The Commentariat -- August 21, 2021

Marie: For the fourth day, Reality Chex STILL is not accepting comments, through no design or fault of my own. In desperation, I have come up with a brilliant interim plan to get around the problem, one that will mean only a little extra work for those of you who have something to say. Here are the easy instructions:

1. In the URL (address line), enter www.realitychex.com/display/Login and return. The login is case-sensitive, so that "L" in "Login" must be capitalized.

2. A log-in page will come up. Type squarespace in the Login box. Type nonsense in the password box. And return. That will get you page to the standard Reality Chex page. (Note: Don't use boldface type; I've put the stuff you have to use in boldface only to make it easier to see.)

3. Type your comment in the Comments box as usual. But at the end of the comment, sign it with your usual Reality Chex handle, because the name of the poster will say "See Above."

I've tried this a couple of times, and it works. With any luck, you won't have to do this for long.

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Afternoon Update:

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "Americans are not built to occupy feudal countries under scorching suns halfway around the globe.... The idea that we were going to turn Iraq and Afghanistan into mini-mes of Jeffersonian democracy was always an arrogant miscalculation, driven by macho hubris, not national security.... Donald Trump could have made safe and orderly passage a part of his deal when he negotiated his 2020 'surrender agreement,' as his former national security adviser H.R. McMaster called it in an interview with Bari Weiss. We all know Trump is a terrible deal-maker. [President] Biden could have told the Taliban he was not abiding by Trump's fatally flawed deal and renegotiated it to avoid this pell-mell disgrace. But Trump and Biden were so impatient to get out, their screw-ups merged into strangulating red tape.... Still, it is enraging to watch a parade of dunderheads preen on cable -- anchors and generals and chatterers -- the same people whose cheerleading ensnared us in 20 years of quicksand in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Saturday are here.

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The New York Times' live updates of developments in Afghanistan Saturday are here. The Washington Post's live Afghanistan updates for Saturday are here.

Ezzatullah Mehrdad & Sudarsan Raghavan of the Washington Post: "Groups of armed Afghans attacked the Taliban on Friday, driving Afghanistan's new rulers out of three northern districts, the first assault against the Islamist militants since they swept into Kabul last week and seized control of the government. Local anti-Taliban commanders claimed in interviews they had killed as many as 30 of the group's fighters and captured 20 in the takeover of the districts in Baghlan province, just over 100 miles north of the capital. Former Afghan service members were joined in the fight, they said, by local civilians.... Friday's attack is the latest sign of defiance toward the Taliban, ranging from Afghans refusing to fly the white Taliban flag to women protesting to preserve their rights. Together, they illuminate some of the obstacles the Taliban faces as it seeks to form a government deemed acceptable by a broad spectrum of Afghans and by the international community, especially donors."

Ellen Knickmeyer, et al., of the AP: "President Joe Biden is pledging to Americans still trapped in Afghanistan: 'We will get you home.' Biden also said Friday the United States is committed to evacuating all Afghans who assisted the war effort -- a potentially vast expansion of the administration's commitments on the airlift so far, given the tens of thousands of Afghan translators and others, and their close family members, seeking evacuation. Biden's comments at a White House news conference Friday come as the U.S. government struggles to ramp up a massive airlift clearing Americans and other foreigners and vulnerable Afghans through the Kabul airport.... Evacuation flights at the Kabul airport had stopped for several hours on Friday because of a backup at a transit point for the refugees, a U.S. airbase in Qatar, U.S. officials said. However, flights resumed in the afternoon.... ~~~

(AP story, ctd.) A defense official said about 5,700 people, including about 250 Americans, were flown out of Kabul aboard 16 C-17 transport planes, guarded by a temporary U.S. military deployment that's building to 6,000 troops. On each of the previous two days, about 2,000 people were airlifted.... Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said ... 169 [Americans] had gathered at the Baron Hotel near the airport and were flown across the airport perimeter to safety Thursday. He said they were transported by three U.S. military CH-47 helicopters.... Separately, senior American military officials told The Associated Press that a U.S. helicopter picked up Afghans, mostly women and children, and ferried them to the airport Friday. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division airlifted the Afghans from Camp Sullivan, near the Kabul airport." The New York Times story, which details the harrowing scene at the Kabul airport, is here.

