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Drag queen

2019-08-04T23:31:32Z

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Democratic Socialists of America

2019-08-02T17:35:12Z

JamesQT: Copyedits

[[File:DSA.JPG|right|350px|thumb]]
The '''Democratic Socialists of America''' ('''DSA''') is not a political party in the traditional American sense. It has no local precinct caucus where people can join, participate in party elections, or form a true [[grassroots]] movement. It has local chapters in various cities and towns across the country which consist of one or more [[progressive]] [[community organizer|organizers]] who work with various mobs and [[front group]]s for political action from which they hand select or accept applications for membership based conformity to [[Marxist-Leninist]] ideology. Once a member is accepted, then certain limited internal democratic voting rights are granted.

These internal voting rights generally extend only to organizational and personnel matter; voting on policy and platforms matters is only given to verified adherents of Marxist-Leninist theory. [[Democratic]] [[pluralism]] is not allowed.

The primary function and purpose in the 2010s is to infiltrate and control the [[Democratic party]].

In 2018, the DSA publicly acknowledged its longtime program of infiltrating the public school system to indoctrinate students with socialist ideology.<ref>Newman, Alex (August 29, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/29907-socialists-urge-infiltration-of-government-schools Socialists Urge Infiltration of Government Schools]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 29, 2018.</ref>

The organization's emblem is a [[Rose (symbolism)|red rose]] resembling the [[UK]] [[Labour Party]], with which it is affiliated through the [[Socialist International]].

==History==
[[Michael Harrington]], founder of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is also credited with inspiration of [[Lyndon Johnson]]'s [[War on Poverty]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/08/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-war-on-poverty/ |title=Everything you need to know about the war on poverty |work=Washington Post |date=January 8, 2014 }}</ref>.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kurtz|first=Stanley|title=Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism|publisher=Simon and Schuster|date=2010|pages=31}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Horowitz|first=David|title=The Shadow Party: How George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Sixties Radicals Seized Control of the Democratic Party|publisher=Simon and Schuster|date=2006|pages=85}}</ref>

===1982–1992===
DSA helped form and continues to work closely with the [[Congressional Progressive Caucus]]: {{quotebox|"Since 1982, DSA has been working for progressive change. As a national organization, DSA joins with its allies in Congress' Progressive Caucus and in many other progressive organizations, fighting for the interests of the average citizen both in legislative struggles and in other campaigns to educate the public on progressive issues and to secure progressive access to the media."<ref>http://kincaidsite.com/dsa/</ref>}} According to the DSA website: {{quotebox|"No, we are not a separate party. Like our friends and allies in the feminist, labor, [[civil rights]], religious, and [[community organizing]] movements, many of us have been active in the Democratic Party. We work with those movements to strengthen the party’s [[left wing]], represented by the Congressional Progressive Caucus...Maybe sometime in the future, in [[coalition]] with our allies, an alternative national party will be viable. For now, we will continue to support progressives who have a real chance at winning elections, which usually means left-wing Democrats."<ref>http://www.dsausa.org/pdf/widemsoc.pdf</ref>;}} DSA, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the [[Institute for Policy Studies]] formed a triple alliance.

===1992–2000===
:''Main article : [[Revolutionary Vanguard]]''
The '''Committees of Correspondence''' ('''CoC'''), also known as the '''[[Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism]]''' ('''CCDS''') was formed in 1992 after the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>https://keywiki.org/Committees_of_Correspondence</ref> Several prominent party [[Communist Party USA]] ruderless without the Soviet Union to offer funding and instructions, and disillusioned with the dictatorial rule of CPUSA General Secretary [[Gus Hall]], split off and to form their own group.<ref>https://www.discoverthenetworks.org/organizations/committees-of-correspondence-for-democracy-and-socialism-ccds/</ref>

The groups first organizational conference was held in [[Berkeley]], [[California]], July 17–19, 1992. Charlene Mitchell, who had been a leader of the California Communist Party, spoke at the conference. Mitchell said "the collapse of [[socialism]] in [[Eastern Europe]] left the [[United States]] in a near unchallenged position of world leadership." She continued,
{{quotebox|"What began as a moment to take stock and ponder where to go from there has now become a very different entity. People from the Communist Party, from CrossRoads, from the Democratic Socialists of America, from NCIPA [National Committee for Independent Political Action], from Solidarity, from the Socialist Organizing Network and many others, including independent leftists and independent socialists, have come together here in Berkeley."}}

In 1995, DSA leader [[Joseph Schwartz]] wrote of the [[Democratic Party]]: {{quotebox|"DSA is by no means naive about the Democratic Party leadership's general drift to the right. As the Democratic Party in most areas is barely an institution, let alone one that facilitates democratic participation, most DSA locals treat it as simply a line on the ballot. Where [[progressive]]s have the strength to battle [[corporate]] interests and use that line for democratic purposes, we support their efforts—witness [[Paul Wellstone]] and [[Carol Moseley Braun]]'s [[Senate]] victories. But where that ballot line is captured by [[centrist]] and center right forces, DSA locals usually abstain from electoral work.''<ref>Dem.Left, July/Aug. 1995 page 19</ref>}}

In 1997 DSA goals by 2017 included: {{quotebox|"A U.S. President from the [[Progressive Caucus]], a 50 member socialist caucus in Congress, successful programs of the likes of [[universal health care]], progressive taxation, social provision and campaign finance reform."<ref>''New Ground'' 51, March - April, 1997</ref>}}

The "Back to Basics Conference" was held Oct. 9–11, 1998, at Chicago's Congress Hotel. Several hundred people attended the conference, which ''In These Times'' magazine sponsored and managed. In practice, the conference urged the [[Left]] to abandon its dead-end, self-destructive course toward cultural politics and return to class politics. {{quotebox|"DSA leaders, Chris Riddiough and Joe Schwartz, organized a panel to discuss "Building a Better Left", a call to work for greater Left unity and organizational strength. DSA is working with the Progressive Caucus in Congress and the Institute for Policy Studies. Labor is essential for an effective Left, along with people of color and women. What is envisioned is not a uniting of organizations, but a broad coalition willing to speak with one voice on issues of common concern. No consensus emerged from discussion, but the proposal remains alive."<ref>http://www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng61.html</ref>.}}

===2000–2016===
[[File:Nassaudsa2018.JPG|right|100px|thumb|]]
Circa 2000, DSA was a national organization of about 7,000 members. There were about 15 local chapters. New locals had just formed in [[Oregon]] and [[Arizona]] and a long dormant local in [[San Francisco]] had a new organizing committee. In [[California]] locals existed in [[San Diego]], [[Sacramento]] and East Bay, as well as San Francisco. The [[Los Angeles]] local had declined to non-functioning in the last 6 years.

Over 50% of total DSA members lived in areas without locals.

In addition the national and locals, there were several Commissions. These groups dealt with specific issues and are not geographically organized. For example, there is currently functioning [[Latino]], Anti-Racism, [[Feminism]], Labor, and [[Religion]] and Socialism Commissions. The [[eco-socialism]] and African American Commissions are currently not functioning. Sacramento DSA, hosted both the Anti-Racism and Latino Commissions.

