Transition follies: Daily Bullshit, November 27-29, 2016

Aftermath

Bill Scher, “No, Obama Probably Wouldn’t Have Beaten Trump,” Politico, December 28, 2016, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/no-obama-probably-wouldnt-have-beaten-trump-214557


Israel

Mark LeVine, “Why Security Council Resolution 2334 Matters a Lot More Than We Think,” Tikkun, December 26, 2016, http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/why-security-council-resolution-2334-matters-a-lot-more-than-we-think

Felicia Schwartz and Rory Jones, “U.S. Escalates Tensions With Israel,” Wall Street Journal, December 29, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/john-kerry-defends-u-s-approach-to-israeli-settlements-1482944129


Basic Income

Jennifer Broadhurst, “Guaranteed basic income for all: An idea whose time has come?” Christian Science Monitor, December 27, 2016, http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/Breakthroughs-Voices/2016/1227/Guaranteed-basic-income-for-all-An-idea-whose-time-has-come

Rachel Stewart, “Finland to test ‘universal basic income’ for the unemployed,” Deutschewelle, December 28, 2016, http://www.dw.com/en/finland-to-test-universal-basic-income-for-the-unemployed/a-36928824


Hell freezes over as Obama allows U.N. Security Council to censure Israel: Daily Bullshit, December 23-25, 2016 (updated)

Updated for more on the U.N. censure of Israel,[1] for a story on the U.S. asking foreign visitors to list their social media profiles,[2] and for a story on Henry Kissinger seeking to influence Donald Trump.[3]


Israel

Jordan Fabian, “Why Obama broke with Israel at UN,” Hill, December 23, 2016, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/311736-why-obama-broke-with-israel-at-un

Farnaz Fassihi and Carol E. Lee, “U.S. Allows U.N. to Censure Israel,” Wall Street Journal, December 23, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/israeli-settlement-censure-back-on-u-n-calendar-1482515573

Geoffrey Aronson, “The UN settlement resolution is too little and too late,” Al Jazeera, December 25, 2016, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/12/settlement-resolution-late-161225090002654.html

Ben White, “A symbolic resolution against Israeli settlements,” Al Jazeera, December 25, 2016, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/12/symbolic-resolution-israeli-settlements-161225090953898.html


Unemployment

Steven Overly, “Artificial intelligence could cost millions of jobs. The White House says we need more of it,” Washington Post, December 20, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/12/20/ai-could-cost-millions-of-jobs-the-white-house-says-we-need-more-of-it/


Aftermath

Tana Ganeva, “Harry Reid blasts ‘worthless’ DNC in blistering critique of Debbie Wasserman-Schultz,” Raw Story, December 22, 2016, http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/harry-reid-blasts-worthless-dnc-in-blistering-critique-of-debbie-wasserman-schultz/


War on Security

Nadia Prupis, “US Government Quietly Starts Asking Travelers for Social Media Accounts,” Common Dreams, December 23, 2016, http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/12/23/us-government-quietly-starts-asking-travelers-social-media-accounts


Henry Kissinger

War criminal Henry Kissinger’s more recent protege was war criminal Hillary Clinton.[4] Now it appears he’ll serve Donald Trump.[5]

Nahal Toosi and Isaac Arnsdorf, “Kissinger, a longtime Putin confidant, sidles up to Trump,” Politico, December 24, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-kissinger-russia-putin-232925

  1. [1]Geoffrey Aronson, “The UN settlement resolution is too little and too late,” Al Jazeera, December 25, 2016, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/12/settlement-resolution-late-161225090002654.html; Ben White, “A symbolic resolution against Israeli settlements,” Al Jazeera, December 25, 2016, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/12/symbolic-resolution-israeli-settlements-161225090953898.html
  2. [2]Nadia Prupis, “US Government Quietly Starts Asking Travelers for Social Media Accounts,” Common Dreams, December 23, 2016, http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/12/23/us-government-quietly-starts-asking-travelers-social-media-accounts
  3. [3]Nahal Toosi and Isaac Arnsdorf, “Kissinger, a longtime Putin confidant, sidles up to Trump,” Politico, December 24, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-kissinger-russia-putin-232925
  4. [4]David Corn, “Hillary Clinton and Henry Kissinger: It’s Personal. Very Personal,” Mother Jones, February 12, 2016, http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/hillary-clinton-kissinger-vacation-dominican-republic-de-la-renta; Greg Grandin, “Henry Kissinger, Hillary Clinton’s Tutor in War and Peace,” Nation, February 5, 2016, http://www.thenation.com/article/henry-kissinger-hillary-clintons-tutor-in-war-and-peace/
  5. [5]Nahal Toosi and Isaac Arnsdorf, “Kissinger, a longtime Putin confidant, sidles up to Trump,” Politico, December 24, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-kissinger-russia-putin-232925

Schools that couldn’t hang on for Donald Trump: Daily Bullshit, December 22, 2016

For-profit education

If they could have held on for another month, my bet is that Donald Trump’s administration would have granted them a reprieve.

