dailykos--2020-12-18--Is a fascist movement developing here?

Is a fascist movement developing here?

Since the media declared that former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election , right-wing Trump rallies have declared that the election was a fraud and Trump ’ s win was stolen from him .
Historian Timothy Snyder in his book “ On Tyranny ” argues that institutions preserve our decency .
They do not protect themselves .
They fall if citizens do not protect them .
The Trump-appointed Director of Cybersecurity , Chris Krebs , was fired because he announced the vote across the nation `` was the most secure in American history . ''
Krebs has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiated a campaign of intimidation , retaliation , and threats against Republicans .
Those are the Republicans who as state officials administered their elections .
Trump attacked them for refusing to back up his unsubstantiated claims of massive election fraud .
The national leadership of the Republican Party did not step forward to protect them .
They were silent .
Trump , as president of our democratic republic , should be our national leader in citizenship .
Instead , he has repeatedly refused to recognize that every judge he has asked to overthrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he appointed as true conservatives , has concluded that his claims of fraud are baseless .
A couple of thousand pro-Trump anti-election protestors marched and rallied in Washington D.C. on Saturday , Dec. 12 , two days before the electoral college made the president ’ s loss official .
Washington Post journalists described them as maskless rallygoers cursing the Supreme Court , President-elect Joe Biden , and even Fox News for not recognizing Trump ’ s victory .
Trump tweeted his support of the demonstration , `` Wow !
Thousands of people forming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Steal .
Did n't know about this , but I 'll be seeing them !
# MAGA . ''
Police estimate that the crowd included about 700 Proud Boys wearing their colors of yellow and black , with a number of them dressed in body armor and helmets .
Trump had previously asked them to “ stand down and stand by , ” hinting that he may need them to engage in some sort of physical struggle to assist him .
The Proud Boys were reported to have marched through downtown in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out ” and “ 1776 !
” At some point they burned a “ Black Lives Matter ” banner belonging to the Black community ’ s historic Asbury United Methodist Church .
Despite the Proud Boys being accused of damaging four Black churches in DC , strong Christian beliefs appear to sustain Trump ’ s campaign to overturn the election .
Addressing the gathering , conspiracy theorist Alex Jones , the host of Infowars , spoke of God and how Joe Biden “ will be removed one way or another.
” Another speaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said if there were a civil war , “ we ’ re the ones with all the guns.
” Harris is a devout Christian who rails against authoritarian statism , secularism , and socialism as threats to a free society .
Protestor Ruth Hillary , 58 , a pastor from California , is a prime example of the spirited foot soldier in Trump ’ s camp .
In an interview with Washington Post reporters , she said she would continue protesting and holding up her sign , “ Stop the Steal ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she should .
If he accepts a defeat , then she would too , “ But right now , this is a Godly protest.
” Trump has founded and propagated an anti-democratic populist movement that appears more loyal to him than to our democracy .
His supporters repeatedly proclaim that they are simply defending our constitution .
But the verbal defense of a constitution or a republic , without acknowledging that both are sustained through a stable democratic process , is not enough to avoid moving toward tyranny .
One can trace this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back two thousand years , when Caesar Augustus became Rome ’ s first emperor without ever proclaiming that he was .
Instead , he took the title of first citizen , assuring the senate that his efforts were to save the republic , not to terminate it .
We know how that went .
The republic died , and never returned .
In the period between the two world wars , fascism was created by Benito Mussolini , who had become disillusioned with socialism .
Like any ideology or “ ism ” there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the end , all ideologies have a cluster of features that describe them .
Author and professor Eco Umberto provides a list for fascism in his 1995 essay titled Ur-Fascism ( Eternal Fascism ) .
He begins by noting that fascism creates a cult of tradition which leads to a belief that there is no need for additional learning , the truth has already been spelled out .
Tradition is elevated to the point of conflicting with the scientific approach of critical thinking .
Using a verifiable truth to argue against a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work of a liberal intelligentsia betraying traditional values .
Consequently , we see protestors opposed to : ( 1 ) wearing face masks to mitigate the spread of the covid-19 pandemic because it ’ s just like the flu ; or ( 2 ) reducing industrial pollution to avoid climate change because the climate is always changing : and ( 3 ) accepting verified election results because it ’ s impossible that a Democrat campaigning from a basement office could get more votes than a president drawing in tens of thousands to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to build a consensus by exploiting and exacerbating the natural fear of difference .
In other words , it is an appeal against the intruders , those who are new to our community , like immigrants , or who have been here but are seen as different , like people of color .
Those divisions easily lead to separating the general population into either deserving or undeserving communities .
This is an attitude that has historically appealed to a frustrated middle class , and I would add a working class as well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling politically humiliated .
The economic crisis of the working class has been unfolding for over forty years as its members ' wealth and standard of living has at best stagnated , if not shrunk .
And , who likes to be called a deplorable or an un-woke , ignorant person ?
Another feature of fascism that is relevant to today ’ s political environment is what Umberto describes as an obsession with a plot .
That would be the conspiracy of the Deep State that predates President Trump and can be traced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw communists everywhere , including Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower .
The conspiracy of communists still lives on for Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler .
She has repeatedly referred to her Black Democratic opponent Rev .
Raphael Warnock as “ radical liberal ” often adding socialist to the label and accusing him of supporting communism .
To the average Georgian voter , being accused as a communist is as close as it gets to being a national enemy .
The Trumpite movement has been described as populist , but Umberto sees fascism as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belong to it are the best citizens , those that do not are considered the enemy , whether accused of being a communist , a radical , or a liberal .
The above features that Umberto identified as conditions that could lead to a fascist movement are certainly present .
Many if not most of them have been in America for a long time .
But we have not before now had a significant homegrown fascist movement dramatically threatening our democracy .
I think that is largely due to the durability of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While politicians will come and go , those we like and those we don ’ t , we believe that the electoral system will continue to function .
That is why democracies are a threat to authoritarian leaders .
A fascist movement above all opposes democracy .
When the authoritarians took over Russia , Germany , and Italy , the first thing they did was to either abolish their legislative bodies and their independent judicial system or take them over with ideologically acceptable functionaries .
Trump ’ s ability to throw out a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an organization large enough and strong enough to do either .
He could personally intimidate only so many Republicans .
Still , the Republican Party is currently under his sway , particularly at the federal level .
So much so that 126 House Republicans signed onto an amicus brief submitted in the Supreme Court case seeking to overturn Biden ’ s victory .
The most conservative Supreme Court in the past seventy years unanimously rejected Trump ’ s appeal .
As I wrote before , he will still try to overturn the popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted by Congress .
And he will fail , even though his White House advisor Stephen Miller told Fox News that `` an alternative '' group of electors was voting in the contested states and were sending “ those results to Congress . ''
Trump ’ s final loss will not stop him from fanning opposition against our electoral process .
Are his actions contributing to an emerging fascist movement ?
There ’ s not a real movement , yet .
At this point there are no organized national paramilitary groups like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WWI , but from the beginning of our nation ’ s founding there has been an anti-democratic subculture .
However , at times a political personality emerges who taps a well of discontent that cares less about how a democracy should work .
Donald Trump did it brilliantly , according to former long-time Republican strategist , Rick Wilson , author of Running Against the Devil .
Trump exploited the grievance culture with messages that have powered past fascist movements , “ Everyone is coming to get you.
” and “ You will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The task of deflating fascism requires addressing these messages through understanding the problems of all communities and working with them to arrive at workable and just solutions .
That approach will take determination , persistence , and time in order to sustain our democracy .
These are tasks that both parties must pursue .
Nick Licata is author of Becoming A Citizen Activist , and has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council , named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation , and is founding board chair of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,000 progressive municipal officials .
Subscribe to Licata ’ s newsletter Citizenship Politics