According to an article written in the [[Boston]] DSA magazine ''Yankee Radical'', January, 2001, by Mike Pattberg; {{quotebox|"On the other hand, the [[Communist Party]] experienced the height of its numbers, power and influence when it abandoned its previous ultra-left course to become the [[Stalin]]ist wing of the [[New Deal]] in the mid-1930s... In any case, by the early 1960s some within the Socialist Party (including future DSA leaders), adopting a variant of the CP’s strategy 25 years earlier, had broken with prevailing labor party orthodoxy. (Or the belief that the SP should continue to run its own candidates without support from labor or anyone else, another version of the same idea.) They instead advanced the concept of “Realignment” in the [[Democratic Party]]; forging a coalition of labor, blacks and middle-class [[liberal]]s and radicals to take over the Party by purging (democratically, of course) Southern racists, big-city bosses and other retrograde elements."<ref>''[http://www.dsaboston.org/yradical/yr2001-01.pdf Yankee Radical]'', January, 2001/</ref>}}

===2016–2018===
In a statement released in November 2016, the DSA National Political Committee referred to the [[Rainbow Coalition]] as a model for today's [[anti-Trump resistance]]: {{quotebox|"Given [[Trump]]'s and [[Pence]]'s vilification of communities of color, [[immigrant]]s, [[Muslim]]s, [[Jew]]s, [[women]] and [[LGBTQ]] people, Democratic Socialists of America’s and the broader [[Left]]’s first priority must be to defend the civil and political rights — and very physical security — of those groups targeted by Trumpism. The appointment of the open [[bigot]] and [[anti-Semite]] [[Steve Bannon|Stephen Bannon]] of [[Breitbart News]] as senior [[White House]] counselor demonstrates that Trump's hateful rhetoric is not just talk. DSA and YDS [Young Democratic Socialists] chapters should be militant supporters of these groups in their immediate struggles to establish [[sanctuary cities]] for the undocumented, to defend Muslims and their [[mosque]]s and to protect women seeking reproductive services. We must also proactively train ourselves to intervene effectively when we witness harassment of and violence against those targeted by the [[white]] [[nativism|nativist]] politics legitimated by the Trump victory. Finally, we should reach out to these communities immediately to express our solidarity and ask what work they would wish us to do. Much of this work will involve DSA deepening our engagement with the [[Black Lives Matter|Movement for Black Lives]], the immigrant rights movement, Fight for 15, the reproductive justice movement and other movements on the frontlines against Trumpism. Under Reagan, similar acts of resistance eventually created a powerful rainbow coalition that advanced a multiracial politics of economic and racial justice. If we fully commit ourselves to these struggles over the next four years there is no reason why a new, even more powerful multiracial coalition for social and economic justice cannot emerge."<ref>[http://www.dsausa.org/we_fight_for_socialism_over_barbarism We Fight for Socialism over Barbarism. Statement from DSA’s National Political Committee], November 13, 2016. Posted by David Duhalde on 11.14.16.</ref>}} Tre Kwon wrote in ''Left Voice'' in June 2017: {{quotebox|“Under [[Reagan]], similar acts of resistance eventually created a powerful rainbow coalition that advanced a multiracial politics of economic and racial justice. If we fully commit ourselves to these struggles over the next four years there is no reason why a new, even more powerful multiracial coalition for social and economic justice cannot emerge.”<ref>[http://www.leftvoice.org/The-DSA-in-the-Democratic-Party-Labyrinth The DSA in the Democratic Party Labyrinth], ''Left Voice'', Tre Kwon JimenaVergaraO June 19, 2017.</ref>}} Since Nov. 8, 2016, thousands have joined DSA. The organization has ballooned to over 14,000 members, more than doubling in size from 6,500 members in May 2016. DSA National Director [[Maria Svart]] says of new sign-ups, “You could literally see the moment when Trump was declared the winner.”<ref>[http://inthesetimes.com/article/19795/socialisms-trump-bump-democratic-socialists-america ITT JANUARY 23, 2017 With Donald Trump as President, Americans Are Flocking to Socialism Membership in the Democratic Socialists of America has surged since the election. BY KATE ARONOFF]</ref>

By July 2018, after explosive growth from the [[Bernie Sanders]] movement and opposition to president Trump Democratic Socialists of America hit 44,000 members

==Internal democracy==
In 2016, membership tripled. But the DSA is unlike other political parties. The DSA in 2019 struggles to manage its explosive growth at the local level while allowing for "internal democracy."<ref>https://dsaspringplatform.org/the-platform/</ref> In local [[Republican]] and [[Democratic party]] precinct caucuses it's not uncommon for a [[church]] or [[labor union]] to take over a delegation to county, district, and state conventions. These churches or labor unions may have a specific agenda contrary to the state or national party. That's how [[grassroots]] [[democracy]] in America works.

The DSA is quite different. No individual or organized outside group can take over a local chapter; decisions, directives, and objectives come from on high, and members must conform to pre-fabricated [[Marxist]] theory as interpreted by the national leadership. In essence, members at the local level must submit to party indoctrination, and leave their personal causes and motivations at the door. Without this conformity, there are no voting rights within the party.

Section F of the DSA's 2019 Spring Platform (the "platform" can change seasonally, but the changes come from on high - caucuses have no input) says as much:
{{quotebox|'''Caucuses''' DSA prides itself on being a multi-tendency political organization, but ''for most of its history it has actively discouraged the development of distinct political tendencies within DSA''. We understand concerns over the potential divisiveness they might produce, as well as the feeling that ''political and theoretical debates could distract from the business of organizing''. In the absence of organized tendencies, key political questions are resolved largely ''based on staff and elected leaders interpreting what the “mainstream” political views of DSA are''. The result is that strategic ''differences within the organization are rarely discussed openly and explicitly. This limits understanding among DSA’s membership about the key issues'' facing the organization, and limited coherence in DSA’s political decision-making. If elected,<ref>Note in context of this platform resolution, "if elected" refers to the platform, not any person or candidate. ''Who'' does the electing is not spelled out, and it certainly is not members of a local chapter, the equivalent of a precinct caucus in the two major parties.</ref> we will work to facilitate the development of organized political caucuses in the organization that will provide space for members to develop their political perspectives, and perform the valuable function of assembling the wide range of political views in the membership into a set of coherent tendencies. [''ital added'']}} Members are organized robots. DSA is not a debating society. The Caucus provision in the 2019 Spring Platform is tossing a bone to newcomers, essentially saying member input is something we'll think about, without a clue as to who is empowered to make decisions.

To the extent the DSA allows local input, it is limited to debate on [[strategy]]. The [[policy]] focus is set in concrete - Marxist class theory and the theory of class struggle: oppressors overthrown by the oppressed.

===Left Inside/Outside Project===
{{quotebox|"The DSA National Electoral Committee has joined the [[Left Inside/Outside Project]] and will be participating in a call to discuss left political strategy. Here is the invitation for those interested in participating: The Left Inside/Outside Project invites you to a cross-organizational discussion of left political strategy. This video conference will feature speakers from different organizations in the Left Inside/Outside Project providing their perspective on the key questions facing leftists that are trying to build electoral power alongside social movements, all while navigating the complicated terrain of Democratic party politics. We will also have small group discussions and describe opportunities for collaboration across organizational lines."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180527031042/https://www.dsausa.org/left_political_strategy_discussion_with DSA Left Political Strategy discussion with the Left Inside/Outside Project], Posted by Lawrence Dreyfuss on 05.22.18</ref>}}

==''Democratic Left'' magazine==
''Democratic Left'' is the regular publication of the DSA that has run from the 1970s to the present. Issues from 2000 - 2010 are publicly available on the [http://www.dsausa.org/dl/ Democratic Left website]. The ''Newsletter of the Democratic Left'' was the forerunner of the ''Democratic Left'', and was published by the [[Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee]] (DSOC). DSOC later merged with the [[New American Movement]] and in 1982 formed the DSA.

