EPISODE 20 11/05/18
GERRYMANDERING AND VOTER SUPPRESSION—THE RESTRAINT OF IDEAS
Thank you and welcome to episode twenty of Hobson’s Choice. I’m Michael G Hobson and in this episode the G stands for gerrymandering and voter suppression.
According to the Oxford dictionary gerrymandering is the manipulation of the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favour one party.
And in the same dictionary the definition of suppression is the restraint or repression of an idea, activity or reaction by something more powerful.
Both of these actions defy the meaning of democracy. So why does the Republican party insist on doing both? Why do they gerrymander districts to favour their electoral chances and why do they suppress legitimate Americans from their right to vote?
Two reasons—because it works and because they can.
Republicans don’t believe in democracy. Oh, they’ll wrap themselves in the flag and talk about American values but they don’t give a rat’s ass about the flag or American values. What they care about is power; power to take money from the poor and the middle class and give it to their millionaire and billionaire donors…who then turn around and pay them a stipend like they’re staff members. And they are.
To deny a citizen the right to vote goes against every fabric of democracy. It is the right of every citizen in democratic nations to have a say in their government…it is why we have elections. If we don’t like the government we vote them out.
On Aug 6, 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act that prohibited racial discrimination in voting. In 2013 The Republican led US Supreme Court invalidated the Voting Rights Act thereby making it easier for states to disqualify and disenfranchise minority voters. Of course, the Republicans took this ruling and ran with it. States like Georgia and Kansas integrated plans to disqualify minorities from voting and gave a seal of approval to Ohio’s system of voter purges, in which the state uses a failure to vote as a trigger to begin the multistep process of taking people off voter rolls.
The Supreme Court also rejected a lower court’s finding that the Texas Republican Party had intentionally diluted black and Latino votes in legislative and state maps that had been redrawn after racial gerrymandering challenges.
In the words of American historian C. Vann Woodward: “By narrow and ingenious interpretation the Supreme Court's decisions over a period of years whittled away a great part of the authority presumably given the government for protection of civil rights.”
This gave rise to noted racists and segregationists to take control of their states, people like Brian Kemp in Georgia and Kris Kobach in Kansas. These men don’t hide their racism. They, like many in the republican party, want a return to the days before the 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1868 …an amendment that granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. They want as many minorities as possible purged from voter rolls since minorities typically vote Democrat—any wonder.
Recently the racist in chief talked about eliminating birthright citizenship…and in effect returning the country to a pre-1868 environment when minorities were not citizens, they were slaves.
Yes, the republican party is a party of segregationists. I’m not saying that all members of the party are racist, I’m saying a major portion of their ideology is racist.
Think of it this way, while Republicans sow fear of dangerous immigrants coming to take your land, rape your women, steal your property and kill your children white supremacists and other far-right extremists have killed far more people since 9/11 than any other category of domestic extremist. Last week a white Trump supporter sent bombs to a number of prominent people he believed to be anti-Trump and a white nationalist killed two black people but stopped short of killing a white bystander saying “whites don’t kill whites.”
Actually, they do. Eleven people were murdered while praying in a Pittsburgh Synagogue—killed by a white nationalist. The greatest threat to the American people is a white nationalist extremism that has been emboldened and fuelled by the hateful and racist rhetoric of this president.
If you vote republican it’s probably because you have always voted Republican and your parents before you voted Republican…and on down the line. But know this, this is not the Republican party you have known all your life, or your parents have known all their lives. That republican party does not exist anymore. The era of small government and free market is gone—your party has been taken over by the radical Tea Party and the extreme right-wing nationalists who birthed Trump. Now your party is about hate, division, corruption, the ruination of the earth for monetary values, and its about the separation of families, the disenfranchisement, disqualification, imprisonment and suppression of minorities and the killing of Jews.
Is this America? Or is it a faction of Russian rule?
As for finances…Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell says that the deficit is too high, that cuts need to be made. The deficit is high because of the tax cuts given to the top 1% in the country’s income bracket. To pay for those tax cuts they want to cut Medicare and Medicaid—in effect take the money out of the pockets of the working class and give it to those who don’t need it, but want it simply out of greed. Much has been made of Sheldon Adelson giving $40 million to the republican Party for these elections but the tax cuts netted Adelson three times that amount. He’s investing in a business—the Republican business.
