I Went to Mexico to Meet Asylum-Seekers Trapped at the Border. This Is What I Saw.
n/t
Category: Media and Culture,
How Slavery Shaped American Capitalism And the Myth of Its Economic Impact
[The legacy of anti-black racism undoubtedly has to contributed to a] divided American labor movement, weakened progressive political alliances, and undermined the provision of public goods.
…A major effect of slavery on US economic development came through its foundational influence on America’s legal and political institutions.
One of the central problems faced by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 was how to create a common legal and political framework that would unite the slave states of the South with Northern states that were then in the process of abolishing slavery.
…[The Southern voters] were disproportionately represented at the federal level through the three-fifths clause. …The constitution effectively restricted federal taxing and regulatory power to international and interstate commerce.
…This division of federal and state power over slave property is not just manifest in now-dormant articles of the constitution dealing with slavery. It imbues all parts of the constitution and arguably lent to the American state system its distinctive form, which combines strong property protections with weak regulatory and fiscal powers (the introduction of a federal income tax in 1913 required a constitutional amendment).
…[The federal government’s] powers to tax, spend, and interfere with the interests of the wealthy (e.g., through regulating banks or providing debt relief) were explicitly curtailed.
…In principle the states were left to regulate and tax as they liked, but their practical ability to do so was constrained by federally mandated capital mobility. This created a fiscal and regulatory race to the bottom, as the wealthy could force relatively weak state legislatures to compete for their investments — just as city and state governments prostrate themselves before Amazon and Boeing today.
…Einhorn’s point is not that the framers were all proslavery (they were not) nor that they intended to produce a capitalist paradise of unfettered accumulation. Her point is that in making certain concessions to the slave-owners the framers unintentionally generated those conditions. Slave-owners were particularly afraid of allowing democratic control over property because they were literally afraid of their property. They were haunted by the threat of slave insurrections, as well as foreign armies turning their slaves into enemy soldiers through offers of freedom (as the British had recently done). Einhorn concludes that “if property rights have enjoyed unusual sanctity in the United States, it may be because this nation was founded in a political situation in which the owners of one very significant form of property thought their holdings were insecure.”
…[The argument] that slavery was “the nursing mother of the prosperity of the North,” …was an encouragement to secessionists, who imagined that the North would do everything to avoid a war that would cripple the Northern economy by cutting it off from a major source of its wealth.
…It’s true that cotton was among the world’s most widely traded commodities, and that it was America’s principal antebellum export. But it’s also true that exports constituted a small share of American GDP (typically less than 10 percent) and that the total value of cotton was therefore small by comparison with the overall American economy (less than 5 percent, lower than the value of corn).
…The size of the Southern economy as a share of the national economy fell from 1800 to 1860.
…It’s true that slavery made many fortunes, in both cotton and sugar, such that there were more millionaires per capita in the Mississippi Valley than anywhere else in the country. But it’s also true that most of that wealth stayed in the South, where it was tied up in land and slaves, such that the net effect on real accumulation was probably negative.
How Slavery Shaped American Capitalism
hmmm
AOC should leave the Democratic Party
In the 2006 and 2012 Senate races, Sanders ran as a Democrat in the primary, then refused the nomination when he won so he could run as in Independent without facing a Democratic challenger.
AOC might also want to also have it both ways, using the Democratic designation to get elected in her liberal district while bashing the party that gave her power.
…The two-party system ensures a wide range of views within a political label, and particularly within the Democratic one — exemplified by Biden and AOC’s contrasting views.
…When asked by New York magazine what her role in Congress might look like in a Biden administration, AOC groaned, followed by “Oh, God.” That is not a response one would expect to the prospective election of a member of her own party. Without betraying her beliefs, AOC could have graciously said, “I look forward to working with a Democratic president.”
…In the interview, the congresswoman who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens complained, “We’re not allowed to talk about anything wrong the Democratic Party does.” Nonetheless, she went on to complain that “Democrats can be too big of a tent” and that “they let anybody who the cat dragged in call themselves a progressive. There’s no standard.”
Perhaps AOC would be happier leaving for another party that let her set the standards.
…It’s no coincidence that the far-left Democrats — including AOC’s three colleagues in “The Squad” — were elected in very safe liberal districts. But the Democrats now control the House not because of a handful of radicals, but because 40 mostly moderate Democrats took seats from Republicans in 2018.
…Members of the [progressive] caucus often engage in the narcissism of small differences, building hostility toward Democrats holding views that diverge in minor ways.
AOC should leave the Democratic Party (opinion) – CNN
Nothing says progressive like being willing to burn the house down if they don’t get their way. It’s this kind of thinking that got us Trump.
The U.S. has held a record 69,550 migrant children in government custody in 2019
The U.S. has held a record 69,550 migrant children in government custody in 2019
The US government are the bad guys in this movie.
