Month: December 2016

As 2016 trudges along unhurriedly towards its merciful end, it’s hard not to ponder what additional bad news looms. Two days remain – will your cat get eaten by a bear? Will Oprah go down in a fiery plane wreck?  

I grew up in the 80s – the era of John Hughes movies and after-school specials. There was drama and tension, sure, but no story ended without a palatable resolution. The bully learns a valuable lesson of acceptance, or at least ends up with a tipped canoe tipped or a carful of manure (hi Biff!). As a result, people of my age and disposition have an instinctive expectation that goodness triumphs and malevolence is…at least recognized, if not defeated. The script was flipped this year – the bullies won on a platform of boorishness and exclusion, and continue to puff their chest and demean the concerned objectors as “snowflakes” (way to search for the nuance there, Sweat-stains). And amidst all this, the poets and artists we lean on for therapy continue to die off as if they can see some pending doom on which the rest of us can merely speculate. 

We live in a broken country, founded and marketed as a democracy, yet functioning as a plutocracy (not cool, dudes). We have an ill-informed and incurious electorate, who selectively consume more bullshit than your average dung beetle. More than half of the 62 million milksops who voted our new president into office still believe he won the popular vote, despite all evidence to the contrary. I’ll leave the armchair psychology to the experts, but I’ve never seen a man so desperately in need of adoration yet so prone to furious outbursts. That’s a dubious parlay. He’s like a golden retriever with Rage Syndrome (I’m amused that this canine condition is more commonly known as “Idiopathic Aggression” – a term I believe we should reappropriate to describe this windbag). 

If you’re a left-leaning progressive, where do you look for optimism?

I.

If you lived through the Reagan years, or perhaps more applicable – the post 9/11 Bush years, you’re familiar with the recurring theme of conservative hyper-patriotism. It’s been used as justification for war, enhanced surveillance, suspension of due process, torture, and a bludgeon against political opponents. Bush’s blunt bumper-sticker foreign policy position summed up this concept succinctly:  if you’re not with us, you’re against us. Trump’s unrestricted access to Twitter may end up being all the rope he needs to hang himself, but beyond that he’s inheriting a Republican-controlled House and Senate. If they don’t respond – forcibly and directly – on the recently published revelations from the CIA and FBI that the Russians intervened in the 2016 election, you could reasonably expect a voter revolt, no? They’ll have nobody to blame for inaction – no recalcitrance from across the aisle or bureaucratic pushback. This was an attack on our democracy from a non-domestic entity (and a total 80’s throwback enemy – they love that!), and it would be impossible to reconcile their fervent America-fck-yeah-ism with a decision to ignore this belligerent act of cyber-aggression against the homeland. Obama announced his response this afternoon, but Trump continues to suggest we all just “move on” (if the Dems were to take a page out of the GOP playbook, they’d call it cyber-terrorism and be howlin’ at the moon about Trump’s impotent response). Between his reluctance to rattle his buddy Vlad’s cage and his general unwillingness to learn how the world works, it seems likely his support will dwindle.  

II. 

If you’re a Democrat, or at least tend to vote that way for national elections, you must admit that you’ve been somewhat nervous or anxious about the inevitable Hillary run since the day she and Bill vacated the Residence in 2000. Can you name another person or family who has been so thoroughly investigated so many times and continually found innocent of any wrong-doing? Clinton conspiracy-mongering became an industry unto itself during their eight-year hold on the White House, and it didn’t diminish after they departed. As a left-leaning voter, you knew that her eventual campaign coverage would be dominated by every evidence-free fantasy conjured up by the right-wing talk radio apparatus since 1992, and instead of talking policy and accomplishments, the conversation would be Whitewater and Vince Foster. I don’t say this to discount her qualifications in any way; I think she would have made a fine if not great president, but I still dreaded her inevitable campaign (in the years leading up to 2008, and again up to 2016) because of the rabid Anti-Clintonism that had been brewing for so many decades, and the media machine that had been co-opted to preach relentlessly on the movement’s behalf.  

This should be of some comfort for progressives. This election was lost on a number of fronts, but undoubtedly the GOP had a 30 year head start on this particular smear campaign (illegitimate as most of it was), and there’s no 2020 candidate that will carry such baggage. Oppo-research will certainly surface on whomever declares to run in four years, but it won’t have the stout foundation of the anti-Clintonism of the last several decades. 

And of course, remaining optimistic on point number one will depend on the Democrats actually developing and implementing a strategy to push the narrative on Russia. Senators McCain, Graham, and Klobuchar have made some noise about a deep dive on the cyber attack, but it would be encouraging to see Congress take some initiative (and frankly, an alarming message if they don’t – good interview here with Adam Schiff, top Democrat from the House Intelligence Committee, on this topic). Sadly, Congress-persons seem to spend most of their time with their head out the window trying to see which way the wind is blowing, rather than acting on principle. If that sounds to you like a dog with Idiopathic Aggression, you are not alone.

 

As the holidays approach, DOD is thankful that President Inevitable came along to reinstate our right to use the word ‘Christmas’ in public. If you claim ignorance to the abridgement of this right, you are not in touch with your conservative victimhood. 

Christmas for me is a lovely time of year, despite the fact that I live in Minneapolis, where temperatures two weeks ago sank to twenty-two degrees below zero. Not the wind-chill – the actual measurement on the magic mercury stick. Anyway, it’s a festive two-week stretch when I’m able to spend time with friends and family, gathered around the dinner table or the cribbage board (for those not in the know, take a look – there’s no better way to kill a few hours and a bottle of brown…you might refer to it as a gentleman’s game, unless of course you are playing with me or anybody I know). The season isn’t complete until we’ve corralled on the couch as a family and watched Holiday Inn – the 1942 movie for which Irving Berlin first penned the song “White Christmas” (and star Bing Crosby’s recorded version of the titular song remains the best-selling single of all time). The season is, in a word, merry. 

Minneapolis is a diverse town that’s home to many second or third generation white families like mine, but also a dense immigrant population who have brought with them their own cultural and religious traditions. Still, the Macy’s department store downtown has continued to host a lavish Christmas-themed exhibition, which it has for decades (as does the Mall of America). The shopping centers and public spaces are filled with Balsam Firs, decorated with silver strings and colored lights, and parents can still encourage their young children to sit on the lap of a sweaty old stranger (photo op!) just about anywhere. Yet for some, this saturation isn’t enough. The great America to which some wish to return is the America of the 40s and 50s – the America of Holiday Inn, a movie where the only black characters were Mamie the housekeeper and her two young children. An America that birthed McCarthyism and the pervasive suspicion of ‘others’ through witch hunts and blacklists. An America where no one would question Christmas as the only valid December tradition. There’s no room for change or growth, or variance from a world view defined by the grainy memories of their youth and the black and (mostly) white films of decades gone by. It’s worth pointing out that the landmark Brown vs. The Board of Education ruling came down in 1954, and thus began the civil rights movement…a movement built on the simple premise that maybe Jefferson meant it when he said we were all created equal. This was the tipping point for white America – the point at which their monopoly on prosperity and opportunity began to unravel as decent legislators finally decided to honor the language of the Founders. The great America which a minority of voters endorsed this November is the America that preceded this movement. As we say here at DOD, you are now free to appraise the coincidence. 

There is a lot of unease as we head into 2017, but – to borrow a phrase from Mamie – don’t “sit around like a jellyfish with the misery” this holiday season. If you hear someone grousing about agnostic coffee cup design or the deranged liberal worldview of inclusion, remind them that Christmas actually has its roots in the very un-Christian traditions of Saturnalia and Yule, and that maybe their demand that everybody celebrate as they do is misbegotten. Because people enjoy learning that you are smarter than them. 

Merry Christmas, Donut-holes.

 

It’s official – Donald J Trump’s November victory was ratified today by the Electoral College. Trump, allegedly “like, a smart person,” will assume of the office of the Precedency January 20th of next year. 

There were faint breezes of hope blowing through the trees these past few weeks, as people like Lawrence Lessig publicly offered pro bono counsel to electors that might choose to vote their conscience, rather than the tabulated will of their state. There was no historical basis for this optimism, however, as only once in our country’s history did faithless electors impact the result of a presidential contest (and that impact, in the end, was void).

It’s hard to know who to congratulate. The GOP establishment spent the first twelve to fourteen months running from Candidate Trump like he was a gay wedding cake, so that doesn’t feel quite appropriate. ISIS and Al-Qaeda have also celebrated the victory – is this where we should direct our felicitations? Russia is obviously tickled with the whole affair as well, as are white nationalists , the KKK, and Scott Baio. 

So – those of you that are celebrating – please help me understand the genesis of your enthusiasm. Unless you’re one of the aforementioned or a billionaire industrialist hoping for a cabinet seat, remind me what it is you think you’ve won, and how you reconcile your rapturous fervor, knowing it’s shared with Russia – a country whose citizens consider you to be their primary enemy? Has all common sense been sidelined in service to your religious anti-Clintonism? Again, congratulations. 

As a reward for your rigid devotion, you’ll experience an agenda of tax cuts for the wealthy, spending cuts on healthcare, education, and social services, and on top of it all a ‘business friendly’ environment of deregulation. Is that what drove your decision – the opportunity to keep a couple extra dollars in your wallet? The ‘keep more of what you earn’ philosophy of Republican governance sounds noble on paper, but not at the sacrifice of infrastructure and the common well-being of our families and our neighbors.  

This is the nut of it right here…this gets at the most fundamental question we all need to ask – what is our expectation of government? Is it simply to get out of the way while we stuff our pockets with everything we can get our hands on? Or is it possible that this network of connected states can serve a more dignified purpose? Should we encourage growth and opportunity at the expense of safety and security, or might there be more promise in a country that’s dedicated to prosperity while also assuring a base level of protection against Amalgamated Greed, LLC? We may have just codified the corporatization of our healthcare, instead of guaranteeing care for the most vulnerable – is this the country you want for yourself and your children (not to mention your parents, for whom you’ll soon be caring in the absence of Medicare)? The pollsters and statisticians have identified Trump’s voting bloc and its various demographic verticals, but what it really comes down to is a segment of the population more concerned with the ‘Politics of Me’ versus the ‘Politics of We.’ That, to me, is the tragedy of 2016. Greed won – corporate or otherwise.  

Conservatives have long positioned themselves as the defenders of the constitution (and of course Progressives have let them affix that label). Yet the Founders themselves warned against the corruption of corporate power. The concern continued in the country’s formative years. In a letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to Col. William F. Elkins in 1864, he said: 

“…I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before…” 

We have elected the caricature of corporate excess, and he has promptly assembled the wealthiest cabinet in history – 17 people whose combined assets exceed those of 43 million of the least wealthy Americans. The abject absurdity of that alone is astonishing. We are a train barreling towards the ravine, and nobody knows if the bridge will hold.

“We, the People” – it’s the first fucking word, you weasels…

On November 13th, I posted the following in social media: 

Can we just fast forward to January 1st? I think it’s safe to file away 2016 as the worst year in the history of years – and that takes a lot for me to say, considering in 2000 I lost a job, a good friend, and my father…not to mention the dubious election of Incurious George. But this 12 month loop around the sun was a bruiser – we lost Prince, Bowie, Leonard Cohen, quiet indecency…the list goes on. I realize there is a lot to dread in 2017, but wow…I think I’ve had enough of this one. 

It’s become a familiar refrain. 2016 – take your boot off our neck. 

TIME magazine adroitly noted that Donald Trump has been the avatar of this misery for many. I can think of no better representation.

In positive news yesterday, (former) Governor Pat McCrory of North Carolina finally conceded the election of November 8th to his opponent, Democrat Roy Cooper. McCrory actually found the entirely reasonable results of the election questionable, which is curious considering the damage he rendered upon the state in just four short years. Let’s take a quick stroll down Resume Road. 

On Restricting the Right to Vote: In August of this year, McCrory petitioned the Supreme Court to consider reinstating the state’s 2013 Voter ID law in time for last month’s election. In case there was any question about the evidence compelling such a law, let’s check in with the judge who wrote the opinion for the unanimous ruling this past July:  

“The new provisions target African Americans with almost surgical precision” and impose cures for problems that did not exist,” Judge Diana Gribbon Motz wrote for the panel. “Thus the asserted justifications cannot and do not conceal the State’s true motivation.”

Here’s a clear illustration of that motivation.

The Bathroom Bill: In another case of conjuring a scratch in search of an itch, McCrory supported the infamous HB2 bill, which forbade the lads from entering the ladies’ restrooms. Disguised as a ‘privacy’ law, the population saw it for what it was – a crass attempt to further marginalize and humiliate cross-gendered citizens of the Tar Heel state. At last count, this bill had cost the state $400 million…

 Duke Energy Coal Ash Spill: As Republican legislators are won to do, McCrory favored a ‘business-friendly’ environment for North Carolina. That’s corporate-speak for loose to little government interference in the way of corporate profit (safety and general well-being be damned). The way this works, as we’ve seen elsewhere, is the neighboring pulmo-Americans are likely to experience poisoned water , exploding factories/towns, or in this case, contamination of the Dan River with toxic sludge, courtesy of the $50 billion corporation’s ruptured pipe. He has been accused by his successor of misleading the public on contamination from the spill, and shielding the company from the full scope of its responsibility for fines and clean-up. If you guessed that McCrory’s employer for the 28 years leading to his run for governorship was Duke Energy, congratulations. You are now free to appraise the coincidence.

The concession was fine news, but it’s hard to understand how he felt justified to question the election results in the first place. If you kick a dog enough times, I believe eventually it will bite – if it’s not able to democratically exorcise you as its master at the ballot box.

UPDATE: for a more detailed analysis of McCrory’s defeat, including constituent support of his initiatives, check here.

 

At any point during the most recent presidential contest, you may have heard references to Godwin’s Law if you spent enough time in the swampy feculence of Facebook comment threads. While I don’t entirely reject the comparison – both men are unhinged sociopaths who seek adoration and fealty – I doubt its effectiveness. It’s a tired analogy and invoking it tends to end the dialogue. If the larger point is that we need to be exceedingly careful in deciding who we hand the keys to, that danger (potentially) looms with the granting of power to the temperamental, then let’s look instead to our own history for precedence. 

When Franklin Roosevelt was first elected to the presidency, his Secretary of Agriculture was a generally affable man named Henry Wallace. In the early years of FDR’s leadership, Wallace enjoyed wide popularity despite being somewhat of an outsider, and joined the presidential ticket as VP for FDR’s historic third term. He didn’t drink, and was far more interested in the ethics of legislation and governance than cocktail parties and backroom glad-handing. He was a peaceful and spiritual man, and this may have played a role in his eventual relegation to historical footnote. As World War II waged on and it became clear FDR would seek and win a fourth term, he was pressured by the more conservative and segregationist wing of his party to dump Wallace off the ticket in favor of Harry Truman. He did so, and after 82 days as VP, FDR died and Truman suddenly found himself in the big chair. By his own admission, Truman stepped into the presidency ill-informed and unprepared. He was known to have a fiery temper, to act decisively and not second guess himself.  

Does this sound familiar?  A combustible personality, tragically illiterate to the expectations of the office, suddenly finds himself in power. My point is not specifically to align Truman with Trump – in fact Truman was generally regarded as an honest and well-intentioned man, who was not ignorant to the presidential politics of the day by choice (his first 82 days were spent outside the Cabinet). Instead I think it serves as a reminder of how the history of the world can change irreparably by way of election. There’s no way of knowing how differently things would have turned out had Henry Wallace remained FDR’s VP, and had stepped in upon the president’s untimely death. But we do know that Wallace opposed the cold war, while supporting labor unions, national health insurance, and women’s equality. He was a thoughtful civil servant who believed in a “common man” approach to global relations. 

We also know that Harry Truman dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing nearly 200,000 men, women, and children. He did so despite the objections of many of his advisors, who believed Japan’s forces were so battered that the hostilities were already essentially over.

Oliver Stone released a ten-part documentary in 2013 that explores forgotten moments from decades past, and he spends some time on this story. As a nation, we would be wise to study our history before casting votes for our future. Instead we respond to fact-free accusations and salacious tweets. We get the government we deserve.

 

There are a handful of recurring themes you’ll see addressed in this corner of the webiverse, and I’m going to take a break from presidential tweet monitoring to expand on one of them. This idea forms the underlying foundation of nearly everything we’ll cover here at DOD, and the remaining concepts we’ll explore in the coming weeks are an outgrowth of this unfortunate reality.

Bedrock Theme #1:

Don Draper famously said “if you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.”

Democrats/Progressives/Leftists – by whatever name you choose to label them – are tragically unskilled at political messaging, and have been for decades. Elections are lost to incurious haircuts when your party’s candidate is fighting thirty years of concentrated codswallop without any organized response, to name a recent example. Half the country is convinced Hillary Clinton is a criminal, despite the failure over three decades of any professional investigator to uncover anything that could stick. A strong narrative was developed, shared, and promoted. No comparable communications machine exists on the left. A few more examples:

• History doesn’t definitively indicate when the word ‘liberal’ was first allowed to be considered an insult, but it gained steam in the 80’s under Ronald ‘Government is not the Solution’ Reagan. If Democrats had accepted the label proudly and said ‘yeah, government ought to help people, and we believe you’ve got to spend a little on programs the benefit the common good’ it would have sent a different message. Instead, they’ve consistently cowered and hid from the label.
• Speaking of Reagan…the left offered no counter-punch when the mythologizing of his presidency began to take shape. Could you imagine if Obama had illegally sold weapons to Iran? Or if Bill Clinton had exhibited any clinical signs of Alzheimer’s? Yet Reagan has nearly been canonized by the right (which continues nearly unchecked), while scandal-free presidencies such as Obama’s get tainted with the false stink of reckless spending.
• Speaking of Reagan (again)…we’ve got 40 years of economic data demonstrating that his ‘trickle-down economics’ have accomplished nothing more than stocking the bar in the average executive’s private jet. After World War II, this country saw the largest expansion of middle class wealth in history, which corresponded with an equitable tax plan. But that all began to change in 1980. The concept with trickle-down was essentially to relieve the tax burden of those at the top (the ‘makers’ – Hi, Mittens!), and they would in turn use those extra funds to create jobs. Instead we’ve now got one-percenters who can’t remember where all their beach homes are located and an impoverished population bloc that consistently votes against its own financial interest. Rising tides may lift all yachts, but…..
• The left allowed Bernie Sanders to get painted as some sort of left-wing radical, when his basic platform was not all that different from what the Democrats ran on for decades – social justice issues and equitable economic policies. But how was he presented? As a tousle-haired socialist, running as a ‘long shot.’

This list is by no means comprehensive.

The left allowed the goal posts to move more and more to the right; surrendering to the relentless talk radio communication machine and the barrage of coordinated book-cooking. They never mounted an effective or organized counter-strategy, and the narrative was lost. There is hope, now that President Inevitable has his finger on the feather, that Republicans will start to lose their hold on message-control. If the DNC, who will soon announce a new chair, is smart enough to coordinate it, they can mount a high-grade communications campaign and regain the ear of middle-America.

I’m going to slip down to Roger Sterling’s office while I wait for them to figure that out…