Since the media declared that former Vice President Joe Biden won the presidential election, right-wing Trump rallies have declared that the election was a fraud and Trump’s win was stolen from him.
Historian Timothy Snyder in his book “On Tyranny” argues that institutions preserve our decency. They do not protect themselves. They fall if citizens do not protect them.
The Trump-appointed Director of Cybersecurity, Chris Krebs, was fired because he announced the vote across the nation "was the most secure in American history." Krebs has since filed a lawsuit charging that Trump has initiated a campaign of intimidation, retaliation, and threats against Republicans.
Those are the Republicans who as state officials administered their elections. Trump attacked them for refusing to back up his unsubstantiated claims of massive election fraud. The national leadership of the Republican Party did not step forward to protect them. They were silent.
Trump, as president of our democratic republic, should be our national leader in citizenship. Instead, he has repeatedly refused to recognize that every judge he has asked to overthrow Biden’s victory, including judges he appointed as true conservatives, has concluded that his claims of fraud are baseless.
A couple of thousand pro-Trump anti-election protestors marched and rallied in Washington D.C. on Saturday, Dec. 12, two days before the electoral college made the president’s loss official. Washington Post journalists described them as maskless rallygoers cursing the Supreme Court, President-elect Joe Biden, and even Fox News for not recognizing Trump’s victory. Trump tweeted his support of the demonstration, "Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn't know about this, but I'll be seeing them! #MAGA."
Police estimate that the crowd included about 700 Proud Boys wearing their colors of yellow and black, with a number of them dressed in body armor and helmets. Trump had previously asked them to “stand down and stand by,” hinting that he may need them to engage in some sort of physical struggle to assist him. The Proud Boys were reported to have marched through downtown in military like rows, shouting “move out” and “1776!” At some point they burned a “Black Lives Matter” banner belonging to the Black community’s historic Asbury United Methodist Church.
Despite the Proud Boys being accused of damaging four Black churches in DC, strong Christian beliefs appear to sustain Trump’s campaign to overturn the election. Addressing the gathering, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, the host of Infowars, spoke of God and how Joe Biden “will be removed one way or another.” Another speaker, Black right-wing podcaster David Harris Jr., said if there were a civil war, “we’re the ones with all the guns.” Harris is a devout Christian who rails against authoritarian statism, secularism, and socialism as threats to a free society.
Protestor Ruth Hillary, 58, a pastor from California, is a prime example of the spirited foot soldier in Trump’s camp. In an interview with Washington Post reporters, she said she would continue protesting and holding up her sign, “Stop the Steal”, as long as the president believes she should. If he accepts a defeat, then she would too, “But right now, this is a Godly protest.”
Trump has founded and propagated an anti-democratic populist movement that appears more loyal to him than to our democracy. His supporters repeatedly proclaim that they are simply defending our constitution. But the verbal defense of a constitution or a republic, without acknowledging that both are sustained through a stable democratic process, is not enough to avoid moving toward tyranny.
One can trace this faulty, if not devious, strategy back two thousand years, when Caesar Augustus became Rome’s first emperor without ever proclaiming that he was. Instead, he took the title of first citizen, assuring the senate that his efforts were to save the republic, not to terminate it. We know how that went. The republic died, and never returned.
In the period between the two world wars, fascism was created by Benito Mussolini, who had become disillusioned with socialism. Like any ideology or “ism” there will be many competing definitions. But in the end, all ideologies have a cluster of features that describe them.
Author and professor Eco Umberto provides a list for fascism in his 1995 essay titled Ur-Fascism (Eternal Fascism). He begins by noting that fascism creates a cult of tradition which leads to a belief that there is no need for additional learning, the truth has already been spelled out. Tradition is elevated to the point of conflicting with the scientific approach of critical thinking. Using a verifiable truth to argue against a traditional but unproven truth is seen as the work of a liberal intelligentsia betraying traditional values.
Consequently, we see protestors opposed to: (1) wearing face masks to mitigate the spread of the covid-19 pandemic because it’s just like the flu; or (2) reducing industrial pollution to avoid climate change because the climate is always changing: and (3) accepting verified election results because it’s impossible that a Democrat campaigning from a basement office could get more votes than a president drawing in tens of thousands to his rallies.
Umberto sees fascism seeking to build a consensus by exploiting and exacerbating the natural fear of difference. In other words, it is an appeal against the intruders, those who are new to our community, like immigrants, or who have been here but are seen as different, like people of color.
Those divisions easily lead to separating the general population into either deserving or undeserving communities. This is an attitude that has historically appealed to a frustrated middle class, and I would add a working class as well, particularly when suffering an economic crisis or feeling politically humiliated. The economic crisis of the working class has been unfolding for over forty years as its members' wealth and standard of living has at best stagnated, if not shrunk. And, who likes to be called a deplorable or an un-woke, ignorant person?
Another feature of fascism that is relevant to today’s political environment is what Umberto describes as an obsession with a plot. That would be the conspiracy of the Deep State that predates President Trump and can be traced back to the John Birch Society that saw communists everywhere, including Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The conspiracy of communists still lives on for Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler. She has repeatedly referred to her Black Democratic opponent Rev. Raphael Warnock as “radical liberal” often adding socialist to the label and accusing him of supporting communism. To the average Georgian voter, being accused as a communist is as close as it gets to being a national enemy. The Trumpite movement has been described as populist, but Umberto sees fascism as promoting a popular elitism. Those that belong to it are the best citizens, those that do not are considered the enemy, whether accused of being a communist, a radical, or a liberal.
The above features that Umberto identified as conditions that could lead to a fascist movement are certainly present. Many if not most of them have been in America for a long time. But we have not before now had a significant homegrown fascist movement dramatically threatening our democracy. I think that is largely due to the durability of our citizens' belief in our democracy. While politicians will come and go, those we like and those we don’t, we believe that the electoral system will continue to function. That is why democracies are a threat to authoritarian leaders.
A fascist movement above all opposes democracy. When the authoritarians took over Russia, Germany, and Italy, the first thing they did was to either abolish their legislative bodies and their independent judicial system or take them over with ideologically acceptable functionaries. Trump’s ability to throw out a legitimate election is hindered by not having an organization large enough and strong enough to do either. He could personally intimidate only so many Republicans.
Still, the Republican Party is currently under his sway, particularly at the federal level. So much so that 126 House Republicans signed onto an amicus brief submitted in the Supreme Court case seeking to overturn Biden’s victory. The most conservative Supreme Court in the past seventy years unanimously rejected Trump’s appeal.
As I wrote before, he will still try to overturn the popular vote when the electoral votes must be counted by Congress. And he will fail, even though his White House advisor Stephen Miller told Fox News that "an alternative" group of electors was voting in the contested states and were sending “those results to Congress."
Trump’s final loss will not stop him from fanning opposition against our electoral process. Are his actions contributing to an emerging fascist movement? There’s not a real movement, yet. At this point there are no organized national paramilitary groups like the Free Corps that existed in Germany after WWI, but from the beginning of our nation’s founding there has been an anti-democratic subculture.
However, at times a political personality emerges who taps a well of discontent that cares less about how a democracy should work. Donald Trump did it brilliantly, according to former long-time Republican strategist, Rick Wilson, author of Running Against the Devil. Trump exploited the grievance culture with messages that have powered past fascist movements, “Everyone is coming to get you.” and “You will be punished for not believing the right things.”
The task of deflating fascism requires addressing these messages through understanding the problems of all communities and working with them to arrive at workable and just solutions. That approach will take determination, persistence, and time in order to sustain our democracy. These are tasks that both parties must pursue. Nick Licata is author of Becoming A Citizen Activist, and has served 5 terms on the Seattle City Council, named progressive municipal official of the year by The Nation, and is founding board chair of Local Progress, a national network of 1,000 progressive municipal officials.
Subscribe to Licata’s newsletter Citizenship Politics


A Doctoral Defense

Recently several people have criticized Jill Biden for her title “ Dr. ” because a Ed.D .
in their opinion , did not reach the criterion for such a high-sounding appellation : only an M.D .
need apply .
And one even suggested only a M.D .
who had delivered a baby !
As the holder of another denigrated title , i.e .
Ph.D. , I was quite irritated about these self-proclaimed experts on proper designations .
While I have seldom made a point of my credentials , I do believe that my hard work against all odds entitles me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a doctoral degree from a respectable institution , namely the University of Florida .
But this is not just about me , but about numerous people who , often at great expense in time , effort and money , worked through difficult conditions to succeed in researching and writing a dissertation and in most cases publishing the result .
The dissertation is a demonstration that the candidate can do original work in their chosen field .
Quite often dissertations have to be extensively reworked to get them to be publishable .
Also new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the ability to successfully research a subject and present a defensible work was really the point .
All of the titles , Ed.D.
, D.D.S , Ph.D. , LL.D , etc .
have “ doctor ” in their Latin designations and anybody who passes their final exam and gets their committee to approve their dissertation is entitled to the term “ doctor.
” The term was first used for theological degrees and was only later applied to M.D.s .
Tucker Carlson and Joseph Epstein are obviously unaware of the history behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they seem to be ignorant in a number of areas .
However it fits the narrative that the G.O.P .
is pushing that “ experts ” should be ignored because they are educated fools who mistakenly believe in “ facts ” and “ data.
” Instead we should be living in the Republican make-believe universe of alternative facts .
In short , if it does not suit our narrative it should be rejected .
Look how well that has served them in this pandemic !
Does this mean that all people with doctoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No , not at all .
Like all professions , including medical doctors , we have our share of duds .
Myself , I respect anyone who has the knowledge and experience to be a recognized “ expert ” in their fields , whether they have a degree or not .
However , Epstein and Carlson are not really attacking the use of the title , but expertise and reality itself , as well as laying the groundwork for a long-running attack , Hillary Clinton-style , on the First Lady elect .

Recently several people have criticized Jill Biden for her title “Dr.” because a Ed.D. in their opinion, did not reach the criterion for such a high-sounding appellation: only an M.D. need apply. And one even suggested only a M.D. who had delivered a baby! As the holder of another denigrated title, i.e. Ph.D., I was quite irritated about these self-proclaimed experts on proper designations. While I have seldom made a point of my credentials, I do believe that my hard work against all odds entitles me to take some pride in having attained a doctoral degree from a respectable institution, namely the University of Florida.
But this is not just about me, but about numerous people who, often at great expense in time, effort and money, worked through difficult conditions to succeed in researching and writing a dissertation and in most cases publishing the result. The dissertation is a demonstration that the candidate can do original work in their chosen field. Quite often dissertations have to be extensively reworked to get them to be publishable. Also new information may well make the dissertation obsolete, but the ability to successfully research a subject and present a defensible work was really the point. All of the titles, Ed.D., D.D.S, Ph.D., LL.D, etc. have “doctor” in their Latin designations and anybody who passes their final exam and gets their committee to approve their dissertation is entitled to the term “doctor.” The term was first used for theological degrees and was only later applied to M.D.s. Tucker Carlson and Joseph Epstein are obviously unaware of the history behind the title. Big surprise, as they seem to be ignorant in a number of areas. However it fits the narrative that the G.O.P. is pushing that “experts” should be ignored because they are educated fools who mistakenly believe in “facts” and “data.” Instead we should be living in the Republican make-believe universe of alternative facts. In short, if it does not suit our narrative it should be rejected. Look how well that has served them in this pandemic!
Does this mean that all people with doctoral degrees are competent in their fields? No, not at all. Like all professions, including medical doctors, we have our share of duds. Myself, I respect anyone who has the knowledge and experience to be a recognized “expert” in their fields, whether they have a degree or not. However, Epstein and Carlson are not really attacking the use of the title, but expertise and reality itself, as well as laying the groundwork for a long-running attack, Hillary Clinton-style, on the First Lady elect.


dailykos--2020-12-20--I’m a Phony Conservative!

