;)
The Commentariat -- October 8, 2017
Afternoon Update:
Mrs. McCrabbie: I'll let Akhilleus report this one: "The Dauphin, le petit mikey pence, walked out of an NFL football game today, just as fast as his little legs could carry him, because he can't stand African American players advocating for their rights." ...
... Akhilleus goes on to reiterate how senseless mikey's own little protest is. Unfortunately, Akhilleus just doesn't get it. Behaving or dressing in a way confederates deem "patriotic" applies only to black people. Remember how riled everybody -- including ABC "News" -- by the fact that then-Sen. Obama often left the house without wearing a flag pin in his lapel? I checked the Googles & found dozens of photos of der Trumpus dressed in a suit with no flag pin in sight. Yet no one ever questioned his patriotism because of his shockingly flagless lapel. Nevah. ...
... Here, BTW, is what Obama said in 2007 regarding display of a flag pin:
I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest. Instead I'm gonna' try to tell the American people what I believe what will make this country great and hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism.... Somebody noticed I wasn't wearing a flag lapel pin and I told folks, well you know what? I haven't probably worn that pin in a very long time. I wore it right after 9/11. But after a while, you start noticing people wearing a lapel pin, but not acting very patriotic. Not voting to provide veterans with resources that they need. Not voting to make sure that disability payments were coming out on time. My attitude is that I'm less concerned about what you're wearing on your lapel than what's in your heart. And you show your patriotism by how you treat your fellow Americans, especially those who served. You show your patriotism by being true to our values and our ideals and that's what we have to lead with is our values and our ideals
Antibiotic Apocalypse. Robin McKie of the Guardian: "Scientists attending a recent meeting of the American Society for Microbiology reported they had uncovered a highly disturbing trend...[R]esistance to [antibiotics] is spreading across the globe...The danger, say scientists, is one of the greatest that humanity has faced in recent times. In a drug-resistant world, many aspects of modern medicine would simply become impossible." Read on. --safari
Trump Says He Doesn't Care Much about Health Care. Julia Manchester of the Hill: "President Trump praised health care block grants on Saturday, saying they allow the states to focus on health care, but said he would rather focus his energy on tensions with North Korea than 'fixing somebody's back or their knee.'" Mrs. McC: That is, Trump seems to think medical care is rather superfluous & pretty much all about chiropractic. he'd rather focus on calling Little Kim names and/or maybe starting a nuclear war. Way more fun.
Philip Rucker & Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post: "Sen. Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on Sunday called the White House 'an adult day care center' after President Trump attacked him in a morning Twitter tirade. Trump alleged in a trio of tweets that Corker 'begged' him for his endorsement, did not receive it and decided to retire because he 'didn't have the guts' to run for reelection next year. In response, Corker (Tenn.) tweeted, 'It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.'... Trump's public lashing of a fellow Republican comes after Corker made headlines last week when he starkly suggested that the national security team provides the president with badly needed adult supervision." Thanks to Marvin S. for the lead.
Connor O'Brien of Politico: "In an interview on ABC's "This Week," FEMA administrator Brock Long brushed off criticism from San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who has slammed the Trump administration's response to Hurricane Maria.... 'We filtered out the mayor a long time ago. We don't have time for the political noise,' Long said." Mrs. McC: Yeah, there really is no reason to listen to a woman, even one who knows what she's talking about because she's been there & seen it. A valuable female official would be one who stayed inside the air-conditioned hurricane center & got coffee for the men having meetings.
Rod Nordland of the New York Times: "More than a thousand Islamic State fighters ... fled their crumbling Iraqi stronghold of Hawija. Instead of the martyrdom they had boasted was their only acceptable fate, they had voluntarily ended up ... in [an] interrogation center of the Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq. For an extremist group that has made its reputation on its ferociousness, with fighters who would always choose suicide over surrender, the fall of Hawija has been a notable turning point. The group has suffered a string of humiliating defeats in Iraq and Syria, but the number of its shock troops who turned themselves in to Kurdish officials at the center in Dibis was unusually large, more than 1,000 since last Sunday."
