It’s a cover-up! (Of a mural at my old high school.)

George Washington High School

When I attended junior high and high school in San Francisco, Presidio Junior High covered grades seven through nine (yes, really!) and Washington High covered grades ten through twelve. I took California’s proficiency examination toward the end of the eleventh grade, passed, and moved with my mother to Sacramento, where I started that fall at Sacramento City College (I attended there one semester, then transferred to American River College, which seemed to have a better data processing program).

So I only attended George Washington High School for two years. But I believe I recognize the stairwell. The photographer’s vantage point (figure 1) appears to me to be beneath the principal’s office. As I recall, at least when I attended, students were forbidden from using this entrance. I didn’t know why, but I assumed it was to remind us that we were second-class citizens directed to side or rear entrances and barred from the main one. As I was being compelled to attend a place I absolutely despised, and as this was one of several schools where I was not protected from physical bullying, I had little reason to believe otherwise.
mural frs letters
Fig. 1. Image credited to Jim Wilson of the New York Times, April 9, 2019, via the Sacramento Bee, July 20, 2019, described as the lobby of George Washington High School. As I remember it, there was no such thing, certainly where this photograph was taken. It was just stairs. Fair use.[1]

I think it was in junior high, not in high school, where atrocities against American Indians were mentioned so briefly in passing that I was afraid to question them. So it’s a bit hard to imagine that even though this was a different school (albeit kitty-korner from the junior high), that we were forbidden from using that entrance out of sensitivity to Blacks or American Indians.

Karin Klein certainly raises that question with her argument in favor of covering over that mural (or series of murals).[2]

Her argument is interesting but I am deeply skeptical of her interpretation of the artwork:

What makes the mural even more sympathetic to anti-censorship advocates is its message, which was progressive, and even daring, for its time. Created by a communist Russian-American artist,Victor Arnautoff, as one of the artistic works sponsored by the New Deal, it gives an unflattering image of George Washington as a slave owner and shows white colonists stepping over the dead body of a Native American.

The wording has been heated on both sides – no surprise these days. A committee convened to examine the issue claimed that the mural glorified slavery, genocide and oppression. Did they even look at it? Do they know what glorifying means? The artwork is a clear statement to the opposite.[3]

I think that if Klein is correct in her interpretation, and I certainly see her logic, then Victor Arnautoff really pulled a fast one on the authorities at that time. It is inconceivable to me that they would have been sympathetic to such a portrayal, let alone allowed its placement where it might influence young minds.

Karin Klein, “At first, it looked like censorship. But covering up controversial mural makes sense,” Sacramento Bee, July 20, 2019, https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article232846267.html


  1. [1]Karin Klein, “At first, it looked like censorship. But covering up controversial mural makes sense,” Sacramento Bee, July 20, 2019, https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article232846267.html
  2. [2]Karin Klein, “At first, it looked like censorship. But covering up controversial mural makes sense,” Sacramento Bee, July 20, 2019, https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article232846267.html
  3. [3]Karin Klein, “At first, it looked like censorship. But covering up controversial mural makes sense,” Sacramento Bee, July 20, 2019, https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article232846267.html

At first, it looked like censorship. But covering up controversial mural makes sense

San Francisco Schools

Karin Klein, “At first, it looked like censorship. But covering up controversial mural makes sense,” Sacramento Bee, July 20, 2019, https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/california-forum/article232846267.html

Carol Pogash, “San Francisco School Board May Save Controversial George Washington Mural,” New York Times, August 10, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/10/arts/san-francisco-murals.html

Carol Pogash, “San Francisco School Board Votes to Hide, but Not Destroy, Disputed Murals,” New York Times, August 14, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/14/arts/san-francisco-murals-george-washington.html

Fernando Martinez, “San Francisco school board considers renaming a school after the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia,” SFGate, January 29, 2021, https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/San-Francisco-School-Board-considers-renaming-a-15909103.php

Isaac Chotiner, “How San Francisco Renamed Its Schools,” New Yorker, February 6, 2021, https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-san-francisco-renamed-its-schools

Greg Keraghosian, “SF school board pauses renaming 44 schools, promises to consult historians in future,” SFGate, February 21, 2021, https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/SF-school-board-pauses-renaming-44-schools-15968504.php

Jill Tucker, “Mayor Breed calls for S.F. school board member to resign over racist tweets directed at Asian Americans,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 21, 2021, https://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/Mayor-Breed-calls-for-S-F-school-board-member-to-16040970.php

Faith E. Pinho, “San Francisco board halts renaming of public schools after months of furor and debate,” Los Angeles Times, April 6, 2021, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-04-06/san-francisco-school-board-suspends-renaming-public-schools

