Repression of the Free Press Is a Sure Sign of Tyranny

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. --George Orwell, 1984

Remember when we had freedom? I read a very interesting article (to which I can of course now not find the link) that discussed how the knowledge that you could take breaks from the media without feeling like the world would suddenly undergo a drastic change beneath your feet was perhaps one of the highest and least discussed forms of freedom. That is certainly something that has drastically changed for me under this new administration, and I believe for many, many others as well. In thirty-six short days days, our freedom has already been eroded.

Today, a number of the major news outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, Politico, and others, were banned from a White House press briefing. (Washington Post, NYT, CNN, Politico) Last week, 45 referred to the press as "the enemy of the people," a position on which he doubled down today, when he publicly accused members of the press of making up sources to support their fake news stories. Indeed, fake news seems to be his favorite catchphrase of late. Now, please recall that the White House has, itself, been spewing lies at the press literally since the first press briefing that it offered--lies that it has since tried to pass off as alternative facts, as if that is not yet another name for a lie. Not a single day of this administration's first month has passed without 45 himself or one of his spokespersons issuing at least one easily disproven or horribly misleading statement. (Washington Post) And the journalists have relentlessly persisted, have attended the offered updates from this administration, and have worked hard day and night to sift the truths from the lies and the half truths to deliver actual news to the public. They are just doing their jobs, but I am so very thankful for them--they are on the front lines of this resistance to a government that has gone from representing its people to overpowering them to keep its own power and built its own wealth. The administration attacks the press at every turn, in answer to unrelated questions, unprovoked, and without ceasing. How many times must they try to tell us that two and two make five before those in our congress stand up and say no?  What line will have to be crossed before spines are grown?

This war of our current government on the media feels quite foreboding to me. My mother always said that only the bad folks waited for cover of darkness to carry out their deeds, and I've yet to see that disproven. Of what is this administration so afraid? Or perhaps it's something darker, and this is all part of a power grab for full control of the information flow and thus the people.

And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past. -- George Orwell, 1984

Resistance to the relentless lying is more important now than ever. It's no wonder that sales of dystopian novels have been soaring--the news these days is hauntingly similar to these books, which were meant as warnings. For example, consider this quote:

The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just around the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. --Geroge Orwell, 1984

When I read 1984 in school so many years ago, it seemed remote and terrifying, but also impossible--perhaps more improbable than travel to another planet in my lifetime. But now? Right now? Today? It reads like a political analysis, particularly in light of Steve Bannon's self-professed disestablishmentarianism and plans to dismantle our government from within. It's difficult not to land in the position that anyone who isn't afraid of the current administration's potential for all-out destruction is simply not paying attention.

One last thing to ponder, before closing: this administration is the exact embodiment of the rise of fascism as defined by Lawrence Britt. Now, this I take with a bit of a grain of salt, Mr. Britt being not a scholar or an historian, but in fact a retired businessman and sometimes author who appears to have read a great deal on the topic of fascism. However, it still warrants consideration, as we bear witness to every aspect of this list grabbing a tighter hold within our government every day.

These are terrifying times indeed, folks. Stay awake and keep at it.

For the love of God, stop talking!

Whew. Yesterday, our current President gave a press conference (NYT, NPR, Washington Post, YouTube), his first solo one since taking office. He was supposed to just announce his candidate for Labor Secretary, Alexander Acosta, and well--he did that. Then he went on a 75-minute meandering, racist, self-contradictory, anti-media rant about, in the end, God knows what. He is the least articulate and most simplistic public speaker I have EVER heard, in or out of politics. It's truly astounding listening to him speak.

Even more astounding is the disparity in commentary from people of different political leanings. I honestly don't understand how anyone who actually listened to that driveling mess, or read a transcript of it, could think anything positive about it at ALL. But on the far right, there are folks lauding him for "owning the press" and "handling the media like we've always wished a President would do!" I can only think that these people live on a different planet from me. What I heard was a lot of anger, much like a teenager who lashes out at his parents when he gets in trouble, and then trying to blame the parents for having things in place like rules that just make him look bad. And well, not much else. If you haven't, you should check it out, but be warned that it will take some fortitude to get through it.

Last night, I was trying to make sense of all the commentary, both that which agrees with my point of view that this administration seems to be flying apart and desperately trying to hang onto its power at any cost, and that which disagrees with me and thinks this man is literally a gift from God to our country. To take the latter view, these commentators appear to assume that the entirely of the mainstream media is a dark state out to get the government, that Russia has our best interests at heart more than our own intelligence agencies, that every single legitimate expert on this stuff is lying to us all outright in order to undermine the power of the President, and that the only person in the country telling the truth is the President himself. Occam's Razor, however, suggests that the opposite is true--that the liar is the President himself, especially since his lies have been well documented from day one of his campaign and have been disproven by verifiable facts over and over and over again.

