FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Jun 8

When It Comes To Violent Crime In North America, All Is Not Well

by bcurry

The recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas, and multiple shootings across the U.S. this past month, have once again raised the anger of Americans on both sides of the political spectrum.  The Democrats are being attacked by Republicans for being soft on crime and the Republicans are being accused of blocking proposed measures to restrict the sale and ownership of guns.  In Canada, the federal government has introduced legislation to further restrict access to handguns, including stopping the illegal trafficking of guns across the border with the U.S.  As recent polls have indicated, there is little doubt that Americans are feeling increasingly less safe.  With an increase in gun violence in some of Canada’s largest cities, Canadians are not far behind in their perception of growing violent crime.

The fact of the matter is that the issue of violent crime, like other social-economic issues, is a divisive one no matter how you look at it.  Conservatives will accuse liberals of letting criminals off the hook, while liberals will declare that conservatives have no other policy than putting everyone in prisons and increasing police powers.  Police shootings have also garnered the attention of both political groups, especially in the U.S.  Now, there is at least a belief that the police have to find better ways to deal with persons with mental health conditions and members of minority groups, incorporating social and health services available in the community.  There is also a need to deal differently with drugs and drug addicts, recognizing that addiction is a health issue and should be dealt with accordingly, especially in light of the current epidemic of overdoses in both countries.

Radicalization of youth, especially young men, has increasingly become a source of violent behaviour, often associated with hate crimes.  More needs to be done to deal with the spread of hate literature, disinformation and conspiracy theories over social media.  Surely, both conservatives and liberals can agree that more education has to be available and supported to prevent such influences.  The current division of beliefs and values based on racial, ethnic, religious and sexual orientation has to be dealt with in no uncertain terms.  The situation is eating away at the very core of our democratic societies.

There are no easy solutions to dealing with violent crime as a social issue.  Many factors have to be considered, including socio-economic matters.  Unemployment is a major one, wherein people are prevented from making a living wage and securing affordable housing.  Increased opportunities for an education aimed at preparing people to enter the labour market with applicable skills and attributes is another issue.  Communities need to be encouraged and supported in order to develop local initiatives aimed at reducing criminal activities.  Improvements have to be made to increase timely access to mental health and social services at the community level.  Localized addiction programs have to be improved, with the aim of tackling drug problems and preventing their associated health issues and fatalities.

Whether taking a hard-line approach or preferring a more progressive approach, neither alone offers one-size-fits-all solutions.  A multi-approach strategy is what is required, and political sloganeering is not going to do anyone any good.  Simply de-funding the police in support of promoting social measures is not the answer.  Retraining and re-educating the police in how to better deal with such issues as domestic violence, racism and mental disabilities would appear to be a much better idea.  In Canada, several municipal mayors have called on the federal government to ban the possession of handguns.  However, despite Canada’s already strict handgun control measures, there continues to be violent crimes committed with the use of illegal or stolen handguns.  Members of drug gangs and radical factions have little problems in accessing such weapons.  One day our prisons will be overflowing with their convicted felons.

Until we deal with the underlying socio-economic factors in both countries, one can only conclude that we will see increased waves of violent crime.  This outcome doesn’t depend on whether you have conservative or liberal governments.

Canada Gun Control Gun Control Gun Laws Race Relations US US Politics War on Drugs

Leave a comment »
May 29

When It Comes To Domestic Gun Violence, The U.S. Leads The Way

by bcurry

This May, the New York Times noted that, according to the first comprehensive federal tally of gun commerce in two decades, the U.S. is in the middle of a great gun-buying boom.  The data shows no sign of the boom letting up as the annual number of firearms manufactured has nearly tripled since 2000 and spiked sharply in the past three years.  No surprise there, even during the pandemic.  According to a 2018 survey conducted by the non-partisan Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey, there are today around 400 million guns in the U.S.  Again, according to the Small Arms Survey, the per capita number of guns in the U.S. has continued to rise to about 1.2 guns for every person by 2018.  According to the Congressional Research Service it had roughly doubled from 1968 to 2012, from one gun for every two people to one gun per person.  The majority of these guns are manufactured in the U.S.  However, historical surveys from the University of Chicago research center NORC show that the percentage of American households that own guns has decreased from about half in the 1970s to about a third in recent years.  Otherwise, certain households possess multiple weapons, and it is those households that support gun ownership with few if any government restrictions.

