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MORNING MESSAGE
Sam Pizzigati
U.S. CEOs are the best in the world – for themselves. They certainly do not deliver the best results for average people. To really understand how staggering America’s CEO-worker pay imbalance has become, we need to widen our field of comparative vision, from domestic to global: our CEOs, on average, make four times more than other top execs around the world, and 269 times what an average U.S. worker makes. And these gaps are getting wider, every year. That’s a big deal.
Poor People’s Campaign Protests Inequality
Poor People’s Campaign is the angry response to inequality America needs. HuffPost: “Two Mondays ago, a bunch of dedicated rabble-rousers launched a new Poor People’s Campaign. Thousands demonstrated in Washington, D.C., including members of the union I lead, the United Steelworkers. The group, led by the Rev. William Barber II and the Rev. Liz Theoharis, plans actions in 30 states over 40 days. This past week, dozens of Poor People’s Campaign activists were again arrested in Washington, D.C., as they demanded restoration of the Voting Rights Act. The campaign is dedicated to the idea that ‘people should not live in or die from poverty in the richest nation ever to exist.”’ Its revival could not be more urgent or timely. The original Poor People’s Campaign was the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, who wanted to expand the fight for civil rights to include a movement against the indignities of poverty across all racial lines. Dr. King was assassinated before he formally launched the campaign, but his supporters took up the cause beginning with an encampment in Washington, D.C., in 1968. Fifty years later, income inequality is worse… 140 million Americans are either impoverished or so low-income that they are unable to routinely afford food, clothing and utilities. Dr. King would be appalled.”
Slow Response To Puerto Rico Storm Prompts 5,000 Deaths
Puerto Rico death toll much higher than official estimates. NPR: “Perhaps 5,000 people died in Puerto Rico in 2017 for reasons related to September’s Hurricane Maria, according to a study that dismisses the official death toll of 64 as ‘a substantial underestimate.’ A research team led by scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health didn’t simply attempt to count dead bodies in the wake of the powerful storm. Instead, they surveyed randomly chosen households and asked the occupants about their experiences. From that approach, they concluded that between Sept. 20 and Dec. 31, 2017, there were 4,645 ‘excess deaths’ — that is, deaths that would not have occurred if the island hadn’t been plunged into a prolonged disaster following the devastating storm.”
The Art Of Screwing Up The Deal
Trump is proving to be the world’s worst dealmaker. DailyKOS: “A week after declaring the trade war between the US and China “on hold” Trump has reversed himself by breaking that armistice. He has announced a series of actions, including an as-yet-undetermined set of Chinese-made goods that will be subject to a 25 percent tariff along with new restrictions on Chinese investment in the United States. This action seems to take positions back to where they were in April, with Trump threatening one set of tariffs and China preparing their own tariffs in reply. The most obvious casualty of that earlier round of threats was US farmers, who stood to lose an enormous portion of their export market… The Post calls Trump’s stances on economics and diplomacy “fluid.” By which they don’t mean flexible. More like unpredictable, erratic and nonsensical. It’s not just the positions themselves that are harming America’s standing in the world. The way Trump negotiates—by deception, bullying and sudden changes of direction—is leaving the US isolated and with few willing partners.”
Trump Escalates Anti-Immigrant Campaign Rhetoric
Trump doubles down on ‘animals,’ demands border wall. The Tennessean: “Two weeks after coming under fire for his controversial remarks on immigrant members of the MS-13 gang being “animals,” President Donald Trump doubled down on the sentiment at his rally Tuesday in Nashville. ‘What was the name?’ Trump asked the crowd gathered at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, referring to the criminal gang, a topic he brought up multiple times during his speech. ‘Animals!’ the crowd cheered, echoing the remarks Trump made earlier this month during a conversation about immigration. The rally in support of U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican candidate for the seat held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker, followed a private fundraiser for Blackburn earlier Tuesday evening in Music City… The president again repeated his promise to ‘build the wall,’ a pledge to produce some form of physical barrier between the U.S. and Mexico. While Trump had promised Mexico would pay for building the wall, he eventually said U.S. tax dollars would initially fund construction. Tuesday night, he repeated his assurance that Mexico would foot the bill for the wall, and that ‘they’re going to enjoy it.’”
Stephen Miller Is Trump’s Top Troll
Trump’s right-hand troll. The Atlantic: “In the campy TV drama that is Donald Trump’s Washington, Miller has carved out an enigmatic role. He lurks in the background for weeks at a time, only to emerge with crucial cameos in the most explosive episodes. The one where Trump signed a havoc-wreaking travel ban during his first week in office, unleashing global chaos and mass protests? Miller helped draft the executive order. The one where the federal government shut down over a high-stakes immigration standoff on Capitol Hill? Miller was accused of derailing the negotiations… Inside the White House, Miller has emerged as a staunch ideologue and an immigration hawk championing an agenda of right-wing nationalism. But people who have known him at different points in his life say his political worldview is also rooted in a deep-seated instinct for trolling. Miller represents a rising generation of conservatives for whom ‘melting the snowflakes’ and ‘triggering the libs’ are first principles.”
Progressive Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People’s Action.
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