alternet--2020-10-21--Mitch McConnell just took ownership of any failure to get more COVID relief

It 's been 157 days since the House passed the $ 3 trillion HEROES Act , and 19 days since the House passed their compromise $ 2.2 trillion bill , both of which Sen. Mitch McConnell has refused to take up .
It is 14 days until the election , and McConnell just told the White House to stop negotiating for a deal .
There 's been a concerted effort by the Washington , D.C. press , with an assist from some Democratic bros , to pin the lack of a deal on Pelosi .
If she 'd just taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House had on offer , they say , this would have been done .
That 's totally ignoring the malevolent force that is McConnell , who has been refusing any substantive aid since March .
For eight months .
Now he 's owning that fact .
The Washington Post reports McConnell told his Republican conference in Tuesday 's weekly luncheon that he had `` warned the White House not to make a big stimulus deal before the election , '' and that Pelosi was not negotiating in good faith with Treasury Sec .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find a way to derail the quick confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
Which is ridiculous .
There are plenty of simpler ways she could do that .
Like bringing up and passing more resolutions of disagreement with White House regulations under the Congressional Review Act and sending them to the Senate , where they would be privileged .
Or impeaching any number of Trump 's cabinet or appointees ( like Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ) who have given ample reason for it .
Those would also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrangling her own members , spending hours on the phone with Mnuchin , and talking to the press on a daily basis about the status of negotiations .
McConnell has sat on the sidelines throwing spitballs when he 's not chortling over his success in stonewalling critical assistance to a nation in a pandemic .
He 's still putting it on the back burner , telling reporters after the lunch that if Pelosi and the White House come to an agreement , he 'd bring it to the Senate floor `` at some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd act on it before the election .
Because he does n't give a damn about anything other than Barrett on the court and the slim possibility that what 's shaping up to be a sound Trump defeat could be challenged there .
Pelosi and Mnuchin are still talking—they had about an hour-long conversation on Tuesday and agreed to talk again on Wednesday , after Pelosi backed away somewhat from the deadline she set for a deal by Tuesday .
Before their latest call , Pelosi told reporters that specific language has to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a preelection vote , and that she was `` optimistic '' despite key differences still remaining .
Those differences are the liability protections for businesses that McConnell has insisted on and which House Democrats flatly refuse , and aid to state and local governments .
That means that the White House and Pelosi are agreed on actual assistance to actual people in the form of stimulus checks and expanded unemployment insurance .
The things McConnell has been refusing for months .
They have made enough progress that Pelosi has delegated some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership , asking them to work out language with their ranking members , though those Republicans are less amenable to negotiation than Mnuchin and , presumably , Trump , who keeps clamoring in the background for a big , big stimulus that he can claim before Nov. 3 .
Pelosi 's spokesman reported that after Tuesday 's conversation , Pelosi and Mnuchin found `` more clarity and common ground as they move closer to an agreement , '' and that they both `` see that decisions could be reached and language could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious about finding a compromise . ''
They 're going to talk again on Wednesday .
With Trump supposedly `` very bullish '' on getting a deal , according to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows—the least likely guy to want to help the negotiations—there 's every reason for the two to keep pushing and to keep the pressure on Senate Republicans .
McConnell has now taken total ownership of an eventual failure by rejecting a deal even before it 's done , so Pelosi has nothing to lose .

It's been 157 days since the House passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act, and 19 days since the House passed their compromise $2.2 trillion bill, both of which Sen. Mitch McConnell has refused to take up. It is 14 days until the election, and McConnell just told the White House to stop negotiating for a deal.
There's been a concerted effort by the Washington, D.C. press, with an assist from some Democratic bros, to pin the lack of a deal on Pelosi. If she'd just taken the poisoned $1.8 trillion the White House had on offer, they say, this would have been done. That's totally ignoring the malevolent force that is McConnell, who has been refusing any substantive aid since March. For eight months. Now he's owning that fact.
TheWashington Post reports McConnell told his Republican conference in Tuesday's weekly luncheon that he had "warned the White House not to make a big stimulus deal before the election," and that Pelosi was not negotiating in good faith with Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin, but was instead trying to find a way to derail the quick confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Which is ridiculous. There are plenty of simpler ways she could do that. Like bringing up and passing more resolutions of disagreement with White House regulations under the Congressional Review Act and sending them to the Senate, where they would be privileged. Or impeaching any number of Trump's cabinet or appointees (like Postmaster General Louis DeJoy) who have given ample reason for it. Those would also be privileged.
Instead, Pelosi has been wrangling her own members, spending hours on the phone with Mnuchin, and talking to the press on a daily basis about the status of negotiations. McConnell has sat on the sidelines throwing spitballs when he's not chortling over his success in stonewalling critical assistance to a nation in a pandemic. He's still putting it on the back burner, telling reporters after the lunch that if Pelosi and the White House come to an agreement, he'd bring it to the Senate floor "at some point," refusing to say he'd act on it before the election. Because he doesn't give a damn about anything other than Barrett on the court and the slim possibility that what's shaping up to be a sound Trump defeat could be challenged there.
Pelosi and Mnuchin are still talking—they had about an hour-long conversation on Tuesday and agreed to talk again on Wednesday, after Pelosi backed away somewhat from the deadline she set for a deal by Tuesday. Before their latest call, Pelosi told reporters that specific language has to decided by the end of this week for a preelection vote, and that she was "optimistic" despite key differences still remaining. Those differences are the liability protections for businesses that McConnell has insisted on and which House Democrats flatly refuse, and aid to state and local governments.
That means that the White House and Pelosi are agreed on actual assistance to actual people in the form of stimulus checks and expanded unemployment insurance. The things McConnell has been refusing for months. They have made enough progress that Pelosi has delegated some of the specifics of spending to her appropriations leadership, asking them to work out language with their ranking members, though those Republicans are less amenable to negotiation than Mnuchin and, presumably, Trump, who keeps clamoring in the background for a big, big stimulus that he can claim before Nov. 3. Pelosi's spokesman reported that after Tuesday's conversation, Pelosi and Mnuchin found "more clarity and common ground as they move closer to an agreement," and that they both "see that decisions could be reached and language could be exchanged, demonstrating that both sides are serious about finding a compromise." They're going to talk again on Wednesday.
With Trump supposedly "very bullish" on getting a deal, according to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows—the least likely guy to want to help the negotiations—there's every reason for the two to keep pushing and to keep the pressure on Senate Republicans. McConnell has now taken total ownership of an eventual failure by rejecting a deal even before it's done, so Pelosi has nothing to lose.


alternet--2020-10-21--New report reveals Trump's hidden bank account in China

President Donald Trump has a bank account in China which until now has been hidden from the public .
The account , as first reported by The New York Times Tuesday evening , does not appear anywhere on the president 's financial disclosure forms .
Trump for years attempted to claim he and President Xi of China were good friends .
`` Mr. Trump 's own business history is filled with overseas financial deals , and some have involved the Chinese state , '' the Times reveals .
`` He spent a decade unsuccessfully pursuing projects in China , operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president and forging a partnership with a major government-controlled company . ''
Trump operates his business empire as a `` pass-through , '' which means that ultimately all profits makes their way to the president and his family .
`` And it turns out that China is one of only three foreign nations — the others are Britain and Ireland — where Mr. Trump maintains a bank account , according to an analysis of the president 's tax records , which were obtained by The New York Times .
The foreign accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's public financial disclosures , where he must list personal assets , because they are held under corporate names .
The identities of the financial institutions are not clear . ''
The Times goes on to report Trump paid China in taxes from 2013 to 2015 far more than the zero taxes he paid to the U.S. government during the same years .
One of Trump 's companies in China `` reported an unusually large spike in revenue — some $ 17.5 million , more than the previous five years ' combined .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ million withdrawal by Mr. Trump from the company 's capital account . ''
`` Until last year , China 's biggest state-controlled bank rented three floors in Trump Tower , a lucrative lease that drew accusations of a conflict of interest for the president , '' the Times adds .
Read the entire report at The New York Times .

President Donald Trump has a bank account in China which until now has been hidden from the public. The account, as first reported by The New York Times Tuesday evening, does not appear anywhere on the president's financial disclosure forms.
Trump for years attempted to claim he and President Xi of China were good friends.
"Mr. Trump's own business history is filled with overseas financial deals, and some have involved the Chinese state," the Times reveals. "He spent a decade unsuccessfully pursuing projects in China, operating an office there during his first run for president and forging a partnership with a major government-controlled company."
Trump operates his business empire as a "pass-through," which means that ultimately all profits makes their way to the president and his family.
"And it turns out that China is one of only three foreign nations — the others are Britain and Ireland — where Mr. Trump maintains a bank account, according to an analysis of the president's tax records, which were obtained by The New York Times. The foreign accounts do not show up on Mr. Trump's public financial disclosures, where he must list personal assets, because they are held under corporate names. The identities of the financial institutions are not clear."
The Times goes on to report Trump paid China in taxes from 2013 to 2015 far more than the zero taxes he paid to the U.S. government during the same years.
One of Trump's companies in China "reported an unusually large spike in revenue — some $17.5 million, more than the previous five years' combined. It was accompanied by a $15.1 million withdrawal by Mr. Trump from the company's capital account."
"Until last year, China's biggest state-controlled bank rented three floors in Trump Tower, a lucrative lease that drew accusations of a conflict of interest for the president," the Times adds.
Read the entire report at The New York Times.


alternet--2020-10-21--How Trump's law enforcement commission sought to create a 'dystopian police state'

