Day One

​

Let’s assume that Biden wins and the Senate flips. Please. What early actions are needed? Here is a short list:

 

Biden:

 

O Executive Order rescinding every Trump Order, and reinstating every Obama Order.

 

O Firing every Trump appointee to Federal agencies.

 

O Freeze and cancellation of every Trump regulation in progress.

 

O Executive Order requiring every agency to begin the process of rescinding every Trump regulation in effect.

 

O Executive Order requiring every agency to ensure and strengthen the separation of church and state.

 

O Statement of national leadership on the pandemic, including central purchase of personal protective equipment, and distribution to the states and medical community according to need, and without political preference; intent to go to Congress to ensure that all diagnostic and treatment costs for virus victims will be free to them.

 

O Directive to Department of Justice to declare hate groups as terrorist organizations, and call for priority monitoring of their activities.

 

O Directive to eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement brutality on the border with Mexico.

 

O Foreign Policy:

 

O Rejoining the Iran nuclear deal, and calling for negotiations for improvement.

 

O Rejoining the World Health Association, with increased funding for global pandemic response.

 

O Rejoining every United Nations organization left by the Trump administration, including the Human Rights Council, UNESCO, and the Relief and Works Agency.

 

O Initiating steps to join the International Criminal Court.

 

O Signing onto international declarations protecting women and children from sexual assault and exploitation.

 

O Initiating nuclear weapons and Open Skies negotiations with Russia.

 

O Rejoining the Paris Climate accord, and the Global Compact for Migration.

​

Congress:

 

O Immediate elimination of the filibuster in the Senate.

 

O Legislation determining that every citizen is entitled to vote in all elections, without any other qualifications.

 

O Legislation requiring mail-in balloting as an option in all elections.

 

O Legislation declaring that political gerrymandering is a Federal criminal offense.

 

O Legislation declaring that a corporation is not a person under the Constitution.

 

O Legislation eliminating the Trump tax cut.

 

O Legislation protecting a woman’s right to choose.

 

O Ratify the international treaty on women’s rights.

 

O Legislation reinstating and strengthening the Glass-Steagall Act, separating banking from investment and insurance activities.

 

O Legislation protecting Federal Inspectors General: may be fired only for cause (eg, criminal actions).

 

And after that first day:

 

O Medicare for All

 

O Financial support for pandemic: rental payments; $600/week for everyone earning less than $150,000/year; arts grants; higher salaries for essential workers...

 

O Reparations for those who lost their homes from the 2008 financial crisis: return of their capital.

 

O Reducing the defense budget by at least $200 billion a year, and investigating extremist/hate group influence in the military.

 

O Canceling student loan debt. Going forward, free public colleges.

 

O Immigration reform, with a path to citizenship within six years.

 

O Justice reform, including a ban on private prisons and greater civilian oversight of the police; uniform bodycam requirements; investigation of hate group influence in police departments.

 

O Creating public service programs to rebuild our cities and towns, with renewable energy, proper insulation, and healthy indoor air as goals.

 

O Instituting a minimum corporate tax rate of 30%, and strengthening restrictions and penalties for tax-avoidance.

 

Well, it’s a beginning!

 

Sunday, 12 July 2020

 

Media Malpractice?

 

Musing on the state of “real” news reporting in the country, and finding myself more depressed about it.

 

Let’s start narrowly. In 2016, the media gave untold millions in free advertising to Donald Trump, covering every outrageous speech with gleeful condescension. What the media did not understand was that Trump operates as if any publicity is better than no publicity. Keeping him in the public eye was his strength, not his weakness. We know the result.

 

As we approach the 2020 election, the media are doing it again. His coronavirus briefings were broadcast live, his speeches are broadcast live, his claims and tweets repeated and repeated and repeated... I’m talking about you, CNN (1.7 million viewers a day), you, MSNBC (1.9 million viewers a day), you, PBS News Hour (2.7 million viewers a day), and you, NBC and ABC (each around 1.7 million viewers a day). A total of under 10 million viewers a day in a country of over 300 million. Compared with over 100 million a day who say that they get their news online.

