Quemado

Quemado's Journal

June 2, 2020

The Legacy of the 1968 Riots

I don't know how practical this is, but someone needs to communicate to the bad actors that they are providing re-election material to Trump and the Republicans, and they need to stop the looting and the vandalism.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/apr/04/thelegacyofthe1968riots

"The riots thus provided an entrée for conservatives to finally, fully assert law and order as a national political issue. Something that had been brewing for decades at the local level, and which had played a role in the GOP victories of 1966, became after April 1968 the single The riots thus provided an entrée for conservatives to finally, fully assert law and order as a national political issue. Something that had been brewing for decades at the local level, and which had played a role in the GOP victories of 1966, became after April 1968 the single most important domestic concern in the 1968 presidential race. Polls repeatedly put it at par with, and even above, the Vietnam war. Richard Nixon, who had largely avoided talking about riots and civil rights before April, now made law and order - and the revulsion of white suburbia against the violent images of rioters reacting to King's death - a central theme in his campaign.

"The riots also vaulted Nixon's eventual running mate, the obscure Maryland governor Spiro Agnew, to national prominence. In the wake of the violence in Baltimore, Agnew had called local civil rights leaders to a meeting and then ambushed them with accusations that they had facilitated the racial militancy that he - and much of white America - believed to be the cause of the riots. Nixon aide Patrick Buchanan clipped a news story about the speech and handed it to his boss. And while Nixon toyed with other running mates, he ultimately chose Agnew based on his newfound fame as the standard-bearer of the "silent majority". Agnew was consistently marked for his boorishness by the press corps, but, as an astute Time magazine columnist wrote: "What Agnew has got is a reflexive feel for how millions of fellow Americans view the world - many of them through suburban windows."most important domestic concern in the 1968 presidential race. Polls repeatedly put it at par with, and even above, the Vietnam war. Richard Nixon, who had largely avoided talking about riots and civil rights before April, now made law and order - and the revulsion of white suburbia against the violent images of rioters reacting to King's death - a central theme in his campaign.

"Whether or not Agnew made the difference that November, his selection defined the new White House as a decided turn in American politics, one that pivoted heavily on the riots. Along with the growing appeal of law and order as a political attitude came a rejection of the liberal state and its ameliorationist, integrationist attitude toward the inner-city poor. Conservatives drew a direct line connecting ghetto unrest and liberal social policy, an accusation that also appealed to the pocketbooks of a new generation of middle-class, suburban whites."

May 19, 2020

A person who was Covid-19 positive attended a church service and exposed 180 people, officials say

(CNN) A person who later learned they were positive for Covid-19 attended a California religious service on Mother's Day, exposing 180 other people to the novel coronavirus, according to local health officials.

The individual got a positive diagnosis for Covid-19 the day after the service and is now in isolation at home.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/17/us/covid-19-mothers-day-church-exposure/index.html

This took place in Butte County, CA: http://www.buttecounty.net/Portals/21/Admin/Media/BCPHRespondstoCOVIDChurchExposure.pdf?ver=2020-05-15-102817-117

May 15, 2020

Novartis CEO says any new coronavirus vaccine will take two years

ZURICH (Reuters) - Any vaccine to fight the new coronavirus will not be ready for use for at least two years, the chief executive of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, which no longer makes vaccines itself, told a German newspaper.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-novartis-ceo-vaccine-idUSKBN22R0T7

May 14, 2020

Covidiots: 72 people in Wisconsin test positive after attending large gathering.

More than 70 people in Wisconsin test positive for coronavirus after admitting they attended a 'large gathering' in the state - around same time hundreds turned out for anti-lockdown protest.

Wisconsin's Department of Health Services said 72 people who tested positive for COVID-19 on or after April 26 attended a large gathering not long before.

On April 24, thousands of anti-lockdown protesters gathered outside the capitol building in Madison demanding an end to Gov Evers' lockdown.

Demonstrators were pictured ignoring social distancing rules and shunning face masks at the mass rally.

It was one of the largest anti-lockdown rallies to take place across the country At the time there were 5,356 cases and 262 deaths in the state As of Wednesday, there are 10,611 cases and the death toll has reached 418.

