The Evening Blues - 11-21-19



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The day's news roundup + tonight's musical feature: Tracy Nelson

Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features blues, soul and country singer Tracy Nelson. Enjoy!

Tracey Nelson - I'm Gonna miss You (Like the Devil)

“Imperialism was born when the ruling class in capitalist production came up against national limitations to its economic expansion. The bourgeoisie turned to politics out of economic necessity; for if it did not want to give up the capitalist system whose inherent law is constant economic growth, it had to impose this law upon its home governments and to proclaim expansion to be an ultimate political goal of foreign policy.”

-- Hannah Arendt


News and Opinion

The impeachment crisis and American imperialism

Wednesday’s public hearing on the impeachment of President Trump featured the US ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, who testified that, contrary to the White House narrative, there had been a “quid pro quo” in Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. ... Sondland’s appearance was trumpeted by the Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee and most of the media as a “smoking gun” against Trump. Sondland was even compared to John Dean, the White House counsel whose testimony against Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal paved the way to Nixon’s resignation to avoid certain impeachment.

The testimony of John Dean, however, was part of the uncovering of a major attack on the democratic rights of the American people. The break-in at the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate complex, carried out by ex-CIA agents working for Nixon, was the outcome of a protracted campaign of political spying and repression directed against Vietnam War protesters, the former military official Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers, and other political opponents. There are no such issues of democratic rights in the conflict between Trump and the Democrats, who are acting as the political front men for the CIA and other sections of the national security apparatus. The significance of Sondland’s testimony lies not in what he revealed about Trump, but in his account of the everyday relationship between American imperialism and Ukraine, a small, dependent nation that has been turned into a vassal state by successive administrations in Washington.

The president of Ukraine is told by American diplomats exactly what words he must use and what promises he must make to appease his overlord in Washington. When President Zelensky offers to have his chief prosecutor make a statement along the lines demanded by Trump, he is told that he himself must make the statement, and it must be televised so that he is on the record. He is told to jump, and exactly how high. In that respect, there is no difference whatsoever between Trump’s conduct in 2019 and the actions of his Democratic nemesis, Vice President Biden, in 2016. Biden traveled to Ukraine and told its government that Washington was withholding $1 billion in promised aid until certain actions were taken, including the firing of a corrupt national prosecutor. Biden even boasted in a US television interview that within six hours of his delivering that ultimatum the Ukrainian president had sacked the official.

Apologists for the Democrats and Biden will insist that Biden was carrying out official US government policy, in the interests of US “national security,” whereas Trump was looking out for his personal interests, ... But there is a more fundamental issue: What was the “national security” interest that Biden was upholding? Why is the United States supplying vast quantities of military aid and weaponry to Ukraine? It is part of the effort by American imperialism, carried out over two decades, to turn Ukraine into an American puppet state directed against Russia.

For all the claims by the Democrats that they are shocked by Trump seeking “foreign interference” in the 2020 presidential election, every presidential election in Ukraine since 2004 has been characterized by massive foreign interference, particularly by the United States. One US official boasted in 2013 that Washington had expended more than $5 billion on its operations to install a pliable anti-Russian regime in Kiev. ... American imperialism is seeking to [...] use Ukraine as a launching pad for political subversion and military violence against Russia. Behind the backs of the American people, with little or no public discussion, the US government has been shipping large quantities of arms and other war materiel to Ukraine, in an operation that brings with it the increasing danger of a direct US military collision with Russia, a conflict between the two powers that between them deploy most of the world’s nuclear weapons.

Evo Morales Calls for 'Truth Commission' to Expose Deceitful Role of US-Backed OAS in Bolivia Coup

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales on Wednesday called for an international truth commission to examine the role of the U.S.-dominated Organization of American States in the military coup on November 10 that brought a right-wing anti-indigenous regime to power.

"We invite international organizations, Pope Francis, to form a truth commission about the October 20 [presidential] elections," Morales said during a press conference in Mexico, where he was granted asylum after the Bolivian military forced him to resign earlier this month.

"Luis Almagro and the OAS joined the coup d'etat in Bolivia," Morales said, referring to the OAS secretary general. "The Truth Commission will show the role of the OAS in the coup."


'What happened was a massacre': grief and rage in Bolivia after day of deadly violence

Tears filled Primitivo Quisbert’s bloodshot eyes as he contemplated his son’s swollen, lifeless face – and why someone else’s struggle for political supremacy had condemned his child to an early grave. ... Before him, on a church’s wooden pew, lay the body of Pedro Quisbert Mamani, 37, a factory worker and father of two – and one of at least eight young Bolivians killed on Tuesday when the country’s political crisis exploded into deadly violence in the city of El Alto. ...

Evo Morales – the country’s exiled former president – described the events in El Alto as a “massacre”.

