October 2023 – Page 2 – Irregular Bullshit

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,^[1] fair use.

The explosion at the hospital in Gaza is making diplomacy more difficult: Arabs—even Turkey—and Palestinians blame Israel, while Israel and the U.S. blame Islamic Jihad.^[2] Be afraid. Be very afraid. Right now, this is on a trajectory that can only get worse.

The one bright spot is that it is more clear than ever, that is, to everyone except Zionists, that something must be done about the Palestinian plight. That ultimately requires Israel to do the one thing it refuses to do: treat Palestinians like human beings and make restitution for the innumerable crimes it has committed against them. But because it won’t do that, the stalemate will only get bloodier and, though it’s apparent that neither Iran nor Hezbollah are anxious to join the conflict,^[3] it’s getting harder to see how they can stay out of it.

Bethan McKernan, “US deploys second aircraft carrier as Israeli ground invasion of Gaza nears,” Guardian, October 15, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/15/gaza-ground-invasion-israel-us-second-carrier-group-hamas

Jamie Dettmer, “Lebanese hold their breath as fears grow Hezbollah will pull them into war,” Politico, October 16, 2023, https://www.politico.eu/article/lebanese-hold-their-breath-as-fears-grow-hezbollah-will-pull-them-into-war/

Khaleda Rahman, “Israel Committing ‘Textbook Case of Genocide,’ Holocaust Historian Says,” Newsweek, October 17, 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/holocaust-historian-israel-committing-genocide-raz-segal-1835346

Heba Saleh, Henry Foy, and Guy Chazan, “Fear of Gaza exodus looms over Egypt,” Financial Times, October 17, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/feab5a29-a10a-4d6c-9035-ece2546c12a3

Liz Sly, “Mideast teeters on the brink of wider war as Iran weighs its options,” Washington Post, October 17, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/17/israel-iran-hezbollah-wider-war/

John Reed et al., “Israel agrees to allow basic aid into stricken Gaza Strip after Joe Biden visit,” Financial Times, October 18, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/3168166a-4d0b-429f-88b4-be8d6dd36db9

Vivian Salama et al., “U.S. Intelligence Shows Gaza Militants Behind Hospital Blast,” Wall Street Journal, October 18, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/israel-tries-to-back-up-claims-it-didnt-attack-gaza-hospital-a8cc3405

Adam Taylor, “Everything we know about the Gaza hospital strike,” Washington Post, October 18, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/18/gaza-hospital-strike-al-ahli/

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023

Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Aaron Blake, “The effort to install Jim Jordan is getting ugly. But will it work?” Washington Post, October 16, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/16/jim-jordan-speaker-hardball-tactics/

Gabriella Ferrigine, “‘Approximately’ 20 Republicans plot to block Jim Jordan amid the ‘dumbest’ pressure campaign,” Salon, October 16, 2023, https://www.salon.com/2023/10/16/approximately-20-plot-to-block-jim-jordan-amid-the-dumbest-pressure-campaign/

Lauren Fedor, “Donald Trump ally Jim Jordan loses vote for US House Speaker,” Financial Times, October 17, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/0c94c4e7-21b2-419e-8f87-97026914b4b1

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, “House Chamber Gasps as GOP Rep. Makes Very Unexpected Dip Into Jordan’s Résumé,” New Republic, October 17, 2023, https://newrepublic.com/post/176300/house-chamber-gasps-elise-stefanik-jim-jordan-wrestling-past

Lauren Fedor, “Jim Jordan loses second vote for US House Speaker,” Financiall Times, October 18, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/03cd7560-f918-449a-beb8-209c24b2a71c

Ben Jacobs, “Jim Jordan Didn’t Just Lose. The Hard Right Did Too,” New York, October 18, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/jim-jordan-didnt-just-lose-the-hard-right-did-too.html

Lauren Fedor and Alex Rogers, “Jim Jordan pauses US House Speaker bid and backs interim candidate,” Financial Times, October 19, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/6b3cf1ee-25b1-499b-86f0-cc9a33304258

Victor Reklaitis, “House speaker election: Jordan says he’s aiming for third vote, as measure backing McHenry stalls,” MarketWatch, October 19, 2023, https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jordan-wont-seek-third-vote-today-for-house-speaker-and-will-back-mchenry-reports-c10bf055

