Thursday, October 01, 2020
'Evil': Three Ex-Trump Aides Join to Oust Trump after Debate Debacle | MSNBC
Mary Trump: Donald Trump’s Debate Attack on Biden Children Was ‘Horrifying’ | The Last Word | MSNBC
ADL CEO: Proud Boys Don't Belong in the Political Conversation | The 11th Hour | MSNBC
Opinion: Trump Calls on Extremists to ‘Stand By’
President Trump didn’t hurt Joe Biden in Tuesday’s debate, but he badly damaged our country.
Trump harmed the United States in three ways, reminding us that the biggest threat to America comes not from desperate migrants, not from “socialists” seeking universal health care and not from “anarchists” in the streets — but from the White House itself.
The first way in which Trump damaged the country was in his salute to violent extremists.
“Are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists?” Chris Wallace, the Fox News anchor who moderated the debate, asked Trump. Trump initially dodged the question but finally asked petulantly, “Who do you want me to condemn?”
Biden suggested the Proud Boys, a militant group that is fervently pro-Trump.
“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Trump declared.
Stand by?
The Proud Boys, founded in 2016, are part of what the Southern Poverty Law Center calls “a fascistic right-wing political bloc.” The Anti-Defamation League compares it to a gang. The Proud Boys’ founder once said, “I cannot recommend violence enough,” and its members have brandished guns, committed criminal assaults and engaged in rioting. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram have banned Proud Boys. » | Nicholas Kristof. Opinion Columnist | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
The Trump-Biden Debate Revealed the Dangers of Britain's 'Special Relationship'
THE GUARDIAN: If the US no longer stands as an inspirational model for the world, where does that leave those who defer to it?
Ever since the pioneeringKennedy-Nixon encounter in 1960, the questions that political journalists pose after US presidential debates have been the same. Who performed best? Who had the better of this or that part of the argument? Who exceeded expectations or fell short? Who had the best lines and delivered the best zinger? And has any of it changed the election odds?
They are still being asked after the first televised match-up between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. With five weeks to go before the US votes, the questions still matter. But after Tuesday’s verbal roughhouse they also feel crowded out by other uncertainties that seem more epochal, more dystopian and more pressing, not least when seen from this side of the Atlantic.
It can seem overblown, but it now makes sense to ask if America is on the edge of becoming ungovernable, or if the rule of impartial law enforcement still commands respect. It is also possible, in ways that were not true in the past, to consider whether the US can be relied on internationally, and whether it is realistic to continue to regard it as an ally. But if it is not an ally, what follows from that? The answers are increasingly uncomfortable.
Perhaps most potently, it has to be asked whether America, with all its fabulous energy, wealth, liberty and ambition, still offers the inspirational model to the world that it did to so many, for so long. Or instead is today’s America, defined increasingly by its inequalities, violence, fundamentalism and racism, becoming a model to be rejected, to be guarded against and even, in some cases, to be resisted? » | Martin Kettle | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Ever since the pioneeringKennedy-Nixon encounter in 1960, the questions that political journalists pose after US presidential debates have been the same. Who performed best? Who had the better of this or that part of the argument? Who exceeded expectations or fell short? Who had the best lines and delivered the best zinger? And has any of it changed the election odds?
They are still being asked after the first televised match-up between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. With five weeks to go before the US votes, the questions still matter. But after Tuesday’s verbal roughhouse they also feel crowded out by other uncertainties that seem more epochal, more dystopian and more pressing, not least when seen from this side of the Atlantic.
It can seem overblown, but it now makes sense to ask if America is on the edge of becoming ungovernable, or if the rule of impartial law enforcement still commands respect. It is also possible, in ways that were not true in the past, to consider whether the US can be relied on internationally, and whether it is realistic to continue to regard it as an ally. But if it is not an ally, what follows from that? The answers are increasingly uncomfortable.