The rightwing interim government that took power after Morales’ toppling on 10 November has rejected claims the army was behind Tuesday’s killings, which came during confrontations between troops and Morales loyalists outside a fuel storage depot the latter had been blockading. Bolivia’s defense minister, Fernando López, told reporters “not a single bullet” had been fired by his forces, and branded demonstrators “terrorists” acting on the orders of Morales.

But in El Alto – a teeming high-altitude city near La Paz long considered a Morales stronghold – locals are adamant the government is to blame for what they call a massacre of innocent workers.

Morales calls for international help to stop Bolivia 'genocide'

Ex-president Evo Morales urged the international community on Wednesday (Nov 20) to intervene to stop what he called a "genocide" in Bolivia, where 32 people have died in violence that erupted after his disputed re-election. ...

"I call on the IACHR (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights) and the UN to condemn and stop this massacre of my indigenous brothers, who are simply asking for peace, democracy and respect for human life," the leftist leader said in a separate message on Twitter.

At least 32 people have been killed in violence since the Oct 20 election, according to the IACHR. The unrest has intensified since right-wing senator Jeanine Anez declared herself interim president on Nov 12, triggering protests by Morales supporters.

In Two-Hour 2020 Democratic Debate, No Mention of Deadly Trump-Endorsed Military Coup in Bolivia

The Trump-endorsed military coup in Bolivia that ousted an elected socialist president and ushered in a repressive anti-indigenous regime was not mentioned once—by moderators or the ten candidates on stage—during the 2020 Democratic presidential debate in Atlanta Wednesday night, despite its major regional and human rights implications.

While U.S. foreign policy was briefly discussed during the two-hour debate, hosted by NBC News and the Washington Post, the Democratic candidates were not asked to explain their positions on the ouster of former Bolivian President Evo Morales and the massacres of anti-coup protestors that followed.


Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was the only 2020 Democratic presidential candidate on the debate stage Wednesday night who has condemned the coup in Bolivia, which analysts say was driven in part by the U.S.-backed Organization for American States (OAS). ...

As Common Dreams reported, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sparked backlash this week for her comments on Bolivia, which did not describe the ouster of Morales as a coup.

Colombia's govt warns against violence ahead of strike planned by unions, students

Colombia to close its borders in attempt to contain mass protests

Colombia’s government has announced plans to close its borders, part of a string of measures to contain mass strikes and protests planned this week amid sweeping unrest in South America. Tens of thousands are expected to join protests on Thursday against the rightwing government of Iván Duque, whose popularity has dwindled steadily since he took office in August last year.

The marches, announced weeks ago following proposed austerity measures, come amid a wave of political turmoil across the region: Chile has seen more than a month of anti-government protests, which last week led its political parties to agree to a referendum on replacing the country’s dictatorship-era constitution; Bolivia is still reeling from the military-backed ousting of the president, Evo Morales. ...

Duque’s government is clearly nervous. On Monday, his government authorized a number of riot-control measures ahead, allowing local authorities to impose curfews and ban the sale of alcohol. Colombia’s borders will also be closed until Friday morning, it was later announced. In the capital, Bogotá, squadrons of riot police could be seen outside a number of universities. Many businesses will close while schools have instructed staff and students to stay home. On Tuesday, police searched 27 homes of people thought to be involved in the protests.

“The government is worried because the people and organizations who have come out in support of the protest are more heterogeneous than they are used to,” said Sergio Guzmán, the director of Colombia Risk Analysis. “It’s not only the labour unions, or the students, or indigenous people; it’s all of them.”

Former British Consulate Worker Says the Chinese Secret Police Tortured Him for Supporting Hong Kong Protests

A former employee of the British consulate in Hong Kong who was detained for fifteen days in mainland China says he was tortured by secret police, who accused him of being a British spy and fomenting protests in the city. Simon Cheng Man-kit, a 29-year-old Hong Kong citizen, claimed Wednesday that he was beaten, blindfolded, chained to a cross, held in stress positions for hours and forced to sing the Chinese national anthem to stay awake when he was detained in August.

“I was hung (handcuffed and shackled) on a steep X-Cross doing a spread-eagled pose for hours after hours,” Cheng wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. “It felt extremely painful.”

The claims threaten to further strain relations between Britain and China, following Beijing’s allegations that Western powers have played a role in stirring up the protests, which are entering their six month and becoming increasingly violent and disruptive. Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab appeared to endorse Cheng’s account Wednesday, condemning China’s treatment of the former consulate employee, which he said “amounts to torture.”

Cheng, a trade and investment officer at the consulate, was detained by Chinese secret police as he was attempting to return from a work trip to the mainland city of Shenzhen on Aug. 8. His sudden disappearance made international headlines, after his partner went public with her concerns he was being held by the secret police. Cheng says he was subjected to lengthy interrogations, where agents accused him of being a British spy, and pressed him to admit that the British government was behind the pro-democracy protests roiling the city. ...

