hotair--2020-08-07--About Sarah Jeong's tiresome false equivalence of China and the United States (Update)

Sarah Jeong is a “ tech journalist ” who currently works at The Verge , an offshoot of Vox Media .
You may recall she briefly worked at the NY Times editorial board and at the time there was some push back over that because of her history of Twitter jokes about white people .
Even NY Times subscribers found those to be offensive .
In any case , she left the editorial board last September after suggesting on Twitter that people should feel free to cancel subscriptions if they were upset about the Times ’ coverage of a whistleblower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she had chosen not to buy a home or have children so she never felt obligated to support her employer : Anyway , Jeong now writes what she wants for Vox Media and today she has a piece which I have no doubt the NY Times is sorry they didn ’ t publish .
It ’ s thesis is that something new is afoot in the world which she calls “ information-nationalism.
” Just to make sure you get it , she uses the phrase 20 times in the piece .
So what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the idea that nations are averse to data that makes them look bad .
That may not sound terribly ground-breaking but it is apparently .
Jeong ’ s argument is that nations are now going beyond simply downplaying bad news that would embarrass them on the world stage to actively suppressing it and simultaneously highlight bad news for rival states .
She points to China ’ s suppression of the Tiananmen Square massacre as the best known example of the suppression part of this phenomenon .
At this point you might stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1989 , long before there was any public facing internet on which news could be suppressed .
The point being that what she ’ s describing isn ’ t really a new phenomenon at all .
It ’ s what some autocratic ( often communist ) countries have always done .
The internet just makes it a much tougher job , i.e .
China now has to employ tens of thousands of people to knock down the spread of information online whereas in the 1980s it was probably much easier to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , Jeong might have an interesting point to make about China and Russia but of course what she really wants to do is lump in the U.S. as not really any different : The graphic for the piece is a variation on the Spider-Man meme with three nearly identical figures ( they didn ’ t use Spider-Man because lawsuits ) are all pointing at one another .
And this really does seem to be her point : The U.S. is no different .
It ’ s a snappy piece of writing but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to any thought .
Is China detaining a million Uighurs in re-education camps for months or years against their will , where they are beaten , starved and threatened until they comply really comparable to the U.S. putting illegal migrants in detention camps for a few weeks while they process their claims for entry and asylum ?
It ’ s not at all the same .
For one thing , the Uighurs want out of the camps and the migrants want in to the U.S. precisely because they know they ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of origin .
But this sort of apples and oranges comparison scheme continues .
Jeong writes “ China brutally represses its political dissidents ; in America , law enforcement in military camouflage have grabbed protesters off the streets and shoved them into unmarked vans.
” To be clear , people who spoke up about , for instance , the epidemic in Wuhan had police show up at their doors in the middle of the night .
Some of them disappeared and haven ’ t been heard from since .
Not even their relatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile in Portland , someone was arrested by federal police in an unmarked car and released a few hours later .
There ’ s really no comparison here except the kind that a truly motivated propagandist might make .
To her ( partial ) credit , Jeong does eventually admit that it ’ s not really the same thing at all .
Or at least that it wasn ’ t until recently .
That link goes to a story from early March .
If you check the CDC website now , there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 65.7 million tests as of yesterday ) .
What this all boils down to in the end is the claim that to avoid becoming China America needs to be more like modern Germany , i.e .
willing to own up to past sins ( Nazism in their case , slavery and Jim Crow in ours ) .
Isn ’ t this moment in time , with BLM protests having taken place in cities around the country and the 1619 Project having just won a prestigious award , an odd time to claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Aren ’ t we , as a nation , awash in the past at this moment ?
Jeong ’ s argument that we ’ re actually closer to suppressing it comes mostly from a statement by Sec .
Mike Pompeo : That ’ s it .
The government ( in the form of Sec .
Mike Pompeo ) has visciously suppressed the truth !
Or , you know , maybe not .
There ’ s a difference between government suppression of bad news ( Does the founding of the nation still count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressing a critical opinion of someone ’ s else ’ s very popular and widely-read opinion .
Has the 1619 Project been erased from the discussion .
Have the police shown up to arrest anyone for mentioning it ?
Not so far as I ’ ve heard .
But Sarah Jeong writes as if this comment proves our freedoms are nearly gone .
There ’ s a difference between being able to speak freely and being able to speak without being criticized by those who disagree .
China doesn ’ t have either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latter but the American way is the former .
People get to speak freely and other people get to respond to them .
Let ’ s keep it that way .
Update : The editor of the Verge highlighted the exact false equivalence I reacted to above , calling it an inkblot test for authoritarianism .
He later tried to back away from this , claiming the false equivalence to China wasn ’ t central to Jeong ’ s argument : As an editor he should know better .
The part he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her term “ information-nationalism.
” That ’ s an important part of her piece but the actual thesis is that China , Russia and the US are “ three identical Spider-Mans pointing fingers at each other.
” In other words , her thesis is not that information-nationalism exists , it ’ s that there are three global players who are in some sense all playing the same game , one of them being the U.S. One way you can tell that ’ s her central point is that the image of the three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece who are indistinguishable except for the colors of their costumes ( i.e .
their flags ) .
It ’ s literally illustrating her thesis .
Another way to tell that the false equivalence with China is a part of Jeong ’ s thesis is by looking at her conclusion : But institutions — and popular dissent — erode under steady pressure .
Time and new technologies can carve out unthinkable landscapes .
China did not forget Tiananmen Square overnight ; Russia ’ s Internet Research Agency wasn ’ t built in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the passage of new digital surveillance laws , the regulation of speech on platforms , the government sponsorship ( implicit or explicit ) of new technologies — these are the battles that make up information-nationalist warfare .
For what it ’ s worth , I do not think America will build its own Great Firewall .
But this has less to do with faith in the strength of American values and more to do with the sheer scope of such a project .
I ’ m pretty sure America can only make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparatus , just like I ’ m pretty sure TikTok by Microsoft is going to suck balls .
In other words , the United States has embroiled itself in a war it can not win and has no business fighting in the first place .
I suppose that is one American tradition that won ’ t be easily undone .
Again , her point isn ’ t that information-nationalism exists as defined in those two bullet points , it ’ s that the U.S. is fully engaged in a three way battle with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be .
As I pointed out above , her support for this thesis is pretty thin .
Some false equivalence to China and one comment by Mike Pompeo don ’ t prove that we ’ re “ three identical Spider-Mans.
” Also , though I didn ’ t spend much time on this , her claim that the sale of TikTok is because the U.S. can ’ t handle the truth is nonsense .
The sale of TikTok is because our government has been cracking down on Chinese thefts of information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Talents Program to get information out of top academics as well as the massive thefts of private data such as the 2017 hack of Equifax and the more recent attempt by Chinese hackers to steal coronavirus vaccine data .
In short , this is about stopping China from stealing from us , which goes well beyond any concern about exposing human rights abuses .

