Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Netanyahu Gives up Immunity Bid -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave up his bid to win immunity from prosecution today. He is facing criminal charges of taking bribes. He will now face the voters on March 2 as a defendant in a criminal prosecution. The withdrawal of the request means that his opponents will not be able to hold hearings on immunity. Since he did not have the votes to get his way, he is making the best of a bad situation.. [28 January]
Impeachment Puts Senate on Trial -- The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is almost certain to end in him remaining in office. The Republican Party is unwilling to remove him from office regardless of his misdeeds. The process is not about right and wrong, just and unjust. It is about holding and retaining power. That said, the way in which the Senate chooses to retain him in office will have a great deal to say about the US Senate as an institution as well as about the individual Senators voting on the matter. [27 January]
China Closes off Coronavirus Cities -- A rather nasty outbreak of a coronavirus has taken place in Wuhan, China. As of 10 am local time (2:00 am GMT), all flights, ferries and local trains into the city ended. The government admits to 630 infected patients of whom 17 have died. In 2003 when China experienced an outbreak of SARS, the government reacted much as it is now, underplaying the severity of the outbreak and overplaying their ability to control the disease. This probably won't grow into a worldwide pandemic, but someday, the kinds of reactions the world sees from the Chinese government almost guarantees one. [23 January]
Terry Jones (1942-2019) -- Terry Jones of Mony Python's Flying Circus has passed away at the age of 77. If the Pythons were the Beatles of comedy (and they were), then Mr. Jones was the George Harrison of the group -- a little reserved, probably the smartest, and the one who most desired control of his own work. He had interests that extended well beyong making people laugh, and were it not for Python, he would be mourned as one his generations greatest medievalists. But Python did happen, and the rest is history. [22 January]
Senate Impeachment "Trial" Begins -- The Senate convened today to being the "trial" of Donald Trump, the sequel to his impeachment by the House of Representatives. The Constitution calls for a trial, but the process dreamed up by the White House and implemented by Senate Majority Leader "Moscow" Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is hardly a trial. Instead, the nation faces a couple of weeks of the Republican Party trying to prevent any real facts from entering the discussion. It will end with Mr. Trump retaining his office, claiming vindication, and with irreparable damage to the foundations of the Republic. [21 January]
© 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 19
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