Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life October 25, 2021
Steve Kelman, Harvard Kennedy School prof, moderate Dem, pro free speech/anti cancel culture, pro tax rich, pro-Israel. Research improving gov performance, China interest. Blog reprints Facebook posts
Marathon runner in Hong Kong arrested for “Go Hong Kong” t shirt
A marathon runner in Hong-Kong has been arrested for wearing a T-shirt that says "Go Hong-Kong." This was considered to support Hong-Kong independence.
Bagel inflation
A follow up on my earlier bagel price post. Just bought a dozen bagels this morning here in Cape Cod, where I'm spending the weekend. They were $18.50 for a Baker's dozen, twice the price I paid before the pandemic.
Executive privilege and Trump January 6 subpoena
Executive privilege normally refers to conversations or documents related to a president's duties. How was organizing the January 6 riots a presidential duty?
Liz Chaney on January 6 insurrection
Liz Cheney has said to fellow Republicans in Congress, "There's a moment when politics must stop if we want to defend and protect our institutions. A violent assault on the capital to stop a constitutional process of counting electoral votes is that moment."
Trump endorsing insurrection
Trump is now openly endorsing the January 6th insurrection. "The insurrection took place on November 3rd. January 6th was the protest!"
Fox and Chinese state TV
A friend who is a long time China journalist notes here that Fox is like CCTV, the China state run TV station
Dissing the idea of intellectual debate
Quote from a so-called “woke” person: "This idea of intellectual debate and rigor as the pinnacle of intellectualism comes from a world in which white men dominated." I am not sure which I find more offensive, the dissing of intellectual debate or the suggestion that it is a product of white men.
Fox faux “man on the street” interviews
Fox has an annoying feature sending reporters to restaurants to interview customers, they are ALWAYS conservatives. But to be sure they generally go to places in the South. Today, however the reporter went to a restaurant in Loudon County, a mostly Democratic area. Again, only interviewed conservatives. Fox is falsely presenting these as "man on the street" interviews. This is like Chinese TV.
Black legislators
The percentage of black lawmakers in the House is now almost equal to the percentage of black people in the population as a whole.
Song making fun of China for being oversensitive
China has reacted to a just-released YouTube video by a Malaysian and a Taiwanese artist of a song making fun of overly sensitive to criticism Chinese by blocking the social media accounts of the two in China.