Perhaps most potently, it has to be asked whether America, with all its fabulous energy, wealth, liberty and ambition, still offers the inspirational model to the world that it did to so many, for so long. Or instead is today’s America, defined increasingly by its inequalities, violence, fundamentalism and racism, becoming a model to be rejected, to be guarded against and even, in some cases, to be resisted? » | Martin Kettle | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Germans Embrace Fresh Air to Ward Off Coronavirus
THE GUARDIAN: Angela Merkel says ventilation may be one of cheapest and most effective ways of containing virus
Ventilating rooms has been added to the German government’s formula for tackling coronavirus, in refreshing news for the country’s air hygiene experts who have been calling for it to become official for months.
The custom is something of a national obsession, with many Germans habitually opening windows twice a day, even in winter. Often the requirement is included as a legally binding clause in rental agreements, mainly to protect against mould and bad smells.
But while some people may dismiss the method as primitive, “it may be one of the cheapest and most effective ways” of containing the spread of the virus, Angela Merkel insisted on Tuesday.
The German chancellor explained that the government’s guidelines to tackle the virus, encapsulated in the acronym AHA, which stands for distancing, hygiene and face coverings, will be extended to become AHACL. The “C” stands for the government’s coronavirus warning app, and “L” for Lüften or airing a room.
“Regular impact ventilation in all private and public rooms can considerably reduce the danger of infection,” the government’s recommendation explains. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Ventilating rooms has been added to the German government’s formula for tackling coronavirus, in refreshing news for the country’s air hygiene experts who have been calling for it to become official for months.
The custom is something of a national obsession, with many Germans habitually opening windows twice a day, even in winter. Often the requirement is included as a legally binding clause in rental agreements, mainly to protect against mould and bad smells.
But while some people may dismiss the method as primitive, “it may be one of the cheapest and most effective ways” of containing the spread of the virus, Angela Merkel insisted on Tuesday.
The German chancellor explained that the government’s guidelines to tackle the virus, encapsulated in the acronym AHA, which stands for distancing, hygiene and face coverings, will be extended to become AHACL. The “C” stands for the government’s coronavirus warning app, and “L” for Lüften or airing a room.
“Regular impact ventilation in all private and public rooms can considerably reduce the danger of infection,” the government’s recommendation explains. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Religious Group Scrubs All References to Amy Coney Barrett from Its Website
A tiny religious organization tied to Amy Coney Barrett, Donald Trump’s supreme court nominee, sought to erase all mentions and photos of her from its website before she meets with lawmakers and faces questions at her Senate confirmation hearings.
Barrett, a federal appeals judge, has declined to publicly discuss her decades-long affiliation with People of Praise, a Christian group that opposes abortion and holds that men are divinely ordained as the “head” of the family and faith.
Former members have said the group’s leaders teach that wives must submit to the will of their husbands.
A spokesman for the organization has declined to say whether the judge and her husband, Jesse Barrett, are members.
But an analysis by the Associated Press shows that People of Praise erased numerous records from its website during the summer of 2017 that referred to Barrett and included photos of her and her family. » | Associated Press | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Coronavirus: Reviving Italy's Wine Windows
The Guardian View on the US Presidential Debate: A Bad Night for the World
THE GUARDIAN: The dismal spectacle reminded viewers what is at stake in November for the US – and the rest of us
One unmistakable winner emerged from Tuesday’s presidential debate: Xi Jinping. The loser was the American public – and anyone else unfortunate enough to have sat through the grim 90-minute spectacle.
Variously described by commentators as a trainwreck, dumpster fire, shitshow and the worst debate in presidential history, it reflected the state of the race and the nation after four years of Donald Trump. This is America in 2020: wracked by a pandemic that has killed 200,000 people and highlighted its deep structural failings on healthcare and inequality, as well as the parlous state of its politics – a realm of bitter divisions in which facts appear to be optional.
Mr Trump lied, he blustered, he harangued and, above all, he interrupted. Most frighteningly, when invited to condemn white supremacists, he instead told the far-right Proud Boys to “stand back – and stand by”. He did this both by instinct and because Joe Biden remains ahead in the polls, with a lead that may well have been cemented by their performances. His base may have seen him as dominant, but to non-believers he was merely domineering. » | Editorial | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
One unmistakable winner emerged from Tuesday’s presidential debate: Xi Jinping. The loser was the American public – and anyone else unfortunate enough to have sat through the grim 90-minute spectacle.