Jocelyn Gecker, “San Francisco school board suspends plan to rename schools,” Santa Rosa Press Democrat, April 7, 2021, https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/san-francisco-school-board-to-vote-on-school-renaming-again/

KPIX, “Judge Overturns SF School Board Decision To Cover Up Controversial Mural,” July 28, 2021, https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/07/28/judge-overturns-sf-school-board-decision-to-remove-controversial-mural/

Joshua Bote, “Mayor London Breed comes out in support of San Francisco school board recall,” SFGate, November 10, 2021, https://www.sfgate.com/bay-area-politics/article/London-Breed-supports-school-board-recall-16609815.php

San Francisco Chronicle, “Endorsement: Competence matters, even for progressives. Vote yes to recall López, Collins and Moliga,” January 24, 2022, https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Endorsement-SFUSD-recall-election-16795107.php

Jill Tucker and Annie Vainshtein, “S.F. school board recall: Alison Collins, Gabriela López and Faauuga Moliga ousted,” San Francisco Chronicle, February 15, 2022, https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/S-F-school-board-recall-Alison-Collins-16922351.php

Brexit remains the same but, oh my….

There is a new blog entry entitled, “Radicalism and pragmatism.”


Brexit

Funny thing: As shown with these votes,[1] Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister-apparent, won’t have a parliamentary majority on any option on Brexit either.[2] Afraid of what he may do or not do, both the Lords and the Commons are seeking to tie his hands on his threat to leave with “no deal.”[3]

The trouble is that, as it was, clear back in fucking March,[4] “no deal” remains the legal default.[5]

A name to watch in all of this is that of the presumably outgoing chancellor, Philip Hammond, who seems determined to prevent a “no deal” Brexit.[6]

Sure, Britain is taking a giant leap toward Donald Trump with its Conservative Party (not even the general electorate) selecting Boris Johnson.[7] But Brexit remains the same. And the plotters, possibly now including outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May herself, still plot.[8]

Whatever one thinks of Brexit, these are remarkable times.

Gordon Rayner, “How Philip Hammond delivered his final act of rebellion on the steps of No 11,” Telegraph, July 18, 2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/07/18/philip-hammond-delivered-final-act-rebellion-steps-no-11/

Steven Swinford, “Philip Hammond hints at rebellion to bring down Boris Johnson government,” Times, July 19, 2019, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/philip-hammond-hints-at-rebellion-to-bring-down-boris-johnson-government-v5636l8db

Peter Walker, “Could parliament’s latest amendment stop no-deal Brexit?” Guardian, July 18, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/18/could-parliaments-latest-amendment-stop-no-deal-brexit

Nicholas Watt, “Brexit: Scheme to block no deal ‘could involve Queen,’” British Broadcasting Corporation, July 18, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49040128


Donald Trump

Ashley Parker, “How a racist tweet became a Trump rally chant in three short days,” Washington Post, July 18, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-a-racist-tweet-became-a-trump-rally-chant-in-three-short-days/2019/07/18/bd81b798-a968-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html

John Wagner and Colby Itkowitz, “Trump vows congresswomen ‘can’t get away with’ criticizing U.S.,” Washington Post, July 19, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-day-after-distancing-himself-from-hostile-chant-trump-criticizes-media-for-its-coverage-of-his-rally/2019/07/19/9c094c16-aa12-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html