Donald Trump

Fig. 1. Donald Trump, depicted in an orange jumpsuit, reportedly by the Drudge, via Mediaite,^[4] fair use. Apparently, no mugshot was taken when he was actually arrested over hush money paid to Stormy Daniels.^[5]

Mariah Timms and Cameron McWhirter, “Sidney Powell Accepts Plea Deal in Trump’s Georgia Case,” October 19, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/sidney-powell-pleads-guilty-georgia-trial-85e6543f

Housekeeping

I’m back on my old cell phone. The new one seems to have suffered infant mortality and won’t do mobile data.

I was able to run it for a while on WiFi from my old cell phone’s hotspot, but I started seeing global positioning system (GPS) glitches that I’ve seen before when mobile data is a problem.

I went through troubleshooting with the carrier without success. I’m waiting to learn next steps.

^[1]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
^[2]Vivian Salama et al., “U.S. Intelligence Shows Gaza Militants Behind Hospital Blast,” Wall Street Journal, October 18, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/israel-tries-to-back-up-claims-it-didnt-attack-gaza-hospital-a8cc3405; Adam Taylor, “Everything we know about the Gaza hospital strike,” Washington Post, October 18, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/18/gaza-hospital-strike-al-ahli/↩
^[3]Liz Sly, “Mideast teeters on the brink of wider war as Iran weighs its options,” Washington Post, October 17, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/17/israel-iran-hezbollah-wider-war/↩
^[4]Alex Griffing, “Drudge Puts Trump in an Orange Jumpsuit as Site Monitors His Potential Indictment,” Mediaite, August 29, 2022, https://www.mediaite.com/news/drudge-puts-trump-in-an-orange-jumpsuit-as-site-monitors-his-potential-indictment/↩
^[5]Sarah D. Wire and Alexandra E. Petri, “Trump charged with 34 felony counts in alleged hush money cover-up case,” Los Angeles Times, April 4, 2023, https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-04-04/donald-trump-alleged-hush-money-investigation-indictment-arraignment ↩

Israel is responsible. No matter who launched the rockets

October 18, 2023benfell

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,^[1] fair use.

Strictly speaking, this is incorrect:

“Our current assessment, based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information, is that Israel is not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza,” White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said, adding that the U.S. continues to collect information on the incident.^[2]

As occupying power, Israel bears full responsibility for the safety and security of civilians in the territories it occupies. It doesn’t matter who fired what rocket (assuming it was a rocket). Israel is responsible.

Heba Saleh, Henry Foy, and Guy Chazan, “Fear of Gaza exodus looms over Egypt,” Financial Times, October 17, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/feab5a29-a10a-4d6c-9035-ece2546c12a3

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh

Healthcare

Paula Reed Ward, “Pa. Supreme Court hears arguments in zoning dispute over proposed UPMC hospital in Jefferson Hills,” PIttsburgh Tribune-Review, October 17, 2023, https://triblive.com/business/pa-supreme-court-hears-arguments-in-zoning-dispute-over-proposed-upmc-hospital-in-jefferson-hills/

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023

Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Jim Jordan did worse on the second vote than the first.^[3]

Many of [Jim Jordan’s] Republican critics, however, appeared immovable in their opposition. Some have taken issue with Jordan’s pugilistic attitude and his allies’ aggressive attempts to intimidate them into backing his bid for the speakership. Others object to his unwavering support for Trump, including his failure to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

Jordan suggested on Tuesday that he would be willing to endure several rounds of voting in his effort to become Speaker. It took 15 rounds of voting to elect [Kevin] McCarthy in January.^[4]

Lauren Fedor, “Donald Trump ally Jim Jordan loses vote for US House Speaker,” Financial Times, October 17, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/0c94c4e7-21b2-419e-8f87-97026914b4b1

Lauren Fedor, “Jim Jordan loses second vote for US House Speaker,” Financiall Times, October 18, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/03cd7560-f918-449a-beb8-209c24b2a71c

Ben Jacobs, “Jim Jordan Didn’t Just Lose. The Hard Right Did Too,” New York, October 18, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/jim-jordan-didnt-just-lose-the-hard-right-did-too.html

