Hey! Donald!! Let’s Make a Deal on Those 3 Million “Rigged” Votes and a National Recount

The cover of 'TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald' by Timothy O'Brien. (photo: Warner Books)

By Harvey Wasserman, Reader Supported News

29 November 16

readersupportednews.org

 

onald Trump says there were 3 million fraudulent voters in a “rigged” election he lost by more than 2 million popular votes.

But he has no proof.

The solution is obvious: He should fund a 50-state recount.

He could pay for it with a tiny fraction of the windfall profits he may already have made by cashing in on his apparent title upgrade.

Trump is angry that thousands of citizens have sent $5 million in small Bernie-style donations for Jill Stein’s recounts in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Contributions are still pouring in at https://jillstein.nationbuilder.com/recount.

The Donald is also mad that Hillary Clinton will send lawyers (but no funding) to observe those recounts. Many are still urging her to do more via www.solartopia.org.

But the burden is on Trump.

Of course he’s uncomfortable about losing the popular vote by such a large (and growing) margin. And this, of course, does not account for the thousands of black/Hispanic/Asian-American/Muslim and other citizens who were stripped from the voter rolls even though they were legally eligible.

So, Donald, here’s a win-win-win:

You’ve already made millions on the presumption that you will soon be president.

Mission accomplished.

But you’ve apparently lost the popular vote by a huge margin.

And the city of New York is now paying millions to protect you and your family at Trump Tower. You clearly don’t want the downgrade to public housing in DC.

So here’s an artful deal:

Take a tiny fraction of those profits to fund the national recount.

If those fraudulent “rigged” votes don’t really exist, and you really did lose the popular majority, just call it a day.

Take your short-term profits, concede the presidency to the popular choice, and stay a private citizen at Trump Tower, saving New York taxpayers millions in security costs.

That’s a win for Trump Inc., a win for popular democracy, and a win for New York taxpayers.

How about it, Donald. Do we have a deal?

---

Harvey Wasserman co-wrote THE STRIP & FLIP SELECTION OF 2016 (with Bob Fitrakis), soon to become THE STRIP & FLIP DISASTER OF AMERICA’S STOLEN ELECTIONS: FIVE JIM CROWS & ELECTRONIC ELECTION THEFT at www.freepress.org and www.solartopia.org, where SOLARTOPIA! OUR GREEN-POWERED EARTH currently abides. He is Secretary of Energy in Jill Stein’s shadow cabinet.

Trump Picks El Chapo to Run DEA

Drug trafficker Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is escorted to a helicopter by Mexican security forces at Mexico's International Airport in Mexico City on Feb. 22. (photo: Susana Gonzalez/Bloomberg)

By Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker

28 November 16

readersupportednews.org

 

ust days after picking Betsy DeVos to run the Department of Education, President-elect Donald Trump has tapped another wealthy outsider by naming Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán to head the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In an official statement, Trump said that El Chapo’s “tremendous success in the private sector” showed that he has what it takes to “shake things up” at the D.E.A.

Trump’s appointment of the former drug lord surprised many in Washington, in no small part because acrimony between the two allegedly prompted El Chapo, in 2015, to put a hundred-million-dollar bounty on Trump’s head.

But, appearing on CNN, the Trump surrogate Kellyanne Conway said that the selection of El Chapo should surprise no one. “Mr. Trump always said that he would surround himself with the best people,” she said.

When asked why Trump had readily offered a job to El Chapo while still mulling the fate of another former adversary, Mitt Romney, Conway said, “El Chapo might not have voted for Mr. Trump, but that’s because he’s Mexican and in jail, and Mitt Romney is neither.”

The appointment of the former drug kingpin is far from a done deal, however, as associates of El Chapo report that he is “concerned” that being a member of the Trump Administration would be bad for his brand.

Now Is the Time to Remain Standing

Dan Rather. (photo: Mark Sagliocco/Getty)

By Dan Rather, Dan Rather's Facebook Page

25 November 16

readersupportednews.org

 

ow is a time when none of us can afford to remain seated or silent. We must all stand up to be counted. History will demand to know which side were you on. This is not a question of politics or party or even policy. This is a question about the very fundamentals of our beautiful experiment in a pluralistic democracy ruled by law.

