Act Out And Be Rewarded

This is not helping, and somebody powerful is responsible.

President Trump, providing further material for the psychologists who would plumb the depths of his psyche, has in two posts tweeted

To the three UCLA basketball players I say: You're welcome, go out and give a big Thank You to President Xi Jinping of China who made your release possible and, HAVE A GREAT LIFE!” Be careful, there are many pitfalls on the long and winding road of life!”

Each of the three players expressed appreciation for the intervention which led to their release:

"To President Trump and the United States government, thank you for taking the time to intervene on our behalf. We really appreciate you helping us out," Cody Riley, one of the three UCLA players, said at a press conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

LiAngelo Ball, another of the players, said he "would also like to thank President Trump and the United States government for the help that they provided," and Jalen Hill, the third involved player, said, "Thank you to the United States government and President Trump for your efforts to bring us home."





Unfortunately, the athletes did not respond promptly after their release, but instead after Trump's initial tweet, in which he selfishly renarked "Do you think the three UCLA Basketball Players will say thank you President Trump? They were headed for 10 years in jail!"

Mr. Trump, the alleged Christian:: I'll help you but you better thank me, and thank me publicly.

Prior to Trump's last tweet and the thanks offered by the players, Chris Cillizza noted, in what is probably less pathetic and more alarming

That the three players are all young black men should also not be lost here. Trump's history on racial issues -- both as president and as a private citizen -- shows some level of intentionality when it comes to using racially coded language and taking advantage of racial animus and stereotypes for his own political gain.

The image of an older white man in a position of power demanding thanks from three young black men for saving them will set off a lot of alarm bells for people. And, understandably so, given Trump's previous actions in the wake of the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and in the ongoing NFL anthem protests.

Even if you take out the racial element, what Trump is asking for is to be thanked (or, more accurately, thanked by the "right" people) for doing his job.

But even without Trump's arguably racial motivation and his attitude of entitlement, the Ball-Hill-Riley response was ill-timed. Even before the President's first tweet, the gratitude of the college basketball world was conveyed to the President by Pacific-12 athletic conference commissioner Larry Scott, whose statement read

"We are grateful for the role that our Chinese hosts played, and for the courtesy and professionalism of the local authorities," Scott said Tuesday. "We also want to acknowledge UCLA's significant efforts on behalf of their student-athletes."

He added: "Finally, we want to thank the President, the White House and the US State Department for their efforts towards resolution."

That was swift, tasteful, and appropriate, coming from an individual of authority.

That should have ended it. Once Trump responded with his characteristically haughty and imperious tweet, the players should have been allowed to remain silent, The only response should have come from the league in a manner which would not have been ego-gratifying to America's big baby.

The back-and-forth in this matter is not a big thing. But though psychologists differ on whether Donald  J. Trump suffers from a mental illness, he obviously often behaves as a child.  While some professionals call it "enabling," it is, expressed more generically, approval of the behavior, thereby empowering and President and facilitating his behavior.

Recording a hostage tape, the players deserve credit, given that their affect made clear that the statements were scripted and their participation forced. But someone clearly of a higher authority decided to succumb to to an immature, would-be authoritarian. It's difficult to say "no" to a child, particularly when he wields the power of the presidency, but it needs to start somewhere.

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Imagine An Undocumented Alien

As activists reach for effective code words as tools of persuasion, objectivity and accuracy take a whacking. We're reminded by Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer Jeff Gammage that words matter. He observes

“The correct term is ‘illegal alien,’ ” Hans von Spakovsky wrote in the conservative magazine National Review. “The politically correct term ‘undocumented immigrant’ … is a made-up term used by progressive groups and media sources to extinguish the line between legal immigrants and illegal aliens.”

This sort of thing does not sit well with advocates of illegal immigration- uh, er, illegal immigrants (video below from 2/17). Gammage notes

“I’m a human being,” said Maria Sotomayor, who immigrated from Ecuador and is now deputy director of the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition, an advocacy group. “A human being is not a crime.”

Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel famously said that no human can be illegal. Pope Francis refers to “migrants” and “refugees” and “our brothers and sisters.” And last year, the Library of Congress dropped “illegal alien” from its subject headings — angering conservative lawmakers who claimed the library had bowed to liberal pressure.