President Donald Trump 's critics have accused him of trying to bring about authoritarianism gradually — that is , death by 1000 cuts rather than an outright coup d'état .
Phillip Atiba Goff , a professor of African-American studies at Yale University , warns that the U.S. could take a major step toward authoritarianism if criminal justice recommendations from a Trump-appointed commission come about .
Goff , in a New York Times op-edthis week , argues , `` Since this spring , when Americans watched George Floyd take his last breaths as a Minneapolis police officer , Derek Chauvin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borne witness to the worst that this country 's criminal justice system has to offer : continued extrajudicial killings , failure to hold officers accountable and state-sponsored violence against those standing up for justice .
It 's hard to imagine that things could get worse .
But draft recommendations from a Trump-appointed policing commission prove that they could . ''
Goff goes on to say that the commission 's recommendations `` provide a frightening window into the administration 's vision for law enforcement . ''
The Yale professor writes , `` I say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commission was considering recommendations that could transform this nation into a dystopian police state . ''
And Goff adds that those recommendations , if carried out , `` would limit prosecutors ' power to put in place bipartisan , long-needed reforms such as declining to charge low-level drug offenses and eliminating cash bail .
Rolling back that progress would be bad enough .
Worse still , hamstringing change-minded officials would curtail the power of voters who cast ballots for them . ''
He continued : `` Taken together , the upshot is clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professor at Yale Law School , if the recommendations became law , the consequences should worry all of us .
With the support of a sympathetic judge , law enforcement would face a lowered barrier to searching the contents of your phone , or adding photos of you and your friends to a nationwide facial recognition database .
If the officer used excessive force in the process of obtaining that phone and claimed qualified immunity as a defense , the federal government would be obligated to regularly affirm their support for that officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` It 's not a full-fledged surveillance state , '' he concluded .
`` But it 's not far off . ''
Now , it 's important to remember that the commission has been shut down by a judge , and its recommendations have not been adopted .
Trump could n't implement them on his own if he wanted to — Congress still plays a crucial role .
But this is the direction the president would like to take law enforcement in the U.S. , and there should be little doubt it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if Trump is re-elected .

President Donald Trump's critics have accused him of trying to bring about authoritarianism gradually — that is, death by 1000 cuts rather than an outright coup d'état. Phillip Atiba Goff, a professor of African-American studies at Yale University, warns that the U.S. could take a major step toward authoritarianism if criminal justice recommendations from a Trump-appointed commission come about.
Goff, in a New York Times op-edthis week , argues, "Since this spring, when Americans watched George Floyd take his last breaths as a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck, we've borne witness to the worst that this country's criminal justice system has to offer: continued extrajudicial killings, failure to hold officers accountable and state-sponsored violence against those standing up for justice. It's hard to imagine that things could get worse. But draft recommendations from a Trump-appointed policing commission prove that they could."
Goff goes on to say that the commission's recommendations "provide a frightening window into the administration's vision for law enforcement." The Yale professor writes, "I say this without exaggeration: the president's commission was considering recommendations that could transform this nation into a dystopian police state." And Goff adds that those recommendations, if carried out, "would limit prosecutors' power to put in place bipartisan, long-needed reforms such as declining to charge low-level drug offenses and eliminating cash bail. Rolling back that progress would be bad enough. Worse still, hamstringing change-minded officials would curtail the power of voters who cast ballots for them."
He continued: "Taken together, the upshot is clear. According to Tracey Meares, a professor at Yale Law School, if the recommendations became law, the consequences should worry all of us. With the support of a sympathetic judge, law enforcement would face a lowered barrier to searching the contents of your phone, or adding photos of you and your friends to a nationwide facial recognition database. If the officer used excessive force in the process of obtaining that phone and claimed qualified immunity as a defense, the federal government would be obligated to regularly affirm their support for that officer's defense regardless of the evidence."
"It's not a full-fledged surveillance state," he concluded. "But it's not far off."
Now, it's important to remember that the commission has been shut down by a judge, and its recommendations have not been adopted. Trump couldn't implement them on his own if he wanted to — Congress still plays a crucial role. But this is the direction the president would like to take law enforcement in the U.S., and there should be little doubt it would be on the second term agenda if Trump is re-elected.


alternet--2020-10-21--Obama goes off on Trump for reportedly having a 'secret Chinese bank account'

During a feisty campaign rally speech in Philadelphia on Wednesday , former President Barack Obama went off on his predecessor @ @ @ @ @ pointing to a recent New York Times story that found President Donald Trump has kept @ @ @ @ @ .
`` How is that possible ? ''
Obama exclaimed .
`` How is that @ @ @ @ @ bank account ! ''
He also observed the rank hypocrisy in right-wing media that has @ @ @ @ @ term in office .
`` Can you imagine if I had had a secret Chinese @ @ @ @ @ asked .
`` You think Fox News might have been a little concerned about that @ @ @ @ @ me 'Beijing Barry . '
'' He added : `` It is not a great @ @ @ @ @ who owes a bunch of money to people overseas .
That 's not a good @ @ @ @ @ of the taxes Donald Trump pays , he may be sending more to foreign governments @ @ @ @ @ United States . ''

During a feisty campaign rally speech in Philadelphia on Wednesday, former President Barack Obama went off on his predecessor's foreign financial ties, pointing to a recent New York Times story that found President Donald Trump has kept a secret Chinese bank account.
"How is that possible?" Obama exclaimed. "How is that possible? A secret Chinese bank account!"
He also observed the rank hypocrisy in right-wing media that has been obvious throughout Trump's term in office.
"Can you imagine if I had had a secret Chinese bank account?" Obama asked. "You think Fox News might have been a little concerned about that? They would have called me 'Beijing Barry.'"
He added: "It is not a great idea to have a president who owes a bunch of money to people overseas. That's not a good idea. I mean, of the taxes Donald Trump pays, he may be sending more to foreign governments than he pays in the United States."


alternet--2020-10-21--Trump has found his very own Dr. Death

Trump has found his very own Dr. Death

After all this time , most of us realize that Donald Trump is a Russian asset .
Not that he 's a secret mole necessarily or even The Manchurian Candidate , but Vladimir Putin plays him like a balalaika strumming Song of the Volga Boatmen .
No one but the two of them knows with absolute certainty why this is—whether it 's money-related ( probably ) or something else—but unwittingly or not , the cash-strapped president 's certainly playing the `` useful idiot '' role so beloved in spy fiction and such TV shows as `` Homeland . ''
Doubtless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term would see an even more concerted effort on Trump 's part to tear apart the NATO alliance and other vital international coalitions , not to mention a further fracturing of these United States .
What 's more , the intelligence community has made us aware , in no uncertain terms , that Russian cybermeddling in our election is still hammering away at American social media with trolls , bots and fake websites favoring Trump , and that he has been informed that Rudy Giuliani is a primary conduit for made-in-Russia leaks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter .
Trump waved the allegations aside .
One of Rudy 's main sources is discredited Ukrainian Andriy Derkach , described by the US Treasury department as `` an active Russian agent for over a decade , maintaining close connections with the Russian intelligence services . ''
Nonetheless , Rupert Murdoch 's New York Post has been publishing this rubbish ( to the horror of many in its newsroom ) and the primetime marionettes of Fox have pumped and bumped the story like a trumpet , even though the channel 's own news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , what strikes me as particularly in the style of the old Soviet Union are the actions of Dr. Scott Atlas , the neuroradiologist with absolutely no experience in virology , immunology or public health who Trump has plucked from the toxic airwaves of Fox to take over the increasingly moribund coronavirus task force .
As per The Washington Post : Colleagues described Atlas as `` ill-informed , manipulative and at times dishonest . ''
So as I read and listened to these reports , the someone who Atlas ' actions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a controversial figure from the Soviet Union 's Stalinist era : Trofim Lysenko – a man who , as Sam Kean wrote for The Atlantic a few years ago , `` probably killed more human beings than any individual scientist in history . ''
Lysenko , a biologist—sort of—rejected the science of genetics in favor of screwy theories that said the environment in which crops are grown was far more important than a plant species ' genetic code .
Food could be made to grow in the dead of winter , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cold water .
His nutty ideas were embraced by Soviet officials as properly Marxist .
Russia was wracked by famine and death .
Collective farms were a failure so Stalin put Lysenko in charge .
The pseudoscientist helped make it even worse .
Kean notes , `` Wheat , rye , potatoes , beets—most everything grown according to Lysenko 's methods died or rotted… Stalin still deserves the bulk of the blame for the famines , which killed at least 7 million people , but Lysenko 's practices prolonged and exacerbated the food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaked around 1932 to 1933 , but four years later , after a 163-fold increase in farmland cultivated using Lysenko 's methods , food production was actually lower than before . )
'' Russian scientists who dissented from the Lysenko school of humbug wound up denounced and jobless .
Many were sent to prison and several were executed .
His influence finally waned after the death of Stalin in 1953 although he remained at his job until 1965 .
Lysenko set back Russian agriculture by at least half a century .
Oddly enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there has been a bit of a revival of interest in Lysenko 's crackpot theories , in part because of an overall distrust in science and expertise .
In other words , if Trump and Dr. Scott Atlas are any indication , Lysenko would fit right in at this White House .
Despite having contracted coronavirus himself , Trump still eschews masks and social distancing , attacks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and the FDA , then insults Dr. Anthony Fauci , the pandemic 's trusted voice of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and `` a disaster . ''
He mocks Joe Biden for listening to `` the scientists , '' says he 's `` tired of covid , '' of talking about and hearing about the pandemic , poor thing .
He 'd rather throw mudballs , hurl scurrilous QAnon conspiracy theories , egg on armed extremists and yell at his rallies that he wants to throw Biden in jail on bogus criminal charges – anything to distract and keep from talking about an estimated 225,000 dead Americans by Election Day , 400,000 by year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the CDC , if we count undiagnosed cases and COVID-related sickness and death , the terrible human toll already is closer to 300,000 .
COVID-19 is on the rise in forty states .
On Sunday 's Meet the Press , Dr. Michael Osterholm , director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota , warned Chuck Todd , `` The next six-to-12 weeks are going to be the darkest of the entire pandemic .
Vaccines will not become available in any meaningful way until early to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even then , half of the U.S. population , at this point , is skeptical of even taking the vaccine… [ P ] eople do n't know what to believe .
And that 's one of our huge challenges going forward , is we 've got to get the message to the public that reflects the science and reflects reality . ''
But the message from Trump and Dr. Atlas remains one of denial .
Trump says the disease `` is disappearing , '' that a vaccine is imminent .
And just this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks are useless , only to have his message rejected by Twitter for misinformation .
Although Atlas denies he supports the idea of herd immunity – letting the disease rage through the population until it burns out – he recently endorsed the so-called `` Great Barrington Declaration , '' a pro-herd immunity document conjured by researchers affiliated with the libertarian American Institute for Economic Research and , as reported by The New York Times opposed by eighty `` alarmed and angry '' experts believing that `` the declaration 's approach would endanger Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at high risk from severe Covid-19—at least one-third of U.S. citizens , by most estimates—and result in perhaps a half-million deaths . ''
The bottom line is that Trump suffers from a different virulent disease , a callous indolence complicated by indifference and a lack of compassion , not to be unexpected from a lazy and ignorant man who has never worked an honest day in his life .
When the nation fell deathly ill , he failed to do what needed to be done and now embraces Atlas as an expert who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apathy and tries to make it look like smart policy .
Marc Lipsitch , director of Harvard 's Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics said it well , telling The Washington Post , `` If your goal is to do nothing , then you create a situation in which it looks okay to do nothing [ and ] you find some experts to make it complicated . ''
If you would seek an elected official who seems to know what he 's doing—at least on the pandemic front—look again to New York State Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his many faults and infuriating anti-reform efforts , has managed to preside over a largely successful statewide campaign against COVID .
( Although as The New Yorker 's Nick Paumgarten recently pointed out , `` Many of the moves Cuomo made in the earliest days of the pandemic were indicative of a governing style often hampered by political calculation and personal pique . ''
) Watch his media briefing this past Sunday , when he made a thoughtful presentation on vaccines and what needs to be addressed before successful inoculations can be administered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have suggested that he would make an excellent pandemic czar in a Biden administration ; theoretically , a job he could hold while continuing as governor—much as Fiorello LaGuardia ran the nation 's civil defense during World War II yet remained mayor of New York City .
In Scott Atlas , Donald Trump has found his Dr. Death , a Lysenko-like sidekick to the Superman that the president fantasizes himself to be .
Yet in reality , this horrific pandemic turns out to be the Kryptonite that may take away his real and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weakened and alone , back to the dark Bizarro world from whence he came .
Michael Winship is the Schumann Senior Writing Fellow for Common Dreams .
Previously , he was the Emmy Award-winning senior writer for Moyers & Company and BillMoyers.com , a past senior writing fellow at the policy and advocacy group Demos , and former president of the Writers Guild of America East .
Follow him on Twitter : @ MichaelWinship

