Who and what is responsible for the victory of Trump? First, the Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party, which were unwilling and incapable of presenting a program that could attract any significant popular support.
Clinton waged her campaign on the lowest and most reactionary level. She combined claims that Trump was an agent of Putin—aimed at creating the framework for aggression against Russia—with denunciations of the working class as racist and “privileged.”
Second, the administration of Barack Obama, elected eight years ago on pledges of “hope” and “change.” Obama won the support of large sections of the working class, including white workers, bitterly opposed to social inequality and the Bush administration’s policies of war and social reaction.
During two full terms in office, Obama presided over unending war, a historic transfer of wealth to the ruling class, and the continued erosion of the living standards of the vast majority of the population.
Obama’s signature domestic program, the Affordable Care Act, was an assault on health care packaged as a reform. In the final weeks of the election, millions of workers discovered that they are facing double-digit increases in health care costs. This was likely far more important in affecting the outcome of the election than the actions of FBI director James Comey in reviving the Clinton email scandal.
Third, the trade unions, which for the past four decades of increasing social inequality have worked systematically to suppress the class struggle and maintain the political stranglehold of the Democratic Party. They have as well assiduously promoted reactionary economic nationalism, which is in line with Trump’s own platform.
Use the link to find out number four.
I'll tell you this: It's not the media.
The media didn't make his list.
On my list, they'd come in at number two (right behind Hillary).
So far, the best take on the election has been "So, uh, we weren't with her? (Ava and C.I.)."
This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Wednesday:
Wednesday, November 9, 2016. The US presidential election has been resolved but the Iraq War goes on.
The US presidential election is finally over.
Republican candidate Donald Trump won.
Congratulations to him and to those who supported him.
Let's note this from the Center for Constitutional Rights:
It's nice for you to pick and choose who you send love and solidarity to -- that's sarcasm.
I'm an American. Love and solidarity to all people in America and out.
Whatever my problems with Donald Trump (didn't vote for him, do not like him, unlike the yapping dogs of CCR, I actually know Donald), I don't have any problem with his supporters.
They're people who made a choice to vote for him.
He won.
I hope they're happy today. They should be.
CCR though?
They only have love for people who agree with them.
They find Donald divisive -- as they themselves divide.
They smear by association by raising the KKK.
Donald is not part of the KKK.
Members of the KKK support candidates in every election.
It's not a reflection on the candidate.
We were opposed to Hillary here.
I never tarred and feathered her when the father of a domestic terrorist attended her Florida rally.
First off, the father is not responsible for what his adult son did.
Second of all, Hillary's not responsible for any who support her.
CCR has become a joke.
This is the group who had a private meeting with Barack Obama after he was elected.
They call for sunshine and transparency from others.
But they don't practice it.
Michael Ratner died.
He died a coward. He was CCR.
They're cowards now.
That's on them.
But the most annoying thing about this b.s. they issued?
Donald hasn't proposed anything yet.
CCR is saying, "Oppose his plans!!!"
What plans?
Oh, I get it, you're knee jerk and you don't have to know what he's going to propose to know you will oppose him.
Unlike CCR, I can't read tea leaves.
Becoming president could make Donald become presidential.
It's a chance for a transforming moment for him.
Will he take it?
I don't want to guess. I'd rather hope while I wait and see.
If he proposes war, I'll oppose him on that, as I have Bully Boy Bush and President Barack Obama.
If he goes after the LGBTQ community, I'll call him out. If he's silent on attacks on that community, I will call him out as I did with Barack when Nouri al-Maliki taught hate to children and sent militias to kill the LGBTQS in Iraq (or those assumed to be LGBTQ).
If he tries to chip away at abortion rights, I'll call him out the way I did Hillary in January of 2005.
I don't know what he's going to do.
Nor does he, I bet.
He's president, an election took place.
Van Jones is on TV gabbing again.
It must be nice to always assume the worst of others -- and not of yourself.
I have no delusions that I'm a sweet angel. I'm every curse word you could spit out and much more.
But I'm going to judge by people's records and actions.
I'm not going to twist people's words.
Someone -- Rudy G? -- made a comparison to Andrew Jackson and all these people insisted Rudy (or whomever) was racist.
No.
Not based on that.
Grow up.
Rudy's over 60 years old.
Andrew Jackson was not taught the way he is today. Society changes. Good.
We need to grow.
It shouldn't be static.
Rudy's got his childhood lessons of Andrew Jackson.
Now if Rudy's praising some racist action of whomever, then we can call him out.
And should.
But some of these assumptions -- which were egged on by the media -- are wrong.
That's not to say Donald Trump is good and wonderful.
I know him, I don't like him.
But that is to say, the monster the press created was not a fair portrayal.
