alternet--2020-11-09--Drug reforms won a stunning victory in the 2020 election

In the days between Election Day and the announcement of Joe Biden as the projected winner of the presidential race , even as national election results remained muddy , one thing was crystal clear : the American public is ready for drug reforms .
Drug reform initiatives went nine for nine on Election Day .
From voters approving marijuana legalization initiatives in two of the reddest of the red states—South Dakota and Montana—to the first voter-approved psychedelic liberalization initiatives in Oregon and Washington , D.C. , and a groundbreaking drug decriminalization initiative also in Oregon , we can see the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our eyes .
Perhaps the most striking victory of all is Oregon 's Measure 110 , the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act , which will decriminalize the possession of personal use amounts of all drugs and use revenues from legal marijuana sales to help fund expanded drug treatment .
People caught with drugs can either pay a $ 100 fine or complete a health assessment .
The distribution of such drugs would remain criminalized .
The notion of not arresting people just for having or using `` hard '' drugs is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but increasingly common in the rest of the world .
At least 29 countries have embraced some form of drug decriminalization , and even the U.S. has seen marijuana possession decriminalized in a number of states as a stepping-stone toward legalization .
But this has not been the case when it comes to cocaine or heroin or meth or LSD .
November 3 , however , marked the turning point when more than 58 percent of Oregon voters said let 's try something new .
`` Today 's victory is a landmark declaration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminalizing people for drug use , '' Kassandra Frederique , executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance , said in a statement on election night .
`` Measure 110 is arguably the biggest blow to the war on drugs to date .
It shifts the focus where it belongs—on people and public health—and removes one of the most common justifications for law enforcement to harass , arrest , prosecute , incarcerate , and deport people .
As we saw with the domino effect of marijuana legalization , we expect this victory to inspire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decriminalization policies that prioritize health over punishment . ''
The Drug Policy Alliance and its political and lobbying arm , the Drug Policy Action Network , spearheaded the Measure 110 campaign , just as they backed Oregon 's successful 2014 marijuana legalization initiative .
Marijuana legalization initiatives were swept to victory everywhere they were on the ballot—not just in Arizona and New Jersey but also in deeply conservative states like Montana and South Dakota .
This means the number of states that have freed the weed jumped from 11 to 15 .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and from the Grand Canyon to Big Sky Country , Americans across the country have embraced the idea that marijuana legalization is the policy decision that best serves the interests of public health , public safety , and , most importantly , justice , '' Matthew Schweich , deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project and one of the leaders of the Montana and South Dakota campaigns , said in a November 4 press release .
In Arizona , the marijuana legalization initiative , Proposition 207 : The Smart and Safe Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night after receiving 60 percent of the vote .
It will legalize possession and consumption of marijuana for people 21 and over and allow for home grows of up to six plants .
The state will regulate a legal marijuana market with a 16 percent tax on marijuana sales .
`` Arizona voters have spoken , and they are ready for marijuana legalization , '' Steve Hawkins , executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project , said in a press release on election night .
`` According to the latest Gallup poll , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and this victory further reinforces that stance , '' Hawkins added .
`` We are poised for major marijuana reform federally .
Regardless of who controls the White House , the House , or the Senate , Americans are ready for legal marijuana . ''
In Montana , Constitutional Initiative 118 and Initiative 190 won with 58 percent and 57 percent votes , respectively .
I-190 is a statutory initiative that would legalize possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21 while regulating its cultivation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 percent tax on it .
CI-118 is a constitutional initiative that would allow I-190 to set the minimum age at 21 , the same as the age for alcohol consumption in the state .
In New Jersey , Public Question 1 is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that legalizes possession and use of marijuana for people 21 and over and allows for a system of regulated marijuana commerce with retail pot sales subject to the state sales tax of 6.625 percent .
It leaves questions such as possession limits and whether to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and state regulators .
It won with a resounding 67 percent of the vote .
In South Dakota , Constitutional Amendment A won 54 percent of the vote in a state where more than 60 percent voted for Donald Trump .
The measure will legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by people 21 and over and allow for the home cultivation of up to three plants in jurisdictions with no licensed retail marijuana outlets .
It also envisions a legal marijuana market with a sales tax of 15 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws providing for medical marijuana and hemp by next spring .
`` This historic set of victories will place even greater pressure on Congress to address the glaring and untenable conflicts between state and federal laws when it comes to cannabis legalization , '' said Hawkins .
`` With the passage of these initiatives , one-third of the population now lives in jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis for adult use , and 70 percent of all states have embraced cannabis for medical use . ''
Medical marijuana initiatives , meanwhile , have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and South Dakota .
Mississippi 's Initiative 65 overcame a watered-down legislative alternative to win with 74 percent of the vote , while South Dakota 's Measure 26 won with 70 percent .
That brings the number of states with access to medical marijuana to 35 ( plus D.C. ) .
And then there 's the psychedelic front .
On the East Coast , Washington , D.C. , voters approved Initiative 81 , the Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020 , with 76 percent of the vote .
The measure will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entheogens ) as their lowest law enforcement priority .
The measure also asks the city 's top prosecutor and its U.S. attorney not to prosecute such cases .
`` Initiative 81 's success was driven by grassroots support from D.C. voters .
We are thrilled that D.C. residents voted to support common sense drug policy reforms that help end part of the war on drugs while ensuring that D.C. residents benefiting from plant and fungi medicines are not police targets , '' Decriminalize Nature D.C. chairwoman Melissa Lavasani said in a press release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oregon voters did n't just decriminalize drugs , they also passed Measure 109 , the Psilocybin Services Act , with 56 percent of the vote .
It will create a program to allow the administration of psilocybin products , such as magic mushrooms , to adults 21 and over for therapeutic purposes in supervised settings .
People will be allowed to buy , possess , and consume psilocybin at a psilocybin services center , but only after undergoing a preparation session and under the supervision of a psilocybin service facilitator .
Altogether , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night for drug reform at the ballot box .
Marijuana legalization continues its inexorable advance across the land , and new fronts are now open for psychedelics and broader drug decriminalization .
A few more bricks fell from the wall of drug prohibition on Election Day .
Phillip Smith is a writing fellow and the editor and chief correspondent of Drug Reporter , a project of the Independent Media Institute .
He has been a drug policy journalist for the past two decades .
He is the longtime author of the Drug War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-profit StopTheDrugWar.org , and has been the editor of AlterNet 's Drug Reporter since 2015 .
He was awarded the Drug Policy Alliance 's Edwin M. Brecher Award for Excellence in Media in 2013 .
This article was produced by Drug Reporter , a project of the Independent Media Institute .
The Drug Policy Alliance is a funder of Drug Reporter .

