Author Archives: LuigiLandseer

168 Hours of Syria Policy in the Trump Administration

by LuigiLandseer Posted on April 6, 2017

Mother Jones

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Let’s roll the tape on the past few days:

Last Friday: Sean Spicer confirms remarks by Secretary of State Tillerson that Trump is OK with leaving Bashar al-Assad in power in Syria. “There is a political reality that we have to accept,” he says.

Tuesday: Trump learns the downside of haphazard policy changes driven mostly by a desire to be different from Obama. Assad, feeling more secure after learning the United States accepts his leadership of Syria, launches a chemical attack on rebels in the town of Khan Sheikhoun.

Wednesday: Trump, apparently shocked to find out that Assad is a butcher, says Assad has “crossed many, many lines.”

Today: Trump tells reporters about Assad, “I guess he’s running things, so something should happen.” Tillerson translates this into English: “It would seem there would be no role for him to govern the Syrian people.”

Later today: We learn that the Pentagon is preparing recommendations for military action in Syria.

A few minutes after that: Regime change is once again official policy. “Those steps are underway” for the US to lead an international effort to remove Assad.

So in the space of a week, we’ve gone from Assad can stay to Assad must go to let’s bomb Syria. This is quite the crack foreign policy team we have in Washington these days.

I can hardly wait for Trump to launch a bombing campaign for a few days—something that’s a routine favorite of US presidents—and then declare it a massive, game-changing retaliation, “something that’s never been done before.” But at least that would be better than something that really was a game changer. Just remember: whatever John McCain recommends, do the opposite.

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168 Hours of Syria Policy in the Trump Administration

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Here’s the Music Candidates are Rocking Out to on the Trail

by LuigiLandseer Posted on February 20, 2016

Mother Jones

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I was supposed to be writing a wrap-up piece about the South Carolina Republican primary this afternoon, but an attack of writers’ block led me to more inspiring territory: the compilation of the (mostly) complete music playlists of every candidate I’ve seen speak over the last two weeks, in New Hampshire and now South Carolina. Shazam: It’s every political reporter’s best friend.

This list is incomplete, and can change a lot depending on the candidate’s audience or the whims of the artist (heaven forbid Rachel Platten decides to endorse Bernie Sanders). I don’t ascribe any deeper meaning to these musical selections either, although suffice it to say there is a pretty big difference between Sanders and Hillary Clinton, and for that matter, between Donald Trump and everyone else.

See for yourself.

Hillary Clinton:

Jill Scott, “Run, Run, Run”
Mary J. Blige, “Real Love”
Katy Perry, “Roar”
Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger”
American Authors, “Best Day of My Life”
Bon Jovi, “We Weren’t Born to Follow”
Pharrell, “Happy”
Rachel Platten, “Fight Song”

Bernie Sanders:

Simon and Garfunkel, “America”
Janelle Monae, “Tightrope”
Pearl Jam, “Lightning Bolt”
Bob Marley, “Revolution”
Disco Infernor, “The trammps”
Muse, “Uprising”
John Lennon, “Power to the People!”
Tracy Chapman, “Talkin’ bout a Revolution”
Steve Earle, “The Revolution Starts Now”
Neil Young, “Rockin’ the Free World”

John Kasich:

Florida Georgia Line, “Round Here”
Zak Brown Band, “Jump Right In”
Darius Rucker, “Wagon Wheel”
Jake Owen, “Anywhere With You”
Diekes Bentley, “Free & Easy”
Rodney Atkins, “It’s America”
John Fogerty, “Centerfield”
Eric Paslay, “Friday Night”

Marco Rubio:

Kid Rock, “Born Free”
Montgomery Gentry, “This is My Town”
Darius Rucker, “Homegrown Honey”
MercyMe, “Greater”
Eric Church, “Springsteen”

Donald Trump:

Elton John, “Tiny Dancer”
The Beatles, “Hey Jude”
The Beatles, “Revolution”
Rolling Stones, “Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Rolling Stone, “Sympathy for the Devil”
Rolling Stone, “Brown sugar”
Adele, “Rolling in the deep”*
Twisted Sister, “We’re not Gonna Take It”
Danude, “Sandstorm”

Jeb Bush:

Of Monsters and Men, “Dirty Paws”
Blake Shelton, “Hillbilly Bone”
Billy Currington, “That’s How Country Boys Roll”

Ted Cruz:

*Pulled at request of the artist.

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Here’s the Music Candidates are Rocking Out to on the Trail

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