Cheng said that as part of his work for the consulate, he kept tabs on the pro-democracy protests, but says this was purely monitoring work to assess where the movement was headed, rather than an attempt to influence them. In a personal capacity, he said he supported the movement and had attended several peaceful demonstrations.

Israel’s opposition leader fails to form coalition government

Israel’s opposition leader, Benny Gantz, has failed to form a government, increasing the likelihood of the country holding an unprecedented third round of elections. Gantz had close to a month to forge a coalition after the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, failed to do so. Neither leader won a clear majority during a September election and both have sought to stall each other’s play for power.

Under Israeli law, midnight on Wednesday was the deadline, after which Gantz was obliged to return the mandate to the president, Reuven Rivlin. The former Israeli army chief told Rivlin four hours before the deadline that he had not succeeded, his Blue and White party said in a statement.

Politicians loyal to Netanyahu had blocked his attempts, Gantz said in a speech on Wednesday evening, “insisting only on the best interest of one person”. Gantz added he had sought to reach out to the prime minister, but his efforts had been met with “insults, slander and childish videos”, referring to Netanyahu’s frequent social media rants.

Gantz’s failure does not automatically trigger elections. It kicks off a final 21-day period in which the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, can nominate any candidate to be prime minister, including Netanyahu or Gantz. However, the divided makeup of the Knesset would lead to a tough battle as no political alliance has a majority of 61 seats. After that period, Israelis will be on course to go to the polls again, the third time in a year.

Amazon Is Opening Grocery Stores & Why Thats Bad

Senators Press Amazon for Answers on Ring’s Sloppy Security Practices

This past year has been chock full of uncomfortable revelations about Ring, the surveillance social network and home security hardware company acquired by Amazon for a reported $800 million, including reports of potentially disastrous internal security practices, an apparent disregard for user privacy, and wave after wave of detail on secret partnerships with local police. Today, in a letter addressed to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, five Democratic senators are asking for an explanation, citing potential threats to U.S. national security. ...

The letter is signed by Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Chris Coons of Delaware, and Gary Peters of Michigan. ... Markey made some progress when Amazon earlier this month responded to a letter he sent previously, asking about the company’s controversial partnerships with local police departments. Amazon revealed that video funneled to police under the arrangements comes with few restrictions on use or retention.

Now, the Democratic senators are hoping Ring will provide them with additional information the company has thus far refused the public, including hard numbers on how many people have access to Ring customer camera footage, the company’s policies regarding requests from foreign governments, and whether the company has discovered any “security incidents” in recent years.

Google and Facebook's business models threaten human rights - report

Google latest tech giant to crack down on political ads as pressure on Facebook grows

Google will no longer allow political advertisers to target voters based on their political affiliation, the company announced Wednesday, in a move that will increase pressure on Facebook to limit micro-targeting.

Google also plans to “clarify” its ad policies around false claims to explicitly ban doctored video and images known as “deepfakes”, misleading claims about the census, and “demonstrably false claims” that could undermine trust in elections or the democratic process.

“Whether you’re running for office or selling office furniture, we apply the same ads policies to everyone; there are no carve-outs,” the Google Ads executive Scott Spencer wrote in a blogpost. The policy clarification is an implicit criticism of Facebook’s controversial decision to allow politicians an exemption from its own ban on false claims in advertising.

“No one can sensibly adjudicate every political claim, counterclaim, and insinuation,” Spencer wrote. “So we expect that the number of political ads on which we take action will be very limited – but we will continue to do so for clear violations.”

Under Google’s new rules, ads that refer to candidates, political parties or ballot measures will be barred from using some of Google’s powerful tools that combine data sources and target individual users, according to an email to advertisers shared by the Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker’s deputy campaign manager. Political advertisers will still be allowed to target voters by age, gender and location to the level of postal code.

Dozens of Facebook lobbyists tied to members of Congress, investigation shows

As tech giant Facebook grapples with congressional hearings over its policy allowing politicians to sponsor untruthful ads and its role in proliferating hate speech, dozens of its lobbyists have connections to members of Congress, likely giving them special access that helps them promote the company’s interests.

So far this year, Facebook has employed 68 federal lobbyists, 12 in-house employees and 56 from K Street firms – spending nearly $12.3m on federal lobbying through 30 September. Sludge dug through Center for Responsive Politics and Legistorm databases and found that out of these lobbyists only three have never held jobs in the federal government.

The Facebook lobbyists have worked for 29 current members of Congress – 18 representatives and 11 senators – including key Democratic party leaders.

