Monday Morning Male Beauty - Pt 2

Trump and the GOP Ultimately to Blame for Charlottesville Violence

During my years on the Republican City Committee for Virginia Beach, there were never open calls to racism and what can only be described as fascism.  True, in retrospect, Richard Nixon had set the outline when he devised the "Southern Strategy" to appeal to southern whites who opposed desegregation, but there was always a veneer to hide the rancor and open hatred not to mention opposition from moderate Republicans.  All of this began to change when the evangelical and fundamentalist Christians began their take over of the GOP base. Often lead by Southern Baptist leaders - a denomination founded on the principle of retaining slavery - these insurgents had no qualms about embracing racist attitudes and a white supremacist agenda.  The take over is now complete as events in Chralottesville over the weekend.  Virginians in particular need to be aware of what the GOP now stands for.  GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie made a mealy mouthed condemnation of the violence in Charlottesville, yet he will be courting and making promises to the very far right forces on display on Friday and Saturday.  A vote for any Virginia Republican - or national candidate - is a vote for this poisonous agenda.  A piece in Esquire makes this point.  Here are excerpts:

Back in February, before the prion disease that has afflicted conservative politics for four decades reached its current, virulent stage, and when people still thought that the president* had some sort of pivot left in him, his original Muslim ban sent people into the streets to protest. In Nashville, some protesters were walking through an intersection in the marked crosswalk when a car piled into them, carrying a couple of them down the street until the local police finally flagged it down. This was generally thought to be a bad thing. A Republican state legislator came up with an original solution. Inhumane, and almost incomprehensible in an evolved primate, but unquestionably original, via KDVR:

State Rep. Rep. Matthew Hill has filed a bill that says if a driver hits a protester who is blocking traffic in a public right-of-way, then that driver would be immune to civic liability if the demonstrator is hit and hurt, as long as it wasn't intentional. "If you want to protest, fine, I am for peaceful protesting, not lawless rioters," Hill said. "We don't want anyone to be hurt, but people should not knowingly put themselves in harm's way when you've got moms and dads trying to get their kids to school."

This bizarre public safety policy naturally caught on, because one thing this country does not lack is a universe of state legislators afflicted with the disease. In May, down in the newly insane state of North Carolina, a similar bill passed the state House of Representatives.

Somehow, this made sense to Republican legislators and to the modern conservative mind. (The tactic also was endorsed by prominent conservative blogger Glenn Reynolds, who teaches law at the University of Tennessee.) Essentially, the statutes would create a protected class of vigilante motorists empowered to curtail free assembly with 4,000 pounds of mobile iron. This became an acceptable solution almost exclusively among Republican politicians.

So when anybody, especially the president*, talks about what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend, from the Citronella Putsch on Friday night, to the violence on Saturday morning, to the graphic fulfillment of the philosophy behind these lunatic laws on Saturday afternoon, tells you that what happened in Virginia has anything to do with "polarization," or that it is a problem equally shared by Both Sides, that person is trying preemptively to pick history's pockets.

Every Republican who ever spoke to, or was honored by, the Council of Conservative Citizens and/or the League of the South owns this bloodshed.

Every Republican administration that ever went out of its way to hire Pat Buchanan, and every TV executive who ever cut him a check, and every Republican who voted for him in 1992, and everyone who ever has pretended his views differed substantially from the ones in the streets this weekend, owns this bloodshed.

Every Republican president—actually, there's only one—who began a campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, to talk about states rights, and who sent his attorney general into court to fight for tax exemptions for segregated academies, owns this bloodshed.

Every Republican politician who followed the late Lee Atwater into the woods in search of poisoned treasure owns this bloodshed.

Every conservative journalist who saw this happening and who encouraged it, or ignored it, or pretended that it wasn't happening, owns this bloodshed.

Last November, we saw the culmination of four decades of the Republican Party trying to have it both ways, profiting from the darkest forces in American culture while maintaining a respectable cosmetic distance. On Saturday, we saw the culmination of the election that produced. At least, I'm praying this is the culmination. But I'm not sure about anything anymore. Every Trump rally came with an implied promise of some kind of violence. Sometimes, the promise was fulfilled. Sometimes it wasn't. But it was the dark energy behind that whole campaign. For all the relentless chin-stroking about the economically anxious and forgotten white working class, and for all the prayerful coverage of Donald Trump's "populist" appeal, there was no question what was driving events on the Republican side. Anyone who was at the Inauguration saw this coming. The address summoned up the desolate, witch-thickened wasteland he'd been handed. He had a memorable phrase for it.
American Carnage.

It came, finally—American Carnage, that is—on the streets and sidewalks of Thomas Jefferson's college town. 