Sarah Jeong is a “tech journalist” who currently works at The Verge, an offshoot of Vox Media. You may recall she briefly worked at the NY Times editorial board and at the time there was some push back over that because of her history of Twitter jokes about white people. Even NY Times subscribers found those to be offensive. In any case, she left the editorial board last September after suggesting on Twitter that people should feel free to cancel subscriptions if they were upset about the Times’ coverage of a whistleblower. At the time she said that she had chosen not to buy a home or have children so she never felt obligated to support her employer:
I’ve eschewed children and a mortgage exactly so I can have the freedom to follow my conscience. I will not dissuade anyone else from following their conscience as well. — sarah jeong (@sarahjeong) September 27, 2019
Anyway, Jeong now writes what she wants for Vox Media and today she has a piece which I have no doubt the NY Times is sorry they didn’t publish. It’s thesis is that something new is afoot in the world which she calls “information-nationalism.” Just to make sure you get it, she uses the phrase 20 times in the piece.
So what is “information-nationalism?” It’s the idea that nations are averse to data that makes them look bad. That may not sound terribly ground-breaking but it is apparently. Jeong’s argument is that nations are now going beyond simply downplaying bad news that would embarrass them on the world stage to actively suppressing it and simultaneously highlight bad news for rival states. She points to China’s suppression of the Tiananmen Square massacre as the best known example of the suppression part of this phenomenon.
For a long time, China’s crackdown on all references to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has been held as the prime example of the dangers of internet censorship. It is also the clearest example of information-nationalism: to allow Chinese citizens to speak of or remember Tiananmen Square is to cultivate weakness. So China can’t acknowledge Tiananmen Square or its present-day treatment of the Uighurs. For the inverse reason, Russian disinformation operations on Facebook have promoted real videos of police brutality in America and attempted to organize Black Lives Matter protests. Before that, Russian state media outlet RT excelled in its coverage of Occupy Wall Street and WikiLeaks. For years, Russia has sought to emphasize and even exacerbate existing tensions in the United States, presumably because it believes this is in Russia’s own interest.
At this point you might stop and note that the Tiananmen massacre happened in 1989, long before there was any public facing internet on which news could be suppressed. The point being that what she’s describing isn’t really a new phenomenon at all. It’s what some autocratic (often communist) countries have always done. The internet just makes it a much tougher job, i.e. China now has to employ tens of thousands of people to knock down the spread of information online whereas in the 1980s it was probably much easier to control the flow of information.
In any case, Jeong might have an interesting point to make about China and Russia but of course what she really wants to do is lump in the U.S. as not really any different:
The major players in this game are China (with its unrivaled surveillance-censorship apparatus and Great Firewall), Russia (with its highly successful RT network and its shadowy Internet Research Agency), and the US (which still lays claim to some of the biggest tech companies in the world). At this point in time, the leaders of all three countries have bought into the same values and same assumptions about information-nationalism. It is not so much a cold war as it is three identical Spider-Mans pointing fingers at each other.
The graphic for the piece is a variation on the Spider-Man meme with three nearly identical figures (they didn’t use Spider-Man because lawsuits) are all pointing at one another. And this really does seem to be her point: The U.S. is no different.
In 2020, this is becoming a genuinely difficult question to answer. China is detaining over a million Uighurs in internment camps, citing national security issues. The United States detains migrants in its own internment camps, even going as far as to place children in cages. China is not a democracy; the American president has proposed to unconstitutionally delay this year’s election. China brutally represses its political dissidents; in America, law enforcement in military camouflage have grabbed protesters off the streets and shoved them into unmarked vans.
It’s a snappy piece of writing but it doesn’t hold up well to any thought. Is China detaining a million Uighurs in re-education camps for months or years against their will, where they are beaten, starved and threatened until they comply really comparable to the U.S. putting illegal migrants in detention camps for a few weeks while they process their claims for entry and asylum? It’s not at all the same. For one thing, the Uighurs want out of the camps and the migrants want in to the U.S. precisely because they know they’ll be better off here than in their countries of origin.
But this sort of apples and oranges comparison scheme continues. Jeong writes “China brutally represses its political dissidents; in America, law enforcement in military camouflage have grabbed protesters off the streets and shoved them into unmarked vans.” To be clear, people who spoke up about, for instance, the epidemic in Wuhan had police show up at their doors in the middle of the night. Some of them disappeared and haven’t been heard from since. Not even their relatives know for certain where they are. Meanwhile in Portland, someone was arrested by federal police in an unmarked car and released a few hours later. There’s really no comparison here except the kind that a truly motivated propagandist might make.
To her (partial) credit, Jeong does eventually admit that it’s not really the same thing at all. Or at least that it wasn’t until recently.
For many years, the United States ran its own version of the Chinese state-controlled internet apparatus, but we just called it “the internet.”… But still, hypocritical or not, the old American internet was in no way equivalent to the Great Firewall of China. And neither is the old foreign policy equivalent to the new. Regardless of how the American government behaved in secret, its public-facing policy was once to promote liberal democracy. Now it is openly engaged in information-nationalism. Information-nationalism pervades many arenas, beyond the issues of racism and political dissent. The federal government has made it harder to see numbers on coronavirus infections.
That link goes to a story from early March. If you check the CDC website now, there’s a page devoted to testing data (65.7 million tests as of yesterday).
What this all boils down to in the end is the claim that to avoid becoming China America needs to be more like modern Germany, i.e. willing to own up to past sins (Nazism in their case, slavery and Jim Crow in ours). Isn’t this moment in time, with BLM protests having taken place in cities around the country and the 1619 Project having just won a prestigious award, an odd time to claim that we’re suppressing the past. Aren’t we, as a nation, awash in the past at this moment?
Jeong’s argument that we’re actually closer to suppressing it comes mostly from a statement by Sec. Mike Pompeo:
As these protests were raging, Secretary Pompeo gave a speech at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia where he attacked The New York Times’ 1619 Project, which originated as a special issue of The New York Times Magazine containing articles examining slavery and its lasting legacy in everything from mass incarceration to pop music. “They want you to believe that Marxist ideology that America is only the oppressors and the oppressed,” said Pompeo. “The Chinese Communist Party must be gleeful when they see the New York Times spout this ideology.”
That’s it. The government (in the form of Sec. Mike Pompeo) has visciously suppressed the truth!
Or, you know, maybe not.
There’s a difference between government suppression of bad news (Does the founding of the nation still count as news?) and one office-holder expressing a critical opinion of someone’s else’s very popular and widely-read opinion. Has the 1619 Project been erased from the discussion. Have the police shown up to arrest anyone for mentioning it? Not so far as I’ve heard. But Sarah Jeong writes as if this comment proves our freedoms are nearly gone.
There’s a difference between being able to speak freely and being able to speak without being criticized by those who disagree. China doesn’t have either and Sarah Jeong seems to want the latter but the American way is the former. People get to speak freely and other people get to respond to them. Let’s keep it that way.
Update: The editor of the Verge highlighted the exact false equivalence I reacted to above, calling it an inkblot test for authoritarianism.
https://twitter.com/reckless/status/1291802938793484291
He later tried to back away from this, claiming the false equivalence to China wasn’t central to Jeong’s argument:
https://twitter.com/reckless/status/1291931783215353862
As an editor he should know better. The part he’s highlighted above is a definition of her term “information-nationalism.” That’s an important part of her piece but the actual thesis is that China, Russia and the US are “three identical Spider-Mans pointing fingers at each other.” In other words, her thesis is not that information-nationalism exists, it’s that there are three global players who are in some sense all playing the same game, one of them being the U.S.
One way you can tell that’s her central point is that the image of the three Spider-Man figures is the one atop the piece who are indistinguishable except for the colors of their costumes (i.e. their flags). It’s literally illustrating her thesis. Another way to tell that the false equivalence with China is a part of Jeong’s thesis is by looking at her conclusion:
But institutions — and popular dissent — erode under steady pressure. Time and new technologies can carve out unthinkable landscapes. China did not forget Tiananmen Square overnight; Russia’s Internet Research Agency wasn’t built in a day. The banning of apps, the passage of new digital surveillance laws, the regulation of speech on platforms, the government sponsorship (implicit or explicit) of new technologies — these are the battles that make up information-nationalist warfare. For what it’s worth, I do not think America will build its own Great Firewall. But this has less to do with faith in the strength of American values and more to do with the sheer scope of such a project. I’m pretty sure America can only make a very poor imitation of the Chinese surveillance-censorship apparatus, just like I’m pretty sure TikTok by Microsoft is going to suck balls. In other words, the United States has embroiled itself in a war it cannot win and has no business fighting in the first place. I suppose that is one American tradition that won’t be easily undone.
Again, her point isn’t that information-nationalism exists as defined in those two bullet points, it’s that the U.S. is fully engaged in a three way battle with China and Russia and that it shouldn’t be.
As I pointed out above, her support for this thesis is pretty thin. Some false equivalence to China and one comment by Mike Pompeo don’t prove that we’re “three identical Spider-Mans.”
Also, though I didn’t spend much time on this, her claim that the sale of TikTok is because the U.S. can’t handle the truth is nonsense. The sale of TikTok is because our government has been cracking down on Chinese thefts of information, including their use of the Thousand Talents Program to get information out of top academics as well as the massive thefts of private data such as the 2017 hack of Equifax and the more recent attempt by Chinese hackers to steal coronavirus vaccine data. In short, this is about stopping China from stealing from us, which goes well beyond any concern about exposing human rights abuses.


hotair--2020-08-09--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

Another Sunday morning , another dreary round of spin over the stalled coronavirus stimulus negotiations .
For the Democrats , it ’ ll be — who else ?
— Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer .
The Speaker will chat with “ State of the Union ” and “ Fox News Sunday ” while the Senate minority leader sits down with “ This Week.
” Expect them to tout their willingness to come down from their $ 3 trillion ask if the White House will come up from its $ 1 trillion ceiling .
Also expect them to both have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive order requiring insurance companies to maintain coverage for people with preexisting conditions .
That ’ s already law and has been for a decade , as Pelosi will eagerly remind viewers .
The White House will counter with Larry Kudlow on “ This Week ” and “ State of the Union , ” Peter Navarro on “ Meet the Press , ” and Steve Mnuchin on “ Fox News Sunday.
” Expect them to emphasize that most of the money appropriated to state and local governments in the last round of COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which case why are Democrats asking for another trillion ?
Is this coronavirus relief or just a bailout for Democratic-run governments that can ’ t balance their books ?
Navarro will also probably do another round of his “ hydroxychloroquine works , I don ’ t care what the clinical trials say ” shtick .
Elsewhere this morning , Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine will talk with “ State of the Union ” about testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week — and then testing negative .
His initial test came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump at the airport in his home state , which isn ’ t the first time a quickie test administered to someone about to meet the president has turned up positive only to later be found virus-free .
I hope for Trump ’ s sake that the quickie test is only churning out false positives , not false negatives , or else he ’ s at risk .
The full line-up is at the AP .