Four of the lobbyists have worked in the office of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Two have worked in the office of Hakeem Jeffries, chair of the House Democratic Caucus. Other Facebook lobbyists have worked for the majority leader Steny Hoyer , Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer , Senator Mark Warner, who is vice chair of the chamber’s Democratic caucus, and Senator Amy Klobuchar, chair of Senate Democrats’ steering committee and a 2020 presidential candidate. ...

These “revolving door” connections likely give the lobbyists better access to their former bosses, experts say. Such connections have been shown to be effective in influencing how members of Congress vote. A 2011 study on financial industry lobbying from two International Monetary Fund economists found that “if a lobbyist had worked for a legislator in the past, the legislator was very likely to vote in favor of lax regulation”. ...

Meanwhile, Pelosi has an additional connection to Facebook. Her husband, financial executive Paul Pelosi, owns between $550,000 and $1.1m worth of stock in Facebook, according to financial disclosures.

Julián Castro: Gordon Sondland's Testimony Is "Nail in the Coffin" of Trump's Defense

Ambassador Testifies Trump Inner Circle All 'In the Loop' During Explosive Opening Statement

U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland on Wednesday delivered an "explosive" opening statement for his impeachment testimony in which he confirmed there was a quid pro quo in which the president made Ukrainian aid conditional on that government's cooperation with investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son.

Sondland testified that under Trump's orders and against his own wishes, he worked with Rudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, last summer on matters involving Ukraine.

The president and other top administration officials were "in the loop," said Sondland, regarding an effort to threaten military aid to Ukraine unless the country agreed to investigate Burisma, the oil company where 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's son was a board member.

After State Department officials expressed positive views of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's new administration last spring, Giuliani and Trump expressed skepticism that the new president would reform the country's corruption issues.

The president's lawyer confirmed to Sondland that "the president wanted a public statement from President Zelensky committing Ukraine to look into corruption issues—specifically "the 2016 election (including the DNC server) and Burisma as two topics of importance to the president."

The statement, he confirmed, was conditional for "the resumption of U.S. aid."

Sondland named Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Vice President Mike Pence, and White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney as three top Trump administration officials who knew the president and Giuliani wanted to threaten Ukrainian aid if Zelensky did not publicly announce the investigation.

"Everyone was in the loop," Sondland said. "It was no secret. Everyone was informed via email on July 19, days before the Presidential call. As I communicated to the team, I told President Zelensky in advance that assurances to 'run a fully transparent investigation' and 'turn over every stone' were necessary in his call with President Trump."

"I know that members of this Committee have frequently framed these complicated issues in the form of a simple question: Was there a 'quid pro quo?' As I testified previously, with regard to the requested White House call and White House meeting, the answer is yes," the ambassador added.


Ukraine widens probe against Burisma founder to embezzlement of state funds

Ukraine has widened its investigation into the founder of energy company Burisma to include suspicion of embezzling state funds, Prosecutor General Ruslan Ryaboshapka said on Wednesday. ...

The prosecutor who has investigated Burisma is Kostiantyn Kulyk, who previously met Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to discuss accusations against the Bidens.

After he took office in late August, Ryaboshapka launched a wide-ranging audit of criminal cases to see whether they had been conducted properly. Thirteen of them relate to Burisma founder Mykola Zlochevsky, Ryaboshapka told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday.

Ryaboshapka’s predecessors oversaw a series of investigations into Zlochevsky, a multimillionaire former minister of ecology and natural resources. The allegations concern tax violations, money-laundering and licences given to Burisma during the period where Zlochevsky was a minister.

Ryaboshapka said Zlochevsky was now suspected of the “theft of government funds on an especially large scale,” but did not provide evidence or details.

Giuliani has previously told Reuters he met Kulyk in Paris. He said at that meeting Kulyk echoed allegations that in 2016 Joe Biden as Vice President had tried to have Ukraine’s then-chief prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, fired to stop him investigating Burisma. Biden has accused Giuliani of peddling “false, debunked conspiracy theories” for repeating these allegations.

Kulyk told Reuters in October that he had been investigating Zlochevsky for around two years.

'We Don't Believe in Locking Up Children. Do You?' Amnesty Billboards Condemn Trump's Mass Detention of Migrant Kids

Amnesty International USA marked World Children's Day on Wednesday by launching billboards in Florida condemning President Donald Trump's mass detention of migrant kids fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries.

A billboard that reads, "You are now 7 miles away from where kids are locked up" was positioned near a detention facility in Homestead, Florida. After visiting the facility in April and July of this year, Amnesty accused the U.S. government of detaining children indefinitely and in "cruel" conditions at Homestead.

Another billboard, erected just 10 miles away from Disney World in Orlando, poses a question to onlookers: "We don't believe in locking up children. Do you?"

