tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27720743879925224842024-03-04T23:46:53.244-07:00ZepBlogWritings of Mark Zepezauer, past, present and future.MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.comBlogger434125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-18330597015747013972022-07-04T16:16:00.001-07:002022-07-04T16:16:26.536-07:00Declaration of Divorce<span id="m_-3446144617651607867gmail-docs-internal-guid-3f64a9a5-7fff-617d-d824-9363bd5b706c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In despair, July 4, 2022</span></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 18pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The reluctant declaration of the twenty five or so blue states of America:</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This isn't working out. And sometimes, you know, in the course of human events, people just gotta go their separate ways, and set up the kind of government that suits them best. We’re sure you could see this coming, but we do need to explain it, for the benefit of the neighbors as well as you folks in the red states. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This part is obvious, to us at least: we’re all born equal, right? And for us that means our queer kids, our immigrant kids, our daughters as well as our sons. It means folks of every religion, and folks with no fucking religion. It means people of every damn ethnicity. We’ve been over this before. And people ought to be able to live their lives as they see fit, and have a government that protects their rights, that lets folks do what makes them happy. We want a government that reflects the consent of the governed, and we’re not getting that anymore. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The form of government we are stuck with now is destroying our hope for a secular, multiracial democracy. We’ve been working for that for a long time, and it’s pretty clear you’re not into it. We’ve had some big-ass fights over the years, at Fort Sumter as well as in Selma; in Seneca Falls and at Stonewall, and we just want different things. That bullshit in DC last year made it obvious: we have irreconcilable differences, and we need to split up, for the sake of the kids. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’ve got the right to form a government that will suit our needs, and the system we’re in now gives you too much power to fuck with us. You take the White House when we outvote you, you take the Senate when we outvote you, you pack the Courts when we outvote you, and you’ve made it clear you don't want to stop there. We could keep having elections, but you obviously won't accept the results if we win, and frankly, we can’t accept what will happen if you win. It’s time to move on. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We know our rights. We should be able to set up our own government, one that will keep us safe and healthy, let everyone live how they please. We have the right to self-government, and frankly, so do you. So we’re leaving. We’re taking Wall Street, Hollywood and Silicon Valley with us; you never liked them anyway. You’re gonna get most of the oil and coal and farmland. If you don’t like it, talk to our attorneys and work out the details, but let’s not fight anymore. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is no trivial disagreement. We wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t have good reasons. We had some good times, and we’re always gonna love you, but we can’t do this anymore. If there was a way to work this out, believe us, we would. We’d keep putting up with you until we couldn’t stand it anymore, but that’s where we’re at right now. It’s an abusive relationship; in fact there’s been a long train of abuses. And you intend to keep usurping more power for your side until you have your boot on our damn necks. So we don’t just have the right, we have the duty to stand up for ourselves and say: no more. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’ve been patient with you, we’ve tried negotiating with you, we’ve tried contesting elections and sharing power with you, and you just want to take all the fucking marbles. You folks won’t stop until you’ve established a tyranny over us, a minority government that absolutely dominates both red states and blue. Look, the whole world can see your bullshit for themselves:</span></p><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">You stand in the way of the laws we need to promote the public good. We pass laws in the House of Representatives that are urgent and necessary – to protect the environment, voting rights, women’s rights, civil rights – and you keep blocking them in the Senate.</span></p></li></ul><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Our Senators represent tens of millions more people than your Senators, but you insist on using supermajority rules to maintain control. And when you control the Senate, you block us from appointing our fair share to the Judiciary. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Now that you’ve taken over the Supreme Court by gaming the system, you impose your will on all of us. You deny the blue states the right to regulate gun safety, but grant the red states the right to regulate women’s bodily autonomy. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Your Court tears down the wall of separation between church and state, insults the sovereignty of our indigenous tribes, allows corporations both foreign and domestic to corrupt our elections, destroys the Voting Rights Act that Dr. King fought and died for, and compromises our ability to regulate the fossil fuel emissions that are strangling our children’s future prosperity. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Now your Court threatens to take away our democracy entirely, by removing the rights of the people to vote your asses out of office. If they give red states the ability to override the consent of the governed in presidential elections, and substitute the will of a gerrymandered state legislature subject to no checks and balances, it’s game over for us.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Your red state legislatures have no respect for democracy. We all saw what happened in Wisconsin and Kentucky, when the people elected Democratic governors and the legislature turned around and fucking stripped them of their powers! Your continued willingness to usurp the people’s sovereignty is intolerable.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Your red state governors have no respect for federal laws. They work to run their own immigration policy. They work to suppress the votes of minority communities. They work to destroy the institution of free public education. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Red states won’t stop at removing the rights of women to plan when and whether to have children; they want to prevent women from traveling to blue states where those rights are respected. They want to prevent folks in blue states from informing women of the information they need to control their futures, from delivering to women the medication they need to prevent unwanted pregnancies. None of this is constitutional – for now. But you’ve made it plain that you want judges dependent on your will alone.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">We fought a Civil War that settled the idea of whether you could nullify federal law, keep other humans in bondage, or ignore the freedoms granted to all of us by the Bill of Rights. You fought for another hundred years, using terrorist militias and crooked judges, to deny the implementation of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. When we passed implementing laws like the Voting Rights Act, you worked sixty years to destroy them. You simply don’t see human rights the same way we do. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Twice in this century, that ridiculous Electoral College system has given us presidents that the majority of us voted against. Maps drawn hundreds of years ago give you more power than you deserve in the Senate, and maps drawn by computers have made less than a quarter of the seats in the House subject to contested elections. Maps drawn in the red states prevent the people from voting you out. You use your minority power to pack the courts and deny us liberty and justice for all. We keep proposing reforms that would make this system work better for all of us, but you have no incentive to change, and you prefer minority rule. We don’t. We fucking don’t. We won’t accept it, going forward. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Seriously, red state folks. The last time you lost an election, you would not abide by the will of the people. Your unelected president refused the peaceful transfer of power. He filed dozens of baseless lawsuits, threatened public servants, spread odious lies, and still could not prevail. So he conspired with red state allies to file fraudulent electoral certificates, pressured his Vice President to accept them and had crooked legislators ready to ratify this transparent busllshit. And when that too failed he summoned up private terrorist militias to invade the seat of government, to violently and unlawfully overthrow our duly elected government. The whole world saw this happen. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">And finally, as if that weren’t enough: you won't stop there. You keep making excuses for this bloodthirsty tyrant and his failed insurrection. You will try again and won’t stop until you have usurped control over all three branches and then, quite obviously, you will game the system so that you cannot lose another election. We can see you working to achieve this. You are not fucking subtle about it; you make your plans openly. You don’t accept our democracy, you never have and you never will. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /><br /></span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At every stage of this game we have been willing to work with you. We’ve offered plenty of compromises on the issues that divide us, and many of our leaders have humbly petitioned for bipartisanship. Instead we’ve had the hand of friendship slapped away. And so the divisions between us have worsened with every election cycle. Your repeated and obvious insults to democracy mark you as unfit to rule over a free people. We want out. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can’t say we didn’t warn you. We’ve complained that you are dangerously out of line, and that we won’t put up with minority rule. We’ve gone over it before, how we got to this point, from the compromises in Philadelphia to the March on Washington, and how we are not going back.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And friends, we have carried you for too long. We have shared our bounty with you. Where you insist on keeping wages low, communities powerless, corporations unfettered, you have reaped the whirlwind of higher poverty, earlier mortality, more disease, fewer educated. We keep sending you federal dollars to help. You have accepted our welfare and we have provided it magnanimously, paying out to DC far more than we get back. In essence: We have the taxation, and you have the representation. But our assistance, based on our common kinship, isn’t enough anymore. You’ve got us backed into a corner now. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We, today, recognize the need to separate, and we hold you red states as we do other countries: friends in peace, but if need be, enemies in war. We know you may well want to fight us if we walk away, that you won’t give up wanting to dominate us, continue taking from us and bullying us. We the people have fought tyranny before: at Yorktown, at Gettysburg, at Normandy, and also on the streets of Birmingham. You may well prevail this time, or you may not. But if we fight again we are going to fucking kill each other, in large numbers. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There's another path available. The people of Czechoslovakia, unlike their neighbors in Yugoslavia, were able to negotiate a peaceful divorce. Let’s take ten years to figure out our borders, a fair and beneficial trade agreement, a proportionate division of federal properties we have all invested in, and some sort of military treaty. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are going to be millions of people in your states who will be unhappy to live in your version of Red State America, and there will likewise be millions of our citizens unsatisfied with the government that Blue State America sees fit to create. Let ‘em vote with their feet. Let’s allow unfettered migration between our regions while we work out the details of our partition. Let‘s help them relocate, so they can live where they can best pursue their happiness. And maybe we’ll see whose system can best deliver that happiness. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Partition is wrenching and painful, but it’s better than civil war. Even if we can pull it off, we will be creating a whole new set of problems to deal with, both within and between our new countries. Hopefully our two governments can get along. We may yet come to blows, but we hope you might instead heed the example of the white minority of South Africa, who came to realize that the path of minority rule, and subjugation of the will of the majority, was a path of mutually assured destruction, of endless bloodshed in which they were unlikely to prevail. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But we need you to figure that out on your own now, because we’re done with you. We know how you are, and you’re not going to be allowed to continue fucking us over. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, therefore, the representatives of the future Democratic Republic of America, based on the will of the people and their elected representatives, appealing to whatever deity folks choose to worship regarding the rectitude of this plan, do solemnly publish and declare, that these blue states are and damn well ought to be free and independent to determine their own destiny, and that after July 4, 2032 we will no longer be bound by the 1787 Constitution of the United States, and that any and all political connection between them and the future Confederate States of America (or whatever you want to end up calling yourselves) is and damn well ought to be totally obliterated, and that we will be a free and independent state, able to wage war, negotiate peace, join alliances of like-minded democracies, trade with whom we please, levy sanctions on regimes that have no respect for human rights, and do anything else a free and sovereign people have the right to do, and know that in support of this here divorce letter, we are willing to put our blood, our treasure and our reputations on the line. </span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">PS: Don’t expect any fucking alimony!</span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With love, </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and by all rights, Georgia too, but we’ll swap you for North Carolina. Call our attorney.</span></p></span><div class="yj6qo"></div><div class="adL"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /></div>MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-89769942135211969632020-07-12T15:54:00.001-07:002020-07-12T16:23:11.509-07:00Watching the River Flow<span style="font-family: inherit;"><font size="3">
</font></span><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"></span></font></span></p><div><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><i>Note:
<a href="https://www.journaloftheplagueyear.ink/blog/we-re-number-one">A shorter version of this article</a> appears in the excellent online
publication <a href="https://www.journaloftheplagueyear.ink/">Journal of the Plague Year</a>, which deserves your readership
and support. This "director's cut" includes passages on Tucson's
response to the Black Lives Matter protests and the restoration of our
ancient river habitat. <br /></i></font></font></div><div><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><br /></font></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg3VlSCVT2Gb1zAYZCjeFpqsmU_x2zZuaqpWE0W0ZSgV_bvFjWxzowDayT-wV3h9IFe6lJwv7-0COGF8_6Eg2CfT5az6U2wta-2dHoPiMwQ2AH2lGNK6ZsPXTbsk9uY8MZlKjCvzhXDAVYVK3-29xID_6YJoSv_yqJrGfGsvMzbGjljfzRkd9w9XW7QKf4Ch_266foKxV-L4z-ieBHkklvpmk7nYMcXySFc7YQGCqUpy0OUdRlLQmRN8gT7C1Sx5Tpyx6EKzGGN=s636" style="clear: left; float: left; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="636" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg3VlSCVT2Gb1zAYZCjeFpqsmU_x2zZuaqpWE0W0ZSgV_bvFjWxzowDayT-wV3h9IFe6lJwv7-0COGF8_6Eg2CfT5az6U2wta-2dHoPiMwQ2AH2lGNK6ZsPXTbsk9uY8MZlKjCvzhXDAVYVK3-29xID_6YJoSv_yqJrGfGsvMzbGjljfzRkd9w9XW7QKf4Ch_266foKxV-L4z-ieBHkklvpmk7nYMcXySFc7YQGCqUpy0OUdRlLQmRN8gT7C1Sx5Tpyx6EKzGGN=w400-h234" width="400" /></a></font></div><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">For
years, t</font>he beleaguered liberals of Arizona joked that we couldn’t even be best
at being worst: the state was consistently ranked <a href="https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/census-report-arizona-ranks-49th-in-per-pupil-education-spending/article_c5af1d76-83b5-11df-affb-001cc4c03286.html" style="line-height: 1.15;">49th out of the 50 states in education </a>and not much better in most of the other indices o</font><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">f a civilized
middle-class existence. “Hey, we’re better than Alabama!” we’d comfort
ourselves. <span style="line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> </span></font></div><p></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">This
week, our state finally broke out: On July 7, Arizona had <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/briefing/arizona-mary-trump-facebook-your-wednesday-briefing.html" style="line-height: 1.15;">the most COVID-19 infections </a>per capita of any state -- i</span></font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">n fact, the most in the world if Arizona
was stacked up against countries instead of states. We were, finally, number
one.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> </span></font></span></p><p class="Default" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="color: #424242; line-height: 1.15;">We have stayed <a href="https://azbigmedia.com/business/covid-19-cases-in-arizona-top-40000-in-july-alone/" style="line-height: 1.15;">in the to</a></span></font></span></p><p class="Default" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="color: #424242; line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://azbigmedia.com/business/covid-19-cases-in-arizona-top-40000-in-july-alone/" style="line-height: 1.15;">p slot </a>for the past three days, with 117,000 cases by Friday and more than
2,000 deaths. The state’s hospitals are overwhelmed. Front-line medical workers
were posting accounts on social media that were indistinguishable from the
harrowing stories from New York in March. </span><span style="color: #424242; line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">I
live in Tucson, where out-of-control suburban sprawl has pushed the population
close to the one million mark. Yet in many ways, Tucson is still a small town.
A few years back I went to get my blood drawn and was surprised to find my
fellow local cartoonist <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi005uK3MjqAhX_ITQIHc-LAoUQFjAAegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMax_Cannon&usg=AOvVaw20KP96WBBE5ippf2-KQQ-e" style="line-height: 1.15;">Max Cannon</a> wielding the needle. His darkly funny strip
<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi005uK3MjqAhX_ITQIHc-LAoUQFjABegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redmeat.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw0zaNRhecMGafb4ShhTP1ug" style="line-height: 1.15;">Red Meat</a> ("the most tasteless and twisted comic in the world") had
been syndicated to alternative weeklies and once upon a time, his animated show
"Shadow Rock" was on Comedy Central. But as the creative class took a
nosedive, he was probably damn glad to have a day job.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"></span></font></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhcqQYGssfKqm9Rl4Ll2BK4BXW9M9aDxxF0kb2seY_CyfHruQb1S1IO1gbGt7uEQTChSoFyFZm7lY00a-zTLH_1y7l9p39KjgZTSjqr79HwA92kZxw0HF45t-4wl1Slz6jPPkHPglk8vDzgrfe2jA3fpVy12-Iico2nNu30nsAOjeUvtNAsFZKWDMGQ9lYWSbkeXmlCBt4zoP57Xm16KXJQ2ys69JjPih83KiAxsCivYJPhxAAWu7Aq_WDkmym_g5K0U-y-4z4sNQ=s600" style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhcqQYGssfKqm9Rl4Ll2BK4BXW9M9aDxxF0kb2seY_CyfHruQb1S1IO1gbGt7uEQTChSoFyFZm7lY00a-zTLH_1y7l9p39KjgZTSjqr79HwA92kZxw0HF45t-4wl1Slz6jPPkHPglk8vDzgrfe2jA3fpVy12-Iico2nNu30nsAOjeUvtNAsFZKWDMGQ9lYWSbkeXmlCBt4zoP57Xm16KXJQ2ys69JjPih83KiAxsCivYJPhxAAWu7Aq_WDkmym_g5K0U-y-4z4sNQ=s320" width="320" /></a></font></div><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">Two
weeks ago Max sent out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/max.cannon.redmeat/posts/10158588686719642" style="line-height: 1.15;">a harrowing account on</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/max.cannon.redmeat/posts/10158588686719642" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span lang="NL" style="line-height: 1.15;"> Facebook</span></a><span lang="NL" style="line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">:
“We risk ourselves and our family's health each day by doing this work. We
watch our coworkers get infected. And we experience much worse,” he wrote. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">“The
hospital has rationed our personal protective equipment. One single
(previous-to-this-pandemic) disposable N-95 mask is supposed to last us for
months now. Mine doesn't even fit my face because they only have two sizes available.
A number of physicians are buying their own PPE if it is available in a
hospital grade quality and is even available for purchase, which I can attest
from experience is not easily obtainable despite the products you see on Amazon
or elsewhere. Supplies of sterilizing cleaning products are running
disturbingly low.”</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Max
noted, presciently, that “the situation is about to go from very, very bad to
unimaginably worse.” </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">And
now that day has come. As of Monday, there were only 11 intensive care beds
available in the entire Tucson metropolitan area, home to over a million
people. For weeks we’ve had Yuma sending patients to Tucson, Tucson sending
them to Phoenix, anywhere a spare bed can be scrounged up. Now patients are
being <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi7l_jM3MjqAhXPIjQIHa_IBg4QFjAAegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftucson.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fcovid-19-patients-in-tucson-being-transferred-to-phoenix-out-of-state%2Farticle_9eb4cfb1-a1cb-5466-82b3-e23829be35ff.html&usg=AOvVaw36UCSw1NnlL7YFk7fDGskh" style="line-height: 1.15;">shipped out of state</a>, to Albuquerque, San Diego or Las Vegas. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">****</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiQkZjE3cjqAhWJITQIHQp9AlgQFjAAegQIBhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCharles_Bowden&usg=AOvVaw18FkhN1cRUrFYH6e4w1-t5" style="line-height: 1.15;">Charles Bowden</a>, the state’s uncrowned Nonfiction Prose Laureate, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjmibny3cjqAhV5IDQIHdwsArQQFjACegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fuapress.arizona.edu%2Fbook%2Fblue-desert-2&usg=AOvVaw1izJXRKCT6yqz9mihJ6ajk" style="line-height: 1.15;">once wrote of Arizona</a>:
“Here is a land of aching beauty and the people always fail the land.” In other
words, the disaster in Arizona isn’t a statistical fluke. Yet Arizona could be—just
maybe—the state that turns the Senate blue. Because we’re not crazy. Not all of
us. Really. It just <a href="https://www.enjuris.com/blog/az/strange-laws-in-arizona/" style="line-height: 1.15;">seems that way</a>. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Like
most Western states, much of Arizona is federal land—parks, wildlife refuges.
That’s indirectly linked to the region’s tradition of small government,
conservative politics: “We don’t want no stinkin’ federal gummint tellin’ us
what to do.” But that’s the old Arizona. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span>
</p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">This
week, in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjY9Jiv3cjqAhWKCTQIHW3ABS0QFjAAegQIBRAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPhbB6pgvf_Y&usg=AOvVaw1jXtTOT51ytZFzKEjktQy3" style="line-height: 1.15;">an interview with Rachel Maddow</a>, Pima County health director Teresa
Cullen admonished the host that Arizona can’t be reduced to a stereotype. Pima
County, is in many ways, a snapshot of the state, she explained, with more than
one</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> million people
living in rural, semi-rural, and urban areas, including two American Indian
reservations. “We’re a very eclectic group in terms of the country,” Cullen
said gently, but pointedly.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Most
of the state’s population lives in the two major cities: Tucson and Phoenix. </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">In a rivalry akin to the way San Franciscans
used to look down on Los Angeles, Tucson is a university town, and likes to
think of itself as the hipper, cooler younger sibling to Phoenix. But Phoenix
contains 60 percent of the state’s population. The important Phoenicians are
the good old boys, traditionally real estate developers, who run the place. And
Phoenix votes Republican. That’s the conventional wisdom and it’s almost always
true. </span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"></span></font></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh9WlEzdY9cLqsjh-CXlHJVnN-ksVOJNB0begEl8tRCqELEsCHhTn-MDnI4dn4K3q5kX5laPG80TFh7MLER0aWpRgb3ovimoEjdNxV6L8Yy-fLgafvprbAodvQ_8m2s4MiSt3vaKtH-scARxuJBqvmuCeKjaq5rK1OiduobUsbVCeoZxu1zbW6qR3BMiRwAwKYiTLZNcYHVpPTDhyphenhyphen9Pzcn86y-8HrdCVSDzdXHgKeTG5xGdYe01uQW0hpLJfGyNKBAg1Von=s2048" style="clear: left; float: left; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh9WlEzdY9cLqsjh-CXlHJVnN-ksVOJNB0begEl8tRCqELEsCHhTn-MDnI4dn4K3q5kX5laPG80TFh7MLER0aWpRgb3ovimoEjdNxV6L8Yy-fLgafvprbAodvQ_8m2s4MiSt3vaKtH-scARxuJBqvmuCeKjaq5rK1OiduobUsbVCeoZxu1zbW6qR3BMiRwAwKYiTLZNcYHVpPTDhyphenhyphen9Pzcn86y-8HrdCVSDzdXHgKeTG5xGdYe01uQW0hpLJfGyNKBAg1Von=s320" width="320" /></a></font></div><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">This is how the former CEO of a chain of premium
ice cream stores ended up handling the Covid-19 pandemic. Doug Ducey, <span lang="PT" style="line-height: 1.15;">Arizona</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">’s GOP governor since 2015, has the
look of a perpetually overwhelmed middle manager and a business record
disturbingly reminiscent of Donald Trump’s. As CEO of Cold Stone Creamery, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwin-qiQ3sjqAhX0JTQIHQNrAYQQFjACegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.phoenixnewtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fdemocrats-call-doug-duceys-cold-stone-a-ponzi-scheme-and-say-it-with-ice-cream-6637728&usg=AOvVaw21CIvMchg05D4ribDokLMX" style="line-height: 1.15;">his aggressive expansion</a> ended with franchisees racking up nearly a 30% default
rate on Small Business Administration loans, the fourth worst in the nation.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Ducey
got out before the company before the bill came due. </span><span lang="PT" style="line-height: 1.15;">As </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">treasurer, <a href="https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2017/12/15/an-incomplete-look-at-the-koch-brothers-influence-in-arizona" style="line-height: 1.15;">he helped the right-wing,libertarian Koch brothers</a> defeat an education funding initiative in 2012. Two
years later, they poured $1.4 million into his gubernatorial campaign. Now there
are rumors he’d like to be a senator, but his mishandling of the coronavirus
may end his political career. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">Perhaps
it was Ducey’s business career that primed him for the nation’s worst Covid
disaster. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Ducey issued <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi-5Yep3sjqAhUVO30KHdTrAa0QFjAAegQIBhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fazgovernor.gov%2Fexecutive-orders&usg=AOvVaw3ofPrWEDhlgO9hWb4hmBUP" style="line-height: 1.15;">a patchwork of executive orders</a> to deal with the pandemic in mid-March. Schools were shut down
for a few weeks, and later, the shutdown was extended for the rest of the term.
The governor ordered bars, theaters, and gyms closed on March 19, after many
mayors had already done so. At that point, there were 45 cases of Covid-19 in
the state of Arizona. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
F</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">our days later, Ducey issued what
amounted to</span><span lang="NL" style="line-height: 1.15;"> loopho</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">les
for “<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjUztrr3sjqAhXYJjQIHUgECysQFjABegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bizjournals.com%2Fphoenix%2Fnews%2F2020%2F04%2F03%2Fducey-shortens-list-of-essential-services-forcing.html&usg=AOvVaw3WjHzBK31i0VTHNFFpRVtE" style="line-height: 1.15;">essential services</a>” that would stay open if the state shut down. The list
included payday lenders, hair salons, laundromats and golf courses -- but only
in counties with active cases, a list that changed from day to day. Eventually,
Ducey was forced to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi-5Yep3sjqAhUVO30KHdTrAa0QFjAEegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fstory%2Fopinion%2Fop-ed%2Flaurieroberts%2F2020%2F03%2F30%2Fgov-doug-ducey-finally-figures-out-arizonans-need-stay-home%2F5091497002%2F&usg=AOvVaw2sE7j09KwJ2yuedmDwq7tH" style="line-height: 1.15;">issue a shutdown order</a>, but it didn’t last long.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> </span></font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">As
early as April 17, alarmed at the economic fallout, the president began
tweeting demands to “</span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwii-Lia38jqAhWXJTQIHV7GCPAQFjAAegQIBhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Foutlook%2F2020%2F04%2F17%2Fliberate-michigan-trump-constitution%2F&usg=AOvVaw2w5EejPxnYQmhaIJapjYv2" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span lang="IT" style="line-height: 1.15;">liberate</span></a><span style="line-height: 1.15;">” the
states from shutdown. Ducey, along with other red-state governors, fell in
line, announcing a partial reopening to begin May 4. On May 12, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi-5Yep3sjqAhUVO30KHdTrAa0QFjACegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fktar.com%2Fstory%2F3150324%2Fducey-to-end-arizona-stay-at-home-order-friday-enter-phase-1-of-reopening%2F&usg=AOvVaw0N7LH__cpvlBdvfjA0baQV" style="line-height: 1.15;">he lifted his shutdown order</a>, with little leeway or guidance for the more stricken areas. Ducey
also prevented mayors from issuing any facemask orders. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">As
the reopening began, the state was poised at just under 12,000 cumulative cases.
Freedom-loving Arizonans immediately began acting like the virus was gone for
good, flocking to bars, malls and casinos, while Romero and other mayors were
helpless to intervene. </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;"><br />
</span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">W</span><span lang="DE" style="line-height: 1.15;">hen </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">the lockdown was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/06/14/876786952/health-experts-link-rise-in-arizona-coronavirus-cases-to-end-of-stay-at-home-ord" style="line-height: 1.15;">unconditionally lifted</a>, in the middle of May, we were just
hitting a streak of triple-digit temperatures that sent stir-crazy crowds to
the air-conditioned comfort of Applebee’s and Fuddruckers, unmasked and
oblivious. Still: worse than Florida? That’s some kind of achievement. Maybe it’s
the higher proportion of Native Americans, and the institutional racism that
has <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiGiduz38jqAhXGJTQIHR6BDT8QFjA7egQIEBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-us-canada-52941984&usg=AOvVaw2s8Qb-rVYeK9H4ntPzGWqC" style="line-height: 1.15;">condemned the Navajo Nation</a> to malign neglect, that has given us the edge,
along with the ratfuck crazy black helicopter paranoia <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi5o7Dq38jqAhUKFzQIHUvdBEgQFjAHegQICRAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanityfair.com%2Fnews%2F2012%2F05%2Fbirthers-barry-goldwater-richard-hofstadter-arizona-arpaio&usg=AOvVaw2a0fDUnIJ4ik1iTcQuTZ9y" style="line-height: 1.15;">endemic to the American West</a> that shifts anti-vaxxers into anti-maskers without grinding the gears.</span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">The
inevitable spike began after Memorial Day. By July 6, the state had topped
100,000 total cases, poised on the brink of the kind of catastrophe seen in
Italy and New York. Ducey still has not reinstated shutdown orders, and while
bars and gyms are closed, restaurant dining rooms remain open. Our ICUs are
almost at full capacity and cases continue to rise. As our community is flooded
beyond existing levees, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/13/us/politics/faced-with-crisis-and-re-election-senate-republicans-blame-china.html" style="line-height: 1.15;">recrimination</a> will be as inevitable as the <a href="https://www.abc15.com/news/coronavirus/phoenix-mayor-abrazo-nearly-out-of-morgue-space-may-be-requesting-refrigerated-trucks" style="line-height: 1.15;">bodies stacked in hallways</a>.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">
****<br />
</span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">Arizona is mirroring the nation’s
breakdown. The chief executive is malevolently incompetent and it is the female
mayors of Phoenix and Tucson, both Democrats, who are fighting to save lives.
But their authority is limited, and without support from Ducey, their efforts
haven’t been sufficient to stop the spread. <a href="https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/06/12/arizona-covid-19-rise-reopening" style="line-height: 1.15;">Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told the news media </a>on Friday that the county medical examiner’s office was at 96
percent capacity and that officials were working to “secure a contract for
refrigerator trucks.” Not for the first time, she pressed Gov. Ducey to
institute a statewide mask requirement.</font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">Since the pandemic took hold, the
political math in Arizona has changed. The Senate race has narrowed between
Republican Martha McSally, who is close to Donald Trump, and Democratic
candidate Mark Kelly, a former astronaut married to former Congresswoman Gabrielle
Giffords, whose shooting is still fresh in the minds of people who live in the
state. Kelly’s candidacy has attracted national support, and without
opportunities for rallies and face-to-face interactions, he can outspend his
rival. In Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/501055-kelly-holds-double-digit-lead-over-mcsally-in-arizona-poll" style="line-height: 1.15;">Kelly leads McSally in the polls</a> by 18 percent.</font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">Bill Clinton won Arizona by a narrow
margin the second time he ran for president, marking what Democrats hoped would
be a change in the state’s politics. But when times get tough, Arizona, a boom
and bust state, reverts to its traditional ways. </font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">When
unemployment claims spiked off the charts at the end of March, Regina Romero
had been Tucson’s </span><span lang="" style="line-height: 1.15;">mayor for </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">only
four months. </span><span lang="PT" style="line-height: 1.15;">A </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">former city
council member, she’s the first female mayor, and the first Hispanic mayor in
nearly 150 years. Never an economic powerhouse, Tucson’s main employers involve
education, military spending, prisons, local governments, health care and
big-box retailers (not coincidentally, most of these are vectors for the efficient
spread of airborne virus particles). The median income here is around $50,000,
well below the national average -- or the state average, for that matter. And the
economy, recovering from the housing crisis, had just gotten going again before
it was shut down. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"></span></font></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEilMZ5gXMDa6blFNUhfOzBuXlYKKZZ1Em4MSVZ19ZGY_eQWlxZ1DASGfZAZ6qrswsn5q5pMU2haKWDusCVZ13uUoqwwLYCce3dgwwT5cT9LjpDe8hDgTYlWzRqL1Yg-9mqJCtJcP4iOGIjQpW7DFd0wI-g2ZlCDKDhtqEH3YucE_GG8pH55avV8-LhDBdrku0pGaMplwtlkX1dXTXaP_Co_w92gojHGyZaVNV3Yd5gPNI1uUtymlndkeLCvR0J-B3JQOpzsYvNoeXBV3-rrJc0LWUj5FG0N6o-7A4O34eVGci-qA9RWxP30lEZmYCVt6g=s1200" style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEilMZ5gXMDa6blFNUhfOzBuXlYKKZZ1Em4MSVZ19ZGY_eQWlxZ1DASGfZAZ6qrswsn5q5pMU2haKWDusCVZ13uUoqwwLYCce3dgwwT5cT9LjpDe8hDgTYlWzRqL1Yg-9mqJCtJcP4iOGIjQpW7DFd0wI-g2ZlCDKDhtqEH3YucE_GG8pH55avV8-LhDBdrku0pGaMplwtlkX1dXTXaP_Co_w92gojHGyZaVNV3Yd5gPNI1uUtymlndkeLCvR0J-B3JQOpzsYvNoeXBV3-rrJc0LWUj5FG0N6o-7A4O34eVGci-qA9RWxP30lEZmYCVt6g=s320" width="320" /></a></font></div><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">Once,
not that long ago, Tucson’s downtown was so deserted that a lone horseman rode
undisturbed past the statue of Pancho Villa on his rearing stallion, the past
and the present crossing paths as if in that moment between sleep and
wakefulness when dream and reality are indistinguishable. Then Tucson was
discovered. For the past few years, c<span lang="FR" style="line-height: 1.15;">onstruction cranes </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">have </span><span lang="PT" style="line-height: 1.15;">adorn</span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">ed the skyline, building new high-rise
hotels and apartments, and road crews have been busy widening freeway
interchanges and arterials. </span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 1.15;">What
fueled the downtown building boom was <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwibzv624MjqAhWXJjQIHbQEDIYQFjAPegQICBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSun_Link&usg=AOvVaw2rspFHIJTQTc-OyUys91_G" style="line-height: 1.15;">a four-mile light rail line</a> snaking from
the University of Arizona to the west bank of the Santa Cruz River. Height
limits were relaxed in an effort to encourage density along the route, and
since its launch in 2014, the streetcar line has attracted over $1 billion in
investment, with new bars and restaurants popping up regularly. </span><span lang="PT" style="line-height: 1.15;">A </span><span style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;"> </span>cohort of office workers and trust-fund
students replaced the bohemian atmosphere that flourished when rents were low.