==Prominent members==
Since its formation in 1982, many prominent people have been active in Democratic Socialists of America, including;
<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4">
*[[Neil Abercrombie]], former Hawaii Governor, Obama friend
*[[Ed Asner]], actor, activist
*[[Ron Bloom]], former Obama "Car Czar"
*[[David Bonior]], Former Democratic congressman
*[[Paul Buhle]], labor historian, marxist
*[[Noam Chomsky]], academic, linguist, activist
*[[John Conyers]], US congressman from Michigan
*[[Ron Dellums]], Former Democratic congressman, avowed "socialist"
*[[David Dinkins]], former New York mayor
*[[Barbara Ehrenreich]], academic, activist, marxist
*[[Michael Harrington]], DSA founder
*[[Maurice Isserman]], historian
*[[Mildred Jeffrey]], feminist, unionist, Democratic Party leader
*[[Mike Lux]], Democratic Party strategist
*[[Carrie Meek]], former Florida conresswoman
*[[Jerry Nadler]], Democrat congressman, New York
*[[Major Owens]], Former Democratic Party, New York Congressman
*[[Christine Riddiough]], [[Democratic Party]] and gay activist
*[[Richard Rorty]], atheistic activist and literary philosophy professor
*[[Bob Ross]], academic, activist
*[[Bernie Sanders]], US Senator from Vermont
*[[Jan Schakowsky]], Democrat congresswoman, Chicago
*[[Joseph Schwartz]], academic, activist
*[[Kurt Stand]], former communist, convicted East German and Soviet spy
*[[Gloria Steinem]], feminist, activist, writer
*[[John J. Sweeney]], former AFL-CIO president
*[[Cornel West]], academic, activist, Obama friend and adviser, marxist
*[[Radical_roots_of_Barack_Hussein_Obama#Chicago_communists|Quentin Young]], former communist, health activist, Obama mentor
</div>

==See also==
*[[Democratic Socialism]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Socialism]]
[[Category:Liberal Organizations]]

Democratic Socialists of America

2019-08-02T17:34:06Z

JamesQT: Adding wikilink

[[File:DSA.JPG|right|350px|thumb]]
The '''Democratic Socialists of America''' ('''DSA''') is not a political party in the traditional American sense. It has no local precinct caucus where people can join, participate in party elections, or form a true [[grassroots]] movement. It has local chapters in various cities and towns across the country which consist of one or more [[progressive]] [[community organizer|organizers]] who work with various mobs and [[front group]]s for political action from which they hand select or accept applications for membership based conformity to [[Marxist-Leninist]] ideology. Once a member is accepted, then certain limited internal democratic voting rights are granted.

These internal voting rights generally extend only to organizational and personnel matter; voting on policy and platforms matters is only given to verified adherents of Marxist-Leninist theory. [[Democratic]] [[pluralism]] is not allowed.

The primary function and purpose in the 2010s is to infiltrate and control the [[Democratic party]].

In 2018, the DSA publicly acknowledged its longtime program of infiltrating the public school system to indoctrinate students with socialist ideology.<ref>Newman, Alex (August 29, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/29907-socialists-urge-infiltration-of-government-schools Socialists Urge Infiltration of Government Schools]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 29, 2018.</ref>

The organization's emblem is a [[Rose (symbolism)|red rose]] resembling the [[UK]] [[Labour Party]], which is has affiliation with the [[globalist]] [[Socialist International]].

==History==
[[Michael Harrington]], founder of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is also credited with inspiration of [[Lyndon Johnson]]'s [[War on Poverty]]."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/08/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-war-on-poverty/ |title=Everything you need to know about the war on poverty |work=Washington Post |date=January 8, 2014 }}</ref>.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kurtz|first=Stanley|title=Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism|publisher=Simon and Schuster|date=2010|pages=31}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Horowitz|first=David|title=The Shadow Party: How George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Sixties Radicals Seized Control of the Democratic Party|publisher=Simon and Schuster|date=2006|pages=85}}</ref>

===1982–1992===
DSA helped form and continues to work closely with the [[Congressional Progressive Caucus]]: {{quotebox|"Since 1982, DSA has been working for progressive change. As a national organization, DSA joins with its allies in Congress' Progressive Caucus and in many other progressive organizations, fighting for the interests of the average citizen both in legislative struggles and in other campaigns to educate the public on progressive issues and to secure progressive access to the media."<ref>http://kincaidsite.com/dsa/</ref>}} According to the DSA website: {{quotebox|"No, we are not a separate party. Like our friends and allies in the feminist, labor, [[civil rights]], religious, and [[community organizing]] movements, many of us have been active in the Democratic Party. We work with those movements to strengthen the party’s [[left wing]], represented by the Congressional Progressive Caucus...Maybe sometime in the future, in [[coalition]] with our allies, an alternative national party will be viable. For now, we will continue to support progressives who have a real chance at winning elections, which usually means left-wing Democrats."<ref>http://www.dsausa.org/pdf/widemsoc.pdf</ref>;}} DSA, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the [[Institute for Policy Studies]] formed a triple alliance.

===1992–2000===
:''Main article : [[Revolutionary Vanguard]]''
The '''Committees of Correspondence''' ('''CoC'''), also known as the '''[[Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism]]''' ('''CCDS''') was formed in 1992 after the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>https://keywiki.org/Committees_of_Correspondence</ref> Several prominent party [[Communist Party USA]] ruderless without the Soviet Union to offer funding and instructions, and disillusioned with the dictatorial rule of CPUSA General Secretary [[Gus Hall]], split off and to form their own group.<ref>https://www.discoverthenetworks.org/organizations/committees-of-correspondence-for-democracy-and-socialism-ccds/</ref>

The groups first organizational conference was held in [[Berkeley]], [[California]], July 17–19, 1992. Charlene Mitchell, who had been a leader of the California Communist Party, spoke at the conference. Mitchell said "the collapse of [[socialism]] in [[Eastern Europe]] left the [[United States]] in a near unchallenged position of world leadership." She continued,
{{quotebox|"What began as a moment to take stock and ponder where to go from there has now become a very different entity. People from the Communist Party, from CrossRoads, from the Democratic Socialists of America, from NCIPA [National Committee for Independent Political Action], from Solidarity, from the Socialist Organizing Network and many others, including independent leftists and independent socialists, have come together here in Berkeley."}}

