Voter suppression and other strategies to rig the election : massive ID checks Last week, in the first article of this thread, I explained how parties already in power can rearrange the polling map in order to make the election tip in their favor (gerrymandering) by deciding on making up convenient polling areas or straight up suppressing voting sites. This strategy already seems unfair to a non-American observer, but it’s not the only LEGAL way to rig elections: in several states polling sites have new regulations to make the election results more ‘reliable’ and avoid ‘electoral fraud’ (which is overall extremely rare), including massive ID-checks. ‘Not a problem’ will you probably think as a French voter. You most certainly own a blue ID card (or a red passport) (complete with an embarrassing ID photo from when you were very little or an awkward teenager), and subscribing to your polling site is automatic at your 18th birthday, and a renewal if you change your address only takes roughly 15 minutes at the Town Hall; so why are the Americans taking this massive ID-check thing as an attack against their right to vote? That answer is fairly simple: you only had to provide a birth certificate and your previous ID, pay literally nothing and wait 4 to 10 days to obtain a solid official national ID, and with this, you can obtain an electoral card on the spot. For the average American, it is not that easy. There are no “official national ID card” (as it was considered the first step to a totalitarian society according to federalists) apart from the passport or the passport card. However the state you live in can refuse your application without reason (and also aforementioned application costs from $110 to $210 which I do find a tad expensive for something that is not a sure thing). Instead of those, Americans are identified through a plethora of various ‘official cards’ issued by the federal or the local government with a photo ID : such as a driver’s license, or a non-driver driver’s license (which provides an identity but not the right to operate a vehicle (and no this is not a joke)), a college student card, a government employee card, or an elder-resident facility card, your weapon permit, or any ‘official’ document with your name on it even without photo, such as you electricity bill ! Most of these “free” ID-cards also come with a price, often ranging from $75 to $175, and up to $1.000 with every legal fees factored in. In order to vote however, things can get even more complicated. Every state gets to decide whether or not they require an ID-check, and in this case, which ID. Which leads to another problem: not everyone can obtain the ID required to vote. Even worse, in eleven states, independent people cannot vote, which means that you have to be registered a Democrat or a Republican AND own an acceptable ID to be given a ballot. As a result the Brennan Center for Justice states that there are more than 16 million registered-voters who do not own a government-issued photo ID and therefore won’t be able to vote. “You know, if you go out and you want to buy groceries, you need a picture on a card, you need ID. You go out and you want to buy anything, you need ID and you need your picture” said President Trump. The Republican party pushes a lot on the issue of ID-checks, with the unwavering (although ridiculously out of touch with reality) support from the President, because, when it is not really effective against almost nonexistent electoral fraud, it does affect effectively voters turnout. For example, Wisconsin (which was the second state with the most voters) turnout has dropped by 3.3% since 2012, the largest decrease in turnout for any state other than Mississippi. In these 3.3%, about roughly half of it was in the city of Milwaukee, and 23% concerned poor black neighbourhoods. In the whole state,there was a 19% decrease in turnout for black people only. One of ten non-voters explain they have been effectively deterred by the new ID-check laws. And isn’t that fortunate for Mr Trump that so little black people (or any other minority for that was just one example ) are able to vote when they massively vote Democrat ((88-8) in 2016) ? A real “electoral fraud” indeed. AuteurSouad Takhtoukh
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Judge Brett Kavanaugh, heard 27 September by the Senate after he has been accused of sexual harassment, was eventually confirmed to Supreme Court. During his hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Brett Kavanaugh lost his temper, shouting and threatening the jury. As the hearing went by, the nominee kept raising his voice, looking more and more concerned and nervous. He even invoked old political disputes and claimed that the accusations against him “were fueled with apparent pent-up anger about President Trump and the 2016 elections”. The New York Times, who compared him to a volcano waiting to erupt, pointed out that one’s behavior is not what you expect of a Supreme Court nominee. To defend himself, Kavanaugh published an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal, writing: “I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said.” After the hearing, the Senate asked for a FBI investigation in order to ascertain Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations. The result of the investigation was given to the Senate on Thursday. As a matter of fact, each member of the Senate had the opportunity to read a single copy of the report. And, although it was supposed to provide more information to determine the final decision on Kavanaugh’s nomination, there were no details the Committee did not already know. Now, while Republicans claimed that it is just evidence of Kavanaugh’s innocence, Democrats declared that the report is incomplete. They feel that their questions have not been answered and that the FBI has been urged by Republicans to close the enquiry. Republicans limited the number of person whom FBI agents could talk to and what evidence they could gather to corroborate Ford’s accusations. Moreover, the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell scheduled the vote before the FBI investigation was finished. With the midterm elections forthcoming, the US Senator and Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, was eager to accelerate the process of Kavanaugh’s nomination. Kavanaugh is proved to be more conservative than his predecessor, which is likely to imply a relatively reliable 5-4 conservative majority on court. On Friday, Kavanaugh’s nomination was officially confirmed by a historical vote of 50-48. This is both a huge victory for the Republican Party and for Trump who will see his majority secured for the next generation. However, this nomination does not please everyone. While the Republican Mitch McConnell, praised Kavanaugh’s skills, the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, said that the nominee was a threat to women and LGBT’s rights. The Human Rights Campaign Legal Director, Sarah Warbelow, said: “Kavanaugh has a troublingly lengthy, far-right pedigree, and he was hand-picked by anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice groups in an explicit effort to undermine equality.” Equality is at stake because of Kavanaugh’s conservative viewpoint and because his confirmation means that women will not feel like they will be heard. AuteurPauline Perrier-Drezen Love him or hate him, Donald J Trump has been a household name in American culture for decades. Building his empire on the premise that he is a self-made man and a shining example of the American dream. He has long since claimed to have built his businesses the old-fashioned way. For people like you and I the old-fashioned way might refer to building a business from scratch, through long hours, sleepless nights filled with tears and sweat but to Donald Trump it refers to having a one-million-dollar loan from father and real estate tycoon Fred Trump. When criticized for that comment he has argued that one million dollars is a drop in the bucket compared to the fortune he has built. However there have been glaring irregularities in Donald Trump’s history, for him to become a real-estate magnate, one would assume that he is great at what he does. A quick look at his past, shows that six of his businesses made up of hotels and casinos have filed for bankruptcy. He has had a slew of failed ventures like Trump Wine, Trump Steaks, Trump Airlines... to name a few. The most recent venture that comes to mind was Trump University an online university that claims to hand the keys to financial success to its students through an economics-oriented curriculum, however in 2016 a class action lawsuit was filed by former students alleging fraud against the now President of the United States which he quietly settled for 26 million dollars. All of these facts do not scream great business man but how else would he be as rich and successful as he is today if not for his great deal-making skills? On the 2nd of October 2018. We, the public gained new perspective on the legend of Donald Trump, the self-made billionaire. Reporting from the New York Times shows that he has received $413 million in today’s dollars from his father, not all of which were legal. In the 1990s, New York Times reporting shows that he participated in tax schemes and fraud, down playing the real value of his father’s estate as to not pay as much taxes on them, only to sell those same assets a decade later for 16 times the amount declared to the US government. This new information also sheds light on why the 45th president broke with tradition and refused to release his full tax returns to this day, a practice that has been done by all US presidents in modern history. Donald J Trump has been receiving money from his father since he was a toddler, by age 3 he was earning $200,000 in today’s dollars, by age 17 he was receiving the equivalent of $1 million dollars a year, a sum that grew to $5 million annually in his 40s and 50s. In fact, to this day the reporting shows that he is still receiving money from his father’s investments. Not only did he mislead the public with his self-made persona, but the investigative reporting shows that he outright defrauded his customers, the Times details the example of “All country Building and Supply” where he and his family would buy everything from boilers to cleaning supplies, inflate the prices on those items sometimes fivefold and then proceed to use that as justification to raise rent for thousands of tenants, many of whom could barely afford the current prices. What is clear from the New York Times reporting is statements by Mr. Trump such as “My life has been hard” or “It has not been easy for me” don’t hold up against any kind of scrutiny. Even though the White House and Mr. Trump's personal lawyer vehemently oppose these allegations, there is no denying the credibility of the New York Times and the mountain of facts and evidence used to support the investigative reporting. All of which paint a stark image of a man who through lies and deception conned a nation into the highest office in American politics, becoming one of, if not the most powerful man in the world. AuteurMehdi Ferras A few candidates may change politics in America On « How Midterms Work », I gave you a small glimpse on how the upcoming election is designed. Today, let’s try and understand why some candidates may change America and its politics for the next few years. Let’s continue our journey towards the other side of the mountain. To truly understand the possibility of a great modification in US politics as it is nowadays, one must understand where the candidates are coming from and what races they will be fighting. November will be the site of more than 500 races, and in more or less metaphorical battles, Democrats and Republicans will try their best to secure the majority for themselves. As they are, as you probably already know, the two main parties in the US at the moment governing every election. Democrats wish to prevent the most extreme of President Trump’s schemes and to weaken him for the next presidential election. Most Republicans are obviously looking for the other way around. To win, Democrats need to keep their 194 seats and to take at least 24 seats from the Republicans in the House of Representatives, and they need to keep their 26 seats in the Senate and take at least 3 more on the 35 seats at stake. Democrats and Republicans are thus having races in the states, which are called in political terms –usually for presidential election- red states, blue states and swing states. Red states are most likely to vote for Republicans, and blue ones for Democrats. Red states follow more conservative policies and blue ones more liberal policies ; Texas is a typical red states while Hawaii is a typical blue one. Together they are being referred as safe states. However, there are the states without a very clear line draw between the two parties and the states where the allegiance is changing. Those are called swing states. Again, it is a term mostly used for presidential election, but it can also be applied to Midterms. Swing states are where the races depend on the parties and candidates’ efforts to win as there is not a favourite party. A state can become a swing one depending on the election, as for example Ohio which used to be a complete swing state – voting for Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama- is now turning slightly red. While swing state Minnesota has seen its primary turnout strong in Democrat participation. One can understand that nothing is totally secured as it can be seen in constantly changing polls. As, indeed, Democrats used to have a strong opportunity to win the majority and now the Kavanaugh’s case may be the cause of a Republicans’ rising. The barely visible line between parties in swing states –and sometimes even in traditionally safe states- is what makes the candidates so important. They carry the entire election on their shoulders, and may change how politics in America is going to be until the next election, and will have an impact on said election. They also constitute a great portrayal of Americans’ mentalities. That is why, from now on, on the basis of two profiles a week, we are going to take a closer look at some of these candidates. Stay tuned to discover America’s future congressmen and women. AuteurMina Haki What we used to call NAFTA –ALENA in French- is now to be called the USMCA. On September 30, President Trump met with both the Mexican President and the Canadian Prime Minister to set the new arrangements of the 24-year-old agreement. Although there are not many changes, their consequences both on the three states’ economy and relationships may be important. The biggest novelty may be the name of the agreement; in fact, the North American Free Trade Agreement is now to be called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Now, if we look back to 2016, it was one of Trump’s campaign promises to renegotiate the NAFTA since he once called it: “the worst trade deal ever.” And he did change it. Though NAFTA required automakers to produce 62.5% of a vehicle’s content in North America, the USMCA raises that percentage to 75%. The agreement also requires that 40 to 45 percent of a vehicle’s components must be made by workers earning at least 16$ per hour. This is an important change for Mexican workers since the average wage in Mexico is three times lower than what is now required. Regarding the dairy market, Canada allowed American farmers to sell more dairy products. This is a key point of the deal since Canada had a long history of protectionism policies over its dairy products. And as we can imagine, it concerns Canadian dairy farmers who are now worried to see their wages lower in favor of the US’ economy. A farmer interviewed by CBC News said that within 5 years half of the Canadian farms will have disappeared and the other half will imitate the American overproduction system. Even if the agreement hardly changes, the new compromise clearly leans towards the United States’ side. The new deal will impact several economic sectors such as automobile production or dairy products. Now, Trudeau and Nieto did not have much of a choice but to accept these agreements since most of their economy rely on the United States. However, to become a law, the USMCA needs to be ratified, which means that the US Congress has to vote favorably. Once again, the political situation will have a direct impact on the ratification. As the midterm elections are approaching, both Democrats and Republicans have reasons to be reluctant about this new trade deal. If the first ones stay wary of Trump’s protectionist instincts, the others are not willing to see his campaign promises become true. The outcome will be determined by the midterm results. AuteurPauline Perrier-Drezen Kanye West, newly called « Ye », reiterated his support to President Donald Trump while wearing a « Make America Great Again » cap. On september 29, as a guest on SNL, the artiste stated his strong support to the President in a booed speech. Later, he reaffirmed it on social media and wrote an ambiguous tweet on the prospect of the 13th amendment’s abolition. Want to learn more ? Kanye West's pro-Trump remarks prompt boos in SNL studio On October 6, a limousine lost control at an intersection and killed 20 people. In Schoharie, New York, the intersection was known to be dangerous as locals tried to change it unsuccessfully. The investigation is still in process to understand what exactly happened and to contact the relatives of the deceased. Want to learn more ? Limo Crash Leaves 20 Dead at Popular Tourist Spot in Upstate New York In Northern Virginia, the Fairfax Jewish Community Center has undergone antisemitic vandalism on October 6. 