Video Report - #Colbert #CNN #JakeTapper Jake Tapper: Joe Biden Will Be Sworn In On January 20th. Period.

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Video Report - Trump fires DHS official Chris Krebs

Opinion: Trump Runs Red Light. Almost Kills Lady Liberty.

By Thomas L. Friedman 

 

With Biden’s election, American democracy narrowly escaped disaster.

So how do I feel two weeks after our election? Awed and terrified. I am in awe at the expression of democracy that took place in America. It was our most impressive election since 1864 and maybe our most important since 1800. And yet, I am still terrified that, but for a few thousand votes in key states, how easily it could have been our last election.

To put my feelings in image form: It’s like Lady Liberty was walking across Fifth Avenue on Nov. 3 when out of nowhere a crazy guy driving a bus ran the red light. Lady Liberty leapt out of the way barely in time, and she’s now sitting on the curb, her heart pounding, just glad to be alive. But she knows — she knows — how narrowly she escaped, that this reckless driver never stops at red lights and is still out there, and, oh my God, lots of his passengers are still applauding the thrilling ride, even though deep down many know he’s a menace to the whole city.

Let’s unpack all of this. Stop for a second and think about how awesome this election was. In the middle of an accelerating pandemic substantially more Americans voted than ever before in our history — Republicans, Democrats and independents. And it was their fellow citizens who operated the polling stations and conducted the count — many of them older Americans who volunteered for that duty knowing they could contract the coronavirus, as some did.

That’s why this was our greatest expression of American democratic vitality since Abraham Lincoln defeated Gen. George B. McClellan in 1864 — in the midst of a civil war. And that’s why Donald Trump’s efforts to soil this election, with his fraudulent claims of voting fraud, are so vile.

If Trump and his enablers had resisted for only a day or two, OK, no big deal. But the fact that they continue to do so, flailing for ways to overturn the will of the people, egged on by their media toadies — Lou Dobbs actually said on Fox Business that the G.O.P. should refuse to accept the election results that deny Trump “what is rightfully his” — raises this question:

How do you trust this version of the Republican Party to ever hold the White House again?

Its members have sat mute while Trump, rather than using the federal bureaucracy to launch a war against our surging pandemic, has launched a war against his perceived enemies inside that federal bureaucracy — including the defense secretary and the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration — weakening it when we need it most.

Engineering Trump’s internal purge is 30-year-old Johnny McEntee, “a former college quarterback who was hustled out of the White House two years ago after a security clearance check turned up a prolific habit for online gambling,” but Trump later welcomed him back and installed him as personnel director for the entire U.S. government, The Washington Post reported.

A political party that will not speak up against such a reckless leader is not a party any longer. It is some kind of populist cult of personality.

That’s been obvious ever since this G.O.P. was the first party to conclude its presidential nominating convention without offering any platform. It declared that its platform was whatever its Dear Leader said it was. That is cultlike.

Are we just supposed to forget this G.O.P.’s behavior as soon as Trump leaves and let its leaders say: “Hey fellow Americans, Trump tried to overturn the election with baseless claims — and we went along for the ride — but he’s gone now, so you can trust us to do the right things again.”

That is why we are so very lucky that this election broke for Joe Biden. If this is how this Republican Party behaves when Trump loses, imagine how willing to tolerate his excesses it would have been had he won? Trump wouldn’t have stopped at any red lights ever again.

And the people who understood that best were democrats all over the world — particularly in Europe. Because they’ve watched Trump-like, right-wing populists in Turkey, Hungary, Poland, Russia and Belarus, as well as the Philippines, get themselves elected and then take control of their courts, media, internet and security institutions and use them to try to cripple their opponents and lock themselves into office indefinitely.Democrats abroad feared that this same political virus would overtake America if Trump were re-elected and have a devastating effect.They feared that the core democratic concept that America gifted to the world in 1800 — when John Adams lost his election to Thomas Jefferson and peacefully handed over the reins of power — was going to wither, undermining democracy movements across the globe. Every autocrat would have been emboldened to ignore red lights.Seeing an American president actually try to undermine the results of a free and fair election “is a warning to democrats all over the world: Don’t play lightly with populists, they will not leave power easily the way Adams did when he lost to Jefferson,” the French foreign policy expert Dominique Moïsi remarked to me.

That is why Biden’s mission — and the mission of all decent conservatives — is not just to repair America. It is to marginalize this Trumpian version of the G.O.P. and help to nurture a healthy conservative party — one that brings conservative approaches to economic growth, infrastructure, social policy, education, regulation and climate change, but also cares about governing and therefore accepts compromises.

Democrats can’t summon a principled conservative party. That requires courageous conservatives. But Democrats do need to ask themselves why Trump remains so strong among white working-class voters without college degrees, and, in this last election, drew greater support from Black, Latino and white women voters.

