theintercept--2020-05-09--The Perversity of Needing to See Ahmaud Arbery Die on Video to Recognize That His Black Life Mattere

The Perversity of Needing to See Ahmaud Arbery Die on Video to Recognize That His Black Life Mattered

, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged Ahmaud Arbery ’ s killers with murder and aggravated assault .
There can be little doubt that , without the viral spread of a video capturing Arbery ’ s harrowing final moments , no such charges would have been brought .
Arbery , a 25-year-old black man , was shot dead in February while jogging , hunted by a white father and son in a truck .
Over two months had passed , and no charges had been filed by the local district attorney ’ s office .
Within a day of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and provoking mass outcry , the GBI began its own investigation .
A day later , Gregory McMichael , a former investigator with the Brunswick district attorney ’ s office , and his son Travis were arrested and booked into jail .
Once again , it took no less than the intolerable spectacle of a black man ’ s execution in public view , spread far and wide , for the state to consider — or be compelled to consider — even the possibility of consequences for those who so readily took his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhibit and share the brutal death of a black man for it to be asserted that he was murdered ?
Why is it still necessary that the world see a black life violently cut short for any institutional recognition that black lives should matter ?
When Gregory and Travis McMichael saw a black man jogging in their quiet neighborhood , it ’ s difficult to imagine that they saw a human whose life would be registered as a loss if taken .
Instead , they saw a criminal threat , grabbed their guns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police and prosecutors originally in charge of the case said that there was “ insufficient probable cause ” for arresting the killers and that Travis McMichael was “ allowed to use deadly force to protect himself ” against the unarmed victim , they asserted that Arbery ’ s life was not a life worth preserving .
It was not enough for his loved ones to demand justice .
Millions of people had to bear witness to the extreme footage of a lynching , and to demand action , for the state to begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had value .
Arbery ’ s mother , Wanda Jones , told CBS News that she hopes the video footage “ proves ” that her son “ was not committing a crime .
He was out for his daily jog and he was hunted down like an animal and killed.
” S. Lee Merritt , a lawyer for Arbery ’ s family , noted , “ The series of events captured in this video confirm what all the evidence indicated prior to its release ” — which is to say , it should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this footage for the state to pursue the case .
been charged , but the existence of a damning video is no assurance that the state will find them guilty .
The racist logic of Georgia ’ s “ stand-your-ground ” laws may well determine that the father and son were justified in claiming self-defense against the black man they pursued .
We know by now that the white men in these cases get to be the “ self ” deemed worthy of defense ; Arbery was accorded no such selfhood , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Video evidence does not change that .
We watched Philando Castille bleed out in his car after he was shot by a cop , as his desperate girlfriend filmed ; we watched Eric Garner gasp for breath as a New York police officer choked the life out of him ; we watched Tamir Rice , aged 12 , be gunned down by police as they leapt from their cruiser .
None of the cops in these filmed killings were convicted ; most weren ’ t even charged .
Videos of black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And hardly ever do killer cops and racist vigilantes face significant consequences .
Of course , such videos only exist in the first place because black life is consistently exposed to brutal violence , particularly police violence .
Yet it should not go unnoticed that news of the brutal murder of a white person , especially a straight , cisgender , middle-class white person , does not require the accompaniment of horrific images to be publicly marked as a vile injustice .
Indeed , it is more common for family members and loved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage of white corpses and executions on the grounds that such imagery is found to be dehumanizing .
Consider , for example , the opprobrium directed at tabloids that published still frames of white journalist Alison Parker moments before she was shot on camera by an ex-colleague in 2015 .
If images of violent death are deemed dehumanizing in such cases , it is because the victim was already humanized in life .
What , then , does it say about the institutional dehumanization of black life that families and justice advocates must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black people to demand that those lives be recognized and valued ?
So little has changed .
In 1955 , Mamie Till insisted on an open casket to show the murdered , brutalized body of her 14-year-old son , Emmett , who was lynched after being falsely accused of inappropriate flirting with a white woman .
“ Let them see what I have seen , ” said the grieving mother .
Images of his battered face circulated in magazines and newspapers ; thousands of people visited his open casket .
The two white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acquitted by an all-white jury .
The circulation of intolerable scenes of brutality against black people remains necessary .
Without it , there is rarely public and official recognition that the taking of a black life , simply because of the person ’ s blackness , is an injustice .
Yet such recognition is no assurance of justice .
Indeed , even if the McMichaels are found guilty of murder , this can not be called a circumstance of justice .
There can be no justice while the conditions for racist lynchings persist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share the most violent images of what happened to their loved ones to assert that their lives mattered .
Ahmaud “ Quez ” Arbery , according to his obituary , “ was humble , kind and well mannered .
He always made sure he never departed from his loved ones without an ‘ I Love You.
’ He had a smile that would light up a room.
” He loved sports and telling jokes .
As footage of his execution virally spread , so , too , did photos of him in life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is its own grave affront that the photos of that smile , the sheer fact of that life , were not enough to get the wheels of justice moving .

Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images
On Thursday , the Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged Ahmaud Arbery’s killers with murder and aggravated assault. There can be little doubt that, without the viral spread of a video capturing Arbery’s harrowing final moments, no such charges would have been brought.
Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was shot dead in February while jogging, hunted by a white father and son in a truck. Over two months had passed, and no charges had been filed by the local district attorney’s office. Within a day of the video surfacing, garnering millions of views and provoking mass outcry, the GBI began its own investigation. A day later, Gregory McMichael, a former investigator with the Brunswick district attorney’s office, and his son Travis were arrested and booked into jail.
Why is it still necessary that the world see a black life violently cut short for any institutional recognition that black lives should matter?
Once again, it took no less than the intolerable spectacle of a black man’s execution in public view, spread far and wide, for the state to consider — or be compelled to consider — even the possibility of consequences for those who so readily took his life. Why do we need to exhibit and share the brutal death of a black man for it to be asserted that he was murdered? Why is it still necessary that the world see a black life violently cut short for any institutional recognition that black lives should matter?
When Gregory and Travis McMichael saw a black man jogging in their quiet neighborhood, it’s difficult to imagine that they saw a human whose life would be registered as a loss if taken. Instead, they saw a criminal threat, grabbed their guns, and gave chase. When the police and prosecutors originally in charge of the case said that there was “insufficient probable cause” for arresting the killers and that Travis McMichael was “allowed to use deadly force to protect himself” against the unarmed victim, they asserted that Arbery’s life was not a life worth preserving. It was not enough for his loved ones to demand justice. Millions of people had to bear witness to the extreme footage of a lynching, and to demand action, for the state to begin to register that Arbery’s life had value.
Arbery’s mother, Wanda Jones, told CBS News that she hopes the video footage “proves” that her son “was not committing a crime. He was out for his daily jog and he was hunted down like an animal and killed.” S. Lee Merritt, a lawyer for Arbery’s family, noted, “The series of events captured in this video confirm what all the evidence indicated prior to its release” — which is to say, it should not have taken the viral proliferation of this footage for the state to pursue the case.
The McMichaels have been charged, but the existence of a damning video is no assurance that the state will find them guilty. The racist logic of Georgia’s “stand-your-ground” laws may well determine that the father and son were justified in claiming self-defense against the black man they pursued. We know by now that the white men in these cases get to be the “self” deemed worthy of defense; Arbery was accorded no such selfhood, no such presumption of a life worth defending. Video evidence does not change that.
We watched Philando Castille bleed out in his car after he was shot by a cop, as his desperate girlfriend filmed; we watched Eric Garner gasp for breath as a New York police officer choked the life out of him; we watched Tamir Rice, aged 12, be gunned down by police as they leapt from their cruiser. None of the cops in these filmed killings were convicted; most weren’t even charged. Videos of black people being summarily executed are hardly rare. And hardly ever do killer cops and racist vigilantes face significant consequences.
Videos of black people being summarily executed only exist in the first place because black life is consistently exposed to brutal violence, particularly police violence.
Of course, such videos only exist in the first place because black life is consistently exposed to brutal violence, particularly police violence. Yet it should not go unnoticed that news of the brutal murder of a white person, especially a straight, cisgender, middle-class white person, does not require the accompaniment of horrific images to be publicly marked as a vile injustice. Indeed, it is more common for family members and loved ones to call for the removal of footage of white corpses and executions on the grounds that such imagery is found to be dehumanizing. Consider, for example, the opprobrium directed at tabloids that published still frames of white journalist Alison Parker moments before she was shot on camera by an ex-colleague in 2015.
If images of violent death are deemed dehumanizing in such cases, it is because the victim was already humanized in life. What, then, does it say about the institutional dehumanization of black life that families and justice advocates must publicize the most brutal images of murdered black people to demand that those lives be recognized and valued?
So little has changed. In 1955, Mamie Till insisted on an open casket to show the murdered, brutalized body of her 14-year-old son, Emmett, who was lynched after being falsely accused of inappropriate flirting with a white woman. “Let them see what I have seen,” said the grieving mother. Images of his battered face circulated in magazines and newspapers; thousands of people visited his open casket. The two white brothers who beat him to death were acquitted by an all-white jury.
The circulation of intolerable scenes of brutality against black people remains necessary. Without it, there is rarely public and official recognition that the taking of a black life, simply because of the person’s blackness, is an injustice. Yet such recognition is no assurance of justice. Indeed, even if the McMichaels are found guilty of murder, this cannot be called a circumstance of justice. There can be no justice while the conditions for racist lynchings persist, while black communities are forced to share the most violent images of what happened to their loved ones to assert that their lives mattered.
Ahmaud “Quez” Arbery, according to his obituary, “was humble, kind and well mannered. He always made sure he never departed from his loved ones without an ‘I Love You.’ He had a smile that would light up a room.” He loved sports and telling jokes. As footage of his execution virally spread, so, too, did photos of him in life, with a dazzling smile. It is its own grave affront that the photos of that smile, the sheer fact of that life, were not enough to get the wheels of justice moving.


theintercept--2020-05-09--The "Coup" Attempt in Venezuela Seems Ridiculous. But Don't Forget — Regime Change Is the U.S. Goal.

