Personally, 2018 was a whirlwind year that brought amazing moments and adventures with family and friends. On the other hand, 2018 was politically very stressful. With an endless news cycle and an even more endless amount of scandal and idiocy coming from a flailing and disjointed White House, there was no shortage of headaches to be had in 2018. Looking back this was truly the never-ending year. We saw a fiercely fought midterm election that gave Democrats control over the House of Representatives. New and exciting names emerged, from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Ayanna Pressley, to name a couple.
Brett Kavanaugh & Christine Blasey Ford – CNN.com
The Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh became a media spectacle when Christine Blasey Ford stepped forward with allegations of sexual abuse years prior. A process that is usually only followed by politically minded citizens, the hearings that ensued entranced the nation with everyone voicing their support or condemnation of both parties. The incident added fuel to the #MeToo movement and sparked continued debate on the insidious way that sexual violence permeates our society.
Emma Gonzalez – CNN.com
In February of 2018 the Parkland School shooting set in motion one of the biggest grassroots movements of the year. With Emma Gonzalez leading the way, students of Stoneman Douglas High School stood up to a powerful gun lobby and demanded real legislative change to a issue that seems to be a uniquely American problem and threatens our nation’s children.
Trump Administration Cabinet CNN.com
The year in review for the Trump administration was one epic eye roll. An obviously incompetent and corrupt president acts more like a cornered animal lashing out then a steadfast leader. Trumps tweets and press conferences reveal himself to be nothing more than a petulant child with only selfish self-interests. The president’s cabinet has been ripe with scandal and has seen numerous resignations.
jamesgmartin.center
Given all of the unsavoriness of the past year, one glimmer of hope is the new feminist revolution. 2018 was truly the ‘year of the woman’. Bad-ass women everywhere stood up and demanded their voices be heard. When the new Congress is sworn in this month, it will have the most female representation in U.S. history.
2019 will be a very crucial and exciting year. With Elizabeth Warren announcing that she is throwing her hat in the ring for the Democratic party’s candidacy for the president in 2020, the primary battles on the left will start heating up. The primary challenge in the Democratic party will be nothing short of a battle for the soul of the party and of the nation itself. The new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives will have an opportunity to legislate in a way that will have real significant benefits to American family’s. The American public and progressive activists will need to hold the Democratic party and members of Congress accountable. It is time to put words into action.
Please join me at ‘to the LEFT’ in the year to come for a critical discussion of key factors affecting our nation and politics. New content and features will be added to the site to shine a light on important information. For the new year I would like to wish everyone a blessed and successful 2019!
Since 2015 the country of Yemen has been embroiled in a chaotic civil war between the internationally accepted government and the Houthi rebels. This conflict has become somewhat of a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Saudis have been relentless in their attacks on the poorest country in the Arab world, with most of the damage being inflicted by their massive bombing campaign. Now three years later, many international observers are calling the conflict in Yemen the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. An estimated 10,000 civilians have been killed, 1 million people are infected with cholera, a sever famine is causing millions to starve to death, and over 3 million people have been displaced. With very few people on the ground, these numbers are very rough estimates since it has been difficult to access the sheer size of the situation.
Until recently, the conflict in Yemen – and the United States involvement – has been largely ignored by the Western media. MSNBC, so-called ‘home of the resistance’ to the Trump administration, has failed to substantially cover the war. The death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has thrust Saudi Arabia, and by extension Yemen, into the public’s consciousness. Now lawmakers on both sides of the isle are beginning to question Americas relationship to Saudi Arabia and our involvement in Yemen. The tragic irony is after thousands of deaths in Yemen, it took the death of one man to spark enough outrage to make the general public take note. It is now evident that Khashoggi’s death was ordered by the Saudi government and by the crowned Prince, Mohammad bin Salman more specifically. The prince was once heralded as a reformer when he took power, but this is now proving to be untrue.