There is a warning light flashing for Democrats from this election: They can’t rely on demographics. They need to make sure that every voter believes that the Democratic Party is a “both/and” party, not an “either/or” party. And they need to do it before a smarter, less crude Trump comes along to advance Trumpism.

They need every American to believe that Democrats are for BOTH redividing the pie AND growing the pie, for both reforming police departments and strengthening law and order, for both saving lives in a pandemic and saving jobs, for both demanding equity in education and demanding excellence, for both strengthening safety nets and strengthening capitalism, for both celebrating diversity and celebrating patriotism, for both making college cheaper and making the work of noncollege-educated Americans more respected, for both building a high border wall and incorporating a big gate, for both high-fiving the people who start companies and supporting the people who regulate them. And they need to demand less political correctness and offer more tolerance for those who want to change with the times but need to get there their own ways — without feeling shamed into it.

We need our next presidential election to be fought between a principled center-right Republican Party and a “both/and” Democratic Party. Great countries are led from a healthy center. Weak countries don’t have one.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/opinion/trump-democracy-republican-party.html

د اشنا تلویزیون د سه شنبې خپرونه د ۲۰۲۰ د نومبر ۱۷ - لړم ۲۷

Video - #PPP MNA Dr. Nafisa Shah addresses press conference at Media Cell Bilawal House, Karachi

Opinion: #Pakistan - When I Step Outside, I Step Into a Country of Men Who Stare

By Fatima Bhojani 

@BhojaniF

 

Pakistan fails its women from the very top of government leadership to those who live in our homes.

I am angry. All the time. I’ve been angry for years. Ever since I began to grasp the staggering extent of violence — emotional, mental and physical — against women in Pakistan. Women here, all 100 million of us, exist in collective fury.

“Every day, I am reminded of a reason I shouldn’t exist,” my 19-year-old friend recently told me in a cafe in Islamabad. When she gets into an Uber, she sits right behind the driver so that he can’t reach back and grab her. We agreed that we would jump out of a moving car if that ever happened. We debated whether pepper spray was better than a knife.

When I step outside, I step into a country of men who stare. I could be making the short walk from my car to the bookstore or walking through the aisles at the supermarket. I could be wrapped in a shawl or behind two layers of face mask. But I will be followed by searing eyes, X-raying me. Because here, it is culturally acceptable for men to gape at women unblinkingly, as if we are all in a staring contest that nobody told half the population about, a contest hinged on a subtle form of psychological violence. “Wolves,” my friend, Maryam, called them, as she recounted the time a man grazed her shoulder as he sped by on a motorbike. “From now on, I am going to stare back, make them uncomfortable.” Maryam runs a company that takes tourists to the mountainous north. “People are shocked to see a woman leading tours on her own,” she told me.

We exchanged hiking stories. We had never encountered a solo female hiker up north. When I hike solo, men, apart from their usual leering, offer unsolicited advice, ask patronizing questions and, on occasion, follow in silence. I pretend to receive a call from my imaginary husband who happens to be nearby and wants to know exactly where I am. Even in the wilderness, you can’t escape.

Years ago, a friend told me about the time her dad beat her up after he saw her talking to a boy outside school. It wasn’t the first time. Until she left for college in the United States, she lived in constant terror of when the next wave of violence would arrive. Her mother stood by and let it happen.Internalized patriarchy rears its head often when Aunties (an Auntie is any older woman who exists to profess her uninvited opinion) are concerned that you are not married. Aunties emphasize that motherhood is your assigned purpose on this planet. Aunties comment on your body as if you are not there.

This country fails its women from the very top of government leadership to those who live with us in our homes. In September, a woman was raped beside a major highway near Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city. Around 1 a.m., her car ran out of fuel. She called the police and waited. Two armed men broke through the windows and assaulted her in a nearby field.

The most senior police official in Lahore remarked that the survivor was assaulted because, he assumed, she “was traveling late at night without her husband’s permission.”

An elderly woman in my apartment building in Islamabad, remarked. “Apni izzat apnay haath mein.” Your honor is in your own hands. In Pakistan, sexual assault comes with stigma, the notion that a woman by being on the receiving end of a violent crime has brought shame to herself and her family. Societal judgment is a major reason survivors don’t come forward.

Responding to the assault, Prime Minister Imran Khan proposed chemical castration of the rapists. His endorsement of archaic punishments rather than a sincere promise to undertake the difficult, lengthy and necessary work of reforming criminal and legal procedures is part of the problem. The conviction rate for sexual assault is around three percent, according to War Against Rape, a local nonprofit. Mr. Khan’s analysis of the prevalence of gender-based violence is even more regressive. Fahashi (indecency) in society is the culprit, deflecting responsibility from the police and government. Mr. Khan blamed Bollywood for widespread incidents of rape in neighboring New Delhi, missing the point that, like Pakistan, India suffers from similar issues with policing, public safety and the judicial system.