After all this time, most of us realize that Donald Trump is a Russian asset. Not that he's a secret mole necessarily or even The Manchurian Candidate, but Vladimir Putin plays him like a balalaika strumming Song of the Volga Boatmen.
No one but the two of them knows with absolute certainty why this is—whether it's money-related (probably) or something else—but unwittingly or not, the cash-strapped president's certainly playing the "useful idiot" role so beloved in spy fiction and such TV shows as "Homeland." Doubtless to Putin's delight, a second term would see an even more concerted effort on Trump's part to tear apart the NATO alliance and other vital international coalitions, not to mention a further fracturing of these United States.
What's more, the intelligence community has made us aware, in no uncertain terms, that Russian cybermeddling in our election is still hammering away at American social media with trolls, bots and fake websites favoring Trump, and that he has been informed that Rudy Giuliani is a primary conduit for made-in-Russia leaks and misinformation about Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Trump waved the allegations aside.
One of Rudy's main sources is discredited Ukrainian Andriy Derkach, described by the US Treasury department as "an active Russian agent for over a decade, maintaining close connections with the Russian intelligence services." Nonetheless, Rupert Murdoch's New York Post has been publishing this rubbish (to the horror of many in its newsroom) and the primetime marionettes of Fox have pumped and bumped the story like a trumpet, even though the channel's own news department doubted its veracity.
But this week, what strikes me as particularly in the style of the old Soviet Union are the actions of Dr. Scott Atlas, the neuroradiologist with absolutely no experience in virology, immunology or public health who Trump has plucked from the toxic airwaves of Fox to take over the increasingly moribund coronavirus task force.
As per The Washington Post:
Atlas shot down attempts to expand testing. He openly feuded with other doctors on the coronavirus task force and succeeded in largely sidelining them. He advanced fringe theories, such as that social distancing and mask-wearing were meaningless and would not have changed the course of the virus in several hard-hit areas. And he advocated allowing infections to spread naturally among most of the population while protecting the most vulnerable and those in nursing homes until the United States reaches herd immunity, which experts say would cause excess deaths, according to three current and former senior administration officials.
Atlas also cultivated Trump's affection with his public assertions that the pandemic is nearly over, despite death and infection counts showing otherwise, and his willingness to tell the public that a vaccine could be developed before the Nov. 3 election, despite clear indications of a slower timetable.
Atlas's ascendancy was apparent during a recent Oval Office meeting. After Trump left the room, Atlas startled other aides by walking behind the Resolute Desk and occupying the president's personal space to keep the meeting going, according to one senior administration official. Atlas called this account 'false and laughable.'
Colleagues described Atlas as "ill-informed, manipulative and at times dishonest." So as I read and listened to these reports, the someone who Atlas' actions and personality reminded me of the most was a controversial figure from the Soviet Union's Stalinist era: Trofim Lysenko – a man who, as Sam Kean wrote for The Atlantic a few years ago, "probably killed more human beings than any individual scientist in history."
Lysenko, a biologist—sort of—rejected the science of genetics in favor of screwy theories that said the environment in which crops are grown was far more important than a plant species' genetic code. Food could be made to grow in the dead of winter, for example, if you soaked the seeds in cold water.
His nutty ideas were embraced by Soviet officials as properly Marxist. Russia was wracked by famine and death. Collective farms were a failure so Stalin put Lysenko in charge. The pseudoscientist helped make it even worse. Kean notes, "Wheat, rye, potatoes, beets—most everything grown according to Lysenko's methods died or rotted… Stalin still deserves the bulk of the blame for the famines, which killed at least 7 million people, but Lysenko's practices prolonged and exacerbated the food shortages. (Deaths from the famines peaked around 1932 to 1933, but four years later, after a 163-fold increase in farmland cultivated using Lysenko's methods, food production was actually lower than before.)"
Communist China adopted his methods, too—30 million died from starvation.
Russian scientists who dissented from the Lysenko school of humbug wound up denounced and jobless. Many were sent to prison and several were executed. His influence finally waned after the death of Stalin in 1953 although he remained at his job until 1965. Lysenko set back Russian agriculture by at least half a century.
Oddly enough, in Putin's Russia today, there has been a bit of a revival of interest in Lysenko's crackpot theories, in part because of an overall distrust in science and expertise. In other words, if Trump and Dr. Scott Atlas are any indication, Lysenko would fit right in at this White House.
Despite having contracted coronavirus himself, Trump still eschews masks and social distancing, attacks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA, then insults Dr. Anthony Fauci, the pandemic's trusted voice of reason, as "an idiot" and "a disaster." He mocks Joe Biden for listening to "the scientists," says he's "tired of covid," of talking about and hearing about the pandemic, poor thing. He'd rather throw mudballs, hurl scurrilous QAnon conspiracy theories, egg on armed extremists and yell at his rallies that he wants to throw Biden in jail on bogus criminal charges – anything to distract and keep from talking about an estimated 225,000 dead Americans by Election Day, 400,000 by year's end. In fact, according to the CDC, if we count undiagnosed cases and COVID-related sickness and death, the terrible human toll already is closer to 300,000.
COVID-19 is on the rise in forty states. On Sunday's Meet the Press, Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, warned Chuck Todd, "The next six-to-12 weeks are going to be the darkest of the entire pandemic. Vaccines will not become available in any meaningful way until early to third quarter of next year. And even then, half of the U.S. population, at this point, is skeptical of even taking the vaccine… [P]eople don't know what to believe. And that's one of our huge challenges going forward, is we've got to get the message to the public that reflects the science and reflects reality."
But the message from Trump and Dr. Atlas remains one of denial. Trump says the disease "is disappearing," that a vaccine is imminent. And just this past weekend, Atlas tried tweeting that masks are useless, only to have his message rejected by Twitter for misinformation. Although Atlas denies he supports the idea of herd immunity – letting the disease rage through the population until it burns out – he recently endorsed the so-called "Great Barrington Declaration," a pro-herd immunity document conjured by researchers affiliated with the libertarian American Institute for Economic Research and, as reported by The New York Times opposed by eighty "alarmed and angry" experts believing that "the declaration's approach would endanger Americans who have underlying conditions that put them at high risk from severe Covid-19—at least one-third of U.S. citizens, by most estimates—and result in perhaps a half-million deaths."
The bottom line is that Trump suffers from a different virulent disease, a callous indolence complicated by indifference and a lack of compassion, not to be unexpected from a lazy and ignorant man who has never worked an honest day in his life. When the nation fell deathly ill, he failed to do what needed to be done and now embraces Atlas as an expert who reverse engineers the president's lassitude and apathy and tries to make it look like smart policy. Marc Lipsitch, director of Harvard's Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics said it well, telling The Washington Post, "If your goal is to do nothing, then you create a situation in which it looks okay to do nothing [and] you find some experts to make it complicated."
If you would seek an elected official who seems to know what he's doing—at least on the pandemic front—look again to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who, for all his many faults and infuriating anti-reform efforts, has managed to preside over a largely successful statewide campaign against COVID. (Although as The New Yorker's Nick Paumgarten recently pointed out, "Many of the moves Cuomo made in the earliest days of the pandemic were indicative of a governing style often hampered by political calculation and personal pique.")
Watch his media briefing this past Sunday, when he made a thoughtful presentation on vaccines and what needs to be addressed before successful inoculations can be administered to vast numbers of people. Some have suggested that he would make an excellent pandemic czar in a Biden administration; theoretically, a job he could hold while continuing as governor—much as Fiorello LaGuardia ran the nation's civil defense during World War II yet remained mayor of New York City.
In Scott Atlas, Donald Trump has found his Dr. Death, a Lysenko-like sidekick to the Superman that the president fantasizes himself to be. Yet in reality, this horrific pandemic turns out to be the Kryptonite that may take away his real and imagined political powers and send him, weakened and alone, back to the dark Bizarro world from whence he came.
Michael Winship is the Schumann Senior Writing Fellow for Common Dreams. Previously, he was the Emmy Award-winning senior writer for Moyers & Company and BillMoyers.com, a past senior writing fellow at the policy and advocacy group Demos, and former president of the Writers Guild of America East. Follow him on Twitter: @MichaelWinship


