What I'm reading today...February 23, 2025
Only 1,427 days to go...
There is so much news out there, that’s it’s hard to edit. Today I’m posting just a couple of essays that I think are worth reading. If you are unable to view them, let me know and I’ll happy to send you a print out version.
Thought for the day in honor of his birthday…
“I believe in liberty for all men: the space to stretch their arms and their souls, the right to breathe and the right to vote, the freedom to choose their friends, enjoy the sunshine, and ride on the railroads, uncursed by color; thinking, dreaming, working as they will in a kingdom of beauty and love.” ~ W. E. B. Du Bois
What I read every day…
Quote of the day:
“But you must ask yourself: who and what will he target next, and what will he do? Will it be you? Will it be because of your race or your religion? Will it be because you look different or think differently? Where does it end? In America, the President is neither a King nor a dictator, as much as this one tries to act like it – and it is the rule of law that prevents him from being so…this is about whether a President can force compliance with his will, without regard for the rule of law that governs our nation. I believe he cannot.”
Maine Governor Janet Mills (Governor Mills’ Statement on Notice of Investigation From U.S. Department of Education)
What I’m reading today…
Trump claimed that the United States had spent three hundred and fifty billion dollars helping Ukraine, and that Zelensky’s popularity had plummeted to just four per cent in recent polls—both statements so far divorced from reality that Putin himself might not have been brazen enough to make them…One difference from Trump’s first four years in office, though, is that he has now adopted not only a pro-Putin take on Russia’s conflict with Ukraine but an approach to foreign policy over all which echoes Putin’s throwback view of the world, as a playground for predatory great powers to exert nearly unlimited control over the smaller nations that fall within their sphere of influence. How else to explain Trump’s initial moves on the world stage since returning to office, as he threatened to outright seize territory in the Western Hemisphere, from Canada to Greenland and Panama?
The trauma of Trump: can we still do business with his America?
Think how far we have come, or descended, since June 26, 1963, when John F Kennedy, before a vast crowd in a West Berlin beleaguered by the Soviet Union, delivered one of the greatest speeches of the Cold War, which included the famous words “Ich bin ein Berliner!” The president’s personal identification with the plight of those in the front line of the nuclear confrontation between east and west prompted tumultuous applause from its audience and inspired the free world. The West needs sane leadership in perilous times, not Donald Trump
America Opens the Door to Its Adversaries
Without allied cooperation, Washington will soon be operating on a fraction of the insight it once had into foreign threats. And the U.S. will need that supplemental intelligence more than ever, because the Trump administration has hobbled its own premier intelligence-gathering agency by offering career-terminating buyouts to all CIA employees. Those who leave will take with them decades of experience running agents, understanding how foreign governments operate, building trust with international counterparts, and spotting meaningful anomalies.
Firing military officers for perceived disloyalty endangers the nation
The implications for our national security cannot be overstated. A clear message is being sent to military leaders: Failure to demonstrate personal and political loyalty to Trump could result in retribution, even after decades of honorable service. In particular, firing the military’s most senior legal advisers is an unprecedented and explicit move to install officers who will yield to the president’s interpretation of the law, with the expectation they will be little more than yes men on the most consequential questions of military law.
Who Is Running the United States, Musk or Trump?
In other words, it was an hour of conversation among three men who have no idea how American democracy works…This low-key fandango was probably good enough for MAGA fan-servicing purposes, but seems unlikely to reassure the millions of Americans doubtful that the president and the plutocrat know what they’re doing. The president seems only dimly aware of the details of Musk’s adventures, but he’s certain that a smart guy like Musk is furthering his agenda—whatever it is. Musk, who answers to no one, is full of fervor to kill off government agencies he does not understand, because unelected rich men firing probationary federal employees is apparently how true Jeffersonian democracy is restored to an ailing America.
But while Europeans have good reason to be saddened, they have no excuse for being shocked. Trump made his feelings about NATO amply evident during his first term in office. He has expressed his sympathy for Vladimir Putin on countless occasions. And he has been deeply hostile to Zelensky—as well as extremely critical of American support for Ukraine—for years. Nothing about any of this should have been surprising.
I love this country, and I want to stay here
According to the American Immigration Council, undocumented immigrants in North Carolina paid an estimated $1.8 billion annually in federal, state, and local taxes. The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that undocumented immigrants and their employers nationally contribute around $12 billion per year to Social Security through payroll taxes, even though the workers are ineligible to collect Social Security benefits. They also contribute to Medicare through mandatory payroll deductions, but rarely receive benefits. Undocumented immigrants also contribute billions of dollars in sales taxes through everyday purchases, such as gas, clothing, and groceries, and indirectly pay property taxes, through rent payments, that fund local services like schools and infrastructure….Research shows that immigrants — including those who are undocumented — are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born residents... As of Feb. 9, there were 41,169 ICE immigrant detainees in custody, according to TRAC. More than half, 54.7 percent, had no criminal record, and many more had only minor offenses, including traffic violations.
Just because it's legal doesn't mean it's not dangerous
The path to authoritarianism is paved with a million “legal” acts. For example:
Pardoning 1,500 insurrectionists: Legal
Putting people who wouldn’t pass a basic FBI background check in charge of….everything: Legal
Choosing not to pursue investigations or enforce laws/regulations against people who will “help” the regime: Legal
Pulling security from “disloyal” former officials who are under threat of assassination: Legal
Changing our foreign policy on a dime to become an ally with a hostile foreign power in an ongoing military conflict: Legal
Firing top military officers and lawyers: Legal
Something a friend sent me:
FYI:
Asheville alternatives to big box retailers
Alternative to Amazon books: Bookshop.org and to Audible: Libro.fm
10 Amazon Alternatives For Sustainable Online Shopping
What I am watching…
Bravo - yet another woman standing up to Trump!