In 1995, DSA leader [[Joseph Schwartz]] wrote of the [[Democratic Party]]: {{quotebox|"DSA is by no means naive about the Democratic Party leadership's general drift to the right. As the Democratic Party in most areas is barely an institution, let alone one that facilitates democratic participation, most DSA locals treat it as simply a line on the ballot. Where [[progressive]]s have the strength to battle [[corporate]] interests and use that line for democratic purposes, we support their efforts—witness [[Paul Wellstone]] and [[Carol Moseley Braun]]'s [[Senate]] victories. But where that ballot line is captured by [[centrist]] and center right forces, DSA locals usually abstain from electoral work.''<ref>Dem.Left, July/Aug. 1995 page 19</ref>}}

In 1997 DSA goals by 2017 included: {{quotebox|"A U.S. President from the [[Progressive Caucus]], a 50 member socialist caucus in Congress, successful programs of the likes of [[universal health care]], progressive taxation, social provision and campaign finance reform."<ref>''New Ground'' 51, March - April, 1997</ref>}}

The "Back to Basics Conference" was held Oct. 9–11, 1998, at Chicago's Congress Hotel. Several hundred people attended the conference, which ''In These Times'' magazine sponsored and managed. In practice, the conference urged the [[Left]] to abandon its dead-end, self-destructive course toward cultural politics and return to class politics. {{quotebox|"DSA leaders, Chris Riddiough and Joe Schwartz, organized a panel to discuss "Building a Better Left", a call to work for greater Left unity and organizational strength. DSA is working with the Progressive Caucus in Congress and the Institute for Policy Studies. Labor is essential for an effective Left, along with people of color and women. What is envisioned is not a uniting of organizations, but a broad coalition willing to speak with one voice on issues of common concern. No consensus emerged from discussion, but the proposal remains alive."<ref>http://www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng61.html</ref>.}}

===2000–2016===
[[File:Nassaudsa2018.JPG|right|100px|thumb|]]
Circa 2000, DSA was a national organization of about 7,000 members. There were about 15 local chapters. New locals had just formed in [[Oregon]] and [[Arizona]] and a long dormant local in [[San Francisco]] had a new organizing committee. In [[California]] locals existed in [[San Diego]], [[Sacramento]] and East Bay, as well as San Francisco. The [[Los Angeles]] local had declined to non-functioning in the last 6 years.

Over 50% of total DSA members lived in areas without locals.

In addition the national and locals, there were several Commissions. These groups dealt with specific issues and are not geographically organized. For example, there is currently functioning [[Latino]], Anti-Racism, [[Feminism]], Labor, and [[Religion]] and Socialism Commissions. The [[eco-socialism]] and African American Commissions are currently not functioning. Sacramento DSA, hosted both the Anti-Racism and Latino Commissions.

According to an article written in the [[Boston]] DSA magazine ''Yankee Radical'', January, 2001, by Mike Pattberg; {{quotebox|"On the other hand, the [[Communist Party]] experienced the height of its numbers, power and influence when it abandoned its previous ultra-left course to become the [[Stalin]]ist wing of the [[New Deal]] in the mid-1930s... In any case, by the early 1960s some within the Socialist Party (including future DSA leaders), adopting a variant of the CP’s strategy 25 years earlier, had broken with prevailing labor party orthodoxy. (Or the belief that the SP should continue to run its own candidates without support from labor or anyone else, another version of the same idea.) They instead advanced the concept of “Realignment” in the [[Democratic Party]]; forging a coalition of labor, blacks and middle-class [[liberal]]s and radicals to take over the Party by purging (democratically, of course) Southern racists, big-city bosses and other retrograde elements."<ref>''[http://www.dsaboston.org/yradical/yr2001-01.pdf Yankee Radical]'', January, 2001/</ref>}}

===2016–2018===
In a statement released in November 2016, the DSA National Political Committee referred to the [[Rainbow Coalition]] as a model for today's [[anti-Trump resistance]]: {{quotebox|"Given [[Trump]]'s and [[Pence]]'s vilification of communities of color, [[immigrant]]s, [[Muslim]]s, [[Jew]]s, [[women]] and [[LGBTQ]] people, Democratic Socialists of America’s and the broader [[Left]]’s first priority must be to defend the civil and political rights — and very physical security — of those groups targeted by Trumpism. The appointment of the open [[bigot]] and [[anti-Semite]] [[Steve Bannon|Stephen Bannon]] of [[Breitbart News]] as senior [[White House]] counselor demonstrates that Trump's hateful rhetoric is not just talk. DSA and YDS [Young Democratic Socialists] chapters should be militant supporters of these groups in their immediate struggles to establish [[sanctuary cities]] for the undocumented, to defend Muslims and their [[mosque]]s and to protect women seeking reproductive services. We must also proactively train ourselves to intervene effectively when we witness harassment of and violence against those targeted by the [[white]] [[nativism|nativist]] politics legitimated by the Trump victory. Finally, we should reach out to these communities immediately to express our solidarity and ask what work they would wish us to do. Much of this work will involve DSA deepening our engagement with the [[Black Lives Matter|Movement for Black Lives]], the immigrant rights movement, Fight for 15, the reproductive justice movement and other movements on the frontlines against Trumpism. Under Reagan, similar acts of resistance eventually created a powerful rainbow coalition that advanced a multiracial politics of economic and racial justice. If we fully commit ourselves to these struggles over the next four years there is no reason why a new, even more powerful multiracial coalition for social and economic justice cannot emerge."<ref>[http://www.dsausa.org/we_fight_for_socialism_over_barbarism We Fight for Socialism over Barbarism. Statement from DSA’s National Political Committee], November 13, 2016. Posted by David Duhalde on 11.14.16.</ref>}} Tre Kwon wrote in ''Left Voice'' in June 2017: {{quotebox|“Under [[Reagan]], similar acts of resistance eventually created a powerful rainbow coalition that advanced a multiracial politics of economic and racial justice. If we fully commit ourselves to these struggles over the next four years there is no reason why a new, even more powerful multiracial coalition for social and economic justice cannot emerge.”<ref>[http://www.leftvoice.org/The-DSA-in-the-Democratic-Party-Labyrinth The DSA in the Democratic Party Labyrinth], ''Left Voice'', Tre Kwon JimenaVergaraO June 19, 2017.</ref>}} Since Nov. 8, 2016, thousands have joined DSA. The organization has ballooned to over 14,000 members, more than doubling in size from 6,500 members in May 2016. DSA National Director [[Maria Svart]] says of new sign-ups, “You could literally see the moment when Trump was declared the winner.”<ref>[http://inthesetimes.com/article/19795/socialisms-trump-bump-democratic-socialists-america ITT JANUARY 23, 2017 With Donald Trump as President, Americans Are Flocking to Socialism Membership in the Democratic Socialists of America has surged since the election. BY KATE ARONOFF]</ref>

By July 2018, after explosive growth from the [[Bernie Sanders]] movement and opposition to president Trump Democratic Socialists of America hit 44,000 members

==Internal democracy==
In 2016, membership tripled. But the DSA is unlike other political parties. The DSA in 2019 struggles to manage its explosive growth at the local level while allowing for "internal democracy."<ref>https://dsaspringplatform.org/the-platform/</ref> In local [[Republican]] and [[Democratic party]] precinct caucuses it's not uncommon for a [[church]] or [[labor union]] to take over a delegation to county, district, and state conventions. These churches or labor unions may have a specific agenda contrary to the state or national party. That's how [[grassroots]] [[democracy]] in America works.