I’m a Phony Conservative!

I ’ m a phony conservative !
I say I ’ m for smaller government , but I want to let the federal government to snoop on private citizens without a warrant .
I also want the government to step in to stop rape and incest victims from having abortions .
I ’ m a phony conservative !
I say I ’ m “ pro-life ” , yet I ’ m totally pro-gun and pro-war .
Also , I ’ m cool with letting people die if they can ’ t afford adequate health insurance .
I ’ m a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m tough on crime , but I ’ m actually a bleeding heart when it comes to corporate crime or indicting a corrupt president on my side of the aisle .
I ’ m a phony conservative !
I say that those who are living in poverty should pick themselves up by their bootstraps , but I oppose raising the minimum wage enough for them to even scrape by .
I ’ m a phony conservative !
I strongly believe that any criticism of our president is unpatriotic , but only when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president is a Democrat , no smear is too extreme .
I ’ m a phony conservative !
I say I ’ m for “ family values ” , but I supported an administration that separated thousands of families and locked innocent kids in cages .
I ’ m a phony conservative , but so what ?
It ’ s not like there ’ s any other kind !

I’m a phony conservative! I say I’m for smaller government, but I want to let the federal government to snoop on private citizens without a warrant. I also want the government to step in to stop rape and incest victims from having abortions.
I’m a phony conservative! I say I’m “pro-life”, yet I’m totally pro-gun and pro-war. Also, I’m cool with letting people die if they can’t afford adequate health insurance.
I’m a phony conservative! I say I’m tough on crime, but I’m actually a bleeding heart when it comes to corporate crime or indicting a corrupt president on my side of the aisle.
I’m a phony conservative! I say that those who are living in poverty should pick themselves up by their bootstraps, but I oppose raising the minimum wage enough for them to even scrape by.
I’m a phony conservative! I strongly believe that any criticism of our president is unpatriotic, but only when the president is a Republican. When the president is a Democrat, no smear is too extreme.
I’m a phony conservative! I say I’m for “family values”, but I supported an administration that separated thousands of families and locked innocent kids in cages.
I’m a phony conservative, but so what? It’s not like there’s any other kind!


