politics

The author was trying to shield themselves from the despair of political doomscrolling by reading books, but was dismayed to learn of Trump's plans to declare a national emergency and use the military to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. The author speaks with anti-imperialist veteran friends who remind them that this is not the first time Trump has threatened to deploy the military against immigrants, and that actually carrying out such a plan would be a logistical and legal nightmare, requiring a massive expansion of the prison system at immense cost. The author argues that the only reasonable response for active-duty soldiers is to refuse to carry out these immoral orders, drawing parallels to the G.I. resistance during the Vietnam War. They advocate reviving networks of support like "G.I. coffeehouses" to provide a space for soldiers to organize and resist. Experts emphasize that troops have a moral responsibility to disobey illegal and immoral orders, and that immigrants are not the true enemy - it is the ruling class elite who are stealing from the working class. The author acknowledges the impulse to retreat into escapism, but argues that now is the time to collectively challenge these dangerous policies.

Summary

Pete Hegseth, nominated by Trump as Secretary of Defense, is a polarizing figure with minimal managerial experience and a controversial worldview shaped by far-right ideology.

Through his books, Hegseth outlines beliefs steeped in conspiracy theories, disdain for diversity and gender integration in the military, and a militarized view of domestic politics.

He advocates purging military leaders aligned with Democratic administrations, opposes the “rules of war,” and equates the American left with wartime enemies.

Critics warn his extremist rhetoric and combative philosophy could endanger civil liberties and exacerbate political polarization.

Non-paywall link

Summary

Donald Trump’s plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants is causing alarm in Texas, where industries like construction heavily depend on undocumented labor, comprising nearly 60% of the workforce.

Experts warn mass deportations could cripple the state’s economy, already strained by labor shortages and low population growth.

Workers like Veronica Carrasco, an undocumented house painter, fear family separations and job losses.

While Trump signals determination, some hope his policies might push Congress to enact immigration reform, such as a guest-worker program, to balance economic needs with national security concerns.

Here you go, a "real" source. He said there were more bullet ballots than there likely really are, but there's still a really suspiciously high number of them. How is this not at least worth investigating?

Summary

President-elect Donald Trump is prioritizing media personalities for key administration roles, favoring individuals with TV experience to create what critics describe as a “nuclear-armed reality television show.”

Notable picks include Pete Hegseth, Sean Duffy, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Tulsi Gabbard, many of whom lack traditional qualifications but have strong on-air presence.

Trump’s focus on celebrity and loyalty over expertise has raised concerns among lawmakers.

Former allies like Chris Christie liken the selection process to “casting a TV show,” reflecting Trump’s reality-TV roots and reliance on conservative media.

Summary

Donald Trump and his team are attacking media outlets like Politico and The New York Times for reporting that his 2024 election victory over Kamala Harris was narrow, not a “landslide.”

Trump won by 1.6 points and failed to secure a majority of the popular vote, a smaller margin than Hillary Clinton’s over him in 2016.

Despite these facts, Trump and his allies continue to tout his win as “historic” and “dominant,” aiming to bolster his political mandate amid criticisms that his victory was less decisive than claimed.

President-elect Donald Trump Saturday announced his intent to name Brooke Rollins of Texas, the president and CEO of the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute, to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Summary

Republican senators are privately pushing to review Tulsi Gabbard’s FBI file amid concerns about her alignment with Russian interests following her nomination as Trump’s director of national intelligence.

Gabbard’s past support for Edward Snowden, who leaked U.S. state secrets, has drawn particular scrutiny, as has her history of echoing Russian talking points on Ukraine and Syria.

While GOP senators are publicly deferring to Trump’s pick, some, including Sens. Mike Rounds and Susan Collins, emphasize the importance of full background checks and hearings to address potential security risks.

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17202407

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced a bill this week to legally erase transgender people, entitled the “Defining Male and Female Act of 2024.” He claimed that the bill will stop what he called the Biden administration’s attempt to “replace biological sex with dangerous radical gender ideology.”

The bill is a long list of terms and definitions, where words like “father” and “girl” are defined with the words “male” and “female.” Those two words are then defined as “an individual who naturally has, had, will have, or would have, but for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports and utilizes [sperm or eggs for male or female, respectively] for fertilization.”

