I’d like to shed a little light on something the GOP has been doing that is directly detrimental to both Ukraine’s standing and the national security of the United States.
Let’s start with the conspiracy theory the GOP has been pushing; (from WikiPedia) A core part of the narrative is the long-debunked conspiracy theory that CrowdStrike, a publicly traded company headquartered in California, is actually owned by a wealthy Ukrainian oligarch, and that the company — which had investigated a hack of a Democratic National Committee (DNC) server — had planted evidence on the server to implicate Russia, while asserting the FBI had failed to take possession of the server to verify that claim. "The server" is in fact 140 servers, decommissioned and located in the United States (not Ukraine, as Trump has claimed). The theory additionally says FBI agents were not allowed to examine the server because such action would expose the DNC plot,although in fact—and as documented in the Mueller Report—images and traffic logs of the DNC servers were provided to the FBI. This conspiracy theory originated from a "GRU persona, 'Guccifer 2.0', created to cast doubt on Russia's culpability in the DNC [intrusion].
Now, let’s get to Fiona Hill’s testimony about the conspiracy theory that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 US election. For background, Fiona Hill was the White House’s top expert on Russia. Her official title was senior director for Europe and Russia on the National Security Council. She was the foremost expert on Russia in the Trump administration. She’s widely respected and knows better than anyone what Russia has been doing.
“Based on questions and statements I have heard, some of you on this committee appear to believe that Russia and its security services did not conduct a campaign against our country – and that perhaps, somehow, for some reason, Ukraine did. This is a fictional narrative that has been perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services themselves."
"The impact of the successful 2016 Russian campaign remains evident today. Our nation is being torn apart. Truth is questioned. Our highly professional and expert career Foreign Service is being undermined. I refuse to be part of an effort to legitimize an alternate narrative that the Ukrainian government is a U.S. adversary, and that Ukraine - not Russia - attacked us in 2016, these fictions are harmful even if they are deployed for purely domestic political purposes."
Now that we know the details of the conspiracy theory, and that it has been completely, thoroughly, and repeatedly debunked, let’s get to where it came from and why it matters.
The first documented evidence of the conspiracy theory being pushed was from Paul Manafort, who was at the time the Trump campaign chairman (and is now imprisoned for Conspiracy against the United States, among other things), who received that info from Konstantin Kilimnik, who is widely believed by both federal prosecutors and US intelligence agencies to be tied to Russian intelligence. Trump has also received the info directly from Putin on several occasions.
An argument could be made that they received false information and were only acting with the information that they had. Well, the President and Senators have been thoroughly briefed by the US intelligence community on the fact that it’s a completely baseless conspiracy theory being pushed by Russian intelligence, and they are still pushing that theory. Devin Nunes, who is the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence committee, and led the GOP during the impeachment hearings, received constant classified briefings during the Mueller investigation and from other sources because of his position, and has been knowingly pushing a false conspiracy theory. In recent days, it has also come to light that he allegedly worked with Lev Parnas, Giuliani’s now-indicted associate, to try to personally dig up dirt on the Bidens after he met with corrupt former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin in Vienna, Austria, between November and December 2018, on a secret trip that cost taxpayers $57,000. Nunes was working with Parnas to set up a trip to Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian prosecutors who might have information beneficial to Trump’s 2020 campaign. Nunes’ staff realized that going to Ukraine themselves would mean alerting Schiff to their plans, so they instead asked Parnas to set up the meetings for them over phone and Skype, which he did.
So, why is all of this important? Glad you asked. Republican Senators, Trump, and the senior Republican on the House Intelligence Committee (along with others) are all pushing a conspiracy theory that they not only *know* to be false, but that they know advances the Russian agenda and undermines the national security of the United States and one of our most important allies in the fight against Russia, and they’re all doing it expressly to protect Trump. They are knowingly hurting the United States and helping Russia for partisan, domestic political reasons. Not only that, they have a compromised and directly implicated Republican leading the GOP response to impeachment in the House. This is blatant corruption at the top levels of the Government that directly damages our country in innumerable ways. It's important that we look beyond partisan politics and see the bigger picture.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Friday, November 22, 2019
Clearing the Air About Impeachment
When I enlisted in the Marines, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I take that oath seriously, and with that in mind, now that the House Intelligence Committee has completed the scheduled public impeachment inquiry, let's clear up a few things because it is critically important for all Americans to understand what is at stake here:
* This is not a coup, it is not unconstitutional, and it is not a witch hunt. Impeachment is a process put in the Constitution by the founding fathers as a remedy for an unethical president. It does not overturn an election, it allows us to hold the most powerful person in the country accountable if they don't adhere to the Constitution.
* There were no "secret" hearings. More than 100 members of Congress, including Republicans, had access. They were conducted in the same fashion as the public hearings with Democrats and Republicans having equal time to question the witnesses. The initial hearings were not public because it was an investigation, and private hearings are required to prevent witnesses from aligning testimony or influencing testimony.
* The inquiry had to mostly rely on witness testimony (which is not hearsay) because the Trump administration refused to release any documents and prevented key witnesses from testifying. Even with the stonewalling, the witness testimony and documents that were able to be obtained painted a very clear picture. Here's a link to everything they've stonewalled.
* Republicans initiated the Steele dossier prior to the 2016 election cycle. The DNC picked up the funding at a later point. Whether you agree with the use of it or not, it was initiated by Republicans.
* All of the witness testimony, documents, and public statements by Trump, Mulvaney (Trump's Chief of Staff), and Giuliani all confirmed the intent and target of the investigations.
* It was well understood in the involved diplomatic circles that the meeting and aid were contingent on the investigations. While withholding aid happens as part of foreign policy, subverting foreign policy for personal gain is a huge abuse of power, and puts our national security and credibility at risk. Marie Yovanovitch is a well-respected anti-corruption expert, and was removed when she got in the way of corruption.