When I see neo-Nazis raise their hands in terrifying salute, in public, in our nation's capital, I shudder in horror. When I see that action mildly rebuked by a boilerplate statement from the President-elect whom these bigots have praised, the anger in me grows. And when I see some in a pliant press turn that mild statement into what they call a denunciation I cannot hold back any longer.

Our Declaration of Independence bequeaths us our cherished foundational principle: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

These truths may be self-evident but they are not self-replicating. Each generation has to renew these vows. This nation was founded as an opposite pole to the capriciousness of an authoritarian monarch. We set up institutions like a free press and an independent court system to protect our fragile rights. We have survived through bloody spasms of a Civil War and a Civil Rights Movement to extend more of these rights to more of our citizens. But the direction of our ship of state has not always been one of progress. We interned Japanese Americans, Red Baited during the McCarthy era, and more. I feel the rip tide of regression once again swelling under my feet. But I intend to remain standing.

In normal times of a transition in our presidency between an incoming and outgoing administration of differing political parties, there is a certain amount of fretting on one side and gloating on the other. And the press usually takes a stance that the new administration at least deserves to have a chance to get started - a honeymoon period. But these are not normal times. This is not about tax policy, health care, or education - even though all those and more are so important. This is about racism, bigotry, intimidation and the specter of corruption.

But as I stand I do not despair, because I believe the vast majority of Americans stand with me. To all those in Congress of both political parties, to all those in the press, to religious and civic leaders around the country, your voices must be heard. I hope that the President-elect can learn to rise above this and see the dangers that are brewing. If he does and speaks forcibly, and with action, we should be ready to welcome his voice. But of course I am deeply worried that his selections of advisors and cabinet posts suggests otherwise.

To all of you I say, stay vigilant. The great Martin Luther King, Jr. knew that even as a minority, there was strength in numbers in fighting tyranny. Holding hands and marching forward, raising your voice above the din of complacency, can move mountains. And in this case, I believe there is a vast majority who wants to see this nation continue in tolerance and freedom. But it will require speaking. Engage in your civic government. Flood newsrooms or TV networks with your calls if you feel they are slipping into the normalization of extremism. Donate your time and money to causes that will fight to protect our liberties.

We are a great nation. We have survived deep challenges in our past. We can and will do so again. But we cannot be afraid to speak and act to ensure the future we want for our children and grandchildren.

'Vote Shaming' Trump Supporters Is Fair. What They Have Done Is Shameful.

Mike Pence leaving the Broadway show 'Hamilton,' where cast members urged him to respect the rights of minorities, women and gay people. (photo: Andres Kudacki/AP)

By Jessica Valenti, Guardian UK
24 November 16

readersupportednews.org 

rump voters sure are sensitive lately. They’re upset that the cast of the hit play Hamilton made a statement to Vice-President-elect Mike Pence, and that the audience booed him. They’re displeased that their vote is costing them relationships with family and friends. And for some reason not entirely clear to me, they’re unhappy with Starbucks and decided to demonstrate as much by … buying lots of coffee at Starbucks. 

The same people who wear shirts that read “fuck your feelings” and rail against “political correctness” seem to believe that there should be no social consequences for their vote. I keep hearing calls for empathy and healing, civility and polite discourse. As if supporting a man who would fill his administration with white nationalists and misogynists is something to simply agree to disagree on.

Absolutely not. You don’t get to vote for a person who brags about sexual assault and expect that the women in your life will just shrug their shoulders. You don’t get to play the victim when people unfriend you on Facebook, as if being disliked for supporting a bigot is somehow worse than the suffering that marginalized people will endure under Trump. And you certainly do not get to enjoy a performance by people of color and those in the LGBT community without remark or protest when you enact policies and stoke hatred that put those very people’s lives in danger.