Another Sunday morning, another dreary round of spin over the stalled coronavirus stimulus negotiations. For the Democrats, it’ll be — who else? — Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. The Speaker will chat with “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday” while the Senate minority leader sits down with “This Week.” Expect them to tout their willingness to come down from their $3 trillion ask if the White House will come up from its $1 trillion ceiling. Also expect them to both have a chuckle at Trump vowing to sign an executive order requiring insurance companies to maintain coverage for people with preexisting conditions. That’s already law and has been for a decade, as Pelosi will eagerly remind viewers.
The White House will counter with Larry Kudlow on “This Week” and “State of the Union,” Peter Navarro on “Meet the Press,” and Steve Mnuchin on “Fox News Sunday.” Expect them to emphasize that most of the money appropriated to state and local governments in the last round of COVID stimulus still hasn’t been spent, in which case why are Democrats asking for another trillion? Is this coronavirus relief or just a bailout for Democratic-run governments that can’t balance their books? Navarro will also probably do another round of his “hydroxychloroquine works, I don’t care what the clinical trials say” shtick.
Elsewhere this morning, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will talk with “State of the Union” about testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week — and then testing negative. His initial test came shortly before he was scheduled to meet Trump at the airport in his home state, which isn’t the first time a quickie test administered to someone about to meet the president has turned up positive only to later be found virus-free. I hope for Trump’s sake that the quickie test is only churning out false positives, not false negatives, or else he’s at risk. The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-08-09--Biden may conduct final interviews with potential runnings mates this week

The race for Joe Biden ’ s running mate appears headed to one final week full of interviews .
The list of potential suitors remains long with California Senator Kamala Harris and former White House national security adviser Susan Rice as the potential favorites .
The Wall Street Journal and The Hill included Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren , Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer , and California Congresswoman Karen Bass close-to favorites .
Harris , Rice , and Warren fall into the “ worst possible choice ” category , all due to their policy positions .
Harris is a cop , whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who followed her career as California Attorney General .
The Atlantic revealed she refused to release a man wrongly imprisoned and sought to keep California from paying him for the injustice and was accused of bowing to the will of police unions by not releasing certain information to defendants .
Mother Jones pointed out her opposition to the death penalty seems far too politically-motivated based on her recent past as California AG along with a possible lie on Rachel Maddow ’ s show last year .
Reason magazine suggested Harris enjoyed plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it came to following through on cases but never used it .
Her comments on “ just following the law ” appear hollow .
If she is lying about her belief in justice reform , what else is she lying about in her positions ?
Rice is a war hawk .
She pushed for the Libya invasion and U.S. involvement in Syria both of which did not have congressional approval .
The New York Times questioned Rice ’ s relationship with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and whether she protected him from United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She may have legitimate questions about trusting Saudi Arabia , but her willingness to go along with the Obama Administration ’ s foreign policy adventurism remains extremely troublesome .
Then there ’ s Benghazi .
Warren ’ s issues are mostly on domestic policy and separation of powers .
Sure , she ’ s got a plan for everything but what happens if that plan is just a bunch of numbers that don ’ t add up ?
AEI ’ s Jim Pethokoukis noted Warren ’ s Medicare-for-All plan contained too many assumptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Her trade policy is insane and goes farther than President Donald Trump ’ s protectionist stupidity .
She claims to be against cronyism yet did nothing to end the ExIm Bank .
Her Accountable Capitalism Act sounds good to her progressive fans but fails reality and would harm the economy and likely damage innovation .
Warren ’ s love of executive orders would do nothing to keep the executive from running more amok .
Warren ’ s personality is akin to U.S .
Senator Ted Cruz : brash and bombastic but relies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy .
Whether it ’ s enough to bring in other voters is questionable given her failure to lure in Bernie Sanders fans in the primary .
Does this make Whitmer or Bass better choices ?
Not necessarily .
Whitmer runs into questions regarding her handling of coronavirus in Michigan particularly her handing out , then pulling back a no-bid contract to a party connected firm .
Her outright lie in March regarding whether the White House wasn ’ t sending Michigan PPE requests is inexcusable as was her lie about ambulances being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d definitely get under Trump ’ s skin but has praised the work of Vice President Mike Pence .
That ’ s a question she ’ ll have to answer in a debate if she ’ s picked by Biden and if there are any debates .
Bass has run into criticism for praising Scientology in 2010 and Fidel Castro .
She had to promise NBC News last week , “ I ’ m not a communist , ” and denied being a socialist either which may cause pause among actual socialists and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for in November .
The theory is Biden needs Florida to win in November , so Bass ’ praise of Castro puts Miami-Dade in question .
Not sure I buy that theory but it ’ s worth considering .
It is interesting to see the vice-presidential pick as a serious factor in November .
The role is mostly ceremonial except for the occasional press conference and vote in the Senate if there ’ s a tie .
The “ Bachelor-like ” competition this election cycle is likely due to the fact people wonder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full term if he ’ s elected .
However , that brings up the question : why is he even running ?
Yes , Biden wants to be president .
Yes , Biden was probably the best candidate of those who chose to run for president this year , which doesn ’ t say much about the Democratic candidates .
His track record in Washington is also horrendous having picked failed policy after failed policy .
It ’ s better than a populism vs. populism presidential campaign , but not by much .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Harris or Rice , most likely .
Which won ’ t really do much .

The race for Joe Biden’s running mate appears headed to one final week full of interviews. The list of potential suitors remains long with California Senator Kamala Harris and former White House national security adviser Susan Rice as the potential favorites. The Wall Street Journal and The Hill included Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and California Congresswoman Karen Bass close-to favorites.
Harris, Rice, and Warren fall into the “worst possible choice” category, all due to their policy positions.
Harris is a cop, whose hypocrisy on justice reform is known to those who followed her career as California Attorney General. The Atlantic revealed she refused to release a man wrongly imprisoned and sought to keep California from paying him for the injustice and was accused of bowing to the will of police unions by not releasing certain information to defendants. Mother Jones pointed out her opposition to the death penalty seems far too politically-motivated based on her recent past as California AG along with a possible lie on Rachel Maddow’s show last year. Reason magazine suggested Harris enjoyed plenty of latitude as a prosecutor and AG when it came to following through on cases but never used it. Her comments on “just following the law” appear hollow. If she is lying about her belief in justice reform, what else is she lying about in her positions?
Rice is a war hawk. She pushed for the Libya invasion and U.S. involvement in Syria both of which did not have congressional approval. The New York Times questioned Rice’s relationship with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and whether she protected him from United Nations pressure regarding instability in Congo. She may have legitimate questions about trusting Saudi Arabia, but her willingness to go along with the Obama Administration’s foreign policy adventurism remains extremely troublesome. Then there’s Benghazi.
Warren’s issues are mostly on domestic policy and separation of powers. Sure, she’s got a plan for everything but what happens if that plan is just a bunch of numbers that don’t add up? AEI’s Jim Pethokoukis noted Warren’s Medicare-for-All plan contained too many assumptions regarding wealth taxes and whether they work. Her trade policy is insane and goes farther than President Donald Trump’s protectionist stupidity. She claims to be against cronyism yet did nothing to end the ExIm Bank. Her Accountable Capitalism Act sounds good to her progressive fans but fails reality and would harm the economy and likely damage innovation. Warren’s love of executive orders would do nothing to keep the executive from running more amok. Warren’s personality is akin to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz: brash and bombastic but relies too much on populism to keep supporters happy. Whether it’s enough to bring in other voters is questionable given her failure to lure in Bernie Sanders fans in the primary.
Does this make Whitmer or Bass better choices? Not necessarily. Whitmer runs into questions regarding her handling of coronavirus in Michigan particularly her handing out, then pulling back a no-bid contract to a party connected firm. Her outright lie in March regarding whether the White House wasn’t sending Michigan PPE requests is inexcusable as was her lie about ambulances being blocked during anti-lockdown protests. She’d definitely get under Trump’s skin but has praised the work of Vice President Mike Pence. That’s a question she’ll have to answer in a debate if she’s picked by Biden and if there are any debates.
Bass has run into criticism for praising Scientology in 2010 and Fidel Castro. She had to promise NBC News last week, “I’m not a communist,” and denied being a socialist either which may cause pause among actual socialists and Cuban-Americans unsure who they’ll vote for in November. The theory is Biden needs Florida to win in November, so Bass’ praise of Castro puts Miami-Dade in question. Not sure I buy that theory but it’s worth considering.
It is interesting to see the vice-presidential pick as a serious factor in November. The role is mostly ceremonial except for the occasional press conference and vote in the Senate if there’s a tie. The “Bachelor-like” competition this election cycle is likely due to the fact people wonder if Biden will even finish out a full term if he’s elected.
However, that brings up the question: why is he even running? Yes, Biden wants to be president. Yes, Biden was probably the best candidate of those who chose to run for president this year, which doesn’t say much about the Democratic candidates. His track record in Washington is also horrendous having picked failed policy after failed policy. It’s better than a populism vs. populism presidential campaign, but not by much.
As for who he’ll pick? Harris or Rice, most likely. Which won’t really do much.


hotair--2020-08-09--In Colorado, the police are canceling themselves

The state of Colorado has been experiencing the same twin dilemmas that have been plaguing much of the country for the past several months and this has had a rather drastic impact on police forces across the board .
They ’ re dealing with the pandemic like everyone else , and police officers have jobs that put them in constant contact with the public .
At the same time , protests and demonstrations blaming the police for many of society ’ s ills have led the state to eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement officers .
This puts them a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal charges if an arrest of an uncooperative suspect goes awry .
What ’ s the upshot of all of this been ?
Far fewer interactions with the public and a significant increase in police officers retiring early or simply quitting and seeking new types of employment .
The biggest shift in police engagement has come in what are known as officer-initiated traffic stops ( OITS ) .
Meanwhile , the number of officers responding to calls for service ( CFS ) hasn ’ t declined nearly as noticeably .
( CBS Denver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Front Range have drastically decreased their interactions with the public in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic , and the re-emergence of cries for further police accountability .
With the decline in officer-initiated contact , criminal justice experts warn there could be an exodus of police officers from the state and a potential increase in crime .
Statistics compiled from nearly a dozen major law enforcement agencies along the Interstate 25 corridor showed most had a significant decline in officer-initiated interactions with the public in May and June of this year .
Following the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualified immunity via Senate Bill 217 , multiple agencies and law enforcement experts confirmed good officers are reconsidering the profession .
In terms of the threat from COVID-19 , some departments in Colorado have actively issued guidance to officers to limit the number of traffic stops they make except for the more egregious offenses .
In other departments , officers appear to be throttling back on their own .
We can think of those OITS incidents as being the more “ optional ” types of engagements , though the cops on the beat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should truly be considered optional .
Every driver acting suspiciously or violating the traffic laws who isn ’ t pulled over represents one more chance for someone engaged in far more serious crimes to go unapprehended .
Conversely , calls for service ( CFS ) incidents , where a citizen is actively reaching out to law enforcement for help have remained mostly stable .
There was a measurable decrease in such engagements , but state officials note that some types of crime have been down across the board as more people are staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either by choice or through government mandate .
For the most part , when anyone reaches out for help in a crisis situation , the police have been there to help .
But the decline in the OITS numbers does seem remarkable .
Comparing the number of stops in Jefferson County from May of this year to May of 2019 , there was a 63 % plunge , from 1,750 to 632 .
Littleton saw an even larger 69.8 % decline from 954 to 288 .
Aurora also recorded a decrease of more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t consistent in every part of the state .
Boulder actually recorded a 55 % increase in OITS engagements .
Larimer County and Fort Collins similarly recorded increases in traffic stops .
As far as the police officers leaving the force , it sounds like more of them are concerned about the state ’ s removal of qualified immunity than battling the novel coronavirus .
Several officers interviewed by CBS for this report commented on the disheartening nature of “ the unwillingness of city leaders to stand up for them and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is to maintain focus “ when you are not hearing anything positive from the communities you serve.
” As with the rest of the cities seeing an exodus of law enforcement officers , both the civic leaders and the community are plowing toward a future where they may learn to be careful what they wish for .
They may have been unhappy with some interactions with law enforcement , but the reality of a world where there aren ’ t enough police to keep the peace and maintain order is going to @ @ @ @ @