The Pentagon has admitted that there are 7 Navy battleships in the region, just off the coast of Yemen. The U.S. government had long claimed that these ships are not aiding in the naval blockade of the country, but with that many in the area that can’t possibly be true. Since the country depends on imports to survive, the U.S. military and government is directly aiding in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. In 2016 it was reported that a U.S. ship off the coast of Yemen was fired upon. No ships were hit in the alleged attack. The media has reported that the ‘Iran backed’ rebels, the Houthi, fired the missiles. By reporting it in this way, it gives the impression that Iran is directly responsible for the attack. There is also no context given in the reporting of the incident as to why the rebels would fire a missile at a ship in the region. There is no mention of the fact that Yemen has relentlessly been bombed since 2015. By not stating this obvious fact, it makes it seem like any U.S. response is a retaliation and therefore justified. On the so-called ‘progressive’ MSNBC, Rachel Maddow gave what is essentially a process critic on the incident instead of discussing the war more broadly. She said that then candidate Trump said that if Iranian sailors even looked at our sailors wrong, he would blow them out of the water. She then questions what President Trump is to do to retaliate for the attack. Maddow conflates the supposed attack directly with Iran when the country has not fired any missiles at our ships and no evidence exists to show that they directly aided the rebels in the act. This is narrowly defined media coverage and outright war machine propaganda. Instead of debating the validity of our imperial wars or how we interact with the rest of the world, the critique is that he will not implement said imperial wars effectively. It is indeed worrisome that a petulant imbecile is at the helm of our military, but we should be asking ourselves if we should even be involved in these situations around the world. This is about Geo-political influence and is modern day colonialism and imperialism. Have we learned nothing from the middle east in the past 30 plus years.
The country of Yemen has been devastated by the Saudi regime with the help of the U.S. and British governments. The U.S. has been a longtime seller of weapons to Saudi Arabia, with the Obama administration seeing the largest sale of weapons to the country in history. From 2008-2015 Obama saw close to $94 billion in arms to the regime. The U.S. has also provided in-air refueling of Saudi jets, logistical aid, and intelligence support. As the war in Yemen escalated and the situation became more of a humanitarian crisis with more and more innocent life lost, the sale of weapons and support continued. There has been virtually no push-back from the U.S. or Britain. A school bus carrying children was bombed killing at least 40 children. In October of 2016 Saudi Arabia bombed a funeral within Yemen killing close to 140 civilians and injuring almost 500. The Saudi government said that the bombing was based on incorrect information and was a mistake, but the use of a ‘double-tap’ attack suggests otherwise. This form of attack is when the first bombing is followed by a second strike soon after with the intent of killing wounded survivors and aid workers. The bomb used was identified as a U.S. made bomb by the company Raytheon. These specific types of bombs were provided to Saudi Arabia with the understanding that they would make their targeting more accurate. Mark Hiznay, the associate arms director at Human Rights Watch, have called these bombs “dumb bombs with graduate degrees”.
U.S. made bomb used by Saudi Arabia in Bombing of Yemen – CNN.com
The Trump administration has signaled that they would no longer refuel Saudi jets but has refused to stop arms sales to the country or put any kind of pressure on the regime. In fact, President Trump has doubled down on his support for the country. Donald Trump’s first foreign trip as president was to Saudi Arabia, the first for a U.S. president. Even after the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump refused to hold the crown prince or Saudi Arabia accountable. Could this be because Trump and his family have many financial interests in the country?