A baby is lifted over concertina wire into Kabul airport. According to CNN, the baby soon received medical treatment inside the airport. No word on whether or not the mother/family got inside, too. Update: According to the NYT story linked above, "The Pentagon said the baby was sick, received treatment and was later returned to his father.":

Marie: When I heard on TV that it took years for our Afghan allies to get special immigration visas (SIVs), I couldn't understand why. Now I do. ~~~

~~~ ** Because Racism. Helen Elfer of the (U.K.) Independent, republished in Yahoo! News: "A former White House Homeland Security official has accused the Trump administration of deliberately obstructing visa processing for US allies in Afghanistan. In a series of posts on Twitter, Olivia Troye, who served as an aide to former Vice President Mike Pence, eviscerated the previous administration's actions, which she said were steeped in racism. 'There were cabinet mtgs about this during the Trump Admin where Stephen Miller would peddle his racist hysteria about Iraq and Afghanistan' she wrote, adding that Mr Miller -- a senior aide and speechwriter for Donald Trump -- would undermine anyone who was trying to resolve the Special Immigrants Visa issue. Ms Troye went on to say that while Mr Pence was fully aware of the problem, it was impossible to make progress because Mr Trump and Mr Miller had 'watchdogs in place' at the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, State and security agencies to make the process even more difficult. According to Ms Troye, the Pentagon weighed in, and there were memos sent from General James Mattis and others attempting to expedite the visas, but to no avail." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: So my repeated complaints about the Biden administration's failure to streamline the visa process need a serious amendment. (1) The system Biden inherited was designed by Stephen Miller & Co. to fail; (2) Reading between the lines of several stories, it appears the Biden administration did speed up visa-vetting procedures in July 2021.

Annie Karni of the New York Times: "President Biden on Friday nominated R. Nicholas Burns, a veteran Foreign Service officer and a former ambassador to NATO, as ambassador to China and Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago and former President Barack Obama's first chief of staff, as ambassador to Japan. Mr. Biden settled on both nominees months ago, people involved in the process said. But the official announcement was delayed in part because the United States needs the host countries to sign off on such selections before proceeding." CNN's story is here. MB: Assuming the Senate confirms Rahm, I wonder how long it will take him to insult the Japanese.

Noam Scheiber of the New York Times: "The A.F.L.-C.I.O. has chosen Liz Shuler, its acting president since the death of Richard Trumka this month, to lead the federation until it holds elections next June. Ms. Shuler had served as secretary-treasurer, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s second-ranking official, since 2009. The decision to name Ms. Shuler president came at a meeting of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. executive council on Friday, which Ms. Shuler was obligated to call within a few weeks of Mr. Trumka's death under the federation's constitution. Ms. Shuler is the group's first female president." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Rachel Weiner of the Washington Post: "A man who prompted an evacuation of the U.S. Capitol and surrounding buildings on Thursday by claiming to have a bomb inside his truck faces charges of threatening to use explosives and a weapon of mass destruction. Floyd Ray Roseberry of North Carolina surrendered to authorities Thursday about five hours after he drove a truck onto the sidewalk outside the Library of Congress and launched a standoff with law enforcement officers, police said. He had demanded to speak to President Biden about a range of grievances against the Democratic Party and claimed that if he was shot, his vehicle and four others would explode.... Officials said they found no bomb in his car, but there were materials that could be used to make explosives.... Before he was taken into custody, Roseberry delivered a tirade over a Facebook Live video that circulated widely before the website and other social media platforms took it down. In the video, he repeated the false claim that the election was stolen from ... Donald Trump and called on Democrats to resign."

Ken Dilanian & Rich Schapiro of NBC News: "The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt outside a door of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot has been formally exonerated after an internal investigation, according to a department memo obtained by NBC News. The officer, whose name has not been released, opened fire on Babbitt as she and a mob of other Trump supporters tried to forcefully enter the Capitol. Video of the shooting showed Babbitt in front of a crowd of rioters trying to get through a door leading to where members of Congress were being evacuated on the House side of the building.... [Donald] Trump previously made the false claim that the officer who shot Babbitt was the "head of security" for a 'high-ranking' Democratic member of Congress.... Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., has said Babbitt's death was 'an execution,' and he accused the officer who shot her of 'lying in wait' to do so."

Zoe Tillman of BuzzFeed News: "Infowars host Owen Shroyer is facing criminal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riots at the US Capitol. In a new complaint filed on Friday, the US attorney's office in Washington charged Shroyer with illegally going into a restricted area on the Capitol grounds and disorderly conduct. He's one of the highest-profile right-wing media personalities to be prosecuted in connection with the insurrection so far. Shroyer, who is based in Texas, had been photographed on a stage outside the Capitol with right-wing activist and Infowars founder Alex Jones, and the FBI said it received an anonymous tip from someone noting another video that appeared to show Shroyer at the top of a set of stairs on the east side of the Capitol. Jones has not been charged."

Rachel Frazin of the Hill: "Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied a last-minute petition seeking to halt construction of a presidential library for former President Obama. The court's website indicated on Friday that Barrett rejected a bid from Chicago-based organizations and individuals that said the construction should be halted on environmental grounds. Barrett handles emergency matters emanating from Illinois. She had the option to act on the petition herself or refer it to other justices. The advocacy group Protect Our Parks and several other plaintiffs claimed that federal, state and local governments illegally segmented the project planned for the city's South Side into smaller pieces in order to evade a full assessment of its environmental impacts.... The Supreme Court petition was submitted on Monday -- the same day construction on the project began. It came after both a rejection from a lower court of the arguments and a previous failure at the Supreme Court level to block construction of the library on different legal grounds." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

