Presidential Pardons and the Question of Justice

by Nomad

As reported a couple of months ago, one of the last official acts of President Obama was to commute the remainder of Chelsea Manning's 35-year sentence.
On Wednesday, Manning walked out of the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, bringing to a conclusion, as the New York Times called, "one of the most extraordinary criminal cases in American history over the leaking of government secrets to the public."

Manning and Snowden

The other day I was reading an online discussion regarding the subject of presidential pardons. Specifically, the topic was whether President Obama was right in pardoning Chelsea Manning and not pardoning former National Security Agency contractor  Edward Snowden. 

Snowden, who currently lives in exile in Russia,  faces charges under the Espionage Act of 1918, a law the constitutionality of which has been contested ever since it was enacted. 

Among other things, that law makes it a crime to convey information with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the armed forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies during wartime.  

The campaign to pardon Snowden picked up momentum after Oliver Stone's film but sputtered and ran out of gas. Indeed, all members of  House Select Committee on Intelligence, (13 Republicans and nine Democrats, ) sent a letter to the White House urging against a pardon for Snowden.

Here's Why Trump's $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan is Likely to Go Nowhere

by Nomad

Second to None

As a candidate, Trump talked a lot about the sorry state of the US infrastructure. The list was extensive, from roads and highways barely navigable because of potholes to bridges literally rusting away. There were less conspicuous things in desperate need of an overhaul, for example, the electric grid and water systems.
And nobody's denying that America is coming apart at the seams.

The UK Guardian reported only last month:

The most authoritative report of the country’s infrastructure gave the country’s crumbling roads, bridges, dams, schools and other essential underpinnings an overall D+ grade ... Not a single element of America’s framework received an A grade. 

It's a crying shame for the world's wealthiest and most powerful country. Moreover, the long-term neglect has put lives in danger.

Sanity Sunday- Four by Nina Simone

by Nomad

I really think this artist needs no introduction. So let's get straight into it. First up is Simone's signature piece- probably her most famous work- which captures not only her musical abilities but her power to move her audience.
I dedicate the song, Sinner Man, to a certain person that has been on everybody's lips for well over a year now. Probably the most detested person on the planet at this moment.

Three Wise Quotes by Susan Sontag

by Nomad

Jewish-American writer, filmmaker, intellectual, and political activist, Susan Sontag died in December 2004 at the age of 71. I recall reading her essays."On Photography" and the 1964 "Notes on Camp" and admiring her ability to explore and analyze.

When I saw the quote below in an essay the other day, it brought home the immorality of denying any person the kind of health care they need. Life and death, how much more universal can that get?

"The Art of the Deal" Co-Author Offers Insight to the Scary World of Donald Trump

by Nomad

Tony Schwartz, as the credited co-author of Trump: The Art of the Deal, has had more than his share of regrets. Despite his own evolved sense of ethics- instilled in him at an early age- he made the fatally easy of being lured into the Trump web.

Schwartz acknowledges that the bait was a combination of curiosity and the right price at the right/wrong time in his career.
His mea culpa is concisely summed up like this:

My association with Trump has quietly haunted and dogged me for thirty years in many ways the rest of my life has been a reaction to having written "The Art of the Deal."

On the eve of the presidential election, Schwartz appeared before The Oxford Union is the world's most prestigious debating society. It was an interesting speech with a lot of insights into what Schwartz found to be a grotesque and disturbing man. 

At the time, the writer could never have dreamt that Trump would one day occupy the White House. Not even in his most terrifying nightmares. 

Sanity Sunday- Five by Sam Maher and his Hang Pan

  by Nomad

Without any doubt, the gut-wrenching events of this week require some deep cleansing.

From the weary prince who fooled us by not dying, to the horrific Congressional health care vote, from Trump's attempt to destroy the separation of Church and State by decree, to the FBI director's defense before the Senate. All in all, it's been a painful few days.
Nevertheless, despair cannot be a nomad's creed.

For me, one of the most effective ways to relax is to sit back and listen to the hand pan (one of the names for this percussion instrument.) I think I may have featured this instrument before but not this particular musician. 

Let's meet Sam Maher, a talented West Australian instrumentalist, and drummer who has journeyed around the world. In fact, he has used the hand pan to finance his travel as well as a means of wordless communication to other cultures.
To date, Mr. Maher has now performed in over 22 countries.

Film Friday - Making it in America

by Nomad

Joris Debeij's documentary- part of a series called "I Am Los Angeles," focuses on the life of a former immigrant turned citizen. Her story may seem ordinary. That's precisely the point. She has the same dreams and goals as any other American.

As a teenager, Alma Velasco had dreams of finishing school and getting a degree in El Salvador. But her dreams were shattered by the dangerous conditions created by the El Salvadorian civil war which first broke out in 1979, and lasted for almost 13 years. Alma's mother lived in fear for the safety her children, and although it meant she may never see her daughter again, she made the difficult decision to send Alma to cross the border into the United States.

At the age of 16, Alma managed to survive the exhausting and dangerous trip across the border to join her uncle in California. That's right. She came to this country as an undocumented immigrant.