The highway assault shook the women of Pakistan, but it did not shock us. We grew up with stories of women killed for “honor” and women raped for revenge. Women doused with acid and women burned with stoves. Pakistan ranks 164 out of 167 countries on the Women, Peace and Security Index 2019-2020, barely hovering above Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria.

In the two months since the highway assault, a police officer raped a woman in her home. A girl was murdered by her cousin and uncle for speaking to a male friend on her phone. A woman waiting for a bus after work was kidnapped and raped. A teenager committed suicide after being blackmailed by the men who raped her and videotaped the assault. A six-year-old was clubbed to death by her father for making noise. Between January and June alone, there have been 3,148 reported cases of violence against women and children. Many go unreported.

There are slices of Pakistan where a woman can bare her arms, smoke, drink, escape abroad, become a minister. But class does not protect her from the stares and the fears of assault when she ventures outside. Yet for women in the lower socio-economic strata of society, women in rural Pakistan, things are much worse. The insecurity and harassment working-class women face daily at a bus stop are experiences that are foreign to those behind the wheel of a Mercedes.

On a recent afternoon, I pulled up to a traffic stop. Twenty or so motorcycles zigzagged their way up to right under the light, as they commonly do here. The riders were men. With one exception. I only noticed her because the men around her were consuming her. It’s rare to see women driving bikes in Pakistan — probably because when they do, they’re on display.

Although she had her back to me, face obscured by a helmet, I imagined her staring resolutely ahead, pushing through the discomfort, the sheer creepiness, of being watched. A wave of fury passed over me. Don’t let the bastards grind you down, I tried to telepathically transmit to her, a refrain from “The Handmaid’s Tale” that frequently floats through my head when I’m back here.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/opinion/pakistan-women-patriarchy.html

PDM announces 12-point 'Charter of Pakistan', rejects GB election outcome

 

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday announced the goals and principles of the 11-party opposition alliance — the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

The 'Charter of Pakistan', established by the opposition alliance, lists a dozen goals which include:

• ensuring supremacy and protection of federal, democratic, parliamentary and Islamic constitution's supremacy

• independence of Parliament

• distancing establishment and intelligence agencies from politics

• establishing an independent judiciary

• reforms for free and fair elections

• protection of the public's basic and democratic rights

• protection of provincial rights and 18th Amendment

• establishment of an effective mechanism for local governments

• protection of freedom of expression and independent media

• elimination of extremism and terrorism

• introducing an emergency economic package to eliminate poverty, inflation and unemployment

• protection and implementation of Islamic sections of Constitution

The charter was announced by Rehman after a meeting of the PDM in Islamabad.

Addressing the media after the meeting, the JUI-F chief said that the alliance had "rejected" the results of the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, adding that the polls were a "replay of 2018 general elections". He declared that the elections were "stolen" from the masses and "state machinery and institutions were used freely".

Rehman, who is also president of the PDM, said that the GB polls had proven the PDM's stance on the 2018 elections as true and vowed that the alliance will not "sit back until this selected government goes home".

The complete but unofficial results of all the 23 constituencies, where polling was held on Sunday, show that the PTI has emerged as the single largest party with 10 seats, followed by seven independents. The PPP won three seats, the PML-N two and the Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, which had a seat adjustment arrangement with the PTI, got one seat.

With the possible inclusion of four, out of six reserved seats for women, and two out of three reserved seats for technocrats, the total number of seats of the PTI and its allies will become 16 in the 33-member GBLA, indicating that it will need the support of only one more winning candidate to form the government.

In his press talk today, Rehman also said that PDM's "momentum will be increased" and all rallies and public meetings will be held as per schedule.

"We reject the decision that is being taken to suspend rallies and public meetings in the garb of coronavirus," he told reporters. The PDM, which has already held public meetings in Gujranwala, Karachi and Quetta, is now scheduled to hold public meetings in Peshawar on November 22, in Multan on November 30 and in Lahore on December 13. The PDM has already given the call for a long march to Islamabad in January next year to seek the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

However, the government has hinted at banning public meetings and rallies in light of rising coronavirus cases.

When asked about Prime Minister Imran's announcement regarding the introduction of electoral reforms earlier today, Rehman said: "They (government) are used to rigging. They are trying to pressurise other members [of Parliament] and this will not happen. We are taking measures to block this but we won't tell you about this at this stage."

The premier had said that the government has decided to move a constitutional amendment in Parliament to introduce a 'show of hands' during voting in the Senate elections, instead of secret ballots, as part of its efforts to bring about electoral reforms in the country.