alternet--2020-10-21--Judge shoots down DOJ push to delay Trump's rape case

The United States Department of Justice received a public rebuke from a federal judge on Wednesday .
At issue was @ @ @ @ @ 's efforts to have taxpayer-funded lawyers defend President Donald Trump in a civil case over @ @ @ @ @ Carroll after she accused him of sexual assault .
The DOJ attempted to delay the @ @ @ @ @ was denied access to the courthouse due to COVID-19 travel restrictions .
The DOJ claimed @ @ @ @ @ started on Tuesday , even though Gov .
Andrew Cuomo had announced the ban a @ @ @ @ @ denied the motion and noted the hearing could be conducted by phone .
The judge @ @ @ @ @ the government 's suggestion , it appears that Virginia was added to the list of @ @ @ @ @ ago . ''
The order was posted to Twitter by Courthouse News reporter Adam Klasfeld @

The United States Department of Justice received a public rebuke from a federal judge on Wednesday.
At issue was a hearing about the DOJ's efforts to have taxpayer-funded lawyers defend President Donald Trump in a civil case over whether he defamed E. Jean Carroll after she accused him of sexual assault.
The DOJ attempted to delay the case after a government attorney was denied access to the courthouse due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The DOJ claimed that the new rules had started on Tuesday, even though Gov. Andrew Cuomo had announced the ban a week earlier.
The judge denied the motion and noted the hearing could be conducted by phone.
The judge added that "contrary to the government's suggestion, it appears that Virginia was added to the list of Restricted States over a week ago."
The order was posted to Twitter by Courthouse News reporter Adam Klasfeld:


alternet--2020-10-21--Argentina’s veteran ambassador makes a stand for the sovereignty of Latin America

This article was produced by Globetrotter .
Alicia Castro does not shy away from her views .
She came to diplomacy from the trade union movement , where she was a leader when she was a flight attendant with Aerolíneas Argentinas .
Castro spent eight years as a member of parliament in the Argentine National Congress , where she fought for the rights of working people .
Ambassadorships in the United Kingdom and Venezuela culminated in the offer earlier this year of the post of Argentina 's ambassador to Russia .
While waiting to go to Russia to take up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Argentina 's government voted against Venezuela in the United Nations Council for Human Rights on October 6 .
She resigned from her post and made her resignation letter public .
`` Today , '' Castro wrote , `` I want to present my resignation as ambassador because I do not agree with the current foreign relations policy . ''
I spoke to Castro a week after she resigned from her position .
She indicated to me that this was not a difficult decision .
Rather , she would not have been able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not agree with its overall policy orientation toward its own sovereignty and the sovereignty of Latin America , the `` Patria Grande '' or the Great Homeland .
In July 2019 , Michelle Bachelet , the UN high commissioner for human rights and former president of Chile , published a report on alleged human rights violations in Venezuela .
The report had major gaps .
For instance , it downplays the U.S. sanctions , even ignoring that these unilateral sanctions were in place from 2008 and not from 2017 ; it fails @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instigated by the opposition such as in 2014 , 2017 , and 2019 .
To move her agenda forward , Bachelet announced in December 2019 an agreement with the Venezuelan government to set up human rights offices inside Venezuela that would report on allegations of violations .
It was clear that the issue of `` human rights '' was not being applied in a proper forensic and legal manner ; it had become a political tool for the United States of America and its allies as part of a disinformation campaign against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 2020 , Bachelet appeared at the UN Human Rights Council to offer her view of violations inside Venezuela .
This comes as Venezuela prepares for National Assembly elections on December 6 .
The United States has made it clear that it would like to interfere in the electoral process and push for the destabilization of Venezuelan politics .
An instrument for this interference is the Lima Group , set up in 2017 by Canada and a handful of Latin American countries ; the Lima Group provides cover for the U.S. strategy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 , the Lima Group and the United States pressured the United Nations Human Rights Council to set up an Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela ; this mission was never `` independent , '' since it received its $ 5 million largely from the Lima Group countries .
The report contained unverified information , mostly from social media accounts based outside Venezuela .
Argentina , under the previous right-wing government of Mauricio Macri , had been an integral part of the Lima Group .
During the left-leaning President Alberto Fernández 's successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said that his foreign minister would be Felipe Solá ; Solá , in turn , announced that Argentina would not leave the Lima Group even though it had been set up with the express purpose of regime change in Venezuela .
On October 6 , 2020 , Argentina voted with the Lima Group for Resolution L.43 to extend the mandate of the fact-finding mission .
It was this vote that set Alicia Castro 's teeth on edge .
`` What is at stake here , '' Castro told me , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First , there is a general assault on democratic institutions across Latin America .
We were speaking a few days before the election in Bolivia , where the leftist Movement for Socialism ( MAS ) won the election and reversed the coup d'état that overthrew the MAS government in November 2019 .
Across Latin America , coups of one kind or another—lawfare and hybrid wars—have been used against leftist political forces .
Daily assassinations and intimidation of leftist leaders in Colombia seem not to have awoken the same kind of indignation from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus their attention—thanks to a magnifying glass provided by Washington , D.C.—on Venezuela .
Governments that are interested in reducing `` the disgusting gap between rich and poor , '' Castro said , are threatened with removal .
This is what Lula ( Brazil ) , Evo Morales ( Bolivia ) , Rafael Correa ( Ecuador ) , and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner ( now vice president of Argentina ) endured .
`` The commercial news media and social media with its armies of trolls and bots play a central role in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of democracy , '' Castro said .
The second concern is that the Lima Group is driven by an agenda from North America and Europe .
In her resignation letter , Alicia Castro referred to the Drago Doctrine .
In 1902 , Argentina 's Foreign Minister Luis María Drago objected when the United Kingdom , Germany , and Italy attempted a naval blockade against Venezuela to recover its investments ; Drago said that armed intervention must never be allowed for the recovery of public debt and that the sovereignty of Latin America must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ painful that Argentina voted together with the United Kingdom against Venezuela , '' said Castro , given the conflict over the Malvinas Islands between the UK and Argentina .
In 2012 , when Castro was the ambassador to the UK , she challenged UK Foreign Minister William Hague over London 's failure to hold talks over the disputed islands .
For Argentina to join with the UK and to ride roughshod over the Drago Doctrine seemed a full violation of everything that defined its independent foreign policy .
Even worse , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acted in the UN to please the wealthy bondholders who are in the midst of negotiations over the possibility of a default .
It could well be a coincidence that the International Monetary Fund 's mission team ( Julie Kozack and Luis Cubeddu ) arrived in Buenos Aires on the day of the UN vote .
Refinancing the $ 44 billion debt is the main issue before Argentina 's government , which is in no mood to sour relations with the U.S. Treasury Department as the discussion about timetables for repayment are ongoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Argentinian government said that the country `` does not subscribe to '' the general orientation of the Lima Group .
This is welcome news , but it does not explain its UN vote on October 6 .
`` Anti-colonialism is… an ethical imperative , '' Castro wrote in her resignation letter .
This is a powerful sentence .
It was an act of immense bravery for her to have resigned in such a public way .
But her resignation has clarified for many people the importance of standing up straight in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoulders before the arrogance of the powerful .
Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian , editor and journalist .
He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter .
He is the chief editor of LeftWord Books and the director of Tricontinental : Institute for Social Research .
He is a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies , Renmin University of China .
He has written more than 20 books , including The Darker Nations and The Poorer Nations .
His latest book is Washington Bullets , with an @ @ @ @ @ @

