Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 12.22.2021
Harvard Kennedy School prof, moderate Dem, pro free speech/anti cancel culture, pro tax rich, pro Israel.
Amazon offering $15 and benefits
Amazon is advertising online jobs that pay $15 an hour plus health benefits, paid sick leave, and free college tuition.
Military training in fifth grade
The Times notes that Russian school children begin military training in the 5th grade.
Felices fiestas
Watching Unavision news tonight to practice my Spanish, heard them say "Feliz fiestas" (happy holidays) instead of Feliz Navidad.
More China bullying of Lithuania
China has told multinationals they will be excluded from the Chinese market if they do not stop production in Lithuania, the tiny country which has angered China by its support for Taiwan. These folks are real bullies.
China Daily on closing election “loopholes” in Hong Kong
An editorial in China Daily on the Hong Kong "elections" notes that the new election law "closed the loopholes in the electoral system that allowed subversives to worm their way" into the legislature. By "loopholes," China Daily means that supporters of democracy were allowed to run. Such "loopholes" are gone now.
Taiwan referenda
In Taiwan, four referenda supported by the pro-China KMT party were all defeated. Note that these referenda were organized by the opposition party, not the government. A thriving democracy!
“Release my candidate” in Hong Kong
On the occasion of the Hong-Kong "election," exiled pro democracy advocates have been sharing on social media the hashtag #releasemycandidate. Most pro democracy activists still in Hong-Kong are currently imprisoned.