Recent tragic mass shootings have once again raised the issue of so-called ‘gun control’ among supporters of the National Rifle Association (NRA) and those wanting increased restrictions on the sale of guns, most particularly assault-style long guns.  However, assault weapons are rarely used in the crimes, where the weapon of choice is a handgun.  Nevertheless, the ability to purchase an assault rifle has become easier, especially after the 1994 federal assault weapons ban was lifted in the U.S.  What is crazy is that many on both of the two sides tend to support increased background checks on persons purchasing guns, hoping to reduce the chances of guns getting into the hands of persons with known violent or radicalized behaviour. 

Still, gun makers like Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of the assault rifle used in the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, continue to aggressively market their products using its direct-to-consumer business model.  The approach is aimed to make it easier to buy military gear by simply ordering it from Amazon.  Their on-line marketing is geared to appeal to young people, especially teenage males who are “Call of Duty” video game enthusiasts.  Starting off initially with contracts to produce weapons and accessories for the American and British militaries, by 2009 Daniel Defense had expanded to make guns for consumers.

However, according to the New York Times, the aggressive marketing by the gun industry has hit some companies.  Earlier this year, gunmaker Remington settled a $73 million (U.S.) settlement with the families of children killed in 2012 at the Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Connecticut.  The families claimed that Remington marketed its assault rifles improperly, including weapons appearing in the “Call of Duty”, which both the Connecticut and Texas school killers often played.  One can only assume the parents of the latest school mass shootings will most likely take Daniel Defense to court under tragically similar circumstances.

What is so sad is the fact that buyers have openly capitalized on the loosening of gun restrictions by the Supreme Court, Congress and Republican-controlled state legislatures.  The Republican Party is clearly aligned with the interests of gun lobbyists and the NRA, as evidenced by the appearances of former President Trump and Republican Senator Ted Cruz at the NRA’s totally inappropriate convention in Houston, Texas, just a few days after the May 24th school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.  Not surprisingly, they defended gun rights, all be it with some obvious misleading claims about the efficacy of gun restrictions, gun ownership trends and school shootings.  Unfortunately, after every mass shooting, driven by fear and calls for increased restrictions on gun ownership, gun sales often go up in certain states.  As I’ve blogged in the past, this is a cycle that tragically never seems to end.

Gun Control US US Politics

Leave a comment »
Apr 24

When It Comes to Treating LGBTQ in American Schools, What Happened to Their Parental Rights

by bcurry

On March 28, 2022, Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into the Parental Rights in Education bill into law.  The Act now bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade.  Critics had dubbed it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill which in turn suddenly sparked a national war of words, particularly among the LGBTQ community.  On top of which, the legislation created opposition by Florida’s Disney World against Governor DeSantis.  This has led to the Florida legislature to vote to undo the special district that Disney operates in, potentially affecting Disney’s ability to build new attractions, creating potential hiccups in transitioning to many of its current public services and increased expenses for Disney — which could mean higher prices at the gate.  The resulting economic impact could be massive.

What is even more important is the impact on the rights of LGBTQ parents and gay or transgender students.  Much of the justification put forward for such laws is that it protects the rights of parents, who by all concerned are non-LGBTQ parents.  Those opposed to the law argue that the Act centers around whether it would prohibit the “instruction” or “discussion” of sexual orientation.  Critics of the law say its language “classroom instruction,” “age appropriate” and “developmentally appropriate” is overly broad and subject to broad interpretation.  Consequently, teachers might opt to avoid the subjects entirely at all grade levels for fear of being sued by parents as now permitted under the law.  Opponents of the law also say that banning lessons about gender identity and sexual orientation marginalizes LGBTQ people and their presence in society.  DeSantis appears to love playing with smoke and mirrors.  Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, said the law is nothing more than a political wedge issue for Republicans.  He notes that elementary schools, especially in kindergarten through third grade, currently don’t even teach these subjects, much like “critical race theory”.

