Welcome to The Now

I'll be waiting patiently for an answer to this one.   

  The trial regarding Derek Chauvin , the former officer accused of ending George Floyd's life, began yesterday. People are understandably upset, some even saying that the America is on trial.  Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress are touting the Covid Rescue Plan ,  despite the fact that while helpful , it does not go far enough, does not help as many people as it claims and is mostly temporary .  In other words: the problems with social justice should be addressed wholesale and quickly, but the problems with economic justice require incremental adjustments at a slow pace. Whatever! Both are important and often times linked. The lawmakers who protect police from facing justice for being brutal to black people (and other minorities) are the same lawmakers keeping the wealthy at the top of the food chain at the expense of the working class.  MLK was always a thorn in the side of the powerful when he was arguing for civil rights, but once he started talking about eco...

 Sure they can fire people who want better working conditions during a pandemic or sabotage workers in Alabama who want to form the first union that the company would have in the US, but don't you dare claim that conditions are so bad employees have to pee in bottles !

 Graham Elwood and Dave Anthony talk about the pros and cons of re-opening schools early. Who knew doctors aren't testing asymptomatic children on a regular basis, or that parents would rather send their children back to school than deal with their bad behavior?

  Very true . So, the solution to the socio-economic problems caused by a pandemic that was exacerbated by Donald Trump's time in office is to bring the country back to a time where citizens were so frustrated over their situation that they voted Trump into office? It's almost like the Democrats want to create a GOP boogeyman to run against instead of championing popular policies.  On a personal note: can we get Richard Wolff, Chris Hedges and Cornel West in a room together? For two hours at least? 

 Mainstream media is trying to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to President Biden. Whenever it's convenient, Biden is  a moderate who can reach across the aisle . The New York Times can't decide if Biden is a champion for blue collar workers or a working class myth .  And of course there are the numerous comparisons to FDR . (Let's not forget that FDR's policies we so popular, he was voted into office for four terms, only stopping because he died - and forcing the GOP to push for presidential terms limits). Now, Daily Beast has a new title : Joe Biden, Progressive Hero. How? Let's go over the their evidence starting with the praise heaped onto the stimulus bill (my reaction in glorious bold and italic : " Biden’s White House spokesperson Jen Psaki described the measure as 'the most progressive bill in American history.' " Psaki's judgment leave a bit to be desired, considering she was the communications director for Joe Crowley...

  Jimmy Dore and Justin Jackson are correct: The Squad would rather tweet about progressive policies than fight for them.  When any of them say that they are "for" something, it basically means: "If the leaders of the party actually bring the legislation up, we'll certainly vote for it."  In other words: if Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris or any committee chair calls for Medicare for All or a $15 minimum wage, the Squad will happily give it their stamp of approval. But they will not do anything of substance to get those policies on the floor for a vote. They will not tell their followers on social media to hold onto their donations until a vote is done. They will not do anything to gum up the works in Congress to get their way.  They will tweet, post videos, and give interviews. They will not rally, protest or hold their vote. They will not disturb the system, because they don't think that the system needs disturbing. The Justice Democr...

  More media consolidation : Buzzfeed announced Tuesday that it has laid off 45 reporters, editors and producers from the newly acquired HuffPost. HuffPost Executive Editor Hillary Frey, the website’s executive editor, and Executive Editor Louise Roug also resigned over the layoffs, Buzzfeed said. The dismissals come just three weeks after Buzzfeed acquired HuffPost, the media outlet founded in 2005 as The Huffington Post, from Verizon Media. “We never got a fair shot to prove our worth,” the HuffPost union said in a statement. According to excerpts released by the company, Buzzfeed CEO Jonah Peretti told employees at a meeting that “we will begin to restructure HuffPost today to fast-track its path to profitability. Unfortunately that includes staff reductions, and a number of talented colleagues will be laid off over the next few days.” [snip] The union said the layoffs included nearly 30 percent of its membership. “We are devastated and infuriated, particularly after an exhausti...