Trump's Science Envoy Resigns, Calls For Impeachment

[toucana]

Daniel M Kammen who was appointed Science Envoy for the State department in 2016 has resigned in protest at Trump's implicit support for white supremacist violence at Charlottesville and posted his resignation letter online.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-science-envoy-resigns-letter-daniel-kammen-charlottesville-president-response-racism-sexism-a7909041.html

Daniel M Kammen is a Professor of Energy at the University of California, Berkeley and the Director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab.

In his letter he says:

My decision to resign is in response to your attacks on core values of the United States. Your failure to condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis has domestic and international ramifications

In a nod to the mass resignation letter published last week by 16 members of PCAH (Presidential committee on Arts & Humanities) where the initial letter of each paragraph spelled out the word RESIST, Daniel M Kammen's letter of resignation has paragraph letter headers that spell out the word IMPEACH.

[zetreque]

This is disappointing. Couldn't he have done something to pressure them to fire him instead? Because now he will just get replaced by someone worse. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." This headline won't really make any difference IMO but I hope not. He probably could have done far more from within?

What do you all think? Is it better to take a stand and try to lead a revolt of mass resignations or work within to undermine the presidents horrendous acts?


Looks like he cited multiple republicans he is taking sides with in his letter too.

[Serpent]

What do you all think? Is it better to take a stand and try to lead a revolt of mass resignations or work within to undermine the presidents horrendous acts?

Which is better depends on the climate in which you are working. Sometimes "inside" is so toxic or so insulated, or so impoverished that you can do nothing of any value. In this instance, given their values, he might not have counted for enough to be noticed. Inside, he may have been utterly impotent and silenced. This way, at least he gets to speak out and get some attention one time - having taken a decisive step, so that he's evidently not just blowing smoke.
Secondly, it might not be a bad precedent that's been set. If everyone walks away, the evil clown will be exposed - with no scapegoats, no excuses, nobody to hide behind except sycophants - and you know how they tend to evaporate when the fecal matter encounters the rotating blades.

Afterthought: From an occupational standpoint: the longer you stay in a position that keeps losing credibility, in an administration that keeps sinking in other people's estimation, the more inextricably your reputation is linked to theirs. Walking out, decisively and publicly, at this stage means that he still can work in a respectable facility, get some respect and get something worthwhile done.

[zetreque]

I just reread his letter. I think he has a strong foundation for his resignation and it speaks for millions of Americans and people around the world. I hope it gets more than noticed.

[Athena]

This is disappointing. Couldn't he have done something to pressure them to fire him instead? Because now he will just get replaced by someone worse. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." This headline won't really make any difference IMO but I hope not. He probably could have done far more from within?

What do you all think? Is it better to take a stand and try to lead a revolt of mass resignations or work within to undermine the presidents horrendous acts?


Looks like he cited multiple republicans he is taking sides with in his letter too.

I think it is completely in line with what Tony Schwartz said. Tony Schwartz said the tide has turned on Trump and he will declare victory and resign. As happened in Watergate the president is dropped when he becomes a liability and is going down like a sinking ship. Few people are willing to go down with a loser. As people jumping a sinking ship they need to get as far away from the ship as they can get so they don't get sucked down with it.

[Athena]

What do you all think? Is it better to take a stand and try to lead a revolt of mass resignations or work within to undermine the presidents horrendous acts?

Which is better depends on the climate in which you are working. Sometimes "inside" is so toxic or so insulated, or so impoverished that you can do nothing of any value. In this instance, given their values, he might not have counted for enough to be noticed. Inside, he may have been utterly impotent and silenced. This way, at least he gets to speak out and get some attention one time - having taken a decisive step, so that he's evidently not just blowing smoke.
Secondly, it might not be a bad precedent that's been set. If everyone walks away, the evil clown will be exposed - with no scapegoats, no excuses, nobody to hide behind except sycophants - and you know how they tend to evaporate when the fecal matter encounters the rotating blades.

Afterthought: From an occupational standpoint: the longer you stay in a position that keeps losing credibility, in an administration that keeps sinking in other people's estimation, the more inextricably your reputation is linked to theirs. Walking out, decisively and publicly, at this stage means that he still can work in a respectable facility, get some respect and get something worthwhile done.

I think you hit the nail on the head! That after thought seems to explain what is happening very well.

[Braininvat]

Robert Reich reports, from a chat with an old Republican friend, that many are getting ready to bail on Trump and move towards impeachment once they've got a tax plan through.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-impeachment-latest-robert-reich-former-republican-senator-unhinged-tax-bill-us-a7996341.html

[zetreque]

From what I gather this tax plan is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He talks about cutting corporate taxes to bring money back to the US but we all know that any time they do something like that the only ones that benefit are the wealthy owners and stockholders. They have to have strong details in the tax breaks to prevent share buybacks and corporate investments. The tax cuts should specifically go into wages and employees. They should also benefit very small business of 10 employees or less (without LLC loopholes and tax shelters, or nonprofit shelters).

Even then what this administration does not understand is bringing business home means rampant pollution. Sure we export millions of jobs over seas but look at the pollution overseas like in China where most of our products come from.

Lets gut environmental protections (clean power plan, clean water act) while boosting business. Result.... Stupidity
https://www.google.com/search?q=china+a ... 66&bih=645

THEY SHOULD BAIL NOW. IMPEACH!!!!!


PS: conspiracy. URL and all references on google to it no longer work.

[Serpent]

Haven't we always known that any Trump - indeed, any tax-cutting Republican - promises regarding jobs were bogus? Haven't we always known that the benefits of any of their policies are strictly to the top economic stratum - top three, at most; that any government money going to corporations is free to leave the country, harm it, harm someone else, harm the workers and retirees - or whatever they like? Haven't we always known that they were against environmental protection, health care and education?
Of course we did.
Why would anyone be surprised at anything perpetrated by the arch-bogus, most cynical, worst-informed and least caring specimen of them all?

[zetreque]

Haven't we always known that any Trump - indeed, any tax-cutting Republican - promises regarding jobs were bogus? Haven't we always known that the benefits of any of their policies are strictly to the top economic stratum - top three, at most; that any government money going to corporations is free to leave the country, harm it, harm someone else, harm the workers and retirees - or whatever they like? Haven't we always known that they were against environmental protection, health care and education?
Of course we did.
Why would anyone be surprised at anything perpetrated by the arch-bogus, most cynical, worst-informed and least caring specimen of them all?

hardcore trump supporters are too ignorant to understand the complexity to it though. How can you put it any other way? His base is just gullible and oblivious. It's not that they are on purpose or aren't intelligent. It's that they either don't have access to education or have been brainwashed in one way or another. On the surface it makes sense and even some of the people promoting it at the top levels buy into the simple idea. Why wouldn't they when they are already living in an isolated wealthy bubble. They don't see the effects.

[Serpent]

hardcore trump supporters are too ignorant to understand the complexity to it though. How can you put it any other way?

"These guys are lying. In. Your. Face. Look around. What improved for you under Reagan? What improved for you under Bush I and II? They have always lied and will always lie."

His base is just gullible and oblivious. It's not that they are on purpose or aren't intelligent. It's that they either don't have access to education or have been brainwashed in one way or another.

The latter. A great spewage of toxic propaganda, plus, recently, a far more sinister strain of xenophobia than was had previously been nurtured by state administrations and some religious groups up to this point.
We've watched it happen, and the enlightened Americans did nothing to stop it; allowed jingo to replace information and reason.
It's quite probably gone beyond stopping now and will just have to play out to its conclusion.
You'd better hope for sane military commanders and police chiefs.