"Gay Corner." Andrew Yarrow of the Washington Post: "In a quiet neighborhood of Southeast Washington, Leonard Matlovich has been a persistent advocate for gay rights since the 1980s. Over the years, he has attracted dozens of followers who have gathered nearby. You won't hear him on talk shows or see his byline on op-eds, though, because Matlovich passed away in 1988. Instead, he -- or rather his tombstone -- can be found in Congressional Cemetery, which claims to be the world's only graveyard with an LGBTQ section." MB: I meant to link this story earlier in the week but got distracted. It's a sweet, uplifting punctuation to these difficult times.

Meet Some Excellent GOP Leaders from Around the U.S.:

Louisiana. Sam Carlin of the (Baton Rouge) Advocate: "Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins has once again threatened someone on Facebook with violence. The Lafayette Republican, who has a long history of bizarre social media antics, told an Alaska man named Joel Dolphin who commented on one of his posts that Higgins is 'easy to find,' and suggested he is prepared to fight the man when he visits Alaska next year. 'I'll be in Alaska next year, with (U.S. Rep.) Don Young,' Higgins wrote after Dolphin said he'd be happy to reiterate his criticisms face-to-face with the congressman. '... Like I said. I'm easy to find. Locate us a ring, or a dojo. I'll give you a few rounds to make your point. Be seeing you. Higgins out.'... Higgins, who has easily won reelection twice since taking office in the conservative 3rd District in 2016..., gained notoriety as a St. Landry Parish sheriff's deputy by filming CrimeStoppers segments where he sternly demanded that criminals surrender, often using insults." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Minnesota. Briana Bierschbach & Alex Chhith of the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune: "Minnesota Republican leaders forced Jennifer Carnahan out as head of the state party on Thursday, turning a page on a scandal that threatened to consume GOP politics ahead of a pivotal election year. Carnahan leaves as chair of the party amid allegations that she created a toxic workplace environment, one that blurred personal and professional lines, ignored concerns about sexual harassment and retaliated against employees who didn't fall in line. The party's 15-member executive board voted 8-7 to give Carnahan a severance of three months salary, roughly $38,000, to leave her role. Carnahan, who attended the meeting virtually, was the deciding vote to give herself severance on the way out. The board also approved investigations into the party's finances and human resources protocols." (Also linked yesterday.)

Texas. What Have the Black People Done Wrong Today? Julian Mark of the Washington Post: "Responding to a question by Fox "News" host Laura Ingraham about rising Covid cases, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said,] 'Democrats like to blame Republicans on that.... Well, the biggest group in most states are African Americans who have not been vaccinated. The last time I checked, over 90 percent of them vote for Democrats in their major cities and major counties.'... While vaccination rates are low among Black Texans, the highest coronavirus case rates are among Whites and Hispanics." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

The Pandemic, Ctd.

Adam Cancryn & Erin Banco of Politico: "The Food and Drug Administration is on track to approve Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for adults as soon as next week, three people with knowledge of the matter told Politico. The long-anticipated announcement would make Pfizer's Covid-19 shot the first to receive full licensure from the federal government, a milestone in the nation's year-and-a-half pandemic battle." ~~~

     ~~~ From the New York Times' live updates for Friday: "The Food and Drug Administration is pushing to approve Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, further expediting an earlier timeline for licensing the shot, according to people familiar with the agency's planning."

Tyler Pager & Laurie McGinley of the Washington Post: "Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for adolescents has yet to be authorized by federal health officials in part because they are investigating emerging reports that the shots may be associated with a higher risk of a heart condition in younger adults than previously believed, according to two people familiar with the review who emphasized the side effect still probably remains very uncommon. The investigation, which involves the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is focusing on Canadian data that suggests the Moderna vaccine may carry a higher risk of myocarditis for young people than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, especially for males below the age of 30 or so."

Bailey Schulz of USA Today: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidance for travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 to recommend they avoid cruise ships, regardless of vaccination status. The new guidance applies to older adults, people with certain medical conditions and pregnant and recently pregnant people. Prior to Friday's announcement, the agency recommended that only people who were not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 avoid cruise ships.... The CDC's website says the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread easily between people in close quarters on ships, and the chance of getting COVID-19 on cruise ships is 'high.'" MB: USA Today stories are now subscriber-firewalled; I don't know how many freebies nonsubscribers get before being locked out.

Capitalism Is Awesome, Ctd. Sheri Fink of the New York Times: Abbott Labs had employees at their Maine plant destroy millions of rapid Covid-19 testing devices, then laid them all off. It isn't clear why the company destroyed the products, but the U.S. is now in dire need of more rapid tests and other countries needed the tests, too.

Paul Krugman of the New York Times: "The reason [the U.S.] hasn't [returned to more-or-less normal] -- the reason we are instead still living in fear, with hospitals in much of the South nearing breaking point -- is that not enough people have been vaccinated and not enough people are wearing masks.... So how do you feel about anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers? I'm angry about their antics, even though I'm able to work from home and don't have school-age children. And I suspect that many Americans share that anger.... In a very real sense, the irresponsible minority is depriving the rest of us of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.... So it's time to stop being diffident and call out destructive behavior for what it is." ~~~