*****
Jenna Johnson of the Washington Post: "President Trump continued to make vague threats toward North Korea on Saturday.... 'Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years, agreements made and massive amounts of money paid ... hasn't worked, agreements violated before the ink was dry, makings fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry, but only one thing will work! Trump tweeted in two messages on Saturday afternoon." ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Clearly, Trump thinks agitating another thin-skinned loon with control over a nuclear arsenal -- you know, someone just like Trump -- is a great strategy.
Politico: "Trump on Saturday said he and [Rex] Tillerson have had some disagreements at times but that they have 'a very good relationship.' He added, however, that 'sometimes I'd like him to be a little bit tougher.'" ...
... Brent Griffiths of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Saturday continued to criticize NBC News over the network's reporting that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called him a 'moron' earlier this summer, and its subsequent reporting on chaos that engulfed the administration in its wake. '"More.@NBCNews is so knowingly inaccurate with their reporting,' Trump wrote on Twitter. 'The good news is that the PEOPLE get it, which is really all that matters! Not #1'" ...
... Thin-skinned Loon Can't Take the Late-Nite Heat. It's So Unfaaaair! Daniel Politi of Slate: "... Donald Trump is sick and tired of the 'anti-Trump' bend of late-night hosts and he went on a little Twitter rant against them on Saturday morning.... 'Late Night host are dealing with the Democrats for their very "unfunny" & repetitive material, always anti-Trump! Should we get Equal Time?' [AND] ... 'More and more people are suggesting that Republicans (and me) should be given Equal Time on T.V. when you look at the one-sided coverage?'... It seems Trump was referring to the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to present different points of views on controversial issues. But that rule was eliminated by the Federal Communications Commission in 1987. And it's actually something that Republicans like.... . Late Night host Seth Meyers wrote back on Twitter: 'We'd love to have you! Studio located at 15 Penguin Avenue, Antarctica.'" ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: Oh, wouldn't you love to see Fox "News" being subjected to the Fairness Doctrine? Roger Ailes would rise from the grave in protest.
Mike Allen of Axios: "President Trump telephoned Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday in an effort to revive health-care legislation, Republican sources said. Trump was seeking 'a path forward on health care,' a GOP source said." (Also linked yesterday.) ...
... Jesse Byrnes of the Hill: "... Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Saturday he told President Trump that Democrats would be open to stabilizing the health-care system, but that another push to repeal and replace ObamaCare was 'off the table.' 'The president wanted to make another run at repeal and replace and I told the president that's off the table,' Schumer said in a statement on his call with Trump on Friday, news of which the president confirmed in a tweet. 'If he wants to work together to improve the existing health care system, we Democrats are open to his suggestions. A good place to start might be the Alexander-Murray negotiations that would stabilize the system and lower costs, Schumer added." (Also linked yesterday.)
Robert Pear of the New York Times: "Stymied in his efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Trump is poised to issue an order that could ease some federal rules governing health insurance and make it easier for people to band together and buy coverage on their own, administration officials said Saturday. One official said the directive could move the president a step closer to one of his longstanding goals: allowing consumers to buy health insurance across state lines." ...
... Peter Orszag of Bloomberg (March 2017) explained numerous reasons that allowing groups to buy insurance across state lines would not lower costs, or as Trump claimed during the campaign, result in "great health care for a fraction of the price." ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: One difference between Trump & Mussolini is that Mussolini actually delivered on his promises. He did not just "make the trains run on time," he literally "drained the swamp(s)" & initiated yuge physical infrastructure & social welfare programs. If you look back at Trump's constantly repeated promises to different groups that "We're going to take care of you," you see a pattern of a guy who tries to imitate Mussolini but has no interest in actually delivering on Il Duce's public programs. Il Donaldo is nothing but a wannabe Benito. Trump is really only interested in achieving the extreme downsides of Fascism. Think about that.
Franco Ordoñez of McClatchy News: "Congressional leaders fear ... Donald Trump's staff are exploiting the president's busy schedule to push their own agenda and undermine his pledge to protect Dreamers. According to four political operatives working closely with Republicans, leaders in both the House and Senate characterized some of the White House's demands, which have yet to go public, as 'poison pills,' saying they are impossible to achieve and that the White House staffers' intent is to scuttle the deal for political gain. The focus of their ire is on Stephen Miller, Trump's senior policy adviser, who drafted the principles and has been behind several other controversial White House initiatives, including the ban on travel from several Muslim-majority nations. He is one of the few hard-right conservatives remaining in the White House after the departure of Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon. 'We use to joke about President Bannon. Now it's President Miller,' one senior lawmaker said in a meeting about the White House's immigration and border security demands." ...
... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Yo, DiJiT, are you listening? This story is a plant. Republicans are telling you they want Miller to go. He used to work for that nice fellow Jeff Sessions. I'm sure JeffBo can find him a place at DOJ. Maybe infiltrating white supremacist groups. Should be easy; Miller already has all his charter-membership cards. ...
... Bob Brigham of the Raw Story: "Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Carl Bernstein described the Trump administration as 'unlike anything I have seen in 50 years in Washington' while reporting that Republicans are privately assessing ... Donald Trump as unfit for office.' 'What there is a sense of, people I talk to in the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill, is that the wheels are coming off this presidency,' Bernstein told CNN New Day anchors Poppy Harlow and Chris Cuomo. 'In the White House, there is an attempt by those closest to the President -- especially [Chief of Staff John] Kelly, especially the military leaders -- to try to constrain the president from his own inclinations to say wild things, to act irresponsibly. It's almost as if there's a protectorate around the President,' explained Bernstein.... Bernstein said the 'big story right now' is Republican members of congress and military leaders and the intelligence community, 'many of them have lost confidence in this president.'" ...
... Mrs. McCrabbie: What could happen within months is that John Kelly rounds up Cabinet members, GOP Congressional leaders & mike pence & urges a 25th Amendment solution. Since Trump has insulted all of them except pence (who is already prepping for the top job), I don't think this will be a tough call.
Matt Apuzzo & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "White House officials once debated a scorched-earth strategy of publicly criticizing and undercutting Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russian efforts to disrupt last year's election. Now, President Trump's lawyers are ... cooperating with the special counsel in the hope that Mr. Mueller will declare in the coming months that Mr. Trump is not a target of the Russia inquiry. Mr. Trump has long sought such a public declaration. He fired his F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, in May after Mr. Comey refused to say openly that Mr. Trump was not under investigation. The president's legal team is working swiftly to respond to requests from Mr. Mueller for emails, documents and memos, and will make White House officials available for interviews. Once Mr. Mueller has combed through the evidence, Mr. Trump's lawyers plan to ask him to affirm that Mr. Trump is not under investigation, either for colluding with Russian operatives or for trying to obstruct justice." ...
... Julian Borger of the Guardian: "Nine months after its first appearance, the set of intelligence reports known as the Steele dossier, one of the most explosive documents in modern political history, is still hanging over Washington, casting a shadow over the Trump administration that has only grown darker as time has gone by. It was reported this week that the document's author, former British intelligence official, Christopher Steele, has been interviewed by investigators working for the special counsel on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The Senate and House intelligence committees are, meanwhile, asking to see Steele to make up their own mind about his findings. The ranking Democrat on the House committee, Adam Schiff, said that the dossier was 'a very important and useful guide to help us figure out what we need to look into'. The fact that Steele's reports are being taken seriously after lengthy scrutiny by federal and congressional investigators has far-reaching implications.... As every passing month brings more leaks, revelations in the press, and more progress in the investigations, the Steele dossier has generally gained in credibility, rather than lost it."
Most Depressing Op-ed of the Weekend. Doug Sosnik in a Washington Post op-ed: "More than half of Americans don't think Donald Trump is fit to serve as president, yet he has a clear path to winning reelection. If Trump isn't removed from office and doesn't lead the country into some form of global catastrophe, he could secure a second term simply by maintaining his current level of support with his political base." Sosnik is a Democratic strategist. (Also linked yesterday.)
A Demented World of Their Own. Derek Hawkins of the Washington Post: "Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) still seems swayed by the 'false flag' theory of the white supremacist violence [at Charlottesville]. In an interview with Vice News that aired Thursday night, Gosar suggested that the rally was 'created by the left' and carried out by an 'Obama sympathizer. The congressman also brought up a thoroughly refuted claim that [George] Soros, a Hungarian-born Jew who survived Nazi occupation during World War II, had collaborated with the Third Reich, prompting a strongly worded condemnation from a Soros spokeswoman. Gosar's remarks also drew a stream of criticism on Twitter. 'Will other Republicans rebuke him,' asked Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard. 'If not, is this a party to which one can belong?' 'That drip-drip-drip of anti-Semitism,' wrote science writer Steve Silberman." (Also linked yesterday.)
