Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Trump Pardons Pals -- The Trump administration has long had many of the hallmarks of a banana republic. The cult of personality at the top, the distain for the rule of law and of administrative norms, and the preference for loyalty over competence spring to mind. Yesterday, on a whim it appears, the president pardoned or granted clemency to very high-profile and corrupt individuals further adding to this sorry situation. These include former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, disgraced and incompetent New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerick, junk-bond inside trader Mike Milken, and ex-NFL team owner Edward DeBartolo. The lesson is that if one is in deep trouble, one should get Fox News to cover the "unfairness" of being held accountable and donate as much money as possible to the president's coffers. [19 February]
There Are No Swing Voters in America -- Psephology is a wonderful word, meaning the study of elections. This is different from political science because it relies more on mathematical models that well bear scrutiny and which can be tested against experience. A new model for American psephology that says there are almost no swing voters left in America. Crafted by Dr. Rachel Bitecofer of the of the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virgnia, this is positively revolutionary. That her 2018 predictions were so close to perfect suggests that this model deserves much more attention in 2020. [18 February]
Japan's Economy Shrinks 6.3% in 4Q 2019 -- The Japanese economy shrank a massive 6.3% in the last quarter of last year, falling by 6.3%. The figure is compared to the previous quarter, and the Cabinet Office released the number this morning. Driving the decline were an increase in the sales tax and the effects of Typhoon Hagibis. The slowdown may persist through this quarter thanks to the outbreak of the coronavirus in neighboring China, which supplies many Japanese businesses with inputs. As a result, the chances of the third largest economy falling into recession are rising. [17 February]
Johnson Reshuffles Cabinet, Chancellor Quits -- Having won a substantial majority in December, and having delivered Brexit on January 31, one would have thought that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cabinet reshuffle would go smoothly. One would be wrong. Although he has strengthened his hand, Mr. Johnson has mostly strengthened the hand of Dominic Cummings, his Eminence Grise. He has lost his Chancellor, and the Northern Ireland portfolio passes from able hands to an untested pair. All of this concentrates power at Number 10, and that is where Mr. Cummings has Mr. Johnson's ear. [14 February]
Stone Prosecutors Quit over Political Interference -- Roger Stone is a friend of President Donald Trump, a relationship going back decades. A federal cout has convicted Mr. Stone of seven charges including witness tampering, obstruction of justice and lying to Congress. Prosecutors told the court on Sunday that he should face 7-9 years in prison. The president tweeted a protest that evening, and on Monday, the Department of Justice amended the sentencing memo favoring a lesser sentence. The four prosecutors have withdrawn in protest of this political tampering, and one of them has left the DoJ completely. The politicization of the legal system continues. [13 February]
© Copyright 2020 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
Volume XVIII, Number 35
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