Variously described by commentators as a trainwreck, dumpster fire, shitshow and the worst debate in presidential history, it reflected the state of the race and the nation after four years of Donald Trump. This is America in 2020: wracked by a pandemic that has killed 200,000 people and highlighted its deep structural failings on healthcare and inequality, as well as the parlous state of its politics – a realm of bitter divisions in which facts appear to be optional.
Mr Trump lied, he blustered, he harangued and, above all, he interrupted. Most frighteningly, when invited to condemn white supremacists, he instead told the far-right Proud Boys to “stand back – and stand by”. He did this both by instinct and because Joe Biden remains ahead in the polls, with a lead that may well have been cemented by their performances. His base may have seen him as dominant, but to non-believers he was merely domineering. » | Editorial | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Half of Conservative Party Members Believe Islam Is Threat, Poll Finds
THE GUARDIAN: Survey finds six in 10 card-carrying Tories have negative attitude towards Muslims
Almost half of Conservative party members believe Islam “a threat to the British way of life,” according to a poll which has reignited concerns over Islamophobia within Britain’s ruling party.
It found that more than one-third of card-carrying Tories believed that Islamist terror attacks reflected a widespread hostility to Britain among the Muslim community, and nearly six in 10 thought “there are no-go areas in Britain where sharia law dominates and non-Muslims cannot enter.”
Attitudes hardened among those who had backed Boris Johnson in the 2019 leadership election, 44% of whom believed that Islamist terror reflected widespread hostility of British Muslims, and two-thirds of whom believed there were “no-go areas”.
Conservative members were far more likely to have negative attitudes towards Muslims than members of the public in general, 30% of whom said they thought Islam was a threat, according to the poll, which was commissioned by the antiracism organization Hope Not Hate. » | Damien Gayle | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Almost half of Conservative party members believe Islam “a threat to the British way of life,” according to a poll which has reignited concerns over Islamophobia within Britain’s ruling party.
It found that more than one-third of card-carrying Tories believed that Islamist terror attacks reflected a widespread hostility to Britain among the Muslim community, and nearly six in 10 thought “there are no-go areas in Britain where sharia law dominates and non-Muslims cannot enter.”
Attitudes hardened among those who had backed Boris Johnson in the 2019 leadership election, 44% of whom believed that Islamist terror reflected widespread hostility of British Muslims, and two-thirds of whom believed there were “no-go areas”.
Conservative members were far more likely to have negative attitudes towards Muslims than members of the public in general, 30% of whom said they thought Islam was a threat, according to the poll, which was commissioned by the antiracism organization Hope Not Hate. » | Damien Gayle | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Trump gegen Biden - wenn sich zwei alte Männer beschimpfen
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Das Fernsehduell wirft die bange Frage auf, wie es in den USA nach der Wahl am 3. November weitergeht. Der erste Bürgerkrieg der USA ist 155 Jahre her. Ein zweiter ist nicht mehr ausgeschlossen, kommentiert Holger Schmale.
Berlin – Zwei alte weiße Männer stehen in einem Fernsehstudio und beschimpfen einander anderthalb Stunden lang pausenlos. Das soll ein Höhepunkt eines Wahlkampfes sein, in dem es um die Zukunft einer der ältesten Demokratien, des wirtschaftlich und militärisch mächtigsten Landes der Welt mit 330 Millionen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern geht? Tatsächlich ist es ein neuer Tiefpunkt dessen, was man einmal politische Kultur genannt hat. Nicht Trump, nicht Biden ist der Verlierer dieses Spektakels. Es sind die Amerikaner.
