urging me, either directly or via public commentary, to empathize with Trump supporters have spent the last year and a half of their lives being called every misogynist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic slur known to humankind, being subjected to every conceivable iteration of negative and irrelevant commentary on their appearance, being called a "race traitor," being told they should be thrown out of the country, and being admonished, right up until today with no end in sight, to kill themselves or told they should be killed?
You know what I have never done? Inserted myself into Trump supporters' spaces, including public social media accounts, to tell them I think they're wrong.
I have used my own spaces and platforms to advocate for what I believe. That's it.
But I have been inundated by people who do not show me the same respect, and who invade my space in order to harass me, threaten me, and tell me to end my own life.
For almost two years.
Why is it my responsibility to empathize with them? I'm not the one who lacks empathy in the first place.
Recommended Reading
[Content Note: Misogynoir] Bridget Todd at Bullshitist: "What Did I Ever Do to Anybody Except Be Black and Exist?"
[CN: White supremacy; eliminationist violence] Toni Morrison at the New Yorker: "Making America White Again."
[CN: Islamophobia; harassment] Amanda Holpuch, Ed Pilkington, and Jared Goyette at the Guardian: "Muslims in Trump's America: Realities of Islamophobic Presidency Begin to Sink In."
Paul Waldman at the Washington Post: "Why Democrats Need to Fight Donald Trump from the Moment He Takes Office."
The Guttmacher Institute: "Uninsured Rate Among Women of Reproductive Age Has Fallen More Than One-Third Under the Affordable Care Act."
[CN: Bigotry] Caitlin Dewey at the Washington Post: "Facebook Fake-News Writer: 'I think Donald Trump is in the White House because of me.'"
LoveMeow: "Couple Takes a Chance on Sad Shelter Cat Who Couldn't Find Home."
Welp
The Director of U.S. National Intelligence James Clapper said on Thursday that he submitted his letter of resignation but would stay until the end of the Obama administration.Which felt pretty good.
"I submitted my letter of resignation last night which felt pretty good. I've got 64 days left," Clapper said during a U.S. congressional intelligence committee hearing.
What was it I was just saying about how Trump's administration will be staffed with people who have no idea what they're doing and/or no ethics? No one competent and ethical wants to work for them.
And that is very scary.
Daily Dose of Cute
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
It's Okay to Not Feel Like Everything Will Be Okay
[Content Note: Emotional policing.]
Everyone who voted for Hillary Clinton is having some damn feelings about this election.
Yesterday morning, Iain sent me the below picture with the accompanying message: "This picture reminded me of you this morning, lol! ;-)"
100% accurate. That is how I felt yesterday morning, and all the mornings before it back to last Wednesday. And every moment in between.
And it is because Iain, who is damn despondent himself, has taken such good care of me, just letting me feel however the fuck I'm going to feel after spending every waking moment of the last 18 months trying to prevent this outcome, that I was able to laugh at his sending me that picture. A big, hearty, much-needed laugh.
It would not have been funny, at all, if he failed to realize how much this meant to me. Or if he told me, even once, that everything was going to be okay.
Because I don't feel like it will be. (Neither does he.) And I don't want to hear anyone tell me that it will.
None of this is okay.
But not everyone respects my right to feel that way. And the right of everyone else who feels that way, for however long we're going to feel it. Which may be forever.
They want us to cheer up and stop being so dramatic (OH FUCK OFF) and get over it. Always with the "get over it."
At the moment, I don't find anything about which to be cheerful. I am scared, for myself and others, many of whom lack the privileges I have, and I am angry, and I feel lost.
I don't imagine that I will never experience another moment of incandescent joy in my life, nor important victories, nor other good things. But something has been upended that cannot be easily righted, and I'm not going to feel okay about the fact that every breath in my chest just got a little tighter.
And they were already pretty tight, even before this.
I know how to live in a space of survival. And I will persevere, for as long as the fates allow. That does not require me to concede that everything will be okay.
And, at least in this space, it's okay if you don't feel like everything will be okay, too.
Everything's Going Great
This is an actual headline in the world: "Donald Trump's First Planned Meeting with Foreign Leader Is a Complete Mess." And it's an accurate one.
One day before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japanese officials said they had not finalized when or where in New York it would take place, who would be invited, or in some cases whom to call for answers.Meanwhile, Trump's transition is shambolic, with "offices prepared for Trump transition officials in departments and agencies across the government remain[ing] empty," but the president-elect continues to insist that everything is going just fine.
Uncertainty over the talks shows the difficulties in turning Trump from a freewheeling businessman into a sitting president with a watertight schedule and a fully functioning administration by his inauguration on Jan. 20.
Japanese and U.S. officials said on Wednesday the State Department had not been involved in planning the meeting, leaving the logistical and protocol details that normally would be settled far in advance still to be determined.
"There has been a lot of confusion," said one Japanese official.
