Out & About in America With #RandomThoughts For the Week
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1. Impeachment, Again
The best part—the absolute best—will be Trumpers crowing about "TOTAL EXONERATION AGAIN!” five minutes after a bipartisan majority of the United States Senate votes to convict Donald Trump of inciting a deadly insurrection.
Because you know that’s coming.
ANOTHER WITCH HUNT!
IMPEACHMENT SCAM!
RADICAL LEFT CANCEL CULTURE!
SO MUCH #WINNING!
This is all so rote that it’s not even really interesting.
Also not interesting is the Republican hypocrisy.
Remember this piece?
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Two months before the 2016 election Very Serious Conservatives were arguing that Hillary Clinton should be impeached even before she was elected.
Then, yesterday, other Very Serious Conservatives argued that it was completely un-constitutional to hold an impeachment trial of Trump because he’s no longer president.
And that’s not even the worst hypocrisy!
The worst is that the Republican senators who, on January 26 insisted that, gosh darnit, they just couldn’t even hold an impeachment trial on Trump because the Senate waited too long were totally silent on January 8 when Mitch McConnell sent the Senate on vacation for the express purpose of not having to hold an impeachment trial should the House pass articles of impeachment before Trump’s departure.
Global Zero Warns 'Safer Isn't Safe' as Doomsday Clock Holds Steady
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Moments ago, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that its iconic Doomsday Clock, which signifies the level of existential danger posed by nuclear weapons and climate change, would remain unchanged at 100 seconds to midnight. The announcement leaves the clock as close to midnight as it has ever been in its 73-year long history confirming the need to take urgent action to address these dual existential threats.
In response to the Bulletin's announcement, Derek Johnson, CEO of Global Zero, the international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons, issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement is a vital reminder: When it comes to the existential threats posed by nuclear weapons and climate change, we cannot be satisfied with simply changing who’s in charge. We face systemic dangers that demand systemic solutions.
"Donald Trump was an accelerant for existential risk. We got lucky — and you’d be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief now that he’s gone. But ‘safer’ isn’t ‘safe.’ The Doomsday Clock was within striking distance of catastrophe long before a reality TV host was handed the nuclear codes. It will stay that way until nuclear weapons are taken off the board entirely.
“There’s cause for optimism. President Biden has been quick to signal a major course-correction, from extending the New START Treaty and rejoining the Paris Climate Accords, to swift nominations of seasoned, clear-eyed professionals to key posts at the State Department and the Pentagon. But the Trump Effect only exacerbated a deteriorating situation, and rolling back the Clock will require bold leadership that goes far beyond restoring the status quo ante.
"The reality is that a small group of governments — the United States and Russia chief among them — insist their national security can only be guaranteed by holding the world hostage to nuclear conflict. Too many people in power believe the perceived security benefits of these weapons are worth the inherent risks. But those risks are higher than commonly understood and extend to extinction-level events; they don’t call it the ‘Doomsday Clock’ for nothing. No short-term trade-off makes rational sense in the face of these looming probabilities.
“The Bulletin has done the world a critical service by reminding us we remain as close as ever to the brink. We’ve been brought here by the collective failure of our governments to take action in the face of mounting danger dating back to the Manhattan Project. Reversing these dangerous nuclear trends — pulling back from a new arms race, downsizing massive modernization programs, and doubling-down on arms control and disarmament — will require a Manhattan Project-level of commitment, urgency, and resolve.
“With just 100 seconds to midnight, we need to prioritize efforts that reduce the most proximate nuclear risks and buy time to tackle longer-term challenges. Extending New START is a good first step. It should be followed quickly by a new process to further reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear stockpiles and to engage other nuclear-armed nations in serious talks. In parallel, the United States must pursue long overdue reform of its Cold War nuclear strategy by ending the President’s sole authority over nuclear weapons and implementing a credible commitment to No First Use. From there, we could begin rolling back the Clock in earnest through more ambitious agreements that draw in other nuclear-armed nations, reduce the role of nuclear weapons in global affairs, and set the course to the total, verified elimination of all nuclear weapons everywhere.”
# # #
Global Zero is the international movement for the elimination of nuclear weapons. It is led by more than 300 eminent world leaders and backed by a half a million citizens worldwide. For more information, please visit www.globalzero.org.
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Capital expenditures: Most inaugurations represent a windfall for Washington, D.C., and its businesses. But not the one for President Joe Biden. The pandemic and security concerns following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol transformed a typically lucrative celebration into a much less profitable occasion. Airbnb canceled reservations across the region after locals expressed concerns about potential extremists staying in their neighborhoods. While hotels would have usually expected sold-out bookings at steep rates, many hosted security forces instead. Most downtown destination restaurants also closed for the event. There are a number of different streams of revenue associated with the ceremony. Hospitality, construction and event security are only a few. Exactly how much money did the city lose out on? It's hard to pin down an exact figure, but one estimate, from the downtown business improvement district, puts it at around $100 million. Today on CityLab: Kriston Capps explains what the Capitol riot and inauguration lockdown cost the city of D.C. -Max Reyes More on CityLab |
Post-Trump, America’s mayors can look forward to all kinds of relief, according to Greg Fischer. |
A new report from the ride-hailing company says its tools can help Covid-battered transit agencies trim costs and improve service. Not everyone is so sure. |
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