Republicans do not govern for the people, they govern for themselves and for their donors
One more thing. The world is watching. What America does other nations copy. As such there has been a proliferation of authoritarian regimes around the world; they figure if America wants Authoritarianism then it should be good for them as well.
Please. I ask. Not as a citizen of the United States but as a concerned citizen of a world in peril, please remove the republicans from power. Our planet turns its lonely and troubled eyes to you, American voter.
Till next time my friends, be well.
EPISODE 19 10/02/18
GOOD OLE BOY GRAHAM AND HOW PATRIARCHY FEEDS WHITE PRIVILEGE
Thank you and welcome friends to Episode 19 of Hobson’s Choice. I’m Michael G. Hobson and in this episode the G stands for Good Old Boy Graham.
Once upon a time the Good Old Boy, along with friend and advisor John McCain, offered a moderate voice in a Republican Party that has over time shifted from conservatism to extreme right-wing conspiracy venders. When McCain was stricken with brain cancer the Good Old Boy was left on his own. Now the Good Old Boy doesn’t like to be alone so he searched for a replacement friend and advisor. It looks like he found one.
When the 2016 Republican primaries began Graham, who was supporting Jed Bush, said, “If Trump wins the nomination, it could mean the end of the Republican party.”
I think that was the most prophetic statement he ever uttered. Of course, with the Good Old Boy there isn’t much competition.
Graham softened his voice after the election when he referred to the president as a kook. Graham has always known where his bread is buttered.
Now the Good Old Boy is golfing with the president, riding around in a cart and having a good old time.
Nice shot Mr. President. You’ll have a good look at the green from there.
Oh, nice putt Mr. President. It would have gone in except that spike mark got in the way. Let’s call it a birdie anyway. I’m sure it would’ve gone in.
Boy Mr. President, you can really drive that ball. Are you sure you never took any lessons?
Oh, I think that one’s in the trap. Here Mr. president let me rake the sand for you.
There’s an art to being a true sycophant. You have to appear to be genuine so the object of your affections won’t recognize it as anything other than friendship, and loyalty.
But we can see it. It was on display, in all its ugliness, during the Kavanaugh hearings. It’s not a secret anymore. The Good Old Boy has a new companion. Which is odd considering that among McCain’s last words were a warning to Graham, to not let the president do anything truly dangerous. So much for old friends. Then again there is definitely a case of short-term memory afflicting this version of the Hypocrite party.
The hearing was horrible for these hypocrites. The optics of having a sexual assault allegation be brought to a committee of 11 old white males? Not good. Since the establishment of the judiciary committee in 1816 the republicans have never had a female representative. Never. In more than two centuries. There isn’t any doubt whose side of the gender divide these old white males lean. They have consistently proven that when it comes to issues involving women they are the tangle-footed and tangle-mouthed party. They thought bringing in a female assistant to ask the questions would protect them from saying something really stupid. It didn’t.
No one…not the republicans, not the white house and certainly not Kavanaugh, wants a thorough investigation into his behaviour in school—for it would prove that at that time he was a spoiled, privileged elitist who thought everyone was beneath him. It doesn’t matter to the republicans that the hearing proved that his attitude hasn’t changed—he’s still a spoiled, privileged elitist who thinks even the senators are beneath him—certainly democratic senators.
Republican senators stayed silent while the accuser was questioned but when Democratic Senator Dick Durbin kept pushing the unquestionably unqualified Supreme Court nominee to ask for an FBI investigation The Good Old Boy stepped in. The “female assistant” was shoved aside.
Graham turned the Kavanaugh inquiry from a search for truth into a partisan fight. He attacked the Democrats—just like the president had shown him to do during their late-night meetings over ice cream.
“If you wanted an FBI investigation,” Graham screamed at the Democrats, “You could have come to us.” It must make the president feel good to watch his sycophants follow instructions.
How stupid do these Republicans think we are? This is what happens when you watch nothing but Fox News—it scrambles your brain.
When the allegation from Dr. Ford first came out the Democrats asked for a delay so the FBI could investigate. It was the very first thing they asked for.
Up is down, black is white, inside is outside. What goes down just keeps going down. Hypocrites.