April Glaser of Slate: "More than 90 percent of people on the island of Puerto Rico don't have power, and more than 80 percent don't have access to wireless cell service, according to the most recent advisories from FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission.... On Friday, the FCC gave Alphabet, Google's parent company, permission to launch its internet balloon project over Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Dubbed Project Loon, the idea is that by flying massive balloons over the islands, Loon will beam down emergency internet service and help get people back online. Loon has permission to fly 30 of its balloons for up to six months over the affected areas."
Beyond the Beltway
"Very Fine People." Julia Manchester of the Hill: "White nationalists returned to Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday less than two months after one person was killed and dozens were injured when violence broke out after the 'Unite the Right' rally. White nationalist leader Richard Spencer led a group of roughly 30 white nationalists, who gathered at Emancipation Park, according to the Charlottesville's CBS affiliate.... The group carried tiki torches and chanted 'You will not replace us,' by a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in the park. They also reportedly said, 'we will be back.'... 'The left wing establishment is built around anti-white policies,' Spencer told the group. The group also chanted 'The South will rise again' and 'Russia is our friend.'"
Way Beyond
Nicola Slawson & Ben Quinn of the Guardian: "Eleven people have been injured after a minicab driver struck pedestrians outside the Natural History Museum in west London, sparking a major security alert. Scotland Yard said nine of those hurt were taken to hospital after the incident in Exhibition Road, South Kensington, at about 2.20pm on Saturday. No injuries were thought to be life-threatening or life-changing. Those taken to hospital included the driver of the the black Toyota Prius, who is under arrest and in custody at a north London police station. Police said the incident was a road traffic investigation and not a terrorist-related incident."
News Lede
CNN: Hurricane "Nate weakened to a tropical storm early Sunday as it moved farther inland over Mississippi and Alabama, the National Hurricane Center said.The storm had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and "rapid weakening is anticipated," the center said. Nate made its second US landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi, shortly after midnight local time Sunday as a Category 1 hurricane.... Just hours earlier, Nate had made its first US landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River in southeast Louisiana, with winds of 85 mph the National Hurricane Center reported Saturday night."
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Reader Comments (11)
Awww...poor Donaldavich. He wants equal time. Well, sorry to break it to you, because I know you're such a history buff and all, but you must have forgotten that St. Ronald of Reagan killed the idea of equal time. And not for nothin' but I'm guessing that all 238 of the other Confederate candidates for president last year would loved to have had equal time too. But you were sucking up all the media oxygen in the room with your lies, insults, ignorance, misogyny, and oh, did I mention lies?
And in any event, the tidal wave of wingnut dazzle dazzle on talk radio, attacks for your benefit without the possibility of equal time for opposing (ie non-mendacious) points of view was possible only because there IS no Fairness Doctrine anymore.
You want good news and a cheering press? Stop being such an ignorant prick and do something right for a change. You don't like that everyone is calling you a moron? Stop being a moron. And stop your whining, you fucking infant. You get more than equal time. Your every stinking brain fart that shows up on Twitter is reproduced millions of times across the world. You don't like that people find them hysterical, frightening, or stupid? Grow up, do your job, and quit your complaining.
Also, grow wings and fly to Neverland with all the other lost boys who never grew up. Because that's much more likely.
@Mrs. McC, wouldn't Miller's ethnic background be a disqualifying factor for membership. But then, maybe it won't be recognized under his hood.
@unwashed: Good point, but I'd surmise that Miller's college buddy Richard Spencer (see today's Beyond the Beltway) sent Miller to the meetings with a letter of introduction & recommendation.
Just a reminder to sum up today's or any other days news:
Seriously, dangerously mentally ill.
WaPo: "Corker calls White House ‘an adult day care center’ in response to Trump’s latest Twitter tirade".
Perfect!
Moron or Traitor?
