When we think about culpability for the events of Jan 6, who to blame, and how to move forward, there are parallels to be found in the torture era in the "war on terror." And there are so many mistakes from that era that we might usefully consider today.

Obviously there are significant differences in substance, and I am not seeking to draw some specific parallel between the actors themselves, only how we approach accountability at the top and at the bottom.

During the United States' torture era, for lack of a better phrase, we had, as here, elite and highly trained lawyers, public figures, and government officials condoning, legally justifying, and calling for--in that case ordering--certain actions.

The Office of Legal Counsel within the Justice Department issued memoranda, seeking to justify the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques," in an effort to legally sanction the mistreatment of detainees and provide legal cover for those carrying it

The truth is that despite these elite lawyers' willingness to turn the law into a pretzel to justify this mistreatment, it was unlawful. It was torture. And it was a war crime.

Just finished listening to Matt Stoller's Goliath, a political and intellectual history of the anti-monopoly movement over the last ~100 years. It gave me a better understanding of the intellectual history of 20th Century anti-monopoly thinking.

In particular, Stoller draws a distinction I hadn't thought very much about previously: between liberals who favor leaving monopolies in place and regulating them strictly vs. those who oppose bigness as such.

As Stoller tells it, New Dealers erected a complicated legal system designed to tilt the playing field in favor of small companies.

For example, there were laws against discounting to prevent big retailers from using their market power to win lower prices from suppliers and undercutting small retailers. A law capped deposit interest rates to prevent big banks from outbidding small banks for deposits.

Stoller situates Teddy Roosevelt, JK Galbraith, and Ralph Nader in the camp of liberals who (mostly) favored regulating monopolies instead of breaking them up. Also Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and most modern Democratic leaders.

As ADHDers, I don't think there's an aspect of our lives that it doesn't touch. I've been doing a lot of thinking the past week as my first assessment visit is approaching and been thinking about the impacts it has had. It touches everything.

I got distracted making coffee this morning and almost poured the grounds in the water tank. Then after making the coffee, it sat in the machine for an hour and a half because I got focused on something else.

Constant fear and adrenaline fueled "3am the day it's due" starts for assignments in uni, and eventual burnout and dropping out of Uni (I finished with some interesting open learning subjects almost 10 years later, but *only* because I needed a degree for sponsorship).

Self care struggles. I have a missing front tooth because I dental hygiene wasn't something I could persistently manage on my own without prompting. I brush daily now, but that's because my SO makes me right before bed. We do it together.

Same with showering. How do I sit there, saying "I really need a shower", yet don't do it, or sit with headache suffering when I just have to get up walk into the other room and have access to headache relief.

1/ Lockdowns are painful. Even Ontario's version will cause suffering for a lot of people. Compliance is high when people see results that are working and can see tangible proof that the tumult in their lives is contributing to the greater good.

2/ Most people's measure will be daily case counts. By delaying our mockdown 5 days Ford has basically endorsed family gatherings for Christmas day.
So that leaves us with our already record case counts about to be added to from a Christmas surge.

3/ People, who are already sacrificing so much, will see an increase of cases by the middle of January rather than a drop. At that point, they will have been "hunkered" down for 3 weeks and instead of a decrease, they'll be seeing similar or higher numbers.

4/ This is why these 5 days, at this time of year are so important. Modelling from yesterday showed a SIX-week lockdown started *immediately* would take current case counts down from 2300ish to around 500.

5/ The current mockdown is 28 days which even without the Christmas surge would not be enough to have a meaningful impact. Here's the issue, by delaying 5 days, even after all the sacrifices people have made, the numbers will still be high when we add the Xmas surge.

I went to bed last night really angry and frustrated that people are still forcing learners to be on camera...

At this point I wonder if the holdouts are people we can get through to, who are just in need of more support and information about the science of teaching and learning, or if they are committed to their own ignorance? Is it worth continuing the conversation?

Some ... personal news:

New York City must navigate the pandemic, and recovery efforts, while battling compound pre-existing conditions: racial injustice, inequality, and climate vulnerability. Local accountability journalism will make all the difference in the world to the shape we emerge in.

