I write regarding Wednesday’s scheduled meeting between the Speaker and the President to discuss the debt ceiling. My concerns rest not only with the radical, extremist Freedom Caucus but also with so-called establishment Republicans, who are equally intent on further confusing a largely ignorant population by falsely conflating raising the debt ceiling with spending money we don’t have.
Hence, I believe it imperative that we flood the White House with letters urging the President to clarify, as often as warranted in prime time, that raising the debt ceiling doesn’t give the government permission to borrow money; it gives government the permission to pay back the money we’ve already borrowed. Furthermore, in my view, the President is obligated to educate the public of the economic calamity that would ensue were the U.S. to default on its national debt.
Most likely, when Trump is indicted it will make him more popular with his base and he will be able to campaign on it. That will be when the big rallies happen.
This past weekend, Tom Nichols wrote a very important article in the Atlantic: "Lost Boys: The Violent Narcissism of the Angry Young Men" - about the "failures to launch" who become extremists, terrorists, Proud Boys, etc. One important point he makes is that they are drawn to opportunities to be lauded for their missing manhood as if it was there, to opportunities to "strike back" at those who look down on them.
What better place for these "lost boys" than the police? They're lauded as the "thin blue line" and "heroes," and they have ultimate authority over anyone they want to exercise that authority on.
Reference the article by Last about the lack of training, I spent almost 17 years as police with the last 10 as division head at a state police academy. I know something about the training.
Last says cosmetologists receive more training than police. That may be true. People who operate cosmology schools influence state requirements for cosmology license. Sheriffs and police chiefs, who budget salaries for cadets in training, influence the state requirements for police certification.
And the last point, how much training does it take for the officers to know stomping a citizen to death on the sidewalk is wrong.
Blaming the training regimen is excusing the behavior of the criminal.
Like all police misconduct in any city, the failures of hiring, retention, and supervision, by the department are to blame. Racial animus is to blame. Perceived superiority to others is to blame.
Such important news bullets today. Is there any way We the People can inform Garland in a voice that is loud, clear, and powerful that we expect actual, hard line justice regarding ·rump?
“There is nothing about ‘The Talk’ that could save my son if he runs into a cop who is having a bad day!” Stop insinuating that maybe the victims of police brutality didn’t heed their parents advice on ‘The Talk’!
Robert, thank you for referencing the Last article; I had missed it yesterday.
I thought of similarities to the teaching profession. The US is woefully behind other developed countries in the top notch recruiting, research-based pedagogy, and compensation of teachers; and schools are another institution not meeting the mark.
Good returns require smart investment. We must do better.
Jan 31, 2023·edited Jan 31, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I do feel a smile coming on, and a blessed sense of relief, if not joy, at the vision I sometimes conjure, of Trump and Barr, Meadows and Greene, Jordan and Giuliani, and so many others, handcuffed and perp-walked to a waiting patrol car... oops, sorry, forgot to protect your head there!! Now, don't tell me that's not how it will happen, you'll spoil my good feeling...
Off subject: I'm so sick of 'pay walls!' I do understand the 'intention,' but, in reality, one can't be expected to subscribe to EVERYTHING!! It's not even the money, it's about the growing amount of alternative writing, which i am grateful for!! But, my daily 'must-reads' are many, and i can't do any more!
Jan 31, 2023·edited Jan 31, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
It seems to me Democrats shouldn't even be engaging McCarthy and the Republicans on what to cut because that legitimizes the debt limit situation the GOP has created. The Dems control the Senate and WH. How about they go on the legislative offensive and take the attention away from the House. Why not instead propose legislation that repeals the deficit busting and unpopular Trump tax cuts? They need to stop reacting to the madness and instead lead.