In the days between Election Day and the announcement of Joe Biden as the projected winner of the presidential race, even as national election results remained muddy, one thing was crystal clear: the American public is ready for drug reforms. Drug reform initiatives went nine for nine on Election Day. From voters approving marijuana legalization initiatives in two of the reddest of the red states—South Dakota and Montana—to the first voter-approved psychedelic liberalization initiatives in Oregon and Washington, D.C., and a groundbreaking drug decriminalization initiative also in Oregon, we can see the erosion of drug prohibition happening right before our eyes.
Perhaps the most striking victory of all is Oregon's Measure 110, the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act, which will decriminalize the possession of personal use amounts of all drugs and use revenues from legal marijuana sales to help fund expanded drug treatment. People caught with drugs can either pay a $100 fine or complete a health assessment. The distribution of such drugs would remain criminalized.
The notion of not arresting people just for having or using "hard" drugs is a radical one in the United States, but increasingly common in the rest of the world. At least 29 countries have embraced some form of drug decriminalization, and even the U.S. has seen marijuana possession decriminalized in a number of states as a stepping-stone toward legalization. But this has not been the case when it comes to cocaine or heroin or meth or LSD. November 3, however, marked the turning point when more than 58 percent of Oregon voters said let's try something new.
"Today's victory is a landmark declaration that the time has come to stop criminalizing people for drug use," Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said in a statement on election night. "Measure 110 is arguably the biggest blow to the war on drugs to date. It shifts the focus where it belongs—on people and public health—and removes one of the most common justifications for law enforcement to harass, arrest, prosecute, incarcerate, and deport people. As we saw with the domino effect of marijuana legalization, we expect this victory to inspire other states to enact their own drug decriminalization policies that prioritize health over punishment."
The Drug Policy Alliance and its political and lobbying arm, the Drug Policy Action Network, spearheaded the Measure 110 campaign, just as they backed Oregon's successful 2014 marijuana legalization initiative.
Marijuana legalization initiatives were swept to victory everywhere they were on the ballot—not just in Arizona and New Jersey but also in deeply conservative states like Montana and South Dakota. This means the number of states that have freed the weed jumped from 11 to 15.
"From the Badlands to the Jersey Shore, and from the Grand Canyon to Big Sky Country, Americans across the country have embraced the idea that marijuana legalization is the policy decision that best serves the interests of public health, public safety, and, most importantly, justice," Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project and one of the leaders of the Montana and South Dakota campaigns, said in a November 4 press release.
In Arizona, the marijuana legalization initiative, Proposition 207: The Smart and Safe Arizona Act, cruised to victory on election night after receiving 60 percent of the vote. It will legalize possession and consumption of marijuana for people 21 and over and allow for home grows of up to six plants. The state will regulate a legal marijuana market with a 16 percent tax on marijuana sales.
"Arizona voters have spoken, and they are ready for marijuana legalization," Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a press release on election night. "According to the latest Gallup poll, 66 percent of Americans support marijuana legalization, and this victory further reinforces that stance," Hawkins added. "We are poised for major marijuana reform federally. Regardless of who controls the White House, the House, or the Senate, Americans are ready for legal marijuana."
In Montana, Constitutional Initiative 118 and Initiative 190 won with 58 percent and 57 percent votes, respectively. I-190 is a statutory initiative that would legalize possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21 while regulating its cultivation, transportation and sale and levying a 20 percent tax on it. CI-118 is a constitutional initiative that would allow I-190 to set the minimum age at 21, the same as the age for alcohol consumption in the state.
In New Jersey, Public Question 1 is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that legalizes possession and use of marijuana for people 21 and over and allows for a system of regulated marijuana commerce with retail pot sales subject to the state sales tax of 6.625 percent. It leaves questions such as possession limits and whether to allow home grows up to the legislature and state regulators. It won with a resounding 67 percent of the vote.
In South Dakota, Constitutional Amendment A won 54 percent of the vote in a state where more than 60 percent voted for Donald Trump. The measure will legalize the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana by people 21 and over and allow for the home cultivation of up to three plants in jurisdictions with no licensed retail marijuana outlets. It also envisions a legal marijuana market with a sales tax of 15 percent and requires the state legislature to pass laws providing for medical marijuana and hemp by next spring.
"This historic set of victories will place even greater pressure on Congress to address the glaring and untenable conflicts between state and federal laws when it comes to cannabis legalization," said Hawkins. "With the passage of these initiatives, one-third of the population now lives in jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis for adult use, and 70 percent of all states have embraced cannabis for medical use."
Medical marijuana initiatives, meanwhile, have been approved by two deep-red states, Mississippi and South Dakota. Mississippi's Initiative 65 overcame a watered-down legislative alternative to win with 74 percent of the vote, while South Dakota's Measure 26 won with 70 percent. That brings the number of states with access to medical marijuana to 35 (plus D.C.).
And then there's the psychedelic front. On the East Coast, Washington, D.C., voters approved Initiative 81, the Entheogenic Plant and Fungus Policy Act of 2020, with 76 percent of the vote. The measure will have police treat natural plant medicines (entheogens) as their lowest law enforcement priority. The measure also asks the city's top prosecutor and its U.S. attorney not to prosecute such cases.
"Initiative 81's success was driven by grassroots support from D.C. voters. We are thrilled that D.C. residents voted to support common sense drug policy reforms that help end part of the war on drugs while ensuring that D.C. residents benefiting from plant and fungi medicines are not police targets," Decriminalize Nature D.C. chairwoman Melissa Lavasani said in a press release.
And on the West Coast, Oregon voters didn't just decriminalize drugs, they also passed Measure 109, the Psilocybin Services Act, with 56 percent of the vote. It will create a program to allow the administration of psilocybin products, such as magic mushrooms, to adults 21 and over for therapeutic purposes in supervised settings. People will be allowed to buy, possess, and consume psilocybin at a psilocybin services center, but only after undergoing a preparation session and under the supervision of a psilocybin service facilitator.
Altogether, November 3 proved to be a stellar night for drug reform at the ballot box. Marijuana legalization continues its inexorable advance across the land, and new fronts are now open for psychedelics and broader drug decriminalization. A few more bricks fell from the wall of drug prohibition on Election Day.
Phillip Smith is a writing fellow and the editor and chief correspondent of Drug Reporter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. He has been a drug policy journalist for the past two decades. He is the longtime author of the Drug War Chronicle, the online publication of the non-profit StopTheDrugWar.org, and has been the editor of AlterNet's Drug Reporter since 2015. He was awarded the Drug Policy Alliance's Edwin M. Brecher Award for Excellence in Media in 2013.
This article was produced by Drug Reporter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. The Drug Policy Alliance is a funder of Drug Reporter.


alternet--2020-11-09--Here are 6 historic and progressive wins in 2020 that people are missing

While the unprecedented ( and seemingly never-ending ) presidential election took up much of the spotlight last week — as did the welcome news that Kamala Harris will be first woman and woman of color as Vice President — history was made in a lot of smaller state and local races , too .
From politicians of color reaching new heights in the legislature , to big shifts in local government leadership , here are some of the wins that should be on your radar .
A record number of Native American women were elected to Congress Three Native American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Representatives : Democrat Deb Halaand , a Laguna Pueblo member representing New Mexico , Democrat Sharice Davids , a Ho-Chunk Nation member representing Kansas , and Republican Yvette Herrell , who is Cherokee and will represent New Mexico .
Halaand and Davids , the Guardian reports , both retained their seats after becoming the first Native American women elected to Congress in 2018 .
Additionally , the Center for American Women and Politics reports that 18 indigenous women ran for congressional seats this year , which is also a record in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first Black congresswoman in Missouri Bush , a registered nurse and Black Lives Matter activist , will become the first Black congresswoman in the state 's first congressional district , which includes Ferguson , where , as the New Yorker reports , she led protests against the police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown .
All four members of the `` Squad '' were comfortably re-elected Shortly after the 2018 midterm election , Representatives Ilhan Omar , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley — all Democratic , first-term congresswomen of color— gained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Squad . ''
The four freshmen congresswomen have vocally supported progressive proposals like raising the minimum wage , advocating for the Green New Deal and calls to impeach Trump — who had previously attacked the women , who are all obviously American citizens , in a series of 2019 tweets , telling them they should `` go back '' to their countries of origin .
According to the Associated Press , Pressley defeated Roy Owens in Massachusetts , Omar defeated Lacy Johnson in Minnesota , Ocasio-Cortez defeated John Cummings in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sarah McBride , a former spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign , will become the nation 's first person who publicly identifies as transgender to serve as a state senator after winnng last week 's election in Deleware ; this makes her the highest-tanking trans official in U.S. history .
In Vermont , Taylor Small — the 26-year-old director of the health and wellness program at Pride Center of Vermont — was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives , where she will be the first openly transgender member of the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York City Council member , won his U.S. House race to represent the South Bronx , becoming the first Afro-Latino Congress member who identifies as gay , reports CNN .
Meanwhile in Kansas , former schoolteacher Stephanie Byers — who is a member of the Chickasaw Nation — beat out her Republican challenger , Cyndi Howerton , for the District 86 Kansas House of Representatives seat .
This makes her the state 's first openly transgender lawmaker .
Kim Jackson became Georgia 's first openly LGBTQ state senator ; Torrey Harris and Eddie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Tennessee and Shevrin Jones and Michele Rayner-Goolsby became the first in Florida .
According to Madison 365 , Francesca Hong , a restaurateur and activist , won Wisconsin 's 76th Assembly District , which will make her the first Asian American to serve in the state 's Legislature .
`` Hong , a second-generation Wisconsinite , mother , community organizer , and service industry worker , easily defeated Republican candidate and real estate intern Patrick Hull , 88 percent to 12 percent , '' David Dahmer wrote for the publication .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington , D.C. , a majority of the city 's Council will be women for the first time in more than 20 years , and a majority of members will be Black for the first time since 2013 .
The cities of Asheville , N.C. and El Monte , Calif. , both elected their first all-women city councils .

While the unprecedented (and seemingly never-ending) presidential election took up much of the spotlight last week — as did the welcome news that Kamala Harris will be first woman and woman of color as Vice President — history was made in a lot of smaller state and local races, too.
From politicians of color reaching new heights in the legislature, to big shifts in local government leadership, here are some of the wins that should be on your radar.
A record number of Native American women were elected to Congress
Three Native American women have been elected to the House of Representatives: Democrat Deb Halaand, a Laguna Pueblo member representing New Mexico, Democrat Sharice Davids, a Ho-Chunk Nation member representing Kansas, and Republican Yvette Herrell, who is Cherokee and will represent New Mexico.
Halaand and Davids, the Guardian reports, both retained their seats after becoming the first Native American women elected to Congress in 2018. Additionally, the Center for American Women and Politics reports that 18 indigenous women ran for congressional seats this year, which is also a record in a single year.
Cori Bush becomes the first Black congresswoman in Missouri
Bush, a registered nurse and Black Lives Matter activist, will become the first Black congresswoman in the state's first congressional district, which includes Ferguson, where, as the New Yorker reports, she led protests against the police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
All four members of the "Squad" were comfortably re-elected
Shortly after the 2018 midterm election, Representatives Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley — all Democratic, first-term congresswomen of color— gained nationwide attention and promptly dubbed themselves "The Squad."
The four freshmen congresswomen have vocally supported progressive proposals like raising the minimum wage, advocating for the Green New Deal and calls to impeach Trump — who had previously attacked the women, who are all obviously American citizens, in a series of 2019 tweets, telling them they should "go back" to their countries of origin.
According to the Associated Press, Pressley defeated Roy Owens in Massachusetts, Omar defeated Lacy Johnson in Minnesota, Ocasio-Cortez defeated John Cummings in New York, Tlaib defeated David Dudenhoefer in Michigan
LGBTQ+ politicians had several monumental victories
Sarah McBride, a former spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, will become the nation's first person who publicly identifies as transgender to serve as a state senator after winnng last week's election in Deleware; this makes her the highest-tanking trans official in U.S. history.
In Vermont, Taylor Small — the 26-year-old director of the health and wellness program at Pride Center of Vermont — was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, where she will be the first openly transgender member of the state's Legislature.
Ritchie Torres, a New York City Council member, won his U.S. House race to represent the South Bronx, becoming the first Afro-Latino Congress member who identifies as gay, reports CNN.
Meanwhile in Kansas, former schoolteacher Stephanie Byers — who is a member of the Chickasaw Nation — beat out her Republican challenger, Cyndi Howerton, for the District 86 Kansas House of Representatives seat. This makes her the state's first openly transgender lawmaker.
Kim Jackson became Georgia's first openly LGBTQ state senator; Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis became the first LGBTQ legislators elected in Tennessee and Shevrin Jones and Michele Rayner-Goolsby became the first in Florida.
According to Madison 365, Francesca Hong, a restaurateur and activist, won Wisconsin's 76th Assembly District, which will make her the first Asian American to serve in the state's Legislature.
"Hong, a second-generation Wisconsinite, mother, community organizer, and service industry worker, easily defeated Republican candidate and real estate intern Patrick Hull, 88 percent to 12 percent," David Dahmer wrote for the publication.
Local government leadership is changing, too
According to WUSA9, a local television station in Washington, D.C., a majority of the city's Council will be women for the first time in more than 20 years, and a majority of members will be Black for the first time since 2013.
The cities of Asheville, N.C. and El Monte, Calif., both elected their first all-women city councils.