* This was not normal foreign policy; both the illegitimate manner in which it was conducted and the goal of it put the national security of both Ukraine and the United States at risk.
* Trump obstructed both the Mueller investigation and impeachment inquiry. Whether you agree with the Mueller investigation and the impeachment inquiry is irrelevant, obstruction is illegal. For a comparison, during the 33 hearings about Benghazi, the Obama administration provided complete transparency. Hillary Clinton sat for 11 hours of deposition, for example.
* Whether the aid was released or not is irrelevant. Whether the investigations happened or not is irrelevant. The demand of a quid pro quo is enough on its own. An attempted but unsuccessful crime is still a crime.
* Ukraine did not meddle in our election. Russia conducted as massive interference operation, and that was confirmed by the Mueller investigation, all 17 intelligence agencies, and a bipartisan Senate investigation.
* The testimony from Hill and Holmes, the respected, nonpartisan, career professionals who were brought in as fact witnesses, was crystal clear and unequivocal.
* People in Trump's circle who have either pleaded guilty or been found guilty of crimes since investigations started:
Those convicted
* Devin Nunes keeps referring to the investigations he's conducted as evidence. It's worth noting that he was working with Lev Parnas, the Giuliani associate and member of Trump's legal team who is now indicted and has ties to Russian organized crime.
* This was a clear abuse of power for personal gain, and Trump is a danger to the rule of law because he thinks he's above it. His lawyers actually claimed (unsupported by anything) in court that he could murder someone in the street and he's immune to any scrutiny while he's in office. Here's an article discussing their immunity claim.
* Republicans stopped trying to contest any of the basic facts (other than the legality) that I listed above. Their entire defense is that everything was acceptable because Trump, who is on record lying more than 12,000 times since he took office, said so. Because the GOP could not defend Trump on the facts, they tried to smear decorated members of the military and dedicated career officials.
* This is way beyond party politics, and I would hope everyone would be on the same page about it. This is about the rule of law and how the rest of the world regards us. We're either a democracy whether everyone is accountable under the Constitution, or the Constitution is meaningless. Trump actually referred to part of the Constitution as "phony."
Do you believe in upholding the Constitution, or do you believe the president is above the rule of law? This sets a precedent for all future presidents. This is bigger than politics, and is the most significant threat to the Constitution that this country has ever seen. Treat it as such.
This is Adam Schiff’s closing remark from the Hill/Holmes testimony. Every single person should watch it in its entirety. It’s 20 minutes, and I cannot overstate its importance.
* This is not a coup, it is not unconstitutional, and it is not a witch hunt. Impeachment is a process put in the Constitution by the founding fathers as a remedy for an unethical president. It does not overturn an election, it allows us to hold the most powerful person in the country accountable if they don't adhere to the Constitution.
* There were no "secret" hearings. More than 100 members of Congress, including Republicans, had access. They were conducted in the same fashion as the public hearings with Democrats and Republicans having equal time to question the witnesses. The initial hearings were not public because it was an investigation, and private hearings are required to prevent witnesses from aligning testimony or influencing testimony.
* The inquiry had to mostly rely on witness testimony (which is not hearsay) because the Trump administration refused to release any documents and prevented key witnesses from testifying. Even with the stonewalling, the witness testimony and documents that were able to be obtained painted a very clear picture. Here's a link to everything they've stonewalled.
* Republicans initiated the Steele dossier prior to the 2016 election cycle. The DNC picked up the funding at a later point. Whether you agree with the use of it or not, it was initiated by Republicans.
* All of the witness testimony, documents, and public statements by Trump, Mulvaney (Trump's Chief of Staff), and Giuliani all confirmed the intent and target of the investigations.
* It was well understood in the involved diplomatic circles that the meeting and aid were contingent on the investigations. While withholding aid happens as part of foreign policy, subverting foreign policy for personal gain is a huge abuse of power, and puts our national security and credibility at risk. Marie Yovanovitch is a well-respected anti-corruption expert, and was removed when she got in the way of corruption.
* This was not normal foreign policy; both the illegitimate manner in which it was conducted and the goal of it put the national security of both Ukraine and the United States at risk.
* Trump obstructed both the Mueller investigation and impeachment inquiry. Whether you agree with the Mueller investigation and the impeachment inquiry is irrelevant, obstruction is illegal. For a comparison, during the 33 hearings about Benghazi, the Obama administration provided complete transparency. Hillary Clinton sat for 11 hours of deposition, for example.
* Whether the aid was released or not is irrelevant. Whether the investigations happened or not is irrelevant. The demand of a quid pro quo is enough on its own. An attempted but unsuccessful crime is still a crime.
* Ukraine did not meddle in our election. Russia conducted as massive interference operation, and that was confirmed by the Mueller investigation, all 17 intelligence agencies, and a bipartisan Senate investigation.
* The testimony from Hill and Holmes, the respected, nonpartisan, career professionals who were brought in as fact witnesses, was crystal clear and unequivocal.
* People in Trump's circle who have either pleaded guilty or been found guilty of crimes since investigations started:
Those convicted
- Roger Stone: Convicted of obstruction, giving false statements to a House committee and witness tampering. He also lied to Congress about his efforts to learn more about when WikiLeaks would publish damaging emails about 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
- Former Trump 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort: Sentenced to 7.5 years in prison this March for bank and tax fraud and crimes related to his work as a political consultant in Ukraine.
- Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen: Received a three-year prison sentence in Dec. 2018 for tax evasion, bank fraud, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations.
- Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos: Convicted of lying to investigators about about Russian contacts. He served 12 days in prison and in October, filed to run for former Rep. Katie Hill's California seat.