Summary

Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, faces backlash over a newly surfaced 2017 sexual assault allegation, which he failed to disclose during the vetting process.

Trump’s team, reportedly furious, criticized Hegseth for not revealing the incident, detailed in a police report, ahead of his nomination.

Hegseth denies wrongdoing, stating the matter was fully investigated and he was cleared.

Republican senators remain divided, with some voicing concerns about his suitability given the military’s ongoing sexual assault issues.

The controversy adds to challenges for Hegseth, a Fox News host lacking government experience.

Less than 24 hours after Matt Gaetz announced he was giving up his bid to become the next attorney general, the Northwest Florida Republican made clear that he will not return to Congress in the next session beginning in January.

Summary

Elon Musk, now deeply embedded in Donald Trump’s transition team, is navigating the cutthroat dynamics of Trump’s inner circle.

Musk has used his massive influence, including 200 million X followers and $200 million in campaign contributions, to push for “radical reform” and staff picks like Brendan Carr for FCC chair and Russell T. Vought for budget director.

However, his lack of political experience and constant presence at Mar-a-Lago has divided Trump’s aides.

Musk has publicly downplayed his influence, following the unspoken Trumpworld rule: don’t overshadow the boss.

In mid-October, as Kamala Harris began to do interviews with friendly audiences, she visited the Breakfast Studio of radio host Charlamagne tha God, where she took questions from callers. The first to come through was one of those questions that is often top of mind for voters, but dismissed in Washington as a naive misunderstanding of how the world truly works.

Why, asked the caller, do we send so much money overseas but seem to have nothing to meet the needs of people here at home?

“That’s one of the reasons the America First rhetoric resonates,” Charlamagne added, putting the question to Harris. “We can do it all—and we do,” Harris responded.

It was a callback to the debate in Washington the last time a Democratic president had pushed through a sweeping new social spending agenda, LBJ’s Great Society, but coupled it with ramped up spending on the Vietnam War. At a press conference in the summer of 1965, one reporter told President Lyndon Johnson, the day after the bombing of North Vietnam.

“Mr. President, from what you have outlined as your program for now, it would seem that you feel that we can have guns and butter for the foreseeable future. Do you have any idea right now, though, that down the road a piece the American people may have to face the problem of guns or butter?”

LBJ said that the American people would be willing to bear the burden. “I have not the slightest doubt but whatever it is necessary to face, the American people will face,” he responded.

He was wrong, of course, and the runaway inflation produced by the war spending broke the back of the New Deal coalition, shattering organized labor and ushering in the Reagan Revolution.

But, according to Harris, not only could the American people have both guns and butter, they already had it, and it was good.

Well, that's the end, guys!

The two federal cases are being shut down, Jack Smith is retiring, and there's no way the Georgia case goes forward if a literal conviction is paused.

America was nice while it lasted!

From Marco Rubio as secretary of state, to Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth as defence secretary, to Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, and Steve Witkoff as Middle East envoy, the nominations are telling. Each has previously wedded himself not just to Israel, but also to the extremist narratives of religious Zionism represented in the country’s current government.

But while Rubio and Huckabee in particular have been pushing these narratives on the campaign trail for political reasons, all of them will now face a reality check when it comes to formulating and delivering a coherent Middle East policy.

For one, their unequivocal support for Israel’s unhinged government policy of military annihilation of the idea of resistance, will cause friction with Trump’s overarching objective to end all wars in the region.

The second and equally important point of friction is the reliance of Trump’s regional policy on the Gulf states. While the pro-Israel lobby will try to sell narratives to the Trump ideologues, the various Gulf lobbies have deep pockets that have already entangled business networks around Trump.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have all built extensive relationships with the Trump ecosystem - all underwritten by lucrative investments. More so, Trump knows he will not need the pro-Israel lobby to get re-elected, as this will be his last term.

The Gulf lobbies, however, can provide lucrative avenues to retirement not just for Trump and his family, but also for many of those appointed by him into positions of power. And the interests of the Gulf states will not be easily reconcilable with the interests of Netanyahu’s Israel.

On Gaza, there is strong opposition to what Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week referred to as “collective genocide” committed by Israel. The annexation of territory in Gaza and and the West Bank will not be acceptable to Washington’s Gulf partners, and likely presents a red line that Trump and his ideologues won’t dare to cross.