Q & A on Current Events, July, 2018

On the political wind in the United States of America:

The whole country is waiting on the mid-term elections. Will there be a momentous blue wave sweeping Democrats into office? This is unknown. Will the election be the President's day for the Republican party? This is also unknown. We are all waiting on the November elections to see the current direction of the country. I think the election comes down to a strong economy, for the Republicans, vs. President Trump's ongoing excesses and antics, for the Democrats. President Trump does not look good right now, but the country is humming along, doing great. What will the American people decide in this election to determine the Congress? This is unknown.


On President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh:

The confirmation process will be predictable. There will be some delay and hard questioning by Democrats, but ultimately, they will not be able to stop this nominee. He will be approved along party lines, before the elections in November. His appointment will mark another victory for the Republicans, and it will continue the trend toward a more conservative Supreme Court under President Trump. The long and short of it all? President Trump will have delivered again for his conservative political base.


On President Trump's ongoing legal trouble:

Once again, this outcome depends on the mid-terms. A Republican Congress equals a safe President Trump. A Democratic Congress? President Trump will have serious legal trouble, possibly impeachment. In this light, the scandal appears political, aside from the separate issue of Russian interference in our elections, which can be handled separately. Both candidates in the 2016 presidential election had international connections. Now-president Trump made great hay as a candidate of Hillary Clinton's Clinton Foundation, and all of the funding, internationally, she openly received there from supporters and governments around the world. President Trump's Russia ties are not to be blown out-of-proportion.
   What does this mean for the trial of Paul Manafort, President Trump's former campaign manager? It means nothing. These people are not above the law, routine connections or otherwise. If he broke federal law, he will be found guilty. If not, then prosecutors should not waste our time. My feeling is that he will be found guilty, but we will not know that until the trial actually happens.


On the World Cup, Russia, 2018:

Viva la France!

--Nicholas Patti
Charlotte, NC

POEM: Pretty Little Train

“If I
had

a million
dollars….”

O.k.,
maybe not

a
million,

maybe not
even

one-hundred
million,

but
one billion dollars.

“That sure is
a

pretty little
thing,”

the woman
said

of
the new train

on
the new,

light-rail
passenger

line.
“Does it

do
anything?”

The
initial ridership-number

results,
just in,

for
the new

Lynx Blue Line
extension

to
North Charlotte,

North Carolina,
were

mixed.
Add to that

a

stock quote

from
the agency’s

chief
executive,

John Lewis,
about

“the community’s
acceptance”

and
“transit options”

and
“an alternative

to
traffic congestion,”

according to
The Charlotte Observer,

and
you have

the
results.

The

quote

sounds
real nice,

and
they say

Saturdays
were

a big hit,
but

the
question

remains:
“does it

actually
do

anything?”
Come on,

it
just

opened,
and

the trains
and

the new
station platforms

are
all

beautiful.
Smooth

ride,
just

beautiful.

Lynx Blue Line train at station

on original section of track,

photo from Yelp images

Coming in

at a price
tag

of just
over

one billion dollars,
however,

I
sure hope

it
“does something.”

—Nicholas Patti

Charlotte, NC, 4/26/2018

Relocated to Charlotte, NC

   Although my recent posts have come from New York City, Charlotte, NC, and Albany, NY, I was living in New York City. Now, I have moved back to Charlotte, NC. My posts will be originating out of here, Charlotte, NC, at this time.