Being socially ostracized for supporting Trump is not an infringement of your rights, it’s a reasonable response by those of us who are disgusted, anxious, and afraid. I was recently accused by a writer of “vote shaming” – but there’s nothing wrong with being made to feel ashamed for doing something shameful.

I suppose I should not be surprised by this reaction; people are taking cues from Trump himself, a man who feels so entitled to universal adoration that he whines about protests being “unfair”. Indeed, after Pence’s uncomfortable evening at Hamilton, Trump tweeted that the quite respectful statement from the cast was “harassment”. This from a man who has mocked a disabled reporter, encouraged violence at his rallies, and spent a lifetime denigrating women.

The president-elect even wrote that the theater should be a “safe” place. Apparently “safe space” is politically correct nonsense when women don’t want to get raped at college, but vitally important when a powerful man who advocates conversion therapy wants to enjoy a Broadway musical.

Since Trump won the election, hate crimes are being reported at a rate higher than right after 9/11. Just a few blocks from my home in Brooklyn, a woman was punched in the face by a Trump supporter and a swastika was drawn in a nearby children’s park. We have a president-elect who just settled a class-action fraud case for $25m. But yes, by all means, let’s talk more about your hurt feelings and “civility”.

Whether it’s Pence at a play or your Trump-voting uncle at Thanksgiving, there are people right now who should be made to feel uncomfortable. In a time when there is so much to protest, so much work to do, the booing is necessary – shame on us if we ever stop.

Celebrating Fidel Castro - 1926-2016

 
© AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi 
 
"Workers and farmers, this is the socialist and democratic revolution of the humble, with the humble and for the humble." 

— April 16, 1961, declaring his government socialist.

By teleSUR

26 November 16

readersupportednews.org

idel Castro, former president and leader of the Cuban revolution, died Friday night at age 90, Cuban state television confirmed.

Raul Castro, Cuba's President and Fidel Castro's brother, announced that Fidel would be cremated on Saturday. "The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died 10:29 p.m. tonight," said Castro.

Born in 1926 to a prominent landowner in Holguín Province, Cuba, Fidel went on to lead Cuba’s revolutionary independence movement, defeating the U.S.-backed Batista dictatorship in 1959.

Soon after his movement took power, Fidel adopted an explicitly socialist model of development and forged strong ties with the Soviet Union, earning the wrath of the United States.

For the next 48 years, until resigning in 2008, Fidel led the tiny island nation to historic levels of development, leading the world in many social indicators including literacy and public health rates.

Influence and Internationalism

The success of Cuba's revolution also meant facing down more than 50 years of a hostile and destructive U.S. blockade, while also surviving multiple CIA assassination attempts. Fidel and Cuba inspired a growing decolonization movement throughout the world, one which Fidel actively supported by creating networks of mutual aid throughout Latin America, Africa, and the rest of the Global South.

Under Fidel's leadership, Cuba's internationalism expanded beyond support for liberation movements such as Nelson Mandela's African National Congress, with the small island sending thousands of health and education professionals across the world. Cuba's literacy program is credited with having taught millions to read outside of Cuba, while Cuban doctors earned even the admiration of the United States, who recently lauded their "heroic" contribution to combatting the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

Fidel was also vital in the upsurge of left-wing government in Latin America, beginning with the election of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela in 1998. Fidel and Chavez not only developed a famous friendship, but the two leaders pushed for a radicalization and coordination of regional movements which yielded left-wing victories in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, along with left-leaning governments in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

The two leaders also founded the Bolivarian Alternative for Our America, or ALBA bloc, which promoted an alternative to neoliberal free trade.

Fidel Recently Turned 90

Revered by many and loathed by others, the Cuban leader remained influential and was highly regarded even by his detractors as a keen analyst of world affairs.

His native Cuba recently celebrated his 90th birthday, where in typical Fidel style, he foreshadowed what was to come with elegance and dignity.

"I'll be 90 years old soon," Fidel said at an April 2016 communist party congress where he made his most extensive public appearance in years. "Soon I'll be like all the others. The time will come for all of us, but the ideas of the Cuban Communists will remain as proof that on this planet , if one works with fervor and dignity, they can produce the material and cultural goods that human beings need and that need to be fought for without ever giving up."

