Culture of Sexual Harassment
A common meme is that the culture of sexual harassment is neither Democrat nor Republican. Women are subjected to harassment by both Democrats and Republicans because aspects of our culture encourage it. Our culture tends to frame problems in individualistic morality rather than the rewards provided by societal institutions. When the question of how men come to believe that they can harass women without consequences, many studies have found gender inequality to be a major contributor. For example, men and women are encouraged to see women as less intelligent and ambitious than men. And, this gender unequal view may lead some men to harass and hurt women contributes to their sexual harassment by men.
A common meme is that the culture of sexual harassment is neither Democrat nor Republican. Women are subjected to harassment by both Democrats and Republicans because aspects of our culture encourage it. Our culture tends to frame problems in individualistic morality rather than the rewards provided by societal institutions. When the question of how men come to believe that they can harass women without consequences, many studies have found gender inequality to be a major contributor. For example, men and women are encouraged to see women as less intelligent and ambitious than men. And, this gender unequal view may lead some men to harass and hurt women contributes to their sexual harassment by men.
The Republican Party is comprised of several groups for whom gender inequality is key component of their beliefs. White evangelicals represent about 40 percent of the Republican Party compared to 20 percent of Democratic Party [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/11/how-americas-demographic-revolution-reached-the-church/433455/]. White evangelicals’ beliefs, like many other fundamentalist religions, include the inferiority and subordination of women; a divinity controlling every aspect of life for the good; and an obsession with the afterlife that makes it supportive of traditions and hostile to modern life. A major part of the Republican Party holds a religious belief in gender inequality and is resistant to changing that belief.
The Alabama Senate race highlights the hold the evangelical religion has on the Republican Party. Republican Roy Moore, an accused pedophile, faces Democrat, Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney who prosecuted the members of the Ku Klux Klan responsible for killing four girls. Moore, known for dating teen-age girls in his 30s, also faced accusations of sexual assault by two teen-age girls. While Moore has denied the accusations of sexual assault, he admitted dating teen-agers as an adult. Certain evangelical sects approve and encourage marriages between adult men and teen-age girls. They believe teen-age girls are pure and obedient while older men can provide for and protect the girl. Despite these serious allegations, Moore has a slight lead in the race. Alabaman Republican evangelicals have undoubtedly contributed to his continued viability in this race.
The GOP’s Dangerous Tax Scam
The Republican tax bill winding its way through the legislative process is an economic disaster. Paul Krugman, Lawrence Summers, and Joseph Stiglitz among many other economists reached this conclusion about the bill. Everything wrong with this bill is still unknown because there has not been enough time to fully analyze and model its effects. This fact alone should be enough to take a time out and more fully analyze it. But three things are known about it. It will raise taxes on those earning $75,000 or less as it redistributes income from middle-class and small businesses to corporations and large business owners; it will increase the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years and decrease spending in needed programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and national defense. And, it will not lead to substantial economic growth; increase the number of jobs (over 6 million jobs are unfilled now); or raise wages, decrease economic inequality, or address any of the other known economic problems like inadequate research and development spending.
Besides these negative economic consequences, this tax bill also signals a change in the politics of this country. While the Republican Party has lionized business for decades, this bill moves us closer to a fascist country. Under fascism, the welfare of individuals and business is subsumed by national goals, like “making America great again”. Trump’s support from big business and this tax legislation further closes the circle that identifies a fascist nation. As with other fascist nations we can anticipate an increase in the focus on immigrant removal and foreign adventurism in North Korea and the Middle East.
Nuclear Weapons and A Crazy Leader
Kim Jong-Un, North Korea’s leader, declared “we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force,” on the successful test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile that put the entire U.S. within range. Trump’s immediate response was to say that “we’ll handle it,” although previous diplomatic initiatives and bellicose threats have been unsuccessful.
According to the New York Times, one unnamed Senator claimed that in a private conversation Donald Trump was reviving the racist conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya. The New York Times also reported that Trump told an unnamed senator and several aids that he wanted to investigate the tape on which he was heard saying he grabbed women’s p***ies. Despite his previous admission that he had made the statement, he now apparently believes it was not him.
Trump may have a deteriorating mental condition due to age, stress, or some combination. Regardless of the reasons for how he thinks or what he thinks, he certainly has not demonstrated an ability to handle North Korea or much else. Because of his instability or incompetence, we can only expect things to get worse.
The Alabama Senate race highlights the hold the evangelical religion has on the Republican Party. Republican Roy Moore, an accused pedophile, faces Democrat, Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney who prosecuted the members of the Ku Klux Klan responsible for killing four girls. Moore, known for dating teen-age girls in his 30s, also faced accusations of sexual assault by two teen-age girls. While Moore has denied the accusations of sexual assault, he admitted dating teen-agers as an adult. Certain evangelical sects approve and encourage marriages between adult men and teen-age girls. They believe teen-age girls are pure and obedient while older men can provide for and protect the girl. Despite these serious allegations, Moore has a slight lead in the race. Alabaman Republican evangelicals have undoubtedly contributed to his continued viability in this race.
The GOP’s Dangerous Tax Scam
The Republican tax bill winding its way through the legislative process is an economic disaster. Paul Krugman, Lawrence Summers, and Joseph Stiglitz among many other economists reached this conclusion about the bill. Everything wrong with this bill is still unknown because there has not been enough time to fully analyze and model its effects. This fact alone should be enough to take a time out and more fully analyze it. But three things are known about it. It will raise taxes on those earning $75,000 or less as it redistributes income from middle-class and small businesses to corporations and large business owners; it will increase the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years and decrease spending in needed programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and national defense. And, it will not lead to substantial economic growth; increase the number of jobs (over 6 million jobs are unfilled now); or raise wages, decrease economic inequality, or address any of the other known economic problems like inadequate research and development spending.
Besides these negative economic consequences, this tax bill also signals a change in the politics of this country. While the Republican Party has lionized business for decades, this bill moves us closer to a fascist country. Under fascism, the welfare of individuals and business is subsumed by national goals, like “making America great again”. Trump’s support from big business and this tax legislation further closes the circle that identifies a fascist nation. As with other fascist nations we can anticipate an increase in the focus on immigrant removal and foreign adventurism in North Korea and the Middle East.
Nuclear Weapons and A Crazy Leader
Kim Jong-Un, North Korea’s leader, declared “we have finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force,” on the successful test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile that put the entire U.S. within range. Trump’s immediate response was to say that “we’ll handle it,” although previous diplomatic initiatives and bellicose threats have been unsuccessful.
According to the New York Times, one unnamed Senator claimed that in a private conversation Donald Trump was reviving the racist conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya. The New York Times also reported that Trump told an unnamed senator and several aids that he wanted to investigate the tape on which he was heard saying he grabbed women’s p***ies. Despite his previous admission that he had made the statement, he now apparently believes it was not him.
Trump may have a deteriorating mental condition due to age, stress, or some combination. Regardless of the reasons for how he thinks or what he thinks, he certainly has not demonstrated an ability to handle North Korea or much else. Because of his instability or incompetence, we can only expect things to get worse.