The conflict in Yemen is a war that the U.S. government is clearly helping the Saudi’s wage. This war has never been debated nor authorized by the U.S. Congress. One glimmer of hope in a sea of darkness filled by the deaths of thousands of innocent lives occurred recently. The Senate passed a resolution, 56-41, to end all military assistance to Saudi Arabia in relation to the war in Yemen. The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Mike Lee (R-UT), and had bipartisan support. After failing to pass months earlier, the death of Jamal Khashoggi helped push it over the threshold this time around. Sadly, the measure was blocked in the House of Representatives. The House Rules committee, on behest of Speaker Ryan, slipped in a provision of the rules to the Farm Bill that prevented the House from voting on a Yemen resolution for the rest of this term. The narrow procedural vote was 206-203, with 18 Republicans voting against and, despicably, 5 Democrats voting for the bill. Ryan knew that many Republicans in the House would join Democrats in voting to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen. This disgusting act of cowardice and malicious continuation of immoral bloodshed will not be forgotten, especially those five Democrats. Collin Peterson (D) of Minnesota callously stated he didn’t know a “damn thing” about the war in Yemen.
A tide is turning in this country and in the public’s consciousness. People are finally starting to wake up to what their country is doing. The media is starting to report on the tragic conflict thousands of miles away. It is interesting to note that the United States started helping the Saudi’s in their bombardment of Yemen under the Obama administration, yet is only beginning to reflect on the situation now that Trump is in office. When the media does comment on the conflict, it is narrowed in an imperialist way that does not significantly question the U.S. involvement around the world. Instead, we should move past this worldview and ask what the validity of these actions are and how safe or unsafe they make us and the rest of the world. I write this piece with a heavy heart and with tears in my eyes. We are told to approach policy with logic and not with emotion, but often we need emotion to cut through the veil of mistruth and propaganda. At the moment our government is using our taxes to fund the deaths of innocent children. This imperialism makes us less safe and fuels extremist ideology. It does not serve to protect the American people as these actions are so often sold. Instead they serve American weapons manufacturers, defense contractors, and Geo-political influence in the region over natural resources like oil and capitalist consumer markets. Without foreign assistance the Saudi regime would not be able to wage this unjust and immoral war. It is past time the American people demand our leaders stop allowing this unnecessary bloodshed to continue.
One of the biggest complaints about Congress is that it is too out of touch, unable to understand the basic needs and struggles of everyday Americans. The halls of Congress are filled with elitist millionaires with bank accounts larger than what most Americans will ever see. The average net worth of a Senator is $3.2 million and $900,000 for a Representative in the House. Studies have shown that Congressional offices give preferential treatment to large campaign donors while ignoring calls from everyday citizens. While most members of Congress are unattainable, there is one freshman congresswoman making waves and changing the way members of Congress interact with their constituents. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become a political rockstar ever since she beat longtime Democratic incumbent, Joe Crowley, in their June primary. From the very beginning of her campaign, she has shown that she will be beholden to her constituents and the movement behind her. In a debate with Crowley she was asked if she would support and endorse her opponent if she lost her primary challenge. Her response was brave and honest. She said that decision would not be up to her alone. She was representing a movement and would therefore need to go back and discuss what would be best for the larger movement. This is what it means to be the leader of actual people and not special interests. As it turns out, honesty and sincerity are still important to voters.
Now that Ocasio-Cortez will officially be a member of Congress, she intends to be a different kind of politician, one that sees herself as part of, instead of above and seperate, from a community. Ocasio-Cortez has been very open and honest about her struggle to find affordable housing in the D.C. area, where housing prices are some of the highest in the nation. Many in the media, and on the right, have criticized her and made a joke out of her financial situation. In pointing to, in their minds, her inadequate savings, they have revealed how out of touch they really are. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the median American household has less than $5,000 in savings, with about 30% having less than $1,000. What makes her appealing and relatable is the fact that her situation is more like the lived experience of everyday Americans than the wealthy beltway pundits laughing at her bank account or lack thereof. This is especially true of millennials. Millennials get a very bad rap when it comes to the job market and the housing market, but what some fail to acknowledge is that this generation – my generation – came of age during a time of financial crisis; a time and economy very different then our parents’ generation. Wages have stagnated, the types of jobs have changed, the labor market has become less unionized, the cost of living has increased, the cost of education has skyrocketed, and housing has become very unaffordable. That equation has been very difficult for younger generations to maneuver, and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is speaking truth to power about this experience. Unless more millennials and young people run for office and become politically engaged, the political system will not be prepared to speak to the problems affecting a new economy.