But even as it rebuilt, Tucson seemed to be looking over its shoulder,
anticipating the next crash.</span><span style="line-height: 200%;"></span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.15;">Now,
of course, many of the restaurants are shuttered (or limited to takeout), and
Ducey just closed bars again (<a href="https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona-governor-ducey-coronavirus-covid-restaurant-capacity-halved-11480032" style="line-height: 1.15;">though not restaurants</a>) statewide. The highrise
apartments were meant to house college students, who may well be studying
online in their hometowns this term. The new hotels targeted conventioneers and
tourists, but those bookings have all been cancelled. And the new lanes were
budgeted in anticipation of ever-increasing demand for automobile traffic, an
assumption that started to look questionable even in the before times. It looks
now like we were rebuilding a city that belonged to a different time, and may
need to go back to the drawing board.</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.15;"><br />
</span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.15;">****<br /></span></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.15;">
</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.15;">The poverty rate before the crash
was around a quarter of the city, about double the nationwide statistic, and a
good ten points above Arizona’s rate. The numbers now are anyone’s guess, but
much of Tucson, like most of America, was just a paycheck or two away from
being broke. The tension of sheltering with laid-off family members was bad
enough before George Floyd was publicly executed on May 25. Just as in cities
nationwide, a spontaneous burst of frustration included acts of vandalism and
property destruction early on, but protests have continued on a mostly peaceful
basis, with relatively few arrests.</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.15;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.15;"></span></font></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgoHaBPJe4VXY6cxptZE1yQU-cRxciZTRxrAIFZpvjuSfKP1A9DwX7ZRPTQAkLVoP1LpEuTA1NPj7B6134Xdd1LC759KXoszZWIu-AWD4vHpyMVPueuK7pR2E36FGH3jOHcNtHXRz40QYHgkRP27vycnUbV6a9pMmOYGPjm8niW-4VM1ua6VwsplphpLPzCWBGo3tBO56SxGIl7jutJ-X7ht3nNsbDeBE63QvJkBuQcv_MTUYnk=s1280" style="clear: left; float: left; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgoHaBPJe4VXY6cxptZE1yQU-cRxciZTRxrAIFZpvjuSfKP1A9DwX7ZRPTQAkLVoP1LpEuTA1NPj7B6134Xdd1LC759KXoszZWIu-AWD4vHpyMVPueuK7pR2E36FGH3jOHcNtHXRz40QYHgkRP27vycnUbV6a9pMmOYGPjm8niW-4VM1ua6VwsplphpLPzCWBGo3tBO56SxGIl7jutJ-X7ht3nNsbDeBE63QvJkBuQcv_MTUYnk=s320" width="320" /></a></font></div><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">The city responded with a commitment
to policing reform, though an ordinance limiting the filming of police within
the boundaries of a crime scene (since repealed) drew nationwide criticism. <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiEwujW4MjqAhX-HDQIHVOkCTEQFjAAegQIARAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tucsonsentinel.com%2Flocal%2Freport%2F053020_protests_tucson%2F100s-protesters-tucson-police-face-off-during-demonstration-over-george-floyd-death%2F&usg=AOvVaw3kEnu5gyFaEWi3-yeWb0QT" style="line-height: 1.15;">Mayor Romero stated on May 30</a> that “<span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;">This
week has tapped into a deep and generational pain rooted in a long history of
iniquity and oppression." The police chief, Chris Magnus, condemned the
“indefensible use of force” by Minneapolis police officers. But what Tucson
didn’t know was that on the day George Floyd died, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi7tKTp4MjqAhXMFzQIHdW6ApgQFjALegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecut.com%2F2020%2F06%2Fwhat-we-know-about-the-killing-of-carlos-ingram-lopez.html&usg=AOvVaw2oL-3zAdrVW8v4V1WuNg1t" style="line-height: 1.15;">Carlos Ingram-Lopez</a> had
already been dead for a month. </span></font><p></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;">
</font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;">Video
footage of his April 21 arrest shows TPD officers kneeling on the back of the
handcuffed suspect, who complained with the words “I can’t breathe.” The three
officers involved were initially cleared in the death, with cocaine being
blamed for the suspect’s cardiac arrest. But later investigation showed they
had violated department standards, and all of them resigned before they could
be fired. Chief Magnus acknowledged that his department had not notified the
community of the suspect’s death, and when the video surfaced, <a href="#" id="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi7tKTp4MjqAhXMFzQIHdW6ApgQFjAYegQIBhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2020%2Fjun%2F25%2Ftucson-carlos-ingram-lopez-police-chief-resignation&usg=AOvVaw2Ul-IsB243Ap_r3La6Oi7V" name="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi7tKTp4MjqAhXMFzQIHdW6ApgQFjAYegQIBhAB&url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/25/tucson-carlos-ingram-lopez-police-chief-resignation&usg=AOvVaw2Ul-IsB243Ap_r3La6Oi7V" style="line-height: 1.15;">he offered to resign</a>. </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;">But neither the mayor or city
manager, or even the suspect’s family, accepted his resignation. Magnus, one of
the nation’s first open gay police chiefs, is generally well regarded in the
community. He’s known for his commitment to policing reform and for supporting
Black Lives Matter from its inception. When he said he had not seen the video
until recently, many were willing to take him at his word -- though on July 8,
TPD released the results of its internal probe of <a href="http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/070820_tpd_death/tucson-police-release-info-death-hobbled-man-meth-months-after-fatal-incident" style="line-height: 1.15;">another death of yet another suspect</a>, restrained and gasping the familiar complaint “I can’t breathe.”
Demands for further transparency are sure to follow.</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;"><br />
<br />
</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;">Mayor Romero, who had hung a BLM
banner from City Hall, has largely escaped repercussions for the incident, as
it seems she was kept in the dark. But last week, she managed to antagonize
police supporters by <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjN4tCL4sjqAhVKIDQIHVVOClYQFjAGegQIBxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftucson.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Ftim-stellers-opinion-mayor-turned-minor-issue-into-major-blowup%2Farticle_b3431f33-1b49-53dd-8eb7-96f6ba8ceb97.html&usg=AOvVaw3mlZRpzeUJD_D64pnbKmra" style="line-height: 1.15;">reversing the city manager’s decision</a> to allow a symbolic
“thin blue line” to be painted in front of police headquarters. Based on a
couple of genuinely offensive Facebook posts, she labelled the originator of
the request as a “white supremacist,” and refused to allow the painting, to the
outrage of other supporters.</span></font></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;"> </span>
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;">Police argued that a huge Black Lives Matter slogan
had been painted just a few blocks away on the same city street. The city
attorney ruled that neither of them, or any political slogan, should be allowed
to be painted on city streets. But that has hardly defused the ire of the
pro-police advocates, and now <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjN4tCL4sjqAhVKIDQIHVVOClYQFjAEegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kgun9.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Ftucson-back-the-blue-calls-for-mayor-romeros-resignation&usg=AOvVaw2oQ-1FSQ9YfLnb9d3tq2C8" style="line-height: 1.15;">calls for Romero’s resignation</a> or recall have
arisen. However minor a controversy compared to the enormity of our other
crises, it’s managed to put a tense community further on edge. </span></font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="line-height: 1.15;">****<br /></span></font></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--></span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 1.15;">Down by the Santa Cruz River, you can escape that tension for a while, watching the wildlife return to the ancient channel. </span>The Santa Cruz is flowing through the heart of Tucson once again, even if it’s not quite the same river that first attracted human settlement here ten thousand years ago. The Santa Cruz vanished as a year-round river around mid-century, after farming and mining upstream had sucked it dry. Since then, Tucson grew from around 75,000 thirsty residents to over a million, putting additional strain on the ancient aquifer. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></font></span></p><p class="Body" style="line-height: 1.15; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.15;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b32795b2-7fff-82bb-a5e2-f714caf0451b" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b></font></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b32795b2-7fff-82bb-a5e2-f714caf0451b" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg6EaxlBUFgp1a1F_il3fVDEU8Eva-71OL7G8fsjK_o7gCbgm7gw-Ph3CVlkfQuyMcXICwzgatuutflsz0dRxgpJ_3yH0KXXKbgHry5y_4lqN9A4-PQ_Jv4ZArX3GC8_vkNzHdmNz-iImTlEWpowTFXv_7BpjQTOMsUTxgPPdThR8RXACGlg2kI4UQh_0_S4a2QLwlLmgUeQ-JOiZqkAYTmG6xCEqCdY7r4pJPnuzu5yRZFS52-7IX90Zt7ubx4QGdPON_uz2OU5gXHN1T8DAPESk_HsGCrG520l4AFm0cRgwLe46hgCpT8QMF2nJYmBQ=s1200" style="clear: right; float: right; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEg6EaxlBUFgp1a1F_il3fVDEU8Eva-71OL7G8fsjK_o7gCbgm7gw-Ph3CVlkfQuyMcXICwzgatuutflsz0dRxgpJ_3yH0KXXKbgHry5y_4lqN9A4-PQ_Jv4ZArX3GC8_vkNzHdmNz-iImTlEWpowTFXv_7BpjQTOMsUTxgPPdThR8RXACGlg2kI4UQh_0_S4a2QLwlLmgUeQ-JOiZqkAYTmG6xCEqCdY7r4pJPnuzu5yRZFS52-7IX90Zt7ubx4QGdPON_uz2OU5gXHN1T8DAPESk_HsGCrG520l4AFm0cRgwLe46hgCpT8QMF2nJYmBQ=s320" width="320" /></a></b></font></div><font size="3" style="line-height: 1.15;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-b32795b2-7fff-82bb-a5e2-f714caf0451b" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;">But the ghost of our river has returned. Starting in 1993, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiJooDJ4sjqAhVGFjQIHZXaApcQFjAHegQIBRAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCentral_Arizona_Project&usg=AOvVaw1x52ENwANLa0X-PIQnGrb6" style="line-height: 1.15;">water has been pumped in</a> from the Colorado River, 364 miles away, gradually replenishing the groundwater. Of course, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi36d_a4sjqAhW6JjQIHZ0gCsIQFjADegQIBhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fstory%2Fmoney%2Fbusiness%2Fenergy%2F2019%2F11%2F18%2Fnavajo-generating-station-coal-plant-arizona-closes%2F2567154001%2F&usg=AOvVaw30Oyv--hvJj-3ID1rqf6X2" style="line-height: 1.15;">the coal-fired plant</a> needed to power those pumps helped diminish the snowmelt necessary to keep the Colorado flowing, but maybe we can divert some extra from the flooded fields of the Midwest to keep that going. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starting about a year ago, the security of that water supply allowed Tucson to begin <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjlkf7_4sjqAhXsHDQIHQaUAlEQFjAAegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.azpm.org%2Fp%2Fnews-articles%2F2019%2F7%2F1%2F154215-initial-flow-for-santa-cruz-river-project-goes-beyond-expectations%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1ZKnBclV4mf45uESyqWpd1YQ7o4K73AhOS0KG2RMqK8R3O7UFSEMb5vzY&usg=AOvVaw0M3vrkREwavrSlCAlAz1Y9" style="line-height: 1.15;">recharging 3 million gallons a day</a> of treated effluent into the Santa Cruz. It wasn’t much of a river -- galumphing in south of downtown, and trickling out again a few miles north -- but <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjuu4mS48jqAhWFJjQIHYCsCHwQFjANegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kgun9.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Flife-pours-back-into-the-santa-cruz-but-changes-are-ahead&usg=AOvVaw1ZcT9poNMsDF2sNStSOMWj" style="line-height: 1.15;">riparian habitat started to return</a>, literally within days. Dozens of varieties of dragonflies, three native toad species, and a birdwatcher’s dream of egrets, herons, and kingfishers -- even an errant pelican -- swiftly arrived.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After eight months, though, the river became a victim of its own success. Rising groundwater levels threatened to seep into retired landfills nearby, possibly leaching dangerous toxins into our water supply. So the river was <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwityqOt48jqAhUFOn0KHftzBy4QFjAAegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftucson.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Freleases-of-water-into-the-santa-cruz-river-slashed-to-protect-landfill%2Farticle_3107abbf-1e22-5f0e-80d6-3f7023bb6656.html&usg=AOvVaw1qJ29ci0Slwd_Kel5BXxlJ" style="line-height: 1.15;">shut down again</a>, and bulldozers cleared out the nascent vegetation in order to help the water flow more efficiently, without pooling up and overfilling the aquifer. Wildlife scattered away again as the channel was resculpted to better cohabit with the city. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, last week, the earthmoving equipment moved out and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjQ3IHT48jqAhUvFTQIHea5CpcQxfQBCDAwAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftucson.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Freclaimed-water-is-back-in-santa-cruz-river-near-downtown-tucson-attracting-wildlife%2Farticle_49bd48f1-9ff2-59e1-9c7d-bfb34e0ac8c2.html&usg=AOvVaw2QAC4Z8gHomoovqPGewO_y" style="line-height: 1.15;">the ghost river returned</a>. Once again, the flora and fauna have rebounded, hopefully for the long term. And that’s exactly how Tucson is flowing haphazardly into the next decade -</span></b><b id="docs-internal-guid-b32795b2-7fff-82bb-a5e2-f714caf0451b" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.15; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> robbing Peter to pay Paul, depleting our resources, jury-rigging plans that only create new problems. The overlapping national crises of the Covid, the crash and the cops may yet be resolved, but there’s no going back to the way it used to be. </span></b>But if the fallout from this crisis sweeps some
new leadership into office, we have the chance to begin a restoration, just
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<![endif]--></p>MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-90285633101126749352020-03-04T14:31:00.000-07:002020-03-14T11:19:05.073-07:00One Weird Trick That Helped Me Lose 100 Pounds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Diet and exercise, if you want to know the truth -- which I guess is two weird tricks. Actually there were lots of weird tricks along the way, which I can explain. But I should start by saying that I’m not a doctor; I have some limited expertise in <a href="http://furia.com/pjs/voter_6594999.html">music trivia</a>, <a href="http://www.nixonsaga.com/">letterpress printing</a>, <a href="http://www.markzepezauer.com/search/label/politics">bloviating about politics</a>, and <a href="https://www.susd12.org/2019StarPride">quieting groups of unruly teenagers</a> in order to force-feed them facts about American history. I’m not qualified in any way to dispense medical advice, and besides, what worked for me may not necessarily work for you. So consult a healthcare professional before trying anything as radical as diet and exercise.<br />
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Now, the first thing you need to do in order to lose a hundred pounds is to make yourself a hundred pounds overweight. Not gonna lie; this part is pretty fun. It involved unlimited portions of all my favorite foods, weekly <a href="https://1912brewing.com/">growlers of craft beer</a>, regular desserts with the family, lots of carby snacks like chips (and, well, more chips), cheesy breakfast burritos several times a week, bowls of cereal before bed in case I had to go to sleep the least bit hungry, and very little of that pesky exercise. True, this also involved some denial and self-loathing, but hey, life is full of trade-offs. And this worked for me until it didn’t.<br />
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I knew this couldn’t go on forever, but part of why I thought (for way too long) that I could get away with it was that I had successfully lost fifty pounds before. Three times.<br />
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Each time, I gained the weight back and then some, <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-people-diet-lose-weight-and-gain-it-all-back/">like the majority of dieters do</a>. The first time was in my early forties, after gradually gaining weight throughout my thirties. It all kind of blurs together now, but one regimen involved Weight Watchers and yoga. A second try, in my late forties/early fifties, featured another for-pay program whose name escapes me, but it included a survey to customize a diet for your particular body type, and there was lots of weight training and hiking. Yet again, in my late fifties, I started out by consulting a healthcare professional, who mostly counseled <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/dieting-weight-loss/how-mindful-eating-can-help-you-lose-weight/">mindfulness</a> and <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/multimedia/portion-control/sls-20076148">portion control</a>. I did a lot of swimming and biking, and was determined to keep the weight off this time, and for a couple of years, I did. I understood that this was a lifetime commitment, not a crash program, and that I had to stick with it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BVRCdBPhFJcIRgkOSTid6_ORKY9aymxenrdJqSdg86H2DCeZcdUjj-59ggv8vRvaGsFamN6EDjZQVAaN6IJpmoQad-1EFifz2rpoRuVe_nHFqN4ppRchXBIrJs2lTQ468ivoDcIXE3sg/s1600/the-hand-portioning-method-by-betty-jean-bell.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BVRCdBPhFJcIRgkOSTid6_ORKY9aymxenrdJqSdg86H2DCeZcdUjj-59ggv8vRvaGsFamN6EDjZQVAaN6IJpmoQad-1EFifz2rpoRuVe_nHFqN4ppRchXBIrJs2lTQ468ivoDcIXE3sg/s320/the-hand-portioning-method-by-betty-jean-bell.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></div>
Then I had a series of health problems that precluded regular exercise: a lung inflammation that lasted nearly a year; a pinched nerve in my neck, a couple of painful back injuries, and a bout of cellulitis that left me hospitalized for a week and hobbling for months. Along the way, my resolve weakened and I stopped weighing myself regularly. I told myself (or maybe my <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190812160533.htm">gut brain</a> told my head brain) that if I couldn’t exercise, there wasn’t much point to eating healthy. (I know!) So shortly after my 61st birthday, I found myself much heavier than ever before. And I had a new health problem to deal with: alarmingly high blood pressure.<br />
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On Father’s Day, 2018, my family gave me a Fitbit, and I started taking weight loss seriously again. Once I replaced the battery in my long-neglected bathroom scale, I weighed in at exactly 270 pounds, and I began by simply walking more. The Fitbit reminds you to get up and walk around once an hour, and sets a basic goal of at least 10,000 steps a day. <a href="https://blog.fitbit.com/should-you-really-take-10000-steps-a-day/">Their website explains</a> that that’s a bit more than most folks do every day, and so you have to go out of your way to meet the goal: park on the far side of the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, that sort of thing. I made a point of going the long way around the alleyway whenever I took out the garbage. Some days I did eight or nine thousand steps, some days eleven or twelve. Funny thing, though: when summer was over and I went back to my gig as a schoolteacher, I notched 25,000 steps the very first day! I’m lucky to have a job that <a href="https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10304395/teachers-do-you-take-that-many-steps-in-the-classroom">keeps me on my feet</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58092af62994caba273c3bc3/1520015134520-LS9P5PMSDNPNPZR0EAHY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kA47qaxzGU3oa60Mv3IrElh7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0jBK0T3M-v-AVkQFEHxhNgUudw45kiY-UQ73op4W9iSPFDhmgzum_ZisgY9UJzHOlA/IMG_0394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="160" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58092af62994caba273c3bc3/1520015134520-LS9P5PMSDNPNPZR0EAHY/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kA47qaxzGU3oa60Mv3IrElh7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0jBK0T3M-v-AVkQFEHxhNgUudw45kiY-UQ73op4W9iSPFDhmgzum_ZisgY9UJzHOlA/IMG_0394.jpg" width="320" /></a>But as <a href="https://veep.fandom.com/wiki/Morning_After">Sue explained to Mike on Veep</a>, it’s not just about the steps; the number of floors climbed matters, too. And I happen to live in a neighborhood with a few steep hills to keep me challenged. As I started to shed pounds, I was able to do steeper hills and longer walks, and before long I was back to hiking <a href="https://tumamoc.arizona.edu/walk-hill">Tumamoc Hill</a>, a local landmark that had helped me with previous weight-loss efforts. It’s around three miles round trip, but the steep 700-foot climb has an average grade of about eleven percent, which sure helps get the heart moving. In bad weather, I could substitute a 17-story building near my kid’s school, whose stairwells I could climb -- initially, at least, with some considerable effort.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7t1OVL9M6wQgZoetd15Nh5LGiUbBoJ3cZjJBNwfJM9R3CQqzJq8jyDE4efg6Pz2el0xK5AMAZxg68JhWFARRozYcKkNYRvwPK2iKTG29xnNMyywNOSoaMXf6lnq25XgHoyEbcQgjs-PkP/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="883" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7t1OVL9M6wQgZoetd15Nh5LGiUbBoJ3cZjJBNwfJM9R3CQqzJq8jyDE4efg6Pz2el0xK5AMAZxg68JhWFARRozYcKkNYRvwPK2iKTG29xnNMyywNOSoaMXf6lnq25XgHoyEbcQgjs-PkP/s320/image.jpg" width="320" /></a>The other weird trick, er, lifestyle change I made was to switch to a <a href="https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm">vegan diet</a>. I had been a vegetarian for many years before lapsing back into omnivorousness, so this wasn’t a huge stretch for me. Cutting out meat, eggs and dairy (about <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2017/01/14/struggling-vegan-why-i-believe-selective-veganism-is-the-way-forward-6381107/">95% of the time</a>), along with all the beer and desserts I’d been enjoying, helped me shed pounds rapidly once I left my sedentary life behind. <br />
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I vowed, though, to strive never to be an “<a href="https://thoughtcatalog.com/janne-robinson/2018/04/how-to-be-a-vegan-and-not-be-an-asshole/">asshole vegan</a>.” So I don’t post slaughterhouse videos, I don’t harangue people online, I don’t interrogate my hosts about their ingredients; after all, a little parmesan in the salad isn’t going to kill me. I may enjoy a little seafood, two or three times a month. I try to avoid p<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/film/the-10-films-sure-to-turn-meateaters-vegan-a3743351.html">roselytizing my dietary preferences</a>. A vegan diet may or may not feel right to you. Both my doctor and his nurse told me they could “<a href="https://keepinitkind.com/but-i-could-never-go-vegan/">never do that!</a>” -- they would miss meat or cheese too much. But they both agreed that the more you cut back on those foods, the healthier it is for <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-benefits">you</a>, your <a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-health/financial-perks-of-plant-based-diets-3464.aspx">wallet</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/vegan-climate-change-2558286917.html">the planet</a>. <br />
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<span id="goog_692065256"></span><span id="goog_692065257"></span>In any case, under this regime, I lost ten pounds a month in the first four months -- which led me to confidently predict I could drop a hundred pounds in a year. It didn’t turn out that way.<br />
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I hit a plateau at 230 pounds -- and not for the last time. It took me two and a half months (roughly from Halloween, through Thanksgiving and Christmas, to just after New Year’s) to lose the next ten pounds. And then I worked for another four months to lose ten more pounds after that. It was frustrating, but I didn’t let myself be discouraged, because, again, I’d been through this before. I understood that this was a long-term project, and that I just needed to keep at it, even if it was clear that it might take longer than I hoped. Part of what happened was that I had hit a natural rhythm where I lost weight during the work week and then gained some of it back during the weekend. <br />
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I didn’t always do 25,000 steps a day in my classroom, but I was always up on my feet. Instead of taking a nap during my lunch break, I’d get up and walk the halls. Sometimes I found time for a quick bit of power walking before or after work. And I tended to eat more sensibly throughout the week. Then, during the weekends, I did a bit more lounging around. And after those first four months, I was a bit less rigorous about completely eschewing sugar and alcohol. And during weekends, I’d always be more likely to have a splurge meal or two with the family at our favorite restaurants. Fortunately for us, we live in a <a href="https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/tucson">UNESCO-designated World City of Gastronomy</a>. <br />
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One of the things about restaurants is that most of them use <a href="https://newsarchive.heart.org/too-much-sodium-on-restaurant-menus/">far more salt than is necessary</a>. It’s like, I can add more salt if I need it, but there’s no way to de-saltify a restaurant meal. This tended to add “<a href="https://www.health.com/weight-loss/water-weight">water weight</a>,” which could take a few days to work off. It wasn’t unusual for me to burn off four or five thousand calories in a single day, and still find I gained weight after just one splurge meal. Without much exercise that day, I could shoot up three or four pounds overnight after a restaurant meal. This could take much of the workweek to undo, and some weeks the best I could do is just get back to where I was the week before. <br />
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As a general rule, it’s much easier to just eat sparingly in the first place than it is to do sufficient exercise to <a href="https://www.cookinglight.com/healthy-living/weight-loss/how-long-does-it-take-to-burn-off-foods">work off a splurge</a>. But sometimes the splurge is necessary, because <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lQ_MjU4QHw">all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy</a>. And living in Tucson, there’s a lot of gastronomy to explore. There are a lot more vegan options today than when I first started as a vegetarian in 1995 -- terrific vegetarian eateries like <a href="https://www.tumerico.com/">Tumerico</a> and <a href="https://www.thetastefulkitchen.com/">the Tasteful Kitchen</a>. Even chains like Sweet Tomatoes and Sauce can easily accommodate my preferences. And some local eateries, like <a href="https://bocatacos.com/">Boca Tacos</a> or <a href="https://www.ermanosbrew.com/">Ermanos Craft Beer & Wine Bar</a>, had enough healthy food options that I could get away without gaining much weight. Other favorites, like <a href="http://www.tucsonindianrestaurant.com/menu/">Saffron Indian Bistro</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/raijinramen.tucson/">Raijin Ramen</a>, guaranteed me a few extra pounds on the scale the next morning -- but it was always worth it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioL_TNOvHigoqf2iqq2KApTDcpWh_q4cFxatBp8m2Q_mt7MuOTmUpnaT2d5xONpIjWkYan2uY5eDxfgotB1VJXvqjFyxZEBSSkXJ_ocAOO73gL6c__WrKsVJ__hX0DddPGVdapucRszQaT/s1600/fairfield-bicycle-shop-sunseeker-ecotadsx.png.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="633" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioL_TNOvHigoqf2iqq2KApTDcpWh_q4cFxatBp8m2Q_mt7MuOTmUpnaT2d5xONpIjWkYan2uY5eDxfgotB1VJXvqjFyxZEBSSkXJ_ocAOO73gL6c__WrKsVJ__hX0DddPGVdapucRszQaT/s400/fairfield-bicycle-shop-sunseeker-ecotadsx.png.webp" width="400" /></a></div>
If I had to work out a little harder, I would work out a little harder. After losing the first fifty pounds, it became less arduous. I started climbing the 17-story building twice, or thrice, or sometimes even four times. On Tumamoc Hill, I could repeat the steepest portions at the top a few times before heading back down. And in the spring, I started riding my nifty <a href="https://www.sunseeker.bike/index.php/products/eco-tad-sx/">Sunseeker recumbent tricycle</a> to work once a week. A recumbent is much more suitable for a gentleman of my advanced years, and this particular model is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlBqo8Pco_A">built for comfort</a> -- it ain’t built for speed. Much of my route takes advantage of Tucson's scenic <a href="https://webcms.pima.gov/government/the_loop/">Loop Trail</a>, a first class work of bicycling infrastructure (for this country, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-design-index/">at least</a>). It's a 20-mile round trip to work, which takes an hour or more each way, so it wouldn’t do as a daily commute. But it sure did help work off some of those restaurant meals. In fact, it burns off about 1600 calories, there and back. <br />
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The weight started coming off more consistently again that spring, so that just before the end of the school year, I weighed in under 200 pounds for the first time in years. Of course, I gained back a bunch celebrating my birthday, and then there was a family trip to LA -- which is also no slouch in the gastronomy department. But then I had a summer vacation to devote to healthier living. <br />
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I started doing my own personal triathlon whenever time permitted: Ride the recumbent over to Tumamoc (3.5 miles); then hike up to the top one or more times (at least 3 more); then ride over to the local community center (4 more miles) and swim around sixty laps (about a mile); and then pedal back home (the last mile). That tended to help me burn enough calories to shed more pounds. By the end of August I was down to 180 pounds. For those of you following the math, that’s 90% of the way to my goal of losing 100 pounds. And then I got stuck there for another four months. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCVq9yvopokh9hEP6KvZtvsQMh9tK2nCIaH-fiPjMT8a0o2yEYL_V9akUcve0b_6EgWulSXZdAvtft_IGiF7uclXLMXzCbwEIIyBUiXe9xL1-md3cMRNEQShUIveGtROwWXJlNUF-hJao/s1600/Swim-Health.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCVq9yvopokh9hEP6KvZtvsQMh9tK2nCIaH-fiPjMT8a0o2yEYL_V9akUcve0b_6EgWulSXZdAvtft_IGiF7uclXLMXzCbwEIIyBUiXe9xL1-md3cMRNEQShUIveGtROwWXJlNUF-hJao/s400/Swim-Health.jpg" width="400" /></a>It wasn’t for lack of trying; I kept up with my basic regimen. I didn't have any more time for triathlons, but I got in at least some exercise every day, and often several times a day. I did the bicycle commute once a week, and added in weekend rides with the family. I still had the basic rhythm of losing during the week and gaining back on weekends, but throughout that fall, I mainly stayed in a range of between 174 to 184 pounds -- but mostly, right in the middle. I simply couldn’t lose those last few pounds.<br />
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It’s true that this coincides with the holiday season, with all its temptations, but I didn’t splurge all that much. It may be that the body just really wants to store some fat during the winter months, or that the body just needs to pause on the proverbial plateau from time to time. But it seemed like the more weight I lost, the harder it was to lose the rest. So drastic measures were called for -- if only temporarily. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9n0j5VZDLTgDyZxrabaPh6zwsdeDfutMKI6ITwATUS4ITT36lB6MZKxnItU2PId9RGg5ouvEcwmhBGBoHvL_w9AoNHBwAQQ5dwZDSSKC4wAXPisuUb326zdVTAVObGdTy2gC0gXT68gt/s1600/3600-athletic_gray-md-t-running-always-reminds-me-of-how-much-i-hate-running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="484" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9n0j5VZDLTgDyZxrabaPh6zwsdeDfutMKI6ITwATUS4ITT36lB6MZKxnItU2PId9RGg5ouvEcwmhBGBoHvL_w9AoNHBwAQQ5dwZDSSKC4wAXPisuUb326zdVTAVObGdTy2gC0gXT68gt/s320/3600-athletic_gray-md-t-running-always-reminds-me-of-how-much-i-hate-running.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The most drastic measure, for me, was running. I hate running. I always have, going back to junior high P.E. And I still hate it. But I do it. <br />
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Initially, I was able to lose a lot of weight by doing a lot of walking. But walking takes a long time, and doesn’t burn that many calories. If I wanted to make that last push to my target weight, I had to burn off between 4000 and 5000 calories a day for a consistent stretch. So I ran. Or rather, I trotted. <br />
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I do a slow jog at around 4 mph, and I find that I can burn nearly 200 calories with a 10-minute run, and close to 300 with a 20-minute run, which is the most I’m usually willing to do. Sometimes I'd just do a weird little 2-minute jog around the parking lot. But if I can fit in two or three of those little trots, it goes a long way towards hitting my daily totals. This is not something I could have done at 270 pounds, but it’s feasible now, though aggravatingly tedious. <br />
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I combined that further uptick in activity with one last weird trick: <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting">intermittent fasting</a>. I recognize that <a href="https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2016/07/07/intermittent-fasting-fad-or-science-based-diet/">this is one of those</a> regular weight-loss fads that periodically sweep the nation. Let me repeat my admonition that you should not take medical advice from a social studies teacher. But I did talk to my own doctor about this, and he had <a href="https://nortonhealthcare.com/news/is-there-something-to-be-said-for-fasting/">generally positive things</a> to say about the <a href="https://harpers.org/archive/2012/03/starving-your-way-to-vigor/">health benefits of fasting</a>. I had occasionally done 3-day fasts before, and after the first day, it’s not that difficult. And the start of this whole process coincided with my decennial appointment to get a camera shoved up my butt, generally requiring a 24-hour fast - which I had stretched into 60 or so. That had really helped to kick things off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-H_Fp08HMUbBrvjE4yYAqI7YjJBS2cWD2MfnQWsM-hFlAITcYFv1sw8629Oj2bSpu89JQLx_qZjqCptERkZdxJmr6Gb-J-NByjS4ZA7HQaI9y_y-CuW22_HZYGalb7Z0Oll-HUiyvWoij/s1600/intermittent-fasting-870x484.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="870" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-H_Fp08HMUbBrvjE4yYAqI7YjJBS2cWD2MfnQWsM-hFlAITcYFv1sw8629Oj2bSpu89JQLx_qZjqCptERkZdxJmr6Gb-J-NByjS4ZA7HQaI9y_y-CuW22_HZYGalb7Z0Oll-HUiyvWoij/s320/intermittent-fasting-870x484.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Intermittent fasting means <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-ways-to-do-intermittent-fasting">different things to different people</a>. One friend told me that she just never eats anything after dinner, so that she fasts for 14 to 16 hours before breaking fast the next morning. Another friend says he only eats one meal a day, but eats pretty much whatever he feels like at that time. And according to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermittent_fasting">our friends at Wikipedia</a>, these are variations on one of the three main types of intermittent fasting, “time-restricted feeding” (the other types being “alternate-day fasting,” which switches from feast to famine over a 48-hour cycle, and “periodic fasting,” like the 2- or 3-day fasts I had done in the past). And in each of these methods, “fasting” can mean restricting yourself to about 25% of your normal caloric intake, not necessarily a complete hunger strike. <br />
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And it turns out I had been doing something similar all along. Once I had cut out all the desserts and that bowl of cereal before bedtime, I was doing about a 12-hour fast each night. It was hard at first, but I assuaged hunger pangs with lots of <a href="https://www.myntz.com/Breath-Mints/Vanilla-Mynt-Blast.html">sugar-free breath mints</a>. I also drank lots of water and enjoyed some nice herbal tea, with the drawback being frequent night visits to the bathroom. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFtA8rP7aK6kL1-1-Y8JS86BqKCgMGKbJk9WbeTCC-R-ebn9nSFhvC-7YL7Q2OXgQufpF9w0gob8GehihLCa9mx84Unj4Yn39jHgt9E0CkbIb_aWaHxCqIeYov7Z6udwiq5HAoE-dRwaX/s1600/IMG_1871.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="740" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFtA8rP7aK6kL1-1-Y8JS86BqKCgMGKbJk9WbeTCC-R-ebn9nSFhvC-7YL7Q2OXgQufpF9w0gob8GehihLCa9mx84Unj4Yn39jHgt9E0CkbIb_aWaHxCqIeYov7Z6udwiq5HAoE-dRwaX/s640/IMG_1871.PNG" width="292" /></a></div>
To lose those last ten pounds, I combined my annoying bouts of running with a bit more time-restricted feeding. I’d make myself a fresh fruit and soy milk smoothie for breakfast, then mostly stick to a liquid diet until dinnertime. I’d have coffee, tea, lemon water, vegetable broth, and/or store-bought smoothies throughout my work day. Some days I’d have a bit of solid food, like a green salad or a banana. On weekends I’d go back to my regular routine. This wasn’t that hard to get through, and within a couple of weeks, I had finally hit my target weight of 170 pounds. In total, it had taken 594 days, or just under 20 months. <br />
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It wasn’t easy, but here’s the thing: I mentioned at the beginning that it had been fun to gain all that weight. For me, anyway, working to lose it all was also fun. I mostly chose exercise that I enjoyed, like hiking, swimming and bicycling. My vegan diet includes lots of delicious foods, and leaves room for occasional indulgences. I got a sense of satisfaction from doing the work and doing it well. The hard part now is to keep the weight off, which is a challenge for nearly all dieters. <br />
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Part of what happened in the past was that I found that I could gradually relax my standards on diet and exercise without regaining pounds. So I gradually relaxed a bit more, and a bit more after that. If you stop using that bathroom scale every day, it can creep back on you. Maybe what I have going for me now is that the pounds tend to come back a lot less gradually at my age, so I have an incentive to remain vigilant. Now the goal is a maintenance diet. <br />
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Basically, that’s what I was doing this fall, except that I was maintaining at 180 pounds instead of 170. Now I’m mainly bouncing around in a range between 168 and 172. I don’t need to keep up any drastic measures now to stay where I am, but I do have more tools in my kit if vacations and splurges move me back up again. I stay active and mindful during the week, enjoy some downtime on weekends, and keep my fingers crossed. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lAbdkIdgnzUZ9jRHnYXCuHWd5SKEn1Glg0h8rfBX_V5RdVplTGI3OxJBUuGC75UGDx1VEhpF3FlwAbihhW2kfE9KfKhmnVqulSKa6hoO4nmWNcTU7-ugHpn-uLGzsjw5Hiqnu4AQKWGa/s1600/65965196.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="634" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lAbdkIdgnzUZ9jRHnYXCuHWd5SKEn1Glg0h8rfBX_V5RdVplTGI3OxJBUuGC75UGDx1VEhpF3FlwAbihhW2kfE9KfKhmnVqulSKa6hoO4nmWNcTU7-ugHpn-uLGzsjw5Hiqnu4AQKWGa/s400/65965196.png" width="400" /></a>I had my annual physical a week after I finished, and the good doctor was suitably impressed. I have a healthy heart, and can finally drop the blood pressure medication. But one of the things he noted was that there were a lot of loose folds on my now-spindly frame. This shouldn’t be surprising; it turns out that when you lose weight fairly rapidly, lose a hundred pounds or more, and/or lose weight in your senior years, the skin isn’t going to just snap back into place. <br />