And how can this man, who speaks at a 6th grade level, lies at every turn, insists that easily proven falsehoods are true even after they have been shown to be false, who is obsessed with his own campaign win, who seeks money and power and adulation above all else, speak such loads of insanity so passionately and with such conviction? This is where I was last night when a friend suggested that I look up the Dunning-Kruger effect. Another suggested that I re-read the definition of Malignant Narcissism. I did this, and let me tell you--I don't feel any better. Let me share with you the definitions the definitions from Wikipedia:

The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which low-ability individuals suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly assessing their ability as much higher than it really is. Dunning and Kruger attributed this bias to a metacognitive incapacity, on the part of those with low ability, to recognize their ineptitude and evaluate their competence accurately. Their research also suggests corollaries: high-ability individuals may underestimate their relative competence and may erroneously assume that tasks which are easy for them are also easy for others^. Dunning and Kruger have postulated that the effect is the result of internal illusion in those of low ability, and external misperception in those of high ability: "The miscalibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas the miscalibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others.^"

Malignant narcissism is a psychological syndrome comprising an extreme mix of narcissism, antisocial personality disorder, aggression, and sadism.Often grandiose, and always ready to raise hostility levels, the malignant narcissist undermines organizations in which they are involved, and dehumanizes the people with whom they associate.

This is our President, people. He is mentally ill and unfit to serve. 

Images and Ponderings from The Women's March

I can't believe it's been over 3 weeks since I went to the Women's March on Washington. That was absolutely the most politically galvanizing event of my life. I have never been in the midst of such an enormous group of like-minded and shared-purpose people before, and it was absolutely incredible and inpiring. We saw women, men, and children of every color, trans folks, straight folks, gay folks, women in hijabs, people with every liberal political slogan known on their shirts, and many, many pussyhats (including ours).

Our view from near the corner 7th and Independence Ave. in Washington DC

Like many liberal people, I was saddened and horrified by the election last November. I never thought that Hillary Clinton was the best choice for President (I still don't), but it was so hard to believe that people actually believed that our newly elected official was in any way qualified for the job. I thought he was even more unelectable than she was. What I didn't bank on was how many people just didn't vote at all. And what I really didn't bank on was how many people were willing to overlook the plethora of very public and objectively horrifying things that Trump said and did during his candidacy--he was excused for making fun of a reporter with a disability, for his insults levied at John McCain for his POW status, for mistreating and maligning the Khan family, who lost their son in service of our country, for his disgusting commentary on and treatment of women, for the lies he told at every turn, for his refusal to release his tax returns, for his refusal to divest himself from his businesses with all the accompanying conflicts of interest, for his suspected ties to the Russian government. The list goes on and on, when any one thing would have disqualified most other candidates. People were so fed up with the system and with all the controversy, both real and imagined, that they either shut down and declined to participate, or they voted against their own self-interest in in order to obtain change at any cost. Oh, how I wish Bernie Sanders had won the Democratic primary! But I digress..

In the months following the election, I was sad, disappointed, and filled with impotent fury. I kept praying for some kind of miracle that would keep this horrible creature from becoming our president. Maybe the Russia ties would be investigated (still waiting), maybe the electoral college would do its job and keep a wholly unqualified person out of the President's office (they didn't, but man, I would have been happier with just about anyone else!), maybe there really was voter fraud somewhere and the counts were wrong (they weren't). But alas, nothing saved us, and here we are.

When the Women's March was announced, I decided I was going, one way or another. I worked it out to go to the flagship march in DC itself. I talked my friend into taking the train with me to DC, staying with another friend there, and doing it right. (And let me say a word about these two women I went with. Both are in government jobs, so I am not naming them here, but they are both amazing. One is a scientist at the EPA, and the other works in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House. They both do amazing work to advance science, and especially science for women, in the US, to protect our planet, and to educate people. They are two of my dearest friends, and I can't even express what an honor it was to attend this event with them. We'll be back, too--the March for Science is coming!) The march was everything I thought it would be and more. I was amazed at the sheer numbers of people who showed up, across the country and across the world, and the huge number of different concerns and interests that were represented by the people attending. I cried many times throughout the day. I made new friends and talked to a wide range of diverse people. I was arrested by the images I brought with me from the whole day--the feeling of being wrapped in solidarity, and the overwhelming love of this country that allows us the freedom to express concern, dissent, and rage in a public and peaceful manner without fear. This is truly what democracy looks like.