 

Yet where is the real news in much of this coverage? What substance is being reported? We already know that virtually everything Trump says is a stream of consciousness collection of lies, nonsense, hate and whining. What’s the point in giving him airtime? Is it news that he held a glass of water with two hands, or walked down a ramp like a really old person? Why not just report, “Trump said today that...” and just mention truly newsworthy items? List his junk once a week? Deprive him of his airtime, and you take away his oxygen.

 

Stepping back a little, much what we used to call news reporting has evolved into a combination of a little reporting (just the facts) and a lot of commentary and interpretation.

 

CNN used to be a broad source of national and global news. Now, CNN takes one issue at a time, and pounds it into the ground with nearly continuous coverage. Each fact presented has to be chewed by a panel of four to six commentators. Fault must be found and fingers pointed. Little value added by all the comments. Dramatic “breaking news” which broke long ago. Dramatic sound effects and music. Even transitions from one scene to another get their dramatic “whiz.” Self-congratulations for the reporters. An overall feeling of superiority. Ultimately, boring!

 

MSNBC much the same, plus long monologues repeating the faults of the perpetrators. Plus, a lot of snark.

 

PBS News Hour has a stale and tired format. Interviews must be balanced by one side vs the other, even if one of these is nonsense. Interviewers who ask “What do you think of that comment by the other side?” instead of interviewers who penetrate to the substance of the issue. Interview scripts designed to make points instead of illuminating the issues. But, some of the in-depth reporting still gives the news a sense of life.

 

Listen: the best reporting on a day to day basis is by Amy Goodman, our national treasure on Democracy Now. She goes to the principal people involved and lets them speak. Asks questions which increase understanding. Gives the underdogs their day. And overall, BBC News (16 million viewers/listeners a day) still focuses on the facts over a global range of issues. THE source for a global perspective.

 

With FOX capturing 3.4 million viewers a day, and right-wing radio all over the country, all that I am suggesting is that our mass media need take a hard look in the mirror and recommit to providing comprehensive news coverage, with less drama and commentary. We need a well-informed and critical citizenry. Help!

​

Tues, 30 Jun 20

​

Another Kerner Commission

​

The last two weeks have raised again the question of whom the police serve: the community or the powerful. Cell phone videos are hard (but not impossible) to ignore. Many cities have been afflicted by misbehaving police. Anecdotes abound. Grieving families are everywhere. Memorials multiply, straining the imagination. Those who were hired to serve the public are oppressing the public.

 

So, the question arises: are these a few bad apples, or are police departments infected by racism and lack of respect for basic civil liberties? Both, I think, around the nation. Not having studied the police system extensively, there are so many questions I have, as well as assumptions absorbed over the years.

 

Assumptions:

 

Civilian review boards are needed. Open reporting of incidents is needed. Some tactics, such as choke holds, need to be banned. Training in proportional response is essential. For example, George Floyd was targeted by allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill: was this a felony death sentence offense? The same could be asked in many other cases, such as traffic stops or exercising.

 

Many states allow “fear of their own death” to mitigate police use of force. We need to remove this blanket bias in favor of the police. Self-defense is important, but in other cases concern for public safety should be the rule; the independent civilian review boards should sort out the gray area in the middle.

 

Military training need to be reviewed; civilians are not the enemy. The power of police unions to force reinstatement of suspended or fired officers needs to be reviewed and curtailed.

 

Questions:

 

How many incidents of force used on the public occur each year? What are the numbers on each type of force? How many fatalities? How many questionable fatalities? Are some departments/divisions prone to more use of force? Is it just a function of the population served, eg, high crime areas?

 

What is the prevailing police culture? Is it racist? Sexist? Disdainful of civil liberties? What do police talk about in the locker room? What do police feel? Do police feel respected by their communities? How do they become so callous? What is the reward culture within departments? What is the accountability culture? How can police turn off or refuse to wear their body cameras, with no consequences? How are public complaints handled?

 

Whatever happened to “serve and protect” as the guiding principle for police departments? Why have so many journalists been attacked by the police? Why have the very young and the elderly become acceptable targets? Why have rubber bullets been used so destructively and extensively? Why has the Constitutional right to peaceful assembly been ignored?