Sanders Calls for More Action, Less Rhetoric, Against Trump

Senator Bernie Sanders. (photo: AP)

By teleSUR

23 November 16

readersupportednews.org

 

As Bernie Sanders tours the country rallying the masses, he reminds people that action without strategy won't get them far.

n the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential victory, Bernie Sanders has said it is not only important to mobilize, but to have a strategy and to act on it.

“Our job is not just to raise our voices,” the once-presidential candidate said in an interview with PBS Newshour on Monday. “That’s fine. But it is to bring millions of people together around a progressive agenda.”

While the Vermont Senator has honored the results of the elections, he has been touring the country and rallying the masses against Trump’s damaging and inflammatory rhetoric in jam-packed events.

Despite Trump’s apparent appeal to the working class, Sanders has pointed out, he is nothing more than an extension of the very same political and economic establishments against which he constantly railed.

“This is a guy who's a billionaire who doesn't pay anything in federal income taxes, who outsources his jobs,” Sanders said in another interview with GQ on Tuesday. A guy “who has been sued time and time again by workers for not keeping up his end in contracts.”

Sanders, who is currently touring to also promote his book “Our Revolution,” in which he reflects on his campaign, has also called for more transparency and action from his supporters. At one event on Monday, he suggested self-nominated democrats and progressives alike must begin doing more to “stand up with the working class of this country,” rather than just shouting progressive slogans.

“This is where there is going to be division within the Democratic Party. It is not good enough for someone to say, ‘I’m a woman! Vote for me!’” he said while giving a speech at Boston’s Berklee University on Monday. “What we need is a woman who has the guts to stand up to Wall Street, to the insurance companies, to the drug companies, to the fossil fuel industry.”

He has also vowed that there can be “no compromise” with Trump when it comes to issues of climate change, racism, sexism and homophobia, all the issues Trump has repeatedly attacked. He nevertheless conceded to working together on working-class issues, if the president-elect committed to it.

“I think it would be counterproductive on issues that working-class Americans supported and depend upon if we did not go forward,” he told GQ.

He added that, to that effect, he and his team will be introducing various pieces of legislation covering everything from raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, to equity for women workers, to infrastructure and trade.

“So it's not a question of us working with Trump,” he said. “It's a question of Trump working with us.”

How to Survive Thanksgiving if You're One of the Good White People

'It's good white people whose holiday is going to be ruined the most.' (photo: H Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images)

By Arwa Mahdawi, Guardian UK

23 November 16 

You're a good white person if you reject the stuff President Pussygrabber stands for, including dismantling Social Security and Medicare despite his campaign promise not to.

moment of silence, please, for all the Good White Millennials.

Thanksgiving is going to be rough for many of them this year as it means a migration back to the suburbs to sit around a table with old, Trump-supporting relatives. There will be awkward conversations about politics; voices may be raised. They will be a long way away from Brooklyn and it will be extremely difficult to enjoy the non-artisanal food.

Oh, don’t get me wrong – Thanksgiving is going to be tough for everyone forced to fraternize with the political enemy, no matter what color they are. But the only race that Trump got a majority of votes from was white people; 58% of white voters voted for Trump, while only 8% of black voters did. So you see, white people are statistically more likely to have a Trump supporter in the family; it’s good white people whose holiday is going to be ruined the most.

Fortunately, many people are sparing a thought for good white people, and media outlets have churned out a heartening number of helpful “survival guides”. Vogue, for example, suggests simply ignoring all that nasty politics stuff – perhaps even having a fun game where anyone who brings up politics is subject to a $20 fine, with all proceeds going to charity, of course!

Despite the plethora of good suggestions out there, I feel like we could do more. As a committed ally of Good White People (I count many among my best friends), I would like to ask: what can people of color can do to help our oppressed white friends through this difficult time?

Is there, for example, something we can wear to show our support as you prepare to suffer through an awkward family meal? After Trump’s victory, a number of people wore safety pins to demonstrate their solidarity for minorities who were terrified about their future in an America where the incoming president has been endorsed by the KKK.

Good white people selflessly ruined their clothes to help protect us; can we think of a similar gesture of solidarity?

Here’s another thought: perhaps allies of color might like to consider organizing #notallwhitepeople Thanksgiving parties so that good white people can be together in a safe space over the holidays.

Trump’s victory unleashed a worrying surge of anger from some people of color who felt let down that a majority of white people had looked at Trump’s racism and thought, nah, not a deal-breaker. This anger meant that some of them ignorantly lumped white people together, treating them as a monolithic racial entity rather than individuals with their own thoughts, feelings and political views. This was upsetting to many good white people who felt forced to remind the world: #notallwhitepeople.

Let’s reassure good white people that we understand and we appreciate their exceptionalism.

If all else fails and your good white friends are still feeling down, then cheer them up by explaining that, actually, white supremacy is kinda hot right now; it may well be the new kale. I mean, did you see that glossy profile of “dapper white nationalist” Richard Spencer in Mother Jones?

He’s a virulent racist, sure, but his tastefully tailored suits are to die for. Fascism may be quite upsetting, but fashion is always something to be thankful for.

A Resistance Plan for Trump's First 100 Days

Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich. (photo: Steve Russell/Toronto Star)

By Robert Reich, Robert Reich's Blog

20 November 16

readersupportednews.org

 

ere's the First 100 Day resistance plan [with thanks to Alan Webber]:

1. Get Democrats in the Congress and across the country to pledge to oppose Trump’s agenda. Prolong the process of approving choices, draw out hearings, stand up as sanctuary cities and states. Take a stand. Call your senator and your representative (phone calls are always better than writing).

2. March and demonstrate—in a coordinated, well-managed way. The "1 Million Women March" is already scheduled for the Inauguration —and will be executed with real skill. There will be “sister” marches around the country—in LA and elsewhere. They need to be coordinated and orchestrated. And then? 1 Million Muslims? 1 Million Latinos? What would keep the momentum alive and keep the message going?

3. Boycott all Trump products, real estate, hotels, resorts, everything. And then boycott all stores (like Nordstrom) that carry merchandise from Trump family brands. See: http://www.racked.com/…/136239…/grabyourwallet-trump-boycott

4. Letters to Editors: A national letter-writing campaign, from people all over the country, every walk of life and every level of society, from celebrities to sports heroes to grassroots Americans. In most papers, the Letters to the Editor section is the most-read part of the paper.

5. Op-Eds: A steady flow of arguments about the fallacies and dangers of Trump’s First 100 Day policies and initiatives, from name-brand thinkers and doers to ordinary folk writing for their city’s or community’s newspaper.

6. Social media: What about a new YouTube channel devoted to video testimonials about resisting Trump’s First 100 Day Agenda? Crowd-sourced ideas, themes and memes. Who wants to start it?

7. Website containing up-to-date daily bulletins on what actions people are planning around the country, and where, so others can join in. Techies, get organized.

8. Investigative journalism: We need investigative journalists to dig into the backgrounds of all of Trump’s appointees, in the White House, the Cabinet, Ambassadors and judges.

9. Lawsuits: Our version of “Drill, baby, drill” is “Sue, baby, sue.” Throw sand in the gears. Lawyers, get organized.

10. Coordinated fund-raising: Rather than having every public-interest group appeal on their own, have a coordinated fundraising program to fill the coffers of the most endangered and effective opposition groups. Is there a way to do a televised fundraiser with celebrities raising money for the Resistance?

11. Symbolic opposition: Safety pins are already appearing. What else? What more? Make the resistance visible with bumper stickers, a label pin, a branding campaign that has great language, great logo, great wrist band (remember the Lance Armstrong “Livestrong” yellow wrist band—it sold millions!).

12. Intellectual opposition: Take Trump on where he’s weakest—with serious ideas. I'll try to do my part. You do yours, too.

13. Serious accountability: Establish performance metrics to evaluate his delivery on his campaign promises. An updated web site of promises made and not kept. This is one especially suited to public policy students.

14. Your idea goes here. Call a meeting of family and friends this weekend. Come up with to-dos.

The First 100 Days Resistance Agenda. We’re not going away.

Morning After To-Do List

Filmmaker Michael Moore. (photo: Getty)

 (Gazette Blog Editor's note: Good things to post since President Pussygrabber's electoral college win have been piling up.  Here's one we have been saving for a break in the news.  Today, we had this day-after-the-election item or the white supremacists "Heil Trump" story to choose from.  It was no contest.)

By Michael Moore, Michael Moore's Facebook Page

10 November 16
readersupportednews.org

 
orning After To-Do List:

1. Take over the Democratic Party and return it to the people. They have failed us miserably.


2. Fire all pundits, predictors, pollsters and anyone else in the media who had a narrative they wouldn't let go of and refused to listen to or acknowledge what was really going on. Those same bloviators will now tell us we must "heal the divide" and "come together." They will pull more hooey like that out of their ass in the days to come. Turn them off.


3. Any Democratic member of Congress who didn't wake up this morning ready to fight, resist and obstruct in the way Republicans did against President Obama every day for eight full years must step out of the way and let those of us who know the score lead the way in stopping the meanness and the madness that's about to begin.


4. Everyone must stop saying they are "stunned" and "shocked". What you mean to say is that you were in a bubble and weren't paying attention to your fellow Americans and their despair. YEARS of being neglected by both parties, the anger and the need for revenge against the system only grew. Along came a TV star they liked whose plan was to destroy both parties and tell them all "You're fired!" Trump's victory is no surprise. He was never a joke. Treating him as one only strengthened him. He is both a creature and a creation of the media and the media will never own that.


5. You must say this sentence to everyone you meet today: "HILLARY CLINTON WON THE POPULAR VOTE!" The MAJORITY of our fellow Americans preferred Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Period. Fact. If you woke up this morning thinking you live in an effed-up country, you don't. The majority of your fellow Americans wanted Hillary, not Trump. The only reason he's president is because of an arcane, insane 18th-century idea called the Electoral College. Until we change that, we'll continue to have presidents we didn't elect and didn't want. You live in a country where a majority of its citizens have said they believe there's climate change, they believe women should be paid the same as men, they want a debt-free college education, they don't want us invading countries, they want a raise in the minimum wage and they want a single-payer true universal health care system. None of that has changed. We live in a country where the majority agree with the "liberal" position. We just lack the liberal leadership to make that happen (see: #1 above). Let's try to get this all done by noon today.

-- Michael Moore

196 Countries Reaffirm Commitment to Paris Climate Deal, Isolating Trump Even More

The Eiffel Tower is illuminated in green with the words 'Paris Agreement is done', to celebrate the Paris climate change agreement. (photo: Jacky Naegelen/Reuters)

By Climate Nexus

21 November 16

readersupportednews.org

Trump can't be allowed to drag us under the rising seas 

 

early 200 countries reaffirmed their unequivocal commitment for the Paris agreement in the Marrakech Action Proclamation, demonstrating a show of strength amid fears that Donald Trump would withdraw from the climate deal.

"We call for the highest political commitment to combat climate change, as a matter of urgent priority," reads the proclamation. Forty-seven of the world's most climate vulnerable nations, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Costa Rica, also pledged to aim for 100 percent renewable energy "as rapidly as possible."

Meanwhile, California is exploring whether it could join the climate talks as a sub-national party if Trump pulls the U.S. out of the agreement.

"If Trump does the unthinkable and quits the Paris Agreement, it will be up to the rest of United States to make sure that we meet our climate targets with or without the White House," 350.org Executive Director May Boeve said.

"The Paris Agreement represents the bare minimum of what is necessary to preserve a livable planet. We need more action, not less. Scientists are very clear that we do not have four years to waste waiting for the United States to come back to the table.

It's all of our responsibility to make sure we continue to raise the level of ambition rather than let Trump drag us under the rising seas," Boeve concluded.

