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Algernon Moncrieff
Algernon Moncrieff's Journal
Algernon Moncrieff's Journal
January 27, 2021
HOF Question for DUers - What to do with the Steroid Era Players
What to do with the players that tested positive for PEDs?
Is what they did better? worse? equivalent to what Pete Rose did? What Shoeless Joe did?
January 27, 2021
Nobody made the HOF this year!
ESPNFor the first time since 1960, the membership of the National Baseball Hall of Fame will remain frozen.
No player on the Hall's 2021 Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot reached the 75% threshold needed for enshrinement in Cooperstown. The results of the voting were announced by Hall of Fame president Tim Mead on MLB Network on Tuesday night.
The leading vote-getter was controversial pitcher Curt Schilling, who was named on 71.1% of the ballots, 16 votes shy of the minimum needed for selection. Schilling was followed by all-time home run leader Barry Bonds (61.8%) and 354-game winner Roger Clemens (61.6) in the voting.
All three former All-Stars were in their ninth year of eligibility on the ballot, leaving them one more chance next winter. Players get 10 shots at enshrinement via the writers' voting before moving on to consideration by one of the Hall's various era-based veterans committees.
No player on the Hall's 2021 Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot reached the 75% threshold needed for enshrinement in Cooperstown. The results of the voting were announced by Hall of Fame president Tim Mead on MLB Network on Tuesday night.
The leading vote-getter was controversial pitcher Curt Schilling, who was named on 71.1% of the ballots, 16 votes shy of the minimum needed for selection. Schilling was followed by all-time home run leader Barry Bonds (61.8%) and 354-game winner Roger Clemens (61.6) in the voting.
All three former All-Stars were in their ninth year of eligibility on the ballot, leaving them one more chance next winter. Players get 10 shots at enshrinement via the writers' voting before moving on to consideration by one of the Hall's various era-based veterans committees.
January 24, 2021
The Insurrection Was Put Down. The GOP Plan for Minority Rule Marches On.
Mother JonesThis isn’t about which party wins elections, but whether democracy itself survives. Some anti-democratic measures were deliberately built into a system that was designed to benefit rich white men: The Senate was created to boost small conservative states and serve as a check on the more democratic House of Representatives, while the Electoral College prevented the direct election of the president and enhanced the power of slave states through the three-fifths clause. But these features have metastasized to a degree the Founding Fathers could have never anticipated, and in ways that threaten the very notion of representative government.
In the past decade, the GOP has dropped any pretense of trying to appeal to a majority of Americans. Instead, recognizing that the structure of America’s political institutions diminishes the influence of urban areas, young Americans, and voters of color, it caters to a conservative white minority that is drastically overrepresented in the Electoral College, the Senate, and gerrymandered legislative districts. This strategy of white grievance reached a fever pitch when domestic terrorists emboldened by the president occupied the Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s Electoral College victory. But that unprecedented attempt by Trump and his allies to overturn the election results is a mere prelude to a new era of minority rule, which not only will attempt to block the agenda of a president elected by an overwhelming majority but threatens the long-term health of American democracy. “The will of the people,” wrote Thomas Jefferson in 1801, “is the only legitimate foundation of any government.” And now that foundation is crumbling.
No one has benefited more from minority rule—and done more to ensure it—than Mitch McConnell. For six years, he presided over a Senate majority representing fewer people than the minority party, the longest such stretch in US history, until the January Georgia runoffs gave Democrats a razor-thin majority. Now he’ll do everything he can to obstruct Biden’s popular mandate. Two days after the presidential election, sources close to McConnell told Axios that he would block Biden’s Cabinet appointees if he considered them “radical progressives.” McConnell didn’t even acknowledge Biden’s victory until 42 days after the election, when the Electoral College finalized it.
In the past decade, the GOP has dropped any pretense of trying to appeal to a majority of Americans. Instead, recognizing that the structure of America’s political institutions diminishes the influence of urban areas, young Americans, and voters of color, it caters to a conservative white minority that is drastically overrepresented in the Electoral College, the Senate, and gerrymandered legislative districts. This strategy of white grievance reached a fever pitch when domestic terrorists emboldened by the president occupied the Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying Biden’s Electoral College victory. But that unprecedented attempt by Trump and his allies to overturn the election results is a mere prelude to a new era of minority rule, which not only will attempt to block the agenda of a president elected by an overwhelming majority but threatens the long-term health of American democracy. “The will of the people,” wrote Thomas Jefferson in 1801, “is the only legitimate foundation of any government.” And now that foundation is crumbling.
No one has benefited more from minority rule—and done more to ensure it—than Mitch McConnell. For six years, he presided over a Senate majority representing fewer people than the minority party, the longest such stretch in US history, until the January Georgia runoffs gave Democrats a razor-thin majority. Now he’ll do everything he can to obstruct Biden’s popular mandate. Two days after the presidential election, sources close to McConnell told Axios that he would block Biden’s Cabinet appointees if he considered them “radical progressives.” McConnell didn’t even acknowledge Biden’s victory until 42 days after the election, when the Electoral College finalized it.