19 swastikas were spray-painted on the front of the Center around 4 : 30 am according to the security camera footage. The center had already been vandalized on april 2017 with messages such as « Hitler was right ». An investigation is currently in process to catch the perpetrators. Want to learn more ? Jewish Community Center in Northern Virginia Vandalized With 19 Spray-Painted Swastikas AuteurMina Haki Why you should watch Doctor Who I must confess, I’m not a serie-addict. A year ago, I didn’t understand how people could watch a complete season of a series in a week or, even more, in a week-end ! Today, I’m going to present you my favourite, the one for whom I gave my summer free-time -yes, I still don’t be really fast in watching series. This beloved TV-show is Doctor Who and I’m going to tell you why you must watch -and love- it ! • You don’t need to start by the beginning I don’t know if you have ever heard something about Doctor Who but it belongs to one of those series you can start to the season you want. Of course, it is better if you start by the beginning, which is…. The first season, yes, you’re really clever! But this is not a problem if you pick up a season and start watching it. I advice you to start with a new doctor if you really want to rebel and start by the “end” but want to understand it clearly -there is always a sort of sum-up when a new doctor comes. But as you don’t start by the beginning, you won’t understand some references to the previous journeys. • The actors are not always the same “A new Doctor? What the hell is she saying? Isn’t supposed to be a single doctor?”, yes I can hear you. The Doctor is a single character but he changes a lot of time of appearance -that’s what we call the regeneration but I won’t say nothing more… SPOILERS. Therefore, another appearance means a new actor, which is one of the most important reason why I love this series: Even if the new series -I will explain this detail later- is composed of ten season, you don’t end up in a boring routine where the characters always do the same. Simply because the characters are not always the same! As the Doctor changes his appearance, the people who are traveling with him are changing too! • Each episode is a discovery I didn’t explain you what Doctor Who is, I’m sorry, let’s start again. Hello, my name is Mary and today I’m going to talk about Doctor Who, a British science-fiction TV-Show which is the story of an alien. He is called the doctor, he looks like a human-being and travels with them through the Time and Space in a blue-box which is called the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space). As he can travel in the time and the space he wants, every episode is different. Indeed, you can go to the End of the World in an episode, then visiting Pompeii the day of the volcanic eruption. But if you’re tired of all this heat, you can go to another planet, cold and full of aliens or to a Viking village to fight Odin. There are plenty of different worlds and times in Doctor Who, you can discover aliens and their planet, or the future of our civilisation. It’s up to you! • You can see famous people in it And I’m not just speaking of the actors. Indeed, as the Doctor, his companion and the Tardis are traveling through time and space, they can travel into the time too. And, traveling into time means meet iconic historical figures! Thats’s how you will see Shakespeare fighting real witches -and not those in Macbeth-, Winston Churchill calling the Doctor for help, a party in a mansion while Agatha Christie has to resolve a real case of murder instead of writing it or you can try to find the Ninth Legion of the Imperial Roman army in Scotland with the Doctor and his companion. So we can say that watching Doctor Who is, more or less, (re)learn history with a fantastic point of view, and I must confess that my best historical character is Vincent Van Gogh because he is really touching and talented in this episode! • It’s a crazy complete universe Traveling in space is an advantage because the storywriters/ scriptwriters can do everything they want and do something crazy with this universe. On the one hand there is the Doctor who is a mad man with a blue box, a blue police box which travels through time and space with a screwdriver as only “weapon”… well it’s a sonic screwdriver but it doesn’t change the fact that we don’t see that in a lot of shows! On the other hand there are his enemies, called the Daleks, which are absolutely iconic in Doctor Who, these alien robots are the Doctor’s best enemies and you are sure to see them in every season, almost. Of course the Doctor doesn’t have a unique alien to fight, he has a lot and a lot of enemies and some of them are absolutely insane, perhaps more than the Doctor, but they also give a humoristic dimension too and this is really cool to see bad characters who are not only mean but funny too. Moreover, if you really have nothing to watch, Doctor Who will take you a lot of time because, as I said the “new series” is composed of ten seasons but there is also the “old series”, the one of which started during the 60’s! We don’t have the complete 26 seasons but if you want to discover the first eighth doctors, you can do it thanks to the magic of Internet! And, if you are still hungry of Doctor Who and science-fiction’s episodes, you can start watching one of the many spin-off of Doctor Who such as The Sarah Jane Adventures, which is more for kids, or Torchwood with Captain Jack who are in Wales fighting aliens. So I wasn’t wrong when I said that Doctor Who has it own universe which is big and that I didn’t entirely discover yet. • The eleventh season starts on the 7th of October This is why I chose to talk about Doctor Who because the new season will be out next week! So I didn’t see a better time to speak about it. As it’s a new doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, you can even start watching Doctor Who with this season. And, my last argument is that the Doctor, this time, is played for the first time by a woman, which is a big change in the history of the TV-Show so I can’t wait to see what is going to happen! Well, I could talk about Doctor Who for a long time but I still have episodes to watch before next Sunday so I hope that my article gave you the will to watch Doctor Who and don’t blink, blink and you are dead! AuteurMary Ebran |