Trump's victory puts woman in charge of Free World anyway

German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (photo: EPA)

Germany's Angela Merkel New Leader of the Free World

Redneck voters get what they voted against anyway - a woman in charge

By Hui Min Neo, Agence France-Presse

17 November 16

readersupportednews.org

 

he shock election of Donald Trump as US president has forced greater responsibility for defending Western values and interests onto German Chancellor Angela Merkel's shoulders, analysts say, with some even crowning her the new "leader of the free world".

While the last decade has been defined by Britain, France, Germany and the US showing a largely united front on issues ranging from NATO affairs to defence of basic freedoms, the coming four years may present a more fragmented picture.

During his campaign Trump signalled a protectionist and anti-immigration stance, while Britain is preoccupied with securing its future outside the European Union after June's stunning referendum vote to exit the bloc.

France's President Francois Hollande is grappling with record low ratings ahead of next May's election that could see far-right Marine Le Pen reaching the second round run-off vote.

Merkel, after 11 years at the helm, now looks increasingly like the only bulwark of stability and liberal freedom among Western allies.

"Merkel... has suddenly become the most important leader of the free, democratic and liberal world," said the left-leaning TAZ daily.

The historian and columnist Timothy Garton Ash agreed in an editorial for Britain's Guardian newspaper: "I'm tempted to say that the leader of the free world is now Angela Merkel."

Rather than visit Britain -- a natural stop for any US leader given the two countries' special relationship, US President Barack Obama is travelling Wednesday to Berlin on his last official trip to Europe, in what almost seems like the passing of a baton to Merkel.

Ahead of the visit, Obama said Merkel "has probably been my closest international partner these last eight years".

- Countering Putin or Erdogan -

Merkel's striking message to Trump after his victory was not lost on observers -- where her peers simply pledged close ties, she tied them to democratic values.

She said that any "close cooperation" must be on the basis of the "values of democracy, freedom, respect for the rule of law and human dignity, regardless of origin, skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or political belief".

The remarks indicated the German leader is likely to accept -- perhaps grudgingly -- the mantle of "leader of the real, remaining West and remind Trump of values", said Die Welt daily.

"She is more than ever the woman who is countering men like Russian President Vladimir Putin or Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," said the TAZ.

Merkel, 62, does not have Obama's oratorical flourishes but her voice is increasingly forceful on the world stage.

She put her fluent Russian to good use in mediating in the Ukraine conflict with Putin.

When most European countries were busy shutting their doors to refugees fleeing war in predominantly Muslim countries, Merkel let in nearly 900,000 people last year -- a stance that Trump branded "insane".

- 'Can't do this alone' -

Trump, who pledged to deport millions of undocumented migrants from the US, made anti-immigrant policies a key plank of his campaign.

And few expect him to take take the lead in countering Putin, given his open praise for the Russian strongman.

If Trump makes good on his promises to rip up deals on free trade, climate change and Iran's nuclear programme, as well as reconsider protection for NATO allies that haven't paid their dues, it could spell the end of the United States' post-World War II role as the guarantor of world peace.

Stefani Weiss, an expert on European integration and foreign policies at the Bertelsmann Foundation, said the US had started to retreat as "world police" under Obama and cede more responsibility to Europe.

"This is a trend that will likely prevail and intensify with Trump's presidency," she said.

It remains to be seen how effectively Merkel can push her agenda on the global stage, if Trump, as leader of the world's biggest economy, adopts contrary policies on migration, climate change and sanctions targeting Russia.

Although it has economic weight, Germany's political influence remains limited and it is not even a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

While the US has the military might to lead a multi-nation coalition fighting the Islamic State organisation, Germany has participated on a far smaller scale.

Merkel is probably now the "strongest leader in the liberal world but she can't do this alone", said Daniela Schwarzer, director of the DGAP think-tank.

- Fourth term? -

Observers say Trump's White House win has made it imperative for her to declare her candidacy for a fourth term in elections next year and offer the West a beacon of stability.

"She has shown that she is very committed to keeping the European Union together... that task is even bigger now than it was before the American election and so I would think that she might feel that the job isn't quite done," said Schwarzer.

