Beware the Ides of March -- U.S. Politics March 2021

Really worried that "pro-workers' rights" bill is gonna look more like Prop 22.

Really worried that "pro-workers' rights" bill is gonna look more like Prop 22.

Can we be a little clearer on West Virginia existing because of racism?

Yes but. West Virginia noped out of Confederate Virginia in 1861, to stay in the union and work toward abolition. Arguably they were the (relatively) good guys. Appalachian white poors didn't really benefit from slave labor (as their holdings were small and the pickings slim, so they didn't really identify with the elite patrician Virginian plantation elites.

Similarly in Maryland, there were a lot of Southern sympathizers in the east (Baltimore especially). But Confederates miscalculated when they thought Appalachian, montane, western Maryland would rise to the rebel banner. It mostly didn't, with significant consequences.

A lot has happened since then, flipping the dynamics a bunch, but can we maybe apply a little perspective? thxbye

I'm reasonably certain everyone on this thread who commented on West Virginia knows American history well enough to not need that explainer?

You can always count how many comment. You can't know how many lurk. Never hurts to be clear, imo.

xp I saw recently that there’s now debate among the Q crowd of whether March 4th might be a deep state trap to lure in Patriots.

just like the successful 1/6/21 deep state trap

This long profile of Senate Majority Leader Manchin from a West Virginia paper will piss you off, but it's worth reading. He's got some good ideas (immigration, infrastructure, rural internet, guns) and some very bad ones (thinking Republicans can be reasoned with).

Manchin said he remains a core believer in the minority representation the Senate body was designed for. He said he’ll protect the legacy of Byrd, the historian who fought to preserve Senate rules and forced the body to work together. Manchin now occupies Byrd’s seat.

lol die in a fire.

James Loewen, in Lies Across America, about misleading monuments and historical markers has pointed out the the Appalachian South was largely pro-union.

After the war, the South’s successful rewriting of history meant that there are now a lot of Confederate monuments and battle flag-waving in areas that actually voted against secession and sent more soldiers to the Union Army than Confederate.

On Wikipedia, I see someone has very subtly, but pointedly, has put the vote tally for secession in the Wiki page for every county in Eastern Tennessee to drive home the point (anti-secession usually winning).

Manchin can occupy a lake of sewage

If he doesn’t stand up for the anti-democratic white supremacist institutions of America, who will?

Or, as the US Senate loves to think of itself, it's the Greatest Antidemocratic White Supremacist Deliberative Body in the World!

news that: yeas, report reveals that KSM ordered the hit on Khashoggi duhhh and no not much will be done to him because our relationship w SA too big 3 fail

remember back in October 2018, when this was bad

it still is

Re: WV and the Appalachian south, a lot of the history of abolitionism in those area has been obscured by pro-Dixie racists. There's some excellent history that's been written about it, some of which is included in this fine book co-written by a friend of mine: https://www.akpress.org/dixie-be-damned.html

It also covers a number of historical events pre- and post-Civil War that give a more rounded (and heartening) picture of the south as a place of deep resistance to white supremacist AND oligarchic hegemony.

Still supportive of filibuster/reconciliation rules, though. Biden and Harris "both respect the history of the Senate." On overriding the parliamentarian's decision: "That's not an action we intend to take."

— Jack Fitzpatrick ☘️ (@jackfitzdc) March 1, 2021

More Senate respecters have logged on

xpost yeah Southern Appalachia has a whole history of political action and activism that is among the many things written out of most people's awareness of the region. A lot of it has to do with labor action, obviously, but there's also a strong environmental and social justice lineage. (And of course, there are and have been a lot more people of color than get included in the mainstream narrative.)

This podcast is produced here in Knoxville, it just got a shout-out in the NYT. Worth a listen! (I know both of the women who produce it, they're awesome.)

https://www.blackinappalachia.org/podcast

Xp

I'm Phil Spector
I'm an elector
I'm a Senate respecter
I play my music in the sun

#BREAKING: Ranking Member @Jim_Jordan calls on @RepJerryNadler to hold first full committee hearing on “cancel culture.” pic.twitter.com/FEI20b6qio

— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) March 1, 2021

Jordan’s going to have to work harder if he wants to be Trump’s 2024 running mate.