The state of Colorado has been experiencing the same twin dilemmas that have been plaguing much of the country for the past several months and this has had a rather drastic impact on police forces across the board. They’re dealing with the pandemic like everyone else, and police officers have jobs that put them in constant contact with the public. At the same time, protests and demonstrations blaming the police for many of society’s ills have led the state to eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. This puts them a greater personal risk of civil suits or criminal charges if an arrest of an uncooperative suspect goes awry.
What’s the upshot of all of this been? Far fewer interactions with the public and a significant increase in police officers retiring early or simply quitting and seeking new types of employment. The biggest shift in police engagement has come in what are known as officer-initiated traffic stops (OITS). Meanwhile, the number of officers responding to calls for service (CFS) hasn’t declined nearly as noticeably. (CBS Denver)
Police officers across Colorado’s Front Range have drastically decreased their interactions with the public in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the re-emergence of cries for further police accountability. With the decline in officer-initiated contact, criminal justice experts warn there could be an exodus of police officers from the state and a potential increase in crime. Statistics compiled from nearly a dozen major law enforcement agencies along the Interstate 25 corridor showed most had a significant decline in officer-initiated interactions with the public in May and June of this year. Following the emergence of COVID-19 and Colorado lawmakers eliminating qualified immunity via Senate Bill 217, multiple agencies and law enforcement experts confirmed good officers are reconsidering the profession.
In terms of the threat from COVID-19, some departments in Colorado have actively issued guidance to officers to limit the number of traffic stops they make except for the more egregious offenses. In other departments, officers appear to be throttling back on their own. We can think of those OITS incidents as being the more “optional” types of engagements, though the cops on the beat will tell you that none of them should truly be considered optional. Every driver acting suspiciously or violating the traffic laws who isn’t pulled over represents one more chance for someone engaged in far more serious crimes to go unapprehended.
Conversely, calls for service (CFS) incidents, where a citizen is actively reaching out to law enforcement for help have remained mostly stable. There was a measurable decrease in such engagements, but state officials note that some types of crime have been down across the board as more people are staying home the majority of the time, either by choice or through government mandate. For the most part, when anyone reaches out for help in a crisis situation, the police have been there to help.
But the decline in the OITS numbers does seem remarkable. Comparing the number of stops in Jefferson County from May of this year to May of 2019, there was a 63% plunge, from 1,750 to 632. Littleton saw an even larger 69.8% decline from 954 to 288. Aurora also recorded a decrease of more than 40%
Strangely, this pattern wasn’t consistent in every part of the state. Boulder actually recorded a 55% increase in OITS engagements. Larimer County and Fort Collins similarly recorded increases in traffic stops.
As far as the police officers leaving the force, it sounds like more of them are concerned about the state’s removal of qualified immunity than battling the novel coronavirus. Several officers interviewed by CBS for this report commented on the disheartening nature of “the unwillingness of city leaders to stand up for them and their families.” Others noted how hard it is to maintain focus “when you are not hearing anything positive from the communities you serve.”
As with the rest of the cities seeing an exodus of law enforcement officers, both the civic leaders and the community are plowing toward a future where they may learn to be careful what they wish for. They may have been unhappy with some interactions with law enforcement, but the reality of a world where there aren’t enough police to keep the peace and maintain order is going to be far more dangerous.


hotair--2020-08-09--Trump's payroll tax deferral is executive overreach

The payroll tax deferral by President Donald Trump puts some anti-tax advocates in a tough spot .
The tax needs elimination as it hurts millions of workers across the country by taking money out of their pockets .
Letting them keep it means workers either put the cash into the economy or stick it in their bank accounts as savings for the future .
For some , that ’ s enough to support Saturday ’ s executive action .
“ As recently as the past week , critics of the President thought that a payroll tax cut was done for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday in a statement best summarized as the ends justify the means .
“ President Trump has shown them wrong .
This payroll tax cut will provide hard working Americans and businesses with the financial relief they deserve .
In particular , this payroll tax cut will benefit frontline workers who have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic .
It is unfortunate that Congress could not take the reins and come to an agreement to deliver relief , but this executive order is a step in the right direction towards getting the American economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be awesome , specifically when they ’ re followed by spending cuts meant to make up for the loss of tax revenue .
The government , alas , fails to remember the spending cut part on a regular basis .
Others cringe at the notion of tax cut via executive fiat .
They , rightly , see the execution problematic due to worries regarding the separation of powers and the role of Congress .
The president is not a king or even the CEO of a company with unilateral authority to control the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of elected advisers occasionally getting their say in the law-making process .
They control tax and spending policy , not the president .
This same group raised plenty of hell during the Obama Administration when the now-former president uttered his famous “ pen and phone ” comment regarding his plans .
My fear focuses on the rise of illiberalness within both Republican and Democratic parties and their acceptance of executive overreach as long as “ their guy/gal ” is the one doing it .
Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell blasted former President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2014 , “ this is not how democracy is supposed to work.
” Yesterday , McConnell said , “ Republicans will actually look out for [ laid off workers ] .
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump ’ s action , “ unconstitutional slop , ” ( repeating GOP Senator Ben Sasse ) on Fox News Sunday .
Her comments on executive action from 2009 to 2017 were quite different , praising former President Barack Obama ’ s orders as , “ clear constitutional and legal authority of his office , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in 2014 .
Perhaps she will repeat former House Speaker John Boehner by going to court as a way to “ prove her belief ” in checks and balances .
Her past actions and works show otherwise .
Anne Applebaum wrote in Twilight of Democracy the founders knew people were flawed , but the form of government they put together might encourage better behavior in people .
“ Neither then nor later did their lofty words always reflect reality .
Neither then nor later did their institutions always function as intended…When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the words were recited and repeated in order to persuade people to try again.
” This raises the question of whether the major party candidates up for election in November are the ones who deserve the chance to be those who “ try again.
” Joe Biden is already promising presidential action and Trump will likely press on with his own “ pen and phone ” ( or maybe “ pen and tweet ” ) to enact policy regardless of the consequences .
Can both parties be reformed to move back towards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to look at third parties as options ?
Is the allure of power too much to stave off and corrupts everyone who comes into contact with it ?
Either way , Trump ’ s action on the payroll tax cut is unconstitutional – despite my own support of eliminating the tax entirely .
There are rules government and those in power need to follow .
Those who claim fealty to the Constitution can not forget it .

The payroll tax deferral by President Donald Trump puts some anti-tax advocates in a tough spot. The tax needs elimination as it hurts millions of workers across the country by taking money out of their pockets. Letting them keep it means workers either put the cash into the economy or stick it in their bank accounts as savings for the future.
For some, that’s enough to support Saturday’s executive action.
“As recently as the past week, critics of the President thought that a payroll tax cut was done for,” FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon said yesterday in a statement best summarized as the ends justify the means. “President Trump has shown them wrong. This payroll tax cut will provide hard working Americans and businesses with the financial relief they deserve. In particular, this payroll tax cut will benefit frontline workers who have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic. It is unfortunate that Congress could not take the reins and come to an agreement to deliver relief, but this executive order is a step in the right direction towards getting the American economy back on track.”
Tax cuts can be awesome, specifically when they’re followed by spending cuts meant to make up for the loss of tax revenue. The government, alas, fails to remember the spending cut part on a regular basis.
Others cringe at the notion of tax cut via executive fiat. They, rightly, see the execution problematic due to worries regarding the separation of powers and the role of Congress. The president is not a king or even the CEO of a company with unilateral authority to control the financial books. Congress is not a group of elected advisers occasionally getting their say in the law-making process. They control tax and spending policy, not the president. This same group raised plenty of hell during the Obama Administration when the now-former president uttered his famous “pen and phone” comment regarding his plans.
My fear focuses on the rise of illiberalness within both Republican and Democratic parties and their acceptance of executive overreach as long as “their guy/gal” is the one doing it. Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell blasted former President Barack Obama for his executive action saying in 2014, “this is not how democracy is supposed to work.” Yesterday, McConnell said, “Republicans will actually look out for [laid off workers].” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s action, “unconstitutional slop,” (repeating GOP Senator Ben Sasse) on Fox News Sunday. Her comments on executive action from 2009 to 2017 were quite different, praising former President Barack Obama’s orders as, “clear constitutional and legal authority of his office,” and “an important step,” in 2014. Perhaps she will repeat former House Speaker John Boehner by going to court as a way to “prove her belief” in checks and balances. Her past actions and works show otherwise.
Anne Applebaum wrote in Twilight of Democracy the founders knew people were flawed, but the form of government they put together might encourage better behavior in people. “Neither then nor later did their lofty words always reflect reality. Neither then nor later did their institutions always function as intended…When the institutions failed, as they sometimes did, the words were recited and repeated in order to persuade people to try again.”
This raises the question of whether the major party candidates up for election in November are the ones who deserve the chance to be those who “try again.” Joe Biden is already promising presidential action and Trump will likely press on with his own “pen and phone” (or maybe “pen and tweet”) to enact policy regardless of the consequences. Can both parties be reformed to move back towards respect of the Constitution or is it time to look at third parties as options? Is the allure of power too much to stave off and corrupts everyone who comes into contact with it?
Either way, Trump’s action on the payroll tax cut is unconstitutional – despite my own support of eliminating the tax entirely. There are rules government and those in power need to follow. Those who claim fealty to the Constitution cannot forget it.