Society is changing and calls for making all aspects of it more democratic grow louder, as it should. One part of this is social media (although there are many downsides to this platform as well). Social media has become a very prevalent part of our society, especially for young people. Her strategic use of the platform is smart and builds on the innovations of the Obama and Sanders campaigns. If you are not following her on Instagram, then you are truly missing out. The voters sent her to Washington and now she is bringing everyone along for the ride. Her posts narrating congressional freshman orientation will put a smile on your face and are very useful in lifting the mysterious veil over Congress. Even before heading to Washington she regularly live-streamed herself cooking dinners at home while discussing politics with her followers.
Via Twitter @Envisioned_One
These Instagram live-streams are comparable to the FDR fireside chats during his presidency in the 30s and 40s. Roosevelt knew that accessibility was important to the general public, and Ocasio-Cortez knows this as well. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought us along with her as she navigated her first week of orientation, fangirling her meetings with other members of Congress. The videos of her discovering underground hallways in the capital building and the Congressional train remind you of an excited kid starting at a new school.
Instagram
Instagram
Instagram
But don’t let this excitement fool you, Alexandria is an articulate and gifted fighter. Recently she revealed that a panel for congressional orientation was packed with corporate CEO’s and lobbyists, but conveniently excluded labor and activist representation.
Via Twitter @Envisioned_One
How often do our elected officials reveal how intertwined and compromised our politicians are to business interests? Many times, candidates run on a platform of change and populism only to abandon those promises once elected. Ocasio-Cortez appears to be sticking to her guns. What she is doing is very important. She is lifting the veil on a mysterious institution clouded in mistrust and showing ordinary people that Congress and politics is not just for rich old white men but can and should be for anybody. I can’t wait to see what she does with her new-found power and platform. I see a long and exciting career ahead of her, even living in a certain famous house one day.
George H.W. Bush was a member of the House of Representatives, a United States Ambassador to the UN, director of the CIA, Vice President under Ronald Reagan, and finally the 41st President of the United States from 1989-1993. On November 30th Bush died at the age of 94. Since his death the media has showered the former president with adoration and praise, painting a very favorable picture of his time in the White House while glossing over the more inconvenient aspects. Columnists have said the late president represented civility and dignity. During his campaign and presidency Bush Sr called for a ‘kinder, gentler America’, but did his actions reflect this belief.
While there were some good things to come out of the Bush presidency — presiding over the end of the Cold War, standing up to the NRA, and signing the Americans with Disabilities Act — there are many problematic details about the first Bush’s term in office. Bush Sr was one of the most important men in modern history and to only focus on the positive parts of his legacy while ignoring the negative parts is dishonest and disingenuous.
As a gay man, the way Bush dealt with the AIDS crisis in the early 90s was disgraceful. The HIV/AIDS virus was discovered in 1981 but it took Ronald Reagan almost 4 years, not until the year 1985, to even utter the word AIDS in public. When Bush took office in 1989 he continued this policy of inaction and indifference. Although Bush signed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, his administration lacked urgency. As thousands continued to die, and activists demanded funding and treatment, Bush’s main response was of ‘personal responsibility’. LGBTQ activists famously sprinkled the ashes of fallen loved ones on the lawn of the White House in an effort to call attention to the epidemic.