Fernanda Zamudio-Suaréz, “2 For-Profit Colleges Will Close Their Doors,” Chronicle of Higher Education, December 22, 2016, http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/two-for-profit-colleges-will-close-their-doors/116247


Unemployment

I’m pulling together some capitalist libertarian idiocy today.

Daniel J. Mitchell, “Capitalism Destroys Jobs, and That’s a Good Thing,” Foundation for Economic Education, December 22, 2016, https://fee.org/articles/capitalism-destroys-jobs-and-thats-a-good-thing/


Environmental Protection Agency

More capitalist libertarian idiocy:

Kent Lalley, “Abolish the EPA? Absolutely!” Foundation for Economic Education, December 21, 2016, https://fee.org/articles/abolish-the-epa-absolutely/


Time

Derek Thompson’s article is really rather mediocre. The book to read on this is by Carl Honoré, entitled In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed (New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2004).

Derek Thompson, “A Brief Economic History of Time,” Atlantic, December 21, 2016, https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/12/a-brief-economic-history-of-time/510566/


Aftermath

Michael A. Memoli, “As Democrats ponder their future, Joe Biden makes a plea for a focus on the middle class,” Los Angeles Times, December 22, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-biden-interview-20161222-story.html

Brian Murphy, “Democrats want ‘someone entirely new’ in 2020, poll finds,” McClatchy, December 22, 2016, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article122386309.html?rh=1

Alex Roarty, “Senate Democrats’ Challenge in 2018: The White Working Class,” Congressional Quarterly Roll Call, November 16, 2016, http://www.rollcall.com/news/senate-democrats-midterms-2018


Brexit

If the judgment here[1] is correct, it appears Scotland will have to follow through on another referendum on independence.[2]

Telegraph, “Spain rejects Nicola Sturgeon Brexit plan for Scotland in seemingly fatal blow,” December 22, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/22/spain-rejects-nicola-sturgeon-brexit-plan-scotland-seemingly/


Hillary Clinton

There was an awful lot wrong with Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate. I think what Joe Biden points to is what makes all the rest of it worse. But Biden suffers from the very elitism he complains about when he complains that “you didn’t hear a word about that husband and wife working, making 100,000 bucks a year, two kids, struggling and scared to death. They used to be our constituency.”[3] $100,000 per year and “struggling and scared to death?” Really?

Jordan Fabian, “Biden: Clinton never figured out why she was running,” Hill, December 22, 2016, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/311591-biden-clinton-never-figured-out-why-she-was-running


  1. [1]Telegraph, “Spain rejects Nicola Sturgeon Brexit plan for Scotland in seemingly fatal blow,” December 22, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/22/spain-rejects-nicola-sturgeon-brexit-plan-scotland-seemingly/
  2. [2]Peter Geoghegan, “Scotland eyes British exit,” Politico, October 12, 2016, http://www.politico.eu/article/all-eyes-on-scotland-scottish-national-party-conference-nicola-sturgeon/; Peter Geoghegan, “Scottish nationalists huddle to talk Brexit, independence,” Deutschewelle, October 12, 2016, http://www.dw.com/en/scottish-nationalists-huddle-to-talk-brexit-independence/a-36015386; Rowena Lindsay, “Scotland revives independence bid in wake of Brexit vote,” Christian Science Monitor, September 2, 2016, http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2016/0902/Scotland-revives-independence-bid-in-wake-of-Brexit-vote; Nicholas Winning, “Scotland to Consider New Independence Referendum Bill,” Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/scotland-to-consider-new-independence-referendum-bill-1476363221
  3. [3]Michael A. Memoli, “As Democrats ponder their future, Joe Biden makes a plea for a focus on the middle class,” Los Angeles Times, December 22, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-biden-interview-20161222-story.html

A machine gun full of blame: Daily Bullshit, December 21, 2016

Keith Ellison

It appears that as a candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee, Keith Ellison is coming under attack as a proxy for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.[1]

Alex Shephard, “Democrats are wasting no time in repeating the mistakes they made in the 2016 primary,” New Republic, December 21, 2016, https://newrepublic.com/minutes/139454/democrats-wasting-no-time-repeating-mistakes-made-2016-primary


Horse Race

The Democratic party elites persist in blaming everyone except themselves for losing.[2] And if there is indeed still a left in U.S. politics, rather than a milquetoast right that calls itself “the left,” it is being silenced as we see with Barack Obama opposing Keith Ellison as DNC chair.[3] A real left should hardly be surprised as this is par for the course with the Obama administration.[4]

