alternet--2020-12-06--Pink Floyd's Roger Waters: Standing up for free expression means standing up for Julian Assange

As the world remains fixated on the COVID pandemic and a divisive presidential election in the United States , it 's crucial that we all remain mindful about the fact that freedom of expression is under attack .
What happened to the fourth estate ?
Where is the honest reporting that we all so desperately need , and upon which the very survival of democracy depends ?
I 'll tell you where it is : It 's languishing in Her Majesty 's Prison Belmarsh .
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has spent the last year and a half in that London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to extradite him to face unprecedented charges under the 1917 Espionage Act , which could lead to a sentence of up to 175 years .
Given that the federal court in Washington , D.C. , has a 100 % record of guilty verdicts in espionage cases , Assange would likely spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement .
In effect , it would be a lingering sentence of death .
And what grave crime might fit such a punishment ?
The crime of publishing the truth .
Ten years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reveal U.S. misconduct and share it with the world .
In short , he did what any respectable journalist should do : He shone a light on secrets that the U.S. government would rather keep hidden but which the public had an absolute right — and an absolute need — to know .
Because of Manning , Assange and WikiLeaks , we learned of unreported civilian casualties , war crimes , human rights violations , the killing of journalists and the U.S. military 's efforts to cover up its misdeeds through misinformation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping to change the global conversation on the post-9/11 wars .
But while human rights organizations and journalism societies have heralded Manning and Assange for the work they did in the public interest , the U.S. government has sought to make examples of them .
To hang them like dead magpies in the hedge as a dire warning to others .
If the U.S. extradites Assange , it will set the dangerous precedent that journalists can be prosecuted merely for working with inside sources , or for publishing information the government deems harmful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this would be the death knell of investigative journalism .
It would become nearly impossible for a free press to fulfill its obligation to inform the citizenry , challenge government secrecy , expose concealed wrongdoing or share any information that might embarrass those in power .
Citizens throughout the world should consider the important role that knowledge plays in democratic life .
Knowledge makes us who we are , enables us to understand our fellow citizens and encourages us to grow .
Without access to information , our power to express our will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And our access to information depends on the right to free expression .
The U.S. military and its partners have been at war for nearly two decades .
These wars have cost millions of lives and displaced at least 37 million people .
We know that our governments , through bias , incompetence or manipulation , have played fast and loose with the truth about these wars .
An independent press is the only safeguard we have against government deception .
We should always celebrate brave whistleblowers and journalists committed to sharing with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible citizens .
The information that Manning leaked and Assange published was true , released in the public interest , and never harmed anyone — unless damaging the reputations of public officials constitutes harm .
Right now , with the connivance of Facebook , Google and Twitter , the U.S. government is attempting to dramatically reshape how we share information .
It appears that the U.K. government is willing to help its closest ally and turn over Assange .
So what to do now ?
I am sometimes accused of preaching to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — we are a very large choir , and in the name of truth and love and freedom we must raise our voices in unison , in a mighty choral roar to demand of the U.S. and U.K. governments that they end their war on journalism .
That they dismiss the charges against Julian Assange and cancel the extradition proceedings in the kangaroo court in London .
Certainly the future of democracy , and possibly the very future of life on earth , depends upon it .

As the world remains fixated on the COVID pandemic and a divisive presidential election in the United States, it's crucial that we all remain mindful about the fact that freedom of expression is under attack.
What happened to the fourth estate? Where is the honest reporting that we all so desperately need, and upon which the very survival of democracy depends?
I'll tell you where it is: It's languishing in Her Majesty's Prison Belmarsh.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has spent the last year and a half in that London prison under terrible conditions. The U.S. wants to extradite him to face unprecedented charges under the 1917 Espionage Act, which could lead to a sentence of up to 175 years. Given that the federal court in Washington, D.C., has a 100% record of guilty verdicts in espionage cases, Assange would likely spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement. In effect, it would be a lingering sentence of death. And what grave crime might fit such a punishment? The crime of publishing the truth.
Ten years ago, Assange worked with whistleblower Chelsea Manning to reveal U.S. misconduct and share it with the world. In short, he did what any respectable journalist should do: He shone a light on secrets that the U.S. government would rather keep hidden but which the public had an absolute right — and an absolute need — to know.
Because of Manning, Assange and WikiLeaks, we learned of unreported civilian casualties, war crimes, human rights violations, the killing of journalists and the U.S. military's efforts to cover up its misdeeds through misinformation. These revelations won numerous awards for helping to change the global conversation on the post-9/11 wars.
But while human rights organizations and journalism societies have heralded Manning and Assange for the work they did in the public interest, the U.S. government has sought to make examples of them. To hang them like dead magpies in the hedge as a dire warning to others.
If the U.S. extradites Assange, it will set the dangerous precedent that journalists can be prosecuted merely for working with inside sources, or for publishing information the government deems harmful. As many experts have testified, this would be the death knell of investigative journalism. It would become nearly impossible for a free press to fulfill its obligation to inform the citizenry, challenge government secrecy, expose concealed wrongdoing or share any information that might embarrass those in power.
Citizens throughout the world should consider the important role that knowledge plays in democratic life. Knowledge makes us who we are, enables us to understand our fellow citizens and encourages us to grow. Without access to information, our power to express our will at the ballot box is weakened. And our access to information depends on the right to free expression.
The U.S. military and its partners have been at war for nearly two decades. These wars have cost millions of lives and displaced at least 37 million people. We know that our governments, through bias, incompetence or manipulation, have played fast and loose with the truth about these wars. An independent press is the only safeguard we have against government deception. We should always celebrate brave whistleblowers and journalists committed to sharing with us the information we need to be responsible citizens. The information that Manning leaked and Assange published was true, released in the public interest, and never harmed anyone — unless damaging the reputations of public officials constitutes harm.
Right now, with the connivance of Facebook, Google and Twitter, the U.S. government is attempting to dramatically reshape how we share information. It appears that the U.K. government is willing to help its closest ally and turn over Assange.
So what to do now? I am sometimes accused of preaching to the choir. So be it. Choir — we are a very large choir, and in the name of truth and love and freedom we must raise our voices in unison, in a mighty choral roar to demand of the U.S. and U.K. governments that they end their war on journalism. That they dismiss the charges against Julian Assange and cancel the extradition proceedings in the kangaroo court in London. Certainly the future of democracy, and possibly the very future of life on earth, depends upon it.


alternet--2020-12-06--Trump slammed for waging 'narcissistic crusade' over election loss while remaining silent on surging

Trump slammed for waging 'narcissistic crusade' over election loss while remaining silent on surging pandemic

While President Donald Trump has long been blasted for his well-documented tendency to lie to the public , he is facing fresh criticism this week for continuing to baselessly attack the November election results while also staying largely silent on the coronavirus pandemic , even as Covid-19 cases , hospitalizations , and deaths are surging across the country .
By Friday afternoon , the United States had recorded more than 14.2 million Covid-19 cases and over 277,400 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University 's global tracker .
On Thursday alone , 2,879 people died nationwide—breaking the daily record of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier .
The previous record was from mid-April .
As the rising infections , hospitalizations , and death toll garnered alarmed headlines and elicited warnings from public health experts , Trump—who was decisively defeated last month by President-elect Joe Biden—has kept much of his focus on sowing doubt about the security and validity of the election .
On Wednesday , the president posted a 46-minute video rant to Facebook , claiming without any evidence that the U.S. electoral system is `` under coordinated assault and siege , '' and `` this election was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing to Biden has continued even as some of his notorious enablers and allies such as U.S. Attorney General William Barr have publicly refuted the president 's election fraud claims .
`` The rambling and bellicose monologue , '' the Washington Post 's Philip Rucker wrote of the Wednesday speech , `` underscored his desperation to reverse the outcome of his election loss after a month of failed legal challenges and as some key states already have certified Biden 's victory . ''
Condemning the president 's Facebook address as `` unhinged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones that `` put simply , he is not doing his job .
In the middle of a national emergency , he is not protecting the people .
He is watching television , writhing in anger , and obsessing over fact-free allegations about an election theft that did not happen . ''
Referencing the Covid-19 death record set on Wednesday , Corn pointed out that `` this is just 173 shy of the death toll of 9/11—that cataclysmic event that reordered elements of American society .
The United States is looking at that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet there is little uproar . ''
The absence of widespread outrage over the president ignoring a pandemic that 's now killed over a quarter-million Americans `` is another casualty of the Trump years , '' Corn added .
`` Nevertheless , at this particular point , it might not even do much good .
Trump is immutable .
He will not in the next six weeks turn away from his narcissistic crusade to overturn or discredit the election to focus on saving American lives .
No amount of popular clamor will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Trump has hinted that he might seek restoration in 2024 .
If he does , those Americans who wish to avoid a repeat of this deadly nightmare will surely need to highlight how outrageous that would be . ''
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked about Trump 's silence on surging cases during a Wednesday press briefing .
`` He gave a press conference about two weeks ago , I believe , on the vaccine , which he has done at warp speed because he 's torn down bureaucratic barriers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's been hard at work .
He 's done I do n't know how many coronavirus task force briefings from this podium .
But the work he 's done speaks for itself . ''
Bloomberg reported Thursday on Trump 's silence on the pandemic amid record deaths : The Hill pointed out on Friday that White House Coronavirus Task Force had sent a report , dated Sunday , to states warning that `` a further post-Thanksgiving surge will compromise Covid patient care , as well as medical care overall . ''
The report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain inadequate '' and called for further safety restrictions .
`` Even though some of those warnings were aimed at the public , the White House did not release the report and instead sent it privately to states .
The document came to light only after it was leaked to the press , '' The Hill noted .
`` Trump has not echoed those kinds of health warnings in his public remarks ; when he has discussed state restrictions , it is often to urge them to be less restrictive , not more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of downplaying the dangers of the disease—which he fought earlier this year—Bob Wachter , chair of the department of medicine at the University of California , San Francisco , told The Hill that `` I 'd rather he be quiet than step on the message of the CDC , which appears to be waking back up and providing useful guidance . ''
The incoming president , as Corn detailed , is taking a notably different approach to the ongoing public health crisis .
`` Joe Biden and his camp , perhaps wisely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tantrum in a corner , for the most part ignoring it , and proceeding with the grown-up tasks necessary for governance , '' Corn wrote .
`` The Biden transition team , for example , arranged to meet with Dr. Anthony Fauci to discuss the pandemic .
The president-elect and his White House team-to-be are preparing so they can confront this crisis as soon as they get the keys on January 20 . ''
Fauci directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and has issued public warnings about the necessity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks throughout the pandemic .
Biden revealed Thursday that he had asked Fauci to stay in his current position but also to serve as chief medical adviser in his incoming administration .
Asked Friday on NBC 's `` Today '' whether he accepted the offer , Fauci said , `` Absolutely , I said yes right on the spot . ''