hotair--2020-08-09--'Target Tori' is paying it forward for 'Kroger Andy' and it is so 2020

In January , a Target store manager named Tori Perrotti learned the hard way about what happens on social media when an angry customer turned to Twitter to punish her for doing her job .
The angry jerk was David Leavitt , a self-proclaimed “ Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist ” .
He tried to purchase an expensive electric toothbrush for 1 cent , claiming it was in a clearance bin .
The whole episode , after he doxxed Perrotti on Twitter , went badly for Leavitt .
Support overwhelmingly went to ‘ Target Tori ’ and she ended up with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GoFundMe page set up by supporters .
Tori Perrotti enjoyed a lovely vacation in Hawaii – the GoFundMe page was set up with the goal to give Tori a vacation after the ordeal – and she started a social media campaign , urging her Twitter followers to “ Pause , Be Kind.
” So , perhaps we shouldn ’ t be too surprised that she has paid her experience forward and come to the aid of ‘ Kroger Andy ’ a grocery store manager who found himself in the middle of a Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customer .
Tori set up a GoFundMe page for Andy who can now use a vacation , too .
A woman named Danielle Muscato was shopping in a Louisville Kroger store and came upon a woman who was not wearing a face mask .
Ms. Muscato flipped out enough to demand the woman put one on and referenced the store ’ s mask policy as justification for getting in the other woman ’ s business .
The woman refused to do so and Muscato found Andy to complain about it .
She was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the other woman but didn ’ t insist she put on a face mask , or so she says .
She decided to doxx Andy on Twitter and posted pictures of him with his name tag in view .
Allegedly , the other woman threatened Muscato .
Muscato said that since the other woman wouldn ’ t wear a mask , she shouldn ’ t be allowed to purchase her groceries .
Not mentioned was whether the woman has a disability that exempts her from wearing a mask .
Surely she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Danielle Muscato also demanded the store ’ s video footage but Andy refused to give that to her .
After she doxxed Andy on Twitter , normal people responded as normal people do – they stuck up for Kroger Andy , just trying to do his job .
And then Target Tori stepped up .
Donations started coming in for Andy ’ s vacation just as happened for Tori .
As I write this on Sunday morning , the total raised for Andy is $ 18,514 – the goal was for $ 5,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be someone for him to talk to , as she has been through a similar experience .
Let ’ s hope Kroger Andy is able to enjoy a nice vacation after all this blows over and also when travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have ended .
Meanwhile , it looks as though Ms. Muscato is a professional agitator , a very angry woman who makes a living doing this kind of thing .
There ’ s no doubt Kroger Andy will not be the last regular retail worker to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm for just doing his job .
This is 2020 and it is how things are done now .
The fact that the other woman didn ’ t put on a face mask after Andy spoke with her leads me to think she had a reasonable excuse for not doing so .
Nonetheless , it was his decision to make as the store manager .
It looks like Tori has found Andy .
Nicely done , Tori .

In January, a Target store manager named Tori Perrotti learned the hard way about what happens on social media when an angry customer turned to Twitter to punish her for doing her job. The angry jerk was David Leavitt, a self-proclaimed “Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist”. He tried to purchase an expensive electric toothbrush for 1 cent, claiming it was in a clearance bin. The whole episode, after he doxxed Perrotti on Twitter, went badly for Leavitt. Support overwhelmingly went to ‘Target Tori’ and she ended up with a tidy sum of $34,000 from a GoFundMe page set up by supporters.
Tori Perrotti enjoyed a lovely vacation in Hawaii – the GoFundMe page was set up with the goal to give Tori a vacation after the ordeal – and she started a social media campaign, urging her Twitter followers to “Pause, Be Kind.” So, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised that she has paid her experience forward and come to the aid of ‘Kroger Andy’ a grocery store manager who found himself in the middle of a Twitter fury at the hands of a dissatisfied customer. Tori set up a GoFundMe page for Andy who can now use a vacation, too.
A woman named Danielle Muscato was shopping in a Louisville Kroger store and came upon a woman who was not wearing a face mask. Ms. Muscato flipped out enough to demand the woman put one on and referenced the store’s mask policy as justification for getting in the other woman’s business. The woman refused to do so and Muscato found Andy to complain about it. She was further triggered when Andy went to talk to the other woman but didn’t insist she put on a face mask, or so she says. She decided to doxx Andy on Twitter and posted pictures of him with his name tag in view. Allegedly, the other woman threatened Muscato.
I was just threatened w/assault at @kroger in Louisville because I asked another customer to wear a mask, and she refused. I reported it to a manager, who found her and talked to her, but refused to do anything more. His name is Andy, and he does not want Twitter to know that. pic.twitter.com/pATepOuSeJ — Danielle Muscato (she/her) (@DanielleMuscato) August 8, 2020
Muscato said that since the other woman wouldn’t wear a mask, she shouldn’t be allowed to purchase her groceries. Not mentioned was whether the woman has a disability that exempts her from wearing a mask. Surely she was noticed when she entered the store.
“It’s the law AND there’s a pandemic,” Muscato wrote. “The right thing to do would be to tell them they cannot check out and must leave for threatening another customer, and aren’t allowed back. Even if they weren’t willing to go that far, they should have said we won’t ring you up without a mask. It’s the law and it’s store policy.”
Danielle Muscato also demanded the store’s video footage but Andy refused to give that to her. After she doxxed Andy on Twitter, normal people responded as normal people do – they stuck up for Kroger Andy, just trying to do his job. And then Target Tori stepped up.
Andy, whose last name has not been made public, received a lot of support on Twitter following Muscato’s post. One person known as Target Tori, who said she herself was publicly shamed as an employee in the past, started a fundraiser for Andy. She wrote, “I’m raising money to Send #krogerandy on a vaca. Okay everyone…let’s do it again!!!!! #PauseBeKind #kroger #andy.”
Donations started coming in for Andy’s vacation just as happened for Tori. As I write this on Sunday morning, the total raised for Andy is $18,514 – the goal was for $5,000 to be raised.
No big deal but WE RAISED OVER $5000 IN 90 MINUTES! Speaking from experience I can say we definitely made up for any embarrassment in just our support alone…but a sweet vaca will make it even better. Working on finding #KrogerAndy #Kroger #andy #targettori pic.twitter.com/G0e0E4o7nl — Target Tori (@RealTargetTori) August 8, 2020
Tori also offered to be someone for him to talk to, as she has been through a similar experience.
Dear Andy, I didn’t want the twitter world to know my name either. Turns out it isn’t half bad. If you need someone to talk to… I’m here for you. (Can we stop using social media as a tool to shame people at their place of work?) https://t.co/Pg3HvtkJxg — Target Tori (@RealTargetTori) August 8, 2020
Let’s hope Kroger Andy is able to enjoy a nice vacation after all this blows over and also when travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have ended. Meanwhile, it looks as though Ms. Muscato is a professional agitator, a very angry woman who makes a living doing this kind of thing.
Muscato is an activist, a transgender woman, the host of the RESIST podcast, a public speaker and a writer according to her website. Her Patreon account states that “ACTIVISM IS MY FULL-TIME AND ONLY JOB, and I depend on income from writing, public speaking, and my supporters to survive!”
There’s no doubt Kroger Andy will not be the last regular retail worker to find himself in the midst of a Twitter storm for just doing his job. This is 2020 and it is how things are done now. The fact that the other woman didn’t put on a face mask after Andy spoke with her leads me to think she had a reasonable excuse for not doing so. Nonetheless, it was his decision to make as the store manager.
It looks like Tori has found Andy. Nicely done, Tori.


hotair--2020-08-09--Ben Sasse: Trump's stimulus executive orders are "unconstitutional slop"