​

What would happen if 50% of street patrols were female? If 50% of supervisors were female? If the department reflected the community's diversity?

 

Finally, what reforms really might be effective? What reforms might be counterproductive?

 

Moving forward:

 

Immediate legislation and local action is needed, but not sufficient. Quick fixes are not enough.

 

We need another Kerner Commission. Not a slow and ponderous process. Not to confirm what we already know: racism  is a hole in the soul of the country. Rather, the Commission needs to focus on finding effective and meaningful police reform measures.

 

Say, three to six months to do the work. Big funding and a big staff. Gather the best research and data on our situation. Gather the best minds in the business. Lay out many options. Conduct public listening sessions in many communities and police forces, listening to all sides. Lay out the options for local, state, and national policy-makers.

 

We need to act, and for that we need a better understanding of what is going on and what might work to improve our situation. We need to test our assumptions and question our own biases. Time to get started.

 

Wed, 10 Jun 20

 

Deja Vu, But Worse

​

Let’s go back to 2008, and the financial crisis. An estimated 10 million people lost their homes (1). Millions saw their home values go “underwater.” (2) The wealth of Black families declined about 48%. (3) Unemployment went up to 10%. (4) Individuals were crushed. And the government response? Massive aid to the financial industry, and other major industries. During the primaries both Clinton and Obama promised a one-year moratorium on foreclosures. After the election, nothing. The result was widespread misery. Plus, the anger that directly led to the tea party. The people suffered, while banks and businesses were bailed out. Anger was an appropriate response.

 

OK. Now, let’s look at the current covid-19 virus crisis. Massive aid for businesses again, but so complicated that huge numbers of small businesses probably will disappear. Many restaurants, bars, and specialty shops will lead the way into oblivion. Large corporations are receiving bailouts. Companies with access to loans are receiving bailouts. The smaller businesses, such as barbershops, nail salons, dress shops, framing shops, and many others, are starving for funds.

 

For the people, over 30 million newly unemployed so far, and our government’s response was a one-time check for $1200, a temporary extension of unemployment benefits, and a $600/week supplement. Soon, even with temporary deferrals, many people will not be able to pay their mortgages or rent or health insurance. In Europe, governments acted to guarantee 80-90% of worker’s wages. Here, not even close for most.

 

The complications and the stinginess for workers are no accident. We are dealing with an administration with a clear vision and political philosophy. The monied interests come first. The people come last. The federal government should avoid leadership. The federal government should not grow, or start expensive new programs. State and local governments are on their own, which is why Mitch McConnell currently refuses to consider a bailout for the states: “Let them go bankrupt!” This is not state’s rights. This is the radical right-wing dream of limited government gone wild.

 

And when this administration supports state’s rights, it is when the states want to be less restrictive, in loosening covid-19 measures, or in loosening regulations on business. Note that when a state wants to be more restrictive, say, in regulating auto emissions (California anyone?) this administration calls for national standards and wants to over-rule state’s rights. It is clear that behind this incoherence, “state’s rights, yes” and “state’s rights, no,” is a consistent philosophy: less regulation, bigger business, and smaller government.

 

A government focused on people first would buy N95 masks, personal protective equipment, tests and reagents for everyone, and distribute these where needed. This administration favors Red states over Blue states, and refuses central management of the national crisis response. This administration denies the need for massive, continuous testing of the population. This administration is costing lives.

 

A government focused on people would lead the worldwide effort to develop effective vaccines. This administration waits for the private sector to save the day.

 

A government focused on people would process small business loans directly through the Small Business Administration and the Treasury. Funds would go to the smallest first, the largest last. This administration sends the money through the banks, guaranteeing delays, inconsistent decisions, and favoritism for larger businesses. And profit: Over $10 billion in processing fees so far. More profit and chaos to come.

 

If effective vaccines will not be widely available well into 2021, and if the virus returns in the Fall, then businesses will continue to fail, and people will continue to die unnecessarily. Especially if public resistance to another shut-down grows.