alternet--2020-11-09--'Whoa! Whoa!': Fox News abruptly cuts off Kayleigh McEnany because of her 'explosive' remarks

Fox News host Neil Cavuto abruptly cut away from a press conference held by White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany , along with Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel , on Monday .
Cavuto warned that McEnany 's attacks on Democrats and accusations that they tried to rig the 2020 election were completely baseless .
She accused Democrats of opposing basic safeguards that verify voter eligibility , even though every jurisdiction in the United States verifies that voters are authorized to cast a ballot before it is accepted into the final tally .
She also said the Democrats are trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ count room , '' even though Democratic and Republican observers have been allowed in election offices across the country .
`` You do n't take these positions because you want an honest election , '' she said , gratuitously and maliciously trying to smear and discredit the party that has defeated her boss , President Donald Trump , in the race for the White House .
( An open question in the outrageous performance is why McEnany , a White House staffer , was engaged in this performance on behalf of the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions because you are welcoming fraud , and you are welcoming illegal voting . ''
The truth is , of course , that U.S. elections are highly robust against attempts to try to defraud the system , but Trump and his allies are refusing to accept the results in an attempt to delegitimize President-elect Joe Biden 's win .
`` Whoa !
Whoa !
Whoa ! ''
said Cavuto , cutting into the feed of her speech on Fox News .
`` I just think we need to be very clear .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcoming fraud and welcoming illegal voting .
Unless she has more details to back that up , I ca n't in good [ conscience ] continue showing you this .
I want to make sure that , maybe they do have something to back this up .
But that 's an explosive charge to make , that the other side is effectively rigging and cheating .
If she does bring proof of that , of course , we 'll take you back . ''

Fox News host Neil Cavuto abruptly cut away from a press conference held by White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, along with Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, on Monday. Cavuto warned that McEnany's attacks on Democrats and accusations that they tried to rig the 2020 election were completely baseless.
She accused Democrats of opposing basic safeguards that verify voter eligibility, even though every jurisdiction in the United States verifies that voters are authorized to cast a ballot before it is accepted into the final tally. She also said the Democrats are trying to keep observers "out of the count room," even though Democratic and Republican observers have been allowed in election offices across the country.
"You don't take these positions because you want an honest election," she said, gratuitously and maliciously trying to smear and discredit the party that has defeated her boss, President Donald Trump, in the race for the White House. (An open question in the outrageous performance is why McEnany, a White House staffer, was engaged in this performance on behalf of the Trump campaign.) "You take these positions because you are welcoming fraud, and you are welcoming illegal voting."
The truth is, of course, that U.S. elections are highly robust against attempts to try to defraud the system, but Trump and his allies are refusing to accept the results in an attempt to delegitimize President-elect Joe Biden's win.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" said Cavuto, cutting into the feed of her speech on Fox News. "I just think we need to be very clear. She's charging that the other side is welcoming fraud and welcoming illegal voting. Unless she has more details to back that up, I can't in good [conscience] continue showing you this. I want to make sure that, maybe they do have something to back this up. But that's an explosive charge to make, that the other side is effectively rigging and cheating. If she does bring proof of that, of course, we'll take you back."
Watch the clip below:


alternet--2020-11-09--The nightmare campaign is over — but we could have had so much more