If Sasse wanted to send a message about “ pen and phone ” governance , he had a fine opportunity to do so last year when the president declared a national emergency at the border and ordered Pentagon funding redirected towards construction of the wall .
The House passed a resolution to undo that emergency declaration .
It got 59 votes in the Senate .
Sasse wasn ’ t one of them .
He whiffed .
The cynical read on that at the time , i.e .
my own read , was that he was worried about a primary challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support Trump in 2016 and had criticized the president from time to time , which made him a potential Jeff-Flake-type target for Trump ’ s wrath .
The criticism noticeably tailed off as Sasse ’ s primary approached .
In the end , he was enough of a good soldier for Trump that Trump ended up endorsing him for reelection .
Sasse won his primary by a landslide .
And now , lo and behold , it ’ s safe for him to criticize the president again .
And not just on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonder if Trump wishes he could have that endorsement back .
His new executive orders are bad governance and undemocratic , but are they unconstitutional ?
Hold that thought .
If Trump really were ordering the continuation of federal unemployment benefits and waiving the payroll tax , that would be unconstitutional .
Congress has the power of the purse .
But look closer at his new executive orders , says law prof Daniel Hemel , and you ’ ll find that they ’ re less bold than that .
They may be constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do a whole lot .
The executive order extending unemployment benefits is potentially more meaningful but it requires states to kick in 25 percent of the costs and involves a convoluted procedure in which they ’ ll essentially have to set up a new program to draw off FEMA funds , a process that could take months even if it ’ s not bogged down in court challenges .
So , “ slop ” ?
Sure .
“ Unconstitutional slop ” ?
Less sure .
I think the EOs are mostly symbolic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re good politics inasmuch as they show the president attempting to do something to relieve the financial burden on Americans who can ’ t work because of COVID while Congress , as usual , does nothing .
I stand by that , but the politics of his payroll tax EO deserves a little more attention .
Trump has been pushing the idea of easing the payroll tax for months as an economic but neither Democrats nor Republicans support it .
Democrats don ’ t like the idea because easing the payroll tax primarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t benefit anyone who ’ s laid off right now .
Republicans don ’ t like it because it tees up Democrats to make this argument , which could get hairy for the party in November : Unable to deliver for the American people in a time of crisis , Donald Trump offered a series of half-baked measures today .
He is putting Social Security at grave risk at a time when seniors are suffering the overwhelming impact of a pandemic he has failed to get under control .
And make no mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is re-elected , he will defund Social Security… Trump announced a payroll tax plan with no protections or guarantees — like the ones the Obama-Biden administration enforced a decade ago — that the Social Security Trust Fund will be made whole .
And , Trump specifically stated today that if re-elected , he plans to undermine the entire financial footing of Social Security .
He is laying out his roadmap to cutting Social Security .
Our seniors and millions of Americans with disabilities are under enough stress without Trump putting their hard-earned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passage comes from a statement put out last night by Joe Biden , seizing a gift-wrapped opportunity to spook senior citizens about what a second Trump term might mean for them .
Some polls earlier this summer showed Biden leading comfortably among those aged 65 or older , an ominous departure from electoral tradition for the GOP .
Trump has been more competitive among that group lately but the idea of cutting Social Security ’ s fiscal lifeline could scare them back towards Biden .
Even stranger , Trump said yesterday that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief permanent if he ’ s reelected .
It ’ s one thing to say we need to “ borrow ” from entitlements short-term to help laid-off Americans get through a crisis , but the idea of cutting funding permanently is potentially a serious electoral liability .
Even weirder , it ’ s unclear if taxpayers will actually see any money from Trump ’ s payroll-tax measure in their paychecks .
He doesn ’ t have constitutional power to waive the tax , merely to defer collection of it , which means employers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of uncertainty about whether the tax will ultimately be owed or not : The actions will not even provide the payroll tax cut that Mr. Trump has long coveted as a centerpiece of stimulus efforts .
They will simply suspend collection of the tax , as one of Mr. Trump ’ s longtime outside economic advisers , Stephen Moore , has recently urged him to do .
Workers will still owe the tax , just not until next year .
And while Mr. Moore has said that Mr. Trump could promise to sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that liability , there is no guarantee that Congress would go along .
The uncertainty raises a host of questions for companies and workers , including a cascade of intricate tax questions , according to a recent analysis published by Joe Bishop-Henchman of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation .
( For example : If workers owe less payroll tax , they would owe slightly more income tax ; would employers change , on the fly and in the middle of the year , how much income tax they withhold ? )
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take any risks .
It feels like a total own-goal .
There won ’ t be any stimulus effect if the deferred taxes continue to be withheld by employers .
Even if they aren ’ t withheld , Trump ’ s deferral does nothing to help the unemployed and little to help lower-wage workers , who don ’ t pay much payroll tax .
Meanwhile , Democrats will exploit to the hilt the risk posed to Social Security and Medicare by cutting the funding mechanism for those programs .
Biden can now even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand that he explain how he ’ ll pay for those entitlements if he gets his wish about making the payroll-tax deferral permanent .
POTUS will have to choose between saying either that he wants to cut Social Security and Medicare , which would be a disaster , or explaining which other taxes he ’ d raise and/or programs he ’ d cut to cover the shortfall to entitlement .
In fact , the entitlement implications of Trump ’ s payroll-tax order are so juicy for Dems that it ’ s allowed them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Trump using unilateral executive power in a dubious way .
Some of them are complaining half-heartedly today anyway , but they know they have no grounds to do so after supporting Obama ’ s outrageous DACA order .
Better to focus on the Social Security implications of Trump ’ s EO instead .
Read Biden ’ s full statement linked above and you ’ ll find that he barely mentions the procedural flaws with Trump ’ s order — and why would he ?
He wants to be able to exert the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected , and he understands that Americans ’ grasp of civics has decayed to the point that they just don ’ t much care if Trump has constitutional authority to issue these orders are not .
Voters will be much more responsive to scare tactics about slashing Medicare than they will to scary yet true warnings that we ’ re inching towards dictatorship by continually allowing presidents to act whenever they feel the legislature is moving too slowly .
Here ’ s a blast from the past via Liam Donovan about how America @ @ @ @ @ @

If Sasse wanted to send a message about “pen and phone” governance, he had a fine opportunity to do so last year when the president declared a national emergency at the border and ordered Pentagon funding redirected towards construction of the wall. The House passed a resolution to undo that emergency declaration. It got 59 votes in the Senate. Sasse wasn’t one of them. He whiffed.
The cynical read on that at the time, i.e. my own read, was that he was worried about a primary challenge in Nebraska. He didn’t support Trump in 2016 and had criticized the president from time to time, which made him a potential Jeff-Flake-type target for Trump’s wrath. The criticism noticeably tailed off as Sasse’s primary approached. In the end, he was enough of a good soldier for Trump that Trump ended up endorsing him for reelection. Sasse won his primary by a landslide.
And now, lo and behold, it’s safe for him to criticize the president again. And not just on this. On lots of things. I wonder if Trump wishes he could have that endorsement back.
His new executive orders are bad governance and undemocratic, but are they unconstitutional? Hold that thought.
Sasse: “The pen-and-phone theory of executive lawmaking is unconstitutional slop. President Obama did not have the power to unilaterally rewrite immigration law with DACA, and President Trump does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the payroll tax law.” pic.twitter.com/bcI0Qiia3d — Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) August 9, 2020
If Trump really were ordering the continuation of federal unemployment benefits and waiving the payroll tax, that would be unconstitutional. Congress has the power of the purse. But look closer at his new executive orders, says law prof Daniel Hemel, and you’ll find that they’re less bold than that. They may be constitutional in part because they don’t do a whole lot.
The issue is that deferral doesn't ultimately relieve employers of payroll tax liability, so many employers will continue to withhold Social Security taxes from paychecks lest they be on the hook for the $$$ next year. So this likely won't do all that much … 7/ — Daniel Hemel (@DanielJHemel) August 9, 2020
The EO on eviction relief (https://t.co/1y0U3aN3Z4 — this one is actually an EO, not a memo) does absolutely nothing, other than instruct HHS, CDC, Treasury, HUD & the FHFA to maybe do something if they choose 9/ pic.twitter.com/vZ8ywsztc6 — Daniel Hemel (@DanielJHemel) August 9, 2020
The executive order extending unemployment benefits is potentially more meaningful but it requires states to kick in 25 percent of the costs and involves a convoluted procedure in which they’ll essentially have to set up a new program to draw off FEMA funds, a process that could take months even if it’s not bogged down in court challenges.
So, “slop”? Sure. “Unconstitutional slop”? Less sure.
I think the EOs are mostly symbolic. I said on Friday that they’re good politics inasmuch as they show the president attempting to do something to relieve the financial burden on Americans who can’t work because of COVID while Congress, as usual, does nothing. I stand by that, but the politics of his payroll tax EO deserves a little more attention. Trump has been pushing the idea of easing the payroll tax for months as an economic but neither Democrats nor Republicans support it. Democrats don’t like the idea because easing the payroll tax primarily benefits higher earners — and doesn’t benefit anyone who’s laid off right now. Republicans don’t like it because it tees up Democrats to make this argument, which could get hairy for the party in November:
Unable to deliver for the American people in a time of crisis, Donald Trump offered a series of half-baked measures today. He is putting Social Security at grave risk at a time when seniors are suffering the overwhelming impact of a pandemic he has failed to get under control. And make no mistake: Donald Trump said today that if he is re-elected, he will defund Social Security… Trump announced a payroll tax plan with no protections or guarantees — like the ones the Obama-Biden administration enforced a decade ago — that the Social Security Trust Fund will be made whole. And, Trump specifically stated today that if re-elected, he plans to undermine the entire financial footing of Social Security. He is laying out his roadmap to cutting Social Security. Our seniors and millions of Americans with disabilities are under enough stress without Trump putting their hard-earned Social Security benefits in doubt.
That passage comes from a statement put out last night by Joe Biden, seizing a gift-wrapped opportunity to spook senior citizens about what a second Trump term might mean for them. Some polls earlier this summer showed Biden leading comfortably among those aged 65 or older, an ominous departure from electoral tradition for the GOP. Trump has been more competitive among that group lately but the idea of cutting Social Security’s fiscal lifeline could scare them back towards Biden. Even stranger, Trump said yesterday that he’d look to make his payroll-tax relief permanent if he’s reelected. It’s one thing to say we need to “borrow” from entitlements short-term to help laid-off Americans get through a crisis, but the idea of cutting funding permanently is potentially a serious electoral liability.
Even weirder, it’s unclear if taxpayers will actually see any money from Trump’s payroll-tax measure in their paychecks. He doesn’t have constitutional power to waive the tax, merely to defer collection of it, which means employers and their workers are now facing months of uncertainty about whether the tax will ultimately be owed or not:
The actions will not even provide the payroll tax cut that Mr. Trump has long coveted as a centerpiece of stimulus efforts. They will simply suspend collection of the tax, as one of Mr. Trump’s longtime outside economic advisers, Stephen Moore, has recently urged him to do. Workers will still owe the tax, just not until next year. And while Mr. Moore has said that Mr. Trump could promise to sign a law that would permanently absolve workers of that liability, there is no guarantee that Congress would go along. The uncertainty raises a host of questions for companies and workers, including a cascade of intricate tax questions, according to a recent analysis published by Joe Bishop-Henchman of the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. (For example: If workers owe less payroll tax, they would owe slightly more income tax; would employers change, on the fly and in the middle of the year, how much income tax they withhold?) He concluded that most companies were unlikely to take any risks.
It feels like a total own-goal. There won’t be any stimulus effect if the deferred taxes continue to be withheld by employers. Even if they aren’t withheld, Trump’s deferral does nothing to help the unemployed and little to help lower-wage workers, who don’t pay much payroll tax. Meanwhile, Democrats will exploit to the hilt the risk posed to Social Security and Medicare by cutting the funding mechanism for those programs. Biden can now even come after Trump at the debates and demand that he explain how he’ll pay for those entitlements if he gets his wish about making the payroll-tax deferral permanent. POTUS will have to choose between saying either that he wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, which would be a disaster, or explaining which other taxes he’d raise and/or programs he’d cut to cover the shortfall to entitlement.
In fact, the entitlement implications of Trump’s payroll-tax order are so juicy for Dems that it’s allowed them to somewhat sidestep their hypocrisy in complaining about Trump using unilateral executive power in a dubious way. Some of them are complaining half-heartedly today anyway, but they know they have no grounds to do so after supporting Obama’s outrageous DACA order. Better to focus on the Social Security implications of Trump’s EO instead. Read Biden’s full statement linked above and you’ll find that he barely mentions the procedural flaws with Trump’s order — and why would he? He wants to be able to exert the same dubious powers if he’s elected, and he understands that Americans’ grasp of civics has decayed to the point that they just don’t much care if Trump has constitutional authority to issue these orders are not. Voters will be much more responsive to scare tactics about slashing Medicare than they will to scary yet true warnings that we’re inching towards dictatorship by continually allowing presidents to act whenever they feel the legislature is moving too slowly.
Here’s a blast from the past via Liam Donovan about how America makes “laws” now.