I hate to argue with Elie Wiesel and anyone named "Sotomayor" (no indication whether Maria is related to that other Sotomayor), but they're roughly as wrong as von Spakovsky.

Admittedly, no human being can be illegal- or legal, for that matter.  However, the term "illegal immigrant" describes someone who has immigrated illegally. (If this sounds easy to understand, kindly inform Wiesel and Sotomayor.) Moreover, in this phrase, "illegal" is an adjective modifying "immigrant"- not person.

Thus, an individual may be an "illegal immigrant" just as she may be a "lousy carpenter" or "good carpenter," which is not an evaluation of her value as a person, but only as a carpenter. Similarly, she may be an "inadequate pastor," one who is insufficiently effective as head of a church, though possibly a great woman.  Or she may be a great mentor, impressive at mentoring, or a great athlete or great mother or conversely, a bad athlete or mother.

Hans von Spakovsky, a leading light of the voter suppression movement, is also off-base.  The term "illegal alien" lacks the symmetry necessary if there are aliens who are "legal." If there are "illegal aliens," there must be "legal aliens," a term absent from anyone's lexicon. If instead there is no such thing as a "legal alien," the phrase "illegal alien" is redundant and thus must be discarded.

There may be insidious motives to the word "alien." It is intended either to offend as many people as possible, to rile critics, or both. Additionally, when I hear the word "alien," I can't help but think- and probably am expected to think- of this sort of creature:

So go ahead, activists. "Illegal immigrant" isn't as sexy as "alien" or "undocumented," but at least it's accurate.










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Daring To Be Politically Correct

Theodore R.Johnson of New America, a public policy professor and black veteran, is "worried because questioning black people's allegiance to the country is still seen as a viable political strategy."

He should be worried, yet aware that it's nothing personal, or at least only barely personal and racial.

Although Johnson cited various incidents including the denigration of Representative Frederica Wilson of Florida and criticism of Black Lives Matter and of the NAACP as "un-American," this passage that may bear the most relevance is

There is no lack of incidents that create cause for concern. When black NFL players kneeled during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, the president called them “sons of bitches” who are disrespecting the nation, the flag and veterans. He then invited the professional hockey champion Pittsburgh Penguins to the White House and called the all-white assembly of mostly non-American players “incredible patriots.”

Instead of turning their backs or even merely sitting while the national anthem is played, protesting players have chosen the more respectful route of kneeling. More importantly, obviously, is that the action has nothing to do with showing a lack of respect for the Anthem, the nation, the flag, or veterans.





Or is it obvious? Despite appearances, Republicans have responded in roughly the same manner to allegations against Roy Moore as conservatives- and most moderates, sadly- against the NFL players.

Initially, several Republicans offered the mantra "if it is true, Judge Moore should drop out." As the already awesome evidence becomes overwhelming, the shift is demonstrated by Mitch McConnell's call for the candidate to withdraw because the women who have complained of harassment and/or assault clearly are telling the truth.

But that should not be the litmus test, and not only for the reason cited by the Birmingham News, which in its online edition argues that Moore is unsuited for public office both because of his behavior with young women and girls and

He has been twice-removed from statewide office for his defiance of the law. His views on women's rights, same-sex marriage and religious freedom no longer reflect the majority of Alabamians. And they are incompatible with the governance of this country. He has said that the murderous 9/11 attacks on America and the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut may have been God's will because America had sinned.

Investigations into Moore's nonprofit the Foundation of Moral Law, have revealed a man who champions himself above all else. Above Alabamians. And, yes, above God. Moore has used his platform to personally enrich himself and his family and to pursue his own, radical agenda.

The reasons enumerated in the above two paragraphs- and especially in the first sentence- are the best reasons for keeping Roy Moore out of the US Senate. Alas, the editorial is not intended to plumb the shallowness (or political correctness) of the GOP mind.

Colin Kaepernick first refused to stand and then started kneeling to protest racial inequities in law enforcement (and to a lesser extent, criminal justice).  Though Kaepernick is no longer in the league, players have continued the protest, motivated both by Kaepernick's concerns and President Trump's open hostility toward them.