The team at @THECITYNY has an incredible record of impactful reporting, and I can't wait to join them in January. Some examples:

Labor reporting for the new world of work:

Campaigning reporting on solitary confinment in New York jails

1/11 TO ZANEF

let me be as very frank as possible. If you do not reign in @Sophie_Mokoena who has committed to spitting venomous fake news on Zim & leadership, then forget that this letter will have any consequence on my conscience. The @SABCNews through it's @Sophie_Mokoena

2: has instigated global hatred on Zim & her pple in SA thru spreading naked fake news typical of vendetta journalism bt u never called her out. If yu defend her when she is called to order & to stop publishing unverified falsehoods, then u hv no moral ground to do so on me.

3: @Sophie_Mokoena & @peterndoro masterminded the conspiracy to agenda Zim through a blackmailing campaign dubbed the #zimbabweanlivesmatter which was co-sponsored by fake news peddlers politicians in the @mdczimbabwe & cared not verify them from authorities.

4:It is disturbing to see the @SABCNews importing videos from other juridictions & presenting them as ongoing violence in Zim, presenting Zim like a typical Hobbesian state of nature society of an all against all? That I shall challenge with much vigour as director or myself

5: Each time I have received a call from @Sophie_Mokoena after I post my reservations she has alluded to forces above her whch she has not dared to share w u. Recently she made false alarms abt Beitbridge Border presenting a fake situation as if those who were there were homeless

For what it's worth, a THREAD on Gary Player, my dad, and redemption.

My father was politicized by sport. His experiences as a young, sport-obsessed Indian boy gave him his first real sense of the inequities of apartheid...

...seeing white kids playing cricket on perfect greens, in their crisp whites - a world away from what he had.

And because he developed such a strong sense of how sport and politics were intertwined, he loathed sportsmen who used their platform to support apartheid...

...who played a fair and gentlemanly game on the pitch, but off the pitch were cheerleaders for such extreme unfairness and injustice. None drew the ire of my dad more than Player.

It infuriated him that Player could thrive, despite being so publicly unrepentant, "in a democracy that he once did all he could to thwart".

Thanks for joining the countdown show on WKRZ this sunny saturday afternoon. just getting ready to kick off here folks- Today's show is centered around Gloria.
the local time is 1:42 and there's no traffic problems....

I don't know if you ever had to deal with the switchblade strife of being a runaway greaser in Tulsa Oklahoma or maybe you just read the book or saw the movie too.
First Up is Van Morrison with Glora.
Stay Golden, Pony

Alert the FCC! alert the Dade County Sheriff... Here's The Doors - I really think Jim takes it too far. WELL I

Today's Theme is Gloria. Most of the songs will contain Gloria in the title, either referring to a beautiful woman or Gods beauty in general. Here is one of those beautiful women named

Now we're gonna slow it down, ya dig. Here's Enchantment from

A Cradlesong

By which the Tepanecs in former times praised Ahuizotl, Mexica king. A composition of Nohnohuiantzin of Nextenco, singer and nobleman.

I. Child, Boy, Man

A

Ah, my song begins within the flower house,
And I carry my little one safe in my arms.

1/

Ronald Koeman at Barcelona. A thread.

Ronald Koeman took the worst possible job in the world after leaving on of the best jobs in the world.

Joining a Barcelona of the back of their worst season in 12 years it is clear that Koeman had to do something major to justify him keeping the job.

But it is apparent that he's done horrible at Barcelona.

Messi is having his worst season at Barcelona in 14years despite having succeeded under 7 different managers. Clearly Koeman doesn't know how to exploit his strengths.

1/ Have you ever heard the expression of, "Wolf in Sheep's clothing", or when someone mentions a, "False Prophet"? All referring to someone being fake.

I like to use those pointing out politicians, also saying they have a "Straw Tail".

Some #CIAdocuments posts..

#Q772 - "Read very carefully." -Q
Click hashtag for info. (Isn't obvious to everyone).

https://t.co/22ghygTOIu