I took hundreds of pictures of the signs people were carrying, and I wanted to share a few of my favorites. It was so hard to narrow it down--there were so many great ones expressing so many perspectives!

 

One of the most powerful things we saw was a huge constitutional banner that was being carried through the march, with people signing it as it moved. It was maybe 150 feet long and at least 12-14 feet wide. The entire preamble to The Constitution was painted on it, and it was absolutely covered in signatures. It was being passed from person to person, each of them signing it, as it moved through the march and down Constitution Avenue with the rest of us. It was very moving to see so many people honoring the words it bore and what it represented for our country.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, 
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common 
defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to 
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for 
the United States of America."

And last, but not at all least, I am hanging onto these images that were designed by  for The Amplifier Foundation's public call for art to support The Women's March. There were many great pieces of art that came from that call, but the ones most impactful to me were these three from Shepard Fairey. We saw these everywhere!

I love the diversity he represents while still making it very clear that these are American women, and that their rights are the rights for all of us. He's blown me away before--I am sure you will recall the Obama Hope poster he produced for the 2008 election, but just in case you didn't, here it is:

This man has my number, as far as a political artist goes. He's a person I'd like to go to dinner or grab a drink with just so i could talk to him for a while.

It's an understatement to say that I walked away from the march feeling fired up and ready to go. It's an understatement to say that it made me feel like I was part of something much larger than myself. It's an understatement to say that I feel like raising a dissenting voice is more important right now in this country than it has been in decades. I am working on it. I am learning to be an activist. The march was just the beginning for me.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Source: Hate Won't Win

Thoughts on National Security

During the past election, one of the main talking points, and really, one of the ONLY talking points against the candidacy of Hillary Clinton was her use of a private email server, which made her vulnerable to hacking and leaks. Similarly, the lack of security in place within the DNC allowed the leaking of a huge number of emails from there as well. The GOP and 45 have both harped on this endlessly, in every debate. Their responses to wholly unrelated questions were often swiftly flipped around and back onto this topic over and over again. It was sickening and relentless. And it was also something of which past administrations have also been guilty. But this stuck--this resonated with people in our country who believe, at least verbally, that national security should be our number one priority.

And yet, so far, this administration appears to be one of the least secure of any government administration in history. I find the following two items to be quite alarming:

• National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, resigns amid confirmation that he misinformed the Vice-President about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador and much suspicion that he is/has been susceptible to bribes from the Russian government. (NYT, Politico, The Economist) Many questions about his remain unanswered--there's a thought-provoking list of these in this article from the Washington Post. It's worth  your time to take a look at this.
• Aside: I am so proud of the press for not letting up on this, especially Matt Lauer on The Today Show this morning, when Kellyanne Conway tried to brush off his questions and gave inconsistent answers.
• On Saturday night, while dining at his resort in Florida with the Prime Minister of Japan,  Shinzo Abe, 45 received news of a North Korean test of a nuclear capable missile. Instead of stepping away to deal with what is undeniably a highly sensitive matter of national security, he held a strategic planning session right there at the dinner table, in full view of the restaurant, in the presence of a foreign dignitary, outside, and using a number of unsecured devices. Members of the club were posting pictures of this meeting on social media. The level of insecurity here is both staggering and truly terrifying. In what universe is this behavior acceptable for the President of the United States? (NYT, Washington Post)
• Aside: On the same trip, there was a selfie taken by a Mar-a-Lago guest and posted online of the man responsible for carrying the nuclear football. (The Hill, Washington Post). At the very least, this is just inappropriate.

And then, of course, we have 45 himself, still using a known-to-be-buggy, insecure, personal phone to take official calls and tweet relentlessly about anything that catches his attention. I am not sure how Clinton's private email server was an offense severe enough that one of 45's campaign promises was to put her in jail, and yet, this seems to be acceptable to him and everyone around him. There's some hypocrisy here to be sure, and that's infuriating. But more importantly, this odd and misplaced arrogance about national security could easily land us in a war.

North Korea claims their missile test, conducted in direct violation of UN resolutions, was a huge success, by the way. (Reuters) <sarcasm>Comforting.</sarcasm>

Updated to add this bit of news from CNN and The Hill today: GOP Senator Calls for Exhaustive Investigation into Trump-Russia Connections -- Are they finally catching on?

