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[] | 2021-01-26T22:20:35 | null | 2021-01-26T00:00:00 |
Can Biden Unify a Divided Nation? | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F26%2Fcan_biden_unify_a_divided_nation_534453.html.json
|
en
| null |
Can Biden Unify a Divided Nation?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
How long his President Biden's honeymoon period lasts and whether he can unify a deeply divided nation is anyone's guess.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/26/can_biden_unify_a_divided_nation_534453.html
|
en
| 2021-01-26T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/21c34ab172f60b79ef29406d3f1a0a5157b1116ba1d7b16ff2e8abc051526865.json
|
[
"How long his President Biden's honeymoon period lasts and whether he can unify a deeply divided nation is anyone's guess.",
"Can Biden Unify a Divided Nation?",
"Can Biden Unify a Divided Nation? | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-05T20:29:38 | null | 2021-01-05T00:00:00 |
Chuck Todd Melts Down on Air When His Bias Is Challenged | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F05%2Fchuck_todd_melts_down_on_air_when_his_bias_is_challenged_532739.html.json
|
en
| null |
Chuck Todd Melts Down on Air When His Bias Is Challenged
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
A bully has more than met his match, and – like most bullies -- has disgraced himself when challenged. Chuck Todd is a bully in possession of a huge weapon, NBC News, of which he is political director, and his perch as host of its premier program, Meet the Press. But all it took was a challenge from normally mild-mannered Senator Ron Johnson to have Todd shaking in his chair, his voice cracking, and abruptly ending his interview on Meet the Press.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/05/chuck_todd_melts_down_on_air_when_his_bias_is_challenged_532739.html
|
en
| 2021-01-05T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/8b596ccb5d9f51372228ffc8dfafa4a1a447faa06aaeb073cc3a8c35820a9d59.json
|
[
"A bully has more than met his match, and – like most bullies -- has disgraced himself when challenged. Chuck Todd is a bully in possession of a huge weapon, NBC News, of which he is political director, and his perch as host of its premier program, Meet the Press. But all it took was a challenge from normally mild-mannered Senator Ron Johnson to have Todd shaking in his chair, his voice cracking, and abruptly ending his interview on Meet the Press.",
"Chuck Todd Melts Down on Air When His Bias Is Challenged",
"Chuck Todd Melts Down on Air When His Bias Is Challenged | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-14T12:44:44 | null | 2021-01-14T00:00:00 |
Woke Elementary: 3rd Graders Rank 'Power & Privilege' | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F14%2Fwoke_elementary_3rd_graders_rank_power_amp_privilege_533432.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Woke Elementary: 3rd Graders Rank 'Power & Privilege'
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
A Cupertino elementary school forces third-graders to deconstruct their racial identities, then rank themselves according to their power and privilege.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/14/woke_elementary_3rd_graders_rank_power_amp_privilege_533432.html
|
en
| 2021-01-14T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/e5fcf05f4c3828b0b183d17d0d326dff6864256598bb1348ae86f5faa5b538fd.json
|
[
"A Cupertino elementary school forces third-graders to deconstruct their racial identities, then rank themselves according to their power and privilege.",
"Woke Elementary: 3rd Graders Rank 'Power & Privilege'",
"Woke Elementary: 3rd Graders Rank 'Power & Privilege' | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-08T13:32:56 | null | 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
Facebook’s Banning of Trump Sets a Terrifying Precedent | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F08%2Ffacebookrsquos_banning_of_trump_sets_a_terrifying_precedent_532977.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Facebook’s Banning of Trump Sets a Terrifying Precedent
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/08/facebookrsquos_banning_of_trump_sets_a_terrifying_precedent_532977.html
|
en
| 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/5a867722fd3e082b706950bdd7d25907e3783c5b9a09a057615cef110a989c39.json
|
[
"Facebook’s Banning of Trump Sets a Terrifying Precedent",
"Facebook’s Banning of Trump Sets a Terrifying Precedent | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-10T16:49:51 | null | 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
Donald Trump: The Inciter-in-Chief | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F09%2Fdonald_trump_the_inciter-in-chief_533091.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Donald Trump: The Inciter-in-Chief
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/09/donald_trump_the_inciter-in-chief_533091.html
|
en
| 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/65b756312cf7f3799f1aca4034ed13c008978c58a27a4505d26fc6cb7adcc062.json
|
[
"Donald Trump: The Inciter-in-Chief",
"Donald Trump: The Inciter-in-Chief | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-13T00:09:46 | null | 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
Adam Schiff Has Finally Been Vindicated | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F12%2Fadam_schiff_has_finally_been_vindicated_533278.html.json
|
en
| null |
Adam Schiff Has Finally Been Vindicated
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
'There were so many points along the way where this could have been prevented had people of courage and conviction stood up and spoken out,' Schiff said.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/12/adam_schiff_has_finally_been_vindicated_533278.html
|
en
| 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/fb882a8443069ea1198aff29aa7f7dfbbd945d8853fdfab099b4aae8066eb964.json
|
[
"'There were so many points along the way where this could have been prevented had people of courage and conviction stood up and spoken out,' Schiff said.",
"Adam Schiff Has Finally Been Vindicated",
"Adam Schiff Has Finally Been Vindicated | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-11T23:28:38 | null | 2021-01-11T00:00:00 |
Tech Censorship Is the Real Gift to Putin | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F11%2Ftech_censorship_is_the_real_gift_to_putin_533228.html.json
|
en
| null |
Tech Censorship Is the Real Gift to Putin
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Tech Censorship Is the Real Gift to Putin
Authoritarian leaders will use Twitter’s ban on Trump to justify their own deplatforming of political opponents for inciting “terrorism.”
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/11/tech_censorship_is_the_real_gift_to_putin_533228.html
|
en
| 2021-01-11T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/1b5976687e9d1d89fc65d179e1a51883e3cce60f6c360d2933d41f1ad287d199.json
|
[
"Tech Censorship Is the Real Gift to Putin\nAuthoritarian leaders will use Twitter’s ban on Trump to justify their own deplatforming of political opponents for inciting “terrorism.”",
"Tech Censorship Is the Real Gift to Putin",
"Tech Censorship Is the Real Gift to Putin | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-22T14:10:08 | null | 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
Democrats, Here's How to Lose in 2022. And Deserve It | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F22%2Fdemocrats_heres_how_to_lose_in_2022_and_deserve_it_534110.html.json
|
en
| null |
Democrats, Here's How to Lose in 2022. And Deserve It
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/22/democrats_heres_how_to_lose_in_2022_and_deserve_it_534110.html
|
en
| 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/a32133fc35e8ad35a1b75f4a77532ed9fcd105d3ad8ff66d38fd53d5227531b2.json
|
[
"Democrats, Here's How to Lose in 2022. And Deserve It",
"Democrats, Here's How to Lose in 2022. And Deserve It | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-22T14:10:49 | null | 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
Trump Senate Trial Offers Republican Party an Escape | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F22%2Ftrump_senate_trial_offers_republican_party_an_escape_534106.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Trump Senate Trial Offers Republican Party an Escape
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Our View: Barring Donald Trump from holding public office again would save Republican values — and the service of having healthy, competing parties.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/22/trump_senate_trial_offers_republican_party_an_escape_534106.html
|
en
| 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/4d1e856db15b65705d0d0195d2c82cd3e7aeadba89b77e3372a21cabff08e76b.json
|
[
"Our View: Barring Donald Trump from holding public office again would save Republican values — and the service of having healthy, competing parties.",
"Trump Senate Trial Offers Republican Party an Escape",
"Trump Senate Trial Offers Republican Party an Escape | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-30T18:00:47 | null | 2021-01-30T00:00:00 |
Gone But Not Forgotten: Trump's Long Shadow | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F30%2Fgone_but_not_forgotten_trumps_long_shadow_534712.html.json
|
en
| null |
Gone But Not Forgotten: Trump's Long Shadow
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Even with Trump's defeat, the rest of the world cannot ignore the country's deep and disfiguring scars. They will not soon heal.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/30/gone_but_not_forgotten_trumps_long_shadow_534712.html
|
en
| 2021-01-30T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/f4390774dd061f0a91141c557f70c7ba51d9ac9aa04ced4a3434e9c65657af9c.json
|
[
"Even with Trump's defeat, the rest of the world cannot ignore the country's deep and disfiguring scars. They will not soon heal.",
"Gone But Not Forgotten: Trump's Long Shadow",
"Gone But Not Forgotten: Trump's Long Shadow | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-18T05:30:18 | null | 2021-01-17T00:00:00 |
How Big Tech Took Over | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F17%2Fhow_big_tech_took_over_533617.html.json
|
en
| null |
How Big Tech Took Over
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
How Big Tech Took Over
The establishment outsourced censorship to the private sector – and created a tyranny.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/17/how_big_tech_took_over_533617.html
|
en
| 2021-01-17T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/7c13bb81de928392329e4146feb1b1ab21fa762822739458a6029773d6588994.json
|
[
"How Big Tech Took Over\nThe establishment outsourced censorship to the private sector – and created a tyranny.",
"How Big Tech Took Over",
"How Big Tech Took Over | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-23T21:47:44 | null | 2021-01-23T00:00:00 |
State Budgets and the Wages of Sin | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F23%2Fstate_budgets_and_the_wages_of_sin_534223.html.json
|
en
| null |
State Budgets and the Wages of Sin
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The history of public finance is largely the history of currency debasement for those civic authorities that possess the ability to print their own money and the debasement of values and culture when those authorities cannot. If the past has taught us anything, it is that people can get extremely creative, for better or worse, when the cupboards run bare. For politicians in democracies, there are economic and political limits to simply raising taxes.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/23/state_budgets_and_the_wages_of_sin_534223.html
|
en
| 2021-01-23T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/d8af547e6d2ecbb32b4c6b17378b3266b616354c9e248b0093084e3d317cc0fd.json
|
[
"The history of public finance is largely the history of currency debasement for those civic authorities that possess the ability to print their own money and the debasement of values and culture when those authorities cannot. If the past has taught us anything, it is that people can get extremely creative, for better or worse, when the cupboards run bare. For politicians in democracies, there are economic and political limits to simply raising taxes.",
"State Budgets and the Wages of Sin",
"State Budgets and the Wages of Sin | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-11T15:16:29 | null | 2021-01-11T00:00:00 |
No, Trump Isn't Guilty of Incitement | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F11%2Fno_trump_isnt_guilty_of_incitement_533168.html.json
|
en
| null |
No, Trump Isn't Guilty of Incitement
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
No, Trump Isn't Guilty of Incitement
Inflaming emotions isn't a crime. The president didn't mention violence, much less provoke it.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/11/no_trump_isnt_guilty_of_incitement_533168.html
|
en
| 2021-01-11T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/0149878ffb67ee7c058b1aecaa4e74ff2b097a1c1c0a50b318edd808be9d3068.json
|
[
"No, Trump Isn't Guilty of Incitement\nInflaming emotions isn't a crime. The president didn't mention violence, much less provoke it.",
"No, Trump Isn't Guilty of Incitement",
"No, Trump Isn't Guilty of Incitement | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-12T18:44:43 | null | 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
Last week Silicon Valley silenced the president. In unison, the social media giants, with an assist from Amazon and Apple, also eliminated their most popular...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F12%2Fthe_great_social_silencing_145014.html.json
|
en
| null |
The Great Social Silencing
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Last week Silicon Valley silenced the president. In unison, the social media giants, with an assist from Amazon and Apple, also eliminated their most popular conservative competitor and announced that their own moderation policies would now extend to other companies. Meanwhile, CNN openly called for Fox News to be banned from cable, while a major talk radio network issued new speech rules to its hosts, extending tech’s moderation policies to the offline world. Beyond all this, Congress and the European Union called for powerful new regulation of online speech.
As a handful of unelected billionaires declare sovereignty over digital speech, where might the coming months take us?
Twitter once touted itself as “the free speech wing of the free speech party” and rebuked Congress’ calls for it to ban terrorists, proclaiming that “the ability of users to share freely their views — including views that many people may disagree with or find abhorrent” — was its mission. Indeed, most of the early social platforms emphasized unfettered speech above all other considerations. Over the years, this utopian dream has given way to an emphasis on “healthy conversation” and ever-changing enforcement.
Yet for most of their existence, social media platforms have largely avoided censoring elected officials in the U.S. even as they have deleted the accounts of foreign leaders. That all changed last year as Silicon Valley for the first time began labeling President Trump’s tweets as “disputed” and “false.” As progressive segments of the public embraced this new censorship, platforms moved from merely fact-checking posts to deleting them entirely and threatening to ban some lawmakers.
The courts have repeatedly ruled that Trump’s Twitter account is an official government outlet and thus he is prohibited from blocking users with whom he disagrees. How then is a private company able to establish “acceptable speech” rules for a government publication or silence it entirely?
Perhaps more troubling is that speech rules no longer just govern social spaces. Uber, Lyft and Airbnb have all banned their services from being used by those whose online and offline political speech was deemed unacceptable. Facebook last year extended its reach to the offline world, banning certain kinds calls for protest while permitting others.
It was a remarkable sight to behold Democratic lawmakers and the press lamenting that Congress does not have the power to silence voices with which it disagrees and instead urging Silicon Valley to exercise the power only it holds: the ability to silence any voice from the digital world. And this plea came from the very lawmakers who had once condemned social platforms as dangerous monopolies.
Moreover, the companies’ announcements that they were permanently suspending the president referenced not potential illegal activity banned by law but rather the companies’ decision that permitting him to continue communicating with the nation posed too great a risk to democracy.
The companies themselves had little choice but to remove Trump or face even greater wrath from the new Democratic majority in Congress. Even the ACLU, in its condemnation of Twitter’s suspension of Trump, acknowledged the “political realities” of the incoming administration. Activist groups rushed to claim credit for silencing Trump, touting the high-level discussions they had had with Twitter leadership.
While there has been widespread support for Silicon Valley’s actions, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of the dangers in silencing a democratically elected head of state. Moreover, while Democrats are narrowly focused on the present, in a world in which lawmakers and activist groups can wield the monopoly power of social media to mute dissenting voices, what is to stop a future Republican Congress from using those very same powers to silence Democrats? Such is the slippery slope we find ourselves on.
And what about alternatives to Silicon Valley’s platforms? Social media companies have long argued that they are not monopolies because it is possible for competitors to challenge them.
Twitter clone Parler had emerged as just such a competitor, reaching number one on Apple’s App Store this week as conservatives flocked to its minimally moderated platform. Yet within days Apple and Google had banned the sale of it from their respective app stores and banishing it from mobile devices. Parler’s cloud hosting provider, Amazon Web Services, evicted it, taking the site offline until a conservative cloud provider agreed to host it. Yet even if it can rebuild in some fashion, without a smartphone app and blacklisted by most service providers, Parler will be merely a shadow of its former self.
In taking these steps, Silicon Valley cited Parler’s lack of strong content moderation as grounds for elimination. In their letters to Parler, the companies demanded that it adopt acceptable speech policies identical to their own.
Even offline media are not immune. Television channels must contract with cable carriers to transmit them into homes, syndicated radio shows must be hosted by stations, and even independent newspapers must have websites and mobile apps. With local news outlets diminishing, it is important to note that no matter how editorially independent some may be, all are still dependent on cloud providers, app stores, Internet service providers, etc. In the aftermath of Wednesday’s events at the Capitol, CNN openly called for cable carriers to drop Fox News, while Cumulus Media issued new acceptable speech rules to its conservative talk radio hosts.
Where does this leave us?
The nation’s founders chose not to give Congress the power to silence even a madman in the Oval Office, other than to remove him through impeachment. This week taught us that a handful of billionaires in California essentially have that power. Trump’s near-total disappearance from the digital world since his ban serves as a stark reminder of this.
The near-unanimous support from the new Democratic majority for this ban means Silicon Valley is now emboldened to eliminate any voice, no matter how powerful. It creates a dangerous normalization of the silencing of dissent.
The willingness of Uber, Lyft and Airbnb to ban some users for political speech shows that as technology companies’ tentacles reach into other industries, a new era of permanent societal exclusion, much like China’s “social credit” program, is emerging.
To some, the newfound emphasis on combating “misinformation,” with private companies as curators of permissible speech and definers of “truth,” might seem like a positive development. After all, threats of violence, racism, sexism, doxing, sedition, harmful medical advice and the like are damaging to society. Yet billionaires that can silence presidents, a Congress that can silence dissent and private companies deciding what is “best” for the nation and what constitutes “truth” pose an existential threat to democracy. In the end, the very future of our shared society hinges on the ability of Silicon Valley to balance thoughtful moderation with freedom of speech. Perhaps the answer is for the tech companies to become democracies themselves and let society decide what is best.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/12/the_great_social_silencing_145014.html
|
en
| 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/5f9b7499763ef2c549e00b637e294e3e7c4650f42f61b023d75bc80c902606b6.json
|
[
"Last week Silicon Valley silenced the president. In unison, the social media giants, with an assist from Amazon and Apple, also eliminated their most popular conservative competitor and announced that their own moderation policies would now extend to other companies. Meanwhile, CNN openly called for Fox News to be banned from cable, while a major talk radio network issued new speech rules to its hosts, extending tech’s moderation policies to the offline world. Beyond all this, Congress and the European Union called for powerful new regulation of online speech.\nAs a handful of unelected billionaires declare sovereignty over digital speech, where might the coming months take us?\nTwitter once touted itself as “the free speech wing of the free speech party” and rebuked Congress’ calls for it to ban terrorists, proclaiming that “the ability of users to share freely their views — including views that many people may disagree with or find abhorrent” — was its mission. Indeed, most of the early social platforms emphasized unfettered speech above all other considerations. Over the years, this utopian dream has given way to an emphasis on “healthy conversation” and ever-changing enforcement.\nYet for most of their existence, social media platforms have largely avoided censoring elected officials in the U.S. even as they have deleted the accounts of foreign leaders. That all changed last year as Silicon Valley for the first time began labeling President Trump’s tweets as “disputed” and “false.” As progressive segments of the public embraced this new censorship, platforms moved from merely fact-checking posts to deleting them entirely and threatening to ban some lawmakers.\nThe courts have repeatedly ruled that Trump’s Twitter account is an official government outlet and thus he is prohibited from blocking users with whom he disagrees. How then is a private company able to establish “acceptable speech” rules for a government publication or silence it entirely?\nPerhaps more troubling is that speech rules no longer just govern social spaces. Uber, Lyft and Airbnb have all banned their services from being used by those whose online and offline political speech was deemed unacceptable. Facebook last year extended its reach to the offline world, banning certain kinds calls for protest while permitting others.\nIt was a remarkable sight to behold Democratic lawmakers and the press lamenting that Congress does not have the power to silence voices with which it disagrees and instead urging Silicon Valley to exercise the power only it holds: the ability to silence any voice from the digital world. And this plea came from the very lawmakers who had once condemned social platforms as dangerous monopolies.\nMoreover, the companies’ announcements that they were permanently suspending the president referenced not potential illegal activity banned by law but rather the companies’ decision that permitting him to continue communicating with the nation posed too great a risk to democracy.\nThe companies themselves had little choice but to remove Trump or face even greater wrath from the new Democratic majority in Congress. Even the ACLU, in its condemnation of Twitter’s suspension of Trump, acknowledged the “political realities” of the incoming administration. Activist groups rushed to claim credit for silencing Trump, touting the high-level discussions they had had with Twitter leadership.\nWhile there has been widespread support for Silicon Valley’s actions, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of the dangers in silencing a democratically elected head of state. Moreover, while Democrats are narrowly focused on the present, in a world in which lawmakers and activist groups can wield the monopoly power of social media to mute dissenting voices, what is to stop a future Republican Congress from using those very same powers to silence Democrats? Such is the slippery slope we find ourselves on.\nAnd what about alternatives to Silicon Valley’s platforms? Social media companies have long argued that they are not monopolies because it is possible for competitors to challenge them.\nTwitter clone Parler had emerged as just such a competitor, reaching number one on Apple’s App Store this week as conservatives flocked to its minimally moderated platform. Yet within days Apple and Google had banned the sale of it from their respective app stores and banishing it from mobile devices. Parler’s cloud hosting provider, Amazon Web Services, evicted it, taking the site offline until a conservative cloud provider agreed to host it. Yet even if it can rebuild in some fashion, without a smartphone app and blacklisted by most service providers, Parler will be merely a shadow of its former self.\nIn taking these steps, Silicon Valley cited Parler’s lack of strong content moderation as grounds for elimination. In their letters to Parler, the companies demanded that it adopt acceptable speech policies identical to their own.\nEven offline media are not immune. Television channels must contract with cable carriers to transmit them into homes, syndicated radio shows must be hosted by stations, and even independent newspapers must have websites and mobile apps. With local news outlets diminishing, it is important to note that no matter how editorially independent some may be, all are still dependent on cloud providers, app stores, Internet service providers, etc. In the aftermath of Wednesday’s events at the Capitol, CNN openly called for cable carriers to drop Fox News, while Cumulus Media issued new acceptable speech rules to its conservative talk radio hosts.\nWhere does this leave us?\nThe nation’s founders chose not to give Congress the power to silence even a madman in the Oval Office, other than to remove him through impeachment. This week taught us that a handful of billionaires in California essentially have that power. Trump’s near-total disappearance from the digital world since his ban serves as a stark reminder of this.\nThe near-unanimous support from the new Democratic majority for this ban means Silicon Valley is now emboldened to eliminate any voice, no matter how powerful. It creates a dangerous normalization of the silencing of dissent.\nThe willingness of Uber, Lyft and Airbnb to ban some users for political speech shows that as technology companies’ tentacles reach into other industries, a new era of permanent societal exclusion, much like China’s “social credit” program, is emerging.\nTo some, the newfound emphasis on combating “misinformation,” with private companies as curators of permissible speech and definers of “truth,” might seem like a positive development. After all, threats of violence, racism, sexism, doxing, sedition, harmful medical advice and the like are damaging to society. Yet billionaires that can silence presidents, a Congress that can silence dissent and private companies deciding what is “best” for the nation and what constitutes “truth” pose an existential threat to democracy. In the end, the very future of our shared society hinges on the ability of Silicon Valley to balance thoughtful moderation with freedom of speech. Perhaps the answer is for the tech companies to become democracies themselves and let society decide what is best.",
"The Great Social Silencing",
"Last week Silicon Valley silenced the president. In unison, the social media giants, with an assist from Amazon and Apple, also eliminated their most popular..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-05T09:25:38 | null | 2021-01-04T00:00:00 |
Trump's Authoritarian Moment Is Here | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F04%2Ftrumps_authoritarian_moment_is_here_532651.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Trump's Authoritarian Moment Is Here
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Far too many Republicans are complicit in the President's continuing efforts to overthrow the election results.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/04/trumps_authoritarian_moment_is_here_532651.html
|
en
| 2021-01-04T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/d32d28cf7e5e59f254ae9049efeb3ed14159d255e38178292ecc11206e76a5b4.json
|
[
"Far too many Republicans are complicit in the President's continuing efforts to overthrow the election results.",
"Trump's Authoritarian Moment Is Here",
"Trump's Authoritarian Moment Is Here | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-22T14:11:14 | null | 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the crisis Democrats were waiting for, and they are not going to waste it. Those few hours of lawless mayhem became...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F22%2Fdems_spell_unity_c-a-n-c-e-l_145093.html.json
|
en
| null |
Dems Spell 'Unity' C-A-N-C-E-L
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the crisis Democrats were waiting for, and they are not going to waste it. Those few hours of lawless mayhem became unimpeachable proof that the muddy smears they’d thrown against Donald Trump supporters were all true.
Through the funhouse mirror of hyper-partisanship, that angry mob of thousands became all 74 million Americans who voted for Trump in November. The crowd’s explicit anger over the 2020 election was cast as an implicit push for white supremacy.
Never mind that almost all prominent Republicans and conservatives recoiled from the violence and immediately condemned it, or that one of the main organizers of the rally was a black Arab American. There’s enough scattershot evidence for Democrats and their allies to add “demonstrated violence” to their list of conservative crimes and justify a radical program of repression. While Joe Biden issues calls for unity, many of his allies are waging a scorched earth campaign to silence all who oppose them.
Since the violent attacks, left-leaning tech companies have been given a free hand to quash dissent. On Jan. 8 Twitter permanently suspended President Trump’s account and later purged more than 70,000 accounts it said were affiliated QAnon, whose members subscribe to various conspiracy theories and question the integrity of the government.
That same day it was reported that Facebook removed the #Walkaway Campaign, which featured testimonials from Democrats who had left the party because of its hard-left turn. Facebook deemed this “hateful, threatening, or obscene.” On Jan. 10, Amazon pulled the plug on the libertarian social media platform Parler because a handful of its estimated 2.3 million active users were connected to the violence.
Government is also policing thought. On Jan. 18, the New York Times reported that the Pentagon “is intensifying efforts to identify and combat white supremacy and other far-right extremism in its ranks.” Network news reported that several unnamed National Guardsmen were pulled from the ranks of those protecting the Capitol after the FBI said it discovered fringe political views in their social media footprint or digital communications with friends.
That same day, Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee (pictured) questioned the loyalty of the National Guard because it is “90 some-odd percent male, and only about 20% of white males voted for Biden; you've got to figure the Guard is more conservative. ... There are probably not more than 25% of the people that are there protecting us that voted for Biden. The other 75% are in the class who might want to do something."
Cohen’s rant is not only alarming; it’s inaccurate in its own terms. White men under age 30 (the average age of an enlisted man in the National Guard is 29.5) broke for Trump, but only narrowly – 51% to 46%, according to exit polls.
Now the Biden administration is promising to make “domestic terrorism” a priority for the National Security Council. You don’t need a dog whistle decoder to know this means they will be targeting conservative groups. Anyone who says the innocent have nothing to worry about should bone up on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
It is tempting to compare this to the McCarthy-era probes that challenged people’s patriotism and worked to weed out communists, homosexuals and other alleged subversives and deviants. But that ugly movement was weak tea by comparison, as it targeted a relatively small percentage of Americans. Today, in the broadest sense, one half of the nation is working to demonize and silence the other half.
This effort didn’t begin after Jan. 6. The illiberalism that has infected many American schools, the cancel culture that has propagated across social media and the left-wing demand that everything – what you eat, wear, watch and care about – be seen through the lens of politics, was metastasizing long before. But the attack on the Capitol is the made-for-television moment being used to smother dissent in the name of patriotism.
Everyone who thought Biden’s victory would lower the temperature was sold a bill of goods. Instead of normalcy we’re getting a purge.
This is inevitable because of the leftist ideology Democrats and their allies have embraced. It sees everyone -- except, of course, their enlightened selves -- as unthinking empty vessels. They believe their mission is to fill these pathetic puppets (i.e., you and me) with their virtuous brew of truth. They honestly think they are doing us a favor and expect we’ll thank them once we see things their way.
This is the faith of the victim culture, whose sinners are those who have been corrupted by the dark forces of conservatism and whose saints are those who walk the path of liberal enlightenment. This is why media figures such as Katie Couric describe Trump supporters as cult members and columnist Eugene Robinson wonders how they can be deprogrammed.
“Never Trump” Republicans are echoing these sentiments. In his Jan. 14 New York Times column, David Brooks asserted that there is now a split on the right “between those who have become detached from reality and those who, however right wing, are still in the real world. Hence, it’s not an argument. You can’t argue with people who have their own separate made-up set of facts.”
George W. Bush strategist Mark McKinnon argued the same point on MSNBC this week: “You can't just confront them [Trump supporters] with the facts because they don't believe it. They live in an alternate universe where they have been told other reality, quote ‘realities,’ that they think are realities.”
To be sure, some Trump supporters fit this mold. The former president often did himself. But whether they mean to or not, these voices – in the media, no less – provide the rationale for abandoning the First Amendment in the name of censorship. It’s why the left is cheering Big Tech’s embrace of cancel culture and pushing cable providers to stop airing One America News Network, Newsmax and other “conservative influencers.”
It’s why the so-called Trump Accountability Project, which seeks to prevent administrations officials from gainful employment, is not widely denounced for the thuggery that it is and why 250 publishing professionals feel comfortable circulating a “No Book Deals for Traitors” petition that says former Trump officials shouldn’t be allowed to publish their works. It’s also why Harvard students think it’s reasonable to circulate a letter demanding the revocation of degrees earned by Republicans who questioned the 2020 election, and why MoveOn.org demands that the Senate not give Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley any committee assignments.
Note that antifa – the anarchist hate group spurred on by Democrats -- has been stirring up trouble in Portland, Ore., this week, even shouting epithets against Joe Biden. Eventually the revolution eats its own. It is hard to know how any of this ends. History shows that such campaigns have no goal but total victory. For their perpetrators, there is no accommodation with an enemy they define as dangerous and irrational; there is only submission.
I keep hoping that reasonable liberals will rise up and speak out against these illiberal forces.
Finally, a plea: President Biden, please work to rebuild the decent, fair United States you celebrate in your rhetoric. It is under siege by those around you.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/22/dems_spell_unity_c-a-n-c-e-l_145093.html
|
en
| 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/c337305dfbc3de97c61921094943d1fb361cdba6057c5843d9cf17859c2f8684.json
|
[
"The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the crisis Democrats were waiting for, and they are not going to waste it. Those few hours of lawless mayhem became unimpeachable proof that the muddy smears they’d thrown against Donald Trump supporters were all true.\nThrough the funhouse mirror of hyper-partisanship, that angry mob of thousands became all 74 million Americans who voted for Trump in November. The crowd’s explicit anger over the 2020 election was cast as an implicit push for white supremacy.\nNever mind that almost all prominent Republicans and conservatives recoiled from the violence and immediately condemned it, or that one of the main organizers of the rally was a black Arab American. There’s enough scattershot evidence for Democrats and their allies to add “demonstrated violence” to their list of conservative crimes and justify a radical program of repression. While Joe Biden issues calls for unity, many of his allies are waging a scorched earth campaign to silence all who oppose them.\nSince the violent attacks, left-leaning tech companies have been given a free hand to quash dissent. On Jan. 8 Twitter permanently suspended President Trump’s account and later purged more than 70,000 accounts it said were affiliated QAnon, whose members subscribe to various conspiracy theories and question the integrity of the government.\nThat same day it was reported that Facebook removed the #Walkaway Campaign, which featured testimonials from Democrats who had left the party because of its hard-left turn. Facebook deemed this “hateful, threatening, or obscene.” On Jan. 10, Amazon pulled the plug on the libertarian social media platform Parler because a handful of its estimated 2.3 million active users were connected to the violence.\nGovernment is also policing thought. On Jan. 18, the New York Times reported that the Pentagon “is intensifying efforts to identify and combat white supremacy and other far-right extremism in its ranks.” Network news reported that several unnamed National Guardsmen were pulled from the ranks of those protecting the Capitol after the FBI said it discovered fringe political views in their social media footprint or digital communications with friends.\nThat same day, Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee (pictured) questioned the loyalty of the National Guard because it is “90 some-odd percent male, and only about 20% of white males voted for Biden; you've got to figure the Guard is more conservative. ... There are probably not more than 25% of the people that are there protecting us that voted for Biden. The other 75% are in the class who might want to do something.\"\nCohen’s rant is not only alarming; it’s inaccurate in its own terms. White men under age 30 (the average age of an enlisted man in the National Guard is 29.5) broke for Trump, but only narrowly – 51% to 46%, according to exit polls.\nNow the Biden administration is promising to make “domestic terrorism” a priority for the National Security Council. You don’t need a dog whistle decoder to know this means they will be targeting conservative groups. Anyone who says the innocent have nothing to worry about should bone up on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.\nIt is tempting to compare this to the McCarthy-era probes that challenged people’s patriotism and worked to weed out communists, homosexuals and other alleged subversives and deviants. But that ugly movement was weak tea by comparison, as it targeted a relatively small percentage of Americans. Today, in the broadest sense, one half of the nation is working to demonize and silence the other half.\nThis effort didn’t begin after Jan. 6. The illiberalism that has infected many American schools, the cancel culture that has propagated across social media and the left-wing demand that everything – what you eat, wear, watch and care about – be seen through the lens of politics, was metastasizing long before. But the attack on the Capitol is the made-for-television moment being used to smother dissent in the name of patriotism.\nEveryone who thought Biden’s victory would lower the temperature was sold a bill of goods. Instead of normalcy we’re getting a purge.\nThis is inevitable because of the leftist ideology Democrats and their allies have embraced. It sees everyone -- except, of course, their enlightened selves -- as unthinking empty vessels. They believe their mission is to fill these pathetic puppets (i.e., you and me) with their virtuous brew of truth. They honestly think they are doing us a favor and expect we’ll thank them once we see things their way.\nThis is the faith of the victim culture, whose sinners are those who have been corrupted by the dark forces of conservatism and whose saints are those who walk the path of liberal enlightenment. This is why media figures such as Katie Couric describe Trump supporters as cult members and columnist Eugene Robinson wonders how they can be deprogrammed.\n“Never Trump” Republicans are echoing these sentiments. In his Jan. 14 New York Times column, David Brooks asserted that there is now a split on the right “between those who have become detached from reality and those who, however right wing, are still in the real world. Hence, it’s not an argument. You can’t argue with people who have their own separate made-up set of facts.”\nGeorge W. Bush strategist Mark McKinnon argued the same point on MSNBC this week: “You can't just confront them [Trump supporters] with the facts because they don't believe it. They live in an alternate universe where they have been told other reality, quote ‘realities,’ that they think are realities.”\nTo be sure, some Trump supporters fit this mold. The former president often did himself. But whether they mean to or not, these voices – in the media, no less – provide the rationale for abandoning the First Amendment in the name of censorship. It’s why the left is cheering Big Tech’s embrace of cancel culture and pushing cable providers to stop airing One America News Network, Newsmax and other “conservative influencers.”\nIt’s why the so-called Trump Accountability Project, which seeks to prevent administrations officials from gainful employment, is not widely denounced for the thuggery that it is and why 250 publishing professionals feel comfortable circulating a “No Book Deals for Traitors” petition that says former Trump officials shouldn’t be allowed to publish their works. It’s also why Harvard students think it’s reasonable to circulate a letter demanding the revocation of degrees earned by Republicans who questioned the 2020 election, and why MoveOn.org demands that the Senate not give Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley any committee assignments.\nNote that antifa – the anarchist hate group spurred on by Democrats -- has been stirring up trouble in Portland, Ore., this week, even shouting epithets against Joe Biden. Eventually the revolution eats its own. It is hard to know how any of this ends. History shows that such campaigns have no goal but total victory. For their perpetrators, there is no accommodation with an enemy they define as dangerous and irrational; there is only submission.\nI keep hoping that reasonable liberals will rise up and speak out against these illiberal forces.\nFinally, a plea: President Biden, please work to rebuild the decent, fair United States you celebrate in your rhetoric. It is under siege by those around you.",
"Dems Spell 'Unity' C-A-N-C-E-L",
"The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the crisis Democrats were waiting for, and they are not going to waste it. Those few hours of lawless mayhem became..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-27T11:34:25 | null | 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
Conservatives have generally praised those rare leaders who put principle over political self-interest. Their decisions typically earn them few friends at the...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F27%2Frepublican_attacks_on_liz_cheney_will_backfire_145126.html.json
|
en
| null |
Republican Attacks on Liz Cheney Will Backfire
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Conservatives have generally praised those rare leaders who put principle over political self-interest. Their decisions typically earn them few friends at the time, but history has a way of vindicating their courage. Edmund Burke’s warnings about the French Revolution flouted the spirit of the age but proved prophetic when the Reign of Terror descended across France. Winston Churchill’s resolve to carry on the struggle over the opposition of the majority of his party saved the Allied war effort and rallied the West against Hitler.
