Other Thoughts and Comments

• Trump, Zuckerberg & Pals Are Breaking America "Not in the Cold War, not during Vietnam, not during Watergate did I ever fear more for my country." Unfortunately, Tom Friedman has it right.

• The New Yorker provides superb clarity and correctness on important political issues. No exception is Steve Coll's piece, The Integrity of the Trump Impeachment Inquiry.

• This Paul Krugman column, How Democracy Dies, American-Style, describes two recent instances of the misusing and undermining of what used to be and can be again with sustained work, extremely valuable, respected and necessary parts of the U.S. government. The column concludes, "And it’s happening here as we speak. If you aren’t worried about the future of American democracy, you aren’t paying attention."

• Here is some excellent reporting from Nicholas Kristof about an important long-term problem, "Seattle Has Figured Out How to End the War on Drugs".

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• Here is a happy and accurate story about immigration, This 8-Year-Old Chess Champion Will Make You Smile. And one week letter, some interesting developments: Our Chess Champion Has a Home.
  

• Here's a spot on column by Tom Friedman, Ilhan Omar, Aipac and Me

• Jan. 2019 I was just back from a semester's sabbatical, getting ready and looking forward to the spring semester. Here is a very brief snapshot of the then ocurrent state of the USA:
  • Righting 150 Years of Wrong in Florida
  • Trump Tries to Destroy, and Justice Roberts Tries to Save, What Makes America Great

• Above is a portrait of the author's grandmother with her friends in Memel, Lithuania. She is now 93 and lives in Pennsylvania. The other two died in concentration camps.

  Here is a beautiful and thoughtful piece by illustrator Leah Goren about her grandmother, Tutti, who escaped from Lithuania as Europe was heading towards the Holocaust. It was written in response to the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. She ends it with the following Jewish teaching: Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

• If you are a U.S. citizen, Please Vote, November 6, 2018.     Two columns to get you in the mood: "Vote, Vote, Vote!" by Charles Blow; and a student's explantion why she will vote.

• John Brennan, the CIA director from 2013 to 2017, writes, "President Trump’s Claims of No Collusion Are Hogwash".

• It's a pleasure to see this photo which the former White House Photographer, Pete Souza, labels, "A real dog waiting for a real president".

• For anyone needing a bit of inspiration, I encourage you to read this transcript of Barack Obama's speech commemorating democracy, kindness and struggle on the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth.

• Michiko Kakutani writes, "In 1942, my mother, her parents and her sister were sent to an internment camp by the U.S. government. I worry that history is repeating itself." She is New York Times book critic and the daughter of the mathematician Shizuo Kakutani, one of my favorite professors when I was an undergrad at Yale.

• Here is a relatively short, must-read article offering more information on the most important story of the last two years: NYTimes: Inside a 3-Year Russian Campaign to Influence U.S. Voters: " Using American bank accounts, drivers’ licenses and disposable phones, about 80 Russians worked to disparage Hillary Clinton, promote Donald Trump and sow discord."

• Here is an excellent Op Ed, clearly explaining some things about immigration which our current president fails to understand, "We didn't put this American first. She died because of it."

• See Nicolas Kristof, Mr. Trump, Meet a Hero Whom You Maligned, "A practical response for those offended by our president’s racist comments." Pfc. Emmanuel Mensah raced repeatedly into a burning Bronx apartment building on Dec. 28, saving four people before he died in flames that claimed at least a dozen lives. U.S. Army National Guard, via Associated Press

• This song of Pete Seeger's always reminds me of the virtue of standing up against unethical behavior, "My Name is Lisa Kalvelage". I post it today in honor of Heather Heyer, murdered August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, by Nazis emboldened by Trump.

• NYTimes: Government Report Finds Drastic Impact of Climate Change on U.S. The report directly contradicts Trump administration claims about global warming and concludes that temperatures have risen rapidly since 1980.

• For people interested and concerned with the current direction of the U.S. government, Sally Yates, offers insight, "Protect the Justice Department from Trump". She writes that what's happening, "… is beyond abnormal. It’s dangerous."