The Dauphin, le petit mikey pence, walked out of an NFL football game today, just as fast as his little legs could carry him, because he can't stand African American players advocating for their rights.
At the start of a game between the Colts and 49ers, in Indianapolis, Indiana, a place pence tried to turn into the domain of gay and women hating Bible bangers, members of the San Francisco 49ers (the former team of Colin Kaepernick, the guy whose quiet protest of inequality made him a target for haters, racists, and white supremacists like KKK Grand Douche in Chief, the little king) took a knee during the anthem.
Le petit mikey couldn't take it because, in a twitter snit reminiscent of the little king, he declared that protesting for equal treatment of minorities under law "...disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, [and] our National Anthem"
It does none of the above. I've gone into this in detail in previous posts so I won't rehash my earlier arguments. Let me simply say that first, all players who have spoken publicly about these demonstrations have said categorically that they are NOT attempting to disrespect any service member.
As for the flag and the anthem, these things are symbols. And what they represent is the ability of Americans to stand up for what they believe and speak their minds. The players are doing this in as non-violent a way as possible. Trump and little mikey and other "patriots" whine that the black boys and their nigger loving white friends who kneel with them, shouldn't be doing this during the anthem. So when should they do it? If you want to start a conversation, get people talking, when should you do it? In the privacy of the locker room before the games where no one will see it? Out in the parking lot after the game for the benefit of the two or three fans who aren't too drunk to get it? When?
Their answer is clear. NEVER.
These people don't seem to have a decent grasp on the difference between the concept of signification and signifiers. Symbols are the physical representations of a much deeper meaning. I grew up Catholic. We were given sacraments of the church which represented steps on a spiritual journey. The Baltimore Catechism taught us that the symbols connected to each sacrament were but "outward signs" of their inner meanings. The true heart of the sacraments have very little to do with these outward signs, which are employed to remind members of the congregation what's happening under the hood.
This is not a bad way to think of the flag and the anthem. When people talk about how many Americans "died for that flag" (and most of them mean only soldiers, and white soldiers at that; they don't mean anyone who was killed advocating for civil rights) I want to say "NO! No they didn't! They died for what it means, or at least what it meant to them." I get how the two can become intertwined, but it's up to leaders (as Ted Kennedy once did) to remind citizens confused by the intermingling of sign and signification of the difference.
But in this administration, indeed in the whole of the Republican Party, there are no leaders. Only weak, ignorant, obsequious followers. And those who are smart enough to know the difference but keep quiet so as to let the knuckledraggers' fury rise, are cowardly traitors to the idea of America.
But that's where we are today.
So, little mikcy: weak, ignorant boob, or cowardly traitor?
You make the call.
And remember, this guy could be the next president*. I guess he'd be a president**. Asterisk, once removed. Is America great again yet?
It's not the least bit surprising that the little king is so dismissive of healthcare, thinking of it as "fixing someone's knee". He wants to be shut of healthcare now that he didn't get "A Win". It has now become less an ideological battlefield in which two sides vie for what healthcare means, how it should be delivered, and who should have access to it, and more of a pain in the ass. Time to move on to something that offers more red meat for his fellow morons.
The subtext of this exchange (significantly, with fake Christianist liar Mike Huckabee, dad of the little king's current Secretary of Lying) should stun anyone with half a brain. Here's what it means. Healthcare, schmealthcare. What's in it for me? The same can be said of almost every other concern of note before the American public, except, perhaps, tax breaks for the wealthy. That's a REAL problem!
But most everything else falls into that "Meh" category for Trump. If he can get a "win" out of taking one side or the other, he's interested. But not if it takes too long. Because, fuck that. There are other fields that he can plow if that's the case. How 'bout war with the Little Rocket Man? Does that get him some traction with the morons? Yeah? Well, shit! War it is!
This guy is worse than a moron in a way. His life has been so insulated from the daily problems of most Americans that he has zero interest in them and even less knowledge of what they go through. So, contraception? Well, that's a chick thing. And they're sluts so fuck them. Besides the Bible bangers love it when he beats on uppity women. NFL players protesting for civil rights? Fuck them too. His supporters mostly love football, but have no time for black players who aren't providing entertainment. \
With the exception of "what's in it for me?", this loser has the attention span of a goldfish and the intellectual gravity of a rock.