Next to these examples, Rep. Liz Cheney’s vote to impeach a president of her own party appears rather more prosaic. But the reaction from her fellow Republicans is still instructive: Over 100 GOP members of Congress want her removed from her position in leadership. A Wyoming state senator has already announced his intention to challenge her in a primary. And her putative ally, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, says “she has a lot of questions she has to answer to the conference.”
This is the antithesis of leadership, and the Republican Party and conservative movement will pay dearly if they continue down this path.
Any honest evaluation of Rep. Cheney’s record shows she is a true conservative in every sense of the term. On taxes and spending, on defense and security, on cancel culture and social issues — on essentially any issue a Republican voter might care about, she has always been a forceful defender of freedom and a fearless proponent of conservative views.
She’s also brave and tough, and has proven herself to be one of the party’s most effective messengers against Nancy Pelosi. From the speaker’s handling of the COVID-19 stimulus legislation to her views on China, Rep. Cheney has never shied away from confronting the Democratic leader and challenging her party’s positions.
Given all this, the idea that some Republicans with a fraction of her record want Rep. Cheney punished for a single vote of conscience is almost laughable — and certainly counterproductive since this conflict will hurt the conservative cause and, consequently, the American people.
The longer the Republican Party stays divided, the greater the chance the progressives in Congress can expand upon their gains and enact their agenda. Even in the minority, a united conservative opposition could steer policy in a more productive direction, increasing economic freedom and strengthening American security in the process. But a divided GOP more interested in purging one another from its ranks than legislating on behalf of the country will cede any influence they might have to the most strident members of the Democratic caucus.
This will not only make Americans worse off in the short term, it will also cripple any chance conservatives have of regaining power over the next four years. While President Trump won more votes than any previous Republican candidate, he was also the first president to lose the White House and both houses of Congress in a single term since Herbert Hoover. Republicans hoping to win elections going forward will need Trump voters’ support, but they will also need to win back the voters Trump alienated with his actions, rhetoric, and some of his policies. Anyone who thinks excommunicating principled leaders like Rep. Cheney will help in that effort is delusional.
The GOP’s recent defeats in Georgia and Arizona prove this point. In 2016, Donald Trump carried the Peach State by five percentage points and the Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson won his race by nearly three times that margin. This election cycle, with President Trump and his most loyal supporters at war with their own party’s elected officials, both GOP senators lost. Meanwhile, in Arizona, despite the GOP sweeping the state in 2016, the voters have since elected two Democratic senators and supported a Democrat for president for the first time since 1996.
The message for Republicans should be clear: Trump alone is not enough. If conservatives want to build a governing coalition that can win elections, the self-destructive attacks on Rep. Cheney need to stop.
If they continue, the same people responsible for the Republicans losing the Senate this time around will ensure further progressive victories in the years ahead — and bear responsibility for the policies that will inevitably result.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/27/republican_attacks_on_liz_cheney_will_backfire_145126.html
|
en
| 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/01f318b9d7364848ee059e12a7b6e26f464d517b8c91cce3f9ce433ec33bd760.json
|
[
"Conservatives have generally praised those rare leaders who put principle over political self-interest. Their decisions typically earn them few friends at the time, but history has a way of vindicating their courage. Edmund Burke’s warnings about the French Revolution flouted the spirit of the age but proved prophetic when the Reign of Terror descended across France. Winston Churchill’s resolve to carry on the struggle over the opposition of the majority of his party saved the Allied war effort and rallied the West against Hitler.\nNext to these examples, Rep. Liz Cheney’s vote to impeach a president of her own party appears rather more prosaic. But the reaction from her fellow Republicans is still instructive: Over 100 GOP members of Congress want her removed from her position in leadership. A Wyoming state senator has already announced his intention to challenge her in a primary. And her putative ally, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, says “she has a lot of questions she has to answer to the conference.”\nThis is the antithesis of leadership, and the Republican Party and conservative movement will pay dearly if they continue down this path.\nAny honest evaluation of Rep. Cheney’s record shows she is a true conservative in every sense of the term. On taxes and spending, on defense and security, on cancel culture and social issues — on essentially any issue a Republican voter might care about, she has always been a forceful defender of freedom and a fearless proponent of conservative views.\nShe’s also brave and tough, and has proven herself to be one of the party’s most effective messengers against Nancy Pelosi. From the speaker’s handling of the COVID-19 stimulus legislation to her views on China, Rep. Cheney has never shied away from confronting the Democratic leader and challenging her party’s positions.\nGiven all this, the idea that some Republicans with a fraction of her record want Rep. Cheney punished for a single vote of conscience is almost laughable — and certainly counterproductive since this conflict will hurt the conservative cause and, consequently, the American people.\nThe longer the Republican Party stays divided, the greater the chance the progressives in Congress can expand upon their gains and enact their agenda. Even in the minority, a united conservative opposition could steer policy in a more productive direction, increasing economic freedom and strengthening American security in the process. But a divided GOP more interested in purging one another from its ranks than legislating on behalf of the country will cede any influence they might have to the most strident members of the Democratic caucus.\nThis will not only make Americans worse off in the short term, it will also cripple any chance conservatives have of regaining power over the next four years. While President Trump won more votes than any previous Republican candidate, he was also the first president to lose the White House and both houses of Congress in a single term since Herbert Hoover. Republicans hoping to win elections going forward will need Trump voters’ support, but they will also need to win back the voters Trump alienated with his actions, rhetoric, and some of his policies. Anyone who thinks excommunicating principled leaders like Rep. Cheney will help in that effort is delusional.\nThe GOP’s recent defeats in Georgia and Arizona prove this point. In 2016, Donald Trump carried the Peach State by five percentage points and the Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson won his race by nearly three times that margin. This election cycle, with President Trump and his most loyal supporters at war with their own party’s elected officials, both GOP senators lost. Meanwhile, in Arizona, despite the GOP sweeping the state in 2016, the voters have since elected two Democratic senators and supported a Democrat for president for the first time since 1996.\nThe message for Republicans should be clear: Trump alone is not enough. If conservatives want to build a governing coalition that can win elections, the self-destructive attacks on Rep. Cheney need to stop.\nIf they continue, the same people responsible for the Republicans losing the Senate this time around will ensure further progressive victories in the years ahead — and bear responsibility for the policies that will inevitably result.",
"Republican Attacks on Liz Cheney Will Backfire",
"Conservatives have generally praised those rare leaders who put principle over political self-interest. Their decisions typically earn them few friends at the..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-29T00:06:52 | null | 2021-01-28T00:00:00 |
Forget the Slogan, Keep Ideas Behind Defunding Police | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F28%2Fforget_the_slogan_keep_ideas_behind_defunding_police_534630.html.json
|
en
| null |
Forget the Slogan, Keep Ideas Behind Defunding Police
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Forget the Slogan, Keep Ideas Behind Defunding Police
Police are essential to maintaining a civil and orderly democratic society, but the system needs an overhaul.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/28/forget_the_slogan_keep_ideas_behind_defunding_police_534630.html
|
en
| 2021-01-28T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/522591e6ff9e39ddb471727503913de8946a6e701d83fc06268b35fc6bba9a1d.json
|
[
"Forget the Slogan, Keep Ideas Behind Defunding Police\nPolice are essential to maintaining a civil and orderly democratic society, but the system needs an overhaul.",
"Forget the Slogan, Keep Ideas Behind Defunding Police",
"Forget the Slogan, Keep Ideas Behind Defunding Police | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-04T03:25:37 | null | 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
The War for Democracy Is Only Beginning After Brexit | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F03%2Fthe_war_for_democracy_is_only_beginning_after_brexit_532518.html.json
|
en
| null |
The War for Democracy Is Only Beginning After Brexit
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The War for Democracy Is Only Beginning After Brexit
Brexit was the first great battle in a far broader struggle for real people power.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/03/the_war_for_democracy_is_only_beginning_after_brexit_532518.html
|
en
| 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/9340d252abb4916c9982e05e5b82a05b5814602a60c5ee36b09c153447e74eb4.json
|
[
"The War for Democracy Is Only Beginning After Brexit\nBrexit was the first great battle in a far broader struggle for real people power.",
"The War for Democracy Is Only Beginning After Brexit",
"The War for Democracy Is Only Beginning After Brexit | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-15T21:41:03 | null | 2021-01-15T00:00:00 |
Abandon Trump? In GOP Ranks, the MAGA Mind-Set Prevails | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F15%2Fabandon_trump_in_gop_ranks_the_maga_mind-set_prevails_533582.html.json
|
en
| null |
Abandon Trump? In GOP Ranks, the MAGA Mind-Set Prevails
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
As President Trump prepares to exit the White House, his ideas, including falsehoods and conspiracy theories, continue to exert a gravitational pull among grass-roots G.O.P. officials.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/15/abandon_trump_in_gop_ranks_the_maga_mind-set_prevails_533582.html
|
en
| 2021-01-15T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/b8f5c842f4f85046024de706f573813d60af6b56f17756fea4e5c294727deb7c.json
|
[
"As President Trump prepares to exit the White House, his ideas, including falsehoods and conspiracy theories, continue to exert a gravitational pull among grass-roots G.O.P. officials.",
"Abandon Trump? In GOP Ranks, the MAGA Mind-Set Prevails",
"Abandon Trump? In GOP Ranks, the MAGA Mind-Set Prevails | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-26T17:25:16 | null | 2021-01-26T00:00:00 |
The River of Forgetfulness | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F26%2Fthe_river_of_forgetfulness_534384.html.json
|
en
| null |
The River of Forgetfulness
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Before we are all reprogrammed, remember for a bit longer that the reset of memory and truth is not just a political agenda, but a holistic effort to redefine our past, present, and future.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/26/the_river_of_forgetfulness_534384.html
|
en
| 2021-01-26T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/75b7a9125f9eadd65055b1da87ed176d46538dab309bd4801fafdec6309504bc.json
|
[
"Before we are all reprogrammed, remember for a bit longer that the reset of memory and truth is not just a political agenda, but a holistic effort to redefine our past, present, and future.",
"The River of Forgetfulness",
"The River of Forgetfulness | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-14T12:44:49 | null | 2021-01-14T00:00:00 |
A week ago, our nation was sorely tested as a deadly insurrection fueled by self-interested politicians and partisan disinformation aimed to overturn the...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F14%2Fcapitol_violence_underscores_need_for_political_reforms_145030.html.json
|
en
| null |
Capitol Violence Underscores Need for Political Reforms
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
A week ago, our nation was sorely tested as a deadly insurrection fueled by self-interested politicians and partisan disinformation aimed to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election.
Those images made clear for all to see that our political division and gridlock no longer simply undermine the functioning of our government; they now threaten the very continuity of our democratic republic.
This is a moment not only for unequivocal words, but also for bold action: We must hold the leaders who betrayed the public trust accountable, and we must greatly accelerate nonpartisan reforms to break the doom loop of political polarization that is fueling growing unrest.
In 2020, Unite America supported a cross-partisan slate of candidates who had committed themselves to putting country over party and championing reforms to improve our political system. We are proud that most of these leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, voted to uphold the will of the people in the last election. In particular, we express enormous gratitude to Rep. Peter Meijer, a Michigan Republican, who has been outspoken regarding the integrity of our elections and the need for honesty from our political leaders.
“It didn’t have to end like this, with five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer. This should be a moment of reckoning for the country as a whole, and the conservative movement in particular,” Meijer (picutred) said. “If the Republican Party ever hopes to regain the public’s trust and lead the country forward after this heinous assault, it must first be honest with itself.”
We agree. We also believe there must be accountability for all 147 members of Congress who voted to object to the Electoral College results certification -- putting party over country -- just hours after the U.S. Capitol was breached by a violent mob. Generations of Americans have risked their lives to protect that building and what it stands for, yet these members refused to even risk their jobs to uphold their oath of office to protect and defend our Constitution.
Accordingly, in this unprecedented circumstance, Unite America has rescinded our endorsement of Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte of California and requested a refund of a PAC contribution to Ohio Congressman Bill Johnson. They made a terrible calculation and their decisions carry significant consequences for our country.
The key to fixing our politics is not just to change who we elect, but how we elect. As long as our leaders’ path to election runs through the extreme bases of both political parties, and as long as both political parties are insulated from any kind of new competition, our country will continue to be torn apart and our democracy will continue to fray.
The events of Jan. 6, 2021, must prompt a clarion call for Congress and state legislatures to eliminate partisan gerrymandering, closed primaries, plurality-winner elections, and barriers to voter participation that collectively disenfranchise citizens, distort representation, and fuel our division.
Fortunately, electoral reform is taking root across the country. Alaska voters, for instance, adopted a reform supported by Unite America last November to implement our country’s first nonpartisan primary with a ranked-choice-voting general election, which will have the impact of rewarding rather punishing leaders who put the public interest over partisan interests. Notably, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski was the first Republican senator who called for the president’s resignation last week. Reform matters because incentives matter.
Unite America is redoubling our efforts to advance nonpartisan election reforms that fix the broken incentive structure in our political system. And we will continue to hold ourselves and those whom we support to the highest standards of integrity as we work to put voters first.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/14/capitol_violence_underscores_need_for_political_reforms_145030.html
|
en
| 2021-01-14T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/0117a74476ab8df64b4079b9bfc51dc748d2401a0c93f988eca3b1a21b202b81.json
|
[
"A week ago, our nation was sorely tested as a deadly insurrection fueled by self-interested politicians and partisan disinformation aimed to overturn the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election.\nThose images made clear for all to see that our political division and gridlock no longer simply undermine the functioning of our government; they now threaten the very continuity of our democratic republic.\nThis is a moment not only for unequivocal words, but also for bold action: We must hold the leaders who betrayed the public trust accountable, and we must greatly accelerate nonpartisan reforms to break the doom loop of political polarization that is fueling growing unrest.\nIn 2020, Unite America supported a cross-partisan slate of candidates who had committed themselves to putting country over party and championing reforms to improve our political system. We are proud that most of these leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, voted to uphold the will of the people in the last election. In particular, we express enormous gratitude to Rep. Peter Meijer, a Michigan Republican, who has been outspoken regarding the integrity of our elections and the need for honesty from our political leaders.\n“It didn’t have to end like this, with five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer. This should be a moment of reckoning for the country as a whole, and the conservative movement in particular,” Meijer (picutred) said. “If the Republican Party ever hopes to regain the public’s trust and lead the country forward after this heinous assault, it must first be honest with itself.”\nWe agree. We also believe there must be accountability for all 147 members of Congress who voted to object to the Electoral College results certification -- putting party over country -- just hours after the U.S. Capitol was breached by a violent mob. Generations of Americans have risked their lives to protect that building and what it stands for, yet these members refused to even risk their jobs to uphold their oath of office to protect and defend our Constitution.\nAccordingly, in this unprecedented circumstance, Unite America has rescinded our endorsement of Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte of California and requested a refund of a PAC contribution to Ohio Congressman Bill Johnson. They made a terrible calculation and their decisions carry significant consequences for our country.\nThe key to fixing our politics is not just to change who we elect, but how we elect. As long as our leaders’ path to election runs through the extreme bases of both political parties, and as long as both political parties are insulated from any kind of new competition, our country will continue to be torn apart and our democracy will continue to fray.\nThe events of Jan. 6, 2021, must prompt a clarion call for Congress and state legislatures to eliminate partisan gerrymandering, closed primaries, plurality-winner elections, and barriers to voter participation that collectively disenfranchise citizens, distort representation, and fuel our division.\nFortunately, electoral reform is taking root across the country. Alaska voters, for instance, adopted a reform supported by Unite America last November to implement our country’s first nonpartisan primary with a ranked-choice-voting general election, which will have the impact of rewarding rather punishing leaders who put the public interest over partisan interests. Notably, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski was the first Republican senator who called for the president’s resignation last week. Reform matters because incentives matter.\nUnite America is redoubling our efforts to advance nonpartisan election reforms that fix the broken incentive structure in our political system. And we will continue to hold ourselves and those whom we support to the highest standards of integrity as we work to put voters first.",
"Capitol Violence Underscores Need for Political Reforms",
"A week ago, our nation was sorely tested as a deadly insurrection fueled by self-interested politicians and partisan disinformation aimed to overturn the..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-29T12:36:11 | null | 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
NY Severely Undercounted Covid Nursing Homes Deaths | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F29%2Fny_severely_undercounted_covid_nursing_homes_deaths_534684.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
NY Severely Undercounted Covid Nursing Homes Deaths
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The state attorney general, Letitia James, said it's likely that the Cuomo administration failed to report thousands of Covid-19 deaths of nursing home residents.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/29/ny_severely_undercounted_covid_nursing_homes_deaths_534684.html
|
en
| 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/393702351f54d55c1c44e25177343147d17fb192fb4a58221a27a4f269770aef.json
|
[
"The state attorney general, Letitia James, said it's likely that the Cuomo administration failed to report thousands of Covid-19 deaths of nursing home residents.",
"NY Severely Undercounted Covid Nursing Homes Deaths",
"NY Severely Undercounted Covid Nursing Homes Deaths | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-27T14:12:46 | null | 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
Netanyahu Bristles as Biden Aims to Reenter Iran Deal | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F27%2Fnetanyahu_bristles_as_biden_aims_to_reenter_iran_deal_534479.html.json
|
en
| null |
Netanyahu Bristles as Biden Aims to Reenter Iran Deal
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hinting to the new US administration that reentering the original nuclear deal with Iran could spell Israeli military action.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/27/netanyahu_bristles_as_biden_aims_to_reenter_iran_deal_534479.html
|
en
| 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/f0ea84d7c9ac8271ca91227d2ddb5cfd0f062c01cca9ca4451078efc8e2b2807.json
|
[
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hinting to the new US administration that reentering the original nuclear deal with Iran could spell Israeli military action.",
"Netanyahu Bristles as Biden Aims to Reenter Iran Deal",
"Netanyahu Bristles as Biden Aims to Reenter Iran Deal | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-10T06:27:34 | null | 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
A Critical Time for Democracy: Why Twitter Banned Trump | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F09%2Fa_critical_time_for_democracy_why_twitter_banned_trump_533063.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
A Critical Time for Democracy: Why Twitter Banned Trump
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
A Critical Time for Democracy: Why Twitter Banned Trump
The company believes Trump's tweets risk further violence during a critical time for democracy.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/09/a_critical_time_for_democracy_why_twitter_banned_trump_533063.html
|
en
| 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/ba1c1afbb520c869f5cfe8df81465c5aa82aabab466360bfd6fef46f3597725f.json
|
[
"A Critical Time for Democracy: Why Twitter Banned Trump\nThe company believes Trump's tweets risk further violence during a critical time for democracy.",
"A Critical Time for Democracy: Why Twitter Banned Trump",
"A Critical Time for Democracy: Why Twitter Banned Trump | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-03T07:13:10 | null | 2021-01-02T00:00:00 |
Trump's Been the Most Illuminating President in Decades | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F02%2Ftrumps_been_the_most_illuminating_president_in_decades_532482.html.json
|
en
| null |
Trump's Been the Most Illuminating President in Decades
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Trump's Been the Most Illuminating President in Decades
In all Trump gave us — the good, the bad, the hilarious, and the unsettling — his administration brought much-needed clarity to the GOP and the country.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/02/trumps_been_the_most_illuminating_president_in_decades_532482.html
|
en
| 2021-01-02T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/b78d32efdb2e7ec9b67730665bcef9e203e843532328dc2b8b95ca6cc1c568fc.json
|
[
"Trump's Been the Most Illuminating President in Decades\nIn all Trump gave us — the good, the bad, the hilarious, and the unsettling — his administration brought much-needed clarity to the GOP and the country.",
"Trump's Been the Most Illuminating President in Decades",
"Trump's Been the Most Illuminating President in Decades | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-03T07:12:04 | null | 2021-01-02T00:00:00 |
Assange's Fiancee Reveals Plot to Erase Our First Amendment | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F02%2Fassanges_fiancee_reveals_plot_to_erase_our_first_amendment_532547.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Assange's Fiancee Reveals Plot to Erase Our First Amendment
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/02/assanges_fiancee_reveals_plot_to_erase_our_first_amendment_532547.html
|
en
| 2021-01-02T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/600eadb02bc7eff8cfadc1f616de723572db9e130880add37dd87b967303f6bb.json
|
[
"Assange's Fiancee Reveals Plot to Erase Our First Amendment",
"Assange's Fiancee Reveals Plot to Erase Our First Amendment | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-22T16:41:57 | null | 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
Every time former CIA Director John Brennan appears on cable news to warn America about some new
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F22%2Fits_john_brennans_authoritarianism_that_threatens_democracy_145097.html.json
|
en
| null |
It's John Brennan's Authoritarianism That Threatens Democracy
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Every time former CIA Director John Brennan appears on cable news to warn America about some new "insidious threat to democracy," I am reminded again that he deserves to be in federal prison. In this corrupt media environment, however, the official who oversaw an illegal domestic-spying operation on the legislative branch of the United States government, who tried to cover it up and blame innocent Senate staffers when discovered, and who then brazenly lied about it to legislators and the American people -- this man is held up as a paragon of civic virtue.
We still don't even know what role Brennan played in spying on his political opponents during the 2016 campaign. We do know he went on TV for years after, alleging to have insider knowledge of an unprecedented seditious criminal conspiracy against the United States. Never once was he challenged by his hosts. And when an independent multimillion-dollar investigation couldn't pull together a single indictment related to those claims, Brennan shrugged it off by saying that he may have "received bad information."
Brennan was back on MSNBC yesterday, contending that American intelligence agencies "are moving in laser-like fashion to try to uncover as much as they can about" the pro-Trump "insurgency" that harbors "religious extremists, authoritarians, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists, even libertarians."
Even a former Communist such as Brennan surely understands that there is nothing prohibiting Americans from being religious extremists, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists or even libertarians. It's definitely none of his business, or that of intelligence agencies, to define what those terms mean. (And the idea that libertarians, who can't get a minyan to agree on anything libertarian, are marshaling forces for a national insurgency is nonsensical.)
As Brennan is a congenital liar, this may well be another one of his convenient fictions. Yet, considering his history of abusing power -- Samantha Power, no lightweight on this front herself, once warned that it wasn't a "good idea to piss off John Brennan" -- we shouldn't entirely dismiss the idea that his allies are ferreting out thoughtcrimes.
Finding those who illegally threaten others with violence is well within the bailiwick of the government. But the Capitol riot has given authoritarians such as Brennan the pretext to advocate the chilling of speech and censorship. It has become normalized, even celebrated. Networks such as CNN employ full-time anti-speech advocates who pump out cynical content meant to shame tech carriers into taking their competition off the air.
"Extremists exploit a loophole in social moderation: Podcasts on Apple, Google," reports Tali Arbel at the Associated Press. Are Americans who express their political views on the internet really abusing a "loophole," or are Big Tech companies who censor them at the behest of the powerful abusing a "loophole" in the First Amendment? Only in the kicker of the fearmongering piece does Arbel quote Jillian York of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who warns that the tide of censorship "is against the speech of right-wing extremists ... but tomorrow the tide might be against opposition activists." The problem is that censors never believe they'll lose power, and maybe this time they're right.
Those who rationalize state censorship almost always expand their definition of "extremist" to include their political opponents. The Washington Post's columnist Max Boot, for instance, welcomed regime change by imploring the Biden administration to regulate those who supposedly incite radicalism, including Fox News.
Yesterday, Nicolle Wallace, Brennan's MSNBC colleague, called for forcing Republicans to offer "the truth" before they are "allowed" to say anything else. As we protect people from "counterfeit bills," she explained, we can protect them against "fake news." What made Wallace's comment especially surreal -- aside from the fact that's she apparently never read the Constitution -- was that her guest was Ben Rhodes, the former Obama administration official who once bragged to The New York Times that he'd duped a bunch of dimwitted reporters into becoming his disinformation operation. Now Rhodes, too, seems interested in importing Iranian-style censorship with a "firm and brutal" "detox" of bad ideas, achieved through the "national security" and "Homeland Security" officials.
I'm old-fashioned. I'd rather have a bunch of nuts ranting on podcasts all day than one John Brennan deciding what we can say. To my ears, Rhodes, Brennan, Wallace and Boot are the ones who sound like a threat to "democracy."
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/22/its_john_brennans_authoritarianism_that_threatens_democracy_145097.html
|
en
| 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/010161671328d9cc42bcf726532ec54e7a8e9b07d8ca307ac2bc2421963321fc.json
|
[
"Every time former CIA Director John Brennan appears on cable news to warn America about some new \"insidious threat to democracy,\" I am reminded again that he deserves to be in federal prison. In this corrupt media environment, however, the official who oversaw an illegal domestic-spying operation on the legislative branch of the United States government, who tried to cover it up and blame innocent Senate staffers when discovered, and who then brazenly lied about it to legislators and the American people -- this man is held up as a paragon of civic virtue.\nWe still don't even know what role Brennan played in spying on his political opponents during the 2016 campaign. We do know he went on TV for years after, alleging to have insider knowledge of an unprecedented seditious criminal conspiracy against the United States. Never once was he challenged by his hosts. And when an independent multimillion-dollar investigation couldn't pull together a single indictment related to those claims, Brennan shrugged it off by saying that he may have \"received bad information.\"\nBrennan was back on MSNBC yesterday, contending that American intelligence agencies \"are moving in laser-like fashion to try to uncover as much as they can about\" the pro-Trump \"insurgency\" that harbors \"religious extremists, authoritarians, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists, even libertarians.\"\nEven a former Communist such as Brennan surely understands that there is nothing prohibiting Americans from being religious extremists, fascists, bigots, racists, nativists or even libertarians. It's definitely none of his business, or that of intelligence agencies, to define what those terms mean. (And the idea that libertarians, who can't get a minyan to agree on anything libertarian, are marshaling forces for a national insurgency is nonsensical.)\nAs Brennan is a congenital liar, this may well be another one of his convenient fictions. Yet, considering his history of abusing power -- Samantha Power, no lightweight on this front herself, once warned that it wasn't a \"good idea to piss off John Brennan\" -- we shouldn't entirely dismiss the idea that his allies are ferreting out thoughtcrimes.\nFinding those who illegally threaten others with violence is well within the bailiwick of the government. But the Capitol riot has given authoritarians such as Brennan the pretext to advocate the chilling of speech and censorship. It has become normalized, even celebrated. Networks such as CNN employ full-time anti-speech advocates who pump out cynical content meant to shame tech carriers into taking their competition off the air.\n\"Extremists exploit a loophole in social moderation: Podcasts on Apple, Google,\" reports Tali Arbel at the Associated Press. Are Americans who express their political views on the internet really abusing a \"loophole,\" or are Big Tech companies who censor them at the behest of the powerful abusing a \"loophole\" in the First Amendment? Only in the kicker of the fearmongering piece does Arbel quote Jillian York of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who warns that the tide of censorship \"is against the speech of right-wing extremists ... but tomorrow the tide might be against opposition activists.\" The problem is that censors never believe they'll lose power, and maybe this time they're right.\nThose who rationalize state censorship almost always expand their definition of \"extremist\" to include their political opponents. The Washington Post's columnist Max Boot, for instance, welcomed regime change by imploring the Biden administration to regulate those who supposedly incite radicalism, including Fox News.\nYesterday, Nicolle Wallace, Brennan's MSNBC colleague, called for forcing Republicans to offer \"the truth\" before they are \"allowed\" to say anything else. As we protect people from \"counterfeit bills,\" she explained, we can protect them against \"fake news.\" What made Wallace's comment especially surreal -- aside from the fact that's she apparently never read the Constitution -- was that her guest was Ben Rhodes, the former Obama administration official who once bragged to The New York Times that he'd duped a bunch of dimwitted reporters into becoming his disinformation operation. Now Rhodes, too, seems interested in importing Iranian-style censorship with a \"firm and brutal\" \"detox\" of bad ideas, achieved through the \"national security\" and \"Homeland Security\" officials.\nI'm old-fashioned. I'd rather have a bunch of nuts ranting on podcasts all day than one John Brennan deciding what we can say. To my ears, Rhodes, Brennan, Wallace and Boot are the ones who sound like a threat to \"democracy.\"\nCOPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM",
"It's John Brennan's Authoritarianism That Threatens Democracy",
"Every time former CIA Director John Brennan appears on cable news to warn America about some new"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-07T21:47:28 | null | 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
Why Did C-SPAN Reinstate Steve Scully? | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F07%2Fwhy_did_c-span_reinstate_steve_scully_532910.html.json
|
en
| null |
Why Did C-SPAN Reinstate Steve Scully?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The media are so broken, confirmed liar Steve Scully, who lied about his Twitter account being hacked, is returning to C-SPAN.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/07/why_did_c-span_reinstate_steve_scully_532910.html
|
en
| 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/7d3781197f343d335138a2b95d0b73fe1acaaf638a11762fa0e1f1f77c90e811.json
|
[
"The media are so broken, confirmed liar Steve Scully, who lied about his Twitter account being hacked, is returning to C-SPAN.",
"Why Did C-SPAN Reinstate Steve Scully?",
"Why Did C-SPAN Reinstate Steve Scully? | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-04T19:56:58 | null | 2021-01-04T00:00:00 |
Under Biden, Education Policy Will Take a Sharp Left Turn | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F04%2Funder_biden_education_policy_will_take_a_sharp_left_turn_532625.html.json
|
en
| null |
Under Biden, Education Policy Will Take a Sharp Left Turn
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Under Biden, Education Policy Will Take a Sharp Left Turn
Federal education policy is likely to take a sharp left turn.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/04/under_biden_education_policy_will_take_a_sharp_left_turn_532625.html
|
en
| 2021-01-04T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/05e2e2484a37f6338af43389949b577368bf8e94ab78eb51441793dd67ac344c.json
|
[
"Under Biden, Education Policy Will Take a Sharp Left Turn\nFederal education policy is likely to take a sharp left turn.",
"Under Biden, Education Policy Will Take a Sharp Left Turn",
"Under Biden, Education Policy Will Take a Sharp Left Turn | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-05T20:30:08 | null | 2021-01-05T00:00:00 |
Georgia Dems Hold Key to Unlock $2,000 Checks | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F05%2Fgeorgia_dems_hold_key_to_unlock_2000_checks_532688.html.json
|
en
| null |
Georgia Dems Hold Key to Unlock $2,000 Checks
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Despite Mitch McConnell's obstruction last week, a Democratic Senate would have no real obstacle to the popular relief measure.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/05/georgia_dems_hold_key_to_unlock_2000_checks_532688.html
|
en
| 2021-01-05T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/39c3a9abbf2fe52f96d06babcf37cccba8e631a653b65309c66da52caf5b7591.json
|
[
"Despite Mitch McConnell's obstruction last week, a Democratic Senate would have no real obstacle to the popular relief measure.",
"Georgia Dems Hold Key to Unlock $2,000 Checks",
"Georgia Dems Hold Key to Unlock $2,000 Checks | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-17T01:53:47 | null | 2021-01-16T00:00:00 |
197 to 10: Media, Pelosi Fail to Ignite Republican Civil War | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F16%2F197_to_10_media_pelosi_fail_to_ignite_republican_civil_war_533622.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
197 to 10: Media, Pelosi Fail to Ignite Republican Civil War
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Various left-wing writers (some of them nominally Republican) have been salivating over the prospects of a GOP civil war.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/16/197_to_10_media_pelosi_fail_to_ignite_republican_civil_war_533622.html
|
en
| 2021-01-16T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/3d6dbe62cc0330d84f94c0fdf207df5bc6b457d2f6e01389b3ad49a79ecb8aa2.json
|
[
"Various left-wing writers (some of them nominally Republican) have been salivating over the prospects of a GOP civil war.",
"197 to 10: Media, Pelosi Fail to Ignite Republican Civil War",
"197 to 10: Media, Pelosi Fail to Ignite Republican Civil War | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-09T14:29:17 | null | 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
The Woke Purge | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F09%2Fthe_woke_purge_533077.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
The Woke Purge
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/09/the_woke_purge_533077.html
|
en
| 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/30779ae0f7f61bf9b444a3e3d4f2413313eb523f7c20b01a0bf4faf265e50bb5.json
|
[
"The Woke Purge",
"The Woke Purge | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-08T06:37:35 | null | 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
What Americans Deserve to Know After the Capitol Riot | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F07%2Fwhat_americans_deserve_to_know_after_the_capitol_riot_532952.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
What Americans Deserve to Know After the Capitol Riot
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Every American who watched in horror as our Capitol was overrun by domestic terrorists on Wednesday has a right to know how this happened, why it happened, who is responsible and what we are going to do about it.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/07/what_americans_deserve_to_know_after_the_capitol_riot_532952.html
|
en
| 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/380867da1127888413a1ba89df798dfcf719951083a6652eb0b67f92a9364506.json
|
[
"Every American who watched in horror as our Capitol was overrun by domestic terrorists on Wednesday has a right to know how this happened, why it happened, who is responsible and what we are going to do about it.",
"What Americans Deserve to Know After the Capitol Riot",
"What Americans Deserve to Know After the Capitol Riot | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-08T20:18:36 | null | 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
The Only Strategy Left for Democrats | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F08%2Fthe_only_strategy_left_for_democrats_533024.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
The Only Strategy Left for Democrats
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/08/the_only_strategy_left_for_democrats_533024.html
|
en
| 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/1a219e32bc329646f4f553148351f06685de2b78e924e69dd9376592c76ac144.json
|
[
"The Only Strategy Left for Democrats",
"The Only Strategy Left for Democrats | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-06T13:20:21 | null | 2021-01-06T00:00:00 |
The NY Times Loves the Chinese Communist Party | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fthe_ny_times_loves_the_chinese_communist_party_532782.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
The NY Times Loves the Chinese Communist Party
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The NY Times Loves the Chinese Communist Party
Are establishment newsrooms competing to see who can lick China's boots harder?
