It's not "genocide" to focus on America
100 days in...Satan, savior or somewhere in the middle? | #TC94
Welcome to Third Cultured – a foreign policy and LGBTQIA+ politics newsletter – published by yours truly, Kyle Borland. My goal is to highlight the unique role Queer people play in the politics of the United States and the world-at-large.
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This edition:
Commentary
Stories to Watch
Commentary
The billionth vaccine dose was manufactured this month, with 220 million of those doses going into American arms. The second billion will be completed by May 22.
The US economy grew at 6.4% last quarter, which keeps the economy on track to grow at 7% in 2021, the fastest calendar-year growth since 1984. That economic outlook is thanks in large part to the administration’s $1.9T stimulus package – more than twice as big as the 2009 recession package – that included $1,400 checks fueling a swell in "revenge spending.” Even I got my eyes on a Peloton or a Myx bike at this point.
After Biden’s first 100 days, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about the short-to-medium term future. If the Democrats have their way (which won’t be easy), Biden will reshape the entire country as we’ve known it for the last 40 years through a series of massive plans we haven’t seen since the Space Race.
$2.3 trillion for the America Jobs Plan on modernizing infrastructure (includes EV rebates, 500K electric vehicle chargers, and a new target to slash US emissions by 2030) over eight years. It’ll be paid for by raising taxes on corporations and the rich Americans;
$1.8T for the American Families Plan to national child care, prekindergarten, paid family leave and tuition-free community college, about $200 billion to extend an increase in health insurance subsidies through the Affordable Care Act exchanges, partially funded by about a half-dozen tax hikes on high-income Americans and investors, proposed changes that are already provoking fierce opposition in Congress and on Wall Street. (Graphic: NYT)
Although Biden’s domestic agenda has met the expectations he set, his administration leaves a lot to be desired on the international front, particularly on immigration where Biden needs to seize the moment, and $310 million in aid to the Northern Triangle is not going to cut it. Not by a long shot.
Now, I break from the Left in that I do not blame Biden and the United States as a whole for the current crisis in India. That blame falls on Modi’s particular strain of fascism and the religious fanaticism within Hindutva. No one in America told Modi’s government to hold mega rallies for the upcoming election. No American forced a single Indian citizen to get in that river. Washington did not compel India to reject all foreign made vaccines until less than two weeks ago, or to outright reject Sputnik V (although Brazil, another massive outbreak in the Global South, also recently rejected Russia’s vaccine.)
However, I understand the knee-jerk reaction to turn to Washington – the global hegemon – when local powers have forfeited their responsibilities to govern. We are an easy scapegoat, and our lack of global leadership through COVID up to this point has exacerbated an already tragic event into a catastrophe. That doesn’t mean America must apologize or be held responsible for what is unfolding all over India, but we should do everything in our power to stem the tide. Which we are! $100 million worth.
Is it enough? Of course not.
Even the 60 million donated AstrZeneca doses doesn’t scratch the surface.
The correct move now is to pivot our priorities to ensure the globe’s 8 billion people are vaccinated as soon as possible with the highest quality vaccine possible. That means ramping up Moderna and Pfizer production all over the planet. Unfortunately, even if Biden made that possible tomorrow – which he should, it’s time to turn outward after 220 million doses domestically – it would still take a year or more to spin up production of mRNA technology in even developed nations like Australia. That doesn’t mean don’t do it, but it does mean don’t start screaming “genocide” because a country thousands of miles away couldn’t save you from a mess your local fascism created with its own malicious incompetence, focusing more on silencing online dissent on Facebook and Twitter than saving hundreds of thousands of Indian lives.
Americans suffer from chronic complacency. Once the vaccines hit critical mass, about 40%, our collective psyche started shifting away from COVID even while the rest of the world was still spiraling. However, we can still grab the mantle and lead the world out of this darkness. We had the world’s worst outbreak with more than 575,000 deaths and 32 million cases, but already we’re leading the global recovery. China and Russia are whipping up disinformation about US/EU-made vaccines to distract from the fact Beijing’s is sugar water and Moscow’s is getting bad press (despite good results even in Western trials).
100 days into Biden’s presidency, there’s some good, there’s some bad, and whole lot more that we don’t know yet. The pushback Biden received last weekend was key for India to get the help it needed, but why must the Left jump to “genocide” and “mass murder” when pressuring DC? Is that the only two modes of America in their brains?
Satan or Savior?
Stay safe and healthy, beautiful people. And, thanks for reading.
xoxo,
Kyle (@kgborland)
PS – Here are some great reads worth your time.
At least 44 Fort Bragg soldiers died stateside in 2020 — several of them were homicides. Families want answers. But the Army isn’t giving any (Rolling Stone)
Biden's Afghan Withdrawal Is a Sign Forever Wars Can Never Be Won (Foreign Policy)
Coming decade and its implications for the LGBTQIA+ debates (ORF)
Deconstructing Disney: Queer Coding and Masculinity in Pocahontas (Longreads
Empire Politician: A Half-Century of Joe Biden’s Stances on War, Militarism, and the CIA (The Intercept)
Gay San Francisco native mounts underdog bid for Pelosi's House seat (BAR)
German Greens’ reality check (Politico)
How Biden’s team overrode the brass on Afghanistan (Politico)
How the Quad Can Match the Hype (Foreign Affairs)
“I Felt Hate More Than Anything”: How an Active Duty Airman Tried to Start a Civil War (ProPublica)
I’m Trans And A Puberty Blocker Saved My Life. Here’s What I Want You To Know. (HuffPost)
“It’s Not Just a Word”: LGBTQ+ Activists Discuss What Liberation Means to Them (them.)
Last Exit from Afghanistan (The New Yorker)
Lil Nas X answers kids’ questions about ‘coming out of the closet’ (NBC News)
Minnie Bruce Pratt on the past, present and future of the Queer South (Reckon)
Rural, low-income LGBTQ people need the Equality Act. I am living proof. (LGBTQ Nation)
Shitbagginess without shitbags (Sex and the State)
The Lesser-Known Protest that Kicked Off Gay Liberation in LA (LitHub)
The Postal Service is running a 'covert operations program' that monitors Americans' social media posts (Yahoo! News)
The Taliban Are Ready to Exploit America’s Exit (Foreign Affairs)
Trans in Trumpland Is a Record of Trans Survival, Buoyed by Trans Joy (them.)
Why a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a catastrophe for China and the world (doxa)
“As in the Roaring 20s, which followed the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, society will revert to an era of indulgence . . . there will be a surge in ‘sexual licentiousness’ as well as a ‘reverse of religiosity.’ ”
Stories to Watch
Afghanistan: The new withdrawal deadline is September 11, 2021 (because America loves a good round number), but the Pentagon had made it clear it will retain the capability (and imperial right) to air strikes. According to the Afghan Casualty Report: “at least 147 pro-government forces and 25 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan so far this month.”Former President Trump even praised the withdrawal (though he fairly criticized pushing it back from the agreed-upon May 1 deadline). (Graphic: Statista)
Armenia: Biden acknowledged the Armenian Genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey). Erdogan was not thrilled.
Bitcoin mining: China’s bitcoin energy usage by 2024 will surpass the total energy consumption of Italy or Saudi Arabia, which dampens Beijing’s climate goals.
Chad: Rebels killed President Idriss Deby Itno in an offensive against the regime because they rejected the transition government led by one of Deby’s sons, and now the protesters are demanding a civilian government.
Iran: Israel is convinced the Vienna talks will lead to Biden returning to the JCPOA and, despite Jerusalem’s most shameless efforts, they’re likely right. Domestically, Foreign Minister Zarif finds himself in hot water after leaked recordings reveal him critiquing the popular Revolutionary Guards Corps and Geneal Soleimani.
Russia vs Ukraine: After a dramatic few weeks of various escalations by all sides, Putin finally called his 120,000 troops away from the Ukrainian border and Crimea. This was after an increase in US sanctions (and weapons), the multiple mutual expulsions of diplomats, and rebirth of “red lines.
US Popularity: It’s on the mend with everyone not named Xi Jinping. (Graphic: MC)