The knee jerk assumptions that we make are not fair.
CCR's silence for eight years under Barack about the ongoing Iraq War was not fair.
Somebody -- Donald or anyone -- does something objectionable, I'll call him out. (Please, I flipped the bird to then President of Vice Dick Cheney. The look on his face is one of my all time favorite memories.)
But I'm not going to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I'm not saying anyone should march with Donald.
I am saying I'll need to wait for him to propose things and then consider them.
If they need protesting, I will protest.
But I'm not going to play knee jerk reactionary.
I'm on the left -- way on the left apparently. And I doubt I'll agree with him on many if not any things. But I'll wait until he proposes something to make decisions.
If you voted for @HillaryClinton today, you have blood on your hands.
#Iraq
#Libya #Syria #Yemen #Honduras #Drone #ElectionDay
The US presidential election is finally over.
Republican candidate Donald Trump won.
Congratulations to him and to those who supported him.
Let's note this from the Center for Constitutional Rights:
In response to the election of Donald Trump, the Center for Constitutional Rights issued the following statement:
We send love and solidarity to all those who are hurting and afraid that Donald Trump’s America excludes them. We share the despair of the millions who are in shock that a candidate supported by the KKK has won the presidency of the United States.
If there is a silver lining in this election result it is that it is impossible now to deny the racism, sexism, and xenophobia that have been part of America for centuries. Our duty is to stand together with all those who dissent from this bigotry and to defend and protect vulnerable communities. That has been CCR’s mission for 50 years, we will work harder than ever to defend civil and human rights and the U.S. Constitution.
The dangers of a Trump presidency go beyond the attacks on people of color, women, Muslims, immigrants, refugees, LGBTQI people, and people with disabilities. His campaign was marked by the strategies and tactics of authoritarian regimes: endorsing and encouraging violence against political protesters, threatening to jail his opponent, refusing to say he would accept the results of the election if he lost, punishing critical press. Together with all those who value freedom, justice, and self-determination, we must resist and prevent at all costs a slide into American fascism.
Resistance is our civic duty.
It's nice for you to pick and choose who you send love and solidarity to -- that's sarcasm.
I'm an American. Love and solidarity to all people in America and out.
Whatever my problems with Donald Trump (didn't vote for him, do not like him, unlike the yapping dogs of CCR, I actually know Donald), I don't have any problem with his supporters.
They're people who made a choice to vote for him.
He won.
I hope they're happy today. They should be.
CCR though?
They only have love for people who agree with them.
They find Donald divisive -- as they themselves divide.
They smear by association by raising the KKK.
Donald is not part of the KKK.
Members of the KKK support candidates in every election.
It's not a reflection on the candidate.
We were opposed to Hillary here.
I never tarred and feathered her when the father of a domestic terrorist attended her Florida rally.
First off, the father is not responsible for what his adult son did.
Second of all, Hillary's not responsible for any who support her.
CCR has become a joke.
This is the group who had a private meeting with Barack Obama after he was elected.
They call for sunshine and transparency from others.
But they don't practice it.
Michael Ratner died.
He died a coward. He was CCR.
They're cowards now.
That's on them.
But the most annoying thing about this b.s. they issued?
Donald hasn't proposed anything yet.
CCR is saying, "Oppose his plans!!!"
What plans?
Oh, I get it, you're knee jerk and you don't have to know what he's going to propose to know you will oppose him.
Unlike CCR, I can't read tea leaves.
Becoming president could make Donald become presidential.
It's a chance for a transforming moment for him.
Will he take it?
I don't want to guess. I'd rather hope while I wait and see.
If he proposes war, I'll oppose him on that, as I have Bully Boy Bush and President Barack Obama.
If he goes after the LGBTQ community, I'll call him out. If he's silent on attacks on that community, I will call him out as I did with Barack when Nouri al-Maliki taught hate to children and sent militias to kill the LGBTQS in Iraq (or those assumed to be LGBTQ).
If he tries to chip away at abortion rights, I'll call him out the way I did Hillary in January of 2005.
I don't know what he's going to do.
Nor does he, I bet.
He's president, an election took place.
Van Jones is on TV gabbing again.
It must be nice to always assume the worst of others -- and not of yourself.
I have no delusions that I'm a sweet angel. I'm every curse word you could spit out and much more.
But I'm going to judge by people's records and actions.
I'm not going to twist people's words.
Someone -- Rudy G? -- made a comparison to Andrew Jackson and all these people insisted Rudy (or whomever) was racist.
No.
Not based on that.
Grow up.
Rudy's over 60 years old.
Andrew Jackson was not taught the way he is today. Society changes. Good.
We need to grow.
It shouldn't be static.
Rudy's got his childhood lessons of Andrew Jackson.
