n2doc
n2doc's JournalTrumps glorious victory for anti-intellectualism: Drain the swamp just meant the eggheads
When WikiLeaks published an email last October revealing different passages from the notorious paid speeches that Hillary Clinton gave to various Wall Street firms between 2013 and 2014 — including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley — Donald Trump and his supporters were quick to use the transcripts as evidence that Clinton was thoroughly corrupt and in Wall Street’s pocket, even though her remarks were actually quite dull and predictable. Two lines that received the most attention from critics were the former secretary of state remarking that Wall Street reform “has to come from the industry itself,” and that “the people that know the industry better than anybody are the people who work in the industry.”
For Republican Hillary-haters who believe Clinton is an evil feminazi, these comments were concrete proof that Clinton was a Wall Street shill who would be the most corrupt president in history. On the other hand, critics on the left found these comments pretty tame, revealing nothing new or scandalous about Clinton — simply confirming that she is, like the vast majority of politicians in Washington, not particularly troubled by the common practice of industry insiders (i.e., “experts”) taking on regulatory roles.
Over the past several decades, the revolving door has seen bipartisan consensus among Republican and Democratic administrations — especially when it comes to hiring so-called experts from Wall Street. If anything, Republicans have been the worst offenders when it comes to hiring insiders to regulate their own industries, and only progressive members of the Democratic Party, like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown, have consistently called out the entire practice as corrupt and unethical.
So it was amusing to hear right-wingers assail Clinton for essentially preaching what their own party has long practiced. But of course, 2016 was ostensibly different, because the GOP’s presidential nominee wasn’t a standard establishment Republican. Donald Trump was a “populist” who would march on Washington like the strongmen of old and “drain the swamp.” The tough-talking billionaire was going to throw out the elites in Washington and create a government that “put America first” — or something like that.
more
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/07/donald-trumps-glorious-victory-for-anti-intellectualism-drain-the-swamp-just-meant-the-eggheads/
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Obama Publishes Piece in Harvard Law Review, a Presidential First
Karen Sloan, The National Law Journal
January 5, 2017
President Barack Obama has taken to the pages of the Harvard Law Review — which he edited as a student — to defend his record of criminal justice reform.
In an article published Thursday, titled "The President's Role in Advancing Criminal Justice Reform," Obama touted his efforts to make the criminal justice system more fair and effective, from the record number of clemency petitions he granted to expanded mentoring of young minority men. He also made the case that major reform is still needed and that the president can play a leading role in driving those changes.
"How we treat citizens who make mistakes (even serious mistakes), pay their debt to society, and deserve a second chance reflects who we are as a people and reveals a lot about our character and commitment to founding principles," the article reads.
It's the first time a sitting president has ever published an article in the prestigious journal, according to the school. But it was, perhaps, a natural fit for the outgoing president. He served as the president of the law review during the 1990-91 academic year, when he was a third-year law student.
more
http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202776148224/Obama-Publishes-Piece-in-Harvard-Law-Review-a-Presidential-First
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