Articles The president of the Un-united States – caged, wounded and sweating Phillip Frazer
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ast week the global citizenry seemed to be in shock as they watched the American president explain that the Saud family’s current dictator will not be sanctioned for having one of his former advisers hacked to death in Turkey – because, said Trump, America needs control over Saudi oil and loves the billions of dollars the Sauds pay Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner for an endless supply of weapons of mass murder. And there’s a shared commitment to the survival of Israel’s current government and the destruction of Iran’s. But this story didn’t shock us because it was another piece of Trumpian excreta. What was shocking was that a president was at last admitting that the USA assumes the right to pillage resources from all over the planet while distracting everyone with bullshit about bringing us democracy, freedom and prosperity. Everybody knows this but here it was on TV, straight from the horse’s arse. We know that Trump is a unique threat to the USA and to the world; that he misunderstands the minute portion of global matters he’s aware of, that he can’t imagine complex options about anything, and that his peak god and goal in life is money. These days, however, he staggers as much as he swaggers, wounded by scandals, lawsuits, electoral losses, and with increasingly fewer friends in high places. So I will pile on no more
The newly elected US representatives, all Democrats. Left to right: Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Photo from ABC USA about his crudity and cruelty and instead lay out some figures and facts about how insane the American ruling complex is, beyond its nutbar Prez, and how American citizens with a brain and a heart are responding to their disastrous leader.
More war than ever Since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the United States has spent about $6 trillion on wars that directly contributed to the deaths of around 500,000 people in the Middle East [source: Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs]. Bush and Obama were in the White House for much of this period, and a few thousand cabinet secretaries, multi-billionaires, and revolving-door corporate/ public servant bosses initiated and managed most of the war business. Last February, Trump admitted that ‘we have spent $7 trillion in the Middle East’, saying that was ‘a mistake’, but he has ordered more military spending in Syria and on America’s 800 military bases around the world, and more killing, following the dictum of his fellow male fundamentalist US General Curtis le May on
how to beat your enemies: ‘If you kill enough of them, they stop fighting.’ Meanwhile, on America’s home front, Trump has trouble getting extreme policies enacted. His huge corporate tax cut got through because the Republican-dominated Congress did the bidding of billionaires who finance their election campaigns, but Obama’s Affordable Care Act stays alive because tens of millions of voters rely on it; public opposition keeps the wall along the Mexican border unbuilt; Europe keeps the Iran nuclear agreement in place, and even though Republicans are stacking all of America’s courthouses with pro-corporate and anti-social judges, enough socially minded courts survive to beat back such destructive projects as the Keystone XL gas pipeline.
About the voters? Trump’s overall disapproval rating is 54 per cent, versus 40 per cent approval. Only one in four adults strongly approve of him. Since the US has no national electoral office, local politicians run all of America’s elections, and Republicans are using state and local power to make it
ever harder for urban Democrat voters to have their votes counted. Even though most black voters are urban dwellers, and 90 per cent of them vote Democrat, by far the majority of the broad community of urban voters being disenfranchised are, like most Americans, white men and women. Despite all the vote-rigging and voter suppression, in last month’s elections for members of House of Reps Democrats got 53.3 million votes nationally versus 48.4 million for Republicans. In the Senate, 47.5 million voted for Democrats versus 34.3 million for Republicans, but Republican senators still outnumber Dems. Why? Because the states with large populations – California and Texas each have larger populations than Australia does – only get two senators while Wyoming, with fewer people than Tasmania, also gets two Senate votes. Republicans win most rural states with very small electorates, Dems win most of the urban biggies. This stupid Senate structure was copied by Australian politicos at federation in 1901, but another sign of hope in America’s recent election is that the state of Maine became the first to elect its congressional representatives using our preferential system, which they call ranked choice voting (RCV). Make way for the American Open-Carry Nuclear Weapons Party any day now. Q Phillip Frazer has moved to the little round hill in Mullumbimby but still posts at www.coorabellridge.com.
Proposed RU6 Transition Zone Community Workshop
Have Your Say Biodiversity Conservation Strategy Public comment invited – closes 5 October 2018
Council considering introducing new RU6 TransiAre isyou interested in aour tion Zone into Byron LEP 2014. The zone is intended environment? tonatural apply to land currently zoned 7(d) Scenic Escarpment (Byron LEP that does not meet Sign up for our1988) community workshop toState help Government’s criteria for an environmental zoning. The develop Conservation Strategy: reason for aa new new Biodiversity zone is to maintain consistency with the existing 7(d) zone provisions and ensure scenic When: Wednesday 5 December 2018 escarpment and other visually prominent areas are not eroded by inappropriate land uses. Where: Mullumbimby Civic Hall Council wants to hear what the community thinks about the proposed Zone before making any final Time: 5:15pmRU6 – 7:30pm decisions about if/how the new zone will be applied.
Bookings essential Have your say: View about the proposed RU6 Transition Go information to www.yoursaybyronshire.com.au/ Zone on Council’s website. biodiversity-conservation-strategy to register. • Talk to a Council planner: (02) 66 267 315 For more information call 6626 7126. • Send your feedback by email or post Byron Shire Council PO Box 219 Mullumbimby NSW 2482 E: council@byron.nsw.gov.au
Ph: 6626 7126 www.byron.nsw.gov.au
Proposed RU6 Transition Zone Community Workshop
Have Your Say
Community Climate Emergency Plan Public comment invited – closes 5 October 2018
Workshop to develop a Community Climate Emergency Plan
Council is considering introducing a new RU6 Transition Zone into Byron LEP 2014. The zone is intended to apply to land currently zoned 7(d) Scenic Escarpment (Byron LEP 1988) that does not meet State Government’s criteria for an environmental zoning. The reason for a new zone is to maintain consistency with If existing you’re interested in climateand change the 7(d) zone provisions ensureimpacts scenic and developing a plan to ensure ourareas Shire’s escarpment and other visually prominent are not eroded by inappropriate uses. resilience then comeland along to the workshop. Council wants to hear what the community thinks When: 7 December 2018before making any final about the proposed RU6 Zone decisions about if/how the new zone will be applied.
Where: Cavanbah Centre, Byron Bay
Have your say:
Time: 9.30am – 1pm View information about the proposed RU6 Transition Zone on Council’s website. RSVP Cr Cate Coorey at • Talk to a Council planner: (02) 66 267 315 cate.coorey@cr.byron.nsw.gov.au • Send your feedback by email or post Byron Shire Council PO Box 219 Mullumbimby NSW 2482 E: council@byron.nsw.gov.au
Ph: 6626 7126 www.byron.nsw.gov.au
How do you use Lake Ainsworth? Complete the survey at... hydrosphere.com.au/lakeainsworth Provide your feedback to create the Lake Ainsworth Coastal Management Plan for the future management of this important water body. Survey closes: Friday 18 January 2019 The survey is being conducted by Hydrosphere Consulting for Ballina Shire Council and the Office of Environment and Heritage. The survey is part of the community engagement to develop the Lake Ainsworth Coastal Management Program.
Contact the project team at hydrosphere.com.au/lakeainsworth
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