The White House and the republicans know that if the truth is revealed Kavanaugh won’t be confirmed. So, they want to bury the truth. We hope there are some republicans who haven’t sold their souls, even if it appears they are on the verge of doing so. Imagine how hard it was for Jeff Flake to say no to his party and ask for the investigation? It looked like it nearly killed him.
But the republicans don’t care about truth, they don’t care about their responsibility to the voters or to the country, in fact they don’t care about people at all. They only care about their agenda, and getting Conservatives on the Supreme Court is number one on that agenda, so they can reverse progressive laws like equal rights and women’s rights, and bring back white privilege.
This motivates the republicans—get back to the 1950’s. What motivates this president though is that Kavanaugh will protect him if his case ever gets to the Supreme Court.
It’s odd to think that when Melania stopped sleeping with the president it was Lindsey Graham who took her place. Of course, nothing feeds patriarchy more than white privilege.
Till next time my friends, be well.
EPISODE 18 09/10/18
THE FAUSTIAN DEALS WITH THE DEVIL MADE BY TRUMP AND THE GOP
Thank you and welcome to episode 18 of Hobson’s Choice. I’m Michael G. Hobson and in this episode the G stands for Goethe…or more specifically the novel Faust by Goethe.
In the novel Faust desires the greatest possible happiness, so he makes a deal with the devil and surrenders his soul.
I’m referencing Faust because what we are enduring these days, in politics, are deals with the devil. This isn’t the only time that politicans have sold their souls for power and money, but this time it is deep and on separate but similar levels.
Since he was a teenager Donald Trump’s dream has been to be the world’s richest man. Since wealth is everything to Trump he also believed that being the richest would make him the most powerful. But thirty years ago that dream was on the verge of collapse. He had taken the approximately $20 million his father had staked him with and he had invested in casinos at a time when the casino business was growing in Atlantic City.
A good idea—for a man with a work ethic but Trump, having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, preferred quicker routes—he lacked the patience for longer plans. Too far into the future for Trump is two weeks from next Friday. The casinos failed. Donald had to use his favourite business trick—declare bankruptcy—so he wouldn’t have to pay his debt. No major US Company, in the past 30 years, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy more than Trump.
And then…a miracle…along came the Russians, offering to buy Trump condos and Trump properties…and they were willing to pay more than the asking price—much more. Like a cartoon character Trump’s eyes went cha-ching. While everyone else could see the rather opaque game the Russians were playing Trump didn’t care…he just wanted the money. That’s how Russian oligarchs got money laundered through the American business system.
“They saved his bacon,” said Kenneth McCallion, former U.S. attorney in the Reagan administration who had investigated ties between organized crime and Trump. He said Trump was an easy mark for anyone looking to launder money. But Trump got away with it, like he seems to get away with everything.
Over the past three decades, at least 13 people with known or alleged links to Russian mobsters or oligarchs have owned, lived in, and even run criminal activities out of Trump Tower and other Trump properties.
The public record is clear; Trump has built his business empire off a lot of dirty money from a lot of dirty Russians—including the dirtiest and most feared of them all. Things changed in the year 1999—when Vladamir Putin took control of Russia. Instead of a bunch of little devils leading him around now Trump had to deal with Daddy Devil.
If he thought Fred was a tough father…
Trump has always had political aspirations. The first time was in 1988 when he thought about running as a Republican. In 2000 he actually did run as a Reform Party candidate before eventually dropping out. He always wanted to run as a Democrat—he was a Democrat and liked the Democrats, he thought the Republicans were boring, but since the Democrats wanted nothing to do with him Trump had to run as a Republican. He talks like 2016 was his first campaign, and that he was a businessman and not a politicans but he’s been dipping his toes, and his big mouth, into politics for three decades. Trump has turned out to be nothing other than political.
This time the Russians had a plan. They concocted a massive disinformation campaign that was designed to target specific US voters in order to get Trump elected. All they needed was access into the American information system, and a direction. Since Trump had already got them inside American business there was no reason to shut them out of government…Trump doesn’t care how he wins—he just wants to win, and getting help from Russia will help him win. The Russian disinformation campaign reached more than 100 million Americans and Trump wins by 77,000 votes in three specifically targetted states.
