Here are some of the topics that have caught my attention as I’ve been browsing the internet:
Yes, Republicans Want to Cut Social Security and Medicare
Republicans acted out during the State of the Union address when President Biden correctly pointed out that leading GOP elected officials have recently called for cutting Social Security and Medicare.
In the February 8, 2023, edition of this newsletter, I discussed how President Biden masterfully used the opportunity presented by the angry Republican reaction to extract a public promise not to touch these programs during upcoming national debt limit negotiations.
I suspect Republicans will backtrack on this promise as that deadline nears. So I think we must be aware of what Republicans have said—and what they haven’t retracted—even after people point out how unpopular these ideas are.
Slate’s Jim Newell explains just what Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), the leader of the GOP Senate’s campaign last year, proposed in his 11 Point Plan to Save America (click here to see the pdf):
“The prepared line in Biden’s speech, before he was interrupted, was this: “Some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years.” The “some Republicans,” in this case, is one Rick Scott.
In his 11-point plan, sub-point 7 of point 6 reads: “All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.” The plan doesn’t single out Medicare and Social Security specifically, but these are programs that were established by federal legislation and would thus disappear under Scott’s proposal unless renewed every five years. This is an … impracticable idea. Congress can’t rewrite all federal law every five years—nor should anyone want them to.”
Scott has had more than a year to clarify what he means, and Newell notes that Scott has done that with another proposal that would have raised taxes on the poorest half of Americans. So why won’t Scott stipulate that he’s not talking about Social Security and Medicare?
But it isn’t just Scott. Other Republicans continue to call for cutting or privatizing these programs. Heather Cox Richardson outlines some examples:
“The history of Republican calls for cuts to Social Security runs long and deep, but just reaching back to 2020: Trump vowed to make cuts in his second term; former vice president Mike Pence last week called for “modest reforms in entitlements,” including privatization; Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson has called for moving the programs to annual funding so they would have to be renewed every year; and the Republican Study Committee, which includes more than 150 Republican House members, has called this year for raising the age of eligibility from 66 or 67 to 70 for Social Security and from 65 to 67 for Medicare.”
Many Republicans want to dismantle these programs. They also know the idea is unpopular, and Democrats win elections by pointing out what they want to do.
The GOP could stop trying to do something the American people have repeatedly rejected. And people like me get to point out what they are proposing until they stop.
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When Did Snitching Become Pro-Family?
Abortion, Every Day’s Jessica Valenti points out how forced-birth politicians want to turn family members against each other to enforce their bans against reproductive health care.
“Whenever I write about the latest anti-choice bill and how it targets women—whether it’s legislation that classifies helping a teenager get an out-of-state abortion as ‘human trafficking’, or an abortion ban that would prosecute women who ‘cause’ their miscarriages—one question comes up again and again: How would law enforcement possibly know?
How could the cops find out that you drove your niece out-of-state for abortion care? It’s not like they’ll be checking at the border. How would prosecutors come to the conclusion that you’re at fault for your pregnancy ending? Or that you illegally used abortion medication? There’s only so much surveillance they can do!
The answer is snitch culture. Conservative lawmakers, zealous prosecutors and cops don’t plan on looking for people who break abortion laws—because they’re counting on Americans turning each other in.”
Valenti provides several examples showing how this dynamic is already working, as family members and friends contact the police seeking punishment.
The Stasi would be impressed. But is that what we want for our society?
As Valenti writes: “That’s what makes this all so cruel: The people who claim to stand for ‘family values’ are depending entirely on our willingness to turn on each other. They’re incentivizing the breakdown of family and community trust, and codifying betrayal. It’s a way to make us feel disconnected from each other, and to make women feel as if they aren’t safe anywhere or with anyone. It’s downright terroristic.”
Why Putin Hasn’t Gone Nuclear
Joe Cirincione, the former president of the Ploughshares Fund, outlines why he thinks Russian President Vladimir Putin has not gone nuclear in Ukraine despite making some explicit threats.
Cirincione writes about several dynamics that are preventing this potential catastrophe. Russia is losing the war slowly, so there has yet to be a clear excuse to use them. President Biden has been skillful in sending Ukraine military supplies without providing an excuse for Putin to escalate. Putin’s allies in China and India also have drawn red lines about nuclear weapons.
And we also have to consider Putin’s instinct for self-preservation. As Cirincione explains:
“There are dozens of scenarios for using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but none of them end in a Russian victory. All would trigger a massive Western and global response. Whatever nuclear fantasies hardline Russian pundits unspool on Russia’s state television, it has become clearer that the consequences of nuclear use far outweigh any potential benefits.
“Russia is a country that you can expect a lot from but not outright idiocy,” says Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, “Carrying out a nuclear strike will result in not just a military defeat for Russia but the collapse of Russia. And they know this very well.”