Amtrak Wanted 2 Wheelchair Users To Pay $25,000 For A Train Ride
A group from his office is headed to Bloomington next Wednesday for a work retreat.
There are 10 of them, and five — including Ballard — use wheelchairs. Their train has three cars. Each car has one space for a wheelchair. That makes three spaces for five people in wheelchairs. In the past, when Access Living gave advance notice that it was sending a large group, Amtrak took out more seats to fit more wheelchairs. Once, it took out seats in the dining car and charged a few hundred dollars extra.
…”The cost is correct,” the agent wrote, citing a new policy for taking out those seats. The agent explained that it’s expensive to take out extra seats and that it means taking a car out of service.
…The ADA, which became law 30 years ago this year, is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in jobs, schools, public places and transportation — including trains. It requires companies like Amtrak to make “reasonable accommodations” so that people with disabilities have comparable access to transportation as do people without disabilities.
…”The Americans with Disabilities Act has been the law of the land for 30 years,” she said. “Yet in 2020, @Amtrak believes it would be an unreasonable burden to remove architectural barriers that would enable a group with five wheelchair users to travel together.”
Amtrak Wanted 2 Wheelchair Users To Pay $25,000 For A Train Ride : NPR
Criminal.
Obama campaign guru: Trump would love to run against Bernie
Trump would exploit Sanders’ stamp of socialism in battleground states needed to defeat Trump, keep control of the House and have a shot at winning the Senate.
…“From a general election perspective, socialism is not going to be what Democrats are going to want to defend,” Messina added.“If you’re the Democratic nominee for the Montana Senate race, you don’t want to spend the election talking about socialism.”
…Sanders would not be able to help Democrats in states like Arizona and North Carolina if they’re to defeat Trump.
“My concern about Sanders would be just how low his ceiling may be,” the adviser said. “The argument Sanders would make is he can turn out tough-to-turn-out voters. While many are very progressive like the Sanders base, most aren’t, most aren’t connected to politics, they tend to be more moderate,” the adviser said. “I think it’s a falsehood that all the people not registering to turn out are looking for the most classically liberal candidates — that’s just not true.”
Obama campaign guru: Trump would love to run against Bernie – POLITICO
hmmmm
Why Aesha Ash is Wandering Around Inner City Rochester in a Tutu
She’s determined to use her dance background to change the stereotypes and misconceptions that people—including black people—have about women of color. “I want to show it’s okay to embrace our softer side, and let the world know we’re multidimensional,” says Ash.
… She still remembers what it felt like as a student at the School of American Ballet to see a photo of black ballet dancer Andrea Long. “That image was everything on days when I was feeling disenchanted. I’d see that picture of her, and know that the struggles I was going through, she went through them, too.”
…”I recently taught at Girls Inc. in Oakland, and one of the little black girls said, ‘Are you the ballet teacher?’ She just stood there, staring at me with her mouth open, like a unicorn had just walked into the room,” Ash says. “You never know the impact you can have just by being a presence.”
Why Aesha Ash is Wandering Around Inner City Rochester in a Tutu – Dance Magazine
very cool!
The World’s Happiest People Share Their Parenting Secrets
Why are the Danish people consistently reputed to be the happiest in the world? They suggest their elevated level of innate happiness may be rooted in the way the nation’s children are parented.
…Play is the language of children and in Denmark protecting children’s right to free play is taken very seriously; it’s considered crucial, not optional. Over scheduling kids is actively avoided; you’re more likely to hear a Danish parent say their child is going to play in the backyard on Saturday rather than take part in organised sport. And by “play” they mean kids are left to their own devices, with a friend or alone, to play exactly as they see fit, for as long as they want.
The Danes recognize play teaches social skills, empathy, self-control, coping mechanisms, and much more.
…The Danes like to “keep it real”. They’re honest with their children about the good, bad and ugly of life. Danish movies, stories, and books often deal with difficult topics and don’t always have happy endings; science shows “keeping it real” can improve empathy skills as well as make us happier in a “count your blessings” kind of way.
…Reframing is a cultural phenomenon in Denmark which is passed from one generation to the next; it’s incredibly powerful and results in the “realistic optimism” Danes are famous for.
…They actively teach empathy in schools. It has the same value as subjects like Math or English, with programs in place to teach kids to identify others’ emotions and conceptualize themselves in others’ shoes.
…Hygge, pronounced hooga, means “to cozy around together.” Hygge is spending time together with loved ones in a cozy, psychologically safe environment. Everyone enters into an unspoken agreement that, for this period of time, no one complains, brags or brings up negative or controversial topics; creating a drama-free space.