Jan 31, 2023·edited Jan 31, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Double whammy! Double ire! Robert Reich newsletter today is a must read for all of us titled The Biggest Story You've Never Heard. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-biggest-story-youve-never-heard The rich are not only paying a lot less taxes than the rest of us, they are using their money to loan the government to meet the governments revenue needs and charging the government -- meaning you and me -- interest on the money they are lending the government!! Stinkers! So President Biden and Secretary Yellen should prioritize not paying the loans from the rich and see how that goes over! Makes me feel even more adamant about the vow I've taken to not vote for any Republican at any level of government - local, state and national. Please join me! We, the People, all of us this time not loaning money to the rich out of our taxes!
Jan 31, 2023·edited Jan 31, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Governing is hard because those who do so don't act in good faith. It's particularly evident in today's political reality TV environment. It's clear that the Republicans, with their razor thin majority in the House, have no intention of governing. They're more intent on furthering the chaos that the ex-Resident perfected and by removing more guardrails that are protecting our democracy. Since they won't govern, they choose recrimination over legislation. It's a sad state of affairs, but we must call them out at every turn. We cannot accept this as the new normal.
I was pleased to see your quote from yesterday's reader comments. When I read her comments yesterday, it struck me as well. Garland has said that DOJ will follow the law without fear or favor. The NY and GA Attorneys General tease us with indications that indictments are coming. "And yet...we wait, we wait." I don't care if Trump is charged with a traffic violation at this point. We need to see something, and soon. I get it that a lot of things he could be charged with are complicated and the evidence against him is intentionally circumstantial. But something must be a slam-dunk, and he needs to be slammed and dunked to show that while the wheels of justice turn slowly, they turn for all. When Garland put Jack Smith in charge of some of the Trump investigations, we hoped something would drop soon. "And yet...we wait, we wait."
Thanks for validating that the desire for justice on the part of law abiding Americans is a legitimate expectation in a Democracy. As you state, "It's not wrong for Americans to expect that accountability will be dispensed in a timeframe appropriate to protect the rule of law and vindicate the interests of justice." That's not an idea that reflects the ethos of the GOP, of course, and will surely raise a stink in the halls of congress as the Goddess of Justice is empowered to smite The Donald and his enablers. Unfortunately, the timeframe for action in the minds of many Americans has inappropriately exceeded reasonable expectations to "vindicate the interests of justice." The old adage, "An expectation is a resentment waiting to happen," comes to mind as a prophecy fulfilled in view of the DOJ's long record of inaction. Such malfeasance creates a situation described by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges who recently pointed out "We now live in a nation when doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy our economy."
The human species has witnessed the dark, dysfunctional reality described by Hedges before when Nero famously fiddled as Rome burned, and we're seeing it now as the government balks in the face of a climate crisis that threatens all life on the planet. As more time passes and the DOJ continues to hesitate in the matter of Trump, resentment mounts. 2023 had better be the year that our erstwhile president is outfitted in a jump suit to match his orange hair, as you hopefully predict, or the Memphis Police department won't be the only system that will fail. If the DOJ declines to "dispense justice to those who betrayed the Constitution," as you put it, the resentment of the people will have a far worse effect on the foundations of Democracy than "Trump's toxic mixture of division and hate."
I agree about the disappointment in AG Garland as the person commenting noted so well. Every night I go to bed feeling the same way. There are now so many issues he does not seem to be addressing: AG Barr, Durham, and all the others involved with Trump in efforts to overturn the election and the insurrection. The silence is deafening.
"... Trump’s toxic mixture of division and hate." And when will it be obvious to everyone that it is Putin's mixture of division and hate, planted in the old, fertile soil of the south?
Your quote of a comment is just to the point. The US has good investigations, some courageous media, a majority of well informed citizens; it just doesn't have justice.
As a Swedish visiting student at Montana SU in 1964. I was involved in a "sneak" with the fraternity, a stupid student game that ended with two policemen knocking at the door: I opened and suddenly had a police revolver pointing on my chest; I guess I was safe with my white skin. There was a requirement that I stay out of the US for two years after my one year visit. I never wanted to come back.
