Biden's Wonky Immigration Order & 50 Cent's Diss of Black Men
GOP's Attack on Birth Control, Toyota Apologizes for Falsifying Tests, An Amazing Art Video, What I'm Reading, Cyndi Lauper Sings “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: Every generation flushes away the old heroes in favor of new ones. Just as they should.
Biden's new immigration order restricts asylum claims along the border: Bad policy for bad reasons. But the GOP reaction is the pinnacle of hypocrisy.
50 Cent Says Black Men Are ‘Identifying With Trump’ Over Biden: Black celebrities who make political statements have a responsibility to be clear and accurate because the consequences can be destructive.
Conservative attacks on birth control could threaten access: Why are Republicans so adamant about restricting birth control? And why do they have to lie about the facts to accomplish it?
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models: Blah, blah, blah. Big Business is always apologizing for some sinister deed, yet they still try to get away with cutting corners that put our lives at risk.
Kareem’s Video Break: You are about to experience a work of art in a way you never have before.
What I’m Reading: Thomas Perry’s Murder Book features a PI who is cunning and resourceful in the tradition of Jack Reacher.
Cyndi Lauper Sings “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”: This 1983 song was a glorious meteor flashing across the sky announcing women had their own ideas about fun that didn’t depend on men. It still resonates.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
Every generation throws a hero up the pop charts.
Paul Simon, from “The Boy in the Bubble”
The pop chart in Simon’s song is a metaphor for how each generation needs to define itself by elevating its own chosen heroes and sidelining the heroes of past generations. Part of the reason is that youth are often unfamiliar with the deeds of those past heroes so they seem more like the boring friends of their parents or grandparents with exaggerated tales about past glories. But another part is that each generation needs people in its own age range to emulate and be inspired by to prove to themselves that they too have that spark of greatness to be fanned by the heroics—whether in the arts, sports, or politics—of people just like them.
Pop culture heroes ride a conveyor belt for a short time in front of a cheering audience before they are dumped off the end into the disposal bin of irrelevance. Basketball has its own conveyor belt: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Nikola Jokić. All ride—all fall.
There’s a good reason for that. The new generational heroes represent future promises and the old heroes represent promises fulfilled. The OGs have already accomplished what they set out to do and, while that’s impressive, it’s also intimidating to be held to a standard already achieved. It’s more exciting and inspiring for the next generation to travel alongside their heroes on their journey to fulfill their promise.
As each generation ages, they carry their youthful heroes with them because they no longer feel the urgent need to identify themselves as separate and special from the previous generation. They have defined themselves by their own actions, their friends, and their families. Pop heroes were fun while they lasted, but now they’re pleasant nostalgic mementos of a past innocence.
Those who traveled with me on my ascent from a freshman at UCLA to rookie with the Bucks to glory with the Lakers feel part of my accomplishments. Honestly, they should. Their support inspired me just as I hope I inspired some of them. It’s a relief that the ride on the “pop charts” conveyor is temporary. Falling off is like changing from too-tight jeans into comfy fleece-lined sweatpants.
Oh, what a ride it was. But, oh, what a joy to sit in the audience and cheer on the next hero as they move along the conveyor belt of pop culture.
Biden's new immigration order restricts asylum claims along the border. (CBS News)
SUMMARY: President Biden on Tuesday unveiled new executive action authorizing U.S. immigration officials to deport large numbers of migrants without processing their asylum claims, announcing what is arguably the most restrictive border policy by a Democratic president in recent history.
Mr. Biden's aggressive move suspends the processing of asylum claims between official entry points along the southern border, allowing U.S. authorities to more quickly reject and deport migrants who enter the country unlawfully.
"If an individual chooses not to use our legal pathways, if they choose to come without permission and against the law, they'll be restricted from receiving asylum and staying in the United States," the president said in remarks at the White House.
The partial ban on asylum claims will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Regular asylum processing will only be restored 14 days after the secretary of homeland security determines that the weekly average of daily illegal border crossings has dipped below 1,500. The proclamation could be activated again if the weekly average of daily crossings between ports of entry surpasses 2,500.
To the dismay of migrant advocates, the seismic policy change attempts to upend U.S. asylum law, which allows migrants on American soil to request humanitarian protection, even if they cross the border illegally. But Biden administration officials have argued the asylum system is buckling under the weight of over 3 million pending applications, incentivizing migrants to come to the U.S. because it takes years to decide their cases.
Mr. Biden made the policy changes through a presidential proclamation that temporarily suspends the entry of most migrants at the southern border. The Departments of Justice and Homeland Security published a regulation to implement his directive.
"I must exercise my executive authorities to meet the moment," Mr. Biden's order said. "This proclamation answers the call by suspending entry of noncitizens across the southern border during this time of high border crossings."
Migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border between legal entry points when the order is in effect will be barred from asylum and "immediately removable" to Mexico or their home countries, officials who previewed the move said. The administration, one official added, plans to carry out these deportations "in a matter of days, if not hours."
Only migrants who affirmatively express fear of being persecuted or tortured will be screened by U.S. asylum officers, the officials said. But they will only be screened for lesser-forms of protection — not asylum — and will need to pass interviews with heightened standards to avoid being quickly deported.
The asylum crackdown will not apply to unaccompanied children, those with acute medical conditions or fleeing imminent harm and migrants who use legal pathways to enter the U.S., such as the system powered by the government smart phone app known as CBP One. The administration will continue to process roughly 1,500 migrants at ports of entry under the CBP One process.
MY TAKE: I’m not a fan of Biden’s new border policy, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
The border situation is such a complicated mess that many people can’t wrap their heads around all the moving parts involved in dealing with it. Because the problem is complex, so will any solution be equally complex. People who don’t want to dig deep into the causes and effects prefer aggressive but simplistic actions that don’t challenge their brains but still make them feel like they’ve voiced a strong opinion. It’s like pulling someone out of the audience of Wheel of Fortune, handing them a scalpel, and saying please remove the brain tumor of the patient on stage. Their solution: start hacking away. Yes, brain tumors are bad, but there are many more options than hacking. Just because you don’t know them, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
I’m no expert—and even the experts disagree on solutions—but I do know that the border is such a political football that most Americans are bombarded with misinformation—mostly from the GOP—to encourage aggressive and simplistic thinking. Their political strategy is to create super-villains for the public (immigrants, non-Christians, experts, LGBTQ+, etc.) then make themselves the righteous superheroes who swoop in and stomp the enemy into insensate pulp. (DeSantis wants to send in hit squads to murder illegal immigrants. Violence is always the default setting for non-thinkers.) It’s a formula that works on children, which is how they view the sophistication level of thought of their followers.
After years of GOP complaints about illegal border crossings, Biden did what they mostly have asked for and they are mad. Why? Because they’re worried conservatives will think Biden is actually doing something about the border while they’ve been stonewalling legislation that might make Biden look good right before the election.
As to Biden’s decision: I get that this is a political move right before an election to snatch away a baseball bat that Republicans have been beating him with, but the policy is overly harsh and restrictive. Becoming a Republican to combat Republicans is not the answer in this case. Solutions don’t have to be fast, they have to be sustainable and they have to reflect our values. This executive action does neither.
50 Cent Says Black Men Are ‘Identifying With Trump’ Over Biden (The Daily Beast)
SUMMARY: 50 Cent, while meeting with lawmakers Wednesday on Capitol Hill to advocate for Black entrepreneurs and more Black representation in the liquor industry, said he sees Black men “identifying with” Donald Trump, a convicted felon who is still under indictment.
When asked by CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion about which way he’s leaning in the presidential election, the rapper and liquor company owner, who supported Trump in 2020, said he hadn’t made a decision. As for the significance of the Black male vote, he said that Trump’s legal problems have made him appealing as a candidate.
…Trump, along with several of his allies, are facing a RICO indictment last summer in Georgia for their efforts to overturn the presidential election in that state. As part of that process, in which Trump’s mugshot was taken, some commentators—and Trump himself—have mused that that could help his standing in the Black community.
MY TAKE: On the face of it, one might think that 50 Cent is supporting Trump, as he did in 2020. But then again, he also shared a screenshot of an article on X that had the headline: “BREAKING: Trump campaign has received over $200 million in total donations since the guilty verdict in New York.” His response to the article seemed to be a criticism of Trump: “😆 SMH [shaking my head] don't worry the world's almost over just enjoy the moment and be happy.” As of June 4, his post had been viewed 408,800 times.