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/06/the_ny_times_loves_the_chinese_communist_party_532782.html
|
en
| 2021-01-06T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/bf910f510f981252fa7fe19e4fa5145ce0ee9b43010016998fd7c8d0d6d79acb.json
|
[
"The NY Times Loves the Chinese Communist Party\nAre establishment newsrooms competing to see who can lick China's boots harder?",
"The NY Times Loves the Chinese Communist Party",
"The NY Times Loves the Chinese Communist Party | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-10T22:04:00 | null | 2021-01-10T00:00:00 |
The Left's Class Realignment of 2020 | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F10%2Fthe_lefts_class_realignment_of_2020_533055.html.json
|
en
| null |
The Left's Class Realignment of 2020
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
America's new year resolution should have admitted that the left now represents the privileged. If 2020 did nothing else, it...
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/10/the_lefts_class_realignment_of_2020_533055.html
|
en
| 2021-01-10T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/a90b3c3e28bf5180fc701114934d546a7285fe950836624c416b504f8cdc2962.json
|
[
"America's new year resolution should have admitted that the left now represents the privileged. If 2020 did nothing else, it...",
"The Left's Class Realignment of 2020",
"The Left's Class Realignment of 2020 | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-10T22:03:09 | null | 2021-01-10T00:00:00 |
Dems Seek a New Era of 'Total Political Correctness' | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F10%2Fdems_seek_a_new_era_of_total_political_correctness_533104.html.json
|
en
| null |
Dems Seek a New Era of 'Total Political Correctness'
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
As the curtains come down on the Trump presidency, America is entering into an era of total political correctness the likes of which it has never seen.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/10/dems_seek_a_new_era_of_total_political_correctness_533104.html
|
en
| 2021-01-10T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/f7ab3ba19073a93d0a4307519030279164b7d9f59d15ab9f52db68abb995fc77.json
|
[
"As the curtains come down on the Trump presidency, America is entering into an era of total political correctness the likes of which it has never seen.",
"Dems Seek a New Era of 'Total Political Correctness'",
"Dems Seek a New Era of 'Total Political Correctness' | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-09T14:29:32 | null | 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
Whose Megaphone Will President Trump Use Now? | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F09%2Fwhose_megaphone_will_president_trump_use_now_533090.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Whose Megaphone Will President Trump Use Now?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Whose Megaphone Will President Trump Use Now?
No private company is obligated to hand over its own platform to a president in the supposed interest of newsworthiness and history.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/09/whose_megaphone_will_president_trump_use_now_533090.html
|
en
| 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/a04346e33b9a185b89d1cedcf319236534cbb70790af67ca30691fb7744c6a8e.json
|
[
"Whose Megaphone Will President Trump Use Now?\nNo private company is obligated to hand over its own platform to a president in the supposed interest of newsworthiness and history.",
"Whose Megaphone Will President Trump Use Now?",
"Whose Megaphone Will President Trump Use Now? | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-07T21:47:33 | null | 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
With Senate Control, Biden's Presidency Stands a Chance | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F07%2Fwith_senate_control_bidens_presidency_stands_a_chance_532865.html.json
|
en
| null |
With Senate Control, Biden's Presidency Stands a Chance
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Joe Biden will begin his presidency with a Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress and a freer hand to install his government and pursue—if not necessarily enact—an expansive legislative agenda. Reverend Raphael Warnock defeated Senator Kelly Loeffler in the Georgia runoff last night, and challenger Jon Ossoff was declared the victor over David Perdue today.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/07/with_senate_control_bidens_presidency_stands_a_chance_532865.html
|
en
| 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/c8dfd660c79815b7c83358be1d96b82c657080615f346ac6ad10fff2e1f28d26.json
|
[
"Joe Biden will begin his presidency with a Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress and a freer hand to install his government and pursue—if not necessarily enact—an expansive legislative agenda. Reverend Raphael Warnock defeated Senator Kelly Loeffler in the Georgia runoff last night, and challenger Jon Ossoff was declared the victor over David Perdue today.",
"With Senate Control, Biden's Presidency Stands a Chance",
"With Senate Control, Biden's Presidency Stands a Chance | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-29T22:57:52 | null | 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
WH Dodges Question About Yellen's $800k From Citadel | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F29%2Fwh_dodges_question_about_yellens_800k_from_citadel_534725.html.json
|
en
| null |
WH Dodges Question About Yellen's $800k From Citadel
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
This will be a newsletter with one quick point. New Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made a lot of money -- $7.2 million, precisely -- over the last two years by making speeches at events held by banks and other financial institutions. That is bound to create a conflict of interest -- or, as official Washington likes to say, the appearance of a conflict of interest -- when Yellen, as Treasury Secretary, deals with all those companies that have written her big checks.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/29/wh_dodges_question_about_yellens_800k_from_citadel_534725.html
|
en
| 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/f301d6d7283e9ac4dcc338294519a4f9f28bca174f7d2ad275228909a74fc3d2.json
|
[
"This will be a newsletter with one quick point. New Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made a lot of money -- $7.2 million, precisely -- over the last two years by making speeches at events held by banks and other financial institutions. That is bound to create a conflict of interest -- or, as official Washington likes to say, the appearance of a conflict of interest -- when Yellen, as Treasury Secretary, deals with all those companies that have written her big checks.",
"WH Dodges Question About Yellen's $800k From Citadel",
"WH Dodges Question About Yellen's $800k From Citadel | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-19T23:50:53 | null | 2021-01-19T00:00:00 |
Consistency About Elasticities | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F19%2Fconsistency_about_elasticities_533880.html.json
|
en
| null |
Consistency About Elasticities
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
If you think stimulus is effective right now, presumably you think supply curves are pretty elastic and thus fairly horizontal. That is, some increase in price/offer will induce a lot more output. If you think we should hike the minimum wage right now, presumably you think supply curves are pretty inelastic and thus fairly vertical.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/19/consistency_about_elasticities_533880.html
|
en
| 2021-01-19T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/e47ac1d3ecd08552a652c1472c782dcefc215cc60cb26a6869412506a207c8d5.json
|
[
"If you think stimulus is effective right now, presumably you think supply curves are pretty elastic and thus fairly horizontal. That is, some increase in price/offer will induce a lot more output. If you think we should hike the minimum wage right now, presumably you think supply curves are pretty inelastic and thus fairly vertical.",
"Consistency About Elasticities",
"Consistency About Elasticities | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-17T23:26:04 | null | 2021-01-17T00:00:00 |
The U.S. Is Governed by a Woke Oligarchy | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F17%2Fthe_us_is_governed_by_a_woke_oligarchy_533671.html.json
|
en
| null |
The U.S. Is Governed by a Woke Oligarchy
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
There are many lessons to be drawn from the 2020 election. The transformation of the United States of America from a republic into an oligarchy is a large and portentous lesson.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/17/the_us_is_governed_by_a_woke_oligarchy_533671.html
|
en
| 2021-01-17T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/0299d9effe8ddff6dd16c8d7d610188f5e42a7741f00623b8f148487288a1e94.json
|
[
"There are many lessons to be drawn from the 2020 election. The transformation of the United States of America from a republic into an oligarchy is a large and portentous lesson.",
"The U.S. Is Governed by a Woke Oligarchy",
"The U.S. Is Governed by a Woke Oligarchy | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-26T13:56:50 | null | 2021-01-26T00:00:00 |
About two years ago, one of my wife's best friends began to turn down invitations to get together. Then, out of the blue, she unfriended my wife on Facebook....
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F26%2Fthe_left_wants_unconditional_surrender_not_unity_145119.html.json
|
en
| null |
The Left Wants Unconditional Surrender, Not Unity
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
About two years ago, one of my wife's best friends began to turn down invitations to get together. Then, out of the blue, she unfriended my wife on Facebook.
That's kind of a rude way to brush off someone, so my wife finally asked her: What gives? Have I offended you? Her terse text response was full of self-righteousness: "John [her husband] and I are so appalled by the things that Steve writes that we don't want to associate with you anymore."
I wasn't offended that they disagree with my positions or even that they felt our political disagreements are so wide that we probably shouldn't hang out together anymore. After all, we are two Americas today.
What stuck in my craw was the word "appalled." It was her way of saying: "We are better people than you. We have higher standards." "Appalled" is the outrage you feel when someone gets drunk and starts hitting on your wife.
I recite the incident because it is an example of how liberals have anointed themselves as not just intellectually but morally superior to those on the right. Welcome to the "religious left."
A case in point: the Boston Globe recently printed a front-page opinion piece by the paper's liberal columnist Yvonne Abraham, who denounced the idea of any "unity" agenda with Republicans or conservatives. "Here's the thing about unity," she snuffed. "To achieve it, you have to believe in a common good. And most members of this Republican Party have demonstrated over and over that they simply don't." You can't find common ground with a movement "defined by lies."
Of course, the irony here is that it is President Joe Biden, not Republicans, who is pledging an agenda to unify the country. But so far, the new administration's position seems to be: Why bother to find common ground when you control all of the levers of governmental power and you can steamroll over them instead?
What is to be gained by uniting with people who are "white supremacists" or "insurrectionists"?
Most everyone I know on the right agrees that violence is rarely, if ever, an acceptable form of political protest.
Do liberals? The new vice president of the United States called the liberal mobs who ransacked cities this summer "social justice warriors." Apparently, it is excusable to burn down a building or assault a police officer if you are protesting racial injustice, climate change, abortion rights or cuts in social programs.
The Trump Haters say that the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol are guilty of a treasonable offense. OK, but several years ago, when many thousands of "social justice warriors" (i.e., union thugs) stormed past the police and occupied the domed Capital building in Madison for days, the media celebrated.
Abraham is right about unity. America is now a country divided into Hatfields and McCoys. In just his first four days in office, it's clear there isn't going to be any unifying of the country under Biden. That was a hollow campaign slogan that has swirled down the drain as the White House issued executive orders, such as killing the Keystone XL pipeline, that have infuriated conservatives. The absurd House snap-impeachment of former President Donald Trump a few days before he was to leave office was absurd enough, but not nearly as divisive as the apparent Senate plans to go ahead with a trial.
Biden said he "doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States." Really? Then why is one of his first proposals a blue-state bailout to the tune of $350 billion -- to be paid by the Republicans in red states. That is a financial insurrection against the half of the states that are not run by Democrats.
The left doesn't want unity with the right. It wants submission. They don't think we live up to their standards of proper behavior and righteousness.
If these are the people that are collectively "unfriending" us on Facebook and in the grocery stores, that's fine by us. Frankly, the feeling is mutual.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/26/the_left_wants_unconditional_surrender_not_unity_145119.html
|
en
| 2021-01-26T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/e542c36a9582504b250002ad5e8c4851d30b5702229e9a29bc42bf5c323d7816.json
|
[
"About two years ago, one of my wife's best friends began to turn down invitations to get together. Then, out of the blue, she unfriended my wife on Facebook.\nThat's kind of a rude way to brush off someone, so my wife finally asked her: What gives? Have I offended you? Her terse text response was full of self-righteousness: \"John [her husband] and I are so appalled by the things that Steve writes that we don't want to associate with you anymore.\"\nI wasn't offended that they disagree with my positions or even that they felt our political disagreements are so wide that we probably shouldn't hang out together anymore. After all, we are two Americas today.\nWhat stuck in my craw was the word \"appalled.\" It was her way of saying: \"We are better people than you. We have higher standards.\" \"Appalled\" is the outrage you feel when someone gets drunk and starts hitting on your wife.\nI recite the incident because it is an example of how liberals have anointed themselves as not just intellectually but morally superior to those on the right. Welcome to the \"religious left.\"\nA case in point: the Boston Globe recently printed a front-page opinion piece by the paper's liberal columnist Yvonne Abraham, who denounced the idea of any \"unity\" agenda with Republicans or conservatives. \"Here's the thing about unity,\" she snuffed. \"To achieve it, you have to believe in a common good. And most members of this Republican Party have demonstrated over and over that they simply don't.\" You can't find common ground with a movement \"defined by lies.\"\nOf course, the irony here is that it is President Joe Biden, not Republicans, who is pledging an agenda to unify the country. But so far, the new administration's position seems to be: Why bother to find common ground when you control all of the levers of governmental power and you can steamroll over them instead?\nWhat is to be gained by uniting with people who are \"white supremacists\" or \"insurrectionists\"?\nMost everyone I know on the right agrees that violence is rarely, if ever, an acceptable form of political protest.\nDo liberals? The new vice president of the United States called the liberal mobs who ransacked cities this summer \"social justice warriors.\" Apparently, it is excusable to burn down a building or assault a police officer if you are protesting racial injustice, climate change, abortion rights or cuts in social programs.\nThe Trump Haters say that the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol are guilty of a treasonable offense. OK, but several years ago, when many thousands of \"social justice warriors\" (i.e., union thugs) stormed past the police and occupied the domed Capital building in Madison for days, the media celebrated.\nAbraham is right about unity. America is now a country divided into Hatfields and McCoys. In just his first four days in office, it's clear there isn't going to be any unifying of the country under Biden. That was a hollow campaign slogan that has swirled down the drain as the White House issued executive orders, such as killing the Keystone XL pipeline, that have infuriated conservatives. The absurd House snap-impeachment of former President Donald Trump a few days before he was to leave office was absurd enough, but not nearly as divisive as the apparent Senate plans to go ahead with a trial.\nBiden said he \"doesn't see red states and blue states, only sees the United States.\" Really? Then why is one of his first proposals a blue-state bailout to the tune of $350 billion -- to be paid by the Republicans in red states. That is a financial insurrection against the half of the states that are not run by Democrats.\nThe left doesn't want unity with the right. It wants submission. They don't think we live up to their standards of proper behavior and righteousness.\nIf these are the people that are collectively \"unfriending\" us on Facebook and in the grocery stores, that's fine by us. Frankly, the feeling is mutual.\nCOPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM",
"The Left Wants Unconditional Surrender, Not Unity",
"About two years ago, one of my wife's best friends began to turn down invitations to get together. Then, out of the blue, she unfriended my wife on Facebook...."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-14T17:03:41 | null | 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
Big Tech Companies Are Correct to Shut Down Republicans | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F12%2Fbig_tech_companies_are_correct_to_shut_down_republicans_533297.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Big Tech Companies Are Correct to Shut Down Republicans
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Social media companies should prevent their services from being used to foment insurrection. But some aspects of Big Tech's recent moves are troubling.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/12/big_tech_companies_are_correct_to_shut_down_republicans_533297.html
|
en
| 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/ae0e48075db4f8db3789abb93e4cd2405b4c519d7251ca57109344a8710f2353.json
|
[
"Social media companies should prevent their services from being used to foment insurrection. But some aspects of Big Tech's recent moves are troubling.",
"Big Tech Companies Are Correct to Shut Down Republicans",
"Big Tech Companies Are Correct to Shut Down Republicans | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-04T03:25:47 | null | 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
Recent political talk has focused almost entirely on Jan. 5 (the Georgia Senate runoffs) and Jan. 6 (congressional certification of the Electoral College...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F03%2Finauguration_day_symbolizes_americas_enduring_constitution_144948.html.json
|
en
| null |
Inauguration Day Symbolizes America's Enduring Constitution
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Recent political talk has focused almost entirely on Jan. 5 (the Georgia Senate runoffs) and Jan. 6 (congressional certification of the Electoral College results). Important as they are, we also should remember Jan. 20. On that day Americans will witness a truly remarkable tradition: the peaceful transfer of power between opposing parties. Such handovers are extremely rare in history and a towering, hard-won achievement. Our next one is worth celebrating, regardless of how you voted.
It is especially important for Donald Trump to attend this one since he has contested the November outcome so aggressively. Those challenges have gone well beyond formal legal contests. He has rallied supporters to challenge the legitimacy of the election outcome. That rallying cry needs to end, even as legal battles continue. It is time for President Trump to signal his public recognition that Joe Biden won the 2020 election and that he and the Republican Party are now the “loyal opposition.”
The losers’ presence at the inauguration serves two crucial functions. First, it makes clear that they accept the winner as legitimate. Like the swearing-in of members of Congress and Supreme Court justices, it tells all Americans that our top officials hold their positions rightfully.
Second, it shows that defeated candidates and their party are integral features of our ongoing constitutional process. Their presence says they will continue to seek election and work within that framework.
The losing side has every right to challenge the election’s integrity in court. Trump has done so repeatedly and failed each time. That’s partly because it is nearly impossible to swiftly prove “fact claims,” such as voter fraud. Still, Trump’s legal team has held numerous press conferences and public hearings to assert they have incontrovertible proof. Their claims have convinced die-hard believers but not trial judges, appellate courts, or state legislatures. Repeating these claims of a “stolen election,” without convincing the courts, rends the country’s already-fraying political fabric.
Few open-minded people would doubt there was some fraud in this election. It was probably worse this year because so many states instituted widespread mail-in voting without experience or solid protections against fraud.
Still, no courts or administrative tribunals have found mistakes or malfeasance large enough to change any state’s electoral votes. Some courts may have been biased, but Trump’s team has lost before multiple judges he appointed. He has lost administrative challenges in states led by Republicans he once endorsed. He has every right to continue these challenges, but, without major legal victories, it irresponsible to claim that Joe Biden is not the duly elected president. He is. Attorney General Bill Barr underscored that point in a final press conference, saying his department has not yet found any evidence of widespread fraud.
Many Trump voters believe all of them are lying. They have convinced themselves that Republicans who recognize Biden’s victory, including those who voted for Trump, are weak-kneed RINOs. President Trump has encouraged this thinking. Ending it is another reason Trump should stand on stage with Joe Biden.
Democrats don’t come to this moment with clean hands. It’s fine for them to celebrate their presidential victory. But it’s rich to see them parading their moral superiority. Their abysmal behavior after Trump’s victory four years ago is a one reason we face such ferocious pushback today.
Hillary Clinton may have behaved properly in public, attending Trump’s inauguration, but her private behavior was appalling. In 2016, she and the Democratic National Committee used intermediaries to hire foreign agents, who concocted false and defamatory stories about Trump “colluding” with the Kremlin to win the election. Those agents weren’t loose cannons. They were doing precisely what they were hired to do. Clinton’s close associates then worked assiduously to feed that false information to the media, the State Department, the Department of Justice, and the FBI, hoping to fuel a federal investigation into Trump-Russia collusion.
At the same time, the FBI not only spied on the Trump campaign, it spied on the newly elected president and his team. Holdover officials continued to do so after Trump was sworn in. Their efforts were profoundly damaging. They deliberately sabotaged the transition of power while publicly undermining the new president’s legitimacy. Theirs was abuse of power on a grand scale.
This effort to delegitimize Trump’s presidency was systematic, sustained, and well-orchestrated. Its overriding aim was to show that Trump did not win the presidency honestly, exactly what Trump himself is now saying about Biden. Democratic lawmakers tipped their hand at Trump’s inauguration, when some five dozen House members, led by civil rights icon John Lewis, refused to attend. Lewis said openly that Trump “is not a legitimate president.” He also refused to attend George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2001.
Boycotts like this are something new and troubling for our democracy. Lewis had every right not to attend, as do pro-Trump representatives this time. That’s their prerogative, but we all pay a price when they exercise it. Their disdain for the rival political party undermines our shared traditions and institutions.
Eschewing civic niceties pales beside the damage done by prolonged, politically inspired investigations. Those were the sulfurous face of the Washington Swamp: James Comey’s FBI; Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his top aide, Andrew Weissmann; anti-Trump leakers in the bureaucracy and White House; and the Democratic House of Representatives. The mainstream media participated actively, eagerly. They hated Trump more than they loved journalism.
They all had the same straightforward goal: showing that Trump was elected only because he sought help from a foreign enemy and received it. How, then, could he possibly be considered a legitimate president?
It was certainly appropriate for Congress and the Department of Justice to see if Russia interfered in the election and if either party received foreign assistance. Fair-minded investigations, including Mueller’s, would have included Hillary Clinton’s campaign payments to foreign investigators, who relied on questionable Russian sources. Mueller never looked into those and never explained why. But, then, these investigations were never really about Russia. They were about Trump, whom Democrats wanted to sink by tying him to Vladimir Putin. Ideally, they would remove him from office. Failing that, they hoped to immobilize his presidency and hurt his chances of reelection.
That’s why, as soon as Democrats won the House in 2018, they ginned up a massive investigation, endorsed by their party’s top elected official, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. That’s why the Mueller team, filled with anti-Trump partisans, refused to release a partial report before the 2018 election, clearing Trump of collusion with Russia. That part of the investigation was already complete. They knew the evidence fell far short of collusion, and they should have informed the public.
Meanwhile, the House investigation, led by Pelosi’s protégé Adam Schiff, was coming up dry, too. Schiff’s House Intelligence Committee secretly interviewed all of Barack Obama’s top officials in law enforcement, intelligence, and national security. Every one of them, testifying under oath, said they had no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion. They said something very different before the cameras while Schiff hid their secret testimony for two years. Schiff himself repeatedly told reporters he had conclusive evidence of Trump-Russia collusion. If it exists, it remains as secret today as the formula for Coca-Cola.
These constant investigations, targeting a sitting president with little or no basis, hiding exculpatory evidence, spewing false information to take down political opponents, are noxious. They are not the behavior of a “loyal opposition,” operating within clear constitutional limits. They are the behavior of malignant politicians, journalists, and broadcasters who see their political competitors as enemies. Their actions, combined with the collapse of public trust in our institutions, endangers our constitutional order.
President Trump is doing the exact same thing now. His backers say, “They did it to us, and we need to fight back just as hard.” This “eye for an eye” is blinding our democracy.
It’s fruitless to direct blame at one party. Both have wrongly claimed the winner is illegitimate. We need to restore a bipartisan sense that our leaders hold office rightfully, thanks to free and fair elections.
That restoration should begin with a bipartisan effort to ensure future elections are honest, especially if they involve large-scale mail-in voting. Second, politicians and their ardent supporters need to stop promoting unproven claims of fraud and criminality. Third, leaders from both parties, including the outgoing president, need to affirm America’s constitutional stability by standing together as the new president is sworn in. Trump will have to grit his teeth, but his appearance on stage with Joe Biden will show the world our democracy endures.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/03/inauguration_day_symbolizes_americas_enduring_constitution_144948.html
|
en
| 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/704d055da412ac6a9f37f6022e50a5d6f673b45e73c43f5e2d276835aac09ea0.json
|
[
"Recent political talk has focused almost entirely on Jan. 5 (the Georgia Senate runoffs) and Jan. 6 (congressional certification of the Electoral College results). Important as they are, we also should remember Jan. 20. On that day Americans will witness a truly remarkable tradition: the peaceful transfer of power between opposing parties. Such handovers are extremely rare in history and a towering, hard-won achievement. Our next one is worth celebrating, regardless of how you voted.\nIt is especially important for Donald Trump to attend this one since he has contested the November outcome so aggressively. Those challenges have gone well beyond formal legal contests. He has rallied supporters to challenge the legitimacy of the election outcome. That rallying cry needs to end, even as legal battles continue. It is time for President Trump to signal his public recognition that Joe Biden won the 2020 election and that he and the Republican Party are now the “loyal opposition.”\nThe losers’ presence at the inauguration serves two crucial functions. First, it makes clear that they accept the winner as legitimate. Like the swearing-in of members of Congress and Supreme Court justices, it tells all Americans that our top officials hold their positions rightfully.\nSecond, it shows that defeated candidates and their party are integral features of our ongoing constitutional process. Their presence says they will continue to seek election and work within that framework.\nThe losing side has every right to challenge the election’s integrity in court. Trump has done so repeatedly and failed each time. That’s partly because it is nearly impossible to swiftly prove “fact claims,” such as voter fraud. Still, Trump’s legal team has held numerous press conferences and public hearings to assert they have incontrovertible proof. Their claims have convinced die-hard believers but not trial judges, appellate courts, or state legislatures. Repeating these claims of a “stolen election,” without convincing the courts, rends the country’s already-fraying political fabric.\nFew open-minded people would doubt there was some fraud in this election. It was probably worse this year because so many states instituted widespread mail-in voting without experience or solid protections against fraud.\nStill, no courts or administrative tribunals have found mistakes or malfeasance large enough to change any state’s electoral votes. Some courts may have been biased, but Trump’s team has lost before multiple judges he appointed. He has lost administrative challenges in states led by Republicans he once endorsed. He has every right to continue these challenges, but, without major legal victories, it irresponsible to claim that Joe Biden is not the duly elected president. He is. Attorney General Bill Barr underscored that point in a final press conference, saying his department has not yet found any evidence of widespread fraud.\nMany Trump voters believe all of them are lying. They have convinced themselves that Republicans who recognize Biden’s victory, including those who voted for Trump, are weak-kneed RINOs. President Trump has encouraged this thinking. Ending it is another reason Trump should stand on stage with Joe Biden.\nDemocrats don’t come to this moment with clean hands. It’s fine for them to celebrate their presidential victory. But it’s rich to see them parading their moral superiority. Their abysmal behavior after Trump’s victory four years ago is a one reason we face such ferocious pushback today.\nHillary Clinton may have behaved properly in public, attending Trump’s inauguration, but her private behavior was appalling. In 2016, she and the Democratic National Committee used intermediaries to hire foreign agents, who concocted false and defamatory stories about Trump “colluding” with the Kremlin to win the election. Those agents weren’t loose cannons. They were doing precisely what they were hired to do. Clinton’s close associates then worked assiduously to feed that false information to the media, the State Department, the Department of Justice, and the FBI, hoping to fuel a federal investigation into Trump-Russia collusion.\nAt the same time, the FBI not only spied on the Trump campaign, it spied on the newly elected president and his team. Holdover officials continued to do so after Trump was sworn in. Their efforts were profoundly damaging. They deliberately sabotaged the transition of power while publicly undermining the new president’s legitimacy. Theirs was abuse of power on a grand scale.\nThis effort to delegitimize Trump’s presidency was systematic, sustained, and well-orchestrated. Its overriding aim was to show that Trump did not win the presidency honestly, exactly what Trump himself is now saying about Biden. Democratic lawmakers tipped their hand at Trump’s inauguration, when some five dozen House members, led by civil rights icon John Lewis, refused to attend. Lewis said openly that Trump “is not a legitimate president.” He also refused to attend George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2001.\nBoycotts like this are something new and troubling for our democracy. Lewis had every right not to attend, as do pro-Trump representatives this time. That’s their prerogative, but we all pay a price when they exercise it. Their disdain for the rival political party undermines our shared traditions and institutions.\nEschewing civic niceties pales beside the damage done by prolonged, politically inspired investigations. Those were the sulfurous face of the Washington Swamp: James Comey’s FBI; Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his top aide, Andrew Weissmann; anti-Trump leakers in the bureaucracy and White House; and the Democratic House of Representatives. The mainstream media participated actively, eagerly. They hated Trump more than they loved journalism.\nThey all had the same straightforward goal: showing that Trump was elected only because he sought help from a foreign enemy and received it. How, then, could he possibly be considered a legitimate president?\nIt was certainly appropriate for Congress and the Department of Justice to see if Russia interfered in the election and if either party received foreign assistance. Fair-minded investigations, including Mueller’s, would have included Hillary Clinton’s campaign payments to foreign investigators, who relied on questionable Russian sources. Mueller never looked into those and never explained why. But, then, these investigations were never really about Russia. They were about Trump, whom Democrats wanted to sink by tying him to Vladimir Putin. Ideally, they would remove him from office. Failing that, they hoped to immobilize his presidency and hurt his chances of reelection.\nThat’s why, as soon as Democrats won the House in 2018, they ginned up a massive investigation, endorsed by their party’s top elected official, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. That’s why the Mueller team, filled with anti-Trump partisans, refused to release a partial report before the 2018 election, clearing Trump of collusion with Russia. That part of the investigation was already complete. They knew the evidence fell far short of collusion, and they should have informed the public.\nMeanwhile, the House investigation, led by Pelosi’s protégé Adam Schiff, was coming up dry, too. Schiff’s House Intelligence Committee secretly interviewed all of Barack Obama’s top officials in law enforcement, intelligence, and national security. Every one of them, testifying under oath, said they had no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion. They said something very different before the cameras while Schiff hid their secret testimony for two years. Schiff himself repeatedly told reporters he had conclusive evidence of Trump-Russia collusion. If it exists, it remains as secret today as the formula for Coca-Cola.\nThese constant investigations, targeting a sitting president with little or no basis, hiding exculpatory evidence, spewing false information to take down political opponents, are noxious. They are not the behavior of a “loyal opposition,” operating within clear constitutional limits. They are the behavior of malignant politicians, journalists, and broadcasters who see their political competitors as enemies. Their actions, combined with the collapse of public trust in our institutions, endangers our constitutional order.\nPresident Trump is doing the exact same thing now. His backers say, “They did it to us, and we need to fight back just as hard.” This “eye for an eye” is blinding our democracy.\nIt’s fruitless to direct blame at one party. Both have wrongly claimed the winner is illegitimate. We need to restore a bipartisan sense that our leaders hold office rightfully, thanks to free and fair elections.\nThat restoration should begin with a bipartisan effort to ensure future elections are honest, especially if they involve large-scale mail-in voting. Second, politicians and their ardent supporters need to stop promoting unproven claims of fraud and criminality. Third, leaders from both parties, including the outgoing president, need to affirm America’s constitutional stability by standing together as the new president is sworn in. Trump will have to grit his teeth, but his appearance on stage with Joe Biden will show the world our democracy endures.",
"Inauguration Day Symbolizes America's Enduring Constitution",
"Recent political talk has focused almost entirely on Jan. 5 (the Georgia Senate runoffs) and Jan. 6 (congressional certification of the Electoral College..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-24T05:15:43 | null | 2021-01-23T00:00:00 |
Republicans Still Have Not Learned Their Lesson | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F23%2Frepublicans_still_have_not_learned_their_lesson_534249.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Republicans Still Have Not Learned Their Lesson
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Republicans Still Have Not Learned Their Lesson
What if they held a GOP civil war and nobody came?
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/23/republicans_still_have_not_learned_their_lesson_534249.html
|
en
| 2021-01-23T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/44a6a288abc33cf2ad46d75695b1078af061b4e8090de9d076171cf39aa1ef01.json
|
[
"Republicans Still Have Not Learned Their Lesson\nWhat if they held a GOP civil war and nobody came?",
"Republicans Still Have Not Learned Their Lesson",
"Republicans Still Have Not Learned Their Lesson | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-16T18:08:29 | null | 2021-01-16T00:00:00 |
The New Deal. The Interstate Highway System. The Great Society. When our nations leaders aim high the names of their accomplishments are enduring, etched in...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F16%2Fbuild_back_better_can_be_bidens_american-made_legacy_145053.html.json
|
en
| null |
Build Back Better Can Be Biden's American-Made Legacy
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The New Deal. The Interstate Highway System. The Great Society. When our nation’s leaders aim high the names of their accomplishments are enduring, etched in our history books. We continue to enjoy the astounding benefits of many of these federal programs, from Social Security to Medicare to the fruits of the Works Progress Administration.
President-elect Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan, with its massive public investment and bold guiding principles, could remake the U.S. economy for the better, and if enacted it will join that list of national public achievements.
Or it could fall short in the way that the 2009 Recovery Act and 2020 CARES Act did: Allowing many Americans to keep their heads barely above the rising water of economic insecurity, but failing to lift most to higher ground in a time of immense need.
Our incoming president announced his immediate domestic agenda Thursday in what amounts to a pair of shots in the arm for the American economy. The first is focused on COVID-19 relief, which should quite literally put more vaccinations in the arms of the public and money in the pockets of millions of struggling American households. The second, which Biden plans to unveil in an address to Congress next month, is the framework of Build Back Better.
Fully implemented, this program as described would launch more than $2 trillion in investment in 21st century infrastructure, clean energy and domestic manufacturing. It would set the stage for a newly competitive U.S. economy with more equitable foundations, while turning the tide on the global climate crisis. America the laggard could become America the leader – that’s the promise behind the Biden plan.
But the list of things that could block its enactment is long, and that list begins with partisanship, political myopia and hypocritical deficit hawks. The proposed price tag on the relief bill is already drawing some complaints. Build Back Better will be another early test for the new Congress: Can visceral differences be set aside for the greater good during an economic emergency? Are lawmakers going to dig in, or are they willing to shape an agenda that will over time return dividends in terms of jobs and competitiveness? Short-term relief is a necessary Band-Aid; long-term investments will be truly transformational. Making them may mean tax increases and significant borrowing, which many on Capitol Hill have been willing to tolerate for corporate tax cuts and increased defense spending. If they now fret about the deficit while denying the working class a chance at economic improvement, they will show America their true colors.
We all know how hard it is to convert campaign rhetoric into policy that improves the lives of working people. The good news for Biden is that virtually every corner of the economy would benefit from substantial public investment in infrastructure, which he campaigned on: From the roads, bridges, and transit and water systems we must modernize, to the electric-vehicle manufacturing and broadband expansion we must spark. That makes them popular proposals. And by declaring that Build Back Better will be made in America, the president-elect will further broaden public support and put lots of American manufacturers to work.
Plenty of critics will be dismayed by Buy America domestic preferences in an expansive economic program, especially coming from a new president who is clearly more globally inclined than his predecessor, but context is important. First, even after four years of “America First” rhetoric, our country’s procurement markets remain far more open than other major economies that are part of the Agreement on Government Procurement. Second, significant public investments in the U.S. have been accompanied by Buy America preferences for decades, from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.
