Sessions Rescinds Memo regarding Private Prisons

Today, the Attorney General of the United States rescinded a memo. This was not due to a typo, a clerical error or even some form of malfeasance. This is ideological. This is profit based.

This is about Private Prisons.

The former Deputy Attorney General, and stand in for Sessions until he could be nominated, Sally Yates, issued a statement in August 2016 that stated the US governments intention to gradually phase out the usage of Private Prisons for their criminals and eventually cease using them altogether. Sessions feels differently apparently, believing that private prisons are too useful for the future of the nation and criminal justice system.

This could be interpreted in a number of ways, but I’m going to be nice and assume he means that the current number of federal and state prisons lack the capacity for their current load of Prisoners and that level is expected to be maintained. Rather than say, aggressively expanded.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont released a statement that this was a reward for the Private Prison businesses, which had donated massively to Trumps campaign, and indeed immediately after the release of this emo, stocks for two private prison companies, Core Civic and GEO Group, both spiked. Whether this was the intent, I cannot say, but it is clear that Sessions not only believes in the validity of Private prisons in the System, he will encourage their usage regardless of the numerous (and most likely former) investigations into their actions and treatment of prisoners.

 

Citations:
Reuters: U.S reverses Obama-era move to phase out Private Prisons 
Mother Jones: Department of Justice Announced it will start using Private Prisons again
Politico: Justice Department reverses directive 

Protestors claimed to be Professionals by White House

In recent weeks during the recess period of Congress, Republican town halls have been flooded with protesters attacking their representatives, demanding answers about investigations into Trump and his team most famously with Representative Chavez at Utah, who meet shouts of “Do your Job!” at his own town hall. A great many republicans are currently fleeing their town halls and actively avoiding holding more, though with some exceptions. This seems to be their favored response to such criticism: avoidance whenever possible.

The White House on the other hand has a different plan.

Claiming that the core of these protesters are liberal activists, Spicer and more importantly Trump are claiming that professional protesters are manufacturing these events. Spicer additionally claims that just because they may be a loud group that does not mean they are large, and that they may be more interested in media attention and that sort of interpretation than any actual message.

Naturally comparisons have been made between these town hall events and similar takeovers by Tea Party activists in 2008 and 2009, especially from protesters hoping to have a similar success. As part of this there were also allegations that that movement was itself manufactured by conservative activists and used to move forward their agenda.

Personally, I feel that the movements began with the people but have been built from, and in some cases perhaps appropriated, by legislators and activists to move forward an agenda. However, I also feel it is important to note that whoever is involved in these movements, leaders or members, is probably also aware of this and simply sees this as a method to make their protests more effective and long lasting rather than a short term outpouring of rage. It’ll certainly be interesting to see where this goes, and if this “Resistance” follows the pattern of the tea party and its own lasting influence even after the movement faded away.

 

Citation:
Politico: White House reacts to Protesters
Politico: McClintock meets with Protesters 

Why it Matters that Azaria was Punished, and Why it’s Concerning

Sgt. Elor Azaria has been sentenced to 18 months’ prison for manslaughter – that is shooting a wounded Palestinian in the head after an altercation regarding these two and another soldier, who was stabbed by the Palestinian. This is at once significant and disturbing for a few reasons.

Firstly: 18 months for killing a man brutally, taking into account the circumstances, is still far too short regarding the crime and people involved (for context a British soldier committing a similar crime was sentenced to 10 years in prison for manslaughter, which has a minimum of 6 years). Which leads to the second point.

Secondly: the sheer level of resistance to any punishment, and the outcry over one as short as this not only from the right wing politicians in Israel, but also the Israeli people is deeply concerning. In many other cases where Palestinians are harmed or killed, there is often no punishment for the soldiers and many are lauded for doing their duty, according to the Israeli people.

The culture surrounding the military in Israel is blindly supportive, and very opposed to any form of leniency to the Palestinians. While some of this is understandable, no nation enjoys being attacked by a terrorist group (the group Hamas works within Palestinian territory and routinely attacks and accosts soldiers and Israel), it changes little as it ignores a fundamental reality about this case. Palestine wasn’t prosecuting Azaria.

The Military was.

He broke the rules, the military standards he had to operate by and was being punished for it, and then politics got involved. At the end of the day, the law was broken, standards breached, a man was killed and the politicians and Israeli people wanted him forgiven or pardoned, because the victim was a Palestinian.

It’s good that he’s being punished. But if Israel continues to forgive crimes against a certain people, and moves forward with a one state solution however that might occur, then not only will crimes like this continue to exist in whatever aftermath comes from this, but they will get worse and the international community is not and will not be so forgiving for a second apartheid. Let’s hope it’s not worse.