dailykos--2020-12-23--Good News Roundup for December 23, 2020

Good News Roundup for December 23, 2020

I love this wonderful analysis by FiveThirtyEight ’ s Michael Tesler .
And be sure to watch the ads , if you haven ’ t seen them already .
They ’ re simply brilliant .
The rest of the piece is well worth reading .
Of course , the Rs have been very bad this year , like every year , and I ’ m hoping each of them will be visited by some of the spirits who punish bad children and give them the punishments they deserve ( you can read about them here ) .
I wish them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can also laugh at them : I want to watch the lift-off !
!
Top Trump advisers want Sidney Powell off election cases and on ‘ first rocket to Mars ’ : report On [ December 18th ] , the New York Times reported that Powell was invited to the White House along with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn for an election fraud strategy session with the president that was disrupted by shouting .
The Times reported , `` Ms. Powell 's ideas were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present , all of whom repeatedly pointed out that she had yet to back up her claims with proof .
At one point , one person briefed on the meeting said , she produced several affidavits , but upon inspection they were all signed by a man she has previously used as an expert witness , whose credentials have been called into question . ''
The source went onto say Powell is no longer wanted around by Trump 's inner circle , which includes White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front opposing her .
`` That is why voices were raised , '' the source told Swan .
`` There is literally not one motherf*cker in the president 's entire orbit — his staunchest group of supporters and allies — who does n't think that Sidney Powell should be on that first rocket to Mars . ''
`` These are the hardcore defenders .
This is the one thing that has united people , '' the source added .
President Trump , in his final days , is turning bitterly on virtually every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who refuses to indulge conspiracy theories or hopeless bids to overturn the election , several top officials tell Axios .
The latest : Targets of his outrage include Vice President Pence , chief of staff Mark Meadows , White House counsel Pat Cipollone , Secretary of State Pompeo and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
Top officials are trying to stay away from the West Wing right now .
• and everyone is in the blast zone : At this point , if you 're not in the “ use the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting machines ” camp , the president considers you weak and beneath contempt .
... A source who spoke to Trump said the president was complaining about Pence and brought up a Lincoln Project ad that claims that Pence is `` backing away '' from Trump .
This ad has clearly got inside Trump ’ s head , the source said .
• Pence ’ s role on Jan. 6 has begun to loom large in Trump ’ s mind , according to people who ’ ve discussed the matter with him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ validating the election result — as the ultimate betrayal .
A new fixation : Trump has even been asking advisers whether they can get state legislatures to rescind their electoral votes .
When he ’ s told no , he lashes out even more , said a source who discussed the matter with the president .
The person who has the worst job in Washington , according to multiple administration officials : the incoming head of the Justice Department , Jeffrey Rosen .
The following story has cropped up in GNR comments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in case any of you missed it , enjoy !
Lin Wood is one of those gifts that just keep on giving .
Legal experts roar with laughter as Trump attorney submits declaration 'under plenty of perjury ’ UPDATE : The Oregon legislature did indeed extend the moratorium statewide .
Portland philanthropist gives holiday gift to dancers and musicians put out of work by the pandemic Proud Boys , Patriot Prayer , MAGAts , anti-maskers , and other assorted RWNJs tried to disrupt the Oregon legislature ’ s special session , but though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to stop the legislators from doing their jobs .
The restaurant bills — permitting the sale of cocktails-to-go and limiting the fees of restaurant delivery services — might not seem important , but both are vital to the survival of Oregon ’ s restaurants during the pandemic .
Cocktails are the most profitable item on any restaurant ’ s menu and robust cocktails sales can keep a restaurant afloat even when food sales are down .
Delivery services have profited off the pandemic by raising the percentages they take from restaurants as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both the restaurants and their customers — the bill sets a limit of 15 % .
Protesters disrupted a special session of the Oregon Legislature Monday , breaking a glass door on the side of the State Capitol that was quickly declared an unlawful assembly , resulting in at least one arrest .
And while it delayed the start of the special session , it did not derail the efforts to deal with the economic aspects of the coronavirus pandemic in Oregon .
Just before 6 p.m. , the third special session adjourned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the bills they considered : The $ 800 million in relief , cocktails to-go , rent relief for landlords , extension of the eviction moratorium and a bill limiting liability of schools for COVID claims .
The Senate and the House passed the bill that would provide $ 800 million in relief , including funding for items like vaccine distribution , contact tracing , wildfire prevention and rent relief .
The Oregon Senate also voted to allow restaurants to do cocktails-to-go and limits the fees that 3rd-party platforms can charge a customer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those were later approved by the Oregon House .
By a 39-15 vote , the House passed the bill to extend the eviction moratorium through June 2021 and provide rent relief to both tenants and landlords .
The bill was approved by the Senate .
More good news for restaurants and bars , in Oregon and also nationally : [ Thanks to Blumenauer and Wyden ] Restaurants and Bars Should See Some Assistance From the Congressional COVID-19 Relief Package Oregon moves to phase out most uses of [ by 2023 Long-overdue good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the planet !
!
Note that the final sentence is a gross understatement .
Good news from around the nation I was going to lead off with the news of the passage of the Congressional COVID-19 relief bill ( which was only partially good news , of course ) , but as I was putting the finishing touches on the roundup , news came that Trump is threatening to veto ( or just fail to sign ) the bill unless individual payments are raised from $ 600 to $ 2000 .
So this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least as of 7:00 PM Pacific time yesterday .
Meanwhile , the Congressional Dems are saying , “ Great , do it !
” Now on to national news that ’ s definitely good .
José Andrés : We need a Secretary of Food Hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. has been a focus of mine for over 40 years , so I was thrilled to see this op-ed by José Andrés .
Despite all the urgent issues facing President-Elect Biden , I think there ’ s at least a chance he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Without food security for all , the United States will never fully recover from the pandemic .
This pandemic year has reminded us of so many things we have forgotten , or ignored .
But it will also show us the path forward , to someday feeding all of America equitably .
It ’ s not just that our priorities are wrong ; food is not a national policy priority at all .
We invest in , and care more about , the energy that drives our cars and trucks than the energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic struck , the U.S. Department of Agriculture set aside $ 16 billion in emergency aid to farmers , who were by then destroying their crops , but spent only $ 3 billion to actually purchase their fresh produce , dairy products and meat and distribute them to the hungry .
Restaurants , which had employed more than 12 million Americans before the pandemic , were closed by public order but received no bailout .
Airlines in the United States , which currently employ about 700,000 people worldwide , received $ 25 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the U.S. Census Bureau , as of late July , 30 million American adults — one in nine of our neighbors — were going hungry .
... we can prioritize and streamline food policy under a new cabinet-level Secretary of Food and Agriculture , with a seat on the National Security Council and a mission to improve our nation ’ s sustenance .
We know that a poor diet leads to poor health , so while we wait for new coronavirus vaccines and therapies , improving the quality of our nourishment is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We need to prepare not just for recovery but for the next pandemic and the catastrophic threats represented by the climate crisis .
By doing so , we can heal much more than hunger .
Here ’ s more good news about combating hunger .
It ’ s also good news that Google can sometimes avoid being evil 😉 [ A ] Google [ Offshoot ] is Creating Tools to Tackle Food Waste and Hunger A Google offshoot has created two new programs which make it easy for food producers , suppliers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food to food banks that need it .
The issues [ around food distribution ] are mostly found in the supply chain : through the interaction of buyers , trying to imagine how many units they need , and sellers who are trying to imagine how many they can sell .
Producers , like sellers , try and make as much as they think they can find buyers for , while the final stage owner of food—supermarkets , restaurants , or hotels , often have too many processes to worry about to consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the line .
The efficient distribution of food is an extremely difficult job to take on all the way down the supply chain , and so it ’ s perhaps no surprise that 30-40 % of food in the U.S. is wasted .
“ There ’ s no simple way for food suppliers to let food banks know what they have available , or for food banks or pantries to communicate what they need , ” writes Adele Peters for Fast Company , covering the Google innovation .
Known as Project Delta , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of different calculations and variables , the things it would take a dedicated team of organizers to manage , to ensure the food is going where it is needed most , where it ’ s most likely to get eaten , and other priorities .
The next two stories detail two efforts to right some long-standing wrongs .
US churches increasingly commit to reparations for 'deep history of racism' This article is too long to quote from effectively , so I urge you to click the link and read it in full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rights of NCAA athletes Good news from around the world Cheers to Alexey Navalny for having nerves of steel and the brains to go with them .
He caught this guy red-handed , so to speak .
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny dupes spy into revealing how he was poisoned Each year scientists at hospitals and universities around the world start hundreds of thousands of clinical studies involving millions of patient volunteers and generating vast data about the effect of new treatments for myriad diseases .
...
In recent years , researchers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sharing of clinical research data presents an opportunity to advance medical science and improve the integrity of research .
Data sharing marks a significant departure from tradition .
Scientists have often been reluctant to give away the fruits of their hard work .
Many spend years planning and executing their studies , painstakingly collecting and curating the data for analysis , and then preparing a summary report to publish .
However , the advantages of data sharing are becoming so apparent that this reticence is beginning to evaporate .
Sharing increases the amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available data , without having to go through the expense and trouble of organizing new trials .
...
Sharing can improve the integrity of scientific research by encouraging multiple examinations and interpretations of any given research database .
...
Sharing can also make better use of limited scientific resources , minimizing duplication in data collection , which reduces research costs and lowers the burden on patient volunteers .
The natural detective : meet the forensic ecologist who uses nature to solve crimes For more than 40 years , [ Prof. Patricia Wiltshire ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-profile criminal cases – from murders to abductions – by examining tiny particles of pollen , plants and fungi under her microscope .
Now 78 , Wiltshire lives in Surrey with husband David and cat Maudie , and counts needlework , painting and gardening among her hobbies .
Coupled with her soft Welsh accent and 5ft stature , these details don ’ t shout tough , trailblazing crimefighter .
But she is .
Wiltshire has worked on more than 250 cases , including some of the most notorious of the last 25 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ botany and geology at two colleges in London , she received ] a phone call that would send her career in a fresh direction .
A detective from Hertfordshire Constabulary asked if she could help in a murder case .
A body had been found in a field ditch in rural Hertfordshire… .
Proving the suspects ’ involvement hinged around being able to show that their car had been into that field .
Could Wiltshire do this ?
She set about meticulously scrubbing the car , sieving and decanting the silty washings so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concentrated pellets .
Acids were then used to remove background elements of the soil – quartz , clay and so on – from the pellets , leaving only the ‘ palynomorphs ’ , minute fossils of pollen or spores .
They were then stained and embedded in jelly on glass , before Wiltshire began poring over the samples .
When officers took Wiltshire to visit the scene , they offered to show her where the body had been discovered .
Instead , she asked if she could try telling them .
... On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hawthorn , flowering ivy , woundwort , docks , goosefoot and nettle .
The offenders had trodden in all of these and carried them back to their car .
Wiltshire knew this was the place , and the astonished officers confirmed it .
Wiltshire has now worked with every police force in the UK .
… When confronted with the strength of Wiltshire ’ s evidence , many criminals have confessed , saving the cost of lengthy trials .
Bucking the trend : the Scottish reindeer offering hope for an imperilled species @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 geese a-laying ” with “ 6 puppies in a bucket ” — who ’ s with me ?
I thought it would be fun and refreshing to unearth some holiday rarities to compensate us for all the times we ’ ve had to listen to “ Holly Jolly Christmas ” ( my personal pet peeve holiday ear worm ) .
The Fat Man ’ s “ Jingle Bells ” is my favorite version by far .
And the ‘ 50s graphics here are fun , too .
Here ’ s a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is my second-favorite local bass player ( after my husband , of course ) , and he ’ s working here with three other stars in the local jazz firmament .
Just a delightfully mellow bit of straight ahead jazz .
And of course I have to add a pandemic parody holiday song : Just one today , but it has 99 parts !
This is Future Crunch ’ s end-of-the year gathering of their favorite good news stories from 2020 : You ’ ll be amazed at how much good came out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all dismissed as disastrous : victories for the environment , global health , peace & safety & human rights , living standards around the world , and clean energy .
Each of the 99 entries is linked to a full article , so you ’ ll have lots to explore here .
BTW , I encourage all of you to bookmark Future Crunch and check it out regularly .
They have an ongoing feature called “ Good News ” and they find really wonderful international stories .
They ’ re also genuinely good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get through subscriptions to support life-changing projects around the world .
Closing video : Peace on earth and goodwill to all creatures Thanks to each and every Gnusie for your smarts , your hearts , and your faithful attendance at our daily Gathering of the Herd .