Real News - Distinguishing Facts from #AlternativeFacts

There's been a lot of news about news lately. What's real news? What's fake news?  How do you tell the difference? It's interesting to me that 45 keeps harping on fake news, when he was a huge perpetrator of that very thing with his pushing of the Obama birther theory that refused to die during the last administration, no matter how many times it was shown to be patently false. The White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, in his very first briefing, flat out lied to the press about the numbers of people attending the inauguration, took no questions, and then walked out of the room. The very next day, one of 45's most senior advisers, Kellyanne Conway, went on national television to reinforce those lies with some brand new terminology: alternative facts. Folks--there's just no such thing. As Dan Rather said about this, "A lie is a lie is a lie." We are faced with an administration that blatantly lies about matters both large and small, and which sticks to those lies, even when they are easily refuted with verifiable facts (a term that should be redundant, but apparently no longer is). The communication from our current government reads too often like a dystopian novel.

So, what's one to do in this "post-truth" environment?

In my opinion, this is something that needs to be addressed like any research. And if you've ever done any research at all, you will remember that we were all taught in school to consider the source. If an organization is using sensationalist wording in all of their headlines, there's a pretty good chance you are looking at something that's not so much news as it is propaganda. I am not interested in propaganda, and if you want to be taken seriously as a well-informed citizen, then you shouldn't be either. Likewise, if the articles you read are citing no sources of their own, then well--take that with a grain of salt. If they lean very far to the left (like The Daily Caller or Daily Kos or Occupy Democrats) or to the right (like Fox News or, God-forbid, Breitbart), then they are going to be handing you heavily biased versions of stories that may read very differently if presented in more neutral language. The interest of these sites on the extreme ends of the spectrum lie in pushing agendas more than in presenting reality, and I highly recommend avoiding them like the plague of misinformation that they are.

This is a great article on real news sources from Forbes Magazine: 10 Journalism Brands Where You Find Real Facts Rather Than Alternative Facts. You will find many of these sources listed in the sidebar--this is where I get most of my news. I read a lot of opinion as well, as I think everyone does. But when you read opinion, keep in mind that it's just that--opinion. Gather facts, consider opinions, and then, for goodness sake--THINK FOR YOURSELF! Most of us are not morons. Most of us are capable of thinking for ourselves. And seriously, there's not enough of this going on. Somewhere along the way, common sense has been lost. Somewhere along the way, we stopped being critical thinkers. And it's crucial that we get this back, especially now.

I never meant to become a political activist...

...but here I am, killing it.

Here's some background:

When I was a young'un, I stayed far, far away from politics. They made me mad. And I felt strongly that, if you are going to vote, then you have a civil responsibility to educate yourself about for whom and what you are voting. I wasn't willing to do that, so I didn't vote. I also didn't complain--I felt I had no business complaining unless I had participated in the process. I still believe all of that. So, what's changed?

Well, in the 2004 election, I kind of couldn't believe that people had re-elected George W. Bush. It seemed to me that he had been making some decisions with pretty negative impact, and it had seemed in the months leading up to the election like no one liked him, and yet--there he was, President again. But still, I didn't vote, so I kept my mouth shut. I did, however, start paying a little bit of attention.

Then, in 2008, the tipping point came: John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. I saw an interview with her, and my head nearly exploded. I went and registered to vote, and then I started to read. And read. And read. I even wrote a political blog post on my very personal and non-political blog. I drank the Obama Kool-Aid. I voted for the first time for our first African-American President, and the man I believe has been the greatest President of my lifetime. Note: that doesn't in any way mean that I think he was perfect, or that I agree with every single decision he made, but I do believe that he acted 100% of the time in what he truly believed to be the best interests of this country and its people. I absolutely respect him.

Meanwhile, I watched the local politics in North Carolina unfolding around me when we went from a Democratic to a Republican governor, who tried with all his might and the backing of the Republican supermajority in our House and Senate to drag our somewhat progressive Southern state back to the Stone Age with his ridiculous and misguided policies. I have voted in every local and federal election since I registered to vote, and I will continue to do so.

This past election circus--because that's really what it was: a complete circus--has left me feeling the need to be involved at a level I have never experienced before. It was easy to become complacent under President Obama, but no more. Our peace is gone, and it looks like things are going to get worse before they get better. Things under Trump are already crumbling. His administration is devoid of ethics, or even decency, and it has become clear in the past month that the ONLY thing any person in his cabinet or in his house cares about is money. Money at the cost of peace, the environment, the well-being of the American people, and really anything that stands in its way.

I can't be silent. I won't. I am a mouthy woman under the best of circumstances, and that is now where we stand today. This is my forum, and I can make a couple of promises, out of the gate:

• I will share no news that is not confirmed by at least 3 reputable sources.
• I will document my sources of information.
• I will not hold back on my opinion, so if you do not want it, I suggest you move along.
• I will do my level best to stay open-minded to dissenting opinion, but if you come at me, you better have your facts with you.
• I will not back down from what I believe is right.

It's on, y'all. Mama's entered the political arena, and she ain't going back anytime soon.