He. Doesn't.Care.
If he can't get a Yuuuuuuuge WIN, he's not interested. So, healthcare, schmealthcare. What does he care? He's got great healthcare.
So, as I said, anyone with a brain should see the enormous red flags flying over the White House. Whatever you think is important, think again. If Trumpy can't make money or fame from it, it's not the least bit important to him. Healthcare, the economy, jobs, infrastructure, education, world peace. It's all the same.
And if that doesn't scare you...
News Flash (and not the fake kind neither):
TRUMP INVENTS THE WORD "FAKE"! NO LIE.
The Idiot in Chief who not long ago touted his "invention" of the phrase "priming the pump", which has been around since the 19th century, or more likely as long as there have been pumps, about 4,000 years, is now touting his lexical genius once again for having invented the term "fake".
In his conversation with another lying sack of shit, Mike (Cinnamon buns cure diabetes) Huckabee, the little king bellowed that "I think one of the greatest of all terms I’ve come up with is 'fake,'"
For any other politician, this would be the end of their career. Or the beginning of their new career as a circus clown, or one of those old time vaudeville comics, guys who came out on stage with floppy shoes, funny hats, and corsages that shoot out water.
But not Trump. It's just another day in the Trump Fantasy Factory.
Here again, the little king is taking credit for a word or idea that has been around for hundreds of years. According to Meriam-Webster, the word has been around as a transitive verb since the 15th century. Its use as a noun, since the 18th: "The origin is not known with certainty, although first attested in 1775 CE in British criminals' slang"
So, it seems Trumpy has invented a term that first came into general use among criminals.
Fitting.
More embarrassing by the day. Pretty soon we'll hear that he invented nouns and verbs. And light and darkness. And decided that white can only be worn from Memorial Day to Labor Day. What ever would we do without this asshole? I may have mentioned before, a famous Twilight Zone episode with the great old Hollywood character actor Andy Devine, a guy who claimed credit for most of the great ideas in world history ("I even told Henry Ford where to put the gas tank!"). Aliens come to earth seeking out the greatest, smartest human, and because of his many lies, pick the Devine character to cart off back to their home planet.
Where are these fucking guys when we need them? Lookin' at you, Rod Serling!
Faux news is outraged. Putin is warning that he may "restrict US media within Russia's borders".
Gee, that's funny. His BFF Trumpy is trying to do the same thing to US media within US borders!
Faux news not so outraged about that. They won't be on the hit list as long as they keep praising Trump and attacking those he considers his enemies.
Small, fearful minds think alike.
Here is an idea, Golf Course Diplomacy.
Have Donald and Kim design a golf course together. Hopefully it would distract both and keep them busy enought to avoid armeggedon. Just don't get Donny started on the sprinkler system or he'll talk your ear off. Their biggest problem may be choosing who's face to put on the clown at eighteen. Perhaps they would be able to agree on Obama's? Barak to the rescue again.
Pissed off in Philadelphia:
I arrived in Philadelphia for three weeks of work. I came by train, in part so I could arrive at the 30th St. Station and see Walker Hancock's masterpiece war memorial sculpture. Its image burned onto my retinas during the opening scene of the '80s movie "Witness" and was reinforced through seeing clay studies of this and other sculptures at a show presented by the Rockport (MA) art association.
The sculpture is strength and grace, heavy and light, an angel lifting a fallen soldier. The detail of the wings and the arms and the crumpled soldier contrast with the cold, strong columns behind it.
The climate control on the train from NYC was not working and I was hot and sticky by the time I got to the 30th St. station. The escalator from the platform brought me into the grand central space. But where was the sculpture?
I finally realized that the powers that be have hung a giant Samsung advertisement behind it. The background color of the banner is almost the same color as the patina of the sculpture, and the sculpture obscures most of the words, as if the sculpture is now just an inconvenient object that gets in the way of advertising.
Where are the cries to boycott Samsung for disrespecting veterans? After seeing this desecration in place, why have they left it up? Has anyone been fired yet? All of those people who are upset with NFL players and pretending not to be racist should be rallying around this clear case of commercialism trampling on the honoring of veterans.
Pissed off in Philadelphia.