Every now and then, while monitoring the dozens of news sources I check daily, an article catches my attention because it adds perspective to the news in ways others do not.
In this week’s New Yorker, one such essay, “Trump’s Bloody Campaign Promises,” by David Remnick cautions that we ignore the former President’s escalating rhetoric of violent rage at very great risk.
It may be tempting to write off Trump’s words as simply campaign hyperbole, but Remnick compares Trump’s speeches to those of Rodrigo Duterte, the former President of the Philippines, who rose to power by promising to execute those whom he deemed a threat to law and order.
After taking office, Duterte made good on his threats to the extent that human-rights groups estimate the resulting death toll at ten thousand people.
We are now hearing almost identical language from Trump, as he angrily calls for the deaths of shoplifters, migrants, and even his former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—all to the delight of his Zombie-like followers.
“In the coming year, you will rarely, if ever, hear discussion of policy from Trump,” Remnick writes. “You will hear expressions of rage and impulse. It is tempting to ignore them, to dismiss them as inconsequential, repetitious, corrosive. They are so painful to listen to, both in their hatefulness and in their frequency, that some have argued the media should ignore them entirely, the better to avoid elevating them. But ignoring them will not make them go away.”
As ugly and disgusting as Trump’s words are, we have to keep listening and noting their significance, and redouble our efforts to prevent this dangerous despot from ever again holding power.
HEADLINES:
Pelosi says interim House speaker McHenry has ordered her to vacate her office in the Capitol building (CNN)
McCarthy’s Ouster Is Proof, Once Again, That Appeasement Doesn’t Work (New Yorker)
Republican firebrand Jim Jordan, a Trump ally, becomes first to announce speaker bid (NBC)
Hardline duo emerge as frontrunners to succeed McCarthy as House speaker (Guardian)
McCarthy’s Extraordinary Downfall Reflects an Ungovernable G.O.P. (NYT)
House speaker chaos stuns lawmakers, frays relationships and roils Washington (AP)
Republicans are sick of Matt Gaetz, and they’re not quiet about it (WP)
Trump’s Bloody Campaign Promises (New Yorker)
Trump drops off Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans (Axios)
Trump Finally Brings His Online Rage to the Courtroom (Daily Beast)
Trump's words turn violent as pressure on him builds (Axios)
Giuliani’s Drinking, Long a Fraught Subject, Has Trump Prosecutors’ Attention (NYT)
Largest healthcare strike in US history underway as 75,000 Kaiser workers walk off job (ABC)
Sam Bankman-Fried's father and brother, as well as Donald Trump's former spokesman Anthony Scaramucci, are among possible witnesses at the cryptocurrency exchange founder's fraud trial, according to a list read by a prosecutor in court. (Reuters)
School surveillance tech does more harm than good, ACLU report finds (Guardian)
The Supreme Court’s Right Flank Is Laying Groundwork To Dismantle Defendant Rights (Slate)
Meta is planning to lay off employees in the unit of its metaverse-oriented Reality Labs division focused on creating custom silicon, two sources familiar with the matter said. (Reuters)
What is the future of US-China relations? (Economist)
With Surge in Attacks, Militants Begin New Era of Bloodshed in Pakistan (NYT)
Islamic State rising in Balochistan. Pakistan doesn’t have the resources to win this fight (The Print)
Google is launching a generative AI-enhanced version of Assistant (Verge)
LinkedIn goes big on new AI tools for learning, recruitment, marketing and sales, powered by OpenAI (TC)
SoftBank’s Son Says Artificial General Intelligence Will Soon Surpass Humans (WSJ)
It Clear Which Half Of Couple Forced Into Marathon (The Onion)
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