Greetings!
Greetings to all you Gnusies, Gnubies, occasional drop-ins, silent regulars, and first-timers! Come sit with us to find and share messages of hope and to celebrate all the ways good people are triumphing over evil-doers. The task we have set ourselves here in Gnuville is to search out hope no matter how difficult the situation might be. We’ve learned over the past four years that hope can be found even in the darkest days, and now, as we come to the end of the collective nightmare of this maladministration and celebrate the coming Biden era, we’re finding hope everywhere.
This is a collaborative effort. After you read a Good News Roundup, we warmly encourage you to add your own good news finds in our comment section, The Best Comment Section on the Internet™, where sanity reigns, Gloomy Guses and Debbie Downers are encouraged to see the light, and pie fights are forbidden.
Let’s get started!
Introduction
However you celebrate this time of traditional rejoicing in the turn of our world from more darkness toward more light, and however the pandemic will change how your celebration looks this year, I wish you all the familiar gifts of the season: love, comfort, joy, friendship (even if distant), and hope for a better world. I’ve gathered some holiday gifts for you — good news about good people, fun stuff, seasonal music, and more. I hope you enjoy them!
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First musical break
Here’s a song and video to celebrate this season of renewed hope.
x YouTube Video
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Good political news
Donald Trump has real reason to be worried: Democrats are pursuing accountability this time
From Heather Digby Parton, writing in Salon:
From the New York Attorney General to the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democrats are on Trump's case ...the fact is that this long national acid trip is winding down at long last. Unfortunately, the hangover is going to be titanic. Unless the nation sobers up quickly and takes action, we may never recover. The good news is that we are seeing signs of life in the U.S. Congress in this regard. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, gave notice this week that his committee intends to pursue the subpoena of former White House Counsel Don McGahn. [Democrats] may not be able to sanction Trump for [obstruction of justice], but they need to build the record — after all, this guy may try to bust his way back into power in four years. Meanwhile, we have also learned that the Manhattan District Attorney and the New York Attorney General's cases are proceeding apace. These cases are beyond the scope of any federal pardon, as you know, so Trump may be seeing the inside of a courtroom whether he pardons himself or not.
She continues by quoting a perceptive analysis from James Fallows, writing in The Atlantic, on how Biden might navigate the difficult issue of his role in holding tRump and his enablers accountable.
The Atlantic's James Fallows took a look at the problem of accountability for what's happened and I think his ideas for how to deal with it make a lot of sense. He suggests that the Biden White House steer clear of most of that work except for the important job of trying to make the executive branch work properly again. ... So that leaves the Democrats, who control the congressional committees in the House, to create a Good Cop—Bad Cop dynamic between Biden and Nadler which might just be effective if the Democrats stay strong and don't react to bad faith caterwauling from the Republicans. Fallows also believes that Biden should appoint three commissions, which I think are vital and I really hope that someone in the administration is listening. The first would be a commission to look at the pandemic response. ...The second ...would look into the cases of family separation at the border, with an immediate task to find the children and then document meticulously exactly how such a program came to be implemented. ...And finally, Biden needs to appoint a commission to investigate the Trump administration's assault on democracy itself. Biden doesn't have to be personally involved in any of this. He can stay above the fray and concentrate on doing the job he was hired to do. But these commissions would go a long way toward reassuring the majority of Americans who are still shell-shocked by what has happened in these four years that at least there will be a public airing and permanent record of what went wrong. Most people are hungry for the truth and while I doubt Trump's followers will want to hear it, we need the truth for the history books. At some point, their children or grandchildren may want to know what really happened.
Vote Forward volunteers broke their previous record — by a lot!
From an email:
After sending more than a million letters in 2018 — which felt at the time like an astonishing number — volunteers like you sent a goal-shattering 17.5 million letters in October 2020 alone, contributing to record-breaking voter turnout in a critically important election. Together, you wrote: A letter to every single voter who met our targeting criteria in 20 critical states.
Letters to 2.3 million voters in Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia, where outcomes were determined by fewer than 45,000 votes.
Enough handwritten letters lined up in a row to span from Seattle to Miami.
Raphael Warnock’s Dog Ads Cut Against White Voters’ Stereotypes Of Black People
I love this wonderful analysis by FiveThirtyEight’s Michael Tesler. And be sure to watch the ads, if you haven’t seen them already. They’re simply brilliant.
From FiveThirtyEight:
If he wins next month, Raphael Warnock may have his pet beagle to thank. So far, Warnock, the Democratic candidate in one of Georgia’s two Senate runoff elections, has aired two ads featuring his dog. In the first, he uses his cuddly canine to preempt negative GOP attacks against him — attacks that have tried to paint him as an ideological extremist and tie him to far-left Black activists. x YouTube Video In the second ad, the pooch plays an even more prominent role, with Warnock walking his dog through a suburban neighborhood, poop bag in hand, while denouncing Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s “smear ads” against him. x I told you the smear ads were coming, but Georgians will see Sen. @Kloeffler’s ads for what they are. pic.twitter.com/0sgU8ndC63 — Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) November 24, 2020 ...some close observers of race and politics have noted that there is much more here than just an adorable electoral campaign. These ads, they argue, are carefully crafted attempts to neutralize racial stereotypes that work against Warnock in his bid to become Georgia’s first African American senator. Hakeem Jefferson, a Stanford professor and FiveThirtyEight contributor, tweeted, “This ad is doing a lot. It’s obv[iously] cute, but it is also meant to deracialize Warnock with this cute ‘white people friendly’ doggy.” Fordham University political scientist and MSNBC contributor Christina Greer similarly tweeted, “This ad will be taught in Race Politics classes for years to come…it is doing A LOT of silent heavy lifting.” And The New York Times’s Jamelle Bouie concurred, tweeting in response to Greer’s comments, “Yep. The setting, Warnock’s outfit, even the dog breed all are sending a specific message.”
The rest of the piece is well worth reading.
Of course, the Rs have been very bad this year, like every year, and I’m hoping each of them will be visited by some of the spirits who punish bad children and give them the punishments they deserve (you can read about them here). I wish them lumps of coal and worse.
But we can also laugh at them:
Ridiculous Rethugs in Retreat
I want to watch the lift-off!!
Top Trump advisers want Sidney Powell off election cases and on ‘first rocket to Mars’: report
From Raw Story:
On [December 18th], the New York Times reported that Powell was invited to the White House along with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and ex-National Security Advisor Michael Flynn for an election fraud strategy session with the president that was disrupted by shouting. The Times reported, "Ms. Powell's ideas were shot down by every other Trump adviser present, all of whom repeatedly pointed out that she had yet to back up her claims with proof. At one point, one person briefed on the meeting said, she produced several affidavits, but upon inspection they were all signed by a man she has previously used as an expert witness, whose credentials have been called into question." ✂ The source went onto say Powell is no longer wanted around by Trump's inner circle, which includes White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and her appearance has led to a united front opposing her. "That is why voices were raised," the source told Swan. "There is literally not one motherf*cker in the president's entire orbit — his staunchest group of supporters and allies — who doesn't think that Sidney Powell should be on that first rocket to Mars." "These are the hardcore defenders. This is the one thing that has united people," the source added.
This was inevitable:
Trump turns on everyone
From Axios:
President Trump, in his final days, is turning bitterly on virtually every person around him, griping about anyone who refuses to indulge conspiracy theories or hopeless bids to overturn the election, several top officials tell Axios. The latest: Targets of his outrage include Vice President Pence, chief of staff Mark Meadows, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Secretary of State Pompeo and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. ✂ Top officials are trying to stay away from the West Wing right now. Trump is lashing out, and everyone is in the blast zone: At this point, if you're not in the “use the Department of Homeland Security or the military to impound voting machines” camp, the president considers you weak and beneath contempt. ... A source who spoke to Trump said the president was complaining about Pence and brought up a Lincoln Project ad that claims that Pence is "backing away" from Trump. This ad has clearly got inside Trump’s head, the source said. ✂ Pence’s role on Jan. 6 has begun to loom large in Trump’s mind, according to people who’ve discussed the matter with him. Trump would view Pence performing his constitutional duty — and validating the election result — as the ultimate betrayal. A new fixation: Trump has even been asking advisers whether they can get state legislatures to rescind their electoral votes. When he’s told no, he lashes out even more, said a source who discussed the matter with the president. The person who has the worst job in Washington, according to multiple administration officials: the incoming head of the Justice Department, Jeffrey Rosen.
The following story has cropped up in GNR comments and in a DKos diary, but just in case any of you missed it, enjoy! Lin Wood is one of those gifts that just keep on giving.
Legal experts roar with laughter as Trump attorney submits declaration 'under plenty of perjury’
From Raw Story:
This week, Trump campaign lawyer Lin Wood, who helped kicked off the outgoing president's volley of unsuccessful legal challenges to the election results and has aggravated Republicans with calls to boycott the Georgia Senate runoff, submitted a new election lawsuit apparently representing himself. Legal experts on social media couldn't help but notice an incredibly unfortunate typo near the end of his filing. Instead of writing, "Under penalty of perjury," he wrote "I declare and verify under plenty of perjury" that the facts on election irregularities described in his filing are correct. x In an effort to enter the Bar Association’s Self-Own Hall of Fame, Lin Wood files Georgia election fraud complaint “under plenty of perjury” pic.twitter.com/aUP2MgZK9j — Nathaniel Persily (@persily) December 19, 2020
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Good news from Portland
Multnomah County Commissioners Vote to Extend Residential Eviction Moratorium Through July 2, 2021
From Willamette Week:
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously [on December 17th] to keep tenants housed by extending the eviction moratorium until July 2, 2021—plus a six-month repayment grace period to pay back rent. That means back rent won't come due until January 2022. This vote comes just a few days before a special legislative session will be held where Oregon's elected officials, including Gov. Kate Brown, will determine if a similar moratorium will be extended statewide. The session begins at 8 am Monday, Dec. 21.
UPDATE: The Oregon legislature did indeed extend the moratorium statewide.
Portland philanthropist gives holiday gift to dancers and musicians put out of work by the pandemic
From KGW:
Struggling artists...are now getting a financial boost from philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer. ✂ He is donating $1,000 to each of the 17 dancers for the Oregon Ballet Theater (OBT) and $1,000 each to 77 musicians with the Oregon Symphony. “It’s been very, very hard to keep hope alive and this very significant gesture is going to just brighten their lives," said Kevin Irving with OBT. “We are grateful for the extra boost that this will give to our musicians at this difficult time of year until we can come back and perform again," added Scott Showalter with Oregon Symphony. ✂ Jordan Schnitzer says he is nowhere near done investing and supporting the community in various areas where he sees a need. He will soon announce a $100,000 donation to help people get food. "At a time like this, those that can, must reach out and help others," said Schnitzer.
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Good news from Oregon
Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer, MAGAts, anti-maskers, and other assorted RWNJs tried to disrupt the Oregon legislature’s special session, but though they damaged the Capitol building, they failed to stop the legislators from doing their jobs.
The restaurant bills — permitting the sale of cocktails-to-go and limiting the fees of restaurant delivery services — might not seem important, but both are vital to the survival of Oregon’s restaurants during the pandemic. Cocktails are the most profitable item on any restaurant’s menu and robust cocktails sales can keep a restaurant afloat even when food sales are down. Delivery services have profited off the pandemic by raising the percentages they take from restaurants as high as 40%, which hurts both the restaurants and their customers — the bill sets a limit of 15%.
Despite protesters, Oregon legislature OKs all COVID bills
From KOIN:
Protesters disrupted a special session of the Oregon Legislature Monday, breaking a glass door on the side of the State Capitol that was quickly declared an unlawful assembly, resulting in at least one arrest. And while it delayed the start of the special session, it did not derail the efforts to deal with the economic aspects of the coronavirus pandemic in Oregon. Just before 6 p.m., the third special session adjourned after the Oregon House and Senate passed all the bills they considered: The $800 million in relief, cocktails to-go, rent relief for landlords, extension of the eviction moratorium and a bill limiting liability of schools for COVID claims. ✂ The Senate and the House passed the bill that would provide $800 million in relief, including funding for items like vaccine distribution, contact tracing, wildfire prevention and rent relief. The Oregon Senate also voted to allow restaurants to do cocktails-to-go and limits the fees that 3rd-party platforms can charge a customer for pick-up and delivery orders. Both of those were later approved by the Oregon House. By a 39-15 vote, the House passed the bill to extend the eviction moratorium through June 2021 and provide rent relief to both tenants and landlords. The bill was approved by the Senate.
More good news for restaurants and bars, in Oregon and also nationally:
[Thanks to Blumenauer and Wyden] Restaurants and Bars Should See Some Assistance From the Congressional COVID-19 Relief Package
From Willamette Week:
For months, Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer has been pushing Congress to pass the Restaurants Act, which he originally introduced to help those small businesses in ways the Paycheck Protection Program fell short. Senate Republicans ended up blocking the inclusion of a revitalization fund for independent restaurants in the latest relief bill. But Blumenauer, a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, did manage to secure several changes to the PPP, [including] larger loans for restaurants as well as expansions to forgivable expenses, like supplier costs, perishable goods, personal protective equipment, and outdoor seating. The legislation also offers restaurant and bar owners a simplified forgiveness process for smaller loans. While this should help keep some of these businesses afloat a while longer, Blumenauer says more needs to be done. ✂ There is also a bit of good news for Oregon's beverage industry: Brewers, winemakers and distillers are set to get a significant tax break. The federal excise tax rate for those small, independent operators was set to expire Dec. 31, which the Oregon Brewers Guild says could have increased the fee by as much as 100%. But the relief package's inclusion of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act, introduced by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, will make the excise tax relief that has been in place since 2017 permanent.
Oregon moves to phase out most uses of [ chlorpyrifos] by 2023
Long-overdue good news for people, animals, and the planet!! Note that the final sentence is a gross understatement.
From OPB:
The Oregon Department of Agriculture says it will begin to limit the use of chlorpyrifos and ultimately phase out nearly all its use by 2023. The agency’s decision, announced Tuesday, followed extensive research and input from an advisory workgroup that included leaders and industry experts ranging from agriculture, environmental justice groups, toxicologists, and a farmworker health and safety organization. The ODA submitted rules this week to significantly limit the use of chlorpyrifos and phase out all its use by December 31, 2023. Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide mainly used in Oregon on Christmas trees, leafy greens crops and alfalfa. Its use has been linked to harmful effects on the human body.
Intel engineer uses off-time building 200 desks for kids, including wildfire victims
From KGW:
