The Politics Thread

[janea4old]

@Maxim Thanks for posting about Germany.    I was reading a little about it yesterday.  I'm glad there are protests!
The demonstrations came one day after chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz worked with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to push draft anti-immigration legislation through the lower house of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag.. 
Organizers accuse Merz of 'making AfD extremism socially acceptable' 
 

[janea4old]

More announced on the passengers from the July 29 Wash DC aviation collision.  More names given for America and Russian ice skaters (including coaches and children) and the skaters' family members who were on the flight.  The pipefitters and friends from Wash DC region were returning from a hunting trip.   There were individuals traveling to/from visiting family members in other states.  A college student.  Two Chinese citizens.  A college biology teacher.    A police officer from the Philippines. 
Also biographies of some of the flight crew.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2025/01/31/two-chinese-nationals-and-a-philippines-police-official-among-those-killed-in-dc-plane-crash--what-we-know-about-the-victims/
and
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/31/dc-plane-crash-victims-list/78052169007/

And .. three attorneys were passengers, including this one:

https://bsky.app/profile/araujohistorian.bsky.social/post/3lgyuydtdw225

Kiah Duggins: A former Miss Kansas contestant who believed in 'radical love'
Kiah Duggins, 30, was a civil rights attorney, aspiring law professor, a former White House intern and Miss Kansas contestant.

"Kiah believed in radical love, unwavering truth, and the fight for a better world. Let’s carry her torch forward," family member Aisha Duggins wrote in a fundraiser for causes and initiatives "dear to (Duggins') heart, ensuring that her work and passion live on."

Prior to her death, Duggins was "set to begin a new chapter as a professor at Howard University in the fall," the university posted on social media.

She dedicated her career to fighting against "unconstitutional policing and unjust money bail practices in Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C.," the post reads.

While at Wichita State University as a Clay Barton Scholar and student government chief of staff, she helped found the university’s first student resource pantry that is still helping students in need. She also interned at the White House under the Obama Administration and taught English in Taiwan before graduating in 2017.

"I can't think of anybody better than Kiah to represent not just Wichita State, but the United States and humanity," Wichita State University enrollment executive Bobby Gandu told USA TODAY. "She was just such a wonderful person, and you knew that she was going to go into an area that might be poverty stricken or lack opportunity, and she would bring such joy to the people in that community."

Edited February 1 by janea4old

[Maxim]

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[DRW50]

This is very dangerous and would be getting more attention in a press or a country that cared. Sadly, we live in a country where two major plane crashes in two days get a shrug and claims that anyone who isn't a white man was to blame are treated as profound wisdom. And JD Jaundice, replaced by Elon, spends his time arguing with failed Tories on social media about how real Christians want the world to be full of hate and pain.

Exclusive: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency, sources say | Reuters

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/31/elon-musk-treasury-department-payment-systems/

[MissPhoenixGirl92]

The whole Musk aides locking government officials out of their computer systems at the U.S. Treasury really makes me nervous. It makes me wonder what the hell they're planning. For all I know, they could be planning to target anybody who's against Trump. 

[Marco Dane]

Defense Department To Boot NBC News, New York Times And Other Media From Workspaces As Part Of New Rotation; Trump-Friendly Outlets To Get Spots

 

 

https://deadline.com/2025/02/pentagon-trump-workspace-nbc-news-1236275061/

[janea4old]

Feb. 1, 2025: The new party chair
(Chair of the DNC - Democratic National Committee)
is Ken Martin of Minnesota

https://bsky.app/profile/kenmartin.bsky.social/post/3lh54ylxrtk2i

 

[Maxim]

Germany: Protesters decry CDU/CSU over AfD collaboration

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-protesters-decry-cdu-csu-over-afd-collaboration/a-71483400

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Since the end of World War II, all of the country's established parties have refrained from working with extremist parties as a result of the lessons learned after the National Socialists (Nazis) used democratic means to ascend to power. The Nazis had established a totalitarian system of government that cast the world into chaos and destroyed the country.

In modern Germany, politicians from any other part of the political spectrum were expected to refuse any collaboration with far-right parties, under what the Germans call the "firewall."

Merz's willingness to ignore this consensus has led to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) saying that the "firewall" has fallen.

 

[Khan]

The DNC electing Ken Martin as its' next Chair falls in line with what I had expected the Democratic Party to do: pick, as its' newest official "face," someone white, male, from the Midwest and "non-threatening" enough to folks who wish someone would revive "Hee Haw."  Going forward, these will be the ones we'll have to reach out to, even if it means making a bunch of concessions to absolute rubes.