—Nicholas Patti

   Charlotte, NC

Charlotte, NC

Voters In Italy Support Populism, Rebuke Establishment

   In the first national election in five years, voters in Italy on Sunday sent a strong message in support of right-wing populism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and against the existing establishment.
   The center-left, pro-Europe, and governing Democratic Party suffered its worst results ever in national elections, according to The New York Times (3/5/2018, p. A6). The exact proportion of the vote for the Democratic Party came in at 22.9%, according to the Wall Street Journal (3/5/2018, p. A6). The outcome of the election continued a trend in Europe, similar to the Brexit referendum approval in Britain two years ago, against a politically progressive vision of a United Europe. The Italian vote represented a major setback for the current Italian and European left and liberal parties and vision. Although the concept of the European Union was re-inforced by the re-taking of the reins of power by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany after a close election almost six months ago, the Italian voters censured the idea by their selection of nationalist-leaning, populist parties.
   Still, the prospects for an easy formation of a new government remained, for Italy at this time, "a muddle," according to the New York Times (3/5/2018). Lengthy negotiations taking potentially weeks or months could ensue, although the front-runner party turned out to be the Five Star Movement, with about one-third of the vote. In all, various populist parties won over 50% of the vote, according to the New York Times (3/5/2018).
   All-in-all, the vote in Italy represents a challenge to the mainstream, regionalist and globalist, neo-liberal vision of the world, outlined both by conservatives and liberals in the mainstream establishment, in Europe and America. President Donald Trump's election and the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom, both in 2016, were two examples of this political trend, the challenge to the mainstream. Chancellor Angela Merkel, a conservative and defender of the EU, represents a continuation of the political center, in contrast. The European Union still stands, at this time, despite the Italian vote results, and while the political center may yield in Italy to a more right-wing, populist leadership, the center in Europe will have been challenged, but not as of yet brought down.
   What this vote signals for the left in Italy, about whom I know of only the Democratic Party, from these news reports,-- this vote signals the need for the Left in Italy to return to the drawing board, and to come up with a new, more popular vision of exactly what a progressive politics would mean for Italy, Europe, and the world today. 
   That is political work all of us, particularly those of us on the Left, could benefit from.

--Nicholas Patti
Italian-American,
New York City,
USA

Quirky NY Pics--Staten Island Ferry

The offending burnt cell phone that caused a significant smoke condition in the front section of the main cabin of the Staten Island Ferry on the overnight Thursday, February 22, as displayed at the scene in the Ferry by the NYPD and Ferry crew, including the owner of the cell phone. In the next picture, observe an NYPD officer attempt to block the photo with his hand.

--Nicholas Patti
New York, NY
(Pictures from aboard the Staten Island Ferry)

U.S. in Jerusalem--Yes or No?

     On December 6, President Donald Trump took the seriously controversial step of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and beginning a plan to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Predictably, violent protests broke out in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, featuring the familiar scene from the past few decades at similar moments, of Palestinian youth burning tires and throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded with tear gas and firing rubber bullets (Wall Street Journal, 12/8/2017, p. A8; Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC, 12/7/2017, p. 12A).
     At an emergency meeting in Cairo, Arab foreign ministers demanded the U.S. reverse its decision (Charlotte Observer, 12/11/2017, p. 6A). No specific action against the U.S. was approved, however. In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called President Trump’s move “historic,” and noted Israel has held its capital in Jerusalem for 70 years, and that the Jewish claim/connection to the city dates back 3,000 years, according to the Charlotte Observer (12/11/2017, p. 6A).
     The question then falls on good people caught between the Israeli Jewish position and the Arabic Muslim stance, what position is best, on President Donald Trump’s recent moves?
     First, I understand that the peace process, namely, negotiations toward a two-state solution, has been stalled, for many years. At least since 2000, when then-President Bill Clinton gave an election-year push in Mideast peace talks that failed miserably, at least since then the peace process has been stalled, essentially, in a fragile and tense stalemate, and have gone nowhere. In the light of over 15 years of virtually no substantial progress in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, I can understand President Trump’s decision.
     Nonetheless, I cannot agree. I cannot go as far as France's President, Emmanuel Macron, has gone, when he called Trump’s move “dangerous for peace,” according to the Charlotte Observer (12/11/2017, p. 6A). As I already pointed out above, in my opinion the peace process has been stalled for a long time. The Israeli-Palestinian peace process was already going nowhere, and the current situation was merely continuing to ossify.
     Siding with Israel so blatantly, however, in this ongoing standoff, by embracing Jerusalem, on the Israeli side, this move by the U.S. President, I cannot follow. President Trump's decision ignores the feelings of the Arabic Muslim people, leaders across the Arab world, and all of the displaced Palestinian people.
     If it were up to me, I would have kept the U.S. affiliation with Israel through Tel Aviv, and not taken a distinct side in deadlocked talks on Jerusalem, and East Jerusalem. Taking the Israeli side on that long-standing dispute, I would see as a mistake. I would vote Tel Aviv, and not Jerusalem, but that choice was not up to me, I am not the American President, and so far as I know, President Trump did not put the issue up for a vote.
     What to do from here? What can be done? Adapt to another policy change by President Donald Trump, and continue from here.
     As for the cause for Mideast peace? I cannot claim to have the answer, any more or less than President Bill Clinton thought he had the answer in 2000 in the grand peace initiative that failed. All I do know is, do not give up on the cause of peace in the Middle East, and on the cause of peace and justice in Palestine and Israel.
     To quote the Reverend Jesse Jackson, on a different issue, we must “keep hope alive.” In this context, we must try, we must strive for hope, even though the outlook right now may appear bleak.
     Despite this setback to Mideast peace, and despite the already sorry state of the peace effort, still, I feel, we must keep our hope alive. The alternative, as usual in the ugly wars in the Arab world and the Mideast, is too disturbing to contemplate.
     Although I disagree with President Trump’s decision, I continue to stand for the cause of peace in the Middle East.