Calling for a committee on cancel culture = getting ahead of a reasonable expectation that one is likely to be cancelled for something that hasn't yet come to light?

we're getting this much closer to cancelling cancel culture.

if Biden had any courage he'd issue an executive order banning it!

Jordan covered up child abuse and hasn’t been cancelled.

Like seriously, what's he planning on doing? how do you legally ban cancel culture?

"Sorry, director, you are LEGALLY PROHIBITED for firing this actor for saying 'Hitler was a great leader'. oh, you can fire him for being gay or being anti-cop, just not being a Nazi"

"Sorry, customer, you are legally prohibited from boycotting Publix because of the actions of their heirs. You are hereby ordered to spend $100 at Publix every week for the next year."

"Sorry, Tweeter, you are legally prohibited from starting a tweetstorm about this controversy. "

"sorry, FB user, you are legally prohibited from defriending someone for being accused of sexual assault - you are required to remain his friend unless he is arrested and convicted."

Remember that they've made BDS campaigns essentially punishable.

yes and that's kind of what I am worried they're using as their starting point. the 'anti boycott' laws were fucked up enough

all US citizens should be forced to purchase Israeli products, and if you disagree you are doing a cancel culture

Next stimulus: a Sodastream in every house

It doesn't matter. The GOP doesn't legislate, they inflame.

I'd say they're nearing 100% troll saturation at this point but I fear that might be selling their troll potential short.

The GOP doesn't legislate, they inflame.

This is more true than ever right now and I know there is a percentage of the base that absolutely loves to see it and couldn't give two shits if they did any actual governing or legislating. But I have to imagine (baselessly hope?) that this is only serving to erode some corners of the base. I mean, at this point I don't feel like the continued trolling is bringing many new people into the fold. Basically the state fair circuit band playing to the diehards at this point.

Obviously, as soon as we can, we must end the filibuster that currently exists in the U.S. Senate. Given the enormous crises facing working families today, we cannot allow a minority of the Senate to obstruct what the vast majority of the American people want and need.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 2, 2021

Bernie finally comes around?

The root problem with the Senate is not so much the filibuster, but the disproportionate allocation of Senators to a state's population, making it highly undemocratic at its very core. Because getting rid of that would be as likely as my growing feathers and flying, getting rid of the filibuster seems like a solution that's within reach and the need is so great it should be done.

I do predict that once it's gone that progressives may learn to regret it, but the hope is that if really popular programs can be installed and well-established, the reactionaries will be hard pressed to eliminate them. That won't stop them from gleefully instituting other horrors as soon as it's in their power.

so eliminate the Senate in the best of worlds

I would just like to note that I was otm on this issue 16 years ago. And got pushback!

Defend the Indefensible: The Undemocratic (and, right now, un-Democratic) United States Senate

(I love the way ilx conversations never really end.)

#oneconvo

Because the Senate is so deeply embedded in the body of the constitution, eliminating it would be no harder than e.g. eliminating the Supreme Court.

I think djt would threaten manchn with siccing the feds against his daughter’s epi biz somehow, so that’s what biden should do.

what???

Aside from the possible merits of hitting the Iran-backed militia(s?) in Syria, and aside from whatever the merits of a given such op in the Middle East, somehow even such ostensible one-and gones on part of US tend to lead to rong and unforeseen effects (and by "MIddle East" I also mean Libya and Black Hawk Down-era Mogadishu)---even aside from all that, can't help noticing the proximity of this latest to news that: yeas, report reveals that KSM ordered the hit on Khashoggi duhhh and no not much will be done to him because our relationship w SA too big 3 fail---which further reminds me of Saudi connection to 9/11 so let's pivot to Irag by cracky.

― dow, Monday, March 1, 2021 11:58 AM (eight hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Saudi Arabia shot down some (presumably Houthi) drones or rockets near the Formula E race over the weekend, too?

― Joe Biden Stan Account (milo z), Monday, March 1, 2021 12:00 PM

Hunger has been weaponized in the war in Yemen, says a former U.N. official who is currently in the country.