Es ist aber noch mehr. Es kann einem wirklich angst und bange werden, was aus diesem Land nach der Wahl am 3. November werden wird. Man kann aus dem brachialen Auftreten Donald Trumps nur den Schluss ziehen, dass er die Wahl bereits verloren gegeben hat. Dafür sprechen alle Umfragen. Er hätte die Fernsehdebatte als Chance nutzen können, noch unentschlossene Wähler der Mitte mit Argumenten für sich zu gewinnen. Das wäre nötig gewesen, um die Umfragen zu beeinflussen. Er hat darauf verzichtet und allein seine hundertprozentigen Anhänger bedient. » | Holger Schmale | Mittwoch, 30. September 2020
Berlin – Zwei alte weiße Männer stehen in einem Fernsehstudio und beschimpfen einander anderthalb Stunden lang pausenlos. Das soll ein Höhepunkt eines Wahlkampfes sein, in dem es um die Zukunft einer der ältesten Demokratien, des wirtschaftlich und militärisch mächtigsten Landes der Welt mit 330 Millionen Bürgerinnen und Bürgern geht? Tatsächlich ist es ein neuer Tiefpunkt dessen, was man einmal politische Kultur genannt hat. Nicht Trump, nicht Biden ist der Verlierer dieses Spektakels. Es sind die Amerikaner.
Es ist aber noch mehr. Es kann einem wirklich angst und bange werden, was aus diesem Land nach der Wahl am 3. November werden wird. Man kann aus dem brachialen Auftreten Donald Trumps nur den Schluss ziehen, dass er die Wahl bereits verloren gegeben hat. Dafür sprechen alle Umfragen. Er hätte die Fernsehdebatte als Chance nutzen können, noch unentschlossene Wähler der Mitte mit Argumenten für sich zu gewinnen. Das wäre nötig gewesen, um die Umfragen zu beeinflussen. Er hat darauf verzichtet und allein seine hundertprozentigen Anhänger bedient. » | Holger Schmale | Mittwoch, 30. September 2020
Face-à-face Trump-Biden : un débat inquiétant pour la démocratie américaine
LE MONDE : Editorial. De l’affrontement brouillon entre Donald Trump et Joe Biden, mardi soir, on retiendra surtout la menace que le président persiste à laisser planer sur la validité du scrutin du 3 novembre. Un danger pour la démocratie.
Editorial du « Monde ». A cinq semaines de l’élection présidentielle américaine, le premier débat télévisé opposant le président républicain Donald Trump et l’ex-vice-président démocrate Joe Biden a confirmé, mardi 29 septembre, toutes les inquiétudes apparues depuis quatre ans sur la démocratie aux Etats-Unis.
Les moments les plus marquants de cet affrontement chaotique et brutal des deux candidats septuagénaires n’auront pas été les exclamations exaspérées de Joe Biden à l’égard d’un président qui ne cessait de l’interrompre et qu’il a traité de « clown », ni les attaques personnelles de ce dernier sur les affaires faites à l’étranger par l’un des fils de son adversaire. Ce que l’on retiendra surtout de ce débat, c’est l’avertissement lancé à la fin par Donald Trump sur le scrutin du 3 novembre : « Cela ne va pas bien se terminer. » » | ÉDITORIAL | mercredi 30 septembre 2020
Editorial du « Monde ». A cinq semaines de l’élection présidentielle américaine, le premier débat télévisé opposant le président républicain Donald Trump et l’ex-vice-président démocrate Joe Biden a confirmé, mardi 29 septembre, toutes les inquiétudes apparues depuis quatre ans sur la démocratie aux Etats-Unis.
Les moments les plus marquants de cet affrontement chaotique et brutal des deux candidats septuagénaires n’auront pas été les exclamations exaspérées de Joe Biden à l’égard d’un président qui ne cessait de l’interrompre et qu’il a traité de « clown », ni les attaques personnelles de ce dernier sur les affaires faites à l’étranger par l’un des fils de son adversaire. Ce que l’on retiendra surtout de ce débat, c’est l’avertissement lancé à la fin par Donald Trump sur le scrutin du 3 novembre : « Cela ne va pas bien se terminer. » » | ÉDITORIAL | mercredi 30 septembre 2020
Geneva to Raise Minimum Wage to £3,500 a Month
THE GUARDIAN: Voters back increase amid reports of growing poverty linked to Covid-19 pandemic
Geneva is to raise its minimum wage to almost £3,500 a month, reported to be the highest in the world, after locals approved the measure in a surprise vote result sparked by reports of growing coronavirus-linked poverty in the Swiss city.