Gregory Krieg, “It’s official: Clinton swamps Trump in popular vote,” CNN, December 21, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/21/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-popular-vote-final-count/index.html

Jeff Stein, “Was the warrant the FBI used for its final Clinton investigation unjustified?” Vox, December 21, 2016, http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/21/13988270/comey-investigation-fbi

Katie Bo Williams, “FBI director under pressure to explain Clinton bombshell,” Hill, December 21, 2016, http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/311272-comey-under-pressure-to-explain-letter-that-shook-clinton-campaign


Silicon Valley Philanthropy

Jennifer Wadsworth, “Silicon Valley Philanthropists Often Overlook Local Needs, According to New Report,” San Jose Inside, December 21, 2016, http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2016/12/21/silicon-valley-philanthropists-often-overlook-local-needs-according-to-new-report/


  1. [1]Alex Shephard, “Democrats are wasting no time in repeating the mistakes they made in the 2016 primary,” New Republic, December 21, 2016, https://newrepublic.com/minutes/139454/democrats-wasting-no-time-repeating-mistakes-made-2016-primary
  2. [2]Andrew Cockburn, “The New Red Scare: Reviving the art of threat inflation,” Harper’s, December, 2016, http://harpers.org/archive/2016/12/the-new-red-scare/; Juan Cole, “Why the White Working Class Rebelled: Neoliberalism Is Killing Them (Literally),” Truthdig, November 9, 2016, http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/why_the_white_working_class_rebelled_neoliberalism_is_killing_20161109; Juan Cole, “No, America, It Wasn’t Russia: You Did This to Yourself,” Truthdig, December 10, 2016, http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/no_america_it_wasnt_russia_you_did_this_to_yourself_20161210; David Dayen, “The ‘Deplorables Got the Last Laugh,” New Republic, November 9, 2016, https://newrepublic.com/article/138615/deplorables-got-last-laugh; Democracy Now! “Cornel West: Unlike Bernie Sanders, I’m Not Convinced the Democratic Party Can Be Reformed,” December 1, 2016, https://www.democracynow.org/2016/12/1/cornel_west_bernie_sanders_is_wrong; Tim Duy, “On Krugman And The Working Class,” Economist’s View, November 27, 2016, http://economistsview.typepad.com/timduy/2016/11/on-krugman-and-the-working-class.html; Jonathan Easley, “Seething liberals vow revolution in Democratic Party,” Hill, November 12, 2016, http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/305617-seething-liberals-vow-revolution-in-democratic-party; Thomas Frank, “Donald Trump is moving to the White House, and liberals put him there,” Guardian, November 9, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/09/donald-trump-white-house-hillary-clinton-liberals; Kevin Gosztola, “The Hubris of Democratic Elites, Clinton Campaign Gave Us President Trump,” Common Dreams, November 9, 2016, http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/11/09/hubris-democratic-elites-clinton-campaign-gave-us-president-trump; Rob Hoffman, “How the Left Created Trump,” Politico, November 20, 2016, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/11/how-the-left-created-donald-trump-214472; Sarah Jones, “When is the Clinton campaign going to admit how badly it screwed up?” New Republic, December 20, 2016, https://newrepublic.com/minutes/139425/clinton-campaign-going-admit-badly-screwed-up; George Monbiot, “The Deep History Behind Trump’s Rise,” November 15, 2016, http://www.monbiot.com/2016/11/15/the-deep-history-behind-trumps-rise/; Brad Reed, “Michael Moore’s tough words for liberals: ‘You weren’t paying attention to your fellow Americans,’” Raw Story, November 9, 2016, http://www.rawstory.com/2016/11/michael-moores-tough-words-for-liberals-you-werent-paying-attention-to-your-fellow-americans/; Noah Rothman, “Hillary Runs Out of Excuses,” Commentary, December 14, 2016, https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/hillary-clinton-runs-out-of-excuses/; Robert Scheer, “Revenge of the ‘Deplorables,’” Truthdig, November 9, 2016, http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/revenge_of_the_deplorables_20161109; Maggie Severns and Theodoric Meyer, “House Democrats lament blue-collar collapse,” Politico, November 20, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/house-democrats-worry-blue-collar-voters-231635; Niall Stanage, “Dem blame game rages over Clinton loss,” Hill, December 4, 2016, http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/308600-dem-blame-game-rages-over-clinton-loss; Joe Uchill, “Left’s new argument: Hillary didn’t lose,” Hill, November 23, 2016, http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/307388-lefts-new-argument-hillary-didnt-lose
  3. [3]Alex Shephard, “Democrats are wasting no time in repeating the mistakes they made in the 2016 primary,” New Republic, December 21, 2016, https://newrepublic.com/minutes/139454/democrats-wasting-no-time-repeating-mistakes-made-2016-primary
  4. [4]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