Now is the time for another one. By combining a Rooseveltian level of investment with a Reaganesque “Made in America” appeal, Biden can cement his legacy as a president who not only brought us out of an epic economic crisis, but also shaped a federal policy that rewarded future generations too. Rebuild American infrastructure and rebuild American industry. Go big, so that the benefits accrue in working America. Joe Biden can do this, with the right allocation of political capital. I hope he spends it wisely and succeeds.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/16/build_back_better_can_be_bidens_american-made_legacy_145053.html
|
en
| 2021-01-16T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/8afbe8fabe36df414f5daff353a34588c8e2eaa71ed38e5ec4cc1d739d4250a1.json
|
[
"The New Deal. The Interstate Highway System. The Great Society. When our nation’s leaders aim high the names of their accomplishments are enduring, etched in our history books. We continue to enjoy the astounding benefits of many of these federal programs, from Social Security to Medicare to the fruits of the Works Progress Administration.\nPresident-elect Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan, with its massive public investment and bold guiding principles, could remake the U.S. economy for the better, and if enacted it will join that list of national public achievements.\nOr it could fall short in the way that the 2009 Recovery Act and 2020 CARES Act did: Allowing many Americans to keep their heads barely above the rising water of economic insecurity, but failing to lift most to higher ground in a time of immense need.\nOur incoming president announced his immediate domestic agenda Thursday in what amounts to a pair of shots in the arm for the American economy. The first is focused on COVID-19 relief, which should quite literally put more vaccinations in the arms of the public and money in the pockets of millions of struggling American households. The second, which Biden plans to unveil in an address to Congress next month, is the framework of Build Back Better.\nFully implemented, this program as described would launch more than $2 trillion in investment in 21st century infrastructure, clean energy and domestic manufacturing. It would set the stage for a newly competitive U.S. economy with more equitable foundations, while turning the tide on the global climate crisis. America the laggard could become America the leader – that’s the promise behind the Biden plan.\nBut the list of things that could block its enactment is long, and that list begins with partisanship, political myopia and hypocritical deficit hawks. The proposed price tag on the relief bill is already drawing some complaints. Build Back Better will be another early test for the new Congress: Can visceral differences be set aside for the greater good during an economic emergency? Are lawmakers going to dig in, or are they willing to shape an agenda that will over time return dividends in terms of jobs and competitiveness? Short-term relief is a necessary Band-Aid; long-term investments will be truly transformational. Making them may mean tax increases and significant borrowing, which many on Capitol Hill have been willing to tolerate for corporate tax cuts and increased defense spending. If they now fret about the deficit while denying the working class a chance at economic improvement, they will show America their true colors.\nWe all know how hard it is to convert campaign rhetoric into policy that improves the lives of working people. The good news for Biden is that virtually every corner of the economy would benefit from substantial public investment in infrastructure, which he campaigned on: From the roads, bridges, and transit and water systems we must modernize, to the electric-vehicle manufacturing and broadband expansion we must spark. That makes them popular proposals. And by declaring that Build Back Better will be made in America, the president-elect will further broaden public support and put lots of American manufacturers to work.\nPlenty of critics will be dismayed by Buy America domestic preferences in an expansive economic program, especially coming from a new president who is clearly more globally inclined than his predecessor, but context is important. First, even after four years of “America First” rhetoric, our country’s procurement markets remain far more open than other major economies that are part of the Agreement on Government Procurement. Second, significant public investments in the U.S. have been accompanied by Buy America preferences for decades, from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama.\nNow is the time for another one. By combining a Rooseveltian level of investment with a Reaganesque “Made in America” appeal, Biden can cement his legacy as a president who not only brought us out of an epic economic crisis, but also shaped a federal policy that rewarded future generations too. Rebuild American infrastructure and rebuild American industry. Go big, so that the benefits accrue in working America. Joe Biden can do this, with the right allocation of political capital. I hope he spends it wisely and succeeds.",
"Build Back Better Can Be Biden's American-Made Legacy",
"The New Deal. The Interstate Highway System. The Great Society. When our nations leaders aim high the names of their accomplishments are enduring, etched in..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-04T03:25:03 | null | 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
Inside the Democrats’ Push to Boost Turnout in Georgia | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F03%2Finside_the_democratsrsquo_push_to_boost_turnout_in_georgia_532539.html.json
|
en
| null |
Inside the Democrats’ Push to Boost Turnout in Georgia
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
When news networks called Georgia for Joe Biden, on November 13th, Nsé Ufot, the C.E.O. of the New Georgia Project, was atop Stone Mountain, a hunk of granite east of Atlanta that is home to the largest Confederate monument on earth. She was with colleagues, taking a staff photo and celebrating the work they’d done to turn out voters in record numbers. As word of Biden’s victory spread, some people teared up, Ufot said, but not her. Her organization, which was founded, in 2014, by Stacey Abrams, had made three million phone calls, sent two million text messages, and carefully knocked on half a million doors. Biden won the state by around twelve thousand votes.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/03/inside_the_democratsrsquo_push_to_boost_turnout_in_georgia_532539.html
|
en
| 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/6378d3252052205735afda296c41e61e5ae255e7187774c1c3b9df5583a5e7ca.json
|
[
"When news networks called Georgia for Joe Biden, on November 13th, Nsé Ufot, the C.E.O. of the New Georgia Project, was atop Stone Mountain, a hunk of granite east of Atlanta that is home to the largest Confederate monument on earth. She was with colleagues, taking a staff photo and celebrating the work they’d done to turn out voters in record numbers. As word of Biden’s victory spread, some people teared up, Ufot said, but not her. Her organization, which was founded, in 2014, by Stacey Abrams, had made three million phone calls, sent two million text messages, and carefully knocked on half a million doors. Biden won the state by around twelve thousand votes.",
"Inside the Democrats’ Push to Boost Turnout in Georgia",
"Inside the Democrats’ Push to Boost Turnout in Georgia | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-17T23:26:14 | null | 2021-01-17T00:00:00 |
This Time, There May Not Be a Do-Over | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F17%2Fthis_time_there_may_not_be_a_do-over_533702.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
This Time, There May Not Be a Do-Over
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
This Time, There May Not Be a Do-Over
America is at an inflection point. The next few years will determine if its hegemony fades or flourishes anew.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/17/this_time_there_may_not_be_a_do-over_533702.html
|
en
| 2021-01-17T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/3a1ba25e121e4de212751042df2a525e895c944de28aa3047b317dd2c0ea9322.json
|
[
"This Time, There May Not Be a Do-Over\nAmerica is at an inflection point. The next few years will determine if its hegemony fades or flourishes anew.",
"This Time, There May Not Be a Do-Over",
"This Time, There May Not Be a Do-Over | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-14T17:04:21 | null | 2021-01-14T00:00:00 |
What Biden and a Democratic Senate Can Accomplish | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F14%2Fwhat_biden_and_a_democratic_senate_can_accomplish_533414.html.json
|
en
| null |
What Biden and a Democratic Senate Can Accomplish
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
What Biden and a Democratic Senate Can Accomplish
Biden's majority is fragile. But it could also be incredibly powerful.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/14/what_biden_and_a_democratic_senate_can_accomplish_533414.html
|
en
| 2021-01-14T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/46941bd8f763e990d646d2be9a3ecb56d839772fe565dba4dc2e8db6059626db.json
|
[
"What Biden and a Democratic Senate Can Accomplish\nBiden's majority is fragile. But it could also be incredibly powerful.",
"What Biden and a Democratic Senate Can Accomplish",
"What Biden and a Democratic Senate Can Accomplish | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-05T09:25:13 | null | 2021-01-04T00:00:00 |
Target Covid Aid to Those Who Need It | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F04%2Ftarget_covid_aid_to_those_who_need_it_532608.html.json
|
en
| null |
Target Covid Aid to Those Who Need It
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Rather late in the game, President Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Bernie Sanders have decided they’re on the same team. The goal: Send a $2,000 check to most adults, on top of the $600 approved last month. The idea is to help the average American — but there is no average American. Why not use data to target aid where it’s needed?
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/04/target_covid_aid_to_those_who_need_it_532608.html
|
en
| 2021-01-04T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/f96e983b3c2375a0b2e7eacd9d1487a7cce73c44a9074fcdbf05c74fefcc5ca6.json
|
[
"Rather late in the game, President Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Bernie Sanders have decided they’re on the same team. The goal: Send a $2,000 check to most adults, on top of the $600 approved last month. The idea is to help the average American — but there is no average American. Why not use data to target aid where it’s needed?",
"Target Covid Aid to Those Who Need It",
"Target Covid Aid to Those Who Need It | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-28T07:21:58 | null | 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
Republicans Now 'Shocked, Shocked' That There's a Deficit | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F27%2Frepublicans_now_shocked_shocked_that_theres_a_deficit_534523.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Republicans Now 'Shocked, Shocked' That There's a Deficit
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Sen. Ron Johnson is right that the national debt almost doubled — he fails to mention most occurred with his enthusiastic support.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/27/republicans_now_shocked_shocked_that_theres_a_deficit_534523.html
|
en
| 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/2a5ca40124e0faceba1da381dd6274c588efd0e2ea731c0790047408b8732190.json
|
[
"Sen. Ron Johnson is right that the national debt almost doubled — he fails to mention most occurred with his enthusiastic support.",
"Republicans Now 'Shocked, Shocked' That There's a Deficit",
"Republicans Now 'Shocked, Shocked' That There's a Deficit | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-29T12:36:41 | null | 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
If personnel is policy, as Ronald Reagan once told his staff -- and conservatives have told themselves ever since -- then it seems Sen. Bill Hagerty is...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F29%2Fbill_hagerty_builds_a_post-trump_enclave_in_the_senate.html.json
|
en
| null |
Bill Hagerty Builds a Post-Trump Enclave in the Senate
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
If personnel is policy, as Ronald Reagan once told his staff -- and conservatives have told themselves ever since -- then it seems Sen. Bill Hagerty is preparing to take up the work of the now departed administration.
Previously the U.S. ambassador to Japan, the Tennessee Republican just hired 13 displaced staffers from the former administration to turn his office in the Russell Senate building into a little Trump citadel. The hires are notable because they come at a moment when some Trump aides are having a hard time finding work and as the GOP searches for its post-Trump identity.
“Not only does the team I have assembled in my Washington office augment the strong on-the-ground state organization announced this month, they also bring a wide array of experiences and qualifications that will serve our state and the country well,” Hagerty said in a statement. “Under John Rader’s leadership, and with the senior team I have assembled, I’m confident this talented group will work above and beyond to serve the needs of Tennesseans and our Nation.”
The John Rader in question is the former deputy assistant for strategic initiatives at the White House. He also served as a senior policy adviser to Trump while working on the National Security Council. Those two posts suit Hagerty, who hopes to make use of his foreign policy experience in the Senate.
A dozen other Trump alumni will now go to work for the newly minted senator. Two names stand out immediately: Judd Deere, former White House deputy press secretary, who will serve as Hagerty’s deputy chief of staff for communications, and Julia Hahn, former deputy White House communications director, who will serve as senior communications director.
Stacking a Senate office with so many Trump alums immediately drew attention, and Deere had a statement prepared for reporters:
“Senator Hagerty ran on and told the people of Tennessee to send him to Washington to build on the successes of President Trump, and there is no better way to do that than by hiring the best from the outgoing administration. The Senator also wanted to hire the most talented people in their respective fields, and he is fortunate that these individuals with decades of combined experience — particularly on issues related to foreign policy and the economy, top priorities for Hagerty — were excited to join his staff and serve the American people.”
Trump influenced the Tennessee Senate race. Hagerty told RealClearPolitics last January that he discussed his run with the president, and sought his endorsement while on the golf course. “There were,” he added, “several conversations off the fairway.”
The freshman lawmaker now seeks to pick up and carry on the Trump policy agenda with an emphasis on immigration and foreign policy. A former senior White House official borrowed a familiar phrase from the former president, telling RCP that the hiring spree reflected “a commitment to follow through on helping the Forgotten Americans.”
This is good news in Trump World. Normally, White House credentials are a ticket to corporate and lobbying gigs, if not other government roles. But that stock has fallen since the president’s contentious exit.
“It's really sad to see so many accomplished, skilled and hard-working people that others in politics are attempting to blacklist purely because of political animus,” the official said. “They want to serve their country and they don’t deserve to just be shut out of a future career because of some people’s animosity toward the person they worked for.” But 13 of those Trump staffers have now found a new home with Hagerty.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/29/bill_hagerty_builds_a_post-trump_enclave_in_the_senate.html
|
en
| 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/752e56b0e52c3ab649a8a45e0322fd495f43c93d5a2234f1b3d60bc6ef1503f6.json
|
[
"If personnel is policy, as Ronald Reagan once told his staff -- and conservatives have told themselves ever since -- then it seems Sen. Bill Hagerty is preparing to take up the work of the now departed administration.\nPreviously the U.S. ambassador to Japan, the Tennessee Republican just hired 13 displaced staffers from the former administration to turn his office in the Russell Senate building into a little Trump citadel. The hires are notable because they come at a moment when some Trump aides are having a hard time finding work and as the GOP searches for its post-Trump identity.\n“Not only does the team I have assembled in my Washington office augment the strong on-the-ground state organization announced this month, they also bring a wide array of experiences and qualifications that will serve our state and the country well,” Hagerty said in a statement. “Under John Rader’s leadership, and with the senior team I have assembled, I’m confident this talented group will work above and beyond to serve the needs of Tennesseans and our Nation.”\nThe John Rader in question is the former deputy assistant for strategic initiatives at the White House. He also served as a senior policy adviser to Trump while working on the National Security Council. Those two posts suit Hagerty, who hopes to make use of his foreign policy experience in the Senate.\nA dozen other Trump alumni will now go to work for the newly minted senator. Two names stand out immediately: Judd Deere, former White House deputy press secretary, who will serve as Hagerty’s deputy chief of staff for communications, and Julia Hahn, former deputy White House communications director, who will serve as senior communications director.\nStacking a Senate office with so many Trump alums immediately drew attention, and Deere had a statement prepared for reporters:\n“Senator Hagerty ran on and told the people of Tennessee to send him to Washington to build on the successes of President Trump, and there is no better way to do that than by hiring the best from the outgoing administration. The Senator also wanted to hire the most talented people in their respective fields, and he is fortunate that these individuals with decades of combined experience — particularly on issues related to foreign policy and the economy, top priorities for Hagerty — were excited to join his staff and serve the American people.”\nTrump influenced the Tennessee Senate race. Hagerty told RealClearPolitics last January that he discussed his run with the president, and sought his endorsement while on the golf course. “There were,” he added, “several conversations off the fairway.”\nThe freshman lawmaker now seeks to pick up and carry on the Trump policy agenda with an emphasis on immigration and foreign policy. A former senior White House official borrowed a familiar phrase from the former president, telling RCP that the hiring spree reflected “a commitment to follow through on helping the Forgotten Americans.”\nThis is good news in Trump World. Normally, White House credentials are a ticket to corporate and lobbying gigs, if not other government roles. But that stock has fallen since the president’s contentious exit.\n“It's really sad to see so many accomplished, skilled and hard-working people that others in politics are attempting to blacklist purely because of political animus,” the official said. “They want to serve their country and they don’t deserve to just be shut out of a future career because of some people’s animosity toward the person they worked for.” But 13 of those Trump staffers have now found a new home with Hagerty.",
"Bill Hagerty Builds a Post-Trump Enclave in the Senate",
"If personnel is policy, as Ronald Reagan once told his staff -- and conservatives have told themselves ever since -- then it seems Sen. Bill Hagerty is..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-12T18:44:02 | null | 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
Time for Republicans to Face Consequences | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F12%2Ftime_for_republicans_to_face_consequences_533183.html.json
|
en
| null |
Time for Republicans to Face Consequences
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The most immediate challenge any new president faces is deciding what not to do. For Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the catastrophes of the past four days have not radically changed the way they should make those choices. One week ago, it was imperative that they mainly look forward, to the public-health, economic, and foreign-affairs emergencies that they are inheriting. That is still their duty and imperative now.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/12/time_for_republicans_to_face_consequences_533183.html
|
en
| 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/a884586ad59c41acf64c4db68592bbc9e04aa491d37c8b08f50b6eea098a7194.json
|
[
"The most immediate challenge any new president faces is deciding what not to do. For Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the catastrophes of the past four days have not radically changed the way they should make those choices. One week ago, it was imperative that they mainly look forward, to the public-health, economic, and foreign-affairs emergencies that they are inheriting. That is still their duty and imperative now.",
"Time for Republicans to Face Consequences",
"Time for Republicans to Face Consequences | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-02T23:16:38 | null | 2021-01-02T00:00:00 |
Did America go crazy in 2020? I suspect observers years hence will think so because of the responses, of both elite officials and ordinary Americans, to the...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F02%2Fthe_year_america_went_crazy_144951.html.json
|
en
| null |
Did America Go Crazy in 2020?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Did America go crazy in 2020? I suspect observers years hence will think so because of the responses, of both elite officials and ordinary Americans, to the COVID-19 pandemic starting last February and to the shocking video from Minneapolis police officers released over Memorial Day weekend.
The response to COVID was unprecedented and disproportionate to the threat.
Initially, the pandemic evoked memories of Ebola and SARS, diseases not readily contagious but fatal for roughly half of those infected. Intensive testing, contact tracing and quarantines were indicated then and were initially hailed as effective in island countries -- Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand.
But in a continent-sized, globally connected United States, a disease that is highly contagious but often asymptomatic could not be stamped out that way.
And a respiratory ailment with a lower fatality rate among those under 65 than a bad year's influenza surely didn't justify the extended lockdowns and restrictions on others (no garden seeds!) that threw the economy into sharp reversal and devastated many low-wage workers.
Worries that proved unwarranted about overwhelming ICUs resulted in responses such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's order sending COVID patients to assisted living facilities, which were deadly mistakes.
COVID split Americans on partisan lines, with Democrats pushing for and Republicans pushing against strict lockdowns. Experts lionized by legacy media were often no help, disparaging international travel bans as xenophobia and then endorsing interstate travel bans, saying people shouldn't wear masks and then that they must, bashing people who thronged to wind-swept beaches and cheering others thronging to tightly packed anti-police demonstrations.
Those "mostly peaceful" demonstrations were protests of an arrestee's death at the hands of Minneapolis police. This incident seems to have convinced millions of Americans, with encouragement from legacy media, that the nation faced a sudden upsurge of white cops killing innocent blacks.
Statistics tell another story. The Washington Post's chronicle, begun when the Black Lives Matter movement exploited the 2014 Ferguson, Missouri, case, showed that the number police shootings of black suspects had been declining and the proportion was far lower than the proportion of violent crimes committed by (and against) blacks, as the Manhattan Institute's Heather Mac Donald pointed out.
Democratic politicians rallied to join the BLM cause, with kente cloth-clad congressional leaders kneeling in ceremony. Defunding the police became not just a rallying cry but public policy in Democratic-run central cities, with $282 million in police budget cuts in New York, $150 million cut in Los Angeles, $69 million in Seattle, $60 million in San Francisco and $50 million in Denver.
De-policing, whether from defunding or from cops avoiding proactive policing for fear of career-ending confrontations, results in more violent crime. Just as violent crime rose in cities such as St. Louis and Baltimore after BLM's Ferguson protests and other protests, from 2019 to 2020, murders have increased 72% in Minneapolis, 62% in New York, 55% in Chicago, 78% in Louisville and 51% in Portland. Most of those murdered, by the way, are black.
Murder rates shot up after Memorial Day, and while final data isn't available, it looks like murders nationwide are up over 2019 by at least 15%. That would be the biggest one-year increase ever recorded.
It was 12.7% in 1968 -- also a tumultuous election year, which saw multiple urban riots and the horrifying assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. It was a time when "police brutality" was far more common and in the midst of a decade, 1965-75, when violent crime roughly tripled. It was only brought down by proactive policing reforms initiated by Rudy Giuliani in New York and pursued by many others. Murders in New York fell from 2,200 to 300 between 1990 and 2017; now they're on what threatens to be another continuing upswing.
1968 was also the year the Hong Kong flu struck the United States and killed an estimated 100,000 here and an estimated 1 million worldwide. But we had no substantial lockdowns then, and nothing like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendation that 87 million "essential workers" get the COVID-19 vaccinations before the 53 million Americans over 65, on the "equity" ground that a larger percentage of the former are black.
This recommendation was reversed after liberal writers such as Matthew Yglesias, Nate Silver and Yascha Mounk pointed out that it likely would result in many more total deaths. But it's interesting, and chilling, that 14 highly credentialed public health experts, like the mostly white elites who have supported Black Lives Matter's platform, have, in the name of "equity," gravitated toward policies that appear to result in more black deaths. It's as if they think preserving black lives is less important than stigmatizing America as racist.
It's been a crazy year.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/02/the_year_america_went_crazy_144951.html
|
en
| 2021-01-02T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/e2ff9a6d8a7a0757424eda830780f393deb53264d2885de679c3900041c5a518.json
|
[
"Did America go crazy in 2020? I suspect observers years hence will think so because of the responses, of both elite officials and ordinary Americans, to the COVID-19 pandemic starting last February and to the shocking video from Minneapolis police officers released over Memorial Day weekend.\nThe response to COVID was unprecedented and disproportionate to the threat.\nInitially, the pandemic evoked memories of Ebola and SARS, diseases not readily contagious but fatal for roughly half of those infected. Intensive testing, contact tracing and quarantines were indicated then and were initially hailed as effective in island countries -- Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand.\nBut in a continent-sized, globally connected United States, a disease that is highly contagious but often asymptomatic could not be stamped out that way.\nAnd a respiratory ailment with a lower fatality rate among those under 65 than a bad year's influenza surely didn't justify the extended lockdowns and restrictions on others (no garden seeds!) that threw the economy into sharp reversal and devastated many low-wage workers.\nWorries that proved unwarranted about overwhelming ICUs resulted in responses such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's order sending COVID patients to assisted living facilities, which were deadly mistakes.\nCOVID split Americans on partisan lines, with Democrats pushing for and Republicans pushing against strict lockdowns. Experts lionized by legacy media were often no help, disparaging international travel bans as xenophobia and then endorsing interstate travel bans, saying people shouldn't wear masks and then that they must, bashing people who thronged to wind-swept beaches and cheering others thronging to tightly packed anti-police demonstrations.\nThose \"mostly peaceful\" demonstrations were protests of an arrestee's death at the hands of Minneapolis police. This incident seems to have convinced millions of Americans, with encouragement from legacy media, that the nation faced a sudden upsurge of white cops killing innocent blacks.\nStatistics tell another story. The Washington Post's chronicle, begun when the Black Lives Matter movement exploited the 2014 Ferguson, Missouri, case, showed that the number police shootings of black suspects had been declining and the proportion was far lower than the proportion of violent crimes committed by (and against) blacks, as the Manhattan Institute's Heather Mac Donald pointed out.\nDemocratic politicians rallied to join the BLM cause, with kente cloth-clad congressional leaders kneeling in ceremony. Defunding the police became not just a rallying cry but public policy in Democratic-run central cities, with $282 million in police budget cuts in New York, $150 million cut in Los Angeles, $69 million in Seattle, $60 million in San Francisco and $50 million in Denver.\nDe-policing, whether from defunding or from cops avoiding proactive policing for fear of career-ending confrontations, results in more violent crime. Just as violent crime rose in cities such as St. Louis and Baltimore after BLM's Ferguson protests and other protests, from 2019 to 2020, murders have increased 72% in Minneapolis, 62% in New York, 55% in Chicago, 78% in Louisville and 51% in Portland. Most of those murdered, by the way, are black.\nMurder rates shot up after Memorial Day, and while final data isn't available, it looks like murders nationwide are up over 2019 by at least 15%. That would be the biggest one-year increase ever recorded.\nIt was 12.7% in 1968 -- also a tumultuous election year, which saw multiple urban riots and the horrifying assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. It was a time when \"police brutality\" was far more common and in the midst of a decade, 1965-75, when violent crime roughly tripled. It was only brought down by proactive policing reforms initiated by Rudy Giuliani in New York and pursued by many others. Murders in New York fell from 2,200 to 300 between 1990 and 2017; now they're on what threatens to be another continuing upswing.\n1968 was also the year the Hong Kong flu struck the United States and killed an estimated 100,000 here and an estimated 1 million worldwide. But we had no substantial lockdowns then, and nothing like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendation that 87 million \"essential workers\" get the COVID-19 vaccinations before the 53 million Americans over 65, on the \"equity\" ground that a larger percentage of the former are black.\nThis recommendation was reversed after liberal writers such as Matthew Yglesias, Nate Silver and Yascha Mounk pointed out that it likely would result in many more total deaths. But it's interesting, and chilling, that 14 highly credentialed public health experts, like the mostly white elites who have supported Black Lives Matter's platform, have, in the name of \"equity,\" gravitated toward policies that appear to result in more black deaths. It's as if they think preserving black lives is less important than stigmatizing America as racist.\nIt's been a crazy year.\nCOPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM",
"Did America Go Crazy in 2020?",
"Did America go crazy in 2020? I suspect observers years hence will think so because of the responses, of both elite officials and ordinary Americans, to the..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-13T04:53:35 | null | 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
'It's All Fallen Apart': Newsom Fights Recall Effort in CA | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F12%2Fits_all_fallen_apart_newsom_fights_recall_effort_in_ca_533307.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
'It's All Fallen Apart': Newsom Fights Recall Effort in CA
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/12/its_all_fallen_apart_newsom_fights_recall_effort_in_ca_533307.html
|
en
| 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/4b87605f7944aa14646b43ba742ca178dc755c85879b19d15a10f382c9a04317.json
|
[
"'It's All Fallen Apart': Newsom Fights Recall Effort in CA",
"'It's All Fallen Apart': Newsom Fights Recall Effort in CA | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-21T23:49:13 | null | 2021-01-21T00:00:00 |
Can We Save the Planet, Live Comfortably & Have Kids Too? | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F21%2Fcan_we_save_the_planet_live_comfortably_amp_have_kids_too_534018.html.json
|
en
| null |
Can We Save the Planet, Live Comfortably & Have Kids Too?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about what Zillow calls “the great re-shuffling,” as more people head out of major metropolitan areas to work, often remotely, in less dense, even rural areas. The recent surges in urban crime and disorder, in once-placid London and Paris, and once-triumphant New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, are likely to make things even tougher for the urban core.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/21/can_we_save_the_planet_live_comfortably_amp_have_kids_too_534018.html
|
en
| 2021-01-21T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/f64a4ca0dcd88864834fbc4ffa82fa288848f0f07592af9ed0358a2522fdae7c.json
|
[
"The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about what Zillow calls “the great re-shuffling,” as more people head out of major metropolitan areas to work, often remotely, in less dense, even rural areas. The recent surges in urban crime and disorder, in once-placid London and Paris, and once-triumphant New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, are likely to make things even tougher for the urban core.",
"Can We Save the Planet, Live Comfortably & Have Kids Too?",
"Can We Save the Planet, Live Comfortably & Have Kids Too? | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-22T16:41:47 | null | 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
President Joe Biden could have focused on any issue he wanted in his inaugural address. His base would have loved the whole thing to be about climate change or...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F22%2Fconservatives_should_embrace_the_presidents_solid_inaugural_message_145095.html.json
|
en
| null |
Conservatives Should Embrace the President's Solid Inaugural Message
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
President Joe Biden could have focused on any issue he wanted in his inaugural address. His base would have loved the whole thing to be about climate change or racial justice. Biden touched on some of these policy issues, but he focused most of his address on something totally different: national unity.
If anyone reading this doesn't believe that Biden correctly identified the issue of our time, I'm not even sure what to say. It's issue one, two and three.
We just went through a summer of left-wing street violence, and now we have the right-wing variety as well. Our corporate and media barons are setting up blacklists and speech codes. Censorship is in. Debate is out. People don't disagree anymore. We don't have to. We can segregate ourselves from anyone who may possibly disagree with us, so it's easier to hate them. We each watch and read things that reinforce our biases. All of these things make it easier to demonize our opponents.
Given the past year, it would be comforting to think things can't get any worse. But they can. Some of the political realignments occurring across racial and geographic lines this election cycle bring reason for optimism that maybe we can change our politics and culture for the better. But the energy in the country is still with those -- on the left and on the right -- who are more interested in destroying what's in their path than they are in reconciliation in any form. Where our current cycle leads is the end. No more America. A once-great country torn to shreds by a people who forgot what a unique and amazing place they once had.
All of us who do want our country to start healing should be thrilled by the Biden speech. Every inaugural address pays homage to some national healing and to being a president for the whole country, but Biden took it much further. Former President Donald Trump's inaugural was about returning power to the American people, rebuilding the middle class and his "America First" agenda. Former President Barack Obama's first inaugural address focused on national responsibility coming out of the financial crisis. Obama's second-term address went through a liberal policy wish list. And former President George W. Bush famously focused his second inaugural address on freedom and democracy around the world. Biden, on the other hand, focused almost entirely on national unity: "Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation. I ask every American to join me in this cause."
It was a perfect speech for the moment we are in as a country. And it raises the question of who is going to join this cause and who isn't.
First, the president is going to need to shut down those in his own party who have expressed a desire to destroy Trump supporters and drive them from the public sphere. The thoroughly preventable and tragic attack on our Capitol has driven a renewed push from the left to censor and blacklist political opponents. This advocacy is not limited to those on the fringes of left-wing politics. Corporate America is on board. Censorship and blacklisting are, of course, not American ideals. Repression of that type will certainly not lead to any level of national reconciliation. It will deepen the divide. Biden, to live up to the standards he set in his own speech, is going to have to pull the reins on some of his own supporters who are pushing in this destructive direction.
National reconciliation will also require Biden to push back on some of the more extreme policy proposals from his base. Blowing up the Senate filibuster is perhaps the biggest test. The filibuster rules requiring a 60-vote supermajority consensus have stood the test of time. Democrats criticize figures such as Sen. Mitch McConnell for obstructing Obama's agenda, but its noteworthy that McConnell refused to blow up the filibuster when pressured to by some in his own party. By blowing up the filibuster, McConnell could have passed all sorts of more conservative legislation. He still refused. Many on the right fault him for it. But he did so for the good of our country.
Consensus is hard to obtain, but it insulates us from radical shifts from one side to the other and adds a much-needed level of stability to our country. The Democrats now have the White House, the House and a tie-breaking vote in the Senate. If they want to blow up the filibuster and ram through super liberal legislation, there is little Republicans can do to stop them. They face the same test that McConnell passed. Based on his inaugural speech, Biden should encourage his party to keep the filibuster and operate with at least a small level of bipartisan consensus.
Those of us on the right also have a role. Conservatives are not going to agree with all or many of Biden's policies. On economics, social policy and national security, there are serious principled disagreements in our country. Nobody is saying conservatives should cave on those. What we don't need to do, though, is demonize our opponents. Biden is a liberal, but he clearly loves our country. People on both sides of the aisle who have known him through his many decades in public service will also tell you that he's a decent guy who treats those around him well. You hear this from senators but also from people like the Naval stewards who worked at Biden's residence during the Obama years. These characteristics -- love of country and good treatment of those around you -- are marks of good character. So was his speech.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/22/conservatives_should_embrace_the_presidents_solid_inaugural_message_145095.html
|
en
| 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/772cf57a2eed4ac5be6c7446c9f4f579edaab1911a1f148df7a05e6eb9c5c3ad.json
|
[
"President Joe Biden could have focused on any issue he wanted in his inaugural address. His base would have loved the whole thing to be about climate change or racial justice. Biden touched on some of these policy issues, but he focused most of his address on something totally different: national unity.\nIf anyone reading this doesn't believe that Biden correctly identified the issue of our time, I'm not even sure what to say. It's issue one, two and three.\nWe just went through a summer of left-wing street violence, and now we have the right-wing variety as well. Our corporate and media barons are setting up blacklists and speech codes. Censorship is in. Debate is out. People don't disagree anymore. We don't have to. We can segregate ourselves from anyone who may possibly disagree with us, so it's easier to hate them. We each watch and read things that reinforce our biases. All of these things make it easier to demonize our opponents.\nGiven the past year, it would be comforting to think things can't get any worse. But they can. Some of the political realignments occurring across racial and geographic lines this election cycle bring reason for optimism that maybe we can change our politics and culture for the better. But the energy in the country is still with those -- on the left and on the right -- who are more interested in destroying what's in their path than they are in reconciliation in any form. Where our current cycle leads is the end. No more America. A once-great country torn to shreds by a people who forgot what a unique and amazing place they once had.\nAll of us who do want our country to start healing should be thrilled by the Biden speech. Every inaugural address pays homage to some national healing and to being a president for the whole country, but Biden took it much further. Former President Donald Trump's inaugural was about returning power to the American people, rebuilding the middle class and his \"America First\" agenda. Former President Barack Obama's first inaugural address focused on national responsibility coming out of the financial crisis. Obama's second-term address went through a liberal policy wish list. And former President George W. Bush famously focused his second inaugural address on freedom and democracy around the world. Biden, on the other hand, focused almost entirely on national unity: \"Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this: bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation. I ask every American to join me in this cause.\"\nIt was a perfect speech for the moment we are in as a country. And it raises the question of who is going to join this cause and who isn't.\nFirst, the president is going to need to shut down those in his own party who have expressed a desire to destroy Trump supporters and drive them from the public sphere. The thoroughly preventable and tragic attack on our Capitol has driven a renewed push from the left to censor and blacklist political opponents. This advocacy is not limited to those on the fringes of left-wing politics. Corporate America is on board. Censorship and blacklisting are, of course, not American ideals. Repression of that type will certainly not lead to any level of national reconciliation. It will deepen the divide. Biden, to live up to the standards he set in his own speech, is going to have to pull the reins on some of his own supporters who are pushing in this destructive direction.\nNational reconciliation will also require Biden to push back on some of the more extreme policy proposals from his base. Blowing up the Senate filibuster is perhaps the biggest test. The filibuster rules requiring a 60-vote supermajority consensus have stood the test of time. Democrats criticize figures such as Sen. Mitch McConnell for obstructing Obama's agenda, but its noteworthy that McConnell refused to blow up the filibuster when pressured to by some in his own party. By blowing up the filibuster, McConnell could have passed all sorts of more conservative legislation. He still refused. Many on the right fault him for it. But he did so for the good of our country.\nConsensus is hard to obtain, but it insulates us from radical shifts from one side to the other and adds a much-needed level of stability to our country. The Democrats now have the White House, the House and a tie-breaking vote in the Senate. If they want to blow up the filibuster and ram through super liberal legislation, there is little Republicans can do to stop them. They face the same test that McConnell passed. Based on his inaugural speech, Biden should encourage his party to keep the filibuster and operate with at least a small level of bipartisan consensus.\nThose of us on the right also have a role. Conservatives are not going to agree with all or many of Biden's policies. On economics, social policy and national security, there are serious principled disagreements in our country. Nobody is saying conservatives should cave on those. What we don't need to do, though, is demonize our opponents. Biden is a liberal, but he clearly loves our country. People on both sides of the aisle who have known him through his many decades in public service will also tell you that he's a decent guy who treats those around him well. You hear this from senators but also from people like the Naval stewards who worked at Biden's residence during the Obama years. These characteristics -- love of country and good treatment of those around you -- are marks of good character. So was his speech.\nCOPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM",
"Conservatives Should Embrace the President's Solid Inaugural Message",
"President Joe Biden could have focused on any issue he wanted in his inaugural address. His base would have loved the whole thing to be about climate change or..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-26T13:57:06 | null | 2021-01-26T00:00:00 |
Since the day after the 2020 presidential election, I have said I am agnostic with regard to whether the election was honestly or dishonestly decided.