The World’s Happiest People Share Their Parenting Secrets – Raised Good
hmmmm
Despite Trump’s Racism, White Americans Receive More Welfare Benefits Than Other Groups
During that meeting, one of the members mentioned to Trump that welfare reform would be detrimental to her constituents— adding, “Not all of whom are black.”
The president was incredulous. “Really? Then what are they?”
Statistically speaking, they were probably white.
In fact, whites are the biggest beneficiaries when it comes to government safety-net programs like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, commonly referred to as welfare.
..Just over 40 percent of SNAP recipients are white. Another 25.7 percent are black, 10.3 percent are Hispanic, 2.1 percent are Asian and 1.2 percent are Native American
Trump Thinks Only Black People Are on Welfare, But Really, White Americans Receive Most Benefits
Second all-female spacewalk briefly hampered by helmet issue
Second all-female spacewalk briefly hampered by helmet issue – CNN
Another issue proper planning could have averted. At this point NASA cannot claim to place equal value on their male and female astronauts.
TSA apologizes to Native American traveler following ‘unacceptable behavior’ at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
“TSA holds its employees to the highest standards of professional conduct and any type of improper behavior is taken seriously,” the statement continued.
Their apology is weak. Anything other than firing the employee in question means the TSA doesn’t take this behavior very seriously at all and is willing to accept it from their employees.
Period.
NAACP’s Sherrilyn Ifill was asked by Amtrak conductor to give up her (unassigned) seat for other passengers
“I’m being asked to leave my seat on train 80 which I just boarded in D.C. There are no assigned seats on this train,” Ifill shared on Twitter Friday, directing her query at Amtrak’s account. “The conductor has asked me to leave my seat because she has ‘other people coming who she wants to give this seat.’ Can you please explain?”
…“What really disturbs me is how someone with this authority can just entirely make up something so ridiculous and approach a customer in this way,” Ifill wrote.
Enough with the “says” headlines, WaPo. By apologizing Amtrak has acknowledged this happened. It’s not alleged. It happened. Stop being such racist/hater apologists and play-acting at being unbiased and start asserting facts when they come up you spineless, corporate hacks.
Also, if Amtrack responds by doing anything other than firing the employee at question they are prioritizing their HR(PR!) practices over not tolerating blatant discrimination. shielding their employee is supporting their action. Name, shame, and terminate or be 100% culpable in overtly bigoted and illegal discrimination.
Controversy over giant telescope roils astronomy conference in Hawaii
Near the end of the conference, a session that was a late addition to the program gave the podium to two kia’i. They shared with astronomers not their reasons for opposing the telescope, but the daily rituals they are following on Maunakea and an invitation to visit their roadside outpost.
That was a deliberate choice. “This is different, perhaps, from what you thought this would be,” said Pua Case, a native Hawaiian who has been organizing against the TMT for a decade. “We’re not presenting our side to get another side, we’re not going to do that. You know why? Because we’re meeting you for the first time, most of you.”
Instead, she explained that they wanted to offer astronomers a glimpse into their world. “The way we create relationship is through ceremony, ritual, tradition, ancestral passing down of knowledge and protocol,” Case said. That’s also how the kia’i have arrived at their opposition of the project and how their daily prayers on the mountain continue their process of determining how to live with Maunakea. “We have no choice but to stand, so we’re letting you know that,” she said.
Controversy over giant telescope roils astronomy conference in Hawaii | Space
hmmm
LAPD: Up to 20 LAPD officers are under investigation for false gang labels
Up to 20 Los Angeles Police officers are under investigation for falsely identifying people as gang members, Chief Michel Moore said at a press conference Wednesday morning.
LAPD: Up to 20 LAPD officers are under investigation for false gang labels – CNN
hmmm
Government Lawyer Says Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Response Plan ‘Does Not Exist’
October 30, 2018
…Early last month, Governor Ricardo Rosselló and other officials announced that their newly overhauled plan was finally complete.
…Days after Rosselló’s announcement, the head of the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency, Carlos Acevedo, told a committee of Puerto Rico’s Congress that, should a hurricane of similar magnitude strike, “we’re confident that our government’s response will be very different.”
…But on Tuesday afternoon, an attorney for Puerto Rico’s government admitted in a San Juan courtroom that, in fact, the island’s emergency management agency does not yet have a document outlining a hurricane-specific response plan.
…She said the government was still assessing proposals from private companies, “so that it can hire people who specialize in producing those types of emergency response plans. So, as of today they aren’t available. As of today, they don’t exist.”
…Calls to Puerto Rico’s governor’s office and to the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency were not immediately returned.
Government Lawyer Says Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Response Plan ‘Does Not Exist’ : NPR
whoa!
Puerto Rico emergency director fired after residents discover warehouse full of Hurricane Maria supplies
Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced fired the island’s emergency manager, hours after a warehouse filled with supplies was discovered.