Unemployment and a Basic Income: Daily Bullshit, December 20, 2016

Unemployment

Jack Karsten and Darrell M. West, “Automation beyond the factory,” Brookings, December 15, 2016, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2016/12/15/automation-beyond-the-factory/


Basic Income

Peter S. Goodman, “Free Cash in Finland. Must Be Jobless,” New York Times, December 17, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/17/business/economy/universal-basic-income-finland.html


Horse Race

Sarah Jones, “When is the Clinton campaign going to admit how badly it screwed up?” New Republic, December 20, 2016, https://newrepublic.com/minutes/139425/clinton-campaign-going-admit-badly-screwed-up


Amazon is still awful: Daily Bullshit, December 19, 2016

Amazon

Whenever I walk into Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, it’s nearly deserted—even in the height of Christmas shopping season. I hear the big box stores are more crowded. But traditional “brick and mortar” outlets must surely be doomed.

In their place arises Amazon, with labor practices that are apparently and unrelentingly even more abusive than Wal-Mart’s.[1] I don’t know what to do. I shop at Amazon as well, even being well aware of their abuses. Increasingly I feel I have no choice. It’s become too hard to find stuff at local retailers and their prices are often high.

Natalie Kitroeff, “Amazon drivers say they are pushed to the limit as holiday deliveries reach a frenzy,” Los Angeles Times, December 16, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-amazon-drivers-20161218-story.html


Unemployment

We can ask why, if conditions are so awful at Amazon, anyone would work there. Here’s part of the answer.

Andrew Tangel and Patrick McGroarty, “U.S. Factories Are Working Again; Factory Workers, Not So Much,” Wall Street Journal, December 18, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-factories-are-working-again-factory-workers-not-so-much-1482080400


For-profit education

Fernanda Zamudio-Suaréz, “Education Dept. Denies Student-Aid Funds to For-Profit Law School,” Chronicle of Higher Education, December 19, 2016, http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/education-dept-denies-student-aid-funds-to-for-profit-law-school/116201


Horse race

Hopefully, it is now over.

Kyle Cheney, “Electoral College sees record-breaking defections,” Politico, December 19, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/electoral-college-electors-232836

Olivia Nuzzi, “Donald Trump Electoral College Win Crushes the Last #NeverTrump Dream,” Daily Beast, December 19, 2016, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/19/donald-trump-electoral-college-win-crushes-the-last-nevertrump-dream.html

  1. [1]Daniel D’Addario, “Amazon is worse than Walmart,” Salon, July 30, 2013, http://www.salon.com/2013/07/30/how_amazon_is_worse_than_wal_mart/; Mike Daisey, “Amazon’s brutal work culture will stay: bottom lines matter more than people,” Guardian, August 22, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/22/amazon-brutal-work-culture; Josh Eidelson, “Amazon Keeps Unions Out By Keeping Workers in Fear, Says Organizer,” Alternet, January 22, 2014, http://www.alternet.org/labor/amazon-keeps-unions-out-keeping-workers-fear-says-organizer; Nichole Gracely, “‘Being homeless is better than working for Amazon’,” Guardian, November 28, 2014, http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/nov/28/being-homeless-is-better-than-working-for-amazon; Simon Head, “Worse than Wal-Mart: Amazon’s sick brutality and secret history of ruthlessly intimidating workers,” Salon, February 23, 2014, http://www.salon.com/2014/02/23/worse_than_wal_mart_amazons_sick_brutality_and_secret_history_of_ruthlessly_intimidating_workers/; Dave Jamieson, “The Life and Death of an Amazon Warehouse Temp,” Huffington Post, n.d., http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/life-and-death-amazon-temp/; Jodi Kantor and David Streitfeld, “Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace,” New York Times, August 15, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html; Natalie Kitroeff, “Amazon drivers say they are pushed to the limit as holiday deliveries reach a frenzy,” Los Angeles Times, December 16, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-amazon-drivers-20161218-story.html; Joe Nocera, “Jeff Bezos and the Amazon Way,” New York Times, August 21, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/22/opinion/joeera-jeff-bezos-and-the-amazon-way.html; Alex Seitz-Wald, “Amazon is everything wrong with our new economy,” Salon, July 30, 2013, http://www.salon.com/2013/07/30/amazon_is_everything_wrong_with_our_new_economy/; Spencer Soper, “Inside Amazon’s Warehouse,” Morning Call, September 18, 2011, http://articles.mcall.com/2011-09-18/news/mc-allentown-amazon-complaints-20110917_1_warehouse-workers-heat-stress-brutal-heat;

Empathy might not work: Daily Bullshit, December 16-17, 2016 (updated)

Horse race

Take Dave Boyer’s article with a grain of salt. A lot of it is based on a Daily Mail story.[1] It seems very odd to me that a serious journalist would give an interview to such a disreputable publication.