KEIZER, Ore. — Despite the dire hardships of 2020, so many wonderful people have made hard times a little easier for others. One of those people is an technical engineer at Intel in Hillsboro. "I'm kind of a nerd so I have a couple 3D printers in here, and I build drones so I have parts everywhere," laughed Max Poindexter, as he spoke to us from his home office in Keizer. ...When COVID-19 hit, Max and many of his 21,000 co-workers at the Hillsboro campus, started working from home. "I wanted a little bit bigger desk. That's when I started thinking about all this comprehensive distance learning that's happening. I thought there's probably a bunch of kids out there that don't have desks." An idea was born: make wooden desks, in his garage workshop during off-hours. And true to form, the engineer used the efficiencies Intel preaches, to create one digitally first. "With the design that I settled on, I was able to get two desks out of one full sheet of plywood," explained Poindexter. Screws, some glue and sanding and his first 12 were done. They look just like desks you'd have in elementary or middle school, with a cubby space underneath to keep materials. ✂ [Poindexter’s] September Facebook post went viral and people wanted to help. $1,700 in donations poured in, along with a tool manufacturer that heard about what he was doing and donated clamps and screws. Poindexter has built desks for 99 kids so far, mainly in his area of Keizer. He's set a goal to hit 200.
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Good news from around the nation
I was going to lead off with the news of the passage of the Congressional COVID-19 relief bill (which was only partially good news, of course), but as I was putting the finishing touches on the roundup, news came that Trump is threatening to veto (or just fail to sign) the bill unless individual payments are raised from $600 to $2000. So this is not a done deal, at least as of 7:00 PM Pacific time yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Congressional Dems are saying, “Great, do it!”
From Axios:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) responded to Trump's direct checks request on Twitter, saying "let's do it!" "Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks. At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!" she tweeted.
And Hoyer and Schumer concur:
From ABCNews:
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer echoed Pelosi and said Democrats would be willing to agree to the $2,000 checks. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pushed for Trump to sign the bill as is: "We spent months trying to secure $2000 checks but Republicans blocked it. Trump needs to sign the bill to help people and keep the government open and we're glad to pass more aid Americans need." "Maybe Trump can finally make himself useful and get Republicans not to block it again," he said.
Stay tuned!
Now on to national news that’s definitely good.
José Andrés: We need a Secretary of Food
Hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. has been a focus of mine for over 40 years, so I was thrilled to see this op-ed by José Andrés. Despite all the urgent issues facing President-Elect Biden, I think there’s at least a chance he’ll take this suggestion seriously.
From the NY Times:
Without food security for all, the United States will never fully recover from the pandemic. This pandemic year has reminded us of so many things we have forgotten, or ignored. But it will also show us the path forward, to someday feeding all of America equitably. ✂ It’s not just that our priorities are wrong; food is not a national policy priority at all. We invest in, and care more about, the energy that drives our cars and trucks than the energy that drives our bodies. When the pandemic struck, the U.S. Department of Agriculture set aside $16 billion in emergency aid to farmers, who were by then destroying their crops, but spent only $3 billion to actually purchase their fresh produce, dairy products and meat and distribute them to the hungry. Restaurants, which had employed more than 12 million Americans before the pandemic, were closed by public order but received no bailout. Airlines in the United States, which currently employ about 700,000 people worldwide, received $25 billion and carried right on flying. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of late July, 30 million American adults — one in nine of our neighbors — were going hungry. ✂ ...we can prioritize and streamline food policy under a new cabinet-level Secretary of Food and Agriculture, with a seat on the National Security Council and a mission to improve our nation’s sustenance. We know that a poor diet leads to poor health, so while we wait for new coronavirus vaccines and therapies, improving the quality of our nourishment is the best way to improve our health. We need to prepare not just for recovery but for the next pandemic and the catastrophic threats represented by the climate crisis. By doing so, we can heal much more than hunger.
Here’s more good news about combating hunger. It’s also good news that Google can sometimes avoid being evil 😉
[A] Google [Offshoot] is Creating Tools to Tackle Food Waste and Hunger
From Good News Network:
A Google offshoot has created two new programs which make it easy for food producers, suppliers, and commercial kitchens to route unneeded food to food banks that need it. The issues [around food distribution] are mostly found in the supply chain: through the interaction of buyers, trying to imagine how many units they need, and sellers who are trying to imagine how many they can sell. Producers, like sellers, try and make as much as they think they can find buyers for, while the final stage owner of food—supermarkets, restaurants, or hotels, often have too many processes to worry about to consider how best to send food further down the line. The efficient distribution of food is an extremely difficult job to take on all the way down the supply chain, and so it’s perhaps no surprise that 30-40% of food in the U.S. is wasted. “There’s no simple way for food suppliers to let food banks know what they have available, or for food banks or pantries to communicate what they need,” writes Adele Peters for Fast Company, covering the Google innovation. Known as Project Delta, the machine learning programs take into account thousands of different calculations and variables, the things it would take a dedicated team of organizers to manage, to ensure the food is going where it is needed most, where it’s most likely to get eaten, and other priorities.
The next two stories detail two efforts to right some long-standing wrongs.
US churches increasingly commit to reparations for 'deep history of racism'
This article is too long to quote from effectively, so I urge you to click the link and read it in full.
From The American Independent:
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas acknowledges that its first bishop in 1859 was a slaveholder. An Episcopal church in New York City erects a plaque noting the building's creation in 1810 was made possible by wealth resulting from slavery. And the Minnesota Council of Churches cites a host of injustices — from mid-19th century atrocities against Native Americans to police killings of Black people — in launching a first-of-its kind "truth and reparations" initiative engaging its 25 member denominations. These efforts reflect a widespread surge of interest among many U.S. religious groups in the area of reparations, particularly among long-established Protestant churches that were active in the era of slavery. Many are initiating or considering how to make amends through financial investments and long-term programs benefiting African Americans. Some major denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, have not embraced reparations as official policy. The Episcopal Church has been the most active major denomination thus far, and others, including the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, are urging congregations to consider similar steps.
Democratic lawmakers introduce bill to protect the rights of NCAA athletes
From The American Independent:
A bill introduced Thursday by four Democratic lawmakers would grant college athletes sweeping rights to compensation, including a share of the revenue generated by their sports, and create a federal commission to oversee college athletics. The College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). ✂ The NCAA has turned to Congress for help as it works toward permitting athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorship deals, while also trying to fend off myriad state-level bills that would undercut any attempt to create uniform rules for competing schools. Last week, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced a bill that would allow college athletes to be paid for their names, images, and likenesses, with oversight from the Federal Trade Commission. The bill also protects the NCAA from future antitrust challenges to its compensation rules. Booker and Blumenthal's bill, however, goes way beyond NIL rights for athletes and is not nearly as NCAA-friendly. "As a former college athlete, these issues are deeply personal to me," said Booker, who played football at Stanford. ✂ The legislation would allow college athletes to earn money off their names, images, and likenesses with minimal restrictions, through either individual or group licensing deals. It would also require schools to share 50% of the profit from their revenue-generating sports such as football and basketball with the athletes who play them, after the cost of scholarships are deducted.
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Good news from around the world
Cheers to Alexey Navalny for having nerves of steel and the brains to go with them. He caught this guy red-handed, so to speak.
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny dupes spy into revealing how he was poisoned
From CNN:
A Russian agent sent to tail opposition leader Alexey Navalny has revealed how he was poisoned in August -- with the lethal nerve agent Novichok planted in his underpants. The stunning disclosure from an agent who belonged to an elite toxins team in Russia's FSB security service came in a lengthy phone call following the unmasking of the unit by CNN and the online investigative outfit Bellingcat last week. In what he was told was a debriefing, Konstantin Kudryavtsev also talked about others involved in the poisoning in the Siberian city of Tomsk, and how he was sent to clean things up. But the agent was not speaking to an official in Russia's National Security Council as he thought. He was talking to Navalny himself, who almost died after being poisoned in August. ✂ Navalny, who is still recovering at a secret location in Germany, posed as a senior official from Russia's National Security Council… . His phone number was disguised as that of the headquarters of the FSB… . After Kudryavtsev confirmed his identity, Navalny said he'd been tasked with getting "a brief understanding from the team members: what went wrong, why was there a complete failure in Tomsk with Navalny?" At times [Kudryavtsev] is clearly apprehensive about talking on an unsecured line but Navalny, speaking at times in a brusque and urgent way, persuades him that senior officials are demanding a report immediately and says that "all of this will be discussed at the Security Council on the highest level." ✂ [Kudryavtsev revealed that the Novichok toxin had been applied to the crotch seams of Navalny’s underwear.] Toxicologists consulted by CNN say that if applied in granular form to clothes, the Novichok would be absorbed through the skin when the victim begins to sweat.
Medical research: A new culture of sharing
From Scientific American:
Each year scientists at hospitals and universities around the world start hundreds of thousands of clinical studies involving millions of patient volunteers and generating vast data about the effect of new treatments for myriad diseases. ...In recent years, researchers have come to recognize that encouraging the sharing of clinical research data presents an opportunity to advance medical science and improve the integrity of research. ✂ Data sharing marks a significant departure from tradition. Scientists have often been reluctant to give away the fruits of their hard work. Many spend years planning and executing their studies, painstakingly collecting and curating the data for analysis, and then preparing a summary report to publish. However, the advantages of data sharing are becoming so apparent that this reticence is beginning to evaporate. Sharing increases the amount of knowledge that scientists can draw from available data, without having to go through the expense and trouble of organizing new trials. ... Sharing can improve the integrity of scientific research by encouraging multiple examinations and interpretations of any given research database. ... Sharing can also make better use of limited scientific resources, minimizing duplication in data collection, which reduces research costs and lowers the burden on patient volunteers.
The natural detective: meet the forensic ecologist who uses nature to solve crimes
From Positive News:
For more than 40 years, [Prof. Patricia Wiltshire] has been helping UK police to solve high-profile criminal cases – from murders to abductions – by examining tiny particles of pollen, plants and fungi under her microscope. ✂ Now 78, Wiltshire lives in Surrey with husband David and cat Maudie, and counts needlework, painting and gardening among her hobbies. Coupled with her soft Welsh accent and 5ft stature, these details don’t shout tough, trailblazing crimefighter. But she is. Wiltshire has worked on more than 250 cases, including some of the most notorious of the last 25 years. ✂ [After years of lecturing on botany and geology at two colleges in London, she received] a phone call that would send her career in a fresh direction. A detective from Hertfordshire Constabulary asked if she could help in a murder case. A body had been found in a field ditch in rural Hertfordshire… . Proving the suspects’ involvement hinged around being able to show that their car had been into that field. Could Wiltshire do this? She set about meticulously scrubbing the car, sieving and decanting the silty washings so that they could be centrifuged down to concentrated pellets. Acids were then used to remove background elements of the soil – quartz, clay and so on – from the pellets, leaving only the ‘palynomorphs’, minute fossils of pollen or spores. They were then stained and embedded in jelly on glass, before Wiltshire began poring over the samples. ✂ When officers took Wiltshire to visit the scene, they offered to show her where the body had been discovered. Instead, she asked if she could try telling them. ... On the slides she had spotted field maple, hawthorn, flowering ivy, woundwort, docks, goosefoot and nettle. The offenders had trodden in all of these and carried them back to their car. Wiltshire knew this was the place, and the astonished officers confirmed it. ✂ Wiltshire has now worked with every police force in the UK. … When confronted with the strength of Wiltshire’s evidence, many criminals have confessed, saving the cost of lengthy trials.
Bucking the trend: the Scottish reindeer offering hope for an imperilled species
From Positive News:
Reindeer are believed to be native to Scotland, but became extinct around 800 years ago due to over-hunting. In 1952, [Cairngorm Reindeer Centre, near Aviemore in the Highlands of Scotland] became the first place in the UK in which the animals were reintroduced, after Swedish herder Mikel Utsi visited with his wife and thought the area would make a good home for them. Since then, the herd has grown from eight to 150 and is looked after by a team of 10 full-time herders. ✂ The centre is run as a visitor attraction – none of the animals are killed for meat, culled or sold on. People come from all over the world to see the reindeer throughout the year, including enthusiasts from Sweden or Norway, as well as people who have never seen deer before. The animals are gentle and good natured with everyone, [reindeer herder Lotti] Brooks says. “You can easily walk among them, even though they have big antlers on their heads. You’d be surprised how relaxing it is.” Spring is the calving season so the herders bring pregnant females into a 1,200-acre hill enclosure to keep an eye on them.
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Dogs in snow! x YouTube Video
Cats in snow!
x YouTube Video
Puppies in a bucket!
I think we need to replace “6 geese a-laying” with “6 puppies in a bucket” — who’s with me?
x YouTube Video
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Not your usual holiday music
I thought it would be fun and refreshing to unearth some holiday rarities to compensate us for all the times we’ve had to listen to “Holly Jolly Christmas” (my personal pet peeve holiday ear worm).
I’ll begin with some get-down funk:
x YouTube Video
The Fat Man’s “Jingle Bells” is my favorite version by far. And the ‘50s graphics here are fun, too.
x YouTube Video
Here’s a little holiday treat from Portland. Phil Baker is my second-favorite local bass player (after my husband, of course), and he’s working here with three other stars in the local jazz firmament. Just a delightfully mellow bit of straight ahead jazz.
x YouTube Video
And of course I have to add a pandemic parody holiday song:
x YouTube Video
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Hot lynx
Just one today, but it has 99 parts! This is Future Crunch’s end-of-the year gathering of their favorite good news stories from 2020:
futurecrun.ch/...
You’ll be amazed at how much good came out of a year that we’ve all dismissed as disastrous: victories for the environment, global health, peace & safety & human rights, living standards around the world, and clean energy.
Each of the 99 entries is linked to a full article, so you’ll have lots to explore here.
BTW, I encourage all of you to bookmark Future Crunch and check it out regularly. They have an ongoing feature called “Good News” and they find really wonderful international stories. They’re also genuinely good people, who use the money they get through subscriptions to support life-changing projects around the world.
* * * * *
Closing video: Peace on earth and goodwill to all creatures
x YouTube Video
❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
Thanks to each and every Gnusie for your smarts, your hearts, and
your faithful attendance at our daily Gathering of the Herd.
❤💙 RESIST, PERSIST, REBUILD, REJOICE! 💙❤