  1. [1]Gordon Rayner, “How Philip Hammond delivered his final act of rebellion on the steps of No 11,” Telegraph, July 18, 2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/07/18/philip-hammond-delivered-final-act-rebellion-steps-no-11/; Peter Walker, “Could parliament’s latest amendment stop no-deal Brexit?” Guardian, July 18, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/18/could-parliaments-latest-amendment-stop-no-deal-brexit
  2. [2]Nicholas Watt, “Brexit: Scheme to block no deal ‘could involve Queen,’” British Broadcasting Corporation, July 18, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49040128
  3. [3]Peter Walker, “Could parliament’s latest amendment stop no-deal Brexit?” Guardian, July 18, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/18/could-parliaments-latest-amendment-stop-no-deal-brexit
  4. [4]Jack Maidment, “Brexit latest news: Theresa May’s deal defeated again by
    58 votes – PM hints at general election to break deadlock,” Telegraph, March 29, 2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/03/29/brexit-latest-news-theresa-may-final-push-mps-prepare-vote-withdrawal/
  5. [5]Peter Walker, “Could parliament’s latest amendment stop no-deal Brexit?” Guardian, July 18, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/18/could-parliaments-latest-amendment-stop-no-deal-brexit
  6. [6]Gordon Rayner, “How Philip Hammond delivered his final act of rebellion on the steps of No 11,” Telegraph, July 18, 2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/07/18/philip-hammond-delivered-final-act-rebellion-steps-no-11/; Steven Swinford, “Philip Hammond hints at rebellion to bring down Boris Johnson government,” Times, July 19, 2019, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/philip-hammond-hints-at-rebellion-to-bring-down-boris-johnson-government-v5636l8db; Peter Walker, “Could parliament’s latest amendment stop no-deal Brexit?” Guardian, July 18, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/18/could-parliaments-latest-amendment-stop-no-deal-brexit
  7. [7]Mark Landler, “Leaked British Cables Critical of Trump Lead to Diplomatic Uproar,” New York Times, July 8, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/08/us/politics/donald-trump-kim-darroch.html
  8. [8]Gordon Rayner, “How Philip Hammond delivered his final act of rebellion on the steps of No 11,” Telegraph, July 18, 2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/07/18/philip-hammond-delivered-final-act-rebellion-steps-no-11/; Steven Swinford, “Philip Hammond hints at rebellion to bring down Boris Johnson government,” Times, July 19, 2019, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/philip-hammond-hints-at-rebellion-to-bring-down-boris-johnson-government-v5636l8db; Peter Walker, “Could parliament’s latest amendment stop no-deal Brexit?” Guardian, July 18, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/18/could-parliaments-latest-amendment-stop-no-deal-brexit; Nicholas Watt, “Brexit: Scheme to block no deal ‘could involve Queen,’” British Broadcasting Corporation, July 18, 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49040128

We are now right there with Adolf Hitler’s rallies in Nazi Germany

Donald Trump

I am retracting three previous blog entries[1] with a new blog entry entitled, “A retraction: I now support impeachment.”

Donald Trump’s attempt to disavow the “send her [Ilhan Omar] back” chant at his rally[2] earned four Pinnochios from a Washington Post fact check: “This will be a short fact check, because video of the rally totally debunks his claim.”[3] That’s more attention than I want to pay to this particular item of his bullshit and I think that’s all I need say about it.

Tom McCarthy, “Trump rally crowd chants ‘send her back’ after president attacks Ilhan Omar,” Guardian, July 17, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/17/trump-rally-send-her-back-ilhan-omar

Noah Bierman, “Trump seeks to disavow ‘send her back’ chant at his rally,” Los Angeles Times, July 18, 2019, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-07-17/trump-new-chant-send-her-back

Salvador Rizzo, “Trump falsely claims he tried to stop ‘Send her back!’ chants about Rep. Ilhan Omar,” Washington Post, July 18, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/18/trump-falsely-claims-he-tried-stop-send-her-back-chants-about-rep-ilhan-omar/


  1. [1]David Benfell, “It might actually be a good thing that Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the House right now,” Not Housebroken, January 12, 2019, https://disunitedstates.org/2019/01/12/it-might-actually-be-a-good-thing-that-nancy-pelosi-is-speaker-of-the-house-right-now/; David Benfell, “Why Nancy Pelosi is right about impeachment,” Not Housebroken, May 22, 2019, https://disunitedstates.org/2019/05/22/why-nancy-pelosi-is-right-about-impeachment/; David Benfell, “Calls for impeachment are the latest displays of the naturalistic fallacy and system justification,” Not Housebroken, May 23, 2019, https://disunitedstates.org/2019/05/23/calls-for-impeachment-are-the-latest-displays-of-the-naturalistic-fallacy-and-system-justification/
  2. [2]Noah Bierman, “Trump seeks to disavow ‘send her back’ chant at his rally,” Los Angeles Times, July 18, 2019, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-07-17/trump-new-chant-send-her-back
  3. [3]Salvador Rizzo, “Trump falsely claims he tried to stop ‘Send her back!’ chants about Rep. Ilhan Omar,” Washington Post, July 18, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/18/trump-falsely-claims-he-tried-stop-send-her-back-chants-about-rep-ilhan-omar/

Trump and Hitler: A Juxtaposition

source on www.commondreams.org

Archived at 2019-07-18 09:38:19

Published on

Saturday, June 29, 2019

by

Common Dreams

Trump and Hitler: A Juxtaposition

It is a sad day for our country when comparisons between the leader of Nazi Germany and the president of the United States are apt

by

Christopher Brauchli

18_09:39:14-5

President Donald Trump speaks to world leaders at the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on September 19, 2017 in New York City. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

What one Christian does is his own responsibility. What one Jew [Muslim] does is thrown back at all Jews [Muslims].
— Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl (1944)

Being a person of neither creative nor mental ability, he mindlessly finds himself inspired by the actions of a man who, many years ago, like Trump, was driven by a fierce hatred for a group of people he considered threatening to his way of life. In Trump, this hatred manifests itself in Islamophobia.
Read more

Accreditors going wild

For-profit institutions

There is a new blog post entitled, “The conundrum of higher education accreditation.”

