I would never think of defending the legacy of J. Edgar Hoover, who did more than his share of evil while building the FBI into the federal government’s top law-enforcement agency. But I did gain a new appreciation for the nuances of his half-century in power from the Pulitzer-Prize- winning biography by Beverly Gage titled G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century.
And with that deeper understanding, I’m quite sure that Hoover would be turning over in his grave at the news of Trump’s decision to appoint the right-wing zealot Kash Patel as the next director of the FBI.
Hoover was a bizarre, tortured figure to be sure — closeted, paranoid, racist and sexist — but also fiercely protective of the independence of “his” bureau from political interference by the many Presidents who came and went during his 48 years at the helm of the agency whose headquarters building bears his name.
Meanwhile, Trump wants Patel in place to pursue his political enemies, which is precisely the type of thing Hoover, despite his many flaws, did not want the bureau to do. And to a great extent, while he was around he succeeded in avoiding the bureau from being used as a political hit team.
Hoover held the line against all kinds of powerful Presidents — Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, etc., — but he never encountered the likes of Trump, with his insatiable thirst for retribution against his perceived political enemies.
And as for Patel, his right-wing extremism would have upset Hoover as much as the left-wing variety he more publicly railed against. Either extreme, Hoover knew, threatened not only his beloved bureau’s integrity but the future of our democracy.
One thing Hoover and Patel have in common is a willingness to trample all over the civil rights of people like you and me. Hold on to your privacy — this is bound to get ugly.
HEADLINES:
Stopping the Press (New Yorker)
Syrian rebels sweep into Aleppo after lightning assault (Financial Times)
Syrian rebels reach the heart of Aleppo (Reuters)
Setbacks for Russia, Iran and Hezbollah Turn Into a Catastrophe for Syria’s Assad (WSJ)
Great Lakes Storm Dumps 2 Feet of Snow on Northeast and Midwest, With More to Come (NYT)
Trump praises "very productive" Mar-a-Lago meeting with Trudeau (BBC)
The Big Question: who will be hurt the most by Trump’s tariffs? (Financial Times)
Trump’s former FDA commissioner warns RFK Jr. could ‘cost lives’ (WP)
Journalists flock to Bluesky as X becomes increasingly 'toxic' (NBC)
Googling Is for Old People. That’s a Problem for Google. (WSJ)
How will Australia enforce its social media ban for teenagers? (WP)
Zelenskyy says NATO guarantees could end ‘hot phase’ of Ukraine war (Politico)
Zelensky’s latest Ukraine-Russia war plan is a ‘major concession’ to Putin, says former UK ambassador (Independent)
How Kristi Noem, Trump’s homeland security pick, became an immigration ‘zealot’ (WP)
2 Big Social Security Changes Are Coming in 2025. Here's What to Expect. (Motley Fool)
Michigan stuns No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 before a massive postgame brawl at midfield (Yahoo)
How ChatGPT changed the future (Axios)
Robots can learn new actions faster thanks to AI techniques (Economist)
OpenAI targets 1bn users in next phase of growth (Financial Times)
Target Now Offering Snipers To Take Out Other Shoppers For Black Friday (The Onion)
LYRICS
“Not Dark Yet” by Bob Dylan
… Shadows are fallin' and I've been here all day
It's too hot to sleep and time is runnin' away
Feel like my soul has turned into steel
I've still got the scars that the sun didn't heal
… There's not even room enough to be anywhere
It's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there
… Well, my sense of humanity has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing, there's been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter, and she wrote it so kind
She put down in writin' what was in her mind
… I just don't see why I should even care
It's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there
… Well, I've been to London and I been to gay Paris
I've followed the river and I got to the sea
I've been down on the bottom of the world full of lies
I ain't lookin' for nothin' in anyone's eyes
… Sometimes my burden is more than I can bear
It's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there
… I was born here, and I'll die here against my will
I know it looks like I'm movin', but I'm standin' still
Every nerve in my body is so naked and numb
I can't even remember what it was I came here to get away from
… Don't even hear the murmur of a prayer
It's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there
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