This article was produced by Globetrotter.
Alicia Castro does not shy away from her views. She came to diplomacy from the trade union movement, where she was a leader when she was a flight attendant with Aerolíneas Argentinas. Castro spent eight years as a member of parliament in the Argentine National Congress, where she fought for the rights of working people. Ambassadorships in the United Kingdom and Venezuela culminated in the offer earlier this year of the post of Argentina's ambassador to Russia.
While waiting to go to Russia to take up this position, Castro was angered when Argentina's government voted against Venezuela in the United Nations Council for Human Rights on October 6. She resigned from her post and made her resignation letter public. "Today," Castro wrote, "I want to present my resignation as ambassador because I do not agree with the current foreign relations policy."
I spoke to Castro a week after she resigned from her position. She indicated to me that this was not a difficult decision. Rather, she would not have been able to serve her country's government if she did not agree with its overall policy orientation toward its own sovereignty and the sovereignty of Latin America, the "Patria Grande" or the Great Homeland.
Corruption of 'Human Rights'
In July 2019, Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human rights and former president of Chile, published a report on alleged human rights violations in Venezuela. The report had major gaps. For instance, it downplays the U.S. sanctions, even ignoring that these unilateral sanctions were in place from 2008 and not from 2017; it fails to mention the many instances of violence instigated by the opposition such as in 2014, 2017, and 2019.
To move her agenda forward, Bachelet announced in December 2019 an agreement with the Venezuelan government to set up human rights offices inside Venezuela that would report on allegations of violations. It was clear that the issue of "human rights" was not being applied in a proper forensic and legal manner; it had become a political tool for the United States of America and its allies as part of a disinformation campaign against the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro.
In September 2020, Bachelet appeared at the UN Human Rights Council to offer her view of violations inside Venezuela. This comes as Venezuela prepares for National Assembly elections on December 6. The United States has made it clear that it would like to interfere in the electoral process and push for the destabilization of Venezuelan politics.
An instrument for this interference is the Lima Group, set up in 2017 by Canada and a handful of Latin American countries; the Lima Group provides cover for the U.S. strategy of regime change against Venezuela. In September 2019, the Lima Group and the United States pressured the United Nations Human Rights Council to set up an Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela; this mission was never "independent," since it received its $5 million largely from the Lima Group countries. The report contained unverified information, mostly from social media accounts based outside Venezuela.
Argentina, under the previous right-wing government of Mauricio Macri, had been an integral part of the Lima Group. During the left-leaning President Alberto Fernández's successful campaign in Argentina's 2019 general election, he said that his foreign minister would be Felipe Solá; Solá, in turn, announced that Argentina would not leave the Lima Group even though it had been set up with the express purpose of regime change in Venezuela. On October 6, 2020, Argentina voted with the Lima Group for Resolution L.43 to extend the mandate of the fact-finding mission. It was this vote that set Alicia Castro's teeth on edge.
Erosion of Sovereignty
"What is at stake here," Castro told me, "are two very serious concerns."
First, there is a general assault on democratic institutions across Latin America. We were speaking a few days before the election in Bolivia, where the leftist Movement for Socialism (MAS) won the election and reversed the coup d'état that overthrew the MAS government in November 2019. Across Latin America, coups of one kind or another—lawfare and hybrid wars—have been used against leftist political forces. Dailyassassinations and intimidation of leftist leaders in Colombia seem not to have awoken the same kind of indignation from the governments of Peru and Brazil; they focus their attention—thanks to a magnifying glass provided by Washington, D.C.—on Venezuela.
Governments that are interested in reducing "the disgusting gap between rich and poor," Castro said, are threatened with removal. This is what Lula (Brazil), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (now vice president of Argentina) endured. "The commercial news media and social media with its armies of trolls and bots play a central role in the demonization of popular leaders and the destabilization of democracy," Castro said.
The second concern is that the Lima Group is driven by an agenda from North America and Europe. In her resignation letter, Alicia Castro referred to the Drago Doctrine. In 1902, Argentina's Foreign Minister Luis María Drago objected when the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy attempted a naval blockade against Venezuela to recover its investments; Drago said that armed intervention must never be allowed for the recovery of public debt and that the sovereignty of Latin America must be defended.
"It is particularly painful that Argentina voted together with the United Kingdom against Venezuela," said Castro, given the conflict over the Malvinas Islands between the UK and Argentina. In 2012, when Castro was the ambassador to the UK, she challenged UK Foreign Minister William Hague over London's failure to hold talks over the disputed islands.
For Argentina to join with the UK and to ride roughshod over the Drago Doctrine seemed a full violation of everything that defined its independent foreign policy.
Even worse, however, is the suggestion that Argentina's government acted in the UN to please the wealthy bondholders who are in the midst of negotiations over the possibility of a default. It could well be a coincidence that the International Monetary Fund's mission team (Julie Kozack and Luis Cubeddu) arrived in Buenos Aires on the day of the UN vote. Refinancing the $44 billion debt is the main issue before Argentina's government, which is in no mood to sour relations with the U.S. Treasury Department as the discussion about timetables for repayment are ongoing.
Ethics
Stung by Castro's resignation, the Argentinian government said that the country "does not subscribe to" the general orientation of the Lima Group. This is welcome news, but it does not explain its UN vote on October 6.
"Anti-colonialism is… an ethical imperative," Castro wrote in her resignation letter. This is a powerful sentence. It was an act of immense bravery for her to have resigned in such a public way. But her resignation has clarified for many people the importance of standing up straight in a world where too many people drop their shoulders before the arrogance of the powerful.
Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, editor and journalist. He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter. He is the chief editor of LeftWord Books and the director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He has written more than 20 books, including The Darker Nations and The Poorer Nations. His latest book is Washington Bullets, with an introduction by Evo Morales Ayma.


alternet--2020-10-21--Democrats called on to impeach Bill Barr — immediately

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday , more than 40 progressive groups urged the House Democrats to initiate impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Bill Barr—not only to hold his accountable for numerous wrongdoings while in office , but also as a procedural tactic to keep the Senate from confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court .
The groups , including United We Dream Action , the Center for Popular Democracy , and the Sunrise Movement , listed multiple offenses by the attorney general which would warrant impeachment proceedings , including : • Supporting—and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against protestors in support of racial justice • Prohibiting the referral of an intelligence community whistleblower complaint to Congress • Failing to comply with subpoenas issued by the House of Representatives Beyond holding Barr to account , as a team of legal experts also demanded the Democrats do in a report last week , beginning impeachment proceedings before this Friday , Oct. 23 , would throw a wrench into Senate Republicans ' plans to confirm Coney Barrett ahead of Election Day as well as their intent to use the court system to President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration 's successful efforts to delay to 2021 court proceedings that would vindicate Congress 's rights and to stack the courts with unqualified Trump judges—and Trump justices—means that the window for your actions to matter is rapidly closing , '' wrote the groups .
`` In a lawless administration whose only principle is helping the president 's friends and hurting his enemies , and in the face of widespread efforts by the administration to prevent the peaceful transition of power , the final line of accountability lies with you . ''
The letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding the Senate Democrats ' handling of Coney Barrett 's confirmation hearings last week .
Democrats , particularly Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) —ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee— '' lent legitimacy to an illegitimate process , '' according to Adam Jentleson , public affairs director for Democracy Forward .
Jentleson on Wednesday blamed the Democrats for new Morning Consult poll results showing that support for the right-wing judge 's confirmation has risen by 18 points among Democratic voters .
As the hearings adjourned last week , Feinstein praised committee Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` leadership '' during the proceedings .
She also refused to join her more progressive colleagues in calling for the expansion of the Supreme Court and offered Coney Barrett a passive `` nonsense line of questioning '' regarding her views on Roe vs. Wade and other issues , according to Demand Justice executive director Brian Fallon .
Now that the hearings are over , the groups wrote Tuesday , House Democrats must use every procedural tool available to them to delay a vote on Coney Barrett .
If the Democrats initiate the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either be obligated to hold a trial or change the Senate rules to amend how the chamber responds to articles of impeachment , the groups explained .
`` Either outcome is desirable , '' the groups wrote , explaining that if McConnell changes the rules , it `` would lay the groundwork for future reform of Senate procedure and the rebalancing and depoliticization of the Federal Judiciary .
The House of Representatives needs a Senate that is capable of acting on the legislation it reports , and only reform of how the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The best time for the House of Representatives to consider an impeachment of Attorney General Barr was months ago , '' the organizations continued .
`` The second-best time is right now .
If you wait , it may be too late for the House , for the Senate , for the Supreme Court , and for our democracy .
Time is running out . ''

