Glenn Kirschner – The Late Colin Powell: From WMD’s to Secretary of State to Announcing “Trump is a Liar”. (Glenn and I believe much the same about him; I’m just a trifle more outspoken because I’m not a public figure.)
MSNBC – Trump Goes Under Oath For First Time Since His Presidency
Thom Hartmann – He Refused Vaccine Only For COVID Complications To Ruin His Life
Ring of Fire – Big Trouble For Matt Gaetz As Judge Postpones His ‘Wingman’s’ Sentencing
Armageddon Update – Layer upon Layer –
Really American – Lauren Boebert: Dangerously Dumb
Beau – Let’s talk about a crashed tractor and unskilled labor…..
Yesterday, I got confirmation for a visit with Virgil on October 30th. So that is good, but it does have me confused now about what they are doing. Perhaps they went to 33% capacity; though I looked on line and the latest still said 25%, sometimes word is slow getting onto the web. I suppose they could have moved all the inmates who have no one on their phone or visitors’ lists into one quarter… sadly, that would not be impossible or even unlikely – many convicts get abandoned by families and friends. TC knew that well and it was one of the things which motivated him deeply to work with prisoners. But I don’t know that, and if I asked, I likely would not get an answer.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Politico – Dems find their anti-Rubio warrior in Val Demings
Quote – For months, the Florida congresswoman challenging Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022 seemed nowhere to be found, eschewing local press and small political events typical for this election off-year, and also avoiding the national media glare in Washington. Now Demings has an answer for her whereabouts: She was campaigning almost exclusively on Facebook, growing an army of small-dollar donors across the nation on her way to raising a staggering $8.5 million in the most recent fundraising quarter —$2.4 million more than Rubio reported and more than any Senate challenger in the country between July and October. Click through for details. It’s true we haven’t heard a lot from Val lately (but then a lot of other things have been going on.) It’s good to know she has been busy. I pray for her success.
Crooks and Liars – Rev. Barber Blasts Manchin For Pushing Voter ID And ‘Trumpian Lingo’
Quote – BARBER: The Democrats should have started this messaging. They should have had the faces and the voices of people who would be impacted. We tried to say this to the handlers of the president at the White House, and for some reason they didn’t get it. They should have never let voting rights just be a Black issue and then separate it out from the economic issue. Click through for more of the message. When Rev. Barber soeaks, I listen. And he is right. I wish I had ideas on how to get there from here, though.
HuffPost – ‘I’m So Stupid’: MAGA Fan Who Attacked Officer Mike Fanone Called Himself A ‘Piece Of S**t’
Quote – Rodriguez, according to a transcript of his FBI interview filed in court by his defense attorney on Friday, said that he became radicalized watching videos on InfoWars and from conservative commentators like Steven Crowder, Mark Dice, and the Hodgetwins that convinced him of the conspiracy theory that Trump actually won the election. Rodriguez repeatedly referred to himself as “stupid” for believing that the pro-Trump mob he was a part of could take over the U.S. Capitol and install Trump as president for a second term. Click through for story. I certainly wish more people would “get it,” even if it has to be belatedly.
Yesterday, I did sleep in,and I feel much more rested. I hope I can translate that into fewer typos – or at the very least, more easily interpreted typos. We shall see.
Cartoon – Another prescient one from 2013
Short Takes –
Crooks and Liars – Oath Keepers’ Jan. 6 Trial Delayed Because Evidence Keeps Rolling In
Quote – The federal judge overseeing the Oath Keepers conspiracy case in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection ordered their trial delayed this week, primarily because of the overwhelming amount of evidence still being produced in their cases. Though the delay was expected, its reasons are stark reminders that Jan. 6 will be one of the most complex prosecutions in history and that the investigation remains very active as more evidence piles up. There are likely some very big shoes still to drop. Click through for examples and more explanation. I know it’s tough. We don’t hear much if at all about people being impatient and frustrated about Al Capone … but if there had been an internet and social media then, I’ll bet we would have.
Buzzfeed – “DANGER WARNING”: WOMEN SAY MADISON CAWTHORN HARASSED THEM IN COLLEGE
Quote – BuzzFeed News spoke with more than three dozen people, including more than two dozen former students, their friends, and their relatives, who described or corroborated instances of sexual harassment and misconduct on campus, in Cawthorn’s car, and at his house near campus. Four women told BuzzFeed News that Cawthorn, now a rising Republican star, was aggressive, misogynistic, or predatory toward them. Their allegations include calling them derogatory names in public in front of their peers, including calling one woman “slutty,” asking them inappropriate questions about their sex lives, grabbing their thighs, forcing them to sit in his lap, and kissing and touching them without their consent. Click through for story. Like other Republican politicians, this dude is a real piece of work.
Yes, Colin Powell Was Fully Vaccinated. He Was Also Seriously Immunocompromised.
Quote – Here’s another bit of nuance that I haven’t seen anyone really talking about but seems the most significant: The reason Colin Powell died of COVID-19 is that he caught it—which meant that it was still circulating among people he had contact with. This point may seem obvious, but too often we forget that one of the greatest risk factors for contracting COVID-19 is community spread. The more people around you who have the disease, the more likely you are to catch it. Click through for some truth. I saw one meme or tweet which said “Colin Powell did not die because he was vaccinated. He died because you weren’t.”