Eric Kelderman, “The Education Dept. Wants Accreditors to Compete. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” Chronicle of Higher Education, July 11, 2019, https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Education-Dept-Wants/246658


Census

Jessica Schneider, “Federal judge permanently blocks Trump admin from adding citizenship question to 2020 census,” CNN, July 16, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/judge-permanently-blocks-citizenship-question-2020-census/index.html

Jessica Schneider, “2nd federal judge blocks Trump admin from adding citizenship question to census,” CNN, July 17, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/politics/2020-census-citizenship/index.html

Felicia Sonmez, “House votes to hold Attorney General Barr, Commerce Secretary Ross in contempt for failing to comply with subpoena on 2020 Census,” Washington Post, July 17, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-to-vote-to-hold-barr-ross-in-contempt-over-2020-census-citizenship-question/2019/07/17/8dbeb35c-a89c-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html


Donald Trump

The comments from [Will] Hurd and [Mike] Turner were commendably direct and unvarnished. But they need to be placed in context. The hundred and sixteenth Congress contains a hundred and ninety-seven Republican representatives and fifty-three Republican senators. Of these two hundred and fifty profiles in courage, Hurd and Turner were the sole ones to specifically use the word “racist” to describe [Donald] Trump’s attack. Other Republicans, even as they broke with Trump and criticized his comments, ransacked the thesaurus to avoid it.[1]

So the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted, 332-to-95, including “137 [Democrats] voting to effectively kill the [impeachment] resolution and 95 opposing the move.”[2] It was specifically about Donald Trump’s multiple forms of xenophobia, not about any wrongdoing found or suspected by Robert Mueller.[3] Which is all to say that neoliberals are nearly as afraid of Trump’s base as Republicans.

I understand and have previously acknowledged[4] the neoliberals have a strategy that requires some patience.[5] Indeed, they made a move to advance that strategy, holding William Barr and Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt for failing to produce subpoenaed documents regarding the citizenship question on the census.[6]

But Al Green pulled a trigger.[7] Once the trigger was pulled, the process needed to succeed at every step.

Now, the optics are horrible and this situation is now very likely worse than before. Trump will be insufferable as he claims vindication. As the resolution directly addressed his racism,[8] and was defeated by such a ridiculously large margin, [9] he will now consider himself even more free to be even more bigoted in his future statements and, even more worryingly, actions. Not that there was any restraining him before: As I’ve said before, there’s no bottom with the man; he’s a black hole. But our descent has been hastened.

Rachael Bade and Mike DeBonis, “House votes to kill impeachment resolution against Trump, avoiding a direct vote on whether to oust the president,” Washington Post, July 17, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/democrats-divided-as-house-to-vote-on-whether-to-consider-impeachment-of-trump/2019/07/17/dacd1c0e-a8a3-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html

John Cassidy, “Trump’s Overt Racism Is Uniting Democrats and Unnerving Some Republicans,” New Yorker, July 15, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/trumps-overt-racism-is-uniting-democrats-and-unnerving-some-republicans

John Bresnahan, “House thrown into chaos after Pelosi decries Trump’s ‘racist’ tweets on floor,” Politico, July 16, 2019, https://www.politico.com/amp/story/2019/07/16/pelosi-trump-racism-resolution-1417365

Andrew Desiderio and Kyle Cheney, “Why Democrats’ oversight machine is moving so slowly against Trump,” Politico, July 17, 2019, https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/17/democrats-oversight-strategy-mueller-1417908

Jonas Ekblom and Jan Wolfe, “In rare rebuke, dozens of Republicans hit Trump over ‘racist’ tweets,” Euronews, July 17, 2019, https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/17/in-rare-rebuke-dozens-of-republicans-hit-trump-over-racist-tweets

Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju, “Democrat says House likely to vote on impeachment resolution Wednesday,” CNN, July 17, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/politics/trump-impeachment-house-vote/index.html