Moreover, there is little recourse left open to LGBTQ parents or students other than filing complaints with federal officials when they believe they are experiencing discrimination in school.  Subsequent to the bill’s passage, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said that his agency “will be monitoring this law upon implementation to evaluate whether it violates federal civil rights law.”  However, as everyone knows, such processes can often take years to implement, leaving LGBTQ parents and students in the lurch and prone to harassment.

Florida is not the only state that considered such a law, as a number of other conservative states have moved in a similar direction.  Take for example Alabama.  There you have the second openly gay lawmaker, Neil Rafferty, sitting in the state legislature.  As a Democrat, he has spent much of his current term in the Alabama Legislature working to prevent new restrictions on gay and transgender young people.  Mr. Rafferty appealed to his colleagues and constituents with Republican proponents on the basis of their conservatism, arguing that they had no business involving themselves in the decisions of parents, doctors and children.  “Where’s the freedom in that?” he asked. “Where’s small government in that?”

Indeed, there appears to be a fair amount of hypocrisy in the current legislative push by Republicans aimed at protecting some parents’ rights, to the detriment of other parents with different values and circumstances.  It’s obvious that this sudden obsession with eliminating any instruction on sexual orientation — including the LGBTQ history in American — and the banning of related reading materials from libraries is nothing more than a political ploy aimed at securing votes from the social conservative rank and file.  But at whose expense and which freedoms?

With so many more important issues to be concerned about today, does one really need to be sidetracked in this manner?  The mental wellbeing of all students, including LGBTQ students, needs to be addressed, especially in light of the negative impact of the pandemic on their education.  Surely, legislators have better things to do than to play politics with children’s lives and those of their parents!

Education in U.S. US US Politics

Leave a comment »
Apr 7

Is the Separation of Church and State Still Possible in the U.S. and Canada?

by bcurry

In both the U.S. and Canada, several religious groups attempted during the pandemic to have certain public health restrictions thrown out by the courts, but to no avail.  They argued that governments were infringing on their rights of assembly and religious freedom, which they felt were guaranteed by their respective constitutions.  However, the courts ruled that there was no such violation of rights since the broad-based restrictions were not specifically directed at religious gatherings, but were directed at places where normally the public would gather, often involving mandated lockdowns. 

Now, I’m no constitutional expert, but under the circumstances the imposition of health-based restrictions appeared to be more than reasonable.  Indeed, many churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious entities were more than happy to comply with the restrictions in their places of worship.  They did so out of concern for the safety and health of their congregations in light of the real dangers attributed to the pandemic.  No one’s specific religious beliefs were placed in jeopardy, and no constitutional rights were violated.  Let’s face it, no one was being persecuted, and churches found alternative ways to effectively serve their parishioners and communities.

Despite all of this, there is little doubt that religious fervour has been heightened among some Christian movements in particular, as evidenced by the growing political involvement of such groups.  Increasingly, right-wing political movements are taking advantage of many believers who are importing their worship of God, with all its intensity, emotion and ambitions, to their political life.  Politicians like Donald Trump had jumped on this band wagon, waving a bible back in June 2020 in front of St. John’s Church in Washington DC for a photo opportunity.  Talk about someone who is obviously irreligious wanting to garner support for his own political ambitions.  For some of his supporters, right-wing political activity itself is becoming a holy act and is often evident at his rallies.

Both the U.S. and Canadian constitutions are designed to prevent any one church or religious institution from having undo influence in the daily act of governance.  This of course is based on the fundamental principle governing the separation of church and state in each country.  However, this does not mean that certain religious groups will not attempt to influence which political parties or candidates are elected.  As in the case of their opposition to government mandates during the COVID pandemic, they spear head other causes such as the ‘right to life’, opposition to gay marriage, and the promotion of conspiracy theories.  Their attitudes are largely framed by an apparent desire to build a nation that actively promotes a particular set of Christian beliefs.

I firmly believe that many of these religious right-wing groups are feeling threatened by what is happening within both countries.  Immigration and high birth rates are moving the population to one of greater cultural and religious diversity, such that within the next decade white Americans and Canadians of Christian faiths will be outnumbered.  They believe that the predicted changes will undermine their Christian values, such that one often hears them, many of whom attend charismatic or evangelical churches, talking about ‘taking back the country.’  With over a hundred million evangelicals in the U.S., their voices make it hard for many politicians to ignore, especially Republicans, seeking election or re-election in many states.  Many are also attracted to populist movements wherever they may emerge.