Two days later , the Venezuelan foreign minister , who also happens to be the former head of the country ’ s feared intelligence agency , gives a press conference at which he chooses to deny only “ direct ” involvement in the operation .
“ If we had been involved , it would have gone differently , ” he added , with a smirk .
That same day , back in Venezuela , another ex-special forces soldier with connections to the longtime bodyguard of Venezuela ’ s president , Nicolás Maduro , releases a video announcing the two men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on a mission to detain and extract President Donald Trump and bring down the government in Washington , D.C. : Two former Venezuelan special forces soldiers are captured while trying to land on a beach in the United States .
They confess on camera to being part of a wider plot to capture and kidnap the American president .
Yet that is exactly what we have witnessed over the past week — but in reverse , and without any sense of shock or outrage in the United States .
What do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States ?
Among political and media elites ?
In national security circles ?
Wouldn ’ t the U.S. press be running endless pieces denouncing and berating Maduro ?
Wouldn ’ t cable news be rolling on it ?
Does anyone doubt that the U.S. military would be preparing to attack targets across Venezuela in retaliation ?
On Monday , it was Venezuela that captured two former U.S. special forces soldiers , Luke Denman and Airan Berry , after what authorities described as their “ botched beach landing in the fishing village @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Denman telling his interrogators that he had been tasked with capturing the Venezuelan president .
Meanwhile , Florida-based ex-Green Beret Jordan Goudreau , head of the private security firm Silvercorp USA , appeared in a video alongside a former Venezuelan military officer in combat fatigues , in which he confirmed that Denman and Berry were working for him .
( Press reports have since revealed that Goudreau had meetings with former longtime Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller , had signed a multimillion-dollar contract with the U.S.-backed Venezuelan opposition , and also claims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Vice President Mike Pence . )
On Wednesday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , a former director of the CIA , spoke at a press conference where he issued his very carefully worded denial : “ There was no U.S. government direct involvement in this.
” He also couldn ’ t help but brag to reporters about how it “ would have gone differently ” if the United States had been behind it .
( Memo to Pompeo : Google “ Bay of Pigs.
” ) Who knows ?
Perhaps Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps Trump is correct to say that this particular fiasco , which sounds like the plot of a bad Hollywood movie , “ has nothing to do with our government.
” Then again , this is an administration of liars , fabulists , and grifters .
Dishonesty is the hallmark of the Trump White House .
Their denials , therefore , are pretty worthless .
Plus , there is the recent history to consider : the demonization and strangulation of Venezuela has been a bipartisan project in Washington , D.C. , since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ pink tide ” in the late 1990s .
In 2002 , the Bush administration encouraged and supported a ( failed ) coup against Chavez .
( As I later reminded former Bush official Otto Reich — who was accused of meeting with the plotters beforehand — the CIA had warned him and his colleagues that a coup attempt would be made five days before it occurred ! )
.
In 2015 , the Obama administration made the absurd decision to formally declare Venezuela an “ unusual and extraordinary threat ” to U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States was 11 times bigger in terms of population , 600 times richer in terms of GDP , and with a military budget 1,800 times the size of Venezuela ’ s .
In 2019 , the Trump administration called Maduro “ illegitimate ” and recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the interim president of Venezuela .
So far this year , Washington has indicted Maduro on charges of narco-terrorism ; refused to suspend crippling sanctions on Caracas despite the spread of Covid-19 ; and deployed U.S. warships near Venezuela in what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest U.S. military operations in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from power.
” Regime change is the explicit policy of the U.S. government .
To be clear : The regime in Caracas is brutal , autocratic , and corrupt .
More than four million Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years ; the president ’ s approval ratings hover around 10 percent .
But anyone who claims that U.S. opposition to Maduro is based on a concern for democracy or human rights in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States has a long history of supporting strongmen around the world — and especially in Latin America .
Think Gen. Efraín Ríos Montt in Guatemala .
Or Gen. Augusto Pinochet in Chile .
Or Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla in Argentina .
The list goes on and on .
No , the real reason the United States is obsessed with toppling the government in Caracas is , of course , because Venezuela has the world ’ s largest oil reserves — but leaders opposed to both the United States and capitalism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a habit of saying the quiet part loud .
As former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe revealed in his book , “ The Threat , ” at a briefing with intelligence officials in 2017 , Trump asked why the U.S. wasn ’ t at war with Venezuela , pointing out how “ they have all that oil and they ’ re right on our back door.
” In January 2019 , Trump ’ s national security adviser at the time , John Bolton , told Fox Business : “ It will make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economically if we could have American oil companies really invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela.
” We do not know whether Trump and Co. were involved in the Goudreau-inspired attempted attack on Maduro .
What we do know , though , is that they continue to try and starve and bully Venezuela into submission .
If the Trump administration gave a damn about the people of that country , it would heed calls from everyone from the pope , to the U.N. high commissioner for human rights , to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions and help Caracas fight the spread of the novel coronavirus .
But it won ’ t — because it doesn ’ t .

Photo: Miraflores press office via AP
Picture the following scene
: Two former Venezuelan special forces soldiers are captured while trying to land on a beach in the United States. They confess on camera to being part of a wider plot to capture and kidnap the American president.
That same day, back in Venezuela, another ex-special forces soldier with connections to the longtime bodyguard of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, releases a video announcing the two men were working for his private security company, on a mission to detain and extract President Donald Trump and bring down the government in Washington, D.C.
Two days later, the Venezuelan foreign minister, who also happens to be the former head of the country’s feared intelligence agency, gives a press conference at which he chooses to deny only “direct” involvement in the operation. “If we had been involved, it would have gone differently,” he added, with a smirk.
What do you think the reaction would be here in the United States? Among political and media elites? In national security circles? Wouldn’t the U.S. press be running endless pieces denouncing and berating Maduro? Wouldn’t cable news be rolling on it? Does anyone doubt that the U.S. military would be preparing to attack targets across Venezuela in retaliation?
Yet that is exactly what we have witnessed over the past week — but in reverse, and without any sense of shock or outrage in the United States.
On Monday, it was Venezuela that captured two former U.S. special forces soldiers, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, after what authorities described as their “botched beach landing in the fishing village of Chuao.” A video was released of Denman telling his interrogators that he had been tasked with capturing the Venezuelan president. Meanwhile, Florida-based ex-Green Beret Jordan Goudreau, head of the private security firm Silvercorp USA, appeared in a video alongside a former Venezuelan military officer in combat fatigues, in which he confirmed that Denman and Berry were working for him. (Press reports have since revealed that Goudreau had meetings with former longtime Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller, had signed a multimillion-dollar contract with the U.S.-backed Venezuelan opposition, and also claims to have been in contact with the office of Vice President Mike Pence.)
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former director of the CIA, spoke at a press conference where he issued his very carefully worded denial: “There was no U.S. government direct involvement in this.” He also couldn’t help but brag to reporters about how it “would have gone differently” if the United States had been behind it. (Memo to Pompeo: Google “Bay of Pigs.”)
Who knows? Perhaps Washington wasn’t involved this time. Perhaps Trump is correct to say that this particular fiasco, which sounds like the plot of a bad Hollywood movie, “has nothing to do with our government.”
Then again, this is an administration of liars, fabulists, and grifters. Dishonesty is the hallmark of the Trump White House. Their denials, therefore, are pretty worthless.
Plus, there is the recent history to consider: the demonization and strangulation of Venezuela has been a bipartisan project in Washington, D.C., since the rise of Hugo Chavez and the socialist “pink tide” in the late 1990s. In 2002, the Bush administration encouraged and supported a (failed) coup against Chavez. (As I later reminded former Bush official Otto Reich — who was accused of meeting with the plotters beforehand — the CIA had warned him and his colleagues that a coup attempt would be made five days before it occurred!).
In 2015, the Obama administration made the absurd decision to formally declare Venezuela an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security. At the time, the United States was 11 times bigger in terms of population, 600 times richer in terms of GDP, and with a military budget 1,800 times the size of Venezuela’s.
In 2019, the Trump administration called Maduro “illegitimate” and recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the interim president of Venezuela. So far this year, Washington has indicted Maduro on charges of narco-terrorism; refused to suspend crippling sanctions on Caracas despite the spread of Covid-19; and deployed U.S. warships near Venezuela in what has been described as “one of the largest U.S. military operations in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove Gen. Manuel Noriega from power.”
Regime change is the explicit policy of the U.S. government.
To be clear: The regime in Caracas is brutal, autocratic, and corrupt. More than four million Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years; the president’s approval ratings hover around 10 percent.
But anyone who claims that U.S. opposition to Maduro is based on a concern for democracy or human rights in Venezuela is either dishonest or deluded. The United States has a long history of supporting strongmen around the world — and especially in Latin America. Think Gen. Efraín Ríos Montt in Guatemala. Or Gen. Augusto Pinochet in Chile. Or Gen. Jorge Rafael Videla in Argentina. The list goes on and on.
No, the real reason the United States is obsessed with toppling the government in Caracas is, of course, because Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves — but leaders opposed to both the United States and capitalism. In fact, Trump and his cronies have a habit of saying the quiet part loud. As former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe revealed in his book, “The Threat,” at a briefing with intelligence officials in 2017, Trump asked why the U.S. wasn’t at war with Venezuela, pointing out how “they have all that oil and they’re right on our back door.”
In January 2019, Trump’s national security adviser at the time, John Bolton, told Fox Business: “It will make a big difference to the United States economically if we could have American oil companies really invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela.”
We do not know whether Trump and Co. were involved in the Goudreau-inspired attempted attack on Maduro. What we do know, though, is that they continue to try and starve and bully Venezuela into submission. If the Trump administration gave a damn about the people of that country, it would heed calls from everyone from the pope, to the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, to a group of congressional Democrats, to suspend sanctions and help Caracas fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.
But it won’t — because it doesn’t.