Citation:
Time: Israel soldier Jailed for 18 months

Trump selects McMaster for NSA role

Trump…apparently made a good decision.

Now I ain’t holding my breath but this could end…tolerably.

So, H.R. McMaster, Lieutenant General in the United States military, and a renowned Warrior-Scholar, has been selected as the new National Security Adviser, replacing Michael Flynn. Notable moments in this one’s dossier include:

• Fought off a much larger group of tanks from the elite Iraqi Republican Guard force with a small troop within the armored cavalry regiment
• Wrote the book on the generals leading Vietnam screwed up not challenging civilian leaders on poor strategy
• Pioneered counter-insurgency programs in Iraq, and helped rewrite the manual with general Petraeus
• Currently leads Army Capabilities Interrogation Center
• A Russia-hawk and committed to not labeling terrorists as religious organizations
• Not afraid to challenge his superiors

Actually a pretty decent resume. At this point I’m waiting for either a scandal or condemnation from Dems regarding…I’m not really sure at this stage, I haven’t heard anything yet. Could happen though.

Still seems alright so far, though that last point on the list might lead to some trouble down the road.

Trumpy doesn’t like to be challenged I hear.

 

Citations:
Reuters: Outspoken General named Top Security Adviser 
Politico: Trumps new Warrior-Scholar 

Lazy weekend talk

So, this weekend was interesting.

Trump had a meltdown on international TV, ranted about the media, complained about being called an anti-Semitic (he wasn’t) and uh…nominated someone for something? Labor secretary! That was it.

Oh and the guy who was gonna replace Flynn as National Security Adviser? Yeah that’s done. Wanted to choose his own team, Trump said no, Harvard walked away. Petraeus has pulled out too. Keep this up, Bannon might just get the role (please don’t give it to Bannon)

The Battle for Mosul was launched, that’ll be interesting.

German Chancellor Merkel and Canadian PM Trudeau had a candle lit dinner, so that was nice.

And Russia’s pulled back from Trump in a startling display of rationality! No, no, Putin just doesn’t like it when someone’s more referenced and cited than him on his own TV channel.

Fun. Let’s see how badly they screw it up this week.

 

I’d cite, but I can’t be bothered. Tomorrow. When I write an actual story.

Paul Ryan can’t convince Republicans to back tax plan

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s facing an uphill battle with the Republicans regarding a tax plan. Surprisingly, republicans don’t really like it when taxes get higher for businesses, who knew? His border adjustment tax is being positioned as a compromise between Trumps preference for a tariff and conservative orthodoxy regarding taxes, as in, taxes are bad and should not be raised. Frankly in that context it almost comes across as a measured response to radical shifts in ideology that Trump represents and indeed demands, and what typical conservatives focus on with their own tax plans.

So naturally they all had a hissy fit.

Senator Cotton of Arkansas went on the attack the day after, with much of the chamber following him. A great many republican senators see this as either badly misconstrued or simply bad policy, with the Speakers own house fretting over the cost such a tax could entail on the consumer. Frankly I don’t see why their complaining, it’s this or a tariff. I certainly haven’t heard any of their own policies used as a rebuttal or alternative.

Now I don’t particularly like Paul Ryan, he’s come off as rather weak in the last few months frankly, but he is trying to put forward a conservative plan to reform the tax code, and if this works as he says it will, it could garner the government up to 1 trillion dollars. That’s a big deal, especially considering this is party that’s blasted Obama for the last 8 years regarding the deficit and debt the USA faces. That they would attack one of their owns plans, indeed the only plan that may even be feasible and is being presented to the house and senate, rather than either develop it or compromise, portends a rather unsettling truth regarding the Republican party, and the future of the USA.

They don’t know what they’re doing.

They’ve complained for so long, they’ve forgotten how to lead.

And now with everybody looking to them for answers, with their own president, congress, and senate, what have they accomplished? What can they accomplish?

If this is the best they can do, it’s not gonna end well for them.

 

Citations:
Politico: Ryan Struggles to sell tax plan to GOP

Russian influence on the White House

So, Flynn had to resign regarding talks with the Russian ambassador regarding sanctions. And then lying about those talks to the Vice-President. Matador, a former campaign manager, resigned during the 2016 campaign regarding his own connections to Russia, National security agencies are beginning to corroborate a report regarding Trumps possible connections to Russia and their possible Kompromat on him, and oh there may be further connections between Trumps campaign and his administration, and Russia.

But is he going to be Impeached? Probably not.

Firstly, that would require the republican congress to be interested in any such maneuver (they aren’t). Secondly that would require an investigation into Trump and his team by intelligence committees and others, and while some of that is occurring it is far too likely that at this stage those same investigations will either be stone-0walled, stymied or outright ignored by the administration rather than having any impact.