This is why Trump never criticizes Putin—it’s the old cliché; don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
But wait—there’s still more to this deal; like a sub deal with the devil’s spawn as Congressional Republicans strike a deal with their new party leader—they promise to support his policies, ignore any and all errors and inflammatory comments, and they promise to stay silent when issues arise, and let him have the megaphone…as long as they can push their agenda through.
As I have said before I find it implausible that McConnell and Ryan, heads of their particular houses of congress, weren’t at least in the know of what Putin was doing and Trump was encouraging. To their thinking, it can’t be proven that they knew, so they can operate in the shadows and push their agenda through.
Tax cuts, regulatory cuts, Obamacare repeal were two, three and four on their agenda, but number one is filling the courts with conservatives—so they can turn the law in their favour. Republicans want a return to the America of the 1950’s…before civil rights, before the women’s movement, before the nation dividing sixties, before equal rights and birth control, when smoking was good for you…and when white men were in control. A much simpler time when a man could come home from work, walk in the front door of his picket-fenced home and expect dinner on the table. And then afteward he could relax in his favourite chair, smoke a cigarette and watch Jackie Gleason or Red Skeleton. A much simpler time.
Republicans are consumed with hate…hate for the democrats, hate that the Democrats had made their simple lives far too complicated…and especially having run and then elected a black man. That was a bridge too far for these Republicans…having a black man sit in the Oval office like he owned it. It wasn’t called the multi-coulored house.
A Republican president once shouted to the Soviet leader, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”—of course that was before the Iran-Contra scandal proved that Reagan was indeed a Republican. When the Republicans of today speak the only sound we hear is an alarm bell. They don’t care about the voters; they fear them but don’t care about them, and surprisingly they care very little about the country they are sworn to represent. What they do care about is money and power—and both come, not from the voters, but from the oil lobbyists, the corporate businesses, the investment banks, the Koch brothers, and the NRA—groups that support and influence them. The decision to ignore the Obama nominee for the Supreme Court was made by the investors in the party—McConnell was simply the instrument used to execute the plan. McConnell is credited with being a crafty politician—he’s crafty all right, crafty enough to put orders into play.
That’s why the Republican Party stands behind Trump—their goals are the same—they both want money and power…and the fewer minorities who have money and power the better. No matter how many call out for them to put country over party they will not answer.
There is a happy ending though…and from another old cliché—Power of the People.
As I said Republicans fear the voters—more specifically they fear an astute voting public. They need voters to stay in the dark—just take our word for it; we have your best interests at heart.
They seem to be aware that the Trump presidency is crumbling their party. They probably never imagined it going this bad though, but it’s too late now—they reek of the same stink. Which is why they are hurriedly pushing through an undeniably unqualified candidate for the Supreme Court—so their last punch can be a haymaker. They may not realize that the lies and fabrications of their undeniably unqualified justice may hit a wall in the Supreme Court—the Ruth Bader Ginsburg wall.
Ironic how a country that has allowed men to keep women down may need a woman to be its saviour.
The Democrats taking the house will effectively mute Trump; if they take the Senate as well…Trump will be nothing more than a barking dog, if Mueller doesn’t get to him first. Then again, there may be something else that brings him down. With no further use of this president, and with a vice-president who is one of them, ready to take over…the Republicans may decide to go along with impeachment. After all politicans make promises, and politicians break promises.
The little devils.
Till next time my friends be well.
EPISODE 17 05/30/18
FORD: Fix Or Repair Daily--which is Ontario now
Thank you and welcome to episode 17 of Hobson’s Choice. I’m Michael G Hobson and in this episode the G stands for Going…as in Where are we going.
Where are we going?
As a resident of Ontario I like to think I’m safe from the damage being done to the US by their president. That’s not to say our history is bereft of corrupt governments but their president is doing his utmost to shatter the rule of law, the bedrock of the American structure, by casting doubt upon their institutions and their beliefs—and doubt upon the constitution, a document that is the envy of nations across the world—and this president is doing it…not because he likes the job—he doesn’t look like a man enjoying himself at work…he’s doing it for the presitige and for the money. Being called a crook is not what frightens this president—it’s being called a traitor who made a deal with the devil—choosing between being a loyal American or being a disloyal president.