theintercept--2020-05-09--Pence Aide's Positive Covid-19 Test Exposes Folly of White House Aversion to Masks

What ’ s more , a live video stream of the second event , a roundtable discussion with food industry leaders in Des Moines , showed that all five of the invited guests arrived wearing masks but were asked to remove them shortly before the vice president joined them on stage .
Mike Pence was unmasked in Iowa on Friday , attending two events without covering his face , even though public health officials say masks slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus and one of the vice president ’ s aides tested positive for Covid-19 just before he departed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended by the vice president , a meeting with Iowa faith leaders to discuss the planned reopening of places of worship , showed that just one participant , Rabbi David Kaufman , wore a mask .
After the event , at which the chief executive of Smithfield Foods choked up when mentioning the death of a worker from Covid-19 , the union that represents Iowa meat-packers , who have been forced back to work by an executive order from the president despite outbreaks at their plants , suggested that it would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grassley and Ernst to have worked a shift alongside them .
“ They should work in the same conditions and under the same fear that our members and their fellow Iowans work under every day , ” the United Food and Commercial Workers union said in a statement .
Although the vice president appeared to follow social distancing guidelines during the discussion , he did not wear a mask , nor did any of the officials who accompanied him on Air Force Two from Washington : Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Iowa ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Joni Ernst .
The Des Moines Register reported that , before the event , “ staffers with gloves and masks took the temperatures of people who entered the building one at a time.
” Video of the hall showed that very few of the people in the audience were wearing masks .
Kaufman told Pence that his community was not ready to return to in-person services , partly because of the importance of singing in their services , which spreads even more respiratory droplets than speaking .
When he was asked last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota , Pence argued that the precaution was unnecessary for anyone , like him , who is tested so regularly that he can be sure that he is not infected with the virus , and so can not not spread it to anyone else .
That , however , relies on the testing being , as the president has claimed , “ perfect , ” which it most definitely is not .
In fact , the new rapid-response Abbott ID NOW test kit for Covid-19 used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 15 percent of the time in research conducted in April , as the director of the National Institutes of Health reminded senators on Thursday .
Even more reliable testing that uses invasive nasal swabs and takes longer to get results can produce some false negatives .
“ An infected person could get a so-called ‘ false negative ’ test result if the swab missed the virus , for example , ” Harvard Medical School ’ s Coronavirus Resource Center notes .
“ We also don ’ t yet know at what point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ becomes positive.
” False negatives also appear more likely for people who are carrying the virus but have no symptoms .
That means that someone like Pence could go out into the world with a false sense of security after testing negative and unwittingly infect someone else by not wearing a mask while speaking loudly enough to spray the virus in salivary droplets on to their face .
That was theoretically possible last week , when Pence was the only person at the Mayo Clinic not following its mandatory mask-wearing policy , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday when his press secretary , Katie Miller , tested positive for the virus just one day after she had tested negative .
No less an authority on science than President Donald Trump noted on Friday that Miller ’ s different results on consecutive days indicated a problem with “ the whole concept of tests.
” But while Trump seemed to believe that the only possible explanation was that Miller had somehow contracted the virus overnight , the fact is that her positive test , along with that of a White House valet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the president refusing to wear a mask or let anyone around him do so .
By prioritizing his immense vanity , or a fear of looking weak , or being laughed at , or a desire to downplay the severity of the crisis over his own health and that of his vice president , aides and followers , the president is not just failing to model good behavior , he is actively discouraging it , and so helping the virus that ’ s killed at least 77,000 Americans to threaten the lives @ @ @ @

Mike Pence was unmasked in Iowa on Friday, attending two events without covering his face, even though public health officials say masks slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus and one of the vice president’s aides tested positive for Covid-19 just before he departed Washington.
Two days later, the recklessness of that behavior came into sharper focus as Bloomberg News reported that Pence had decided to self-isolate at his home in Washington over the weekend — skipping a White House meeting with military leaders on Saturday — because his press secretary, Katie Miller, had tested positive for the virus on Friday. Miller did not accompany Pence to Iowa, but if his exposure to her before the trip made his self-isolation necessary the next day, that made his decision to spend Friday meeting at least 19 officials, food industry executives and religious leaders in Iowa, unmasked, all the more questionable.
What’s more, a Des Moines Register live stream of the second event Pence attended on Friday, a roundtable discussion with food industry leaders at Hy-Vee corporate headquarters in West Des Moines, showed that all five of the invited guests arrived wearing masks but were asked to remove them shortly before the vice president joined them on stage.
The vice president’s office declined to tell The Intercept who the woman was, but Brianne Pfannenstiel of the Register reported later that a Trump administration official said the woman was “an advance staffer,” who had been dispatched from Washington to manage set-up for the event.
Two of those executives, Ken Sullivan of Smithfield Foods and Noel White of Tyson Foods, run meatpacking plants where hundreds of workers have contracted Covid-19, including a Tyson plant in Waterloo, Iowa where more than a third of the workforce — 1,031 people — has tested positive and at least three workers have died. The Tyson plant in Waterloo was reopened on Thursday following an executive order from President Donald Trump that designated the meat supply “critical infrastructure.”
The strange request to the executives to remove their masks underscored just how committed the White House is to ignoring federal health advice intended to slow the spread of the pandemic coronavirus.
Although the vice president appeared to follow social distancing guidelines during the discussion, he did not wear a mask, nor did any of the officials who accompanied him on Air Force Two from Washington: Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Iowa’s two Republican senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst. The Des Moines Register reported that, before the event, “staffers with gloves and masks took the temperatures of people who entered the building one at a time.” Video of the hall showed that very few of the people in the audience were wearing masks.
After the event, at which the chief executive of Smithfield Foods choked up when mentioning the death of a worker from Covid-19, the union that represents Iowa meat-packers, who have been forced back to work by an executive order from the president despite outbreaks at their plants, suggested that it would have been more useful for Pence, Perdue, Grassley and Ernst to have worked a shift alongside them. “They should work in the same conditions and under the same fear that our members and their fellow Iowans work under every day,” the United Food and Commercial Workers union said in a statement.
Video of the earlier event attended by the vice president, a meeting with Iowa faith leaders to discuss the planned reopening of places of worship, showed that just one participant, Rabbi David Kaufman, wore a mask.
.@VP Pence in Iowa …
Rabbi David Kaufman @RavDK of Temple B'nai Jeshurun in Des Moines …
Westkirk Presbyterian Church in Urbandale pic.twitter.com/hkZFQXn6Px — Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) May 8, 2020
Kaufman told Pence that his community was not ready to return to in-person services, partly because of the importance of singing in their services, which spreads even more respiratory droplets than speaking.
When he was asked last week why he had refused to wear a mask at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Pence argued that the precaution was unnecessary for anyone, like him, who is tested so regularly that he can be sure that he is not infected with the virus, and so cannot not spread it to anyone else.
That, however, relies on the testing being, as the president has claimed, “perfect,” which it most definitely is not. In fact, the new rapid-response Abbott ID NOW test kit for Covid-19 used in the White House produced false negatives nearly 15 percent of the time in research conducted in April, as the director of the National Institutes of Health reminded senators on Thursday.
Even more reliable testing that uses invasive nasal swabs and takes longer to get results can produce some false negatives. “An infected person could get a so-called ‘false negative’ test result if the swab missed the virus, for example,” Harvard Medical School’s Coronavirus Resource Center notes. “We also don’t yet know at what point during the course of illness a test becomes positive.” False negatives also appear more likely for people who are carrying the virus but have no symptoms.
That means that someone like Pence could go out into the world with a false sense of security after testing negative and unwittingly infect someone else by not wearing a mask while speaking loudly enough to spray the virus in salivary droplets on to their face.
That was theoretically possible last week, when Pence was the only person at the Mayo Clinic not following its mandatory mask-wearing policy, but it was even more obviously so on Friday when his press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the virus just one day after she had tested negative.
No less an authority on science than President Donald Trump noted on Friday that Miller’s different results on consecutive days indicated a problem with “the whole concept of tests.” Trump, however, was deeply confused as to what, exactly, the problem was with trying to use testing alone to construct a virtual virus-free bubble around him.
While the president suggested, wrongly, that the only possible explanation was that Miller had somehow contracted the virus overnight, the fact is that her positive test, along with that of a White House valet the day before, exposes the absurdity of the president refusing to wear a mask or let anyone around him do so.
By prioritizing his immense vanity, or a fear of looking weak, or being laughed at, or a desire to downplay the severity of the crisis over his own health and that of his vice president, aides and followers, the president is not just failing to model good behavior, he is actively discouraging it, and so helping the virus that’s killed at least 77,000 Americans to threaten the lives of many more.
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 12, 11:26 a.m. PDT
This article was updated on Saturday with a new headline; on Sunday, to note that Vice President Mike Pence reportedly entered self-isolation after his trip to Iowa; on Tuesday, with new information on the identity of the woman who instructed executives to remove their masks.