The Continued Underestimation of the Far Right Threat

James Alex Fields, Jr. - Driver of the murder vehicle

The majority of the acts of terrorism since 9-11 have been committed by far right extremist, yet the media continually down plays the seriousness that these far right elements pose to law abiding citizens. Frighteningly, Der Trumpenführer wants to direct all anti-terror efforts towards Mulsims - no doubt to play to his base and his own bigotry - even as the events in Charlottesville underscore that the real threat is white supremacists/far right Christians (I see the two groups as largely the same since white nationalism is now the true religion of the Christofascists).  As a piece in the New York Times set out, the driver of the vehicle that drove into a crowd killing one and injuring 19 others - just like Islamic extremists in London - showed many warning signs that he was a potential threat. I'm sure in no time - if it hasn't already begun - the far right will claim he had mental illness problems rather than admit it is the toxicity of their beliefs and agenda that is the true cause of what happened on Saturday.  Here are article excerpts:

Although the crash was a grisly coda to a day of clashes between white nationalists and their opponents, family members, acquaintances and internet posts suggested that Mr. Fields had mostly gone unnoticed by the authorities and researchers, even as he trafficked in radical views and unnerving behavior long before the outbreak of violence.

As a young man in Kentucky, he sometimes espoused Nazi ideology at school. A military career ended in less than four months. On Saturday, before the crash that left Heather D. Heyer, 32, dead, and 19 others hurt, he stood in Charlottesville, donned a white shirt and clutched a shield that bore a symbol of the so-called alt-right. He is expected to appear in court on Monday to face an array of charges, including a count of second-degree murder; the federal authorities have opened a civil-rights inquiry.

[O]thers who knew Mr. Fields, especially from his teenage years, said that his demeanor and opinions had troubled them for years.

“On many occasions there were times he would scream obscenities, whether it be about Hitler or racial slurs,” a woman who attended middle school with Mr. Fields in Florence, Ky., said in an email on Sunday.

The woman, who requested anonymity because she feared retaliation, said Mr. Fields “mostly kept to himself” and “didn’t start fights or try to fight.” But she described him as “exceptionally odd and an outcast to be sure.”

“He wasn’t afraid to make you feel unsafe,” said the woman, who was among the students who said Mr. Fields had made them feel unnerved. The sources of Mr. Fields’s ideology were unclear on Sunday, but his Facebook page included memes and symbols associated with the far right. But in Charlottesville, Mr. Fields stood among men believed to be associated with Vanguard America, a group whose manifesto declares that “a government based in the natural law must not cater to the false notion of equality.”

There are many more James Fields out in society and they need to be identified and protective measures taken, including changes to America's gun laws that allow such people to be armed and even more dangerous.  

London 2017 - Days 5 and 6 and a Somber Homecoming

The husband in front of our hotel on Frith Street in the heart of Soho

The husband and I returned to the USA yesterday after enjoying two more wonderful days in London which included celebrating my birthday on Saturday.  With the disturbing event that unfolded in Charlottesville, I can truthfully say that I have mixed feelings about being back in America.  During the flight back I watched the Zookeeper's Wife, which recalled all to clearly what this kind of hatred that we are witnessing can lead to more quickly than many want to believe.  As previously noted, during our trip, it was constantly embarrassing being an American and having to explain that the majority of Americans did not vote for Trump and his call to racism and Neo-fascism, nor do we support him now.  We must save America's image in the world and say "No" to Trump and his supporters.

As I have noted on Facebook, I earned my undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia and I know Charlottesville well. The white supremacists on display over the last few days such as n the image below are NOT representative of Charlottesville and its people.  They are, however totally representative of Trump's base, including evangelical Christians who despite lip service to the message of Christ long ago threw away and right to call themselves Christian.  They now worship a virulent form of white nationalism that sows hatred of anyone with different beliefs, skin color, faith and/or sexual orientation. Don't believe Trump's utterly disingenuous attempt to build a false equivalency between the gathered white supremacists and those who oppose racist and fascism. 

These white supremacists - and by extension every evangelical Christian who voted for Trump - need to become social and political outcasts. While the Trump/Pence regime will never properly condemn them in a meaningful way, the rest of us patriotic Americans must oppose them and ultimately silence them. The cancer that they represent must be stopped.

More images of the white supremacist via the New York Times make it clear that these people descended on Charlottesville to intimidate and cause violence.  You do not carry an automatic weapon to a "peaceful Protest."

Monday Morning Male Beauty

London 2017 - Day 4

The husband at the Tower of London

After the utterly horrid rainy weather on Wednesday, yesterday was warmer and mostly sunny.  As a result, the husband and I were up and out the door early  to see sights that we had put off due to the rain.  We started the day by visiting the Tower of London,. with a highlight being the Crown Jewels exhibit which has totally been redone and greatly expanded from what it was 35 years ago, the last time I had seen it.  We then proceeded to the Churchill War Rooms back at Whitehall from which Churchill and his war cabinet directed the war effort from underground offices, sleeping accommodations - the works.  The site also has an amazing museum on Churchill himself.  We had lunch at the nearby Westminster Arms Pub situated in a 1913 vintage building.  The food was good and the waitstaff very cute. 

