Stephanie Leary

Writer, WordPress consultant, recent MLIS grad

Fascism Watch, November 23

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Today’s roundup of fascist fuckery in America!

Trump

Donald Trump Jr. met with Russians about Syria before the election was held. He was and is not an elected or appointed official.

Trump has turned down most of the daily intelligence briefings he has been offered. The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee says this is no big deal. “Look how many leaders he’s met with, how many phone calls he’s done…” Indeed, those phone calls.

Trump Touted His Turkish Business Partner In A Call With President Erdogan. Vanity Fair offers more context on Trump’s involvement in Turkey.

More details on his phone calls with Argentina and the subsequent announcement of Trump Tower Buenos Aires, as mentioned yesterday.

Trump can’t be bothered to scrub his old tweets.

Having politicized climate science, the Trump team now wants to defund politicized science. Arctic temperatures are currently 30°F above normal and ice is melting even though it’s winter.

About that statement that he wouldn’t prosecute Clinton…

Jared Kushner would need a waiver to anti-nepotism laws to negotiate between Israel and Palestine, but “I think if they worked at it, they could do it,” says Gingrich.

Trump checking all the boxes on despotism with the media.

Trump Foundation received big donation from the same Ukrainian who donated to the Clinton Foundation to such uproar. 

Transition Team & Cabinet Appointees

Let’s start with the relatively small potatoes:

Bannon has been doing shady stuff with his nonprofit, which is not allowed to intervene in campaigns. He’s also on the board of a data mining company set to receive a bunch of federal contracts.

Mike Flynn had technicians secretly install an Internet connection in his Pentagon office, even though it was forbidden. But do tell me more of your thoughts on private email servers used by both Powell and Clinton.

And now for the big one:

Betsy DeVos named Secretary of Education. DeVos is one of America’s biggest supporter of school vouchers and doesn’t believe literacy is a right.

And then there’s this…

No, really, that’s what they posted on their blog less than three weeks ago. It’s an eye-opening read.

I also think about their inner lives. They are working in the adult world, surrounded by cool bustling things and new technology. They are on the streets, in the factories, in the mines, with adults and with peers, learning and doing. They are being valued for what they do, which is to say being valued as people. They are earning money.

Whatever else you want to say about this, it’s an exciting life. You can talk about the dangers of coal mining or selling newspapers on the street. But let’s not pretend that danger is something that every young teen wants to avoid. If you doubt it, head over the stadium for the middle school football game in your local community, or have a look at the wrestling or gymnastic team’s antics at the gym.

I’m really not sure when clandestine dealings with Russia, open support from Nazis and the KKK, and support for kids in coal mines stopped being career-ending news, but here we are.

Anyway, the DeVos family has been buying influence for quite some time.

Voting

There was evidence back in August that voter databases in Illinois and Arizona had been hacked.

Ours would not be the first election Russia has tampered with.

Protests

Law enforcement agencies from across the country have sent officers to help subdue the Standing Rock protestors.

The protestors have an Amazon wish list, if you’d like to send them some heaters and blankets.

Other Fascist Nonsense

Facebook can’t be bothered to deal with fake news propaganda in the US, but will develop censorship tools for the Chinese government.

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