• As Nicholas Kristof explains, current presidential policy is killing women, "Donald Trump vs. Women's Health".

• Tom Friedman is right that waiting for Republicans to save our country and the world by taking positive action is not a promising strategy, It's Chicken or Fish.

  Still, it is interesting to read this article by the chief White House ethics lawyers for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, saying that, "After the revelations of the past 24 hours, it appears that President Trump’s conduct in and around the firing of the F.B.I. director, James Comey, may have crossed the line into criminality. The combination of what is known and what is credibly alleged would, if fully substantiated, constitute obstruction of justice."

• Here is a very brief video worth watching: Sally Yates Tells Senators She Warned Trump About Michael Flynn. Here is a short New Yorker profile of Sally Yates. In these times, it so wonderful to read about a talented and dedicated public servant.

• 2/2/17: I am delighted that UMass Amherst Chancellor, Kumble Subbaswamy, has issued a terrific message and committed resources in support of all of our faculty, students and staff who may be in danger because of Trump's Executive Order. In particular, "The university has joined in a lawsuit with the ACLU and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts challenging the constitutionality of the president’s executive order, which the Massachusetts Attorney General described as `un-American, discriminatory, and reckless decision-making.'"

• 1/30/17: Harvard's president, Drew Faust, recently posted an excellent message of inclusiveness, "We Are All Harvard", which I strongly agree with, as do the friends and colleagues I have spoken with here at UMass and around the world.

• Here is a must-read, deeply disturbing article by Carole Cadwalladr from the Guardian, "Google, Democracy and the Truth about Internet Search". And here is an interesting follow-up from Carole Cadwalladr's page: "Well.This is interesting.@google refused to comment on my story http://tinyurl.com/zcokxl8 or admit prob, But Jews & women are no longer 'evil'."

• Nicholas Kristof offers A 12-Step Program for Responding to President-Elect Trump. These are things you can do right now.

• I think these two recent articles address an important issue that maybe some of us as computer scientists can address towards some notion of truth on the web.
  
  • After criticism that they might have allowed fake news to influence the 2016 election, Google and Facebook are banning such sites from using their advertising services.
  • Kristof: Lies in the Guise of News in the Trump Era: Misinformation spread by alt-right websites empowers nuts and undermines democracy.

• This Op Ed by Daniel Gilbert from almost 12 years ago is the first thing I've read so far that makes sense. Take care, be generous and kind to those who need it, and fight back.

• It should suprise no one that The New Yorker Endorsed Hillary Clinton this week. Their endorsement is worth reading, "The election of Hillary Clinton is an event that we would welcome for its historical importance, and greet with indescribable relief."

• If Hillary Clinton Groped Men: Nicholas Kristof asks, "Is there a double standard for women in politics? You decide."

• I think this letter is worth reading The New York Times’s Lawyer Responds to Donald Trump as is this Op Ed by Anita Hill.

• NYTimes: Voice Shaking, Michelle Obama Calls Trump Comments on Women ‘Intolerable’

• The New York Times reports that Russia is definitely responsible for Shooting Down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 Over Ukraine: "A Dutch-led investigation concluded that Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine asked for and received a surface-to-air missile that was used to shoot down the plane in 2014."

• In a brilliant Op-Ed in the New York Times, Nicholas Kristof, reminds us that especially in difficult times, we should remember our humanity.

• Hopefully the last thing I will have to say about the 2016 U.S. Presidential election is to quote this column by Tom Friedman in which he concludes,

  "People are playing with fire here, and there is no bigger flamethrower than Donald Trump. Forget politics; he is a disgusting human being. His children should be ashamed of him. I only pray that he is not simply defeated, but that he loses all 50 states so that the message goes out across the land — unambiguously, loud and clear: The likes of you should never come this way again."

