The Banter Brief: "Mr. President, We Don’t Work For You"

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1. Most important story of the week

The most important story of the week is again, the colossal destruction of the Amazon rainforest, and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s total inability to take responsibility for it. According to Bolsonaro, It turns out things are about to get a lot, lot worse. The UN’s top biodiversity body has issued a truly terrifying warning that we now may be approaching the point of no return. From the Guardian:

Cristiana Paşca Palmer, the executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said the destruction of the world’s biggest rainforest was a grim reminder that a fresh approach was needed to stabilise the climate and prevent ecosystems from declining to a point of no return, with dire consequences for humanity.

“The Amazon fires make the point that we face a very serious crisis,” she told the Guardian. “But it is not just the Amazon. We’re also concerned with what’s happening in other forests and ecosystems, and with the broader and rapid degradation of nature. The risk is we are moving towards the tipping points that scientists talk about that could produce cascading collapses of natural systems.”

To do something about this, donate to the Rainforest Alliance, perhaps the best organization working to conserve forests in the Amazon. The Rainforest Alliance is now directing 100% of its donations to frontline organizations working in Brazil to combat the devastation there.  

RUNNER UP: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson prorogued (suspended)Parliament this week in a nakedly authoritarian move that has been widely criticized around the world. Johnson is desperately trying to hurl Britain out of the EU on October 31st, and sees Parliament as a big hindrance to his plans. There are major protests taking place around the country, so expect the situation to get a lot more serious in the coming weeks.

2. Poll Analysis

We cover Trump’s polling numbers weekly here at The Banter, and do our best to remain objective when assessing the data. Whichever way you slice it though, Trump’s poll numbers are absolutely horrendous, and continue to get worse. This week is no different: Trump’s disapproval is now above 50% in key swing states that will be vital to his chances of re-election in 2020. In Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Ohio, Trump is now an underdog and has an uphill battle to even make the contest close. Democrats cannot get complacent obviously, but Trump appears to be doing a great job of beating Trump.

3. Quote of the Week

“Mr. President, we don’t work for you. I don’t work for you. My job is to cover you, not fawn over you or rip you, just cover you — call balls and strikes. Our job is to keep score, not settle scores. In my case, to report the economic numbers when they’re good and when they’re bad, both when the markets are soaring and when they’re tumbling, when trade talks are looking like they’re coming together and when they are looking like falling apart. It’s called being fair and balanced, Mr. President. You’re entitled to your point of view, Mr. President. But you’re not entitled to your own set of facts.”

-Neil Cavuto of Fox News responding to Trump’s criticism that the network isn’t sufficiently loyal, and is now “heavily promoting the Democrats”

4. What to watch on Netflix

‘American Factory’

Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert’s new Netflix documentary, American Factory is an absolutely fascinating account of the complex societal and economic issues created by global capitalism. The elegantly shot documentary follows Chinese company Fuyao as it moves into a former General Motors plant in Ohio, and attempts to turn a profit. The film exposes the various conflicts between Fuyao’s corporate management and workers, and highlights the huge cultural differences that threaten to derail the project.

With archetypical roles completely reversed, American Factory pits ruthless Chinese capitalism against a more caring American socialism, and gently explores the human stories behind the conflict. It is a thought provoking, powerful documentary about the emerging global economy, and more importantly the future of work itself.

5. Good news

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has publicly split with the Trump White House over plans to freeze the Obama Administration’s vehicle emissions and mileage standards. This is excellent news given the Trump administration’s dangerous moves to roll back regulations in the automobile industry and increase pollution. The Chamber doesn’t back Obama’s stringent standards, but believes Trump’s are far too lax and will create huge uncertainty in the industry. The move has little to do with the environment and more to do with the fact that State opposition to Trump’s deregulation will, as Axios notes, ‘bifurcate’ the US market creating multiple sets of rules for automobile companies to follow. This is a great example of how capitalistic greed can be used to help protect the environment if given the right incentives.

See you next week!

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