Edited February 2 by Khan

[janea4old]

Justin Trudeau press conference to announce response to Trump. 
Trump wants to tariff Canada. Canada will now respond in kind.

 Statements in English and French.
Then he answered questions from the press in whichever language the questions were asked.

This is is truly amazing.   The stance.  The firmness.
Standing tall, fighting if needed, but no bitterness.
I watched it all.

Transcript of Trudeau's statement in English at this link:
https://globalnews.ca/news/10993376/trudeau-trump-tariffs-us-canada/

(Don't yet have transcript of his replies in English or French to reporters.)

 

transcript of the English part of Trudeau’s full speech regarding U.S. tariffs on Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Good evening. Today, the United States informed us they will be imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian exports to the United States and 10 per cent on Canadian energy, a decision that, should they elect to proceed with, should take effect on Tuesday, Feb. 4.

[IN FRENCH]

Tonight, first I want to speak directly to Americans. Our closest friends and neighbors. This is a choice that, yes, will harm Canadians. But beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people.

As I have consistently said, tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities.

They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery stores and gas at the pump.

They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for U.S. security, such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel and aluminum.

They will violate the free trade agreement that the president and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated and signed a few years ago. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

As President John F. Kennedy said many years ago, geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends, economics has made us partners and necessity has made us allies.

That rang true for many decades prior to President Kennedy’s time in office, and in the decades since, from the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you during your darkest hours during the Iranian hostage crisis. Those 444 days, we worked around the clock from our embassy to get your innocent compatriots home.

During the summer of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged your great city of New Orleans, or mere weeks ago when we sent water bombers to tackle the wildfires in California. During the day, the world stood still,  Sept. 11, 2001, when we provided refuge to stranded passengers and planes. We were always there, standing with you, grieving with you. The American people.

Together, we’ve built the most successful economic, military and security partnership the world has ever seen. A relationship that has been the envy of the world.

Yes, we’ve had our differences in the past, but we’ve always found a way to get past them. As I’ve said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us.

Canada has critical minerals, reliable and affordable energy, stable democratic institutions, shared values and the natural resources you need. Canada has the ingredients necessary to build a booming and secure partnership for the North American economy, and we stand at the ready to work together.

Let’s take a moment to talk about our shared border. Our border is already safe and secure, but there’s always, always more work to do. Less than one per cent of fentanyl, less than one per cent of illegal crossings into the United States come from Canada.

But hearing concerns from both Canadians and Americans, including the American president himself, we’re taking action. We launched a $1.3 billion border plan that is already showing results, because we, too, are devastated by the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that has torn apart communities and caused so much pain and torment for countless families across Canada, just like in the United States.

A drug that we too want to see wiped from the face of this earth. A drug whose traffickers must be punished as neighbors, we must work collaboratively to fix this.

Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.

Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the U.S. trade action with 25 per cent tariffs against a $155 billion worth of American goods. This will include immediate tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods as of Tuesday, followed by further tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days time to allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives.

[IN FRENCH]

Like the American tariffs, our response will also be far reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing and shoes.

It’ll include major consumer products like household appliances, furniture and sports equipment, and materials like lumber and plastics, along with much, much more.

And as part of our response, we are considering with the provinces and territories, several non-tariff measures, including some relating to critical minerals, energy procurement and other partnerships.

We will stand strong for Canada. We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the world.

With all that said, I also want to speak directly to Canadians in this moment.

I’m sure many of you are anxious, but I want you to know we are all in this together. The Canadian government, Canadian businesses, Canadian organized labor, Canadian civil society, Canada’s premiers, and tens of millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast are aligned and united.

This is Team Canada at its best.

 Geopolitically, Prime Minister, the 12th on the unique is 30 day is a rush only to see a linear storm.

[IN FRENCH]

And now is also the time to choose Canada.

[IN FRENCH]

It might mean doing all of these things or finding your own way to stand up for Canada. In this moment, we must pull together because we love this country. We pride ourselves on braving the cold during the long winter months. We don’t like to beat our chests, but we’re always out there waving the maple leaf loudly and proudly to celebrate an Olympic gold medal.

[IN FRENCH]

Canada is home to bountiful resources, breathtaking beauty, and a proud people who’ve come from every corner of the globe to forge a nation with a unique identity worth embracing and celebrating. We don’t pretend to be perfect, but Canada is the best country on earth.

There’s nowhere else that I, in our 41 million strong family, would rather be.