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“I could refer you to a cosmetic surgeon,” he offered. Well, thanks, but not a chance. First, I don’t like <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/most-common-plastic-surgery-complications">the risks</a> of any kind of elective surgery, and the costs, discomforts and recovery time make this a non-starter. Also, I don’t need to look like a 25-year-old, so I’ll wear my turkey neck as a badge of honor, thank you. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiaaex83ZC2J2fp90ZSYF7n4W-c7GjZEqu5ki0ELDoh-1hp1neDVdOqAjmmoY_OaJbFrgT9VT_LOl61PH4Qk6_YSgjkO0JogN8-_QhVM5l6-_x8mrlxRfQX5CQzEEzHyEAaVLo5CiZpJB/s1600/sub-buzz-2139-1568383847-1.png.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="700" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiaaex83ZC2J2fp90ZSYF7n4W-c7GjZEqu5ki0ELDoh-1hp1neDVdOqAjmmoY_OaJbFrgT9VT_LOl61PH4Qk6_YSgjkO0JogN8-_QhVM5l6-_x8mrlxRfQX5CQzEEzHyEAaVLo5CiZpJB/s400/sub-buzz-2139-1568383847-1.png.webp" width="400" /></a>But more importantly, I heard recently -- and <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/local/cathedral-city/2019/01/17/deaths-after-weight-loss-procedures-which-greg-pettis-underwent-rare/2606558002/">not for the first time</a> -- about a young woman who died from <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/272432">complications</a> arising from weight-loss surgery. Our culture can be <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2019/11/08/fat-bias-fear-weight-stigma/">unbelievably cruel</a> to people perceived as overweight, particularly women. Take for example <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/589/tell-me-im-fat/act-two-4">the harrowing tale </a>told by actress Elna Baker on <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/589/tell-me-im-fat">This American Life</a>. With a third of Americans classified as overweight, and another third as obese, the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fat-shaming-makes-things-worse">fat-shaming</a> and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beauty-sick/201907/is-anti-fat-bias-making-people-sick">bias</a> that many people internalize cannot be ignored. The stress that comes from other people’s expectations can be a health risk, too.<br />
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It’s important to remember that people come in all shapes, and that you are lovable at any size. As long as you’re healthy, you don’t need to obsess over having a perfect body. If you’re not healthy, work with your doctor to find a program that works for you, but beware of snake-oil remedies and the many charlatans who profit off the <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/10-things-the-weight-loss-industry-wont-tell-you-2014-01-10">weight-loss industry</a>. And please remember that your worth doesn’t depend on your weight. <br />
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I wrote this weight-loss memoir because people kept asking me how I did it, and I said it’s a long story, but I’d try to put it down in words for them. The short answer is: gradually, but consistently. I tried to make decisions that would pay off for my future self. But the bottom line is to just treat yourself better. Treat yourself with love. Like you matter. That is about the healthiest thing you can do. MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-36340775424170938562018-05-07T14:47:00.000-07:002018-05-07T14:47:59.242-07:00Six Days in Phoenix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/O9hlVwxqvLk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="320" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O9hlVwxqvLk?feature=player_embedded" width="480"></iframe><br />
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On day one, Thursday, we <a href="http://tucson.com/news/local/photos-massive-redfored-march-in-phoenix-and-tucson/collection_bbf549ce-499e-11e8-b0af-4b99329062d6.html">marched to the Capitol</a>, 75,000 strong. The legislature basically flipped us off, and adjourned until Monday. <br />
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On day two we had a smaller crowd in Phoenix; many attended marches in their hometowns. Both days I carpooled teachers up here in my minivan. </div>
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Saturday we had a leadership meeting in Tucson (Leslie the art teacher and I are co-liaisons), and then a lunch meeting with staff. At first it seemed like the gov and lege had moved our way in their
budget deal (though they refused to meet with our leadership) —but that
turned out to be smoke and mirrors. We rejected it and vowed to battle
on. All were in agreement we had to go to day three. </div>
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Sunday was a day of rest, but <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2018/04/29/parents-stand-redfored-teachers-arizona-capitol-game-chicken-now/562986002/">a small contingent of parents and students </a>rallied in our stead at the Capitol. </div>
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Monday was day three and we had another huge show of force. After three days, our district couldn’t keep schools open any more (they had been running cafeterias and front offices on a skeleton crew) and shut down for the week. </div>
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Tuesday, day four, I caught a ride up here with Jessica the librarian, but she headed home midday and I stayed on. Leslie the art teacher and I waited in line to get into the House chambers and were resolved to stay until they adjourned. <br />
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It was our expectation they would pass the budget somewhere in the middle of the night. We signed up to comment on the K-12 funding bill and waited about eight hours for the Appropriations Committee to debate all nine budget bills. Then we waited in line with 98 teachers, each given 60 seconds. I made the most of my time, as seen in the video above. Then we left to get some dinner, and shortly after we returned, both chambers adjourned for the night. We crashed at her pal’s house nearby. </div>
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The gov and lege got spooked again and made a new budget offer a little closer to our demands, but still inadequate. Our leadership, somewhat prematurely, decided this was the best we were going to get, and announced we would all be heading back to work when the budget passed. That’s when the lege started dragging their feet and bringing up poison pills. By day five our crowds were much smaller, but still impressive. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TAm7J7PL2IykBtlBunoaZzQ71Xjg77koSopoqZN8v7x-ck-6_pG08w5YSlx1PDetgEshssF8e81WAAZig2LuOpDLHbCjS8kOQhiuY8guqaB5HMMvE4K5m7k7ifZvYUXVZNSMGu7c-qDf/s1600/screenshot--2018.05.04-13-09-30.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1006" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6TAm7J7PL2IykBtlBunoaZzQ71Xjg77koSopoqZN8v7x-ck-6_pG08w5YSlx1PDetgEshssF8e81WAAZig2LuOpDLHbCjS8kOQhiuY8guqaB5HMMvE4K5m7k7ifZvYUXVZNSMGu7c-qDf/s400/screenshot--2018.05.04-13-09-30.png" width="400" /></a>When Leslie and I arrived early on <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona-education/2018/05/01/arizona-redfored-teacher-budget-negotiations-live-updates/568891002/">day five</a>, we waited in line to get in to the House chambers and we didn't leave until about four am on day six. Once we were in, the line to get back in was around a two-hour wait, so nobody wanted to leave. The Democrats helped out by buying us pizza and organizing donations of water, coffee, sandwiches and donuts from local businesses.<br />
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We met with friendly legislators just coming in to work. They told us the Republicans were acting unconcerned on camera, but offstage were nearly panicked, and we should keep the pressure on. Many schools across the state started to announce reopenings for Thursday, but we rallied our troops and kept most of them shut down. Word reached us that the GOP was short on votes. They could either go far right and make the budget nastier, but many were looking over their shoulders at November. Or they could get votes from Dems, which they were loathe to do. </div>
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We started working on the wavering Repubs through social media, and the Dems started crafting amendments that codified some of our key demands. Word was that they’d start debating the budget Wednesday, and it could take five to ten hours to get through the amendments. I believe the whole process ended up lasting about thirteen hours. <a href="https://azednews.com/legislators-continue-to-work-on-budget-including-teacher-pay-and-school-safety-plans/">In the end</a>, every Democratic amendment was shut down on a party-line vote (a number of Republicans did complain about all the emails they'd received, though). By 4am they were done with <a href="https://www.azleg.gov/archivedmeetings/">all the speeches</a>, and they passed the Republican K-12 budget. We staggered out into the early morning light and somebody stuck a camera in my face and this is what I told them: </div>
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At this point, we have achieved a four-elevenths victory on our demands. A month ago they were basically offering nothing. That is, their initial budget, before we threatened and achieved our walkout, had $65 million in increased spending for education. When all was said and done, they had coughed up $405 million. That's less than a third of what we demanded, but more than six times their initial offer. We made our voices heard, we're organized in a way we never were before, and now we know who our friends and <a href="http://www.arizonaea.org/assets/document/AZ/AEALegReportCard.pdf">enemies</a> are. We're just getting started, and we will, most assuredly, remember in November. </div>
MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-70745407143038657842017-12-03T10:00:00.003-07:002017-12-03T20:54:19.437-07:00Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://img.discogs.com/pDz6BFBMeHd-X4I-mMktBqAZQAE=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-5022916-1382385725-5775.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="300" src="https://img.discogs.com/pDz6BFBMeHd-X4I-mMktBqAZQAE=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-5022916-1382385725-5775.jpeg.jpg" /></a></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d50-541a-1004-f37bdaf4389e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to take some time to address the notion -- regularly articulated by Internet friends, though there are plenty of other people who agree with them -- that the short term pain of Trump’s coalition holding power will potentially be offset by greater progressive victories down the road. This is worth looking at in some detail. </span></b></span></b></div>
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d50-541a-1004-f37bdaf4389e" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></b>I’ll be working to build toward progressive victories alongside millions of others, and if we unseat Trump or his successor in 2020, that may provide some retroactive confirmation for this theory. In politics as in physics, there’s an equal and opposite reaction for every action. Historical data shows the president’s party loses seats in the midterms, and it’s doubtful either Trump or Hillary could buck that trend. His or her re-election efforts in 2020 would be impacted by myriad factors we don’t even know yet, and of course arguing about what would or would not have happened under an HRC administration is unprovable, though we can take some educated guesses. </span></b></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But there are some pretty serious reasons why the 2016 election was a particularly grievous one to lose, whether or not it was lost to a proto-fascist cabal like Trump’s coalition. And I'm happy to stipulate that's why it was a bad idea to clear the field and put thumbs on the scale to favor Hillary's nomination. I and many others warned that it was too risky to nominate a poster child for the establishment in an anti-establishment year. But as much baggage as the candidate carried, the year 2016 came with some baggage of its own. </span></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Losing in 2008 would have left President McCain negotiating with a Democratic Congress, and President Romney would have faced a Democratic Senate. Whatever awful policies she and her advisors would have come up with, HRC’s veto pen, and the threat of it, would have stopped some of Mitch and Paul’s worst fever dreams from coming to fruition. I believe it was Grover Norquist who said that with Congress secured, all they needed was a warm body to sign whatever bills get sent to the White House. </span></b><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Obamacare repeal was always going to be dicey, and the Byrd Rule has greatly complicated GOP efforts to use reconciliation to ram through their priorities. But the recent victory of the Senate tax bill shows they are hungry for a win, and will use their temporary majority to light up the final version like a Christmas tree -- which they may well pass in the middle of the night on Xmas Eve. Much of this will have long-ranging consequences, and won’t be erased by a wave election in 2018, or a Dem presidency in 2020 absent unified control. </span></b></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elections have consequences, the saying goes, and the consequences of presidents outlive their terms. Jimmy Carter kicked off the Reagan Revolution with deregulation and tax cuts for the rich, and the awful legislation that Bill Clinton negotiated with Newt Gingrich helped lead to the Crash of ‘08. That’s why it was worth opposing those guys in the primaries. The consequences of Reaganomics are with us even now, and we will live with the legacy of Bush v. Gore to the end of our days. Millions have already seen the end of their days as a result. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now it’s the Republicans who have unified control at a precarious historic moment, when the years remaining to address climate change are winnowing to a few, and whatever meager progress Obama and the Davos crowd were making towards addressing the issue, it’s unlikely HRC would have hit the brakes and executed a U-turn. </span></b></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-4428937f-1d48-24b6-babb-326514260403" style="font-weight: normal;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The encouragement given to racists -- in police departments and on the streets -- would have been unthinkable under any potential Clinton appointees to the Justice Department. It’s undeniable that opposition to Hillary from the GOP would have been virulent and unrelenting, but Trump’s defeat would have broken the back of the nascent white nationalist wing of the GOP, instead of rewarding the theory that the path to victory involved exacerbating racial tensions to increase their share of the white vote. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, income inequality, already at historic levels for a generation, is poised to worsen further still. Inequality had actually begun to shrink a bit by the end of Obama’s term, and nothing suggests HRC would have turbocharged inequality like the Trump cabal is poised to do. This level of inequality will lead to an economic crash that will make 2008 look like, well, a tea party -- and the time bomb could well go off during the next Dem administration.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The anti-Hillary left points to her obvious hawkishness, but Trump’s undeniable recklessness is regularly on display. He was able to offer disingenuous stances against Bush’s Iraq invasion and the corruption of the Saudis to convince millions he was a more rational alternative, but he has ratcheted up civilian deaths, exacerbated Muslim hostility, and climbed right in bed with the Saudis. The risks of war on the Korean Peninsula or against the Iranians are as grave as any hypothetical moves in the HRC years. And Trump daily gives comfort to authoritarians, kleptocrats and neofascists while insulting and alienating our allies. The unprecedented dismantling of the State Department would have been unlikely even under another GOP presidency, let alone Clinton’s, and a similar purge during the McCarthy Era helped contribute to the escalation of the war in Vietnam. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/hopkins-midterms.png?w=575&h=576&quality=90&strip=info" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/hopkins-midterms.png?w=575&h=576&quality=90&strip=info" width="319" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Clinton victory would not have brought unified control, but a GOP victory most assuredly did. It’s possible that the turnout necessary to elect her would have led to a Democratic Senate, because the 2016 map was far more favorable to the Dems, while ‘18 and ‘20 will be tougher, wave or no wave. Only a landslide victory could have enough coattails to take back the House, since digital gerrymandering means the Dems need to get 57% of the vote to win 50% of the seats. The failure to inspire that kind of turnout rests on her shoulders, but the path to GOP victory was obvious no matter who the Democrats nominated: unify the right and divide the left. The latter is always easy, but the former was tricky, especially with Trump on the ticket. Holding that Supreme Court seat open was a key part of the strategy. It gave anti-Trump Republicans a powerful motive to hold their nose and deny that seat to Hillary.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And make no mistake, it’s in the impact on the judicial branch that Trump’s narrow win will have the most long-range consequences. Trump inherited not just one (or more) SCOTUS seats but over 100 open seats on lower federal courts, twice what BHO faced when he took office, and the GOP is scheming to create new seats in order to <a href="https://www.salon.com/2017/12/03/gops-court-packing-spree-its-only-the-beginning/">pack the courts</a> with young Federalist Society zealots for a generation to come. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mitch held back so many of Obama’s nominees that Harry Reid removed the filibuster on nominations in an effort to hasten some nominees onto the bench, and Mitch still ran out the clock on every last one. The impact of Neil Gorsuch is already being felt, but if the actuarial tables catch up with any of the older justices before Trump’s crimes catch up with him, an historic opportunity will have been lost. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s just a matter of luck who gets to fill those seats; Jimmy Carter got zero SCOTUS nominations, and Nixon got four. As a result, we’ve had a majority of GOP nominees on the Supreme Court for nearly a half century, a statistic that President Hillary Clinton could have reversed -- and by more than one seat, if she faced retirements from justices who are grimly hanging on through the Trump years. But as I’ve pointed out before, the GOP majority has not hesitated to intervene in our elections before.<i> Bush v. Gore</i> rewarded the GOP with two more vacancies, including the Chief Justice. <i>Citizens United v. FEC</i> and <i>Shelby County v. Holder</i> (not to mention the capricious hobbling of Obamacare) arguably contributed to Trump’s victory and helped juice the GOP waves in the midterms. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2016 is hardly the first time the GOP has colluded with a foreign power to enhance their election prospects. Nixon <a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/yes-nixon-scuttled-the-vietnam-peace-talks-107623">conspired with South Vietnam</a> to sink LBJ’s peace talks. The Bushes worked with the <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/the-new-october-surprise-series/">Iranians in 1980</a>, the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/19/us/political-motive-cited-in-scrutiny-of-passport-files.html?pagewanted=all">UK in 1992</a>, and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jul/13/israel2">Israelis in 2000</a>. Whether or not these plots were decisive, they were rewarded (except in ‘92) and incentivized. The GOP<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/02/opinion/sunday/republicans-broke-congress-politics.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region"> plays hardball better</a>, and <a href="https://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2017/10/the-dangerous-long-game-hidden-in-the-gop-tax-proposal/">the long game</a> more ruthlessly, than any Democrats I’ve ever seen. Under the Bush 43 regime, the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/26/opinion/26mon4.html">US Attorney purge</a> targeted lower-level state Dems across the country, and Cheney worked assiduously to <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/hersh-cheney-left-a-stay-behind-in-obama-s-government-can-still-control-policy-up-to-a-point-ea21aa4245de/">seed the bureaucracy</a> with loyalists as a GOP win in ‘08 looked less and less achievable. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, too, their response to the debacle of Florida in ‘00 was to make our election systems far, far worse by encouraging the adoption of unauditable voting machines, seeding the states with partisan Attorneys General, and funding an interstate Crosscheck system. The GOP haven’t hesitated to toss out unwritten rules and norms, like mid-decade redistricting, to offset their growing demographic weaknesses. The gerrymanders they pushed through after sweeping the ‘10 midterms helped to put the House out of reach for the Dems.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now those efforts have been allied to the Mercer family’s Cambridge Analytica and the Putin family’s troll farms, and rewarded once again. This time, the rewards include control of the 2020 census. This is a pretty damn steep price to pay for avoiding the perils of a Clinton restoration. There would have been uncountable and unknowable downsides to her election, to be sure. But the downsides to the Trump coalition’s victory are obvious and visceral without even touching on the downward slide into authoritarianism both here and abroad. Sure, there’s another election or two around the corner. But I wouldn’t bet the farm against the GOP <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/9/14/1698383/-Stealing-The-Next-Election-The-Republican-Long-Game-At-Work">finding a way</a> to pull off additional upset victories. They are getting pretty good at stacking the deck. </span></div>
</b>MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-84054577868896235092017-08-23T20:29:00.001-07:002017-08-31T20:45:14.280-07:00Does a Bear Hack in the Woods?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uh3xEHg544D7E4VffEDlegqHsDI9ER4s2lY_8jyMP_nS6bo5lXu4hByrtYAsa-PPqtnwL3TUUP39v6mkqC_wlDz5pKfUC40kjBz_49xaCZjD8fDAf51TYr4Od-lM1VhRY6GBrmUhzykZ/s1600/wavingbear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="970" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uh3xEHg544D7E4VffEDlegqHsDI9ER4s2lY_8jyMP_nS6bo5lXu4hByrtYAsa-PPqtnwL3TUUP39v6mkqC_wlDz5pKfUC40kjBz_49xaCZjD8fDAf51TYr4Od-lM1VhRY6GBrmUhzykZ/s320/wavingbear.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People in my feed keep telling me they know for sure who didn't hack the DNC: Russia. They're not alone. </span><br />
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From day one, Donald Trump has (almost) always maintained that the attribution of the DNC hacks to Russian agents was a hoax. Fake news! June 15, 2016, was the day Crowdstrike <a href="https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/bears-midst-intrusion-democratic-national-committee/">announced its analysis</a> of the hack, and the same day someone calling themselves "Guccifer 2.0" began releasing leaked files. Trump released a statement, saying <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">“We believe it was the DNC that did the ‘hacking’ as a way to distract from the many issues facing their deeply flawed candidate and failed party leader.”</span></span><br />
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">This of course was less than a week after his top aides met with Russians claiming to have dirt on Hillary Clinton, as "</span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333;">part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." That seems rather specific, wouldn't you say?<br />
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What I keep hearing is that there is "no evidence" that the Russians hacked the DNC, or if there is, that it's "<a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/12/14/heres-the-public-evidence-russia-hacked-the-dnc-its-not-enough/">not enough</a>," Or that it's all been thoroughly debunked. Or that no matter what evidence has been provided, it simply can't be trusted. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's because Crowdstrike is funded by DNC donors, and/or it's too close to the FBI, and/or one of its co-founders is biased against Russia, and/or they're <a href="https://disobedientmedia.com/2017/04/cyber-firm-behind-russian-hacking-claims-has-ties-to-soros-supported-think-tank/">in bed with George Soros</a>, and/or it's <a href="https://www.axios.com/trump-gets-it-wrong-on-dnc-cybersecurity-company-2376911639.html">owned by a rich Ukrainian</a>, and so on. According to this narrative, the Russian hack evidence could have been fabricated by Crowdstrike to create a "false flag" attack, and then the FBI simply relied uncritically on what they were told, because they were never given direct access to the DNC servers. So even if other cybersecurity companies and experts have corroborated these findings, it still doesn't count because they're all relying on Crowdstrike's data, which could have been faked. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then, skeptics say, the ODNI report falsely claimed that all 17 intelligence agencies had investigated the matter and all agreed with "high confidence" that it was a Russian operation – when in reality it was only 3 (or 4) of them, and all they did was ratify the original sketchy report. And since then, the Trump Administration has been under a constant "near seditious" assault from anonymous leaks by Deep State intelligence officials to mainstream media outlets like the </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">New York Times</i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and the </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Washington Post</i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, which is exactly how we were lied into the Iraq War! And all of this is based on </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">no evidence whatsoever</i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, or none that should be tru</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">sted, since it all came from nameless spooks and a compromised cybersecurity firm. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br />
</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">As usual, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/12/the-public-evidence-behind-claims-russia-hacked-for-trump/">the story is a bit more complicated</a> than that. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Puzzlin' Evidence</span></span></span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.rocknroll-goulash.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/puzzlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="536" height="320" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.rocknroll-goulash.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/puzzlin.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">It was not Crowdstrike that told the FBI about the Russians. The FBI <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/russia-hack-election-dnc.html">had called the DNC</a> in September of 2015 to give them a heads up that they had Russians rooting around their network. But they didn't send agents over, nor did they contact the leadership; they left a voicemail with a low-level IT staffer, who, as it turns out, thought it was a prank call. It would be another seven months before Crowdstrike was brought in.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br />
</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">But in the m</span>eantime, another firm, SecureWorks, <a href="https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-group-4127-targets-hillary-clinton-presidential-campaign">had been tracking</a> Russian hacker</span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s through thousands of links that were used in spearphishing campaigns against high-level targets, including "</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.16px; word-spacing: 4px;">individuals in Russia and the former Soviet states, current and former military and government personnel in the U.S. and Europe, individuals working in the defense and government supply chain, and authors and journalists" – and the DNC. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“We were monitoring bit.ly and saw the accounts being created in real time,” </span><a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/sheerafrenkel/meet-fancy-bear-the-russian-group-hacking-the-us-election?utm_term=.km5NvxEWe#.cbDOd7REl" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">said one SecureWorks analyst</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Democrats were ill-equipped to handle the threat. The IT staffer had initially run a scan of the networks and found nothing. So when he got additional voicemails from the FBI, he ignored them. And because the FBI inexplicably failed to notify top DNC officials, the clock continued to tick </span></span></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(and this lackadaisical approach may help explain why the DNC might have been reluctant to hand over their servers)</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. So it wasn't until late April of 2016 that the DNC realized something was seriously wrong and brought in Crowdstrike. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Crowdstrike immediately found breaches in the DNC network. They watched the malware working in realtime and </span><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/4xa5g9/all-signs-point-to-russia-being-behind-the-dnc-hack"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">very</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> quickly identified the attackers</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, based on<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> key details like "</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">used and reused tools, methods, infrastructure, even unique encryption keys.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">" </span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There were two groups of intruders that were well known to them, nicknamed Cozy Bear and Fancy </span>Bear. The former, known to o</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ther cybersecurity firms as APT28, used malware linked to hackers who worked with the Russian intelligence agenc<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y FSB. The latter, also known as APT29, were connected to the GRU; they used command and control instructions from the same IP address as the 2015 Russian attack on the German Bundestag.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Crowdstrike report was corroborated by other security firms familiar with <a href="http://www.wired.co.uk/article/how-russian-hackers-work">the tactics of Russian hacker groups</a>. DNC hack skeptics claim that they were all relying on evidence provided by Crowdstrike – <i>which could have been faked</i> – but SecureWorks came to the </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">same conclusion independently, and prior to the release of the report. Moreover, faking the thousands of web links and spearphishing campaigns would be prohibitively expensive for any hacker groups not backed by deep pockets. And </span><a href="https://www.techdirt.com/blog/?tag=matt+tait" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">the targets</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> were a who's who of email accounts of interest to the Russian government, like anti-Russian Ukrainians, NATO officials, and the World Anti-Doping Association. Crucially, the later spearphishing attacks on John Podesta and Colin Powell </span><a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/10/russia-linked-phishing-campaign-behind-the-dnc-breach-also-hit-podesta-powell/?comments=1&post=32102433" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">also contain these same URLs</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, which SecureWorks had been watching for many months prior as part of Fancy Bear's operations. Their emails ended up in the hands of WikiLeaks, Guccifer 2.0, and DC Leaks. </span><br />
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Crucially, Crowdstrike's competitors, who would have every incentive to prove them wrong, confirmed their analysis, and added additional details suggesting Russian ties to the people behind the Guccifer 2.0 persona that distributed the hacked emails. Thre<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">atConnect <a href="https://www.threatconnect.com/blog/guccifer-2-all-roads-lead-russia/">discovered a breadcrumb t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rail</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> from one G2 blogger's French AOL account back to a Russian VPL service. Fidelis Cybersecurity agreed that <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3086314/security/russian-hackers-were-behind-dnc-breach-says-fidelis-cybersecurity.html">the advanced malware used in the attacks</a> </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">including CHOPSTICK and SeaDaddy) </span>was "</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at times identical to malware the Russian hacking groups have used in the past." Mandiant, a subsidiary of FireEye, analyzed the domain registrations for sites like </span>fancybear.net and dcleaks.com and found that they “match up with the domain registration behavior seen from APT28 in the past.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia <a href="https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/os-kmandia-033017.pdf">testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee</a> in March of 2017. His company believed the Russians were the likely culprits, he said, because "<span style="font-size: small;">we </span><span style="font-size: small;">reviewed and compared intrusion methodologies and tools, malware or authored exploits and use of shared personnel. We also examined forensic details that were left behind, such as the specific IP addresses or email addresses from spearphishing attacks, file names, MD5 hashes, timestamps, custom functions, encryption algorithms, or backdoors that may have command and control IP addresses or domain names embedded." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/os-trid-033017.pdf">Also testifying that month</a> was Thomas Rid, </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Professor of Security Studies at King’s College in London. Rid has written extensively on the Russian attacks on the DNC, including <a href="http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a49791/russian-dnc-emails-hacked/">a lengthy article for <i>Esquire</i></a>, <a href="https://www.threatconnect.com/in-the-news/signs-point-russia-behind-dnc-hack/">a more technical analysis</a>, with links, at Motherboard, and an even more technical white paper, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/01402390.2014.977382?scroll=top&needAccess=true">locked behind a paywall</a>, for the <i>Journal of Strategic Studies </i>(<a href="https://warontherocks.com/2016/10/whodunnit-russia-and-coercion-through-cyberspace/">summarized here</a>). Rid's Senate testimony offer<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ed a rundown on the history of Russian cyber activities before turning to the summer of 2016: "</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The publicly available evidence that implicates Russian intelligence agencies in the 2016 active measures campaign is extraordinarily strong. The DNC hack can be compared to a carefully executed physical break-in in which the intruders used uniquely identical listening devices; uniquely identical envelopes to carry the stolen files past security; and uniquely identical getaway vehicles." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another cybersecurity expert who independently analyzed the DNC hack evidence is Matt Tait, CEO of Capital Alpha Security in the UK. Tait frequently offers his views on cyber issues via <a href="https://twitter.com/pwnallthethings?lang=en">his Twitter account</a>, @pwnallthethings, but he also writes for the respected Lawfare blog. Tait <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/01/04/508151142/cybersecurity-expert-is-convinced-russia-was-behind-dnc-hacking">told NPR in January 2017</a> that he was initially skeptical of the DNC hack theory: "</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it just seems too fantastical to be true. Russia has very good hackers. You know, this is a government agency. So initially what I did was I decided I'm going to go and prove Crowdstrike wrong." After examining the available evidence, though, Tait changed his mind. "What you start to discover is that there's a very large number of little pieces of information, some of which point towards Russia. Some of them point towards Russia very, very strongly. And eventually, I came to the conclusion that there's no other reasonable conclusion that you can make."</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tait <a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/need-official-attribution-russias-dnc-hack">laid out his analysis in a blog post</a> about six weeks after the Crowdstrike report, with quotes from his tweets interspersed. But he also found himself <a href="https://lawfareblog.com/time-i-got-recruited-collude-russians">playing a bit part in the story</a> when he was contacted by <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-peter-smith-death-met-0713-20170713-story.html">the late Peter Smith</a>, who was pretty clearly working as a cutout for the Trump campaign. Smith wanted Tait's help authenticating what were purported to be copies of Hillary Clinton's State Department emails obtained through the "dark web," with the possibility, as Tait noted, "</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that this may have been part of a wider Russian campaign." In the end, Tait was never shown the material, as he refused to sign a nondisclosure agreement, but when the <i>Wall Street Journal </i><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/gop-operative-sought-clinton-emails-from-hackers-implied-a-connection-to-flynn-1498770851">broke the story</a> in June 2017, it became one more piece of the puzzle suggesting collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign. </span></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Responsible Opposing Viewpoint</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVnxuRjpxeM1a6OxgznfuRDer9vicdQQOzJ9obmdJTSDASgjRcRUcf-xEDJTmEc1EkWG9fqmvAl7zu_KYDY37BZkth5p0YblsSoYEFjdknsM7ZCw5On1oAOSEIimhVyC5UXEGjsQwcJL2/s1600/rightwayx20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1100" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVnxuRjpxeM1a6OxgznfuRDer9vicdQQOzJ9obmdJTSDASgjRcRUcf-xEDJTmEc1EkWG9fqmvAl7zu_KYDY37BZkth5p0YblsSoYEFjdknsM7ZCw5On1oAOSEIimhVyC5UXEGjsQwcJL2/s320/rightwayx20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-weight: normal;">Whatever else can be said about the foregoing paragraphs, they cannot be characterized as "no evidence." All of this was publicly available before the</span><a href="https://www.vox.com/world/2017/1/6/14194986/russia-hack-intelligence-report-election-trump" style="color: #582995; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"> ODNI issued their report</a><span style="color: #333333; font-weight: normal;"> in January of 2017. That report assessed with high confidence that “Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election” based on investigations by the FBI, CIA and NSA (and agreed to by the other 14 agencies in the intelligence community). Much of what they brought to the table remains classified, but it pretty clearly includes surveillance of Russian targets, some of which has leaked out in the intervening months from the small army of DC insiders who have seen the unclassified version. </span></span></h3>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">At this point it has to be acknowledged that, due to the nature of digital information, no cybercrime attribution can ever be 100% definitive. Given the proprietary interests of both Crowdstrike and the DNC, as well as the clandestine nature of intelligence work, much of the story is still obscured (journalist Marcy Wheeler, AKA Emptywheel, does a good job of laying out what is and isn't known in <a href="https://www.emptywheel.net/2016/12/10/evidence-prove-russian-hack/" style="color: #582995; text-decoration: none;">this December blog post</a>). Some of this information may see the light of day in various courtrooms in coming months. In the meantime, plenty of reasonable people have their doubts about the DNC hack theory, including respected journalists like Robert Parry and Glenn Greenwald. Then, too, there is a small army of partisans and delusional rumor-mongers who are wittingly and unwittingly spreading disinformation about the case. </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ever since the story broke, reporters and private sleuths have been trying to poke holes in the DNC hack theory, and we will examine some of their evidence, both cogent and otherwise, in a subsequent post. But this looks like the kind of story we will be arguing about for years to come. Fact, is, I don't know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who hacked the DNC. And neither </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">do you. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Notably, nearly everyone involved -- the Russians, the Trump campaign, the intelligence agencies, the Democrats, the security firms, the big media corporations -- have a motive for prevarication, and/or a record of falsehoods. So we have truly entered a hall of mirrors here. But to deny the Trump/Russia story requires you to believe that all of the above actors, with the obvious exceptions of Trump and the Russians, are lying about this case. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It means that Crowdstrike, SecureWorks, ThreatConnect, Fidelis and Mandiant all colluded to concoct an extremely elaborate false flag operation to implicate the Russians, with help from their allies at the Democratic National Committee, aided by a multiyear campaign of anonymous leaks to Big Media operators like the <i>New York Times</i>, the<i> Washington Post</i>, and the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>. They were aided and abetted in this endeavor by the Obama Administration, with their tight-fisted control over the CIA, the NSA, and the FBI (never mind that the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/03/fbi-leaks-hillary-clinton-james-comey-donald-trump">latter agency</a>, at the least, was home to a sizeable and <a href="http://theweek.com/speedreads/659534/fbi-leaks-reportedly-triggered-by-antihillary-clinton-atmosphere">leak-prone</a> <a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/11/03/donald-trumps-fbi-james-comeys-department-is-filled-with-pro-trump-anti-hillary-clinton-partisans/">pro-Trump faction</a>).</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of this was orchestrated at a time when virtually the entire planet believed that Hillary Clinton was going to win the election, though when she didn't, the entire coalition shifted seamlessly into a Deep State effort to remove Donald Trump from office. But the hack skeptics have a narrative that explains the motive for this wide-ranging operation, and that is that all concerned are working to provoke a new Cold War with the Russians. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After all, the skeptics point out, if you substitute neocon think tanks for cybersecurity firms, this is the exact same coalition that lied us into the Iraq War -- if you also substitute the Republican Party for the Democrats. But Hillary Clinton was a well-known warhawk, then and now. And Donald J. Trump, whatever his other flaws, had the virtue of favoring better relations with the Russians. This the pro-Cold War coalition could not abide, so when he inconveniently got himself elected, they joined forces with key GOP committee chairs to work at forcing him from office. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This narrative leans on a well-justified dismay at the deteriorating relationship between the two superpowers, a well-established history of US interventions in Russian politics, and a well-reasoned objection to the reckless and counterproductive policies of NATO expansion. The US had intervened on behalf of Boris Yeltsin, reneged on a promise to Mikhail Gorbachev to keep NATO out of Eastern Europe, looted the Russian economy with the help of neoliberal economists, and has been meddling along Russia's periphery ever since. And, say skeptics, the proximity of NATO forces to Russia's borders is alarmingly increasing the risk of a nuclear confrontation. The Intelligence Community (IC) and the military-industrial complex they serve </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(MIC) </span>are not to be trusted, and neither are the neocon faction of corporate Democrats and their allies in the cybersecurity front. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trump's election imperiled this coalition's plans to reap the benefits of expanded security spending, and their agenda for regime change in Russia, which would have come to fruition under a Clinton Restoration. Thus their false flag operation to create a <i>casus belli</i> against Putin neatly morphed into a bipartisan plot to remove Trump. This DNC hack theory is thus exactly what Trump said it was from day one: a hoax. It was simply a sour-grapes effort to explain away Hillary's deficiencies, or explain away an obvious leak from a disgruntled insider, now aided and abetted by Trump's enemies in the Deep State. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are a number of problems with this narrative.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hold On a Minute Here</span></h3>
