monkinetic the blog

Posts tagged with 'uspol' (21 posts)

White Liberal Anti-Racism, post-Trump

Fred Joseph asks:

One thing that’s been interesting about Trump’s presidency is how accessible it has made conversations about white supremacy.

I wonder how invested white people and the media will be in racism and anti-racism after he’s gone.

I’ve been wondering the same thing: assuming Biden wins, will white liberals (myself included) sigh in relief and go back to our pre-Trump, pre-Breonna Taylor, pre-George Floyd comfort?

I know that I’ve been working hard on following and learning from Black Americans and POC, and it’s been good work, but white liberals have just scratched the surface of what we must learn from the lives and histories of POC.

Trump has been SO awful that it has been a catalyst for many of us to finally face the systemic injustice and racism that allowed him to rise to prominence, riding the post-Obama racist reaction. But a Biden win will not fix anything yet, it just puts a better public face on the administration. The hard work will be continuing to fight to reform the Senate, our law enforcement and justice systems, all the entrenched ways of thinking and working that our nation has been built on.

My “worst case” scenario right now is a Trump removal, Pence win. Pence is the “nice” face of a corrupt administration, and will happily go along with anything the abusive GOP can think up, bringing even the never-Trumper Evangelicals with him. And I know white democrats who are outraged at Trump-the-character, but not so much his racist, unjust policies.

#trump #biden #uspol

I'm begging you, do the right thing

John Gruber responds to a new article in The Guardian that people with even mild coronavirus systems can be having serious brain disorders (for example strokes, encephalomyelitis, and psychotic episodes):

Germany yesterday reported 298 new cases of COVID-19.

The U.S. reported over 55,000. Just yesterday. It is raging out of control here in the United States. It’s that simple. We’ve lost any handle on it we might have had, infections are now raging out of control, and a large segment of the population has decided to pretend it isn’t happening and isn’t a big deal if you do get it.

For those of us who’ve been taking this seriously since March, it’s soul-crushing that this is where we’re at after four months of isolation. It sucks. We who’ve done the right thing are the ones most yearning for — and let’s be honest, most deserving of — a few tastes of normalcy.

I am begging everyone I know - please recognize that it is insane, or worse cruel, to pretend this isn’t happening, or that it’s a plot from people on the other end of a political spectrum to inconvenience you or steal your precious individual liberties… this is hundreds of thousands of friends and families suffering or dead.

Do the right thing — stay home as much as you can, wear a mask and keep your distance when you’re out. You don’t want to get this and you don’t want your family to get it.

#covid19 #uspol

Steve Ivy

Could the George Floyd police riots be our Reichstag fire? https://twitter.com/IMT_NMTtrials/status/1267483342464663552 #uspol #nazis

~ # 00:56 ~

Steve Ivy

Not All Americans

It’s time. I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans, and this is so important to me. Trump’s election victory speech

When I hear Trump speak about “all Americans” - I cannot in looking at his actions believe that he means African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latinx Americans, or any other minority, disadvantaged population here.

Armed white protesters are “very fine people”, black and brown protesters are “THUGS”.

Trump says that he defends the rights of “citizens”; but citizen is a legal/political construct that can be redefined and narrowed to exclude those without power or privilege.

Consider the new (Feb 2020) Denaturalization Section of the Justice Department:

The Denaturalization Section “underscores the department’s commitment to bring justice to terrorists, war criminals, sex offenders and other fraudsters who illegally obtained naturalization,” Joseph H. Hunt, the head of the Justice Department’s civil division, said in a statement.

No one wants “terrorists, war criminals, sex offenders” in the country, but –

“The Denaturalization Section will further the department’s efforts to pursue those who unlawfully obtained citizenship status and ensure that they are held accountable for their fraudulent conduct,” Mr. Hunt said.

Trump’s Justice Department considers entering the country illegally to be a crime (of the worst sort, considering the resources they have put behind CBP and ICE). There’s the real goal: the power to strip the rights and liberties from any immigrant who has been here as a productive member of society long enough (7 years?) to become naturalized.

The Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, established after the civil war to establish and protect the citizenship of former slaves, says in part:

“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

The Denaturalization Section is in practicality an end-run around the Citizenship Clause of the Constitution. And to drag out a long post longer…

This clause reversed a portion of the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, which had declared that African Americans were not and could not become citizens of the United States or enjoy any of the privileges and immunities of citizenship. Citizenship Clause (Wikipedia)

The goals of denaturalization laws now are the same racist goals as the Dred Scott laws of the post-US Civil War era.

#racism #dredscott #uspol

Who is My Neighbor? 2020

From Sojourners in 2018, When White Nationalist Christians Redefined Their Neighbors :

Ludwig Müller, who became the Nazi-sanctioned Reich Bishop, went so far as to “Germanize” Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In his 1936 translation, Jesus says: “Happy are those who are at peace with their fellow Germans [Volksgenosse];”

In doing this, he captures how German Christian nationalists had already redefined who counted as their neighbor. If neighbors can be defined primarily as the “non-foreign” members of one’s nation first, then one can morally justify all sorts of actions against people who are categorized as outsiders.

I want to focus on my own white Christian community here. We are seeing this redefinition in action right now in our nation. Americans who consider themselves Christians are reading Facebook, watching FOX News, and watching Trump’s speeches and going “you know we definitely do not want thugs or illegals in our streets! LAW & ORDER!”

But the “thugs and illegals” are whoever Trump considers them to be today. That photo op at St. John’s Episcopal in DC? Among the “violent protesters” that were dispersed with tear gas and flash grenades was a priest from the church Trump wanted to visit.