Meanwhile, the White House is raising the level of rhetoric against Russia in its dubious[2] claims that the Russians interfered with the U.S. election. “‘They should either stop talking about that, or produce some proof at last,’ [Vladimir Putin spokesman Dmitry] Peskov told reporters Friday. ‘Otherwise it all begins to look unseemly.'”[3] Juan Cole recognizes the personal attacks on Putin as resembling the propaganda of the first Cold War.[4] Actually, it’s worse than unseemly. First, none of us who survived the first Cold War and the infamous doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction should want anything to do with a second one, even if it’s for partisan gain.

Second, it diverts attention from the real reason the Democrats lost, and on this, Susan McWilliams raises the prospect that the “kind of politics [of an ‘ethic of total retaliation’ against a technologically advanced and economically changing America in which [Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels] felt they’d been counted out and left behind] is ‘nearly impossible to deal with’ using reason or empathy or awareness-raising or any of the other favorite tools of the left.”[5] There are a lot of white males, myself included, who identify to some degree with those “Hell’s Angels.” At the same time, the Democrats seemed determined to alienate Bernie Sanders’ supporters[6] such that many of them probably refused to vote, at least for Hillary Clinton. So who was left to vote? Who turned out? A lot of very angry white males. Folks on the left need to reckon with this, but so far, it is amply evident they are determined not to, which is why I no longer identify with the left.[7]

Dave Boyer, “WikiLeaks figure says ‘disgusted’ Democrat leaked Clinton campaign emails,” Washington Times, December 14, 2016, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/14/craig-murray-says-source-of-hillary-clinton-campai/

Susan McWilliams, “This Political Theorist Predicted the Rise of Trumpism. His Name Was Hunter S. Thompson,” Nation, December 15, 2016, https://www.thenation.com/article/this-political-theorist-predicted-the-rise-of-trumpism-his-name-was-hunter-s-thompson/

George Beebe, “Russia’s Role in the US Elections: The Case for Caution,” National Interest, December 16, 2016, http://nationalinterest.org/feature/russias-role-the-us-elections-the-case-caution-18756

Juan Cole, “Demonization of Putin as ‘Personally’ behind Clinton Hack is old Propaganda Technique,” Informed Comment, December 16, 2016, http://www.juancole.com/2016/12/demonization-personally-propaganda.html

Josh Lederman and Bradley Klapper, “Obama vows retaliation for suspected Russian hacking,” CTV, December 16, 2016, http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/obama-vows-retaliation-for-suspected-russian-hacking-1.3206003


  1. [1]Dave Boyer, “WikiLeaks figure says ‘disgusted’ Democrat leaked Clinton campaign emails,” Washington Times, December 14, 2016, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/14/craig-murray-says-source-of-hillary-clinton-campai/
  2. [2]George Beebe, “Russia’s Role in the US Elections: The Case for Caution,” National Interest, December 16, 2016, http://nationalinterest.org/feature/russias-role-the-us-elections-the-case-caution-18756; David Benfell, “Blaming the Russians,” Not Housebroken, December 15, 2016, https://disunitedstates.org/?p=9151; David Benfell, “Vladimir Putin’s motives,” Not Housebroken, December 15, 2016, https://disunitedstates.org/?p=9162
  3. [3]Josh Lederman and Bradley Klapper, “Obama vows retaliation for suspected Russian hacking,” CTV, December 16, 2016, http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/obama-vows-retaliation-for-suspected-russian-hacking-1.3206003
  4. [4]Juan Cole, “Demonization of Putin as ‘Personally’ behind Clinton Hack is old Propaganda Technique,” Informed Comment, December 16, 2016, http://www.juancole.com/2016/12/demonization-personally-propaganda.html
  5. [5]Susan McWilliams, “This Political Theorist Predicted the Rise of Trumpism. His Name Was Hunter S. Thompson,” Nation, December 15, 2016, https://www.thenation.com/article/this-political-theorist-predicted-the-rise-of-trumpism-his-name-was-hunter-s-thompson/
  6. [6]Clare Foran, “Unity Won’t Come Easily for Democrats,” Atlantic, May 24, 2016, http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-democratic-party-platform/484067/; Kevin Gosztola, “Establishment Collectively Stunned To See Citizens Reject Rigged Democratic Primary,” Common Dreams, May 20, 2016, http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/05/20/establishment-collectively-stunned-see-citizens-reject-rigged-democratic-primary; Lauren McCauley, “‘Rigged’ 2016 Election Has Voters Feeling Helpless, Unheard, and Ashamed,” Common Dreams, May 31, 2016, http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/05/31/rigged-2016-election-has-voters-feeling-helpless-unheard-and-ashamed; Amy Sherman, “Democratic debates set to ‘maximize’ exposure, Wasserman Schultz claims, but evidence is dubious,” Politifact, January 20, 2016, http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2016/jan/20/debbie-wasserman-schultz/democratic-debates-maximize-exposure-debbie-wasser/; Byron Tau and Colleen McCain Nelson, “Hacked Emails Show Clinton Links With Democratic Party,” Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/hacked-emails-show-clinton-links-with-democratic-party-1476315158; 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; Greg Sargent, “It’s on: We’re getting four more Democratic debates,” Washington Post, February 3, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/02/03/its-on-looks-like-were-getting-four-more-democratic-debates/; Steven Shepard, “Democratic insiders give low marks to Wasserman Schultz,” Politico, May 27, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/debbie-wasserman-schultz-democratic-insiders-223631; Wall Street Journal, “Bernie Sanders Gets No Respect,” March 27, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/bernie-sanders-gets-no-respect-1459117222; Katie Bo Williams, “WikiLeaks email suggests Brazile sent debate question to Clinton camp,” Hill, October 31, 2016, http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/303556-emails-brazile-leaked-debate-question-to-clinton-camp; Megan R. Wilson, “DNC rolls back restrictions on lobbyist donations,” Hill, February 12, 2016, http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/269266-dnc-rolls-back-restrictions-on-lobbyist-donations↩
  7. [7]David Benfell, “Farewell to the left,” Not Housebroken, November 28, 2016, https://disunitedstates.org/?p=9133