…Carlos Acevedo, [the] director of Puerto Rico’s Office of Emergency Management, was dismissed Saturday. The governor appointed Maj. Gen. José J. Reyes, the adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard, to replace him.
Earlier on Saturday, numerous pallets of water and other boxes with emergency supplies were found at a warehouse in the earthquake ravaged city of Ponce.
…The emergency aid is believed to be from when Hurricane Maria hit the island two years ago, the governor said.
wonder how he got the job…
IEM Spotlight: Carlos J. Ruiz Acevedo, PE Operations Manager, IEM Puerto Rico
What’s do you do for IEM Puerto Rico?
I was hired as the Operations Manager for IEM Puerto Rico supporting the R3 (Repair, Reconstruction, and Relocation) Program of the Puerto Rico Department of Housing using CDBG-DR funds. As Operations Manager, I am responsible for daily field operations and ensuring that they are performed in an efficient manner. I oversee logistics management, performance standards, safety policies, and procedures to ensure alignment with the program’s goals and objectives. I also direct human resources and management activities on the operational side of the program, to include staffing needed to accomplish operational tasks.
What led you to IEM and what do you like best about working with the IEM Team?
After working with FEMA for 13 months, I learned about HUD CBDG-DR funded programs, and as an engineer was interested in being part of this phase of the island’s reconstruction. I started searching for companies that were going to be part of CDBG-DR programs for open positions that fit my skillset and I found IEM.
I enjoy the IEM Team and the energy and effort that team member dedicate to each task assigned to them. Also, I like that the IEM team is pushing forward to make things happen so hurricane survivors, or applicants as they are called in the program, are able to move into their safer, more resilient homes as soon as possible.
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[Founder and] current President and CEO Ms. Madhu Beriwal …recognized a distinct need to integrate science and objectivity into decisions about public protection, moving preparedness from a subjective foundation to one based on quantitative data. That vision from more than 30 years ago built the company that today is helping government agencies and the private sector save lives. Since inception, IEM has expanded past disaster preparedness, response, and recovery to offer a range of services and solutions that also strengthen homeland defense, counterterrorism, and public agency performance.
IEM Spotlight: Carlos J. Ruiz Acevedo, PE Operations Manager, IEM Puerto Rico – IEM
hmmmm
Impeachment Watch: The Senate is now in charge, but we might be missing the larger story
New text messages released by Lev Parnas — an associate of Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani — suggest Trump’s former Ukraine ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, …was under some type of surveillance in Ukraine as Giuliani was acting directly on Trump’s behalf to get investigations into his political rival.
…The revelation directly contradicts previous White House claims that overtures made by Trump and his allies to Ukraine were about rooting out corruption and not furthering his 2020 prospects.
…When asked how he had the authority to make offers of support from the administration, which included Vice President Mike Pence attending Volodymyr Zelensky’s inauguration, Parnas said that’s what he “was told to do” by “Rudy Giuliani.”
…Be it impeachment or Iran, the public and Congress are increasingly cut off from being able to ask questions of their government. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo skipped a congressional hearing on Iran earlier this week and then the administration abruptly cancelled three more scheduled hearings, including one on embassy security.
On impeachment, the administration has tried to squash as much information as possible. Specifically on Yovanovitch and whether she was under surveillance and what they’re going to do about it, there has been no comment from the State Department.
hmmmmm
Bernie ‘will play dirty’: Ex-Vermont governor slams Sanders – POLITICO
Sanders’ campaign briefly distributed talking points for supporters to use door-to-door, saying that Warren supporters “are highly-educated, more affluent people who are going to show up and vote Democratic no matter what” and that “she’s bringing no new bases into the Democratic Party.”
And the day after Warren clashed with Sanders following a Democratic debate in Des Moines, #Warrenisasnake was among the hashtags trending on Twitter.
Shumlin accused Sanders of trying to “Hillarize” Warren, saying the senator had cast Hillary Clinton, too, as an elitist, contributing to divisions in the Democratic electorate.
…”His team feel they’re holier than the rest. In the end, they will play dirty because they think that they pass a purity test that Republicans and most Democrats don’t pass,” said Shumlin. [and Sander is not seen to be reigning them in.]
…[Shumlin is] accusing the senator [or at least his team] of trying to “Hillarize” Elizabeth Warren.
…[Shumlin also] warned that Sanders, an independent and a self-described democratic socialist, ultimately did not feel loyalty to Democrats.
..In 2016, Sanders drew criticism for initially not campaigning for the Democratic nominee in the general election race in Vermont. He did later cut an ad …[and] stumped for Democratic candidates across nine battleground states.
Bernie ‘will play dirty’: Ex-Vermont governor slams Sanders – POLITICO
hmmm
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