Yesterday, I was pretty well exhausted. I had hoped to sleep in, but woke up about an hour and a half before my guideline alarm (which I would cheerfully have slept through) with just enough tickle in my throat to keep me awake. Nothing serious, just a small allergic reaction, most likely to a piece of red or yellow pepper. It vanished quickly once I was vertical. But I may well be sleeping in today. Expect me when you see me.
Cartoon – (from 2013 – nothing’s changed)
Short Takes –
Crooks and Liars – Fox Commenters’ Response To Bill Clinton News Is What You’d Expect
Quote – CNN reports that the former president, who is 75, has a urinary tract infection that spread to his bloodstream, a fairly common medical condition in the elderly. It’s a relatively minor medical problem, so why is the story so prominent at Fox? Because it’s an excellent opportunity for Fox fans to demonstrate the kind of high-minded civic engagement they’re known for. From the comments: Click through if you can stand to. The comments are pretty disgusting. Big Dog also experienced sepsis, which I would not call minor, but IANAD, and thankfully they were right on that, and he is out of the hospotal now according to various sources.
Vox – The case against means testing
Quote – Means testing have also long been associated with a moral argument that some segments of the population are deserving of government benefits, while others are not. This idea undercuts the belief that a social safety net is intended to help support those broadly in need, and shifts the burden onto individuals to prove that they’re worthy of getting basic help. Click through for evidence. Means testing sounds so reasonable – until you realize that $100 for groceries if you live alone doesn’t exactly go as far as $100 for groceries if you hve three kids. Furthermore. $100 fpr groceries if your body is perfectly normal doesn’t quite go as far as $100 for groceries if you have food allergies, or any other specialized dietary needs. And actually, the same is true for shopping in just about every category of consumables.
The Hill – Arbery murder trial set to begin this week
Quote – When Arbery, who was unarmed, was cornered by the two trucks he ran at Travis McMichael in an attempt to seize his shotgun, but was then fatally shot. In April, both the McMichaels and Bryan were charged with federal hate crimes in connection to Arbery’s death. The indictment accuses the men of using force and threatening to intimidate and interfere with Arbery’s right to utilize a public street, and alleges that Bryan joined the chase and used his truck during the incident. Click through for story. I’m surely glad it has come to a trial. I wish I could have higher hopes for its results. They are certainly taking their time over jury selection – I hope that’s a good sign.
I apologize for being somewhat sporadic in my contributions as of late. Unfortunately, my 91 year-old uncle (by marriage) has been admitted to the hospital three times in the last two months.
Fortunately, they were able to get him stabilized and into the Cardiac Rehab unit. Last week we were able to move him to an Assisted Living facility. He hopes to make it back to his apartment, but I’m not sure as he’s still on 2 Liters of O2 with barely acceptable FiO2s.
His 83 year-old sister (my aunt) lives less than a mile from me, and doesn’t drive, except to the grocery store and church. He has a son (cousin), but he lives on the other side of the Metro, so I’ve become the designated driver for his sister – and it’s a little over a half-hour drive one-way to the Assisted Living place.
But it did get me thinking that maybe I could use a little medical humor to lighten the moment.
So I’ll begin with a classic story that’s frequently told on your first day of Medical School orientation:
Brand new M-1s (First-Year) medical students were being oriented to their anatomy class involving a cadaver. They gathered around the stainless steel tank with the body covered by a white sheet. The professor started the class by telling the students:
“In medicine, there are at least three important qualities a physician must possess: The first is absolute Respect for your patients, so treat these cadavers with respect during your dissections.
“The second is that you absolutely cannot be disgusted by anything involving the Human Body”.
As an example, the anatomy professor pulled back the sheet, stuck his gloved-finger in the rectum of the corpse, slowly withdrew it and then put his finger in his mouth.
“Now I want each one of you to do the same thing,”
Stunned, the M-1s hesitated for a long moment before one brave soul broke the ice and did as instructed. Slowly, with great hesitation, they all stepped forward to take their turns doing the same exam, and all with disgusted faces.
When everyone finished, the professor looked at them shaking his head, and informed them: “The third most important quality is Observation. If you had paid attention you would have noted I stuck my middle finger in the rectum, but sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention.”
Let’s enjoy a few actual entries by medical students in patients’ charts – obviously oblivious to the third quality: PAY ATTENTION!
By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had stopped, and he was feeling better.
On the second day the knee was better and on the third day it had completely disappeared.
She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband said she was very hot in bed last night.
Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
The patient refused an autopsy.
The patient has no past history of suicides.
The patient’s past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 45 pound weight gain in the past three days.
She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions in early January.
Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.
She is numb from her toes down.
While in the ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home.
When she fainted, her eyes rolled around the room.
The pelvic exam will be done later on the floor.
Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
Examination of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.