As I lived through the nightmare of the election campaign just past , I often found myself dreaming of another American world entirely .
Anything but this one .
In that spirit , I also found myself looking at a photo of my fourth-grade class , vintage 1972 .
Tacked to the wall behind our heads was a collage , a tapestry of sorts that I could make out fairly clearly .
It evoked the promise and the chaos of a turbulent year so long ago .
The promise lay in a segment that read `` peace '' and included @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baseball player ( Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson , who had died that year ) , and a clenched fist inside the outline of the symbol for female ( standing in for the new feminism of that moment and the push for equal rights for women ) .
Representing the chaos of that era were images of B-52s dropping bombs in Vietnam ( a war that was still ongoing ) and a demonstration for racist Alabama governor and presidential candidate George Wallace ( probably because he had been shot and wounded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A rocket labeled `` USA '' reminded me that this country was then still launching triumphant Apollo missions to the moon .
How far we 've come in not quite half a century !
In 2020 , `` peace '' is n't even a word in the American political dictionary ; despite Greta Thunberg , a growing climate-change movement , and Joe Biden 's two-trillion-dollar climate plan , ecology was largely a foreign concept in the election just past as both political parties embraced fracking and fossil fuels ( even if Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ League Baseball has actually suffered a decline in African-American players in recent years ; and the quest for women 's equality remains distinctly unfulfilled .
Bombing continues , of course , though those bombs and missiles are now aimed mostly at various Islamist insurgencies rather than communist ones , and it 's often done by drones , not B-52s , although those venerable planes are still used to threaten Moscow and Beijing with nuclear carnage .
George Wallace has , of course , been replaced by Donald Trump , a racist who turned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my grade school years into a national presidential victory in 2016 and who , as president , regularly nodded in the direction of white supremacists .
Progress , anyone ?
Indeed , that class photo of mine even featured the flag of China , a reminder that Nixon had broken new ground that very year by traveling to Beijing to meet with Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong and de-escalate the Cold War tensions of the era .
Nowadays , Americans only hear that China is a military and economic threat ; that Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too China-friendly ( they are n't ) ; and that Covid-19 ( aka the `` Wuhan Flu '' or `` Kung Flu '' ) was -- at least to Donald Trump and his followers -- a plague sent by the Chinese to kill us .
Another symbol from that tapestry , a chess piece , reminded me that in 1972 we witnessed the famous Cold War meeting between the youthful , brilliant , if mercurial Bobby Fischer and Soviet chess champion Boris Spassky in a match that evoked all the hysteria and paranoia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fischer , I started playing the game myself and became a card-carrying member of the U.S .
Chess Federation until I realized my talent was limited indeed .
The year 1972 ended with Republican Richard Nixon 's landslide victory over Democratic Senator George McGovern , who carried only my home state of Massachusetts .
After Nixon 's landslide victory , I remember bumper stickers that said : `` Do n't blame me for Nixon , I 'm from Massachusetts . ''
Eighteen years later , in 1990 , I would briefly meet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history symposium on the Vietnam War at the U.S. Air Force Academy and , as a young Air Force captain , I chased down a book for him in the Academy 's library .
I do n't think I knew then of McGovern 's stellar combat record in World War II .
A skilled pilot , he had flown 35 combat missions in a B-24 bomber , winning the Distinguished Flying Cross for , at one point , successfully landing a plane heavily damaged by enemy fire and saving his crew .
Nixon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during that war , never saw combat .
But he did see lots of time at the poker table , winning a tidy sum of money , which he would funnel into his first political campaign .
Like so many combat veterans of the `` greatest generation , '' McGovern never bragged about his wartime exploits .
Over the years , however , that sensible , honorable , courageous American patriot became far too strongly associated with peace , love , and understanding .
A staunch defender of civil rights , a believer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Vietnam War , he would find himself smeared by Republicans as weak , almost cowardly , on military matters and an anti-capitalist ( the rough equivalent today of democratic-socialist Bernie Sanders ) .
Apparently , this country could n't then and still ca n't accept any major-party candidate who does n't believe in a colossal military establishment and a government that serves business and industry first and foremost or else our choice in 2020 would n't have been Trump-Pence versus Biden-Harris .
As I began writing this piece in late October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden would indeed win the most embattled election of our lifetime .
What I did know was that the country that once produced ( and then rejected ) thoughtful patriots like George McGovern was in serious decline .
Most Americans desperately want change , so the pollsters tell us , whether we call ourselves Republicans or Democrats , conservatives , liberals , or socialists .
Both election campaigns , however , essentially promised us little but their own versions of the status quo , however bizarre Donald Trump 's may have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even bother to present a plan for anything , including bringing the pandemic under control .
He just promised four more years of Keeping America Trumpish Again with yet another capital gains tax cut thrown in .
Biden ran on a revival of Barack Obama 's legacy with the `` hope and change '' idealism largely left out .
Faced with such a choice in an increasingly desperate country , with spiking Covid-19 cases in state after state and hospitals increasingly overwhelmed , too many of us sought relief in opioids or gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lack of exercise , and wanton carelessness with regard to the most obvious pandemic safety measures .
Since the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan , and especially since September 11 , 2001 , it 's amazing what Americans have come to accept as normal .
Forget about peace , love , and understanding .
What we now see on America 's streets are n't antiwar protesters or even beat cops , but Robocops armed to the teeth with military-style weaponry committing indefensible acts of violence .
Extremist `` militias '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by some ) as `` patriots . ''
Ludicrous QAnon conspiracy theories are taken all too seriously with political candidates on the Republican side of the aisle lining up to endorse them .
Even six-figure death tolls from a raging pandemic were normalized as President Trump barnstormed the country , applauding himself to maskless crowds at super-spreader rallies for keeping Covid-19 deaths under the mythical figure of 2.2 million .
Meanwhile , the rest of us found nothing to celebrate in what -- in Vietnam terms -- could be thought of as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here in the homeland .
And speaking of potential future body counts , consider again the Proud Boys whom our president in that first presidential debate asked to `` stand back and stand by . ''
Obviously not a militia , they might better be described as a gang .
Close your eyes and imagine that all the Proud Boys were black .
What would they be called then by those on the right ?
A menace , to say the least , and probably far worse .
A real militia would , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , or federal authority with a chain of command and a code of discipline , not just a bunch of alienated guys playing at military dress-up and spoiling for a fight .
Yet too many Americans see them through a militarized lens , applauding those `` boys '' as they wave blue-line pro-police flags and shout `` all lives matter . ''
Whatever flags they may wrap themselves in , they are , in truth , nothing more than nationalist bully boys .
Groups like the Proud Boys are only the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poseurs , parades , and pageantry in the U.S.A. of 2020 .
And collectively all of it , including our lost and embattled president , add up to a red-white-and-blue distraction ( and what a distraction it 's been ! )
from an essential reality : that America is in serious trouble -- and you can take that `` America '' to mean ordinary people working hard to make a living ( or not working at all right now ) , desperate to maintain roofs over their heads and feed their kids .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reality that America has n't decisively won a war since the time George McGovern flew all those combat missions in a B-24 .
It 's a distraction from some ordinary Americans like George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and Jacob Blake being not just manipulated and exploited , but murdered , hence the need for a Black Lives Matter movement to begin with .
It 's a distraction from the fact that we do n't even debate gargantuan national security budgets that now swell annually above a trillion dollars , while no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Today 's never-ending wars and rumors of more to come remind me that George McGovern was not only against the Vietnam conflict , but the ones in Afghanistan and Iraq , too .
Joe Biden , meanwhile , voted for the Iraq War , which Donald Trump also spoke in favor of , then , only to campaign on ending this country 's wars in 2016 , even if by 2020 he had n't done so -- though he had set up a new military service , the Space Force .
Feeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bona fides , Biden recently said he 'd raise `` defense '' spending over and above what even Trump wanted .
If you 'll indulge my fantasy self for a moment , I 'd like to channel Lloyd Bentsen , the 1988 Democratic vice presidential nominee who , in a debate with his Republican opposite Dan Quayle , dismissed him as `` no Jack Kennedy . ''
In that same spirit , I 'd like to say this to both Trump and Biden in the wake of the recent Covid-19 nightmare of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
George McGovern , in a different reality , could have been my friend .
You , Joe and Donald , are no George McGovern . ''
Prior military service is not essential to being president and commander-in-chief , but whose finger would you rather have on America 's nuclear button : that of Trump , who dodged the draft with heel spurs ; Biden , who dodged the draft with asthma ; or a leader like McGovern , who served heroically in combat , a leader who was willing to look for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blood-spattered ones of war ?
What about a class photo for fourth graders today ?
What collage of images would be behind their heads to represent the promise and chaos of our days ?
Surely , Covid-19 would be represented , perhaps by a mountain of body bags in portable morgues .
Surely , a `` Blue Lives Matter '' flag would be there canceling out a Black Lives Matter flag .
Surely , a drone launching Hellfire missiles , perhaps in Somalia or Yemen or some other distant front in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) terror , would make an appearance .
And here are some others : surely , the flag of China , this time representing the growing tensions , not rapprochement , between the two great powers ; surely , a Trump super-spreader rally filled with the unmasked expressing what I like to think of as the all-too-American `` ideal '' of `` live free and die '' ; surely , a vast firenado rising from California and the West , joined perhaps by a hurricane flag to represent another record-breaking year of such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; surely , some peaceful protesters being maced or tased or assaulted by heavily armed and unidentified federal agents just because they cared about the lives of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor , among others .
And I suppose we could add something about sports into that collage , maybe an image of football players in empty stadiums , kneeling as one for racial equality .
Look , sports used to unite us across race and class lines , but in his woebegone presidency , Donald Trump , among others , used sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relations and legacies have been reduced to slogans , Black Lives Matter versus blue lives matter , but what 's ended up being black and blue is America .
We 've beaten ourselves to a pulp and it 's the fight promoters , Donald Trump above all , who have profited most .
If we are to make any racial progress in America , that kind of self-inflicted bludgeoning has to end .
And what would be missing from the 2020 collage that was in my 1972 one ?
Notably , clear references @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights for women .
Assuming that , on January 20th , Joe Biden really does take his place in the Oval Office , despite the angriest and most vengeful man in the world sitting there now , those three issues would be an ideal place for him to start in his first 100 days as president ( along , of course , with creating a genuine plan to curb Covid-19 ) : ( 1 ) seek peace in Afghanistan and elsewhere by ending America 's disastrous wars ; ( 2 ) put the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change and preserve all living things ; ( 3 ) revive the Equal Rights Amendment and treat women with dignity , respect , and justice .
One final image from my fourth-grade collage : an elephant is shown on top of a somewhat flattened donkey .
It was meant , of course , to capture Richard Nixon 's resounding victory over George McGovern in 1972 .
Yet , even with Joe Biden 's victory last week , can we say with any confidence that the donkey is now on top ?
Certainly not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given that Biden has already been talking about austerity at home and even higher military spending .
Sadly , it 's long past time to reclaim American idealism and take a stand for a lot less war and a lot more help for the most vulnerable among us , including the very planet itself .
How sad that we do n't have a leader like George McGovern in the White House as a daunting new year looms .
William Astore , a retired lieutenant colonel ( USAF ) and professor of history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blog is Bracing Views .
Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook .
Check out the newest Dispatch Books , John Feffer 's new dystopian novel ( the second in the Splinterlands series ) Frostlands , Beverly Gologorsky 's novel Every Body Has a Story , and Tom Engelhardt 's A Nation Unmade by War , as well as Alfred McCoy 's In the Shadows of the American Century : The Rise and Decline of U.S .
Global Power and John Dower 's The Violent American Century : War and Terror @ @ @ @ @