• For an inspiring view of what matters in the world and why it is important to follow your dreams with energy and integrity, take a fifteen-minute break to enjoy Michelle Obama speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

• The Republican party has now officially chosen a person who, in my opinion, is the most unqualified and dangerous major-party candidate for president this nation has ever seen. At least the convention offered one light spot as we were able to watch Michelle Obama speaking from her heart eight years ago, and compare it with Melania Trump plagiarizing her words.

  Nicholas Kristof's Op Ed in the Times says the following, "Pundits like me are gnashing our teeth as Trump receives the presidential nomination of the party of Lincoln, … , instead of again inflicting on you my views of the danger of Trump, let me share what some influential conservatives said about him during the course of the campaign"

• In this age, where fewer and fewer people seem to go to "main-stream news media" for their news, this op-ed by Paul Krugman points out the harm that main-stream media do by searching for a false balance in reporting, regardless of the truth: "Many in the news media feel the need to set up a false equivalence between a candidate who lies repeatedly and his opponent."

• From the New Yorker:

  "Schwartz went to his room, called his literary agent, Kathy Robbins, and told her that he couldn’t do the book. (Robbins confirms this.) As Schwartz headed back to New York, though, he came up with another plan. He would propose eavesdropping on Trump’s life by following him around on the job and, more important, by listening in on his office phone calls. That way, extracting extended reflections from Trump would not be required. When Schwartz presented the idea to Trump, he loved it. Almost every day from then on, Schwartz sat about eight feet away from him in the Trump Tower office, listening on an extension of Trump’s phone line. Schwartz says that none of the bankers, lawyers, brokers, and reporters who called Trump realized that they were being monitored. The calls usually didn’t last long, and Trump’s assistant facilitated the conversation-hopping. While he was talking with someone, she often came in with a Post-it note informing him of the next caller on hold."

• I recommend Drawing the Line, by Elizabeth Kolbert. How redistricting turned America from blue to red. This book review explains how and why the U.S. Congress has deteriorated so dramatically.

• Outrageous, senseless and evil actions such as the massacre in Orlando are unacceptably common. Obviously gun control and especially the ban of automatic weapons would help a lot. So would regulation of guns and gun owners analogous to the current regulation of motor vehicles and drivers. We need members of Congress with courage and common sense. See for example this New York Times editorial, The massacre was made possible by easy access to guns for terror suspects.

  Also, please note this story: Three men jumped down from a subway platform in Manhattan to rescue a man who had fallen onto the tracks, recording a much more typical and heroic action than the abberation of an Orlando psychopath who had easy and legal access to an assault rifle.

  Finally, here is excellent insight from Tom Friedman, Lessons of Hiroshima and Orlando.

• It is now clear that Hillary Clinton will be the next president of the United States. She is smart, knowledgeable, hard-working and progressive. Furthermore, there is no choice. This article gives great insight into how transformative it will be to have our first female president: What My Mother Sees in Hillary.

• I was lucky to be able to attend the House Judiciary Hearings on the FBI vs. Apple issue. BBC coverage of the hearings gives a good summary. And here is Susan Landau's written testimony in which she argued forcefully that this is really an issue of security versus security.

  Public opinion, while originally supporting the FBI when it seemed this was about a single terrorist's phone, has now come around to Apple's side, namely strong cryptography is necessary to keep us safe and secure. Now it is gratifying to see that the FBI has withdrawn its demand, learning that as Landau and others have told them, it was possible to get the data they needed without forcing Apple to weaken its iPhone security. At least for now, case closed: a victory for U.S. personal security and national security.

• Friends and colleagues have asked what's going on in America re the Republican debates and primaries. I think that the answer is that the Republican Party has been hoist with its own petard. I think that Obama is a fantastic president and if the Republican members of Congress had behaved in an even remotely professional or patriotic manner during his two terms in office, the USA would be doing amazingly well. They have not and this is the result. Among others, the Koch brothers -- see Dark Money by Jane Mayer -- have brought much of this on. Others say this is just the culmination of Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy". Here is the take of three reliable op-ed writers for the New York Times, plus two politicians whom I trust and respect: Charles Blow: A nativist, sexist, arguably fascist and racist liar is the front-runner for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. Tom Wolf: Beware: Exploding Politics Paul Krugman: The Republican establishment’s “wingnut welfare” made Trump possible. Paul Krugman: Donald Trump isn’t the only fraud running for the Republican nomination. Here is President Obama's take on the matter. And here is Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts explaining very clearly and powerfully what is going on. If you are an American citizen, the most important thing you can do is to stay involved and vote in November and make sure that your friends and family do as well.

• "The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now," Mr. Obama said during a news conference after a meeting in California with leaders of Southeast Asia. He said the Constitution demanded that a president nominate someone for the court and the Senate either confirms or rejects. "There’s no unwritten law that says that it can only be done on off years," Mr. Obama said. "That’s not in the Constitutional text." From The New York Times, Feb 17, 2016.

• If you haven't heard or seen President Obama's Eulogy for Clementa Pinckney, I urge you to take the time to watch and listen to it now:
  

• As Paul Krugman points out in his column, 6/21/15,

  "Yet racial hatred is still a potent force in our society, as we’ve just been reminded to our horror. And I’m sorry to say this, but the racial divide is still a defining feature of our political economy, the reason America is unique among advanced nations in its harsh treatment of the less fortunate and its willingness to tolerate unnecessary suffering among its citizens."

  On a related note I recently visited the Home of FDR. Here is a relevant quote from FDR,

  "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."

  I also visited Val-Kill which was Eleanor Roosevelt's modest home after the death of FDR. I hadn't known that, because of her work for civil rights, a bounty of twenty-five thousand dollars was put on her head by the Klu Klux Klan. Eleanor Roosevelt was undaunted. Here is what she said,

  "Courage is more exhilarating than fear, and in the long run, it is easier."

• Here is an upbeat column by Paul Krugman in the New York Times, explaining that the U.S. Federal Government Actually Did Some Useful Things in 2014.

• This thoughtful essay by Rachel Swarns explains the concerns about the recent killings of black men and boys by police, from the perspective of how to explain this to her 7-year-old son.

• Excellent reporting by the New York Times documents in detail how certain republican state attorneys-general are acting as paid puppets of some energy companies.

• I encourage you to take 15 minutes to watch President Obama's Nov. 20, 2014 Immigration Speech. Also see this Paul Krugman Op Ed on Obama's recent action.

• Dark Money: as this New York Times Editorial explains in some detail, the extremely harmful Citizens United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, continues to wreak havoc with our experiment in democracy.

• Listen to Susan Landau, Professor of Cyber-Security Policy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and author of "Surveillance or Security?: The Risks Posed by New Wiretapping Technologies," explain to John Hockenberry why it is a good thing that iPhones and Android phones encrypt their data.

• Since much has changed since last fall, here is the full version of Making Sense Of Snowden Part II: What's Significant in the NSA Revelations by Susan Landau. Highlights of this article appeared in the January/February 2014 issue of IEEE Security and Privacy.

• Here's a strong article by Lawrence Wright on, ". . . the effectiveness of the N.S.A's practice of collecting unlimited records of telephone calls made to, from, and within the United States."

• Here's an illuminating article by Susan Landau that recently appeared in IEEE Security and Privacy: Making sense from Snowden: What's Significant in the NSA Surveillance Revelations.

• A good article in the New Yorker explains the Citizens United case which is having devasting consequences for the United States' experiment in democracy.

• Here is a great cartoon about women in science.

• If you haven't heard and seen President Obama's speech in Arizona I urge you to watch and listen to it now.

• I take my hat off to Steve Strogatz for his excellent series of mathematical columns in the New York Times including this one on differential calculus: Change We Can Believe In.

• Lance Fortnow makes an excellent argument, in Time for Computer Science to Grow Up that the increasing number of very specialized conferences and the increased "value to one's resumé" of publishing in such conferences is harming the field.

• Supporting a National Treasure is an article from the AMS Notices about the Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics (HCSSiM), a terrific program for mathematically talented high school students directed by Professor David Kelly at Hampshire College.