Brett Kavanaugh 9-25-2018

25, September                                 Brett Kavanaugh

Senator Dianne Feinstein is right in calling for the immediate postponement of the nomination proceedings of Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh after a second woman has come forward alleging gross sexual misconduct by the judge. Deborah Ramirez, a former classmate of Kavanaugh’s at Yale University, has accused him of exposing himself and assaulting her. It seems the anti-Christ Republicans pay little attention to assaults on women taking the unconscionable position that “boys will be boys.” Predictably, as soon as Republican Senate aides learned of Ramirez’s allegations they responded by trying to ram through Kavanaugh’s nomination before the allegations became public.

Oh you naughty Republicans’ have you learned nothing from the #MeTo movement? Ignore the voices of courageous women at your peril. Women across the country, including 1,100 alumnae of the Holton-Arms – Dr. Ford’s prep school signed a letter pledging their support. Republicans, a blood bath awaits you in the mid-terms.

Brett Kavanaugh 9-17-2018

17, September 2018                      Brett Kavanaugh

Dr. Ford accusation of attempted rape by Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, are serious extremely and credible given her status as a professor of clinical psychology at Palo Alto University. Her reluctance to go public is understandable given the bruising humiliation that Anita Hill was forced to endure at Supreme Court Clarence Thomas’s confirmation hearing. On the advice of her lawyer, Dr. Ford underwent and passed a lie detector test to validate her story. Kavanaugh must be compelled to under the same test given the serious charges that are alleged to have taken place.

At a minimum, the confirmation hearings should be delayed until Professor Ford has been given an opportunity to speak at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. We don’t want another sexual predator at SCOTUS.  Predictably, Fox and Friends is already trying to trash Dr. Ford stellar reputation.

Modi’s folly 9-10-2018

10, September 2018                       Modi’s folly

The chickens have come home to roost following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much hyped demonetization program. His ill-conceived policy of exchanging old to new money popped the balloon of the Indian economy. Modi should be held fully accountable for his monumental blunder. Sadly, reporters are loath to criticize their dear leader lest the RSS and their henchmen try to silence them. Modi is hardly likely to admit the folly of demonetization which resulted in 100 deaths, the loss of 1.5 million jobs and left 150 million people without cash for weeks. Back in November 2016 the government announced that all 500 and 1,000 rupee notes would become worthless and immediately withdrew them from circulation. Old notes would have to be exchanged for limited supplies of new currency. ATM’s ran dry and chaos followed.

This was a populist measure carried out on the backs of the poor.

Recent data from the Reserve bank of India showed that over 99% of currency notes are now back in circulation into the banking system.

India’s rich had been  forewarned and converted black cash holdings to gold and real estate.

Incredulously, the Modi government boasted that the bizarre scheme worked because it revealed how efficiently the government can collect money.

One columnist wrote, “this is like throwing yourself off a building while praising how hard the ground is”.

Mr. Modi claims to be a religious man promising that “if any fault is found … I am willing to suffer any punishment.” Really? I am sure his detractors could offer a few suggestions.

The government hopes the criticism abates which might explain why the Indian parliamentary finance committee hasn’t published its report on the demonetization debacle.

Ominously, the prime minister warns critics about how the state can be unleashed on dissent which explains the recent arrests of human rights activists, and reporters. His claim to support free speech and democracy rings hollow. Sadly, Modi lacks the humility to admit his shortcomings and is obsessive about cultivating a favorable image adorning himself with fine clothes, yoga postures, frequent shots holding a cell phone to his ear and foreign travel. His hubris may take a savage beating when his party meets its electoral nemesis.

India refuses foreign aid 9-6-2018

6, September 2018              India refuses foreign aid 

In the Indian State of Kerala, this was the time of year to mark the

Harvest festival of Onam with feasts, dancing and boat races. Instead

Nature greeted the residents with torrential rains which may be the

State’s worst flooding in a century – another ominous sign of the

impacts of climate change. More than 1 million have been displaced. The

torrential rains have taken the lives of hundreds with no sign of

retreat.

The Modi finds itself in another embarrassing situation over its lackluster aid to flood stricken Kerala.

The Modi Government doesn’t have the resources or perhaps has chosen to withhold assistance to the ultra-left Kerala government. For decades India has been more concerned with its international image of self-sufficiency than helping its less fortunate brethren.

Foreign governments were quick to offer assistance. The United Arab Emirates offered $100m which the Modi Government turned down infuriating the flood victims. Kerala sought 22bn rupees ($312m) and received only 6bn rupees. The UAE has a long association with Kerala hosting 1m of its people.

Congress member Shashi Tharoor from Kerala was furious denouncing the Modi Government as “churlish and irresponsible” to turn down foreign aid when Kerala’s needs “vastly exceeds anything that the central government can provide”.