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<a href="http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/85/85afd1ebc17194788d7581af4cf1a29f7dfc7b08b922f50dbc67bd64f08fa370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/85/85afd1ebc17194788d7581af4cf1a29f7dfc7b08b922f50dbc67bd64f08fa370.jpg" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• First, the kind of "better relations" that Trump and Putin have in mind are probably quite different from the peaceful co-existence that would presumably prevail under a Pax Trumpicana if the pro-Cold War faction would just stand down. Both men are clearly motivated by an agenda that involves looting their respective economies on behalf of themselves and the oligarchs who back them. To the extent that sanctions against Russia imperil that agenda, they are the chief impediment to better relations. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Second, given the annexation of Crimea by force, as well as Russian machinations in Georgia, eastern Ukraine, Moldova, the Baltics and elsewhere, not to mention the Putin regime's abysmal human rights record, it's hardly necessary for warhawks to go to such an elaborate ruse to implicate the Russians in dramatic wrongdoing. And no matter what agreements Trump and Putin might arrive at unimpeded, it won't sweep away existing tensions in the former Soviet Union. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Much like the British presence in Northern Ireland, the legacy of Russia's colonial expansion has left factionalism in its wake. Many of the former Soviet republics (FSRs) are riven by conflict between those with an affinity for Mother Russia and a desire for reunion, versus those with a quite justified fear of the Russian Bear, given how Putin deals with dissenters within his own borders. Even without the admittedly reckless exploitation of these tensions by the EU and NATO, the FSRs would face struggles between those facing East and those turning to the West. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Third, the anti-Trump faction's purported desire for a new Cold War (or even, some suggest, a hot one!) seems oversimplified. Under Barack Obama, even as relations with Russia soured, he and Putin were able to work together on matters of mutual interest when it proved necessary. In this, he was not that different from his predecessor -- who also attempted a reset with Putin that went south -- or from his successor, for that matter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For better or worse (and usually for the worse), we have a bipartisan foreign policy establishment in this country that mostly gets their way. Trump has staffed his administration with many of them, who are willing to cooperate with Russia if possible and counter them if meed be. So, unsurprisingly, this is yet another area where Trump is willing to jettison his campaign promises whenever expedient. It seems as though we have some common interests with the Putin regime, and some irreconcilable differences, no matter who the president is. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">even during the campaign, Trump managed to promise a more belligerent and aggressive foreign policy than his opponent, even as he expressed skepticism about the Iraq and Afghan wars out of the other side of his mouth. In office he's worked to implement his proposed hikes in Pentagon spending, and has eagerly escalated every conflict he inherited, not to mention threatening a new one in Venezuela.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Fourth, despite the caricature of her as the bastard offspring of Kim Jong Il and Cruella DeVille, Hillary Clinton would have been bound by the same laws of Mutually Assured Destruction that have kept the world from nuclear conflagration since 1945. Nor is it likely that if Trump is successfully deposed, our Russia policy will change substantially under the Pence, Ryan or Hatch Administrations. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Finally, we already have a new Cold War, or at least a Cool War, and like the last one, it serves the interests of the MIC in both countries, who would rather not bring the conflict to a boil. As former Russian Foreign Minister <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/russias-former-foreign-minister-discusses-putins-motivations-ukraine/">Andrei Kozyrev puts it</a>, "the problem is that, you know, the propaganda portrays the West as an enemy, while Russian ruling class lives there in the NATO zone. They have villas. They have bank accounts by proxies or directly." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The anti-Trump faction (basically, the Davos crowd) feels the same way about dealing with Russia. They've been pursuing this containment policy, involving surrounding the Eurasian continent with US bases, since 1947. What they want more than a new war is the maintenance of the status quo of US/EU dominance. But they're also aware of the impending decline in American power, relative to the growing economies of China and India, and whatever else they think of Putin, recognize that Russia is not the basket case it was twenty years ago. They may not be as dependent as the Trump Organization is on regular infusions of Russian capital, but it's doubtful they want to upset the apple cart</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, or would fake an intricately detailed DNC hack theory in order to do so. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Buying into the Cold War motivation narrative requires a good deal of ideological contortions among many on the left. Some are rooting against the potential of forcing Trump from power, as this would be a victory for the Deep State. In their view, Trump represents the lesser of two evils, which is ironic, since so many hack skeptics are Jill Stein voters, who refused to vote for either major party candidate as a rejection of lesser-evilism. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This also results in the anti-Trump left forming a<i> de facto </i>alliance with the pro-Trump right in their ratification of Trump's hoax theory. Trump's base, notably including the white nationalist contingent, are <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/18/1689526/-AFTER-CHARLOTTESVILLE-Seven-key-Nazis-and-their-links-to-Putin-amp-Trump?detail=facebook">huge Putin fans</a> for his religious rhetoric, his authoritarian style and his melanin-free population (this probably explains much of Trump's affinity for Uncle Vlad, too, beyond the financial symbiosis). And believe me, the right-wing fever swamps of speculation about the anti-Trump machinations of Hillary and her allies are not exactly models of rational discourse, though they share many sources with the hack skeptics of the left. </span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When is a Hack Not a Hack?</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently<a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/a-new-report-raises-big-questions-about-last-years-dnc-hack/"> an article in <i>The Nation</i></a> gave hope to DNC hack skeptics on both the left and the right. Based on a report by the respected </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, (VIPS), it purported to show that the theoretical DNC hack was instead a leak from an insider, and could only have been copied onto a flash drive at the site, not uploaded remotely. Furthermore, it asserted that clues in Guccifer 2.0's documents, previously used to establish Russian provenance, were instead an attempt to frame the Russians. But the article has a number of problems. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><br />
• First, it relies heavily on an anonymous cybersleuth named Forensicator, who has somehow been able to "unlock" metadata that other sleuths have not. Cybersecurity experts like Thomas Rid and Matt Tait, who have corroborated aspects of the Crowdstrike attribution of the DNC hacks to Russian actors, operate in the open and stand on their reputations. Forensicator, whose analysis looks solid and technical on first examination, hides his/her identity and links to some extremely sketchy sites making all manner of easily debunked fake news claims.<br />
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• Second, the Forensicator claim, that the data had to be uploaded into a flash drive because the speeds were too fast for a remote hack, has a couple of problems. 23Mb/s speeds may not be widely available to household users, but speeds up to 100Mb/s are common among commercial entities, universities, or by major organizations – like the DNC. Also, that speed only looks excessively rapid if you assume the agent was uploading uncompressed files. And even if it were a flash drive, that doesn't preclude Russian involvement. After all, according to the Steele Dossier, Russian operations included "three elements: Firstly there were agents/facilitators within the Democratic Party structure itself; secondly Russian emigre and associated offensive cyber operators based in the US and thirdly, state-sponsored cyber operatives working in Russia." Nothing in the "laws of physics" negates that. <br />
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• Third, <a href="https://www.truthdig.com/articles/time-to-reassess-the-roles-played-by-guccifer-2-0-and-russia-in-the-dnc-hack/">Scott Ritter</a>, who endorses the VIPS analysis and is skeptical of the Russian hack theory, nevertheless took the trouble to speak to some of the individual VIPS analysts and found that some of their conclusions are not supported by their data: "</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;">I reached out to the forensic analysts who conducted the analysis of the metadata in question. They have stated that there is no way to use the available metadata to determine where the copying of the data was done. In short, one cannot state that this data proves Guccifer 2.0 had direct access to the DNC server or that the data was located in the DNC when it was copied on July 5, 2016."</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"> Ritter also caught them in one outright error: "</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: "lora" , sans-serif;">it appears that they mistakenly attributed actual document manipulation from an earlier date to the July 5 data transfer event."</span><br />
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• Fourth, the Forensicator flash drive claim refers only to the July breach of DCCC files and not to the earlier spearphishing operations that successfully obtained emails from DNC staffers and John Podesta. Again, the <a class="" dir="ltr" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F&h=ATOgCYox4OchzvzDgUYRMxjRY5r4HiMwCRj9VdZRZItjJr5AH6JfGjatxu5BDEinlYUKzD7eS7jgEbXWSroLesesijixz9cvBn-h3KwtuNk7IkleRMSCkHHVfkzYOrp2JQx1dzEDVA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bit.ly</a> links included in those emails, which anyone can see in the Wikileaks dump, show that the spearphishers had targeted multiple targets of interest to the Russian government, including NATO officials, anti-Russian Ukrainians, the World Anti-Doping Agency and dozens of others. This is hardly the work of a disgruntled DNC staffer. <br />
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• Fifth, another assertion in the VIPS analysis is that Guccifer 2.0, who surfaced within hours of the Crowdstrike blog post, was probably a DNC hoax because emails were copied into Word documents with Russian metadata. This is old news, and was recognized early on by Tait and other independent analysts. They attributed it to Gucci2's errors, while VIPS's source attribute it to malfeasance. That's a matter of interpretation, but given what's known about the mysterious Gucci2 persona collective, the idea that they were sponsored by the DNC or FBI to implicate Russia is absurd on its face. Gucci2's allies at DCLeaks registered their domain in April, and Crowdstrike made their attribution and removed Russian malware from DNC servers in May, though the blogger claiming to be a Romanian hacker named Guccifer 2.0 didn't surface until a few hours after the Crowdstrike report was made public in June. Gucci2's animus towards Crowdstrike is evident, and while nothing they say should be taken at face value, VIPS doesn't offer a persuasive case to contradict evidence that the G2 collective is linked to Russia. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"> <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">The <i> Nation</i> piece carries an air of triumphalist certitude it does not earn. Its central premise is the ludicrous claim that excessive upload speed negate the entire hack theory. And the double standards therein are palpable. Nobody should trust anything that comes from the IC, says the author, but my experts have years of experience in the IC. Or an assessment is nothing but an opinion, he says, but these experts have high confidence in their assessment. He's very impressed by their analysis of metadata, but ignores the metadata evidence already presented by independent analysts, which contradicts his theory. Of course, <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fpolicy%2Fcybersecurity%2F346468-why-the-latest-theory-about-the-dnc-not-being-a-hack-is-probably-wrong&h=ATOfRG1R6YWifCnW25zyvC5sRWmCeya5F-nLQinzaFqZblKXZGJhdx2gJEecsFjvTLR5ehcS802di9Dt1d462GMwMAOOudyg-xUYoKLHxGBB4LXzVfn_LykVdLdZXppcbkeIdY04TZgVeZE">some of those analysts </a>have had more to say about this in the past few days. And as I write this, <i>The Nation</i> is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/08/15/the-nation-is-reviewing-a-story-casting-doubt-on-russian-hack-of-dnc/">reviewing the piece</a> for possible violations of their editorial standards. </span></span></span></span></span> <br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">But Wait, There's More</span></span></span></h3>
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<a href="http://fourthgarrideb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/but-wait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fourthgarrideb.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/but-wait.jpg" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="525" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The thing is, even if you set aside all the technical arguments about the DNC hack – the upload speeds, the metadata, the spearphishing links, the malware signatures – there are still compelling reasons why the theory that the Russians intervened in the 2016 elections makes more sense than the theory that the Russians are victims of a frame-up. Russian meddling took <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fevidence-russia-meddled-in-us-election-2017-6&h=ATOckDIUXr2LpwO1CIn9SEVBxFt2cpUY_19kH52AlVCYqT8hXixQGQePZ0ZIvqwKYx8pHpVs17UFh6fC1y4PGkjku7_4G4ZcII42PPVLaWf4qtIujNT-4GlQB2sOfqInwps7BRaDFnPi25k">four different paths</a>, and three of them are fairly well-established and (relatively) noncontroversial:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• First, cultivating individual Americans to serve their purposes wittingly or unwittingly, including </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fworld%2Fnational-security%2Ffbi-obtained-fisa-warrant-to-monitor-former-trump-adviser-carter-page%2F2017%2F04%2F11%2F620192ea-1e0e-11e7-ad74-3a742a6e93a7_story.html%3Futm_term%3D.ba074b562e78&h=ATNtlLBqX9YuLzpGkzU_tnveV9GKIPt8jlGCQqyjsMdNZPmIrPtaeLCCPzXkh7XwoixVrlIR3tnWKW7gVBj_I-3eNTiDaPJek5Z4gIRUN8MsIzK_3FuqhDRaR7dG86EzNGKT-ychj7L9i7A" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Carter Page</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwja8vGuo-fVAhUH4IMKHWyAAe4QFggmMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apnews.com%2F122ae0b5848345faa88108a03de40c5a&usg=AFQjCNFHZxJNqg_ASiawb5t5tT0-V6j2qQ" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Paul M</a><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwja8vGuo-fVAhUH4IMKHWyAAe4QFggmMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apnews.com%2F122ae0b5848345faa88108a03de40c5a&usg=AFQjCNFHZxJNqg_ASiawb5t5tT0-V6j2qQ" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">anafort</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/with-mike-flynns-russia-ties-it-was-a-matter-of-following-the-money-trail-2017-05-08" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael Flynn</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/24/jared-kushner-new-york-russia-money-laundering" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Jared</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/08/opinion/jared-kushner-russia-veb.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Kushner</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/us/roger-stone-donald-trump-russia.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Roger Stone</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/evidence-russia-meddled-in-us-election-2017-6" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Donald Trump, Jr.</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and shockingly, </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pastemagazine.com%2Farticles%2F2016%2F10%2Fdonald-trump-is-the-kremlins-man-a-comprehensive-c.html&h=ATOmdyYd8sCP9uBFskacQxTBex7z2UEPVrxGZskw05wWjPEHd7MivnUix-nI55-ZTqiWAuMInxPe3K8P8b9xaC5qESYUqiGhO-ht4btpGWbpaB3NOCtJy3b2EjSH9uvjOHvGjpQ0U96P-nU" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Donald J. Trump</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> himself. Trump's business and political ties to Russian mobsters, oligarchs and money-launderers are both broad and deep, and stretch back decades.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Second, the hacking and dissemination of information from the Democratic Party via emails from DNC staffers, emails from John Podesta and a database and other files from the DCCC. Aspects of this one are the subject of fierce debate in the peaks and valleys of the great wide Internet, as noted in some detail in the sections above.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• Third, an extensive and well-funded <a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/23/russia-propaganda-network-kremlin-bots-215520">social media bot </a>and </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">trolling</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> operation to weaponize that information, including microtargeting of voter groups identified in the DCCC hack. This disinformation campaign </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fpolitics%2F2017%2F08%2Frussia-is-continuing-its-cyber-attack-on-america-right-now%2F&h=ATOsLHyF7DYpB1H0g_mJSMUNKPLAMtWCxCKUSzOuWlFLX90f41BQgCOwaF6ZQJFV4FLvBULfIYece6a6_c3hpkLYURx7bmtEElsdAhoQ6fI3vtfK8sty1LK4uVqP8yDkMWWgbbP5vxfwBAM" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">has continued</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, and still targets both </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Frussia-internet-trolls-and-donald-trump-2016-7&h=ATNP9-asFNTZ-b7xQm-UdTBRxWZVMrNz9sznv9DTonRmUmKk4Zb40ftyU8mNn7zgfzXCjyqtrHr6lC7RsYdp_wvCfumTBLjefW4NWK2WgRbgzH61Zv0TaHdLthJWNWtuFqhL49qcmyny7JM" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Trump backers</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and anti-Trump voters alike.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• And fourth, the targeting of voting systems </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftheintercept.com%2F2017%2F06%2F05%2Ftop-secret-nsa-report-details-russian-hacking-effort-days-before-2016-election%2F&h=ATMlnOMSk04pddo7J4f19rJ-LC0iyr_LqcJ7vnhThjVJoigxrO-N0_AU2EaqdWc9IsbDxA5W2pLoNI3nna0qXJ9VhgmsW3kH1LXVhNpjNawnE5SZc0A87owif_mZEOIorO93f_5Sz_lWVyI" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">leading up to</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftime.com%2F4865982%2Fsecret-plan-stop-vladimir-putin-election-plot%2F&h=ATMGat6hnba34dyhnoPCSVlBxa815ADDQW2z77NXHenht-ZuYt9pDGrECAf_9A2F-yRv4hfugZpd-ZoOQoJRuDsKgv9dVn--vJkfgszcntyvxGw19LETD_4z0gz-o-UJ6PsYXqol51y_EEU" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">including</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> the </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2017%2F08%2F10%2F542634370%2Frussian-cyberattack-targeted-elections-vendor-tied-to-voting-day-disruptions&h=ATOHPyxCw78PeEyrjywCJNm8MCypuAJz9-6MVUgW3jQruALxI-6i9LubN_rl1AF4ALuk3Z5nepTE4xcNw2_3RW9ckqk531JtKpyv2AlBoz6MdTQDPqx_hHQDKTMcFSV7_CyoiT4Yk-z7oaY" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">day of the election</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, in </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2F2017-06-13%2Frussian-breach-of-39-states-threatens-future-u-s-elections&h=ATMYXrPkD6Aqp1NGJWn3ty6j4_DP5fvd_4LRZb0CE3xxDxPD9KjdJUhpQo8hLGbRRXWAlmwVyTcuW0DNkKDx9QhIbBhffcZ00paTHGUNTZ4S7sHyTIP-Da1Y9V6YJ4ffrYhSR3gzydilGLY" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">as many as 39</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> US states, </span><a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftime.com%2F4472169%2Frussian-hackers-arizona-voter-registration%2F&h=ATOQWvDD4_VtVQ0qQTwjNKKUvvHR6JTneIJTrziBhfAobm6qCPQZDgshSsUnS8lha2cFu4V0T4U6GrkJes1hn_f0JRCz_IHmyEGQv1jVLu7BZFNAPvmPCBzoci6aFJS1b4dejA-IEVrpRHg" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">including Arizona</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. In some 15 of those states, there is no auditable pap</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">er trail to verify the results. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> But while it may be impossible to know the full extent of the intrusions, <a href="http://time.com/4828306/russian-hacking-election-widespread-private-data/">officials confirm</a> 90,000 records were stolen in Illinois by "Russian state actors. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moreover, there is additional circumstantial evidence that adds details to the Russian hack narrative. Trump himself is hardly an unimpeachable source (ahem), but he has conceded the reality of the Russian hack on several occasions, including January 11 and July 7th. Of course, he then goes back to declaring whatever may be rattling around in his head, but several of his aides accept the story as well, and rather more consistently. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In June, Vladimir Putin </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/01/politics/russia-putin-hackers-election/index.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">said with a figurative wink</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> that while he may not have hired them, it's possible that "patrio</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tic hackers" may have gone to bat for Mother Russia. Those boys are "artists" he said, and "</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #262626;">may act on behalf of their country, they wake up in good mood and paint things. Same with hackers, they woke up today, read something about the state-to-state relations.</span><span style="color: #262626;"> </span><span style="color: #262626;">If they are patriotic, they contribute in a way they think is right, to fight against those who say bad things about Russia." The day after the election, Putin's advisor Sergei Markov <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/was-russia-cahoots-wikileaks-over-democrat-emails-maybe-we-helped-bit-admits-putin-insider-1590894">was a little less circumspect</a>: </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif;">"Maybe we helped a bit with WikiLeaks." </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or maybe not, right? Wink, wink. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trump's longtime crony Roger Stone is a little less coy. He somehow had advance knowledge of when the Podesta hack was about to break. Turns out Stone admits he had been <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/03/10/roger_stone_admits_twitter_dms_with_guccifer_2_0_alleged_russian_hacker.html">in direct contact </a>with Guccifer 2.0, whom he called "a great man" in a private text message. Also working with the great man (or men) was Florida GOP consultant Aaron Nevins. After the DCCC breach, Nevins heard that Guccifer 2.0 had lots of stolen data from the Democrats, and <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/05/florida-gop-consultant-admits-he-worked-with-guccifer-2-0-analyzing-hacked-data/">contacted him to see</a> if he'd be willing to share. As it turned out, no problem! Guccifer was more than happy to help the GOP by sending over 2.5 GB of data from the Dems' get out the vote strategy files.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Given all this chumminess, the infamous June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower should come as no surprise. Don Jr. took the meeting on the basis of the Russians wanting to help his daddy out, and he was contacted by Trump Sr's buddy Rob Goldstone. <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/07/14/donald-trump-jr-new-revelations-russia-meeting-trump-tower/480038001/">Goldstone referenced</a> Emin Agalarov, the son of another Trump crony – Aras Argalarov, who is also close to Putin. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> "The<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/07/russian-crown-prosecutor/533295/"> Crown prosecutor</a> of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father." The Agalarov family sent Ike Kaveladze, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ike-kaveladze-trump-tower-meeting-article-1.3335851">an accused money launderer</a>, as their representative. Also at the meeting was Natalia Veselnitskaya, billed in the email exchange as a "Russian government lawyer," who represented, among others, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/07/13/537082081/businessman-bill-browder-details-dealings-with-russian-lawyer-tied-to-trump">Pyotr Katsyv</a>, a close Putin ally. Rounding out the Russian contingent was Rinat Akhmetshin, a "Russian-American lobbyist" with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/15/world/europe/rinat-akhmetshin-donald-trump-jr-natalia-veselnitskaya.html">ties to Soviet military intelligence</a> who also, as it turns out, has been accused of <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-team-met-russian-accused-of-international-hacking-conspiracy">hacking campaigns</a> against business rivals. </span><br />
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</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As noted, the torrent of stolen emails and campaign materials from the Democratic Party commenced within days of this meeting, and it serves as something of a Rosetta Stone to Congressional investigators and the Special Counsel's office. Subpoenas, raids and testimony have followed, and all concerned have lawyered up, awaiting the next chess move. Crucially, it gives us a clear outline for both the <i>quid</i> and the <i>pro quo</i> that prosecutors will attempt to link in upcoming trials. The Russian government was willing to "support Mr. Trump," with both information and disinformation, and the following month Trump changed a plank in the GOP platform that had called for aid to Ukraine to help combat the insurgency by pro-Russian rebel on its eastern frontier. As soon as he took office, Trump made an effort to lift sanctions against Russia -- though he has been stymied so far by near-unanimous opposition in Congress. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Given the intricate web of financial entanglements the Trump organization maintains with Russians both at home and abroad, it would be amazing if Russia did not use every means at their disposal to assist him. And given <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/europe-has-been-working-to-expose-russian-meddling-for-years/2017/06/25/e42dcece-4a09-11e7-9669-250d0b15f83b_story.html?utm_term=.f4e84a3ad86d">how many other countries' elections</a> the Russians have tried to intervene in, it would be out of character for them to sit out the 2016 match between their business crony and his despised rival, a personal enemy of the Russian president. So even without the extensive trail of breadcrumbs leading back to Mother Russia, the judgement that they interfered in our elections looks pretty solid. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Which brings up one final question: So what?</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It Doesn't Matter, and What If It Did?</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I get asked this question a lot. At this point, confronted with so much evidence, some hack skeptics are willing to concede that they Russians may have been doing something or other to influence our election, whether or not that involved the DNC hack – just like <i>we've been doing to them</i> for years. Of course, the latter assertion only strengthens the case that the Russians were motivated meddlers. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But, they say, it doesn't really matter who hacked the Democrats because it didn't affect the election. It was Hillary Clinton's ineptitude that was the decisive factor, and the Russians didn't force her to ignore Wisconsin and Michigan. And now the Democrats' unhealthy obsession with Russia is counterproductive: ordinary voters don't give a crap about all this Russia, Russia, Russia business. Besides, it stokes a dangerous paranoia towards the Putin regime that will only serve to further inflame tensions. This scandal, they say, distracts from the duplicity of the DNC as revealed in the emails, and prevents Democrats from moving forward and offering a more progressive agenda. And finally, we should all be leery about abetting what amounts to a </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">slow-motion </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Deep State coup against the guy who actually won the election. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These are valid arguments that deserve wider discussion. It's not hard to agree that Hillary Clinton ran an inept campaign and fatally underinvested in what was believed to be a blue state firewall in the Midwest. But for all her strategic errors, she won the popular vote by nearly three million votes, while her opponent ran the table in a handful of swing states by razor-thin margins. In an election this close, any number of factors can be considered decisive. Still, just like Al Gore in 2000, Clinton deserves a lion's share of the blame for making it close enough to steal in the first place. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But polling data shows she would have won anyway absent <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/02/james-comey-fbi-director-letter">James Comey's October Surprise</a>, which cost her a couple of points in all 50 states. In July, Comey had taken the unusual step of criticizing Clinton as reckless in her handling of government emails, even as he announced that no reasonable prosecutor would carry the case forward. We now know that he did this based in part on a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/james-comey-russian-intelligence-fake-cnn-hillary-email-2017-5">faked Russian document</a> that implicated his boss, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in promising leniency to Clinton. Comey was in a similar CYA mode in the closing weeks of the campaign, as he dropped the last-minute bombshell, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-fbi-leaks-idUSKBN12Y2QD">because he feared leaks</a> from the notoriously pro-Trump <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/was-rudy-giuliani-at-the-center-of-an-fbi-trump-campaign_us_585ad14ce4b014e7c72ed993">New York field office</a>, which had uncovered "additional" emails that her aide Huma Abedin had backed up from her phone. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">None of this absolves the Clinton campaign of their tactical blunders, but it does start to reveal some of the nature of the pro-Trump coalition that defeated her. And it is a formidable and dangerous combination of forces, despite the buffoon at the top. No matter improbable his rise to power, it's a mistake to think of Trump as separate from the Deep State. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most people watching the campaign of leaks and investigations arrayed against Trump simply use "Deep State" (like "fake news," a useful term that's been co-opted and diluted) as a synonym for the intelligence community. But the leading Deep State theorist, Professor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Dale_Scott">Peter Dale Scott</a>, describes it instead as including the nongovernmental power structures through which which the IC operates. From its inception, the CIA has worked with organized crime, both for off-the books financing through drug trafficking operations and for cut-out operatives for "plausible deniabilty." The flip side of that coin are the white-collar criminals who help steer the policy agenda: the big banks who launder the funds; the big corporations (especially Big Oil) who lobby for interventions, and the Wall Street law firms who lobbied for the creation of the CIA in the first place. This world, too, provides funding and operatives for the IC, and helps to give it the independence from Madisonian checks and balances that impelled the coinage of the term Deep State in the first place.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Donald Trump has, quite clearly, extensive ties to these communities. He has allied with Deep State veterans like Giuliani, Gingrich, and Kissinger. He has extensive Mob ties, both to the the New York/New Jersey operations, and the equally colorful Russian variety. His administration is littered with Wall Street bankers and fossil fuel partisans. And as we've seen, Trump is not without allies in the IC, notably within the FBI. But my goodness, the man does have some powerful enemies. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's because the Deep State isn't monolithic; like any large institution, it's riven with factions who sometimes compete and sometimes cooperate with each other. But the rise of the pro-Trump faction and its alliance with the Russian kleptocracy is a disturbing new development, indicative of a Deep State schism or possibly a civil war. It's hard to see how this ends well. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trump's core message of ethnic and economic nationalism, and his theatrical contempt for political elites and norms won him the allegiance of the GOP base, and an uneasy alliance with the party itself. And his coalition of hardcore racists, climate change deniers, eccentric fellow billionaires and Russian oligarchs, however unstable in the long term, has the potential to do some serious (and lasting) damage in the short term. Our fraying national and international institutions may give way to an increasingly unstable future. Combine this with Trump's obviously deteriorating mental condition, and the imperative to have him removed from power is hard to ignore. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's one reason why the Russian connection is worth caring about, whether it did or didn't swing the election. Long before anyone thought he could win, Putin placed a bet on Trump as a chaos agent, someone who could destabilize his adversaries in the West. No matter what policy agenda is adopted, that bet is paying off. And Putin has common interests with key elements of Trump's coalition: the fossil fuel barons who could help him unlock trillions of dollars in Siberian reserves; the feral financiers who interface with the Russian oligarchy, and the white nationalists who have long looked to the autocratic Putin as a kindred spirit. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Putin and his cronies owe much of their wealth to fossil fuels. More specifically, the state oil company, Rosneft, is sitting on a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0ahUKEwidotqaxuzVAhWnzIMKHQRHBasQFggpMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F12%2F12%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Frex-tillersons-company-exxon-has-billions-at-stake-over-russia-sanctions.html&usg=AFQjCNHzehBYT2Sd4dEBhNtavvkDclnUiw">half-trillion dollar deal </a>with Rex Tillerson's Exxon that can only go forward if sanctions are lifted. Trump's portfolio is different from Putin's, but both share an interest in denying climate change, as Trump is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferwang/2016/11/29/trumps-stock-portfolio-big-oil-big-banks-and-more-foreign-connections/#1d6f1e69464e">heavily invested</a> in big oil companies. As the reality of a warming planet becomes more and more undeniable, it becomes clear that the fate of mankind hinges on leaving most of the world's remaining oil reserves in the ground. Any agreement to do so would plunge the valuation of corporations who count those reserves among their assets. This is known as the <a href="https://thenearlynow.com/trump-putin-and-the-pipelines-to-nowhere-742d745ce8fd">carbon bubble</a>, and <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/01/02/donald-trumps-carbon-bubble-economy-is-bound-to-pop-the-only-question-is-how-bad-it-will-be/">when it pops</a> it could cause a <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-climate-change-denial-could-cost-us-dollar100-trillion">worldwide financial collapse</a> that would make 2008 look like a slight "course correction." The carbon bubble also affects the value of oceanfront property, including many of the Trump Organization's assets. This shared affinity for looting the fossil fuel economy while the getting is good explains much of the rationale for the Trump/Putin alliance. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When the collapse comes, we will likely be as unprotected as we were in 2008, given Trump's commitment to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-wall-street-deregulation-risks-another-lehman-crisis-2017-6">financial deregulation</a>. This is unsurprising, despite his campaign rhetoric about taxing Wall Street, since he holds i</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nvestments in </span><span style="background-color: white;">Citigroup, JP Morgan </span><span article-quote-card="" class="quotecard ng-isolate-scope" data-exchange="null" data-link="/companies/chase/" data-name="Chase" data-naturalid="fred/company/8931" data-quotes-closing="0.0" data-quotes-now="0.0" data-ticker="null" data-type="organization" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="ng-binding" href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/chase/" ng-href="http://www.forbes.com/companies/chase/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #003891; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_self">Chase</a></span><span style="background-color: white;">, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. But Trump's financial empire is also heavily leveraged into <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/143586/trumps-russian-laundromat-trump-tower-luxury-high-rises-dirty-money-international-crime-syndicate">less conventional banking procedures</a>. After his string of bankruptcies left him unable to get loans from most Western banks, Trump became increasingly dependent on <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/08/21/trumps-business-of-corruption">money-laundering</a>, much of it tied to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-business-partners-investigations_us_59540f65e4b05c37bb7bbbdb">Russian oligarchs</a> looking to get their assets out of the home country. The special counsel may uncover <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/10/opinions/russia-probe-money-laundering-database-opinion-zeldin/index.html">the extent of the corruption</a> at the heart of the Trump/Putin alliance, but in the meantime, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoinegara/2017/02/03/with-a-stroke-of-the-pen-donald-trump-will-wave-goodbye-to-the-dodd-frank-act/#7584f0d61148">protections</a> put in place after Wall Street tanked the global economy are <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/04/21/the-wall-street-presidency-donald-trumps-deregulation-scheme-is-yuge-for-big-banks/">already being weakened</a>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trump attracted voters by playing on their financial anxieties and their resentment of global elites, but his pitch also played on their racial anxieties. Racists, nazis and neo-confederates embraced Trump as one of their own, and his winking comments in the wake of racial violence in <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/18/1691428/-Yes-Russia-is-Connected-to-Charlottesville">Charlottesville</a> and elsewhere have <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/neo-nazis-white-supremacists-celebrate-trump-response-virginia-charlottesville-a7890786.html">delighted the white supremacists</a> and energized their movement. That movement shares <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/18/1689526/-AFTER-CHARLOTTESVILLE-Seven-key-Nazis-and-their-links-to-Putin-amp-Trump?detail=facebook">both philosophical and financial affinities</a> with Vladimir Putin, who has backed <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/europe-s-far-right-enjoys-backing-russia-s-putin-n718926">far-right parties</a> in as many as <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/04/21/the-wall-street-presidency-donald-trumps-deregulation-scheme-is-yuge-for-big-banks/">45 countries</a>. Putin's <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/how-putin-undermines-democracy-west-chapter-and-verse-568607">contempt for liberal democracy</a> is well-known, and it appears Trump, who <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/10/politics/donald-trump-european-politicians/index.html">has endorsed</a> many of the same European <a href="https://newrepublic.com/minutes/124205/yes-donald-trump-fascist">neo-fascists</a>, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/01/putin-trump-le-pen-hungary-france-populist-bannon/512303/">has this in common</a> with him. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here at home, the potential for increased violence from the pro-Trump shock troops is disturbingly real. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Skeptics of the importance of Trump's Russia scandals should be less afraid of a new Cold War and more afraid of a new Fascist International. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Almost Done Here</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://eq4pm.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83452fd0e69e2017c3175e7dc970b-200wi" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://eq4pm.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83452fd0e69e2017c3175e7dc970b-200wi" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whatever else you can say about the corruption of the Democrats, it's unlikely that a Clinton Restoration would have led to reversals of climate change policies and wholesale financial deregulation, let alone encouragement of the white nationalist movements. But this is what the pro-Trump faction, including their alliance with the Russian oligarchy, have invested in. It matters how he was elected, because it's intrinsic to how he governs. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How he governs is as <a href="http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-ed-trumps-authoritarian-vision/">an authoritarian</a>, who will brook no dissent. That's what <a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-2016-authoritarian-213533">distinguishes his loyal base</a> from other conservatives: their longing for an authoritarian leader. Such movements are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/03/11/its-not-just-trump-authoritarian-populism-is-rising-across-the-west-heres-why/?utm_term=.17ab770bdc0e">increasing across the globe</a>, and both Trump and Putin are trying to encourage them. Trump's <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/03/donald-trump-is-making-the-world-safe-for-dictators/">affinity for dictators</a> is well known; he can't get along with some of our most reliable allies, but praises and cozies up the the likes of Erdogan, Duterte... and Putin. He's clearly <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/08/trump-nonstop-lies/">following Putin's playbook</a> when it comes to his communications strategy, and is even trying to set up his own propaganda outlets. It's a guide to how he would govern if he were free of restraints -- and he's just one <a href="https://harpers.org/archive/2017/07/the-reichstag-fire-next-time/">mass casualty event</a> away from having that kind of freedom. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No matter how reviled he is now, a traumatized citizenry would rally around the flag and look to the Dear Leader for guidance and protection. The Deep State has followed the "shock doctrine" (as described by Naomi Klein) to ratchet away the protections of the Madisonian framework after other such events, like passing the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution after the JFK assassination, or the Patriot Act after 9/11. In this case the traumatic event was the 2016 election itself. Only Trump's pathology, ineptitude and organic brain damage, along with the internal dissension amongst his GOP allies, has prevented a similar consolidation of power, which is why a major terrorist attck would be a godsend to the Trump coalition. But his brief tenure will leave a lasting effect on the federal courts, environmental protections, our international relationships, and more. Assuming it is brief. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One thing hack skeptics have pointed out, when arguing for the relative unimportance of Russian interference in our elections, is that beyond Hillary's own errors, the ongoing vote suppression efforts in the red states, including the notorious Crosscheck program, more than explain Trump's margin of victory in the crucial swing states. And they're not wrong about this. Many of them also refused to back the Democratic nominee due to alleged vote-rigging during the primary that robbed Bernie Sanders of the nomination, opting instead to vote for third party candidates, or sitting out the vote. But it has to be clear that for anyone concerned about election integrity, we have leapt from the frying pan into the fire. <br />
<br />
Kris Kobach is now the national Crosscheck Czar, and the GOP is poised to deploy nationwide all the vote suppression techniques they have honed to a science, including computerized gerrymandering, cancellation of early voting, misallocation of voting machines, challenging voters at the polls, and purging the voter registration rolls. Now imagine those efforts augmented by an army of professional hackers, trolls and bot specialists who have weaponized social media, buttressed by <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2017/3/29/full_interview_jane_mayer_on_the">billionaires who hold a database</a> of information on 200 million voters. Of course, you don't have to, because that's what just happened in 2016, and we ignore it at our peril because that one was just a dress rehearsal. And Trump not only denies that it happened (most days) but is actively preventing any measures to ameliorate the situation. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reason this Russian operation matters is that we will need all hands on deck to remove and defeat Trump and Trumpism; a unified left would vastly outnumber these goons, and we can make sure the next election is nowhere near close enough to steal. But the anti-Trump coalition is fractured and squabbling, still divided over the last election, just as they were <i>during </i>the last election. It was a disaster that the Democrats were so committed to nominating a walking poster child for the establishment in an obviously anti-establishment year, and a symbol of Wall Street elites when resentment of them was at an all-time high. It was an even bigger disaster that they failed to elect her. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anyone who wants to argue the counterfactual that Bernie would have won has some statistical analysis to back them up, but you know who isn't focused on the last election? Bernie. He's the guy who said from the start that he would endorse the eventual nominee, and not go third party if he lost, because the danger of a Trump victory was too perilous. He's the one who said she'd be infinitely better, even on her worst day. He's the one who failed to take the bait of the stolen emails, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">strategically released </span> to divide the left. Bernie Sanders is most definitely not looking for a new Cold War. And he was, and is, quite clear that the Russians were behind this, and that their social media operations were being used to drive a wedge between centrists and progressives. In fact, it was his campaign that helped blow the whistle on Russian-backed Facebook groups in the first place. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're not willing to join a coalition of centrist and progressive Democrats to defeat these death eaters, you had best be hard at work creating a new party that can compete in all 435 districts. You may be sick of hearing about Russia, but it's the most potent weapon we have for thwarting the plans of this coalition of fascist billionaires. Trump is on the defensive, unable to govern effectively, and may be just a few weeks from wandering the White House ranting at the paintings. Removing him is the most imperative issue of our times. Every single day with him in power is like watching a toddler playing with a loaded handgun. If you'd rather argue that his opponent's files were stolen with a flash drive instead of a modem, be my guest. But let's make sure were all in this struggle together. Because it matters. </span><br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-73923955305887168482017-01-07T13:58:00.000-07:002017-01-07T15:34:19.818-07:00Democracy, Defenestrated<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpSkSj0eI6YiDq_WOYZOaUdRTa8vOknX2WmKzD_B9vljXoNT1NKK3QXD2n9mwFQ-ePoLRl5eTJofyk__2y6oX-VzVpHkzlUjzu0iv2g-H0yFppncOOvorg4W1o3mIM2HE_W2yVSSsLJth/s1600/mapofshame2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitpSkSj0eI6YiDq_WOYZOaUdRTa8vOknX2WmKzD_B9vljXoNT1NKK3QXD2n9mwFQ-ePoLRl5eTJofyk__2y6oX-VzVpHkzlUjzu0iv2g-H0yFppncOOvorg4W1o3mIM2HE_W2yVSSsLJth/s320/mapofshame2015.png" width="320" /></a><i>Once again, I allowed myself to waste a morning online, arguing with a conservative troll who calls me a liberal fearmonger and an Alinskyite for suggesting that one of our major parties is working to curtail voting rights. I'm never gonna change his mind, but I've got 750 words and a bunch of links, so I might as well feed my moribund website...</i></div>
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Is it a democracy or a republic? Throughout our history,
we’ve seen struggles between those who preferred one to the other. The founders
were very suspicious of democracy, but even at that time, and certainly ever
since, people have struggled to expand their voting rights. So the answer is, a
little of both. But these days, a whole lot less of the former. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I’ll let you ponder the views of the late <a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lee_Atwater">Lee Atwater,</a> who
helped Reagan and the Bushes to modernize Nixon’s southern strategy, when it
comes to the GOP’s views on civil rights. It’s true that for 100 years after
Reconstruction, the Democratic party was home to racists. But since the
enactment of the Voting Rights Act, the parties have switched places, and
there’s a good reason why the KKK was cheering on the recent GOP victory. <br />
<br /></div>
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You want to know why requiring voter ID is curtailing voting
rights? The problem is not with the ID per se, but with the discriminatory ways
in which the requirements are applied. That’s why a top Pennsylvania Republican
could brag that his state’s voter ID law could help swing his state to the GOP.
Minority voters are far less likely to have driver’s licenses in the first
place, and red states are full of hurdles like making the IDs available only in
certain offices many miles away, keeping them open only on a limited basis (in
one county, literally only on the fifth Wednesday of the month), and requiring
exorbitant fees if you can’t lay your hands on a birth certificate or a
passport. In some jurisdictions, a hunting license or military ID is sufficient
to allow you to vote, but a college ID card gets you turned away. But this is
just <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_suppression_in_the_United_States">one of many tactics</a> used to suppress the minority vote. <br />
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Red states play <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2012/08/09/Masters-of-voter-suppression-Republicans-employ-many-techniques-to-keep-low-income-voters-away-from-the-polls/stories/201208090445">all kinds of games </a>with voter registration,
enacting more stringent deadlines and hindering efforts by groups like the
League of Women Voters to help enfranchise people. They have consistently cut
back on early voting, weekend voting, vote by mail, and other methods designed
to make it easier for people to vote – while the other party has fought to
expand those rights. When it comes to Election Day, long lines at the polls in
minority communities are a familiar story. Rich neighborhoods are allocated
plenty of machines and poll workers so that voters can breeze in and out -
while poor communities are saddled with outdated polling equipment, fewer
polling places, shorter hours, fewer poll workers, and hence long lines that
can cost you most of the day, a special hindrance to those who can’t afford
time off from work. <br />
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None of this happens by accident, as my citation above
illustrates. That’s why <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/119948/christie-republicans-must-control-voting-mechanism">Chris Christie </a>made an explicit pitch in 2014 that
electing more GOP governors would allow his party to win the White House by
controlling more of the “voting mechanisms.” <br />
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These methods are enhanced by putting elections systems in
the hands of elected party hacks (like Katherine Harris in FL or Ken Blackwell
in OH), rather than making it a nonpartisan position. This allows red states to
use a voter suppression method far more effective than voter ID laws: <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-gops-stealth-war-against-voters-w435890">purgingthe voter rolls.</a> Red states are using a vast computer database called the
Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program to strike names from the rolls
of hundreds of thousands of people who are supposedly voting in multiple states
(only four people have been convicted of doing so). The database can also be used to force <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/08/22/20079/america-scrubs-millions-voter-rolls-it-fair">eligible voters</a> to
cast provisional ballots, which are often discarded, uncounted, after the election has been called.</div>
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These lists can be used to specifically target minority
communities and are subject to lax oversight. NC, for instance, was found to
have illegally purged 6700 voters and ordered to reinstate them, but simply
ignored the court order. In NC, WI and other states that provided Trump’s
electoral vote win, the numbers of purged voters <a href="http://www.gregpalast.com/election-stolen-heres/">far exceed </a>his margin of
victory. <br />
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And all of this was made possible in part by the three
Supreme Court decisions gifted to the GOP by conservative majorities: <span style="color: #16191f; mso-bidi-font-family: "System Font";">Bush v Gore, Citizens
United v FEC, and Shelby County v Holder</span>. 2016 was the first election
held after the Voting Rights Act was gutted. Absent that, states with a proven
history of racist vote suppression would have been unable to enact such
sweeping restrictions to voting rights – and the results speak for themselves.
You may call it liberal fear-mongering, but I say, let the facts be submitted
to a candid world. </div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-87587394258338597412015-05-25T21:56:00.003-07:002015-05-28T11:39:42.256-07:00Heated Discussion<div class="separator tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://climatecrock.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/troll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://climatecrock.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/troll.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Climate change is one of the most </span><a href="http://www.nature.com/news/why-we-are-poles-apart-on-climate-change-1.11166" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">maddeningly contentious</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> issues of our times - maddening because it really shouldn't be any more </span><a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-06/battle-over-climate-change" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">controversial </a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">than </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjuGCJJUGsg" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">whether owls exist</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Of late I've been sidelined in an otherwise respectful online discussion by a couple of climate trolls. I know you're </span><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-online-secrets/201409/internet-trolls-are-narcissists-psychopaths-and-sadists" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">not supposed to feed them,</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> but sometimes it can't be helped. </span><br />
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I joined a Facebook community called "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/227239430645462/">Remember the Silicon Valley Before It Was the Silicon Valley?</a>" It's a lovely little group of folks indulging in deep nostalgia for my boyhood hometown, with posts like "Remember the old White Front department store? I used to bike over there to buy ten-cent candies with my brother" and so on. </span><br />
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One day some dude posted a photo of a row of six-story apartment buildings in Santa Clara, noting "how sad" it was that there was <a href="http://uli.org/wp-content/uploads/ULI-Documents/HigherDensity_MythFact.ashx_.pdf">high-density housing</a> in our valley. It was creepy, he said, like some "alien land." And so I said: "<span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; line-height: 16px;">On the contrary. Ordinary people can't afford to live there anymore. We need high density housing so teachers and policemen and nurses can live there. Density makes transit more efficient and walkable neighborhoods are good for the planet." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">And then we were off to the races. You would think I had proposed massive rows of kitten guillotines in every shopping mall. </span></span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="background-color: #f6f7f8;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">I was told that density is not good for the planet because it increases the number of people in a given parcel of land (which is, I know, a tautology) and that I was a liar for suggesting otherwise. I learned that lot of people really, really don't like living in urban environments - which is fine, really. Takes all kinds of people to make a world. Some of those folks, of course, were able to cash out the <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2014/10/26/what-will-make-people-care-about-silicon-valleys.html">highly inflated value</a> of their land thanks to the Silicon Valley tech boom, and then buy a mountainside up in the Sierra Nevada, from whence they can decry the urbanization impelled by other folks moving to the Valley, trying to make a </span></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">buck. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">The discussion has been going on for nine months or so, off and on, and like I say, mostly respectful on all sides. I've been able to present a lot of information about how people in <a href="http://grist.org/cities/how-much-does-density-really-cut-down-on-driving/?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=update">dense, walkable urban neighborhoods</a> have about <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/qa-ellen-dunham-jones-on-retrofitting-suburbia/">one-third the carbon footprint</a> of folks in sprawling, auto-centric suburbs, and how <a href="https://www.cnu.org/climate">density</a> is as much a matter of <a href="http://www.vox.com/2015/5/22/8640425/commuting-poverty-public-transit">economic justice </a>as it is <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/10/1383237/-The-next-public-health-challenge-Retrofitting-Suburbia-Huh">necessary for the planet.</a></span></span></span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">The thread has sometimes spilled over into tangential discussions of related issues like </span><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/24/1387328/-David-Frum-suggests-that-immigrants-are-drinking-most-of-California-s-water#" style="line-height: 16px;">immigration,</a> <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/25/1387518/-So-You-Want-To-Control-Global-Population-Easy" style="line-height: 16px;">overpopulation,</a> <a href="http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth/protecting-water-resources-higher-density-development" style="line-height: 16px;">water use</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">, </span><a href="http://www.planetizen.com/node/107" style="line-height: 16px;">crime rates</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">, </span><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/05/climate-change-income-inequality" style="line-height: 16px;">income inequality,</a> <a href="http://www.cbpp.org/research/mortgage-interest-deduction-is-ripe-for-reform" style="line-height: 16px;">taxation policies,</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> and, of course, </span><a href="http://dirt.asla.org/2011/02/08/interview-with-peter-calthorpe-author-of-urbanism-in-the-age-of-climate-change/" style="line-height: 16px;">climate change.</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> I have been arguing that the climate crisis means that we need to move swiftly to reduce our carbon footprint, and that mixed-use development in walkable, urban neighborhoods served by public transit is <a href="http://And that, of course, is where the trolls come in.">one of the best ways</a> to do that. </span></span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 16px;">And that, of course, is where <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/illconsidered/2012/10/climate-trolls-an-illustrated-bestiary/">the trolls</a> come in.</span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 16px;"> </span></span><br />
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</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKbwv-Drcv6PqWkXC8vTWCKQYAmlodMc5OyM41qKOFloxv56BxsMUMZ3sX3JL3brI0vluJWnATydIi6WcrrD-lAXYQeplugtfVfg94c7OETFCFO1C21ST9_vOTT66hlFRFAgSRI0Zy4cH/s1600/%2522coonigula%25225_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKbwv-Drcv6PqWkXC8vTWCKQYAmlodMc5OyM41qKOFloxv56BxsMUMZ3sX3JL3brI0vluJWnATydIi6WcrrD-lAXYQeplugtfVfg94c7OETFCFO1C21ST9_vOTT66hlFRFAgSRI0Zy4cH/s200/%2522coonigula%25225_n.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">The first one is belligerent, screams in all caps that "there is NO HUMAN CAUSES GLOBAL climate change," violates <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Godwin's+Law">Godwin's law</a> but posts racist crap to his homepage that Hermann Goering would be proud of, and suggests that I'm motivated by increasing the value of my "investments" via the teachers unions. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">The second troll is more erudite, and has posted about a dozen arguments against anthropogenic climate change, ranging from the specious to the superficially plausible, all of them gleaned - directly or indirectly - from the <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/03/08/how-the-merchants-of-doubt-push-climate-denial/202792">extensive</a> denialist <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/14/funding-climate-change-denial-thinktanks-network">propaganda network</a> funded by the <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/polluterwatch/koch-industries/">fossil fuel barons</a>. He may concede that warming is occurring, but that its dangers are completely overblown and that people are overreacting, perhaps due to some irrational or "pathological" fear. Nobody who disagrees with him can possibly be rational, though he endorses the <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/13/agenda-21-the-un-conspiracy-that-just-won-t-die.html">paranoid tinfoil-hat </a>"Agenda 21" <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/onearth/2013/03/agenda_21_no_the_government_isn_t_going_to_confiscate_your_property.html">conspiracy theory</a> that <a href="http://disinfo.com/2014/04/exposing-influence-behind-anti-agenda-21-anti-sustainability-agenda/">posits the UN</a> will <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/11/tea-party-agenda-21-un-sustainable-development">force us</a> all <a href="http://www.theunion.com/opinion/4673804-113/agenda-conspiracy-county-easily">onto bike paths</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiSdmuKtUbkRWcuDDNywBmDhNnfUoU6NcKKw5NmVFQBYBqseUYlpEQRyvMNhopR13s2Wir20KJAOz1PaKBbsOjVEzWyxloJjpHCBY4hNURWlbyKpEYsGSXmnZyk7C1_CflFy5TQRBsPd1bVA5bHG4urqZAXouOJ-otwrq4uilgf0iTrhf6ZHOFyiAX0LH8_qkg7pMQk=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.dailykos.com/images/124736/large/global-temps-1880-2014.png?1421434673" height="243" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Like any troll, he's wasting a good deal of time and pixel space, but it's a free country and he can say what he wants. Still, this particular Facebook community has 5500 members, and his arguments deserve a coherent response, if only for the lurkers and onlookers who may be genuinely confused or undecided. Because he's been throwing so much sand in the umpire's eyes, there are a lot of points to respond to, and that's why I'm doing it here, where I can embed links to <a href="http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/facts.html">further information </a>and take my time without dominating the discussion.</span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">And maybe this will be useful to you in responding to trolls of your own, either online, or at your <a href="http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/09/how-to-convince-conservatives-on-climate-change.html">next family gathering.</a> This is not a <a href="https://royalsociety.org/policy/projects/climate-evidence-causes/short-q-a/">comprehensive guide</a> to every <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/12/18/7_ways_to_shut_down_a_climate_change_denier_partner/">denialist talking point </a>(you can find <a href="http://grist.org/series/skeptics/">a really good one</a> at Grist magazine's site, or maybe use <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2013/03/chart-how-win-climate-argument">this flowchart</a> in a pinch). But herewith, a few responses to some of the most common climate change claptrap:</span></span></span><br />
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</span><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• Carbon dioxide is good for plants</b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/05/10/carbon_dioxide_and_global_warming_more_is_not_better.html">complete nonsense</a> is not the argument of someone who has carefully examined the scientific consensus and found it wanting. this the argument of someone who carefully prunes their news intake to avoid being exposed to anything that contradicts their comfortable worldview, and so is routinely </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">handed the talking points of the GOP donor base. This is like saying that calories are good for you, so you should pork out on fast food three times a day. In real life, not only are we dumping far more carbon into the atmosphere than the <a href="http://theconversation.com/plants-absorb-more-co2-than-we-thought-but-32945">plants can absorb</a>, but we've been <a href="http://www.conservation.org/what/pages/forests.aspx?gclid=CjwKEAjw-ZqrBRDt_KjhjcbzhhISJAAlRGvlLe4hlnRit-SzainNQRTtaCnBMqMO9BycTt6sbySMHRoCACXw_wcB">deforesting</a> the planet for centuries and removing some of nature's best carbon sinks. This also ignores all the other things carbon does, like <i>trap the sun's radiation on the planet's surface.</i> No matter how much <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/Increasing-Carbon-Dioxide-is-not-good-for-plants.html">plants love their carbon dioxide</a>, desertification isn't their idea of a holiday.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• The climate is always changing</b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><i><b> </b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "Droughts," I was told, "even long ones, occur all over the planet and predate industrialization." True enough, and some of them have led to civilizational collapse; ask the Maya and the Anasazi. And as <a href="https://royalsociety.org/policy/projects/climate-evidence-causes/question-6/">the Royal Society</a> put it:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All major climate changes, including natural ones, are disruptive. Past climate changes led to extinction of many species, population migrations, and pronounced changes in the land surface and ocean circulation. The speed of the current climate change is faster than most of the past events, making it more difficult for human societies and the natural world to adapt.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or as <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/climate/facts/humans_are_forcing_climate.asp?MR=1">Skeptical Science</a> puts it: "It doesn't happen by magic. Climate changes when it's forced to change. When our planet suffers an energy imbalance and gains or loses heat, global temperature changes."</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are currently no <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadrought">megadroughts</a>, says the erudite troll, and here he is technically correct, if we define same as lasting multiple decades. But the megadroughts <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/todays-drought-in-the-west-is-nothing-compared-to-what-may-be-coming/2015/02/12/0041646a-b2d9-11e4-854b-a38d13486ba1_story.html">are coming </a>if we continue to heat up the planet at this rate. "None of the local precipitation patterns are historical anomalies in any way," he goes on, and here he is wrong again. <a href="http://www.livescience.com/50013-california-drought-climate-change.html">California's current drought </a><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/03/20/california_megadrought_it_s_already_begun.html">is the worst</a> the region has seen in 1200 years, which certainly predates any history of a place called California by its inhabitants. We shouldn't have to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/14/us/nasa-study-western-megadrought/">wait a couple decades</a> to find this alarming indeed - even if <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/03/26/3417812/el-nino-extreme-weather-global-temperature/">a superheated El Nino</a> leads to significant rainfall later this year. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• It's hubris to think we can affect the climate</b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823;"><i style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></i><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is one I hear a lot from <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/12/29/392765/rush-limbaugh-climate-change-misinformer-of-the-year/">Rush Limbaugh</a> - it's a big old planet, and there's only seven </span></span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">billion of us itty bitty people, so how could anything we do affect the climate? The erudite troll says that it manifests a "Superman/God complex" to think we can do anything about global warming, so naturally we shouldn't do anything about it. </span><br />
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</span></span></span> <a href="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/graphics/approaching_dust_storm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/graphics/approaching_dust_storm.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This conveniently ignores an obvious historical case of humans affecting the planet: the ozone hole that was caused by a buildup of chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere. In this case, the world's governments accepted the scientific consensus and actually agreed to do something about it (maybe because the freon lobby didn't have nearly the clout of the fossil fuel barons). So CFCs were phased out and the problem was mitigated, if not completely solved. </span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likewise, we have conclusive evidence that human activity is affecting our planet's climate. Let <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskScienceDiscussion/comments/307txr/is_there_really_conclusive_evidence_that_climate/">a climate scientist</a> explain:</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn11638/dn11638-4_738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn11638/dn11638-4_738.jpg" height="132" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• We can accurately measure the effects of greenhouse gases on infrared radiation in the lab. From this we can work out what happens if we increase the amount of greenhouse gases (such as CO2) in the atmosphere. They reduce the amount of radiation the Earth loses to space so it has to warm up to compensate.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> • We can measure atmospheric CO2 concentrations accurately. Because CO2 is very long-lived (i.e. it doesn't quickly react with stuff and get converted to something else) CO2 measurements in one place are pretty much the same as every other place.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• We can attribute the CO2 increase to human fossil fuel burning because CO2 from these sources tends to contain more light carbon isotopes than CO2 already in the atmosphere. This is because plants (the ultimate source of fossil fuels) prefer to take up light carbon isotopes rather than heavy ones.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• We are aware of other factors that can affect climate: volcanic eruptions, solar activity, human aerosol particle emissions, and redistribution of heat from the atmosphere to the ocean on a range of timescales. We can quantify these effects and find they cannot explain recent warming. Likewise, we can quantify the effect of CO2 and other greenhouse gases and find they can explain recent warming.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #141823;"><i><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b>• Severe weather events have declined</b></span></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> Denialists are adept at cherry-picking data to try to wish away the reality of climate change, as this </span><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamestaylor/2013/05/08/sorry-global-warmists-but-extreme-weather-events-are-becoming-less-extreme/2/" style="line-height: 16px;">blustery piece</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> in Forbes shows. They might argue that there are fewer deaths from extreme weather events (due of course to improved safety and forecasting tools). Or they might just focus on one type of weather, like <a href="http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Global-Warming-is-Causing-Extreme-Weather/Hurricanes.aspx">hurricanes </a>or <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/climate/extreme.asp?MR=1">tornadoes</a>, and ignore other events, like<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/27/3651617/climate-change-hot-days-study/"> heat waves </a> and<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/11/extreme-weather-common-blocking-patterns"> flooding</a>. Or they may use reports just from the US, or only from certain parts of the US to twist the picture around. One of the easiest ways to <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/22/1386999/-Monckton-and-Watts-inadvertantly-reveal-global-warming-Pause-to-be-clumsy-fraud#">lie with statistics</a> is to choose your base year as high as possible, and shut off your data set in a much lower year. Presto, "declining severe weather." </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Meanwhile, in <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/impacts/global-warming-rain-snow-tornadoes.html#.VWXoz2CT4dO">the real world</a>, record breaking heat is </span><a href="http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2014/03/the-most-common-fallacy-in-discussing-extreme-weather-events/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">five times more frequent</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> than it would be without our carbon buildup. Moreover, aside from the </span><i style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">frequency</i><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> of extreme weather, which varies widely over time, the </span><i style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">intensity</i><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> of </span><a href="http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/extreme-weather#intro-section-2" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">high-precipitation events</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> is clearly on the rise. This stands to reason, since a warmer atmosphere can holder greater amounts of water vapor, forming larger storms and blizzards. Thus, even in constant dollars, the </span><a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/04/28/3112721/tornadoes-climate-change/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">financial hit</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> from these events is also skyrocketing. According to peer-reviewed research </span><a href="http://science.time.com/2012/05/10/global-warming-an-exclusive-look-at-james-hansens-scary-new-math/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">cited here</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">, there has been a "10-fold increase in extreme weather events." </span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #141823;"><i><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b>• That ice shelf is only 1% of Antarctica</b></span></i></span></span><br />