--Nicholas Patti
Charlotte, NC

Celebrating 2017 Dem Election Victories; Mourning Recent Terrorist Attacks

Charlotte, NC—One week has passed since the 2017 elections in the USA. I am happy to report that Democrats won in mayoral contests in New York City and Charlotte, NC, and gained ground nationally. This result is cause for celebration.

In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio won an easy re-election with 66% of the vote, with 97% of polling machines counted, as of late on November 7^th, according to the New York Times (website, 11/7/2017). I applaud his victory and wish him a productive, successful second term.

In Charlotte, NC, Democrat Vi Lyles defeated Republican Kenny Smith to take the Mayor’s office, and to become the city’s first African-American, woman mayor. She won with 59% of the vote to Smith’s 41%, according to the Charlotte Observer (11/8/2017, p. 1). I was sorry that the incumbent Democratic mayor, Jennifer Roberts, lost to current mayor-elect Vi Lyles in the primary, but I am happy that Ms. Lyles won the office after all was said and done in the general election. I applaud Ms. Lyles’s victory and wish her the best as she begins her first term.

Nationally, voters chose the Democrat, Philip D. Murphy, for governor of New Jersey, and the Democrat, Ralph S. Northam, for governor of Virginia. These were two closely-watched races that were illustrative of what many observers called a “political wave” for Democrats, nationally (New York Times, 11/8/2017; website, Charlotte Observer, 11/8/2017). Hanging in the balance are the mid-term elections next year, and the control of Congress in Washington. Although much can change either way in one year, this year’s elections augur well for Democrats, looking ahead to next year’s prize. I cheer the Democrats for their wins this year, and on toward taking back control of Congress, next year.

I wish I could comment on the elections in this blog post and leave it at that. I feel the need to express my sympathy and solace, however, for the victims and families of multiple, recent terrorist attacks in the United States, of late. Specifically, I would like to express my sorrow and support for the victims of the truck attack in New York City on Halloween, and for the victims and families of the church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Nov. 5. Additionally, I should note our national pain at the mass shootings earlier this year in Las Vegas, Nevada, and previously, in recent years, in the nightclub in Orlando, Florida. These individual attacks keep coming at us, and with the truck attack in New York City and the church shooting in Texas in quick succession in recent weeks, I feel compelled to note sympathy and solidarity for the victims and survivors.

Democracy does not always come easy, and an open society like ours, especially in these times, internationally, does not come without significant risk. We pay the price in lives lost to repeat, almost random, attacks against our society and against our public good will.

In this context, I celebrate the results of our recent elections this year, nationally.
 

—Nicholas Patti

Charlotte, NC