Other countries are not burdened with self-pride. Japan, where the GDP is 20 times that of India, accepted outside help following the devastating earthquake in 2011.

With an excess rainfall of 30% in the last two months, there is still no end in sight. Kerala needs all the help it can get. To refuse help from foreign governments is shortsighted and a travesty.

John McCain 9-3-2018

3, September 2018                       John McCain

The outpourings of tributes and eulogies for John McCain are over but little attention was paid to the genocide that we committed in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Over 8-10 million people perished in our round-the clock carpet bombing raids. The New York Magazine piece captures the war succinctly: “There are Vietnamese children walking the Earth today who will die by stumbling on the landmines we planted, or unexploded ordnance we left behind. There are as-yet unborn Vietnamese babies who will enter the world with misshapen heads and giant tumors as a result of the defoliants we showered on their country 50 years ago.” This was America’s shame, an immoral war and sadly McCain was an enthusiastic participant.

Demonetization 9-2-2018

 

2, September 2018                     Demonetization

It’s been always two years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India threw the country into turmoil when he decided on a whim to invalidate old paper money. Modi’s secret plan, kept even from his cabinet, gave citizens 50 days to surrender 500-rupee and 1,000-rupee notes in exchange for new notes. Following the 5o day grace period, the old notes would be invalid. Poor citizens were disproportionately impacted waiting in in long lines severely impacting their businesses and lives. The purpose of the demonetization was to punish hoarders and tax cheats who would be forced to expose themselves to unwanted scrutiny from tax authorities.  According to figures released by the Reserve Bank 99 percent of the old bills eventually found their way back in circulation using devious but highly creative methods. Modi’s critics demanded the Prime Minister apologize to the people for disrupting their lives.

“This was a big mistake,” said Arun Kumar, an economics professor at the Institute of Social Sciences in New Delhi. “Employment was lost, output was lost and investment came down.”

Mr. Kumar said Mr. Modi’s decision clearly did not tackle the problem of illicit cash and was “a complete failure.”

The banks suffered a chronic shortage of new notes with ATM’s running dry. The enormous stress and suffocating heat drove several people to suicide while others suffered heart attacks. The cash base economy disproportionately affected the poor. Many economists believe the “demo” crimped India’s economic growth.

Others defended the government’s actions claiming that its actions would discourage tax cheats in a country where tax evasion is a challenging but satisfying “sport”.

John McCain 8-28-2018

28, August 2018                           John McCain

John McCain has had a very checkered life. He began his decades long career as a naval pilot in Vietnam where he was shot down in Hanoi in 1967.He spent the next two years in solitary confinement and twice attempted suicide. In order to escape the harsh conditions of his confinement he signed a confession admitting to,  “crimes against the Vietnamese country and people.”

His harsh treatment made him a lifelong opponent of torture and as such he vigorously opposed the nomination of Gina Haspel as director of the CIA who favored “enhance interrogation of prisoners”.

Sadly, McCain was an unapologetic war hawk, supporting President Nixon’s bombing of Cambodia. He firmly believed all problems could be solved at the barrel of a gun and supported both the first Gulf War, the wars in Afghanistan , Iraq , and Libya and favored bombing Iran. These wars have plunged the Middle East in utter chaos and created a huge refugee crisis.  

He faced withering criticism for his choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008.

McCain deserves credit for reaching across the aisle helping normalize relations with Vietnam and voted “thumbs down” against the Republican-effort to repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

McCain’s hostility with Trump is legendary and his family specifically requested Trump not attend the eulogy services.

Media reports have omitted the darker aspects of McCain’s public life. For example, his involvement in a massive financial scandal in the late 1980s. He was part of the Keating Five, the savings-and-loan debacle.

He flew multiple combat missions in Vietnam killing tens of thousands of innocent men. women and children in, a war that is now considered immoral. He offered no contrition for his role.

He also was a good friend of Mohammad bin Salman and the Saudis, the architects of 9/11, who presented McCain with a special award for his support for the Saudi invasion of Yemen which has created the worst human crisis in the world.

John McCain was not the embodiment of civility in U.S. politics, nor was he the bastion of decency. He called war resisters “low life scum”. He mocked Chelsea Clinton as ugly. He made jokes about rape and spousal abuse. He famously called his Vietnamese captors “gooks” and said, “I won’t apologize for that.” He was cranky, rude and abusive and even used insulted his wife in public using the C-word.

According to Time, McCain campaign staffers in Virginia were teaching volunteers to see Barack Obama as having terrorist ‘friends,’ and then providing these volunteers with arguments for “persuading voters that Sen. Obama, like Osama Bin Laden, shares responsibility for bombings of the Pentagon. These “gutter” tactics were used effectively in Trump’s bid for the presidency in 2016.