In diverting the issue from one of criminal justice/law enforcement to mom, the flag, and apple pie, critics have played a hand both strategically wise and dishonest.  In the case of the GOP candidate for US Senate in Alabama, they are doing the same.  At least prior to Beverly Nelson's charges, they could have contended that Moore's actions fall mainly into the category of  harassment rather than assault.

With the line between sexual harassment and sexual assault disturbingly blurred in recent years, that tactic might have been disastrous, especially if even more allegations are aired. However, Republicans might credibly have argued that these actions took place decades ago and that now much older, more mature, more sensitive, and married, he is a changed man.  When The Washington Post first broke its story, Charlie Peters suggested Moore would give

an explanation of how he had sinned, as all fallen humans do, but that Jesus has forgiven him and washed him in the blood of the Lamb, and now it’s time for him to bring his redeemed hindquarters to godless Washington to show the heathen the path to glory that he’s been blessed to follow. That might work.

Nonetheless, Moore went denial, which is increasingly implausible.  Still, it has the same advantage as does opposition to the NFL players- it avoids addressing any of the real issues.  Police behavior in the black community can be wished away. So, too, can drawing a distinction between reprehensible behavior committed decades earlier and genuinely unacceptable behavior in the relatively recent past.

While conservatives pursue policies inimical to the black community, they are spared the charge of insensitivity as they ignore issues involving the administration of justice. While maintaining that their candidate must withdraw if and only if charges impossible to prove can be susbstantiated, they are spared the the accusation of being insensitive to the feelings of women.

When the right refers to college students lobbying for speech codes and "safe places" as "snowflakes," it should look in the mirror. Conservatives are truly the politically correct, terrified at being accused of being racist or sexist. They will not confront issues, but instead dispose of them in the safest, least controversial manner lest their feelings be hurt.





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Speaking Of Hacks...

Noting his warm reception in cities in conservative states, Bill Maher on Friday's Real Time observed (at 1:43 of the video below)  "it's about city and country, right? It's really not about the state itself." It was an acknowledgement too rarely mades that the differences among states- which pundits like to divide neatly into "red," "blue," and sometimes "purple"- is exceeded by the differences within states.

That was overshadowed, legitimately, by Maher's explanation to Donna Brazile, former interim chairperson of the Democratic National Committee, that not all parties have evolved equally.

This shouldn't have been necessary. He was chatting with the former head of the Democratic Party in front of a studio, and televison, audience which tilts strongly liberal and Democratic.

It was necessary, however, because when Maher asked Brazile (at 2:08) "so why is the Democratic approval like the lowest in a generation? It's very low. why do you thing that-," Brazile claimed

It's very low. Both political parties are under water simply because I think the American people are tired of Washington, D.C., they're tired of failed policies. They really would like to see both parties get some things done. Our numbers are far better than the Republicans'. The Republican numbers are as popular as root canal.

Give the outspoken atheist hosting Real Time credit for not suggesting all institutions are declining in support and crowing that religion is the most prominent example.  Over the past half century, as the Pew Research Center has found, the percentage of Americans who tell pollsters that religion is important in their lives, that they attend church regularly, that they identify as a Christian, or identify with a specific denomination has declined markedly.

But he didn't go there, instead interjecting "wait- you sort of lump both parties there under the rubric of failed policies. I would think that you'd want to-." Remarkably, the former leader of the Democratic Party commented "Washington is not working. When Washington is not working, the American people disapprove. "

Now almost- justifiably- incredulous at what he was hearing from an individual who presumably would advocate for her Party, Maher asked

What policies have failed? Not Obamacare. It's not a failure. I think that people are pissed off at the Democrats because a lot of that, I think, disapproval is coming from Democrats themselves who are saying"we don't stand up for our stuff."

As a hopefully chastened Brazile muttered "correct," Maher added

I heard Trump say over and over and over these last months that Obamacare is a mess, it's a disaster, it's a disgrace and I don't hear democrats full-throatedly say "that's just plainly not true."