- Ex-Trump campaign deputy chairman Rick Gates: Pleaded guilty in Feb. 2018 to conspiracy and lying to the FBI. His sentencing was delayed several times as he cooperated with ongoing investigations such as Stone's. His sentencing date is scheduled for Dec. 17, NBC News reports.
- Former national security adviser Michael Flynn: The retired three-star general pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in Dec. 2017, and he is still awaiting sentencing.
* Devin Nunes keeps referring to the investigations he's conducted as evidence. It's worth noting that he was working with Lev Parnas, the Giuliani associate and member of Trump's legal team who is now indicted and has ties to Russian organized crime.
* This was a clear abuse of power for personal gain, and Trump is a danger to the rule of law because he thinks he's above it. His lawyers actually claimed (unsupported by anything) in court that he could murder someone in the street and he's immune to any scrutiny while he's in office. Here's an article discussing their immunity claim.
* Republicans stopped trying to contest any of the basic facts (other than the legality) that I listed above. Their entire defense is that everything was acceptable because Trump, who is on record lying more than 12,000 times since he took office, said so. Because the GOP could not defend Trump on the facts, they tried to smear decorated members of the military and dedicated career officials.
* This is way beyond party politics, and I would hope everyone would be on the same page about it. This is about the rule of law and how the rest of the world regards us. We're either a democracy whether everyone is accountable under the Constitution, or the Constitution is meaningless. Trump actually referred to part of the Constitution as "phony."
Do you believe in upholding the Constitution, or do you believe the president is above the rule of law? This sets a precedent for all future presidents. This is bigger than politics, and is the most significant threat to the Constitution that this country has ever seen. Treat it as such.
This is Adam Schiff’s closing remark from the Hill/Holmes testimony. Every single person should watch it in its entirety. It’s 20 minutes, and I cannot overstate its importance.
Friday, October 5, 2018
In which, Brett Kavanaugh says that Brett Kavanaugh is unfit for the Supreme Court (or any judicial position in general)
In which, Brett Kavanaugh says that Brett Kavanaugh is unfit for the Supreme Court (or any judicial position in general). All quotes are Kavanaugh and taken from his 2015 speech, his opening statement in the hearing, and his op-ed.
Kavanaugh's Standard (in his own words)
--------------------------------------------------------
To be a good judge and a good umpire, it’s important to have the proper demeanor. Really important, I think. To walk in the others’ shoes, whether it be the other litigants, the litigants in the case, the other judges. To understand them. To keep our emotions in check. To be calm amidst the storm.
On the bench, to put it in the vernacular, don’t be a jerk. I think that’s important. To be a good umpire and a good judge, don’t be a jerk. In your opinions, to demonstrate civility—I think that’s important as well. To show, to help display, that you are trying to make the decision impartially and dispassionately based on the law and not based on your emotions
Kavanaugh disqualifying himself (in his own words)
--------------------------------------------------------
I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said.
Kavanaugh's Standard (in his own words)
--------------------------------------------------------
As I explained that night, a good judge must be an umpire—a neutral and impartial arbiter who favors no political party, litigant or policy.
The Supreme Court must never be viewed as a partisan institution. The justices do not sit on opposite sides of an aisle.
Kavanaugh's Standard (in his own words)
--------------------------------------------------------
To be a good judge and a good umpire, it’s important to have the proper demeanor. Really important, I think. To walk in the others’ shoes, whether it be the other litigants, the litigants in the case, the other judges. To understand them. To keep our emotions in check. To be calm amidst the storm.
On the bench, to put it in the vernacular, don’t be a jerk. I think that’s important. To be a good umpire and a good judge, don’t be a jerk. In your opinions, to demonstrate civility—I think that’s important as well. To show, to help display, that you are trying to make the decision impartially and dispassionately based on the law and not based on your emotions
Kavanaugh disqualifying himself (in his own words)
--------------------------------------------------------
I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said.
Kavanaugh's Standard (in his own words)
--------------------------------------------------------
As I explained that night, a good judge must be an umpire—a neutral and impartial arbiter who favors no political party, litigant or policy.
The Supreme Court must never be viewed as a partisan institution. The justices do not sit on opposite sides of an aisle.
A jurist must “avoid any semblance of…partisanship.”
Kavanaugh disqualifying himself (in his own words)
--------------------------------------------------------
Since my nomination in July, there’s been a frenzy on the left to come up with something, anything to block my confirmation.
You sowed the wind for decades to come. I fear that the whole country will reap the whirlwinds. The behavior of several of the Democratic members of this committee at my hearing a few weeks ago was an embarrassment.
This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups.
This is a circus. The consequences will extend long past my nomination. The consequences will be with us for decades. This grotesque and coordinated character assassination will dissuade confident and good people of all political persuasions from serving our country. And as we all know in the United States political system of the early 2000s, what goes around comes around.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/10/kavanaugh-in-2015-a-judge-must-keep-emotions-in-check-and-not-be-a-political-partisan/
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/us/politics/read-brett-kavanaughs-complete-opening-statement.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-am-an-independent-impartial-judge-1538695822
Kavanaugh disqualifying himself (in his own words)
--------------------------------------------------------
Since my nomination in July, there’s been a frenzy on the left to come up with something, anything to block my confirmation.
You sowed the wind for decades to come. I fear that the whole country will reap the whirlwinds. The behavior of several of the Democratic members of this committee at my hearing a few weeks ago was an embarrassment.
This whole two-week effort has been a calculated and orchestrated political hit, fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 election, fear that has been unfairly stoked about my judicial record, revenge on behalf of the Clintons and millions of dollars in money from outside left-wing opposition groups.