The DHS has not specifically tracked whether the 'large gathering' was the rally so it is not possible to confirm individuals contracted the virus there.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8316571/More-70-people-Wisconsin-test-positive-coronavirus-attending-large-gathering.html

#covidiot

April 30, 2020

Covid-19 crisis will wipe out demand for fossil fuels, says IEA

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/30/covid-19-crisis-demand-fossil-fuels-iea-renewable-electricity

Renewable electricity will be the only source resilient to the biggest global energy shock in 70 years triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the world’s energy watchdog.

Fatih Birol, the IEA’s executive director, said: “The plunge in demand for nearly all major fuels is staggering, especially for coal, oil and gas. Only renewables are holding up during the previously unheard of slump in electricity use.”

April 24, 2020

Jim Jones and Donald Trump: Same Kool-Aid, Different Vat

by Katherine Hill, Ph.D in Psychology.

Originally posted on October 19th, 2016. https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=67658

Last modified on November 14th, 2018.

Some quotes:

"...the more I hear Trump talk, the more he reminds me of Jim Jones."

"...parallels abound: disturbing personality traits, despicable behaviors, negative messages, and the use of persuasive speech."

Personality traits: "Narcissists desire constant attention. Jones attained this by keeping his flock in close proximity and controlling their lives.Trump gets his ego strokes by maintaining near-constant public focus on himself through campaign rallies, news appearances, and especially his Twitter account, from which he launches his rawest, most outrageous tirades free of the vetting of a campaign staff or the political party he purports to represent."

Requests/Demands for Loyalty: "Towards the end of one Trump rally in early 2016, the candidate asked that attendees raise their right hands and pledge to vote for him. His statement about being able to shoot someone and not lose any voters is as much a demand for loyalty from his followers as it is a demonstration that he has it. Compare these to Jones’ behaviors: he periodically had people pledge – verbally and/or in writing – that they were willing to die for the Cause. Jones also collected signed papers – sometimes blank sheets, sometimes written statements confessing to past or planned criminal activities – that he kept on file just in case someone thought about defecting. It gave him something to discourage them from leaving or – if they did – from speaking out."

Threats, Degradation, and Retaliation for Slights or Disloyalty: "Trump’s behavior (i.e. Trump's fat-shaming of Alicia Machado) reminds me of some of Jones’ actions towards anyone who defected from the Temple as an enemy. He would publicly deride them in Temple meetings and allegedly threatened many who left. The major difference between Trump and Jones in this regard is that Jones’ wrath was voiced within the realm of the Temple, whereas Trump’s wrath is on display for all to see."

Money: Acquiring Other People’s, Bribing One’s Way Out of Trouble: "...one can attempt to create a positive image and avert possible legal consequences from people who feel exploited by making a few well-placed bribes or donations. Jones was known to have given money to a variety of political campaigns, including to leaders whose decision could – and did – directly affect the Temple. Similarly, Trump gave a generous donation to the election campaign of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi; miraculously, her office did not move forward with investigations into Trump University in response to complaints filed in Florida."

Denigration of Women, Sexual Improprieties, Assault Accusations and the Size of His Penis:
"People are often alarmed at Jim Jones’ sexual indiscretions and crass talk about sexual conduct. It is well known, for example, that Jones had numerous extramarital affairs, and as some came to light, he or his defenders had ready-made excuses for the indiscretions. New reports and tabloids from decades ago revealed that Trump cheated on his first wife Ivana with Marla Maples, the woman who was to become his second wife, before he was divorced. Then, while married to Marla, Trump continued to engage in numerous infidelities. In the final weeks running up to the election, Trump stands accused of assaulting numerous women. Trump is also one to boast about the size of his penis: at a Republican primary debate in the March of 2016, in defending himself on a comment made by Marco Rubio about Trump’s “small hands” – and by implication, a small penis – Trump stated that “I guarantee you there’s no problem there, I guarantee it.” That a comment of this nature would occur in the formal setting of a political debate is as inappropriate – even alarming – as Jones’ statements about his penis and sexual exploits occurring in a “church” setting."