"We are seeing a relentless countdown to a possible famine that the world hasn't seen since Ethiopia in the 1980s," says Jan Egeland, who is now secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The need is enormous: Nearly 50,000 Yemenis are already starving to death and 16 million will go hungry this year, according to the United Nations.

In addition to more funding for aid, Egeland says there needs to be a "famine prevention" cease-fire. The war in Yemen started in 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi militant group overtook Yemen's internationally recognized government in the capital. A Saudi-led coalition soon began airstrikes in support of the ousted Yemeni government.

...But what the Saudis first envisioned as a weeks-long campaign has dragged on nearly six years. More than 233,000 people have already died. The Saudi-led coalition imposed a blockade, restricting the flow of food, fuel and medicine.

The conflict has caused a chain of reactions, including internal displacement, economic collapse, the destruction of health systems and multiple disease outbreaks.

A U.N. refugee agency official recently wrote that COVID-19 isn't even the biggest concern as far as diseases go.

....The U.S. has supported the Saudis during both the Obama and Trump administrations, with intelligence-sharing, logistical support and targeting information. The U.S. has sold billions of dollars-worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia. U.S. bombs have killed people in hospitals, schools and homes.

....The war has made it difficult for aid groups to operate. About two-thirds of Yemenis likely rely on food assistance to survive, according to the U.N.

....Now the Biden administration says it's ending support for "offensive operations" and assigned a special envoy to pursue a diplomatic end to the war....

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/01/972530322/as-yemenis-starve-to-death-humanitarian-relief-group-pleas-for-international-hel

Some more good links in there too.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/yemen-war-biden-urged-clarify-policy-saudi-arabia

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers OTM about clarification of what constitutes offensive operations.

As we reported last night, among the changes centrist Senate Dems want:

-- Knock UI down from $400/week to $300/week (some also want longer duration)
-- Further tighten eligibility thresholds on stimulus checks
-- Repurpose some of $350B in state $ for infrastructure/broadband

— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) March 2, 2021

I saw that, went ugh, then the followup:

My impression is the WH is open to 3 but not really 1 or 2

— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) March 2, 2021

Wanting to use the relief bill to tack on tens of billions to the half trillion we’ve already given telecoms is infuriating enough even without the first two.

nationalize broadband and we can talk

Internet should be a utility as basic as water, gas, and electricity. Long past that.

it is the Die Hard With a Vengeance water jug puzzle but the water is fury and the jugs are milo

telecoms don't even pretend to use that money for infrastructure improvements or upgrades, it goes straight into their pockets. in fact they get extremely pissed off if you even ask them about improvements.

I agree internet access should be a utility, tho always with the asterisk that utilities have a lot of problems too. But at least they (theoretically) provide the same service to everyone at fixed rates.

I'm highly sceptical of anything coming of it, obv, but yes big if true.

yeah it's a big deal simply because it's something where there used to be nothing, but it's not nearly enough, like rumors of a potential goal in a football match where the other side has 200 points and gains five every quarter.

cool thanks

I've never seen the point in "believing" in politicians, for their momentary convictions must align with mine; but this desiccated piece of shit called Joe Biden seems to have seized a liberal moment with less temerity than I expected exactly a year ago.

Sure, I keep my expectations low because I didn't think Joe Biden would do it. I'm a Warren/Sanders guy, and I suspect they would've handled these legislative battles less effectively.

This is where my expectations were before the election, so he’s exceeded those!

It's been just seven months since Biden's advisor Ted Kaufman told the WSJ that the "pantry" would be "bare" in 2021 and Biden would "have limited funds to do what we’re going to do.”https://t.co/jCpengF7Ux https://t.co/D181grr7Bv

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) March 31, 2021

Yeah, same, I did not expect a flipped Senate. Thk u ATL.

The cartoonishly scandalous perception of Gaetz is so commonplace that sometimes it’s visible, literally, in the halls of Congress. A Hill source sent The Daily Beast a photo of a trash bin outside Gaetz's office as lawmakers cleared out their offices at the end of a recent session. At the top of the heap was an empty Costco-size box of “Bareskin” Trojan condoms.

Now lock thread

an empty Costco-size box of “Bareskin” Trojan condoms: us politics april etc

who uses condoms to masturbate

Vaccines, Infrastructure, and Kids In Cages: US Politics April 2021