^[1]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
^[2]Vivian Salama et al., “U.S. Intelligence Shows Gaza Militants Behind Hospital Blast,” Wall Street Journal, October 18, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/israel-tries-to-back-up-claims-it-didnt-attack-gaza-hospital-a8cc3405 ↩
^[3]Lauren Fedor, “Jim Jordan loses second vote for US House Speaker,” Financiall Times, October 18, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/03cd7560-f918-449a-beb8-209c24b2a71c ↩
^[4]Lauren Fedor, “Jim Jordan loses second vote for US House Speaker,” Financiall Times, October 18, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/03cd7560-f918-449a-beb8-209c24b2a71c ↩

Aid goes in. People do not come out

October 17, 2023benfell

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,^[1] fair use.

Heba Saleh, Henry Foy, and Guy Chazan, “Fear of Gaza exodus looms over Egypt,” Financial Times, October 17, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/feab5a29-a10a-4d6c-9035-ece2546c12a3

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023

Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

It would seem the pressure campaign^[2] failed, at least for now. But Jim Jordan is still trying, so this story ain’t over yet.^[3]

Lauren Fedor, “Donald Trump ally Jim Jordan loses vote for US House Speaker,” Financial Times, October 17, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/0c94c4e7-21b2-419e-8f87-97026914b4b1

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh

Century III Mall

Fig. 1. “The exterior of the closed Century III Mall taken from a drone . . . in West Mifflin.” Photograph by Benjamin B. Braun, May 11, 2023, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,^[4] fair use.

Neena Hagen, “Owner of Century III Mall faces two court hearings this month over unpaid fines and dangerous conditions,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 16, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/10/16/century-iii-mall-owner-court-hearings-unpaid-fines-dangerous-conditions/stories/202310150143

Neena Hagen, “Judge fines owner of Century III Mall $150K for rampant safety hazards,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 17, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/10/17/century-iii-moonbeam-mall-west-mifflin-safety-hazards/stories/202310170101

^[1]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
^[2]Aaron Blake, “The effort to install Jim Jordan is getting ugly. But will it work?” Washington Post, October 16, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/16/jim-jordan-speaker-hardball-tactics/; Gabriella Ferrigine, “‘Approximately’ 20 Republicans plot to block Jim Jordan amid the ‘dumbest’ pressure campaign,” Salon, October 16, 2023, https://www.salon.com/2023/10/16/approximately-20-plot-to-block-jim-jordan-amid-the-dumbest-pressure-campaign/↩
^[3]Lauren Fedor, “Donald Trump ally Jim Jordan loses vote for US House Speaker,” Financial Times, October 17, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/0c94c4e7-21b2-419e-8f87-97026914b4b1 ↩
^[4]Neena Hagen, “The fall of the Century: Once a retail shopping jewel, the West Mifflin mall has been left to rot,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 21, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/05/21/centuryiii-west-mifflin-mall-slag-heap-kaufmanns-sears-police-closed-crime/stories/202305210039 ↩

Jim Jordan should fail. We’ll see if he does

October 17, 2023benfell

Illiberalism

Fig. 1. Photograph by Joachim F. Thurn, August 1991, Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F089030-0003, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.

Ishaan Tharoor, “After election, Poland may turn the illiberal tide,” Washington Post, October 17, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com//world/2023/10/17/poland-illiberal-election-opposition-democracy/

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023

Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

You do have that popcorn ready, right?

“The approximately 20 [Republican representatives] I’ve talked to know we must be prepared,” the Republican said. “We cannot let the small group dictate to the whole group. They want a minority of the majority to dictate and as a red-blooded American I refuse to be a victim.

“I know of many hard nos,” the lawmaker added. “We can’t reward this behavior. We can’t let a small group be dictators.”

Rep. Wily Nickel, D-N.C., told the publication Semafor that Jordan’s attempt to secure the speakership will likely “go down in flames.”^[1]

I think the “hard right” fears that if they lose this battle, they aren’t getting another crack at it.

Housekeeping

There are updates to my contact information.