And I’ll close with this well-meaning health information sign that was clearly created by a republican:
Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”
A free press is essential to maintain a working semocracy. So said our founders, and I cannot disagree, nor can i trust the motives of anyone who does disagree. That would certainly not be the case with the Nobel Committee, who have awarded this year’s Peace Prize to two active (and embattled) investigative journalists. And it’s clear that the two people they hav chosen are genuine investigative journalists, committed to finding and publishing truth. The below article on them demonsrates that.
Unfortunately, we see around us far too many individuals who are not journalists, do not investigate, and have no prinviples. Alex Jones comes to mind, as does anyone on Fox News. Those people are committed, not to truth, but to deceiving those on the political right. But the left is not immune to being taken in as well. I am still seeing organizations on the left who are still taken in by Julian Assange, for example. Jefferson may have bben correct about his theory that a free press can, as a general rule, be trusted over a government, but he doesn’t appear to have realized that this is not always the case.
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Nobel Peace Prize for journalists serves as reminder that freedom of the press is under threat from strongmen and social media
Thirty-two years ago next month, I was in Germany reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall, an event then heralded as a triumph of Western democratic liberalism and even “the end of history.”
But democracy isn’t doing so well across the globe now. Nothing underscores how far we have come from that moment of irrational exuberance than the powerful warning the Nobel Prize Committee felt compelled to issue on Oct. 8, 2021 in awarding its coveted Peace Prize to two reporters.
“They are representative for all journalists,” Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said in announcing the award to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, “in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.”
The honor for Muratov, the co-founder of Russia’s Novaya Gazeta, and Ressa, the CEO of the Philippine news site Rappler, is enormously important. In part that’s because of the protection that global attention may afford two journalists under imminent and relentless threat from the strongmen who run their respective countries. “The world is watching,” Reiss-Andersen pointedly noted in an interview after making the announcement.
Equally important is the larger message the committee wanted to deliver. “Without media, you cannot have a strong democracy,” Reiss-Andersen said.
Global political threats
The two laureates’ cases highlight an emergency for civil society: Muratov, editor of what the Nobel Prize Committee described as “the most independent paper in Russia today,” has seen six of his colleagues slain for their work criticizing Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Inevitably, Ressa told me recently, one of them says “no.” Maybe that will change now that she has a date in Oslo. But Ressa probably knows better than to hold her breath.
Last year, when I – a long-time journalist turned professor of journalism – helped organize a group of fellow Princeton alumni to sign a letter of support for Ressa, more than 400 responded. They included members of Congress and state legislatures and former diplomats who served presidents of both parties. One of them was former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, who died several months later, making a show of solidarity with Maria Ressa one of his last public acts. This show of support is a sign of what’s at stake.
This irrational hatred of purveyors of facts knows no ideology. Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s disdain for the press is at least equaled by that of leftist Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega, whose response to his critics in the media has been to, well, lock ‘em up.
Digital menace
What makes today’s threats to free expression especially insidious is that they don’t come just from the usual suspects – thuggish government censors.
They are amplified and weaponized by social media networks that claim the privilege of free speech protection while they allow themselves to be hijacked by slanderers and propagandists.
No one has done more to expose the complicity of these platforms in the attack on democracy than Ressa, a tech enthusiast who built her publication’s website to interface with Facebook and now accuses the company of endangering her own freedom with its laissez-faire approach to the slander being propagated on its site.
“Freedom of expression is full of paradoxes,” the Nobel Committee’s Reiss-Andersen observed, in an interview after awarding the Peace Prize. She made it clear that the award to Ressa and Muratov was intended to tackle those paradoxes too.
Asked why the Peace Prize went to two individual journalists – rather than to one of the press freedom organizations, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, that have represented Ressa, Muratov and so many of their endangered colleagues – Reiss-Anderson said the Nobel Committee deliberately chose working reporters.
Ressa and Muratov represent “a golden standard,” she said, of “journalism of high quality.” In other words, they are fact-finders and truth-seekers, not purveyors of clickbait.
That golden standard is increasingly endangered, in large part because of the digital revolution that shattered the business model for public service journalism.
“Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power,” Reiss-Andersen said in the prize announcement. But it is increasingly being undermined and supplanted by what’s called “content,” served up algorithmically from sources that are not transparent in ways that are designed to addict and that drive partisanship, tribalism and division.
This poses a challenge for public policymakers and the democracies they represent. How to regulate digital media and still protect free speech? How to support the labor-intensive work of journalism and still protect its independence?
Answering those questions won’t be easy. But democracy may be at a tipping point. With its recognition of two investigative journalists and the crucial – and dangerous – work they do to support democracy, the Nobel Committee has invited us to begin the debate.
Correction: This story has been updated to state the correct place, Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.
Editor’s note: Naomi Schalit, senior politics editor at The Conversation, signed the open letter “In defense of press freedom” organized by author Kathy Kiely in July 2020.
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Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, these two recipients have shown themselves trustworthy and are genuinely deserving of the Prize they are being awarded, Not all journalists, and not all who call themselves journalists, would be deserving. Journalistic ethics are not an arcane subject – an actual professional code of journalistic ethics exists, and will fit on a bookmark if both sides are used. NOt that there’s any infallible means of actually enforcing them. Perhaps we should all print ourselves out a bookmark and keep it handy to help us evaluate what we are reading.