The...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F26%2Fthe_most_important_question_about_the_2020_election_145121.html.json
|
en
| null |
The Most Important Question About the 2020 Election
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Since the day after the 2020 presidential election, I have said I am agnostic with regard to whether the election was honestly or dishonestly decided.
The primary reasons for my agnosticism are the usual ones:
The anomalies:
In 132 years, no president has received more votes in his run for reelection and lost. Yet Donald Trump received 10 million more votes in 2020 than in 2016 -- and lost.
Trump won 18 of the 19 counties both Democrats and Republicans regard as the "bellwether" counties that virtually always go with the outcome of presidential elections. Yet he lost.
He won four bellwether states -- Florida, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina. Yet he lost.
Republicans held onto all the House seats they were defending and gained another 13 seats. Yet, Trump lost.
Add the following to the anomalies:
Unprecedented efforts were made in some states to change election laws.
Mostly Democratic states sent out tens of millions of ballots or applications for absentee ballots to people who never requested them.
Voting began in some states six weeks before Election Day.
People have submitted sworn affidavits at great personal cost and with possible perjury charges that they witnessed ballot tampering on election night.
But all these things would matter little if Democrats involved in ballot-counting felt morally compelled to count votes honestly.
So, then, there is one question I have never heard posed that trumps all other considerations: Would moral considerations prevent Democrats from cheating to oust Trump? Or, to put the question in the positive: Would Democrats deem it morally obligatory to cheat on behalf of Joe Biden?
The answer to the first question is no: Moral considerations would not prevent decent Democrats from cheating to prevent Trump's reelection. The answer to the second question is yes: Decent Democrats would deem it morally obligatory to cheat on behalf of Biden.
For four years, the media and their party, the Democrats, told us every day that Trump is a fascist, a dictator, a racist and a white supremacist; that he was an agent of the Russian government -- a real-life Manchurian candidate. We were also repeatedly told by the lying media (Trump's accurate description of the mainstream media) that in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump said there are "very fine" Nazis (see the PragerU video, "The Charlottesville Lie"). Yes, the media told us with a straight face that a man with a Jewish daughter, Jewish son-in-law and Jewish grandchildren said there are fine Nazis. Biden said he decided to run for president because of this lie.
So, then, here is the question: Why would anyone who sincerely believed Trump is a white-supremacist fascist dictator not cheat if he or she could prevent such a person from becoming or remaining president of the United States?
Let me sharpen this question: Isn't someone who could prevent a fascist, white-supremacist, Nazi-defending dictator morally obligated to cheat if he or she could prevent such a person from becoming president?
I certainly would. If I were in a position to cheat in order to prevent a fascist from becoming president, why would I not cheat? I think of the most relevant example: the Nazis in the 1932 elections, Germany's last free election until after World War II. Though the Nazi Party did not receive a majority of votes, the Nazis held the most seats in the Reichstag, and the head of the party, Adolf Hitler, was named chancellor of Germany. If I were in a position to have prevented the Nazis from coming to power by cheating in the vote-count, wouldn't I have been morally obligated to do so -- and therefore done so? The answer is obvious.
To repeat, I have never said Biden did not win the election. And even if there was considerable fraud, that doesn't mean the election result would have been different.
But there are consequences to beliefs. Unless Democrats knew they were lying for four years when they labelled Trump a fascist, racist, Nazi, dictator, etc., were they not duty-bound to cheat on Biden's behalf? So, then, when you have circumstantial evidence (not proof), combined with opportunity, desire, motive and, most important, no moral argument against cheating and a strong moral argument for cheating, it isn't a "lie," and it isn't a crackpot conspiracy theory, to wonder about the integrity of America's 2020 presidential election.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/26/the_most_important_question_about_the_2020_election_145121.html
|
en
| 2021-01-26T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/a6e9a0efdcadfa8413fbcfc37d507627c9a7c09a6e310c0011eb8987b28800c3.json
|
[
"Since the day after the 2020 presidential election, I have said I am agnostic with regard to whether the election was honestly or dishonestly decided.\nThe primary reasons for my agnosticism are the usual ones:\nThe anomalies:\nIn 132 years, no president has received more votes in his run for reelection and lost. Yet Donald Trump received 10 million more votes in 2020 than in 2016 -- and lost.\nTrump won 18 of the 19 counties both Democrats and Republicans regard as the \"bellwether\" counties that virtually always go with the outcome of presidential elections. Yet he lost.\nHe won four bellwether states -- Florida, Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina. Yet he lost.\nRepublicans held onto all the House seats they were defending and gained another 13 seats. Yet, Trump lost.\nAdd the following to the anomalies:\nUnprecedented efforts were made in some states to change election laws.\nMostly Democratic states sent out tens of millions of ballots or applications for absentee ballots to people who never requested them.\nVoting began in some states six weeks before Election Day.\nPeople have submitted sworn affidavits at great personal cost and with possible perjury charges that they witnessed ballot tampering on election night.\nBut all these things would matter little if Democrats involved in ballot-counting felt morally compelled to count votes honestly.\nSo, then, there is one question I have never heard posed that trumps all other considerations: Would moral considerations prevent Democrats from cheating to oust Trump? Or, to put the question in the positive: Would Democrats deem it morally obligatory to cheat on behalf of Joe Biden?\nThe answer to the first question is no: Moral considerations would not prevent decent Democrats from cheating to prevent Trump's reelection. The answer to the second question is yes: Decent Democrats would deem it morally obligatory to cheat on behalf of Biden.\nFor four years, the media and their party, the Democrats, told us every day that Trump is a fascist, a dictator, a racist and a white supremacist; that he was an agent of the Russian government -- a real-life Manchurian candidate. We were also repeatedly told by the lying media (Trump's accurate description of the mainstream media) that in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump said there are \"very fine\" Nazis (see the PragerU video, \"The Charlottesville Lie\"). Yes, the media told us with a straight face that a man with a Jewish daughter, Jewish son-in-law and Jewish grandchildren said there are fine Nazis. Biden said he decided to run for president because of this lie.\nSo, then, here is the question: Why would anyone who sincerely believed Trump is a white-supremacist fascist dictator not cheat if he or she could prevent such a person from becoming or remaining president of the United States?\nLet me sharpen this question: Isn't someone who could prevent a fascist, white-supremacist, Nazi-defending dictator morally obligated to cheat if he or she could prevent such a person from becoming president?\nI certainly would. If I were in a position to cheat in order to prevent a fascist from becoming president, why would I not cheat? I think of the most relevant example: the Nazis in the 1932 elections, Germany's last free election until after World War II. Though the Nazi Party did not receive a majority of votes, the Nazis held the most seats in the Reichstag, and the head of the party, Adolf Hitler, was named chancellor of Germany. If I were in a position to have prevented the Nazis from coming to power by cheating in the vote-count, wouldn't I have been morally obligated to do so -- and therefore done so? The answer is obvious.\nTo repeat, I have never said Biden did not win the election. And even if there was considerable fraud, that doesn't mean the election result would have been different.\nBut there are consequences to beliefs. Unless Democrats knew they were lying for four years when they labelled Trump a fascist, racist, Nazi, dictator, etc., were they not duty-bound to cheat on Biden's behalf? So, then, when you have circumstantial evidence (not proof), combined with opportunity, desire, motive and, most important, no moral argument against cheating and a strong moral argument for cheating, it isn't a \"lie,\" and it isn't a crackpot conspiracy theory, to wonder about the integrity of America's 2020 presidential election.\nCOPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM",
"The Most Important Question About the 2020 Election",
"Since the day after the 2020 presidential election, I have said I am agnostic with regard to whether the election was honestly or dishonestly decided.\nThe..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-10T16:50:01 | null | 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
The Left's Class Realignment of 2020 | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F09%2Fthe_lefts_class_realignment_of_2020_533055.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
The Left's Class Realignment of 2020
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
America's new year resolution should have admitted that the left now represents the privileged. If 2020 did nothing else, it...
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/09/the_lefts_class_realignment_of_2020_533055.html
|
en
| 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/6476ae44b41307d8370a9c6b9c48da248c87536fa88a1f45d23eccee440ef15c.json
|
[
"America's new year resolution should have admitted that the left now represents the privileged. If 2020 did nothing else, it...",
"The Left's Class Realignment of 2020",
"The Left's Class Realignment of 2020 | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-07T21:47:23 | null | 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
Trump's Bizarre Fixation on Demolishing Section 230 | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F07%2Ftrumps_bizarre_fixation_on_demolishing_section_230_532883.html.json
|
en
| null |
Trump's Bizarre Fixation on Demolishing Section 230
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Eliminating Section 230 would do nothing to increase accountability or transparency on Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/07/trumps_bizarre_fixation_on_demolishing_section_230_532883.html
|
en
| 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/5869d7df292b4c1bb8b951e4fcb2ab0c9ad24daa31f25d0b79af154d3c63cd95.json
|
[
"Eliminating Section 230 would do nothing to increase accountability or transparency on Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms.",
"Trump's Bizarre Fixation on Demolishing Section 230",
"Trump's Bizarre Fixation on Demolishing Section 230 | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-02T23:16:43 | null | 2021-01-02T00:00:00 |
In his 1981 diatribe against contemporary American architecture,
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F02%2Fwashington_deserves_its_brutalism_144952.html.json
|
en
| null |
Washington Deserves Its 'Brutalism'
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
In his 1981 diatribe against contemporary American architecture, "From Bauhaus to Our House," Tom Wolfe notes that seemingly every American child "goes to a school in a building that looks like a duplicating-machine replacement-parts wholesale distribution center warehouse." Anecdotally speaking, this still seems to be the case in East Coast metro areas like Washington and New York City, where suburban teens shuffle in and out of buildings that could double as minimum-security prisons.
Wolfe traces the problem to the Lost Generation, which internalized the notion that "they do things better in Europe." In architecture, this outlook was made manifest in the insipid giant glass boxes erected up and down Sixth Avenue in Manhattan and in other major cities from the 1950s to the 1970s. On Wolfe's mind was the demolition of the original Beaux Arts Penn Station -- "the Roman Temple of transportation," one paper called it -- and the construction of the modern Madison Square Garden. Across the country, American towns were being blighted by unsightly and cheerless concrete structures masquerading as utilitarian art much in the same way that the walls of dentists' offices were being hung with third-rate Jackson Pollock knockoffs posing as abstract expressionism.
When President Donald Trump signed a rather toothless executive order encouraging the use of classical architectural styles -- Neoclassical, Georgian, Greek Revival, Gothic -- over modernist styles in new federal buildings, "absent exceptional factors necessitating another kind of architecture," there was the usual grousing. It was Trump, after all, so complain they must. But the president -- his own kitschy taste notwithstanding -- wasn't wrong to note that most federal buildings put up in the past five decades are "undistinguished," "uninspiring" and "just plain ugly." Long before Trump came to town, it was tradition in D.C. to grumble about how these buildings tarnish the place.
Most-often cited for ugliness is the J. Edgar Hoover Building, but the soul-sucking Washington edifices that house the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Energy are just as aesthetically depressing. The technical architectural term for these buildings is "brutalism," but ideologically speaking they are "fascist aspirational."
Brutalist architecture, which Theodore Dalrymple once described as arising from the "spiritual, intellectual, and moral deformity" of totalitarianism, is the ideal style for the gigantic bureaucratic institutions that were built to lord over Americans. So perhaps a city that houses such massive bureaucracies deserves its joyless structures. And if you're under the impression that they aren't political statements, consider that, even today, architecture professors take to the pages of major newspapers to romanticize these monstrosities as places "envisioned as being monumental symbols of how important the civic realm was."
Surely, in more than one sense, Thomas Jefferson would be appalled by the sight of the James V. Forrestal Building, which was built in the 1960s on what was once a neighborhood of Victorian row houses. Demolishing architectural gems of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to erect edifices that feel like the East German Housing Authority Headquarters is an act of cultural sabotage. It's un-American. But then again, so is the Department of Energy.
While Washington doesn't need retro-fascistic boxes of concrete, it could use more thoughtful or uplifting new buildings. I don't imagine myself any kind of expert on architecture -- and it should be pointed out that the Trump executive order is narrowly crafted for buildings that house government agencies -- but the knee-jerk detestation provoked in some people by any contemporary architecture is confusing.
In Denver, where I lived for nearly a decade, the prominent art museum expansion resembles one of those Jawa sandcrawlers from "Star Wars." It's fantastic. Down the street, there is the gentrified LoDo District, where old warehouses and factories have been turned into upscale modern condos, preserving the architectural integrity of the 20th century, but interspersed with new, imaginative structures. There is Larimer Square, with its Victorian houses, and exurbs dotted with midcentury modern homes; just outside the city is the so-called Sleeper House, the space-age domicile made famous (once) in Woody Allen's movie. All of this diversity gives Denver an interesting look and vibe.
Surely, D.C. has enough Greek Revival architecture to last us another 200 years. My God, does it get boring. And does any major city have as tedious a downtown as D.C.'s? Just a bunch of nondescript 10-story boxes, exuding the thoughtfulness of a midsized city's tech center. The rare interesting contemporary construction is usually modernistic, sometimes tepidly "brutalist" -- the DuPont Circle Metro station, the Hirshhorn Museum, or the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the last of which tries its best to balance out some of the oppressiveness of the bureaucratic government buildings nearby.
Good luck.
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/02/washington_deserves_its_brutalism_144952.html
|
en
| 2021-01-02T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/30be2893a29769f761fa3c7a944e6a5a8b08dc9f159d9376d40301d4af0f70a4.json
|
[
"In his 1981 diatribe against contemporary American architecture, \"From Bauhaus to Our House,\" Tom Wolfe notes that seemingly every American child \"goes to a school in a building that looks like a duplicating-machine replacement-parts wholesale distribution center warehouse.\" Anecdotally speaking, this still seems to be the case in East Coast metro areas like Washington and New York City, where suburban teens shuffle in and out of buildings that could double as minimum-security prisons.\nWolfe traces the problem to the Lost Generation, which internalized the notion that \"they do things better in Europe.\" In architecture, this outlook was made manifest in the insipid giant glass boxes erected up and down Sixth Avenue in Manhattan and in other major cities from the 1950s to the 1970s. On Wolfe's mind was the demolition of the original Beaux Arts Penn Station -- \"the Roman Temple of transportation,\" one paper called it -- and the construction of the modern Madison Square Garden. Across the country, American towns were being blighted by unsightly and cheerless concrete structures masquerading as utilitarian art much in the same way that the walls of dentists' offices were being hung with third-rate Jackson Pollock knockoffs posing as abstract expressionism.\nWhen President Donald Trump signed a rather toothless executive order encouraging the use of classical architectural styles -- Neoclassical, Georgian, Greek Revival, Gothic -- over modernist styles in new federal buildings, \"absent exceptional factors necessitating another kind of architecture,\" there was the usual grousing. It was Trump, after all, so complain they must. But the president -- his own kitschy taste notwithstanding -- wasn't wrong to note that most federal buildings put up in the past five decades are \"undistinguished,\" \"uninspiring\" and \"just plain ugly.\" Long before Trump came to town, it was tradition in D.C. to grumble about how these buildings tarnish the place.\nMost-often cited for ugliness is the J. Edgar Hoover Building, but the soul-sucking Washington edifices that house the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Energy are just as aesthetically depressing. The technical architectural term for these buildings is \"brutalism,\" but ideologically speaking they are \"fascist aspirational.\"\nBrutalist architecture, which Theodore Dalrymple once described as arising from the \"spiritual, intellectual, and moral deformity\" of totalitarianism, is the ideal style for the gigantic bureaucratic institutions that were built to lord over Americans. So perhaps a city that houses such massive bureaucracies deserves its joyless structures. And if you're under the impression that they aren't political statements, consider that, even today, architecture professors take to the pages of major newspapers to romanticize these monstrosities as places \"envisioned as being monumental symbols of how important the civic realm was.\"\nSurely, in more than one sense, Thomas Jefferson would be appalled by the sight of the James V. Forrestal Building, which was built in the 1960s on what was once a neighborhood of Victorian row houses. Demolishing architectural gems of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to erect edifices that feel like the East German Housing Authority Headquarters is an act of cultural sabotage. It's un-American. But then again, so is the Department of Energy.\nWhile Washington doesn't need retro-fascistic boxes of concrete, it could use more thoughtful or uplifting new buildings. I don't imagine myself any kind of expert on architecture -- and it should be pointed out that the Trump executive order is narrowly crafted for buildings that house government agencies -- but the knee-jerk detestation provoked in some people by any contemporary architecture is confusing.\nIn Denver, where I lived for nearly a decade, the prominent art museum expansion resembles one of those Jawa sandcrawlers from \"Star Wars.\" It's fantastic. Down the street, there is the gentrified LoDo District, where old warehouses and factories have been turned into upscale modern condos, preserving the architectural integrity of the 20th century, but interspersed with new, imaginative structures. There is Larimer Square, with its Victorian houses, and exurbs dotted with midcentury modern homes; just outside the city is the so-called Sleeper House, the space-age domicile made famous (once) in Woody Allen's movie. All of this diversity gives Denver an interesting look and vibe.\nSurely, D.C. has enough Greek Revival architecture to last us another 200 years. My God, does it get boring. And does any major city have as tedious a downtown as D.C.'s? Just a bunch of nondescript 10-story boxes, exuding the thoughtfulness of a midsized city's tech center. The rare interesting contemporary construction is usually modernistic, sometimes tepidly \"brutalist\" -- the DuPont Circle Metro station, the Hirshhorn Museum, or the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the last of which tries its best to balance out some of the oppressiveness of the bureaucratic government buildings nearby.\nGood luck.\nCOPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM",
"Washington Deserves Its 'Brutalism'",
"In his 1981 diatribe against contemporary American architecture,"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-29T15:49:18 | null | 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
So Much for Joe Biden, Moderate | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F29%2Fso_much_for_joe_biden_moderate_534613.html.json
|
en
| null |
So Much for Joe Biden, Moderate
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Biden owes his presidential victory in part to environmentalists, and he needs to throw them a bone, even if it's only symbolic — and very costly.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/29/so_much_for_joe_biden_moderate_534613.html
|
en
| 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/e2be4c239c904de6851e2c26e850261229f31908b5138904e334d8d4314385f9.json
|
[
"Biden owes his presidential victory in part to environmentalists, and he needs to throw them a bone, even if it's only symbolic — and very costly.",
"So Much for Joe Biden, Moderate",
"So Much for Joe Biden, Moderate | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-04T03:25:23 | null | 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
Target $2,000 Relief to the Neediest | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F03%2Ftarget_2000_relief_to_the_neediest_532503.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Target $2,000 Relief to the Neediest
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Our View: Mitch McConnell and Republicans, after passing corporate tax cuts, now are deficit hawks when America is in a once-in-a-century emergency.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/03/target_2000_relief_to_the_neediest_532503.html
|
en
| 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/b7ded368b61b6af416c20f5deb81447228fabd36dc3d1649412bc3c3d9775391.json
|
[
"Our View: Mitch McConnell and Republicans, after passing corporate tax cuts, now are deficit hawks when America is in a once-in-a-century emergency.",
"Target $2,000 Relief to the Neediest",
"Target $2,000 Relief to the Neediest | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-06T03:35:09 | null | 2021-01-05T00:00:00 |
As my listeners and readers can hopefully attest, I have been on a lifelong quest to understand human nature and human behavior. I am sad to report that I have...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F05%2Fi_now_better_understand_the_good_german_144964.html.json
|
en
| null |
I Now Better Understand the 'Good German'
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
As my listeners and readers can hopefully attest, I have been on a lifelong quest to understand human nature and human behavior. I am sad to report that I have learned more in the last few years, particularly in 2020, than in any equivalent period of time.
One of the biggest revelations concerns a question that has always plagued me: How does one explain the "good German," the term used to describe the average, presumably decent German, who did nothing to hurt Jews but also did nothing to help them and did nothing to undermine the Nazi regime? The same question could be asked about the average Frenchman during the Vichy era, the average Russian under Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Leonid Brezhnev and their successors, and the millions of others who did nothing to help their fellow citizens under oppressive dictatorships.
These past few years have taught me not to so quickly judge the quiet German, Russian, etc. Of course, I still judge Germans who helped the Nazis and Germans who in any way hurt Jews. But the Germans who did nothing? Not so fast.
What has changed my thinking has been watching what is happening in America (and Canada and Australia and elsewhere, for that matter).
The ease with which tens of millions of Americans have accepted irrational, unconstitutional and unprecedented police state-type restrictions on their freedoms, including even the freedom to make a living, has been, to understate the case, sobering.
The same holds true for the acceptance by most Americans of the rampant censorship on Twitter and all other major social media platforms. Even physicians and other scientists are deprived of freedom of speech if, for example, they offer scientific support for hydroxychloroquine along with zinc to treat COVID-19 in the early stages. Board-certified physician Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, who has saved hundreds of COVID-19 patients from suffering and/or death, has been banned from Twitter for publicizing his lifesaving hydroxychloroquine and zinc protocol.
Half of America, the nonleft half, is afraid to speak their minds at virtually every university, movie studio and large corporation -- indeed, at virtually every place of work. Professors who say anything that offends the left fear being ostracized if they have tenure and being fired if they do not. People are socially ostracized, publicly shamed and/or fired for differing with Black Lives Matter, as America-hating and white-hating a group as has ever existed. And few Americans speak up. On the contrary, when BLM protestors demand that diners outside of restaurants raise their fists to show their support of BLM, nearly every diner does.
So, then, who are we to condemn the average German who faced the Gestapo if he didn't salute Hitler or the average Russian who faced the NKVD (the secret police and intelligence agency that preceded the KGB) if he didn't demonstrate sufficient enthusiasm for Stalin? Americans face the left's cancel culture, but not left-wing secret police or reeducation camps. (At least not yet -- I have little doubt the left would send outspoken conservatives to reeducation camps if they could.)
I have come to understand the average German living under Nazism and the average Russian living under communism for another reason: the power of the media to brainwash.
As a student of totalitarianism since my graduate studies at the Russian Institute of Columbia University's School of International Affairs (as it was then known), I have always believed that only in a dictatorship could a society be brainwashed. I was wrong. I now understand that mass brainwashing can take place in a nominally free society. The incessant left-wing drumbeat of The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and almost every other major newspaper, plus The Atlantic, The New Yorker, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR, all of Hollywood and almost every school from kindergarten through graduate school, has brainwashed at least half of America every bit as effectively as the German, Soviet and Chinese communist press did (and in the latter case, still does). That thousands of schools will teach the lie that is the New York Times' "1619 Project" is one of countless examples.
Prior to the lockdowns, I flew almost every week of the year, so I was approached by people who recognized me on a regular basis. Increasingly, I noticed that people would look around to see if anyone was within earshot and then tell me in almost a whisper: "I support Trump" or, "I'm a conservative." The last time people looked around and whispered things to me was when I used to visit the Soviet Union.
In Quebec this past weekend, as one can see on a viral video, a family was fined and members arrested because six -- yes, six -- people gathered to celebrate the new year. A neighbor snitched on them, and the celebrants were duly arrested. The Quebec government lauded the snitches and asked for more public "collaboration."
Snitches are likewise lauded and encouraged in some Democrat-run states and cities in America (Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in March: "Snitches get rewards") and by left-wing governments in Australia. Plenty of Americans, Canadians and Australians are only too happy to snitch on people who refuse to lock down their lives.
All this is taking place without concentration camps, without a Gestapo, without a KGB and without Maoist reeducation camps.
That's why I no longer judge the average German as easily as I used to. Apathy in the face of tyranny turns out not to be a German or Russian characteristic. I just never thought it could happen in America.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/05/i_now_better_understand_the_good_german_144964.html
|
en
| 2021-01-05T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/6ebd48e1c95f8515e3d8e5765b04001eaa34e192b4998a16f7acdbed5ba4ea0e.json
|
[
"As my listeners and readers can hopefully attest, I have been on a lifelong quest to understand human nature and human behavior. I am sad to report that I have learned more in the last few years, particularly in 2020, than in any equivalent period of time.\nOne of the biggest revelations concerns a question that has always plagued me: How does one explain the \"good German,\" the term used to describe the average, presumably decent German, who did nothing to hurt Jews but also did nothing to help them and did nothing to undermine the Nazi regime? The same question could be asked about the average Frenchman during the Vichy era, the average Russian under Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Leonid Brezhnev and their successors, and the millions of others who did nothing to help their fellow citizens under oppressive dictatorships.\nThese past few years have taught me not to so quickly judge the quiet German, Russian, etc. Of course, I still judge Germans who helped the Nazis and Germans who in any way hurt Jews. But the Germans who did nothing? Not so fast.\nWhat has changed my thinking has been watching what is happening in America (and Canada and Australia and elsewhere, for that matter).\nThe ease with which tens of millions of Americans have accepted irrational, unconstitutional and unprecedented police state-type restrictions on their freedoms, including even the freedom to make a living, has been, to understate the case, sobering.\nThe same holds true for the acceptance by most Americans of the rampant censorship on Twitter and all other major social media platforms. Even physicians and other scientists are deprived of freedom of speech if, for example, they offer scientific support for hydroxychloroquine along with zinc to treat COVID-19 in the early stages. Board-certified physician Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, who has saved hundreds of COVID-19 patients from suffering and/or death, has been banned from Twitter for publicizing his lifesaving hydroxychloroquine and zinc protocol.\nHalf of America, the nonleft half, is afraid to speak their minds at virtually every university, movie studio and large corporation -- indeed, at virtually every place of work. Professors who say anything that offends the left fear being ostracized if they have tenure and being fired if they do not. People are socially ostracized, publicly shamed and/or fired for differing with Black Lives Matter, as America-hating and white-hating a group as has ever existed. And few Americans speak up. On the contrary, when BLM protestors demand that diners outside of restaurants raise their fists to show their support of BLM, nearly every diner does.\nSo, then, who are we to condemn the average German who faced the Gestapo if he didn't salute Hitler or the average Russian who faced the NKVD (the secret police and intelligence agency that preceded the KGB) if he didn't demonstrate sufficient enthusiasm for Stalin? Americans face the left's cancel culture, but not left-wing secret police or reeducation camps. (At least not yet -- I have little doubt the left would send outspoken conservatives to reeducation camps if they could.)\nI have come to understand the average German living under Nazism and the average Russian living under communism for another reason: the power of the media to brainwash.\nAs a student of totalitarianism since my graduate studies at the Russian Institute of Columbia University's School of International Affairs (as it was then known), I have always believed that only in a dictatorship could a society be brainwashed. I was wrong. I now understand that mass brainwashing can take place in a nominally free society. The incessant left-wing drumbeat of The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and almost every other major newspaper, plus The Atlantic, The New Yorker, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR, all of Hollywood and almost every school from kindergarten through graduate school, has brainwashed at least half of America every bit as effectively as the German, Soviet and Chinese communist press did (and in the latter case, still does). That thousands of schools will teach the lie that is the New York Times' \"1619 Project\" is one of countless examples.\nPrior to the lockdowns, I flew almost every week of the year, so I was approached by people who recognized me on a regular basis. Increasingly, I noticed that people would look around to see if anyone was within earshot and then tell me in almost a whisper: \"I support Trump\" or, \"I'm a conservative.\" The last time people looked around and whispered things to me was when I used to visit the Soviet Union.\nIn Quebec this past weekend, as one can see on a viral video, a family was fined and members arrested because six -- yes, six -- people gathered to celebrate the new year. A neighbor snitched on them, and the celebrants were duly arrested. The Quebec government lauded the snitches and asked for more public \"collaboration.\"\nSnitches are likewise lauded and encouraged in some Democrat-run states and cities in America (Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in March: \"Snitches get rewards\") and by left-wing governments in Australia. Plenty of Americans, Canadians and Australians are only too happy to snitch on people who refuse to lock down their lives.\nAll this is taking place without concentration camps, without a Gestapo, without a KGB and without Maoist reeducation camps.\nThat's why I no longer judge the average German as easily as I used to. Apathy in the face of tyranny turns out not to be a German or Russian characteristic. I just never thought it could happen in America.\nCOPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM",
"I Now Better Understand the 'Good German'",
"As my listeners and readers can hopefully attest, I have been on a lifelong quest to understand human nature and human behavior. I am sad to report that I have..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-08T20:14:36 | null | 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) President-elect Joe Biden is set to introduce the governor of Rhode Island, the mayor of Boston and a small-business advocate from...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F08%2Fboston_mayor_ri_governor_among_biden_adds_to_economic_team_144995.html.json
|
en
| null |
Boston Mayor, RI Governor Among Biden Adds To Economic Team
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is set to introduce the governor of Rhode Island, the mayor of Boston and a small-business advocate from California as the newest members of his economic team.
Biden on Thursday announced Gov. Gina Raimondo as his choice to become commerce secretary, Mayor Marty Walsh as his candidate for labor secretary and Isabel Guzman as his pick to lead the Small Business Administration.
One of Biden’s top challenges after he takes office Jan. 20 will be to nurse an economy reeling from the coronavirus pandemic back to health. He said the newest members of his economic team will help achieve that “by building an economy where every American is in on the deal.”
“They share my belief that the middle class built this country and that unions built the middle class,” said Biden, who planned to introduce Raimondo, Walsh, Guzman and a fourth candidate at an event Friday in Wilmington, Delaware.
With the picks, which require Senate confirmation, Biden moved a step closer to rounding out a Cabinet that he has pledged will be the most diverse in history. He has yet to name a candidate for CIA director.
Raimondo, 49, is a former venture capitalist serving her second term as governor after previously serving as state treasurer. A Democrat, she had been mentioned as a possible candidate for Biden’s health secretary, but said last month that she would stay in Rhode Island and continue to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.
As commerce secretary, Raimondo would help set the Biden administration’s trade policy and promote U.S. opportunities for growth domestically and overseas.
“Rhode Island may be small, but our economy is mighty on the strength of our small businesses and innovative technologies,” Raimondo tweeted Thursday night. She pledged that as commerce secretary “I will harness that same American ingenuity to create good-paying union jobs and build our economy back better than ever before.”
The Biden administration’s stance on international trade will likely mark a significant shift away from President Donald Trump’s heavy-on-tariffs approach. Trump slapped tariffs on Chinese steel and other goods to punish Beijing for what the administration said were unfair currency practices and potential national security threats. Those moves were largely opposed by U.S. allies, including Canada.
Biden opposes Chinese tariffs and has promised to improve U.S. relationships with countries around the hemisphere and globe. But he hasn’t indicated that undoing the tariffs will be a top priority. Instead Biden has promised to oversee an aggressive “Buy American” campaign that would use federal funds to purchase $400 billion of U.S.-made goods and spend another $300 billion on new research and development from domestic technology firms.
Walsh, 53, has been Boston’s mayor since 2014. When the Democrat took the oath of office in 2018 for his second term, Biden presided over the inauguration. Walsh was a state representative for more than a decade before becoming mayor.
He also has a long history with organized labor, formerly serving as president of Laborers Local 223 and heading the Boston Building Trades — a union umbrella organization.
The son of Irish immigrants, Walsh grew up in Boston’s working-class Dorchester neighborhood. He survived a childhood bout with cancer and has been open about his early struggles with alcohol, using his history with addiction to encourage people to get help.
He opened his speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention by saying: “Good evening. My name is Marty Walsh, and I’m an alcoholic.”
Walsh on Thursday pledged as labor secretary to work as hard for working people and those trying to move into the middle class “as you do for your families and livelihoods. You have my word.”
Leaders of the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union, two major organized labor groups, backed Walsh’s selection.
To lead the Small Business Administration, Biden said he had settled on Isabel Guzman, director of California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate in the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
Guzman has played a role in the state’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff at the SBA, the federal agency she’s been tapped to lead, and was an adviser at the first California-chartered, Latino-formed business bank to form in Los Angeles in over 35 years.