The billboards direct viewers to TruthAboutHomestead.org, which outlines actions people can take to combat detention of migrant children.


Arizona activist who gave migrant humanitarian aid acquitted in second trial

The activist Scott Warren has been acquitted on charges he illegally harbored two Central American migrants, after facing two trials over what he insisted was simply helping people in need. The Wednesday verdict by a jury in US district court came after jurors deliberated for just hours. It was the second trial for Warren; a mistrial was declared last June after a jury deadlocked on harboring charges.

Warren was stoic after the verdict was read. His supporters were crying at the news of the decision. Warren, 37, testified that neutrality guides his work near the border and denied he has ever helped migrants hide or instructed them how to avoid authorities. Greg Kuykendall, an attorney who defended Warren, said the new jury followed the law carefully. “They parsed the evidence,” he said. “They paid rapt attention while we were putting on our defense and while the prosecution was putting on its case, and they decided that humanitarian aid is not always a crime, the way the government wanted it to be.

Keiser Report: Punishment Bonds and Bitcoin on Mars

Young Black Man Tased by Cops After Jaywalking Thought He Was Going to Die

A 29-year-old black man in Georgia was walking to a job interview when local cops tased him three times for jaywalking. He thought the officer’s stun gun was a pistol and worried he was going to die.

It was a day in March when two Gwinnett County police officers approached the man, John Efford, and cited him for jaywalking. Shortly after, he allegedly jaywalked a second time. At that point, one officer raised his or her stun gun to Efford, who pleaded, “I didn’t do anything,” according to body-camera footage obtained by ABC-affiliate WSB-TV. The body camera footage was not released in full by the news station, but it shows Efford being tased repeatedly by one of the officers — including once as he was being handcuffed. ...

Charges relating to the arrest were later dropped after prosecutors saw body camera footage. An internal investigation conducted by the Gwinnett County police department determined officers did nothing wrong.

“While incidents involving the uses of force can be unpleasant and uneasy to watch, it does not necessarily mean they are outside of policy, procedures, and law,” a spokesperson for Gwinnett County’s police department said in a statement. “This incident was reviewed by many levels of supervision and was determined to be within reasonable force given the noncompliance of the defendant in this case."



the horse race



2020 Candidates Discuss Race, Inequality, Foreign Policy & More at 5th Democratic Debate

At Private California Fundraiser, Pete Buttigieg Explains Limited Black Support

At a private fundraiser in California on Friday, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg suggested that black voters in South Carolina preferred former Vice President Joe Biden because of a perception of “familiarity,” even though Biden isn’t “the candidate with the best answers on the subject of race.”


Asked by a guest in attendance at a meet-and-greet event at Thunderbird Heights in Rancho Mirage how he anticipated “engaging the black community to get greater support,” Buttigieg said, “So what’s working for us best right now in engaging the black community is two things: First, substance. And secondly, engagement.” ...

The South Bend, Indiana, mayor’s comments came the same day The Intercept reported that his campaign had falsely touted the support of prominent black Democrats in South Carolina for Buttigieg’s plan to tackle systemic racism in the United States. Buttigieg in July released “The Douglass Plan: A Comprehensive Investment in the Empowerment of Black America,” which calls for injecting capital into black communities, improving access to credit, and reforming both the criminal justice and health care systems. Buttigieg referenced the Douglass Plan at the fundraiser, calling it “as ambitious as the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe. But this time, to invest right here at home.”

Buttigieg has also faced warranted criticism for his handling of relations with the black community in South Bend. His decision to fire South Bend’s black police chief in 2012 set off protests, and Buttigieg backtracked, demoting him instead. The mayor later acknowledged in his memoir that the events “affected my relationship with the African-American community in particular for years to come.” Buttigieg returned to South Bend this summer after a police officer shot and killed a black man in June. At a demonstration, a black constituent told Buttigieg that black people wouldn’t vote for him. “Ma’am, I’m not asking for your vote,” Buttigieg replied.

Despite these strained relations, Buttigieg told the crowd in Palm Springs that he had the trust of black voters in his city, where he has been mayor since 2012. ... Still, his track record shows — and he acknowledges — that he has not always delivered tangible results for the community he’s confident has his back.

Krystal Ball: Just imagine if Bernie Sanders had faked black endorsements

Bernie Sanders gets the critical pop culture endorsement:


Krystal and Saagar: Bernie, Yang, and Tom Steyer give the right answer on impeachment

Medicare for All Advocate Ady Barkan Endorses Warren, Praises Her Understanding of the 'Central Challenge of Our Time'

Medicare for All advocate Ady Barkan on Wednesday announced his endorsement of Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic primary, applauding her plan to expand healthcare coverage to all Americans by using legislative tools other Democratic leaders have shied away from.