Using the Bible: "Peoples Temple began as a Christian church, and even as Jim Jones turned away from Christian beliefs and tenets, he retained his knowledge of the Bible. Jones knew it inside and out, including its contradictions and its descriptions of crimes such as rape and murder. The Bible was his to tailor his message at any given moment. On the other hand, there is Donald Trump, known for bringing two books to some of his rallies: The Art of the Deal and the Bible itself. The problem is, one he didn’t write and the other he didn’t read, even if he uses the Bible to pander to the Religious Right.

Links to Russia: "Jones’ links to Russia were relatively transparent. He was sympathetic to communism and an admirer of Josef Stalin. During Jonestown’s final year, Jones often spoke of relocating his movement to Russia as a way of getting away from the U.S. government’s persecution, an option which Christine Miller raised as an alternative to death on November 18, 1978. One of the big controversies in Trump’s candidacy is his murky ties to Russia. He has given contradictory statements about whether or not he knows Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin. Russia’s leader is a “strong” leader, Trump says, a surprising compliment coming from a man painting himself as a conservative capitalist. Some suggest that Trump has financial ties to Russia and that the Russians may be involved in hacks of both the Republican and Democratic national committees. Trump denies these claims."

Playing the Savior, Bringing the Revolution: "Both Jones and Trump depict themselves as leaders of revolutionary movements, miracle workers who alone can save the people."

Messages: Fear, Lies, Paranoia, and Violence: "Current political commentators are aware that a large part of Trump’s message to his supporters falls under the purview of fear-mongering.Jones himself had fear to sell, and although conditions were bad for African-Americans, Jones told blatant, horrifying lies to portray a situation far worse than reality.Trump is a master of “Us vs. Them” thinking: you are either with him, or you are against him.Jones, too, exploited divisions between groups. Although Jones described the government and its agencies as enemies and conspirators against them, he reserved his greatest contempt for defectors and members of the Concerned Relatives. Hatred and distrust of the press is characteristic which Jones and Trump share. Indeed, one of the biggest similarities between Trump and Jones is their penchant for lying – and in Trump’s case, for his tendency to double down on his exposed lies.Whenever I hear Trump’s oft-repeated “Believe me, believe me”, my mind flashes back to the so-called “death tape” of November 18, during which Jones tells his people: “I’ve never lied to you. I never have lied to you”.

A Notable, Important Difference between Jones and Trump: Their Followers "The followers of Donald Trump and Jim Jones share another similarity: they could not be more different from each other, or to a great degree, from the American society from which they emerge. People of color are rare at Trump rallies, and when they do show up, event organizers appear to go out of their way to position them behind the candidate so that news coverage of the event will capture them. Male Trump supporters outnumber female supporters. Compare these folks to Jones’ supporters. The Temple included people of all ethnic backgrounds, and by some estimates, blacks made up 85% to 90% of the Los Angeles and San Francisco congregations. Many, though not all, of the members came from lower-income households in inner city areas. These people felt disenfranchised, too, but it was arguably justified. Many had been on the receiving end of racism, injustice, and financial hardship. Electing Trump would be America’s Jonestown. We would be poisoning our entire country."

The Scariest Thing of All: "... Donald Trump and Jim Jones share many characteristics, but perhaps the most important, the most fundamental – certainly the scariest – aspect of their message is the manner in which they deliver it. They often speak in animated, staccato sentences that border on ranting, but carry the fervor of passion. Trump, like Jones, tells his followers that he loves them. They repeat their messages frequently, a well-known persuasion technique. Both men see themselves as straight-talking, down-to-earth saviors: the kind that use profanities and vulgarities as a way of making them “relatable”. Even if many outside their respective movements wonder, “how can anyone fall for that?” others are willing to follow. Unfortunately, following such a toxic individual has ramifications for many people, and not just for their followers. Conspiratorial talk of a rigged election by a Trump fearful of losing to Clinton has his supporters vowing to retaliate on his behalf, in the form of riots or assassinations as needed."