Now if Rudy's praising some racist action of whomever, then we can call him out.
And should.
But some of these assumptions -- which were egged on by the media -- are wrong.
That's not to say Donald Trump is good and wonderful.
I know him, I don't like him.
But that is to say, the monster the press created was not a fair portrayal.
The knee jerk assumptions that we make are not fair.
CCR's silence for eight years under Barack about the ongoing Iraq War was not fair.
Somebody -- Donald or anyone -- does something objectionable, I'll call him out. (Please, I flipped the bird to then President of Vice Dick Cheney. The look on his face is one of my all time favorite memories.)
But I'm not going to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I'm not saying anyone should march with Donald.
I am saying I'll need to wait for him to propose things and then consider them.
If they need protesting, I will protest.
But I'm not going to play knee jerk reactionary.
I'm on the left -- way on the left apparently. And I doubt I'll agree with him on many if not any things. But I'll wait until he proposes something to make decisions.
Jeanette Verdista If you voted for @HillaryClinton today, you have blood on your hands.
#Iraq
#Libya #Syria #Yemen #Honduras #Drone #ElectionDayI don't know Jeanette. I stumbled upon her Twitter feed (probably via one of Susan Sarandon's Tweets).
I tend to agree with her.
And a lot of us on the left did.
It was a huge mistake to nominate Hillary -- an Iraq War supporter.
Could we not see what happened repeatedly in England?
Did Labour get to maintain it's hold?
Nope.
Hillary voted for the war.
It is an issue for many, many of us.
It was an issue for many British citizens.
For more on failed candidate Hillary Clinton, you can see "So, uh, we weren't with her? (Ava and C.I.)" from earlier today.
The Iraq tragedy continues.
Today Jan Kubis, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's special envoy, appeared before the United Nations Security Council. The UN NEWS CENTRE notes:
9 November 2016 – Alongside liberating the country’s territory from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/[. . .]), it is essential that processes are undertaken to “capture the hearts and minds” of all Iraqis from all parts of Iraq for it to be peaceful and united, the United Nations envoy to the country told the Security Council today.
“The rebuilding of infrastructure, restoration of essential services, rule of law, schools and employment are ever more important to restore confidence in the Government,” the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq, Ján KubiÅ¡, told the Council.
“Returns of IDPs [internally displaced people] holds the key to rebuilding Iraq’s solid societal fabric. It is part of the reconciliation and healing,” he added, noting that in general, the pace of returns in the previously liberated despite the Government's and international community’s efforts is rather slow.
Making special mention of the operation against ISIL in Mosul, Mr. Kubiš said that the efforts of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), the Peshmerga, the Popular Mobilization Forces and allied tribal and local volunteers are making steady progress in liberating the city, while trying to avoid excessive risks to the civilian populations.
“This liberation operation marks the beginning of the end of the so-called ‘Da’esh caliphate’ in Iraq,” he underscored.
He also called on local leaders to ensure that the grievances of the past are addressed and a way is found to live together “after ISIL in justice and equality for all.”
“Reconciliation at both community and national level is the way to make military victories against ISIL sustainable, to make Iraq truly peaceful and united,” he highlighted.
In his briefing, Mr. Kubiš also informed the Council of credible reports of the group forcing tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children to relocate inside the city, effectively using them as human shields, as well as the killing civilians who refuse to comply with their instructions or those who previously belonged to the ISF, including 232 civilians who were reportedly shot dead on 26 October.
He added that as of yesterday, some 35,000 people have been displaced due to the fighting in Mosul, and Iraqi authorities have been providing them transport to emergency sites, where some 20,000 are presently being housed, while many others, he said, have found shelter in host communities.
The UN envoy further reported that humanitarian agencies continue their preparations for mass displacement as well as for the upcoming winter.
Bombing has not been the answer.
The Islamic State did not get its hold in Iraq by accident.
It was due to the persecution of the Sunnis.
Today, the US Defense Dept announced:
Strikes in Iraq
Attack and fighter aircraft conducted six strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:
-- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed six ISIL-held buildings, four fighting positions, three mortar systems, a heavy machine gun and a sniper position; suppressed two tactical units; and damaged a mortar system.
-- Near Rawah, two strikes engaged an ISIL vehicle bomb factory and destroyed two storage containers and a vehicle.
-- Near Tal Afar, a strike engaged an ISIL headquarters building.
Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.
REUTERS reports:
Sixty-four civilians were killed and eight injured in 24 US airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria between 20 November 2015 and 10 September 2016, the US military said in a statement on Wednesday.
Bombings are not an answer.
Iraq's Prime Minister Tweeted the following:
Congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump. Look forward to continued US support for Iraq in the war against terror
iraq