The highlight of the day came when we toured the state rooms at Buckingham Palace.   Highclere Castle was very nice (I'd live there in a heartbeat), but Buckingham Palace is in a league of its own.  Like the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace underscores that Britain was once the world's dominant superpower with all the wealth that entailed.  The Palace's "gardens" that one never sees in photos are likewise gorgeous.  What was striking was how many public functions are held at the Palace and the number of non-tourists visit it each year.

We then rushed back to the hotel and headed to the home of one of the husband's friends and sometimes client who is originally from Newport News, Virginia.  After cocktails we dined at Bradley's and had an amazing meal.  On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Compton's of Soho for a drink and then another one at the Admiral Duncan where we met a very nice young man with whom we had a great conversation.  As always., the issue of Donald Trump came up and the man is universally hated (one shop we walked past was selling tee shirts with Trump as Hitler on the front side).

The husband walking up to our friend's home

Based on our busy day, no posts were published yesterday! 

Friday Morning Male Beauty

London 2017 - Day 3

Big Ben in the distance at center

It would be hard to describe the weather as anything other than wretched with heavy rain all day. Thankfully, tomorrow is supposed to clear and be mostly sunny.  As for today, only indoor activities were in order and when traversing the city, maximum use of the Underground was a must (we purchased 6 day unlimited passes).  Despite the rain, we did some shopping and I found two spot coats for work that had sleeves that were the correct length "off the rack" - something that never happens in American stores. 

The other main attractions visited were Westminster Abbey and the National Portrait Gallery - where the photo above was taken from the cafe.  We had hoped to see the Churchill War Offices, but the prospect of standing in line in the blowing rain ended that effort.

Several things I have noticed about London: no litter, few overweight people other than tourists, and many, many handsome men.  All contrasts from Hampton Roads, Virginia.

The FBI Raids Paul Manafort's Home in a Search for Documents

Things are already disturbing enough with the situation with North Korea, yet there is a further worry:  what will Der Trumpenführer do to change the media narrative away from the seemingly intensifying Russiagate investigation  as exemplified by the FBI raiding Trump sycophant Paul Manafort's home in a search for documents, including documents relating to Manafort's meeting with Kremlin connected Russian attorney along with Donald Trump, Jr., and Jared Kushner.   One can well imagine the ranting that must have emanated from Trump's lips as the supposedly fabricated - at least in Trump's alternate universe world - took a new concrete turn.  The New York Times looks at this new development.  Here are excerpts:

Investigators for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, recently searched the Northern Virginia home of President Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, for tax documents and foreign banking records, a sign that the inquiry into Mr. Manafort has broadened, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The search was carried out at Mr. Manafort’s Alexandria, Va., home shortly after Mr. Manafort met with investigators for the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 25. In that meeting, Mr. Manafort answered questions and provided investigators with notes from a 2016 meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russians claiming to have damaging information on Hillary Clinton.

Mr. Manafort’s spokesman confirmed that an F.B.I. raid had been carried out.

Until now, it was only known that Mr. Manafort was under investigation for his business dealings with his son-in-law, his role in the 2016 meeting between Trump campaign officials and the Russians and whether his work for the Ukranian government violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

[T]he search warrant for the tax and foreign banking records suggests that investigators are looking at criminal charges related to the federal Bank Secrecy Act, which requires Americans to report their foreign banking accounts.

Politico has more coverage on the fact that this raid should be considered a big deal and could spell trouble for Manafort, and perhaps others:

“It is a big deal,” former Justice Department prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg said. “Prosecutors do not take aggressive steps like this with subjects who the government feels are being open and cooperative. And they also do not do this to ‘send a message.’ They do it because they think there is evidence to be found and that if they do not act aggressively, it could be destroyed.”

Duke Law School professor Samuel Buell, a former federal prosecutor, said a search warrant would be needed only if Mueller doubted Manafort would comply with document requests or a subpoena.

"Of course it confirms, beyond doubt, serious, criminal investigative focus on Manafort," Buell said.

A Washington-based defense lawyer with a client caught in the Russia probe said Mueller may also want to turn Manafort into a cooperative witness, something the former campaign manager's representatives had previously said wasn't happening.

“Manafort is on many levels a key subject of the investigation and someone who might be leveraged to share information about others,” the white-collar attorney said.

Manafort is only one prong of a Mueller probe that is examining a wide range of issues related to the 2016 election, including the use of Kremlin-linked social media bots to influence American voters on Trump’s behalf; the hacks into email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta; and Trump’s decision in May to fire FBI Director James Comey.

Mueller has a team of 16 attorneys working on the investigation, and he’s also using a grand jury in Washington to present evidence, question witnesses and issue subpoenas for business and financial records.

Wednesday Male Beauty