The DSA is quite different. No individual or organized outside group can take over a local chapter; decisions, directives, and objectives come from on high, and members must conform to pre-fabricated [[Marxist]] theory as interpreted by the national leadership. In essence, members at the local level must submit to party indoctrination, and leave their personal causes and motivations at the door. Without this conformity, there are no voting rights within the party.

Section F of the DSA's 2019 Spring Platform (the "platform" can change seasonally, but the changes come from on high - caucuses have no input) says as much:
{{quotebox|'''Caucuses''' DSA prides itself on being a multi-tendency political organization, but ''for most of its history it has actively discouraged the development of distinct political tendencies within DSA''. We understand concerns over the potential divisiveness they might produce, as well as the feeling that ''political and theoretical debates could distract from the business of organizing''. In the absence of organized tendencies, key political questions are resolved largely ''based on staff and elected leaders interpreting what the “mainstream” political views of DSA are''. The result is that strategic ''differences within the organization are rarely discussed openly and explicitly. This limits understanding among DSA’s membership about the key issues'' facing the organization, and limited coherence in DSA’s political decision-making. If elected,<ref>Note in context of this platform resolution, "if elected" refers to the platform, not any person or candidate. ''Who'' does the electing is not spelled out, and it certainly is not members of a local chapter, the equivalent of a precinct caucus in the two major parties.</ref> we will work to facilitate the development of organized political caucuses in the organization that will provide space for members to develop their political perspectives, and perform the valuable function of assembling the wide range of political views in the membership into a set of coherent tendencies. [''ital added'']}} Members are organized robots. DSA is not a debating society. The Caucus provision in the 2019 Spring Platform is tossing a bone to newcomers, essentially saying member input is something we'll think about, without a clue as to who is empowered to make decisions.

To the extent the DSA allows local input, it is limited to debate on [[strategy]]. The [[policy]] focus is set in concrete - Marxist class theory and the theory of class struggle: oppressors overthrown by the oppressed.

===Left Inside/Outside Project===
{{quotebox|"The DSA National Electoral Committee has joined the [[Left Inside/Outside Project]] and will be participating in a call to discuss left political strategy. Here is the invitation for those interested in participating: The Left Inside/Outside Project invites you to a cross-organizational discussion of left political strategy. This video conference will feature speakers from different organizations in the Left Inside/Outside Project providing their perspective on the key questions facing leftists that are trying to build electoral power alongside social movements, all while navigating the complicated terrain of Democratic party politics. We will also have small group discussions and describe opportunities for collaboration across organizational lines."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20180527031042/https://www.dsausa.org/left_political_strategy_discussion_with DSA Left Political Strategy discussion with the Left Inside/Outside Project], Posted by Lawrence Dreyfuss on 05.22.18</ref>}}

==''Democratic Left'' magazine==
''Democratic Left'' is the regular publication of the DSA that has run from the 1970s to the present. Issues from 2000 - 2010 are publicly available on the [http://www.dsausa.org/dl/ Democratic Left website]. The ''Newsletter of the Democratic Left'' was the forerunner of the ''Democratic Left'', and was published by the [[Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee]] (DSOC). DSOC later merged with the [[New American Movement]] and in 1982 formed the DSA.

==Prominent members==
Since its formation in 1982, many prominent people have been active in Democratic Socialists of America, including;
<div style="column-count:4;-moz-column-count:4;-webkit-column-count:4">
*[[Neil Abercrombie]], former Hawaii Governor, Obama friend
*[[Ed Asner]], actor, activist
*[[Ron Bloom]], former Obama "Car Czar"
*[[David Bonior]], Former Democratic congressman
*[[Paul Buhle]], labor historian, marxist
*[[Noam Chomsky]], academic, linguist, activist
*[[John Conyers]], US congressman from Michigan
*[[Ron Dellums]], Former Democratic congressman, avowed "socialist"
*[[David Dinkins]], former New York mayor
*[[Barbara Ehrenreich]], academic, activist, marxist
*[[Michael Harrington]], DSA founder
*[[Maurice Isserman]], historian
*[[Mildred Jeffrey]], feminist, unionist, Democratic Party leader
*[[Mike Lux]], Democratic Party strategist
*[[Carrie Meek]], former Florida conresswoman
*[[Jerry Nadler]], Democrat congressman, New York
*[[Major Owens]], Former Democratic Party, New York Congressman
*[[Christine Riddiough]], [[Democratic Party]] and gay activist
*[[Richard Rorty]], atheistic activist and literary philosophy professor
*[[Bob Ross]], academic, activist
*[[Bernie Sanders]], US Senator from Vermont
*[[Jan Schakowsky]], Democrat congresswoman, Chicago
*[[Joseph Schwartz]], academic, activist
*[[Kurt Stand]], former communist, convicted East German and Soviet spy
*[[Gloria Steinem]], feminist, activist, writer
*[[John J. Sweeney]], former AFL-CIO president
*[[Cornel West]], academic, activist, Obama friend and adviser, marxist
*[[Radical_roots_of_Barack_Hussein_Obama#Chicago_communists|Quentin Young]], former communist, health activist, Obama mentor
</div>

==See also==
*[[Democratic Socialism]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Socialism]]
[[Category:Liberal Organizations]]

Rose (symbolism)

2019-08-02T17:32:16Z

JamesQT: Copyedits

The '''red rose''' has been a symbol for various movements and languages, particularly Romance-influenced movements.

In particular, the red rose is an icon for [[democratic socialism]]. The [[Democratic Socialists of America]] use the red rose as their logo.<ref>Lekach, S. (June 3, 2017). [https://mashable.com/2017/06/03/emoji-twitter-handles-meanings/ The real meaning of all those emoji in Twitter handles]. ''Mashable''. Retrieved August 2, 2019.</ref> In the UK, the red rose was chosen by the [[Labour Party]] as a "friendlier" replacement of the traditionally socialist red flag symbol.<ref>Ellis, S. (July 13, 2016). [https://britishheritage.com/the-red-rose-of-labour The Red Rose of Labour
]. ''British Heritage''. Retrieved August 2, 2019.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Symbols]]

Rose (symbolism)

2019-08-02T17:31:28Z

JamesQT: Adding info

The '''red rose''' has been a symbol for various movements and languages, particularly Romance-influenced movements.

In particular, the red rose is an icon for [[democratic socialism]]. The [[Democratic Socialists of America]] use the red rose as their logo.<ref>Lekach, S. (June 3, 2017). [https://mashable.com/2017/06/03/emoji-twitter-handles-meanings/ The real meaning of all those emoji in Twitter handles]. ''Mashable''. Retrieved August 2, 2019.</ref> In the UK, the red rose was chosen by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] as a "friendlier" replacement of the [[red flag]] symbolism.<ref>Ellis, S. (July 13, 2016). [https://britishheritage.com/the-red-rose-of-labour The Red Rose of Labour
]. ''British Heritage''. Retrieved August 2, 2019.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Symbols]]

Bernie Sanders

2019-08-02T17:22:20Z

JamesQT: Bundling refs.