Just as some churches attempted to support certain political entities in the past, their leaders and parishioners will do so in the future.  The danger is that the abyss between those who promote a state religion and those who support the separation between church and state will continue to grow.  As history has shown, such conflict could eventually lead to dangerous influences on public policy.  Policy which after all results from governance that reflects the current values of the majority of Americans and Canadians, regardless of their particular secular or religious beliefs.

Canada Populism in Canada Religion Republican Party US US Politics

Leave a comment »
Nov 29

Massive U.S. Foreign Military Aid to Israel Could Be Used To Improve Treatment of Palestinians

by bcurry

According to the Congressional Research Service, as of November 2020, Israel was the largest recipient of U.S. Foreign Military Financing.  For Fiscal Year 2021, President Trump’s request for Israel would encompass approximately 59 percent of America’s total requested Foreign Military Financing worldwide.  For decades now, the U.S. has had several Memoranda of Understanding consisting of tens of billions of dollars in its military aid package to Israel.  As a result of U.S. financial assistance, Israel also has been allowed to purchase 50 F-35s fighter jets in three separate contracts and missile defense systems.  In all, these annual military grants to Israel significantly represent approximately 20 percent of the overall Israeli defense budget.

Needless-to-day, the above appropriations suggest that the U.S. government should have some clout in terms of dealing with Israeli interactions with Palestinians.  Indeed, in May of this year, President Biden made an unusually blunt demand that Israel de-escalate its military attack on Gaza, creating a bit of a rare rift between the two countries.  Then there is the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem where nearly three million Palestinians are living.  Nearly 140 unauthorized settler outposts were built there in recent decades in the West Bank, taking over lands lived on by Palestinians for centuries.  Much like former Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the new right-wing Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, appears once again to support the settlers.

What is troubling over recent months, it has recently been disclosed by the Israeli military at the defense ministry that Israeli settlers have dramatically increased their attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.  They further note that violent incidents by settlers are up about 150 percent in the past two years.  Remember that the Israeli army is in charge of security in areas of the occupied West Bank where Israeli settlements are located.  However, observers, including Israeli human rights groups, have testified that soldiers frequently do little to intervene during the hate incidents against Palestinians.  Advocates also claim that crimes by Palestinians are aggressively prosecuted while settler violence typically goes unpunished.  By making life difficult for Palestinians who have lived in the these territories for generations, whether or not settler violence is part an overall strategy of expanding Israel’s presence is hopefully far from the truth.  Some suspect that it may not be.

Yes, anyone studying the history between Israelis and Palestinians recognizes that the issues are fairly complex.  However, with the evident clout that the U.S. has with respect to supporting Israel’s military, you would think that the Americans might do more to pressure the Israeli government to do more immediately to protect Palestinians in areas under their control.  Settlements that are illegal under Israeli law should be dismantled and greater protective measures should be implemented for the Palestinians.  Failure to do so could prove to be a blemish on human rights not only in Israel, but also for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.  When it comes to improving relations between Israelis and Palestinians, the Biden administration should attempt to revive America’s former role as a more neutral mediator in the Middle East’s most protracted conflict. 

Foreign Policy Israel US US Politics

Leave a comment »
Aug 21

Canadian Federal Election is Here, But What About the Issue of Fairness in Taxation?

by bcurry

A recent release of secret files of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) revealed that some of the wealthiest billionaires in the world — including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Michael Bloomberg and George Soros — hadn’t paid a cent in income tax in some years, and paid very low rates of tax in general.  The files indicated that the wealthiest 25 American billionaires paid an average income tax rate that worked out to just 3.4% of their increase in wealth in the five years from 2014 to 2018.  That’s far less than the average American or Canadian paid in income tax as a share of their income or their increase in wealth.  The tax system in both countries is obviously broken, and it could never really pretend to be progressive in its current form.

