Category: Domestic Affairs,

Farming Behind Barbed Wire: Japanese-Americans Remember WWII Incarceration 

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Domestic Affairs,, Race,Leave a comment

Jim Tanimoto and many other once-successful farm owners were about to become field workers for the U.S. government.

The guard towers and rows of barracks have long since been torn down or moved. Our guide on the pilgrimage points out the few remaining buildings, and the huge swaths of farmland once worked by Tule Lake prisoners. Over 1,000 Japanese-Americans worked in the fields, most earning just $12 a month, a quarter of what farmworkers made at the time.

…The stated purpose of these farms was to feed the incarcerated, but camp administrators took produce, grain and hay grown by these imprisoned Japanese American workers, and sold it on the open market – over 2 million pounds of it from Tule Lake alone.

…By 1960, the number of Japanese-American farmers dropped to a quarter of their prewar presence. With lost farms, homes and businesses, it’s estimated that wartime incarceration cost Japanese-Americans up to $4 billion in today’s values. Some of those losses were compensated in 1988, when President Ronald Reagan signed redress legislation offering a formal apology and giving $20,000 to each survivor.

The non-economic losses – to Japanese-Americans, to California, to the whole country – are impossible to measure. Especially now, Takei said, we must remember “how easily people — because of fear and anger — lose sight of our important national values of justice and rule of law.” She drew parallels with Muslim Americans, refugees and immigrants, “as though demonizing other people is going to solve our problems.”

All we have to do, she said, is look at the World War II incarceration of Japanese -Americans to see that’s not true.

Farming Behind Barbed Wire: Japanese-Americans Remember WWII Incarceration : The Salt : NPR

hmmmmmmmm

Congresswoman Grace Meng’s Menstrual Equity Bill to Make Tampons Accessible

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Chick Stuff,, Domestic Affairs,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

An op-ed by Congresswoman Grace Meng.

Congresswoman Grace Meng’s Menstrual Equity Bill to Make Tampons Accessible

Wow. The fact that some women could have this problem never occurred to me. I’m not sure how any society could call itself civilized when half its members are in danger of being subjected to this type of humiliation.

Good on you, Congresswoman Meng, good on you.

Growing Up Jehovah’s Witness: ‘Higher Education Is Spiritually Dangerous’ 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Education,, Religion,Leave a comment

….a Jehovah’s Witness, and like many others in the faith, he was homeschooled his whole life.

…My dad told me that he knew people who were into science, and it dragged them right out of the organization, right out of the truth.”

…The view that higher education is spiritually dangerous is very common among Witnesses, and for Linderer, it meant that his parents wouldn’t support him going to college.

…Research shows that only 9 percent of Witnesses get undergraduate degrees. That’s well below the national average of 30.4 percent and the lowest of any faith group. The likely reason for this trend is the religion’s official warnings against college.

…continual association with non-believers in an academic setting can “erode thinking and convictions.”

Witness leadership also discourages higher education because they believe it’s a waste of time. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been predicting the end of the world since the religion’s founding at the end of the 19th century. 

…Pew research also shows that Jehovah’s Witnesses are among the lowest earners of any religious group.

Source: Growing Up Jehovah’s Witness: ‘Higher Education Is Spiritually Dangerous’ : NPR

Keep them dumb because stupid people are more subservient?

For decades they hid Jefferson’s relationship with her. Now Monticello is making room for Sally Hemings. 

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“If you are going to get people to come to historic sites, you should show them what it was really like,” said Rubenstein, who has also underwritten renovations to the slave quarters at Arlington House and James Madison’s Montpelier. “The good and bad of history.”

For decades they hid Jefferson’s relationship with her. Now Monticello is making room for Sally Hemings. – The Washington Post

hmmmm

DNC: Buckley endorses Ellison

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MANCHESTER — Raymond Buckley, New Hampshire’s top Democrat, went from contender to potential kingmaker Saturday, exiting the Democratic National Committee chairman’s race to endorse Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison.

During a telephone interview, Buckley said he’s “100 percent” convinced Ellison will get the 224 votes needed to become chairman on the first ballot when the DNC meets next Friday in Atlanta.“

Absolutely 100 percent convinced, I have been on the phone the last couple of hours, the response has been really terrific,” Buckley said. “He will have this thing wrapped up in a couple of days.”

…If he wins, Ellison, the first Muslim-American elected to Congress, is expected to reward Buckley with a more high profile role. Buckley is already president of the Association of Democratic State Chairs.

Ellison said he would empower Buckley to quarterback a “57 state strategy” referring to America’s 50 states, six territories and U.S. Democrats living abroad.

NH Democrat Buckley drops out, endorses national chair hopeful | New Hampshire

hmmmm

 

Trump family’s elaborate lifestyle is a ‘logistical nightmare’ — at taxpayer expense

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

Barely a month into the Trump presidency, the unusually elaborate lifestyle of America’s new first family is straining the Secret Service and security officials, stirring financial and logistical concerns in several local communities, and costing far beyond what has been typical for past presidents — a price tag that, based on past assessments of presidential travel and security costs, could balloon into the hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of a four-year term.