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday, more than 40 progressive groups urged the House Democrats to initiate impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Bill Barr—not only to hold his accountable for numerous wrongdoings while in office, but also as a procedural tactic to keep the Senate from confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The groups, including United We Dream Action, the Center for Popular Democracy, and the Sunrise Movement, listed multiple offenses by the attorney general which would warrant impeachment proceedings, including:
Misleading Congress regarding the Mueller investigation
Supporting—and reportedly personally ordering—the use of federal troops against protestors in support of racial justice
Prohibiting the referral of an intelligence community whistleblower complaint to Congress
Failing to comply with subpoenas issued by the House of Representatives
Beyond holding Barr to account, as a team of legal experts also demanded the Democrats do in a report last week, beginning impeachment proceedings before this Friday, Oct. 23, would throw a wrench into Senate Republicans' plans to confirm Coney Barrett ahead of Election Day as well as their intent to use the court system to President Donald Trump's benefit.
"The administration's successful efforts to delay to 2021 court proceedings that would vindicate Congress's rights and to stack the courts with unqualified Trump judges—and Trump justices—means that the window for your actions to matter is rapidly closing," wrote the groups. "In a lawless administration whose only principle is helping the president's friends and hurting his enemies, and in the face of widespread efforts by the administration to prevent the peaceful transition of power, the final line of accountability lies with you."
The letter was drafted amid widespread frustration from progressives regarding the Senate Democrats' handling of Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings last week.
Democrats, particularly Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)—ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee—"lent legitimacy to an illegitimate process," according to Adam Jentleson, public affairs director for Democracy Forward.
Jentleson on Wednesday blamed the Democrats for new Morning Consult poll results showing that support for the right-wing judge's confirmation has risen by 18 points among Democratic voters.
As the hearings adjourned last week, Feinstein praised committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) for his "leadership" during the proceedings. She also refused to join her more progressive colleagues in calling for the expansion of the Supreme Court and offered Coney Barrett a passive "nonsense line of questioning" regarding her views on Roe vs. Wade and other issues, according to Demand Justice executive director Brian Fallon.
Now that the hearings are over, the groups wrote Tuesday, House Democrats must use every procedural tool available to them to delay a vote on Coney Barrett.
If the Democrats initiate the impeachment process before Friday, the Senate will either be obligated to hold a trial or change the Senate rules to amend how the chamber responds to articles of impeachment, the groups explained.
"Either outcome is desirable," the groups wrote, explaining that if McConnell changes the rules, it "would lay the groundwork for future reform of Senate procedure and the rebalancing and depoliticization of the Federal Judiciary. The House of Representatives needs a Senate that is capable of acting on the legislation it reports, and only reform of how the Senate operates can make that possible."
"The best time for the House of Representatives to consider an impeachment of Attorney General Barr was months ago," the organizations continued. "The second-best time is right now. If you wait, it may be too late for the House, for the Senate, for the Supreme Court, and for our democracy. Time is running out."


alternet--2020-10-21--The GOP is shrinking — and Democrats have a chance to create a real democracy: professor

If President Donald Trump loses to former Vice President Joe Biden on November 3 — assuming he does n't manage to pull off a narrow Electoral College victory — we 'll be forced to ask : `` Where do the Republican Party and the conservative movement go from here ? ''
As part of a beginning to the answer for that question , Corey Robin , a political science professor at Brooklyn College , analyzes the state of American conservatism in an article for the New York Review of Books and lays out some ways in which it has evolved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heyday , American conservatism was called a 'three-legged stool , ' '' Robin explains .
`` One leg was economic and libertarian , appealing to business-minded voters with a platform of tax cuts , deregulation and gutting the welfare state .
The second leg was statist and anti-communist , rallying militarists eager to fight and win the Cold War .
The third leg was cultural and traditionalist , speaking to voters who were anxious about religion , sex and race — and who hoped to roll back the reforms of the Warren Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` legs '' of conservatism that Robin refers to were evident during the 1980s , when President Ronald Reagan oversaw a fragile coalition that ranged form libertarians to neocons to Christian fundamentalist evangelicals — a movement that Sen. Barry Goldwater was openly contemptuous of when he railed against the Moral Majority 's Rev .
Jerry Falwell , Sr. and the Christian Broadcasting Network 's Pat Robertson .
But for all their infighting , conservatives dominated the political conversation during the 1980s .
And Robin recalls that `` liberals and Democrats were forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many of the premises of Republican rule , much as [ President Dwight D. ] Eisenhower and [ President Richard ] Nixon had once had to accommodate parts of the New Deal . ''
Ahead of this year 's presidential election , Robin notes , the `` three-legged stool of conservatism looks vastly different '' from what it was in the past .
`` Conservatism is no longer a movement in ascendancy , '' Robin argues .
`` Nor is it much of a party in power : even when it controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2016 to 2018 , the GOP was n't able to push many parts of its agenda through Congress .
The tax cuts were the notable exception .
Conservatism has ceased to be a political project capable of creating hegemony through majoritarian means . ''
During the 1980s , liberals often felt dispirited because Democrats did n't win a single presidential election during that decade .
But post-1980s , Democrats have won the popular vote in six of the last seven presidential elections — and as Robin explains in his article , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` To judge by its vote-getting and vote-suppressing efforts in 2020 , the GOP has little hope for or interest in securing a mandate from the majority , of creating or maintaining a common sense of the whole , '' Robin writes .
`` It seeks instead to cobble together enough electoral votes out of states representing a minority of the electorate — often rural , older and white . ''
If Republicans lose both the White House and the U.S. Senate in November , Robin explains , their best line of defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Though much attention has been focused on the Supreme Court , the GOP 's impact has been especially acute at the lower levels of the judiciary , '' Robin writes .
`` Trump has appointed more appellate judges than any other president in the first three years and almost as many as Barack Obama appointed over the entirety of his two terms… .
Trump 's judges are rich , white and built to last . ''
Robin wraps up his article by stressing that the GOP will become increasingly reliant on the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a major blue wave in November .
`` If the Democrats win the White House and the Senate in November — and if they hope to implement the merest plank of their platform — it will be they , and not the Republicans , who will have to engage in a major project of norm erosion , '' Robin argues .
`` It will be they who will have to abolish the filibuster .
It will be they who will have to pack the Supreme Court or limit the courts ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these measures — whether to secure the voting rights of African-Americans , reduce economic inequality , or address climate change — we will see that norm erosion is not how democracies die , but how they are born . ''

If President Donald Trump loses to former Vice President Joe Biden on November 3 — assuming he doesn't manage to pull off a narrow Electoral College victory — we'll be forced to ask: "Where do the Republican Party and the conservative movement go from here?"
As part of a beginning to the answer for that question, Corey Robin, a political science professor at Brooklyn College, analyzes the state of American conservatism in an article for the New York Review of Books and lays out some ways in which it has evolved in recent decades.
"In its heyday, American conservatism was called a 'three-legged stool,'" Robin explains. "One leg was economic and libertarian, appealing to business-minded voters with a platform of tax cuts, deregulation and gutting the welfare state. The second leg was statist and anti-communist, rallying militarists eager to fight and win the Cold War. The third leg was cultural and traditionalist, speaking to voters who were anxious about religion, sex and race — and who hoped to roll back the reforms of the Warren Court and the '60s."
The different "legs" of conservatism that Robin refers to were evident during the 1980s, when President Ronald Reagan oversaw a fragile coalition that ranged form libertarians to neocons to Christian fundamentalist evangelicals — a movement that Sen. Barry Goldwater was openly contemptuous of when he railed against the Moral Majority's Rev. Jerry Falwell, Sr. and the Christian Broadcasting Network's Pat Robertson. But for all their infighting, conservatives dominated the political conversation during the 1980s. And Robin recalls that "liberals and Democrats were forced to accept, as a condition of governance, many of the premises of Republican rule, much as [President Dwight D.] Eisenhower and [President Richard] Nixon had once had to accommodate parts of the New Deal."
Ahead of this year's presidential election, Robin notes, the "three-legged stool of conservatism looks vastly different" from what it was in the past.
"Conservatism is no longer a movement in ascendancy," Robin argues. "Nor is it much of a party in power: even when it controlled all the elected branches of government, from 2016 to 2018, the GOP wasn't able to push many parts of its agenda through Congress. The tax cuts were the notable exception. Conservatism has ceased to be a political project capable of creating hegemony through majoritarian means."
During the 1980s, liberals often felt dispirited because Democrats didn't win a single presidential election during that decade. But post-1980s, Democrats have won the popular vote in six of the last seven presidential elections — and as Robin explains in his article, the GOP has become a shrinking party.
"To judge by its vote-getting and vote-suppressing efforts in 2020, the GOP has little hope for or interest in securing a mandate from the majority, of creating or maintaining a common sense of the whole," Robin writes. "It seeks instead to cobble together enough electoral votes out of states representing a minority of the electorate — often rural, older and white."
If Republicans lose both the White House and the U.S. Senate in November, Robin explains, their best line of defense will be the federal judiciary.
"Though much attention has been focused on the Supreme Court, the GOP's impact has been especially acute at the lower levels of the judiciary," Robin writes. "Trump has appointed more appellate judges than any other president in the first three years and almost as many as Barack Obama appointed over the entirety of his two terms…. Trump's judges are rich, white and built to last."
Robin wraps up his article by stressing that the GOP will become increasingly reliant on the federal judiciary and "gonzo constitutionalism" if there is a major blue wave in November.
"If the Democrats win the White House and the Senate in November — and if they hope to implement the merest plank of their platform — it will be they, and not the Republicans, who will have to engage in a major project of norm erosion," Robin argues. "It will be they who will have to abolish the filibuster. It will be they who will have to pack the Supreme Court or limit the courts' jurisdiction…. Should the Democrats take any of these measures — whether to secure the voting rights of African-Americans, reduce economic inequality, or address climate change — we will see that norm erosion is not how democracies die, but how they are born."


alternet--2020-10-21--Watch: QAnon true believers let loose with their ridiculous theories to a CNN reporter