Barkan, who was diagnosed with ALS weeks before President Donald Trump was elected in 2016, made the announcement in an editorial for The Nation and in a video on social media featuring his week-old daughter Willow and three-year-old son Carl. ...

At The Nation, Barkan detailed his support for Warren, who he worked closely with before he was diagnosed with ALS on a campaign to ensure Federal Reserve funds were used for the public good instead of going to Wall Street firms.

"Warren understands that the central challenge of our time is the unequal distribution of power in America, and the grave human consequences of that imbalance," Barkan wrote. "From climate change and unaffordable housing to police brutality and the healthcare crisis, the major issues of our day feel intractable because of the vicious feedback loop between racial, economic, and political inequality. She has spent her career studying and describing and fighting against against those inequalities, putting the lived reality of working families first."

Barkan noted early in his editorial that supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who has championed Medicare for All for decades and wrote the legislation in the Senate which he would fight to pass as president, may not support his choice to endorse Warren. "I have no intention to diminish his incredible work building our progressive movement or the ways in which his historic campaigns for president have shifted American political discourse," Barkan wrote of Sanders.


"You may prefer Sanders, and I have deep respect for that choice," Barkan wrote at The Nation. "We are, ultimately, on the same side. When the dust settles, Warren will enthusiastically endorse Sanders, or vice versa, and then we will need to all struggle together, as one progressive movement."


Panel: Bernie needs to fight

Abdul El-Sayed Endorses Bernie Sanders as Best 2020 Candidate to Defeat Trump and 'Build the After-Trump'

Former Michigan gubernatorial candidate and progressive activist Dr. Abdul El-Sayed on Thursday endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president in 2020, citing the Vermont senator's commitment to Medicare for All, his willingness to speak out on behalf of the Palestinians, and his "moral integrity."

"Bernie has CREATED the political conversation we're having now. Medicare for All, Green New Deal, Free College, no corporate money—all because of Bernie," El-Sayed wrote in a series of tweets. "We're not just fighting to beat Trump, but to build the after-Trump. Bernie understands that those teachers, nurses, and line workers are the ones who will do it. And they have made it clear that Bernie's is the movement they trust to do it."


El-Sayed is the former director of the Detroit Health Department and an outspoken supporter of Medicare for All. Sanders endorsed and campaigned for El-Sayed in his 2018 Michigan gubernatorial primary race against now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.



the evening greens


Fossil fuel production on track for double the safe climate limit

The world’s nations are on track to produce more than twice as much coal, oil and gas as can be burned in 2030 while restricting rise in the global temperature to 1.5C, analysis shows.

The report is the first to compare countries’ stated plans for fossil fuel extraction with the goals of the Paris climate agreement, which is to keep global heating well below 2C above pre-industrial levels, and to aim for 1.5C. It exposes a huge gap, with fossil fuel production in 2030 heading for 50% more than is consistent with 2C, and 120% more than that for 1.5C.

Scientists have warned that even the difference between 1.5C and 2C of heating will expose hundreds of millions of people to significantly higher risks of extreme heatwaves, drought, floods and poverty.

The report was produced by the UN Environment Programme and a coalition of research organisations. It complements an earlier UN analysis showing the current Paris agreement pledges to cut emissions would still lead to a catastrophic 3-4C rise.

Tens of thousands of deaths linked to weak US air pollution rules – study

US air pollution rules could be hugely insufficient in preventing deaths, experts are concluding from a new study of the likely causes of death of 4.5 million veterans.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Jama, the research finds that 99% of deaths from illnesses linked to a certain type of air pollution occur in people who are exposed to lower levels than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently deems acceptable.

But Donald Trump’s EPA could be set to maintain the current standard – thus leading to continued air pollution-associated deaths. The agency is also reconsidering the established science linking particle pollution from fossil fuels and other sources with a host of illnesses.

About 200,000 Americans are thought to die from air pollution each year, but scientists previously couldn’t pinpoint the specific causes of death for almost half of those people.


Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

Intercepted podcast - Ghosts of Mossadegh: The Iran Cables, U.S. Empire, and the Arc of History

The Coup in Bolivia Has Everything to Do With the Screen You’re Using to Read This

Dozens of lawmakers call for government surveillance reforms

Colombia Ambassador Criticizes State Department in Recording

These Are the Banks that Own the New York Fed and Its Money Button

'Destroyer of Newspapers' Vulture Fund Buys Majority Stake at Tribune Publishing

Bitter, Joyless Told-You-Sos: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix

Because Stephen Miller Is 'A Verified White Supremacist Controlling US Immigration Policy,' Says Ocasio-Cortez, He Must Leave White House