The Anthropocene: Daily Bullshit, December 15, 2016

In my most recent blog post, I questioned not only the use of classified evidence—which remains deeply problematic—but the apparent absence of a motive for Russian President Vladmir Putin to interfere in U.S. elections. It turns out that Fiona Hill covered the question of Putin’s motive in Vox in July.[1] I have been distrustful of Vox in recent months on anything having to do with the U.S. presidential election because, like other outlets, it appeared to have degenerated to functioning as a propaganda organ for Hillary Clinton’s campaign,[2] and I am dissatisfied with some of Hill’s evidence, how she pulls it together, and with her reliance on innuendo with regard to Putin “still think[ing] and act[ing] like a KGB operative,”[3] but there is substance here. Is this substance compelling? I take this on in a new blog post, here.


Anthropocene

Jacob Mikanowski, “History After Us,” Chronicle of Higher Education, December 11, 2016, http://www.chronicle.com/article/History-After-Us/238602


  1. [1]Fiona Hill, “3 reasons Russia’s Vladimir Putin might want to interfere in the US presidential elections,” Vox, July 27, 2016, http://www.vox.com/2016/7/27/12304448/putin-elections-dnc-hack
  2. [2]Thomas Frank, “Donald Trump is moving to the White House, and liberals put him there,” Guardian, November 9, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/09/donald-trump-white-house-hillary-clinton-liberals
  3. [3]Fiona Hill, “3 reasons Russia’s Vladimir Putin might want to interfere in the US presidential elections,” Vox, July 27, 2016, http://www.vox.com/2016/7/27/12304448/putin-elections-dnc-hack

Democrats’ stupid blame game, Russia edition: Daily Bullshit, December 10-14, 2016 (updated 6x)

Updated for:

  1. Andrew Cockburn’s article in Harper’s[1] and for the Department of Education’s final decision on an accreditor used by for-profits[2]
  2. an open letter by six former intelligence agency employees casting further doubt on accusations against Russia[3]
  3. another desperate Democratic tactic, attempting to flip the electoral college, this time based on the dubious allegations against Russia[4]
  4. Jill Stein’s flavor of this stupidity: recounts.[5]
  5. more on efforts to overturn the election in the electoral college.[6]
  6. more of the allegations against Russia,[7] yet more on electoral college machinations,[8] and on the whole Hillary Clinton fiasco.[9]

If only the Democrats had put so much effort into nominating someone who was electable. Unfortunately, it appears I may have spoken too soon[10] when I wrote earlier that this nonsense will be over on Monday when the electors vote.[11]


Horse race

I comment on this in a new blog post, Blaming the Russians. Andrew Cockburn’s article is a long read but absolutely worth it. Between Cockburn’s article[12] and the open letter from former intelligence agency employees,[13] I now believe it is more likely than not that the accusations against Russia are substantively false and have updated the blog post accordingly.

