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Sunday, December 1, 2019
Weekend Roundup
Didn't do a Weekend Roundup last week, but I had a couple of links
cached away, seed for today. Didn't much want to do one this week,
either, but here goes.
First, a few links on the Democratic presidential debate (not many,
as I started looking late, or maybe there wasn't much to find?):
In "this week in senseless violence," note that a couple people were
stabbed in London in what's being taken as a "major terrorist incident"
(What
we know about the London Bridge stabbings), 11 were shot in New Orleans
(New
Orleans shooting: What we know), and
A Mexican cartel gun battle near the Texas border leaves 21 dead).
Other scattered links for the last two weeks:
Zeeshan Aleem:
Bolivia's coup is still happening. More on Bolivia:
Martin Belam:
Republican committee bought Trump Jr book Triggered in bulk:
"Reports claim title hit No 1 in bestseller list thanks in part to
$94,800 advance purchase." More on this:
Carl Boggs:
The grand illusion: On climate change, referring to David Wallace-Wells:
The Uninhabitable World. Jonathan Chait:
Zak Cheney-Rice:
In the 2010s, white America was finally shows itself: Interview with
Ta-Nehisi Coates on "Obama's decade," reparations, and Kaepernick. Nicholas JS Davies:
Iraqis rise up against 16 years of 'Made in the USA', corruption.
Related:
Gabriel Debenedetti:
Bill de Blasio's case against Michael Bloomberg 2020. Ross Douthat:
The case for Bernie: Given his track record, one suspects he's merely
trolling. Still, he makes some sound points about Bernie's appeal to diverse
groups of Democrats, and shows a certain shrewdness in his claim that "he's
the liberal most likely to spend all his time trying to tax the rich and
leave cultural conservatives alone." Douthat may figure that the rich can
take care of themselves, and can even afford to lose a little. Masha Gessen:
Fred M Hechinger:
Class war over tuition: Mike Konczal recommended this piece, written
in 1974, as "one of the smartest and most prescient things I've read about
current higher education." Adam Hochschild:
When America tried to deport its radicals: "A hundred years ago, the
Palmer Raids imperilled thousands of immigrants. Then a wily official
got in the way." Louis F. Post. John Hudson:
Trump official who suggested dropping nuclear bombs on Afghanistan now
responsible for arms control issues. Umair Irfan:
UN: The world has backed itself into a treacherous corner on climate
change. Ed Kilgore:
Colbert I King:
It's a good bet Trump pardons his felon allies. Here's when that's most
likely. Markos Kounalakis:
King Trump: "The impeachment inquiry is testing us: Do we live in a
nation of laws or a nation of men?" Funny thing, I was just thinking of
contrasts between Trump and Washington, and it occurred to me that we've
gone full circle from the revolutionary who overthrew George III to his
the King's closest kin in American history. Paul Krugman:
Alexandra S Levine/Nancy Scola/Steven Overly/Christiano Lima:
Why the fight against disinformation, sham accounts and trolls won't be
any easier in 2020. Eric Levitz:
Dahlia Lithwick:
America's descent into legal nihilism: "The president would like
to be president forever. And he's bending the law to his will do to
so." Jane Mayer:
The inside story of Christopher Steele's Trump dossier. Review of
Glenn Simpson/Peter Fritsch: Crime in Progress: Inside the Steele
Dossier and the Fusion GPS Investigation of Donald Trump. Ian Millhiser:
Brett Kavanaugh's latest opinion should terrify Democrats. Pankaj Mishra:
Liberalism according to The Economist. Reviews Alexander Zevin:
Liberalism at Large: The World According to the Economist. Ella Nilsen:
House Democrats have passed nearly 400 bills. Trump and Republicans are
ignoring them. Anna North:
New Trump administration rules on sexual assault could keep survivors
silent. Charles P Pierce:
Democrats must get a handle on what 'unity' means when taking on a
renegade presidency*: "The tale of Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and
this anonymously sourced tale of Barack Obama, are instructive." Wendell Potter:
Why Trump's health care cost transparency drive doesn't actually help
anyone. Author is a former VP at Cigna, wrote a book (Deadly
Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is
Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans), now runs an outfit
called Business for Medicare for All. Andrew Prokop:
Robert Redford:
President Trump's dictator-like administration is attacking the values
America holds dear. Nathan Robinson:
Progressives, trust your gut: Elizabeth Warren is not one of us.
I'll note this, but add that nothing here particularly bothers me,
except perhaps his "Sanders is far from a perfect candidate" aside.
Warren took a different path than most leftists did, but she's wound
up far more committed to our basic principles than is the norm for
Democrats, let alone for Americans overall. No president is going to
be able to do much more than Congress and the courts allow, so I'd
be happy with anyone who would lead in the right direction, and not
make many blunders along the way. Even some of the "moderates" might
qualify (although Obama's mix didn't amount to much). I'll also note
that while Warren isn't as grounded a leftist as Sanders, she may have
a political advantage as more rooted in America's progressive/liberal
tradition. Granted, that tradition's track record is profoundly flawed,
but it's still what many Americans aspire to. (Jill Lepore has tried
most recently to promote that viewpoint. Robinson probably hates her
too.) Philip Rucker:
Trump's photo op play: Facing impeachment, the president strives to look
hard at work. Advising Trump "to focus on governing and travel
frequently" is none other than former Clinton strategist Mark Penn. Darren Samuelsohn:
Justice's election-year conundrum: How to probe team Trump. Michael S Schmidt/Julian E Barnes/Maggie Haberman:
Trump knew of whistleblower complaint when he released aid to Ukraine.
Adam Serwer:
The war-crimes president: "When violence is directed at those Trump's
supporters hate and fear, they see such excesses not as crimes but as
virtues." Katie Shepherd:
An ad smeared a Kansas Democrat for sexual harassment. The main charge
actually described a Republican. By the way Brandon Whipple has
since won his election to become Mayor of Wichita. It's nominally a
non-partisan election, but Republicans worked hard to make it partisan.
David K Shipler:
The mythology of American virtue: "Impeachment supporters don't need
to act like we're a perfect country to make the case against Trump." Emily Stewart:
Matt Stieb:
House conspiracist Devin Nunes may be subject to ethics investigation
for reported Ukraine meddling. Charlie Sykes:
Devin Nunes' impeachment defense of Trump -- and possible Ukraine
collusion -- redefines partisan hackery. Sure, but didn't Nunes
set the previous standard during the Benghazi! hearings? Matt Taibbi:
Michael Bloomberg, presidential candidate, just killed the Bloomberg
News Agency.
For Mike Bloomberg to own a media network for as long as he has without
understanding or caring about this is astonishing. He's been a presidential
candidate for just a few days now, and he's already done tremendous damage
by telling voters he thinks it's OK to buy the free press. And this is the
guy who's going to rescue democracy?
Sabrina Tavernise/Aidan Gardiner:
'No one believes anything': Voters worn out by a fog of political
news. Simon Tisdall:
Benjamin Netanyahu's toxic legacy will haunt Israel long after he goes.
Erick Trickey:
San Francisco's quest to make landfills obsolete. Alex Ward:
Sondland's testimony shows Mike Pompeo was far more central on Ukraine
than we knew.
Matthew Yglesias:
Ask a question, or send a comment.
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