According to most tax experts, there’s little doubt that Canada’s ultra-wealthy and billionaires also pay very low rates of tax on their income and wealth.  Our tax system has many similarities with the U.S., similar ways to dodge taxes, and Canada is the only major country without some form of wealth tax.  And we’re talking big bucks!  As the non-profit Canadians for Tax Fairness (C4TF) notes: “Canada’s 1% now control over a quarter of the country’s wealth — over C$3 trillion.”  The existing massive inequality in wealth grew even bigger during the pandemic, as corporations and wealthy individuals prospered while many Canadians struggled to simply maintain their standard of living.  Canadian corporations received taxpayer-funded government subsidies while paying out billions to their shareholders.

A recent book by Jonathan Gauvin and Angella MacEwen, entitled “Share the Wealth”, highlights the injustices found in the current tax system.  The book is highly recommended.  It  points out that more and more countries are applying new successful taxes on the uber-rich.  Even the Biden administration is promoting higher corporate taxes.  The concept of a wealth tax on the richest of the rich is increasingly becoming accepted by Americans and Canadians.  In addition, most of us would like to see the current tax loopholes for individuals and corporations closed.  This alone would bring in billions dollars into the federal treasury, and could be used to help fund such things as much needed infrastructure improvements, national child care initiatives and pharmacare programs. 

All three major federal parties have expressed their willingness to introduce tax fairness measures if elected.  Since its establishment in 2011, the C4TF has brought forward issues like taxing the wealthiest 1%, closing tax loopholes, tackling tax havens, having corporations pay their fair share, and taxing digital giants in Canada.  All the necessary rationale for change exists.  Isn’t it about time that whichever party forms the next government, it will put the issue of tax fairness front and centre in parliament.  Let’s hopefully see the next government ‘walk the talk’ in support of the needed changes when it comes to this important issue!

Canada Fairness in Taxation US US Politics

Leave a comment »
Jul 30

U.S. Congressional Hearings on January 6th Capitol Breach

by bcurry

On January 6, 2021, a peaceful and patriotic crowd of citizens gathered in front of the steps of the U.S. Congress, on what is referred to as the Hill.  They lovely and respectfully greeted the law-enforcement officers from the Capitol Police on duty that day.  Suddenly, these individuals who were exercising their right to protest, broke through the police lines and entered the people’s building of American governance.  They did not mean to hurt anyone, although there were a few who mockingly shouted that they wanted to hang Vice-President Mike Pence.  In order to avoid the determined mob, both Republican and Democrat members of Congress conveniently left the Senate Chamber in order to make room for the touring crowd.  These patriots then went about their business of sightseeing through the corridors of the Capitol.  Once they had finished their tour, they left the premises, often carrying handfuls of souvenirs to show the family back home.  Meanwhile, the outgoing President of the United States of America, sat comfortably in the White House and calmly watched the unfolding events televised on American news networks for all to see.  He was particularly concerned that none of his supporters would be seriously injured by the authorities during their visitation.

Months later, one now has a House select committee investigating the storming of the Capitol, much to the chagrin of majority of Republicans who don’t see any need for any inquiry, let alone an independent commission of inquiry.  For this reason, Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to seat two Republicans who publicly opposed the establishment of the committee itself, and instead invited two more neutral Republicans, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, to join the committee.  This seems to make sense.  Let’s face it, most Republicans would like the whole January 6th armed insurrection to go away.  Remember, many of the mob have said under oath that they were there because Donald Trump sent them.

I don’t know about you, but I sat in front of my television witnessing what some have called the worst attack on Washington since the War of 1812 — between what was then Canada and the U.S.  I could not believe what I was witnessing!  No one in their right mind can deny the fact that the attack was orchestrated and well planned in advance.  To say that a few of Trump’s supporters simply got overly zealous is a pile of you know what.  The real problem and failure, indeed the tragedy, is that the actions of the mob were not foreseen by the Trump administration and the intelligence and security communities.  Congress was virtually left at the mercy of a crazy group of insurrectionists.  It is these elements of what happened on January 6th that need to be investigated and made public.  The role of Donald Trump in inciting his supporters is already well known and no longer of particular import.  What is important is to establish what went terribly wrong within the intelligence community, law enforcement and among federal agencies involved, including the Department of Defence.  Hopefully, these are the issues that the committee will examine in order to introduce changes that would ensure that something of this nature will never happen again.  Let’s face it, there’s plenty of blame to go around.  What one needs is truthful answers and expert analysis.