The most frightening thing about the transition chaos is that it will absolutely diminish the possibility that competent people will staff this administration. It will be people who have no idea what they're doing and/or no ethics.
Let us remember how many Trump supporters pushed back on criticisms of his inexperience in governance with some variation of "he'll surround himself with smart people."
Whoops.
Hillary Clinton, Y'all
Last night, Hillary Clinton made her first public appearance following her concession speech, speaking at the Children's Defense Fund, where she started her career and which has remained important to her for decades. She was introduced by her mentor and the founder of CDF, Marian Wright Edelman, who called her "the people's president."
I have not been able to locate a transcript, but, if and when I find one, I will post the link here. If you happen to spot one, please drop the link in comments.
I had a few thoughts as I watched her speech last night.
Hillary Clinton is speaking right now & I almost can't believe she still wants to work for this country after everything we've done to her.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 17, 2016
That's what a patriot looks like. That is a person who wanted to be president for the right reasons.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 17, 2016
Watching Hillary speak again, I'm overwhelmed by the thought of what we've lost.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 17, 2016
My heart will never fully recover.
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker KitSileya: "What is the common myth or commonly held belief that irritates you the most?"
That any human is inferior to another simply by virtue of their identity.
The Wednesday Blogaround
This blogaround brought to you by paw prints.
Recommended Reading:
Logan: Five Things to Do to Protect Yourself Under a Surveillance State
Keith: [Content Note: Racism; police brutality] Minnesota Cop Who Shot Philando Castile Charged with Manslaughter
Angry Asian Man: [CN: Racism; harassment] Shouty Train Passenger Gets His Anti-Immigrant Rage On
Fannie: Election 2016 Fallout Part 2: On Gaslighting
Monica: Sen. Chuck Schumer: We're in This Together, LGBT Community
[Note: Schumer has been elected Senate Minority Leader, replacing Harry Reid who is retiring at the end of this term. And let us all take a moment to appreciate the powerful message it sends that a Jewish man will be leading the Democratic opposition, and be grateful for Schumer's courage.]
Teddy: Republicans Now Control Every Legislative Chamber in the South
Sonya: [CN: Whitewashing; appropriation] Doctor Strange Takes Audiences on a Spiritually Insensitive Journey of Appropriation
Leave your links and recommendations in comments. Self-promotion welcome and encouraged!
This Is Bad
My Shareblue colleague Tommy Christopher has written a piece that will be of particular concern to single working parents in the US: "Trump's tax plan hits single working parents particularly hard."
With all the chaos surrounding the transition to a Trump administration, it is easy to lose sight of even major policy developments. Rutgers University Professor Brittney Cooper flagged a particularly significant issue that has received little attention: "So everyone is clear that Trump's tax plan doesn't allow single parents to file as head-of-household anymore right?"There is more at the link.
Eliminating the head-of-household filing status is a major change, with potentially severe consequences for some who currently use it.
...The article goes on to explain that a single parent would be no worse off if they made $15,150 or less, and would not see any benefit unless their income reached $560,000 a year. But: "Trump's tax rates would increase a single parent's tax bill at almost every AGI level between $15,150 and about $560,000."
I don't even have words. This could be utterly devastating for single parents surviving on low incomes.
And I will never, ever, stop being angry that the corporate media spent 600+ days on Hillary Clinton's emails, while this kind of garbage was largely allowed to fly under the radar.
This deserved 600 days of coverage.
Submitted Without Further Comment
.@sarahkendzior It turns out instead of smashing the glass ceiling, we smashed the lookingglass.
— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 16, 2016
Recommended Reading
I know this is a lot of recommended reading, but every single article is worth your time. Every word of every piece. It is more crucial than ever that we fully understand what is unfolding and who the key players are.
Liel Leibovitz at Tablet: "What to Do About Trump? The Same Thing My Grandfather Did in 1930s Vienna."
Joshua Foust: "This Is Not Normal."
Sarah Jaffe at Rolling Stone: "Why Anti-Trump Protests Matter."
T.R. Ramachandran: "2016 Election: White Working Class and Trump Support."
David A. Fahrenthold and Frances Stead Sellers at the Washington Post: "How Bannon Flattered and Coaxed Trump on Policies Key to the Alt-Right."
Julie Hirschfeld Davis, Mark Mazzetti, and Maggie Haberman at the New York Times: "Firings and Discord Put Trump Transition Team in a State of Disarray."
Fatima Hussein at the Indy Star: "What's Mike Pence Hiding in His Emails?"
Greg Bluestein, Aaron Gould Sheinin, Tamar Hallerman, and Jim Galloway at the Atlanta Journal Constitution: "A Bill to Restrict the Wearing of Muslim Burqa and Veil in Georgia."
Grant Stern at the Huffington Post: "Stephen Bannon Hit with Serious FBI Federal Election Law Complaint by Democratic Coalition."
Sarah Kendzior on Twitter: "A Message About What We Are Facing."