  1. [1]John Cassidy, “Trump’s Overt Racism Is Uniting Democrats and Unnerving Some Republicans,” New Yorker, July 15, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/trumps-overt-racism-is-uniting-democrats-and-unnerving-some-republicans
  2. [2]Rachael Bade and Mike DeBonis, “House votes to kill impeachment resolution against Trump, avoiding a direct vote on whether to oust the president,” Washington Post, July 17, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/democrats-divided-as-house-to-vote-on-whether-to-consider-impeachment-of-trump/2019/07/17/dacd1c0e-a8a3-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html
  3. [3]Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju, “Democrat says House likely to vote on impeachment resolution Wednesday,” CNN, July 17, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/politics/trump-impeachment-house-vote/index.html
  4. [4]David Benfell, “Calls for impeachment are the latest displays of the naturalistic fallacy and system justification,” Not Housebroken, May 23, 2019, https://disunitedstates.org/2019/05/23/calls-for-impeachment-are-the-latest-displays-of-the-naturalistic-fallacy-and-system-justification/
  5. [5]Andrew Desiderio and Kyle Cheney, “Why Democrats’ oversight machine is moving so slowly against Trump,” Politico, July 17, 2019, https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/17/democrats-oversight-strategy-mueller-1417908
  6. [6]Felicia Sonmez, “House votes to hold Attorney General Barr, Commerce Secretary Ross in contempt for failing to comply with subpoena on 2020 Census,” Washington Post, July 17, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-to-vote-to-hold-barr-ross-in-contempt-over-2020-census-citizenship-question/2019/07/17/8dbeb35c-a89c-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html
  7. [7]Rachael Bade, “Rep. Green files articles of impeachment against Trump despite pushback from Democratic leaders,” Washington Post, July 16, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rep-green-to-file-articles-of-impeachment-against-trump-despite-pushback-from-democratic-leaders/2019/07/16/63b4c0b6-a800-11e9-ac16-90dd7e5716bc_story.html
  8. [8]Rachael Bade, “Rep. Green files articles of impeachment against Trump despite pushback from Democratic leaders,” Washington Post, July 16, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rep-green-to-file-articles-of-impeachment-against-trump-despite-pushback-from-democratic-leaders/2019/07/16/63b4c0b6-a800-11e9-ac16-90dd7e5716bc_story.html; Jeremy Herb and Manu Raju, “Democrat says House likely to vote on impeachment resolution Wednesday,” CNN, July 17, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/politics/trump-impeachment-house-vote/index.html
  9. [9]Rachael Bade and Mike DeBonis, “House votes to kill impeachment resolution against Trump, avoiding a direct vote on whether to oust the president,” Washington Post, July 17, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/democrats-divided-as-house-to-vote-on-whether-to-consider-impeachment-of-trump/2019/07/17/dacd1c0e-a8a3-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html

Shunning as the human condition

Donald Trump

There is a new blog post entitled, “Difference and legitimacy.”

I have to admit, it’s getting much harder to argue against impeachment, such as Al Green filed articles for. First, it is indisputable that Donald Trump used racist language, which Green specifically cites.[1] But I also have to say that Nancy Pelosi’s defense of the progressives whom Trump attacked[2] rings hollow for me after her own arguably racist attacks on those same progressives,[3] leading me to feel I cannot back her now, that to do so is possibly to enable racism and, at minimum, to enable a maneuver for power at the expense of principle.

I have felt that talk of impeachment is grandstanding since the Senate is so unlikely to even take it up, I do not feel that grandstanding is pragmatic, and I want to be pragmatic, but never at the expense of principle.

Michael Luo, “Trump’s Racist Tweets, and the Question of Who Belongs in America,” New Yorker, July 15, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/trumps-racist-tweets-and-the-question-of-who-belongs-in-america

Adam Serwer, “Trump Tells America What Kind of Nationalist He Is,” Atlantic, July 15, 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/trumps-white-nationalist-attack-four-congresswomen/594019/

Rachael Bade, “Rep. Green files articles of impeachment against Trump despite pushback from Democratic leaders,” Washington Post, July 16, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rep-green-to-file-articles-of-impeachment-against-trump-despite-pushback-from-democratic-leaders/2019/07/16/63b4c0b6-a800-11e9-ac16-90dd7e5716bc_story.html

Eric Cortellessa, “Liberal US Jews say Trump is weaponizing Israel to defend his racist tweets,” Times of Israel, July 16, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liberal-us-jews-say-trump-weaponizing-israel-to-defend-racist-tweets/

John Wagner, Mike DeBonis, and Colby Itkowitz, “A divided House votes for resolution condemning Trump’s racist remarks,” Washington Post, July 16, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-lashes-out-again-at-minority-lawmakers-as-house-prepares-to-condemn-his-racist-tweets/2019/07/16/bca3afa4-a7b3-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html


Migrants

Regarding that new Trump administration rule on asylum,[4]

