Anything that helps all the people

The Haka is a ceremonial chant/dance done by the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. There are versions for all kinds of occasions. The version performed these last few days is in memory of those who died at the Christchurch Mosque shootings. It may look rather threatening (versions of Haka are to inspire warriors), though it is also an act of solidarity and defiance.

In this Twitter thread Leah McElrath links to three performances of Haka, each less than two minutes. The first one is done by a single guy.

The second is most impressive, a large group doing the Haka in unison. In this one there is a shirtless guy in front. To our right and a bit behind is a man with a child in a green shirt. The first few times we see them the child is on the man’s shoulders. At the end the man is clutching the child. Quite a ride for the child.

The third is a mass Haka in a park near one of the mosques. It is impressive for the sheer number of people, though, alas, many of the white students don’t know what they’re doing. Even so, I’m glad they showed solidarity.

Yeah, I watched all three. Hint: Twitter videos start when the video is in your browser window, but the sound defaults to off.



Robert Reich, who used to be the Secretary of Labor in a Democratic administration and is now a progressive rouser, tweeted a quote from President Harry Truman from 1952. That brought a response with the full quote from user Harry S Truman giving ‘em hell:

Now that is the patented trademark of the special interest lobbies. Socialism is a scareword they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years.

Socialism is what they called public power.

Socialism is what they called social security.

Socialism is what they called farm price supports.

Socialism is what they called bank deposit insurance.

Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.

Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.

Scroll down the Twitter thread to see a cartoon of the meaning of socialism since 1790. The ignore the rest of it because it’s all pushback.



Last week Joe Balash, Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, speaking to a group of fossil fuel industry leaders, said:

One of the things that I have found absolutely thrilling in working for this administration is the president has a knack for keeping the attention of the media and the public focused somewhere else while we do all the work that needs to be done on behalf of the American people.

Melissa McEwan of Shakesville pounced:

Hey, Joe — if opening the ocean to oil and gas drilling is really something that "needs to be done on behalf of the American people," then why do you need the president to distract us from noticing that you're doing it?

Commenter carovee adds:

Oh dear. Someone in Trump's white house said the silent part out loud again. I wish this would get a lot more attention.

For two years now McEwan has been saying limiting illegal immigration is only the first phase. Next will be limits legal immigration. And now that’s a step closer. From the Washington Post:

The Trump administration is preparing to shutter all 21 international offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a move that could slow the processing of family visa applications, foreign adoptions, and citizenship petitions from members of the military.

McEwan responds:

Should the State Department approve this proposal and the plan moves ahead, it will feel very much to me like the Trump Regime is rolling down the shades on documented immigration and communicating to the world that America is closed.

And an authoritarian who mounts a successful bid to keep people out will next turn his attentions to keeping people in.

Shiver.

Ryan Knight describes himself as a Democratic activist who fights for LGBTQ equality, racial justice, women’s rights, and environmental justice. He posted a video of a wonderful epic rant by Arkansas State Senator Stephanie Flowers, a black woman. The Senate was debating a bill for a stand your ground law. There are such laws in several states and the one in Florida allowed George Zimmerman to be acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin. So when it is her turn to speak against the bill she rants, “This is about my son!” Eventually the senate timekeeper says she needs to stop. She replies, “I will not! What you gonna do – shoot me?”

The video ends with some statistics.

A study found that stand your ground states have more gun deaths and white people who kill Black people in those states are 250% more likely to go free. Arkansas’ stand your ground bill was defeated by a slim margin.

A couple of Knight’s recent tweets:

Roxanne Witing tweeted:

Thank you Ryan for the eye opening posts. Being Canadian we don’t see all of this in print.

He replies:

We don’t see it in print in America either. Corporate media’s chosen to “both sides” & normalize the Trump presidency. The only place to find the TRUTH these days is amongst the activists, the truth tellers & the resistance—and we won’t stop until this fascist presidency is over.

And in the second tweet:

Republicans are inaccurately labeling Democrats “socialists” while Democrats are not labeling Republicans fascists. That is the difference between the 2 parties. Republicans win the propaganda war by attacking with lies while Democrats play nice, which normalizes Trump & the GOP.