This is why Putin has more to lose than he has to gain. He can suffer a conventional military defeat in Ukraine and still maintain his power in Russia. As Michael McFaul—a former ambassador to Russia during the Obama administration—has detailed, after retreating from Ukraine, Putin would be weaker but “the most likely scenario is Putin will remain in control… albeit discredited and diminished.” If he used nuclear weapons, he would almost certainly lose not just Ukraine, but Russia and quite likely, his life.”
The Restoration of Child Labor
There has been a marked increase in child labor law violations in the United States recently. I agree we need to address this problem. But I find it odd Republican legislators across the nation are instead seeking to weaken child labor laws and shield businesses from liability.
The Guardian’s Michael Sainato explains: “Several high-profile investigations involving child labor have been exposed over the past year, including the use of child labor in Hyundai and Kia supply chains in Alabama, at JBS meatpacking plants in Nebraska and Minnesota, and at fast-food chains including McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts and Chipotle.
Amid these increases in child labor violations, legislative efforts have been introduced in several states to roll back child labor protections.
In Iowa, Republican legislators introduced a bill in January to expand the types of work 14- and 15-year-olds would be permitted to do as part of approved training programs, extend allowable work hours, and exempt employers from liability if these young workers are sickened, injured or killed on the job.
“It’s just crazy to me that we are re-litigating a lot of things that seem to have been settled 100, 120 or 140 years ago,” said Charlie Wishman, president of the Iowa AFL-CIO, which is opposing the bill.”
I don’t think it is surprising that we see so many efforts to overturn laws enacted over the past 100 years. We see this not just with child labor. Many people would love to return to the political and family power dynamics that the United States featured before 1920 (the 19th Amendment granting the franchise to women) or 1954 (the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision ending segregation).
They keep telling us this is what they want. We should stop being surprised by it.
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Quick Pitches
Charlie Pierce has questions about the indictment of former FBI agent Charles McGonigal that I also would like to see answered. “It is possible that McGonigal just might be the Rosetta Stone that could unlock a lot of recent history, including, hypothetically, how Donald Trump managed to become president of the United States. After all, it was the New York field office that may have blackjacked then-FBI Director James Comey into reviving the investigation into Hillary Rodham Clinton’s emails, which came to light on October 28, 2016. McGonigal was also involved in the bureau’s investigation into links between the Russian kleptocracy and the Trump campaign. (As the New York Times notes, “the earliest crimes of which Mr. McGonigal is accused date to August 2017,” and he has pleaded not guilty.)” (Charles P. Pierce, Esquire)
Since the Philadelphia Eagles lost to Kansas City in yesterday’s Super Bowl, the Athletics baseball franchise remains the team with the most championships in Philadelphia’s history. The A’s won five World Series before leaving Philadelphia for Kansas City in 1955 (and they’ve won four titles since moving to Oakland in 1968). (Tyler Kepner, The New York Times)
That people may see this as a negative provides another example demonstrating why we should emphasize regular season achievements and not the results of postseason tournaments.
November 5: Union lose in MLS Cup
November 5: Phillies lose in World Series
Tonight: Eagles lose in Super BowlPhiladelphia is the first metro area to lose 3 championships in MLB, MLS, NBA, NFL or NHL in a span of 100 days or less.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) 4:13 AM ∙ Feb 13, 2023
Here’s why entertainers are willing to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show even though they don’t get paid by the NFL. (Joseph Pompliano, Huddle Up)
How a shipping error a century ago launched the factory-farm chicken industry. (Kenny Torrella, Vox)
The Planetary Society highlights eight moons in the solar system that “stand out for their scientific interest and exploratory promise.” (Kate Howells, The Planetary Society)
Like many of us, Sam Enright spends a lot of time browsing Wikipedia. (I know how easy it is to go down a spiral of links about esoteric subjects.) Enright shares a list of his favorite articles and facts in this post. (The Cabinet of Wikipedian Curiosities, Sam Enright)
“Unlike insomnia, bedtime procrastination happens when you choose to stay awake even though you know you may suffer the next day.” At least now I know what to call it. (Alex Janin, The Wall Street Journal)
In 2022, supplier revenues for spirits (42.1 percent) exceeded beer (41.9 percent) in the U.S. alcoholic beverage market for the first time. (Bruce Schreiner and Jim Salter, The Associated Press)
One of these things is not like the others.
Elevation (above sea level) of the 30 MLB fields, mostly to scale
— Jay Cuda (@JayCuda) 3:57 AM ∙ Jan 19, 2023
That was not my first thought, but yes, I can see it.
The inside of a cello looks like a place where something whimsically unspeakable happened in a Guillermo del Toro movie
— Jeff Yang (@originalspin) 3:09 PM ∙ Feb 8, 2023
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