First, it’s worrisome that he sees Black men “identifying with” Trump. Why would Black men identify with a convicted felon, a rapist, a fraudster, an adulterer, and an unrepentant liar? Why would Black men identify with a man born into wealth who was constantly bailed out of business failure by his father? Why would Black men identify with a greedy huckster willing to do anything for a buck? Why would Black men identify with a well-documented racist and misogynist? Just saying this without context is an insult to Black men everywhere.
His follow-up post is inconclusive. He might be saying that Trump raised $200 million (we only have Trump’s people’s word for that) after being convicted is the end of the world in terms of reason. Or is he saying the juggernaut of Trump’s campaign is unstoppable by people of moral conviction and those who support the U.S. Constitution?
Black celebrities are not required to publicly offer political opinions, but when they do they have a deep responsibility to be clear, specific, and offer opinions that at least follow some type of logic. Otherwise, they are doing damage to our community now and potentially in the future.
Conservative attacks on birth control could threaten access (The Washington Post)
SUMMARY: Far-right conservatives are sowing misinformation that inaccurately characterizes IUDs, emergency contraception, even birth-control pills as causing abortions.
Republican lawmakers in Missouri blocked a bill to widen access to birth-control pills by falsely claiming they induce abortions. An antiabortion group in Louisiana killed legislation to enshrine a right to birth control by inaccurately equating emergency contraception with abortion drugs. An Idaho think tank focused on “biblical activism” is pushing state legislators to ban access to emergency contraception and intrauterine devices (IUDs) by mislabeling them as “abortifacients.”
Since the Supreme Court overturned the right to abortion two years ago, far-right conservatives have been trying to curtail birth-control access by sowing misinformation about how various methods work to prevent pregnancy, even as Republican leaders scramble to reassure voters they have no intention of restricting the right to contraception, which polls show the vast majority of Americans favor.
The divide illustrates growing Republican tensions over the political cost of the “personhood” movement to endow an embryo with human rights, which has also animated the debate around in vitro fertilization. Mainstream medical societies define pregnancy as starting once an embryo has implanted in the wall of the uterus. But some conservative legislators, sharing the views of antiabortion activists, say they believe life begins when eggs are fertilized — before pregnancy — and are conflating some forms of birth control with abortion.
MY TAKE: Two questions: (1) Why do Republicans hate women? and (2) Why do Republicans need to lie and misinform to persuade their followers? I know the first question will seem outrageous to them and they will counter with, “We don’t hate women, we love life.” That, too, is a lie. They have chosen to elevate the status of a zygote above that of a fully grown woman who is an integral part of society. Their decision to call it a human being and confer rights is based purely on religion and misguided emotion, not on reason. They believe that taking this stance somehow makes them moral rather than hypocritical, but they are wrong. It is the height of immorality to take away a woman’s choice about what to do with their body, especially when pregnancy risks their life. To interfere with women’s choice of contraception is even more paternalistic because there is no valid reason to do so except to further subjugate women.
The second question gets to the heart of their sinister plan. Because they don’t have facts on their side, and because they know their followers aren’t strict on fact-checking, they toss out lies about contraception causing abortions when that is not the case. When you have to lie to convince people, you’re clearly on an immoral path.
What possible reason is there to try to curb the availability of contraception except to shove one backward in time to a time when pregnancy meant forced marriage, no career, and financial dependency? That didn’t work out too well for men or women. Both bristled under the narrow roles they were assigned. But far be it from these misogynistic maniacs to read a history book or have any insight into how destructive those “good ole days” were. FYI: 92 percent of respondents in a 2022 Gallup poll said that birth control was “morally acceptable.”
The Right to Contraception Act failed 51-39, short of the 60 needed in the U.S. Senate. Only two Republicans voted for it: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Sen. Susan Collins (ME). You know who they are. You know they do not support women’s rights. Maybe they shouldn’t be representing you.
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models (AP News)
SUMMARY: Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them.
The wide-ranging fraudulent testing at Japan’s top automaker involved the use of inadequate or outdated data in collision tests, and incorrect testing of airbag inflation and rear-seat damage in crashes. Engine power tests were also found to have been falsified.
