Foreign Policy Decisions

1) Miriam Jordan, “An Ohio Businessman Faces Death Threats for Praising His Haitian Workers;; The lifelong Republican employs fewer Haitians than others in Springfield, but his life has been upended since Donald J. Trump spread falsehoods about immigrants in his hometown,” New York Times, September 30, 20, 2024;

1) Phillips P. O’Brien, “The Precipice of Failure–US Foreign Policy and Ukraine; The one hope is that Harris is different:” Phillip’s Newsletter (paid): September 24, 2024

2) Isabelle Khurshudyan, Siobhán O’Grady, Michael Birnbaum and Ellen Francis,”Debate over Ukraine weapons restrictions divides allies, administration
; The discussion over weapons restrictions is ongoing in Washington, splitting the Biden administration and Capitol Hill and confounding America’s partners in Europe., awashington Post, September 24, 2024 (3:00 a.m. EDT);

BACKGROUND

See,

1) Kris Maher, Valerie Bauerlein, and Tawnell D. Hobbs, “How the Trump Campaign Ran With Rumors About Pet-Eating Migrants—After Being Told They Weren’t True; Springfield, Ohio, city officials were contacted by Vance’s team and said the claims were baseless. It didn’t matter and now the town is in chaos. Wall Street Journal, September 18, 2024 (12:01 am ET);

2) “Trump falsely claims Haitian migrants are eating pets in Ohio,” CBS News ( You Tube), September 10, 2024;

3) “Vance defends spreading claims that Haitian migrants are eating pets,” MPR. September 15, 2024 (12:54 PM ET_;

Intellectually we know that voters frequently vote on the basis of their emotions. In practice, however, the Democrats never seem to get that fundamental fact, and proceed as if voters decided who to vote for solely on the basis of rational analyses of what is in their self-interest.

The Republicans, and particularly Donald Trump and his campaign, believe the voters are stupid, have no memory, and don’t vote on be basis of what is rationally in their self-interest.
(
That is how we can understand the Republican presidential campaign in general and the repeated charge that illegal (very black) Haitian immigrants are stealing pet dogs and cats an eating them in Springfield, Missouri, in particular.

The Democrats try to counter such obviously mendacious propaganda with rational arguments, missing the point that the real communication is taking place on a different level and in a different channel aimed directly at the emotions of susceptible voters.

The real Republican message, addressed to the subconscious of voters is the following:

1) The nation is being invaded and taken over by illegal aliens, who like these Haitians are very black and are essentially criminal barbarians who steal family pets and eat them;

2) These black and brown immigrants from all over the world are taking over your country, and will replace the white population as the Democrats open the floodgates to massive immigration of these barbarians. These include, as Donald Trump incessantly repeats at his campaign rallies, rapists, murderer and other criminals who are being let out of prison from places like the Congo in Africa in order for them to emigrate to the U.S.; and

3) Only Donald Trump and the Republicans can protect you from these black and brown illegal immigrants and the invading hordes for whom the Democrats are opening the borders in order to bring these barbarians into our (white) country.

Boiled down to its essence, it sounds like this:

1) Black (and brown) barbarian immigrants are taking over the counhry;

In countering such propaganda, Democrats should of course make the rational arguments to rebut such preposterous lies, but without believing such arguments will carry the day.

Muchh more effective would be to add to the rational arguments rebutting Republican lies, or even to give prominence to, arguments and messages aimed ar voters’ emotions. For example, in the present case, Democrats might prepare ads with and urge journalists to include in their reporting interviews with model legal Haitian immigrants in Springfield and with Haitian children.

These interviews should be buttressed by interviews with Springfield city, school, and church officials including in particular those who are white, debunking the Republican lie about “illegal (very black) Haitian immigrants stealing and eating pet dogs and cats in Springfield”.

These interviews might include the following elements:

1) Haitian immigrants showing to the camera documentary proof that they are legally in the country;

2) A succinct but cogent explanation, in the immigrants’ own words, of why they fled and are seeking asylum in the United States;

3) Interviews with Haitian children about their personal experience with violence, hunger, etx. in their home country;

4) Interviews with Haitian children from Springfield holding their pets, talking about what they do with their pets, and talking about how good and safe Springfield is for their oets.

The above rebuttals might be included in two-minute television commercials. or better yet in longer programs (of 15 or 30 minutes) that allow viewers to feel they have gotten to know those interviewed.

The cynical Republican propaganda about Haitian eating stolen cats abd dogs in Springfield offers the Democrats a magnificent opportunity to flip over the rock hiding the cynicism of Republican propaganda and to expose the ugly racism and xenophobia that lie beneath it to the harsh daylight if truth. Such an as or paid program could be used in the Internet and in media markets around the country.