Trump's election has also given Merkel a popularity bounce.

Before November, only around two in five (44 percent) Germans wanted Merkel to stay on as anger mounted domestically over her liberal refugee policy.

Surveys over the past week show support at 60 percent.

The Medicare Killers

Paul Krugman NOV. 18, 2016

New York Times

readersupportednews.org 

Older Americans will face difficult choices if President-elect Donald Trump does not preserve Medicare. Credit Eric Thayer for The New York Times

During the campaign, Donald Trump often promised to be a different kind of Republican, one who would represent the interests of working-class voters who depend on major government programs. “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid,” he declared, under the headline “Why Donald Trump Won’t Touch Your Entitlements.”

It was, of course, a lie. The transition team’s point man on Social Security is a longtime advocate of privatization, and all indications are that the incoming administration is getting ready to kill Medicare, replacing it with vouchers that can be applied to the purchase of private insurance. Oh, and it’s also likely to raise the age of Medicare eligibility.

So it’s important not to let this bait-and-switch happen before the public realizes what’s going on.

Three points in particular need to be made as loudly as possible.

First, the attack on Medicare will be one of the most blatant violations of a campaign promise in history.

Some readers may recall George W. Bush’s attempt to privatize Social Security, in which he claimed a “mandate” from voters despite having run a campaign entirely focused on other issues. That was bad, but this is much worse — and not just because Mr. Trump lost the popular vote by a significant margin, making any claim of a mandate bizarre.

Candidate Trump ran on exactly the opposite position from the one President-elect Trump seems to be embracing, claiming to be an economic populist defending the (white) working class. Now he’s going to destroy a program that is crucial to that class?

Which brings me to the second point: While Medicare is an essential program for a great majority of Americans, it’s especially important for the white working-class voters who supported Mr. Trump most strongly. Partly that’s because Medicare beneficiaries are considerably whiter than the country as a whole, precisely because they’re older and reflect the demography of an earlier era.

Beyond that, think of what would happen if Medicare didn’t exist. Some older Americans would probably be able to retain health coverage by staying at jobs that come with such coverage. But this option would by and large be available only to those with extensive education: Labor force participation among seniors is strongly correlated with education, in part because the highly educated are healthier than the less educated, and in part because their jobs require less physical effort.

Working-class seniors would be left stranded, unable to get the health care they needed.

Still, doesn’t something have to be done about Medicare? No — which is my third point. People like Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, have often managed to bamboozle the media into believing that their efforts to dismantle Medicare and other programs are driven by valid economic concerns. They aren’t.

It has been obvious for a long time that Medicare is actually more efficient than private insurance, mainly because it doesn’t spend large sums on overhead and marketing, and, of course, it needn’t make room for profits. 

What’s not widely known is that the cost-saving measures included in the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, have been remarkably successful in their efforts to “bend the curve” — to rein in the long-term rise in Medicare expenses. In fact, since 2010 Medicare outlays per beneficiary have risen only 1.4 percent a year, less than the inflation rate. This success is one main reason long-term budget projections have dramatically improved.

So why try to destroy this successful program, which is in important respects doing better than ever? The main answer, from the point of view of people like Mr. Ryan, is probably that Medicare is in the cross hairs precisely because of its success: It would be very helpful for opponents of government to do away with a program that clearly demonstrates the power of government to improve people’s lives.

And there’s an additional benefit to the right from Medicare privatization: It would create a lot of opportunities for private profits, earned by diverting dollars that could have been used to provide health care.

In summary, then, privatizing Medicare would betray a central promise of the Trump campaign, would specifically betray the interests of the voter bloc that thought it had found a champion, and would be terrible policy.

You might think this would make the whole idea a non-starter. And this push will, in fact, fail — just like Social Security privatization in 2005 — if voters realize what’s happening.

What’s crucial now is to make sure that voters do, in fact, realize what’s going on. And this isn’t just a job for politicians. It’s also a chance for the news media, which failed so badly during the campaign, to start doing its job.