{{Officeholder
|name=Bernie Sanders
|image=Sanders.jpg
|party=[[Democrat Party|Democrat]] and [[Democratic Socialists of America|Democratic Socialist]]
|spouse=Jane O'Meara (2nd wife)
|religion=
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Vermont
|terms=January 3, 2007 – Present
|preceded=[[Jim Jeffords]]
|former=n
|succeeded=
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Vermont
|district=at-large
|terms=January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2007
|preceded=Peter Smith
|former=n
|succeeded=Peter Welch
}}
}}

'''Bernard "Bernie" Sanders''', born September 8, 1941 (age {{age|1941|9|8}}), is a greedy [[limousine liberal]] [[elitism|elitist]], millionaire 1%er,<ref name="1%er">Multiple references:
*Curl, Joseph (June 6, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jun/6/socialist-bernie-sanders-gets-superrich-in-capital/ Socialist Bernie Sanders gets superrich in capitalist U.S.]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
*Renzulli, Kerri Anne (March 15, 2016). [http://time.com/money/4235986/bernie-sanders-millionaire-finances/ Bernie Sanders Is a De Facto Millionaire]. ''Time''. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
*Gross, Daniel (February 28, 2016). [http://fortune.com/2016/02/28/bernie-sanders-socialist-finances/ How Bernie Sanders, the Socialist, Quietly Entered the Top 4% of Earners]. ''Fortune''. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
*Shaw, Adam (February 21, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-socialist-bernie-sanders-has-3-houses-makes-millions Lifestyles of the rich and socialist: Bernie Sanders has 3 houses, makes millions]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
*Schmidt, Ann W. (April 9, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/how-did-bernie-sanders-make-his-money-a-look-at-his-wealth-and-assets How did Bernie Sanders make his money? A look at his wealth and assets]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
*Xiao, Bowen (April 16, 2019). [https://www.theepochtimes.com/socialist-bernie-sanders-is-part-of-the-top-1-tax-returns-confirm_2881908.html Socialist Bernie Sanders Is Part of the Top 1 Percent, Tax Returns Confirm]. ''The Epoch Times''. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
*Kirkwood, R. Cort (April 16, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/32028-tax-returns-show-socialist-sanders-is-an-old-skinflint Tax Returns Show Socialist Sanders Is an Old Skinflint]. ''The New American''. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
*Starr, Penny (April 15, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/04/15/socialist-sanders-tax-returns-top-1-percent-earners/ Socialist Sanders’ Tax Returns Reveal Presidential Hopeful in Top 1% of U.S. Earners]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 16, 2019.</ref> and [[demagogue]] who [[predator|prey]]s on naive and unsuspecting youth, minorities, and working people with "feel good" slogans and pie-in-the-sky [[Marxist]] [[rhetoric]]. He currently serves as a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] representing [[Vermont]]. Marxist "[[dialectical materialism|class division]]" and "[[class warfare|class hate]]" is the central theme of Sanders' speeches. Sanders 2020 Presidential campaign slogan is, "No Middle Ground."<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uhJ_MmIbq0</ref> Sanders is a [[Socialist mass murder denier]] and proponent of communist [[dictatorship]].<ref>Morris, Kyle (February 25, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/02/25/candid-camera-breadline-bernie-sanders-decades-long-defense-of-socialism-communism/ Candid Camera: ‘Breadline Bernie’ Sanders’ Decades-Long Defense of Socialism, Communism]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved February 25, 2019.</ref>

Sanders has strong ties with Marxist and Communist organizations.<ref>Bohon, Dave (June 2, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/32490-bernie-sanders-record-shows-longtime-communist-marxist-affiliation Bernie Sanders’ Record Shows Longtime Communist-Marxist Affiliation]. ''The New American''. Retrieved June 3, 2019.</ref> He ran for office on the Vermont ballot as an 'Independent', is the founder of the [[communist]]-dominated [[Congressional Progressive Caucus]], and caucuses with [[Democrats]]. He has been instrumental in the [[far left]] take over of the [[Democratic party]]. He calls himself a [[Democratic Socialists of America|Democratic Socialist]], registered as a Democrat to run for the presidency in the [[2016 presidential election|2016 elections]], dropped out, and re-registered again for the [[2020 presidential election]].

He served in the House of Representatives for eight terms after serving several terms as mayor of Burlington. Sanders has a 100% pro-[[abortion]] voting record. Sanders has a child born out of wedlock.<ref>Multiple references:
*Kruse, Michael (July 9, 2015). [https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/07/bernie-sanders-vermont-119927 "Bernie Sanders has a secret"]. Politico website.
*Gould, Martin (July 15, 2015). [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3155396/Bernie-Sanders-1960s-love-life-revealed-wife-woman-son-sugar-shack-home-lived-revolutionary.html "Bernie Sanders' very 1960s love life revealed - his first wife, the woman who had his son, and the sugar shack home where he lived as a 'revolutionary'"], ''Daily Mail'' website.</ref>

Sanders has a devout and [[violent]] following, made up of many of the same people that voted for [[Barack Hussein Obama]]. He tickles his supporters' ears with all the usual [[Marxist]] claptrap: banks are bad, equality, the middle class, minimum wage, free healthcare, free college, a government so big it will be like living in a [[utopia]].

==Presidential campaigns==
''[[USA Today]]'' reported a [[The_indictment_of_12_Russian_nationals,_13_July_2018#Use_of_Organization_1|37-page indictment]] from special counsel [[Mueller office|Robert Mueller’s investigation]] shows that Russians worked to boost the campaign of Bernie Sanders to damage [[Hillary Clinton]]. The Russians “engaged in operations primarily intended to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton, to denigrate other candidates such as Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and to support Bernie Sanders."<ref>https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/02/17/indictment-russians-also-tried-help-bernie-sanders-jill-stein-presidential-campaigns/348051002/</ref>
[[File:SG-ted-devine-bernie-sanders-paul-manafort.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Ted Devine (left) Benrie Sanders (center) Paul Manafort (right). Devine and Sanders colluded with Putin stooge Victor Yanukovich and reported to Russian intelligence officer Konstantin Kilimnik. Manafort faces life in prison. Devine was hired by Sanders as chief strategist for his 2016 and 2018 presidential campaigns.<ref>https://twitter.com/PuestoLoco/status/1070005636535148545</ref>]]
Sanders hired [[Paul Manafort]] partner [[Tad Devine]] of Devine Mulvey Longabaug as his chief strategist.<ref>http://dmlmessage.com/about/</ref> Devine and Manafort worked for the election of [[Putin]] [[crony]] [[Victor Yanukovich]] as President of the [[Ukraine]] in 2010.<ref>https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/07/bernie-sanders-strategist-tad-devine-paul-manafort-files-mueller</ref> In February 2019 Sanders entered the [[2020 presidential election]] and re-hired Devine's company, of which Devine is president.<ref>https://www.thedailybeast.com/bernie-sanders-hires-top-civil-liberties-advocate-faiz-shakir-as-campaign-manager</ref>

Sanders reminisced about his drunken honeymoon to ''[[Time magazine]]'' in his beloved [[USSR|Soviet Russia]]: {{quotebox|"on our honeymoon, I took Jane to [[Russia]], back when it was still known as the Soviet Union. Russia was an incredible place back then, before the billionaires ruined everything. Who needs 30 different types of deodorant anyway? In the glory days of the [[Soviet Union]], there was one brand, it was called “Deodorant,” and you had to wait four hours in line for it. By the time you got your hands on one, you were sweating so badly, not even the greediest billionaire’s fanciest deodorant could mask the stench. Or as I call it: The sweet smell of [[equality]]!"<ref>https://www.trumprussiaconspiracy.com/2019/01/29/bernie-sanders-and-wife-on-their-honeymoon-in-russia-singing-this-land-is-your-land-with-their-russian-comrades/</ref><ref>https://medium.com/the-haven/bernie-sanders-reminisces-about-honeymoon-in-soviet-union-bcbe3537e06c</ref>}} Vladimir Putin commented on the glory days of the Soviet Union: {{quotebox|"Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain.}}

===2020 campaign===
Sanders hired [[Paul Manafort]] partner [[Tad Devine]] as an advisor on both his 2016 and 2018 campaigns. Devine managed [[Putin]] ally [[Viktor Yanukovych]] campaign for the presidency of [[Ukraine]]. Upon Sanders announcement of his intention to run, Sanders immediately shot up as the top frontrunner of Democratic hopefuls in the [[2020 Presidential election]].