theintercept--2020-05-09--Unmasked in Iowa: CEOs Who Came to Meet Pence in Masks Were Asked to Remove Them

What ’ s more , a live video stream of the second event , a roundtable discussion with food industry leaders in Des Moines , showed that all five of the invited guests arrived wearing masks but were asked to remove them shortly before the vice president joined them on stage .
Mike Pence was unmasked in Iowa on Friday , attending two events without covering his face , even though public health officials say masks slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus and one of the vice president ’ s aides tested positive for Covid-19 just before he departed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attended by the vice president , a meeting with Iowa faith leaders to discuss the planned reopening of places of worship , showed that just one participant , Rabbi David Kaufman , wore a mask .
After the event , at which the chief executive of Smithfield Foods choked up when mentioning the death of a worker from Covid-19 , the union that represents Iowa meat-packers , who have been forced back to work by an executive order from the president despite outbreaks at their plants , suggested that it would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grassley and Ernst to have worked a shift alongside them .
“ They should work in the same conditions and under the same fear that our members and their fellow Iowans work under every day , ” the United Food and Commercial Workers union said in a statement .
Although the vice president appeared to follow social distancing guidelines during the discussion , he did not wear a mask , nor did any of the officials who accompanied him on Air Force Two from Washington : Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Iowa ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Joni Ernst .
The Des Moines Register reported that , before the event , “ staffers with gloves and masks took the temperatures of people who entered the building one at a time.
” Video of the hall showed that very few of the people in the audience were wearing masks .
The strange request underscored just how committed the White House is to ignoring federal health advice intended to slow the spread of the pandemic coronavirus .
Kaufman told Pence that his community was not ready to return to in-person services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ singing in their services , which spreads even more respiratory droplets than speaking .
When he was asked last week why he had refused to wear a mask at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota , Pence argued that the precaution was unnecessary for anyone , like him , who is tested so regularly that he can be sure that he is not infected with the virus , and so can not not spread it to anyone else .
That , however , relies on the testing being , as the president has claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most definitely is not .
In fact , the new rapid-response Abbott ID NOW test kit for Covid-19 used in the White House produced false negatives nearly 15 percent of the time in research conducted in April , as the director of the National Institutes of Health reminded senators on Thursday .
Even more reliable testing that uses invasive nasal swabs and takes longer to get results can produce some false negatives .
“ An infected person could get a so-called ‘ false negative ’ test result if the swab missed the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ School ’ s Coronavirus Resource Center notes .
“ We also don ’ t yet know at what point during the course of illness a test becomes positive.
” False negatives also appear more likely for people who are carrying the virus but have no symptoms .
That means that someone like Pence could go out into the world with a false sense of security after testing negative and unwittingly infect someone else by not wearing a mask while speaking loudly enough to spray the virus in salivary droplets on to their face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Pence was the only person at the Mayo Clinic not following its mandatory mask-wearing policy , but it was even more obviously so on Friday when his press secretary , Katie Miller , tested positive for the virus just one day after she had tested negative .
No less an authority on science than President Donald Trump noted on Friday that Miller ’ s different results on consecutive days indicated a problem with “ the whole concept of tests.
” Trump , however , was deeply confused as to what , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use testing alone to construct a virtual virus-free bubble around him .
While the president suggested , wrongly , that the only possible explanation was that Miller had somehow contracted the virus overnight , the fact is that her positive test , along with that of a White House valet the day before , exposes the absurdity of the president refusing to wear a mask or let anyone around him do so .
By prioritizing his immense vanity , or a fear of looking weak , or being laughed at , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crisis over his own health and that of his vice president , aides and followers , the president is not just failing to model good behavior , he is actively discouraging it , and so helping the virus that ’ s killed at least 77,000 Americans to threaten the lives of many more .
Updated : Saturday , May 9 , 12:55 p.m. PDT This article was updated with a new headline .


theintercept--2020-05-10--Kim Olson, Texas Congressional Candidate, Clashed With Teachers During Polarizing Tenure at Dallas S

Kim Olson, Texas Congressional Candidate, Clashed With Teachers During Polarizing Tenure at Dallas School District

There may be good reason for that .
Her tenure in a seemingly anodyne school administrator role was contentious , from budget issues and teacher layoffs to getting reprimanded by the school board .
When she abruptly tendered her resignation in 2009 , providing no reason why , a Dallas Observer columnist noted that it “ seems an awfully quiet way for one of the school year ’ s most controversial figures to go.
” Another line on Olson ’ s resume , following her retirement from the Air Force in 2005 , gets much less attention .
From August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the human resources director for the Dallas Independent School District , the second-largest district in the state .
Beyond a reference at the bottom of Olson ’ s campaign website that as HR director , she “ oversaw $ 1 Billion dollar budget and 22,000 employees , ” she rarely mentions this job on the campaign trail .
Kim Olson , a Democratic candidate in the runoff for a suburban Texas district that includes the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and surrounding affluent suburbs , is most commonly known for her past career in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is the epithet she uses on her social media accounts , her military service is prominently featured on her campaign website , and Democrats and the media have been debating how much of a liability an early 2000s contracting scandal in Iraq , where she was accused of war profiteering , would be in a general election .
( Olson denies the charge , but she did plead guilty to two lesser offenses relating to conflicts of interest and obtaining outside employment without permission . )
Some of the controversy stemmed from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement .
Olson was trained at the Broad Superintendents Academy , a bootcamp for reform-minded education administrators .
As HR director , she helped lead the push to bring Teach for America , which recruits recent college graduates to teach for two-year stints , into Dallas public schools .
“ She helped facilitate that [ TFA ] contract and most traditional educators were highly opposed because Teach for America teachers had only six weeks of training , ” said Rena Honea , the president of the Dallas teachers union , who was in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There was a big push from the business world and the education reformers , but Kim was the one who helped foster that contract and relationship.
” Olson declined to comment on these aspects of her record .
Instead , she provided a comment on how her campaign has responded to coronavirus .
Her rhetoric toward teachers also exacerbated tensions .
In an interview with D Magazine , a monthly publication covering Dallas-Fort Worth , Olson once quipped , “ Most educators don ’ t understand leadership because that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ went on to add , “ Just because you ’ ve been the head of a classroom or a school doesn ’ t mean you have leadership.
” Olson ’ s tenure as HR director also overlapped with the most severe budget crisis in the Dallas school district ’ s history .
A bombshell Dallas Morning News investigation from November 2008 detailed the district ’ s fiscal woes and shoddy accounting practices : The district had overspent its previous budget by $ 64 million and was on track to run up an $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report led to new audits and the swift installment of a new CFO .
The budget problems began well before Olson arrived at the school district , but when she was blamed for the crisis unfolding under her watch , she denied all responsibility .
When she was blamed for authorizing the hiring of new teachers the district couldn ’ t afford and criticized for laying off hundreds of them later on to balance the budget , she insisted that it wasn ’ t her department ’ s fault , that her staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by budget officials .
When a school trustee pressed Olson on what her department would do if the budget office was wrong or made a mistake , she said her team did not attempt to reconcile its figures with its own data and did not even have the staffing allocation to do so .
( A spokesperson for Olson ’ s campaign said the $ 1 billion budget reference on her website refers to overseeing compensation and benefits — not the personnel budget she distanced herself from years ago . )
While Olson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the district ’ s fiscal crisis , she was simultaneously taking contentious steps to boost its public image .
In November 2008 , three school district employees took the unusual step of attending a school board meeting to offer praise for the HR department .
One after another , the principals offered testimony about how great it was to start their school year with highly qualified staff already in place at their schools .
The Dallas school trustees could sense something fishy was going on , as it was hardly the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was “ very suspicious ” the administrators had shown up to speak .
“ I feel a setup , ” he added .
At the end of the meeting , Olson admitted that she had asked the three principals to come to the meeting and recognize her department ’ s work .
Trustee Lew Blackburn said he was “ very angry ” that the principals were asked to leave their jobs to come and praise HR , and he told the school superintendent that “ if this happens again , I will @ @ @ @ @

