Drumpf Diary 2/4/2017 - Stop and Look Around Once in a While

"Life moves pretty fast," to paraphrase Ferris Bueller, in Drumpf's America. At least right now. Or maybe I am just paying closer attention to world affairs than I normally do. But I do not think so.

1.) Drumpf has imposed new economic sanctions on Iran. The sanctions are in response to recent ballistic missile tests conducted by Iran and implemented by the Treasury Department against more than two dozen individuals and organizations "involved in procuring ballistic missile technology for Iran. They are now prohibited from doing business in the United States or with American citizens. The overall impact is likely to be minimal on Iran's economy..." Reading the AP article, it sounds like the action is much more in continuity with Obama administration policy than Drumpf rhetoric seems to imply. The BBC, however, suggests the rhetoric signals a more aggressive anti-Iran stance by an administration filled with people obsessed with Iran. The substance of this particular action might be consistent with Obama, but the charged posture suggests more aggressive actions are coming.

Iranian officials are responding dismissively, claiming all their actions are self-defense against "wolves" preying at their doorstep. They suggested they would respond in kind with sanctions against America.

2.) A U.S. District Judge in Seattle has temporarily blocked Drumpf's infamous travel ban.  It appears that Washington and my home state of Minnesota led the lawsuit against Drumpf. The judge's decision is effective immediately. It came to light today that somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 visas have been revoked due to the travel ban.

3.) Drumpf is changing a federal counterterrorism effort to focus exclusively on Islamic terrorism, taking focus off of white supremacist terrorist groups. The move is being openly celebrated by white supremacists.

The proposed revamp, reported by Reuters on Wednesday, would rename the multi-agency "Countering Violent Extremism" (CVE) task force to "Countering Islamic Extremism" or "Countering Radical Islamic Extremism," and eliminate initiatives aimed at other violent hate groups in the United States.

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The Anti-Defamation League also criticized the plan, citing internal research that found 74 percent of deaths caused by domestic extremists between 2007 and 2016 were caused by "right-wing extremists such as white supremacists, sovereign citizens and militia adherents."

Interestingly, the Reuters report notes that Drumpf's travel ban has undermined cooperation with the Countering Violent Extremism effort.