At least around Pittsburgh, my experience with 5G cellular mobile data coverage has sucked. That’s probably due to the terrain—these are, after all, the Appalachian Mountains.

Being stuck as an Uber driver, I rely on mobile data to get orders and update Uber with my progress on each ride. And while it’s not yet showing up in my income, I’m already starting to see gaps between orders as the slow season approaches. When I miss orders due to poor coverage, it’s a silent failure—I never know what I’m missing.

I absolutely cannot go through another winter like the last one. So I moved one of my Google Voice numbers to Boost Infinite, a mobile virtual network operator which uses its own network, AT&T, and T-Mobile, neatly complementing my Verizon service. Unfortunately, all the phones involved are locked, so I don’t yet have all my numbers on a single phone. When I notice poor service with Boost, I’ll have to connect to the Verizon phone. This also gets me a new iPhone every year. The iPhone 15 includes battery, global positioning system (GPS), and 5G upgrades, all of which I need badly. It arrived yesterday and today will be the first day I take it out on the road with Uber. We’ll see how it goes.

^[1]Gabriella Ferrigine, “‘Approximately’ 20 Republicans plot to block Jim Jordan amid the ‘dumbest’ pressure campaign,” Salon, October 16, 2023, https://www.salon.com/2023/10/16/approximately-20-plot-to-block-jim-jordan-amid-the-dumbest-pressure-campaign/↩

Will Hezbollah join the war?

October 16, 2023benfell

Imperialism

Israel

Fig. 1. John Bolton and Binyamin Netanyahu at a press conference. Office of U.S. National Security Advisor, August 20, 2018, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

It’s still a tough call whether Hezbollah will join the war.^[1]

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 2. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,^[2] fair use.

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh

Century III Mall

Fig. 1. “The exterior of the closed Century III Mall taken from a drone . . . in West Mifflin.” Photograph by Benjamin B. Braun, May 11, 2023, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,^[3] fair use.

^[1]Jamie Dettmer, “Lebanese hold their breath as fears grow Hezbollah will pull them into war,” Politico, October 16, 2023, https://www.politico.eu/article/lebanese-hold-their-breath-as-fears-grow-hezbollah-will-pull-them-into-war/↩
^[2]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
^[3]Neena Hagen, “The fall of the Century: Once a retail shopping jewel, the West Mifflin mall has been left to rot,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 21, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2023/05/21/centuryiii-west-mifflin-mall-slag-heap-kaufmanns-sears-police-closed-crime/stories/202305210039 ↩

Chest-thumping time

October 15, 2023October 15, 2023benfell

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,^[1] fair use.

Illiberalism

Fig. 2. Photograph by Joachim F. Thurn, August 1991, Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-F089030-0003, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.

Jan Cienski, “Opposition wins Polish election, according to exit poll,” Politico, October 15, 2023, https://www.politico.eu/article/opposition-wins-polish-election-according-to-exit-poll-poland-kaczynski-duda-tusk-election-rule-of-law/

Gilead

Right-wing militias

Police White supremacist gangs

Fig. 3. Photograph by Lorie Shaull, April 1, 2021, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Laura Esposito, Jordan Anderson, and Megan Guza, “2 years after death of Jim Rogers in Bloomfield, family presses for police accountability,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 15, 2023, https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2023/10/15/pittsburgh-jim-rogers-death-police-accountability/stories/202310130123

Electric vehicles

Fig. 4. “A Toyota bZ4X electric sport utility vehicle: EVs currently on the market are fitted with batteries that use liquid lithium-ion electrolytes.” Photograph by Kiyoshi Ota, n.d., via Financial Times, fair use.