One of those Democrats too timid or strategically unsophisticated to say "that's just plainly not true" is Donna Brazile. She would never criticize the Affordable Care Act or anything Barack Obama ever has said or done.  However, her defense of the Democratic Party generally has been weak and ineffective, obviously no less so as she has promoted her book "Hacks "The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns that Put Donald Trump in the White House."

When she consider the many factors- as Hillary Clinton has boldly done- which helped put Trump in the White House, Brazile ought to look in the mirror. And while identifying "hacks," she should recognize that might include someone taking a high ranking position whose role she she does not want  to fulfill.




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Not Funny. Only True.

Donald Trump is taking a toll on Bill Maher. When reality is simultaneously absurd and continuation of the world at stake, comedy may be harder to perform. On Real Time Friday evening, one (at 4:03 of the video below) of the few funny things from Maher was "There's a pig in theWhite House. He was in Japan this past week and they took him to a sushi place. And they asked him if he'd like some yellowtail and he said 'sure, what's her name?'"

He's less funny, still unnecessarily profane, but nevertheless on target. He explained (at 5:40)

What happened was Republicans tried a new strategy called "trumpism without Trump." And it backfired horribly. Apparently, Trumpism doesn't do well without Trump. With the Republican base, when you say "fuck Mexicans," you have to mean it. Don't phone in your racism- that was their message.

His was not an original thought. However, it coincides neatly with the recent observation, in the article I can't seem to escape, from Michael Kruse about Trump voters in Johnstown, Pennsylvania:

His supporters here, it turns out, are energized by his bombast and his animus more than any actual accomplishments. For them, it’s evidently not what he’s doing so much as it is the people he’s fighting. Trump is simply and unceasingly angry on their behalf, battling the people who vex them the worst—“obstructionist” Democrats, uncooperative establishment Republicans, the media, Black Lives Matter protesters and NFL players (boy oh boy do they hate kneeling NFL players) whom they see as ungrateful, disrespectful millionaires.

It's his bombast and his animus, and the sense of victimization he conveys- nay, trumpets- virtually every day. No one ever has done "angry" as well as has Donald Trump. Many have tried it and many still will, but this President is the master of his own domain.

Nonetheless, while that strategy of Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie and a few others was obvious, evidently another of Maher's points was far less so. At 1:57 of the video he joked

But nothing beats the defense put up by Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler. You've heard this, this is the guy who said, qote, "Take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager. Joseph was an adult carpenter and they became parents of Jesus.That's what he said. I mean, usingJesus to justify child moestatation. Even the Catholics went "tried it, doesn't work."

Admittedly, not very funny. But then he wisely noted

Also, it's been a while since I've been in Catechism but to my recollelection- slight difference. Joseph and Mary didn't fuck. Isn't that the whole point of this story, I recall was that they didn't...? That never happened, O.K.

Yes, that is the point of the story. And it would help if somebody, somewhere would notice that the auditor in Montgomery- who in the heart of the Bible Belt is defending a candidate who believes God's law is to be imposed upon everyone- understood an essential part of the foundation of Christianity.

Instead, it took an avowed, defiant atheist to give us a Bible lesson we shouldn't have needed. Apparently, questioning Ziegler's statement would have been politically incorrect, which may be why we needed Bill Maher to remind us.









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The Great Pretender

In his recent trip to Cambria County in western Pennsylvania to talk to people who had voted for Donald Trump, Michael Kruse found several individuals who claimed that the President was true to his word. He writes

“He’s kind of the last best hope, in my opinion,” said Bala, 65, a retired high school Spanish and reading teacher. “I haven’t run into anybody who’s said they’d never vote for him again.”

Next to Bala was a gray-haired man who told me he voted for Trump and was happy so far because “he’s kept his promises.”

Kruse challenged the gray-haired man on the wall to increase border security, the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare"), and defunding Planned Parenthood.

"Not his fault," the gray-haired man responded, refusing to give Kruse his name because "I don't trust you."

It's ironic, of course, that it's a reporter the gray-haired man wouldn't trust. Evidently not a young man, he has seen numerous politicians make promises, get elected, then break promises. Still- or, oddly, maybe because- he decided to believe a real-estate mogul who had sought their votes because he would abolish "crime and violence," bomb ISIL and take their oil, and get a poor country to pay a rich company to put up a wall the poor country desperately fears.

