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Tidbits - December 21, 2017 - Reader Comments: Alabama Election; #RememberInNovember; Tax Bill; Mueller Firing Rapid Response; Police Shootings; 7 Words; Birth Control; Stealing Workers' Tips; William Pelz - R.I.P.; U.S. Foreign Military Bases; and more..

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Reader Comments: Alabama Election - What Lessons?; Tax Bill - #RememberInNovember; Nobody Is above the Law — Mueller Firing Rapid Response - Check your zip code to find action near you; Police Shootings; Those 7 Words; Elected Officials - Men - Don't Know Sh*t About Birth Control; Stealing Workers' Tips; William Pelz - R.I.P.; Oscar Grant Vigil in Oakland; Conference on U.S. Foreign Military Bases; and more....

What is Happening in Catalonia and Spain

Vicente Navarro Social Europe
Two visions of Spain have always existed. One sees Spain as a uni-national state, centered in the capital of the Spanish Kingdom, Madrid. This vision denies the existence of other nations in Spain. It is the vision of the Bourbon Monarchic State, including the armed forces and the Catholic Church; it is the conservative version of Spain. Another vision of Spain, however, is plurinational, recognizing other nations in Spain, including Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia.

The Year in Resistance

Michelle Goldberg The New York Times
Trump became president despite the will of a majority of the American people. A recent poll shows that 53 percent of voters want him to resign. The Resistance has been able to slow but not stop Trump’s agenda. Trump has done more to spur progressive political organizing than Bernie Sanders, George Soros and Saul Alinsky combined.

The Republicans’ “Win” on Taxes Is a Loss for American Democracy

John Cassidy The New Yorker
It's over. Jeff Merkley, the liberal Democrat from Oregon, asked his Republican “friends” to consider what could have been achieved by spending a trillion dollars on fixing America’s infrastructure, or making health care more affordable, or improving the education system. “This is the biggest bank heist, not just in American history but in the history of the world,” Merkley declared.

DACA Recipients’ Message to Democrats: Stop Playing with Our Lives, and Pass a Clean DREAM Act Now

Amy Goodman, Erika Andiola; Will Drabold
Progressive leaders said they will punish House and Senate Democrats politically, including by withdrawing endorsements in 2018, if they do not demand passage of the Dream Act by the end of the year. Pressure is on Sen. Schumer and Rep. Nancy Peloisi who have signaled they may back GOP effort to fund government without DACA or CHIP action. Progressive activists say that approach is unacceptable.

Free Ahed Tamimi

Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Ahed Tamimi has become internationally known for her defense of Palestinian rights under occupation, including her defense of her younger brother when he was seized by an occupation soldier and regular protests against land confiscation targeting Nabi Saleh and other villages around Ramallah.

Tax Bill’s Cost Could Hit $2.2 Trillion Over Next Decade

Joel Friedman Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Congressional Republicans chose to use a special fast-track budget process known as “reconciliation” for their tax bill, but every credible analysis shows that the bill won’t come close to paying for itself.