True to his Marxist convictions, Sanders claims that his own words "mischaraterize" his thinking.<ref>https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1144436123122524161</ref>

====Staff====
See: [[Individuals who have served on Bernie Sander's staff]]
=====Anti-Semitism=====
A senior political advisor to Sanders and former adviser to the anti-Semitic [[Women's March]], Winnie Wong, tweeted a gif of [[far left]] [[UK]] [[Labour Party]] leader and [[anti-Semite]] [[Jeremy Corbyn]] dancing on the grave of former [[Prime Minister]] [[Margaret Thatcher]]. The gif also contains a [[Rose (symbolism)|Red Rose]], the symbol of the global socialist movement and conspiracy.<ref>https://tenor.com/view/corbin-corbyn-maggie-thatcher-dance-gif-7229175</ref> after Conservative Party Prime Minister [[Theresa May]]resigned in the Spring of 2019. Wong tweeted the image and wrote, "Jeremy Corbyn's gonna to be the next PM of England. That's gonna be so much fun."<ref>https://freebeacon.com/politics/sanders-advisor-tweets-gif-of-jeremy-corbyn-dancing-on-margaret-thatchers-grave/</ref> Thatcher, who was British PM at the demise of the [[Soviet Union]] famously said, "There is no alternative to [[capitalism]]."

=====Sexual violence=====
Sanders ran a campaign that was rife with sexual violence and harassment against males, females, and other genders. Sanders ignored complaints from at least two dozen [[male]] and female volunteers (and however many other genders) of "sexual [[violence]] and harassment" in his [[2016 presidential election|2016 presidential campaign]].<ref>https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/30/bernie-sanders-campaign-harassment-1077014</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that Sanders had apologized to female victims of sexual violence who "were not treated properly",<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/sanders-sexism-apology.html</ref> however male victims of sexual violence in the Sanders campaign have not been addressed. Secondly, a mere "apology" does not address the serious issue of sexual violence in the Sanders campaign. No single person has been reported to have been arrested or disciplined.

=====Starvation wages=====
While Sanders vowed a $15 minimum wage, he was only paying campaign workers $13 an hour. Many complained of poor working conditions. In response, Sanders raised pay to $15 an hour and cut their hours.<ref>Kirkwood, R. Cort (July 19, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/32891-sanders-starving-campaign-workers-ask-for-another-bowl-of-gruel Sanders’ Starving Campaign Workers Ask for Another Bowl of Gruel]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 22, 2019.</ref><ref>Kirkwood, R. Cort (July 22, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/32918-sanders-will-raise-workers-pay-to-15-per-hour-by-cutting-their-hours Sanders Will Raise Workers’ Pay to $15 Per Hour — by Cutting Their Hours]. ''The New American''. Retrieved July 22, 2019.</ref> Loss of hours and part-time status had the effect of reducing healthcare benefits.

=====Unfair labor practices=====
Sanders’ campaign was hit with an unfair labor practice complaint alleging illegal employee interrogation and retaliation against staffers. The complaint to the [[National Labor Relations Board]], lists five potential violations of the National Labor Relations Act. The charge also alleges that the campaign unlawfully discharged an employee, modified a labor contract, and engaged in illegal discipline.<ref>https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/sanders-white-house-campaign-hit-with-federal-labor-complaint</ref>

====Racism====
Bernie Sanders said of [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]]: {{quotebox|Residents of Baltimore’s poorest boroughs have lifespans shorter than people living under dictatorship in [[North Korea]]. That is a disgrace.<ref>https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/728278867639676930</ref>}} Sanders further added, "anyone who took the walk that we took around this Baltimore neighborhood would not think you’re in a wealthy nation, you'd think that you were in a [[Third World]] country”.<ref>https://www.baltimoresun.com/politics/bs-md-sanders-baltimore-20151207-story.html</ref>

Baltimore Deputy Police Chief was robbed at gunpoint.<ref>https://www.foxnews.com/us/arrests-announced-in-gunpoint-robbery-baltimore-deputy-police-commissioner</ref> By mid 2019 Baltimore was a rat infested dump with 180 homicides.<ref>https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/07/video-proves-trump-right-baltimore-is-rat-infested-dump-with-180-homicides-so-far-this-year-video/</ref>. Baltimore is so infested with rodents the ''Baltimore Sunn' published a map of rat hot spot map.<ref>https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1155352238493069312</ref><ref>https://archive.fo/bn0Zx</ref> [[Speaker Nancy Pelosi]] white-flighted from Baltimore in 1962.<ref>https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2006/10/07/family-dynasty-may-boost-pelosi-to-head-of-house-2/amp/</ref><ref>https://qz.com/393128/white-flight-decimated-baltimore-businesses-long-before-rioters-showed-up/amp/</ref>

=====New Jim Crow=====
:{{See also|The New Jim Crow}}
Bernie Sanders voted for the Clinton era 1994 Crime bill,<ref>https://www.vox.com/2016/2/26/11116412/bernie-sanders-mass-incarceration</ref> authored by Sen. [[Joe Biden]]. The bill added more than forty crimes that would be eligible for the [[death penalty]]. The [[NAACP]] and other groups lobbied against the bill.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/27/us/civil-libertarians-go-after-crime-bills.html</ref>

By 2001, the United States had the highest rate of incarceration in the world. [[Human Rights Watch]] reported that in seven states, [[African American]]s constituted 80 to 90 percent of all drug offenders even though they were no more likely than whites to use or sell illegal drugs. Prison admissions for drug offenses reached a level in 2000 for African Americans more than 26 times the level they had been under [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/hillary-clinton-does-not-deserve-black-peoples-votes/ Why Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Deserve the Black Vote], Michelle Alexander, ''The Nation'', February 10, 2016</ref>

Among other provisions, the bill targeted "Superpredators," and handed out 20 year mandatory sentences for gang membership or recruiting. The bill did "everything but hang people for jaywalking.”<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=AK_DAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA141&dq=we%20do%20everything%20but%20hang%20people%20for%20jaywalking&pg=PA141#v=onepage&q=we%20do%20everything%20but%20hang%20people%20for%20jaywalking&f=false The First Civil Right: How Liberals Built Prison America]'', Naomi Murakawa, Oxford University Press, Jul 10, 2014, p. 141.</ref>

====Prison industrial complex====
Sanders adopted [[Linda Evans]] prison industrial complex slogan as part agenda.<ref>https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1104190335805255680</ref> Evans is a [[far left]] radical member of the terrorist group [[Weather Underground]]<ref>http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/horowitz090601.asp</ref> who was convicted and sentenced in 1987 to 40 years in prison in connection with the 1981 Brinks armored truck robbery in which two police officers and a guard were killed. In a second case, she was sentenced in 1990 to five years in prison for [[conspiracy]] and malicious destruction in connection with eight bombings, including the 1983 [[United States Senate]] bombing.