This is a circus. The consequences will extend long past my nomination. The consequences will be with us for decades. This grotesque and coordinated character assassination will dissuade confident and good people of all political persuasions from serving our country. And as we all know in the United States political system of the early 2000s, what goes around comes around.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/10/kavanaugh-in-2015-a-judge-must-keep-emotions-in-check-and-not-be-a-political-partisan/
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/us/politics/read-brett-kavanaughs-complete-opening-statement.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-am-an-independent-impartial-judge-1538695822
Friday, August 18, 2017
Have a difficult conversation with me
I'd like to talk for a minute about something important. First, let's take a look at some of the stuff Trump does.
He actively works to support causes pursuing prevention and treatment for everything from AIDS & HIV, to poverty, slavery & human trafficking. He committed $20-million to establish the USC Institute for State and Global Policy, which is devoted to seeking bipartisan answers on environmental, economic, and other public-policy issues. He's actively fighting against gerrymandering and speaking out against white supremacy and hate.
Oh, my bad, that's all Arnold Schwarzenegger. As Governer of California he also signed a bill creating the nation’s first cap on greenhouse gas emissions and didn't accept his $175,000 salary.
He's an immigrant, activist, humanitarian, and philanthropist. He's contributed more to our society than Trump ever will, and under Trump's proposed immigration laws, he would never make it into the country. He's also one of the only Republicans for whom I have a lot of respect. We live in a country where the Terminator has spoken out more strongly than our president against hate and white supremacy, has done more for the environment and society in general than our president.
Why do you, Trump supporters, listen to a man who has never done anything for anyone other than himself? Why do you listen to someone who lies constantly, disparages immigrants (who, by the way, built this country) like Schwarzenegger, who actually take part in our society and contribute to it? Why do you listen to someone who *actually defends Nazis*? You can try to tell me that he denounced them, but the next day he tried to lay the blame on people protesting for civil rights, after the NAZIS killed someone on American soil?
Our country is hurting, and it's been hurting for a long time. The problem is that many people have been blind to it until recently because it hasn't affected them, or at least it hasn't had the visibility that it now has. Immigrants are not our enemy. People of color are not our enemy. People with disabilities are not our enemy. Non-binary people are not our enemy. Non-straight people are not our enemy. People are scared by what they don't understand, and we have someone who is supposed to be leading this nation who doesn't understand anything outside of his very rich, very white bubble, and he's making the problems in the country worse because he's scared of everything.
Avoiding talks about race, gender, disabilities, sexuality, etc, is *not* what is going to heal us. We need to have these conversations, even if they're difficult and make you uncomfortable. We have to address the ugly history of this country, all the way back to our ancestors who originally immigrated here and committed genocide against the indigenous people, and understand the systemic problems, and the plight of the disenfranchised, before we can make progress.
Ask yourself the following questions, and really give the answers some thought:
Do I hate any particular group of people?
Do I think any person deserves fewer rights for any reason at all?
Do I think someone deserves to die because they're poor?
Do I think someone deserves fewer opportunities simply because they're born into poverty?
Do I think that the freedom to live without persecution is something that everyone deserves?
Do I think it's acceptable to tell another person that they do not have the right to exist?
My guess is that almost everyone will be in agreement on all of those. Figuring out how to solve our differences is just logistics, not ideological, although the current political climate wants to make it that way. Look past politics, and have the difficult conversations. Prepare yourself to face some ugly truths. Especially if you're white, be prepared to admit the horrors that our forebears have inflicted upon other people, and be prepared to have the discussions about how we can correct the inequalities that have resulted from it. Nothing worth doing is easy, but the only way this country will ever be great, not great again because it never has been (it's only been great for some), is if we put in the hard, uncomfortable work, and stand together as Americans regardless of our differences. Avoiding the conversations is not the solution.
Please don’t think this is directed only at “conservatives,” because it isn’t. There’s ignorance, classism, and racism on all sides, and everyone has uncomfortable truths to face, but only one side is supporting this President, and he’s a big part of the problem right now.
We're all human. We're all the same. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something.
#VetsVsHate
He actively works to support causes pursuing prevention and treatment for everything from AIDS & HIV, to poverty, slavery & human trafficking. He committed $20-million to establish the USC Institute for State and Global Policy, which is devoted to seeking bipartisan answers on environmental, economic, and other public-policy issues. He's actively fighting against gerrymandering and speaking out against white supremacy and hate.
Oh, my bad, that's all Arnold Schwarzenegger. As Governer of California he also signed a bill creating the nation’s first cap on greenhouse gas emissions and didn't accept his $175,000 salary.
He's an immigrant, activist, humanitarian, and philanthropist. He's contributed more to our society than Trump ever will, and under Trump's proposed immigration laws, he would never make it into the country. He's also one of the only Republicans for whom I have a lot of respect. We live in a country where the Terminator has spoken out more strongly than our president against hate and white supremacy, has done more for the environment and society in general than our president.
Why do you, Trump supporters, listen to a man who has never done anything for anyone other than himself? Why do you listen to someone who lies constantly, disparages immigrants (who, by the way, built this country) like Schwarzenegger, who actually take part in our society and contribute to it? Why do you listen to someone who *actually defends Nazis*? You can try to tell me that he denounced them, but the next day he tried to lay the blame on people protesting for civil rights, after the NAZIS killed someone on American soil?
Our country is hurting, and it's been hurting for a long time. The problem is that many people have been blind to it until recently because it hasn't affected them, or at least it hasn't had the visibility that it now has. Immigrants are not our enemy. People of color are not our enemy. People with disabilities are not our enemy. Non-binary people are not our enemy. Non-straight people are not our enemy. People are scared by what they don't understand, and we have someone who is supposed to be leading this nation who doesn't understand anything outside of his very rich, very white bubble, and he's making the problems in the country worse because he's scared of everything.
Avoiding talks about race, gender, disabilities, sexuality, etc, is *not* what is going to heal us. We need to have these conversations, even if they're difficult and make you uncomfortable. We have to address the ugly history of this country, all the way back to our ancestors who originally immigrated here and committed genocide against the indigenous people, and understand the systemic problems, and the plight of the disenfranchised, before we can make progress.
Ask yourself the following questions, and really give the answers some thought:
Do I hate any particular group of people?
Do I think any person deserves fewer rights for any reason at all?
Do I think someone deserves to die because they're poor?
Do I think someone deserves fewer opportunities simply because they're born into poverty?
Do I think that the freedom to live without persecution is something that everyone deserves?
Do I think it's acceptable to tell another person that they do not have the right to exist?
My guess is that almost everyone will be in agreement on all of those. Figuring out how to solve our differences is just logistics, not ideological, although the current political climate wants to make it that way. Look past politics, and have the difficult conversations. Prepare yourself to face some ugly truths. Especially if you're white, be prepared to admit the horrors that our forebears have inflicted upon other people, and be prepared to have the discussions about how we can correct the inequalities that have resulted from it. Nothing worth doing is easy, but the only way this country will ever be great, not great again because it never has been (it's only been great for some), is if we put in the hard, uncomfortable work, and stand together as Americans regardless of our differences. Avoiding the conversations is not the solution.
Please don’t think this is directed only at “conservatives,” because it isn’t. There’s ignorance, classism, and racism on all sides, and everyone has uncomfortable truths to face, but only one side is supporting this President, and he’s a big part of the problem right now.
We're all human. We're all the same. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something.
#VetsVsHate
Friday, November 20, 2015
Climate Change; A look at the bigger picture
A lot of people aren't worried about climate change, or worse, don't believe in it. That terrifies me. How can you, as a human being, living on this planet, regardless of your political affiliation, nationality, or religion, see what's happening to the world around us, and not be terrified? Natural disasters are intensifying: record-breaking tropical storms, drought, blizzards, tornadoes, floods, mudslides, fires, desertification, and more. Man-made disasters are becoming the norm: Fukushima, the Canadian Tar Sands, huge oil spills reported almost weekly, fracking, strip mining, almost the entire country of Indonesia literally on fire to make way for corporate greed (seriously, read this), the Gulf of Mexico 'Dead Zone', ocean acidification, the Great Pacific garbage patch, the destruction of Louisiana wetlands, the draining and development of the Everglades, the Great barrier reef being used as a dumping ground, and I could go on and on.
Political leaders, religious leaders, scientists, CEOs of multinational corporations, visionary inventors, and millions of ordinary people are calling for action. Others oppose this movement in order to push their political agendas or further their greed. The Koch brothers (whose billions come from an inherited oil fortune) have spent at least $80 million funding organizations that deny climate change. Companies (largely coal and oil) which profit directly from activities that exacerbate climate change, such as ExxonMobil, pay off scientists to generate their own studies denying what's happening. Yes, there's an entire industry built around covering up what we're doing to the planet. If you're reading this, and you're skeptical about climate change, I'll be posting links at the end of this for you to do some reading. From here on, I'm going to assume that we're on the same page about what's happening, and I'm going to try to provide a little more perspective on why it should worry you more than it does.
We've all heard about sea levels rising, the global average temperature increasing, weather worsening, and lots of other very big, long-term effects of climate change, but many of us don't think we're going to see drastic effects for a long time. What many people don't realize is that the effects are already hitting us, on a global scale, and in ways that aren't receiving enough attention. The refugee crisis in Europe, and looming over Pacific island nations? Conflicts in Darfur and Syria (Syria explained in 5 minutes)? Climate change is a prominent driving factor in all of them. Environmental stresses from crops dying, biodiversity suffering, forced migrations from uninhabitable areas, and more, are adding to other regional conflicts, and making them worse. Climate change can be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. This is only going to spread; we need to be vocal about it, and take action. If you know someone who thinks this isn't happening, explain it to them. Give them the resources to research it themselves, and encourage them to do so. Get involved; there are some great organizations to help you do this (350, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Idle no More, Union of Concerned Scientists, 11th Hour).This isn't going away, and we need to do something about it before it's too late.
Here are some links to get you started. Do your own research; don't take my word for it.
Africa
http://www.ibtimes.com/climate-change-africa-african-global-warming-role-small-crucial-crisis-solution-2008048
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22410211~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258644,00.html
Europe
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1140480/
http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate
http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer-2015/europe/climate-change-impacts-and-adaptation
Syria
http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/WCAS-D-13-00059.1
Refugees
http://time.com/4024210/climate-change-migrants/
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/07/climate-change-global-warming-refugee-crisis
http://www.ibtimes.com/kiribati-climate-change-relocation-refugee-crisis-sinking-low-lying-island-nations-2127526
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2015-09-28/sinking-states
Indonesia
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/30/indonesia-fires-disaster-21st-century-world-media?CMP=fb_gu
http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/erik-meijaard-indonesias-fire-crisis-biggest-environmental-crime-21st-century/
Antarctic
http://www.asoc.org/advocacy/climate-change-and-the-antarctic
Canadian Tar Sands
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/Energy/tarsands/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tar-sands-and-keystone-xl-pipeline-impact-on-global-warming/
China
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/rising_temperatures/hotspot_map/china.cfm
United States
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/
http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment
Global
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-point-of-no-return-climate-change-nightmares-are-already-here-20150805?page=2
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/have-we-passed-the-point-of-no-return-on-climate-change/
Leadership
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/world/pope-francis-climate-technology-encyclical/
http://time.com/4050048/elon-musk-climate-change/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/climate-change
http://www.wclimate.com/world-climate-summit-2015/
http://www.worldmag.com/2015/11/world_leaders_gather_in_paris_for_final_climate_change_conference
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/05/what-the-world-thinks-about-climate-change-in-7-charts/
http://www.unfoundation.org/what-we-do/campaigns-and-initiatives/global-leadership-for-climate-action/?referrer=https://www.google.com/
https://medium.com/@ClimateCEOs/open-letter-from-global-ceos-to-world-leaders-urging-concrete-climate-action-e4b12689cddf
http://www.dalailama.com/messages/environment/a-green-environment
Environmental disasters
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/pictures/5-recent-underreported-environmental-disasters-20140407
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1986457,00.html
http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/category/environmental-disasters/
Denial
http://phys.org/news/2015-11-china-climate-poll.html
http://time.com/4102754/climate-change-us-china-pew-survey/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/04/06/new_climate_change_poll_shows_americans_believe_in_global_warming.html
http://ncse.com/news/2015/08/new-poll-climate-change-0016608
http://ncse.com/news/2015/01/views-climate-change-among-public-scientists-0016161
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/global-warming/climate-deniers/koch-industries/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/connor-gibson/charles-koch-admits-clima_b_7153084.html
http://www.onearth.org/earthwire/koch-bros
http://davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/climate-change-basics/climate-change-deniers/
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/revealed-exxon-secret-funding-of-global-warming-junk-scientists/
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/exxon-lying-climate-change-much-longer-thought/
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/fight-misinformation/global-warming-skeptic.html#.VjzlJrerS9I
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/upshot/the-limits-of-the-tobacco-strategy-on-climate-change.html
Conflict
http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/does-climate-change-cause-conflict
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/science/earth/study-links-syria-conflict-to-drought-caused-by-climate-change.html
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/syria-climate-years-living-dangerously-symbolia
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-climate-change-cause-conflict/
http://podcast.zirve.edu.tr/sandbox/groups/economicsandadministrativesciences/wiki/fa50c/attachments/0e400/Climate_change,_human_security_and_violent_conflict.pdf
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2007/climate_security_threat_africa.pdf
http://www.irinnews.org/report/72985/sudan-climate-change-only-one-cause-among-many-for-darfur-conflict
http://www.csun.edu/~dtf46560/630/Misc/Reuveny-ClimateChangeMigration-2007.pdf
http://www.ibtimes.com/kiribati-climate-change-relocation-refugee-crisis-sinking-low-lying-island-nations-2127526
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2015-09-28/sinking-states
Indonesia
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/30/indonesia-fires-disaster-21st-century-world-media?CMP=fb_gu
http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/erik-meijaard-indonesias-fire-crisis-biggest-environmental-crime-21st-century/
Antarctic
http://www.asoc.org/advocacy/climate-change-and-the-antarctic
Canadian Tar Sands
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/Energy/tarsands/
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tar-sands-and-keystone-xl-pipeline-impact-on-global-warming/
China
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/rising_temperatures/hotspot_map/china.cfm
United States
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/
http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/assessment
Global
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-point-of-no-return-climate-change-nightmares-are-already-here-20150805?page=2
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/have-we-passed-the-point-of-no-return-on-climate-change/
Leadership
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/world/pope-francis-climate-technology-encyclical/
http://time.com/4050048/elon-musk-climate-change/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/climate-change
http://www.wclimate.com/world-climate-summit-2015/
http://www.worldmag.com/2015/11/world_leaders_gather_in_paris_for_final_climate_change_conference
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/05/what-the-world-thinks-about-climate-change-in-7-charts/
http://www.unfoundation.org/what-we-do/campaigns-and-initiatives/global-leadership-for-climate-action/?referrer=https://www.google.com/
https://medium.com/@ClimateCEOs/open-letter-from-global-ceos-to-world-leaders-urging-concrete-climate-action-e4b12689cddf
http://www.dalailama.com/messages/environment/a-green-environment
Environmental disasters
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/pictures/5-recent-underreported-environmental-disasters-20140407
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1986457,00.html
http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/category/environmental-disasters/
Denial
http://phys.org/news/2015-11-china-climate-poll.html
http://time.com/4102754/climate-change-us-china-pew-survey/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/04/06/new_climate_change_poll_shows_americans_believe_in_global_warming.html
http://ncse.com/news/2015/08/new-poll-climate-change-0016608
http://ncse.com/news/2015/01/views-climate-change-among-public-scientists-0016161
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/global-warming/climate-deniers/koch-industries/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/connor-gibson/charles-koch-admits-clima_b_7153084.html
http://www.onearth.org/earthwire/koch-bros
http://davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/climate-change-basics/climate-change-deniers/
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/revealed-exxon-secret-funding-of-global-warming-junk-scientists/
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/exxon-lying-climate-change-much-longer-thought/
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/solutions/fight-misinformation/global-warming-skeptic.html#.VjzlJrerS9I
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/upshot/the-limits-of-the-tobacco-strategy-on-climate-change.html
Conflict
http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/does-climate-change-cause-conflict
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/science/earth/study-links-syria-conflict-to-drought-caused-by-climate-change.html
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/syria-climate-years-living-dangerously-symbolia
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-climate-change-cause-conflict/
http://podcast.zirve.edu.tr/sandbox/groups/economicsandadministrativesciences/wiki/fa50c/attachments/0e400/Climate_change,_human_security_and_violent_conflict.pdf
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2007/climate_security_threat_africa.pdf
http://www.irinnews.org/report/72985/sudan-climate-change-only-one-cause-among-many-for-darfur-conflict
http://www.csun.edu/~dtf46560/630/Misc/Reuveny-ClimateChangeMigration-2007.pdf
Friday, August 15, 2014
The problem with our approach to police brutality
Edit 3/7/21: My feelings on this have evolved quite a bit and there will be an update coming
The militarization of some aspects of the police force is a necessary thing, though it's being treated in the media like it's the end of civilization as we know it. Police forces have been dealing with increasingly well-armed and well-trained criminals since the '80s, and the weapons and tactics that were in use then became obsolete, and were resulting in the deaths of lots of law enforcement officers. This led to the spread of SWAT teams (which started in the '60s in LA) to more cities. A well-armed, well-trained SWAT team is an essential part of any large police force. This isn't going to change, and it shouldn't unless the proliferation of automatic weapons and dangerous gangs goes away too.
A big part of the problem that we're facing is that people need to stop confusing the issue of militarized SWAT teams with excessive police violence (and outright brutality); they're very different things. When SWAT teams are used, and how they are used is absolutely a problem. Law enforcement agencies need to have more accountability for their actions (cameras monitoring them would be a good start), and more awareness in general about the institutional racism and classism rampant in the system. Police officers have gone from being well-liked, respected members of the community to outsiders who are watching and waiting for you to step out of line.
The problem isn't the gear that specialized units have, whether it's fire hoses and nightsticks or tear gas and rubber bullets; it's racism, classism, misuse and abuse of power, lack of accountability, lack of awareness, privatization of SWAT teams, and the slow but steady criminalization of everyday life, which is a whole conversation in itself.
What can we do about this? For starters, if you're looking for a new career, go into law enforcement, work hard, have integrity, and be part of the change. Write to your city and state officials, and demand that they take measures to ensure accountability for police action, and ask for legislation to punish police brutality. Raise awareness in your local community; reach out to the police and make them feel like part of it. Speak out against the atrocities that are happening all too frequently. Very importantly, stop voting for legislators that are tolerating this. Inaction on a politicians' part makes them part of the problem. This is not going to change on its own, so take responsibility and do something.
Most police officers are good, honest, caring people, who go into law enforcement with the best of intentions. Police work is essential, dangerous, thankless work. Nobody pays attention to it (police work) until they screw up. Police officers are your brothers, sisters, parents, children, and friends. Talk to them; encourage them to act, too. Just as in any other segment of society, there are horrible people who will do horrible things when put in a position of power. Law enforcement is supposed to be there to protect you, not oppress you. Don't make them your enemy. Hold them accountable and make sure they do their job. All over the world, including here, police have had the courage to join protesters in times of civil unrest. We need to encourage them to stand up for what's right, not demonize them for their profession.
The militarization of some aspects of the police force is a necessary thing, though it's being treated in the media like it's the end of civilization as we know it. Police forces have been dealing with increasingly well-armed and well-trained criminals since the '80s, and the weapons and tactics that were in use then became obsolete, and were resulting in the deaths of lots of law enforcement officers. This led to the spread of SWAT teams (which started in the '60s in LA) to more cities. A well-armed, well-trained SWAT team is an essential part of any large police force. This isn't going to change, and it shouldn't unless the proliferation of automatic weapons and dangerous gangs goes away too.
A big part of the problem that we're facing is that people need to stop confusing the issue of militarized SWAT teams with excessive police violence (and outright brutality); they're very different things. When SWAT teams are used, and how they are used is absolutely a problem. Law enforcement agencies need to have more accountability for their actions (cameras monitoring them would be a good start), and more awareness in general about the institutional racism and classism rampant in the system. Police officers have gone from being well-liked, respected members of the community to outsiders who are watching and waiting for you to step out of line.
The problem isn't the gear that specialized units have, whether it's fire hoses and nightsticks or tear gas and rubber bullets; it's racism, classism, misuse and abuse of power, lack of accountability, lack of awareness, privatization of SWAT teams, and the slow but steady criminalization of everyday life, which is a whole conversation in itself.
What can we do about this? For starters, if you're looking for a new career, go into law enforcement, work hard, have integrity, and be part of the change. Write to your city and state officials, and demand that they take measures to ensure accountability for police action, and ask for legislation to punish police brutality. Raise awareness in your local community; reach out to the police and make them feel like part of it. Speak out against the atrocities that are happening all too frequently. Very importantly, stop voting for legislators that are tolerating this. Inaction on a politicians' part makes them part of the problem. This is not going to change on its own, so take responsibility and do something.
Most police officers are good, honest, caring people, who go into law enforcement with the best of intentions. Police work is essential, dangerous, thankless work. Nobody pays attention to it (police work) until they screw up. Police officers are your brothers, sisters, parents, children, and friends. Talk to them; encourage them to act, too. Just as in any other segment of society, there are horrible people who will do horrible things when put in a position of power. Law enforcement is supposed to be there to protect you, not oppress you. Don't make them your enemy. Hold them accountable and make sure they do their job. All over the world, including here, police have had the courage to join protesters in times of civil unrest. We need to encourage them to stand up for what's right, not demonize them for their profession.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Why I can't be quiet about the Israel/Palestine conflict
I've been in quite a few heated debates recently about the Israel/Palestine conflict. Almost universally, the people I talk to fall into two categories: they either fully support Israel and think Israel can do no wrong, or they agree with me that there's a huge violation of human rights happening, and there are lots of innocent people suffering. I'm not going to go into a huge rant about what's happening there, but I do want to cover a few facts that nobody, not even Israel, is arguing with.
Nobody is defending Hamas. When I talk about the Palestinian people, I am not including their terrorist government.
Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to lay out the main justifications for Israel's actions that I'm hearing, and the problems that I have with them.
I agree, 100%. Israel has every right to exist without being under constant attack. That said, there is no justification for the way they are handling this. The Iron Dome is incredibly effective, and the unguided rockets do very little damage even when they land. In 2013, there were only 52 rockets and 18 mortar rounds fired against Israel, with zero casualties or injuries (this was the fewest number of attacks since 2001). Israel may not be trying to maximize civilian casualties, but it certainly isn't trying to minimize them, either. In Iraq, the Marines used precision strikes and went house to house to minimize civilian casualties while fighting the insurgents. Israel is indiscriminately flattening neighborhoods.
This has to be the most feeble argument of all. Everyone knows Hamas doesn't care about the Palestinian people. There are reportedly more than 1,200 millionaires among the ranks of Hamas, and they clearly aren't using the aid money for good. That's tens of millions over a decade. The United States gives more than three BILLION dollars every single year to Israel, along with lots of weapons and ammunition. The embargo that Israel has had on Gaza is in violation of the Fourth Geneva convention (of which Israel is a signatory), and it prevents economic growth or infrastructure development. Israel is essentially forcing Gaza to scrape by as a third world country with little hope of improvement.
I don't understand blind nationalism. It is possible to love your country but hate what it's doing. Speaking out against the actions of Israel does not make me anti-Semitic, and it doesn't make me pro-Hamas. I am pro human rights.
It is your civic duty to be critical of your government and question authority. If what your government is doing won't stand up to critical examination, then it's probably doing something wrong. The US is still reeling from scandals with the NSA spying, CIA torture, and the corruption of the war in Iraq (among other things). I'm a proud US Marine veteran and I love my country, but I am not blind to, or accepting of, the evils it commits, and I am ashamed of our lack of action in preventing the suffering of the Palestinian people. If you're an Israeli, you should be every bit as critical of your own nation.
There are atrocities happening all over the world right now. The Islamic State (ISIS), North Korea, South Sudan, Burma, Syria, and more. The situation with Israel/Palestine hits close to home, and I'm taking the time to write about this because I'm a Jew, I have friends on both sides of the conflict, and my government is supporting Israel in the collective punishment of 1.8 million people.
Don't be blind to human suffering. The Palestinian people are hostages of a terrorist government and the hostile state surrounding them, and there is no justification for the extreme harms being imposed upon them.
- Hamas is a terrorist organization that wants the destruction of Israel and doesn't care about the welfare of the Palestinian people.
- Israel helped create Hamas to counter the PLO and its dominant faction, Fatah. It did this by supporting Sheikh Ahmed Yassin while he laid the groundwork for the organization, and casting a blind eye to the activities of a fledgling Hamas while it suited Israel's purpose.
- The rocket attacks that Hamas is launching at Israel are incredibly ineffective and pose very little threat because of the outdated rockets and the Iron Dome.
- There are currently 1.8 million Palestinians without electricity, running water, or sewage facilities.
Nobody is defending Hamas. When I talk about the Palestinian people, I am not including their terrorist government.
Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to lay out the main justifications for Israel's actions that I'm hearing, and the problems that I have with them.
Justification: Palestinians elected Hamas, and now Hamas is using them as human shields, and launching rockets from civilian areas, so it's their own fault.Bullshit. What you're really saying is that since their own government doesn't value their lives, neither should we, and that it's okay to slaughter them and punish the population of their entire country. When Hamas was elected, the Palestinians had to choose between Fatah, Hamas, and the PFLP. Two of the three are considered terrorist organizations by multiple countries, so what was a better choice? There wasn't one. Palestinians don't have a say in the operations of Hamas, and are threatened with violence if they break party lines.
Justification: Israel needs to defend itself, and it has tolerated the attacks far longer than any other country would have.
I agree, 100%. Israel has every right to exist without being under constant attack. That said, there is no justification for the way they are handling this. The Iron Dome is incredibly effective, and the unguided rockets do very little damage even when they land. In 2013, there were only 52 rockets and 18 mortar rounds fired against Israel, with zero casualties or injuries (this was the fewest number of attacks since 2001). Israel may not be trying to maximize civilian casualties, but it certainly isn't trying to minimize them, either. In Iraq, the Marines used precision strikes and went house to house to minimize civilian casualties while fighting the insurgents. Israel is indiscriminately flattening neighborhoods.
Justification: Over the last decade, tens of millions of dollars in aid have been sent to Gaza, but Hamas spends it on tunnels and rockets.
This has to be the most feeble argument of all. Everyone knows Hamas doesn't care about the Palestinian people. There are reportedly more than 1,200 millionaires among the ranks of Hamas, and they clearly aren't using the aid money for good. That's tens of millions over a decade. The United States gives more than three BILLION dollars every single year to Israel, along with lots of weapons and ammunition. The embargo that Israel has had on Gaza is in violation of the Fourth Geneva convention (of which Israel is a signatory), and it prevents economic growth or infrastructure development. Israel is essentially forcing Gaza to scrape by as a third world country with little hope of improvement.
I don't understand blind nationalism. It is possible to love your country but hate what it's doing. Speaking out against the actions of Israel does not make me anti-Semitic, and it doesn't make me pro-Hamas. I am pro human rights.
It is your civic duty to be critical of your government and question authority. If what your government is doing won't stand up to critical examination, then it's probably doing something wrong. The US is still reeling from scandals with the NSA spying, CIA torture, and the corruption of the war in Iraq (among other things). I'm a proud US Marine veteran and I love my country, but I am not blind to, or accepting of, the evils it commits, and I am ashamed of our lack of action in preventing the suffering of the Palestinian people. If you're an Israeli, you should be every bit as critical of your own nation.
There are atrocities happening all over the world right now. The Islamic State (ISIS), North Korea, South Sudan, Burma, Syria, and more. The situation with Israel/Palestine hits close to home, and I'm taking the time to write about this because I'm a Jew, I have friends on both sides of the conflict, and my government is supporting Israel in the collective punishment of 1.8 million people.
Don't be blind to human suffering. The Palestinian people are hostages of a terrorist government and the hostile state surrounding them, and there is no justification for the extreme harms being imposed upon them.
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