hotair--2020-08-09--Oprah demands justice for Breonna Taylor, blankets Louisville with billboards

One story that has been highlighted during the Black Lives Matter protest Summer of Love is that of Breonna Taylor , a young Black woman killed by police during a no-knock search warrant raid in Louisville , Kentucky .
Her death during the raid at her home has brought cries for justice from BLM protesters .
They want the officers involved to be arrested and tried for her death .
Breonna Taylor ’ s story is tragic .
She was an EMT and by all accounts a good person .
Three plainclothes police officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story gets complicated because her boyfriend , Kenneth Walker , who was there that night , shot at police who he thought were intruders .
The LMPD officers fired over twenty shots .
Taylor was shot eight times and LMPD Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly was injured by gunfire .
One officer , Brett Hankison , has been terminated .
The other two , Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove , are on administrative reassignment .
Kenneth Walker was accused of attempted murder and assault .
Those charges were dropped , though , on May 22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced that more investigation needs to be done .
Protests have been regular events in Louisville by those who demand justice for Breonna .
By justice , they mean that the officers involved must be arrested and tried for murder from the raid that went very wrong .
The protesters have even shown up at the home of Kentucky ’ s attorney general , a Black Republican , who promptly had the trespassers arrested .
Now Oprah Winfrey has entered the fray .
She has commissioned 26 billboards to be put up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Winfrey ’ s magazine , “ O , The Oprah Magazine ” .
Breonna Taylor was 26 years old .
The billboard uses the cover of the magazine ’ s latest issue – the first time Oprah wasn ’ t on the cover in the magazine ’ s history – so it ’ s a clever marketing move , right ?
That Oprah is a smart businesswoman .
She ’ ll write off her checkbook activism as a business expense .
The billboards will be up for one month .
Until Freedom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , movement lawyers , artists , & survivors of racial injustice , is pleased .
The organization is advertised under the magazine cover photo .
As Until Freedom thanked Oprah for the financial aid and publicity , the group announced its plans to “ occupy Kentucky ” in Louisville .
It pledged to “ organize day and night to get justice ” for Breonna Taylor .
The entire team is moving to Louisville .
Saturday a rally was organized by Until Freedom called “ From Michael Brown to Breonna Taylor ” .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Michael Brown in Ferguson , Missouri and the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement .
Brown , I ’ ll point out , died under very different circumstances .
He tried to grab a police officer ’ s gun while they attempted to arrest him for theft .
He resisted arrest and it ended in his death .
The bogus “ Hands Up , Don ’ t Shoot ” chant sprung from that , too .
Anti-police leftists embraced the storyline that Brown was shot while raising his arms in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen .
Michael Brown Sr. joined the rally in Louisville .
Daniel Cameron is Kentucky ’ s attorney general who had the trespassers on his property arrested .
It is impossible to look at this move by Oprah , all these months after the night Breonna died , and not see it with a jaded eye .
Oprah has been busy taking advantage of the Summer of Love , as other Black celebrities have done , and filmed shows on her own network as well as on Apple TV+ about the BLM movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been politically involved for a long time – you may remember it was Oprah who first promoted the idea of Barack Obama running for president back when she had her old daytime television show on network television in Chicago .
Now , she is jumping into the Breonna Taylor case by using her own magazine cover .
As I said , she ’ s a savvy businesswoman .
The billboards will likely sell a lot of magazines – you ’ ll note that a quote used in the magazine is on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bases .
Teaming up with a national social justice organization guarantees optimum publicity .
‘ O ’ magazine is “ re-imaging ” itself .
Sales are off and it will be more digitally-oriented .
It ’ s no coincidence that the billboards are showing up now .

One story that has been highlighted during the Black Lives Matter protest Summer of Love is that of Breonna Taylor, a young Black woman killed by police during a no-knock search warrant raid in Louisville, Kentucky. Her death during the raid at her home has brought cries for justice from BLM protesters. They want the officers involved to be arrested and tried for her death.
Breonna Taylor’s story is tragic. She was an EMT and by all accounts a good person. Three plainclothes police officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department were involved in the raid. The story gets complicated because her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who was there that night, shot at police who he thought were intruders. The LMPD officers fired over twenty shots. Taylor was shot eight times and LMPD Sergeant Jonathan Mattingly was injured by gunfire. One officer, Brett Hankison, has been terminated. The other two, Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, are on administrative reassignment. Kenneth Walker was accused of attempted murder and assault. Those charges were dropped, though, on May 22. Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine announced that more investigation needs to be done.
Protests have been regular events in Louisville by those who demand justice for Breonna. By justice, they mean that the officers involved must be arrested and tried for murder from the raid that went very wrong. The protesters have even shown up at the home of Kentucky’s attorney general, a Black Republican, who promptly had the trespassers arrested. Now Oprah Winfrey has entered the fray. She has commissioned 26 billboards to be put up in Louisville. The billboards are funded by Winfrey’s magazine, “O, The Oprah Magazine”. Breonna Taylor was 26 years old.
🚨Billboard Alert🚨 26 billboards – for every year of life of #BreonnaTaylor erected in Louisville, KY. Kentucky will not forget her name. We will get justice for Breonna. pic.twitter.com/rOM2bhVdAy — untilfreedom (@untilfreedom) August 6, 2020
The billboard uses the cover of the magazine’s latest issue – the first time Oprah wasn’t on the cover in the magazine’s history – so it’s a clever marketing move, right? That Oprah is a smart businesswoman. She’ll write off her checkbook activism as a business expense. The billboards will be up for one month.
Until Freedom, a social justice organization consisting of activists, movement lawyers, artists, & survivors of racial injustice, is pleased. The organization is advertised under the magazine cover photo.
Thank you @oprahmagazine for your work on these brilliant billboards. Together, we will make sure no one forgets #BreonnaTaylor’s name and recommit to the fight for justice for her and her family. We got this. pic.twitter.com/ZL2SxLpaK5 — untilfreedom (@untilfreedom) August 6, 2020
As Until Freedom thanked Oprah for the financial aid and publicity, the group announced its plans to “occupy Kentucky” in Louisville. It pledged to “organize day and night to get justice” for Breonna Taylor. The entire team is moving to Louisville.
Saturday a rally was organized by Until Freedom called “From Michael Brown to Breonna Taylor”. It marked the sixth anniversary of the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement. Brown, I’ll point out, died under very different circumstances. He tried to grab a police officer’s gun while they attempted to arrest him for theft. He resisted arrest and it ended in his death. The bogus “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” chant sprung from that, too. Anti-police leftists embraced the storyline that Brown was shot while raising his arms in the air, though that didn’t happen. Michael Brown Sr. joined the rally in Louisville.
“Our main goal is to convey to Daniel Cameron and all the parties involved that we take this seriously,” Pinto told The Courier Journal by phone. “This isn’t just a one-time event or action. This will be a long-term strategy until we’re able to procure justice and accountability. We believe in it that much.”
Daniel Cameron is Kentucky’s attorney general who had the trespassers on his property arrested.
It is impossible to look at this move by Oprah, all these months after the night Breonna died, and not see it with a jaded eye. Oprah has been busy taking advantage of the Summer of Love, as other Black celebrities have done, and filmed shows on her own network as well as on Apple TV+ about the BLM movement and promoting racial justice. She’s been politically involved for a long time – you may remember it was Oprah who first promoted the idea of Barack Obama running for president back when she had her old daytime television show on network television in Chicago. Now, she is jumping into the Breonna Taylor case by using her own magazine cover. As I said, she’s a savvy businesswoman. The billboards will likely sell a lot of magazines – you’ll note that a quote used in the magazine is on the billboard photo. She covered all her bases. Teaming up with a national social justice organization guarantees optimum publicity.
‘O’ magazine is “re-imaging” itself. Sales are off and it will be more digitally-oriented. It’s no coincidence that the billboards are showing up now.


