|
 |
 |
I was going to share my Paris sketches in a dedicated post, but decided to post them today amidst some politics. Drawings (particularly of dogs) always make news more palitable, don’t you think?
My friends in France are worried for us, they asked me a lot of questions. They are also worried about their own elections in May, which show a popular far right candidate gaining ground (Marine LePen). We commiserated and worried together. I talked with cartoonists from other European countries; they all are empathetic, I don’t sense hatred at us, but rather at at Trump. And worry.
To state the obvious, Trump’s actions impact the world, and in the past two years, he has done incredible damage in upending the world order. I believe it can be undone.
This morning, it occured to me that the Cornell 7 gang rape case may be a catalyst in the upcoming elections. People are angry about gas prices, food prices, senseless wars, but they are also tired of meanness and abuse towards others. Including women. Trump is the most hateful person I have ever witnessed, and he is not shy about showing his hate. His attitude, his words towards women (not to mention being a convicted sex abuser), the Epstein files, has given men permission to behave badly. With the Cornell 7 on our minds now, we may be even more fed up. It may tip the scales in an even bigger way.
 |
Trump directed taxpayer money be used to create ads that praise him. Richard Painter, a former White House ethics lawyer who served under President George W. Bush, gave The Associated Press a blunt assessment: “You watch all three ads, they’re sheer propaganda,” he said, adding that “This is increasingly looking like what authoritarian governments do to promote their leaders.”
If you watch them, they look very much like propaganda.
I agree with journalist Jamie Bouie when he writes today that this kind of abuse of power needs to be addressed. Bouie questions whether anyone really wants to impeach Trump yet again—we would not get the votes needed for removal. But it would be symbolic and should be done, if for this alone.
“There are any number of strategic reasons to do this as well. With both chambers of Congress, should they win them, Democrats could orchestrate a long investigation and drawn-out trial that consumes the administration and implicates key figures beyond the president. But to be honest, I care less about the politics here than I do the principle. If this propaganda campaign — among many other offenses — isn’t worthy of an article of impeachment, then nothing is.”
 |
Trump is traveling to deep red states, an indication of Republican fear of how much they will lose in the midterms. Everyone agrees the Democrats will win the House back. It’s the Senate races that are causing much consternation (I love that word).
 |
Here is an in-depth report in a gifted article in the NYTimes.
I found this 1930s drawing below on my desktop just now. It’s by New Yorker cartoonist, Mary Petty. She is one of the women profiled in my doc Women Laughing. Speaking of the film, we