Kim Olson, a Democratic candidate in the runoff for a suburban Texas district that includes the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and surrounding affluent suburbs, is most commonly known for her past career in the Air Force. “Retired colonel” is the epithet she uses on her social media accounts, her military service is prominently featured on her campaign website, and Democrats and the media have been debating how much of a liability an early 2000s contracting scandal in Iraq, where she was accused of war profiteering, would be in a general election. (Olson denies the charge, but she did plead guilty to two lesser offenses relating to conflicts of interest and obtaining outside employment without permission.)
Another line on Olson’s resume, following her retirement from the Air Force in 2005, gets much less attention. From August 2007 to June 2009, Olson was the human resources director for the Dallas Independent School District, the second-largest district in the state. Beyond a reference at the bottom of Olson’s campaign website that as HR director, she “oversaw $1 Billion dollar budget and 22,000 employees,” she rarely mentions this job on the campaign trail.
There may be good reason for that. Her tenure in a seemingly anodyne school administrator role was contentious, from budget issues and teacher layoffs to getting reprimanded by the school board. When she abruptly tendered her resignation in 2009, providing no reason why, a Dallas Observer columnist noted that it “seems an awfully quiet way for one of the school year’s most controversial figures to go.”
Some of the controversy stemmed from her close ties to the education reform movement. Olson was trained at the Broad Superintendents Academy, a bootcamp for reform-minded education administrators. As HR director, she helped lead the push to bring Teach for America, which recruits recent college graduates to teach for two-year stints, into Dallas public schools.
“She helped facilitate that [TFA] contract and most traditional educators were highly opposed because Teach for America teachers had only six weeks of training,” said Rena Honea, the president of the Dallas teachers union, who was in union leadership during Olson’s tenure. “There was a big push from the business world and the education reformers, but Kim was the one who helped foster that contract and relationship.”
Olson declined to comment on these aspects of her record. Instead, she provided a comment on how her campaign has responded to coronavirus.
Her rhetoric toward teachers also exacerbated tensions. In an interview with D Magazine, a monthly publication covering Dallas-Fort Worth, Olson once quipped, “Most educators don’t understand leadership because that’s really not what is practiced.” She went on to add, “Just because you’ve been the head of a classroom or a school doesn’t mean you have leadership.”
Olson’s tenure as HR director also overlapped with the most severe budget crisis in the Dallas school district’s history. A bombshell Dallas Morning News investigation from November 2008 detailed the district’s fiscal woes and shoddy accounting practices: The district had overspent its previous budget by $64 million and was on track to run up an $84 million deficit that year. The report led to new audits and the swift installment of a new CFO.
The budget problems began well before Olson arrived at the school district, but when she was blamed for the crisis unfolding under her watch, she denied all responsibility. When she was blamed for authorizing the hiring of new teachers the district couldn’t afford and criticized for laying off hundreds of them later on to balance the budget, she insisted that it wasn’t her department’s fault, that her staff had merely executed personnel decisions approved elsewhere by budget officials. When a school trustee pressed Olson on what her department would do if the budget office was wrong or made a mistake, she said her team did not attempt to reconcile its figures with its own data and did not even have the staffing allocation to do so. (A spokesperson for Olson’s campaign said the $1 billion budget reference on her website refers to overseeing compensation and benefits — not the personnel budget she distanced herself from years ago.)
While Olson maintained her department’s innocence in the district’s fiscal crisis, she was simultaneously taking contentious steps to boost its public image. In November 2008, three school district employees took the unusual step of attending a school board meeting to offer praise for the HR department. One after another, the principals offered testimony about how great it was to start their school year with highly qualified staff already in place at their schools.
The Dallas school trustees could sense something fishy was going on, as it was hardly the beginning of the school year. One trustee said it was “very suspicious” the administrators had shown up to speak. “I feel a setup,” he added.
At the end of the meeting, Olson admitted that she had asked the three principals to come to the meeting and recognize her department’s work. Trustee Lew Blackburn said he was “very angry” that the principals were asked to leave their jobs to come and praise HR, and he told the school superintendent that “if this happens again, I will be highly pissed.”
In March, Olson emerged from her seven-way primary in Texas’s 24th Congressional District, with 41 percent of the vote. Because no candidate got 50 percent, she will be facing off in a July runoff against Candace Valenzuela, a school board member for the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District who earned 30 percent of the vote.
The district, which is currently represented by Republican Rep. Kenny Marchant, is one of seven Texas House seats the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee aims to flip in November. In August 2019 Marchant announced he would not seek reelection. The winner of the runoff will face off against Republican Beth Van Duyne, a former mayor in the district.


theintercept--2020-05-10--With Tara Reade's Allegations, Joe Biden’s Campaign Is Only the Latest Chapter of America’s Accounta

With Tara Reade's Allegations, Joe Biden’s Campaign Is Only the Latest Chapter of America’s Accountability Problem

is being laid bare .
Once a global superpower , today jeers of “ failed state ” better describe our geriatric empire .
Having survived impeachment , America ’ s acquitted president poorly navigates an unclear future as a pandemic rages and a recession looms , leaving hundreds of thousands dead in its global wake .
An embattled population barrels toward a national election between two accused rapists and known liars : President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joseph Biden .
Biden , accused of sexual assault by one woman , has all but secured the Democratic nomination , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , who faces at least 25 sexual misconduct allegations that range in criminal severity .
Both men deny all the allegations .
Biden ’ s accuser , Tara Reade , was one of eight women who registered complaints of inappropriate touching in April of last year — before Biden ever jumped into the presidential race .
As Biden appeared likely to be the Democratic nominee , Reade came forward in late March and told her story about her former boss .
In an interview with podcast host Katie Halper , Reade said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She alleges the incident occurred in 1993 , while she was an aide in his Senate office .
What Reade describes is rape , according to the Department of Justice ’ s own definition .
In an interview with Megyn Kelly , Reade has called on Biden to end his presidential bid and “ step forward and be held accountable.
” Now Reade , not Biden , is on trial in the American media landscape .
Democrats , the party of “ believe women , ” are changing their tune , terrified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a Trump presidency .
After all , 2016 proved that lugging a litany of sexual assault and harassment accusations does not guarantee an electoral loss .
Before the election , at least four women were on record accusing Trump of sexual misconduct .
American flags aloft , his fanatical base laughed along with the presidential candidate as he called his accusers liars and implied that they weren ’ t attractive enough for him to assault .
“ When you ’ re a star , they let you do it , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” recording .
“ Grab ’ em by the pussy .
You can do anything.
” This unearthed admission did not cost him the election either .
If Democrats continue to do nothing , Reade ’ s accusation should prove that sexual misconduct allegations in either party are nothing more than a mild political inconvenience .
If you supervised torture and destroyed evidence , like Gina Haspel , you can still get promoted .
If you ’ re a war criminal , like George W. Bush , you can be rehabilitated .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of sexual conduct , like Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh , you , too , can become a Supreme Court justice .
Now , high-profile Democratic endorsements for Biden signal that a quest for the truth — and a reckoning for the allegations against him — will never come .
“ I think that ’ s really what ’ s corrosive about this moment , is this idea that you can try to shred Tara Reade ’ s credibility and stick up for Joe Biden and still say that you have any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that you have any kind of commitment to women ’ s rights , ” Melissa Gira Grant , a staff writer at the New Republic , explained on Intercepted .
“ I don ’ t think you get to have it both ways .
Lucy Flores may be all but forgotten in an exhausting year of political reporting .
Flores was the first to come forward and register publicly that an encounter with Biden made her deeply uncomfortable .
In a viral essay , Flores described how , in 2015 , then-Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , gross , and confused ” as she campaigned for lieutenant governor in Nevada .
“ I feel him come up close behind me , and that ’ s when he leans in and he lingers around my head , ” Flores recounted on Intercepted .
“ I hear him kind of inhale .
And then he proceeds to plant this low kiss on the top of my head.
” ( Biden denied that he had acted inappropriately toward Flores . )
“ The bottom line with that kind of behavior is entitlement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both entitlement to someone ’ s physical body , but then also entitlement to characterize what happened through whatever lens you have that allows you to continue that behavior.
” Flores was precise in calling out the inequality inherent in how women ’ s bodies were assumed to be touchable , especially by powerful men .
“ Most people acknowledge that men don ’ t usually kiss , smell , rub noses with , place their hands on the thighs of , or touch foreheads with random women they don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Times .
“ Yet some men do , especially powerful men , who are protected by privilege and a crew of self-interested enablers who don ’ t want to lose their access to power by calling out the obvious.
” inappropriate kissing and touching surfaced against Sen. Al Franken , D-Minn. , from seven accusers , dozens of his Democratic Senate colleagues quickly called for his resignation .
With a professed zero-tolerance position for any sexual misconduct , Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , D-N.Y. , led the charge .
Within weeks , Franken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his Senate seat .
Biden , apparently lacking a particularly damning enough photograph of misconduct , has been given a pass .
And Gillibrand , despite Reade ’ s allegation , has maintained her support and endorsement of Biden .
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez has dismissed the accusations .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , also “ supports Biden.
” A day after Business Insider ’ s investigation further corroborated Reade ’ s story , Hillary Clinton , too , threw in her high-profile endorsement of Biden .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day was “ disqualifying.
” But , for the Democratic establishment , perhaps fearing both more years of Trump and a Bernie Sanders presidency , Biden ’ s conduct has been accepted .
His character has been troublingly defended by colleagues — especially by women eyeing a vice presidential nomination .
As complaints from women mounted , Biden told reporters last year , “ I ’ m not sorry for any of my intentions .
I ’ m not sorry for anything that I have ever done .
I ’ ve never been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman.
” With this , Biden revealed an inability to comprehend culpability .
“ This is what he ’ s known for , ” Flores told Intercepted .
“ He is not known for voluntarily or willingly acknowledging that he has made mistakes in the past , whether it ’ s around his position on the Hyde Amendment , whether it was around how he mishandled the Clarence Thomas hearings , school busing and segregationist policies — I mean , the list is pretty long.
” long and troubling .
Some voters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moral debate in response to the electoral options before us .
We face an impossible choice and feel disgust at being put in this position .
“ It ’ s a mind-fuck.
” Gira Grant said , about the inevitable choice between Trump and Biden .
“ I want to appreciate how that feels and how uncomfortable that is .
I think it ’ s just , like , ripping something back about our culture and our politics and revealing it to us .
I don ’ t think it ’ s necessarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprising .
Biden ’ s inability to admit fault — he has said , “ I am not sorry for anything I have ever done ” — simply shows that he is a byproduct of an institution of impunity .
America , too , doesn ’ t do apologies .
Reparations for black people and native people are nowhere in sight .
We didn ’ t prosecute torture and we won ’ t prosecute war crimes .
The cancer at the core of this nation is one of fundamental injustice , hidden beneath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equality for all .
To remove Biden would be to indict American exceptionalism itself .
Liberals like Biden , who believe that America ’ s divisions can be healed by a new president , don ’ t see this country as built on exploitation .
To understand how we heal , we have to view America through the painful lens of wrongs committed .
Accountability must be viewed as a feminist issue , especially in a nation that wove oppression into every fiber of its flag .
America should live in shame until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ask for forgiveness .
Joe Biden can go first .