Emily Dreibelbis, “Toyota Inks Deal to Mass Produce Solid State EV Batteries With 932-Mile Range,” PC, October 13, 2023, https://www.pcmag.com/news/toyota-inks-deal-to-mass-produce-solid-state-ev-batteries-with-932-mile

^[1]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩

Jim Jordan’s time to fail

October 14, 2023benfell

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023

Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Tina Nguyen, “War & Scalise,” Puck, October 11, 2023, https://puck.news/war-scalise/

Kristina Peterson and Siobhan Hughes, “Republicans Nominate Steve Scalise for House Speaker Over Jim Jordan,” Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/politics/republican-speaker-vote-jim-jordan-stevescalise-2419cbf6

Marianna Sotomayor, Leigh Ann Caldwell, and Jacqueline Alemany, “Republicans fail to coalesce around speaker choice, leaving House in limbo,” Washington Post, October 11, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/11/steve-scalise-jim-jordan-house-speaker/

Lauren Fedor, “Steve Scalise withdraws from US House Speaker race,” Financial Times, October 12, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/b3bca5a5-789e-4afb-ad75-684b7cba8a79

Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell with Tobi Raji, “Scalise’s potentially fatal mistake,” Washington Post, October 12, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/12/scalises-potentially-fatal-mistake/

Siobhan Hughes et al., “Jim Jordan Wins GOP Nod for Speaker, but Hurdles Remain,” Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/politics/house-republicans-pursue-new-speaker-plans-after-steve-scalise-exits-race-8ec48b57

Steve Scalise keeps his dignity

October 13, 2023benfell

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023

Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

I guess I have to give Steve Scalisse credit for one thing: He isn’t humiliating himself the way Kevin McCarthy did.

Tina Nguyen, “War & Scalise,” Puck, October 11, 2023, https://puck.news/war-scalise/

Lauren Fedor, “Steve Scalise withdraws from US House Speaker race,” Financial Times, October 12, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/b3bca5a5-789e-4afb-ad75-684b7cba8a79

Donald Trump

Coup attempt

Fig. 1. Donald Trump booking photograph by Fulton County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office, August 24, 2023, via New York, August 25, 2023,^[1] public domain.

Nick Coltrain, “Denver judge rules 14th Amendment lawsuit seeking to bar Trump from ballot can proceed,” Denver Post, October 13, 2023, https://www.denverpost.com/2023/10/13/trump-14th-amendment-lawsuit-anti-slapp-ruling/

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,^[2] fair use.

Raya Jalabi, Najmeh Bozorgmehr, and Felicia Schwartz, “Border clashes prompt fears of Hizbollah joining Israel-Hamas war,” Financial Times, October 11, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/213ce971-b93e-4756-8dd0-6ff163b21577

Joseph Krauss and Wafaa Shurafa, “As strikes devastate Gaza, Israel forms unity government to oversee war sparked by Hamas attack,” Associated Press, October 11, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-airstrikes-hostages-e4ae51a640a3fc04b23ea9561703f874

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, “A Majority of Israelis Think Netanyahu Should Resign,” New Republic, October 12, 2023, https://newrepublic.com/post/176200/majority-israelis-think-netanyahu-resign

Noga Tarnopolsky, “Netanyahu Is Losing the War at Home,” New York, October 12, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/in-the-israel-hamas-war-netanyahu-is-losing-at-home.html

Ishaan Tharoor, “As Israel ramps up war with Hamas, backers cheer destruction of Gaza,” Washington Post, October 13, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/13/israel-rhetoric-gaza-response-retribution-punishment/

Neoliberalism

Academic repression

Student loans

Fig. 1. Unattributed and undated image via James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal,^[3] fair use.

Looking for another excuse to withhold student loan relief? Here it is:

Andrew Duehren and Alana Pipe, “The Federal Deficit Is Even Bigger Than It Looks,” Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/economy/the-federal-deficit-is-even-bigger-than-it-looks-6bc8a070

Pennsylvania and surrounding areas

Pittsburgh, the Ohio Valley, and surrounding areas

Pollution

Fig. 1. Photographer unknown, circa 1940-1950, from Smoke Control Lantern Slide Collection, ca. 1940-1950, AIS.1978.22, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh, via Bloomberg,^[4] fair use.