While President Donald Trump has long been blasted for his well-documented tendency to lie to the public, he is facing fresh criticism this week for continuing to baselessly attack the November election results while also staying largely silent on the coronavirus pandemic, even as Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are surging across the country.
By Friday afternoon, the United States had recorded more than 14.2 million Covid-19 cases and over 277,400 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University's global tracker. On Thursday alone, 2,879 people died nationwide—breaking the daily record of 2,804 that was set just one day earlier. The previous record was from mid-April.
As the rising infections, hospitalizations, and death toll garnered alarmed headlines and elicited warnings from public health experts, Trump—who was decisively defeated last month by President-elect Joe Biden—has kept much of his focus on sowing doubt about the security and validity of the election. On Wednesday, the president posted a 46-minute video rant to Facebook, claiming without any evidence that the U.S. electoral system is "under coordinated assault and siege," and "this election was rigged."
Trump's tantrum over losing to Biden has continued even as some of his notorious enablers and allies such as U.S. Attorney General William Barr have publicly refuted the president's election fraud claims. "The rambling and bellicose monologue," the Washington Post's Philip Rucker wrote of the Wednesday speech, "underscored his desperation to reverse the outcome of his election loss after a month of failed legal challenges and as some key states already have certified Biden's victory."
Condemning the president's Facebook address as "unhinged," David Corn charged Friday in Mother Jones that "put simply, he is not doing his job. In the middle of a national emergency, he is not protecting the people. He is watching television, writhing in anger, and obsessing over fact-free allegations about an election theft that did not happen."
Referencing the Covid-19 death record set on Wednesday, Corn pointed out that "this is just 173 shy of the death toll of 9/11—that cataclysmic event that reordered elements of American society. The United States is looking at that level of loss on a daily basis. Yet there is little uproar."
The absence of widespread outrage over the president ignoring a pandemic that's now killed over a quarter-million Americans "is another casualty of the Trump years," Corn added. "Nevertheless, at this particular point, it might not even do much good. Trump is immutable. He will not in the next six weeks turn away from his narcissistic crusade to overturn or discredit the election to focus on saving American lives. No amount of popular clamor will move him toward that basic task. But Trump has hinted that he might seek restoration in 2024. If he does, those Americans who wish to avoid a repeat of this deadly nightmare will surely need to highlight how outrageous that would be."
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked about Trump's silence on surging cases during a Wednesday press briefing.
"He gave a press conference about two weeks ago, I believe, on the vaccine, which he has done at warp speed because he's torn down bureaucratic barriers," she said. "He's been hard at work. He's done I don't know how many coronavirus task force briefings from this podium. But the work he's done speaks for itself."
Bloombergreported Thursday on Trump's silence on the pandemic amid record deaths:
He spoke to the press in the Oval Office on Thursday while awarding the Medal of Freedom to football coach Lou Holtz. The room was crowded, and very few staff and guests wore masks. Trump made no mention of the pandemic but did take a moment to complain about his attorney general, William Barr, who this week said the Justice Department hadn't seen evidence to support the president's claims of widespread voter fraud.
Justice Department officials "haven't looked very hard, which is a disappointment to be honest with you, because it's massive fraud," Trump said.
The Hillpointed out on Friday that White House Coronavirus Task Force had sent a report, dated Sunday, to states warning that "a further post-Thanksgiving surge will compromise Covid patient care, as well as medical care overall." The report said state responses to the crisis "remain inadequate" and called for further safety restrictions.
"Even though some of those warnings were aimed at the public, the White House did not release the report and instead sent it privately to states. The document came to light only after it was leaked to the press," The Hill noted. "Trump has not echoed those kinds of health warnings in his public remarks; when he has discussed state restrictions, it is often to urge them to be less restrictive, not more."
Given Trump's track record of downplaying the dangers of the disease—which he fought earlier this year—Bob Wachter, chair of the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told The Hill that "I'd rather he be quiet than step on the message of the CDC, which appears to be waking back up and providing useful guidance."
The incoming president, as Corn detailed, is taking a notably different approach to the ongoing public health crisis.
"Joe Biden and his camp, perhaps wisely, are letting Trump have his authoritarian temper tantrum in a corner, for the most part ignoring it, and proceeding with the grown-up tasks necessary for governance," Corn wrote. "The Biden transition team, for example, arranged to meet with Dr. Anthony Fauci to discuss the pandemic. The president-elect and his White House team-to-be are preparing so they can confront this crisis as soon as they get the keys on January 20."
Fauci directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and has issued public warnings about the necessity of safety precautions like social distancing and face masks throughout the pandemic. Biden revealed Thursday that he had asked Fauci to stay in his current position but also to serve as chief medical adviser in his incoming administration. Asked Friday on NBC's "Today" whether he accepted the offer, Fauci said, "Absolutely, I said yes right on the spot."


alternet--2020-12-06--Here are 19 ways the road to a more just society runs through Congress: Ralph Nader

Here are 19 ways the road to a more just society runs through Congress : Ralph Nader

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alternet--2020-12-06--This Marxist philosopher foresaw the rise of Trumpism more than 80 years ago

More than eighty years ago , a then-obscure German philosopher wrote an essay that foresaw the essential reason behind President Donald Trump 's enduring political appeal .
His name was Walter Benjamin ; born to a Jewish family in Berlin , Benjamin was present for a pivotal moment in history , and watched Hitler rise to power .
By the time he wrote his most famous essay , he was an exile living in France amidst financial hardships , having recognized that the Reichstag fire three years earlier signified that the Nazis had achieved total power in Germany .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treaties with impunity and preparing Germany for war ( a threat that many Western powers did not take seriously ) — Benjamin , a Marxist and a Jew who was thus obviously opposed to the Nazis , postulated that modern fascists succeed when they are entertainers .
Not just any entertainer — a circus clown or a juggler-turned-fascist would n't do .
Specifically , modern fascists were entertainers with a distinct aesthetic , one that appeals to mass grievances by encouraging their supporters to feel like they are personally expressing themselves through their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which appears to have been largely forgotten , is that keeping fascism out of power means recognizing how they use aesthetic entertainment to create their movements .
That does require us to admit , cringe-inducing though it may be , that Trump is an artist — albeit a tacky , shallow and transparently self-aggrandizing one .
More importantly , his movement , the MAGA crowd , has a distinct aesthetic which he has created and honed for them .
The key passage from Benjamin 's `` The Work of Art in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was published in 1936 , deserves to be quoted in full : Earlier in the essay , Benjamin describes how the history of art itself had changed in modern history .
Although works of art were initially created carefully by individual craftsmen working under mentors , industrialization made it possible for art to be produced on a large scale and distributed quickly and easily among millions of people .
( Bear in mind that he wrote this in 1936 , when printing presses and radio were the main means of mass distribution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internet had yet to be conceived . )
Not surprisingly , this meant that politicians had learned how to utilize art to advance their own agendas .
Fascists , however , took things one step further : They recognized that , by using purely aesthetic entertainment to create solidarity among their supporters , they could distract them from the economic and social forces oppressing them , and instead build political movements based around the ability to creatively express their grievances .
In other words , you could promote policies that rampantly redistributed wealth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a few and dismantled democracies , and one 's followers would not care as long as they had the aesthetic entertainment to comfort them and make them believe they were being heard by those very politicians who fundamentally despised them .
Because Benjamin was most concerned with Adolf Hitler , who ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945 , his essay drew particular attention to Hitler 's love of extravagant military exhibitions .
Clearly , there are parallels to Trump , who has used in unprecedented ways to impress his supporters , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens , in part to achieve that same effect .
Benjamin quotes Italian fascist and futurist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti , whose celebration of war is chillingly poetic : Obviously , Trump 's understanding of art and entertainment precedes his military displays , and may explain how he became the first president to lack either political or military experience .
Acknowledging that he did not actually write the books like `` The Art of the Deal , '' which helped make him famous , he still played a major role in choosing the and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a major creative force behind his hit reality TV show `` The Apprentice , '' which he hosted for a decade until shortly before he began his 2016 presidential campaign .
While it would be a stretch to describe Trump as having the soul of an artist , he has always intuitively understood that people like to be entertained , and that making a spectacle of your businesses ( such as his real estate holdings ) and of oneself ( such as through his reality TV show ) is good for business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the masses in a self-promotional way — whether by claiming credit for art he did nothing to produce , like `` The Art of the Deal , '' or actually playing a role in artistic choices over investments like his buildings and his TV show — Trump created an image for himself as the quintessential American businessman , the type of billionaire that , as comedian , is a caricature of what a hobo might imagine a wealthy person to be like .
For the first sixty-plus years of his life , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make himself into a pop culture icon .
When he decided to run for president , he simply transferred that understanding to the political realm .
There are two main ways that he did this prior to his presidency , both of which he has continued to do during his administration .
The first is through his tweets , which took advantage of Americans ' dwindling attention span by regularly packing memorable , punchy ideas into very small packages .
As , the secret to Trump 's ability to create a political movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he realizes it or not—and he 's tweeted that he has ' a very high IQ , ' so I 'm assuming he does—his most Trump-ian tweets manage to hit upon all three of Aristotle 's modes of persuasion : logos ( the appeal to logic ) , ethos ( the appeal to credibility ) , and pathos ( the appeal to emotion ) . ''
Trump has tweeted so much that it would take an entire academic paper to deconstruct all of them thoroughly , but Hess ' analysis of a Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2016 Republican primaries , former Florida Gov .
Jeb Bush , is quite revealing .
After quoting Trump 's tweet — `` Jeb Bush never uses his last name on advertising , signage , materials etc .
Is he ashamed of the name BUSH ?
A pretty sad situation .
Go Jeb ! ''
— Hess points out that `` he seized on a truth about Jeb Bush 's campaign branding , leveraged it to question the very legitimacy of the Bush name , declared the situation 'sad , ' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condescending words of encouragement . ''
One finds the same strategy in his tweets trying to delegitimize Joe Biden 's victory in the 2020 election , which the president insists he won even though he has to prove any of his claims .
On Thursday he nevertheless , `` The 'Republican ' Governor of Georgia , [ Brian Kemp ] , and the Secretary of State , MUST immediately allow a signature verification match on the Presidential Election .
If that happens , we quickly and easily win the State and importantly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kelly WIN ! ''
Again , Trump very strategically packed a lot into this single tweet : An insult against a fellow Republican who he feels has been disloyal by not helping him steal the election , to inspire anger ; a seeming appeal to logic by requesting `` a signature verification match '' ; and the offer of rewards for other powerful if his wishes are granted .
But the other aesthetic that Trump has honed impeccably is the art of trolling .
As my colleague Amanda Marcotte wrote in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Right Became Trump-Worshipping Monsters Set On Rat-F*cking Liberals , America , and Truth Itself , '' this fit with a longstanding trend among American conservatives .
Indeed , for years before Trump 's rise , they began transitioning away from advocating for traditional conservative ideas and instead focused on encouraging their followers to be bitter , hateful and paranoid .
Over time , American right-wing politics was no longer defined by beliefs , but by intense hostility toward perceived threats that they invariably attributed to the left .
`` Watch Fox News any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what they cover is a bunch of segments about how liberals are hypocrites or liberals are the worst , '' when discussing her book .
`` Everything is just reinforcing the stereotype of liberals as these hate objects you can just feel justified in trying to punish . ''
She later added that `` conservative audiences respond to this kind of media because they want to .
I think we underestimate how much people are going to do what they want to do and believe what they want to believe . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government programs help them , they will disregard those facts if a right-winger appeals to their hostility toward racial minorities , women , the LGBTQ community , immigrants or members of other marginalized groups .
This trolling approach defines Trump 's official speeches , his press conferences , the rhetoric he employs at political rallies and virtually every other aspect of his political life .
For his followers , this type of communication trope has become ingrained into their being .
Plenty of conservative politicians appealed to their supporters ' basest instincts prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his followers made overtly vilifying the left and gleefully savoring upsetting leftists through their words and actions into their central appeal .
He did this when he kicked off his aborted 2012 presidential campaign by promoting a racist conspiracy theory about President Barack Obama and his successful 2016 effort by disparaging Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals .
He has done this on the countless occasions when he has made inflammatory statements about important issues that inevitably upset the left and , just as inevitably , put Trump in the headlines .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with controversial messages by appealing to supporters ' desire to Frequently , Trump supporters will actually admit that they , but they enjoy his because it makes them feel good .
In other words , they connect with the aesthetic .
Trump 's is an an approach that goes beyond mere rhetoric and enters the realm of performance art , a fact that Trump himself unintentionally acknowledged during his first speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention , when he urged his supporters to chant `` 12 more years '' in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
That moment epitomized precisely how Trump has transformed traditional political rhetoric into performance art : Instead of simply making the case for his candidacy or advocating for certain ideas , Trump focused on creating a moment in which he would entreat his followers to join him in a performance — not for a major political point , but simply to elicit a desired emotional response from their supposed common enemy .
It was the type of performance art that Trump has perfected : To act like a troll , and encourage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and thereby create an act of mass catharsis through creative self-expression that did absolutely nothing to address any legitimate economic or social concerns that his supporters might have .
If Trump was simply using these ends to advance an otherwise traditional political career , it would debase democracy but not necessarily pose a threat to it .
The problem is that Trump is not a traditional American politician ; he has all the hallmarks of being a fascist .
As Italian philosopher , `` behind a regime and its ideology there is always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group of cultural habits , of obscure instincts and unfathomable drives . ''
There are many drives that fuel fascist movements and are present with Trump , including a glorification of an imagined past through appeals to traditionalism ( hence Trump 's slogan to `` Make America Great Again '' ) , a hostility toward intellectuals and a fear of difference ( to quote Eco , `` the first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders '' and is thus `` racist by definition '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the individual and social frustrations of their followers , heavily rely on , convince themselves that their opponents are elitists and utilize a specific type of machismo that `` implies both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits , from chastity to homosexuality . ''
When fascists talk about their support of `` the People , '' it is not in terms of a belief in individual rights but rather as `` a monolithic entity expressing the Common Will .
Since no large quantity of human beings can have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be their interpreter .
Having lost their power of delegation , citizens do not act ; they are only called on to play the role of the People . ''
Even if Trump never again holds political office , the fascist tendencies that he exploited will continue to thrive , and it is not inconceivable that a future fascist political aspirant will figure out how to replicate his ability to create a political aesthetic as the glue that holds their movement together .
The ongoing debacle over Trump 's refusal to accept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of that .
For Trump himself , this is almost certainly a symptom of his , the fact that in his world nothing is worse than being a `` loser . ''
Yet it is telling that so many people are buying into his claims ( a found that 73 percent of likely Republican voters and 44 percent of all likely voters are questioning Biden 's victory ) , despite there being .
Even if Trump miraculously vanishes from the political scene after leaving office , his lies about the 2020 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which American fascists use mass entertainment to win over support .
As , polls show that most Republican voters do believe that their votes counted , and there are no plausible signs of waning interest in participating in future elections , because they realize that Trump 's claims of being robbed are yet another performance art piece in which they can participate .
`` Republican voters understand perfectly that Trump 's lies are part of a con game — and they imagine they 're in on the con , '' Marcotte wrote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ show , '' or `` mass entertainment , '' or even ( dare I say it ) `` work of art . ''
That 's the Trump aesthetic .
The reality is that the problems facing ordinary Americans economically , socially , ecologically and internationally are largely due to the forces identified by the left : income inequality , lack of access to basic needs like healthcare , student debt , predatory lending and so on are all side effects of capitalism .
Yet as long as fascists know how to win over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether military parades and catchy tweets or trolling public statements and conspiracy theories that exist mainly to create a shared false narrative that can upset and delegitimize the left — their followers will misidentify the source of their misery , as Benjamin foresaw .
:

More than eighty years ago, a then-obscure German philosopher wrote an essay that foresaw the essential reason behind President Donald Trump's enduring political appeal. His name was Walter Benjamin; born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Benjamin was present for a pivotal moment in history, and watched Hitler rise to power. By the time he wrote his most famous essay, he was an exile living in France amidst financial hardships, having recognized that the Reichstag fire three years earlier signified that the Nazis had achieved total power in Germany.
In 1936 — as Hitler was violating international treaties with impunity and preparing Germany for war (a threat that many Western powers did not take seriously) — Benjamin, a Marxist and a Jew who was thus obviously opposed to the Nazis, postulated that modern fascists succeed when they are entertainers. Not just any entertainer — a circus clown or a juggler-turned-fascist wouldn't do. Specifically, modern fascists were entertainers with a distinct aesthetic, one that appeals to mass grievances by encouraging their supporters to feel like they are personally expressing themselves through their demagogue of choice.
Benjamin's insight, which appears to have been largely forgotten, is that keeping fascism out of power means recognizing how they use aesthetic entertainment to create their movements. That does require us to admit, cringe-inducing though it may be, that Trump is an artist — albeit a tacky, shallow and transparently self-aggrandizing one. More importantly, his movement, the MAGA crowd, has a distinct aesthetic which he has created and honed for them.
The key passage from Benjamin's "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," which was published in 1936, deserves to be quoted in full:
Fascism attempts to organize the newly created proletarian masses without affecting the property structure which the masses strive to eliminate. Fascism sees its salvation in giving these masses not their right, but instead a chance to express themselves. The masses have a right to change property relations; Fascism seeks to give them an expression while preserving property. The logical result of Fascism is the introduction of aesthetics into political life.
Earlier in the essay, Benjamin describes how the history of art itself had changed in modern history. Although works of art were initially created carefully by individual craftsmen working under mentors, industrialization made it possible for art to be produced on a large scale and distributed quickly and easily among millions of people. (Bear in mind that he wrote this in 1936, when printing presses and radio were the main means of mass distribution, television was in its infancy and the internet had yet to be conceived.)
Not surprisingly, this meant that politicians had learned how to utilize art to advance their own agendas. Fascists, however, took things one step further: They recognized that, by using purely aesthetic entertainment to create solidarity among their supporters, they could distract them from the economic and social forces oppressing them, and instead build political movements based around the ability to creatively express their grievances. In other words, you could promote policies that rampantly redistributed wealth upwards, consolidated power in the hands of a few and dismantled democracies, and one's followers would not care as long as they had the aesthetic entertainment to comfort them and make them believe they were being heard by those very politicians who fundamentally despised them.
Because Benjamin was most concerned with Adolf Hitler, who ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945, his essay drew particular attention to Hitler's love of extravagant military exhibitions. Clearly, there are parallels to Trump, who has used gaudy military pageantry in unprecedented ways to impress his supporters, as well as declared literal war on many of his own citizens, in part to achieve that same effect. Benjamin quotes Italian fascist and futurist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, whose celebration of war is chillingly poetic:
War is beautiful because it establishes man's dominion over the subjugated machinery by means of gas masks, terrifying megaphones, flame throwers, and small tanks. War is beautiful because it initiates the dreamt-of metalization of the human body. War is beautiful because it enriches a flowering meadow with the fiery orchids of machine guns. War is beautiful because it combines the gunfire, the cannonades, the cease-fire, the scents, and the stench of putrefaction into a symphony.
Obviously, Trump's understanding of art and entertainment precedes his military displays, and may explain how he became the first president to lack either political or military experience. Acknowledging that he did not actually write the books like "The Art of the Deal," which helped make him famous, he still played a major role in choosing the faux-opulent and brassy architectural style that distinguished his early buildings. He was a major creative force behind his hit reality TV show "The Apprentice," which he hosted for a decade until shortly before he began his 2016 presidential campaign. While it would be a stretch to describe Trump as having the soul of an artist, he has always intuitively understood that people like to be entertained, and that making a spectacle of your businesses (such as his real estate holdings) and of oneself (such as through his reality TV show) is good for business.
By developing a knack for entertaining the masses in a self-promotional way — whether by claiming credit for art he did nothing to produce, like "The Art of the Deal," or actually playing a role in artistic choices over investments like his buildings and his TV show — Trump created an image for himself as the quintessential American businessman, the type of billionaire that, as comedian John Mulaney astutely observed in 2009 , is a caricature of what a hobo might imagine a wealthy person to be like. For the first sixty-plus years of his life, Trump became adept at using aesthetic presentations to make himself into a pop culture icon.
When he decided to run for president, he simply transferred that understanding to the political realm.
There are two main ways that he did this prior to his presidency, both of which he has continued to do during his administration. The first is through his tweets, which took advantage of Americans' dwindling attention span by regularly packing memorable, punchy ideas into very small packages. As Amanda Hess wrote in Slate back in 2016 , the secret to Trump's ability to create a political movement off of Twitter is that "whether he realizes it or not—and he's tweeted that he has 'a very high IQ,' so I'm assuming he does—his most Trump-ian tweets manage to hit upon all three of Aristotle's modes of persuasion: logos (the appeal to logic), ethos (the appeal to credibility), and pathos (the appeal to emotion)."
Trump has tweeted so much that it would take an entire academic paper to deconstruct all of them thoroughly, but Hess' analysis of a Trump tweet directed at one of his rivals in the 2016 Republican primaries, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is quite revealing. After quoting Trump's tweet — "Jeb Bush never uses his last name on advertising, signage, materials etc. Is he ashamed of the name BUSH? A pretty sad situation. Go Jeb!" — Hess points out that "he seized on a truth about Jeb Bush's campaign branding, leveraged it to question the very legitimacy of the Bush name, declared the situation 'sad,' and still had leftover space to offer some condescending words of encouragement."
One finds the same strategy in his tweets trying to delegitimize Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election, which the president insists he won even though he has repeatedly failed in court to prove any of his claims. On Thursday he nevertheless tweeted , "The 'Republican' Governor of Georgia, [Brian Kemp], and the Secretary of State, MUST immediately allow a signature verification match on the Presidential Election. If that happens, we quickly and easily win the State and importantly, pave the way for a big David and Kelly WIN!" Again, Trump very strategically packed a lot into this single tweet: An insult against a fellow Republican who he feels has been disloyal by not helping him steal the election, to inspire anger; a seeming appeal to logic by requesting "a signature verification match"; and the offer of rewards for other powerful if his wishes are granted.
But the other aesthetic that Trump has honed impeccably is the art of trolling. As my colleague Amanda Marcotte wrote in her book "Troll Nation: How The Right Became Trump-Worshipping Monsters Set On Rat-F*cking Liberals, America, and Truth Itself," this fit with a longstanding trend among American conservatives. Indeed, for years before Trump's rise, they began transitioning away from advocating for traditional conservative ideas and instead focused on encouraging their followers to be bitter, hateful and paranoid. Over time, American right-wing politics was no longer defined by beliefs, but by intense hostility toward perceived threats that they invariably attributed to the left.
"Watch Fox News any day of the week, and most of what they cover is a bunch of segments about how liberals are hypocrites or liberals are the worst," Marcotte told Salon in 2018 when discussing her book. "Everything is just reinforcing the stereotype of liberals as these hate objects you can just feel justified in trying to punish." She later added that "conservative audiences respond to this kind of media because they want to. I think we underestimate how much people are going to do what they want to do and believe what they want to believe." While Trump supporters may recognize that certain government programs help them, they will disregard those facts if a right-winger appeals to their hostility toward racial minorities, women, the LGBTQ community, immigrants or members of other marginalized groups.
This trolling approach defines Trump's official speeches, his press conferences, the rhetoric he employs at political rallies and virtually every other aspect of his political life. For his followers, this type of communication trope has become ingrained into their being. Plenty of conservative politicians appealed to their supporters' basest instincts prior to Trump, but the president and his followers made overtly vilifying the left and gleefully savoring upsetting leftists through their words and actions into their central appeal. He did this when he kicked off his aborted 2012 presidential campaign by promoting a racist conspiracy theory about President Barack Obama and his successful 2016 effort by disparaging Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals. He has done this on the countless occasions when he has made inflammatory statements about important issues that inevitably upset the left and, just as inevitably, put Trump in the headlines. He and his supporters have even sold T-shirts with controversial messages by appealing to supporters' desire to "drive liberals crazy." Frequently, Trump supporters will actually admit that they don't agree with his rhetoric , but they enjoy his sadistic bullying because it makes them feel good. In other words, they connect with the aesthetic.
Trump's is an an approach that goes beyond mere rhetoric and enters the realm of performance art, a fact that Trump himself unintentionally acknowledged during his first speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention , when he urged his supporters to chant "12 more years" in order to "really drive [liberals] crazy." That moment epitomized precisely how Trump has transformed traditional political rhetoric into performance art: Instead of simply making the case for his candidacy or advocating for certain ideas, Trump focused on creating a moment in which he would entreat his followers to join him in a performance — not for a major political point, but simply to elicit a desired emotional response from their supposed common enemy. It was the type of performance art that Trump has perfected: To act like a troll, and encourage his supporters to act like trolls, and thereby create an act of mass catharsis through creative self-expression that did absolutely nothing to address any legitimate economic or social concerns that his supporters might have.
If Trump was simply using these ends to advance an otherwise traditional political career, it would debase democracy but not necessarily pose a threat to it. The problem is that Trump is not a traditional American politician; he has all the hallmarks of being a fascist. As Italian philosopher Umberto Eco wrote in a 1995 essay about fascism , "behind a regime and its ideology there is always a way of thinking and feeling, a group of cultural habits, of obscure instincts and unfathomable drives." There are many drives that fuel fascist movements and are present with Trump, including a glorification of an imagined past through appeals to traditionalism (hence Trump's slogan to "Make America Great Again"), a hostility toward intellectuals and a fear of difference (to quote Eco, "the first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders" and is thus "racist by definition"). Fascist movements also pander to the individual and social frustrations of their followers, heavily rely on nationalism , convince themselves that their opponents are elitists and utilize a specific type of machismo that "implies both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality." When fascists talk about their support of "the People," it is not in terms of a belief in individual rights but rather as "a monolithic entity expressing the Common Will. Since no large quantity of human beings can have a common will, the Leader pretends to be their interpreter. Having lost their power of delegation, citizens do not act; they are only called on to play the role of the People."
Even if Trump never again holds political office, the fascist tendencies that he exploited will continue to thrive, and it is not inconceivable that a future fascist political aspirant will figure out how to replicate his ability to create a political aesthetic as the glue that holds their movement together. The ongoing debacle over Trump's refusal to accept his 2020 election loss is a perfect example of that. For Trump himself, this is almost certainly a symptom of his obvious narcissism , the fact that in his world nothing is worse than being a "loser." Yet it is telling that so many people are buying into his claims (a recent poll found that 73 percent of likely Republican voters and 44 percent of all likely voters are questioning Biden's victory), despite there being no evidence of voter fraud whatsoever .
Even if Trump miraculously vanishes from the political scene after leaving office, his lies about the 2020 election are likely to foreshadow future ways in which American fascists use mass entertainment to win over support. As Marcotte recently noted , polls show that most Republican voters do believe that their votes counted, and there are no plausible signs of waning interest in participating in future elections, because they realize that Trump's claims of being robbed are yet another performance art piece in which they can participate.
"Republican voters understand perfectly that Trump's lies are part of a con game — and they imagine they're in on the con," Marcotte wrote. Replace "con" with "spectacular show," or "mass entertainment," or even (dare I say it) "work of art." That's the Trump aesthetic.
The reality is that the problems facing ordinary Americans economically, socially, ecologically and internationally are largely due to the forces identified by the left: income inequality, lack of access to basic needs like healthcare, student debt, predatory lending and so on are all side effects of capitalism. Yet as long as fascists know how to win over supporters by appealing to an aesthetic — whether military parades and catchy tweets or trolling public statements and conspiracy theories that exist mainly to create a shared false narrative that can upset and delegitimize the left — their followers will misidentify the source of their misery, as Benjamin foresaw.:


alternet--2020-12-06--Trump fires 9 Pentagon advisors and installs cronies while blocking Biden from military briefings

On Friday , the White House fired nine members of the Pentagon 's Defense Business Board and installed people loyal to President Donald Trump , Politico reports .
At the same time , Trump 's Pentagon officials have refused members of President-elect Joe Biden 's transition team to meet with officials at U.S. intelligence agencies .
The aforementioned board members were all fired via form letter email that told them that their terms had expired — even though that was n't true for three of the members — and they were neither given any warning nor thanks for their service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made up of more than a dozen industry and academic leaders who volunteer to provide independent business advice to Pentagon leadership and are appointed by top Pentagon leaders , '' the publication writes , adding that the board has generally been understood as non-partisan .
Among its duties , the board reviews defense agencies and field activities , studies data on how private companies interact with the Department of Defense .
In their place , Trump installed his former campaign officials Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie .
Trump could 've installed his new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 35 people and only had 16 before the firings began .
The firings come one week after the White House fired a dozen members of the Defense Policy Board , a similar advisory council of experts outside the government , and his Defense Secretary Mark Esper .
As of November 20 , more than 40 percent of the Department of Defense 's top positions have been left unstaffed thanks to Trump 's firings .
Meanwhile , because Biden 's team has n't been able to meet with defense officials for almost a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has `` impaired the Biden team 's ability to get up to speed on espionage operations against Russia , China , Iran and other U.S. adversaries , '' The New York Times reports .

On Friday, the White House fired nine members of the Pentagon's Defense Business Board and installed people loyal to President Donald Trump, Politico reports. At the same time, Trump's Pentagon officials have refused members of President-elect Joe Biden's transition team to meet with officials at U.S. intelligence agencies.
The aforementioned board members were all fired via form letter email that told them that their terms had expired — even though that wasn't true for three of the members — and they were neither given any warning nor thanks for their service.
"The Defense Business Board is made up of more than a dozen industry and academic leaders who volunteer to provide independent business advice to Pentagon leadership and are appointed by top Pentagon leaders," the publication writes, adding that the board has generally been understood as non-partisan.
Among its duties, the board reviews defense agencies and field activities, studies data on how private companies interact with the Department of Defense.
In their place, Trump installed his former campaign officials Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie. Trump could've installed his new members as the board can accommodate up to 35 people and only had 16 before the firings began.
The firings come one week after the White House fired a dozen members of the Defense Policy Board, a similar advisory council of experts outside the government, and his Defense Secretary Mark Esper. As of November 20, more than 40 percent of the Department of Defense's top positions have been left unstaffed thanks to Trump's firings.
Meanwhile, because Biden's team hasn't been able to meet with defense officials for almost a month after he won the election, it has "impaired the Biden team's ability to get up to speed on espionage operations against Russia, China, Iran and other U.S. adversaries," The New York Times reports.


alternet--2020-12-06--‘Fatalism’ at White House as Trump spends his time ‘going nuts over election fraud’: Administration

‘Fatalism’ at White House as Trump spends his time ‘going nuts over election fraud’: Administration official

In an examination of the transition of power from outgoing President Donald Trump to the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden , a White House official conceded Trump has a lot of free time on his hands during which he is obsessing over his belief that the election was stolen from him by fraud .
According to the report , the harsh reality of a lost election has settled upon White House staff with the Washington Post reporting , `` … inside the White House , the mood has darkened and a sense of fatalism has engulfed much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking for new jobs — which they are finding may be more difficult than they expected .
`` Even senior staffers are starting to move on , sending a steady stream of résumés to Republican firms .
But Trump officials who were especially combative on Twitter are viewed as 'pretty toxic , ' said one Republican operative , and are being advised to seek work in less political venues first , providing a sort of cooling-off period , '' the Post reports before adding that many of those same staffers are working from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dark .
As for the president , an administration insider claimed the president has no immediate plans for the future and spends his days obsessing over the lost election .
The Post reports , `` Trump has little in the way of a plan , according to several senior administration officials , and is focused rather on cataloguing the ways he insists he was robbed of victory . ''
`` The large majority of his time has been unstructured , in the Oval [ Office ] , just going nuts about voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official .
`` I do n't know how else to put it .
That occupies seemingly every waking moment of his day . ''
The report goes on to note that Trump 's lingering obsession with fraud was fueled by a report from Fox News ' Sean Hannity that `` purports to show suspicious suitcases at a Georgia canvassing center .
Georgia officials have said the video shows entirely normal ballot processing . ''
You can read more here .

In an examination of the transition of power from outgoing President Donald Trump to the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden, a White House official conceded Trump has a lot of free time on his hands during which he is obsessing over his belief that the election was stolen from him by fraud.
According to the report, the harsh reality of a lost election has settled upon White House staff with the Washington Post reporting, "… inside the White House, the mood has darkened and a sense of fatalism has engulfed much of the staff," who are mostly busy looking for new jobs — which they are finding may be more difficult than they expected.
"Even senior staffers are starting to move on, sending a steady stream of résumés to Republican firms. But Trump officials who were especially combative on Twitter are viewed as 'pretty toxic,' said one Republican operative, and are being advised to seek work in less political venues first, providing a sort of cooling-off period," the Post reports before adding that many of those same staffers are working from home now leaving the White House empty and dark.
As for the president, an administration insider claimed the president has no immediate plans for the future and spends his days obsessing over the lost election.
The Post reports, "Trump has little in the way of a plan, according to several senior administration officials, and is focused rather on cataloguing the ways he insists he was robbed of victory."
"The large majority of his time has been unstructured, in the Oval [Office], just going nuts about voter fraud," confessed a senior administration official. "I don't know how else to put it. That occupies seemingly every waking moment of his day."
The report goes on to note that Trump's lingering obsession with fraud was fueled by a report from Fox News' Sean Hannity that "purports to show suspicious suitcases at a Georgia canvassing center. Georgia officials have said the video shows entirely normal ballot processing."
You can read more here.


alternet--2020-12-06--'One person standing in the way': Abysmal jobs report ramps up pressure on McConnell for COVID relie

'One person standing in the way': Abysmal jobs report ramps up pressure on McConnell for COVID relief

The Labor Department 's release Friday of an abysmal jobs report showing that U.S. hiring slowed dramatically in November served as another occasion for Democratic lawmakers , progressive advocacy groups , and economists to demand that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell end his months-long obstruction of a desperately needed coronavirus relief package .
Devoid of any `` silver linings '' , the fresh jobs numbers further undercut the Kentucky Republican 's argument just last month that the economy is trending in the right direction and therefore requires less stimulus to drag it out of recessionary territory .
According to Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 245,000 jobs in November , down from 610,000 in October and the fifth consecutive month hiring has slowed .
`` Congress knows how to help workers and families .
It knows how to prevent the looming recession .
One person is standing in the way .
Mitch McConnell 's political games are costing lives and livelihoods . ''
—Sen .
Ron Wyden Elise Gould , senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute , warned that with key federal unemployment programs set to expire at the end of December and coronavirus infections on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their families are in for an even harsher winter '' unless Congress takes decisive action .
`` The unemployment rate edged down to 6.7 % , but for the 'wrong ' reasons as 400,000 people left the labor force , '' Gould noted in an analysis of the new figures .
`` The number of workers unemployed 27 weeks or more—the long-term unemployed—shot up to 3.9 million in November .
Now , over one-third ( 36.9 % ) of the total unemployed are long-term unemployed . ''
The alarming numbers came at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus relief talks , previously stagnant for weeks , appeared to progress slightly , with Democratic congressional leaders and President-elect Joe Biden throwing their support behind a $ 908 billion bipartisan stimulus framework despite its serious inadequacies .
`` We 'll take the time we need and we must get it done , '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) told reporters Friday , voicing optimism that lawmakers can strike a deal on a relief package before both chambers depart for Christmas recess .
`` We can not leave without it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) said that `` this latest jobs report shows the need for strong , urgent emergency relief is more important than ever . ''
`` Senator McConnell must hear the pleas of the millions of struggling American families , '' Schumer added .
McConnell has not backed the bipartisan plan , circulating his own proposal earlier this week that would gift corporations sweeping immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits while providing no boost to weekly unemployment benefits , direct stimulus payments , or aid to state and local government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liability shield , but one far more limited than McConnell 's .
`` Senior Democrats have balked at that measure [ in the bipartisan plan ] despite embracing the broader bill , '' the Washington Post 's Jeff Stein reported Thursday .
`` A number of Republicans have made clear that no stimulus package will pass without including the measure . ''
McConnell 's proposal was so paltry and stuffed with poison pills , including a 100 % tax deduction for business meals , that critics warned the Republican leader is intentionally trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to sabotage the incoming Biden administration .
`` Mitch McConnell is apparently ready to ruin the holidays and the economy for working families and small businesses unless he gets his way , '' Jeremy Funk , spokesperson for government watchdog group Accountable.US , said in statement Friday .
`` His plan to shower corporations , millionaires , and CEOs with more handouts while giving virtually nothing to struggling workers and their families is beyond unacceptable . ''
Sen. Ron Wyden ( D-Ore. ) tweeted Friday that `` Congress knows how to help workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the looming recession . ''
`` One person is standing in the way , '' Wyden said .
`` Mitch McConnell 's political games are costing lives and livelihoods . ''
With November 's meager hiring in the books , the U.S. economy currently has 9.8 million fewer jobs than in February , when the coronavirus began spreading rapidly across the United States .
Now , as coronavirus infections , hospitalizations , and deaths are soaring to new heights , Rep. Don Beyer ( D-Va. ) warned Friday that `` we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even worse than the spring . ''
`` Christmas is in three weeks , rent was due a few days ago , and millions of Americans are on the verge of hunger and homelessness , '' said Beyer .
`` However , instead of passing a relief bill that the Federal Reserve Chair and economists say is sorely needed , Senate Republicans have been confirming judge after judge—filling the federal bench while Americans fill hospitals across the country . ''
`` The leader of their party has been doing even less than they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he lost definitively , while Americans pay with their lives and livelihoods , '' Beyer continued .
`` Workers and their families , as well as businesses and state and local governments , need relief now—especially as many federal relief programs are set to expire at the end of the year . ''

The Labor Department's release Friday of an abysmal jobs report showing that U.S. hiring slowed dramatically in November served as another occasion for Democratic lawmakers, progressive advocacy groups, and economists to demand that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell end his months-long obstruction of a desperately needed coronavirus relief package.
Devoid of any "silver linings", the fresh jobs numbers further undercut the Kentucky Republican's argument just last month that the economy is trending in the right direction and therefore requires less stimulus to drag it out of recessionary territory. According to Friday's report, the U.S. added just 245,000 jobs in November, down from 610,000 in October and the fifth consecutive month hiring has slowed.
"Congress knows how to help workers and families. It knows how to prevent the looming recession. One person is standing in the way. Mitch McConnell's political games are costing lives and livelihoods."
—Sen. Ron Wyden
Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, warned that with key federal unemployment programs set to expire at the end of December and coronavirus infections on the rise nationwide, "millions of workers and their families are in for an even harsher winter" unless Congress takes decisive action.
"The unemployment rate edged down to 6.7%, but for the 'wrong' reasons as 400,000 people left the labor force," Gould noted in an analysis of the new figures. "The number of workers unemployed 27 weeks or more—the long-term unemployed—shot up to 3.9 million in November. Now, over one-third (36.9%) of the total unemployed are long-term unemployed."
The alarming numbers came at the tail end of week in which coronavirus relief talks, previously stagnant for weeks, appeared to progress slightly, with Democratic congressional leaders and President-elect Joe Biden throwing their support behind a $908 billion bipartisan stimulus framework despite its serious inadequacies.
"We'll take the time we need and we must get it done," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters Friday, voicing optimism that lawmakers can strike a deal on a relief package before both chambers depart for Christmas recess. "We cannot leave without it."
In a tweet Friday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that "this latest jobs report shows the need for strong, urgent emergency relief is more important than ever."
"Senator McConnell must hear the pleas of the millions of struggling American families," Schumer added.
McConnell has not backed the bipartisan plan, circulating his own proposal earlier this week that would gift corporations sweeping immunity from coronavirus-related lawsuits while providing no boost to weekly unemployment benefits, direct stimulus payments, or aid to state and local government.
The bipartisan framework also includes a liability shield, but one far more limited than McConnell's.
"Senior Democrats have balked at that measure [in the bipartisan plan] despite embracing the broader bill," the Washington Post's Jeff Stein reported Thursday. "A number of Republicans have made clear that no stimulus package will pass without including the measure."
McConnell's proposal was so paltry and stuffed with poison pills, including a 100% tax deduction for business meals, that critics warned the Republican leader is intentionally trying to keep the economy mired in recession to sabotage the incoming Biden administration.
"Mitch McConnell is apparently ready to ruin the holidays and the economy for working families and small businesses unless he gets his way," Jeremy Funk, spokesperson for government watchdog group Accountable.US, said in statement Friday. "His plan to shower corporations, millionaires, and CEOs with more handouts while giving virtually nothing to struggling workers and their families is beyond unacceptable."
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) tweeted Friday that "Congress knows how to help workers and families. It knows how to prevent the looming recession."
"One person is standing in the way," Wyden said. "Mitch McConnell's political games are costing lives and livelihoods."
With November's meager hiring in the books, the U.S. economy currently has 9.8 million fewer jobs than in February, when the coronavirus began spreading rapidly across the United States. Now, as coronavirus infections, hospitalizations, and deaths are soaring to new heights, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) warned Friday that "we are heading into a situation that may be even worse than the spring."
"Christmas is in three weeks, rent was due a few days ago, and millions of Americans are on the verge of hunger and homelessness," said Beyer. "However, instead of passing a relief bill that the Federal Reserve Chair and economists say is sorely needed, Senate Republicans have been confirming judge after judge—filling the federal bench while Americans fill hospitals across the country."
"The leader of their party has been doing even less than they have—sulking and seeking revenge for an election he lost definitively, while Americans pay with their lives and livelihoods," Beyer continued. "Workers and their families, as well as businesses and state and local governments, need relief now—especially as many federal relief programs are set to expire at the end of the year."


alternet--2020-12-06--2 right-wing lawmakers insist Trump won the election — and 88 percent of congressional GOPers refuse

2 right-wing lawmakers insist Trump won the election — and 88 percent of congressional GOPers refuse to say: survey

Just 27 out of 249 congressional Republicans acknowledge that Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump in the 2020 election , according to a Washington Post survey , and Trump on Saturday demanded that they be identified .
More than a month after President-elect Biden claimed a decisive victory over the lame-duck president—winning the popular vote by more than 7 million and garnering 306 votes in the Electoral College—Reps .
Mo Brooks ( R-Ala. ) and Paul Gosar ( R-Ariz. ) still insist Trump won the race , despite all evidence to the contrary .
Another 220 GOP members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans—refuse to say who won .
Those are the findings of a Washington Post survey conducted this week .
Beginning `` the morning after Trump posted a 46-minute video Wednesday evening in which he wrongly claimed he had defeated Biden and leveled wild and unsubstantiated allegations of 'corrupt forces ' who stole the outcome from the sitting president , '' a team of 25 reporters contacted aides for all 249 Republicans in the House and Senate by email and phone , the Post explained .
In addition to researching `` public statements made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine their stance on Biden 's win , '' the Post reporters asked three questions : • Do you support or oppose Trump 's continuing efforts to claim victory ?
• If Biden wins a majority in the Electoral College , will you accept him as the legitimately elected president ?
According to the Post , only nine congressional Republicans oppose Trump 's ongoing efforts to claim victory , nine others—including Sens .
Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) and Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) —support his attempt to overturn the election results , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Gosar said they will not accept Biden as the legitimately elected president of the U.S. regardless of what happens when electors meet on December 14 .
`` In my judgement , this is the worst election theft in the history of the United States , '' Brooks said , while Gosar claimed that there is `` too much evidence of fraud . ''
The lawmakers ' statements come just days after Attorney General William Barr , a key Trump ally , admitted that `` we have not seen fraud on a scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the election , as Common Dreams reported .
Thirty-two congressional Republicans said they will accept Biden 's victory if he wins a majority in the Electoral College , and 215 did not respond .
The Post distilled the survey results into the following chart : Before the newspaper made an update upon receiving two additional responses , Trump on Saturday tweeted : `` 25 , wow !
I am surprised there are so many .
We have just begun to fight .
Please send me a list of the 25 RINOS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only . ''
The names of the 27 Republicans who recognize Biden as the winner are readily available—listed in the article , even—though Trump added that he reads `` the Fake News Washington Post as little as possible ! ''
According to the Post , `` the results demonstrate the fear that most Republicans have of the outgoing president and his grip on the party , despite his new status as just the third elected president to lose reelection in the past 80 years . ''
Trump on Saturday traveled to Georgia to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue—who face January runoff elections that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate—but The Guardian reported that conservatives are worried the president might hurt the GOP 's chances if he spends most of his time making baseless claims about how the election was rigged .

Just 27 out of 249 congressional Republicans acknowledge that Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, according to a Washington Post survey, and Trump on Saturday demanded that they be identified.
More than a month after President-elect Biden claimed a decisive victory over the lame-duck president—winning the popular vote by more than 7 million and garnering 306 votes in the Electoral College—Reps. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) still insist Trump won the race, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Another 220 GOP members of the House and Senate—roughly 88 percent of congressional Republicans—refuse to say who won.
Those are the findings of a Washington Post survey conducted this week.
Beginning "the morning after Trump posted a 46-minute video Wednesday evening in which he wrongly claimed he had defeated Biden and leveled wild and unsubstantiated allegations of 'corrupt forces' who stole the outcome from the sitting president," a team of 25 reporters contacted aides for all 249 Republicans in the House and Senate by email and phone, the Postexplained.
In addition to researching "public statements made by GOP lawmakers in recent weeks to determine their stance on Biden's win," the Post reporters asked three questions:
Who won the presidential contest? Do you support or oppose Trump's continuing efforts to claim victory? If Biden wins a majority in the Electoral College, will you accept him as the legitimately elected president?
According to the Post, only nine congressional Republicans oppose Trump's ongoing efforts to claim victory, nine others—including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)—support his attempt to overturn the election results, and 231 declined to answer.
Brooks and Gosar said they will not accept Biden as the legitimately elected president of the U.S. regardless of what happens when electors meet on December 14.
"In my judgement, this is the worst election theft in the history of the United States," Brooks said, while Gosar claimed that there is "too much evidence of fraud."
The lawmakers' statements come just days after Attorney General William Barr, a key Trump ally, admitted that "we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have" affected the outcome of the election, as Common Dreams reported.
Thirty-two congressional Republicans said they will accept Biden's victory if he wins a majority in the Electoral College, and 215 did not respond.
The Post distilled the survey results into the following chart:
Before the newspaper made an update upon receiving two additional responses, Trump on Saturday tweeted: "25, wow! I am surprised there are so many. We have just begun to fight. Please send me a list of the 25 RINOS," referring to "Republicans in name only."
The names of the 27 Republicans who recognize Biden as the winner are readily available—listed in the article, even—though Trump added that he reads "the Fake News Washington Post as little as possible!"
According to the Post, "the results demonstrate the fear that most Republicans have of the outgoing president and his grip on the party, despite his new status as just the third elected president to lose reelection in the past 80 years."
Trump on Saturday traveled to Georgia to campaign in support of Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue—who face January runoff elections that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate—but The Guardianreported that conservatives are worried the president might hurt the GOP's chances if he spends most of his time making baseless claims about how the election was rigged.


alternet--2020-12-06--Ohio's decade-old gerrymander still performed exactly as the GOP intended in 2020

Our project to calculate the 2020 presidential results for all 435 congressional districts nationwide goes to O-H-I-O .
You can find our complete data set here , which we 're updating continuously as the precinct-level election returns we need for our calculations become available .
Despite Democratic hopes , Donald Trump 's 53-45 win in Ohio matched his 52-44 performance in this one-time swing state four years ago .
Trump also carried the same 12 congressional districts that he took last time , while the remaining four Clinton seats also went for Biden .
Likewise , all the Trump districts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four Clinton/Biden districts once again elected Democratic members .
You can find a larger version of our map here .
Democrats were optimistic that Biden could flip the 1st District in the Cincinnati area , and the seat did move to the left .
However , while Trump 's 51-48 showing this time was notably weaker than his prior 51-45 performance , veteran Republican Rep. Steve Chabot still rode to a 52-45 victory over Democrat Kate Schroder .
Trump secured single-digit victories in three other seats .
The 10th District in the Dayton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a slip from his 51-44 win last time .
Longtime Republican Rep. Mike Turner , though , again ran well ahead of the ticket and beat Democrat Desiree Tims 58-42 .
The 12th District in the Columbus suburbs , meanwhile , went for Trump 52-46 , which was quite a bit narrower than his 53-42 performance in 2016 ; Republican Rep .
Troy Balderson , though , won 55-42 against Democrat Alaina Shearer .
Trump also prevailed 54-45 in the 14th District in the Cleveland suburbs , which was down a little from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. David Joyce racked up a strong 60-40 win over Democrat Hillary O'Connor Mueri .
Biden , by contrast , lost ground in the 13th District , ancestrally blue turf in the Youngstown area with a large white working class voting bloc .
This constituency had already moved dramatically to the right : Barack Obama carried it 63-35 in 2012 but Clinton won it just 51-45 , and Biden hung on by an even narrower 51-48 margin .
Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan beat former Republican state Rep. Christina Hagan by a stronger 52-45 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the narrowest victory in his 10 House campaigns .
These results owe much to the extreme gerrymander that Republicans passed in the last round of redistricting , which has locked in a 12-4 congressional majority for the GOP every single year , even when Obama won Ohio in 2012 .
There 's a good chance the coming decade will see something similar .
Voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2018 that theoretically puts congressional redistricting in the hands of a commission that includes members from both parties .
However , if the commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the amendment requires , the Republican-led legislature would be able to just pass its own maps again .
Those maps would only be good for four years instead of the usual 10 , but the process would just repeat itself .
In other words , anyone who wants to gerrymander just needs to pass new maps more often .

Our project to calculate the 2020 presidential results for all 435 congressional districts nationwide goes to O-H-I-O. You can find our complete data set here, which we're updating continuously as the precinct-level election returns we need for our calculations become available.
Despite Democratic hopes, Donald Trump's 53-45 win in Ohio matched his 52-44 performance in this one-time swing state four years ago. Trump also carried the same 12 congressional districts that he took last time, while the remaining four Clinton seats also went for Biden. Likewise, all the Trump districts remained in GOP hands, while the four Clinton/Biden districts once again elected Democratic members. You can find a larger version of our map here.
Democrats were optimistic that Biden could flip the 1st District in the Cincinnati area, and the seat did move to the left. However, while Trump's 51-48 showing this time was notably weaker than his prior 51-45 performance, veteran Republican Rep. Steve Chabot still rode to a 52-45 victory over Democrat Kate Schroder.
Trump secured single-digit victories in three other seats. The 10th District in the Dayton area supported him 51-47, which was a slip from his 51-44 win last time. Longtime Republican Rep. Mike Turner, though, again ran well ahead of the ticket and beat Democrat Desiree Tims 58-42.
The 12th District in the Columbus suburbs, meanwhile, went for Trump 52-46, which was quite a bit narrower than his 53-42 performance in 2016; Republican Rep. Troy Balderson, though, won 55-42 against Democrat Alaina Shearer. Trump also prevailed 54-45 in the 14th District in the Cleveland suburbs, which was down a little from his prior 54-42 win, though Republican Rep. David Joyce racked up a strong 60-40 win over Democrat Hillary O'Connor Mueri.
Biden, by contrast, lost ground in the 13th District, ancestrally blue turf in the Youngstown area with a large white working class voting bloc. This constituency had already moved dramatically to the right: Barack Obama carried it 63-35 in 2012 but Clinton won it just 51-45, and Biden hung on by an even narrower 51-48 margin. Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan beat former Republican state Rep. Christina Hagan by a stronger 52-45 spread, but it was by far the narrowest victory in his 10 House campaigns.
These results owe much to the extreme gerrymander that Republicans passed in the last round of redistricting, which has locked in a 12-4 congressional majority for the GOP every single year, even when Obama won Ohio in 2012. There's a good chance the coming decade will see something similar.
Voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2018 that theoretically puts congressional redistricting in the hands of a commission that includes members from both parties. However, if the commission's proposals don't achieve the bipartisan support the amendment requires, the Republican-led legislature would be able to just pass its own maps again. Those maps would only be good for four years instead of the usual 10, but the process would just repeat itself. In other words, anyone who wants to gerrymander just needs to pass new maps more often.


alternet--2020-12-06--Trump bashes GOP's Brian Kemp at lie-filled rally hours after governor refused to overturn Georgia's

Trump bashes GOP's Brian Kemp at lie-filled rally hours after governor refused to overturn Georgia's election results

President Donald Trump on Saturday morning called Georgia 's Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp to pressure him to overturn President-elect Joe Biden 's victory in the state , and hours later at a rally in support of GOP lawmakers Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue—who are campaigning ahead of January 5 runoffs that will decide which party controls the U.S. Senate—slammed Kemp for refusing to support his authoritarian scheme to retain power .
Two unnamed sources familiar with the conversation told the Washington Post that Trump urged Kemp `` to call a special session of the state legislature for lawmakers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would back the president at the Electoral College . ''
`` Trump also asked the governor to demand an audit of signatures on mail ballots , something Kemp has previously noted he has no power to do , '' the Post reported .
`` Kemp declined the president 's entreaty . ''
Also on Saturday , Mike Lindell , the right-wing CEO of My Pillow who helped bail out Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse , `` brazenly [ laid ] out Trump 's last-ditch plan to steal the election , '' as relayed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news that Trump asked Kemp to persuade the state legislature to reverse the results of the 2020 election , journalist Seth Abramson asked for `` lawyers who specialize in little-used federal criminal statutes like Sedition to explain to me why a federal official openly seeking to conspire with another federal official to overthrow a democratically elected government is n't a crime . ''
Kathleen Clark , a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis , told the Post that `` if Trump invoked his federal authority in his conversation Saturday with Kemp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oval Office , he could have violated criminal provisions of the Hatch Act , which prohibits government officials from political activity in their official roles . ''
During Saturday night 's rally , the crowd applauded when Trump said , `` Your governor should be ashamed of himself , '' in an attempt to malign Kemp for not going along with his coup attempt .
The Post reported that `` as the large crowd chanted 'Stop the Steal'—what 's become a rallying cry for Republicans unwilling to accept Democrat Joe Biden 's victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 'Your governor could stop it very easily if he knew what the hell he was doing . '
'' Post reporter Amber Phillips argued that some of Trump 's rhetoric about being the victim of a rigged election could paradoxically dampen GOP participation in Georgia 's upcoming runoff races , the outcomes of which will have significant implications for the future of U.S. politics .
`` Trump 's voter-fraud claims , '' she said , `` are threatening to depress turnout among some Republican voters '' who may feel less inclined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results are predetermined .
The Post 's Dave Weigel shared on social media an image from the lie-filled rally , during which the GOP screened `` a compilation of OAN and Newsmax videos making election fraud claims . ''
Trump still implored the audience to vote next month , however , saying it is possible to be upset about and challenge the results of the presidential election while supporting Loeffler and Perdue at the same time .
`` At stake in this election is control of the U.S. Senate , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump said .
Weigel , who is on-the-ground in Georgia this weekend , noted on Twitter that he and `` every reporter [ he ] talked to has found '' that most Trump voters believe not only that the president won but that `` he 'll still win the challenges and get a second term . ''
Moreover , according to Weigel , `` none of these voters plan to skip the Jan. 5 runoff . ''

President Donald Trump on Saturday morning called Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to pressure him to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the state, and hours later at a rally in support of GOP lawmakers Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue—who are campaigning ahead of January 5 runoffs that will decide which party controls the U.S. Senate—slammed Kemp for refusing to support his authoritarian scheme to retain power.
Two unnamed sources familiar with the conversation told the Washington Post that Trump urged Kemp "to call a special session of the state legislature for lawmakers to override the results and appoint electors who would back the president at the Electoral College."
"Trump also asked the governor to demand an audit of signatures on mail ballots, something Kemp has previously noted he has no power to do," the Post reported. "Kemp declined the president's entreaty."
Also on Saturday, Mike Lindell, the right-wing CEO of My Pillow who helped bail out Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, "brazenly [laid] out Trump's last-ditch plan to steal the election," as relayed by Aaron Rupar.
In response to the news that Trump asked Kemp to persuade the state legislature to reverse the results of the 2020 election, journalist Seth Abramson asked for "lawyers who specialize in little-used federal criminal statutes like Sedition to explain to me why a federal official openly seeking to conspire with another federal official to overthrow a democratically elected government isn't a crime."
Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, told the Post that "if Trump invoked his federal authority in his conversation Saturday with Kemp, or made the call from the Oval Office, he could have violated criminal provisions of the Hatch Act, which prohibits government officials from political activity in their official roles."
During Saturday night's rally, the crowd applauded when Trump said, "Your governor should be ashamed of himself," in an attempt to malign Kemp for not going along with his coup attempt.
The Postreported that "as the large crowd chanted 'Stop the Steal'—what's become a rallying cry for Republicans unwilling to accept Democrat Joe Biden's victory in last month's presidential election—Trump responded that 'Your governor could stop it very easily if he knew what the hell he was doing.'"
Post reporter Amber Phillips argued that some of Trump's rhetoric about being the victim of a rigged election could paradoxically dampen GOP participation in Georgia's upcoming runoff races, the outcomes of which will have significant implications for the future of U.S. politics.
"Trump's voter-fraud claims," she said, "are threatening to depress turnout among some Republican voters" who may feel less inclined to go to the polls if they believe the results are predetermined.
The Post's Dave Weigel shared on social media an image from the lie-filled rally, during which the GOP screened "a compilation of OAN and Newsmax videos making election fraud claims."
Trump still implored the audience to vote next month, however, saying it is possible to be upset about and challenge the results of the presidential election while supporting Loeffler and Perdue at the same time. "At stake in this election is control of the U.S. Senate, and that really means control of this country," Trump said.
Weigel, who is on-the-ground in Georgia this weekend, noted on Twitter that he and "every reporter [he] talked to has found" that most Trump voters believe not only that the president won but that "he'll still win the challenges and get a second term."
Moreover, according to Weigel, "none of these voters plan to skip the Jan. 5 runoff."