Holding the Establishment Accountable

We need to hold the establishment accountable. It's up to us, the 99%, ordinary Americans to do so. We can't trust anyone in power currently. We can only trust our own instincts.

Coast Watcher's article below shows us how Trump is destroying our country's standing in the world, all for his and his fellow billionaires' private gain. It's high time we hold the Cheeto-in-Chief accountable, isn't it?

Trump and the Death of Protocol

by Coast Watcher

Protocol exists in diplomacy for a reason. It forms the rules of the diplomatic road, smoothing out the awkwardness in engaging with different cultures and creating a path for dialogue. It can, literally, prevent wars.

Trump doesn’t believe in protocol. He’s the perpetual pig-headed bullying CEO, and his word goes, no matter the circumstances or situation. The world witnessed this witless fool’s take on diplomacy during his recent visit to the Far East.

Japanese culture is carefully structured with established protocols governing bowing upon greeting others. Trump gave Japanese Emperor Akihito, ruler of a nation far older than the US, a handshake and a nod. During a photo op where he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fed valuable koi carp, Trump lost patience with the slow, careful measuring out of food and instead dumped his entire box into the water. At a state banquet given in his honor, Trump demanded the Japanese food be taken away and a hamburger brought to his table in its place. He’s guilty not only of breaching protocol but of eating and behaving like a five year old.

His sturm-und-drang approach to North Korea toned down significantly while he was within range of the wayward regime’s artillery and missiles, only to pick up again when he was well away from the country. 

His campaign trail rhetoric against China, so full of threats and bluster, disappeared when he stood on Beijing’s doorstep. He even kowtowed (A Mandarin Chinese word that means "to show obsequious deference") to the Chinese politburo by acceding to their demand to not hold a press conference about their various meetings. No other US president has ever condoned such a restriction.

“But Donald Trump doesn't like talking things out, or principled beliefs, or people not kowtowing to him.” ~ Luke Darby, GQ, 23 September 2017.

Trump waited until he was safely in Vietnam before resuming his blustery rhetoric against China. He wants others to kowtow to him, yet he’s not above sucking up to a bigger bully when one comes along.

I wonder how his more racist, gun-waving gung-ho followers feel about that?

Oh, by the way – gung ho is another Mandarin word – gōng hé – meaning work together. Will those macho militarist types like knowing one of their favorite phrases is actually Socialist in origin?

I can’t help thinking there’s a White House protocol officer somewhere, crying into his or her cups because their boss is determined to do things his way. With the United States becoming increasingly isolated and even marginalized on the world stage, the need for diplomacy and proper protocol has never been greater. Yet Trump in his wisdom (stop laughing at the back!) thinks otherwise. 



And who do we really have to blame for Trump gaining the presidency? This meme says it all:

BIO: Coast Watcher keeps an eye out for any signs there will be a break in the hot-air gushing out from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. As a Brit living abroad, he wonders how long Americans will put up with the Mangled Apricot Hellbeast. He hopes it's not much longer.

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 To our veterans...who don't always receive their due reward from a grateful government. Happy Veterans' Day.

 

Now some suggestions on how to hold the establishment 

accountable for their actions against the 99%.

From Rootstrikers:

After Wells Fargo fraudulently opened 3.5 million customer accounts without permission, you would think everyone would agree it’s time to crack down. 
Nope! Wall Street’s cronies in Congress and the White House just voted in the dead of night to protect banks like Wells Fargo from getting held accountable in court, killing the Consumer Bureau’s rule against banks’ forced arbitration “ripoff clauses.” 

We’re calling on bank regulators in Washington to step up. 
With the power to pull Wells Fargo’s bank charter or access to public FDIC deposit insurance, they can deliver real accountability for the crimes at Wells Fargo. They just need the courage to do it. 

Sign and share the petition to banking regulators: Cut off government support to Wells Fargo. 

