For the Record: Rage

Photo by Tyrone Siu/Reuters, via Trending A to Z.

Marco on Hong Kong

It enrages me beyond words that an ignorant hypocrite like Rubio should get away with capitalizing on the suffering of people in Hong Kong to build up his cred.

A people accustomed to liberty & democracy do not easily surrender it.

As tens of thousands protest #China’s plan to use #NationalSecurityLegislation to crush the autonomy of #HongKong we will #StandWithHongKong https://t.co/W11ecziWBd

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 24, 2020

You should think about your record of support for voter suppression measures in Florida--not that different in outcome from the way China maintains control of HK legislative council--and elsewhere and ask whether you're really a good spokesman for democracy.

— Leaves of Yas (@Yastreblyansky) May 24, 2020

It seems Americans are really not familiar with this: Hong Kong doesn't have democracy, though it has had economic freedom and a good deal of freedom of speech and assembly which are nowadays under very serious threat. The Hong Kong Legco has never been a representative body, though when Hong Kong was a British colony it represented the (originally all-white) business community. But even after elections were introduced there were always enough appointed seats to ensure the governor general (then) or Beijing-appointed executive (now) would command a majority, as the Republican governor of Florida does, through various techniques of disenfranchisement. Rubio doesn't see anything wrong with that. Coincidentally, it keeps him in a position of power.

The British had a chance to institute real democracy in Hong Kong in the years leading up to 1997 but they chose not to. Rubio has a chance to back democracy in Florida but don't hold your breath.


The Whole Science of Conservatism

That sounds so much like a smart thing. In fact the great conservative maneuver is to claim that the reactive move you want to make against some threat is a necessary expression of some ancient principle. https://t.co/MxFE4vfn3L

— Leaves of Yas (@Yastreblyansky) May 24, 2020

Like the King of Hearts trying to throw Alice out of the courtroom with "Rule 62". "You just made that up!" says Alice. "It's the oldest rule in the book!" lies the King.

— Leaves of Yas (@Yastreblyansky) May 24, 2020

Correction, Rule 42:

At this moment the King, who had been for some time busily writing in his note-book, cackled out 'Silence!' and read out from his book, 'Rule Forty-two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A MILE HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.'
Everybody looked at Alice.
'I'M not a mile high,' said Alice.
'You are,' said the King.
'Nearly two miles high,' added the Queen.
'Well, I shan't go, at any rate,' said Alice: 'besides, that's not a regular rule: you invented it just now.'
'It's the oldest rule in the book,' said the King.
'Then it ought to be Number One,' said Alice.

Trump's Great Honor

I give, and have given from the beginning, my entire yearly salary, $400,000 to $450,000, back to our government. Last check to HHS Covid relief. My great honor! https://t.co/Vv6Uyz9MkF

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2020

Then there's the money Defense spent in Panama https://t.co/WceNw21w7b

— Leaves of Yas (@Yastreblyansky) May 25, 2020

renting a Trump Tower apartment for the nuclear football even though you never go there (afraid to be in NYC) https://t.co/3hLhQftbYh

— Leaves of Yas (@Yastreblyansky) May 25, 2020

When the full story is told the amount of money you've bilked from taxpayers will be many times the forgone salary, and that's nothing compared to what you've taken illegally from foreign governments or grifted from your own Republican donors.

— Leaves of Yas (@Yastreblyansky) May 25, 2020

Once again, Article II, section 1, clause 7: "The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them." He is not allowed to receive anything from the federal or state governments other than his salary. It means what it says, as was clarified with agonizing precision during the George Washington administration, as I demonstrated at some length in October. He should have been impeached for this obvious constitutional violation sometime in January 2017, but it's not too late.