Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 11.1.2021
I agree with Fox!
Fox was screaming this morning about an Biden administration plan to compensate illegal immigrants who had been separated from their families under Trump up to $650,000. I assumed that it was some Fox made-up or misleading story. But the Times has an article confirming that this indeed is being seriously considered. This strikes me as not justified as a policy. In terms of the politics, why not just hand the Republicans Congress on a silver platter?
Defund the police in Minneapolis
There will be a ballot measure this November in Minneapolis to replace the police department with a department of public safety. A poll cited in The Times shows 49% favor the measure, 41% opposed. Interesting and surprising, I think. The ballot language says the new department of public safety "could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary." This language I find pretty shocking.
Privacy and Internet in China
Times reports after a Chinese couple came down with covid after traveling inside China, detailed information about their travels, including what time they checked into hotels and which floors of restaurants they ate in, were published on the Internet.
Amnesty closing in Hong Kong
Amnesty International has announced it is closing its office in Hong-Kong because the so called "national security law" makes it impossible for them to operate. Darkness continues to descend on this formerly free city.
“Differently abled” in China
An article in the Beijing Review uses the phrase "differently abled." They are picking up the latest in Western jargon.
Anti-government think tank morphs into liberalism
I am sorta amazed. The Niskanen Center is a think tank named after the libertarian economist William Niskanen, who was one of the leading intellectual advocates of the "public choice" school in economics, which believed that government worked mainly to help the self-interest of public employees. But somehow they have now morphed into a liberal organization -- the latest thing I've seen from them supports the child tax credit. Anybody know what happened?
Covid in Vermont
The Globe has a story today about a recent surge of covid cases in Vermont, a state with early and high vaccination rates.. Nobody knows exactly why, but one possibility is that people were vaccinated so early that their original immunity has worn off. The governor has also resisted mask mandates. And the very low rates of covid in the state mean fewer have natural immunity.
Taiwan and US
A column in the Globe today writes, Taiwan's population "is but a sliver of China's, but in that sliver is the hope of what China and its billion people might one day become."
Anti-Trump Republicans for Democratic governor candidate in Virginia
Just got an email on the Virginia governor race from the Lincoln Project, the group founded by anti-Trump Republicans. It is written and signed by Reed Galen, one of the co-founders of the group, supporting Terry McAuliffe. It is fascinating they are supporting the Democrat for Virginia governor. It was also fascinating reading about Galen's childhood going to Sunday school at Congregation Rodef Shalom, which was our synagogue when we lived in northern Virginia in the nineties. Our older daughter was Bat mitzvah there. I had no idea Galen was Jewish.
Not wearing a mask with cancer patient
The Miami Herald reports that Governor DeSantis' surgeon general refused to wear a mask while meeting with a state official who was being treated for cancer.
”Middle aged” in China at 30?
Learned that in China the phrase "middle aged" refers to people who are 30 or 40 years old. Reflects Chinese life expectancy in the not-too-distant past.