Photo illustration: Elise Swain/ The Intercept, Getty Images
America’s accountability problem is being laid bare. Once a global superpower, today jeers of “failed state” better describe our geriatric empire. Having survived impeachment, America’s acquitted president poorly navigates an unclear future as a pandemic rages and a recession looms, leaving hundreds of thousands dead in its global wake. An embattled population barrels toward a national election between two accused rapists and known liars: President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joseph Biden.
Biden, accused of sexual assault by one woman, has all but secured the Democratic nomination, gearing up for a general election against Trump, who faces at least 25 sexual misconduct allegations that range in criminal severity. Both men deny all the allegations.
Biden’s accuser, Tara Reade, was one of eight women who registered complaints of inappropriate touching in April of last year — before Biden ever jumped into the presidential race. As Biden appeared likely to be the Democratic nominee, Reade came forward in late March and told her story about her former boss. In an interview with podcast host Katie Halper, Reade said Biden penetrated her vagina with his fingers. She alleges the incident occurred in 1993, while she was an aide in his Senate office. What Reade describes is rape, according to the Department of Justice’s own definition. In an interview with Megyn Kelly, Reade has called on Biden to end his presidential bid and “step forward and be held accountable.”
Now Reade, not Biden, is on trial in the American media landscape. Democrats, the party of “believe women,” are changing their tune, terrified at the prospect of another four years of a Trump presidency. After all, 2016 proved that lugging a litany of sexual assault and harassment accusations does not guarantee an electoral loss. Before the election, at least four women were on record accusing Trump of sexual misconduct. American flags aloft, his fanatical base laughed along with the presidential candidate as he called his accusers liars and implied that they weren’t attractive enough for him to assault. “When you’re a star, they let you do it,” Trump said on the infamous “Access Hollywood” recording. “Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.” This unearthed admission did not cost him the election either.
If Democrats continue to do nothing, Reade’s accusation should prove that sexual misconduct allegations in either party are nothing more than a mild political inconvenience.
Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
The lack of impetus to replace Biden speaks to how Washington, D.C., has long neglected creating a culture of accountability. Some of the darkest chapters of U.S. history have been classified away. Our villainous past remains unprosecuted as bipartisan bombs continue falling. America’s lack of understanding wrongdoing enables figures who should have atoned in order for the country to progress to instead linger in political relevance.
If you supervised torture and destroyed evidence, like Gina Haspel, you can still get promoted. If you’re a war criminal, like George W. Bush, you can be rehabilitated. If you’re a judge, credibly accused of sexual misconduct, like Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, you, too, can become a Supreme Court justice.
Now, high-profile Democratic endorsements for Biden signal that a quest for the truth — and a reckoning for the allegations against him — will never come.
“I think that’s really what’s corrosive about this moment, is this idea that you can try to shred Tara Reade’s credibility and stick up for Joe Biden and still say that you have any kind of commitment to ending sexual violence, that you have any kind of commitment to women’s rights,” Melissa Gira Grant, a staff writer at the New Republic, explained on Intercepted. “I don’t think you get to have it both ways.
The name Lucy Flores may be all but forgotten in an exhausting year of political reporting. Flores was the first to come forward and register publicly that an encounter with Biden made her deeply uncomfortable. In a viral essay, Flores described how, in 2015, then-Vice President Biden made her feel “uneasy, gross, and confused” as she campaigned for lieutenant governor in Nevada.
“I feel him come up close behind me, and that’s when he leans in and he lingers around my head,” Flores recounted on Intercepted. “I hear him kind of inhale. And then he proceeds to plant this low kiss on the top of my head.” (Biden denied that he had acted inappropriately toward Flores.)
Seven more women came forward with similar stories of Biden’s manner of unwanted, inappropriate touching. Descriptions told of how his hands intimately lingered on everything from the women’s necks, shoulders, backs, or thighs. Some say his forehead pressed against theirs. Noses so close that they rubbed together. Breathing in the smell of hair. Kissing the back of the head.
“The bottom line with that kind of behavior is entitlement.”
“The bottom line with that kind of behavior is entitlement,” Gira Grant explained. “Both entitlement to someone’s physical body, but then also entitlement to characterize what happened through whatever lens you have that allows you to continue that behavior.”
Flores was precise in calling out the inequality inherent in how women’s bodies were assumed to be touchable, especially by powerful men. “Most people acknowledge that men don’t usually kiss, smell, rub noses with, place their hands on the thighs of, or touch foreheads with random women they don’t know,” Flores opined in the New York Times. “Yet some men do, especially powerful men, who are protected by privilege and a crew of self-interested enablers who don’t want to lose their access to power by calling out the obvious.”
Photo: Jenna Schoenefeld for The Washington Post via Getty Images
When allegations of inappropriate kissing and touching surfaced against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., from seven accusers, dozens of his Democratic Senate colleagues quickly called for his resignation. With a professed zero-tolerance position for any sexual misconduct, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., led the charge. Within weeks, Franken took the incredibly rare step of resigning from his Senate seat.
Biden, apparently lacking a particularly damning enough photograph of misconduct, has been given a pass. And Gillibrand, despite Reade’s allegation, has maintained her support and endorsement of Biden. Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez has dismissed the accusations. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also “supports Biden.” A day after Business Insider’s investigation further corroborated Reade’s story, Hillary Clinton, too, threw in her high-profile endorsement of Biden.
For Flores, Biden’s conduct that day was “disqualifying.” But, for the Democratic establishment, perhaps fearing both more years of Trump and a Bernie Sanders presidency, Biden’s conduct has been accepted. His character has been troublingly defended by colleagues — especially by women eyeing a vice presidential nomination.
As complaints from women mounted, Biden told reporters last year, “I’m not sorry for any of my intentions. I’m not sorry for anything that I have ever done. I’ve never been disrespectful intentionally to a man or a woman.” With this, Biden revealed an inability to comprehend culpability.
“This is what he’s known for,” Flores told Intercepted. “He is not known for voluntarily or willingly acknowledging that he has made mistakes in the past, whether it’s around his position on the Hyde Amendment, whether it was around how he mishandled the Clarence Thomas hearings, school busing and segregationist policies — I mean, the list is pretty long.”
Biden’s record is long and troubling. Some voters, myself included, are struggling with a moral debate in response to the electoral options before us. We face an impossible choice and feel disgust at being put in this position.
“It’s a mind-fuck.” Gira Grant said, about the inevitable choice between Trump and Biden. “I want to appreciate how that feels and how uncomfortable that is. I think it’s just, like, ripping something back about our culture and our politics and revealing it to us. I don’t think it’s necessarily new.”
“I think it’s just, like, ripping something back about our culture and our politics and revealing it to us. I don’t think it’s necessarily new.”
Yet it isn’t surprising. Biden’s inability to admit fault — he has said, “I am not sorry for anything I have ever done” — simply shows that he is a byproduct of an institution of impunity. America, too, doesn’t do apologies. Reparations for black people and native people are nowhere in sight. We didn’t prosecute torture and we won’t prosecute war crimes. The cancer at the core of this nation is one of fundamental injustice, hidden beneath platitudes of freedom, liberty, and equality for all. To remove Biden would be to indict American exceptionalism itself.
Liberals like Biden, who believe that America’s divisions can be healed by a new president, don’t see this country as built on exploitation. To understand how we heal, we have to view America through the painful lens of wrongs committed. Accountability must be viewed as a feminist issue, especially in a nation that wove oppression into every fiber of its flag.
America should live in shame until we admit fault, recognize hurt, and ask for forgiveness. Joe Biden can go first.