<a href="https://nsidc.org/sites/nsidc.org/files/images/news/glac_glacier_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://nsidc.org/sites/nsidc.org/files/images/news/glac_glacier_map.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><b style="font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;"> </b><span style="line-height: 16px;">My esteemed interlocutor pooh-poohed reports of the </span><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/05/world-about-lose-10000-year-old-ice-shelf" style="line-height: 16px;">imminent collapse</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> of the Antarctic ice shelf named Larsen B. That ice shelf, he scoffed, is only 1% of the Antarctic land mass, therefore its melting is no cause for concern. And of course he'd be right (at least partially) if the way climate change works is that <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/quickfacts/iceshelves.html">the ice shelves </a>will melt one at a time, patiently waiting their turn. This is nonsense, of course, since the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is dumping <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/22/1387049/-A-switch-was-flipped-and-Southern-Antarctica-glaciers-are-now-rapidly-melting">twice as much melt </a>as Larsen B, and its </span></span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 16px;">neighbor Larsen A is gone, and Larsen C, which is five times larger, has started cracking up. </span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 16px;">But even if ice shelves melted one at a time, he'd still be wrong, since the ice shelves are holding back Antarct</span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">ica's glaciers, and once they're gone, the glaciers move much more rapidly into the sea. </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZTMVNBjc4">Meanwhile</a>, </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">the <a href="http://www.rtcc.org/2014/04/14/greenland-ice-melt-accelerating-say-scientists/">massive ice sheet </a>covering <a href="https://www.skepticalscience.com/greenland-cooling-gaining-ice.htm">Greenland</a> is also melting <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/greenland-ice-melt-accelerating-climate-change-awakens-sleeping-giant-1561707">at an alarming rate</a>. </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">All of this has been accelerating in recent years, which brings us to the next objection....</span><br />
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</b></i></span></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• Sea level rise is minimal</b></i></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Recent_Sea_Level_Rise.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Recent_Sea_Level_Rise.png" height="222" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i> Here is where the erudite troll shows himself to be </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">math-challenged on top of everything else. He posted a link to <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6111/1183.abstract">a study on sea level rise</a>, which notes that the increase has been approximately 0.6mm annually over the past 20 years. His comment was </span></span>"Ohh, .6 mm per year....run, you're gonna drown!" <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">First of all, that works out to about a half inch rise over two decades, which still doesn't sound like much, but if we continue at that rate for a few more decades, we have some <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/sea-level-and-risk-of-flooding-rising-rapidly-in-mid-atlantic-16822">serious problems </a>for the billion or so humans who live in coastal areas. Except that we won't be continuing at that rate; the rate is increasing (see ice shelf data above). And here's the best part: we've already had <a href="http://climatechange.supportportal.com/link/portal/23002/23006/Article/33353/Will-a-small-rise-in-sea-level-affect-people-even-in-the-United-States">nine inches of sea level rise</a> over the past 140 years. And that works out to about 23 millimeters, or 0.164mm per year. So the paper he cited shows that the rate of sea level rise has <i>effectively quadrupled </i>in the past couple decades. Thanks, man!</span></span></span><br />
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</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Of course, if we don't do something soon, by the end of the century we could be measuring sea level rise in <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/sea-level-rise-predictions.htm">feet, not inches</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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</i></b></span></span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• 400ppm is an arbitrary benchmark</b></i></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://assets.climatecentral.org/images/made/5_2_13_news_andrew_co2800000yrs_1050_591_s_c1_c_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://assets.climatecentral.org/images/made/5_2_13_news_andrew_co2800000yrs_1050_591_s_c1_c_c.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>Of course it is; it's just <a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/4/22/5551004/two-degrees">a big, round number.</a> Nobody is saying that we'd be perfectly safe at 399ppm. Of course <a href="http://theconversation.com/mike-raupach-the-scientist-who-tallied-the-worlds-carbon-budget-37575">actual climate scientists</a> have been telling us for years that the safe threshold was <a href="http://400.350.org/#the-350-target">350ppm</a>, and we just blew past that. <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/the-last-time-co2-was-this-high-humans-didnt-exist-15938">The last time</a> there was this much ca</span></span>rbon in the atmosphere, humans didn't even exist. As climatologist Peter Glieck <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/04/09/3424704/carbon-dioxide-highest-level/">points out</a>, "never in the history of the planet have humans altered the atmosphere as radically as we are doing so now." But the erudite troll, who knows better than all those climate scientists, scoffs at "people that are all worked up over this measly 400ppm."</span><br />
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</b></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• We won't be feeling the effects in our lifetimes </b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;"> </b><span style="line-height: 16px;">Friends, even if this were true (which it </span><a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/the-consequences-of-climate-change-in-our-lifetimes.html" style="line-height: 16px;">most certainly</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> isn't), this would be the most irresponsible and callous argument for doing nothing about the <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/01/calculating-the-dollar-value-of-climate-change/384517/">extremely expensive</a> and catastrophic effects of global climate change. Rather than boosting the value of my vast teachers union holdings, what motivates me to be active on this issue is leaving a better world for my children and grandchildren. If we </span><a href="http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2013/12/03/report-warns-of-climate-change-tipping-points-within-our-lifetime/" style="line-height: 16px;">don't stop</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> treating the atmosphere as a carbon dump for utilities and oil companies, the effects of climate change, </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/02/world/ipcc-climate-change-report/" style="line-height: 16px;">according to the IPCC</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">, will be essentially irreversible. Co2 stays in the atmosphere </span><a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/co2-residence-time.htm" style="line-height: 16px;">for centuries</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">; look at the 400ppm graph above to see much we've dumped there already. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Most of us reading this can expect to live to around </span><a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/one-billion-people-face-entirely-new-climate-by-2050-study-16587" style="line-height: 16px;">midcentury</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">; my kids will probably see the </span><a href="http://www.bustle.com/articles/19591-un-report-warns-of-global-warming-disasters-7-terrifying-changes-well-likely-see-in-our-lifetime" style="line-height: 16px;">end of the century.</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> But of course we </span><a href="http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Global-Warming-is-Happening-Now.aspx" style="line-height: 16px;">don't have to wait</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> that long to see the effects of climate change; they're with us </span><a href="http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/climate/cli_effects.html" style="line-height: 16px;">right now</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">. We're already seeing the effects of <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/12/3657633/study-sea-level-rise-accelerating/">sea level rise</a> as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/18/storm-surge-risk_n_2902823.html">storm surges </a>like Sandy and Katrina bring more devastating flooding. We can see the climate starting to affect <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/30/3652671/study-tanzania-coffee-climate-change/">crop yields</a>. We can see the effects of <a href="https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-acidification">ocean acidification</a> on <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/12/3657571/carbon-pollution-sea-life/">our fisheries</a>. And of course we can see the more frequent heat waves. 2014 was the <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/gallery/graphics/10-warmest-years-globally">hottest year on record</a>, and nine of the top ten are in the 21st century. 2015 is already <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/22/3662117/2015-hottest-year-record-so-far/">on pace</a> to bust that record. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">Denialists like to decry the staggering costs involved with switching over to renewable energy resources and a low-carbon economy. You'd think that <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/climate-change-deniers-are-in-retreat/2015/04/06/942eb980-dc9f-11e4-be40-566e2653afe5_story.html">true conservatives</a> would pause to consider the costs of inaction: </span><a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/graphics.php?g=11" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">as much as $20 trillion</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> by 2100, by some estimates. Of course that's not "in our lifetimes," so why worry?</span><br />
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</b></i></span></span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• Wackos warned about an ice age</b></i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2006/10/giss_2005.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2006/10/giss_2005.gif" width="320" /></a></i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>The erudite troll helpfully posted <a href="https://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/1970s-ice-age-scare/">a compendium of articles </a>from the 1970s with suitably alarmist headlines about the <a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/they-predicted-global-cooling-in-the-1970s/">impending ice age</a>. Never mind that some of them were repeated </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">two or three times and many were from podunk hometown papers. Most of these articles in the popular press were based on a few scientific papers which correctly noted <a href="http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=94">a slight mid-century cooling trend,</a> which was abated when aerosols and particulate matter were regulated out of our energy emissions. What I didn't see was any kind of prescription about what to </span></span>do about it, much less the "increased government control over the lives of citizens, and more tax money." that the erudite troll insists is the motivation behind climate science. There was never anything like the <a href="http://grist.org/article/there-is-no-consensus/">overwhelming consensus</a> we have now about climate change, nor was there a concerted international effort to address the problem. This isn't just apples and oranges; it's more like cherries and grapefruits. Even in the '70s, there were far more scientists <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/ice-age-predictions-in-1970s.htm">predicting warming</a> than cooling; the ice age scare was largely a media phenomenon. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• James Hansen is a charlatan</b></i></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.cobybeck.com/illconsidered/HansenABC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.cobybeck.com/illconsidered/HansenABC.jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"> </i><span style="line-height: 16px;">The denialists like to make this about personalities, rather than evidence. Or as the belligerent troll put it, "Al Gore has a carbon Footprint the size of Bill Clinton." The erudite troll chose to try undermining the credibility of NASA climate scientist <a href="http://blog.nwf.org/2013/04/courage-credibility-and-conviction-james-hansens-remarkable-career-at-nasa/">James Hansen</a>, by repeating an </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2015/03/30/setting-the-record-straight-the-real-story-of-a-pivotal-climate-change-hearing/" style="line-height: 16px;">apocryphal story </a><span style="line-height: 16px;">about how his <a href="http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/05/hansens-1988-projections/">historic 1988 testimony </a>had been PR-enhanced by scheduling it for a hot day with the hearing room artificially warmed up. Even if that were true, it wouldn't have been Hansen's fault - a</span></span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">nd his opponents are not averse to some PR management of their own</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">. He may have been <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/Hansen-1988-prediction.htm">wrong about some things</a>, but his climate change predictions </span><a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/hansen-has-been-wrong-before/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">have held up pretty well</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">. Which brings us to...</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><i><b>• Climate models are useless</b></i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"> The challenge was, are there any climate models with predictive value? And the answer is - as <a href="http://www.quora.com/Climate-Change-and-Global-Warming-2010-11/Which-groups-predictions-have-proven-more-accurate-human-caused-global-warming-skeptics-or-supporters">this Quora thread </a>illustrates - that while <a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/spin-some-fatboy-slim-while-checking-out-this-retro-climate-model/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=update&utm_campaign=socialflow">no climate model is perfect,</a> climate scientists have a much better track record than the denialists do when it comes to accurate <a href="http://www.skepticalscience.com/search.php?Search=Predictions_150">predictions</a>. </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">Here I'm going to quote </span><a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/climate-models-are-unproven/" style="line-height: 16px;">directly from Coby Beck </a><span style="line-height: 16px;">at Grist:</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote>
<a href="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/climatechanging/climatescienceinfozone/exploringwhatmighthappen/2point4/~/media/ClimateChanging/FindOutMore/Images/2point4point4point3.ashx" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/climatechanging/climatescienceinfozone/exploringwhatmighthappen/2point4/~/media/ClimateChanging/FindOutMore/Images/2point4point4point3.ashx" height="270" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• models predict that surface warming should be accompanied by cooling of the stratosphere, and this has indeed been <a href="http://www.ghcc.msfc.nasa.gov/MSU/msusci.html">observed</a>; </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• models have long predicted warming of the lower, mid, and upper troposphere, even while satellite readings seemed to disagree — but it turns out the satellite analysis was full of errors and on correction, this warming has been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Satellite_Temperatures.png">observed</a>; </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• models predict warming of ocean surface waters, as is now <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/275/5302/957">observed</a>; </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• models predict an energy imbalance between incoming sunlight and outgoing infrared radiation, which has <a href="http://www.earthinstitute.columbia.edu/news/2005/story04-28-05.html">been detected</a>; </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• models predict sharp and short-lived cooling of a few tenths of a degree in the event of large volcanic eruptions, and Mount Pinatubo confirmed this; </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">• models predict an amplification of warming trends in the Arctic region, and <a href="http://grist.files.wordpress.com/2006/11/2005cal_fig3.gif">this is indeed happening</a>; </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and finally, to get back to where we started, models predict continuing and accelerating warming of the surface, and so far they are correct.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Please provide any evidence," sneers the erudite troll, "of a valid 'climate model' that can even function properly when fed actual historical data. Let alone one that has been shown to have ANY predictive value whatsoever." Fine. <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/climate/facts/models_are_reliable.asp?MR=1">Here</a> is a simple explanation of how climate models work. And for the more scientifically literate among you, click on the "intermediate" link on that page for a more complicated explanation. </span><br />
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<i style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><b>• This is about power and control</b></i><br />
<b style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 16px;"> </b><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Well, we can certainly agree on that much; this entire debate is about power and control. But it sure ain't the teachers unions and climate scientists who control our economy. If 97% of the planet's climate scientists are engaged in a vast conspiracy to feather their own nests, they're not doing a very good job of it. Their funding in the decade from 1993 to 2004 </span><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/12/18/7_ways_to_shut_down_a_climate_change_denier_partner/" style="line-height: 16px;">stayed essentially flat</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">. Research funding was cut </span><a href="http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/airenergy_warming.asp" style="line-height: 16px;">under Bush</a><span style="line-height: 16px;">, of course, but Obama hasn't exactly been </span><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/legislative_reports/fcce-report-to-congress.pdf" style="line-height: 16px;">dumping pots of gold </a><span style="line-height: 16px;">on the researchers. Funding for clean energy technology has increased, certainly - and sensibly so, given all of the above evidence. But this is a drop in the bucket compared to global subsidies to the fossil fuel barons: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/may/18/fossil-fuel-companies-getting-10m-a-minute-in-subsidies-says-imf">$10 milllion per minute</a>, every minute of every day. That works out to $5.3 trillion annually. </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/files/2014/10/merchantsofdoubt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/files/2014/10/merchantsofdoubt.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">That's where your power and control is. That's why Exxon and the Koch brothers and their allies have </span><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dark-money-funds-climate-change-denial-effort/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">dumped a half billion dollars</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> into a network of about 100 climate change denialist organizations, whose talking points are filtered through the conservative media. After all, that only amounts to about an hour's worth of their annual taxpayer subsidy. But that can still buy a lot of bullshit. </span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Anyone who is the least bit openminded on these matters should see the documentary film </span><a href="http://sonyclassics.com/merchantsofdoubt/" style="line-height: 16px;">Merchants of Doubt</a><span style="line-height: 16px;"> - or take your denialist uncle to see it. It describes the <a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/merchants-of-doubt-author-slams-corrosive-climate-change-skepticism/">strategy and tactics</a> of the PR professionals who have been hired to <a href="http://www.edf.org/blog/2015/04/01/what-merchants-doubt-dont-want-you-know">obfuscate this issue</a> in the public mind, and stymie any action to mitigate the effects of climate change. Not only does the denialist network employ some of the same lobbying firms that used to shill for the tobacco companies - they feature some of the exact same "expert" con artists. Some of the same faces you used to see on TV telling you it was a myth that tobacco causes cancer, are now showing up on Fox News or in Senator Inhofe's hearing room, telling you it's a myth that burning fossil fuels causes climate change. </span></span><br />
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</span></span> <span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">And folks, that's the way the game is played. Their side, my side - we make our case in the court of public opinion. Their side has the means, motive and opportunity to cause confusion and delay. My side is hopelessly outgunned; we only have science to back us up. When you debate in public, or on the internet, you're free to act like a prosecuting attorney; pick and choose your best arguments, downplay or minimize the rest. Everybody does that. I've done it here, too - though many of the links I've posted will give you information the other side would like to stress. You know, why should I make your case for you?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">But that's not how science works. Scientists test their hypotheses, consider all available evidence, and submit their research for peer review. If there are errors, they are corrected, and new hypotheses emerge. Scientists have been studying and predicting anthropogenic global warming </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_climate_change_science" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">since 1896</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">. They continue to amass evidence, refine their climate models and subject their evidence and analysis to scrutiny. And </span><a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;">97% of the climate scientists</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"> - the people who do this for a living - are telling us that humans are heating up the planet and that we're in for a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ktYbVwr90">world of hurt</a> if we don't stop. If 97 out of a hundred mechanics told you your car was in dangerous shape, you'd kind of be a fool to drive the thing, wouldn't you?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">My esteemed interlocutor, the erudite troll, complains of the government </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"taxing you to death and imposing communistic controls on your society and your lifestyle." And recall, we're talking here about mixed-use development, more efficient land-use patterns, better public transit, renewable energy, that sort of thing. Yet he has no problem with the government taxing us to promote a corporate agenda, with far more extensive say over your society and lifestyle choices. And those choices will be even more constrained for our grandchildren if we let these legacy industries and their media acolytes continue to obstruct our collective response to the mess they've made. I say, this is the tyranny we need to resist. </span><br />
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<i>About a year ago, I was contacted by John Asimakopoulos, a professor of sociology at the City University of New York. He asked me to write an introduction to his new book, </i><a href="http://www.brill.com/products/book/social-structures-direct-democracy?fb_action_ids=10152229825467914&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=feed_opengraph&action_object_map={%2210152229825467914%22%3A1390997267836967}&action_type_map={%2210152229825467914%22%3A%22og.likes%22}&action_ref_map=[]">Social Structures of Direct Democracy</a>.<i> Professor Asimakopoulos had written an intriguing and probing analysis of new ways to promote democratic governance. It's a discussion that is more necessary and timely than ever, and I'm proud to have been a part of it. That book has just been published, which means I can share with you what I wrote last fall:</i></div>
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The absurdities of our present political moment would tax
the capacities of the most fervent satirists. The body politic bleeds from a
series of self-inflicted wounds. We lurch from crisis to crisis like a
hyperactive adolescent, seemingly unable to come to reasonable agreement on
matters from the vital to the trivial. </div>
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The wealthiest nation on earth appears increasingly
ungovernable: we have one political party unable to say no to its base, and
another unable to say yes. The forces of oligarchy and reaction exert ever-wider
control over our political, commercial and communications systems, yet are
unable to buy themselves any kind of stability. We have gone well beyond
ignoring the lessons of history; at present the lessons of history are being
beaten with a truncheon in a back alley. </div>
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Meanwhile (and not coincidentally), the USA’s mentor and patron
saint, the Global Capitalist Empire, is having trouble putting the finishing
touches on its 500-year project to unify the planet under its ethos. After five
centuries of conquest, colonization, co-optation, coups, countercoups, and free
trade agreements, the Empire was tantalizingly close to ultimate success,
seemingly a just a few years away from KFCs in Havana and Pyongyang. </div>
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And yet no sooner do they tack down one corner of the carpet
when another comes undone, necessitating further efforts to bring recalcitrant
populations in line. This global game of Whack-a-Mole continues with storm
clouds looming on the horizon, in the form of a permanent alteration of the weather
patterns that made human civilization possible in the first place. This, to say
the least, could affect the bottom line. </div>
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What these two conundra have in common is that they are the
result of a massively unequal distribution of resources – indeed, of systems
which virtually guarantee a massively unequal distribution of resources. The
systems invite conflict, and sustain their own unsustainability. Stein’s Law
tells us that “if something is unsustainable, it will stop.” But perhaps a
corollary to that is that it will not stop until its unsustainability is as
obvious as being hit over the head with a two-by-four. </div>
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Our body politic, however, continues to whack itself with
the metaphorical lumber, and though it staggers, it does not stop – yet. </div>
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Or rather, it did stop, for a few weeks in October of 2013.
Ongoing services to the Empire continued uninterrupted, of course, but programs
benefitting ordinary citizens ground to a halt while their elected
representatives engaged in a game of chicken, through gritted teeth, over how
much austerity to impose on a struggling economy. Eventually the differences
were papered over and the lawmakers settled back to prepare for the next
crisis. </div>
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The United States of America has been papering over its
differences for so long, it’s become our default mode. We started out that way,
after all, with an unworkable kludge that created the undemocratic Senate and
Electoral College, and a friendly compromise that African-American chattel slaves
should be considered three-fifths of a person – strictly for the drawing of
political districts, of course. We papered over the differences between the
“loyalists” and the “royalists,” and kicked the can down the road on the issue
of slavery for the better part of a century. </div>
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And, incredibly, even after those differences erupted into a
fratricidal civil war, they were papered over once again. The stolen election
of 1876 paved the way for a backroom deal to end Reconstruction, withdraw
federal troops from the south, and – concerning the rights of the emancipated
slaves – kick the can down the road for yet another century. And when Dr. King
and the civil rights movement finally forced the issue to be dealt with, LBJ
famously remarked, as he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1965, “We have lost the
South for a generation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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LBJ underestimated the force of that moment. For the next
several generations, the nation’s electorate re-sorted itself, virtually
eliminating Democrats from elected office in the South, while rendering nearly
as extinct the Republican Party in the Northeast. LBJ’s successor, the
machiavellian Richard Nixon, implemented a “Southern Strategy,” designed to
appeal to the racial resentments of working-class whites.</div>
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This worked like a charm, until it didn’t. Over the
half-century since LBJ’s prediction, the two parties, once overlapping fuzzily
in ideology, became more and more polarized. African-American voters switched
their loyalties away from the party of Lincoln (eventually voting Democratic by
more than a 9 to 1 margin in presidential elections), while many working-class
whites switched from Roosevelt Democrats to Reagan Republicans. Eventually,
though, the GOP backed itself into a demographic corner, appealing to an
ever-shrinking, anachronistically reactionary segment of the electorate – while
simultaneously alienating the fastest-growing ethnic constituencies. </div>
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Rather than adapt to the new electorate, the GOP has instead
doubled down, and then quadrupled down on the Southern Strategy. Party leaders
keep trying to appeal to their steadily crankier constituency, herding them
into computer-drawn gerrymanders to maximize their waning geographic strengths,
resorting to ever more arcane campaign financing schemes to continue stoking
resentment at non-white “takers.” Their incumbents fear primary challenges from
the right far more than they do general-election voters, and the result has
been an ongoing lurch rightward with every election cycle, and an increasing
isolation, as more and more voters are alienated from the tarnished GOP brand. As
one outflanked GOP Senator put it, “We’re not generating enough angry white
guys to stay in business for the long term.”</div>
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This made the nihilistic showdown of Autumn 2013 virtually
inevitable, as placating the ever-more-resentful base of the GOP required ever
more brinksmanship. What we have evolved today is a parliament without a
parliamentary system. The two parties are more ideologically distinct than
ever, and subject to increasingly rigid party control over voting blocs in the
legislative branch. But our political institutions are made to function within
the deal-making, ideologically diffuse coalition politics of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century. And in contrast to a parliamentary system, we have no prime minister; the
president is not in control of Congress, which is often dominated by the
opposition party. In short, we’ve outgrown our political infrastructure. </div>
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This is just as apparent in the pressures faced by the
demographically advantaged Democrats as in the rump Republican Party. The
ostensible “party of the people” is perplexingly unable to deliver a better life
to its constituents, idling the economy in neutral for the first half of what
promises to be a lost decade of low growth and high unemployment. </div>
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How did it come to this? Like the Republicans, the Democratic
Party relies on a coalition of donor blocs to fund their media campaigns during
election cycles. The GOP’s ascendency in the 1966-2008 political era coincided
with the erosion of US labor unions, and their position as a counterweight to
corporate influence over the Democrats. So the Democrats have become more
beholden than ever to their corporate patrons. Unlike in other countries (which
provide public financing and access to the public airwaves), US elections are
staggeringly expensive. US politicians spend the majority of their waking hours
in fund-raising activities, and precious few in legislating. They instead go
hat in hand to one set of corporate donors in order to buy media access from
another set. </div>
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Democrats were handed a huge electoral gift in 2008 when the
global economy melted down on the Republicans’ watch, mere weeks before the
presidential election. It turned out to be the biggest economic crash since the
Great Depression – which should have been relatively straightforward to
address, given the example of how we recovered from the Crash of ’29, the
deepest in series of financial “panics” that had beset the US economy over the
years. Keynesian economics, as yet unformulated in 1929, was available in 2009
to inform us of the optimal policy response: an ongoing stimulus, anchored by
government spending, to put people back to work, with multiplier effects
leading to a swift recovery. </div>
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History teaches us that austerity and budget-cutting only
exacerbated the effects of the crash, and that historically high levels of
income inequality had led to a collapse of aggregate demand. With businesses
failing to hire, the government could be the employer of last resort. Moreover,
a steeply progressive tax on the fortunes of the super-rich would flatten out
inequality and finance the stimulus. Despite some backsliding into austerity
during 1937, it had worked well under FDR, and had led to a broad-based
prosperity and flattening inequality during the 50s, 60 and early 70s. </div>
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But flattening inequality, broad-based prosperity and
steeply progressive taxes were exactly what US elites did not want. They’d seen
that movie before, and did not want a repeat. Not only would they fight like a
cornered mongoose to (successfully) retain their positions of privilege, but
they also feared the political empowerment of the masses that would arise from
decades of rising living standards. The last time that happened, it had led to
increased demands for civil rights and an organized opposition to US military
adventures. In the parlance of 1970s think tanks, this was a “crisis of
democracy” – meaning entirely <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">too much</i>
democratic participation – and US elites had worked, with considerable success,
to reverse it ever since. </div>
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Ever since the 1970s, and the high-water mark of the middle
class, the US political system has struggled with the contradictions of trying
to formulate policy that enriches elites, while crafting campaigns to appeal to
the mass of voters whose interests are being sold out. New Deal restrictions on
financial chicanery were steadily undone, and workers’ incomes stagnated for
decades, and the gains from increased productivity were hoarded at the top of
the heap. </div>
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After a series of baroque financial bubbles, scandals and
crises during the 80s, 90s and 00s, the Crash of ’08 devastated the working
people of America, and while their recovery was slow and halting, elite
fortunes – both personal and corporate – returned to all-time highs. Even if
the Democrats could have agreed on an economic path to prosperity within their
own governing coalition, the “loyal opposition” retained enough veto points
over the process to stymie any such effort. The Republicans have even less
regard for Keynes than for Darwin, and so have dragged their feet, insisting on
further austerity during every budget negotiation. </div>
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So the Democrats have instead focused their energies on a
Byzantine health-care plan, designed to move somewhat closer to the ideal of
universal coverage enjoyed by all other industrial democracies, without
incurring opposition from entrenched stakeholders. The result pleases neither
its supporters nor its opponents, and will be the subject of endless wrangling
for years to come.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, we’ve outgrown our political infrastructure. This
Rube Goldberg system – with its ostentatious financial shenanigans, bloated tax
code, corporate welfare, ineffectual representatives, stymied voters, and
brobdingnagian inequality – would be laughable (or rather, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more</i> laughable) if it were not sputtering into engine lock at such
a portentous historical moment. Just as our political institutions become less
and less responsive, the ecological bill is coming due for the Industrial
Revolution.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The science behind greenhouse gasses has been known for over
a century. And scientists have been warning of the planetary danger of
increased carbon in the atmosphere for over a quarter century, with increasing
evidence and certainty of the calamity that awaits. But in the face of warming
polar regions, melting glaciers, ocean acidification, and increasingly
catastrophic weather patterns, our political system continues to hit the snooze
button on any attempts to ameliorate the situation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Worse, the forces of oligarchy and reaction are actively
organizing to prevent any such attempts. Fossil fuel barons and the politicians
they sponsor are on the warpath against fuel economy standards and gas taxes,
let alone any efforts to transition to renewable energy sources. This
recalcitrance has cost us so much time, we have only a decade or two, if that,
to halt and reverse the dumping of carbon into our atmosphere. It would require
a coordinated international effort equivalent to executing a hairpin turn on a
one-lane mountain road, while driving a 20-story high ocean liner. </div>
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So there you have it. If our political or economic systems
don’t collapse first, our ecological system certainly will. This is as much a
problem for the Global Capitalist Empire as it is for the majority of humanity
who happen to live under its auspices. Already shifting agricultural patterns
are leading to food and water shortages, and restless populations have forced
political crises and toppled governments across the globe.</div>
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But this is only the beginning. The insurance payouts alone
for the demise of coastal communities worldwide will be staggering. And the
necessity of adapting and re-adapting to changing weather patterns will play
havoc with agricultural interests. But the massive refugee flows, spreading
tropical diseases, and, inevitably, the rising tide of warfare, will massively disrupt
business as usual. All this is staring us in the face, and yet our political
institutions simply stare back. </div>
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And as with our economic problems, solutions to the crisis
of climate change are available; it’s only political will that is lacking.