In response to another question, the JUI-F chief said that PDM will not hold talks with the government as the latter "does not represent masses".

https://www.dawn.com/news/1590896/pdm-announces-12-point-charter-of-pakistan-rejects-gb-election-outcome

بدقسمتی سے منگنی کے کارڈز پہلے ہی لیک ہوگئے، بختاور بھٹو

شہید محترمہ بے نظیر بھٹو اور سابق صدر پاکستان آصف علی زرداری کی بڑی صاحبزادی بختاور بھٹو  کا کہنا ہے کہ بدقسمتی سے منگنی کے کارڈز باضابطہ طور پر بھیجے جانے والے شیڈول سے پہلے ہی لیک ہوگئے۔

سماجی رابطے کی ویب سائٹ ٹوئٹر پر بختاور بھٹو زرداری نے ایک پیغام جاری کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ آپ تمام لوگوں کی نیک خواہشات اور نیک تمناؤں کا بے حد شکریہ۔

انہوں نے مزید کہا کہ بدقسمتی سے منگنی کے کارڈز باضابطہ طور پر بھیجے جانے والے شیڈول سے پہلے ہی لیک ہوگئے۔ اُن کی امریکا میں کسی بھی خاندان کے ساتھ بالکل کوئی وابستگی نہیں ہے، جس کا مشہور حوالہ بیشتر میڈیا کے ذریعے دیا جارہا ہے۔

اپنے ٹوئٹ کے آخر میں انہوں نے مزید لکھا کہ اُمید ہے اس سے تمام غلط معلومات ختم ہوجائیں گی اور اس کے ساتھ ہی انہوں نے پیپلز پارٹی کے آفیشل ٹوئٹر اکاؤنٹ کی جانب سے شیئر کیا جانے والا ایک اہم معلوماتی بیان بھی جاری کیا ہے۔

بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی سے متعلق پیپلز پارٹی کا اہم بیان

پی پی پی کی طرف سے جاری کردہ بیان میں کہا گیا ہے کہ بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی 27 نومبر کو محمود چوہدری سے ہو گی، محمود چوہدری یونس چوہدری اور ثریا چوہدری کے پانچ بچوں میں سب سے چھوٹے بیٹے ہیں۔

یونس چوہدری 1973 میں متحدہ عرب امارات آئےتھے جبکہ اُن کا تعلق لاہور سے ہے۔ یونس چوہدری بہت محنت کے بعد تعمیرات اور ٹرانسپورٹ کے شعبے سے وابستہ ہوئے۔

بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی کی تاریخ طے ہوگئی

یونس چوہدری کے سب سے چھوٹے بیٹے محمود چوہدری 27 جولائی 1988 کو ابو ظہبی میں پیدا ہوئے، انہوں نے ابتدائی تعلیم ابوظہبی اور اعلیٰ تعلیم برطانیہ سے حاصل کی۔

محمود چوہدری اپنے والد کے کنسٹریکشن کے کاروبار سے وابستہ ہیں۔

https://jang.com.pk/news/846008 

بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی سے متعلق پیپلز پارٹی کا اہم بیان

سابق صدر آصف زرداری اور شہید محترمہ بے نظیر بھٹو کی بڑی صاحبزادی بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی سے متعلق پیپلز پارٹی کی جانب سے اہم بیان جاری کیا گیا ہے۔

بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی سے متعلق پیپلز پارٹی کی طرف سے جاری کردہ بیان میں کہا گیا ہے کہ بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی 27 نومبر کو محمود چوہدری سے ہو گی، محمود چوہدری یونس چوہدری اور ثریا چوہدری کے پانچ بچوں میں سب سے چھوٹے بیٹے ہیں۔

بدقسمتی سے منگنی کے کارڈز پہلے ہی لیک ہوگئے، بختاور بھٹو

یونس چوہدری 1973 میں متحدہ عرب امارات آئےتھے جبکہ اُن کا تعلق لاہور سے ہے۔ یونس چوہدری بہت محنت کے بعد تعمیرات اور ٹرانسپورٹ کے شعبے سے وابستہ ہوئے ۔

یونس چوہدری کے سب سے چھوٹے بیٹے محمود چوہدری 27 جولائی 1988 کو ابو ظہبی میں پیدا ہوئے، انہوں نے ابتدائی تعلیم ابوظہبی اور اعلیٰ تعلیم برطانیہ سے حاصل کی ۔

محمود چوہدری اپنے والد کے کنسٹریکشن کے کاروبار سے وابستہ ہیں۔

بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی کی تاریخ طے ہوگئی

واضح رہے کہ تین روز قبل بلاول ہاؤس کراچی سے بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی کے حوالے سے اعلامیہ جاری کیا گیا تھا، جس میں آصف زرداری نے بختاور بھٹو کی منگنی کا اعلان کیا تھا۔

آصف زرداری کا کہنا تھا کہ بختاور بھٹو زرداری کی منگنی کی تقریب 27 نومبر کو کراچی میں ہو گی۔

https://jang.com.pk/news/845986