theintercept--2020-05-11--As Trump and Biden Trade Anti-China Ads, Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans Spike

mount , President Donald Trump ’ s China-bashing has evolved from a short-term political tactic into a full-fledged election strategy .
Take the ad “ Travel Ban , ” which was unveiled last week by pro-Trump Super PAC America First Action .
The spot is one of several anti-China ads released by the group over the past few weeks , and it revisits some standard Trump campaign tropes : There are images of Biden from the Obama years , clips of the former vice president stumbling over his words , and allusions to the decades Biden spent in Washington .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a larger attempt to dub the presumptive Democratic nominee “ Beijing Biden , ” reserves its greatest ire for Biden ’ s purported ties to China , zooming in on a shot of him shaking hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping .
“ China is killing our jobs and now killing our people , ” a male voice intones ominously .
Instead of taking the high road , the Biden campaign has offered its own version of xenophobic hype .
A Biden campaign spot released in mid-April juxtaposes Chinese medical workers in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get tested for the virus .
“ Trump rolled over for the Chinese , ” a narrator says .
Both ads have angered Asian American activists .
The Biden spot in particular has upset people who view him as a potential ally at a time of rising xenophobia .
They worry that even without going to extremes like calling Covid-19 the “ Chinese virus ” and the “ kung-flu ” — terms used by Trump and officials in his administration over the past few months — images of Asian faces and offhanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a slightly subtler form of racist dog-whistling , and harmful at a moment when hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise .
“ There ’ s a clear link between the rhetoric that ’ s being used and the increased harm to our community , ” said John Yang , president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice .
“ We are equally concerned about both parties .
We are concerned that there will be a race to the bottom.
” America First Action has planned a $ 10 million ad buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Wisconsin .
The money is apparently not going toward fact-checking .
A website maintained by the group , beijingbiden.com , is splashed with Chinese text written in the traditional characters used in Hong Kong and Taiwan , rather than the simplified type used on the mainland .
An airplane shown in the initial version of the “ Travel Ban ” ad was emblazoned with the insignia of China Airlines , Taiwan ’ s national carrier .
After people mocked the gaffe on Twitter , the group replaced the image with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainland airline .
An earlier America First Action spot used footage of Biden walking toward former American Ambassador to China Gary Locke at a ceremony in Beijing , implying that Locke is a Chinese official .
Locke , who was born in Seattle , was appalled .
“ Asian Americans are Americans , ” he wrote in a statement .
“ Period.
” While Democrats have generally used tamer rhetoric , strategy documents from both parties outline an election-year tactic of blaming China .
The memos lay out talking points that are apparently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but such nuances have generally been lost on politicians .
In March , Sen. John Cornyn , a Republican from Texas , got flak for saying that the coronavirus outbreak was due to “ a culture where people eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that.
” “ That suggests to me that these talking points get abused in a way that harms the Asian American community , ” said Yang .
Trump , who was elected on a xenophobic platform in 2016 , appears hell-bent on referring to Covid-19 by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it by the World Health Organization .
His determination was underscored when a Washington Post photographer captured his printed notes for a speech in March .
Where the script read “ coronavirus , ” he had crossed out “ corona ” and written , in bold letters , “ CHINESE.
” against Asian Americans flared up soon after the first U.S. case of the new coronavirus was reported in Washington state in January .
While figures are hard to pin down because of underreporting , an effort called Stop AAPI Hate recorded nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its first month of counting , despite the fact that stay-at-home orders were in place in many states .
Women reported harassment twice as often as did men .
New York City ’ s Commission on Human Rights has separately documented 113 anti-Asian bias incidents since the outbreak of Covid-19 , and the FBI warned in March that hate crimes against Asian Americans would “ likely surge.
” On May 1 , 16 Democratic senators — including Cory Booker , Dianne Feinstein , Kamala Harris , and Elizabeth Warren — called on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to craft a clear plan to combat hate crimes .
In one account collected by Asian Americans Advancing Justice , activists who organized a video call to discuss discrimination were Zoom-bombed by trolls who flooded the message board with comments like “ CHING CHONG EAT BATS.
” In the most extreme cases , people have been physically harmed .
At a Sam ’ s Club in Midland , Texas , in March , an enraged man stabbed an Asian American family — including children ages 2 and 6 .
The victims survived after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intervened , but suffered wounds that required hospitalization .
The children ’ s faces are now scarred with knife wounds .
Released against that backdrop , the Biden ad angered progressives .
“ We refuse to be sacrificed for the sake of political expediency , ” said Tobita Chow , director of Justice Is Global , a progressive organization in Chicago .
“ We think that the Biden campaign , and Democrats more generally , would do better with a response that it is focused on our urgent public health need , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failures.
” He and other community organizers have been in communication with the Biden campaign about the ad , which they say undermines Biden ’ s efforts to call out Trump ’ s bigotry .
They are asking the likely Democratic nominee to take the ad down .
They also would like to see Biden run a more inclusive campaign by building a multiracial coalition of supporters and reaching out to younger voters .
But the Biden ad was not created in a vacuum .
It follows a strategy laid out in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the committee ’ s War Room , which was established in 2017 to fight Trump .
The memo accuses Trump of “ offering absurd flattery of China ” in an effort to reach a trade deal .
It also blasts the Trump administration for sending medical equipment to China in the early stages of the outbreak , when hospitals in Wuhan were overstretched .
Similarly , a detailed 57-page guide issued by the National Republican Senatorial Committee around the same time walks candidates through the GOP ’ s China strategy , suggesting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , exporting faulty medical supplies , and flooding the United States with fentanyl .
“ Don ’ t defend Trump , other than the China Travel Ban — attack China , ” the memo reads .
That document , which was published by Politico , anticipates criticism .
A Q & A section contains the question : “ Aren ’ t you being racist by blaming China and causing racist attacks against Chinese Americans ?
” “ No one is blaming Chinese Americans , ” the memo suggests candidates respond .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party for covering up the virus and lying about it ’ s [ sic ] danger.
” A combination of brash xenophobia and ignorance of the facts is showing up in down-ballot races as well .
In Texas , Republican Congressional candidate Kathaleen Wall recently released an ad that shows arrows labeled “ CHINESE VIRUS ” flying toward the United States .
“ China poisoned our people , ” the ad claims .
A map of China used in the video includes Taiwan , inadvertently reinforcing Beijing ’ s claim that Taiwan is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked in a runoff for a congressional seat in the Houston suburbs , in a district where nearly 20 of the population is Asian American .
In response to a request for comment , a Republican National Committee spokesperson pointed The Intercept to a statement by committee chair Ronna McDaniel .
“ The Chinese government is doing their best to wage a dishonesty campaign ; they don ’ t need any more help from members of the media , ” the statement reads .
“ We support the people of China and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbors and friends , especially Asian Pacific American doctors , nurses and medical professionals for their selfless services and sacrifices to combat the virus on the frontlines.
” The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
In early April , Biden issued a statement denouncing incidents of racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders .
carries a historical echo .
During World War II , as politicians lambasted Japan , more than 120,000 Japanese Americans — most of them U.S. citizens — were rounded up and sent to internment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking that this story about the 1940s was an old story , and why do we have to keep talking about it ?
” said Kazuya Sato , president of the Japanese American Citizen League ’ s Cincinnati chapter .
In the past few months , he added , “ I started feeling that no , this has started again.
” ( Within China , leaders have fueled their own version of xenophobia by emphasizing that recent cases of the coronavirus have been brought in by travelers , even though the bulk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returning home from overseas .
The African immigrant population has been especially hard-hit , with reports of a number of Africans being evicted from their homes in southern China . )
Some see a cautionary tale in the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin in Highland Park , Michigan .
The killing came as politicians blamed Japan for the American auto industry ’ s suffering .
Chin was Chinese American , but the two autoworkers who killed him mistook him for a person of Japanese descent .
“ We see this link between dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence throughout history , ” said Grace K. Pai , director of organizing with Asian Americans Advancing Justice .
In a few instances , candidates have fought xenophobia with pluralism .
Instead of stooping to match Wall ’ s tactics in the Texas congressional race , Democratic contender Sri Preston Kulkarni has homed in on his district ’ s diversity , dispatching campaign workers to make calls in voters ’ native languages — and in some cases , making the calls himself .
( A former foreign service officer , Kulkarni speaks Hebrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Spanish . )
His campaign manager , Allen Chen , told The Intercept , “ Thanks to relationship-building with immigrant communities over multiple election cycles , this district is going to flip .
”