Moreover, converting our economy to renewable energy would ignite a new round
of job creation – at a time when the supply of labor far outstrips demand. Still,
as with our economic crisis, obvious solutions are not just ignored, but
actively opposed. </div>
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This is all so glaringly, head-whackingly unsustainable that
something has to give. In the face of this uncertainty, we can only be certain
that change is needed. And luckily, the book you hold in your hands represents
a good deal of thinking about what kinds of change we require. Our institutions
are failing us; we need new, more responsive institutions. Herein is a
considered outline of how a more representative system might arise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The discussion within about direct democracy contributes to
the important conversation we need to be having about what will replace the
political and economic systems that are so obviously failing us. Not only do we
have the lessons of history to inform us about what not to do, we have
generations of thought to guide us in formulating a blueprint for a better
world. </div>
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We don’t have a crisis of democracy, as our elites complain;
we have a shortage. But at this point we have the technological tools to enable
greater voter empowerment in plebiscites and referenda, as well as the
experience of proportional representation systems, fusion voting and instant
runoffs to guide us. We can even use a lottery system, as with our jury pools,
to select representatives; could we do worse than we do now?</div>
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And as much as capitalists like to claim that “there is no
alternative” to their exploitive system, we have the experience of countless
worker-owned alternatives across the globe, from Mondagron to Gaviotas to
Kerala. Worker-owned cooperatives, democratically elected corporate boards and
other arrangements have worked across the globe, and their failures and
successes strengthen our ability to plan a more responsive economy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we’re going to save ourselves from ourselves, we all need
to be part of the solution. We can, in fact, do more than survive. We can thrive
– if we have the will to create more egalitarian institutions. We know more
than enough about the mess we’re in, but we have far too little discussion
about the ways ahead. Let that discussion begin on the next page. </div>
MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-62535549284430013172014-04-25T17:29:00.001-07:002014-04-25T17:29:49.087-07:00No, nukes will not save us from climate change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A lot of people have been <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-nuclear-power-can-stop-global-warming/">touting nuclear power</a> - and more specifically, the “next generation” of nuke plants, powered by thorium instead of uranium - as the solution to climate change. Proponents claim these thorium-powered plants will be safer, cleaner and cheaper, and ameliorate issues with proliferation and long-term waste disposal.<br />
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But you’ll have to forgive me if I <a href="http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/952238/dont_believe_the_spin_on_thorium_being_a_greener_nuclear_option.html">remain skeptical</a>. We’ve had these kinds of promises of the nuclear panacea for generations now, and we should all know better than to take industry claims at face value. Last Sunday’s episode of <i>Cosmos</i> was a sobering reminder of how polluting corporations can <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/04/cosmos-neil-tyson-lead-industry-science-denial">buy the science they want</a>, and how successful they can be at moving their PR through the media. <br />
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Far from answering all my concerns, the overstated claims of thorium reactor proponents raise a whole set of new ones. First, as far as <a href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/debunking-nuclear-energy-industrys-biggest-myths?paging=off&current_page=1#bookmark">cost</a> goes, the thorium fuel cycle is <a href="http://cleantechnica.com/2012/09/11/why-thorium-nuclear-isnt-featured-on-cleantechnica/">likely to be even more costly.</a> Thorium is not itself a fissile material and thus requires either U-235 or Pu-239 to kick-start the chain reaction; some part of the thorium then has to be converted to U-233 to take over the job. So thorium reactors will still require uranium enrichment or plutonium separation in addition to the costs of thorium mining and thorium rod production– all of which have a carbon footprint of their own. In a breeding configuration thorium reactors will need reprocessing, which is both costly and produces significant disposal issues. Moreover, the thorium fuel cycle <a href="http://www.nirs.org/factsheets/thoriumbackersoverstatefacesheet.pdf">creates highly radioactive U-232</a> as well as U-233 in the reactor, which raises worker safety issues that will be expensive to address. <br />
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All of this while the <a href="http://cleantechnica.com/2014/02/18/cost-of-solar-pv/">cost of solar</a> and <a href="http://planetsave.com/2014/04/17/co2-free-study-finds-windsolar-power-cheaper-nuclear-ccs/">wind power</a> continue to plummet - more than 75% over the past five years, and still falling. Germany’s solar array produces as much as 20 nuclear power plants on any given day. And if nuclear power is going to save the planet, the existing 400-odd reactors are going to have to be decommissioned (<a href="http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Corporate_Welfare/Nuclear_Subsidies.html">at taxpayer expense</a>) and thousands of thorium plants costing billions of dollars apiece will have to be <a href="http://junkscience.com/2012/02/21/nuclear-power-entrepreneurs-push-thorium-as-a-fuel/">built to replace them</a>, as well as the fossil fuel plants. <br />
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Second, the idea that nuclear waste can be turned into the next generation’s perfect fuel raises concerns. Nuke fans are talking about <a href="http://www.rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=32567">reprocessing</a>, which is, as mentioned, both costly and toxic. You take the spent fuel rods and dissolve them in powerful solvents, and then you’re left with some new fuel, but also with leftover radioactive solids, liquids and gasses. All this nasty stuff still has to be stored for generations and/or transported to storage (<a href="http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Corporate_Welfare/Nuclear_Subsidies.html">at taxpayer expense</a>), with the attendant risk of leaks and spills, overseen by corporations fueled by the profit motive, or mortal governments with uncertain oversight. <br />
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Third, thorium proponents are claiming that there are no proliferation issues. But as mentioned, the fuel cycle involves the production of U-233, which is <a href="http://cleantechnica.com/2012/09/11/why-thorium-nuclear-isnt-featured-on-cleantechnica/">just as useful</a> for bomb-making as plutonium. Some proposed thorium fuel cycles require as much as 20% enriched uranium, which governments could easily divert for further enrichment to weapons-grade material. Thorium proponents are claiming that it can be less of a proliferation risk is the U-233 is mixed with U-238, but that will result in the creation of more Pu-238 as the reactor operates. So if you want thousands of these nukes all over the planet, you will also need hundreds of reliable governments and non-government actors who will avoid <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121205132246.htm">the temptation to divert </a>either of these byproducts. And let me just add: no terrorist organization has ever planned to attack a solar array. <br />
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Fourth, this brings up the question of safety. A recent <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2012/06/10/energys-deathprint-a-price-always-paid/"><i>Forbes</i> article</a> claims solar and wind cause more deaths - throughout the entire production cycle - than does nuclear. The article doesn’t discuss the risks involved in solar energy production, but the mortality rate for wind and solar comes mainly from mining the raw materials, which would of course also <a href="http://www.hcn.org/wotr/lets-not-forget-the-hidden-costs-of-uranium-mining">increase for nuclear</a> even if we switch to thorium fuel – first, because there’s more of it than uranium, and second, because we’ll be needing thousands of new thorium reactors.<br />
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Which also means that the <a href="http://www.nirs.org/factsheets/nukesclimatefact208.pdf">risk of accidents</a> will be going way up as well. And meanwhile, taxpayers still have to pick of the insurance tab. But new solar and wind technologies are already improving their safety rates, and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue. Either way, industry-friendly tables like the one in <i>Forbes</i> rely on deaths per kilowatt-hour, which makes nukes look safer because they have produced comparatively far more energy than renewables (so far). The total number of deaths from wind and solar is surpassingly small in real terms, while there have been 20 nuclear and radiation accidents <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_and_radiation_accidents_by_death_toll">resulting in fatalities</a>, including over 4000 deaths from Chernobyl (Moreover, <a href="http://cleantechnica.com/2013/11/26/wind-farm-bird-deaths-fossil-fuel-nuclear-bird-deaths/">avian mortality</a> from nuclear plants is double that from wind turbines). <br />
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I think the nuclear industry has been highly successful in getting <a href="http://fair.org/take-action/action-alerts/fight-cnns-pro-nuke-propaganda/">friendly treatment</a> in the press, not just lately, but over the past sixty years. Spinning tempting tales of how we can have all the energy we need with little downside distracts us from the hard work of converting to a sustainable economy. One way or another, we have to face the <a href="http://www.carryingcapacity.com.au/2012/07/global-models-limits-to-growth.html">limits of global production capacity</a>, and it’s still true that conservation is our number one source of untapped energy. We can’t go on pretending we can live on cheap energy forever, with the attendant wastefulness built into our transportation, construction and agricultural systems.<br />
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I will toss the pro-nukes crowd this one bone, though: since we’ve squandered the last 25 years when we could have been addressing climate change, avoiding a 2 degree increase in global temperatures will be <a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/4/22/5551004/two-degrees">nearly impossible</a> at this point, and weaning ourselves off of nuclear may have to take a back seat to massive carbon reduction efforts. But putting all our energy needs into the nuclear basket would be yet another <a href="http://www.nirs.org/factsheets/tenreasonsclimate.htm">dangerous mistake</a>. MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-63192448823636936782013-12-23T12:44:00.002-07:002014-12-21T08:25:23.138-07:00The New Old-Fashioned Way: Holiday Classics 1963-2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC89li6oljRJtQEfwE65vu4oUIVdogcpmBlENPyE88PkOZ16qcckafCbJD8hwOiUbm7jxPOOE-Rs_fdA3sCxhb-Ddgprnh7ndZY56myD-ekZ0Fhk_xzqCZ5Dc8GeYQmeXmLQvMYwm2sKYH/s1600/xmassongstime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC89li6oljRJtQEfwE65vu4oUIVdogcpmBlENPyE88PkOZ16qcckafCbJD8hwOiUbm7jxPOOE-Rs_fdA3sCxhb-Ddgprnh7ndZY56myD-ekZ0Fhk_xzqCZ5Dc8GeYQmeXmLQvMYwm2sKYH/s320/xmassongstime.jpg" height="274" width="320" /></a>Recently <i>Slate</i> critic Chris Klimek <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/holidays/2013/12/new_christmas_songs_from_kelly_clarkson_and_mary_j_blige_won_t_become_holiday.single.html">lamented the absence</a> of all but a few contemporary compositions from the canon of holiday favorites. In <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/12/18/why-silent-night-will-never-go-quiet/">the chart at left</a> (a cool interactive version accompanies the article), <i>Time</i>'s Chris Wilson explains why that is: older songs are in the public domain, hence more lucrative to record.<br />
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And "number of recordings" is the way the music biz measures the popularity of Christmas songs. By those lights, the chart of recordings made since 1978 contains only one song written after 1978. It's the same one Klimek identified as the sole recent entry into the canon: Mariah Carey's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2GPOBX3vZqs">All I Want for Christmas is You</a>." It's not a bad song (I particularly like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnkFw4zZzbA">Ellie Goulding's cover version</a>), but it's not the "last great original Christmas song" either, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-christmas-songs-in-america-2013-12">fergawdsake</a>. It's been joined in the songwriter-royalty sweepstakes by a select few others from the past half-century, notably George Michael's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=E8gmARGvPlI">Last Christmas</a>" and Donny Hathaway's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=pj1mVUEHeUE">This Christmas</a>."<br />
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But I've been collecting Christmas songs ever since my DJ days back in the mid-80s, and there are plenty of contemporary classics that get big airplay at our house every December, some of which never see the light of day on the Xmas-station radio playlists. They live in our hearts, not on the charts.<br />
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If we use 50 years ago as the cutoff date, we exclude "Do You Hear What I Hear," written in 1962, but opt in for "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," written by Andy Williams in '63 (sorry, Mom, not one of my favorites). That year also featured great Xmas albums from the Beach Boys and Phil Spector, as well as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eZLYO0H65E0">the first</a> of the annual Xmas singles from the Beatles. Spector's still-cool LP featured just <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_(Baby_Please_Come_Home)">one original composition</a>, the certifiable classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." The Beach Boys, though, sounded better on the old standards than on Brian's just-okay new tunes (including "Little Saint Nick" and "The Man With All the Toys"). Meanwhile, the Beatles have never commercially released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TFg4BWHEE_I">their Xmas recordings</a>, so most people are unaware of their goofy originals like "Christmastime is Here Again" and "Everywhere It's Christmas."<br />
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1968 brought the first of a series of Motown Christmas albums, mostly a compilation of predictably excellent covers of the old standards, done Motown style. It wasn't until 1999 that the label saw fit to include Marvin Gaye's original composition "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=X6rpnKZR02o">I Want to Come Home for Christmas</a>." One must also bow in the direction of James Brown's annual series of endlessly funky Xmas jams. Attention must likewise be paid to the late, great Buck Owens and his "Christmastime's A-Comin'."<br />
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The most enduring 1960s songs come from a trio of TV Christmas specials: "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch;" "Holly Jolly Christmas;" and "Christmastime is Here," from Vince Guaraldi's beloved soundtrack to <i>A Charlie Brown Christmas</i>.<br />
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But one of my favorites is this blast of proto-punk Xmas angst from the Sonics:<br />
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The 1970s brought Hathaway's aforementioned neo-standard, along with Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad." There were also now-ubiquitous Xmas singles from ex-Beatles <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=yN4Uu0OlmTg">John</a> and Paul. Squeeze, The Band, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni04_SF-HRQ">the Kinks</a>, and Elton John all made durable, if less lucrative, contributions. Albert King kicked in with "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'," and Tom Waits gave us his "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=mxVo5mjK4eg">Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis,"</a> unlikely to be enshrined in any Time-Life box set. And in 1973, John Prine contributed "Christmas in Prison," easily one of the best of the past five decades:<br />
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The late-20th-century tunes tend to situate more towards the secular end of the Jesus-to-Santa continuum. But the 1970s also included Jackson Browne's "Rebel Jesus" and Big Star's "Jesus Christ." These sit nicely alongside <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Y7PktWFnhcM">U2's 1988 cover </a>of Woody Guthrie's "Jesus Christ," a mainstay of our holiday playlists.<br />
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Speaking of the 80s, that decade gave us what turns out to be another near-standard that might stand sturdier on its own two feet if royalties were not an issue: "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses.<br />
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Songwriter Cris Butler <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsuRpGQPAMk">explains how the tune</a> was written as "a toss-off, a favor to our label," how surprising its success was, and how "blissed out" he is when he hears it on the radio today.
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Two of the finest Christmas songs of the past 50 years came from the 1980s: "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1SkWIqQ3oLY">2000 Miles</a>" by the Pretenders and "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=j9jbdgZidu8">Fairytale of New York</a>" by the Pogues. No disrespect to Mariah Carey or Jose Feliciano, but those are stone classics. </div>
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Also not to be forgotten is "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)" by the Ramones - written by Joey, naturally. George Michael's aforementioned "<a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Last Christmas</a>" was released as a Wham! single in 1984, and has repaid its author with scores of cover versions to date. </div>
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The first (and best) of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Very_Special_Christmas">the dozen</a> <i>A Very Special Christmas</i> albums, a benefit for the Special Olympics, was released in 1987. Nearly all the tracks are covers (some of them quite splendid), but Vol. 1 contains what may be the first (and best) great Xmas rap, "Christmas in Hollis," by Run-D.M.C.</div>
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In 1985, the criminally underrated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NRBQ">NRBQ</a> released their Xmas album, featuring the criminally underrated "Christmas Wish." This song deserves to be a classic as much as any other from the past half-century. There have been a few covers, notably <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZnyKP2B3Zw">the 2011 version</a> from She and Him. Here it is performed by its composer, ace bassist Joey Spampinato:<br />
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There are, sadly (but unsurprisingly) no Christmas songs from most of my favorite 90s bands, like Pavement, Pixies, Sonic Youth or Nirvana. Radiohead did a passable version of "Winter Wonderland," while Björk has a 15-minute video called "The Jesus Prayer," which is, however, not very Christmassy.<br />
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But Tom Petty wrote "Christmas All Over Again" in 1992, and Steve Earle gave us "Christmas in Washington" in 1997. Japanese power-punk trio Shonen Knife released the charming "Space Christmas" in 1991. Each of these is worthy of wider coverage. And to my mind, the hands-down finest Christmas song of the past fifty years was gifted to us in 1994.
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I speak to you of Robert Earl Keen's superb "Merry Christmas From the Family." It may be the funniest Xmas tune ever, but it's not a novelty song (for the purposes of this essay, we are ignoring such amusing but seldom-covered efforts from Bob & Doug Mackenzie, Elmo and Patsy, Martin Mull and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jWKN-EYFxbs">Spinal Tap</a>). Keen's family evokes universal feelings of bemused nostalgia for the Christmasses of our youth and the quirky people we grew up with. As funny as it is, it tugs at the heartstrings for me like no Christmas song since 1944's "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Have_Yourself_a_Merry_Little_Christmas">Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas</a>." Here's a live version before an adoring crowd who know every word:<br />
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So far the 13 years of the 21st century have given us many new Xmas songs to enjoy. Just last month we got an instant classic when Nick Lowe released "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oiSf083QM_U">Christmas at the Airport</a>." Paul Simon's "Getting Ready for Christmas Day" is a keeper, as is "Everything Is One Big Christmas Tree," from Great American Songwriter Stephen Merritt's band the Magnetic Fields. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a charming entry, "All I Want for Christmas" (not to be confused with Ms. Carey's cash cow). Many are partial to "The Season's Upon Us" by the Dropkick Murphys, and I can't really argue with that. I'm quite fond of Mary Gauthier's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=fwmM5hUkaLE">Christmas in Paradise</a>," as well.
Jonathan Edwards has <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/12/11/i_wish_it_was_christmas_today_wong_by_fallon_et_al_could_be_new_christmas.html">eloquently made the case</a> for "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" as a modern standard, and it certainly is in our household. In fact, the folks at Saturday Night Live have been livening up our holidays ever since Garrett Morris and friends unveiled their rollicking "Winter Wonderland" in 1975. Adam Sandler's "Channukah Song" is always welcome, and Darlene Love did us all a favor by belting out Robert Smigel's "Christmastime for the Jews." But no account of contemporary Christmas songwriting would be complete without a bow to the prolific <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufjan_stevens#Discography">Sufjan Stevens</a>. He's released <i>ten volumes</i> of Christmas music, filled with both charming covers and dozens of originals, and tours regularly with his Christmas revue. Many of his songs may well stand the test of time, but who's got time to sort through them all? My daughter, though, is partial to this one, which ends with an unlikely mash-up into a Joy Division classic:
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The economics of Christmas songs being what they are, we may have to wait for these modern classics to fall out of copyright before the stars of the late 21st century start recording them in earnest. On the other hand, <a href="http://xkcd.com/988/">this cynic</a> explains the paucity of modern Xmas standards as a function of the hegemony of Boomer nostalgia. And to that I say Pshaw, sir! My generation has no monopoly on sentiment, and we didn't ask to be born into a demographic bulge. I sympathize with the protest though, because in my book, they don't stop making good music just because you stop being young.
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<br />MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-60552094250135898092013-11-22T20:14:00.000-07:002013-11-23T07:45:02.559-07:00He Died in Vain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The bad guys won. They got away with it, covered their tracks and consolidated their power within the US government.<br />
<br />
Was John F. Kennedy a threat to that power structure? You bet he was.<br />
<br />
Was he a power-grubbing politician and a dangerous Cold Warrior himself? Of course he was, but one of the salient facts in the Crime of the Century is how rapidly <a href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkamericanuniversityaddress.html">he was changing</a> towards the end of his short life.<br />
<br />
His sins were mighty, and like all our presidents, his public image was a myth. But the JFK who the world saw in the fall of 1963 was very different from the one who took office in 1961.<br />
<br />
Both Khruschev and Kennedy were profoundly shaken by the Cuban Missile Crisis, and both men had to defy their military advisers to pull back from the brink. Let us <a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19701214&id=-owsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JMwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7389,2926268">remember the message</a> Bobby Kennedy brought to Anatoly Dobrynin, in an effort to find a way out: "<span class="st">If the situation continues much longer, the President is not sure that the military will not overthrow him and seize power."</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">His enemies were not feckless losers, as defenders of the "double lone nut coincidence theory" would have you believe. The means, motive and opportunity belonged to <a href="http://mikiestar.com/qa-about-the-assassination-of-president-kennedy-2/">well-dressed sociopaths</a> in the halls of power, who had experience toppling governments and <a href="http://www.maryferrell.org/wiki/index.php/Operation_Northwoods">did not shrink</a> from the use of lethal violence. </span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Lee Oswald did not have the power to <a href="http://www.jfklancer.com/LNE/limo.html">change the president's motorcade route</a> so it would wend its way past his window. <a href="http://jfkfacts.org/assassination/news/ex-flame-says-jack-ruby-had-no-choice-but-to-kill-oswald/">Jack Ruby </a>did not have the power to delay the prisoner's scheduled transfer until he was ready and in place. And whatever else you can say about magic bullets, grassy knolls and autopsy reports, the coincidence theorists have a high bar to clear when it comes to their extraordinary claims. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">That would concern the details of <a href="http://22november1963.org.uk/a-little-incident-in-mexico-city">Oswald's trip to Mexico City,</a> where he was quite obviously impersonated by someone seeking to tie him to the KGB's assassination bureau – a few short months before the guns of November were sounded. If you don't know the details of this, you simply haven't done your homework. And if you can't explain that away, you shouldn't try to mock anyone who speaks of conspiracy theories. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">But the mockery is not in short supply. Critics of the absurd Warren Commission hypothesis are routinely conflated with those who believe the moon landing was faked, Elvis is alive somewhere, and a race of grey-skinned alien lizard people secretly rule the earth. The reasoning is that since wacky people believe wacky stuff, that means no powerful groups have ever conspired to seize or maintain power. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">I expected a torrent of lone-nutter <a href="http://thewebfairy.com/masonic/cia_document.htm#johnson">bullshit </a>around this anniversary, as previous milestone years treated us to portentous "debunkings" of the deluded conspiracists. Well-publicized tomes like Posner's and Bugliosi's were treated to hosannahs in the mainstream media, while their lapses and calculated omissions were ignored. Anniversary specials on TV routinely advance the daring claim that the Warren Commissioners actually got it right after all. Meanwhile, serious scholars and researchers are simply ignored, when they're not being compared to a cargo cult. </span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">The most common twist this year is a kind of smug armchair psychoanalysis of the "conspiratorial mindset." Such folks just have a deep need to explain away complex historical events with a simplistic "good vs. evil" explanation, unable to <a href="http://jfkfacts.org/assassination/news/andrew-sullivan-weighs-in-with-a-closed-mind/">face up to the truth</a> that coincidences sometimes happen. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">I think there is a good deal of projection involved here. The research community is fully cognizant of the complexity of the hall of mirrors that constitutes the historical record of the greatest murder mystery of all time. It's the coincidence theorists who seem to yearn for closure. Perhaps they simply have a psychological need not to question the self-serving confabulations of the cover-up. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">Or maybe they just like being on the side of the winners. </span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">The most disheartening line comes from those who urge us to put this all behind us, because there's <a href="http://jfkfacts.org/assassination/news/key-jfk-files-ignored-in-obama-declassification-drive/">nothing more we can learn about it</a>, and it wouldn't matter even if we could. But we're talking about one of the major <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/why-the-study-of-the-jfk-assassination-will-continue-and-should">pivot points of our history</a> – and just like WWII and the Civil War, we live with its effects every day. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">The murder of JFK ratified the worldview of his killers. It was the paradigm Ike tried to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG7DYh9lEiQ">warn us against</a>. It was what Harry Truman <a href="http://jfkfacts.org/assassination/on-this-date/dec-22-1963-truman-calls-for-abolition-of-cia/">recoiled from</a>, when he cautioned, shortly after the events in Dallas, of the possibility of an American Gestapo, and the rise of a "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfdsHP1UWU">right wing totalitarian country</a>."</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">And now? We're <a href="http://www.economichitman.com/">marinating in it.</a> The Global Corporate Empire pretty much gets its way, and no president will ever challenge it – the way JFK challenged the bankers, the oil companies, the steel magnates, or the military. Now, presidents <a href="http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/122909b.html">look over their shoulders</a>, knowing there are lines they will not cross – if it even occurs to them to cross them in the first place. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">Now we live in a permanent wartime economy, and Wall Street screws us all with impunity. The war on poverty has been replaced by a war on the poor. John Mitchell warned us that this country would be going so far to the right, we wouldn't recognize it anymore. And he was right. I don't recognize the country I was born into. </span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Jack Kennedy died in vain. The ideals he stood for, the lessons he learned, were all for naught. That is, unless the rest of us learn them, too. However flawed a person he was, however hyped his myth, he really did inspire millions to work for a better world. What's most important about his life is just this: He evolved, and that's his real legacy. So maybe we can, too. </span>MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-24728224591212676832013-11-02T12:39:00.001-07:002013-11-02T12:47:50.077-07:00The Daniels Rant<style>
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</style><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="uficommentbody">So I awake this morning to find
that a Facebook friend has posted a 20-paragraph <a href="http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2013/06/605-charlie-daniels.html">Charlie Daniels</a> rant to my
timeline, mostly about Obamacare. (not linking to it, but you can find it on
Charlie’s FB page, where the most recent comment reads “Daniels/Nugent 2016!”) Since
he took the trouble to do this (instead of posting it to his own timeline and
hoping I'd read it), I have to assume he’s interested in my reply. So let's
have a respectful exchange of views. Oh, and since Daniels took 20 paragraphs,
this may take some time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="uficommentbody">The first paragraph is actually
one long formidable sentence. Aside from the violent imagery at the end, it
boils down to the monstrosity of the less-than-sterling rollout of Obamacare.
So yes, the right wing gets some bragging rights here: It's a slow website. If
the website gets fixed, people will quickly forget about it, and if not, not.
Moreover, the latest estimates show that roughly 3% of the public will end up
paying higher premiums, though they will also be getting better coverage. When
the president said people who liked their insurance could keep it, it appears
he underestimated how many people really like crappy health insurance. Another
point to the critics.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">But
the part I like best is the speculation that “even the most arrogant
administration in history would be embarrassed by such a thing.” We already
have a test case on this: the Bush Administration's rollout of its health care
reform, Medicare Part D, complete with major website glitches. They may have
been embarrassed, but they simply rolled up their sleeves and got back to
trying to make it work. The interesting part is this: most Democrats
passionately opposed the scheme (because it featured huge handouts to
pharmaceutical companies, increased costs for seniors in the "donut
hole," and, unlike Obamacare, was not paid for). But instead of having a
hissy fit and shutting down the government, the Democrats in Congress decided
that Medicare D was the law, and worked with the White House to help implement
it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh and by the way: Obamacare rolls back Bush's subsidies to
Big Pharma and closes the donut hole.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="uficommentbody">So, Mr Daniels goes on to
complain about the "fiscal monster" that gnaws at the vitals of
future generations. This is pretty rich. Not only did President Bush put
Medicare D on the credit card, he also passed along the costs of two major
wars. Then he crashed the global economy, which, among other things, jacked up
the price of the government safety net for the millions of newly unemployed.
And meanwhile, Obama has cut in half the size of the deficit he inherited from
W - and Obamacare is not only paid for, it reduces the deficit.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="uficommentbody">Paragraphs 3 and 4 write off 40%
of the American public, down a bit from Mitt Romney's very successful
"piss off 47% of the voters" strategy. Mr. Daniels is of the opinion
that "entitlement checks" are about to stop being issued. Well, they
would have if the GOP has forced a default last month, but that's a different
story. Social Security is solvent through the 2030s and can be fixed with minor
tweaks. Medicare spending is the main driver of future costs, but if the
Republicans have a better idea than Obamacare for reining in those costs,
they're keeping it a pretty big secret.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paragraph 5 is a complaint about government bureaucrats.