UNHCR believes the rule excessively curtails the right to apply for asylum, jeopardizes the right to protection from refoulement, significantly raises the burden of proof on asylum seekers beyond the international legal standard, sharply curtails basic rights and freedoms of those who manage to meet it, and is not in line with international obligations.[5]

I imagine that if they have even bothered to notice, the Trump administration is laughing hysterically about now. After all, if they cared anything about human rights, they wouldn’t be keeping detainees in the conditions they are.[6]

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “UNHCR deeply concerned about new U.S. asylum restrictions,” July 15, 2019, https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2019/7/5d2cdf114/unhcr-deeply-concerned-new-asylum-restrictions.html


  1. [1]Rachael Bade, “Rep. Green files articles of impeachment against Trump despite pushback from Democratic leaders,” Washington Post, July 16, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rep-green-to-file-articles-of-impeachment-against-trump-despite-pushback-from-democratic-leaders/2019/07/16/63b4c0b6-a800-11e9-ac16-90dd7e5716bc_story.html; Michael Luo, “Trump’s Racist Tweets, and the Question of Who Belongs in America,” New Yorker, July 15, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/trumps-racist-tweets-and-the-question-of-who-belongs-in-america; Adam Serwer, “Trump Tells America What Kind of Nationalist He Is,” Atlantic, July 15, 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/trumps-white-nationalist-attack-four-congresswomen/594019/
  2. [2]John Wagner, Mike DeBonis, and Colby Itkowitz, “A divided House votes for resolution condemning Trump’s racist remarks,” Washington Post, July 16, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-lashes-out-again-at-minority-lawmakers-as-house-prepares-to-condemn-his-racist-tweets/2019/07/16/bca3afa4-a7b3-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html
  3. [3]Rachael Bade and Mike DeBonis, “‘Outright disrespectful’: Four House women struggle as Pelosi isolates them,” Washington Post, July 10, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/outright-disrespectful-four-house-women-struggle-as-pelosi-isolates-them/2019/07/10/a33c63a8-a33f-11e9-b7b4-95e30869bd15_story.html; Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris, “‘Do not tweet’: Pelosi scolds progressives in closed-door meeting,” Politico, July 10, 2019, https://www.politico.com/story/2019/07/10/pelosi-progressives-twitter-1405763; Eugene Scott, “The bad optics of Pelosi vs. the ‘newly elected women of color,’” Washington Post, July 11, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/11/demoralizing-disrespectful-ocasio-cortez-pressley-pelosi-singling-out-women-color/
  4. [4]Associated Press, “Trump moves to end asylum protections for Central Americans,” Los Angeles Times, July 15, 2019, https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-central-americans-asylum-protections-20190715-story.html
  5. [5]United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “UNHCR deeply concerned about new U.S. asylum restrictions,” July 15, 2019, https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2019/7/5d2cdf114/unhcr-deeply-concerned-new-asylum-restrictions.html
  6. [6]Priscilla Alvarez, “Lawmakers, including Ocasio-Cortez, lash out over conditions following border facility tours,” CNN, July 2, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-clint-texas-facility/index.html; Josh Dawsey and Colby Itkowitz, “‘This is tough stuff’: At Texas detention facility, Pence sees hundreds of migrants crammed with no beds,” Washington Post, July 12, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-tours-detention-facilities-at-the-border-defends-administrations-treatment-of-migrants/2019/07/12/993f54e0-a4bc-11e9-b8c8-75dae2607e60_story.html; Caitlin Dickerson, “‘There Is a Stench’: No Soap and Overcrowding in Detention Centers for Migrant Children,” New York Times, June 21, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/21/us/migrant-children-border-soap.html; Adam Harris, “An Astonishing Government Report on Conditions at the Border,” Atlantic, July 3, 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/07/government-report-details-inhumane-conditions-migrant-facilities/593242/; Miriam Jordan, “Judge Orders Swift Action to Improve Conditions for Migrant Children in Texas,” New York Times, June 29, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/29/us/migrant-children-detention-texas.html; Alejandro Lazo and Jacob Gershman, “Lawsuit Alleges Government Mistreatment of Migrant Children,” Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/lawsuit-alleges-government-mistreatment-of-migrant-children-11561608969; Sam Levin, “‘Happy hunting!’ Immigration agents swapped cheery messages about raids, records reveal,” Guardian, July 3, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/03/ice-us-immigration-messages-raids; Katie Mettler, Mike DeBonis, and Reis Thebault, “Border agents confiscated lawmakers’ phones. Joaquin Castro captured photo and video anyway,” Washington Post, July 2, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/02/ocasio-cortez-says-dispute-with-border-patrol-agents-started-after-one-tried-take-stealth-selfie/; Geneva Sands and Nick Valencia, “2nd Customs and Border Protection-connected secret Facebook group shows mocking images,” CNN, July 5, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/cbp-second-facebook-group-images/index.html; Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley, “Migrant kids in overcrowded Arizona border station allege sex assault, retaliation from U.S. agents,” NBC News, July 9, 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/migrant-kids-overcrowded-arizona-border-station-allege-sex-assault-retaliation-n1027886

What? Economists might be getting unemployment wrong? You don’t say!