As coronavirus deaths mount, President Donald Trump’s China-bashing has evolved from a short-term political tactic into a full-fledged election strategy.
Take the ad “Travel Ban,” which was unveiled last week by pro-Trump Super PAC America First Action. The spot is one of several anti-China ads released by the group over the past few weeks, and it revisits some standard Trump campaign tropes: There are images of Biden from the Obama years, clips of the former vice president stumbling over his words, and allusions to the decades Biden spent in Washington. But the ad, which is part of a larger attempt to dub the presumptive Democratic nominee “Beijing Biden,” reserves its greatest ire for Biden’s purported ties to China, zooming in on a shot of him shaking hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “China is killing our jobs and now killing our people,” a male voice intones ominously.
Instead of taking the high road, the Biden campaign has offered its own version of xenophobic hype. A Biden campaign spot released in mid-April juxtaposes Chinese medical workers in Tyvex suits with lines of Americans waiting to get tested for the virus. “Trump rolled over for the Chinese,” a narrator says.
Both ads have angered Asian American activists. The Biden spot in particular has upset people who view him as a potential ally at a time of rising xenophobia. They worry that even without going to extremes like calling Covid-19 the “Chinese virus” and the “kung-flu” — terms used by Trump and officials in his administration over the past few months — images of Asian faces and offhanded mentions of “the Chinese” are just a slightly subtler form of racist dog-whistling, and harmful at a moment when hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise.
“There’s a clear link between the rhetoric that’s being used and the increased harm to our community,” said John Yang, president of Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC. “We are equally concerned about both parties. We are concerned that there will be a race to the bottom.”
America First Action has planned a $10 million ad buy in battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The money is apparently not going toward fact-checking. A website maintained by the group, beijingbiden.com, is splashed with Chinese text written in the traditional characters used in Hong Kong and Taiwan, rather than the simplified type used on the mainland. An airplane shown in the initial version of the “Travel Ban” ad was emblazoned with the insignia of China Airlines, Taiwan’s national carrier. After people mocked the gaffe on Twitter, the group replaced the image with a jet from Air China, a major mainland airline.
An earlier America First Action spot used footage of Biden walking toward former American Ambassador to China Gary Locke at a ceremony in Beijing, implying that Locke is a Chinese official. Locke, who was born in Seattle, was appalled. “Asian Americans are Americans,” he wrote in a statement. “Period.”
While Democrats have generally used tamer rhetoric, strategy documents from both parties outline an election-year tactic of blaming China. The memos lay out talking points that are apparently designed to blunt charges of racism, but such nuances have generally been lost on politicians. In March, Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, got flak for saying that the coronavirus outbreak was due to “a culture where people eat bats and snakes and dogs and things like that.”
“That suggests to me that these talking points get abused in a way that harms the Asian American community,” said Yang.
Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Trump, who was elected on a xenophobic platform in 2016, appears hell-bent on referring to Covid-19 by anything other than the name given to it by the World Health Organization. His determination was underscored when a Washington Post photographer captured his printed notes for a speech in March. Where the script read “coronavirus,” he had crossed out “corona” and written, in bold letters, “CHINESE.”
Hate crimes and hate speech against Asian Americans flared up soon after the first U.S. case of the new coronavirus was reported in Washington state in January. While figures are hard to pin down because of underreporting, an effort called Stop AAPI Hate recorded nearly 1,500 incidents in the United States in its first month of counting, despite the fact that stay-at-home orders were in place in many states. Women reported harassment twice as often as did men. New York City’s Commission on Human Rights has separately documented 113 anti-Asian bias incidents since the outbreak of Covid-19, and the FBI warned in March that hate crimes against Asian Americans would “likely surge.” On May 1, 16 Democratic senators — including Cory Booker, Dianne Feinstein, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren — called on the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to craft a clear plan to combat hate crimes.
In one account collected by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, activists who organized a video call to discuss discrimination were Zoom-bombed by trolls who flooded the message board with comments like “CHING CHONG EAT BATS.” In the most extreme cases, people have been physically harmed. At a Sam’s Club in Midland, Texas, in March, an enraged man stabbed an Asian American family — including children ages 2 and 6. The victims survived after an off-duty Customs and Border Patrol agent intervened, but suffered wounds that required hospitalization. The children’s faces are now scarred with knife wounds.
Read Our Complete Coverage The Coronavirus Crisis
Released against that backdrop, the Biden ad angered progressives. “We refuse to be sacrificed for the sake of political expediency,” said Tobita Chow, director of Justice Is Global, a progressive organization in Chicago. “We think that the Biden campaign, and Democrats more generally, would do better with a response that it is focused on our urgent public health need, the coronavirus crisis, and Trump’s failures.” He and other community organizers have been in communication with the Biden campaign about the ad, which they say undermines Biden’s efforts to call out Trump’s bigotry. They are asking the likely Democratic nominee to take the ad down. They also would like to see Biden run a more inclusive campaign by building a multiracial coalition of supporters and reaching out to younger voters.
But the Biden ad was not created in a vacuum. It follows a strategy laid out in a recent Democratic National Committee memo prepared by the committee’s War Room, which was established in 2017 to fight Trump. The memo accuses Trump of “offering absurd flattery of China” in an effort to reach a trade deal. It also blasts the Trump administration for sending medical equipment to China in the early stages of the outbreak, when hospitals in Wuhan were overstretched.
Similarly, a detailed 57-page guide issued by the National Republican Senatorial Committee around the same time walks candidates through the GOP’s China strategy, suggesting that they blame China for taking American jobs, exporting faulty medical supplies, and flooding the United States with fentanyl. “Don’t defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban — attack China,” the memo reads.
That document, which was published by Politico, anticipates criticism. A Q&A section contains the question: “Aren’t you being racist by blaming China and causing racist attacks against Chinese Americans?”
“No one is blaming Chinese Americans,” the memo suggests candidates respond. “This is the fault of the Chinese Communist Party for covering up the virus and lying about it’s [sic] danger.”
Share Your Coronavirus Story Click here to learn about contacting a reporter securely, or email us at coronavirus@theintercept.com
A combination of brash xenophobia and ignorance of the facts is showing up in down-ballot races as well. In Texas, Republican Congressional candidate Kathaleen Wall recently released an ad that shows arrows labeled “CHINESE VIRUS” flying toward the United States. “China poisoned our people,” the ad claims. A map of China used in the video includes Taiwan, inadvertently reinforcing Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is a part of China. Wall is locked in a runoff for a congressional seat in the Houston suburbs, in a district where nearly 20 of the population is Asian American.
In response to a request for comment, a Republican National Committee spokesperson pointed The Intercept to a statement by committee chair Ronna McDaniel. “The Chinese government is doing their best to wage a dishonesty campaign; they don’t need any more help from members of the media,” the statement reads. “We support the people of China and we are grateful for our own Chinese American neighbors and friends, especially Asian Pacific American doctors, nurses and medical professionals for their selfless services and sacrifices to combat the virus on the frontlines.”
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment. In early April, Biden issued a statement denouncing incidents of racism against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
The current political climate carries a historical echo. During World War II, as politicians lambasted Japan, more than 120,000 Japanese Americans — most of them U.S. citizens — were rounded up and sent to internment camps. “I’d been thinking that this story about the 1940s was an old story, and why do we have to keep talking about it?” said Kazuya Sato, president of the Japanese American Citizen League’s Cincinnati chapter. In the past few months, he added, “I started feeling that no, this has started again.” (Within China, leaders have fueled their own version of xenophobia by emphasizing that recent cases of the coronavirus have been brought in by travelers, even though the bulk of these were in fact infected Chinese nationals returning home from overseas. The African immigrant population has been especially hard-hit, with reports of a number of Africans being evicted from their homes in southern China.)
Some see a cautionary tale in the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin in Highland Park, Michigan. The killing came as politicians blamed Japan for the American auto industry’s suffering. Chin was Chinese American, but the two autoworkers who killed him mistook him for a person of Japanese descent. “We see this link between dangerous and extreme political rhetoric and acts of violence throughout history,” said Grace K. Pai, director of organizing with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago.
In a few instances, candidates have fought xenophobia with pluralism. Instead of stooping to match Wall’s tactics in the Texas congressional race, Democratic contender Sri Preston Kulkarni has homed in on his district’s diversity, dispatching campaign workers to make calls in voters’ native languages — and in some cases, making the calls himself. (A former foreign service officer, Kulkarni speaks Hebrew, Hindi, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish.) His campaign manager, Allen Chen, told The Intercept, “Thanks to relationship-building with immigrant communities over multiple election cycles, this district is going to flip.”