Biden also has tapped Don Graves, one of his longtime advisers, to be the deputy commerce secretary.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/08/boston_mayor_ri_governor_among_biden_adds_to_economic_team_144995.html
|
en
| 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/be6436ee4b8cb72c041ec4d60a591316a4528bb10badede0e0e813cbf392462a.json
|
[
"WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is set to introduce the governor of Rhode Island, the mayor of Boston and a small-business advocate from California as the newest members of his economic team.\nBiden on Thursday announced Gov. Gina Raimondo as his choice to become commerce secretary, Mayor Marty Walsh as his candidate for labor secretary and Isabel Guzman as his pick to lead the Small Business Administration.\nOne of Biden’s top challenges after he takes office Jan. 20 will be to nurse an economy reeling from the coronavirus pandemic back to health. He said the newest members of his economic team will help achieve that “by building an economy where every American is in on the deal.”\n“They share my belief that the middle class built this country and that unions built the middle class,” said Biden, who planned to introduce Raimondo, Walsh, Guzman and a fourth candidate at an event Friday in Wilmington, Delaware.\nWith the picks, which require Senate confirmation, Biden moved a step closer to rounding out a Cabinet that he has pledged will be the most diverse in history. He has yet to name a candidate for CIA director.\nRaimondo, 49, is a former venture capitalist serving her second term as governor after previously serving as state treasurer. A Democrat, she had been mentioned as a possible candidate for Biden’s health secretary, but said last month that she would stay in Rhode Island and continue to focus on the coronavirus pandemic.\nAs commerce secretary, Raimondo would help set the Biden administration’s trade policy and promote U.S. opportunities for growth domestically and overseas.\n“Rhode Island may be small, but our economy is mighty on the strength of our small businesses and innovative technologies,” Raimondo tweeted Thursday night. She pledged that as commerce secretary “I will harness that same American ingenuity to create good-paying union jobs and build our economy back better than ever before.”\nThe Biden administration’s stance on international trade will likely mark a significant shift away from President Donald Trump’s heavy-on-tariffs approach. Trump slapped tariffs on Chinese steel and other goods to punish Beijing for what the administration said were unfair currency practices and potential national security threats. Those moves were largely opposed by U.S. allies, including Canada.\nBiden opposes Chinese tariffs and has promised to improve U.S. relationships with countries around the hemisphere and globe. But he hasn’t indicated that undoing the tariffs will be a top priority. Instead Biden has promised to oversee an aggressive “Buy American” campaign that would use federal funds to purchase $400 billion of U.S.-made goods and spend another $300 billion on new research and development from domestic technology firms.\nWalsh, 53, has been Boston’s mayor since 2014. When the Democrat took the oath of office in 2018 for his second term, Biden presided over the inauguration. Walsh was a state representative for more than a decade before becoming mayor.\nHe also has a long history with organized labor, formerly serving as president of Laborers Local 223 and heading the Boston Building Trades — a union umbrella organization.\nThe son of Irish immigrants, Walsh grew up in Boston’s working-class Dorchester neighborhood. He survived a childhood bout with cancer and has been open about his early struggles with alcohol, using his history with addiction to encourage people to get help.\nHe opened his speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention by saying: “Good evening. My name is Marty Walsh, and I’m an alcoholic.”\nWalsh on Thursday pledged as labor secretary to work as hard for working people and those trying to move into the middle class “as you do for your families and livelihoods. You have my word.”\nLeaders of the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union, two major organized labor groups, backed Walsh’s selection.\nTo lead the Small Business Administration, Biden said he had settled on Isabel Guzman, director of California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate in the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.\nGuzman has played a role in the state’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. She is a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff at the SBA, the federal agency she’s been tapped to lead, and was an adviser at the first California-chartered, Latino-formed business bank to form in Los Angeles in over 35 years.\nBiden also has tapped Don Graves, one of his longtime advisers, to be the deputy commerce secretary.",
"Boston Mayor, RI Governor Among Biden Adds To Economic Team",
"WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) President-elect Joe Biden is set to introduce the governor of Rhode Island, the mayor of Boston and a small-business advocate from..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-30T18:01:42 | null | 2021-01-30T00:00:00 |
Why Big Mo Matters to Biden | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F30%2Fwhy_big_mo_matters_to_biden_534765.html.json
|
en
| null |
Why Big Mo Matters to Biden
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
For those closely following the initial steps of the Biden administration, it’s obvious the new president’s team is placing a premium on creating the impression that it’s successfully following a carefully planned rollout. Each day has a topical theme, and Joe Biden’s time is ruthlessly rationed. One purpose, of course, is to create a vivid contrast with the previous occupant of the White House, and from this Washington Post report, it seems a success:
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/30/why_big_mo_matters_to_biden_534765.html
|
en
| 2021-01-30T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/ffe3b45ca69274cb3bfbad47bc6e78ceb838f491193c148e749daca4ead051c3.json
|
[
"For those closely following the initial steps of the Biden administration, it’s obvious the new president’s team is placing a premium on creating the impression that it’s successfully following a carefully planned rollout. Each day has a topical theme, and Joe Biden’s time is ruthlessly rationed. One purpose, of course, is to create a vivid contrast with the previous occupant of the White House, and from this Washington Post report, it seems a success:",
"Why Big Mo Matters to Biden",
"Why Big Mo Matters to Biden | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-11T15:16:04 | null | 2021-01-11T00:00:00 |
How Dare Zuckerberg & Dorsey Censor the President | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F11%2Fhow_dare_zuckerberg_amp_dorsey_censor_the_president_533188.html.json
|
en
| null |
How Dare Zuckerberg & Dorsey Censor the President
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
How dare Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg tell Americans they can no longer hear from their president on Twitter and Facebook?
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/11/how_dare_zuckerberg_amp_dorsey_censor_the_president_533188.html
|
en
| 2021-01-11T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/e084dc56bb2b068e304c1cab8f7fed6370ccdbb2ec9901a2f65ffbead89cdab4.json
|
[
"How dare Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg tell Americans they can no longer hear from their president on Twitter and Facebook?",
"How Dare Zuckerberg & Dorsey Censor the President",
"How Dare Zuckerberg & Dorsey Censor the President | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-27T14:12:06 | null | 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
Biden Aims To Tackle Another American Crisis: Race | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F27%2Fbiden_aims_to_tackle_another_american_crisis_race_534446.html.json
|
en
| null |
Biden Aims To Tackle Another American Crisis: Race
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
If there was any doubt about the urgency of President Joe Biden's mission to tackle racial inequality, it was erased in the searing moment an insurrectionist rioter brazenly paraded the Confederate flag through the US Capitol.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/27/biden_aims_to_tackle_another_american_crisis_race_534446.html
|
en
| 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/47ecfd30bfbdb66ff16e2f9c825153a66ebf10571b967d5f4b5ec4478d83c996.json
|
[
"If there was any doubt about the urgency of President Joe Biden's mission to tackle racial inequality, it was erased in the searing moment an insurrectionist rioter brazenly paraded the Confederate flag through the US Capitol.",
"Biden Aims To Tackle Another American Crisis: Race",
"Biden Aims To Tackle Another American Crisis: Race | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-12T20:15:03 | null | 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
In my last column, I described how I have come to better understand the moral problem of the
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F12%2Fthe_good_american_145009.html.json
|
en
| null |
The 'Good American'
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
In my last column, I described how I have come to better understand the moral problem of the "'good German,' the term used to describe the average, presumably decent German, who did nothing to hurt Jews but also did nothing to help them and did nothing to undermine the Nazi regime."
Watching America accept the rationally and morally indefensible physical and economic lockdown of the country, I concluded: "Apathy in the face of tyranny turns out not to be a German or Russian characteristic. I just never thought it could happen in America."
In one week, it has gotten worse. Now we are faced with a lockdown on speech the likes of which have never been seen in America. And the parallels with Germany are even more stark. The left-wing party (the Democrats) and the left-wing media (the "mainstream media") are using the mob invasion of the Capitol exactly the way the Nazis used the Reichstag fire.
On Feb. 27, 1933, exactly one month after the Nazis came to power, the German parliament building, the Reichstag, was set ablaze. The Nazis blamed the fire on their archenemy, the communists, and used the fire to essentially extinguish the Communist Party and its ability to publish, speak or otherwise spread its message. Using the Reichstag fire as an excuse, the Nazis passed the Enabling Act, a law that gave the Nazi chancellor, Adolf Hitler, the power to pass laws by decree -- without the Reichstag.
Now to America 2021.
On Jan. 6, 2021, a right-wing mob of a few hundred people broke away from a peaceful right-wing protest involving tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of American conservatives and forced its way into the U.S. Capitol. One Capitol policeman was killed after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, and one of the right-wing Capitol invaders was shot by a Capitol police officer. (A handful of others who died in the vicinity of the Capitol did so of nonviolent causes.) Aside from smashed windows, the mob seems to have done little damage to the Capitol. Their intent is still not clear. It seems to have been largely catharsis. They hurt no legislators, and if they intended to overthrow the government, they were delusional.
Beginning the next day, the American left used the Capitol mob just as the Nazis used the Reichstag: as an excuse to subjugate its conservative enemies and further squelch civil liberties in America -- specifically, freedom of speech.
Twitter not only permanently banned the account of president of the United States but permanently banned him from Twitter. Any Twitter account found tweeting Donald Trump was permanently banned.
The left was able to do all this not only by using the Capitol mob incident but also by engaging in a series of lies.
The first was blaming the attack on President Donald Trump. Over and over, in every left-wing medium and stated repeatedly by Democrats, Trump is blamed for "inciting" the riot in his speech just before it took place. Almost never is a Trump quote cited. Because there is none. On the contrary, he did say, "I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard" (italics added).
Another lie was the immediate labeling of the mob attack on the Capitol as "insurrection." All left-wing media and Democrats now refer to the event as an "insurrection," a term defined by almost every dictionary as "an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government." As morally repulsive as the actions of the mob were, they did not constitute a revolt against civil authority or an established government. Disrupting the work of legislators for a few hours -- as wrong as that was -- does not constitute a "revolt."
But what proves the left's "insurrection" label is a lie is that Democrats and their media never once labeled the left-wing riots of 2020 -- which involved the destruction by fire and/or occupation and vandalizing of police stations, and the establishment of "autonomous zones," which, by definition, revolted against "established governments" -- as an "insurrection." The enormous number of businesses burned down, looted or otherwise destroyed was barely covered by the mainstream media, and their violent perpetrators were almost never prosecuted, let alone condemned, as engaging in an insurrection. Dozens of people were killed in these riots, yet there was more outcry and condemnation against the hourslong occupation of the U.S. Capitol than against six months of left-wing violent riots.
Then, like the Nazi regime after the Reichstag fire, the left immediately moved to further curtail civil liberties, specifically conservatives' ability to promote their ideas. Twitter and Amazon made it impossible for the alternative to Twitter, Parler, to exist, all in the name of preventing another right-wing "insurrection."
In the name of the Capitol "insurrection," the Democrats announced they would impeach the president of the United States, though he had only 14 days left in office.
In the name of the Capitol "insurrection," the editor of Forbes, Randall Lane, announced that Forbes media was "holding those who lied for Trump accountable" in what he called "a truth reckoning": "Hire any of Trump's [press secretaries]," Lane warned, "and Forbes will assume that everything your company or firm talks about is a lie."
In the name of the Capitol mob attack, 159 law professors at Chapman University have called for the firing of John Eastman, a tenured fellow law professor and holder of an endowed chair at Chapman -- because "his actions Wednesday [that] helped incite a riot." Eastman had spoken at the Trump rally.
The professors ended their Los Angeles Times letter: "He does not belong on our campus."
Words well chosen.
What the left is doing is announcing -- and enforcing -- that conservatives "do not belong" in our society. The parallels to 1933 are precise. And most good Americans are keeping silent, just as did most Germans. Though they do not risk being beaten up, are Americans in 2021 as afraid of the American left as Germans in 1933 were of the German fascists? We're about to find out.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/12/the_good_american_145009.html
|
en
| 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/11616a73bf011815cbf1e65356f29e0638542ce8a9ffc14de2b2abce3af106e5.json
|
[
"In my last column, I described how I have come to better understand the moral problem of the \"'good German,' the term used to describe the average, presumably decent German, who did nothing to hurt Jews but also did nothing to help them and did nothing to undermine the Nazi regime.\"\nWatching America accept the rationally and morally indefensible physical and economic lockdown of the country, I concluded: \"Apathy in the face of tyranny turns out not to be a German or Russian characteristic. I just never thought it could happen in America.\"\nIn one week, it has gotten worse. Now we are faced with a lockdown on speech the likes of which have never been seen in America. And the parallels with Germany are even more stark. The left-wing party (the Democrats) and the left-wing media (the \"mainstream media\") are using the mob invasion of the Capitol exactly the way the Nazis used the Reichstag fire.\nOn Feb. 27, 1933, exactly one month after the Nazis came to power, the German parliament building, the Reichstag, was set ablaze. The Nazis blamed the fire on their archenemy, the communists, and used the fire to essentially extinguish the Communist Party and its ability to publish, speak or otherwise spread its message. Using the Reichstag fire as an excuse, the Nazis passed the Enabling Act, a law that gave the Nazi chancellor, Adolf Hitler, the power to pass laws by decree -- without the Reichstag.\nNow to America 2021.\nOn Jan. 6, 2021, a right-wing mob of a few hundred people broke away from a peaceful right-wing protest involving tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of American conservatives and forced its way into the U.S. Capitol. One Capitol policeman was killed after being hit in the head with a fire extinguisher, and one of the right-wing Capitol invaders was shot by a Capitol police officer. (A handful of others who died in the vicinity of the Capitol did so of nonviolent causes.) Aside from smashed windows, the mob seems to have done little damage to the Capitol. Their intent is still not clear. It seems to have been largely catharsis. They hurt no legislators, and if they intended to overthrow the government, they were delusional.\nBeginning the next day, the American left used the Capitol mob just as the Nazis used the Reichstag: as an excuse to subjugate its conservative enemies and further squelch civil liberties in America -- specifically, freedom of speech.\nTwitter not only permanently banned the account of president of the United States but permanently banned him from Twitter. Any Twitter account found tweeting Donald Trump was permanently banned.\nThe left was able to do all this not only by using the Capitol mob incident but also by engaging in a series of lies.\nThe first was blaming the attack on President Donald Trump. Over and over, in every left-wing medium and stated repeatedly by Democrats, Trump is blamed for \"inciting\" the riot in his speech just before it took place. Almost never is a Trump quote cited. Because there is none. On the contrary, he did say, \"I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard\" (italics added).\nAnother lie was the immediate labeling of the mob attack on the Capitol as \"insurrection.\" All left-wing media and Democrats now refer to the event as an \"insurrection,\" a term defined by almost every dictionary as \"an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government.\" As morally repulsive as the actions of the mob were, they did not constitute a revolt against civil authority or an established government. Disrupting the work of legislators for a few hours -- as wrong as that was -- does not constitute a \"revolt.\"\nBut what proves the left's \"insurrection\" label is a lie is that Democrats and their media never once labeled the left-wing riots of 2020 -- which involved the destruction by fire and/or occupation and vandalizing of police stations, and the establishment of \"autonomous zones,\" which, by definition, revolted against \"established governments\" -- as an \"insurrection.\" The enormous number of businesses burned down, looted or otherwise destroyed was barely covered by the mainstream media, and their violent perpetrators were almost never prosecuted, let alone condemned, as engaging in an insurrection. Dozens of people were killed in these riots, yet there was more outcry and condemnation against the hourslong occupation of the U.S. Capitol than against six months of left-wing violent riots.\nThen, like the Nazi regime after the Reichstag fire, the left immediately moved to further curtail civil liberties, specifically conservatives' ability to promote their ideas. Twitter and Amazon made it impossible for the alternative to Twitter, Parler, to exist, all in the name of preventing another right-wing \"insurrection.\"\nIn the name of the Capitol \"insurrection,\" the Democrats announced they would impeach the president of the United States, though he had only 14 days left in office.\nIn the name of the Capitol \"insurrection,\" the editor of Forbes, Randall Lane, announced that Forbes media was \"holding those who lied for Trump accountable\" in what he called \"a truth reckoning\": \"Hire any of Trump's [press secretaries],\" Lane warned, \"and Forbes will assume that everything your company or firm talks about is a lie.\"\nIn the name of the Capitol mob attack, 159 law professors at Chapman University have called for the firing of John Eastman, a tenured fellow law professor and holder of an endowed chair at Chapman -- because \"his actions Wednesday [that] helped incite a riot.\" Eastman had spoken at the Trump rally.\nThe professors ended their Los Angeles Times letter: \"He does not belong on our campus.\"\nWords well chosen.\nWhat the left is doing is announcing -- and enforcing -- that conservatives \"do not belong\" in our society. The parallels to 1933 are precise. And most good Americans are keeping silent, just as did most Germans. Though they do not risk being beaten up, are Americans in 2021 as afraid of the American left as Germans in 1933 were of the German fascists? We're about to find out.\nCOPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM",
"The 'Good American'",
"In my last column, I described how I have come to better understand the moral problem of the"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-25T04:35:45 | null | 2021-01-24T00:00:00 |
Undoing Trump Will Take More Than Executive Orders | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F24%2Fundoing_trump_will_take_more_than_executive_orders_534276.html.json
|
en
| null |
Undoing Trump Will Take More Than Executive Orders
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/24/undoing_trump_will_take_more_than_executive_orders_534276.html
|
en
| 2021-01-24T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/8210b9e8221b345628c6fd94a53d11d070f995dfeb8014f2d13796b9778c179d.json
|
[
"Undoing Trump Will Take More Than Executive Orders",
"Undoing Trump Will Take More Than Executive Orders | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-16T19:05:11 | null | 2021-01-16T00:00:00 |
The Biden Stimulus Makes No Economic Sense | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F16%2Fthe_biden_stimulus_makes_no_economic_sense_533619.html.json
|
en
| null |
The Biden Stimulus Makes No Economic Sense
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The Biden Stimulus Makes No Economic Sense
The Biden stimulus is crammed with goodies but makes no economic sense.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/16/the_biden_stimulus_makes_no_economic_sense_533619.html
|
en
| 2021-01-16T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/65d9ea810568985dc52eabdc91e053b4dcad8d322e6dfcee88e0f1c63fbbdcea.json
|
[
"The Biden Stimulus Makes No Economic Sense\nThe Biden stimulus is crammed with goodies but makes no economic sense.",
"The Biden Stimulus Makes No Economic Sense",
"The Biden Stimulus Makes No Economic Sense | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-30T02:49:29 | null | 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
One of the attributes of the American dream is that the little guy can become the big guy. Or rather, through the creative destruction of the free-enterprise...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F29%2Flet_david_slay_goliath_145149.html.json
|
en
| null |
Let David Slay Goliath
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
One of the attributes of the American dream is that the little guy can become the big guy. Or rather, through the creative destruction of the free-enterprise system, a small entrepreneur may destabilize and replace a larger competitor through innovation, cost savings and better ideas.
American history is full of stories of small entrepreneurs with good ideas displacing preexisting giants in the marketplace. Over time, however, that has become less the case. Now Goliath hires an army of lobbyists who help shape the regulatory code and the tax code and draft legislation to provide competitive advantages for themselves or disadvantages for would-be competitors.
The little guy cannot become the big guy, because the big guy has lobbyists. It is no coincidence that Democrats are decrying the wealth gap and the inability of the little guy to become the big guy at a time the big guy is engaged in shaping federal policy and funding the Democrats. The Democrats' solution is to make the little guy more comfortable but also punish him if he dares to get too successful. The Republican solution has largely been to prop up the big guys and bail them out when they falter, equally ensuring there can be no competition.
Whether it is the 2008 financial crisis or now, the government has created more moral hazard in the economy by bailing out and propping up a lot of financial institutions and other companies that should be wiped out in the creative destruction of the free market. A correction is coming, if only because the government has intervened so often to prop up so many that should be dead or left to die.
Likewise, major corporate Goliaths are now advocating government policies that stifle the David competitors. Amazon can embrace a $15 minimum wage and major online retailers can support an internet sales tax because they are billion-dollar companies. The would-be competitor does not have that money.
Along comes the GameStop saga. First, let me explain at a very basic level what short selling is.
Short selling is when someone or some entity borrows stock, not money, from a brokerage. The short seller thinks the stock is going to go down. So, Short Seller X borrows 10 shares of Company A from Brokerage for 30 days. X then sells the stock at $100 and pockets $1,000. Within 30 days, the stock has fallen to $50 a share. X then buys back the shares at $50 and returns the shares to Brokerage, and X has profited $500.
Hedge funds love to do it. Along comes a hedge fund that sees GameStop and thinks GameStop stock is going to go down. So, the hedge fund borrowed shares and sold the shares, and the public got wind of it.
A group of day-trading gamblers on Reddit operating under a subreddit called WallStreetBets decided to buy up GameStop, which would force the hedge fund to buy even more before the price got too high, in order to minimize its losses.
In doing so, both the financial press and many regulators treated the "redditors" as the bad guys. Robinhood, a popular trading app backed by major Wall Street financiers, stopped allowing people to buy GameStop and other stocks involved. CNBC hosts and guests excoriated the regular stock traders having the audacity to drive up a stock price and hurt a hedge fund. Goliath, yet again, had the elite rally to protect him from David.
If the system always protects Goliath, then at some point, David is going to try to not just slay Goliath but also burn the system down. The system turning on the regular guy pushes the regular guy to find their own Goliath, which may look like Trump 2024.
David does not need big government, a social safety net or a nanny state. He needs rocks, and he's starting to throw them at whichever party tries to protect Goliath. Yes, people will lose money. Some people may be financially ruined. But risk-taking by regular Americans is essential to the American dream. David must be allowed to slay Goliath.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/29/let_david_slay_goliath_145149.html
|
en
| 2021-01-29T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/5101843c1f553ce7d554adcf0085cf686af2176872eed3c362a7208c7de73039.json
|
[
"One of the attributes of the American dream is that the little guy can become the big guy. Or rather, through the creative destruction of the free-enterprise system, a small entrepreneur may destabilize and replace a larger competitor through innovation, cost savings and better ideas.\nAmerican history is full of stories of small entrepreneurs with good ideas displacing preexisting giants in the marketplace. Over time, however, that has become less the case. Now Goliath hires an army of lobbyists who help shape the regulatory code and the tax code and draft legislation to provide competitive advantages for themselves or disadvantages for would-be competitors.\nThe little guy cannot become the big guy, because the big guy has lobbyists. It is no coincidence that Democrats are decrying the wealth gap and the inability of the little guy to become the big guy at a time the big guy is engaged in shaping federal policy and funding the Democrats. The Democrats' solution is to make the little guy more comfortable but also punish him if he dares to get too successful. The Republican solution has largely been to prop up the big guys and bail them out when they falter, equally ensuring there can be no competition.\nWhether it is the 2008 financial crisis or now, the government has created more moral hazard in the economy by bailing out and propping up a lot of financial institutions and other companies that should be wiped out in the creative destruction of the free market. A correction is coming, if only because the government has intervened so often to prop up so many that should be dead or left to die.\nLikewise, major corporate Goliaths are now advocating government policies that stifle the David competitors. Amazon can embrace a $15 minimum wage and major online retailers can support an internet sales tax because they are billion-dollar companies. The would-be competitor does not have that money.\nAlong comes the GameStop saga. First, let me explain at a very basic level what short selling is.\nShort selling is when someone or some entity borrows stock, not money, from a brokerage. The short seller thinks the stock is going to go down. So, Short Seller X borrows 10 shares of Company A from Brokerage for 30 days. X then sells the stock at $100 and pockets $1,000. Within 30 days, the stock has fallen to $50 a share. X then buys back the shares at $50 and returns the shares to Brokerage, and X has profited $500.\nHedge funds love to do it. Along comes a hedge fund that sees GameStop and thinks GameStop stock is going to go down. So, the hedge fund borrowed shares and sold the shares, and the public got wind of it.\nA group of day-trading gamblers on Reddit operating under a subreddit called WallStreetBets decided to buy up GameStop, which would force the hedge fund to buy even more before the price got too high, in order to minimize its losses.\nIn doing so, both the financial press and many regulators treated the \"redditors\" as the bad guys. Robinhood, a popular trading app backed by major Wall Street financiers, stopped allowing people to buy GameStop and other stocks involved. CNBC hosts and guests excoriated the regular stock traders having the audacity to drive up a stock price and hurt a hedge fund. Goliath, yet again, had the elite rally to protect him from David.\nIf the system always protects Goliath, then at some point, David is going to try to not just slay Goliath but also burn the system down. The system turning on the regular guy pushes the regular guy to find their own Goliath, which may look like Trump 2024.\nDavid does not need big government, a social safety net or a nanny state. He needs rocks, and he's starting to throw them at whichever party tries to protect Goliath. Yes, people will lose money. Some people may be financially ruined. But risk-taking by regular Americans is essential to the American dream. David must be allowed to slay Goliath.\nCOPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM",
"Let David Slay Goliath",
"One of the attributes of the American dream is that the little guy can become the big guy. Or rather, through the creative destruction of the free-enterprise..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-19T18:02:13 | null | 2021-01-19T00:00:00 |
On Race in America, the Left Is Stuck in the Past | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F19%2Fon_race_in_america_the_left_is_stuck_in_the_past_533802.html.json
|
en
| null |
On Race in America, the Left Is Stuck in the Past
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/19/on_race_in_america_the_left_is_stuck_in_the_past_533802.html
|
en
| 2021-01-19T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/7a8dbbe28fe6e05014ada7f3a63e11381623b648d8c53988dca03297aac033e1.json
|
[
"On Race in America, the Left Is Stuck in the Past",
"On Race in America, the Left Is Stuck in the Past | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-22T21:21:48 | null | 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
Washington Post Memory-Holes Joke From 2019 Harris Profile | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F22%2Fwashington_post_memory-holes_joke_from_2019_harris_profile_534142.html.json
|
en
| null |
Washington Post Memory-Holes Joke From 2019 Harris Profile
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/22/washington_post_memory-holes_joke_from_2019_harris_profile_534142.html
|
en
| 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/b43a9a7388eb90fa7591132278bab091d077865d30e6e23ae004726716c10780.json
|
[
"Washington Post Memory-Holes Joke From 2019 Harris Profile",
"Washington Post Memory-Holes Joke From 2019 Harris Profile | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-25T04:35:10 | null | 2021-01-24T00:00:00 |
Corporate Sedition Still Endangers America | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F24%2Fcorporate_sedition_still_endangers_america_534261.html.json
|
en
| null |
Corporate Sedition Still Endangers America
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
CEOs only acted after the Capitol attack because Democrats took power. Their political dominance must be reduced
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/24/corporate_sedition_still_endangers_america_534261.html
|
en
| 2021-01-24T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/766a7fe885dc0aab85605e31a376d9ada563b2dad33fb34a6b0aef48dfb9eeb1.json
|
[
"CEOs only acted after the Capitol attack because Democrats took power. Their political dominance must be reduced",
"Corporate Sedition Still Endangers America",
"Corporate Sedition Still Endangers America | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-07T20:36:24 | null | 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
Joe Bidens presidency has already begun, at least unofficially. Yesterday, Donald Trump chose to play the role of political rabble-rouser during the...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F07%2Ftrump_hands_presidential_mantle_to_biden_two_weeks_early_144989.html.json
|
en
| null |
Trump Hands Presidential Mantle to Biden Two Weeks Early
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Joe Biden’s presidency has already begun, at least unofficially. Yesterday, Donald Trump chose to play the role of political rabble-rouser during the transition instead of constitutional officer.
Attempting to impede the pro-forma Electoral College vote certification by Congress, Trump delivered a fiery speech to thousands of his supporters, claiming yet again that the 2020 election was stolen from him and calling on Vice President Mike Pence, the ceremonial presiding officer of the Senate, to “do the right thing.”
“Our country has had enough!” Trump said. “We will not take it anymore and that’s what this is all about. … We will stop the steal!” Trump then directly urged his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol, apparently to pressure lawmakers. “We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
Taken as a whole, the speech was essentially an incitement to riot. And his supporters took him both seriously and literally.
“We’re going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue,” Trump told them -- although he himself did nothing of the kind. In an inverse of “Profiles in Courage,” the president retreated to the warmth of the Oval Office, presumably watching television, while his supporters did as they were instructed. In a mystifying lapse of preparedness, the U.S. Capitol Police were badly understaffed. The crowd pushed past them, and while thousands were content to stand on the building’s steps and wave flags, a vanguard of several hundred stormed the entrance, broke windows, and occupied offices, sending members of Congress and their staffs fleeing in fear. Congressional offices were debased, as was America’s international reputation. One female Trump supporter, an unarmed Air Force veteran from San Diego, was shot to death by a Capitol Police officer.
Amid the appalling chaos, Trump was content to issue tepid tweets about respecting law enforcement. Later, he released a Twitter video going a bit further (but repeating the fiction that he’d won a landslide election). By then, Joe Biden had stepped into the void.
“At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times,” the president-elect said from Wilmington, Del., while calling (in vain) for Trump to put a stop to it.
“I’m genuinely shocked and saddened that our nation, so long a beacon of hope and light for democracy, has come to such a dark moment,” Biden added. “America is about honor, decency, respect, tolerance. That’s who we are. That’s who we’ve always been.”
One irony for Republicans was that while the lame duck president was trying to forestall Biden from assuming office, Trump’s actions Wednesday had the effect of essentially making Biden presidential two weeks early.
If one were in a nitpicking mood, it’s true that Biden was much quicker to condemn these rioters than those who led the sustained carnage of last summer in a hundred American cities during the Black Lives Matter protests. And yes, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other Democrats pivoted instantly from being social justice defenders to a law-and-order hard-liners. The media’s turnabout was even more whiplash-inducing. The press had previously deemed it racist to even use the word “rioters” to describe arsonists, looters, and protesters who threw rocks at cops and menaced strangers. Those compunctions disappeared Wednesday, as did the ubiquitous phrase “mostly peaceful” protests -- replaced by “traitors,” “terrorists,” and “a mob” that was “violent” and “seditious.” The Trumpsters were leading an “armed insurrection,” we were told.
Remember when Sen. Tom Cotton’s New York Times op-ed advocating the use of armed federal troops to quell the violence in American cities led to the approving editor’s forced departure? Yesterday, it took less than an hour for the media to clamor for the National Guard. “Where’s the cavalry?” they beseeched on cable news.
So there was inconsistency, and plenty of hypocrisy. Yet none of that excuses what Trump and his followers did Wednesday. They disgraced themselves. They trashed the legacy of their own movement. They desecrated a symbol of American democracy, although it was heartening how the Senate ameliorated much of the damage in an extraordinary late-night session. They prompted serious discussion of invoking the 25th Amendment and replacing Trump immediately. Mostly, they made Americans who voted for Joe Biden exceedingly glad they had done so.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/07/trump_hands_presidential_mantle_to_biden_two_weeks_early_144989.html
|
en
| 2021-01-07T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/0fc93f6b9dfb5f7cf24411e93f98269a4039b0123c3258e0d7b7e444e10f6528.json
|
[
"Joe Biden’s presidency has already begun, at least unofficially. Yesterday, Donald Trump chose to play the role of political rabble-rouser during the transition instead of constitutional officer.\nAttempting to impede the pro-forma Electoral College vote certification by Congress, Trump delivered a fiery speech to thousands of his supporters, claiming yet again that the 2020 election was stolen from him and calling on Vice President Mike Pence, the ceremonial presiding officer of the Senate, to “do the right thing.”\n“Our country has had enough!” Trump said. “We will not take it anymore and that’s what this is all about. … We will stop the steal!” Trump then directly urged his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol, apparently to pressure lawmakers. “We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore.”\nTaken as a whole, the speech was essentially an incitement to riot. And his supporters took him both seriously and literally.\n“We’re going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue,” Trump told them -- although he himself did nothing of the kind. In an inverse of “Profiles in Courage,” the president retreated to the warmth of the Oval Office, presumably watching television, while his supporters did as they were instructed. In a mystifying lapse of preparedness, the U.S. Capitol Police were badly understaffed. The crowd pushed past them, and while thousands were content to stand on the building’s steps and wave flags, a vanguard of several hundred stormed the entrance, broke windows, and occupied offices, sending members of Congress and their staffs fleeing in fear. Congressional offices were debased, as was America’s international reputation. One female Trump supporter, an unarmed Air Force veteran from San Diego, was shot to death by a Capitol Police officer.\nAmid the appalling chaos, Trump was content to issue tepid tweets about respecting law enforcement. Later, he released a Twitter video going a bit further (but repeating the fiction that he’d won a landslide election). By then, Joe Biden had stepped into the void.\n“At this hour, our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times,” the president-elect said from Wilmington, Del., while calling (in vain) for Trump to put a stop to it.\n“I’m genuinely shocked and saddened that our nation, so long a beacon of hope and light for democracy, has come to such a dark moment,” Biden added. “America is about honor, decency, respect, tolerance. That’s who we are. That’s who we’ve always been.”\nOne irony for Republicans was that while the lame duck president was trying to forestall Biden from assuming office, Trump’s actions Wednesday had the effect of essentially making Biden presidential two weeks early.\nIf one were in a nitpicking mood, it’s true that Biden was much quicker to condemn these rioters than those who led the sustained carnage of last summer in a hundred American cities during the Black Lives Matter protests. And yes, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other Democrats pivoted instantly from being social justice defenders to a law-and-order hard-liners. The media’s turnabout was even more whiplash-inducing. The press had previously deemed it racist to even use the word “rioters” to describe arsonists, looters, and protesters who threw rocks at cops and menaced strangers. Those compunctions disappeared Wednesday, as did the ubiquitous phrase “mostly peaceful” protests -- replaced by “traitors,” “terrorists,” and “a mob” that was “violent” and “seditious.” The Trumpsters were leading an “armed insurrection,” we were told.\nRemember when Sen. Tom Cotton’s New York Times op-ed advocating the use of armed federal troops to quell the violence in American cities led to the approving editor’s forced departure? Yesterday, it took less than an hour for the media to clamor for the National Guard. “Where’s the cavalry?” they beseeched on cable news.\nSo there was inconsistency, and plenty of hypocrisy. Yet none of that excuses what Trump and his followers did Wednesday. They disgraced themselves. They trashed the legacy of their own movement. They desecrated a symbol of American democracy, although it was heartening how the Senate ameliorated much of the damage in an extraordinary late-night session. They prompted serious discussion of invoking the 25th Amendment and replacing Trump immediately. Mostly, they made Americans who voted for Joe Biden exceedingly glad they had done so.",
"Trump Hands Presidential Mantle to Biden Two Weeks Early",
"Joe Bidens presidency has already begun, at least unofficially. Yesterday, Donald Trump chose to play the role of political rabble-rouser during the..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-28T16:48:40 | null | 2021-01-28T00:00:00 |
A 2020 Joe Biden campaign ad described the pending election as an
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F28%2Fdemocrats_want_a_return_to_civility_when_did_they_practice_it_145138.html.json
|
en
| null |
Democrats Want a 'Return to Civility'; When Did They Practice It?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
A 2020 Joe Biden campaign ad described the pending election as an "opportunity to leave the dark, angry politics of the past behind us." After Biden's election, he, Democrats and media urge a "return to civility." But when did the Democrats practice the very civility to which they seek to return?
Let's go to the videotape:
When Barry Goldwater accepted the 1964 Republican nomination, California's Democratic Gov. Pat Brown said, "The stench of fascism is in the air."
Former Rep. William Clay Sr., D-Mo., said President Ronald Reagan was "trying to replace the Bill of Rights with fascist precepts lifted verbatim from 'Mein Kampf.'"
Coretta Scott King, in 1980, said, "I am scared that if Ronald Reagan gets into office, we are going to see more of the Ku Klux Klan and a resurgence of the Nazi Party."
After Republicans took control of the House in the mid-'90s, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., compared the newly conservative-majority House to "the Duma and the Reichstag," referring to the legislature set up by Czar Nicholas II of Russia and the parliament of the German Weimar Republic that brought Hitler to power.
About President George Herbert Walker Bush, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said: "I believe [Bush] is a racist for many, many reasons. ... [He's] a mean-spirited man who has no care or concern about what happens to the African American community. ... I truly believe that."
About the Republican-controlled House, longtime Harlem Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel, in 1994, said: "It's not 's---' or 'n-----' anymore. [Republicans] say, 'Let's cut taxes.'" A decade later, Rangel said, "George [W.] Bush is our Bull Connor," referring to the Birmingham, Alabama, Democrat segregationist superintendent of public safety who sicced dogs and turned fire hoses on civil rights workers.
Donna Brazile, Al Gore's presidential campaign manager, in 1999, said: Republicans have a "white boy attitude, [which means] 'I must exclude, denigrate and leave behind.' They don't see it or think about it. It's a culture." The following year, Brazile said: "The Republicans bring out Colin Powell and [.] J.C. Watts, [R-Okla.], because they have no program, no policy. ... They'd rather take pictures with Black children than feed them."
About President George W. Bush, former Vice President Al Gore said: "[Bush's] executive branch has made it a practice to try and control and intimidate news organizations, from PBS to CBS to Newsweek. ... And every day, they unleash squadrons of digital brownshirts to harass and hector any journalist who is critical of the President." Digital "brownshirts"?
About George W. Bush, George Soros, the billionaire Democratic donor, said: "The Bush administration and the Nazi and communist regimes all engaged in the politics of fear. ... Indeed, the Bush administration has been able to improve on the techniques used by the Nazi and communist propaganda machines."
Former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, in a 2006 speech at historically Black Fayetteville State University said, "The Republican Party would have the American flag and the swastika flying side by side."
Former Gov. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2005, described the contest between Democrats and Republicans as "a struggle between good and evil. And we're the good." Three years later, Dean referred to the GOP as "the white party."
After Hurricane Katrina, Democratic Missouri Senate candidate Claire McCaskill said George W. Bush "let people die on rooftops in New Orleans because they were poor and because they were Black."
Feminist superlawyer Gloria Allred, in 2001, referred to Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice as "Uncle Tom types."
Then-Sen. Hillary Clinton, in 2006, said, "The [Republican-controlled] House of Representatives ... has been run like a plantation. And you know what I'm talking about."
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic National Committee chairwoman in 2011, said "Republicans ... want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws."
Again, exactly when did Democrats practice the "civility" to which they wish to return?
COPYRIGHT 2021 LAURENCE A. ELDER
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/28/democrats_want_a_return_to_civility_when_did_they_practice_it_145138.html
|
en
| 2021-01-28T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/72887b55e17b4fb99688fcbe9aee8bdfb0fe3b28d6569da48817b934cafca3ad.json
|
[
"A 2020 Joe Biden campaign ad described the pending election as an \"opportunity to leave the dark, angry politics of the past behind us.\" After Biden's election, he, Democrats and media urge a \"return to civility.\" But when did the Democrats practice the very civility to which they seek to return?\nLet's go to the videotape:\nWhen Barry Goldwater accepted the 1964 Republican nomination, California's Democratic Gov. Pat Brown said, \"The stench of fascism is in the air.\"\nFormer Rep. William Clay Sr., D-Mo., said President Ronald Reagan was \"trying to replace the Bill of Rights with fascist precepts lifted verbatim from 'Mein Kampf.'\"\nCoretta Scott King, in 1980, said, \"I am scared that if Ronald Reagan gets into office, we are going to see more of the Ku Klux Klan and a resurgence of the Nazi Party.\"\nAfter Republicans took control of the House in the mid-'90s, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., compared the newly conservative-majority House to \"the Duma and the Reichstag,\" referring to the legislature set up by Czar Nicholas II of Russia and the parliament of the German Weimar Republic that brought Hitler to power.\nAbout President George Herbert Walker Bush, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said: \"I believe [Bush] is a racist for many, many reasons. ... [He's] a mean-spirited man who has no care or concern about what happens to the African American community. ... I truly believe that.\"\nAbout the Republican-controlled House, longtime Harlem Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel, in 1994, said: \"It's not 's---' or 'n-----' anymore. [Republicans] say, 'Let's cut taxes.'\" A decade later, Rangel said, \"George [W.] Bush is our Bull Connor,\" referring to the Birmingham, Alabama, Democrat segregationist superintendent of public safety who sicced dogs and turned fire hoses on civil rights workers.\nDonna Brazile, Al Gore's presidential campaign manager, in 1999, said: Republicans have a \"white boy attitude, [which means] 'I must exclude, denigrate and leave behind.' They don't see it or think about it. It's a culture.\" The following year, Brazile said: \"The Republicans bring out Colin Powell and [.] J.C. Watts, [R-Okla.], because they have no program, no policy. ... They'd rather take pictures with Black children than feed them.\"\nAbout President George W. Bush, former Vice President Al Gore said: \"[Bush's] executive branch has made it a practice to try and control and intimidate news organizations, from PBS to CBS to Newsweek. ... And every day, they unleash squadrons of digital brownshirts to harass and hector any journalist who is critical of the President.\" Digital \"brownshirts\"?\nAbout George W. Bush, George Soros, the billionaire Democratic donor, said: \"The Bush administration and the Nazi and communist regimes all engaged in the politics of fear. ... Indeed, the Bush administration has been able to improve on the techniques used by the Nazi and communist propaganda machines.\"\nFormer NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, in a 2006 speech at historically Black Fayetteville State University said, \"The Republican Party would have the American flag and the swastika flying side by side.\"\nFormer Gov. Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2005, described the contest between Democrats and Republicans as \"a struggle between good and evil. And we're the good.\" Three years later, Dean referred to the GOP as \"the white party.\"\nAfter Hurricane Katrina, Democratic Missouri Senate candidate Claire McCaskill said George W. Bush \"let people die on rooftops in New Orleans because they were poor and because they were Black.\"\nFeminist superlawyer Gloria Allred, in 2001, referred to Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice as \"Uncle Tom types.\"\nThen-Sen. Hillary Clinton, in 2006, said, \"The [Republican-controlled] House of Representatives ... has been run like a plantation. And you know what I'm talking about.\"\nDebbie Wasserman Schultz, Democratic National Committee chairwoman in 2011, said \"Republicans ... want to literally drag us all the way back to Jim Crow laws.\"\nAgain, exactly when did Democrats practice the \"civility\" to which they wish to return?\nCOPYRIGHT 2021 LAURENCE A. ELDER\nDISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM",
"Democrats Want a 'Return to Civility'; When Did They Practice It?",
"A 2020 Joe Biden campaign ad described the pending election as an"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-14T00:31:27 | null | 2021-01-13T00:00:00 |
Can the Republican Party Be Saved? | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F13%2Fcan_the_republican_party_be_saved_533413.html.json
|
en
| null |
Can the Republican Party Be Saved?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
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Can the Republican Party Be Saved?
Why de-radicalizing the GOP is both urgent and extremely difficult.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/13/can_the_republican_party_be_saved_533413.html
|
en
| 2021-01-13T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/59f422763b4386c7da8eacf28234e7731c8efc3bbbd928cc15e4334a1e72283e.json
|
[
"Can the Republican Party Be Saved?\nWhy de-radicalizing the GOP is both urgent and extremely difficult.",
"Can the Republican Party Be Saved?",
"Can the Republican Party Be Saved? | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-08T20:18:21 | null | 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
Can Donald Trump Survive 'Virtual Impeachment'? | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F08%2Fcan_donald_trump_survive_virtual_impeachment_533025.html.json
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https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
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en
| null |
Can Donald Trump Survive 'Virtual Impeachment'?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Stripped of his most powerful social media weapons, the president faces an existential crisis at a moment of maximum peril.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/08/can_donald_trump_survive_virtual_impeachment_533025.html
|
en
| 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/7b963e30c2869f149d4bb457107c208cd595efa3447f5db68a0da27a6af6d04d.json
|
[
"Stripped of his most powerful social media weapons, the president faces an existential crisis at a moment of maximum peril.",
"Can Donald Trump Survive 'Virtual Impeachment'?",
"Can Donald Trump Survive 'Virtual Impeachment'? | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-08T20:18:26 | null | 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
Can the U.S. Restore Plummeting Public Trust? | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F08%2Fcan_the_us_restore_plummeting_public_trust_533010.html.json
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https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
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en
| null |
Can the U.S. Restore Plummeting Public Trust?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Can the U.S. Restore Plummeting Public Trust?
When people get contempt and condescension, they're more inclined to put all their trust in leaders like President Donald Trump.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/08/can_the_us_restore_plummeting_public_trust_533010.html
|
en
| 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/7a9392613912b878d62d3e965d661a85b21abfccacb3643ed824d158b3e364e1.json
|
[
"Can the U.S. Restore Plummeting Public Trust?\nWhen people get contempt and condescension, they're more inclined to put all their trust in leaders like President Donald Trump.",
"Can the U.S. Restore Plummeting Public Trust?",
"Can the U.S. Restore Plummeting Public Trust? | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-30T18:01:37 | null | 2021-01-30T00:00:00 |
Why Are Journalists Mobilizing Against Free Speech? | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F30%2Fwhy_are_journalists_mobilizing_against_free_speech_534769.html.json
|
en
| null |
Why Are Journalists Mobilizing Against Free Speech?
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
A new generation of media crusaders clamor for government control over what you see, hear, and read—and for banning their competition
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/30/why_are_journalists_mobilizing_against_free_speech_534769.html
|
en
| 2021-01-30T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/2a9b0ff38e2d4810269ef52d6c34ff3149929ac85dc5c4517ad7dba398070a5b.json
|
[
"A new generation of media crusaders clamor for government control over what you see, hear, and read—and for banning their competition",
"Why Are Journalists Mobilizing Against Free Speech?",
"Why Are Journalists Mobilizing Against Free Speech? | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-20T18:37:53 | null | 2021-01-20T00:00:00 |
Biden Inauguration Day: America's Dark Winter Begins | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F20%2Fbiden_inauguration_day_americas_dark_winter_begins_533895.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Biden Inauguration Day: America's Dark Winter Begins
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Flying U.S. flags at half-staff Wednesday would seem to be an appropriate expression of mourning.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/20/biden_inauguration_day_americas_dark_winter_begins_533895.html
|
en
| 2021-01-20T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/572617480908271b561798d018020c0a5f99a19e4e58cfe91c6def692cd163ee.json
|
[
"Flying U.S. flags at half-staff Wednesday would seem to be an appropriate expression of mourning.",
"Biden Inauguration Day: America's Dark Winter Begins",
"Biden Inauguration Day: America's Dark Winter Begins | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-08T20:14:41 | null | 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
WASHINGTON (AP) Three days before supporters of President Donald Trump rioted at the Capitol, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F08%2Fcapitol_police_rejected_offers_of_federal_help_to_quell_mob_144996.html.json
|
en
| null |
Capitol Police Rejected Offers of Federal Help to Quell Mob
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three days before supporters of President Donald Trump rioted at the Capitol, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed National Guard manpower. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents. The police turned them down both times, according to senior defense officials and two people familiar with the matter.
Despite plenty of warnings of a possible insurrection and ample resources and time to prepare, the Capitol Police planned only for a free speech demonstration.
Still stinging from the uproar over the violent response by law enforcement to protests last June near the White House, officials also were intent on avoiding any appearance that the federal government was deploying active duty or National Guard troops against Americans.
The result is the U.S. Capitol was overrun Wednesday and officers in a law enforcement agency with a large operating budget and experience in high-security events protecting lawmakers were overwhelmed for the world to see. Four protesters died, including one shot inside the building. A Capitol Police officer died Thursday after being injured in the Wednesday melee.
The rioting and loss of control has raised serious questions over security at the Capitol for future events. The actions of the day also raise troubling concerns about the treatment of mainly white Trump supporters, who were allowed to roam through the building for hours, while Black and brown protesters who demonstrated last year over police brutality faced more robust and aggressive policing.
“This was a failure of imagination, a failure of leadership,” said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, whose department responded to several large protests last year following the death of George Floyd. “The Capitol Police must do better and I don’t see how we can get around that.”
Acevedo said he has attended events on the Capitol grounds to honor slain police officers that had higher fences and a stronger security presence than what he saw on video Wednesday.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that as the rioting was underway, it became clear that the Capitol Police were overrun. But he said there was no contingency planning done in advance for what forces could do in case of a problem at the Capitol because Defense Department help was turned down. “They’ve got to ask us, the request has to come to us,” said McCarthy.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, under pressure from Schumer, Pelosi and other congressional leaders, was forced to resign. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asked for and received the resignation of the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, Michael Stenger, effective immediately. Paul Irving, the longtime Sergeant at Arms of the House, also resigned.
“There was a failure of leadership at the top,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
The U.S. Capitol had been closed to the public since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now killed more than 360,000 people in the U.S. But normally, the building is open to the public and lawmakers pride themselves on their availability to their constituents.
It is not clear how many officers were on-duty Wednesday, but the complex is policed by a total of 2,300 officers for 16 acres of ground who protect the 435 House representatives, 100 U.S. senators and their staff. By comparison, the city of Minneapolis has about 840 uniformed officers policing a population of 425,000 in a 6,000-acre area.
There were signs for weeks that violence could strike on Jan. 6, when Congress convened for a joint session to finish counting the Electoral College votes that would confirm Democrat Joe Biden had won the presidential election.
On far-right message boards and in pro-Trump circles, plans were being made.
The leader of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys was arrested coming into the nation’s capital this week on a weapons charge for carrying empty high-capacity magazines emblazoned with their logo. He admitted to police that he had made statements about rioting in Washington, local officials said.
Both Acevedo and Ed Davis, a former Boston police commissioner who led the department during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, said they did not fault the responses of clearly overmatched front-line officers, but the planning and leadership before the riot.
“Was there a structural feeling that well, these are a bunch of conservatives, they’re not going to do anything like this? Quite possibly,” Davis said. “That’s where the racial component to this comes into play in my mind. Was there a lack of urgency or a sense that this could never happen with this crowd? Is that possible? Absolutely.”
Trump and his allies were perhaps the biggest megaphones, encouraging protesters to turn out in force and support his false claim that the election had been stolen from him. He egged them on during a rally shortly before they marched to the Capitol and rioted. His personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor known for his tough-on-crime stance, called for “trial by combat.”
McCarthy said law enforcement’s intelligence estimates of the potential crowd size in the run-up to the protests “were all over the board,” from a low of 2,000 to as many as 80,000.
So the Capitol Police had set up no hard perimeter around the Capitol. Officers were focused on one side where lawmakers were entering to vote to certify Biden’s win.
Barricades were set up on the plaza in front of the building, but police retreated from the line and a mob of people broke through. Lawmakers, at first unaware of the security breach, continued their debate. Soon they were cowering under chairs. Eventually they were escorted from the House and Senate. Journalists were left alone in rooms for hours as the mob attempted to break into barricaded rooms.
Sund, the Capitol Police chief, said he had expected a display of “First Amendment activities” that instead turned into a “violent attack.” But Gus Papathanasiou, head of the Capitol Police union, said planning failures left officers exposed without backup or equipment against surging crowds of rioters.
“We were lucky that more of those who breached the Capitol did not have firearms or explosives and did not have a more malign intent,” Papathanasiou said in a statement. “Tragic as the deaths are that resulted from the attack, we are fortunate the casualty toll was not higher.”
The Justice Department, FBI and other agencies began to monitor hotels, flights and social media for weeks and were expecting large crowds. Mayor Muriel Bowser had warned of impending violence for weeks, and businesses had closed in anticipation. She requested National Guard help from the Pentagon on Dec. 31, but the Capitol Police turned down the Jan. 3 offer from the Defense Department, according to Kenneth Rapuano, assistant defense secretary for homeland security.
“We asked more than once and the final return that we got on Sunday the 3rd was that they would not be asking DOD for assistance,” he said.
The Justice Department’s offer for FBI support as the protesters grew violent was rejected by the Capitol Police, according to the two people familiar with the matter. They were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
By then, it was too late.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department descended. Agents from nearly every Justice Department agency, including the FBI, were called in. So was the Secret Service and the Federal Protective Service. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent two tactical teams. Police from as far away as New Jersey arrived to help.
It took four hours to evict the protesters from the Capitol complex. By then, they had roamed the halls of Congress, posed for photos inside hallowed chambers, broken through doors, destroyed property and taken photos of themselves doing it. Only 13 were arrested at the time; scores were arrested later.
In the aftermath, a 7-foot fence will go up around the Capitol grounds for at least 30 days. The Capitol Police will conduct a review of the carnage, as well as their planning and policies. Lawmakers plan to investigate how authorities handled the rioting.
The acting U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia, Michael Sherwin, said the failure to arrest more people is making their jobs harder.
“Look, we have to now go through cell site orders, collect video footage to try to identify people and then charge them, and then try to execute their arrest. So that has made things challenging, but I can’t answer why those people weren’t zip-tied as they were leaving the building by the Capitol Police.”
___
Associated Press writers Ben Fox, Mary Clare Jalonick, Andrew Taylor and Ashraf Khalil contributed to this report.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/08/capitol_police_rejected_offers_of_federal_help_to_quell_mob_144996.html
|
en
| 2021-01-08T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/425b6bdc2de5879cbc8d38012f68891dbb1daa260ed157bab12f23148bb0b667.json
|
[
"WASHINGTON (AP) — Three days before supporters of President Donald Trump rioted at the Capitol, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed National Guard manpower. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents. The police turned them down both times, according to senior defense officials and two people familiar with the matter.\nDespite plenty of warnings of a possible insurrection and ample resources and time to prepare, the Capitol Police planned only for a free speech demonstration.\nStill stinging from the uproar over the violent response by law enforcement to protests last June near the White House, officials also were intent on avoiding any appearance that the federal government was deploying active duty or National Guard troops against Americans.\nThe result is the U.S. Capitol was overrun Wednesday and officers in a law enforcement agency with a large operating budget and experience in high-security events protecting lawmakers were overwhelmed for the world to see. Four protesters died, including one shot inside the building. A Capitol Police officer died Thursday after being injured in the Wednesday melee.\nThe rioting and loss of control has raised serious questions over security at the Capitol for future events. The actions of the day also raise troubling concerns about the treatment of mainly white Trump supporters, who were allowed to roam through the building for hours, while Black and brown protesters who demonstrated last year over police brutality faced more robust and aggressive policing.\n“This was a failure of imagination, a failure of leadership,” said Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, whose department responded to several large protests last year following the death of George Floyd. “The Capitol Police must do better and I don’t see how we can get around that.”\nAcevedo said he has attended events on the Capitol grounds to honor slain police officers that had higher fences and a stronger security presence than what he saw on video Wednesday.\nArmy Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that as the rioting was underway, it became clear that the Capitol Police were overrun. But he said there was no contingency planning done in advance for what forces could do in case of a problem at the Capitol because Defense Department help was turned down. “They’ve got to ask us, the request has to come to us,” said McCarthy.\nU.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, under pressure from Schumer, Pelosi and other congressional leaders, was forced to resign. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asked for and received the resignation of the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, Michael Stenger, effective immediately. Paul Irving, the longtime Sergeant at Arms of the House, also resigned.\n“There was a failure of leadership at the top,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.\nThe U.S. Capitol had been closed to the public since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now killed more than 360,000 people in the U.S. But normally, the building is open to the public and lawmakers pride themselves on their availability to their constituents.\nIt is not clear how many officers were on-duty Wednesday, but the complex is policed by a total of 2,300 officers for 16 acres of ground who protect the 435 House representatives, 100 U.S. senators and their staff. By comparison, the city of Minneapolis has about 840 uniformed officers policing a population of 425,000 in a 6,000-acre area.\nThere were signs for weeks that violence could strike on Jan. 6, when Congress convened for a joint session to finish counting the Electoral College votes that would confirm Democrat Joe Biden had won the presidential election.\nOn far-right message boards and in pro-Trump circles, plans were being made.\nThe leader of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys was arrested coming into the nation’s capital this week on a weapons charge for carrying empty high-capacity magazines emblazoned with their logo. He admitted to police that he had made statements about rioting in Washington, local officials said.\nBoth Acevedo and Ed Davis, a former Boston police commissioner who led the department during the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, said they did not fault the responses of clearly overmatched front-line officers, but the planning and leadership before the riot.\n“Was there a structural feeling that well, these are a bunch of conservatives, they’re not going to do anything like this? Quite possibly,” Davis said. “That’s where the racial component to this comes into play in my mind. Was there a lack of urgency or a sense that this could never happen with this crowd? Is that possible? Absolutely.”\nTrump and his allies were perhaps the biggest megaphones, encouraging protesters to turn out in force and support his false claim that the election had been stolen from him. He egged them on during a rally shortly before they marched to the Capitol and rioted. His personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, a former New York mayor known for his tough-on-crime stance, called for “trial by combat.”\nMcCarthy said law enforcement’s intelligence estimates of the potential crowd size in the run-up to the protests “were all over the board,” from a low of 2,000 to as many as 80,000.\nSo the Capitol Police had set up no hard perimeter around the Capitol. Officers were focused on one side where lawmakers were entering to vote to certify Biden’s win.\nBarricades were set up on the plaza in front of the building, but police retreated from the line and a mob of people broke through. Lawmakers, at first unaware of the security breach, continued their debate. Soon they were cowering under chairs. Eventually they were escorted from the House and Senate. Journalists were left alone in rooms for hours as the mob attempted to break into barricaded rooms.\nSund, the Capitol Police chief, said he had expected a display of “First Amendment activities” that instead turned into a “violent attack.” But Gus Papathanasiou, head of the Capitol Police union, said planning failures left officers exposed without backup or equipment against surging crowds of rioters.\n“We were lucky that more of those who breached the Capitol did not have firearms or explosives and did not have a more malign intent,” Papathanasiou said in a statement. “Tragic as the deaths are that resulted from the attack, we are fortunate the casualty toll was not higher.”\nThe Justice Department, FBI and other agencies began to monitor hotels, flights and social media for weeks and were expecting large crowds. Mayor Muriel Bowser had warned of impending violence for weeks, and businesses had closed in anticipation. She requested National Guard help from the Pentagon on Dec. 31, but the Capitol Police turned down the Jan. 3 offer from the Defense Department, according to Kenneth Rapuano, assistant defense secretary for homeland security.\n“We asked more than once and the final return that we got on Sunday the 3rd was that they would not be asking DOD for assistance,” he said.\nThe Justice Department’s offer for FBI support as the protesters grew violent was rejected by the Capitol Police, according to the two people familiar with the matter. They were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.\nBy then, it was too late.\nOfficers from the Metropolitan Police Department descended. Agents from nearly every Justice Department agency, including the FBI, were called in. So was the Secret Service and the Federal Protective Service. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent two tactical teams. Police from as far away as New Jersey arrived to help.\nIt took four hours to evict the protesters from the Capitol complex. By then, they had roamed the halls of Congress, posed for photos inside hallowed chambers, broken through doors, destroyed property and taken photos of themselves doing it. Only 13 were arrested at the time; scores were arrested later.\nIn the aftermath, a 7-foot fence will go up around the Capitol grounds for at least 30 days. The Capitol Police will conduct a review of the carnage, as well as their planning and policies. Lawmakers plan to investigate how authorities handled the rioting.\nThe acting U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia, Michael Sherwin, said the failure to arrest more people is making their jobs harder.\n“Look, we have to now go through cell site orders, collect video footage to try to identify people and then charge them, and then try to execute their arrest. So that has made things challenging, but I can’t answer why those people weren’t zip-tied as they were leaving the building by the Capitol Police.”\n___\nAssociated Press writers Ben Fox, Mary Clare Jalonick, Andrew Taylor and Ashraf Khalil contributed to this report.",
"Capitol Police Rejected Offers of Federal Help to Quell Mob",
"WASHINGTON (AP) Three days before supporters of President Donald Trump rioted at the Capitol, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-09T14:29:42 | null | 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
Why I Am Leaving the Democratic Party | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F09%2Fwhy_i_am_leaving_the_democratic_party_533046.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
Why I Am Leaving the Democratic Party
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Why I Am Leaving the Democratic Party
I am an outgoing State Representative in Georgia, a lifelong Democrat and newest member of the Republican Party.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/09/why_i_am_leaving_the_democratic_party_533046.html
|
en
| 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/5426bb4fb1a189ab72dfcd22d3c7361f44069f575018105d94afff0c81b93a13.json
|
[
"Why I Am Leaving the Democratic Party\nI am an outgoing State Representative in Georgia, a lifelong Democrat and newest member of the Republican Party.",
"Why I Am Leaving the Democratic Party",
"Why I Am Leaving the Democratic Party | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-24T05:15:58 | null | 2021-01-23T00:00:00 |
The U.S. Army Is in Great Shape. Let’s Not Screw It Up | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F23%2Fthe_us_army_is_in_great_shape_letrsquos_not_screw_it_up_534245.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
The U.S. Army Is in Great Shape. Let’s Not Screw It Up
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/23/the_us_army_is_in_great_shape_letrsquos_not_screw_it_up_534245.html
|
en
| 2021-01-23T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/c95925771e8fef27d615e1c8de4220a8009ffb86601c5e367d2c91d8d6a90bfa.json
|
[
"The U.S. Army Is in Great Shape. Let’s Not Screw It Up",
"The U.S. Army Is in Great Shape. Let’s Not Screw It Up | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-09T14:29:07 | null | 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
The Capitol Riot Shows Us How Whiteness Works in America | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F09%2Fthe_capitol_riot_shows_us_how_whiteness_works_in_america_533080.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
The Capitol Riot Shows Us How Whiteness Works in America
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
The Capitol Riot Shows Us How Whiteness Works in America
The answer to how the Capitol riots happened is right in front of us.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/09/the_capitol_riot_shows_us_how_whiteness_works_in_america_533080.html
|
en
| 2021-01-09T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/5d04fd14a7aa38809b0980679079c618efdf65bccebc89eda36ee0a387b9109c.json
|
[
"The Capitol Riot Shows Us How Whiteness Works in America\nThe answer to how the Capitol riots happened is right in front of us.",
"The Capitol Riot Shows Us How Whiteness Works in America",
"The Capitol Riot Shows Us How Whiteness Works in America | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-15T15:41:55 | null | 2021-01-15T00:00:00 |
If youve ever wondered why America needs the Electoral College, the state-by-state process for electing a president, look no further than the angry mob that...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F15%2Fwe_need_the_electoral_college_now_more_than_ever__145037.html.json
|
en
| null |
We Need the Electoral College Now More Than Ever
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
If you’ve ever wondered why America needs the Electoral College, the state-by-state process for electing a president, look no further than the angry mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Without it, contested elections, massive political protests, and civil unrest would likely occur with much greater frequency.
The framers of our Constitution distrusted government power, but they also worried about mob rule. To protect us from these twin evils, our founders deliberately created a decentralized system for choosing our chief executive. Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution provides that the president is to be chosen by “electors” selected by each individual state.
The U.S., therefore, does not conduct a single nationwide election or operate a unified election system. Rather, the 50 states and the District of Columbia each conduct their own popular vote for president. Based on these results, the 51 jurisdictions appoints electors who cast direct votes for president in a process that we call the Electoral College.
By constitutional design, electors cast their ballots for president and vice president in their respective state capitals, away from the undue influence of outside interests. This decentralized process ensures that concerted political pressure (or mob violence) directed at a single institution won’t alter the outcome.
The federalist principles embedded in our Constitution not only prevent any one entity from overruling a presidential election, they also make it difficult to rig the outcome in the first place. That’s because election tampering and voter fraud can only affect the overall outcome if it occurs in key states, which can be hard to predict ahead of time.
Does that mean that voter fraud isn’t a problem? Of course not. Voters are right to be concerned about election integrity. But whatever one thinks about claims of a “stolen” election, last week’s protesters and rioters were barking up the wrong tree. Our founders clearly intended for the states to address these sort of election issues.
Those who expressed concern about President Trump’s refusal to concede the election to Joe Biden should be particularly concerned about attempts to replace the Electoral College with a national popular vote. With the Electoral College, recounts are limited to cases where the vote tally in a particular state could change the Electoral College outcome (such as Florida in 2000). As a result, refusal to concede is highly unusual. With a national popular vote, it would become the norm. That’s because in the United States, the nationwide vote count is often close in relative terms. Electoral College outcomes, however, are almost always decisive.
Consider, for example, the 1960 presidential contest between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. It remains unclear whether Kennedy or Nixon won more votes nationwide. (It’s fair to say it was, essentially, a tie.) But in the Electoral College, Kennedy won decisively -- 303 to 219. Despite the close nationwide vote count and widespread allegations of voter fraud, particularly in Chicago, Nixon conceded. It is unlikely he would have done so under a national popular vote system, which would have given Nixon an incentive to litigate the count in any jurisdiction where he stood a change of picking up votes. How such a scenario would have played out is anyone’s guess. But, by encouraging finality, the Electoral College in 1960 very likely averted a true constitutional crisis.
So, what would American elections look like without the Electoral College? They’d look a lot like 2020 -- but possibly much worse. To begin with, there would be increased incentives for voter fraud, as fraud anywhere could tip an election. There would also be more litigation, as the loser of any close race would likely challenge the outcome in precincts all across the country, not just in one or two states. And, with increased fraud and increased litigation, demonstrations and protests aimed at the federal authority in charge of any new national election apparatus would, sadly, become routine. Think Latin American-style politics.
Our founders understood that in a pure democracy, might often conquers right, and politics can quickly devolve into mob violence. No election system is perfect. But, as the events of last week make clear, getting rid of the Electoral College would be a dangerous gambit.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/15/we_need_the_electoral_college_now_more_than_ever__145037.html
|
en
| 2021-01-15T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/b6a020dbd6bf4ad3fc9fa2af7bd0cf81e9783421f15a5147ab93791ff6dea434.json
|
[
"If you’ve ever wondered why America needs the Electoral College, the state-by-state process for electing a president, look no further than the angry mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Without it, contested elections, massive political protests, and civil unrest would likely occur with much greater frequency.\nThe framers of our Constitution distrusted government power, but they also worried about mob rule. To protect us from these twin evils, our founders deliberately created a decentralized system for choosing our chief executive. Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution provides that the president is to be chosen by “electors” selected by each individual state.\nThe U.S., therefore, does not conduct a single nationwide election or operate a unified election system. Rather, the 50 states and the District of Columbia each conduct their own popular vote for president. Based on these results, the 51 jurisdictions appoints electors who cast direct votes for president in a process that we call the Electoral College.\nBy constitutional design, electors cast their ballots for president and vice president in their respective state capitals, away from the undue influence of outside interests. This decentralized process ensures that concerted political pressure (or mob violence) directed at a single institution won’t alter the outcome.\nThe federalist principles embedded in our Constitution not only prevent any one entity from overruling a presidential election, they also make it difficult to rig the outcome in the first place. That’s because election tampering and voter fraud can only affect the overall outcome if it occurs in key states, which can be hard to predict ahead of time.\nDoes that mean that voter fraud isn’t a problem? Of course not. Voters are right to be concerned about election integrity. But whatever one thinks about claims of a “stolen” election, last week’s protesters and rioters were barking up the wrong tree. Our founders clearly intended for the states to address these sort of election issues.\nThose who expressed concern about President Trump’s refusal to concede the election to Joe Biden should be particularly concerned about attempts to replace the Electoral College with a national popular vote. With the Electoral College, recounts are limited to cases where the vote tally in a particular state could change the Electoral College outcome (such as Florida in 2000). As a result, refusal to concede is highly unusual. With a national popular vote, it would become the norm. That’s because in the United States, the nationwide vote count is often close in relative terms. Electoral College outcomes, however, are almost always decisive.\nConsider, for example, the 1960 presidential contest between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. It remains unclear whether Kennedy or Nixon won more votes nationwide. (It’s fair to say it was, essentially, a tie.) But in the Electoral College, Kennedy won decisively -- 303 to 219. Despite the close nationwide vote count and widespread allegations of voter fraud, particularly in Chicago, Nixon conceded. It is unlikely he would have done so under a national popular vote system, which would have given Nixon an incentive to litigate the count in any jurisdiction where he stood a change of picking up votes. How such a scenario would have played out is anyone’s guess. But, by encouraging finality, the Electoral College in 1960 very likely averted a true constitutional crisis.\nSo, what would American elections look like without the Electoral College? They’d look a lot like 2020 -- but possibly much worse. To begin with, there would be increased incentives for voter fraud, as fraud anywhere could tip an election. There would also be more litigation, as the loser of any close race would likely challenge the outcome in precincts all across the country, not just in one or two states. And, with increased fraud and increased litigation, demonstrations and protests aimed at the federal authority in charge of any new national election apparatus would, sadly, become routine. Think Latin American-style politics.\nOur founders understood that in a pure democracy, might often conquers right, and politics can quickly devolve into mob violence. No election system is perfect. But, as the events of last week make clear, getting rid of the Electoral College would be a dangerous gambit.",
"We Need the Electoral College Now More Than Ever",
"If youve ever wondered why America needs the Electoral College, the state-by-state process for electing a president, look no further than the angry mob that..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-06T16:57:11 | null | 2021-01-06T00:00:00 |
You were warned.
In September 2020, right here in this nationally syndicated newspaper column and on a subsequent report on my Newsmax show,
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F06%2Fthe_zuckerberg_heist_144972.html.json
|
en
| null |
The Zuckerberg Heist
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
You were warned.
In September 2020, right here in this nationally syndicated newspaper column and on a subsequent report on my Newsmax show, "Sovereign Nation," I sounded the alarm over Silicon Valley's hijacking of our election system through a private nonprofit called the Center for Technology and Civic Life.
In October, I tipped off the White House and publicly urged the FBI and Justice Department to investigate. Nothing was done. Not a single federal official objected. So, the Zuckerberg Heist will happen again and again in this farce of a constitutional republic. Free and fair elections in America are a pipe dream.
In case you were snoozing, as far too many citizens in this country are, CTCL is the deep-pocketed liberal advocacy group subsidized by Big Tech oligarchs and radical philanthropists. The center received $350 million from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Election information-rigging Google is a top corporate partner. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Democracy Fund (founded by "Never Trumper" billionaire and eBay former chairman Pierre Omidyar) also pitched in. There are unknown other wealthy donors to the 501(c)(3) "charity," but I can't tell you who and how many they are because their identities are protected by IRS rules.
I was able to tell you last fall how CTCL solicited over 1,100 applications from across the country for the group's purported "COVID-19 Response Grant Program" to "provide funding to U.S. local election offices" that steered voters toward alternatives to traditional voting. The pandemic provided a handy ruse to sabotage our regular Election Day experience through less transparent, more manipulable absentee and vote-by-mail mechanisms.
I showed you how there is nothing "nonpartisan" about CTCL's enterprise. The Center's top staff (many of them Barack Obama campaign tech gurus) come from a now-defunct liberal nonprofit called the New Organizing Institute, whose far-left donors include George Soros's Open Society Foundation, the Ford Foundation and Atlantic Philanthropies. CTCL director Tiana Epps-Johnson is a former Obama Foundation fellow. Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, author of "The Citizens' Guide to Beating Trump," worked for Zuckerberg's foundation.
Chicago political activist Jay Stone, The Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society, and watchdogs in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania all filed lawsuits prior to Election Day against CTCL's partisan grant scheme to affect battleground states' and counties' election results. This week, just as I prepared to file this column, The Amistad Project filed a new suit against Fulton County, Georgia (home of the pipe burst shenanigans that shut down absentee ballot counting on Election Day) for using dark money CTCL funds in both the general election and the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections.
"The sanctity of our electoral process is being violated by the unprecedented infusion of private money," Phill Kline, director of the Amistad Project, warned. "Instead of being distributed equally, as the law requires," he noted, "election funding is now being doled out by private interests seeking to influence the process for partisan advantage."
According to The Amistad Project, the money that Fulton County has accepted from CTCL "is nearly equal to the amount the county received from public sources for the 2020 general election." Grant recipients must abide by Zuckerberg/CTCL's requirements on how many polling places and absentee ballot drop boxes it supplies. Election judges have been subsidized with Big Tech/Democrat operatives' money. The grants have reportedly been used to facilitate illegal "curing" of flawed ballots while GOP observers were blocked from doing their jobs.
Questions raised by Amistad that remain unanswered:
-- What conversations has Mark Zuckerberg and/or those on his staff had with David Plouffe and/or Plouffe's colleagues? Was funding to CTCL specifically discussed? Will Zuckerberg share related emails?
-- What strategic discussions has Zuckerberg had with CTCL's leadership? How does he monitor CTCL's progress? Will he share emails pertaining to these matters?
The Democrats like to say that "your voice is your vote." When tech oligarch Mark Zuckerberg (net worth: $100 billion) has the unregulated and unmitigated ability to dictate how America's elections are run, who runs them, how we cast our ballots, and who counts them, what voice do we have left?
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/06/the_zuckerberg_heist_144972.html
|
en
| 2021-01-06T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/b22ea273797ddfde5b0b032878c610c290611cd0fc4c3319fe297d5ea53fbeea.json
|
[
"You were warned.\nIn September 2020, right here in this nationally syndicated newspaper column and on a subsequent report on my Newsmax show, \"Sovereign Nation,\" I sounded the alarm over Silicon Valley's hijacking of our election system through a private nonprofit called the Center for Technology and Civic Life.\nIn October, I tipped off the White House and publicly urged the FBI and Justice Department to investigate. Nothing was done. Not a single federal official objected. So, the Zuckerberg Heist will happen again and again in this farce of a constitutional republic. Free and fair elections in America are a pipe dream.\nIn case you were snoozing, as far too many citizens in this country are, CTCL is the deep-pocketed liberal advocacy group subsidized by Big Tech oligarchs and radical philanthropists. The center received $350 million from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Election information-rigging Google is a top corporate partner. The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Democracy Fund (founded by \"Never Trumper\" billionaire and eBay former chairman Pierre Omidyar) also pitched in. There are unknown other wealthy donors to the 501(c)(3) \"charity,\" but I can't tell you who and how many they are because their identities are protected by IRS rules.\nI was able to tell you last fall how CTCL solicited over 1,100 applications from across the country for the group's purported \"COVID-19 Response Grant Program\" to \"provide funding to U.S. local election offices\" that steered voters toward alternatives to traditional voting. The pandemic provided a handy ruse to sabotage our regular Election Day experience through less transparent, more manipulable absentee and vote-by-mail mechanisms.\nI showed you how there is nothing \"nonpartisan\" about CTCL's enterprise. The Center's top staff (many of them Barack Obama campaign tech gurus) come from a now-defunct liberal nonprofit called the New Organizing Institute, whose far-left donors include George Soros's Open Society Foundation, the Ford Foundation and Atlantic Philanthropies. CTCL director Tiana Epps-Johnson is a former Obama Foundation fellow. Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, author of \"The Citizens' Guide to Beating Trump,\" worked for Zuckerberg's foundation.\nChicago political activist Jay Stone, The Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society, and watchdogs in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania all filed lawsuits prior to Election Day against CTCL's partisan grant scheme to affect battleground states' and counties' election results. This week, just as I prepared to file this column, The Amistad Project filed a new suit against Fulton County, Georgia (home of the pipe burst shenanigans that shut down absentee ballot counting on Election Day) for using dark money CTCL funds in both the general election and the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections.\n\"The sanctity of our electoral process is being violated by the unprecedented infusion of private money,\" Phill Kline, director of the Amistad Project, warned. \"Instead of being distributed equally, as the law requires,\" he noted, \"election funding is now being doled out by private interests seeking to influence the process for partisan advantage.\"\nAccording to The Amistad Project, the money that Fulton County has accepted from CTCL \"is nearly equal to the amount the county received from public sources for the 2020 general election.\" Grant recipients must abide by Zuckerberg/CTCL's requirements on how many polling places and absentee ballot drop boxes it supplies. Election judges have been subsidized with Big Tech/Democrat operatives' money. The grants have reportedly been used to facilitate illegal \"curing\" of flawed ballots while GOP observers were blocked from doing their jobs.\nQuestions raised by Amistad that remain unanswered:\n-- What conversations has Mark Zuckerberg and/or those on his staff had with David Plouffe and/or Plouffe's colleagues? Was funding to CTCL specifically discussed? Will Zuckerberg share related emails?\n-- What strategic discussions has Zuckerberg had with CTCL's leadership? How does he monitor CTCL's progress? Will he share emails pertaining to these matters?\nThe Democrats like to say that \"your voice is your vote.\" When tech oligarch Mark Zuckerberg (net worth: $100 billion) has the unregulated and unmitigated ability to dictate how America's elections are run, who runs them, how we cast our ballots, and who counts them, what voice do we have left?\nCOPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM",
"The Zuckerberg Heist",
"You were warned.\nIn September 2020, right here in this nationally syndicated newspaper column and on a subsequent report on my Newsmax show,"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-22T06:51:31 | null | 2021-01-21T00:00:00 |
How Joe Biden Misunderstands Unity | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F21%2Fhow_joe_biden_misunderstands_unity_534062.html.json
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
|
en
| null |
How Joe Biden Misunderstands Unity
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
In Biden's speech, St. Augustine's deep warning about misdirected unity in love of the wrong thing becomes the spiritual equivalent of c'mon, man.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/21/how_joe_biden_misunderstands_unity_534062.html
|
en
| 2021-01-21T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/cc41aeda60bdb8fbb75c8d10c905da67de4612df30b17b34165a6e566d7e87a8.json
|
[
"In Biden's speech, St. Augustine's deep warning about misdirected unity in love of the wrong thing becomes the spiritual equivalent of c'mon, man.",
"How Joe Biden Misunderstands Unity",
"How Joe Biden Misunderstands Unity | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-23T21:48:14 | null | 2021-01-23T00:00:00 |
Why Bad Faith Mob Demands and Fear Reign Supreme | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F23%2Fwhy_bad_faith_mob_demands_and_fear_reign_supreme_534209.html.json
|
en
| null |
Why Bad Faith Mob Demands and Fear Reign Supreme
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
In the prevailing climate, the rational choice is to avoid social scorn and ostracization no matter how baseless the grievances one must appease.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/23/why_bad_faith_mob_demands_and_fear_reign_supreme_534209.html
|
en
| 2021-01-23T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/6afc517701ed5d7fc1fddcaee133ae0fe6e8dc06fe9cdf4b6c04cd315312f2cf.json
|
[
"In the prevailing climate, the rational choice is to avoid social scorn and ostracization no matter how baseless the grievances one must appease.",
"Why Bad Faith Mob Demands and Fear Reign Supreme",
"Why Bad Faith Mob Demands and Fear Reign Supreme | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-04T03:24:02 | null | 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
Biden Must Appoint Secretary of Racial Justice to Cabinet | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F03%2Fbiden_must_appoint_secretary_of_racial_justice_to_cabinet_532558.html.json
|
en
| null |
Biden Must Appoint Secretary of Racial Justice to Cabinet
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
With President-elect Joe Biden positioned to take office this upcoming January, he has a chance to rewrite history by rebuilding a new type of justice in America
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/03/biden_must_appoint_secretary_of_racial_justice_to_cabinet_532558.html
|
en
| 2021-01-03T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/b0a0f7cd792960adf0bb096465707ab043144a84e7d100787392a796705f7236.json
|
[
"With President-elect Joe Biden positioned to take office this upcoming January, he has a chance to rewrite history by rebuilding a new type of justice in America",
"Biden Must Appoint Secretary of Racial Justice to Cabinet",
"Biden Must Appoint Secretary of Racial Justice to Cabinet | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-25T04:35:35 | null | 2021-01-24T00:00:00 |
Transmitting the Truth About America’s Founding | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F24%2Ftransmitting_the_truth_about_americarsquos_founding_534260.html.json
|
en
| null |
Transmitting the Truth About America’s Founding
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Anyone not blinded by prejudice can see that freedom is under assault in America. To rekindle the distinctively American variety of freedom it is first essential to understand it.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/24/transmitting_the_truth_about_americarsquos_founding_534260.html
|
en
| 2021-01-24T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/94ee447c03b5aefeb53cd089d99f851897454086ffbd0e9ca8172f64303a79bd.json
|
[
"Anyone not blinded by prejudice can see that freedom is under assault in America. To rekindle the distinctively American variety of freedom it is first essential to understand it.",
"Transmitting the Truth About America’s Founding",
"Transmitting the Truth About America’s Founding | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-27T22:42:26 | null | 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
Biden Must Get Tough on Putin. Start by Saving Navalny | RealClearPolitics
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2F2021%2F01%2F27%2Fbiden_must_get_tough_on_putin_start_by_saving_navalny_534534.html.json
|
en
| null |
Biden Must Get Tough on Putin. Start by Saving Navalny
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
Biden Must Get Tough on Putin. Start by Saving Navalny
Putin is an aggressive cancer requiring decisive intervention. After years of bashing Trump's devotion to him, time for Biden and Democrats to deliver.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/27/biden_must_get_tough_on_putin_start_by_saving_navalny_534534.html
|
en
| 2021-01-27T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/fc3765a82f17e480ddf552061a522d04a856c59ffddf7f6df48cc439bdacb520.json
|
[
"Biden Must Get Tough on Putin. Start by Saving Navalny\nPutin is an aggressive cancer requiring decisive intervention. After years of bashing Trump's devotion to him, time for Biden and Democrats to deliver.",
"Biden Must Get Tough on Putin. Start by Saving Navalny",
"Biden Must Get Tough on Putin. Start by Saving Navalny | RealClearPolitics"
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-22T16:41:22 | null | 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
SAN DIEGO (AP) In the days before Joe Biden became president, construction crews worked quickly to finish Donald Trumps wall at an iconic cross-border...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F22%2Fbiden_halts_construction_on_us-mexico_border_wall_145099.html.json
|
en
| null |
Biden Halts Construction on U.S.-Mexico Border Wall
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
SAN DIEGO (AP) — In the days before Joe Biden became president, construction crews worked quickly to finish Donald Trump’s wall at an iconic cross-border park overlooking the Pacific Ocean, which then-first lady Pat Nixon inaugurated in 1971 as a symbol of international friendship.
Biden on Wednesday ordered a “pause” on all wall construction within a week, one of 17 executive orders issued on his first day in office, including six dealing with immigration.
The order leaves billions of dollars of work unfinished — but still under contract — after Trump worked feverishly last year to build more than 450 miles (720 kilometers), a goal he said he achieved eight days before leaving office.
As of Jan. 15, the government spent $6.1 billion of the $10.8 billion in work it signed contracts to have done, according to a Senate Democratic aide with knowledge of the contracts who spoke on condition of anonymity because details have not been made public. The full amount under contract would have extended Trump’s wall to 664 miles (1,069 kilometers).
Biden, seeking to fulfill a pledge not to build “another foot,” gave his administration two months to determine how much it would cost to cancel contracts and whether money could be spent elsewhere. The Senate aide said fees would be negotiated with contractors and the administration would seek to spend whatever’s left on related uses on the border, such as roads, lights, sensors and other technology.
Publicly, the Trump administration said it secured $15 billion for the wall. The Senate aide said it was actually $16.45 billion as of Wednesday, $5.8 billion of which was appropriated by Congress and the rest diverted from the Defense and Treasury departments.
The Trump administration notified the Senate aide on Jan. 14 that it was moving ahead with a contract for $863 million, but it was not awarded.
The Army Corps of Engineers, which has awarded wall contracts with Defense Department money, said Thursday that it told crews not to install any additional barriers and to limit activity over the next few days to what is “necessary to safely prepare each site for a suspension of work.”
John Kurc, an activist who posts videos of dynamite blasts by wall construction crews, said he saw one dynamite charge being set Wednesday afternoon in Guadalupe Canyon in easternmost Arizona, even as the inauguration was playing out in Washington.
Heavy machines have been crawling over roadways gouged into rocky mountainsides, tapping open holes for posts on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property.
Advocates in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, the busiest area for illegal crossings, and near Nogales, Arizona, saw idle construction equipment Thursday.
But in San Diego, crews were out replacing a steel fence with imposing, tightly spaced poles topped with flat steel plates rising 30 feet (9 meters), said Dan Watman of Friends of Friendship Park, a group that promotes public access to the cross-border park overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Contractors began last week, said Watman, who was informed of the project in a December conference call with Border Patrol agents but got no explanation for it. The agency referred questions to the White House, which had no immediate comment.
Trump said the border wall would be “virtually impenetrable” and paid for by Mexico, which never happened. While the wall is much more formidable than the barriers it replaced, it isn’t uncommon for smugglers to guide people over or through it. Portions can be sawed with power tools sold at home improvement stores.
Despite Trump’s bravado, Border Patrol officials have said the wall was never meant to stop everyone but rather to slow their advance.
Jose Edgar Zuleta, whose business selling religious jewelry in the Mexican city of Puebla dried up during the coronavirus pandemic, cleared two walls in Friendship Park in October with a special ladder. He moved through brush in a heavily patrolled area for about half an hour before getting caught. His 21-year-old son, who went ahead of him, got picked up hours later.
The cross-border park has hosted yoga classes, concerts and countless news conferences, including one in 2018 with then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to announce a “zero tolerance” policy that caused thousands of children to be separated from their parents at the border.
An old bullfighting ring and ocean-view restaurants surround the Mexican side; wetland scrub stretches into the United States.
Years ago, people passed baked goods, kissed and shook hands through a chain-link fence. Watman remembers passing tools back and forth in 2007 to plant a cross-border garden that still stands.
Since 2012, after construction of a double wall at the park, the Border Patrol has opened a gate many weekends for up to 10 people at a time to exchange words with those in Mexico.
SLSCO Ltd. of Galveston, Texas, won contracts to build double walls blanketing 14 miles (22 kilometers) in San Diego. Company spokeswoman Liz Rogers said work at Friendship Park is separate and done by another company.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments next month on whether the government’ illegally diverted billions of dollars from the Defense Department to build the wall after Congress denied money that Trump sought, triggering a 35-day government shutdown in 2017.
It is unclear if Biden will adopt Trump’s position before the Supreme Court. The government’s brief is due Feb. 11.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador welcomed Biden’s decision to stop wall construction but, in defense of Trump, noted that U.S. presidents going back to 1990s built border barriers. He displayed a chart to prove his point.
___
Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant in Houston, Anita Snow in Phoenix and Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/22/biden_halts_construction_on_us-mexico_border_wall_145099.html
|
en
| 2021-01-22T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/9a6ab92be2ad552dbeef4a475b87e5651ac0cc67e9baac8a14478f39f5d05d83.json
|
[
"SAN DIEGO (AP) — In the days before Joe Biden became president, construction crews worked quickly to finish Donald Trump’s wall at an iconic cross-border park overlooking the Pacific Ocean, which then-first lady Pat Nixon inaugurated in 1971 as a symbol of international friendship.\nBiden on Wednesday ordered a “pause” on all wall construction within a week, one of 17 executive orders issued on his first day in office, including six dealing with immigration.\nThe order leaves billions of dollars of work unfinished — but still under contract — after Trump worked feverishly last year to build more than 450 miles (720 kilometers), a goal he said he achieved eight days before leaving office.\nAs of Jan. 15, the government spent $6.1 billion of the $10.8 billion in work it signed contracts to have done, according to a Senate Democratic aide with knowledge of the contracts who spoke on condition of anonymity because details have not been made public. The full amount under contract would have extended Trump’s wall to 664 miles (1,069 kilometers).\nBiden, seeking to fulfill a pledge not to build “another foot,” gave his administration two months to determine how much it would cost to cancel contracts and whether money could be spent elsewhere. The Senate aide said fees would be negotiated with contractors and the administration would seek to spend whatever’s left on related uses on the border, such as roads, lights, sensors and other technology.\nPublicly, the Trump administration said it secured $15 billion for the wall. The Senate aide said it was actually $16.45 billion as of Wednesday, $5.8 billion of which was appropriated by Congress and the rest diverted from the Defense and Treasury departments.\nThe Trump administration notified the Senate aide on Jan. 14 that it was moving ahead with a contract for $863 million, but it was not awarded.\nThe Army Corps of Engineers, which has awarded wall contracts with Defense Department money, said Thursday that it told crews not to install any additional barriers and to limit activity over the next few days to what is “necessary to safely prepare each site for a suspension of work.”\nJohn Kurc, an activist who posts videos of dynamite blasts by wall construction crews, said he saw one dynamite charge being set Wednesday afternoon in Guadalupe Canyon in easternmost Arizona, even as the inauguration was playing out in Washington.\nHeavy machines have been crawling over roadways gouged into rocky mountainsides, tapping open holes for posts on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property.\nAdvocates in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, the busiest area for illegal crossings, and near Nogales, Arizona, saw idle construction equipment Thursday.\nBut in San Diego, crews were out replacing a steel fence with imposing, tightly spaced poles topped with flat steel plates rising 30 feet (9 meters), said Dan Watman of Friends of Friendship Park, a group that promotes public access to the cross-border park overlooking the Pacific Ocean.\nContractors began last week, said Watman, who was informed of the project in a December conference call with Border Patrol agents but got no explanation for it. The agency referred questions to the White House, which had no immediate comment.\nTrump said the border wall would be “virtually impenetrable” and paid for by Mexico, which never happened. While the wall is much more formidable than the barriers it replaced, it isn’t uncommon for smugglers to guide people over or through it. Portions can be sawed with power tools sold at home improvement stores.\nDespite Trump’s bravado, Border Patrol officials have said the wall was never meant to stop everyone but rather to slow their advance.\nJose Edgar Zuleta, whose business selling religious jewelry in the Mexican city of Puebla dried up during the coronavirus pandemic, cleared two walls in Friendship Park in October with a special ladder. He moved through brush in a heavily patrolled area for about half an hour before getting caught. His 21-year-old son, who went ahead of him, got picked up hours later.\nThe cross-border park has hosted yoga classes, concerts and countless news conferences, including one in 2018 with then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to announce a “zero tolerance” policy that caused thousands of children to be separated from their parents at the border.\nAn old bullfighting ring and ocean-view restaurants surround the Mexican side; wetland scrub stretches into the United States.\nYears ago, people passed baked goods, kissed and shook hands through a chain-link fence. Watman remembers passing tools back and forth in 2007 to plant a cross-border garden that still stands.\nSince 2012, after construction of a double wall at the park, the Border Patrol has opened a gate many weekends for up to 10 people at a time to exchange words with those in Mexico.\nSLSCO Ltd. of Galveston, Texas, won contracts to build double walls blanketing 14 miles (22 kilometers) in San Diego. Company spokeswoman Liz Rogers said work at Friendship Park is separate and done by another company.\nThe Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments next month on whether the government’ illegally diverted billions of dollars from the Defense Department to build the wall after Congress denied money that Trump sought, triggering a 35-day government shutdown in 2017.\nIt is unclear if Biden will adopt Trump’s position before the Supreme Court. The government’s brief is due Feb. 11.\nMexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador welcomed Biden’s decision to stop wall construction but, in defense of Trump, noted that U.S. presidents going back to 1990s built border barriers. He displayed a chart to prove his point.\n___\nAssociated Press writers Nomaan Merchant in Houston, Anita Snow in Phoenix and Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed.",
"Biden Halts Construction on U.S.-Mexico Border Wall",
"SAN DIEGO (AP) In the days before Joe Biden became president, construction crews worked quickly to finish Donald Trumps wall at an iconic cross-border..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-20T18:38:19 | null | 2021-01-20T00:00:00 |
It's No Time for Biden to Be California Dreamin' | RealClearPolitics
|
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https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
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en
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It's No Time for Biden to Be California Dreamin'
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www.realclearpolitics.com
|
It's No Time for Biden to Be California Dreamin'
We did a double take at the report this week that Joe Biden, once inaugurated as president, would treat California as the administration's de facto think tank, placing it center stage again in Washington's policy arena.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/20/its_no_time_for_biden_to_be_california_dreamin_533897.html
|
en
| 2021-01-20T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/fc06341883a7d1f684a85861eee5610af2c61cced474c8d3e503a18cec4f4356.json
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"It's No Time for Biden to Be California Dreamin'\nWe did a double take at the report this week that Joe Biden, once inaugurated as president, would treat California as the administration's de facto think tank, placing it center stage again in Washington's policy arena.",
"It's No Time for Biden to Be California Dreamin'",
"It's No Time for Biden to Be California Dreamin' | RealClearPolitics"
] |
[] | 2021-01-13T04:53:15 | null | 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
About 'Whataboutism' and Political Hypocrisy | RealClearPolitics
|
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https://www.realclearpolitics.com/favicon.ico
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en
| null |
About 'Whataboutism' and Political Hypocrisy
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/12/about_whataboutism_and_political_hypocrisy_533345.html
|
en
| 2021-01-12T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/f7ca29bc0fe6cd81a870e88532c975d8085387841ea4f226d4ef558fc8308f00.json
|
[
"About 'Whataboutism' and Political Hypocrisy",
"About 'Whataboutism' and Political Hypocrisy | RealClearPolitics"
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[] | 2021-01-13T11:51:34 | null | 2021-01-13T00:00:00 |
A historic assault on the U.S government, incited by an American president, has left five people dead, and armed protests are planned again in our nation's...
|
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Farticles%2F2021%2F01%2F13%2Frepublicans_must_step_up_to_stop_the_violence_trump_wont_145023.html.json
|
en
| null |
Republicans Must Step Up to Stop the Violence Trump Won't
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
|
A historic assault on the U.S government, incited by an American president, has left five people dead, and armed protests are planned again in our nation's capital and all across the country in the coming week. If Republicans don’t begin immediately to try and prevent any further violence, they will own it.
President Trump has made clear his unwillingness to protect our democracy or victims caught up in deadly melees that “his people” instigate. His attempts to still blame antifa or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a violent mob he encouraged for months has made clear his unfitness as commander-in-chief. When he says he wants “peace” but refers to his incitement speech last Wednesday as “totally appropriate,” his followers get the message. When he warns Democratic leaders not to impeach him for sparking the insurrection because they will create violence, his followers get that message too.
Republicans in Congress who won’t call out both his incitement and his conduct in the hours following the invasion of the Capitol -- from refusing leaders’ calls to delaying a response to delighting in the visions of anarchy he saw on television -- are failing their government, their constituents and their country. They tell the world we are broken, and that even insurrection and threats to their own safety as representatives of our government are simply another primary election concern, or a news cycle to “move on” from. They have violated their oath to the Constitution.
The country is in danger, as extremists are planning armed confrontations at state capitols and a Million Militia March in Washington between Jan. 16-20. Members of Congress face escalating threats to their safety in Washington and at home in their districts. We now know the attack last week was intentional, planned by Trump’s “fighters” who -- using maps of the building -- brought weapons, radios, zip ties, flash-bang grenades and homemade napalm. It could have easily turned into a mass-casualty event. Our government had the intelligence, and the warning, but did not act on it.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday, six days after the attack on the Capitol, that the FBI had intelligence warning of a potential “war” being visited upon the Capitol, noting the group’s memo that read: “Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. Go there ready for war. We get our President or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal.”
Following the Jan. 6 attack that many nations around the world described as a coup attempt incited by the U.S. president, it took six days for any briefing to emerge from any agency to explain it. The thugs who sacked the building must be pretty special, because there would be no pause in responding had foreign invaders attacked.
After failing to coordinate all federal resources to protect the Capitol and the homeland against known threats last week, Department of Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf resigned Monday. At this time four years ago, confirmation hearings were underway for Trump’s head of DHS and other security positions. Amid an ongoing crisis, why is the Senate at home and not trying to help ensure a peaceful and stable transfer of power to the next government, which takes power in only seven days and is supposed to keep us and our legislators safe?
At this moment, with Big Tech blocking those who provoke violence and corporate America refusing to donate to seditionist lawmakers, Republicans should be reflecting on what they can do to help their country and fix their party. Doubling down on a violent movement stoked by a dangerous leader, and continuing a lie that has deranged people, damaged democracy and taken five lives, is pure nihilism. These threats are real and ongoing, and congressional Republicans cannot play dumb. They must announce that the election was not stolen, and that the legitimate next president is being sworn in on Jan. 20. If impeachment is too divisive for them, they can “unify” the country by working to stop any further violence from Trump supporters. Tweets, press statements, videos, press conferences -- all of it should be employed.
Sen. Rob Portman has done this and other Republicans must follow him. His statement released Monday said, “Violence is never the answer, and we must take all threats seriously.” He added: “I call on President Trump to address the nation and explicitly urge his supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence. If our nation experiences additional violence and destruction at the hands of his supporters in Washington DC and state capitals around the country, and he does not directly and unambiguously speak out now when threats are known, he will bear responsibility.”
Trump will not rise to this moment, and while he will bear responsibility, his enablers in Congress will share it if they don’t speak out now. Trump not only gave a speech inciting a mob to stop the Electoral College certification in Congress last week, but after the assault started he egged on the invaders to punish his vice president. His tweet, sent after 2 p.m., stated: “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!” Within minutes, the mob was hunting for Pence in the Capitol and threatening to “hang” him. That tweet alone is worthy of impeachment.
Trump aides reported the president expressed regret about the video he recorded Thursday calling for an orderly transition, and said he did not want to add “stay peaceful” to his tweet sent out amid the violence last Wednesday. He cannot be counted on in the days to come to disavow violence and tell his supporters to calm down. He still hasn’t conceded to Joe Biden, mentioned his name or congratulated him. His supporters continue to closely watch what he won’t do and refuses to say.
Freshman GOP Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan said that colleagues around him on Wednesday admitted they knew it was wrong to vote to decertify Biden’s election, but feared their families would face threats if they did not side with Trump. He told CNN on Monday that among House Republicans considering voting for impeachment, “our expectation is that people will try to kill us.”
The deadly attack on the U.S. government last week was a predictable, and preventable, tragedy. Republicans must stop the next one. Counting on Trump to do it, or waiting too long, could again prove deadly.
|
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2021/01/13/republicans_must_step_up_to_stop_the_violence_trump_wont_145023.html
|
en
| 2021-01-13T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/9861f8e51c7dcc1abe4b362f5f0aab154b19f34e36194b098d3b9179d8e10b77.json
|
[
"A historic assault on the U.S government, incited by an American president, has left five people dead, and armed protests are planned again in our nation's capital and all across the country in the coming week. If Republicans don’t begin immediately to try and prevent any further violence, they will own it.\nPresident Trump has made clear his unwillingness to protect our democracy or victims caught up in deadly melees that “his people” instigate. His attempts to still blame antifa or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a violent mob he encouraged for months has made clear his unfitness as commander-in-chief. When he says he wants “peace” but refers to his incitement speech last Wednesday as “totally appropriate,” his followers get the message. When he warns Democratic leaders not to impeach him for sparking the insurrection because they will create violence, his followers get that message too.\nRepublicans in Congress who won’t call out both his incitement and his conduct in the hours following the invasion of the Capitol -- from refusing leaders’ calls to delaying a response to delighting in the visions of anarchy he saw on television -- are failing their government, their constituents and their country. They tell the world we are broken, and that even insurrection and threats to their own safety as representatives of our government are simply another primary election concern, or a news cycle to “move on” from. They have violated their oath to the Constitution.\nThe country is in danger, as extremists are planning armed confrontations at state capitols and a Million Militia March in Washington between Jan. 16-20. Members of Congress face escalating threats to their safety in Washington and at home in their districts. We now know the attack last week was intentional, planned by Trump’s “fighters” who -- using maps of the building -- brought weapons, radios, zip ties, flash-bang grenades and homemade napalm. It could have easily turned into a mass-casualty event. Our government had the intelligence, and the warning, but did not act on it.\nThe Washington Post reported Tuesday, six days after the attack on the Capitol, that the FBI had intelligence warning of a potential “war” being visited upon the Capitol, noting the group’s memo that read: “Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. Go there ready for war. We get our President or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal.”\nFollowing the Jan. 6 attack that many nations around the world described as a coup attempt incited by the U.S. president, it took six days for any briefing to emerge from any agency to explain it. The thugs who sacked the building must be pretty special, because there would be no pause in responding had foreign invaders attacked.\nAfter failing to coordinate all federal resources to protect the Capitol and the homeland against known threats last week, Department of Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf resigned Monday. At this time four years ago, confirmation hearings were underway for Trump’s head of DHS and other security positions. Amid an ongoing crisis, why is the Senate at home and not trying to help ensure a peaceful and stable transfer of power to the next government, which takes power in only seven days and is supposed to keep us and our legislators safe?\nAt this moment, with Big Tech blocking those who provoke violence and corporate America refusing to donate to seditionist lawmakers, Republicans should be reflecting on what they can do to help their country and fix their party. Doubling down on a violent movement stoked by a dangerous leader, and continuing a lie that has deranged people, damaged democracy and taken five lives, is pure nihilism. These threats are real and ongoing, and congressional Republicans cannot play dumb. They must announce that the election was not stolen, and that the legitimate next president is being sworn in on Jan. 20. If impeachment is too divisive for them, they can “unify” the country by working to stop any further violence from Trump supporters. Tweets, press statements, videos, press conferences -- all of it should be employed.\nSen. Rob Portman has done this and other Republicans must follow him. His statement released Monday said, “Violence is never the answer, and we must take all threats seriously.” He added: “I call on President Trump to address the nation and explicitly urge his supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence. If our nation experiences additional violence and destruction at the hands of his supporters in Washington DC and state capitals around the country, and he does not directly and unambiguously speak out now when threats are known, he will bear responsibility.”\nTrump will not rise to this moment, and while he will bear responsibility, his enablers in Congress will share it if they don’t speak out now. Trump not only gave a speech inciting a mob to stop the Electoral College certification in Congress last week, but after the assault started he egged on the invaders to punish his vice president. His tweet, sent after 2 p.m., stated: “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!” Within minutes, the mob was hunting for Pence in the Capitol and threatening to “hang” him. That tweet alone is worthy of impeachment.\nTrump aides reported the president expressed regret about the video he recorded Thursday calling for an orderly transition, and said he did not want to add “stay peaceful” to his tweet sent out amid the violence last Wednesday. He cannot be counted on in the days to come to disavow violence and tell his supporters to calm down. He still hasn’t conceded to Joe Biden, mentioned his name or congratulated him. His supporters continue to closely watch what he won’t do and refuses to say.\nFreshman GOP Rep. Peter Meijer of Michigan said that colleagues around him on Wednesday admitted they knew it was wrong to vote to decertify Biden’s election, but feared their families would face threats if they did not side with Trump. He told CNN on Monday that among House Republicans considering voting for impeachment, “our expectation is that people will try to kill us.”\nThe deadly attack on the U.S. government last week was a predictable, and preventable, tragedy. Republicans must stop the next one. Counting on Trump to do it, or waiting too long, could again prove deadly.",
"Republicans Must Step Up to Stop the Violence Trump Won't",
"A historic assault on the U.S government, incited by an American president, has left five people dead, and armed protests are planned again in our nation's..."
] |
|
[] | 2021-01-17T16:19:22 | null | 2021-01-17T00:00:00 |
Why America Is So Divided Today | RealClearPolitics
|
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en
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Why America Is So Divided Today
| null | null |
www.realclearpolitics.com
| null |
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2021/01/17/why_america_is_so_divided_today_533693.html
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en
| 2021-01-17T00:00:00 |
www.realclearpolitics.com/85fbe2264bdd6da972fa79609244e21a9acc12abf17fd4731f4682c77e091143.json
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[
"Why America Is So Divided Today",
"Why America Is So Divided Today | RealClearPolitics"
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