We must take stock and recognize how much even our faith has been shaped by the systematic recism of our nation, and re-evaluate our worldview in the light of the scripture we claim we follow:

Who Is My Neighbor?

Luke 10:29-37:

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” …

This is what Müller’s false interpretation was targeting, for the same reason the questioner in Luke did: to narrow the definition of who he was expected to . But Jesus insists on the wider interpretation - even to the those whom the Jews considered heretics to be treated as dogs:

33 “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out [his own money] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’”

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

(Emphasis mine) While our cities burn and police departments are instigating riots… on whom will we have mercy?

If we are not heartbroken and angered at the every day treatment of black and brown people in our communities, cities, and nation, if we will not speak up for them, if we will not spend our resources to give them reprieve, then we no longer consider them our neighbors.

#racism #uspol #whiteness #nazis

Steve Ivy

Those who demand individual liberties for themselves, usually only demand individual responsibility for others. #uspol

~ # 23:08 ~

Steve Ivy

What one president can say and not mean, the next will say and mean, and the next will say and do. Sometimes they are the same president. #uspol #authoritarianism

~ # 23:02 ~

Steve Ivy

The white girl in the first car waves and smiles - the two black people in the car following are accosted, their vehicle disabled and broken into, and they’re dragged into the street - by police. https://twitter.com/elonjames/status/1267462019227279360?s=20

http://monkinetic.blog/uploads/police-attack-black-drivers.png

~ # 17:33 ~

Jane Elliot: Please Stand

Our nation is deeply, systematically racist, and no amount of “I’m not like that” changes that. Anti-racism activist Jane Elliott says it perfectly:

“If you, as a white person, would be happy to recieve the same treatment that our black citizens do in this society, please stand.”

“Nobody’s standing here. That says very plainly that you know what’s happening, you know you don’t want it for you, I want to know why you’re so willing to accept it or allow it to happen to others.”

http://monkinetic.blog/uploads/jane-elliot-please-stand.png

I’m not standing either, and that makes me deeply ashamed.

#racism #uspol #whiteness

Steve Ivy

Another week, another 157107 #covid19 cases #uspol … I’ve started hearing the “we don’t believe the numbers” responses first-hand #SMH

~ # 14:05 ~

Axios: Elizabeth Warren suspending presidential campaign

It’s not showing up on Elizabeth Warren’s site yet, but Axios is reporting that Warren is suspending her presidential campaign. I’m heartbroken – she was the smart, tough candidate that actually inspired me.

Senator Warren: Thank you for your leadership, your humility, your willingness to hold those in power accountable. You would have been an incredible president. Keep fighting for Americans and for what America should stand for.

http://monkinetic.blog/uploads/warren_politico.jpg

(Image from Politico)

I’m sick to death of #oldwhitemen

#warren2020 #oldwhitemen #uspol

Steve Ivy

Lawrence Lessig on #rankedchoicevoting: “My Turn: New Hampshire primary proves we need ranked-choice voting for president” https://www.concordmonitor.com/We-need-ranked-choice-voting-32890873 #uspol

~ # 13:33 ~

Steve Ivy

This is only unthinkable if you are rich white tech liberal, everyone else sees rich white men helping each other #uspol #larryellison

https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/2/12/21135722/larry-ellison-donald-trump-fundraiser

~ # 05:14 ~

Steve Ivy

Unacceptable

http://monkinetic.blog/uploads/Screen Shot 2020-02-10 at 10.38.34 PM.png

Unacceptable. Americans, please give this a read, Helen is speaking truth about us.

Ro had this article sitting in his “saved” list, and I’ve been reading it all afternoon on and off. It’s by Helene Schouten, and was written in October 2015, and it’s a real eye-opener. I won’t quote it yet, because that would mean reducing it to “important” or “notable” parts and I haven’t spent nearly enough time with it to tell which parts to safely extract without breaking it.

#uspol #america #exceptionalism #racism #whiteness

Steve Ivy

Sound the dread alarm Through the primal body Sound a reveille To be or not to be #uspol #democracy

~ # 10:05 ~

The Kingmakers

Senate Republicans just paved the road to American authoritarianism:

The precedents they have set are alarming. Trump’s defense partly argued that a president must violate a specific crime in order to be impeached.

The defense made the argument, probably with the guidance and support of the right honorable Mitch McConnell and co, who than affirmed it. This whole debacle was an exercise in providing cover for Republicans to make their predetermined votes. And their complaints about the House Democrats amount to “it’s their fault for bringing this to the Senate when they know we rigged it – what did they think was going to happen?”

But imagine the following scenario: This weekend, Trump tweets that he will pardon anyone who engages in blatant voter suppression or voter intimidation before the November election. Hundreds of henchmen take it upon themselves to act, helping ensure his reelection. Trump’s legal and constitutional authority to pardon them is unquestioned. It would be a corrupt abuse of presidential power, but not a crime.

Trump now has a blank check. We all know that he will try to cash it.

He’ll cash it, and cash it, and cash it, with the Senate Republican’s co-signing and cackling the whole time.

#uspol #congress #impeachment

The Coming Kingdom of America (uspol)

I think we’re looking at the coming end of a government with co-equal branches. The Senate Republicans, tying their pursuit of personal power to Trump’s own, have abdicated their Constitutional role and are effectively handing Trump a monarchy.

I suppose they cannot imagine a Democrat taking the position again, or believe in that case they will simply find a way to again redefine the Presidency on their own terms? I don’t know.

#kingtrump #uspol #crimeboss

#kingtrump #uspol #crimeboss