It is a measure of just how bizarrely topsy-turvy this year has been that neoconservatives have been among the more sensible voices on the entire mainstream political spectrum. Rich Lowry, who objects to the maneuvers to overturn the election through the electoral college,[14] doesn’t even begin to address the chaos that would ensue should such an attempt succeed. Lowry is editor of the National Review which is mostly, but not entirely, neoconservative, so I tend to assume he is neoconservative. His argument is consistent with neoconservatism but is not, in my view, necessarily inconsistent with other tendencies of conservatism.

More clearly, Noah Rothman writes for Commentary, which is unmistakably neoconservative. His article is useful for detailing all the attempts Hillary Clinton’s supporters have made to shift blame for her defeat. You know, the attempts I’ve been striving valiantly to not keep track of, until I just couldn’t anymore. He concludes, perhaps a bit too generously:

Clinton’s loss can be attributed to many factors. No one explanation for her failure is sufficient. But Democrats engaged in a self-serving exercise to transfer blame from their own failures cannot escape criticism for long. Eventually, Democrats will tire of blaming everyone but Clinton and her team for losing to someone even more unpopular than she. The anecdotes of betrayal and foreign intervention will fade into history, and all that will be left in the minds of most Americans will be a bad candidate and her bad campaign.[15]

I would accuse Rothman of unwarranted speculation in claiming that “Democrats will tire” of all this or that those “engaged in a self-serving exercise to transfer blame from their own failures cannot escape criticism for long.”[16] We simply don’t know that yet. And in this year, it’s probably folly to rule anything out.

Andrew Cockburn, “The New Red Scare: Reviving the art of threat inflation,” Harper’s, December, 2016, http://harpers.org/archive/2016/12/the-new-red-scare/

Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima, and Greg Miller, “Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House,” Washington Post, December 9, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html

Juan Cole, “No, America, It Wasn’t Russia: You Did This to Yourself,” Truthdig, December 10, 2016, http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/no_america_it_wasnt_russia_you_did_this_to_yourself_20161210

William Binney, et al., “US Intel Vets Dispute Russia Hacking Claims,” Consortium News, December 12, 2016, https://consortiumnews.com/2016/12/12/us-intel-vets-dispute-russia-hacking-claims/

Marc Levy and Scott Bauer, “Recount efforts end: Donald Trump wins in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania,” Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, December 12, 2016, http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6426779-181/recount-efforts-end-donald-trump

Agence France-Presse, “Vladimir Putin ‘personally involved’ in US hack, report claims,” Guardian, December 14, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/15/vladimir-putin-personally-involved-in-us-hack-report-claims

Kyle Cheney, “Almost 1 in 4 Electoral College Dems demanding intel briefing,” Politico, December 14, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/electoral-college-democrats-intelligence-232612

Kyle Cheney, “Trump lawyer cites 1876 crisis to rebuke Electoral College suit,” Politico, December 14, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/donald-trump-electoral-college-232665

Rich Lowry, “Against an Electoral Coup,” Politico, December 14, 2016, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/against-electoral-coup-trump-lowry-214528

Noah Rothman, “Hillary Runs Out of Excuses,” Commentary, December 14, 2016, https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/hillary-clinton-runs-out-of-excuses/

Valerie Richardson, “Harvard prof advising electors says 20+ Republicans may vote against Trump,” Washington Times, December 14, 2016, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/14/professor-20-gop-electors-may-vote-against-trump/


For-profit education

It appears to me that Donald Trump will be able to reverse this action. All the accreditor has to do is follow through on its claim that it will appeal in the courts. Then Trump’s administration can decline to defend against the suit.

Jeff Horwitz, “Accreditor of for-profit colleges loses appeal to stay alive,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, December 12, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/accreditor-of-for-profit-colleges-loses-appeal-to-stay-alive/406085536/