…Trump’s three Mar-a-Lago trips since the inauguration have probably cost the federal treasury about $10 million, based on figures used in an October government report analyzing White House travel, including money for Coast Guard units to patrol the exposed shoreline and other military, security and staffing expenses associated with moving the apparatus of the presidency.

…In New York, the city is paying $500,000 a day to guard Trump Tower, according to police officials’ estimates, an amount that could reach $183 million a year.

This month, The Post reported that Secret Service and U.S. Embassy staffers paid nearly $100,000 in hotel-room bills to support Eric Trump’s trip to promote a Trump-brand condo tower in Uruguay.

…For Trump, the costs come with an additional perk: Some of the money flows into his own pocket. While Trump has removed himself from managing his company, he has refused to divest his ownership, meaning that he benefits from corporate successes such as government contracts.

…Trump’s frequent travel belies his repeated criticism of Obama as a “habitual vacationer” enjoying taxpayer-funded golf getaways. It also comes after his own promises: He told the Hill newspaper in 2015, “I would rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done.”

…Trump’s frequent travel belies his repeated criticism of Obama as a “habitual vacationer” enjoying taxpayer-funded golf getaways. It also comes after his own promises: He told the Hill newspaper in 2015, “I would rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done.”

Trump family’s elaborate lifestyle is a ‘logistical nightmare’ — at taxpayer expense

hmmm

Mar-a-Lago Neighbors Discover Costs of Trump’s Visits 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Local Interest,, Money, Class, and Poverty,Leave a comment

■ $200,000 in lost fuel sales at a large local airport in a single four-day visit this month.
■ 75 no-shows at a new restaurant in just one night.
■ $60,000 a day to pay overtime to sheriff’s deputies who guard the many closed roads, a tab that is about $1.5 million over all since the election.
■ 250 private flights grounded every day.

A month into his presidency, Mr. Trump arrived at Mar-a-Lago, his private club here, for a third weekend in a row this Presidents’ Day weekend. For the locals, that’s at least three days of clogged roads and strict security protocols that hurt local businesses and frustrate residents.

 

hmmm

Donald Trump Mourned “What’s Happening Last Night in Sweden”—But Nothing Happened 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

Sweden has let in a large number of immigrants and refugees. But we couldn’t find any evidence that indicates Sweden’s immigration policy is causing the types of problems with terrorist incidents that Trump suggested—and we couldn’t find any record of an attack by terrorists or immigrants in Sweden on the night of Feb. 17, or any night recently.

We rate Trump’s claim False.

Donald Trump Mourned “What’s Happening Last Night in Sweden”—But Nothing Happened – The Daily Beast

hmmm

Utah county GOP official resigns after criticizing equal pay bill 

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A Utah county Republican Party official has resigned after receiving blowback for criticizing a bill in the state legislature designed to create equal pay criteria.

Utah county GOP official resigns after criticizing equal pay bill – CNNPolitics.com

Hey backwater, f’tard, inbred, moron: supporting limiting someone’s opportunities is opposite of supporting someone. So no, if you are arguing women should be paid less so they have to stay home and not work that is not supporting women. That’s actually the exact opposite of supporting women. The fact that you clearly do not get that means you are a total liability to any organization that deal with the public – let alone a political one. Sit down and keep your backwards trap shut, son.

Utah Republican argues against equal pay for women: It’s ‘bad for families’ and society 

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In a letter criticizing a bill that addresses pay gap in the workforce, a Utah Republican said that men have traditionally earned more than women and, citing “simple economics,” argued that things should stay that way.

Utah Republican argues against equal pay for women: It’s ‘bad for families’ and society – SFGate

Backwards, inbred moron.

..And beyond that, what a myopic asshole.

If you’re going to be that self absorbed and stupid it’s probably best not to open your ignorant little mouth.

Sweden asks the U.S. to explain Trump comment 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Europe,Leave a comment

The Swedish embassy in Washington has asked the U.S. State Department for an explanation of a comment made by President Donald Trump that suggested there had been some sort of security incident in Sweden on Friday.

…Former Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt also took to Twitter, saying: “Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound.

Sweden asks the U.S. to explain Trump comment | Reuters

I’m not convinced Trump comprehends the words that come out of his mouth. Especially the big ones.

McCain defends free press, raises specter of dictatorship from Trump’s attacks

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Presidential tweet stirs the pot on media relations

…Sen. John McCain on Sunday defended the need for “a free — and many times adversarial” — press. Without it, he said, “I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time — that’s how dictators get started.”

McCain defends free press, raises specter of dictatorship from Trump’s attacks

Yup.

 

The Downfall of Kellyanne Conway

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When the cast of “Morning Joe” pointed out that Ms. Conway’s recent appearances on news shows proved her a useless source of information, …they sneered at Ms. Conway’s apparent White House ostracization….

…Confronted about Mr. Trump’s chauvinism, [Conway] snapped back that women who were in poverty were not served during the Obama years, as though that somehow undid her boss’s history.

…Ms. Conway breached federal ethics laws by hawking Ivanka Trump’s “stuff” in the press briefing room…

…I simply cannot dredge up any sympathy for a person who has acknowledged the structural problems most women face only when she is personally facing them, or used them as derailing tactics when she’s losing an argument. I can’t mourn the downfall of a fair-weather feminist, a woman who has used her power to hurt other women.

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