Every major bank in the U.S. enjoys major public subsidies and benefits.
Bank charters are publicly granted, and the FDIC insurance for their deposit accounts is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.
Wells Fargo’s regulators at the OCC (Office of the Comptroller of the Currency) and FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) have a rule: Engage in “unsafe and unsound practices” like breaking the law and you can lose those public benefits.¹ 

Wells Fargo has repeatedly violated the law. Cutting off their public benefits could even force Wells Fargo to wind down, and send a clear message that banks can’t expect to get away with breaking the law. 

Sign and share the petition to banking regulators: Cut off government support to Wells Fargo. 

Wells Fargo got issued $185 million in fines last year for the fake accounts scandal, but that’s virtually a rounding error in a year they made $22 billion in profits.² 

Since then, news keeps coming out about more ways Wells has broken the law – illegal overdraft charges, bogus auto loans forced on 800,000 people, illegal student loan servicing.³ 

It’s clear Wells Fargo won’t clean house on its own. Twelve out of 15 members on the board of directors today were overseeing the bank during the fake accounts scandal.⁴ Even the executives who left walked away with millions and no jail time.

Bank regulators have a big opportunity to do the right thing. Staff at OCC have already found unsafe and unsound practices at Wells Fargo and recommended tough enforcement action (even if the former Wells Fargo lawyer Trump installed to head the agency⁵ tries to cover it up).

And the situation is even more promising at the FDIC, where only one out of the four current members of the board of directors is a Trump pick. They just need to know the public is with them if they launch a serious investigation into Wells Fargo’s illegal behavior – and cutting off its public deposit insurance. 

Sign and share the petition to banking regulators: Cut off government support to Wells Fargo. 

Thank you,
The Team at Rootstrikers

DONATE 

Sources:
1. Demand Progress, "Joint Letters: Key Consumer, Labor, and Financial Reform Groups Push Regulators to Revoke Wells Fargo’s Charter and Deposit Insurance," Oct. 4, 2017.
2. Wells Fargo, "Wells Fargo Reports $5.3 Billion in Quarterly Net Income," Jan. 13, 2017.
3. Demand Progress, "Joint Letters: Key Consumer, Labor, and Financial Reform Groups Push Regulators to Revoke Wells Fargo’s Charter and Deposit Insurance," Oct. 4, 2017.
4. Elizabeth Warren, "Warren Highlights New Evidence of Wells Fargo Misconduct, Renews Call for Federal Reserve to Remove Bank Board Members," Aug. 16, 2017.
5. The Intercept, "More Trump Populism: Hiring a Bank Lawyer to Attack CFPB Bank Rules," July 20, 2017.

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Get Transphobic Professor Out of the Classroom Playing a game called "Female or Shemale" sounds like something out of a terrible 1990s coming-of-age comedy. Unfortunately, this transphobic game took place in 2017, in a classroom, and was orchestrated by the professor himself. State University of New York Professor David Sorbello thought he was being edgy and funny when he gave this quiz to his sociology students. They were shown photos of women and had to guess whether they were "real" women or not. This behavior has no place in society, and it especially does not belong in a college course. As a group, trans women face higher rates of violence, and and the current statistics suggest the rates numbers aren't declining. Actions like this quiz dehumanize trans women and have dangerous implications. Sorbello was hired to shape the minds of young students. Instead of helping them learn compassion and empathy, he's chosen to teach them it's OK to ostracize an entire group of people for a laugh. The state of trans rights in America are no laughing matter. Sign your name and demand the SUNY fires David Sorbello for bringing transphobia into the classroom! Thank you for making a difference, Angie L. The Care2 Petitions Team

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From Rainforest Action Network:

We have a chance right now to pressure two of the biggest banks on Wall St. to say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline — JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.

Will you add your voice? https://www.ran.org/chase_stop_kxl

Tar sands oil is one of the dirtiest on the planet — yet Wall Street banks, like JPMorgan Chase, continue to pour billions into this extreme fossil fuel. This December, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and 17 other major global banks face a crucial choice on Keystone XL, tar sands, Indigenous rights and the climate. 

On Dec. 15, two credit facilities totaling $1.5 billion will expire. This is the credit that would allow TransCanada to build the Keystone XL pipeline. It’s up to these banks, with JPMorgan Chase in the lead, to decide whether or not to renew this critical funding.