Finally, frankly, it implies that an impeachment would mean anything and I don’t see trump leaving because of a Russian scandal, or any scandal for that matter.

Still, liberals, the left, whatever you want to call them, they can use this. Build on the momentum, the outrage and build groups, within and without the administration to fight this man. I don’t necessarily agree with pulling so far in one political direction that communication and compromise are out of the question, those two tactics are the bedrock of democracy. But this man must be fought, the left needs to rebuild, and this seems to be the best option.

Hopefully this outrage remains. Hopefully something is built from this that can restore equilibrium to the US.

Hopefully I won’t see the end of a superpower in my twenties. #resist.

Citation:

Time: Flynn sets shortest record for National Security Adviser
New York Times: Trump Campaign aides had repeated contact with Russia
Mother Jones: Why Trump can’t come clean about Russia

Flynn fired over Russian talks

Michael Flynn, the provocative National Security adviser, has been fired – sorry “resigned” from his post regarding suspicious calls made towards the Russian ambassador regarding sanctions. Supposedly the statements he made, corroborated by nine unnamed officials, alluded to Trump easing the sanctions early in his presidency and advocating patience before responding to the sanctions.

But that’s not the real reason he was fired.

As I wrote before, a chief concern was Flynn’s interaction with Vice-President Pence, and whether he deceived him into lying on Flynn’s behalf. As it turned out that was exactly the case, and supposedly that encouraged Trump to fire him. Or “resign” him. This is actually the interesting part: no one in Trumps administration seems to know what the administration did to remove Flynn.

Was it voluntary, as Spicer claimed? Was he pushed out by Steve Bannon, another controversial figure in the White House, as some leaks suggest? Did Trump go full Apprentice and fire him? To be blunt nobody seems quite sure. And until Flynn, or the FBI or someone prominent outright states what happened these rumors will continue.

It doesn’t look good for Trump, losing a major cabinet position within the first three weeks is not only unprecedented in modern history, it points to further issues regarding the difficult transition and buildup of the White House Administration.

As for Flynn? Honestly if he was stupid enough to believe the FBI wouldn’t bug the Russian embassy he deserved this.

Citation:

Time: Flynn resignation

What has Trump done?

This is a rhetorical question. It has less to do with some great moral outrage, political concern or even a question of interest. This is a question regarding impact.

 

What has President Trump actually done?

 

45 executive orders and presidential memorandums have been issued out, resulting in…directions to look at things. The biggest one was of course the Travel ban, which actually did have an immediate impact, but a great many other grand statements and releases, such as the wall, which basically talked about the fence already in place, the tax regulations order, which directed the Secretary of the Treasury to look at them, and so on. Trump has talked a big game while doing very little.

If we’re lucky that may well be the story of his Presidency.

Right now his executive orders and memorandums are treated as spectacle, because they are little else. They accomplish little more than direction, with a few notable exceptions, but sound dangerous and concerning. At this stage there simply aren’t enough policy wonks, regulation experts or seemingly the interest required to try to dramatically shift the framework of America.

This may change, or it may not, but what remains is true. Trump is playing a grand game, but life will continue on so long as that’s all he does.

 

Citation:

Politico: Trump has done nothing

Flynn made a mistake

Michael Flynn has something of a reputation for a provocateur. He likes conspiracy theories, he enjoyed rallying the crowd with yells of ‘LOCK HER UP’ and others, and is quite happy to attack people and their thoughts and opinions on his twitter account, much like his boss. And these things are annoying but they don’t amount to much.

When he was found to have been to Russia for dinners and events it was concerning. When he was found to have been seated next to officials and near Putin himself it was disconcerting. But that seemed to be the end of it. He denied any discussion of politically sensitive topics, the Vice-president Elect validated these claims. So yes concerning, but if nothing happened then it can simply be another show of Russian favoritism this administration has already shown.

And now we learn he did in fact discuss the sanctions and the impact Trumps election would have on them with the countries ambassador, the month before Trump became president.

Because of course he did.

The perspective head of the National Security Council meeting with the representative of a nation known to be challenging American influence at every turn it can (up to some manipulations during the election, which as best I can tell amounted to spamming emails and fake stories and hacking the DNC and RNC as best they could) is bad enough. But discussing national security details with said representative, before he has even been appointed officially? You cannot do that.

Seriously, you can’t. It’s illegal.

Any other administration I would say Flynn was done. But this is Trump, so who really knows.

This means of course that not only did Flynn lie, he made Pence lie (I would hope unknowingly) about it as well. This is legitimately dangerous, reckless and should result in termination of a man who flagrantly disregarded norms, laws and common sense to reveal information to a country that has proven itself open and willing to oppose American interests.

My guess? Ain’t nothing gonna happen.

Citation:
The Atlantic: Michael Flynn’s Debacle