I write regarding Wednesday’s scheduled meeting between the Speaker and the President to discuss the debt ceiling. My concerns rest not only with the radical, extremist Freedom Caucus but also with so-called establishment Republicans, who are equally intent on further confusing a largely ignorant population by falsely conflating raising the debt ceiling with spending money we don’t have.
Hence, I believe it imperative that we flood the White House with letters urging the President to clarify, as often as warranted in prime time, that raising the debt ceiling doesn’t give the government permission to borrow money; it gives government the permission to pay back the money we’ve already borrowed. Furthermore, in my view, the President is obligated to educate the public of the economic calamity that would ensue were the U.S. to default on its national debt.
Most likely, when Trump is indicted it will make him more popular with his base and he will be able to campaign on it. That will be when the big rallies happen.
This past weekend, Tom Nichols wrote a very important article in the Atlantic: "Lost Boys: The Violent Narcissism of the Angry Young Men" - about the "failures to launch" who become extremists, terrorists, Proud Boys, etc. One important point he makes is that they are drawn to opportunities to be lauded for their missing manhood as if it was there, to opportunities to "strike back" at those who look down on them.
What better place for these "lost boys" than the police? They're lauded as the "thin blue line" and "heroes," and they have ultimate authority over anyone they want to exercise that authority on.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/lost-boys-violent-narcissism-angry-young-men/672886/?ref=peacefield
Reference the article by Last about the lack of training, I spent almost 17 years as police with the last 10 as division head at a state police academy. I know something about the training.
Last says cosmetologists receive more training than police. That may be true. People who operate cosmology schools influence state requirements for cosmology license. Sheriffs and police chiefs, who budget salaries for cadets in training, influence the state requirements for police certification.
And the last point, how much training does it take for the officers to know stomping a citizen to death on the sidewalk is wrong.
Blaming the training regimen is excusing the behavior of the criminal.
Like all police misconduct in any city, the failures of hiring, retention, and supervision, by the department are to blame. Racial animus is to blame. Perceived superiority to others is to blame.
Such important news bullets today. Is there any way We the People can inform Garland in a voice that is loud, clear, and powerful that we expect actual, hard line justice regarding ·rump?
Eddie Glaude, Chair Dept. African American Studies Princeton University, on 01/30/2023 MSNBC Alex Wagner, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PrPpxVNieY4
“There is nothing about ‘The Talk’ that could save my son if he runs into a cop who is having a bad day!” Stop insinuating that maybe the victims of police brutality didn’t heed their parents advice on ‘The Talk’!
Robert, thank you for referencing the Last article; I had missed it yesterday.
I thought of similarities to the teaching profession. The US is woefully behind other developed countries in the top notch recruiting, research-based pedagogy, and compensation of teachers; and schools are another institution not meeting the mark.
Good returns require smart investment. We must do better.
I do feel a smile coming on, and a blessed sense of relief, if not joy, at the vision I sometimes conjure, of Trump and Barr, Meadows and Greene, Jordan and Giuliani, and so many others, handcuffed and perp-walked to a waiting patrol car... oops, sorry, forgot to protect your head there!! Now, don't tell me that's not how it will happen, you'll spoil my good feeling...
Off subject: I'm so sick of 'pay walls!' I do understand the 'intention,' but, in reality, one can't be expected to subscribe to EVERYTHING!! It's not even the money, it's about the growing amount of alternative writing, which i am grateful for!! But, my daily 'must-reads' are many, and i can't do any more!
It seems to me Democrats shouldn't even be engaging McCarthy and the Republicans on what to cut because that legitimizes the debt limit situation the GOP has created. The Dems control the Senate and WH. How about they go on the legislative offensive and take the attention away from the House. Why not instead propose legislation that repeals the deficit busting and unpopular Trump tax cuts? They need to stop reacting to the madness and instead lead.