Like I said, I like to think we’re immune to this but then the provincial conservatives, who could have run a legless centipede as leader and won the upcoming election, were swayed, like the US Republicans, to the far right—a place where dictators and authoritarians live, those in power who think very little of the people and very much about themselves.
I know it’s easy to compare Doug Ford with the president. They’re both blowhards who suck the air out of every room they enter, both chest-beaters for the lords of the hard right. At least I know that a Canadian provincial premier can cause far less damage, and inflict far less pain and suffering on far fewer citizens, than the US president.
It is not to be taken lightly however, that outlandish, boorish, and often selfish behaviour does not belong in government—especially as a leader. Government is supposed to assist and care for its people, not line the leader’s pockets.
Voters must be cautious. You hear a leader say he will cut taxes…and you think GREAT, more money for me. You hear gas taxes will be cut and you think GREAT more money for me. But what you don’t hear is that when income is cut…expenses also need to be cut. That means services, like health-care, welfare, education and the environment. And when taxes are cut the biggest benificiaries are not you, the lower and middle class earner…it is the corporations and the wealthy.
Where does the money go when grants for public education are cut; when public employees, like teachers and health-care workers, lose their jobs? Where does the money go when schools and hospitals are closed, when environmental protections are cut, or even eliminated? Where does the money go?
The only thing that trickles down is acid rain.
This is not what government was created to be. It was created by the people to serve the people, the masses, to gather income and then share it with the province’s citizens…not with the few wealthy families and corporate entities that use government as a self-serving vehicle to fatten their pocketbooks.
Yes, you, the Ontario electorate, have a right to be angry. The incumbent Liberals screwed up; they lost your trust. The half sale of Hydro One resulted in higher costs and of course there are the accusations of impropriety and cronyism…yes, you have the right to be angry…but ask youself…where will you put your anger, are you certain it’s in a safe place?
The danger is getting so caught up with the need for change, so immersed in the singular idea that the governing party has bungled the execution of their mandate and in the process abused your trust. The Liberals aren’t perfect, they’ve proven that, and who knows what we would get with the NDP…it’s not surprising that the campaign is trying its utmost to distance itself from its history, specifially the Bob Rae days. If you`re looking for change then choose the NDP; who will make some mistakes…likely in a more social environ rather than the Ford Conservatives who are, despite their name, not progressive but rather regressive and will make their mistakes in pursuit of self-desire.
Know this, the PC leader is good friends with Mike Harris, the former Ontario premier best known for his common sense revolution in the late-nineties—a revolution that was supposed to benefit the many at the expense of the few but ended up doing the exact opposite. Cut, cut, cut was the Harris mandate…it began with tax cuts, which led to service cuts—services like health-care…28 hospitals were closed and hundreds of nurses were fired; education…schools were closed and teachers were laid off, and environmental protections which were ignored if not repealed. The PC leader has already threatened to cut teaching jobs—and he`s just campaigning. What happens if he wins?
A businessman whose businesses were handed down to him from his father…sound familiar? He wants to fire people his first day in office…sound familiar? He thinks climate change is a hoax…and really, really loves money. Is health-care a hoax? Education? Welfare services?
Harris resigned after the Walkerton tragedy, the Dudley George shooting and an endless series of strikes by teachers, health care workers, labour unions and social welfare groups. In essence everyone hated Harris except his base…now that sounds familiar.
There is no perfect candidate, no perfect political ideal. But in these times when the world seems to be veering off-course…to the far right, it’s important that we, as voters, keep this province in the middle of the road and a safe distance away from the precipitous fall that looms down the far side of the roadside shoulder.
Till next time my friends be well.
EPISODE 16 03/15/18
A $24 billion US TV deal trumps all
Thank you for joining me and welcome to episode 16 of Hobson’s Choice. I’m Michael G Hobson and in this episode the G stands for Game vs. business.
The NBA concluded, in its post-game analysis, that this…was not a foul. This is Milwaukee’s John Henson trying to chop off the head of the Raptors Jonas Valanciunas with his arm, but according to the league this was a legal play.
To provide some context for this play; it is the dying seconds of a February 23 game in Toronto, the Bucks lead by two. Valanciunas drives to the basket and jams for the tie as the buzzer sounds. The game officials do not call a foul on the play which would have put Valanciunas, an 81% free throw shooter, at the free throw line with a chance to win the game. Instead the game went into overtime and the Bucks eventually won it by three.