January 21, 2021
Proud Boys organizer, rioter who attacked officer arrested
169 pro-Trump rioters have been charged in the Capitol insurrection so far. This searchable table shows them all.
Upper East Side Pickup Artist Arrested For Alleged Role In Capitol Insurrection
Joe Biggs — Prominent Proud Boys Organizer — Among Those Arrested After Capitol Riot
‘This Kettle Is Set to Boil’: New Evidence Points to Riot Conspiracy
Patrick McCaughey arrested for assaulting cop, crushing him in doorway during Trump-fueled Capitol riot
Keep pressing on this, folks. Don't let it just fade from the news. A coup was attempted, and a policeman was murdered. Many policemen were assaulted and injured. Don't let a "forgive and forget" type sentiment gain momentum. We cannot let that happen. Every Senator or Congressperson who is connected to these people needs to be accountable for that.
Round Up of Latest on Insurrection Arrests
From ‘Baked Alaska’ to a guy with horns and fur, here’s a wrap-up of notable Capitol riot arrestsProud Boys organizer, rioter who attacked officer arrested
169 pro-Trump rioters have been charged in the Capitol insurrection so far. This searchable table shows them all.
Upper East Side Pickup Artist Arrested For Alleged Role In Capitol Insurrection
Joe Biggs — Prominent Proud Boys Organizer — Among Those Arrested After Capitol Riot
‘This Kettle Is Set to Boil’: New Evidence Points to Riot Conspiracy
Patrick McCaughey arrested for assaulting cop, crushing him in doorway during Trump-fueled Capitol riot
Keep pressing on this, folks. Don't let it just fade from the news. A coup was attempted, and a policeman was murdered. Many policemen were assaulted and injured. Don't let a "forgive and forget" type sentiment gain momentum. We cannot let that happen. Every Senator or Congressperson who is connected to these people needs to be accountable for that.
January 20, 2021
More than 16 years after authorities say a Chicago police officer took part in one of the biggest scandals in department history, city officials have quietly moved to fire him.
Officer Thomas Sherry faces dismissal for alleged misdeeds he carried out as a member of the disgraced Special Operations Section, a specialized unit that was disbanded when some of its officers committed home invasions and robberies in the 2000s.
.....
Sherry was assigned to SOS in 2006 when Cook County prosecutors charged him and other officers with armed violence and aggravated kidnapping, among other charges, alleging that the officers had robbed drug dealers and law-abiding citizens of cash and property. Sherry was suspended without pay at the time.
As the scandal deepened, the department disbanded the SOS unit, some officers resigned and the police superintendent, Phil Cline, retired not long after.
Chicago police officer tied to disgraced unit faces firing 16 years after scandal broke
Chicago TribuneMore than 16 years after authorities say a Chicago police officer took part in one of the biggest scandals in department history, city officials have quietly moved to fire him.
Officer Thomas Sherry faces dismissal for alleged misdeeds he carried out as a member of the disgraced Special Operations Section, a specialized unit that was disbanded when some of its officers committed home invasions and robberies in the 2000s.
.....
Sherry was assigned to SOS in 2006 when Cook County prosecutors charged him and other officers with armed violence and aggravated kidnapping, among other charges, alleging that the officers had robbed drug dealers and law-abiding citizens of cash and property. Sherry was suspended without pay at the time.
As the scandal deepened, the department disbanded the SOS unit, some officers resigned and the police superintendent, Phil Cline, retired not long after.
January 18, 2021
Maybe it's just me: Armed protests, by definition, aren't "peaceful"
When people show up at a protest openly carrying firearms, there is an implied threat that those firearms will be used. The desired effect is intimidating the unarmed. It's bullying, and it needs to stop.
January 7, 2021
I doubt it will have much impact, but I've asked my Senators and Rep to support 25A
I urge you all to do the same.
For the record, all three (in my case) are R's, but all voted to certify the election. I couched the request as asking them to do something "distasteful but necessary" by supporting the elevation VP Mike Pence to Acting President under the 25th Amendment because "yesterday's events have cast grave doubt on the ability of the current President to continue to lead."
I kept it civil and tried to couch it in terms that might not immediately have me dismissed as a LWNJ.
I'm not in love with the idea (like many here, I'd prefer impeachment), but consider this: the moment Pence were to be named Acting President, the transition could begin in earnest, and Pence could refocus governmental efforts on things like vaccine distribution. It would put an adult in the room for the next two weeks in the event an adversary tries to take advantage of this situation. Elevating Pence to Acting President would also reaffirm the rule of law and the commitment to the democratic norms.
Just my .02.