Jacob Fischler, “Biden administration to send $7 billion for clean hydrogen hubs in 16 states,” Pennsylvania Capital-Star, October 13, 2023, https://www.penncapital-star.com/energy-environment/biden-administration-to-send-7-billion-for-clean-hydrogen-hubs-in-16-states/

^[1]Margaret Hartmann and Nia Prater, “All the Mug Shots of Donald Trump and His Alleged Co-Conspirators,” New York, August 25, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-mug-shot-gallery.html ↩
^[2]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
^[3]Richard K. Vedder, “Eliminate or Radically Restructure Federal Student Loans,” James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, September 16, 2020, https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2020/09/eliminate-or-radically-restructure-federal-student-loans/↩
^[4]Mark Byrnes, “What Pittsburgh Looked Like When It Decided It Had a Pollution Problem,” Bloomberg, June 5, 2012, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-06-05/what-pittsburgh-looked-like-when-it-decided-it-had-a-pollution-problem ↩

At least some Israelis are not impressed with their government’s focus on judicial emasculation while Hamas plotted its attack

October 12, 2023benfell

Illiberalism

Israel

Fig. 1. “Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu signing the visitors book, at Teen Murti Chowk, in New Delhi. . . . The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi is also seen.” Photograph credited to Prime Minister's Office (GODL-India), January 14, 2018, via Wikimedia Commons, GODL-India

This is different from what I expected. Following the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. rallied around George W. Bush as he started two wars.

Following “Israel’s 9/11,” however, it appears many Israelis are aiming harsh criticism at their government for its focus on emasculating the judiciary while Hamas plotted its attack.^[1] It’s way too soon to prognosticate how this plays out, but it’s another reason to be sure you have plenty of popcorn on hand.

Noga Tarnopolsky, “Netanyahu Is Losing the War at Home,” New York, October 12, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/in-the-israel-hamas-war-netanyahu-is-losing-at-home.html

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023

Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

It might be time to dust off some contingency plans, that is, if any exist for this scenario.

Tina Nguyen, “War & Scalise,” Puck, October 11, 2023, https://puck.news/war-scalise/

Competitive authoritarian regime project

Fig. 1. President Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Clarence Mitchell during signing ceremony of the voting rights act. Yoichi Okamoto, August 6, 1965, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Chris Geidner, “Justice Alito’s marathon arguments in defense of South Carolina’s racial gerrymander,” Law Dork, October 11, 2023, https://www.lawdork.com/p/alito-racial-gerrymandering-scotus

Neoliberalism

Banking

Commercial real estate

Fig. 1. “The iconic Crescent stands as recognizable landmark in the upscale neighborhood of Uptown, Dallas.” Photograph by Dallasedits [pseud.], July 5, 2016, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Akila Quinio, “Office space vacancies in US and London reach at least 20-year highs,” Financial Times, October 10, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/698f41af-0d88-424b-80b0-241be01dac35

Jake Blumgart, “Philadelphia compares well to other downtowns on return to office and tourism, but not close to 2019 numbers,” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 11, 2023, https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/commercial/center-city-philadelphia-remote-work-inequality-20231011.html

Academic repression

Student loans

Fig. 1. Unattributed and undated image via James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal,^[2] fair use.

So, looky here! You wanted, in fact were desperate for, another argument against student loan relief, right? Here it is.^[3]

Pennsylvania and surrounding areas

Pittsburgh, the Ohio Valley, and surrounding areas

Pollution

Fig. 1. Photographer unknown, circa 1940-1950, from Smoke Control Lantern Slide Collection, ca. 1940-1950, AIS.1978.22, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh, via Bloomberg,^[4] fair use.

It sure seemed like a good thing when it was announced that the coal-fired Springdale generating station would shut down.^[5] It looked a little different when the implosion of a smokestack damaged nearby homes.^[6] It turns out to have been more than a few broken windows. Among other lovely stuff, arsenic was deposited on people’s lawns.^[7]

Kellen Stepler, “Attorney: Charges withdrawn against Springdale woman for not cutting grass since June implosion of smokestacks,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 10, 2023, https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/attorney-charges-withdrawn-against-springdale-woman-for-not-cutting-grass-since-june-implosion-of-smokestacks/

Imperialism

Israel

Palestine

07_09:10:47-2
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,^[8] fair use.