Donald Trump Republican Party US US Politics

Leave a comment »
Jun 28

June Was a Bad Month for the Catholic Church in North America

by bcurry

Here in Canada, the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves containing Indigenous children’s remains on former Indian residential school grounds raised the anger of many Canadians, and in particular those of the Catholic faith.  Many of the residential schools were run by the Catholic Church.  Indigenous leaders in Canada have been pressing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to secure an apology, on Canadian soil, from Pope Francis himself for the role the Catholic Church played in operating residential schools. Those demands — which Trudeau repeated again Friday, June 25th — have so far gone unheeded.  However, a number of Church leaders in Canada have taken upon themselves to apologize for the Churches role in running the schools and for the associated unmarked graves.

In the U.S., as only the second Catholic president, an issue was raised by some of the country’s Catholic bishops with respect to President Joe Biden.  A question was asked as to whether the Catholic Church should not allow the president to receive Holy Communion because of his political support for abortion rights.  The president, who attends church regularly, rightly replied that this is a personal and private matter.  As one observer noted, denying Communion to Biden or other public figures as a means of correcting their errors would be claiming the right to overrule their conscience.   Subsequently, several American Catholic bishops suggested that any such ban on the president was not in the cards.  They are likely mistaken, however, if they think a Communion crackdown will bring him or other so-called wayward Catholics back in line.  Furthermore, declaring abortion the “pre-eminent” issue for Catholics has created another crisis of authority for the bishops — remember the handling of recent cases of alleged abuses by American priests.

In both instances, the results have been criticism and outrage from many Catholics and non-Catholics of the Churches position on these matters.  In the American situation, it is clearly a matter of the separation of state and church which form an important part of a democracy.  One’s religious beliefs should not form part of the government’s policy making process which is designed to defend the interests of all its citizens, regardless of faith.  In the Canadian context, the inability of the Catholic leadership to recognize the role of the church in the tragic operation of residential schools and the horrific impact on Indigenous peoples needs to be addressed.

The number of followers of the Catholic Church in both countries is on the decline, particularly among younger people.   Reportedly, between 2000 and 2017 the number of its churches in the U.S. declined by nearly 11 percent, and by 2019 the number of Catholics decreased by 2 million people.  During the last decade, Catholics have been steadily shrinking as a share of the U.S. population. Situations like the above two examples do not help the Churches image and have led once again to parishioners having to assess their continued participation within the Church.  Perhaps it’s time for the Catholic Church to enter the twenty-first century and to hone up to its role in and openly admit its past mistakes, instead of trying to cover them up or simply ignore them.

Canada Joe Biden Religion The Pope US Politics

Leave a comment »
Jun 6

Believe it or not, Donald Trump is still around!

by bcurry

Based on findings by Facebook’s Oversight Board, Facebook said it will suspend former U.S. president Donald Trump’s accounts — including Instagram — for two years.  The finding is that he stoked violence ahead of the deadly Jan. 6th insurrection.  On Facebook, Trump’s suspension has meant that his account is essentially in “Facebook jail,” which is a term that users use to describe when the social network bans people from posting or accessing their accounts.  Others can still read and comment on Trump’s past posts, but he and other account handlers are unable to post new material.  In a press release, Trump called Facebook’s decision “an insult.” “They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win. Our Country can’t take this abuse anymore!”  The two-year ban brings Trump back just in time for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, although too late to be of any real import.  In its decision last month, the board agreed with Facebook that two of Trump’s Jan. 6th posts “severely violated” the content standards of both Facebook and Instagram.

Trump in turn gave his first public address since leaving office at the North Carolina Republican Party convention on June 5th.  Of course, he came out blasting the current Biden administration for everything from immigration policies to foreign policy.  Attacks so soon after a change in administration are somewhat uncommon and unusual among former presidents.  However, Trump is anything but normal.  Trump reserved his early remarks on President Joe Biden, which he called “the most radical left-wing administration in history”.  The fact is that his administration provided little assistance to the incoming Biden administration during the transition period, thus hindering a smooth transition.  Trump further believes that the Republicans will take back the Senate, the House, and the White House sooner than most people think.  The former president waited more than an hour to once again advance falsehoods about the 2020 election, which he described as “the crime of the century”.  Of interest, both CNN and Fox News declined to carry the speech on their channels.