George Bush Sr devastated Iraq in the Gulf War based on half-truths and lies and helped to ensure that American military intervention would be the default foreign policy for decades to come. At the time, Bush claimed the U.S. had no choice but to use force because Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait. Yes, the invasion of Kuwait violated international law, but many commentators now believe that the U.S., through its ambassador to Iraq, essentially gave Hussein the green light to invade Kuwait in order to have an excuse to invade Iraq. The U.S. bombed the Amiriyah Shelter, knowing full well that the site was being used for civilians, killing over 400 innocent lives. The Iraqi civilian infrastructure was devastated, also violating international law. Electrical power stations and food plants were bombed in an effort to cripple the country’s infrastructure in order to make Iraq dependent on international assistance after the war. Post-war sanctions further devastated the country. The administration also said that Saddam was preparing to invade Saudi Arabia with troops being deployed at the border. This turned out to be a lie as well. A reporter, at the time, purchased commercial satellite data and saw that in fact there were no troops at the Saudi border. Like his son to come, the administration used lies and misinformation to lead us into a war that cost the U.S. and Iraqi countless lives.
Many in the media have neglected to point out that Bush was criticized for helping to cover up potential crimes involving the Iran-Contra during the Reagan Era. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency the administration facilitated arms sales to Iran, in clear violation of an arms embargo, in order to raise money to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. At the time the Contras, favored by Reagan and the U.S. government, were in a struggle against the ruling Sandinista party. Right before the trial of Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, Bush issued pardons to him and many other individuals involved with the incident. The president also refused to cooperate with the investigation in which he was directly involved as Ronald Raegan’s Vice President. This seems all too familiar to the current situation with Trump and Robert Mueller.
Upon taking office Bush continued to ramp up the ‘War on Drugs’, which has had clear racial implications. During one of his first Oval Office press conferences, Bush displayed a bag of crack cocaine that he said was sold and confiscated right across the street from the White House. Bush wanted to show the American people that the crack epidemic was rampant in every corner of American society, but this was also a charade. The man that sold the crack cocaine to undercover DEA agents was in fact lured to the spot near the White House by agents in order to mislead the nation. The stunt was used by the administration to call for, in his words, more prisons, jails, and prosecutors. This was just the beginning of what was to become an incarceration nation, with the U.S. imprisoning more people than any other developed nation.
For all the talk of Bush being a civil and decent human being that wanted a ‘gentler and kinder’ America, journalists forget about the extremely racist Willie Horton ad during his 1988 presidential campaign. Even many Republican operatives at the time said that it went too far. The ad described a convicted rapist that was allowed a weekend furlough pass. While out he raped a young woman and killed her boyfriend. Their aim was to tie the incident to the Democratic candidate and stoke racial fear. Lee Atwater famously said at the time, “We’re going to talk about Willie Horton so much that people are going to think he’s Michael Dukakis’s running mate”. How is this not similar to the blatantly racist ad that the Trump administration put out before the 2018 midterm election about the traveling migrant caravan from Central America?
Let us also not forget that President bush sent troops into Panama to issue an arrest warrant for its leader, Manuel Noriega. The arrest warrant was for drug trafficking charges. Noriega was an ally to the U.S. and was even on the CIA payroll. We must remember that George H.W. Bush was once the director of the CIA, and during this period the U.S. government, through the CIA, frequently meddled in Central American affairs. Over 20,000 troops were deployed into the small Central American country, killing over 3,000 Panamanians. The move was seen by most of the international community as an illegal invasion of a sovereign country. The invasion of Panama was one of the first uses of military force after the end of the Cold War, and helped to introduce the U.S. policy of using force to ‘protect’ democracy around the world.
When any life is lost it always a somber time, especially for family and people close to the person lost, but death does not absolve a person of his or her sins. We must always be critical of our leaders and their legacies, no matter who they may be? The positive and the negative must be brought into the light. Introspection is a way to learn from our collective past. Journalists have a duty and responsibility to be critical of our leaders and current events, not just a mouthpiece for the government or the powerful. Patriotism does not mean that one must never criticize or question. Too often people use the threat of anti-patriotism or being anti-American has a way to crush dissent and debate. It is not blindly accepting the words and motives of our leaders. Instead, true patriotism is aspiring for your country to be better, holding it accountable to the ideals of freedom, respect, and liberty. We must never bow down to this threat and always strive to surpass even our own expectations. When we are gone, how will the next generation look back and judge our decisions?
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