CNN reporter Donie O'Sullivan shed light on the disturbing QAnon movement hijacking the name of a respected humanitarian charity in order to spread disturbing , baseless conspiracies about Hollywood celebrities and prominent Democratic leaders , including presidential nominee Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton .
Last week , O'Sullivan opted for a firsthand experience when he attended two QAnon events that recently took place —a protest in Los Angeles , Calif. , and an indoor event that was held inside a conference room at a Scottsdale , Ariz. , resort .
On Tuesday morning , a clip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite having no evidence to support their claims , the QAnon supporters offered bizarre remarks about the non-existent pedophilia ring they believe Democratic leaders are involved in .
In reality , QAnon is a right-wing fiction that carries on the legacy of many darkly conspiratorial view over the years .
It began with internet postings by someone known as Q dubiously claiming to be a Trump administration insider , but it has ballooned far beyond those origins .
It has roots in anti-Semitic bigotry and accusations of blood libel , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainstream sources , a skepticism that Republicans have been stoking for decades .
Apparently , QAnon followers are hijacking the `` Save the Children '' movement because they fully believe Democrats are using children for a pedophilia ring .
O'Sullivan spoke with an individual who explained the moment as he admitted that most QAnon followers believe almost every high-ranking Democrat is a pedophile or supports pedophilia in some way .
Although President Donald Trump made countless promises to his supporters when he campaigned in 2016 , QAnon followers are refusing to believe many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just to secure his presidency .
In addition to the pedophilia claims , QAnon believes have also come up with a theory to justify Trump 's failure to deliver on his campaign promises .
In the video clip , one QAnon believer baselessly claimed Trump could not lock up Clinton or remove all of the immigrants residing in the United States because the government is secretly controlled by the `` deep state . ''
However , the truth is that Trump 's investigation into Clinton fell short and he never had the power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the QAnon protesters at the Los Angeles rally also expressed frustration with those who oppose their views as they insisted no one wants to `` save the children . ''
But , despite their uproar and outcry , the movement has faced heightened criticism because there is absolutely no evidence to back their conspiracies .
The latest news comes just days after Trump was asked about QAnon during his NBC town hall with moderator Savannah Guthrie .
At the time , Trump insisted he knew very little about the conspiracy but also refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believing children need to be `` saved '' from some pedophilia ring orchestrated by Democrats , the Save the Children charity is in no way connected to QAnon and its dangerous impact which serves as merely a distraction from real child protection organizations fighting for true causes .

CNN reporter Donie O'Sullivan shed light on the disturbing QAnon movement hijacking the name of a respected humanitarian charity in order to spread disturbing, baseless conspiracies about Hollywood celebrities and prominent Democratic leaders, including presidential nominee Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Last week, O'Sullivan opted for a firsthand experience when he attended two QAnon events that recently took place —a protest in Los Angeles, Calif., and an indoor event that was held inside a conference room at a Scottsdale, Ariz., resort. On Tuesday morning, a clip of O'Sullivan's interviews aired on CNN. Despite having no evidence to support their claims, the QAnon supporters offered bizarre remarks about the non-existent pedophilia ring they believe Democratic leaders are involved in.
In reality, QAnon is a right-wing fiction that carries on the legacy of many darkly conspiratorial view over the years. It began with internet postings by someone known as Q dubiously claiming to be a Trump administration insider, but it has ballooned far beyond those origins. It has roots in anti-Semitic bigotry and accusations of blood libel, and it feeds off distrust in the media and mainstream sources, a skepticism that Republicans have been stoking for decades.
Apparently, QAnon followers are hijacking the "Save the Children" movement because they fully believe Democrats are using children for a pedophilia ring. O'Sullivan spoke with an individual who explained the moment as he admitted that most QAnon followers believe almost every high-ranking Democrat is a pedophile or supports pedophilia in some way.
Although President Donald Trump made countless promises to his supporters when he campaigned in 2016, QAnon followers are refusing to believe many of his promises were merely verbal commitments just to secure his presidency. In addition to the pedophilia claims, QAnon believes have also come up with a theory to justify Trump's failure to deliver on his campaign promises.
In the video clip, one QAnon believer baselessly claimed Trump could not lock up Clinton or remove all of the immigrants residing in the United States because the government is secretly controlled by the "deep state." However, the truth is that Trump's investigation into Clinton fell short and he never had the power to remove all immigrants.
Many of the QAnon protesters at the Los Angeles rally also expressed frustration with those who oppose their views as they insisted no one wants to "save the children." But, despite their uproar and outcry, the movement has faced heightened criticism because there is absolutely no evidence to back their conspiracies. The latest news comes just days after Trump was asked about QAnon during his NBC town hall with moderator Savannah Guthrie.
At the time, Trump insisted he knew very little about the conspiracy but also refused to condemn their theories. Despite QAnon believing children need to be "saved" from some pedophilia ring orchestrated by Democrats, the Save the Children charity is in no way connected to QAnon and its dangerous impact which serves as merely a distraction from real child protection organizations fighting for true causes.


alternet--2020-10-21--Trump's gruesome legacy marks his administration as an accomplice to the Saudi crown prince's crimes

Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered on October 2 , 2018 by agents of Saudi Arabia 's despotic government , and the CIA concluded they killed him on direct orders from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ( MBS ) .
Eight Saudi men have been convicted of Khashoggi 's murder by a Saudi court in what the Washington Post characterized as sham trials with no transparency .
The higher ups who ordered the murder , including MBS , continue to escape responsibility .
Khashoggi 's assassination and dismemberment was so horrific and cold-blooded that it sparked worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , stood by MBS , bragging to journalist Bob Woodward that he saved the prince 's `` ass '' and got `` Congress to leave him alone . ''
MBS 's ascent to dictatorial power , soon after his elderly father King Salman became king in January 2015 , was sold to the world as ushering in a new era of reform , but has in reality been characterized by violent , ruthless repression .
The number of executions has doubled , from 423 executions between 2009 and 2014 to more than 800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass execution of 37 people on April 23 , 2019 , mostly for taking part in peaceful Arab Spring protests in 2011-12 .
These protests took place in Shiite areas where people face systemic discrimination in the majority Sunni kingdom .
At least three of those executed were minors when they were sentenced , and one was a student arrested at the airport on his way to attend Western Michigan University .
Many of the victims ' families have said that they were convicted based on forced confessions extracted by torture , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on public display .
Under MBS , all dissent has been crushed .
In the last two years , all of Saudi Arabia 's independent human rights defenders have been imprisoned , threatened into silence , or have fled the country .
This includes women 's rights activists such as Loujain al-Hathoul , who opposed the ban on women drivers .
Despite some openings for women under MBS , including the right to drive , Saudi women remain subject to discrimination in law and practice , with laws that ensure they are subordinate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to family matters such as marriage , divorce , child custody and inheritance .
The Trump administration has never challenged Saudi Arabia 's internal repression , and worse yet , it has played a vital role in the brutal Saudi-led war on neighboring Yemen .
After Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi failed to leave office at the end of his two-year term as the head of a transitional government , or to fulfill his mandate to draw up a new constitution and hold a new election , the Houthi rebel movement invaded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 , placed him under house arrest and demanded that he do his job .
Hadi instead resigned , fled to Saudi Arabia and conspired with MBS and the Saudis to launch a war to try to restore him to power .
The United States has provided in-air refueling , intelligence and planning for Saudi and Emirati air strikes and has raked in over 100 billion dollars in arms sales .
While U.S. support for the Saudi war began under President Obama , Trump has provided unconditional support as the horrors of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the Yemen Data Project , at least 30 % of US-supported airstrikes on Yemen have hit civilian targets , including hospitals , health clinics , schools , marketplaces , civilian infrastructure , and a particularly horrific airstrike on a school bus that killed 40 children and 11 adults .
After five years , this brutal war has succeeded only in wreaking mass devastation and chaos , with dozens of children dying every day from starvation , malnutrition and preventable diseases , all now compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic .
Belated Congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war , including the passage of a War Powers bill in March 2019 and a bill to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia in July 2019 , have been vetoed when they reached President Trump 's desk .
The U.S. alliance with the Saudis certainly predates Trump , going back to the discovery of oil in the 1930s .
While its traditional role as an oil supplier is no longer vital to the U.S. economy , Saudi Arabia has become one of the largest purchasers of U.S. weapons , a major investor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After the failed U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq , the U.S. began grooming Saudi Arabia to play a leading geopolitical and military role , alongside Israel , in a new U.S.-led alliance to counter the growing influence of Iran , Russia and China in the Middle East .
The war on Yemen was the first test of Saudi Arabia 's role as a leading U.S. military ally , and it exposed both the practical and moral bankruptcy of this policy , unleashing another endless war and the world 's worst humanitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Earth .
MBS 's assassination of Jamal Khashoggi came at a critical moment in the unraveling of this doomed strategy , laying bare the sheer insanity of basing America 's Middle East policy for the 21st century on an alliance with a neo-feudal monarchy sustained by murder and repression .
President Obama tried to change tack towards the end of his administration , putting a hold on the sale of munitions to Saudi Arabia and signing a nuclear deal with Iran .
Trump reversed both these policies , and continued to treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even as the world recoiled in horror at Khashoggi 's assassination .
While Saudi abuses have not diminished the Trump administration 's unconditional support , they have ignited global opposition .
In an exciting new development , exiled Saudi activists have formed a political party , the National Assembly Party or NAAS , calling for democracy and respect for human rights in the kingdom .
In its inaugural statement , the party laid out a vision for Saudi Arabia in which all citizens are equal under the law and a fully elected parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state 's executive institutions .
The founding document was signed by several prominent Saudi activists in exile , including London-based professor Madawi al-Rasheed ; Abdullah Alaoudh , a Saudi academic who is also the son of jailed Islamic scholar Salman al-Awda ; and Shia activist Ahmed al-Mshikhs .
Another new initiative , timed for the second anniversary of Khashoggi 's murder , is the launch of Democracy for the Arab World Now ( DAWN ) , an organization conceived by Jamal Khashoggi several months before his murder .
DAWN will promote democracy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in keeping with the vision of its martyred founder .
Progressive groups in the United States continue to oppose U.S. support for Saudi Arabia 's Yemen war and to push USAID to restore direct humanitarian aid that has been slashed to Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic .
European activists have launched successful campaigns to stop weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in several countries .
These past two years have also seen activists organizing boycotts of Saudi events .
Pre-COVID , when the kingdom opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as CODEPINK and Human Rights Foundation pressured entertainers like Nicki Minaj to cancel appearances .
Minaj put out a statement saying , `` It is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women , the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression . ''
Meghan MacLaren , the U.K. 's top woman golfer , withdrew from a lucrative new golf tournament in Saudi Arabia , citing reports by Amnesty International and saying she can not take part in `` sportwashing '' Saudi human rights abuses .
A new group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sever the US-Saudi alliance , has focused on the upcoming G20 in Riyadh , which is taking place virtually in November , urging invitees to refuse to participate .
The campaign has successfully lobbied the mayors of several major cities , including New York City , Los Angeles , Paris and London , to boycott the event , along with notables invited to side events for women and global thinkers .
As we mark two years since Jamal Khashoggi 's murder , we may also soon be marking the end of the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take Vice President Biden on his word that he would not sell more weapons to the Saudis and would make them `` pay the price '' for killing Khashoggi , it is good to hear a presidential candidate admit that there is `` very little social redeeming value in the present government in Saudi Arabia '' and call it a `` pariah state . ''
Perhaps with enough pressure from below , a new administration could start the process of disentangling the U.S. from the deadly embrace of the Saudi dictatorship .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coddle the Saudis , it 's difficult not to ask who is more evil—the maniacal Saudi crown prince responsible for Khashoggi 's murder and the slaughter of more than a hundred thousand Yemenis , or the mendacious Western governments and businesspeople who continue to support and profit from his crimes ?
Medea Benjamin is cofounder of CODEPINK for Peace , and author of several books , including Kingdom of the Unjust : Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection .
Nicolas J. S. Davies is an independent journalist , a researcher with CODEPINK and the author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq .

Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered on October 2, 2018 by agents of Saudi Arabia's despotic government, and the CIA concluded they killed him on direct orders from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Eight Saudi men have been convicted of Khashoggi's murder by a Saudi court in what the Washington Post characterized as sham trials with no transparency. The higher ups who ordered the murder, including MBS, continue to escape responsibility.
Khashoggi's assassination and dismemberment was so horrific and cold-blooded that it sparked worldwide public outrage. President Trump, however, stood by MBS, bragging to journalist Bob Woodward that he saved the prince's "ass" and got "Congress to leave him alone."
MBS's ascent to dictatorial power, soon after his elderly father King Salman became king in January 2015, was sold to the world as ushering in a new era of reform, but has in reality been characterized by violent, ruthless repression. The number of executions has doubled, from 423 executions between 2009 and 2014 to more than 800 since January 2015.
They include the mass execution of 37 people on April 23, 2019, mostly for taking part in peaceful Arab Spring protests in 2011-12. These protests took place in Shiite areas where people face systemic discrimination in the majority Sunni kingdom. At least three of those executed were minors when they were sentenced, and one was a student arrested at the airport on his way to attend Western Michigan University. Many of the victims' families have said that they were convicted based on forced confessions extracted by torture, and two victims' beheaded corpses were put on public display.
Under MBS, all dissent has been crushed. In the last two years, all of Saudi Arabia's independent human rights defenders have been imprisoned, threatened into silence, or have fled the country. This includes women's rights activists such as Loujain al-Hathoul, who opposed the ban on women drivers. Despite some openings for women under MBS, including the right to drive, Saudi women remain subject to discrimination in law and practice, with laws that ensure they are subordinate citizens to men, particularly in relation to family matters such as marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance.
The Trump administration has never challenged Saudi Arabia's internal repression, and worse yet, it has played a vital role in the brutal Saudi-led war on neighboring Yemen. After Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi failed to leave office at the end of his two-year term as the head of a transitional government, or to fulfill his mandate to draw up a new constitution and hold a new election, the Houthi rebel movement invaded the capital, Sana'a, in 2014, placed him under house arrest and demanded that he do his job.
Hadi instead resigned, fled to Saudi Arabia and conspired with MBS and the Saudis to launch a war to try to restore him to power. The United States has provided in-air refueling, intelligence and planning for Saudi and Emirati air strikes and has raked in over 100 billion dollars in arms sales. While U.S. support for the Saudi war began under President Obama, Trump has provided unconditional support as the horrors of this war have shocked the entire world.
According to the Yemen Data Project, at least 30% of US-supported airstrikes on Yemen have hit civilian targets, including hospitals, health clinics, schools, marketplaces, civilian infrastructure, and a particularly horrific airstrike on a school bus that killed 40 children and 11 adults.
After five years, this brutal war has succeeded only in wreaking mass devastation and chaos, with dozens of children dying every day from starvation, malnutrition and preventable diseases, all now compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Belated Congressional efforts to end U.S. support for the war, including the passage of a War Powers bill in March 2019 and a bill to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia in July 2019, have been vetoed when they reached President Trump's desk.
The U.S. alliance with the Saudis certainly predates Trump, going back to the discovery of oil in the 1930s. While its traditional role as an oil supplier is no longer vital to the U.S. economy, Saudi Arabia has become one of the largest purchasers of U.S. weapons, a major investor in U.S. businesses and an ally against Iran. After the failed U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. began grooming Saudi Arabia to play a leading geopolitical and military role, alongside Israel, in a new U.S.-led alliance to counter the growing influence of Iran, Russia and China in the Middle East.
The war on Yemen was the first test of Saudi Arabia's role as a leading U.S. military ally, and it exposed both the practical and moral bankruptcy of this policy, unleashing another endless war and the world's worst humanitarian crisis in one of the poorest countries on Earth. MBS's assassination of Jamal Khashoggi came at a critical moment in the unraveling of this doomed strategy, laying bare the sheer insanity of basing America's Middle East policy for the 21st century on an alliance with a neo-feudal monarchy sustained by murder and repression.
President Obama tried to change tack towards the end of his administration, putting a hold on the sale of munitions to Saudi Arabia and signing a nuclear deal with Iran. Trump reversed both these policies, and continued to treat Saudi Arabia as a critical ally, even as the world recoiled in horror at Khashoggi's assassination.
While Saudi abuses have not diminished the Trump administration's unconditional support, they have ignited global opposition. In an exciting new development, exiled Saudi activists have formed a political party, the National Assembly Party or NAAS, calling for democracy and respect for human rights in the kingdom. In its inaugural statement, the party laid out a vision for Saudi Arabia in which all citizens are equal under the law and a fully elected parliament has legislative and oversight powers over the state's executive institutions. The founding document was signed by several prominent Saudi activists in exile, including London-based professor Madawi al-Rasheed; Abdullah Alaoudh, a Saudi academic who is also the son of jailed Islamic scholar Salman al-Awda; and Shia activist Ahmed al-Mshikhs.
Another new initiative, timed for the second anniversary of Khashoggi's murder, is the launch of Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), an organization conceived by Jamal Khashoggi several months before his murder. DAWN will promote democracy and support political exiles across the Middle East, in keeping with the vision of its martyred founder.
Progressive groups in the United States continue to oppose U.S. support for Saudi Arabia's Yemen war and to push USAID to restore direct humanitarian aid that has been slashed to Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. European activists have launched successful campaigns to stop weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in several countries.
These past two years have also seen activists organizing boycotts of Saudi events. Pre-COVID, when the kingdom opened up to musical extravaganzas, groups such as CODEPINK and Human Rights Foundation pressured entertainers like Nicki Minaj to cancel appearances. Minaj put out a statement saying, "It is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression." Meghan MacLaren, the U.K.'s top woman golfer, withdrew from a lucrative new golf tournament in Saudi Arabia, citing reports by Amnesty International and saying she cannot take part in "sportwashing" Saudi human rights abuses.
A new group called Freedom Forward, which seeks to sever the US-Saudi alliance, has focused on the upcoming G20 in Riyadh, which is taking place virtually in November, urging invitees to refuse to participate. The campaign has successfully lobbied the mayors of several major cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Paris and London, to boycott the event, along with notables invited to side events for women and global thinkers.
As we mark two years since Jamal Khashoggi's murder, we may also soon be marking the end of the Trump administration. While it is hard to take Vice President Biden on his word that he would not sell more weapons to the Saudis and would make them "pay the price" for killing Khashoggi, it is good to hear a presidential candidate admit that there is "very little social redeeming value in the present government in Saudi Arabia" and call it a "pariah state." Perhaps with enough pressure from below, a new administration could start the process of disentangling the U.S. from the deadly embrace of the Saudi dictatorship.
But as long as U.S. leaders continue to coddle the Saudis, it's difficult not to ask who is more evil—the maniacal Saudi crown prince responsible for Khashoggi's murder and the slaughter of more than a hundred thousand Yemenis, or the mendacious Western governments and businesspeople who continue to support and profit from his crimes?
Medea Benjamin is cofounder of CODEPINK for Peace, and author of several books, including Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection.
Nicolas J. S. Davies is an independent journalist, a researcher with CODEPINK and the author ofBlood On Our Hands: the American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq.