Month: June 2016

Bernie Sanders’ supporters try to keep their movement alive within the Democratic Party: Daily Bullshit, June 20, 2016

benfell

Bernie Sanders

It’s already established that the Democratic Party isn’t willing to go where Bernie Sanders would lead it and was so determined to crown Hillary Clinton that it accepted the risk of tilting the contest in her favor.[1] But these idiots keep trying. It’s still the same bullshit with, as Mark Bennett, senior vice president for public affairs at Third Way, a centrist (meaning right-wing nonetheless and therefore dominant within the Democratic Party) think tank, put it, “They [Progressives] don’t have to love her [Clinton], just get behind her. They have to recognize that the revolution has not come – that the change that Bernie is calling for will not come under House Speaker Paul Ryan.”[2] Which sounds a lot like Barack Obama in 2010, as he was losing his Democratic Party majority in both houses in Congress, saying “Don’t compare us to the Almighty, compare us to the alternative.”[3] Or then-Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, that same year, saying “We suck less, you suck if you don’t vote for us. If you’re disappointed, get over it. Also, Michele Bachmann.”[4] Or Joe Biden, also that year, telling Progressives to grow up.[5] Or when White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, again that very same year, suggested Progressives should be drug tested.[6] Or when Obama, having, after all that, lost the 2010 election, blamed Progressives for being sanctimonious.[7]

In a 4-way contest without Sanders, 41 percent of Sanders supporters would go to Clinton, according to a recent SurveyUSA poll. But 13 percent would not vote at all; 15 percent would vote for Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson; 11 percent for Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein; and 7 percent would shift to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.[8]

Neither side is learning anything here. The Democrats expect Progressives to line up behind their candidate no matter how far to the right they go (which some do because “the other guy is worse”). And Progressives expect the Democratic Party to see their light despite the Party’s verbal abuse.[9] This is just inexcusably stupid.

In the meantime, if you’re really convinced Donald Trump is worse, your best hope may lie with Republicans who are disgusted with him. I don’t know that they can pull anything off.[10] But I still think they’re more likely to defeat him than Clinton is.

William Douglas, “Sanders supporters to Dems: We’re not going away,” McClatchy, June 18, 2016, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article84623587.html?rh=1

Hillary Clinton

It’s hard for me to imagine Elizabeth Warren, notorious for her scathing attacks on Wall Street, signing up with a candidate who defended her own support from and for Wall Street by invoking the 9/11 attacks.[11] And I also can’t imagine a better way of silencing Warren than making her vice president. But Warren is apparently willing[12] and, it looks to me, bucking for the job. Which is to say she’s destroyed her credibility among many of Bernie Sanders’ supporters.

Ben White, “Wall Street donors seek to block Warren VP pick,” Politico, June 20, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/elizabeth-warren-wall-street-vice-president-224489

Brexit

Riva Gold and Mike Bird, “Tiny Tilt in ‘Brexit’ Polls Roils Global Markets,” Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/tiny-tilt-in-brexit-polls-roils-global-markets-1466454718

Orlando shooting

The failure of the Senate to pass any gun control legislation whatsoever, even in the wake of the Orlando shooting, should be absolutely no surprise to anyone. One thing to bear in mind, however, is that some senators may have been hoping for a better deal in legislation that Susan Collins is developing (but is still likely doomed in the House of Representatives).[13]

Congressional Quarterly Roll Call, “Senate Rejects Restrictions on Guns for Suspected Terrorists,” June 20, 2016, http://www.rollcall.com/news/gun-amendments

Tom LoBianco, Deirdre Walsh, Betsy Klein, and Manu Raju, “Senate rejects series of gun measures,” CNN, June 20, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/20/politics/senate-gun-votes-congress/index.html

Unemployment

No, the story[14] does not really explain why the labor force participation rate (figure 1) has been falling.

Fig. 1. The labor force participation rate crested during the dot-com boom, began to decline, seemed to stabilize prior to the financial crisis, and then slid.

Ylan Q. Mui, “Why America’s men aren’t working,” Washington Post, June 20, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/20/why-americas-men-arent-working/

  1. [1]Ryan Cooper, “Hillary Clinton and the awful risk of winning ugly,” Week, December 21, 2015, http://theweek.com/articles/595141/hillary-clinton-awful-risk-winning-ugly; Christian Drake, “New Information Shows DNC Violated Its Own Rules When It Shut Down Sanders Campaign Data Access,” Addicting Info, December 19, 2015, http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/12/19/new-information-shows-dnc-violated-its-own-rules-when-it-shut-down-sanders-campaign-data-access/; Nick Gass, “Clinton press secretary: Superdelegates can help Clinton clinch nomination by early June,” Politico, April 14, 2016, http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/04/hillary-clinton-needs-superdelegates-221943; Lauren McCauley, “Thumb on the Scale? DNC Backs Off Bernie But Questions of Neutrality Linger,” Common Dreams, December 19, 2015, http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/12/19/thumb-scale-dnc-backs-bernie-questions-neutrality-linger; William Rivers Pitt, “Naked Politics: Sanders, Clinton and How to Win When You’re Losing,” Truthout, May 18, 2016, http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/36090-naked-politics-sanders-clinton-and-how-to-win-when-you-re-losing; Michael Sainato, “The Countless Failings of the DNC,” Observer, March 27, 2016, http://observer.com/2016/03/the-countless-failings-of-the-dnc/; Daniel Strauss, “Bernie’s backers rage against Democratic machine,” Politico, April 13, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/bernie-sanders-supporters-democrats-221842; Caitlin Yilek, “Ex-Obama adviser: DNC ‘putting finger on scale’ for Hillary,” Hill, December 18, 2015, http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/263792-ex-obama-adviser-on-sanders-scandal-dnc-putting-finger-on; ↩
  2. [2]Mark Bennett, quoted in William Douglas, “Sanders supporters to Dems: We’re not going away,” McClatchy, June 18, 2016, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article84623587.html?rh=1↩
  3. [3]Michael Falcone, “Opposite Day On The Campaign Trail?” ABC News, September 21, 2010, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/09/election-2010-opposite-day-on-the-campaign-trail/↩
  4. [4]Ed Rendell quoted in Blue Texan [pseud.], “Ed Rendell Tells Democratic Base to “Get Over It” on Rachel Maddow,” Firedoglake, September 23, 2010, http://firedoglake.com/2010/09/23/early-morning-swim-ed-rendell-tells-democratic-base-to-get-over-it-on-rachel-maddow/↩
  5. [5]Stephen Stromberg, “Joe Biden scolds progressives — and he’s right,” Washington Post, September 16, 2010, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/09/joe_biden_scolds_progressives.html↩
  6. [6]Sam Youngman, “White House unloads anger over criticism from ‘professional left’,” Hill, August 10, 2010, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/113431-white-house-unloads-on-professional-left↩
  7. [7]David Neiwert, “President Obama lashes out at his liberal critics: Choice is to ‘get things done’ or feel ‘sanctimonious’,” Crooks and Liars, December 7, 2010, http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/president-obama-lashes-out-his-liber↩
  8. [8]William Douglas, “Sanders supporters to Dems: We’re not going away,” McClatchy, June 18, 2016, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article84623587.html?rh=1↩
  9. [9]Blue Texan [pseud.], “Ed Rendell Tells Democratic Base to “Get Over It” on Rachel Maddow,” Firedoglake, September 23, 2010, http://firedoglake.com/2010/09/23/early-morning-swim-ed-rendell-tells-democratic-base-to-get-over-it-on-rachel-maddow/; Blue Texan [pseud.], “Stop Whining, Liberals!” Firedoglake, September 27, 2010, http://firedoglake.com/2010/09/27/late-night-stop-whining-liberals/; Michael Falcone, “Opposite Day On The Campaign Trail?” ABC News, September 21, 2010, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/09/election-2010-opposite-day-on-the-campaign-trail/; Glenn Greenwald, “Obama’s view of liberal criticisms,” Salon, September 17, 2010, http://www.salon.com/2010/09/17/obama_139/; David Neiwert, “President Obama lashes out at his liberal critics: Choice is to ‘get things done’ or feel ‘sanctimonious’,” Crooks and Liars, December 7, 2010, http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/president-obama-lashes-out-his-liber; Heather Digby Parton, “‘It’s always the hippies’ fault’: Why the left treats its idealists all wrong,” Salon, February 5, 2015, http://www.salon.com/2015/02/05/its_always_the_hippies_fault_why_the_left_treats_its_idealists_all_wrong/; Greg Sargent, “Liberal blogger directly confronts David Axelrod, accuses White House of ‘hippie punching’,” Washington Post, September 23, 2010, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/09/liberal_blogger_directly_confr.html; Stephen Stromberg, “Joe Biden scolds progressives — and he’s right,” Washington Post, September 16, 2010, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/09/joe_biden_scolds_progressives.html; Sam Youngman, “White House unloads anger over criticism from ‘professional left’,” Hill, August 10, 2010, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/113431-white-house-unloads-on-professional-left↩
  10. [10]Ed O’Keefe, “Dozens of GOP delegates launch new push to halt Donald Trump,” Washington Post, June 17, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/dozens-of-gop-delegates-launch-new-push-to-halt-donald-trump/2016/06/17/e8dcf74e-3491-11e6-8758-d58e76e11b12_story.html↩
  11. [11]James Downie, “Hillary Clinton’s unbelievable defense of Wall Street contributions,” Washington Post, November 15, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/11/15/hillary-clintons-unbelievable-defense-of-wall-st-contributions/; New York Times, “Hillary Clinton Botches Wall Street Questions,” November 15, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/16/opinion/hillary-clinton-botches-wall-street-questions.html; Janell Ross, “Hillary Clinton invoked 9/11 to defend her ties to Wall Street. What?” Washington Post, November 15, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/11/15/hillary-clinton-invoked-911-to-defend-her-ties-to-wall-street-what/; ↩
  12. [12]Cristiano Lima, “Warren: I’m ready to be commander in chief,” Politico, June 9, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/elizabeth-warren-commander-in-chief-224165↩
  13. [13]Congressional Quarterly Roll Call, “Senate Rejects Restrictions on Guns for Suspected Terrorists,” June 20, 2016, http://www.rollcall.com/news/gun-amendments; Tom LoBianco, Deirdre Walsh, Betsy Klein, and Manu Raju, “Senate rejects series of gun measures,” CNN, June 20, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/20/politics/senate-gun-votes-congress/index.html↩
  14. [14]Ylan Q. Mui, “Why America’s men aren’t working,” Washington Post, June 20, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/20/why-americas-men-arent-working/↩

CBS is still suing over Star Trek: Axanar: Daily Bullshit, June 19, 2016

benfell

Star Trek: Axanar

Katharine Trendacosta, “The Lawsuit Against a Star Trek Fan Film Isn’t Going Away Just Yet,” Gizmodo, June 16, 2016, http://io9.gizmodo.com/thelawsuit-against-a-star-trek-fan-film-isnt-going-away-1782116151

Consumerism

Anup Shah has documented the development of modern consumerism in the United States.[1] But there’s more to the story.[2]

Victoria de Grazia, “Having It All: A History of Global Consumption,” review of Empire of Things, by Frank Trentmann, Foreign Affairs, July/August, 2016, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/review-essay/2016-06-13/having-it-all

Syria

Daniel R. DePetris, “Lessons from the State Department Syria Dissent,” National Interest, June 18, 2016, http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-skeptics/lessons-the-state-department-syria-dissent-16645

  1. [1]Anup Shah, “Creating the Consumer,” Global Issues, May 14, 2003, http://www.globalissues.org/article/236/creating-the-consumer↩
  2. [2]Victoria de Grazia, “Having It All: A History of Global Consumption,” review of Empire of Things, by Frank Trentmann, Foreign Affairs, July/August, 2016, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/review-essay/2016-06-13/having-it-all↩

In case of Brexit, Scotland may renew independence bid: Daily Bullshit, June 18, 2016 (updated)

benfell

Updated for an Associated Press story on the American Association of University Professors’ decision to censure the University of Missouri over the firing of Melissa Click.[1]

Brexit

Among numerous other factors, Scotland is claimed to need immigrants, in apparent contrast to the anti-immigrant sentiment that lies behind much of the pro-Brexit sentiment.[2]

Peter Geoghegan, “Scots against Brexit,” Deutschewelle, June 18, 2016, http://www.dw.com/en/scotland-plays-it-cool-over-brexit-debate/a-19326241?maca=en-newsletter_en_Newsline-2356-html-newsletter

Melissa Click

I have previously commented on this case here, here, and here. Nothing in today’s AAUP action[3] alters my view in support of the university in this case.

Associated Press, “National group censures University of Missouri-Columbia,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 18, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/national-group-censures-university-of-missouri-columbia/383528261/

  1. [1]Associated Press, “National group censures University of Missouri-Columbia,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 18, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/national-group-censures-university-of-missouri-columbia/383528261/↩
  2. [2]Peter Geoghegan, “Scots against Brexit,” Deutschewelle, June 18, 2016, http://www.dw.com/en/scotland-plays-it-cool-over-brexit-debate/a-19326241?maca=en-newsletter_en_Newsline-2356-html-newsletter↩
  3. [3]Associated Press, “National group censures University of Missouri-Columbia,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, June 18, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/national-group-censures-university-of-missouri-columbia/383528261/↩

The case against Brexit: Daily Bullshit, June 16, 2016

benfell

Brexit

George Monbiot argues for Britain remaining in the European Union.[1] Like Ambrose Evans-Pritchard the other day,[2] he compares governments. And like me, he thinks the British government would be worse than the EU bureaucracy. But in addition to actually making the case, he thinks Britain would jump from the EU to NAFTA (egads!).[3] Something to notice about both arguments, however, is that they are intensely reluctant arguments.

George Monbiot, “Money’s Reach,” June 15, 2016, http://www.monbiot.com/2016/06/15/moneys-reach/

For-Profit Education

Eric Kelderman, “Call to Shut Down a Controversial Accreditor Could Shake For-Profit Higher Ed,” Chronicle of Higher Education, June 16, 2016, http://chronicle.com/article/Call-to-Shut-Down-a/236829

  1. [1]George Monbiot, “Money’s Reach,” June 15, 2016, http://www.monbiot.com/2016/06/15/moneys-reach/↩
  2. [2]Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, “Brexit: It is with a heavy heart that I will be voting Leave,” Sydney Morning-Herald, June 14, 2016, http://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/brexit-it-is-with-a-heavy-heart-that-i-will-be-voting-leave-20160613-gpic20↩
  3. [3]George Monbiot, “Money’s Reach,” June 15, 2016, http://www.monbiot.com/2016/06/15/moneys-reach/↩

The Islamic State may be embarrassing itself: Daily Bullshit, June 15, 2016

benfell
Ted Rall, June 15, 2016, GoComics, fair use.

Orlando shooting

Lori Hinnant and Sarah El Deeb, “Did Islamic State claim credit for latest attacks too soon?” Washington Post, June 15, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/did-islamic-state-claim-credit-for-latest-attacks-too-soon/2016/06/15/f48e10e4-32cc-11e6-ab9d-1da2b0f24f93_story.html

Letitia Stein and Julia Edwards, “FBI questions wife of gunman in Orlando massacre,” Reuters, June 15, 2016, FBI questions wife of gunman in Orlando massacre

Horse Race

I have all but lost interest in the 2016 presidential race. Both major party candidates will advance economic policies that promise me continued unemployment, and for me, this is a catastrophe of such magnitude that it blots out all other considerations. I can’t care which of these motherfuckers wins. No one who votes for either of them is a friend of mine.

Andrew Prokop, “Poll: white men really, really don’t like Hillary Clinton,” Vox, June 15, 2016, http://www.vox.com/2016/6/15/11944244/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-polls-unpopular

The case for Brexit: Daily Bullshit, June 14, 2016

benfell

Orlando shooting

I finally pick apart the second amendment in a research journal entry. In its famous or infamous Heller decision, I think the Supreme Court erred in several ways.

Brexit

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard approaches the question of Brexit in a similar way to my own. But relying heavily on economics, where I have to agree absolutely that the record is damning, he reaches the opposite conclusion: He feels utterly betrayed by the European Union.[1] I fear that unfettered by the Union, the economic policy of the British government will be even more neoliberal than it is now and that on other matters the British government will be distinctly inferior to the Brussels bureaucracy.

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, “Brexit: It is with a heavy heart that I will be voting Leave,” Sydney Morning-Herald, June 14, 2016, http://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/brexit-it-is-with-a-heavy-heart-that-i-will-be-voting-leave-20160613-gpic20

  1. [1]Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, “Brexit: It is with a heavy heart that I will be voting Leave,” Sydney Morning-Herald, June 14, 2016, http://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/brexit-it-is-with-a-heavy-heart-that-i-will-be-voting-leave-20160613-gpic20↩

Invoke the name of the Islamic State in your mass killing and the group will claim responsibility: Daily Bullshit, June 13, 2016 (updated)

benfell

Updated for additional stories on the Orlando shooting.

Orlando mass shooting

I comment on the Orlando shooting as part of a much larger pattern of societal violence in a blog post written before many of the following stories were available.

Ashley Fantz, Faith Karimi, Eliott C. McLaughlin, and Tim Hume, “Orlando shooting: All but one victim identified, officials say,” CNN, June 13, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting/index.html

Gal Tziperman Lotan, Paul Brinkmann, and Rene Stutzman, “Witness: Omar Mateen drank alone at Pulse before attack,” Orlando Sentinel, June 13, 2016, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/pulse-orlando-nightclub-shooting/os-orlando-nightclub-omar-mateen-profile-20160613-story.html

Josh Marshall, “Matteen Was Regular at Gay Club,” Talking Points Memo, June 13, 2016, http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/murkier-still

Lawrence Mower, “Orlando shooter Omar Mateen was gay, former classmate says,” Palm Beach Post, June 13, 2016, http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/orlando-shooter-omar-mateen-was-gay-former-classma/nrfwW/

Ed Pilkington and Dan Roberts, “Obama and FBI confirm Pulse nightclub shooter was radicalized on the internet,” Guardian, June 13, 2016, http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/13/pulse-nightclub-attack-shooter-radicalized-internet-orlando

Derek Stoffel, “Orlando shooting: ISIS quick to claim responsibility but it’s likely bluffing, says analyst,” Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, June 13, 2016, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/orlando-shooting-isis-claim-1.3632496

Josh Marshall, “At Police Academy Fellow Students Thought Mateen Was Gay,” Talking Points Memo, June 14, 2016, http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/at-police-academy-fellow-students-thought-mateen-was-gay

Horse Race

It is just bizarre to me that Ben Ptashnik and Victoria Collier expect the Democratic Party establishment to respond to a grassroots movement for electoral reform.[1] The status quo serves their interests; reform does not. They will more than likely simply wait out the furor; that they don’t actually care about winning elections was demonstrated in their choice of an appallingly weak candidate in the first place.

Ben Ptashnik and Victoria Collier, “Was the Democratic Primary Just Manipulated, or Was It Stolen?” Truthout, June 13, 2016, http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/36408-was-the-democratic-primary-just-manipulated-or-was-it-stolen

Brexit

Judging from polls, it very much appears that the ‘Leave’ campaign is winning and, apparently even with Labour, “the [‘Remain’] campaign was sticking to the same message it had always made but was simply using the penultimate week of campaigning to ‘widen out the people delivering the message.'”[2] A caution: Polls misjudged the outcome of the referendum for Scottish independence.[3]

Anushka Asthana, Jessica Elgot, and Tom Clark, “Corbyn to flex Labour’s muscles as alarm grows over EU referendum,” Guardian, June 13, 2016, http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/13/jeremy-corbyn-to-flex-labours-muscles-in-eu-referendum-debate

Riva Gold, “Looming ‘Brexit’ Vote Rattles Global Markets,” Wall Street Journal, June 13, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/looming-brexit-vote-rattles-global-markets-1465846967

Footnotes

  1. [1]Ben Ptashnik and Victoria Collier, “Was the Democratic Primary Just Manipulated, or Was It Stolen?” Truthout, June 13, 2016, http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/36408-was-the-democratic-primary-just-manipulated-or-was-it-stolen↩
  2. [2]Anushka Asthana, Jessica Elgot, and Tom Clark, “Corbyn to flex Labour’s muscles as alarm grows over EU referendum,” Guardian, June 13, 2016, http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/13/jeremy-corbyn-to-flex-labours-muscles-in-eu-referendum-debate↩
  3. [3]Steven Erlanger and Alan Cowell, “Scotland Rejects Independence From United Kingdom,” New York Times, September 18, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/19/world/europe/scotland-independence-vote.html↩

“Do you want a gun to your head? Or a gun to your head?” Daily Bullshit, June 12, 2016

benfell

The quotation in the headline comes from Michael Brendan Doughtery’s article on the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.[1]

Orlando shooting

All the whining about yet another mass shooting would be much more persuasive if somebody would actually do something about it. But you know, “politics of the possible” and all that bullshit.

Valerie Bauerlein, Cameron McWhirter, and Scott Calvert, “Terror Shooting at Gay Nightclub in Orlando Leaves 51 Dead, 53 Wounded,” Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/orlando-nightclub-hit-by-shooting-causing-multiple-injuries-1465720691

Horse Race

Michael Brendan Dougherty, “The existential despair of Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump,” Week, June 9, 2016, http://theweek.com/articles/628850/existential-despair-hillary-clinton-vs-donald-trump

Footnotes

  1. [1]Michael Brendan Dougherty, “The existential despair of Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump,” Week, June 9, 2016, http://theweek.com/articles/628850/existential-despair-hillary-clinton-vs-donald-trump↩