hotair--2020-08-09--Stepping into the headwinds: Sunday reflection

After he had fed the people , Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side , while he dismissed the crowds .
After doing so , he went up on the mountain by himself to pray .
When it was evening he was there alone .
Meanwhile the boat , already a few miles offshore , was being tossed about by the waves , for the wind was against it .
During the fourth watch of the night , he came toward them walking on the sea .
When the disciples saw him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It is a ghost , ” they said , and they cried out in fear .
At once Jesus spoke to them , “ Take courage , it is I ; do not be afraid.
” Peter said to him in reply , “ Lord , if it is you , command me to come to you on the water.
” He said , “ Come.
” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus .
But when he saw how strong the wind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning to sink , he cried out , “ Lord , save me !
” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter , and said to him , “ O you of little faith , why did you doubt ?
” After they got into the boat , the wind died down .
Those who were in the boat did him homage , saying , “ Truly , you are the Son of God.
” No one doubts that 2020 has become our annus horribilis , probably the most catastrophic single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world .
A plague , an economic crash , deepening conflicts leading back into a cold war — we haven ’ t seen anything like it .
And it ’ s only August !
We pray for calmer seas ahead , but we don ’ t see any break in the storms that batter us .
That leads those of faith to wonder whether 2020 is a fluke , or whether it ’ s a chastisement .
Is God behind the plague and the other crises , punishing us for our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Old Testament and Gospel readings give us clarity on how the Lord works , and how we are to respond .
First , we hear the story of the prophet Elijah at Horeb , one of the most revealing of all the prophecies in the Old Testament .
The Lord commands Elijah to “ stand on the mountain , ” as He will pass by .
The Lord wants Elijah to experience a true theophany , but it is not what Elijah expects : The Lord was not in the wind , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , God spoke to Elijah in a small voice , deep within the prophet ’ s heart .
The Lord created the wind , the earth , and the fire , but it does not contain Him .
God manifests Himself in our hearts , where He writes His laws , and speaks to the prophets in a meek manner .
Consider today ’ s Gospel in this light .
The disciples are being tossed by the sea and a storm , with the wind against them .
How does Christ manifest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unperturbed by the wind and the sea .
It does not contain Jesus , nor does it bother Him .
It is of no concern to Jesus in this instance , and He tells the disciples it should be of no concern to them either .
“ Take courage , ” He says , “ it is I ; do not be afraid.
” This is one of two times Jesus tries to teach the disciples to take no concern in the natural storms that erupt around them .
In another Gospel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , Jesus sleeps on a boat in Galilee while a storm suddenly comes up , frightening the disciples .
“ Master , master , ” they plead , “ we ’ re going to drown !
” Jesus wakes up and calms the storms , and then asks , “ Where is your faith ?
” In both cases , Jesus calms the storms , but also challenges the disciples over their apparent loss of courage and/or faith in the face of those storms .
In neither case are these punishments for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the life of fishermen in Galilee .
The Gospel doesn ’ t tell us that storms won ’ t arise , especially storms of our own making , thanks to our fallen natures and sinfulness .
Rather , the Gospels promise salvation where it matters — in the eternal life , through forgiveness of those sins in Christ ’ s salvation .
So how are we to respond to these storms ?
My friends Jake and Lucas at Relevant Radio discussed this Gospel reading with me on the air this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aspect of Peter ’ s response .
He loses faith and gets rebuked for it , but at least he got out of the boat .
Peter stepped into the headwinds , having enough faith to come to Jesus in the storm .
His faith wasn ’ t perfect , to be sure , but Jesus rescued him anyway .
None of the other disciples attempted to walk to Jesus at all .
This brings us back to Elijah .
The Lord calls him to the top of the mountain , where strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erupt all around him .
Does Elijah go back inside , hiding , and assume that the natural events happening around him are a judgment or a punishment ?
He does not ; instead , he stands firm and waits for the Lord to speak to him .
Only when Elijah hears the still , small voice does he go to the cave entrance .
This is how we are called to deal with the headwinds of life — by stepping into them .
Every single apostle of Christ did this , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; John ended up exiled instead , a milder form of martyrdom .
The path of the Lord is filled with headwinds and earthquakes , but then again so is life in this world anyway .
We accomplish nothing by hiding in the boat , or worse yet just assume they are a judgment and let it paralyze us .
For those who follow Christ , we must take courage in Jesus and trust Him to be with us at all times .
That doesn ’ t mean we won ’ t sink @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean that in the end it is of no importance .
Only by stepping into the headwinds and the waves can we accomplish Christ ’ s mission .
We have to get out of the boat in order to serve Him , however imperfectly we do so .
The front-page image is “ Christ with St. Peter and the Disciples on the Sea of Galilee ” by Lucas Gassel , mid-16th century .
Via Wikimedia Commons .
“ Sunday Reflection ” is a regular feature , looking at the specific readings used in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world .
The reflection represents only my own point of view , intended to help prepare myself for the Lord ’ s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion .
Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here .

This morning’s Gospel reading is Matthew 14:22–33:
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost, ” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”
No one doubts that 2020 has become our annus horribilis, probably the most catastrophic single year in the lifetimes of most people around the world. A plague, an economic crash, deepening conflicts leading back into a cold war — we haven’t seen anything like it. And it’s only August!
We pray for calmer seas ahead, but we don’t see any break in the storms that batter us. That leads those of faith to wonder whether 2020 is a fluke, or whether it’s a chastisement. Is God behind the plague and the other crises, punishing us for our wayward ways? Thankfully, today’s Old Testament and Gospel readings give us clarity on how the Lord works, and how we are to respond.
First, we hear the story of the prophet Elijah at Horeb, one of the most revealing of all the prophecies in the Old Testament. The Lord commands Elijah to “stand on the mountain,” as He will pass by. The Lord wants Elijah to experience a true theophany, but it is not what Elijah expects:
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD— but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake — but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire— but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
The Lord was not in the wind, the earth, or the fire. Instead, God spoke to Elijah in a small voice, deep within the prophet’s heart. The Lord created the wind, the earth, and the fire, but it does not contain Him. God manifests Himself in our hearts, where He writes His laws, and speaks to the prophets in a meek manner.
Consider today’s Gospel in this light. The disciples are being tossed by the sea and a storm, with the wind against them. How does Christ manifest Himself? He walks on the water, unperturbed by the wind and the sea. It does not contain Jesus, nor does it bother Him. It is of no concern to Jesus in this instance, and He tells the disciples it should be of no concern to them either. “Take courage,” He says, “it is I; do not be afraid.”
This is one of two times Jesus tries to teach the disciples to take no concern in the natural storms that erupt around them. In another Gospel reading (Matthew 8 and Luke 8), Jesus sleeps on a boat in Galilee while a storm suddenly comes up, frightening the disciples. “Master, master,” they plead, “we’re going to drown!” Jesus wakes up and calms the storms, and then asks, “Where is your faith?”
In both cases, Jesus calms the storms, but also challenges the disciples over their apparent loss of courage and/or faith in the face of those storms. In neither case are these punishments for wrongdoing; storms and heavy seas are part of the life of fishermen in Galilee. The Gospel doesn’t tell us that storms won’t arise, especially storms of our own making, thanks to our fallen natures and sinfulness. Rather, the Gospels promise salvation where it matters — in the eternal life, through forgiveness of those sins in Christ’s salvation.
So how are we to respond to these storms? My friends Jake and Lucas at Relevant Radio discussed this Gospel reading with me on the air this week, and they pointed out an overlooked aspect of Peter’s response. He loses faith and gets rebuked for it, but at least he got out of the boat. Peter stepped into the headwinds, having enough faith to come to Jesus in the storm. His faith wasn’t perfect, to be sure, but Jesus rescued him anyway. None of the other disciples attempted to walk to Jesus at all.
This brings us back to Elijah. The Lord calls him to the top of the mountain, where strong winds, fire, and an earthquake erupt all around him. Does Elijah go back inside, hiding, and assume that the natural events happening around him are a judgment or a punishment? He does not; instead, he stands firm and waits for the Lord to speak to him. Only when Elijah hears the still, small voice does he go to the cave entrance.
This is how we are called to deal with the headwinds of life — by stepping into them. Every single apostle of Christ did this, and all but one got martyred for it; John ended up exiled instead, a milder form of martyrdom. The path of the Lord is filled with headwinds and earthquakes, but then again so is life in this world anyway. We accomplish nothing by hiding in the boat, or worse yet just assume they are a judgment and let it paralyze us.
For those who follow Christ, we must take courage in Jesus and trust Him to be with us at all times. That doesn’t mean we won’t sink in the water, but it does mean that in the end it is of no importance. Only by stepping into the headwinds and the waves can we accomplish Christ’s mission. We have to get out of the boat in order to serve Him, however imperfectly we do so.
The front-page image is “Christ with St. Peter and the Disciples on the Sea of Galilee” by Lucas Gassel, mid-16th century. Via Wikimedia Commons.
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here.