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, “A Majority of Israelis Think Netanyahu Should Resign,” New Republic, October 12, 2023, https://newrepublic.com/post/176200/majority-israelis-think-netanyahu-resign

Noga Tarnopolsky, “Netanyahu Is Losing the War at Home,” New York, October 12, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/in-the-israel-hamas-war-netanyahu-is-losing-at-home.html

^[1]Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, “A Majority of Israelis Think Netanyahu Should Resign,” New Republic, October 12, 2023, https://newrepublic.com/post/176200/majority-israelis-think-netanyahu-resign; Noga Tarnopolsky, “Netanyahu Is Losing the War at Home,” New York, October 12, 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/in-the-israel-hamas-war-netanyahu-is-losing-at-home.html ↩
^[2]Richard K. Vedder, “Eliminate or Radically Restructure Federal Student Loans,” James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, September 16, 2020, https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2020/09/eliminate-or-radically-restructure-federal-student-loans/↩
^[3]Andrew Duehren and Alana Pipe, “The Federal Deficit Is Even Bigger Than It Looks,” Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/economy/the-federal-deficit-is-even-bigger-than-it-looks-6bc8a070 ↩
^[4]Mark Byrnes, “What Pittsburgh Looked Like When It Decided It Had a Pollution Problem,” Bloomberg, June 5, 2012, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-06-05/what-pittsburgh-looked-like-when-it-decided-it-had-a-pollution-problem ↩
^[5]Tanisha Thomas, “Springdale power plant shuts down, demolition work to begin,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 1, 2022, https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/springdale-power-plant-shuts-down-demolition-work-to-begin/↩
^[6]Quinn Glabicki and Lucas Dufalla, “In the Allegheny Valley, after a century of coal power, the towers have toppled,” Pittsburgh Public Source, June 2, 2023, https://www.publicsource.org/cheswick-springdale-power-plant-implosion-coal-allegheny-county-valley-charah/; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, “Photo gallery: Cheswick Generating Station’s smokestacks come down,” June 2, 2023, https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/photo-gallery-cheswick-generating-stations-smokestacks-come-down/↩
^[7]Kellen Stepler, “Attorney: Charges withdrawn against Springdale woman for not cutting grass since June implosion of smokestacks,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, October 10, 2023, https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/attorney-charges-withdrawn-against-springdale-woman-for-not-cutting-grass-since-june-implosion-of-smokestacks/↩
^[8]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩

The lesser of two evils: Steve Scalise

October 11, 2023October 11, 2023benfell

Illiberalism

Gilead

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2023

Fig. 1. Photograph credited to Office of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, date inconsistent with title but given as November 9, 2022, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

On the one hand, this is something of a repudiation of Donald Trump, who had endorsed Jim Jordan:^[1] On the other hand,

To now win the speakership, [Steve] Scalise will need support from a majority of the House, or 217 members, if all current lawmakers cast votes for a candidate. The House is split 221-212, giving Republicans little room to maneuver because all Democrats are expected to oppose him. More than a half dozen Jordan supporters said Wednesday they wouldn’t back Scalise, likely enough to block him from claiming the gavel unless he can win some of them over.^[2]

Hope you’ve got lots of popcorn on hand, ’cause just in case you’ve forgotten what we might be getting a replay of:

The razor-thin nature of [Steve] Scalise’s victory left the House staring down a potential replay of the 15-ballot marathon back at the start of the year, when Kevin McCarthy of California emerged as the winner only after making a series of promises related to spending and other issues to conservatives. Some of the same holdouts helped to oust him just nine months later.^[3]

^[1]Adela Suliman, “Trump endorses Jim Jordan for House speaker after Kevin McCarthy ouster,” Washington Post, October 6, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/06/donald-trump-endorses-jim-jordan-house-speaker/↩
^[2]Kristina Peterson and Siobhan Hughes, “Republicans Nominate Steve Scalise for House Speaker Over Jim Jordan,” Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/politics/republican-speaker-vote-jim-jordan-stevescalise-2419cbf6 ↩
^[3]Kristina Peterson and Siobhan Hughes, “Republicans Nominate Steve Scalise for House Speaker Over Jim Jordan,” Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/politics/republican-speaker-vote-jim-jordan-stevescalise-2419cbf6 ↩
^[4]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
^[5]Raya Jalabi, Najmeh Bozorgmehr, and Felicia Schwartz, “Border clashes prompt fears of Hizbollah joining Israel-Hamas war,” Financial Times, October 11, 2023, https://www.ft.com/content/213ce971-b93e-4756-8dd0-6ff163b21577 ↩