Apparently tomorrow is the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Ironically, I was in Pittsburgh, specifically Mount Lebanon, for that. I was ten years old and collected the cardboard Lunar Excursion Module models that (I think) Gulf Oil gas stations gave out. I watched the moon walk on a small black and white television.

When I returned to Pittsburgh, nearly three months ago, I didn’t realize I would be doing so in time for the fiftieth anniversary of that event.


Unemployment rate

David Harrison, “For Decoding Labor Market, Unemployment Rate May Not Do the Job,” Wall Street Journal, July 14, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-decoding-labor-market-unemployment-rate-may-not-do-the-job-11563112800


Tropical Depression Barry

I’m hearing forecasts that this (72-hour gif as of 8:00 am; allow ample time to load) is headed for Pittsburgh.[1]

gm-2019-07-15-08
We’ve already been getting flash flooding in previous storms. It’s been a real mess in some areas, basically wherever creeks just can’t handle all the water that’s coming down. There are a lot of those here.

I’m also told that the sedimentary rock that dominates local geology is terrible at absorbing rainfall and that there isn’t very much soil atop it.

Barry’s fun might begin here tomorrow.[2] And I’m only reliably on high ground when I’m at home.

Emily Balser, “Remnants of Hurricane Barry to bring more rain to waterlogged Pittsburgh region,” TribLive, July 15, 2019, https://triblive.com/local/regional/remnants-of-hurricane-barry-to-bring-more-rain-to-water-logged-pittsburgh-region/

Collin Eaton, “Remnants of storm Barry dump more rain in the U.S. southeast,” Reuters, July 15, 2019, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-barry/remnants-of-storm-barry-dump-more-rain-in-the-u-s-southeast-idUSKCN1UA0UH


Migration

Associated Press, “Trump moves to end asylum protections for Central Americans,” Los Angeles Times, July 15, 2019, https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-central-americans-asylum-protections-20190715-story.html


  1. [1]Emily Balser, “Remnants of Hurricane Barry to bring more rain to waterlogged Pittsburgh region,” TribLive, July 15, 2019, https://triblive.com/local/regional/remnants-of-hurricane-barry-to-bring-more-rain-to-water-logged-pittsburgh-region/
  2. [2]Emily Balser, “Remnants of Hurricane Barry to bring more rain to waterlogged Pittsburgh region,” TribLive, July 15, 2019, https://triblive.com/local/regional/remnants-of-hurricane-barry-to-bring-more-rain-to-water-logged-pittsburgh-region/

Even Mike Pence can’t whitewash the concentration camps

Migration

Though he certainly tried, even Mike Pence couldn’t completely manage to whitewash[1] conditions in the concentration camps.[2]

The vice president’s office said it specifically instructed the Border Patrol agents not to clean up or sanitize the facility beyond what is routine so the American people could see the overcrowding and scarce resources, like lack of beds, and see how serious the crisis is at the border.[3]

But,

While CNN was told by a [Customs and Border Patrol] official at the Clint facility the environment was the same on Wednesday [June 26] as it was last week when legal monitors visited, a CBP source with firsthand knowledge of the facility said, “Typical. The agency prepped for you guys.” The source added, “It’s a never-ending cat and mouse game.”[4]

Of course they “prepped” the facilities for Pence’s visit. No assertion to the contrary can be considered even remotely credible. And even if they were spotless and even if everybody had a king-sized bed to sleep on and even if families were not separated and even if the toilets were made of gold and even if butlers were serving sparking water in silver chalices, they would still be concentration camps, as I wrote earlier:

Finally, I guess I need to dredge out that definition of a concentration camp again:

a place where large numbers of people (such as prisoners of war, political prisoners, refugees, or the members of an ethnic or religious minority) are detained or confined under armed guard —used especially in reference to camps created by the Nazis in World War II for the internment and persecution of Jews and other prisoners.[5]

Notice that it contains no reference to the conditions under which human beings are being held. These centers are concentration camps no matter how much money you throw at them.[6]

Associated Press, “Trump asks Supreme Court to unfreeze border wall money,” Washington Post, July 12, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/trump-asks-supreme-court-to-unfreeze-border-wall-money/2019/07/12/d865c8ea-a4f6-11e9-a767-d7ab84aef3e9_story.html