Double whammy! Double ire! Robert Reich newsletter today is a must read for all of us titled The Biggest Story You've Never Heard. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/the-biggest-story-youve-never-heard The rich are not only paying a lot less taxes than the rest of us, they are using their money to loan the government to meet the governments revenue needs and charging the government -- meaning you and me -- interest on the money they are lending the government!! Stinkers! So President Biden and Secretary Yellen should prioritize not paying the loans from the rich and see how that goes over! Makes me feel even more adamant about the vow I've taken to not vote for any Republican at any level of government - local, state and national. Please join me! We, the People, all of us this time not loaning money to the rich out of our taxes!
Governing is hard because those who do so don't act in good faith. It's particularly evident in today's political reality TV environment. It's clear that the Republicans, with their razor thin majority in the House, have no intention of governing. They're more intent on furthering the chaos that the ex-Resident perfected and by removing more guardrails that are protecting our democracy. Since they won't govern, they choose recrimination over legislation. It's a sad state of affairs, but we must call them out at every turn. We cannot accept this as the new normal.
I was pleased to see your quote from yesterday's reader comments. When I read her comments yesterday, it struck me as well. Garland has said that DOJ will follow the law without fear or favor. The NY and GA Attorneys General tease us with indications that indictments are coming. "And yet...we wait, we wait." I don't care if Trump is charged with a traffic violation at this point. We need to see something, and soon. I get it that a lot of things he could be charged with are complicated and the evidence against him is intentionally circumstantial. But something must be a slam-dunk, and he needs to be slammed and dunked to show that while the wheels of justice turn slowly, they turn for all. When Garland put Jack Smith in charge of some of the Trump investigations, we hoped something would drop soon. "And yet...we wait, we wait."
Thanks for validating that the desire for justice on the part of law abiding Americans is a legitimate expectation in a Democracy. As you state, "It's not wrong for Americans to expect that accountability will be dispensed in a timeframe appropriate to protect the rule of law and vindicate the interests of justice." That's not an idea that reflects the ethos of the GOP, of course, and will surely raise a stink in the halls of congress as the Goddess of Justice is empowered to smite The Donald and his enablers. Unfortunately, the timeframe for action in the minds of many Americans has inappropriately exceeded reasonable expectations to "vindicate the interests of justice." The old adage, "An expectation is a resentment waiting to happen," comes to mind as a prophecy fulfilled in view of the DOJ's long record of inaction. Such malfeasance creates a situation described by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges who recently pointed out "We now live in a nation when doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy our economy."
The human species has witnessed the dark, dysfunctional reality described by Hedges before when Nero famously fiddled as Rome burned, and we're seeing it now as the government balks in the face of a climate crisis that threatens all life on the planet. As more time passes and the DOJ continues to hesitate in the matter of Trump, resentment mounts. 2023 had better be the year that our erstwhile president is outfitted in a jump suit to match his orange hair, as you hopefully predict, or the Memphis Police department won't be the only system that will fail. If the DOJ declines to "dispense justice to those who betrayed the Constitution," as you put it, the resentment of the people will have a far worse effect on the foundations of Democracy than "Trump's toxic mixture of division and hate."
I agree about the disappointment in AG Garland as the person commenting noted so well. Every night I go to bed feeling the same way. There are now so many issues he does not seem to be addressing: AG Barr, Durham, and all the others involved with Trump in efforts to overturn the election and the insurrection. The silence is deafening.
Rachel Maddow discussed the TFG/Russia kerfuffle last night on her show including Barr's role. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR6nGwn4GSc
"... Trump’s toxic mixture of division and hate." And when will it be obvious to everyone that it is Putin's mixture of division and hate, planted in the old, fertile soil of the south?
Your quote of a comment is just to the point. The US has good investigations, some courageous media, a majority of well informed citizens; it just doesn't have justice.
As a Swedish visiting student at Montana SU in 1964. I was involved in a "sneak" with the fraternity, a stupid student game that ended with two policemen knocking at the door: I opened and suddenly had a police revolver pointing on my chest; I guess I was safe with my white skin. There was a requirement that I stay out of the US for two years after my one year visit. I never wanted to come back.
Your tone in your concluding paragraphs is perfect. Replace the spirit of revenge with that of repair and reinforcement.