The con man also had

knocked trade deals with China as unfair to the American worker so frequently as to make his percussive pronunciation of China a hallmark of impersonators.

Mr. Trump appeared in his speech to pre-empt criticism from economists and business groups that have argued his policy proposals would lead to a damaging trade war with China and perhaps other countries.

“We already have a trade war,” Mr. Trump told the crowd, departing from his prepared remarks. “And we’re losing, badly.”

Its leaders were "using our country as a piggy bank to rebuild China" and, famously, perpetrating the hoax of climate change. We "cannot continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what they're doing" he bellowed.





Perhaps most telling, though, was when the con man claimed "We don’t know what we’re doing when it comes to devaluations and all of these countries all over the world, especially China. They’re the best, the best ever at it. What they’re doing to us is a very, very sad thing."

What they're doing to us. That must have been a long, long time ago now that

I do not blame China or any other country, of which there are many, for taking advantage of the United States on trade. If their representatives are able to get away with it, they are just doing their jobs. I wish previous administrations in my country saw what was happening and did something about it. They did not, but I will.





The leader of the Blame America First crowd, who when campaigning blamed mainland China for "what they're doing to us," now does not "blame China or any other country" but American administrations. When convenient, Donald Trump is quite the xenophobe; but on trade policy, it's Americans, not a foreign country, who are responsible.

Given his earlier remarks, the cave-in to Beijing on Thursday, and Donald Trump's past, one of us should have asked the candidate back in May of 2016: "is it really bad that China is raping us?"




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Rewriting The Gospels

When 70-year-old Roy Moore was accused of pursuing sexual relationships with teenage girls when he was in his early '30s- the least of all his offenses against the common good- Charlie Pierce speculated

I may be entirely too cynical but I think, if Moore has the sand for it, he will follow this up with an explanation of how he had sinned, as all fallen humans do, but that Jesus has forgiven him and washed him in the blood of the Lamb, and now it’s time for him to bring his redeemed hindquarters to godless Washington to show the heathen the path to glory that he’s been blessed to follow. That might work.

A good thought, but one that has been superseded by the safer route of blaming Washington, the Democratic Party, and the mythically liberal media: "These allegations are completely false and are a desperate political attack by the National Democrat Party and the Washington Post on this campaign."

Although the story of forgiveness and redemption almost expected by Pierce might have worked, any resort to religious faith carries risk. And so it was that Alabama State Auditor Jim

Zeigler then compared Moore's alleged actions to those of biblical figures.

"Take the Bible. Zachariah and Elizabeth for instance. Zachariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist,” Zeigler told The Examiner. "Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus."

"There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here," Zeigler said. "Maybe just a little bit unusual."

There has been no accusation of illegality and were there to be so, the alleged incidents occurred a few decades  ago. However, Alabama voters might consider the notion that the behavior was not "immoral" but merely "a little bit unusual" too cute by half. However, more significant- especially in the Bible Belt- would be Ziegler's suggestion that Joseph and Mary were both parents- birth parents, as he told it- of baby Jesus.

The birth of Jesus Christ is omitted in the Gospel of Mark and of John. However, as told in the English Standard Version, according to Mattthew

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

In the same translation, though in the first chapter, Luke maintains

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.

Joseph was not Jesus' father. He was the young fellow's stepfather- a unique one, at that- but not his father, unlike Ziegler's clear implication.

That is of not insignificant. If Jesus Christ were born in the conventional way, to a mortal mother and a mortal father, there was no virgin birth and Jesus would not have possessed a divine nature. Had that been the case, he would not have been born without sin and could not have been the perfect, and only, sin-bearer. Hence, like all mere mortals, members of the clergy or otherwise, he would have been in no position to forgive a person's sins.

Christmas is coming and the least an Alabaman, especially an Alabaman Republican, can get right is the virgin birth.  Jesus carried no DNA from Joseph and Joseph was not his father. Go with Moore's own explanation, demagogically blaming some of the forces which snowflake conservatives feel victimized by.









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