[Peace] [Peace-discuss] Inside Trump Defense Secretary Pick’s Efforts to Halt Torture - The New York Times

Wed Jan 4 19:09:51 UTC 2017

This is a rather wonky submission, but check out Dean Baker's response to Steven Rattner's charts in the NYT this morning. You can link to the NYT through Baker:
http://cepr.net/blogs/beat-the-press/can-t-we-kill-the-deficit-hawk-industry
Rattner begins by extolling the economic growth of the past 8 years. But as you move down to charts about the rust belt, it's easy to see why Trump won the election. Baker's comments apropos the deficit call out the dishonesty of liberal criticism of Trump, and reaffirm what appropriate criticism of Trump would be, from a Keynesian perspective.
None of this, of course, has anything to do with ridiculous charges that Trump is leading a fascist movement.
DG

    On Wednesday, January 4, 2017 12:04 PM, Carl G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote:

 The increasing and accelerating inequality of the Obama years is fueled by the Democrats’ trade pacts, from NAFTA to TTIP - which Trump attacked.
The vicious war-making of the Obama-Clinton administration - attacking eight countries (Bush only attacked six) and perpetrating “the most extreme terrorist campaign of modern times,” the drone assassinations, which killed thousands, including US citizens and hundreds of children - was also criticized by Trump, as well as the Obama-Clinton provocations of Russia and China, from Ukraine to the South China Sea, and Hillary’s “no fly zones” (which even the JCS said would produce war with Russia in Syria).
Trump is the first major party candidate in 40 years not to pay homage to neoliberalism (more inequality) and neoconservatism (more war). That’s why the Democrats and the ‘permanent government/deep state’ are working so hysterically to tie him down to Obama’s policies. (Who would have believed that they would have to resort to zombie McCarthyism?)
On inequality and war, it’s clear who the 'lesser evil’ was - and why he was elected. —CGE

On Jan 4, 2017, at 10:32 AM, Jay <futureup2us at gmail.com> wrote:

Donald Trump = less inequality and less war? That’s delusional. And the evidence is now overwhelming.
As for the Democratic Party, Obama says “we’re all on the same team,” and Clinton admonishes us to “keep an open mind” about this fascist. This campaign is in “strong opposition” to their ideological message and going up against the interests of all factions of the ruling class at this point, which are “peaceful transition” and salvaging the legitimacy of their thoroughly illegitimate system. To hell with the millions thrown under the bus by Trump/Pence (who Jeremy Scahill correctly describes as soon to be the most powerful Christian fascist in history), here and around the world - Muslims (registry), Mexicans (massive deportations - yes, we protested Obama as deported-in-chief, and he laid the basis for Trump’s “wall” rhetoric), women (witch hunt at State Dept), science (witch hunt at EPA), etc. etc.. 
Go to www.refusefascism.org and these FAQs on Revolution website for a lot more on why this is needed and possible, NOW. 
Jay 

On Jan 4, 2017, at 10:03, Carl G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu> wrote:
An hysterical attempt by the neoliberal and neoconservative establishment to exert control, one way or another, over a president who became so by criticizing neoliberalism (more inequality) and neoconservatism (more war). 

"Only strong ideological opposition to the Democratic Party can challenge the madness of the US empire's anti-Russia campaign or any other war being waged by its military institutions. The left in the US has struggled for over four decades to crawl out of the Democratic Party's graveyard of social movements. Obama further buried the entire left in the graveyard for two terms.”

http://www.blackagendareport.com/let_the_empire_die

—CGE

On Jan 4, 2017, at 9:44 AM, Jay <futureup2us at gmail.com> wrote:

>From the Call to Action, so much more could be added today since it was drafted some weeks ago. Read more at www.refusefascism.org 

The Presidency of Donald Trump is illegitimate.

Donald Trump did not win the popular vote. Not even close, he lost by 2.5 million votes. He won the Electoral College – an institution set up in 1787 to protect slavery.  This legacy of the most brutal oppression of Black people has become the means that enabled the election of Trump and Pence.

More fundamentally, it is the fascist character of the Trump/Pence regime and what they are planning to do which renders it illegitimate and an immoral peril to the future of humanity and the earth itself.                  

Under the slogan “Make America Great Again,” Donald Trump has viciously attacked Mexicans and Muslims, threatening to register and deport millions, closing borders. He incites fear and hate of all who are “different” – nationalities, religions, or gender. He crudely demeans and degrades women, openly boasting about molesting them. He champions white supremacy and whips up a racist lynch-mob mentality. Trump has mocked the disabled. He is a bellicose militarist, who threatens to use nuclear weapons. He openly advocates war crimes — including torture. He vows to pack the Supreme Court with justices who will take away the right to abortion and gay rights. He denies science – calling climate change a hoax and will wreak devastation on the environment. He has attacked and threatened the press and stirred up his supporters to do the same. He has threatened to strip citizenship for constitutionally protected dissent. Trump has utter contempt for facts and the truth, and consistently lies to advance his agenda. As for the rule of law, Trump went so far as to openly threaten his opponent, Hillary Clinton, not only with jail, but even assassination. By any definition, Donald Trump is a fascist.  He has put together a regime that will carry out this  program, and worse.

This is fascism and it is a very serious thing. It has direction and momentum that must be stopped before it becomes too late.

On Jan 4, 2017, at 09:40, Carl G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu> wrote:

"...Trump is not a fascist and in fact bears very few points of comparison with the politics of the 1930s.”

https://livesrunning.wordpress.com/2016/12/05/after-fascism-what/

"Locating Fascism on the Home Map":

http://blackagendareport.com/locating_fascism_on_home_map

—CGE

On Jan 4, 2017, at 8:56 AM, Jay via Peace-discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote:

Oh, I realize this is hardly the most courageous stand in the face of this proven supporter of the KKK’s nomination. Maybe we can say that it is SO extreme that (even) they felt compelled to speak out against it? 

On a very positive note, a powerful statement of NO! We REFUSE to accept a fascist America! was published as a full page ad in the New York Times today, p. 7 in the national edition, thanks to 1000s of people signing it and hundreds donating to get it out around the country. We’ll be publishing it in many other outlets as more people do the same. If you haven’t yet, I urge you to sign and get involved! www.refusefascism.org 

Jay

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