January 7, 2021
Armed protesters occupied the steps of the Washington capitol building in Olympia
https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/01/armed-protesters-olympia-occupy-capitol-steps-governors-mansion-lawn
Armed Protesters gathered outside the GA Secretary of State office.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/01/06/georgia-election-secretary-of-state-evacuated
Proud Boys and left wing protesters clashed in Salem Oregon
https://www.npr.org/sections/congress-electoral-college-tally-live-updates/2021/01/06/954124446/states-also-see-protests-and-angry-responses-to-d-c-violence
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the Washington Governors Mansion was stormed
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/protesters-break-through-gates-governors-mansion-olympia/C5EC7W2MCZBKRA6RFCEJMSRYCE/Armed protesters occupied the steps of the Washington capitol building in Olympia
https://crosscut.com/politics/2021/01/armed-protesters-olympia-occupy-capitol-steps-governors-mansion-lawn
Armed Protesters gathered outside the GA Secretary of State office.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/01/06/georgia-election-secretary-of-state-evacuated
Proud Boys and left wing protesters clashed in Salem Oregon
https://www.npr.org/sections/congress-electoral-college-tally-live-updates/2021/01/06/954124446/states-also-see-protests-and-angry-responses-to-d-c-violence
January 5, 2021
DUer Miles Archer posted about his MAGA Sister. His short post, as well as the responses-- especially about politics and family -- got me thinking about what I'd read in this article.
...
So I see two possibilities tomorrow: the election is certified after a lot of sound and fury, or the election is "overturned" by Vice-Presidential fiat, and then the SCOTUS will weigh-in (most likely in favor of Biden). Nevertheless, this won't be over tomorrow, and this won't be over on January 20th, and (as has been pointed out in other threads) if the very gerrymandered house weren't controlled by the Dems, Trump would be getting a second term - and possibly overtime beyond that.
The enormity of Biden's task cannot be overstated. He'll assume the office against the backdrop of a pandemic, a shaky economy, a very divided congress (even if we win the two seats in Georgia) and an ex-President screaming that he was robbed in a fraudulent election to anyone who'll listen. Joe will have to figure out how to shore up our democratic (little D) underpinnings, and how to insure that the next President doesn't install him/herself as dictator. He will need to somehow convince people that facts do matter, even if we disagree on how to process those facts.
To be sure, I've seen bitter division before. I came into awareness just after the worst of the Civil Rights battles. RFK and MLK died when I was too young to remember. But I remember Vietnam protests in the early 70s, and I remember ugly, ugly protests against bussing. I remember a lot of bitterness by WWII vets against the draft dodgers. But the division of families now - like what Miles Archer describes - reminds me of reading about divisions within families prior to and during the Civil War. Brothers, sisters, parents, children not speaking to one another.
Questions I have:
- What are we likely to see Trump do to make Biden's life more difficult before January 20th? Bombing Iran? I could see that as a desperate attempt to argue that he can't turn over "in a time of war!" (note: war will not have been declared and war didn't stop Nixon or Obama from taking office)
- Can Joe do anything to help heal the National wounds from the past four years? If so, what?
- Does Joe "forgive and forget" the last 8 weeks/4 years? Does he appoint a Special Prosecutor? Will prosecuting make things worse? Will not holding people accountable make things worse?
- How do we make Russia accountable for their role in events? For their hack of our government computers?
- Gomert advocated violence? Is he held accountable?
- Is it time to regulate militias? I seem to recall 2A saying something about regulated militias.
- Realistically, can Joe do anything substantive on Climate change? One thing I've noted about Trump supporters is that they universally believe Climate Science is bunk and that this is (pick one) God's will or a cycle that takes place every few thousand years.
- How can we make facts matter again? At least make them matter more than they do now?
- Can we avoid Civil War? Not the kind we had with states seceding and opposing armies, but the kind of thing you saw in the former Yugoslavia or in South America - with roaming militias, terror attacks, and/or death squads
- Can Biden do anything to streamline/speed up COVID vaccine delivery?
- Are we to a point at which Blue State America and Red State America have no use for one another? Is it time to call the attorneys and split up? What about the little purple kids?
- Since the Presidential MOF is being given out like Cracker Jack prizes, should Biden give his first two medals to two Republicans - Brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger? I agree that folks like Muller and Vindeman are also deserving, but I admire Kemp and Raffensperger actually showing backbone and defending the democracy - even if it means a President they oppose.
- Will Scotland's refusal to allow Trump to enter lead to a disruption in the Scotch Whiskey supply? I need to know because it is what is getting me through this political season.
A long, rambling post - So, how does this end?
From "How Biden Can Rebuild a Divided and Distrustful Nation" - Foreign AffairsDUer Miles Archer posted about his MAGA Sister. His short post, as well as the responses-- especially about politics and family -- got me thinking about what I'd read in this article.