~~~ ** Sorry, Paul, They'd Rather Be Poisoned. Mississippi. Ashton Pittman of the Mississippi Free Press: "At least one individual has been hospitalized in Mississippi after ingesting a drug intended for treating worms in livestock, the Mississippi State Department of Health revealed today. The medicine, ivermectin, is not approved for treating COVID-19. 'There are potential toxicities. So it's something, you know, as you know, I think some people are trying to use it as a preventative, which I think is really kind of crazy. So please don't do that,' Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said during a discussion on Zoom [Friday].... Despite a lack of scientific evidence that ivermectin is effective at treating COVID-19, it has become a popular go-to drug ... especially among opponents of COVID-19 vaccines and public-health measures like masking. It's a similar phenomenon to the push last year for COVID-19 patients to take hydroxychloroquine [MB: which Donald Trump pushed] despite studies finding it ineffective against the virus.... After this report published [two days earlier], the Mississippi State Department issued a health alert warning about an increase in ivermectin poisoning incidents." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Rachel Maddow couldn't figure out why people would ingest horse dewormer they bought at the feed store instead of getting free, safe Covid vaccines. Then she played clips of Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity & Tucker Carlson recommending ivermectin on their Fox "News" shows.

Beyond the Beltway

Arizona. Cyber Ninjas Must Release Docs to Watchdog Group. Caroline Vakil of the Hill: "The Arizona Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled that the leading contractor of Arizona's audit of the Maricopa County 2020 election results must turn over documents related to the effort. American Oversight, a watchdog group, has been seeking documents regarding the county's recount and audit, which was initiated because former President Trump disputed the 2020 election results in battle ground states like Arizona. The watchdog group had been involved in a legal fight with Arizona's Senate over the public release of the documents, The Associated Press reported." (Also linked yesterday.)