PCCC's Adam Green: New poll reveals OVERWHELMING M4A support

DNC tries to bury HUMILIATING report during debate

Sanders’ Plan to Fight Global Climate Disaster Too Ambitious, Says NYT

There’s Still No ‘Green New Deal’ Bill in Congress


A Little Night Music

Tracy Nelson - Living The Blues

Tracy Nelson - I Want To Know

Tracy Nelson - Ramblin´ Man

Mother Earth - Mother Earth

Tracy Nelson - It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry

Tracy Nelson - Motherless Child Blues

Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth - Seven Bridges Road

Tracy Nelson - When It All Comes Down

Tracy Nelson - Send Me to the 'Lectric Chair

Tracy Nelson - Don't Go No Further

Tracy Nelson - Every Night Of The Week


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Lookout's picture

Just finished up a re-decking job over the cisterns. I hired a crew and made it easy on myself. So I'm in early and enjoying the eb this evening.

I predict the impeachment is going to bite the dims in the ass. If only they would focus on policy and the election. I think the corporate dims really want another 4 years of trump.

More fossil fuels means more leaks.

The amount of land impacted by an oil spill in North Dakota is almost 10 times larger than initially reported, officials say. The disclosure comes about a month after the Keystone 1 Pipeline leaked about 383,040 gallons of oil.

https://kdvr.com/2019/11/20/keystone-pipeline-oil-leak-in-north-dakota-a...

We need to leave it in the ground, and just get over it!

Well thanks for all the news and your work, joe. Wishing you all a pleasant evening.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

joe shikspack's picture

@Lookout

i would agree that impeachment as the dems are pursuing it (over an issue that very few americans give a damn about) is exactly the wrong course for the democrats to take if they are looking to win an election.

there have been reasons, really good reasons that americans do care about (even on a bipartisan basis) since day one of the trump administration to impeach trump. but the democrats really don't give a rat's ass about those things. impeachment only became "necessary" when it appeared that one of the democrat elite was under attack.

backlash seems quite likely. and the democrats deserve it.

what a surprise that kxl reported a spill an order of magnitude smaller than what actually happened.

have a great evening!

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@joe shikspack And the key point the Dems are missing is that when it leaves the House and goes to the Senate (as I assume it will), the Dems lose control of the narrative, as well as the timing, which will either be controlled by Mitch McConnell and the Senate Rs or Chief Justice Roberts, and then the question is likely to be how much leeway the defense has to bring in the Bidens corruption, all of which turns it into even more of a partisan circus than it already is, a la Clinton, with one big difference, the 2020 primary campaign (where most voters don't give a ratass about impeachment) is likely to be already underway ...

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Azazello's picture

The Nation on Biden: Joe Biden: An Anti-Endorsement
A tune for Chairman Schiff:
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThYl5fT-JIQ width:400 height:240]

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

joe shikspack's picture

@Azazello

thanks for the link. glad to see that somebody thinks that biden's whoring for the banks is disqualifying.

heh, one of these days adam schiff's eyeballs may just pop out all the way.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

We got snow today! Even in Albuquerque! It was a wet, heavy snow, so lots of moisture. I couldn't be more pleased. Our rain barrels are full. My son, in Boston, called me today while it was snowing. He said they just got finished with three days of rain. Lots of moisture seems to be on the move.

Enjoy your evening, everyone! Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

joe shikspack's picture

@Raggedy Ann

glad to hear that your water systems are full up with regular!

rain has bypassed my area for a little while, we are overdue for a good, drenching rain or snow. we've gotten some half-hearted drizzles, but that's about it.

have a great evening!

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snoopydawg's picture

I'm betting that Vlad told Tulsi to wear her white outfit again. You know since she is in regular contact with him and all..

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

joe shikspack's picture

@snoopydawg

perhaps somebody ought to ask the new york times if tulsi gabbard has cooties.

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Not Henry Kissinger's picture

@snoopydawg
The money quote:

...Her white suits are not the white suits of Ms. Clinton, nor even the white of Ms. Williamson, whose early appearances in the shade often seemed tied to her wellness gospel and ideas of renewal and rebirth. Rather, they are the white of avenging angels and flaming swords, of somewhat combative righteousness (also cult leaders). And that kind of association, though it can be weirdly compelling, is also not really community building. It sets someone apart, rather than joining others together. It has connotations of the fringe, rather than the center.

Funny thing is, a combatively righteous cult leader is the perfect description of Hillary.

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

joe shikspack's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger

these are not your grandmother's pantsuits. Smile

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snoopydawg's picture

@joe shikspack

IMG_3800.JPG

Seriously what was Hillary thinking by wearing that in public? And just for fun.