The failure of Trump’s base to accept his defeat is the latest manifestation of a new identity politics driven by both culture and economics. The United States’ two political parties are sorting into distinctive groups based on who they are rather than on their policy preferences. Republicans tend to be religious, rural, native-born, older, male, and less educated. They are overwhelmingly white and working class.
...
Because partisan sorting is no longer primarily about one’s policy views but instead about one’s deepest values or identity, the “other party” is no longer just the opposition but the enemy; and politics is no longer about finding compromises that can address common problems but about winning a war for one’s own side.
...
Long before the 2016 election, the sociologist Arlie Hochschild found that white working-class respondents in Louisiana resented immigrants and minorities, whom they perceived to be “cutting in line” for jobs or other privileges. In 2016, most Republicans (overwhelmingly white) agreed with the following statement: “People like me are asked to make too many sacrifices that benefit people of another race.”
The tilt toward nationalism and nativism—not only in the United States, as it happens, but in other advanced countries as well—is geographically rooted in the small towns and rural areas hit hardest by deindustrialization. The loss of jobs, stagnant wages, and the attendant effects on the social fabric have clearly played a role. That said, purely economic analyses fail to capture the whole story. One cannot explain in purely economic terms the politicization of mask wearing, the growing concern that one’s child might marry someone from the opposing party, yawning partisan gaps in attitudes about race, or the strong support for Trump from the evangelical community. As the political scientists John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavreck put it, “These growing divisions between the Democratic and Republican Parties threaten to make political conflict less about what government should do and more about what it means to be an American. . . . This is the American identity crisis, and it is getting worse.”
So I see two possibilities tomorrow: the election is certified after a lot of sound and fury, or the election is "overturned" by Vice-Presidential fiat, and then the SCOTUS will weigh-in (most likely in favor of Biden). Nevertheless, this won't be over tomorrow, and this won't be over on January 20th, and (as has been pointed out in other threads) if the very gerrymandered house weren't controlled by the Dems, Trump would be getting a second term - and possibly overtime beyond that.
The enormity of Biden's task cannot be overstated. He'll assume the office against the backdrop of a pandemic, a shaky economy, a very divided congress (even if we win the two seats in Georgia) and an ex-President screaming that he was robbed in a fraudulent election to anyone who'll listen. Joe will have to figure out how to shore up our democratic (little D) underpinnings, and how to insure that the next President doesn't install him/herself as dictator. He will need to somehow convince people that facts do matter, even if we disagree on how to process those facts.
To be sure, I've seen bitter division before. I came into awareness just after the worst of the Civil Rights battles. RFK and MLK died when I was too young to remember. But I remember Vietnam protests in the early 70s, and I remember ugly, ugly protests against bussing. I remember a lot of bitterness by WWII vets against the draft dodgers. But the division of families now - like what Miles Archer describes - reminds me of reading about divisions within families prior to and during the Civil War. Brothers, sisters, parents, children not speaking to one another.
Questions I have:
- What are we likely to see Trump do to make Biden's life more difficult before January 20th? Bombing Iran? I could see that as a desperate attempt to argue that he can't turn over "in a time of war!" (note: war will not have been declared and war didn't stop Nixon or Obama from taking office)
- Can Joe do anything to help heal the National wounds from the past four years? If so, what?
- Does Joe "forgive and forget" the last 8 weeks/4 years? Does he appoint a Special Prosecutor? Will prosecuting make things worse? Will not holding people accountable make things worse?
- How do we make Russia accountable for their role in events? For their hack of our government computers?
- Gomert advocated violence? Is he held accountable?
- Is it time to regulate militias? I seem to recall 2A saying something about regulated militias.
- Realistically, can Joe do anything substantive on Climate change? One thing I've noted about Trump supporters is that they universally believe Climate Science is bunk and that this is (pick one) God's will or a cycle that takes place every few thousand years.
- How can we make facts matter again? At least make them matter more than they do now?
- Can we avoid Civil War? Not the kind we had with states seceding and opposing armies, but the kind of thing you saw in the former Yugoslavia or in South America - with roaming militias, terror attacks, and/or death squads
- Can Biden do anything to streamline/speed up COVID vaccine delivery?
- Are we to a point at which Blue State America and Red State America have no use for one another? Is it time to call the attorneys and split up? What about the little purple kids?
- Since the Presidential MOF is being given out like Cracker Jack prizes, should Biden give his first two medals to two Republicans - Brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger? I agree that folks like Muller and Vindeman are also deserving, but I admire Kemp and Raffensperger actually showing backbone and defending the democracy - even if it means a President they oppose.
- Will Scotland's refusal to allow Trump to enter lead to a disruption in the Scotch Whiskey supply? I need to know because it is what is getting me through this political season.
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Member since: Sun Apr 20, 2014, 12:49 AMNumber of posts: 5,790