And we will get through this challenge just as we’ve done countless times before together.

Thank you. Merci. Vive le Canada!

 

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Edited February 2 by janea4old

[janea4old]

From the President of México regarding tariffs against México:

https://x.com/Claudiashein/status/1885857655094415528

Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo  @Claudiashein

Rechazamos categóricamente la calumnia que hace la Casa Blanca al Gobierno de México de tener alianzas con organizaciones criminales, así como cualquier intención injerencista en nuestro territorio.

Si en algún lugar existe tal alianza es en las armerías de los Estados Unidos que venden armas de alto poder a estos grupos criminales, como lo demostró el propio Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos en enero de este año.

Nuestro gobierno ha asegurado en cuatro meses más de 40 toneladas de drogas, incluyendo 20 millones de dosis de fentanilo. También ha detenido a más de diez mil personas vinculadas con estos grupos.

Si el gobierno de Estados Unidos y sus agencias quisieran atender el grave consumo de fentanilo en su país, pueden por ejemplo combatir la venta de estupefacientes en las calles de sus principales ciudades, lo que no hacen y el lavado de dinero que se genera por esta actividad ilegal que tanto daño ha hecho a su población.

También podría iniciar una campaña masiva para evitar el consumo de estas drogas y cuidar a sus jóvenes, como lo hemos hecho en México. El consumo y la distribución de drogas está en su país y ese es un problema de salud pública que no han atendido. Además, la epidemia de opioides sintéticos en Estados Unidos, tiene su origen en la prescripción indiscriminada de medicamentos de este tipo, autorizados por la Administración de Drogas y Alimentos (FDA) como lo demuestra el juicio contra una farmacéutica.

México no quiere confrontación. Partimos de la colaboración entre países vecinos. México no solo no quiere que el fentanilo llegue a Estados Unidos, sino a ninguna parte. Por ello, si Estados Unidos quiere combatir a los grupos delictivos que trafican droga y generan violencia, debemos trabajar conjuntamente de forma integral, pero siempre bajo los principios de responsabilidad compartida, confianza mutua, colaboración y sobre todo, respeto a la soberanía, que no es negociable. Coordinación sí; subordinación, no.

Para ello propongo al presidente Trump que establezcamos una mesa de trabajo con nuestros mejores equipos de seguridad y salud pública.

No es con la imposición de los aranceles como se resuelven los problemas, sino hablando y dialogando como lo hicimos en estas últimas semanas con su Departamento de Estado para atender el fenómeno de la migración; en nuestro caso, con respeto a los derechos humanos.

La gráfica que el presidente Trump ha estado subiendo a sus redes sociales sobre la disminución de la migración fue elaborada por mi equipo de trabajo, que ha estado en constante comunicación con el suyo.

Instruyo al secretario de Economía para que implemente el plan B que hemos estado trabajando, que incluye medidas arancelarias y no arancelarias en defensa de los intereses de México.

Nada por la fuerza; todo por la razón y el derecho

________________________________

 

https://x.com/politicomx/status/1885826744139088298

 

Edited February 2 by janea4old

[janea4old]

https://bsky.app/profile/xatcguy.bsky.social/post/3lh4o5tvfbc2m

 

 

https://bsky.app/profile/xatcguy.bsky.social/post/3lh5bnvc4e22h

 

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dispatch/name/alex-boudreaux-obituary?id=18860007

Edited February 2 by janea4old

[Maxim]

Thank you for the transcript. 

[Maxim]

The AfD (far-right party in Germany) has a gay woman leader... who wants to ban same-sex marriage. Yeah. You read that correctly. 

 

 

[Maxim]

Berlin: 160,000 protest against CDU-AfD collaboration

https://www.dw.com/en/berlin-160000-protest-against-cdu-afd-collaboration/a-71487600

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Berlin police said on Sunday that at least 160,000 people attended a rally in the German capital to protest the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leaning on the support of the far-right AfD in parliament earlier this week.

On Friday, the Bundestag narrowly rejected a bill to significantly tighten asylum laws which was supported by the CDU and its conservative Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), the business-focused Free Democrats (FDP) and the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). 

But it was the cooperation between Germany's conservatives and the far right AfD that prompted Sunday's protest in Berlin.

'Shame on you CDU'

Shortly after the rally began outside the federal parliament, some protesters chanted slogans including "Shame on you CDU" before moving on towards the party's headquarters.

Others accused the CDU and its chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz of having made a "pact with the devil" by seeking the support of the AfD to pass the anti-immigration bill.

 

We are not going down easily.