IMG_3838.JPG

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joe shikspack's picture

@snoopydawg

wow. somewhere there is an elderly quilter wondering where she put that half-finished project. Smile

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Pluto's Republic's picture

@snoopydawg

z.Hill2_.jpeg

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____________________

The political system is what it is because the People are who they are. — Plato

@Pluto's Republic my law practice would die on the spot.
And I mean, going to the grocery store on Saturday.
It would end my career. Word would go out that day!
On the cusp has totally lost it! Do not hire her!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

@Pluto's Republic

This is so funny. Thanks. One can never laugh too much.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@Pluto's Republic the judge walked in to make an announcement, and then, she said my cheetah print shirt was beautiful. In front of everyone in the courtroom.
That is how it works. REPRESENT!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@snoopydawg to dressing over fat, or medical devices, (my late husband was a paraplegic and wore his catheter bag on his leg) I am wondering how she walked out her door wearing something so mismatched, horrible, odd, and nobody stopped her.
Everyone, men and women, try to look their best in front of a crowd.
She looked like an idiot, going around in a WalMart parking lot asking for money.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger

Ms. Williamson, whose early appearances in the shade often seemed tied to her wellness gospel and ideas of renewal and rebirth.

It is just as childish as what Harris did to Tulsi. It was an attack on her and not her policies.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

@snoopydawg This one from Gandhi:

"First they ignore you,
then they laugh at you,
then they fight you,
then you win."

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snoopydawg's picture

@JCWeb

The Origins Of Thought Police... And Why They Should Scare Us

...I saw newspaper reports which did not bear any relation to the facts, not even the relationship which is implied in an ordinary lie. I saw great battles reported where there had been no fighting, and complete silence where hundreds of men had been killed. I saw troops who had fought bravely denounced as cowards and traitors, and others who had never seen a shot fired hailed as the heroes of imaginary victories; and I saw newspapers in London retailing these lies and eager intellectuals building emotional superstructures over events that had never happened.

He wrote about how the propaganda was changing his reality decades ago and worried about it.

In short, Orwell’s brush with totalitarianism left him worried that “the very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world.”

He was so prescient wasn't he?

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enhydra lutris's picture

remember the first time I heard her and Mother Earth do Mother Earth (and the rest of tht album).

The news really has to fix it's sloppy copy editing, I fixed this head for you:

In Two-Hour 2020 Democratic Debate, No Mention of Deadly Trump, GOP, and Dem-Endorsed Military Coup in Bolivia

Have a good one.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

joe shikspack's picture

@enhydra lutris

tracy nelson still has it, but i have to say that i most enjoy her early work with mother earth.

heh, commondreams is pretty much in the tank for dems, so they tend to give them a pass when they really shouldn't.

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lotlizard's picture

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2019/11/these-are-the-banks-that-own-the-...

The $29 trillion created electronically by the New York Fed from 2007 to the middle of 2010 is astronomical compared to the loans made by the Federal Reserve following the 1929 financial crash and early years of the Great Depression. Those Fed loans aggregated to only $1.5 million or approximately $25.5 million in today’s dollars.

Consider that $25.5 million in today’s dollars that was distributed by the Fed from 1932 to 1936 to just one day in 2008. On September 24, 2008 the New York Fed pounded away on its money button to pump out $110 billion to the miscreants of Wall Street. (See chart below: where Bank of New York Mellon and JPMorgan Chase are listed in capitalized letters, they were acting as intermediaries for the New York Fed to disburse Primary Dealer Credit Facility (PDCF) money to the securities firms listed directly below each entry.) The $25.3 billion that Morgan Stanley received on just that one day is 1,000 times all the money the Fed disbursed during the 1930s.

$29 trillion? That’s a lot of “quid.” Why isn’t Congress curious about Wall Street’s “pro quo”? What we do know is, whatever Wall Street’s ongoing “quid pro quo” may be, very little of it trickles down to the 99% and Main Street.

Let’s face it, Trump at his most extreme is a piker compared to the real moguls of New York City, the self-dealing mafia that is Wall Street. Anything Trump may have done is many orders of magnitude smaller than the self-dealing mafia that is Wall Street.

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joe shikspack's picture

@lotlizard

Why isn’t Congress curious about Wall Street’s “pro quo”?

i think that they just don't want to know, because they are afraid if the scam is subjected to scrutiny, the whole economy will collapse on their watch.

Anything Trump may have done is many orders of magnitude smaller than the self-dealing mafia that is Wall Street.

trump, though he is not unfamiliar with large numbers, could not even dream of the scale of the crime that is wall street.

a really smart president would get together some of the smartest people in the country in a room together to hash out how to detach the wall street vampire squid from the underlying "real" economy of the united states allowing the real economy to survive while the casino goes off to unwind itself, the rich people work on robbing each other and are prevented from accessing the holdings of ordinary folks.

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lotlizard's picture

@joe shikspack  
That would have put the cat among the pigeons.

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mimi's picture

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