Now the NBA has what’s called the last two minute report where the league looks at all officiating calls and non-calls in the last two minutes of every game decided by five points or less. In their report following this game the league concluded that the officials made the right call—or non call. The league concluded that this was not a foul.
Now it’s one thing for game officials to miss the call, though this one is hard to miss, but the game moves fast and NBA officials have a hard time keeping up with the pace. But the league has instant replay and has the opportunity afterward to watch this play a number of times from a number of different camera angles—though, as I have said, this one is not hard to miss.
So why would the NBA come to such an obviously erronious conclusion? That’s where the business side of the league comes into play.
To provide some history; on February 1, 1984 David Stern was named commissioner. At that time the league had Larry Bird and Magic Johnson as its stars and the next year Michael Jordan was drafted into the legaue. Stern wisely decided that marketing the stars would expand the awareness of the league. It was called Brand Equity; turn the game’s best players into marketing superstars. As the popularity of these players grew so too would the interest in the league. It worked. Soon the NBA was a global phenomenon.
But the marketing of the stars was more than just commercials—those superstars had to evolve from the game. So the league insisted that game officials favour those superstars in games. When superstars make great plays and score points it boosts interest in the league, even if some of the calls that enabled those stars were questionable, if not dubious. So it wasn’t surprising then that the slight bastardizing of the rules gave birth to Tim Donaghy, a “rogue official” as Stern called him. Donaghy pleaded guilty to charges that he threw games for gambling purposes. Stern insisted Donaghy acted alone but in the following years a number of veteran officials were weaned out of the league. This is what comes from asking officials to play politics with the game as well as officiating the game.
The numbers however do not lie. In 1986 the league earned $255 million in ticket sales and television revenue; ten years later that number had increased to $1.2 billion. In 2014 the league signed a nine year $24 billion dollar deal with ESPN and Turner Sports. What’s one Tim Donaghy more or less?
The problem now is that the game is so popular the league doesn’t need its officials to play politics anymore. It doesn’t need its officals to boost the popularity of its players—the players are already stars. But the league can’t change. It has gone too far down the hole and has no way to climb back out. The favouritism bestowed upon certain players and certain teams is so ingrained into the fabric of the game that it can’t be stopped. There are so many stars in the league now and they all feel they deserve special treatment. Why? Because most of the time they receive it. When they don’t they complain. You wonder why there’s so much complaining by players in the NBA? That’s why. If you tell a child its okay to do something one day but it’s not okay the next it confuses them, and then angers them.
Players complain because the same play is called a foul some of the time and some of the time it isn’t…it depends on the game situation and the players and teams involved. If it’s LeBron James a simple whisk across the forearm with a pinkie is a foul. Like a butterfly flying in front of a charging rhino and getting called for the foul. If its Jonas Valanciaunas…well, fortunately he managed to keep his head.
For their $24 billion the US networks get to televise the games they choose; the games they believe will draw the highest ratings in their US marketplaces. There is one outlier in the league—the Toronto Raptors. Toronto is not a US media market and therefore earns the networks very little. Now Toronto is a strong basketball marketplace, but the majority of the money earned by the franchise stays in Canada, naturally; but because of this the US networks have very little time for Toronto. The networks don’t consider Toronto to be important and if the networks feel this way so too does the league. The only way out of this conundrum is for the Raptors is to win the championship. Then the networks and the league will have no choice but to pay attention to them. In the meantime the players, coaches, management and fans have to accept that game officials will rarely favour them in games; on the contrary calls will likely go against them.
Last week the number one team in the east played the number one team in the west. Typically this would be the biggest game of the night and would be broadcast across the continent. But the game wasn’t televised outside of the one local market. Why? Because Toronto was one of those teams and the US networks aren’t thrilled with only getting half of the ratings pie for the night. So they’ll do Washington-New Orleans or Chicago-Detroit instead.
The Raptors are aware of this financial bias. That’s why complaining to the league about this foul is moot…the league’s likeliest answer …be glad you’re a member of the league.
Incidentally, on the date of this taping, the Raptors have won 16 of their past 17 games. Their only loss? This game.
Till next time my friends be well