Josh Dawsey and Colby Itkowitz, “‘This is tough stuff’: At Texas detention facility, Pence sees hundreds of migrants crammed with no beds,” Washington Post, July 12, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-tours-detention-facilities-at-the-border-defends-administrations-treatment-of-migrants/2019/07/12/993f54e0-a4bc-11e9-b8c8-75dae2607e60_story.html


Nancy Pelosi

Eugene Scott, “The bad optics of Pelosi vs. the ‘newly elected women of color,’” Washington Post, July 11, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/11/demoralizing-disrespectful-ocasio-cortez-pressley-pelosi-singling-out-women-color/


Joe Biden

Branko Marcetic, “Joe Biden Didn’t Just Vote for the Iraq Invasion—He Helped Lead the March to War,” In These Times, July 8, 2019, http://inthesetimes.com/features/joe-biden-iraq-war-vote-democratic-primary-2020.html


Tropical Storm Barry

This 72-hour gif (allow plenty of time for these large, animated images to load) is as of about 8:00 am Eastern. You can see the storm organize itself.
gm
And here, as of about 10:00 pm Eastern:
gm-2019-07-13-22
Jason Samenow, “Barry heads inland with high risk of flash flooding in Louisiana,” Washington Post, July 13, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/07/13/barry-predicted-strike-louisiana-hurricane-saturday-with-excessive-rainfall-threat/


  1. [1]Josh Dawsey and Colby Itkowitz, “‘This is tough stuff’: At Texas detention facility, Pence sees hundreds of migrants crammed with no beds,” Washington Post, July 12, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-tours-detention-facilities-at-the-border-defends-administrations-treatment-of-migrants/2019/07/12/993f54e0-a4bc-11e9-b8c8-75dae2607e60_story.html
  2. [2]Priscilla Alvarez, “Lawmakers, including Ocasio-Cortez, lash out over conditions following border facility tours,” CNN, July 2, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-clint-texas-facility/index.html; Caitlin Dickerson, “‘There Is a Stench’: No Soap and Overcrowding in Detention Centers for Migrant Children,” New York Times, June 21, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/21/us/migrant-children-border-soap.html; Adam Harris, “An Astonishing Government Report on Conditions at the Border,” Atlantic, July 3, 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/07/government-report-details-inhumane-conditions-migrant-facilities/593242/; Miriam Jordan, “Judge Orders Swift Action to Improve Conditions for Migrant Children in Texas,” New York Times, June 29, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/29/us/migrant-children-detention-texas.html; Alejandro Lazo and Jacob Gershman, “Lawsuit Alleges Government Mistreatment of Migrant Children,” Wall Street Journal, June 27, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/lawsuit-alleges-government-mistreatment-of-migrant-children-11561608969; Sam Levin, “‘Happy hunting!’ Immigration agents swapped cheery messages about raids, records reveal,” Guardian, July 3, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/03/ice-us-immigration-messages-raids; Katie Mettler, Mike DeBonis, and Reis Thebault, “Border agents confiscated lawmakers’ phones. Joaquin Castro captured photo and video anyway,” Washington Post, July 2, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/07/02/ocasio-cortez-says-dispute-with-border-patrol-agents-started-after-one-tried-take-stealth-selfie/; Geneva Sands and Nick Valencia, “2nd Customs and Border Protection-connected secret Facebook group shows mocking images,” CNN, July 5, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/cbp-second-facebook-group-images/index.html; Jacob Soboroff and Julia Ainsley, “Migrant kids in overcrowded Arizona border station allege sex assault, retaliation from U.S. agents,” NBC News, July 9, 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/migrant-kids-overcrowded-arizona-border-station-allege-sex-assault-retaliation-n1027886
  3. [3]Josh Dawsey and Colby Itkowitz, “‘This is tough stuff’: At Texas detention facility, Pence sees hundreds of migrants crammed with no beds,” Washington Post, July 12, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pence-tours-detention-facilities-at-the-border-defends-administrations-treatment-of-migrants/2019/07/12/993f54e0-a4bc-11e9-b8c8-75dae2607e60_story.html
  4. [4]Priscilla Alvarez, “Lawmakers, including Ocasio-Cortez, lash out over conditions following border facility tours,” CNN, July 2, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-clint-texas-facility/index.html
  5. [5]Meriam-Webster, “https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concentration%20camp,” n.d., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concentration%20camp
  6. [6]David Benfell, “Neoliberals gotta be neoliberals,” Irregular Bullshit, June 29, 2019, https://disunitedstates.com/2019/06/29/neoliberals-gotta-be-neoliberals/