The canton’s 500,000 voters passed the increase proposed by local unions and leftwing parties, after twice rejecting it in 2011 and 2014.
The minimum hourly wage will rise to just under £19.50 an hour, more than twice the rate in neighbouring France, with a guaranteed minimum monthly salary of 4,086 Swiss francs (£3,457) based on a 41-hour working week, or 49,000 Swiss francs (£41,430) a year, in one of the world’s most expensive cities to live. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Geneva is to raise its minimum wage to almost £3,500 a month, reported to be the highest in the world, after locals approved the measure in a surprise vote result sparked by reports of growing coronavirus-linked poverty in the Swiss city.
The canton’s 500,000 voters passed the increase proposed by local unions and leftwing parties, after twice rejecting it in 2011 and 2014.
The minimum hourly wage will rise to just under £19.50 an hour, more than twice the rate in neighbouring France, with a guaranteed minimum monthly salary of 4,086 Swiss francs (£3,457) based on a 41-hour working week, or 49,000 Swiss francs (£41,430) a year, in one of the world’s most expensive cities to live. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
America Is in Pain. The Presidential Debate Offered No Help
With more than 200,000 Americans dead from Covid-19, the economy in tatters, the west on fire, schools shuttered, police brutality against Black people still rampant, and millions of Americans grieving, scared and unable to recognize their lives, the first of three presidential debates on Tuesday night came at a time of pain, desperation, and anxiety for the American people. The debate itself reflected absolutely none of this anxiety. It was a display of vulgarity and egotism that insulted the Americans it was purportedly meant to persuade.
For more than 90 minutes, instead of substantive discussion of the multiple ongoing national emergencies that have warped their lives, viewers were shown three old white men – Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Fox News’ Chris Wallace, nominally the moderator – interrupting, shouting at and insulting one another. The coarseness, dishonesty, and grandstanding on display was a mockery of the dignity of the electoral process and a slap in the face to the Americans whose lives will be shaped by the actions of the next president. » | Moira Donegan | Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Meacham: Trump Declared War on Decency, Democracy Last Night | Morning Joe | MSNBC
Why the US Presidential Debate Saw No Winner | DW News
US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden have faced off in what's being being called the worst presidential debate ever. The chaotic, 95-minute, televised clash touched on on issues including the coronavirus, race relations and the economy. But the discussion descended into a series of interruptions and personal mud-slinging.
The first presidential debate capped an unedifying spectacle in which Trump papered over his policy blindspots, and Biden his age. In this era of polarization the debate managed to yield a consensus: there were no winners.
The first presidential debate capped an unedifying spectacle in which Trump papered over his policy blindspots, and Biden his age. In this era of polarization the debate managed to yield a consensus: there were no winners.
Is This the End of Democracy? (w/ Prof. Jason Stanley)
How close is the United States to fascism? How far away from democracy has Trump taken us? Professor Jason Stanley joins Thom Hartmann for the devastating answer!
There are ten elements of fascism. Where is the US on the scale today? The Republican party has become less willing to defending democracy, following the cult of the leader. This could lead to a stolen election in 2020.
Professor Jason Stanley joined Thom to discuss ow the US is heading towards becoming a fascist society and is walking into it with eyes closed.
Jason Stanley is the author of “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them” and the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University.
There are ten elements of fascism. Where is the US on the scale today? The Republican party has become less willing to defending democracy, following the cult of the leader. This could lead to a stolen election in 2020.
Professor Jason Stanley joined Thom to discuss ow the US is heading towards becoming a fascist society and is walking into it with eyes closed.
Jason Stanley is the author of “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them” and the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University.
'Trump Is a Clear and Present Danger' to US National Security: Clinton | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC
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