Toyota Motor Corp., based in Toyota city, central Japan, suspended production in the country of the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio and Yaris Cross. The deceptive tests were also found on discontinued models.
The company said the wrongdoing does not affect the safety of the vehicles already on roads, which include the Corolla subcompact and Lexus luxury vehicles.
“We sincerely apologize,” Toyoda told reporters, bowing deeply and holding the position for several seconds, as is customary in Japan at news conferences where companies apologize for misbehavior.
MY TAKE: Mistakes happen. People apologize. We move on. But maybe we shouldn’t be quite so forgiving so quickly. This wasn’t an error, it was a deliberate falsification, which is what we just had with Boeing (“FAA investigates Boeing for falsified records on some 787 Dreamliners”), and Trump (“Donald Trump convicted of falsifying business records in hush money scheme”). Oh well, cars crash, planes lose doors mid-flight, and politicians cheat. Ho hum.
Part of our reluctance to get involved is because these corporations and politicians may seem to be too interwoven into our economy to punish or restrict. We worry that punishing them will trickle down into punishing ourselves with fewer jobs or higher prices. So we feign outrage and settle back into our BarcaLounger.
I’m tired of Big Business’ attitude of “Better to ask forgiveness later than ask permission now.” We have to take a close look at anyone pushing for deregulation and the defunding or abolishing of regulatory groups that are supposed to protect us. They may say they’re streamlining government and reducing cost, but they’re making it easier for more poisoning of our water, and food, exploitation of our resources, and for more hollow apologies from corporations less interested in our safety than in their bottom line.
Kareem’s Video Break
I’ve watched this video a dozen times and it still mesmerizes me. I’ve been an occasional collector of art for many decades but this example from the Frameless museum in London is an experience like no other. They feature 42 famous paintings in 4 galleries. Go here for a quick overview of the exhibitions.
We exist only because of our subscribers. If you’re a subscriber, then share the word.
What I’m Reading: Crime Novel
Murder Book by Thomas Perry
This novel reminded me of two of my favorite classic novels Dashiell Hammett’s Red Harvest and Ross Thomas’s The Fools in Town Are on Our Side. Both feature detectives sent to small towns to uncover criminal enterprises that threaten to destroy the local community. That’s the premise of Murder Book, which also compares favorably with Jack Reacher novels. Like Reacher, PI Harry Duncan is smart, resourceful, efficient, and honorable. The writing isn’t lyrical like Raymond Chandler’s, it’s chiseled out of stone. This is very suspenseful with a fast pace and lots of action. Whenever I had to take a break from reading it, I couldn’t wait to get back.
Kareem’s Jukebox Playlist
Cyndi Lauper: “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” (1983)
Cyndi Lauper, 70, just announced her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Farewell Tour, so it’s appropriate that we pay homage to a wonderful singer who was one of the heroes thrown up the pop charts in the 1980s. She lived up to her promise with many hit songs, as well as becoming the first woman to win a solo Tony Award for best original score for the Broadway musical Kinky Boots.
What I love about the song and this video (which reached one billion views as of January 2022) is the sheer celebratory joyfulness. When the song came out in 1983, it became somewhat of an anthem for acknowledging that women don’t want to be defined by how much they enhance a man’s fun, but by their own free-spirited desire for fun that is independent of men. To some men, that’s heresy.
Other than its thematic statement, the song is an innocent, carefree skip through the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Its spirit is infectious.
I wish CEOs and politicians had a moral compass.
My father sat me down one morning after I had done something incredibly stupid. He talked about responsibilities. The gist of it went like this. Son you have 3 responsibilities in life:
1) You have a moral responsibility. You love your neighbor (Golden Rule). You help the poor and respect all people.
2) You have a civic responsibility. You serve your country. You vote and serve on jury duty.
3) You have a financial responsibility. You pay your bills. You don’t renege on bets.
My father was a WWII vet, who I still miss as well as my mother. I was fortunate to have parents who always helped their children and other people.
Why is Cyndi Lauper not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Thanks Kareem again and again.
A good and interesting read, as always. In regard to the pro-lifers now wanting to ban birth control, it has seemed to me they have a dilemma within their faith. If their God says life begins at fertilization, the science informs us that the majority of embryos never attach to the uterus and are washed out in the next menstrual cycle. Does that mean their God is the number one abortionist?