The former president has also claimed that vaccines would not yet have arrived in US without him, ignoring the fact that over 400,000 Americans had died from COVID-19 during his administration, and claiming initially that the pandemic was a “hoax”.  On top of which, he unrealistically called on China to pay $10 trillion in reparations to the United States and the world for China’s handling of the virus.  Good luck on that one!

Trump has pushed Republicans to support candidates who are loyal to him in next year’s midterm elections.  In next year’s fight for control of Congress, he further vowed to be an active presence on the campaign trail for those remaining Republicans who share his values.  In any potential run for the White House in 2024, he may yet have to go up against former vice-president Mike Pence who has publicly asserted that he does not see eye to eye with Donald Trump on the horrific events of January 6th on the Hill.  Don’t forget that Pence and his family had to flee for their lives from the pro-Trump mob.

While Trump remains a dominant force within his party, he however remains deeply unpopular among key segments of the broader electorate and elements of the Republican Party.  Remember that he lost the last election by 7 million votes, primarily as a result of alienating Republican-leaning suburban voters across the country.  Trump supporters still haven’t yet come to grips with this fact. 

President Trump Is Playing The Victim Role Once Again | FROLITICKS (wordpress.com)

Donald Trump Republican Party US Politics

Leave a comment »
Mar 23

Something Dangerous Is Happening In American Politics

by bcurry

Recently, I read an interesting book written by two professors of government at Harvard U., Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.  The 2018 book entitled “How Democracies Die” takes a historical look at numerous democracies in various countries, including the U.S., which have at some point in time become more authoritarian, despite having strongly written constitutions.  What’s frightening is their conclusion that the actions of elected leaders have often paved the road to democratic failure, and why the U.S. in now vulnerable to the same downward spiral.  Shared beliefs and practices, beyond our formal constitutions, need to be restored.  The attack by some factions on these values has been slowly evolving over several years in U.S. politics.  One can go as far back to McCarthyism in the 1950s, ending in a witch hunt for communists in and out of government, ruining lives and bitterly dividing the country.  Then there was the selection of Sarah Palin who, as John McCain’s running mate in 2007, became his attack dog against the Democrat’s Barack Obama.  Politics has become increasingly personal, with attacks on the character and patriotism of opponents through mainstream media and more recently through social media.  The arrival of Donald Trump on the scene and his subsequent Presidential stint firmly installed the current polarization of American politics and continuing campaigns of intolerance and misinformation. 

Now, we have politicians like Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson who continues to spread conspiracy theories and disinformation, particularly now that Donald Trump is banned from social media and largely avoiding appearances on cable television.  He reportedly spreads doubts about President Joe Biden’s victory, argues that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was not an armed insurrection, promotes discredited COVID-19 treatments, sees no need to get the coronavirus vaccine and declares that climate change was not man-made but instead was caused by “sun spots”.  He is also one of those politicians who loves to spread his message through such outlets as Fox News and right-wing talk radio, especially in Wisconsin’s wide network of conservative talk-radio shows.  The use of the media to disperse misinformation and fervently attack their opponents is a common practice among politicians today in several democratic countries.

Back when Spiro Agnew served as Richard Nixon’s vice-president, from 1969 until his resignation in 1973, he began a predilection for “anti-intellectualism” aimed at appeasing a certain faction of the American population.  This attitude culminated in attacks on what Agnew referred to as the “elites” and on the “left-wing or liberal media”.  Of course, Donald Trump’s rantings about the media’s unfair reporting of his administration’s policies (fake news) just continued the attacks on democratic institutions.  The inability to establish respect and civility within our governing institutions is probably one of the primary challenges in the next few years.  We need to have political entities promoting more partisanship in order to help make governing institutions work effectively and democratically. 

As the above book points out, no democracy is immune to authoritarian actions which can help to diminish confidence in our democratic institutions at a perilous moment.  This danger comes at a time when the health and economic well-being of nations relies heavily on mass vaccinations, the spread of misinformation and when one’s faith in democracy is being shaken by right-wing falsehoods about voting. 

Donald Trump US US Politics

Leave a comment »
«Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Blog at WordPress.com.