As I lived through the nightmare of the election campaign just past, I often found myself dreaming of another American world entirely. Anything but this one.
In that spirit, I also found myself looking at a photo of my fourth-grade class, vintage 1972. Tacked to the wall behind our heads was a collage, a tapestry of sorts that I could make out fairly clearly. It evoked the promise and the chaos of a turbulent year so long ago. The promise lay in a segment that read "peace" and included a green ecology flag, a black baseball player (Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson, who had died that year), and a clenched fist inside the outline of the symbol for female (standing in for the new feminism of that moment and the push for equal rights for women).
Representing the chaos of that era were images of B-52s dropping bombs in Vietnam (a war that was still ongoing) and a demonstration for racist Alabama governor and presidential candidate George Wallace (probably because he had been shot and wounded in an assassination attempt that May). A rocket labeled "USA" reminded me that this country was then still launching triumphant Apollo missions to the moon.
How far we've come in not quite half a century! In 2020, "peace" isn't even a word in the American political dictionary; despite Greta Thunberg, a growing climate-change movement, and Joe Biden's two-trillion-dollar climate plan, ecology was largely a foreign concept in the election just past as both political parties embraced fracking and fossil fuels (even if Biden's embrace was less tight); Major League Baseball has actually suffered a decline in African-American players in recent years; and the quest for women's equality remains distinctly unfulfilled.
Bombing continues, of course, though those bombs and missiles are now aimed mostly at various Islamist insurgencies rather than communist ones, and it's often done by drones, not B-52s, although those venerable planes are still used to threaten Moscow and Beijing with nuclear carnage. George Wallace has, of course, been replaced by Donald Trump, a racist who turned President Richard Nixon's southern strategy of my grade school years into a national presidential victory in 2016 and who, as president, regularly nodded in the direction ofwhite supremacists.
Progress, anyone? Indeed, that class photo of mine even featured the flag of China, a reminder that Nixon had broken new ground that very year by traveling to Beijing to meet with Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong and de-escalate the Cold War tensions of the era. Nowadays, Americans only hear that China is a military and economic threat; that Joe Biden and some Democrats are allegedly far too China-friendly (they aren't); and that Covid-19 (aka the "Wuhan Flu" or "Kung Flu") was -- at least to Donald Trump and his followers -- a plague sent by the Chinese to kill us.
Another symbol from that tapestry, a chess piece, reminded me that in 1972 we witnessed the famous Cold War meeting between the youthful, brilliant, if mercurial Bobby Fischer and Soviet chess champion Boris Spassky in a match that evoked all the hysteria and paranoia of the Cold War. Inspired by Fischer, I started playing the game myself and became a card-carrying member of the U.S. Chess Federation until I realized my talent was limited indeed.
The year 1972 ended with Republican Richard Nixon's landslide victory over Democratic Senator George McGovern, who carried only my home state of Massachusetts. After Nixon's landslide victory, I remember bumper stickers that said: "Don't blame me for Nixon, I'm from Massachusetts."
Eighteen years later, in 1990, I would briefly meet the former senator. He was attending a history symposium on the Vietnam War at the U.S. Air Force Academy and, as a young Air Force captain, I chased down a book for him in the Academy's library. I don't think I knew then of McGovern's stellar combat record in World War II. A skilled pilot, he had flown 35 combat missions in a B-24 bomber, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross for, at one point, successfully landing a plane heavily damaged by enemy fire and saving his crew. Nixon, who had served in the Navy during that war, never saw combat. But he did see lots of time at the poker table, winning a tidy sum of money, which he would funnel into his first political campaign.
Like so many combat veterans of the "greatest generation," McGovern never bragged about his wartime exploits. Over the years, however, that sensible, honorable, courageous American patriot became far too strongly associated with peace, love, and understanding. A staunch defender of civil rights, a believer in progressive government, a committed opponent of the Vietnam War, he would find himself smeared by Republicans as weak, almost cowardly, on military matters and an anti-capitalist (the rough equivalent today of democratic-socialist Bernie Sanders).
Apparently, this country couldn't then and still can't accept any major-party candidate who doesn't believe in a colossal military establishment and a government that serves business and industry first and foremost or else our choice in 2020 wouldn't have been Trump-Pence versus Biden-Harris.
Channeling Lloyd Bentsen
As I began writing this piece in late October, I didn't yet know that Joe Biden would indeed win the most embattled election of our lifetime. What I did know was that the country that once produced (and then rejected) thoughtful patriots like George McGovern was in serious decline. Most Americans desperately want change, so the pollsters tell us, whether we call ourselves Republicans or Democrats, conservatives, liberals, or socialists. Both election campaigns, however, essentially promised us little but their own versions of the status quo, however bizarre Donald Trump's may have been.
In truth, Trump didn't even bother to present a plan for anything, including bringing the pandemic under control. He just promised four more years of Keeping America Trumpish Again with yet another capital gains tax cut thrown in. Biden ran on a revival of Barack Obama's legacy with the "hope and change" idealism largely left out. Faced with such a choice in an increasingly desperate country, with spiking Covid-19 cases in state after state and hospitals increasingly overwhelmed, too many of us sought relief in opioids or gun purchases, bad habits like fatty foods and lack of exercise, and wanton carelessness with regard to the most obvious pandemic safety measures.
Since the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and especially since September 11, 2001, it's amazing what Americans have come to accept as normal. Forget about peace, love, and understanding. What we now see on America's streets aren't antiwar protesters or even beat cops, but Robocops armed to the teeth with military-style weaponry committing indefensible acts of violence. Extremist "militias" like the Proud Boys are celebrated (by some) as "patriots." Ludicrous QAnon conspiracy theories are taken all too seriously with political candidates on the Republican side of the aisle lining up to endorse them.
Even six-figure death tolls from a raging pandemic were normalized as President Trump barnstormed the country, applauding himself to maskless crowds at super-spreader rallies for keeping Covid-19 deaths under the mythical figure of 2.2 million. Meanwhile, the rest of us found nothing to celebrate in what -- in Vietnam terms -- could be thought of as a new body count, this time right here in the homeland.
And speaking of potential future body counts, consider again the Proud Boys whom our president in that first presidential debate asked to "stand back and stand by." Obviously not a militia, they might better be described as a gang. Close your eyes and imagine that all the Proud Boys were black. What would they be called then by those on the right? A menace, to say the least, and probably far worse.
A real militia would, of course, be under local, state, or federal authority with a chain of command and a code of discipline, not just a bunch of alienated guys playing at military dress-up and spoiling for a fight. Yet too many Americans see them through a militarized lens, applauding those "boys" as they wave blue-line pro-police flags and shout "all lives matter." Whatever flags they may wrap themselves in, they are, in truth, nothing more than nationalist bully boys.
Groups like the Proud Boys are only the most extreme example of the "patriotic" poseurs, parades, and pageantry in the U.S.A. of 2020. And collectively all of it, including our lost and embattled president, add up to a red-white-and-blue distraction (and what a distraction it's been!) from an essential reality: that America is in serious trouble -- and you can take that "America" to mean ordinary people working hard to make a living (or not working at all right now), desperate to maintain roofs over their heads and feed their kids.
It's a distraction as well from the reality that America hasn't decisively won a war since the time George McGovern flew all those combat missions in a B-24. It's a distraction from some ordinary Americans like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake being not just manipulated and exploited, but murdered, hence the need for a Black Lives Matter movement to begin with. It's a distraction from the fact that we don't even debate gargantuan national security budgets that now swell annually above a trillion dollars, while no one in a position of power blinks.
Today's never-ending wars and rumors of more to come remind me that George McGovern was not only against the Vietnam conflict, but the ones in Afghanistan and Iraq, too. Joe Biden, meanwhile, voted for the Iraq War, which Donald Trump also spoke in favor of, then, only to campaign on ending this country's wars in 2016, even if by 2020 he hadn't done so -- though he had set up a new military service, the Space Force. Feeling the need to sharpen his own pro-war bona fides, Biden recently said he'd raise "defense" spending over and above what even Trump wanted.
If you'll indulge my fantasy self for a moment, I'd like to channel Lloyd Bentsen, the 1988 Democratic vice presidential nominee who, in a debate with his Republican opposite Dan Quayle, dismissed him as "no Jack Kennedy." In that same spirit, I'd like to say this to both Trump and Biden in the wake of the recent Covid-19 nightmare of a campaign: "I met George McGovern. George McGovern, in a different reality, could have been my friend. You, Joe and Donald, are no George McGovern."
Prior military service is not essential to being president and commander-in-chief, but whose finger would you rather have on America's nuclear button: that of Trump, who dodged the draft with heel spurs; Biden, who dodged the draft with asthma; or a leader like McGovern, who served heroically in combat, a leader who was willing to look for peaceful paths because he knew so intimately the blood-spattered ones of war?
A Historical Tapestry for Fourth Graders as 2020 Ends
What about a class photo for fourth graders today? What collage of images would be behind their heads to represent the promise and chaos of our days? Surely, Covid-19 would be represented, perhaps by a mountain of body bags in portable morgues. Surely, a "Blue Lives Matter" flag would be there canceling out a Black Lives Matter flag. Surely, a drone launching Hellfire missiles, perhaps in Somalia or Yemen or some other distant front in America's endless war of (not on) terror, would make an appearance.
And here are some others: surely, the flag of China, this time representing the growing tensions, not rapprochement, between the two great powers; surely, a Trump super-spreader rally filled with the unmasked expressing what I like to think of as the all-too-American "ideal" of "live free and die"; surely, a vast firenado rising from California and the West, joined perhaps by a hurricane flag to represent another record-breaking year of such storms, especially on the Gulf Coast; surely, some peaceful protesters being maced or tased or assaulted by heavily armed and unidentified federal agents just because they cared about the lives of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others.
And I suppose we could add something about sports into that collage, maybe an image of football players in empty stadiums, kneeling as one for racial equality. Look, sports used to unite us across race and class lines, but in his woebegone presidency, Donald Trump, among others, used sports only to divide us. Complex racial relations and legacies have been reduced to slogans, Black Lives Matter versus blue lives matter, but what's ended up being black and blue is America. We've beaten ourselves to a pulp and it's the fight promoters, Donald Trump above all, who have profited most. If we are to make any racial progress in America, that kind of self-inflicted bludgeoning has to end.
And what would be missing from the 2020 collage that was in my 1972 one? Notably, clear references to peace, ecology, and equal rights for women. Assuming that, on January 20th, Joe Biden really does take his place in the Oval Office, despite the angriest and most vengeful man in the world sitting there now, those three issues would be an ideal place for him to start in his first 100 days as president (along, of course, with creating a genuine plan to curb Covid-19): (1) seek peace in Afghanistan and elsewhere by ending America's disastrous wars; (2) put the planet first and act to abate climate change and preserve all living things; (3) revive the Equal Rights Amendment and treat women with dignity, respect, and justice.
One final image from my fourth-grade collage: an elephant is shown on top of a somewhat flattened donkey. It was meant, of course, to capture Richard Nixon's resounding victory over George McGovern in 1972. Yet, even with Joe Biden's victory last week, can we say with any confidence that the donkey is now on top? Certainly not the one of McGovern's day, given that Biden has already been talking about austerity at home and even higher military spending.
Sadly, it's long past time to reclaim American idealism and take a stand for a lot less war and a lot more help for the most vulnerable among us, including the very planet itself. How sad that we don't have a leader like George McGovern in the White House as a daunting new year looms.
William Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF) and professor of history, is a TomDispatch regular. His personal blog is Bracing Views.
Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Books, John Feffer's new dystopian novel (the second in the Splinterlands series) Frostlands, Beverly Gologorsky's novel Every Body Has a Story, and Tom Engelhardt's A Nation Unmade by War, as well as Alfred McCoy's In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of U.S. Global Power and John Dower's The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II.
Copyright 2020, William J. Astore