dailykos--2020-12-24--Trumpism: Victim Syndome coupled with Denialism.

These are people who always complain about the bad things that happen in their lives , due to circumstances beyond their control .
Nothing feels right to them .
You can never be a because it is always the fault of others .
It can be applied to anything , after all it ’ s not your fault .
• You haven ’ t had your fair share of the American Dream ?
Take it easy , it ’ s their fault .
• You lost an election ?
They cheated .
• You beat your wife ?
No problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Rape ?
Her dress was too short .
• Climate change ?
The scientists are making money off a lie .
• Covid-19 ?
A hoax by doctors to get more money .
It has a sort of twisted appeal if you are a sociopath .
The President himself being the perfect role model .
• Racist ?
I wouldn ’ t be if they were not all criminals .
• Misogynist ?
I wouldn ’ t be , but they all want too much .
• Homophobe ?
Well , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , with their clothes on I have no problem .
A weird thing , sick even , to build a whole political movement upon .
Now , how to cure it ?

Victim Syndrome (Fenichel, 1945; Zur, 1994).
These are people who always complain about the bad things that happen in their lives, due to circumstances beyond their control. Nothing feels right to them.
Denialism
The practice of denying the existence, truth, or validity of something despite proof or strong evidence that it is real, true, or valid
You can never be a ‘loser’ because it is always the fault of others.
It can be applied to anything, after all it’s not your fault.
You haven’t had your fair share of the American Dream? Take it easy, it’s their fault.
You lost an election? They cheated.
You beat your wife? No problem, it’s her fault.
Rape? Her dress was too short.
You haven’t won the lottery? It’s rigged.
Climate change? The scientists are making money off a lie.
Covid-19? A hoax by doctors to get more money.
It has a sort of twisted appeal if you are a sociopath. The President himself being the perfect role model.
Racist? I wouldn’t be if they were not all criminals.
Misogynist? I wouldn’t be, but they all want too much.
Homophobe? Well, if they would do such disgusting things, you know, with their clothes on I have no problem.
Sweet, no?
A weird thing, sick even, to build a whole political movement upon.
Now, how to cure it?


dailykos--2020-12-26--Why are Powerful Women So Threatening?

Why are Powerful Women So Threatening?

For First Lady Hillary Clinton it was wearing hairbands .
Michelle Obama bared her arms , which ( white ) First ladies had done before her .
First Lady Jill Biden , who earned two Masters degrees and a Ph.D. in Education was condemned by a Wall Street Journal writer whose sole academic achievement is an online Bachelor ’ s degree .
He thought Dr. Biden presumptuous for being addressed as Dr. Biden , calling her “ kiddo ” and “ Dr .
Jill ” instead .
As each of these women gained political legitimacy the insults escalated .
Clinton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and politically clumsy ” early in her political career by a pundit who conceded she was “ formidable.
” By the time she told the Chinese government that women ’ s rights were human rights at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing , she ’ d been labeled “ unlikeable ” at home .
Still , she proved herself an effective Senator and Secretary of State before winning the popular vote for president in 2016 .
Michelle Obama , now arguably the most popular woman in America , suffered not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well .
“ Women endure these cuts in so many ways that we don ’ t even notice we ’ re cut , ” she told an audience of young women after leaving office .
“ We are living with small , tiny cuts , and we are bleeding every single day .
The shards that cut me the deepest were the ones that intended to cut , ” she said , including being referred to as an ape .
Now comes Vice President Kamala Harris , the first black and South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the presidency .
Called “ too ambitious , ” for demonstrating self-confidence in the ability to lead , she “ rebukes news stories that treat her successes as evidence against her elevation , ” as Megan Garber pointed out recently in The Atlantic .
Harris has also been called “ not loyal and very opportunistic , ” “ too charismatic , ” “ dominant , ” and someone who “ can rub people the wrong way.
” As a 2019 Huffington Post story noted , “ Half the Men in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not only in political spheres that women who exert their intelligence , agency , aspirations and innate power are trivialized , mocked and pilloried .
A cursory look at women ’ s history reveals how endemic the fear of women has always been .
A fascinating theory of why women became objects of fear looks to an early agrarian time when men were warriors and women were gatherers and growers .
Their respective roles were honored equally .
But unlike men , women could bleed and not die .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mystery that became frightening as life became nomadic and men fought for land and commodities .
One of those commodities was women , who were strangely powerful .
During the Industrial Revolution , as women became workers , began earning money , and sought to have fewer children , they started asserting themselves , leading to the historic question , “ What are we going to do about the women ?
” History is rife with examples of misogyny whenever men felt threatened by women .
The popularity of midwives in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical establishment when doctors realized there was money to be made if they treated childbirth as a disease .
The result was dramatically higher maternal mortality .
Nurses were recruited as lesser beings as an 1890s British manual reveals .
“ The best nursing girl is one who is tall , strong , and has a suppleness of movement .
One who plays lawn-tennis , who can ride , skate and row , makes the best material .
If she can dance , it is a great advantage … ” A 1901 AMA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceited and unconscious of the due subordination owed to the medical profession , of which she is a useful parasite.
” The male literary world ’ s fear of writing women was abetted by Freud who labeled their work a hysterical preoccupation with memory , thus a disease .
A reviewer reacted to Vera Britton 's wartime autobiography with this : `` An autobiography !
But I should n't have thought anything in your life worth recording ! '
And writer Gerald Manley Hopkins claimed that the pen was “ a kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rosie the Riveters in WWII .
Provided with childcare and earning their own money , they were denied both when Johnny came marching home again .
Examples like these abound , Twenty-first century psychology articles still claim that pursuing power , especially in politics , “ may signal an aggressive and selfish woman ” who foregoes “ prescribed feminine values of communality.
” In other words , a woman ’ s job is to stay home , stay quiet , and volunteer .
Geraldine Ferraro was onto this schtick when she ran for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bitchy ” by George H.W .
Bush ’ s press secretary .
So are women like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who was called a “ fucking bitch ” by a House colleague on the Capital steps .
“ Our culture is so predicated on diminishing women and preying on our self-esteem , it ’ s a radical act to love yourself , ” she proclaimed .
Women like Vice President Harris aren ’ t having it .
After her nomination , she told a group of teenage girls to be ambitious without apology .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ captured by Megan Garber in The Atlantic .
Men “ don ’ t fear Senator Harris for her ambitions , ” she said .
“ They fear her because of a generation of Black girls who are watching and who will follow her example to pursue excellence.
” That ’ s one smart girl , and likely future politician .
Elayne Clift is a writer in Saxtons River , Vt. She has taught Women ’ s and Gender Studies at various colleges in the US and abroad .
www.elayne-clift.com

For First Lady Hillary Clinton it was wearing hairbands. Michelle Obama bared her arms, which (white) First ladies had done before her. First Lady Jill Biden, who earned two Masters degrees and a Ph.D. in Education was condemned by a Wall Street Journal writer whose sole academic achievement is an online Bachelor’s degree. He thought Dr. Biden presumptuous for being addressed as Dr. Biden, calling her “kiddo” and “Dr. Jill” instead.
As each of these women gained political legitimacy the insults escalated. Clinton was called “messy, explosive, and politically clumsy” early in her political career by a pundit who conceded she was “formidable.” By the time she told the Chinese government that women’s rights were human rights at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, she’d been labeled “unlikeable” at home. Still, she proved herself an effective Senator and Secretary of State before winning the popular vote for president in 2016.
Michelle Obama, now arguably the most popular woman in America, suffered not only misogynist attacks, but racist ones as well. “Women endure these cuts in so many ways that we don’t even notice we’re cut,” she told an audience of young women after leaving office. “We are living with small, tiny cuts, and we are bleeding every single day. The shards that cut me the deepest were the ones that intended to cut,” she said, including being referred to as an ape.
Now comes Vice President Kamala Harris, the first black and South Asian woman to be one breath away from the presidency. Called “too ambitious,” for demonstrating self-confidence in the ability to lead, she “rebukes news stories that treat her successes as evidence against her elevation,” as Megan Garber pointed out recently in The Atlantic. Harris has also been called “not loyal and very opportunistic,” “too charismatic,” “dominant,” and someone who “can rub people the wrong way.”
As a 2019 Huffington Post story noted, “Half the Men in the U.S. Are Uncomfortable with Female Political Leaders.”
It’s not only in political spheres that women who exert their intelligence, agency, aspirations and innate power are trivialized, mocked and pilloried. A cursory look at women’s history reveals how endemic the fear of women has always been.
A fascinating theory of why women became objects of fear looks to an early agrarian time when men were warriors and women were gatherers and growers. Their respective roles were honored equally. But unlike men, women could bleed and not die. They could bring forth life. It was a mystery that became frightening as life became nomadic and men fought for land and commodities. One of those commodities was women, who were strangely powerful.
During the Industrial Revolution, as women became workers, began earning money, and sought to have fewer children, they started asserting themselves, leading to the historic question, “What are we going to do about the women?”
History is rife with examples of misogyny whenever men felt threatened by women. The popularity of midwives in the 19th century became threatening to the male medical establishment when doctors realized there was money to be made if they treated childbirth as a disease. The result was dramatically higher maternal mortality. Nurses were recruited as lesser beings as an 1890s British manual reveals. “The best nursing girl is one who is tall, strong, and has a suppleness of movement. One who plays lawn-tennis, who can ride, skate and row, makes the best material. If she can dance, it is a great advantage …” A 1901 AMA statement added, “Nurses are often conceited and unconscious of the due subordination owed to the medical profession, of which she is a useful parasite.”
The male literary world’s fear of writing women was abetted by Freud who labeled their work a hysterical preoccupation with memory, thus a disease. A reviewer reacted to Vera Britton's wartime autobiography with this: "An autobiography! But I shouldn't have thought anything in your life worth recording!' And writer Gerald Manley Hopkins claimed that the pen was “a kind of male gift."
Then there were Rosie the Riveters in WWII. Provided with childcare and earning their own money, they were denied both when Johnny came marching home again.
Examples like these abound, Twenty-first century psychology articles still claim that pursuing power, especially in politics, “may signal an aggressive and selfish woman” who foregoes “prescribed feminine values of communality.” In other words, a woman’s job is to stay home, stay quiet, and volunteer.
Geraldine Ferraro was onto this schtick when she ran for Vice President and was called “too bitchy” by George H.W. Bush’s press secretary. So are women like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who was called a “fucking bitch” by a House colleague on the Capital steps. “Our culture is so predicated on diminishing women and preying on our self-esteem, it’s a radical act to love yourself,” she proclaimed.
Women like Vice President Harris aren’t having it. After her nomination, she told a group of teenage girls to be ambitious without apology. The reaction of one of them was captured by Megan Garber in The Atlantic. Men “don’t fear Senator Harris for her ambitions,” she said. “They fear her because of a generation of Black girls who are watching and who will follow her example to pursue excellence.”
That’s one smart girl, and likely future politician.
# # #
Elayne Clift is a writer in Saxtons River, Vt. She has taught Women’s and Gender Studies at various colleges in the US and abroad. www.elayne-clift.com