California. Kate Conger of the New York Times: "A California law that ensures many gig workers are considered independent contractors, while affording them some limited benefits, is unconstitutional and unenforceable, a California Superior Court judge ruled Friday evening. The decision is not likely to immediately affect the new law and is certain to face appeals from Uber and other so-called gig economy companies. It reopened the debate about whether drivers for ride-hailing services and delivery couriers are employees who deserve full benefits, or independent contractors who are responsible for their own businesses and benefits. Last year's Proposition 22, a ballot initiative backed by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig economy platforms, carved out a third classification for workers, granting gig workers limited benefits while preventing them from being considered employees of the tech giants. The initiative was approved in November with more than 58 percent of the vote. But drivers and the Service Employees International Union filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law. The group argued that Prop. 22 was unconstitutional because it limited the State Legislature's ability to allow workers to organize and have access to workers' compensation." Judge Frank Roesch agreed. Uber will appeal.

News Ledes

Weather Channel: “Tropical Storm Henri is expected to strengthen into a hurricane over the Atlantic Saturday and will track toward the Northeast, likely making landfall on Long Island near hurricane strength late Sunday. Residents of the Northeast U.S. should monitor Henri's progress closely since it may bring wind, rain and storm surge impacts to parts of the region late this weekend into early next week." ~~~

     ~~~ Weather Channel Update: "Henri has become a Category 1 hurricane and will track toward the Northeast, likely making landfall on Long Island or southern New England near hurricane strength late Sunday."

New York Times: "Hurricane Grace made landfall on the eastern coast of Mexico's mainland early Saturday, hours after strengthening into a Category 3 storm as it passed over the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center said the storm made landfall near the resort town of Tecolutla just before 1 a.m., with maximum sustained winds of nearly 125 miles per hour. It was moving west at about 10 m.p.h. and was expected to weaken later Saturday as it continued inland over the mountains. The National Hurricane Center warned that preparations to protect life and property should be rushed in the hurricane warning area, which included the coast of mainland Mexico from Puerto Veracruz to Cabo Rojo."

Washington Post: "It had been raining for days when Tropical Storm Fred swept through western North Carolina this week, killing at least four people, with four others unaccounted for. The flooding ravaged this swath of Appalachia, destroying roads and bridges, washing cars away and displacing an estimated 500 families.... There was no warning before the deluge; no time to prepare."

Comments

[See Above]

So I’ve been reading that the major problem with Afghanistan being overrun is that the army we paid billions of dollars for is systemically incompetent, chronically corrupt, cowardly, and disastrously disloyal to their own country.

Gee, sounds like Republicans.

No wonder so many confederates have been bowing down to the Taliban.

Akhilleus

[See Above]

And on the Seventh Day:

"What to make of masks?

It was simple back in the days of King TV’s Saturday morning’s “Bar-5 Corral,” where only the bad guys wore them. For the bank and train robbers, all the six-shooting desperadoes out only for themselves, masks inevitably accompanied the black hats they wore.

I got it then. Black and white hats, and masks worn as a disguise. Because they were mean, sneaky, and cowardly those lawbreakers didn’t want anyone to know who they were.

There were exceptions, of course. On one day of the year, Halloween, we all wore masks—whether our intentions (I remember a few eggs tossed and windows waxed) were good or bad-- and by the time we were ten we all knew the Lone Ranger had only the best and purest of reasons for concealing his identity.

But now Covid has made the meaning of masks far less certain.

Some wear masks because they have been proven to inhibit Covid transmission (uab.edu). The first concern of some of who wear them is their own health, but choosing to don a mask has also taken on complicated social and political components.

Many who wear masks in public do so because they care about more than themselves. Since masks offer some two-way protection from Covid, these people also wear them because they don’t wish to sicken their families or communities. They know that no one of us lives in splendid isolation.

The messages conveyed by non-mask wearers are harder to read. Some may think their Covid vaccinations have made them invulnerable, but many are aping the anti-mask behavior of their chosen political leaders (forbes.com), who have confused our Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms with their freedom to make people sick.

Good guys or bad guys? Masked or not?

You make the call."

Ken Winkes