alternet--2020-11-09--Dear Republican lawmakers: Trump lost. Get over it

It 's over .
Even GOP allies are admitting it 's over .
But Republican lawmakers ?
Many are hanging on for dear life because—even with Donald Trump 's clear defeat—they are still too spineless to embrace the transition to a post-Trump era .
What 's even more crazy is that most GOP lawmakers in leadership positions have been `` privately whispering '' ill of Trump for four solid years .
And yet , on the cusp of finally getting rid of the guy , they 're still too useless to capitalize on the moment .
The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most GOP lawmakers have remained silent on Trump 's loss .
In fact , a squishy statement on Sunday from Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt was the closest almost any congressional Republican has come to acknowledging Trump 's defeat and nudging His Pissyness in the right direction .
`` It 's time for the president 's lawyers to present the facts , and it 's time for those facts to speak for themselves , '' Sen. Blunt , who chairs the Senate Rules Committee , said on ABC 's This Week .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big enough to make a difference , but this is a close election , and we need to acknowledge that . ''
Blunt added that he looked forward `` to the president dealing with this however he needs to deal with it . ''
Sens .
Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were among the only GOP lawmakers to actually acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden 's win by Sunday evening .
What was more typical was Republicans who stoked doubt in the results and endorsed Trump 's disinformation push to invalidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge should be heard , '' GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California told Fox News .
`` Then and only then will America decide who won the race . ''
Trump has continued to frame the referendum on his dismal leadership as `` a stolen election , '' even as he spent all day Saturday and Sunday at the links .
Several top aides have reportedly tried to impart to Trump that his chances of prevailing through his legal challenges are zero-to-none at this point .
But Trump has a thick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality , particularly when it involves him officially being declared a `` loser . ''
In the meantime , party elders such as former President George W. Bush have publicly congratulated Biden on his successful bid .
`` Though we have political differences , I know Joe Biden to be a good man , who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country , '' Bush said in a statement .
But even more ominous for Trump is the fact that a growing list of organizations who fought hard for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort .
On a call with reporters Monday , U.S. Chamber of Commerce representatives said the time for campaigning had come to an end .
Over the weekend , the chamber had joined other GOP boosters like the National Association of Manufacturers and the Business Roundtable in congratulating the incoming Biden administration .

It's over. Even GOP allies are admitting it's over. But Republican lawmakers? Many are hanging on for dear life because—even with Donald Trump's clear defeat—they are still too spineless to embrace the transition to a post-Trump era.
What's even more crazy is that most GOP lawmakers in leadership positions have been "privately whispering" ill of Trump for four solid years. And yet, on the cusp of finally getting rid of the guy, they're still too useless to capitalize on the moment. TheNew York Times reports that over the past 48 hours most GOP lawmakers have remained silent on Trump's loss. In fact, a squishy statement on Sunday from Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt was the closest almost any congressional Republican has come to acknowledging Trump's defeat and nudging His Pissyness in the right direction.
"It's time for the president's lawyers to present the facts, and it's time for those facts to speak for themselves," Sen. Blunt, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, said on ABC's This Week. "It seems unlikely that any changes could be big enough to make a difference, but this is a close election, and we need to acknowledge that."
Blunt added that he looked forward "to the president dealing with this however he needs to deal with it."
Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were among the only GOP lawmakers to actually acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden's win by Sunday evening. What was more typical was Republicans who stoked doubt in the results and endorsed Trump's disinformation push to invalidate Biden's victory.
"Every legal challenge should be heard," GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California told Fox News. "Then and only then will America decide who won the race."
Trump has continued to frame the referendum on his dismal leadership as "a stolen election," even as he spent all day Saturday and Sunday at the links. Several top aides have reportedly tried to impart to Trump that his chances of prevailing through his legal challenges are zero-to-none at this point. But Trump has a thick and impenetrable skin when it comes to reality, particularly when it involves him officially being declared a "loser."
In the meantime, party elders such as former President George W. Bush have publicly congratulated Biden on his successful bid.
"Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country," Bush said in a statement.
But even more ominous for Trump is the fact that a growing list of organizations who fought hard for his reelection are starting to reject his ill-fated effort.
On a call with reporters Monday, U.S. Chamber of Commerce representatives said the time for campaigning had come to an end. Over the weekend, the chamber had joined other GOP boosters like the National Association of Manufacturers and the Business Roundtable in congratulating the incoming Biden administration.


alternet--2020-11-09--CNN host mocks Trump’s refusal to concede: 'The ex who just won't accept that it is over’

The United States has a long tradition of presidential candidates congratulating their opponents when they knew they had lost — regardless of how disappointed they felt .
But President Donald Trump has yet to concede to President-Elect Joe Biden .
And CNN 's Brianna Keilar was highly critical of the president and his sycophants during a commentary on Monday , slamming them for refusing to accept the election results .
`` Alright , let 's talk about what 's happening now here in Washington , D.C. : a lame-duck president that wo n't concede in the election he just lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is n't the stuff of presidential elections , it is the stuff of a bad breakup .
The ex who just wo n't accept that it is over , who wo n't return your favorite t-shirt or maybe your dog . ''
Many of Trump 's allies are making the baseless claim that the election was stolen from him and railing against the `` fake news media . ''
But Keilar stresses that journalists are merely reporting the facts — and those facts show a decisive victory for Biden and Vice President-Elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ca n't be over , '' Keilar explains .
`` He 's in denial , asking the question : since when does the media call who the next president will be ?
Well , the answer : since always when it comes to modern elections because they 're following the data .
When Trump was winning in 2016 , he was totally cool with that . ''
Keilar added , `` Now , in 2020 , despite the clear outcome of the election , he is insisting there 's still a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with him that the ship has sailed , or maybe not . ''
The CNN host cited Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel as an example of a Trump supporter who has echoed the talking point that the media do n't decide elections .
`` The media is just reporting what the voters have said , and voters have been clear — they want to break up , '' Keilar told viewers .
McDaniel has said that the election was too close for the media to call it just yet .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are razor thin , too early to call .
But check it out — margins in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are about where they were in 2016 , and Michigan is a landslide for Biden compared to what it was for Trump four years ago when ( Hillary Clinton ) congratulated the president after the media called the race . ''
Keilar added , `` McDaniel 's relationship advice is very inconsistent .
Last year , she lectured Stacey Abrams about conceding the Georgia governor race . ''
Keilar wrapped up her commentary by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton did in 2016 : accept reality and concede .
`` Hillary Clinton conceded the race , '' Keilar noted .
`` Donald Trump has n't conceded .
It is the equivalent of American voters breaking up with him , but he let the call go to voice mail .
Does n't mean it did n't happen .
Does n't mean America has n't found someone else at least for four more years . ''

The United States has a long tradition of presidential candidates congratulating their opponents when they knew they had lost — regardless of how disappointed they felt. But President Donald Trump has yet to concede to President-Elect Joe Biden. And CNN's Brianna Keilar was highly critical of the president and his sycophants during a commentary on Monday, slamming them for refusing to accept the election results.
"Alright, let's talk about what's happening now here in Washington, D.C.: a lame-duck president that won't concede in the election he just lost," Keilar told viewers. "This isn't the stuff of presidential elections, it is the stuff of a bad breakup. The ex who just won't accept that it is over, who won't return your favorite t-shirt or maybe your dog."
Many of Trump's allies are making the baseless claim that the election was stolen from him and railing against the "fake news media." But Keilar stresses that journalists are merely reporting the facts — and those facts show a decisive victory for Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris.
"President Trump insists it can't be over," Keilar explains. "He's in denial, asking the question: since when does the media call who the next president will be? Well, the answer: since always when it comes to modern elections because they're following the data. When Trump was winning in 2016, he was totally cool with that."
Keilar added, "Now, in 2020, despite the clear outcome of the election, he is insisting there's still a chance. Maybe his friends will be honest with him that the ship has sailed, or maybe not."
The CNN host cited Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel as an example of a Trump supporter who has echoed the talking point that the media don't decide elections.
"The media is just reporting what the voters have said, and voters have been clear — they want to break up," Keilar told viewers.
McDaniel has said that the election was too close for the media to call it just yet. But Keilar noted, "McDaniel says margins are razor thin, too early to call. But check it out — margins in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are about where they were in 2016, and Michigan is a landslide for Biden compared to what it was for Trump four years ago when (Hillary Clinton) congratulated the president after the media called the race."
Keilar added, "McDaniel's relationship advice is very inconsistent. Last year, she lectured Stacey Abrams about conceding the Georgia governor race."
Keilar wrapped up her commentary by stressing that Trump needs to do what Hillary Clinton did in 2016: accept reality and concede.
"Hillary Clinton conceded the race," Keilar noted. "Donald Trump hasn't conceded. It is the equivalent of American voters breaking up with him, but he let the call go to voice mail. Doesn't mean it didn't happen. Doesn't mean America hasn't found someone else at least for four more years."
Watch the video below:


alternet--2020-11-09--Will the Biden team be warmongers or peacemakers?

Congratulations to Joe Biden on his election as America 's next president !
People all over this pandemic-infested , war-torn and poverty-stricken world were shocked by the brutality and racism of the Trump administration and are anxiously wondering whether Biden 's presidency will open the door to the kind of international cooperation that we need to confront the serious problems facing humanity in this century .
For progressives everywhere , the knowledge that `` another world is possible '' has sustained us through decades of greed , extreme inequality and war , as U.S.-led neoliberalism has repackaged and force-fed 19th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 21st century .
The Trump experience has revealed , in stark relief , where these policies can lead .
Joe Biden has certainly paid his dues to and reaped rewards from the same corrupt political and economic system as Trump , as the latter delightedly trumpeted in every stump speech .
But Biden must understand that the young voters who turned out in unprecedented numbers to put him in the White House have lived their whole lives under this neoliberal system , and did not vote for `` more of the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that deeply-rooted problems of American society like racism , militarism and corrupt corporate politics began with Trump .
During his election campaign , Biden has relied on foreign policy advisors from past administrations , particularly the Obama administration , and seems to be considering some of them for top cabinet posts .
For the most part , they are members of the `` Washington blob '' who represent a dangerous continuity with past policies rooted in militarism and other abuses of power .
These include interventions in Libya and Syria , support for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warfare , indefinite detention without trial at Guantanamo , prosecutions of whistleblowers and whitewashing torture .
Some of these people have also cashed in on their government contacts to make hefty salaries in consulting firms and other private sector ventures that feed off government contracts .
- As former Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy National Security Advisor to Obama , Tony Blinken played a leading role in all Obama 's aggressive policies .
Then he co-founded WestExec Advisors to profit from negotiating contracts between corporations and the Pentagon , including one for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drone targeting , which was only stopped by a rebellion among outraged Google employees .
- Since the Clinton administration , Michele Flournoy has been a principal architect of the U.S. 's illegal , imperialist doctrine of global war and military occupation .
As Obama 's Undersecretary of Defense for Policy , she helped to engineer his escalation of the war in Afghanistan and interventions in Libya and Syria .
Between jobs at the Pentagon , she has worked the infamous revolving door to consult for firms seeking Pentagon contracts , to co-found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a New American Security ( CNAS ) , and now to join Tony Blinken at WestExec Advisors .
- Nicholas Burns was U.S .
Ambassador to NATO during the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq .
Since 2008 , he has worked for former Defense Secretary William Cohen 's lobbying firm The Cohen Group , which is a major global lobbyist for the U.S. arms industry .
Burns is a hawk on Russia and China and has condemned NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden as a `` traitor . ''
- As a legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then as Deputy CIA Director and Deputy National Security Advisor , Avril Haines provided legal cover and worked closely with Obama and CIA Director John Brennan on Obama 's tenfold expansion of drone killings .
- Samantha Power served under Obama as UN Ambassador and Human Rights Director at the National Security Council .
She supported U.S. interventions in Libya and Syria , as well as the Saudi-led war on Yemen .
And despite her human rights portfolio , she never spoke out against Israeli attacks on Gaza that happened under her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drones that left hundreds of civilians dead .
- Former Hillary Clinton aide Jake Sullivan played a leading role in unleashing U.S. covert and proxy wars in Libya and Syria .
- As UN Ambassador in Obama 's first term , Susan Rice obtained UN cover for his disastrous intervention in Libya .
As National Security Advisor in Obama 's second term , Rice also defended Israel 's savage bombardment of Gaza in 2014 , bragged about the U.S. `` crippling sanctions '' on Iran and North Korea , and supported an aggressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign policy team led by such individuals will only perpetuate the endless wars , Pentagon overreach and CIA-misled chaos that we—and the world—have endured for the past two decades of the War on Terror .
Making diplomacy `` the premier tool of our global engagement . ''
Biden will take office amid some of the greatest challenges the human race has ever faced—from extreme inequality , debt and poverty caused by neoliberalism , to intractable wars and the existential danger of nuclear war , to the climate crisis , mass extinction and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be solved by the same people , and the same mindsets , that got us into these predicaments .
When it comes to foreign policy , there is a desperate need for personnel and policies rooted in an understanding that the greatest dangers we face are problems that affect the whole world , and that they can only be solved by genuine international collaboration , not by conflict or coercion .
During the campaign , Joe Biden 's website declared , `` As president , Biden will elevate diplomacy as the premier tool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebuild a modern , agile U.S. Department of State—investing in and re-empowering the finest diplomatic corps in the world and leveraging the full talent and richness of America 's diversity . ''
This implies that Biden 's foreign policy must be managed primarily by the State Department , not the Pentagon .
The Cold War and American post-Cold War triumphalism led to a reversal of these roles , with the Pentagon and CIA taking the lead and the State Department trailing behind them ( with only 5 % of their budget ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restore a veneer of order to countries destroyed by American bombs or destabilized by U.S. sanctions , coups and death squads .
In the Trump era , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reduced the State Department to little more than a sales team for the military-industrial complex to ink lucrative arms deals with India , Taiwan , Saudi Arabia , the UAE and countries around the world .
What we need is a foreign policy led by a State Department that resolves differences with our neighbors through diplomacy and negotiations , as international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Defense that defends the United States and deters international aggression against us , instead of threatening and committing aggression against our neighbors around the world .
As the saying goes , `` personnel is policy , '' so whomever Biden picks for top foreign policy posts will be key in shaping its direction .
While our personal preferences would be to put top foreign policy positions in the hands of people who have spent their lives actively pursuing peace and opposing U.S. military aggression , that 's just not in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there are appointments Biden could make to give his foreign policy the emphasis on diplomacy and negotiation that he says he wants .
These are American diplomats who have successfully negotiated important international agreements , warned U.S. leaders of the dangers of aggressive militarism and developed valuable expertise in critical areas like arms control .
William Burns was Deputy Secretary of State under Obama , the # 2 position at the State Department , and he is now the director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace .
As Under Secretary for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave Secretary of State Powell a prescient and detailed but unheeded warning that the invasion of Iraq could `` unravel '' and create a `` perfect storm '' for American interests .
Burns also served as U.S .
Ambassador to Jordan and then Russia .
Wendy Sherman was Obama 's Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs , the # 4 position at the State Department , and was briefly Acting Deputy Secretary of State after Burns retired .
Sherman was the lead negotiator for both the1994 Framework Agreement with North Korea and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran nuclear agreement in 2015 .
This is surely the kind of experience Biden needs in senior positions if he is serious about reinvigorating American diplomacy .
Tom Countryman is currently the Chair of the Arms Control Association .
In the Obama administration , Countryman served as Undersecretary of State for International Security Affairs , Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation , and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs .
He also served at U.S. embassies in Belgrade , Cairo , Rome and Athens , and as foreign policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marine Corps .
Countryman 's expertise could be critical in reducing or even removing the danger of nuclear war .
It would also please the progressive wing of the Democratic Party , since Tom supported Senator Bernie Sanders for president .
In addition to these professional diplomats , there are also Members of Congress who have expertise in foreign policy and could play important roles in a Biden foreign policy team .
One is Representative Ro Khanna , who has been a champion of ending U.S. support for the war in Yemen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reclaiming Congress 's constitutional authority over the use of military force .
Another is Representative Karen Bass , who is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and also of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa , Global Health , Human Rights , and International Organizations .
If the Republicans hold their majority in the Senate , it will be harder to get appointments confirmed than if the Democrats win the two Georgia seats that are headed for run-offs , or than if they had run more progressive campaigns in Iowa , Maine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of those seats .
But this will be a long two years if we let Joe Biden take cover behind Mitch McConnell on critical appointments , policies and legislation .
Biden 's initial cabinet appointments will be an early test of whether Biden will be the consummate insider or whether he is willing to fight for real solutions to our country 's most serious problems .
U.S. cabinet positions are positions of power that can drastically affect the lives of millions of Americans and billions of our neighbors overseas .
If Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the evidence of past decades , still believe in the illegal threat and use of military force as key foundations of American foreign policy , then the international cooperation the whole world so desperately needs will be undermined by four more years of war , hostility and international tensions , and our most serious problems will remain unresolved .
That 's why we must vigorously advocate for a team that would put an end to the normalization of war and make diplomatic engagement in the pursuit of international peace and cooperation our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President-elect Biden chooses to be part of his foreign policy team , he—and they—will be pushed by people beyond the White House fence who are calling for demilitarization , including cuts in military spending , and for reinvestment in our country 's peaceful economic development .
It will be our job to hold President Biden and his team accountable whenever they fail to turn the page on war and militarism , and to keep pushing them to build friendly relations with all our neighbors on this small planet that we share .
Medea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peace , and the author of several books , including Kingdom of the Unjust : Behind the US-Saudi Connection and Inside Iran : the Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran .
Nicolas J. S. Davies is an independent journalist , a researcher with CODEPINK , and the author of Blood On Our Hands : the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq .

Congratulations to Joe Biden on his election as America's next president! People all over this pandemic-infested, war-torn and poverty-stricken world were shocked by the brutality and racism of the Trump administration and are anxiously wondering whether Biden's presidency will open the door to the kind of international cooperation that we need to confront the serious problems facing humanity in this century.
For progressives everywhere, the knowledge that "another world is possible" has sustained us through decades of greed, extreme inequality and war, as U.S.-led neoliberalism has repackaged and force-fed 19th century laissez-faire capitalism to the people of the 21st century. The Trump experience has revealed, in stark relief, where these policies can lead.
Joe Biden has certainly paid his dues to and reaped rewards from the same corrupt political and economic system as Trump, as the latter delightedly trumpeted in every stump speech. But Biden must understand that the young voters who turned out in unprecedented numbers to put him in the White House have lived their whole lives under this neoliberal system, and did not vote for "more of the same." Nor do they naively think that deeply-rooted problems of American society like racism, militarism and corrupt corporate politics began with Trump.
During his election campaign, Biden has relied on foreign policy advisors from past administrations, particularly the Obama administration, and seems to be considering some of them for top cabinet posts. For the most part, they are members of the "Washington blob" who represent a dangerous continuity with past policies rooted in militarism and other abuses of power.
These include interventions in Libya and Syria, support for the Saudi war in Yemen, drone warfare, indefinite detention without trial at Guantanamo, prosecutions of whistleblowers and whitewashing torture. Some of these people have also cashed in on their government contacts to make hefty salaries in consulting firms and other private sector ventures that feed off government contracts.
- As former Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy National Security Advisor to Obama, Tony Blinken played a leading role in all Obama's aggressive policies. Then he co-founded WestExec Advisors to profit from negotiating contracts between corporations and the Pentagon, including one for Google to develop Artificial Intelligence technology for drone targeting, which was only stopped by a rebellion among outraged Google employees.
- Since the Clinton administration, Michele Flournoy has been a principal architect of the U.S.'s illegal, imperialist doctrine of global war and military occupation. As Obama's Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, she helped to engineer his escalation of the war in Afghanistan and interventions in Libya and Syria. Between jobs at the Pentagon, she has worked the infamous revolving door to consult for firms seeking Pentagon contracts, to co-found a military-industrial think tank called the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and now to join Tony Blinken at WestExec Advisors.
- Nicholas Burns was U.S. Ambassador to NATO during the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Since 2008, he has worked for former Defense Secretary William Cohen's lobbying firm The Cohen Group, which is a major global lobbyist for the U.S. arms industry. Burns is a hawk on Russia and China and has condemned NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden as a "traitor."
- As a legal adviser to Obama and the State Department and then as Deputy CIA Director and Deputy National Security Advisor, Avril Haines provided legal cover and worked closely with Obama and CIA Director John Brennan on Obama's tenfold expansion of drone killings.
- Samantha Power served under Obama as UN Ambassador and Human Rights Director at the National Security Council. She supported U.S. interventions in Libya and Syria, as well as the Saudi-led war on Yemen. And despite her human rights portfolio, she never spoke out against Israeli attacks on Gaza that happened under her tenure or Obama's dramatic use of drones that left hundreds of civilians dead.
- Former Hillary Clinton aide Jake Sullivan played a leading role in unleashing U.S. covert and proxy wars in Libya and Syria.
- As UN Ambassador in Obama's first term, Susan Rice obtained UN cover for his disastrous intervention in Libya. As National Security Advisor in Obama's second term, Rice also defended Israel's savage bombardment of Gaza in 2014, bragged about the U.S. "crippling sanctions" on Iran and North Korea, and supported an aggressive stance toward Russia and China.
A foreign policy team led by such individuals will only perpetuate the endless wars, Pentagon overreach and CIA-misled chaos that we—and the world—have endured for the past two decades of the War on Terror.
Making diplomacy "the premier tool of our global engagement."
Biden will take office amid some of the greatest challenges the human race has ever faced—from extreme inequality, debt and poverty caused by neoliberalism, to intractable wars and the existential danger of nuclear war, to the climate crisis, mass extinction and the Covid-19 pandemic.
These problems won't be solved by the same people, and the same mindsets, that got us into these predicaments. When it comes to foreign policy, there is a desperate need for personnel and policies rooted in an understanding that the greatest dangers we face are problems that affect the whole world, and that they can only be solved by genuine international collaboration, not by conflict or coercion.
During the campaign, Joe Biden's website declared, "As president, Biden will elevate diplomacy as the premier tool of our global engagement. He will rebuild a modern, agile U.S. Department of State—investing in and re-empowering the finest diplomatic corps in the world and leveraging the full talent and richness of America's diversity."
This implies that Biden's foreign policy must be managed primarily by the State Department, not the Pentagon. The Cold War and American post-Cold War triumphalism led to a reversal of these roles, with the Pentagon and CIA taking the lead and the State Department trailing behind them (with only 5% of their budget), trying to clean up the mess and restore a veneer of order to countries destroyed by American bombs or destabilized by U.S. sanctions, coups and death squads.
In the Trump era, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reduced the State Department to little more than a sales team for the military-industrial complex to ink lucrative arms deals with India, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and countries around the world.
What we need is a foreign policy led by a State Department that resolves differences with our neighbors through diplomacy and negotiations, as international law in fact requires, and a Department of Defense that defends the United States and deters international aggression against us, instead of threatening and committing aggression against our neighbors around the world.
As the saying goes, "personnel is policy," so whomever Biden picks for top foreign policy posts will be key in shaping its direction. While our personal preferences would be to put top foreign policy positions in the hands of people who have spent their lives actively pursuing peace and opposing U.S. military aggression, that's just not in the cards with this middle-of-the-road Biden administration.
But there are appointments Biden could make to give his foreign policy the emphasis on diplomacy and negotiation that he says he wants. These are American diplomats who have successfully negotiated important international agreements, warned U.S. leaders of the dangers of aggressive militarism and developed valuable expertise in critical areas like arms control.
William Burns was Deputy Secretary of State under Obama, the # 2 position at the State Department, and he is now the director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. As Under Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs in 2002, Burns gave Secretary of State Powell a prescient and detailed but unheeded warning that the invasion of Iraq could "unravel" and create a "perfect storm" for American interests. Burns also served as U.S. Ambassador to Jordan and then Russia.
Wendy Sherman was Obama's Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, the # 4 position at the State Department, and was briefly Acting Deputy Secretary of State after Burns retired. Sherman was the lead negotiator for both the1994 Framework Agreement with North Korea and the negotiations with Iran that led to the Iran nuclear agreement in 2015. This is surely the kind of experience Biden needs in senior positions if he is serious about reinvigorating American diplomacy.
Tom Countryman is currently the Chair of the Arms Control Association. In the Obama administration, Countryman served as Undersecretary of State for International Security Affairs, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs. He also served at U.S. embassies in Belgrade, Cairo, Rome and Athens, and as foreign policy advisor to the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. Countryman's expertise could be critical in reducing or even removing the danger of nuclear war. It would also please the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, since Tom supported Senator Bernie Sanders for president.
In addition to these professional diplomats, there are also Members of Congress who have expertise in foreign policy and could play important roles in a Biden foreign policy team. One is Representative Ro Khanna, who has been a champion of ending U.S. support for the war in Yemen, resolving the conflict with North Korea and reclaiming Congress's constitutional authority over the use of military force.
Another is Representative Karen Bass, who is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and also of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Human Rights, and International Organizations.
If the Republicans hold their majority in the Senate, it will be harder to get appointments confirmed than if the Democrats win the two Georgia seats that are headed for run-offs, or than if they had run more progressive campaigns in Iowa, Maine or North Carolina and won at least one of those seats. But this will be a long two years if we let Joe Biden take cover behind Mitch McConnell on critical appointments, policies and legislation. Biden's initial cabinet appointments will be an early test of whether Biden will be the consummate insider or whether he is willing to fight for real solutions to our country's most serious problems.
Conclusion
U.S. cabinet positions are positions of power that can drastically affect the lives of millions of Americans and billions of our neighbors overseas. If Biden is surrounded by people who, against all the evidence of past decades, still believe in the illegal threat and use of military force as key foundations of American foreign policy, then the international cooperation the whole world so desperately needs will be undermined by four more years of war, hostility and international tensions, and our most serious problems will remain unresolved.
That's why we must vigorously advocate for a team that would put an end to the normalization of war and make diplomatic engagement in the pursuit of international peace and cooperation our number one foreign policy priority.
Whomever President-elect Biden chooses to be part of his foreign policy team, he—and they—will be pushed by people beyond the White House fence who are calling for demilitarization, including cuts in military spending, and for reinvestment in our country's peaceful economic development.
It will be our job to hold President Biden and his team accountable whenever they fail to turn the page on war and militarism, and to keep pushing them to build friendly relations with all our neighbors on this small planet that we share.
Medea Benjamin is the cofounder of CODEPINK for Peace, and the author of several books, including Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the US-Saudi Connection and Inside Iran: the Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Nicolas J. S. Davies is an independent journalist, a researcher with CODEPINK, and the author of Blood On Our Hands: the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq.