brian57 – Mindful Resistance

Issue 8: Sept 23-Sept 29, 2017

THE WEEK IN TRUMP

Weekend Warrior: Trump said that NFL players who kneel during the national anthem should be fired, spurring more players to take a knee in protest. Trump’s intervention turned Colin Kaepernick’s original protest against police abuse of African Americans into a much larger debate about Trump himself and the meaning of free speech and patriotism. NYT’s Ross Douthat noted that “now we’re ‘arguing’ (I use the term loosely) about everything [but] the specific issue that Kaepernick intended to raise, police misconduct…”

Health and Taxes: The effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act was pronounced dead yet again after John McCain and Susan Collins said they wouldn’t vote for the Graham-Cassidy bill, leading the White House and congressional Republicans to shift their focus to taxes. A NYT fact-check of the Republicans’ vaguely outlined tax reform proposal said it would benefit the wealthiest.

Puerto Rico Struggles: On Thursday, after much criticism for not acting sooner, Trump waived the Jones Act for Puerto Rico, making it easier to ship relief supplies to the island. A poll indicated that almost half of Americans don’t know that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens—and that those who do know are much more likely to support aid.

Travel Ban Sequel: The White House announced a new version of the travel ban, adding North Korea and Chad to the previous list, which originally included only Muslim-majority nations. The NYT reported that the inclusion of Chad came at the request of the acting Homeland Security secretary and adviser Stephen Miller, but “over the objections of Pentagon and State Department officials, who argued that alienating the nation, one of America’s more reliable counterterrorism allies in Africa, risked harming long-term national security interests.”

Trumpism Defeats Trump: In Alabama, Luther Strange, the GOP establishment candidate, lost to Roy Moore in the GOP primary for Jeff Sessions’s old seat. Trump, succumbing to establishment pressure, had supported Strange, but Moore was seen by many, including vocal supporter Steve Bannon, as more representative than Strange of the spirit of Trump’s presidential campaign. Bannon is looking to further rattle the Republican establishment by recruiting primary challengers in other states, reports Politico.

Frequent Flier Fired: Or, strictly speaking, he resigned—he being Tom Price, the Secretary of Health and Human Services who had drawn fire for spending $400,000 of government money on charter flights rather than fly on commercial airlines.
Continue reading Issue 8: Sept 23-Sept 29, 2017

Issue 7: Sept 16-Sept 22, 2017

THE WEEK IN TRUMP

Trump vs. Kim: In his first address to the United Nations, Trump said that if the US “is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.” Neoconservative columnist Eli Lake wrote, “For a moment, I closed my eyes and thought I was listening to a Weekly Standard editorial meeting.” On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order widening American economic sanctions on North Korea. Kim Jong Un, whom Trump had called “Rocket Man” in his UN speech, said in response that he would “surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire.” Trump then tweeted that the “madman” Kim “will be tested like never before!”

Rouhani the Role Model: Amid the war of taunts between Trump and Kim, Iranian President Rouhani reminded everyone what tough talk by national leaders has traditionally sounded like: firm but vague. After Trump used his UN speech to hint anew that he will find a way to end the Iran nuclear deal, Rouhani said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will not be the first country to violate the agreement; but it will respond decisively and resolutely to its violation by any party.” The New York Times reported: “Some say the contrast between Mr. Trump’s belligerent-sounding General Assembly speech on Tuesday, and the more measured address by President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Wednesday, had helped give Iran an unexpected edge: the image of reasonableness in the face of an adversary’s angry ranting.”

‘Repeal and Replace’ on Life Support: The GOP effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, seemingly dead as of July, returned in the form of the Graham-Cassidy bill. The bill would cut Medicaid by turning traditional funding into blocks grants to the states, would undo the individual mandate, and would “allow health insurers to once again charge people higher premiums based on their medical history,” according to Vox. Friday afternoon, Senator John McCain said he would not support the bill, rendering the GOP effort to repeal the ACA, if not once again seemingly dead, then seemingly on its deathbed.

Mueller Targets White House: The New York Times reported that special counsel Robert Mueller has asked the White House for documents about “some of President Trump’s most scrutinized actions since taking office, including the firing of his national security adviser and F.B.I. director.”

Late-Night Hosts Take Flak: Stephen Colbert was criticized from the left for bringing Sean Spicer on stage for a joke during the Emmys, and Jimmy Kimmel was criticized from the right for forcefully arguing against the Graham-Cassidy bill.

Continue reading Issue 7: Sept 16-Sept 22, 2017

HOLIDAY EDITION

THE WEEK IN TRUMP

THE WEEK IN TRUMP