Previously we had health insurance company bureaucrats telling people that
could not have any insurance if they had pre-existing conditions, and that if
they got really sick they'd either be kicked off insurance or have caps imposed
so that their costs would go through the roof. Now the government bureaucrats
say that's not allowed. Apparently this is tyranny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paragraphs 6 through 11 constitute a potpourri of complaints
unrelated to Obamacare, including the IRS, Solyndra and Benghazi scandals that
worked so well in the last election. Other than to say I'd be happy to compare
Obama's record on embassy attacks to George Bush's, I think we can move on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Paragraphs 12 through 14 express the writer's disenchantment
with both political parties. I think I speak for everyone on the left when I
say that if Tea Party sympathizers want to break the Republican Party in two
and start their own, they are more than welcome to do so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="uficommentbody">Mr. Daniels concludes by yearning
for a God-fearing person (who does not hail from a coastal community) to wield
a sword and helmet and cleanse our nation. Let us assume for the moment that
this is not a call for violent insurrection. All I can say is that if you can
name a single such person, acceptable to the Tea Party, who has the remotest
chance of coming anywhere near 270 electoral votes in the 2016 presidential
election, I am all ears.</span></span></div>
MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-81283487534550838892013-04-28T15:04:00.000-07:002013-05-03T05:29:29.039-07:00Ten Worst Things George W. Bush Did<a href="http://www.remote-dba.net/images/bush_flipping_bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://www.remote-dba.net/images/bush_flipping_bird.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because on April 25 this smug, self-serving man had a <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/bush-library-video-game">smug, self-serving library</a> dedicated to his memory, he's been <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2013/04/25/179004859/why-the-bush-library-wont-make-history">in the news</a> of late. Friends and foes alike have struggled, sometimes <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/04/23/bush-is-back/">with awkward results</a>, to find nice things to say about him. Others have made it clear that, given the immense damage he inflicted on our body politic, they will have none of it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can find attempts to describe the wreckage from <a href="http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/50-reasons-you-despised-george-w-bushs-presidency-reminder-day-his-presidential?akid=10363.200647.Ngj-VP&rd=1&src=newsletter830237&t=3&paging=off">Alternet </a>and <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/04/25/1913311/13-reasons-to-be-glad-bush-is-not-president-anymore/?fb_action_ids=10151660043839575&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582">ThinkProgress</a>. You can find some indignant snark from <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/04/8-things-wont-be-george-w-bush-presidential-library?fb_action_ids=10151658999629575&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582">Mother Jones</a> and <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/24/1204226/-Cheers-and-Jeers-Wednesday">Daily Kos</a>. One blogger produced <a href="http://www.ithinkthereforeirant.com/2009/01/17/the-100-accomplishments-of-the-george-w-bush-administration/">a commentary-free list</a> of both positive and negative accomplishments that turned out to be pretty damning in its dispassionate way. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wanted to take some time to do what I did with Bill Clinton: write up Top Ten lists for the <a href="http://www.markzepezauer.com/2011/03/2000-ten-best-things-bill-clinton-did.html">Best Things</a> and the <a href="http://www.markzepezauer.com/2011/03/2000-ten-worst-things-bill-clinton-did.html">Worst Things</a> he did. This difference here is that while Clinton had plenty of contenders for both lists, with W it's a challenge to pad the former and winnow down for the latter. In order to get a grip on the dystopic torrent of catastrophe that was the Bush presidency, I've combined several of the nastiest offenses into more general categories. This list isn't ranked; you can choose for yourself what you think hurt the most. But I have to start with this one:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>1. It's the Sociopathy, Stupid</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm not just glibly tossing around pejorative rhetoric when I suggest that Bush may be a sociopath. It's an idea that <a href="http://inthesetimes.com/article/kurt_vonnegut_vs_the/">Kurt Vonnegut explained coherently</a>, based on clinical studies of this particular personality disorder - the notion that many of our leaders simply lack a normal conscience. <a href="http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/08/as-many-as-12-million-americans-are-sociopaths.html">One study shows</a> that as much as 4% of the population may have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/02/psychopathic-children_n_3201957.html">the disorder,</a> and many of them have attained positions of great power and responsibility: "Because sociopaths are ruthless and will squash their rivals and burn
institutions to the ground in order to reach their goals – but great at <i>pretending</i> that they <i>care</i> about people – they are incredibly destructive." That fits our fratboy president to a T. But more than most, he pulled the curtain aside to reveal his abhorrent moral character with remarks that illustrate his sadistic sense of humor. I'm thinking here of moments like the <a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2005/jan/13/death-in-texas/?pagination=false">mocking of a death-row prisoner</a> pleading for her life. Or <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/2277298/President-George-Bush-Goodbye-from-the-worlds-biggest-polluter.html">the fist-pump </a>he gave as a kiss-off to fellow world leaders at his final G8 summit, as he celebrated his achievements in quashing action to combat climate change, announcing "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." Or how, one year before the invasion of Iraq, while his aides were ostensibly discussing a peaceful resolution to the non-existent problem of WMDs, Bush <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/24/timep.saddam.tm/">poked his head in the door</a> and quipped "Fuck Saddam! We're taking him out!" Which is much cuter than <a href="http://www.beggarscanbechoosers.com/2010/07/infamous-episodes-in-gop-history-bush.html">the WMD "comedy" video</a> he showed at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, long after the falsehoods of his <i>casus belli </i>had led to needless death and destruction. And even though it wasn't meant as a joke, it's just as instructive to recall the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push_poll">infamous push poll question</a> he used against John McCain: "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain for
president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?"Whether such despicable behavior makes Bush a sociopath or not is beside the point: in every case, the cruelty of his remarks prefigures the cruelty of his policies. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>2. Invading Iraq: "I'm going to have a successful presidency."</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The title here is a reference to the revelation that <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1028-01.htm">Bush was planning to invade Iraq</a> even before being elected, and that his principal motivation, as he described it, was to bolster his political popularity as a way of enacting his preferred agenda. Bush's fans will inevitably cite his "taking out" Saddam as one of his greatest achievements, but keep in mind the cynicism underpinning the whole sordid debacle. Bush and his administration <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2010/11/bush-decision-points-blair-Iraq">relentlessly</a> pursued <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/international/europe/27memo.html?pagewanted=print">the war they wanted</a> through <a href="http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4882.htm">an endless </a><a href="http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4882.htm">litany of lies and distortions</a>, seizing on the 9/11 attacks to <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500249_162-520830.html">exploit </a>the nation's fear and rage. Though he had long since decided to start a war there, Bush had to have the difference between Iraq's Sunnis and Shi'ites <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Ambassador_claims_shortly_before_invasion_Bush_0804.html">explained to him</a> just two weeks before the invasion. While <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/21/politics/campaign/21pat.html?_r=0">he assured Pat Robertson</a> that our side would suffer no casualties, Bush's aides were making ridiculously <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iraq-costs-way-higher-than-estimated-2013-3">low-ball estimates </a>of the war's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_cost_of_the_Iraq_War">financial costs</a> - no surprise, since anyone who didn't <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_B._Lindsey">was fired</a>. So while regime change was carried out swiftly due to the massive asymmetry in force capabilities, the occupation was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/books/25kaku.html?pagewanted=all">bungled in every imaginable way</a>. From lack of planning, understaffing, failure to secure explosives and munitions, indisriminate roundups of Iraqis into Saddam's reopened gulags, delegation of authority to inexperienced GOP operatives, and the infuriating looting of the entire capital (save for the oil ministry), it seems like Bush couldn't have done a better job of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/walter-c-uhler/the-bushcheney-holocaust-_1_b_54334.html">inspiring an insurgency</a> if he'd tried to. So the war turned into a prolonged stalemate and Bush's presidency into the opposite of "successful." Apologists will point to the <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/security/2009/01/21/175326/giving-away-too-much/">supposedly successful "surge"</a> policy, which served, <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0123-26.htm">like Nixon's </a><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0123-26.htm">"pe</a><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0123-26.htm">ace plan"</a> in Vietnam, to delay the inevitable withdrawal of our troops in order to save face and foist the blame for any <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-civil-war-in-iraq-has-already-begun-politician-claims-conflict-has-started-and-warns-it-will-be-worse-than-syria-8601732.html">continuing messiness</a> onto his successor. And neither Bush nor Obama can claim any credit for bringing our occupation to a conclusion; essentially, the Iraqis <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/world/middleeast/17iraq.html?ref=statusofforcesagreement">kicked us out</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>3. The 9/11 Attacks: "You've Covered Your Ass." </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are any number of legitimate unanswered questions about the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Terrorland-Mohamed-Cover-up-Florida/dp/0975290673">backgroun</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Terrorland-Mohamed-Cover-up-Florida/dp/0975290673">ds</a> of the 9/11 hijackers, the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-graham/911-saudi-arabia_b_1868863.html">forces</a> behind them, and the <a href="http://softskull.com/911-the-simple-facts/">events of that day</a>. You could set the all aside and still look at the Bush Administration's handling of 9/11 as one of the biggest disasters in our history. Before, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffLO0CZDQNE">during</a> and after the attacks, Bush and his aides displayed the familiar combination of hubris, arrogance and incompetence that marked so many other of their policies. As has been <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/04/25/1204757/-Never-forget-The-Bush-Administration-failed-to-prevent-the-September-11-terrorist-attacks">amply documented</a>, Bush and his key advisers repeatedly downplayed and ignored the threat of terrorism in general and al-Qaeda in particular, up to the point of threatening a veto if FBI funding were diverted to counterterrorism efforts. In the weeks leading up to the attacks, a series of warnings came from multiple intelligence sources, culminating in the infamous August 6 memo "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US." The president responded to his briefer with the quotation above, and then went fishing. In the aftermath of the attacks, Bush, as previously noted, was quick to capitalize on them to advance his political agenda, as he and his allies painted anyone who dared to disagree with him as traitors. History might be kinder if he had also presided over an appropriate response, but history shows he spectacularly botched the capture of Bin Laden and quickly diverted our resources to his long-planned Iraq war. While, to be fair, counterterrorism efforts have improved markedly since that point, it's a stretch to assert, as his defenders inevitably do, that "he kept us safe." Claiming "no terrorist attacks on US soil after 9/11" conveniently ignores the unsolved anthrax attacks, the DC sniper case, and the LAX shooter. But the weasel words "US soil"obscure the rising rate of terror attacks killing US citizens across the globe during his watch. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stay tuned for:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4. Afghanistan: Our Longest War</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5. Civil Liberties: You're Killing Me </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6. Kyoto and Beyond: Trashing the Planet </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7. The CEO President: Bush's Worst Hires</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">8. Katrina: Abandoning New Orleans</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">9. Assaulting Democracy, from Forida Onward</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">10. And, Oh Yes, Crashing the Global Economy </span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-81480136386170434712013-04-08T18:22:00.005-07:002013-04-08T19:36:40.865-07:00Tramp the Dirt Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='480' height='399' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/K-BZIWSI5UQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The obvious choice for the Baroness. But see also <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2013/04/7-songs-margaret-thatcher-funeral-playlist">this splendid seven-song set of vitriol</a>. She certainly was an inspiration....MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-70876677695632838532012-12-31T17:56:00.002-07:002012-12-31T21:13:24.592-07:00That Was the Year That Was<a href="http://www.losanjealous.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/dirty_projectors_halloween_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.losanjealous.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/dirty_projectors_halloween_09.jpg" width="320" /></a>It's time now for a year-end list enumerating my favorite music from the past 52 weeks. Every December I send in my votes to the <i>Village Voice</i>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pazz_%26_Jop">Pazz & Jop</a> critics' poll (the results of which are due in a few weeks). To arrive at my Top Ten list, I run through my iTunes folder for the year (about 800 songs), forming about a dozen different playlists of 18-22 tracks each. These I burn onto CDs and hand out as holiday gifts to friends, family and colleagues. In this way I serve a a bridge between those who know a lot more about music than I do, and those who lack the time or passion to track down as much new music as me. In the process of selecting and refining tracks for these lists, I winnow down my favorites to the ones that have the most emotional resonance for me.<br />
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This year the Dirty Projectors (pictured above) ended up on the top of the heap with their masterful 7th album,<i> Swing Lo Magellan</i>. More on them below; the various sub-lists leading up to the master list went as follows:<br />
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<b>Avant:</b> These bands are all, if not cutting edge in the way the term <i>avant-garde</i> implies, possessed of a shared aesthetic involving quirky and angular rhythms, melodies and harmonics. The Projectors have always been my favorite in this genre, but this year featured a bumper crop of releases from bands such as Tame Impala, Micachu and the Shapes, Deerhoof, Yeasayer and <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/albums/2009/">previous Pazz&Jop champs</a> Animal Collective. My tied #1 faves from last year, <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/pazznjop/">Tune-Yards</a> and St. Vincent, fit comfortably into this category (the latter showed up on this year's playlist with a collaborative effort with David Byrne, while the former contributed a track to the <i>Red Hot + Riot 2</i> compilation). This year I was lucky enough to see both <a href="http://www.markzepezauer.com/2012/04/date-night.html">Garbus and Clark</a> when their brief tour rolled through Tucson, and caught another great quirk-rock double bill, Of Montreal and Deerhoof, at the same venue. I once made a mixtape called "Kid B," celebrating the collective lineage of these bands from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kid_A">world's strangest #1 album</a>. But another antecedent, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Image_Ltd">Public Image, Ltd.</a>, showed up with a welcome comeback entry this year as well.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o_qFaFl7JVc">Dirty Projectors: Gun Has No Trigger</a><br />
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<b>Americana:</b> This list spans the turf covered by trad country and folk at one end, alt-country and country rock at the other, and everything in between. The massive success of Mumford & Sons proved once again that you don't have to be American to do Americana, but it helps. I'm not immune to their charms but this year I was bowled over, like many others, by the timeless tones of Alabama Shakes - folks apparently born 40 years too late, but fitting in fine nevertheless. It was great to hear from oldtimers like Nanci Griffith, Dwight Yoakam and especially Iris DeMent (pictured). I remember playing their stuff when I worked for the world's greatest Americana radio station, <a href="http://www.kpig.com/">KPIG, in Freedom, CA</a>. Younger folks like Ned Sublette and Kellie Pickler came on strong. Kelly Hogan made one of the year's best albums, but for me the single of the year was Willie Nelson's remake of Pearl Jam's "Just Breathe."<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow-Cx9IX4So">Willie & Lukas Nelson: Just Breathe</a><br />
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<b>Catchy:</b> Thanks to my kids I listened to a lot of Top 40 radio this year, and there was an awful lot of ear candy. This had to be one of the best years for catchy tunes since the early 90s, <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/bestmusic2012/2012/12/21/167836852/the-year-in-pop-charts-return-of-the-monoculture">if not 1984</a>. I certainly couldn't resist the relentless ubiquity of "Call Me Maybe" and "Gangnam Style," or their myriad parody videos. My boy loved Neon Trees and Maroon 5 and my girl was fond of Ellie Goulding's "Lights." Of course there was plenty of crappy stuff on the radio, too (I'm lookin' at you, Flo Rida) and a lot of great tunes that never got within a mile of a radio playlist. Kishi Bashi wowed me when he opened for Of Montreal last fall, and his "Bright Whites" has a certain indelibility to it that deserves wider exposure. Even better is the awesome single "We OK" from the Very Best. Radio formats opened up a bit wider than in recent memory, with room for a little country twang and indie crunch amid the divas and thugs. But it's still a long way from the freedom that DJs used to have. More's the pity.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyswhvCFcsE">The Baseballs: Call Me Maybe</a><br />
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<b>Elders:</b> 2012 was a great year for the eligible-for-senior-discounts crowd, with none stronger than <a href="http://www.markzepezauer.com/2011/05/bobfest-10-worst-dylan-songs.html">my man Zimmy</a>. Dylan's <i>Tempest</i> was another winner in an unbroken series of late-career albums stretching back to 1997, this one making the transition from cynical and cranky to downright ornery. But others in his cohort, including Brian Wilson, Leonard Cohen, Dr. John and Bonnie Raitt also showed up with documented proof of the value of wisdom and experience. McCartney showed his versatility by starting the year showing off his crooning powers via a set of pre-rock standards, and finished by taking the Kurt Cobain chair in a Nirvana reunion. Fine entries also from Patti Smith, Jimmy Cliff, Santana, and the comeback of the year came from Bobby Womack (pictured). There were also splendid posthumous releases from George Harrison, Joey Ramone, and the Rolling Stones. Oh wait...<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fn8BQPBir0">The Rolling Stones: Doom and Gloom </a><br />
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<b>Electronica:</b> This is the real cutting edge, where the music of the future is being assembled, though I guarantee it sounds better through club speakers than on that laptop in front of you. Even <i>Rolling Stone</i> readers know who Deadmau5 and Skrillex are, but for my money the choicest beats of the year came from Flying Lotus, Dan Deacon and Andy Stott. I got a kick out of Scissor Sisters' "Let's Have A Kiki," and efforts from Matt Zundel, Crystal Castles and Todd Terje, how you say, "reward repeated listenings." My daughter really liked Swedish House Mafia's "Don't You Worry Child." Too bad they broke up.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pVHC1DXQ7U">Flying Lotus: Until the Quiet Comes</a><br />
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<b>Not So Fast:</b> This is the mix I always give my mom, filled with the year's less-frenetic music. There is some lovely work on Calexico's latest, as well as from next year's star/this year's critic's pet Jessie Ware. Usually louder bands like White Denim and the Dum Dum Girls contributed some hushed ballads, ("Lord Knows," and "Get Back to Love," respectively) and Canadian Invasion stalwarts Metric gave us the haunting "Speed the Collapse." If you like this sort of thing, you should know about Patrick Watson, Ariel Pink and TV Girl, and either way, you want to check out "Adorn," by Miguel, (channeling Marvin).<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dM5QYdTo08">Miguel: Adorn</a><br />
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<b>Obits:</b> This is the only playlist I put together that is not full of music from 2012, and as such it's no help at all in compiling my ballot. On the other hand, it's usually one of the coolest mixes of the year, comprised as it is of all the finest musicians who passed away during the year in question. This year we lost some awesome nonagenarians, from Ravi Shankar and Earl Scruggs to Kitty Wells and Doc Watson (Not to mention centenarian Elliot Carter). Also, unfortunately, quatragenarian Adam Yauch (pictured). My mom waved goodbye to Andy Williams, and my wife to Robin Gibb, as I did to Davy Jones. Etta James and her mentor Johnny Otis passed the same year, as did disparate guitar virtuosi Terry Callier and Mickey Baker. Certainly the world will never see another like Levon Helm, who, like Etta, I had the good fortune to see onstage. A tip of the hat also to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fontella_Bass">Fontella Bass</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Auldridge">Mike Auldridge</a>, who died too late in the year to get onto the tribute CD.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcgxuGiI7wU">Levon Helm: Ophelia</a><br />
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<b>Rock On:</b> For those who find "less frenetic" to be synonymous with "soporific," this playlist celebrates the louder sounds of the year, not least of which is Joan Osborne's thunderous take on Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips." The aforementioned Rolling Stones stand up just fine next to rockers half their age, including comeback efforts from Soundgarden and Bad Brains. Japandroids and Ty Segal made some of the year's best albums, and newcomers The Men and Gary Clark Jr. came on strong. I would be remiss if I did not mention The Hives, a breath of fresh air to anyone who needs their ass rocked. Props also to the amazing Sleigh Bells, and, as always, to Mr. Jack White.<br />
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<a href="http://rootedgrass.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/die-antwoord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://rootedgrass.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/die-antwoord.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Urban</b>: This is the playlist for your NSFW rap and hip-hop tunes. I'm partial to The Coup and Killer Mike, but also bow to the inevitability of Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean. Last year's contenders Shabazz Palaces contributed a cool single, "Bop Hard." I also really like the Knux, and totally got off on "Wut," a tune by Le1f (not sure how to pronounce your name, dude). Still don't know if Die Antwoord (pictured) is a Spinal Tap-style parody or not, and enjoy it either way. Danny Brown is one of my favorite new rappers, and gotta give props to Nas, now and forever. Look also to Macklemore's "Same Love" and Saigon's "Rap vs. Real."<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrnq4SZ0luc">Le1f: Wut</a><br />
<br />
<b>Women:</b> Always offer this playlist to offset any testosterone imbalances, though the Avant, Catchy and Americana lists are generally full of strong female voices. Strongest of the year, though, is Fiona Apple, whose <i>The Idler Wheel..</i>. is not easily pigeonholed into any recognizable genre. Love her or hate her, Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die" is a killer single in any year. On this list we also find the comeback effort from Garbage, the impossible catchy single from Norah Jones, and the underground sensations THEESatisfaction. Cat Power and Bat for Lashes are here, and Kelly Hogan, Iris DeMent and Bonnie Raitt visit from other playlists. I will always love Regina Spektor, likewise Santigold. And how could you not include Alicia Keys teaming up with Nicki Minaj?<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIlLq4BqGdg">Fiona Apple: Every Single Night</a><br />
<br />
<b>World:</b> My world music playlists are usually strong on music from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, even though it's a bigger world than that out there (still searching for that Antarctic folk sound). Nevertheless, entries from Greece and Indonesia fit in just fine amidst fine efforts from superstars like Cafe Tacvba and Amadou & Mariam. Amazing debut effort from Fatoumata Diawara, great sophomore work from Bomba Estereo, and awesome compilation <i>Ondatropica</i>. Like many others, I was bowled over by the Debo Band and the Egyptian Project. But my favorite world album of the year was <i>En Yay Sah</i> by Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang. More of that, please!<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPh-d16zqiY">Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang: Eh Mane Ah</a><br />
<br />
So after all that winnowing and gleaning from such a wealth of musical riches, what did I end up voting for? Stay tuned...MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-86059030813804922722012-11-08T06:13:00.001-07:002012-11-08T20:37:39.299-07:00Thanks, Republicans!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/hannity-thumb-436x290-2983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/hannity-thumb-436x290-2983.jpg" width="320" /></a>I want to take a moment to thank the Republican party for working so hard to make
themselves unelectable. </div>
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It helped that the last GOP president crashed the world
economy and trashed our foreign policy, but they didn’t stop there. They
managed to alienate key demographics: Latinos, by blocking immigration reform;
young people, by promoting retrograde social policies; women, by blurting outrageous
comments on rape and contraception; and seniors, by plotting to voucherize
Medicare. </div>
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Their media pundits, with their relentless focus on Rev.
Wright, birth certificates and Benghazi, made it clear to undecided voters that
Republicans had no meaningful solutions to discuss. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And even though the Supreme Court allowed a torrent of
corporate cash to sweep the 2010 midterms and gerrymander the House,
Republicans trashed their own brand by blocking jobs bills, focusing instead on
banning abortion and repealing new heath care benefits for millions of
Americans.<br />
<br />
And don't even get me started on the presidential candidate; he was the gift that kept on giving - not that they had anyone better to choose from. </div>
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Thanks, Republicans, for helping to re-elect Obama, institutionalize Obamacare, and lock down the Senate! We couldn’t have done it without you!</div>
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And PS: Even though you may have nailed down the Speaker's gavel for a while, I think we can count on you to overplay your hand again. Hey, don't ever change!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-56308743966810167262012-11-06T06:19:00.000-07:002012-11-06T06:21:03.346-07:00We Shall See<br />
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<a href="http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/countycartnonlin1024.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2008/countycartnonlin1024.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are my predictions; with them and five bucks, you can obtain a caffeinated beverage.<br />
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I keep wavering between 303 and 332 electoral votes for Obama. As an optimist, I'll take the latter, which means he takes Florida. </div>
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The Blue team will pick up a seat or two in the Senate, which is a huge thumb in the eye to the GOP. And the Blues gain from 18-22 seats in the House, just tantalizingly short of making John Boehner cry. </div>
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Arizona will be closer than you think, but I still don't know if Carmona defeats Flake. Torrent of money says no, but torrent of Latino votes means yes. Tucson reps Grijalva and Barber both win handily, but I'm watching Ann Kirkpatrick's comeback bid in AZ-01. Beep! She just sent out another email as I type. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I predict the Republicans will claim the Dems cheated, and too many will take them seriously. And I predict I will have a festive potluck party tonight to determine which of the above words I will eat.</div>
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How are things in your state?</div>
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MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-85879728809663977502012-08-20T05:38:00.002-07:002012-08-20T05:38:27.657-07:00The Next World and Welcome to It<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://suziebeezie.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bf77f53ef01630313c335970d-400wi" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://suziebeezie.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bf77f53ef01630313c335970d-400wi" width="249" /></a></div>
This may mean nothing except to those of a certain age, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Windom_%28actor%29">William Windom</a> has passed. He was the star of one of my favorite 60s sitcoms, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_World_and_Welcome_to_It"><i>My World and Welcome To It</i></a>. A rare slice of erudition among a torrent of sitcom silliness, it lasted two seasons, won two Emmies (one of them for Windom's acting), and was summarily cancelled. The show was based on the stories and cartoons of the great <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Thurber">James Thurber</a>, and featured animated segments mixed with the live action. <br />
<br />
60s sitcoms were famously pitched to appeal to the 12-year-old mind, but I turned 12 in 1969, the year MW&WTI debuted, and I loved it more than any other –with the possible exception of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family_%28TV_series%29"><i>The Addams Family</i></a> (1964-66) also based on the work of a <i>New Yorker</i> cartoonist. Windom's show led me to Thurber's writings, which I gobbled up forthwith, along with those of our other great American humorists, Twain and Vonnegut. <br />
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Mr. Windom had a successful career, with many other TV roles (including Commodore Decker on <i>Star Trek</i>), and a one-man stage show based on Thurber's work. Condolences to friends and family.<br />
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Condolences likewise go out today for director <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Scott">Tony Scott</a>, who helmed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Romance"><i>True Romance</i></a>, one of my all-time favorite movies. MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-74006039956464858632012-08-18T15:09:00.001-07:002016-09-15T10:01:32.783-07:00Happy Ringoversary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXoO8JFy_osFaTQucAzjgDgqgDDcKqvzic24NHKlUDxNgDHeO2yN3r5Tb7vXqA7as_brSb1vNX3LqjjB7OJL6341m4ovPSNdtT7G1Pk9khH6a0OOhGRVP_lPRbV5gB3b4QEq8HqyGb4w/s1600/up-1ringo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXoO8JFy_osFaTQucAzjgDgqgDDcKqvzic24NHKlUDxNgDHeO2yN3r5Tb7vXqA7as_brSb1vNX3LqjjB7OJL6341m4ovPSNdtT7G1Pk9khH6a0OOhGRVP_lPRbV5gB3b4QEq8HqyGb4w/s320/up-1ringo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As reported <a href="http://www.classichitsandoldies.com/v2/2012/08/18/today-marks-the-50th-anniversary-of-ringo-starrs-first-gig-as-a-beatle/">here</a>, among other places, today marks the 50th anniversary of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringo_Starr">Richard Starkey</a>'s first gig with the Beatles. A lot of attention was paid to the Stones recently having hit the half-century mark, and due commemoration was paid to that band's first-ever gig. But according to Keith Richards, that date does't really count; the Stones weren't really the Stones for him until <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Watts">Charlie Watts</a> became their drummer (on an unknown date in January of 1963).<br />
<br />
Likewise, while history was made <a href="http://www.dayjohnmetpaul.com/">the day John met Paul</a>, the Beatles weren't really the Beatles as we know them until <a href="http://www.ringostarr.com/index/home/">Ringo</a> sat behind them at the drum kit that 18th of August in 1962. Ringo's personality, his affable singing voice, and his studied avoidance of instrumental ostentation helped cement the Beatles sound and laid the foundations for their success.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mtv.com/crop-images/2013/08/26/RingoStarr_cr_StuartWilson_2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mtv.com/crop-images/2013/08/26/RingoStarr_cr_StuartWilson_2012.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
According to Mark Lewisohn's definitive <i><a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Complete_Beatles_Chronicle.html?id=7D1mRwAACAAJ">Complete Beatles Chronicle</a></i>, the gig began shortly after 10pm, (afetr a two-hour rehearsal) at Hulme Hall in Birkenhead, in celebration of the local Horticultural Society's 17th anniversary. And according to John Lennon, while the Beatles might have made it without Ringo, it's also probable that Ringo would have made it without the Baetles (though maybe not <i>quite</i> so far):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Ringo was a star in his own right in Liverpool before we even met. He was a professional drummer who sang and performed and had Ringo Starr-time and he was in one of the top groups in Britain but especially in Liverpool before we even had a drummer. So Ringo's talent would have come out one way or the other as something or other. I don't know what he would have ended up as, but whatever that spark is in Ringo that we all know but can't put our finger on — whether it is acting, drumming or singing I don't know — there is something in him that is projectable and he would have surfaced with or without the Beatles. Ringo is a damn good drummer.</span></blockquote>
Ringo's drumming is often underrated and occasionally denigrated, but listen to his work on "Rain" and "Tomorrow Never Knows," to cite a couple out of many <a href="http://thecurvature.com/2009/07/07/top-10-ringo-starr-drum-tracks/">outstanding examples</a>. Moreover, most Beatles songs didn't call for the kind of drumming that Watts or Keith Moon excelled at. It's true that Ringo's solo career served up a number of cringe-worthy moments (as did his colleagues', in smaller ratios), along with some nice pop ear candy. But since sobering up, Ringo has taken his songwriting and recording work more seriously, and has delivered credible efforts in the latter years. So, for instance, give a try to this collaboration with Eric Clapton, a tribute to their mutual pal George. And a happy Ringoversary to you!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9PjnOdHq-T8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-6109539063317080092012-07-10T11:24:00.002-07:002012-07-10T11:24:24.893-07:00Book Tour UpdateMy booksigning appearance at Kepler's on July 18 has been relocated. The bookstore <a href="http://www.keplers.com/keplers-events-coming-soon">is doing some remodeling</a> this month, so the event will take place just down the road apiece at the <a href="http://www.redwoodcity.org/library/info/locationandhours.html">Redwood City Public Library</a>. So meet me <a href="http://www.redwoodcity.org/library/events/AdultEvents.html">in the Fireplace Room</a> at 7pm. Here's the revamped poster for the event:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRD9sZNYIqufSUea-666AA-G_BrZ7nMREjodlI7IYpe3dqvLPgz3xQQyU6FTbCMb9hjd0JA76EccTZyPr8JC9iqpFewJOfefETRlw3nmJHGpXkPJpCDW1DEgP6LVuNLLr0ZbjLWWCr1q2/s1600/ciaposter4a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRD9sZNYIqufSUea-666AA-G_BrZ7nMREjodlI7IYpe3dqvLPgz3xQQyU6FTbCMb9hjd0JA76EccTZyPr8JC9iqpFewJOfefETRlw3nmJHGpXkPJpCDW1DEgP6LVuNLLr0ZbjLWWCr1q2/s400/ciaposter4a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But that's not all. Kepler's also offered to <a href="http://www.booksmith.com/event">host a second event</a> at their sister store in San Francisco, Booksmith. <a href="http://www.booksmith.com/event/mark-zepezauer-cias-greatest-hits">That will take place</a> on Monday, July 23 at 7:30 pm. The store is at 1644 Haight Street, and the downloadable poster is below. Hope to see you there!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjli_OsCFHqFKzZbdHu8G7NgY8lshzALOehWC9FMfVyc0VUOSoZYu5ERSnD31OgiDauxHiTx5jFsfanT9oCQB1lgKVPTxkML9viIsp1w31osQ-Pi1GB2gdRFIMrJSxbdtNZsiVgvwJEqaNH/s1600/CIAPOSTER4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjli_OsCFHqFKzZbdHu8G7NgY8lshzALOehWC9FMfVyc0VUOSoZYu5ERSnD31OgiDauxHiTx5jFsfanT9oCQB1lgKVPTxkML9viIsp1w31osQ-Pi1GB2gdRFIMrJSxbdtNZsiVgvwJEqaNH/s400/CIAPOSTER4b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-60973688090682604442012-06-07T17:30:00.001-07:002012-06-07T17:30:42.482-07:00Join me at Kepler's, July 18I will be at Kepler's Books & Magazines in Menlo Park CA, on Wednesday, July 18, discussing and signing copies of "The Fully Revised and Updated Second Edition" of <i>The CIA's Greatest Hits</i>. Hope you can join me there, and if not, pass this message on to somebody who can. Here's a poster for the event (if you click to enlarge or download the file, it should print out in fine detail):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOf8WTXHV0oimADZcUqqrhISCjEQGza2AG3Ib5TteICT2oodOBp4wBUEu-VdLV2kfGA3H0l62HFJ0VX0AEunMtPyK_e8jkJrY02CxC0MyiDPy_Ae0PTgzGPTcjsGxYrM0crTl5NWzk3kKz/s1600/ciaposter3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOf8WTXHV0oimADZcUqqrhISCjEQGza2AG3Ib5TteICT2oodOBp4wBUEu-VdLV2kfGA3H0l62HFJ0VX0AEunMtPyK_e8jkJrY02CxC0MyiDPy_Ae0PTgzGPTcjsGxYrM0crTl5NWzk3kKz/s400/ciaposter3b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-43559549931390913552012-05-28T07:22:00.000-07:002012-05-28T07:22:09.350-07:00Monday Random Ten #37<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://pixhost.me/avaxhome/c0/9a/00159ac0_medium.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://pixhost.me/avaxhome/c0/9a/00159ac0_medium.jpeg" /></a></div>
Here are the first ten songs to pop up on my iPod; <b>Artist</b>/ Song/ <i>Album:</i><br />
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1. <b>The Casuals</b>/ Toy/ <i>Toy - single</i><br />
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2. <b>Lyle Lovett & his Large Band</b>/ Up in Indiana/ I<i>t's Not Big It's Large</i><br />
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3. <b>Dum Dum Girls</b>/ Bedroom Eyes/ <i>Only in Dreams</i><br />
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4. <b>Ruth Brown</b>/ It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)/ <i>Miss Rhythm</i><br />
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5. <b>The Rolling Stones</b>/ Pain in My Heart/ The Rolling Stones, Now!<br />
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6. <b>Ashton Shepard/</b> Look It Up/ <i>Where Country Grows</i><br />
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7.<b> Steve Goodman</b>/ A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request/ <i>Affordable Art</i><br />
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8. <b>Bob Dylan & the Band</b>/ All Along the Watchtower/ <i>Before the Flood</i><br />
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9. <b>Echo & the Bunnymen</b>/ Bring on the Dancing Horses/ <i>Songs to Learn and Sing</i><br />
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10. <b>Jenny Lewis</b>/ Acid Tongue/ <i>Acid Tongue</i>MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-23256176411677396062012-05-01T06:11:00.003-07:002012-05-01T06:13:20.567-07:00Come What May<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy May Day, workers of the world! Here's a bit of agit-prop to add to the mix: a poster for my upcoming appearance at <a href="http://revolutionarygroundsonline.com/">Revolutionary Grounds</a>. If you click on or download the image, it should show up large enough to reproduce on an 8.5 x 11 sheet.<br />
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I have been gradually updating the "<a href="http://www.markzepezauer.com/p/cias-greatest-hits-links-page.html">Sources</a>" page for <i>The CIA's Greatest Hits</i>, adding a few more links every day or so. The most recent updates are on the Congo, Jonestown, and the Plame Affair. Today a story on CNN caught my eye, regarding <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/28/justice/california-rfk-second-gun/?hpt=us_t2">a witness to the RFK assassination</a>. She insists she heard a second gunman, and that the LAPD had suppressed her testimony. I will continue to add links on this and other chapters in the days ahead.<br />
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Let me know if there's bookstore or radio station near you that would like to host an event spotlighting the dark underbelly of our country's history. And keep on fighting the good fight.MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2772074387992522484.post-23505939348681510112012-04-22T21:21:00.002-07:002012-04-22T21:52:17.475-07:00Date Night<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garbus, garbled</td></tr>
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As you'll recall, my <a href="http://www.markzepezauer.com/2011/12/top-tens-for-twenty-eleven.html">Pazz 'n' Jop poll vote</a> this year was a tie between <a href="http://www.markzepezauer.com/2011/05/getting-in-tune.html">Tune-Yards</a>, (who won first place) and St. Vincent (who finished in the money). Then I found out they were touring together. As it turns out, the tour consisted of only four dates, one of which was here in Tucson last Tuesday night, and the last of which is next Tuesday in Oakland. </div>
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The wife and I had a fine meal al fresco at the Hotel Congress patio just before the show; the quinoa veggie burgers, dubbed "Queer Steer," were sublime, as were the Sapphire martinis. Enjoying the warm evening, we marveled at how much less crappy downtown Tucson has become in the 15 years since we spent our honeymoon night at that same hotel. The gradual gentrification and revitalization has brought some life into the decayed urban core, and we were glad to be a part of it. </div>
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We were even happier to be a part of the crowd witnessing these two amazingly talented women sharing the same stage (though they did not play together). They attracted a nice mix of old and young, gay and straight, and er, white and white. And contrary to their critic's pet scores, Annie Clark of St. Vincent was the headliner, while Merrill Garbus and her band were the support act. I had the pleasure of chatting with Garbus after the show, and let her know that I was honored to have had the privilege of voting for her in the poll. Her response: "Thank you so much for that! Winning that thing totally made my year!"</div>
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The Tune-Yards set, at ten songs, was shorter than I would have preferred, but she hit the highlights from her award-winning album with the help of a fine back-up band, consisting of two saxes and a bass player. Merrill herself drew on her background as a solo performer by adding loops and effects to her voice, drums, keyboard and electric ukelele. She opened with an utterly unique scat vocal, mixing in her own backup harmonies in realtime. Then the full band kicked into "Es-So" and then "Gangsta," with the alto and tenor saxmen blending in New York skronk with Kinshasa Afropop. </div>
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We were sorry that our kids, who are big fans, were unable to be there with us. But along with getting her autograph for them on the tour poster, we were able to use the miracle of smartphone technology to make a video of their favorite song, "Bizness," and send it directly to their babysitter. Take that, Twentieth Century!</div>
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Our headliner showed an affecting mix of vulnerability and rockstar confidence, a reflection of the ambiguities in her music. What was unambiguously amazing was her supple fretboard work, frequently augmented by a guitar synthesizer. Her background band was also a threesome; in this case a drummer and two keyboard players, one of whom handled the bass tones. </div>
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Clark's playing, singing and songwriting chops reaffirmed the basis for my tie vote. Seeing either one of these women would have been a concert highlight of any year. Together, they made perfect sense, both of them grappling with themes including power imbalances and the allure of violence on both a personal and societal level. Intelligent musicianship of this caliber deserves much wider recognition, and if either band books a stage near you, make sure you get there - and send me a clip.<br />
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PS: Smartphone technology not being as smart as one might hope, the photo above of me with Merrill Garbus, which looked fine on the phone, refuses to upload properly. But I included it anyway, since it's a better representation of her fragmented sound than a clean photo would be.</div>MZepezauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14826456185959255586noreply@blogger.com2