Dear Progressive Reader,

With just a little more than four weeks until Donald Trump takes office, the reality of his anticipated day-one agenda is beginning to take shape. On the PBS television program Washington Week, several commentators compared Trump’s ambitious plans to the film Everything Everywhere All At Once—an intent to try and address all of his campaign promises simultaneously through a series of Executive Orders. Perhaps most prominent among these is his oft repeated statements regarding mass deportations of non-citizens (or even in some cases U.S. citizens if they are in families that do not want to endure family separation). In anticipation of changes to immigration rules and new regimens of enforcement at border crossings, many colleges and universities are already contacting their international students (all of whom are, by the way, in the country on legal visas) to make sure their holiday sojourns to visit family at home are concluded before January 20 to avoid any unnecessary difficulties on re-entry to the United States.

Speaking on NPR’s Morning Edition, former Trump Press Secretary Sean Spicer explained why this term would be more successful in its first days than in the 2017 post-Inaugural days. “There was a blur during those first few days. We were fast and furious,” Spicer told Tamara Keith. This time they had more preparation “like a football team playing an opponent in the regular season and then meeting them again in the playoffs.” This time they have experience and a plan in place, Spicer predicted. “Because so many of the people have a better understanding of the process, how to implement policies, the procedures, it's going to make for a much, much better and stronger kickoff.”

Trump’s Inauguration itself also promises to benefit from lessons learned. Unlike his notable “American Carnage” speech of January 20, 2017, this year’s address is scheduled to be be more comfortably worded. As many have noted, the entire transition so far has been more “normal” in its style and in the public’s response. The playbook, however, is not unfamiliar. As William Shirer pointed out in his classic 1959 tome, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, “In his first campaign, [Hitler] had harped on the misery of the people, the impotence of the Republic. Now [in his second run for office] he depicted a happy future for all Germans if he were elected: jobs for workers, more business for businessmen, a big army for the militarists . . . .”

Another story in the news gaining momentum is the apparent sudden appearance of drones in the skies over numerous East Coast states such as New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, and others. Many, including President-elect Trump, are calling for Federal action and even a shootdown of these unknown objects. Even former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan posted a two minute video on X yesterday of suspected drones over his home, tweeting, “The American people deserve action and answers now.” As of this writing, no one appears to know what these objects are, or even whether or not they are drones, and there is certainly no evidence of any connection between them. Even though these recent sightings are creating a lot of flurry on social media, it seems they may not be that unusual. General Gregory Gulliot, head of NORTHCOM (U.S. Northern Command), told Congress earlier this year, “We see them on average reported that, that are detected in the NORTHCOM AOR [area of responsibility] is anywhere from two to five a week over installations, military installations.”

This week on our website, Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies analyze the recent ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and the possibilities for peace that it may portend. Ed Rampell reviews the new film The Bibi Files which documents the legal case against Benjamin Netanyahu and how he appears to be using the war in Gaza to avoid the legal consequences of his actions. Also, Mindy Isser looks at the new film Union that chronicles the struggles of Amazon workers to unionize in New York—workers at that first-ever unionized warehouse voted yesterday to authorize a strike during the upcoming holiday season if management does not begin contract negotiations by tomorrow. And Kate Kelly pens an op-ed on the importance of President Joe Biden using his final weeks in office to certify the Equal Rights Amendment. The provisions of this proposed 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, she writes, would go along way toward protecting people from potential actions by a new, incoming Trump Administration. “It’s a permanent tool to build a gender-equitable future,” says Kelly, “and President Biden should put it in place, while he has the chance.” If you want to tell the President that you agree, you can call the White House at 202-456-1111, and/or any of your elected Congressmembers.

Please keep reading, and we will keep bringing you important articles on these and other issues of our time.

Sincerely,

Norman Stockwell
Publisher

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