 

Deja vu, but worse this time.

 

The real anger has not yet hit us. The misery is not yet overwhelming. The people are not yet marching. There are not yet riots. But we should worry about the Fall.

 

The November election must put Democrats in the White House, and capture all of Congress, before more people-oriented policies will become possible. We must make the people once again our first priority.

1  LA Times, https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-financial-crisis-experiences-20180915-htmlstory.html

2  Marketplace.org, https://www.marketplace.org/2018/12/17/what-we-learned-housing/

3  The American Prospect, https://prospect.org/justice/staggering-loss-black-wealth-due-subprime-scandal-continues-unabated/

4  Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=2ahUKEwiMndSMqaDpAhVRl3IEHRLUAc8QFjABegQICxAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bls.gov%2Fspotlight%2F2012%2Frecession%2Fpdf%2Frecession_bls_spotlight.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1WJuYt5QK28M6jncFr69tn

​

Thursday, 7 May 2020

​

Speculative Fiction

 

When talking about the coronavirus, there still is much we do not know. Will it be seasonal, like the flu? Will the season be shorter, longer, or about the same? How long will post-infection immunity last, a few months or a year? Will the fatality rate remain over 1% (ten times more than the flu), or will it decline as testing becomes more extensive? When will a vaccine become widely available, one year or two? How effective will the vaccine be? For the flu, the average immunity seems to be about 60%, but this varies widely from year to year, depending upon the flu mutation rate. Will coronavirus mutate as often as the flu, or will it be more stable over time? The greater the stability, the better the chance that a vaccine will be highly effective. So many questions of science...

 

Even murkier is the long term impact on our social systems. So here is a speculative fiction on what could happen, based on a few assumptions. I assume that the coronavirus will be seasonal, from October to June each year; that post-infection immunity will last three to six months; that the fatality rate will decline to 0.5 percent; that a vaccine will not be broadly available for at least one year, will be about as effective as the flu vaccine, and that coronavirus will mutate as often as the flu virus. These assumptions provide a broad framework to speculate on what will happen socially...

 

We are social animals. Black and brown communities have been knit together by coming together: how will they adapt to the new normal? Religious institutions may wither, or adapt to the internet.

 

I doubt that society will be willing to shut down each season. More likely is that the most vulnerable will be quarantined. Liability releases and contact tracking will become common for any organization depending upon group attendance. Certificates of immunity could be required for entry into group activities.

 

Consider clubs, such a major part of our lives. Game clubs, such as chess, bridge, go, poker, video, and the life, will move online and chew on the problem of cheating. Garden clubs, book clubs, political clubs also will move online. Thousands of special interest groups will be affected. Health clubs may disappear. Swimming pools too?

 

Many restaurants will not survive this first year. Take-out will be extensive, especially for the most vulnerable, who will be excluded from sit-down service most of the time.

 

Theater, dance, film and music will move to subscription streaming, with live performances reserved for a younger audience, or those with certificates/releases. Many arts troupes will disappear, unless massive state/federal assistance becomes continuous.

 

Meetings and conferences also will move online.

 

Sports will exclude the most vulnerable, even with liability releases as a possiblity.

 

Retirement communities may disappear, with aging-at-home becoming the preferred option.

 

All levels of education will move substantially online, and many colleges may disappear. The number of teachers may decline, even as the need for individual help increases.

 

Train and bus transit may have to exclude the most vulnerable, to remain viable. This will hurt the poor the most.

 

Global tourism will be greatly reduced, with massive economic destruction.

 

Air travel will become rare.

 

We will have to rethink office space configurations; forget open space offices.

 

The manufacturing supply chains will have to expand with redundancies to withstand local outbreaks.

 

And what about political rallies and door-to-door canvassing? How will our political system change?

 

And a final question: how much will return after vaccines are developed? Depends upon their effectiveness...

 

This is just an initial sketch of the possibilities. Comments and additions welcome at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k4whLfaR8_ww7Cq6m5Ef67qYcvkXp1pfYLyMdbHgCuA/edit?usp=sharing !

​

Tuesday, 21 Apr 20