  1. [1]Andrew Cockburn, “The New Red Scare: Reviving the art of threat inflation,” Harper’s, December, 2016, http://harpers.org/archive/2016/12/the-new-red-scare/
  2. [2]Jeff Horwitz, “Accreditor of for-profit colleges loses appeal to stay alive,” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, December 12, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/accreditor-of-for-profit-colleges-loses-appeal-to-stay-alive/406085536/
  3. [3]William Binney, et al., “US Intel Vets Dispute Russia Hacking Claims,” Consortium News, December 12, 2016, https://consortiumnews.com/2016/12/12/us-intel-vets-dispute-russia-hacking-claims/
  4. [4]Kyle Cheney, “Almost 1 in 4 Electoral College Dems demanding intel briefing,” Politico, December 14, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/electoral-college-democrats-intelligence-232612
  5. [5]Marc Levy and Scott Bauer, “Recount efforts end: Donald Trump wins in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania,” Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, December 12, 2016, http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/6426779-181/recount-efforts-end-donald-trump
  6. [6]Valerie Richardson, “Harvard prof advising electors says 20+ Republicans may vote against Trump,” Washington Times, December 14, 2016, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/14/professor-20-gop-electors-may-vote-against-trump/
  7. [7]Agence France-Presse, “Vladimir Putin ‘personally involved’ in US hack, report claims,” Guardian, December 14, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/15/vladimir-putin-personally-involved-in-us-hack-report-claims
  8. [8]Rich Lowry, “Against an Electoral Coup,” Politico, December 14, 2016, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/against-electoral-coup-trump-lowry-214528
  9. [9]Noah Rothman, “Hillary Runs Out of Excuses,” Commentary, December 14, 2016, https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/hillary-clinton-runs-out-of-excuses/
  10. [10]Valerie Richardson, “Harvard prof advising electors says 20+ Republicans may vote against Trump,” Washington Times, December 14, 2016, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/14/professor-20-gop-electors-may-vote-against-trump/
  11. [11]Kyle Cheney, “Almost 1 in 4 Electoral College Dems demanding intel briefing,” Politico, December 14, 2016, http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/electoral-college-democrats-intelligence-232612
  12. [12]Andrew Cockburn, “The New Red Scare: Reviving the art of threat inflation,” Harper’s, December, 2016, http://harpers.org/archive/2016/12/the-new-red-scare/
  13. [13]William Binney, et al., “US Intel Vets Dispute Russia Hacking Claims,” Consortium News, December 12, 2016, https://consortiumnews.com/2016/12/12/us-intel-vets-dispute-russia-hacking-claims/
  14. [14]Rich Lowry, “Against an Electoral Coup,” Politico, December 14, 2016, http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/12/against-electoral-coup-trump-lowry-214528
  15. [15]Noah Rothman, “Hillary Runs Out of Excuses,” Commentary, December 14, 2016, https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/hillary-clinton-runs-out-of-excuses/
  16. [16]Noah Rothman, “Hillary Runs Out of Excuses,” Commentary, December 14, 2016, https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/hillary-clinton-runs-out-of-excuses/

Catching up: Daily Bullshit, December 3-9, 2016 (updated)

Update: I have a new blog post, entitled We have failed the test, up.


So yeah, there’s been stuff. Low-level crap mostly. And I’m still mostly ignoring bullshit about the election outcome including the personality parade about Donald Trump’s appointments—I simply don’t care. But a couple reasonable items hit my radar screen over the last couple days and so today I’m catching up.

I’ve been really rather somber the last few days. It remains perfectly and utterly clear that as a white man, I am now an enemy of the left, simply by virtue of my race and gender. This wasn’t my choice; it was the left’s.[1] And this shouldn’t really be viewed as something new. What has happened is that the election outcome has exposed this absolute disdain. I already knew that neither major party presidential candidate would improve my job prospects; but had Hillary Clinton won rather than Trump, I might have continued in a delusion that the left at least offered me some small hope.


California involuntary sterilizations

Ronnie Cohen, “Historians seek reparations for Californians forcibly sterilized,” Yahoo!, December 6, 2016, https://www.yahoo.com/news/historians-seek-reparations-californians-forcibly-sterilized-170441960.html


For-profit schools

Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, “Education Department places hefty conditions on University of Phoenix sale,” Washington Post, December 7, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/12/07/education-department-places-hefty-conditions-on-university-of-phoenix-sale/


Horse race

Paulina Firozi, “Green Party drops recount case in Pennsylvania,” Hill, December 3, 2016, http://thehill.com/homenews/news/308650-green-party-drops-pennsylvania-recount-case

Niall Stanage, “Dem blame game rages over Clinton loss,” Hill, December 4, 2016, http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/308600-dem-blame-game-rages-over-clinton-loss


Innovation

Robert Lee Hotz, “Need a Breakthrough? Offer Prize Money!” Wall Street Journal, December 6, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/need-a-breakthrough-offer-prize-money-1481043131

Greg Ip, “The Economy’s Hidden Problem: We’re Out of Big Ideas,” Wall Street Journal, December 6, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-economys-hidden-problem-were-out-of-big-ideas-1481042066

Jack Nicas, “Silicon Valley Stumbles in World Beyond Software,” Wall Street Journal, December 6, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-valley-stumbles-in-world-beyond-software-1481042474

Jonathan D. Rockoff, “Big Pharma, Short on Blockbusters, Outsources the Science,” Wall Street Journal, December 6, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/big-pharma-short-on-blockbusters-outsources-the-science-1481042583

Eva Dou, “After 1,000 Year Slumber, China Vows to Invent Again,” Wall Street Journal, December 7, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/after-1-000-year-slumber-china-vows-to-invent-again-1481042748


  1. [1]David Benfell, “Farewell to the left,” Not Housebroken, November 28, 2016, https://disunitedstates.org/?p=9133