JPMorgan Chase and the other big banks have a huge decision to make: Will they continue to profit off climate chaos? Will they continue to pour billions into the toxic tar sands oil sector? Will they continue to support projects that trample on Indigenous rights?

Or will they finally do the right thing and say NO to Keystone XL?

Add your voice: Tell JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and 17 other global banks to say NO to Keystone XL on December 15. www.ran.org/chase_stop_kxl

Indigenous nations, ranchers, farmers, grassroots leaders and individuals — from the epicenter of tar sands extraction and along the pipeline route — have united in opposition to Keystone XL.

The time to turn up the pressure on JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo is now! A crucial decision from the Nebraska Public Service Commission is imminent— and that could determine the fate of the pipeline.There are three possible scenarios. The commission could reject, reroute or approve the pipeline. But even if the commission rejects the pipeline, TransCanada is likely to appeal. Regardless, TransCanada will need funds to construct KXL. 

JPMorgan Chase and Wall Street banks don’t want to be bothered with the inconvenient fact that funding Keystone XL means funding climate chaos and abuse of Indigenous rights. We need to tell them loud and clear: ”Business as usual” created this climate crisis — and “business as usual” is over!

Demand Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase defund TransCanada’s KXL pipeline. www.ran.org/chase_stop_kxl

We need to send a clear message to banks like Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase that the funding of extreme fossil fuels like tar sands is no longer acceptable. We will not tolerate threats to our climate, health, land, and water.

Right now, at this year’s international climate conference in Bonn, Germany, countries and corporations are discussing how to put the Paris climate accord into practice. Stopping finance for expansion of tar sands oil would start to put big banks into alignment with climate stability. Continued funding of extreme fossil fuels means extreme weather. Climate change is not a threat of the future, but a critical challenge that is causing catastrophic impacts around the world and requires immediate action now.

We need your voice — today. Tell JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo that you expect banks to live up to their commitments to Indigenous rights and the environment. www.ran.org/chase_stop_kxl

For Indigenous rights and a climate stable future,

Ruth Breech
Senior Campaigner, Climate and Energy

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My name is Bonnie Wright and I am very excited to be with Greenpeace on board The Arctic Sunrise. You may recognize me as Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter films, but for the last 24 hours I have been a deckhand. I am here to learn more about Greenpeace’s Ocean Plastics campaign and how we can end single-use plastics.

Every minute of every day the equivalent of one garbage truck load of plastic enters our oceans. Plastics are filling up our oceans and killing marine life around the globe. From straws to soda rings, these plastics choke or entangle species like seabirds, turtles, and whales.

We can no longer tolerate this cycle of destruction for so-called "convenience". I know you've already added your name to Greenpeace's petition demanding corporations come up with better designs and methods for the delivery of goods. Thank you. Will you take the next step? Before one more truck load of plastic enters the ocean, share this message with your friends and family and ask them to take action to end corporate plastic pollution.

You can simply forward this email or share the petition on facebook.

Yesterday, we trawled once just after departing from Freeport in The Bahamas and secondly when we were within The Gulf Stream. Trawling is like fishing, but unfortunately in this case for plastics. Greenpeace has been trawling, conducting beach cleanups and brand audits throughout their Atlantic Coast ship tour in order to gain a better understanding of just how much plastic we have polluting our waterways and connecting the waste back to the corporations responsible for it.

I was saddened to find lots of different types of plastic in our trawl, large pieces of soft plastic, fishing lines, and polystyrene. The turtles and fish that were on this planet long before us are now eating these plastics which clog up their organs and can cause death.

This should not be happening. Single-use plastic that we all use practically every day is what is harming ocean wildlife, but you can help stop plastic pollution. Share my message and ask your friends and family to sign the Greenpeace petition calling out the corporate polluters that are choking our oceans.

There is no planet B, so I believe it is our responsibility to think before we consume plastic that will eventually make its way into this beautiful ocean I am currently surrounded by.

I look forward to sharing more stories after my journey aboard The Arctic Sunrise.

Bonnie