The Democrats need rapid reaction teams which could put up rebuttals such as that suggested above very quickly. Unfortunately, they seem to be extraordinarily slow in rebutting memes such as the illegal Haitians eating dogs and cats fabrication.

It often seems as if any response requires many approvals up the bureaucratic chain of command before any rebuttal is published. By then it is usually too late.

***

On a personal note, as s senior staff attorney at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the lawyer in charge of Haiti at the Commission, I led and coordinated the logistical and staff work during the Commission’s on-site visit to Haiti from August 16 through August 25, 1978.

See,

1) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Haiti, OEA/Ser.L/V/II.46
doc. 66 rev. 1, 13 December 1979 (Original: French);

2) Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Haiti, OEA/Ser.L/V/II.,Doc. 358, August 30, 2022 (Original: español).

. The 1922 Report describes recent conditions in Haiti of particular relevance to the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Missouri, who are reported to have legal status to be in the U.S.

1) Annie Karni, “Senate Republicans Block I.V.F. Protection Bill a Second Time, Breaking With Trump; Democrats brought up the measure again to highlight Republican opposition to abortion rights and make the case to voters that the G.O.P. stance threatens access to reproductive health care, New York Times, September 17, 2024 (Updated 7:08 p.m. ET);

Analysis

Trump and the Reublicans do, not what they say.Both lie. Trump lies all the time. Republican candidate for tge senate and the House should be pressed in their respective campaigns on their lies and their actions that diverge from what Trump says.

1) David Ignatius, “Ukraine is bleeding out. It cannot fight forever; Supporting Ukraine “as long as it takes” does not match the reality of this conflict,” Washington Post, September 15, 2024 (5:22 p.m. EDT);

2) Ben Wallace, “The West is fast forgetting the laws of deterrence – to Putin’s delight; But Britain does have one trump card – we have real and old friends. Russia has none,” The Telegraph, September 17, 2024 (3:59pm);

1) David A. Graham, “The Cases Against Trump: A Guide; Thirty-four felony convictions. Charges of fraud, election subversion, and obstruction. One place to keep track of the presidential candidate’s legal troubles,” The Atlantic, September 13, 2024 (2:18 p.m. ET);

1) Laurence H. Tribe, Barbara McQuade, and Joyce White Vance, “Here’s a roadmap for the Justice Department to follow in investigating Trump,” Washington Post, August 5, 2021 (9:10 a.m. EDT);

2) Laurence H. Tribe, “Merrick Garland must investigate Donald Trump’s attempted coup — not for retribution but for deterrence; For nearly all of us, a solid factual basis that one has committed a federal crime — much less inciting an insurrection against the government itself — would trigger a criminal investigation. So why the hesitation by the US attorney general?” Boston Globe, Updated August 20, 2021 (2:49 p.m.);

Advice for undecided voters: Pay attention, damn it!

If you are undecided at this stage of the election cycly, you have not been paying attention.

The first duty of avery citizen in a democracy is to inform themselves, to the best of their ability, about the candidates and the issues in the election.

If you have been lazy and are leaning toward or committed to voting for Trump and the Republicans because you are simply following the mass emotions of your tribe, there is still time for you to inform yourself. and be a patriot. You can still be a good citizen who takes his duties and responsibilities seriously.

And if you have children, you can still be a parent who makes them proud, of whom they will be proud in 20 years. Ou can still be a model model of a good citizen who takes his responsibilities as a citizen in a democracy seriously.

***

What is the point of a debate with proven liar?

What is the point of such a debate before many stupid and credulous voters who have no memory?, and therefore no basis to determine whether what the liarvsays is true or false?

What can we learn from the presidential debate tonight?

1. That there is no more important qualification to be president of the United States than honesty.

2. That in the most fundamental sense, the presidential race is about character.

3. Ask yourself: Who would you choose to run your business, head your church or run your school? Who would you choose to babysit or otherwise care for your children?

4. Why would you vote for a candidate of suck known and proven dishonesty that it would disqualify the candidate for almost any job?

Why would you vote for a convicted criminal who has also been indicted by independent grand juries for the commission of many felonies in the District of Columbia, Georgia, and Miami, Florida?

If you believe these indictments are the product of a witch hunt and without merit, have you read the charges, and seriously tried to find out if tgere is such a witch hunt and whether the charges are groundless, as the lying candidate maintains?

Wake up and don’t be stupid!

1) “Olaf Scholz calls for quicker peace deal in Ukraine; German leader says it is time to ‘get out of this war situation’ as new poll ranks him the most unpopular chancellor in decades, The Telegraph Semptembre
James Jackson,The Telegraph, Septenber 8, 2024 (4:23pm);