While in prison, she authored ''The Prison Industrial Complex'' with funding from the [[George Soros]] [[Open Society Foundations|Open Society Institute]].<ref>[http://sorosfiles.com/soros/2011/10/soros-funded-media-and-the-glorification-of-the-weather-underground.html Soros-funded Media and the Glorification of the Weather Underground]</ref>

===2016 campaign===
At a press conference on April 30, 2015, Sanders announced his intention to run for the Democrat nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/29/vermont-sen-bernie-sanders-am-running-for-president/ "Vermont Sen. Sanders announces White House bid, says he's 'running to win'"] (April 30, 2015). FoxNews.com website/Politics.</ref> Sanders accused his main rival, [[Hillary Clinton]] of [[racism]], but in the end he backed the [[racist]] Democrat nominee.<ref>https://youtu.be/hlyx70WQqck</ref>

Sanders calls himself an outsider and anti-[[establishment]]. He has spent the last 40 years in politics, though admittedly, he has never been able to attain the level of "establishment", because he has been unable to be accepted by anyone, nor to receive much support on any of his issues. His own views are the reason why he has long been an "outsider", even though he's been admitted to serve in the government.

Sanders does take pleasure in creating the same straw men as Obama. Specifically, the GOP war on women. Calls to defund [[Planned Parenthood]] is an opportunity for Sanders to denounce the treatment of women. He would kill a child in the womb for any reason and at any term but the GOP is extremist. Sanders will say the GOP wants to deny women's health services. The facts are that 13,000 women's health centers are available that are not owned by Planned Parenthood. He supports babies chopped up and sold for parts. No concern for underage victims of rape not being reported. He is indifferent to the fraudulent billing of the US government.

Class warfare is a favorite theme for Sanders, pitting rich against the poor. His Marxist linchpin is the argument that the banks are too big. He also claims that billionaires are hurting the country, citing the Koch brothers over and over. He believes that America needs to spend another $18 Trillion dollars despite being $18 Trillion in debt. He has also made claims supporting single-payer healthcare, free college tuition, etc.

In one rant, Sanders claimed that Americans needlessly have too many choices when it comes to deodorant brands, noting that he counted 23 different types of the product for sale. Somehow he tied the story into feeding the poor. Reason.com produced a satirical video mocking its absurdity titled "The Bernie Sanders Save the Children Fund".<ref>[http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fspZiT8TdBE "The Bernie Sanders Save The Children Fund"] (May 27, 2015). YouTube video, 1:15, posted by ReasonTV.</ref>

He has said that [[America]] is racist, and he frequently puts America down.

Sanders is the author of "Rape Essays," a 1972 essay on sexual behavior filled with lurid sexual fantasies. He claimed that it was a satirical essay against traditional gender roles.<ref>Merica, Don (May 28, 2015). [https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/28/politics/bernie-sanders-rape-essay-1972/index.html Bernie Sanders distances himself from 'dumb' 1972 essay on rape]. ''CNN''. Retrieved October 11, 2017.</ref><ref>Peyser, Andrea (June 5, 2015). [http://nypost.com/2015/06/05/bernie-sanders-rape-fantasy-essay-reveals-left-wing-hypocrisy/ Bernie Sanders’ rape-fantasy essay reveals left-wing hypocrisy]. ''New York Post''. Retrieved October 11, 2017.</ref>

Sanders uses what some people call [[Christian socialism]] to further his campaign, citing [[Pope Francis]]. However, Sanders cherry picks what elements of Christianity he agrees with and ignores the rest. He told a crowd of 300 in [[Alabama]] that [[Jesus]] was a socialist.<ref>Flynn, Mike (July 14, 2015). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/07/14/jesus-was-a-socialist-bernie-sanders-rocks-alabama/ "'Jesus was a socialist': Bernie Sanders rocks Alabama"]. Breitbart website/Big goverment.</ref>

==Democratic Socialism==
:{{See also|Democratic Socialism}}
Sanders began his electoral political career in 1971 as a member of the Liberty Union Party, which originated in the anti-war movement and the [[People's Party (1970s)|People's Party]]. He ran as the Liberty Union candidate for governor of Vermont in 1972 and 1976 and as a candidate for U.S. senator in 1972 and 1974.<ref>[http://media.cq.com/members/509?rc=1 Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.)] RollCall.com. Retrieved February 20, 2017.</ref> Sanders claimed the U.S. government and [[CIA]] were responsible for a series of domestic bombings.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2019/05/01/bernie-sanders-false-flag-domestic-bombings/?utm_medium=email</ref> In 1980, Sanders ran for mayor of Burlington, Vermont at the suggestion of his close friend and political confidante Richard Sugarman, a professor of religion at the [[University of Vermont]]. He defeated the incumbent Democrat mayor by 10 votes and served for eight years, from April 6, 1981, to April 4, 1989. From 1980 to 1984, Sanders campaigned for the [[Socialist Workers Party]] and was investigated by the FBI because of his association with the Marxist group.<ref>Simonson, Joseph (May 30, 2019). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/bernie-sanders-campaigned-for-marxist-party-in-reagan-era Bernie Sanders campaigned for Marxist party in Reagan era]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved May 30, 2019.</ref>

In 1986, Sanders unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Governor Madeleine Kunin (D) in her reelection bid. Running as an independent, Sanders finished third with 14.4% of the vote. Kunin won with 47%, followed by Lt. Governor Peter P. Smith (R) with 38%.

In 1990 Sanders was elected to the [[U.S. Congress]] as a [[Socialist]] on a third party ticket. Sanders was a leading member of the [[National Rainbow Coalition]] at the time and was one of two candidates endorsed by the He was supported by the Democratic Socialists of America Political Action Committee. "DSAer Democrat" [[Neil Abercrombie]] also sought to regain the House seat representing [[Honolulu]].<ref>''Democratic Left'', November/December 1990, page 4.</ref> Sanders was endorsed by the [[AFL-CIO]], [[environmentalist]]s and Democratic Party leaders.<ref>''[[People's Weekly World]]'', Nov. 10 1990, page 23.</ref>

DSA supported Sanders 2006 Senate race.<ref>http://www.dsausa.org/dl/Winter_2006.pdf</ref><ref>[http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/democratic-socialists-of-america-pac.asp?cycle=06 CampaignMoney.com 2006 Cycle]</ref><ref>[http://www.dsaboston.org/yradical/yr2007-04.pdf TYR, April 2007]</ref>

Sanders has praised failing and flawed welfare systems of other countries as a model for the U.S. to follow.<ref>Bleau, Hannah (July 27, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/07/27/bernie-praises-welfare-systems-of-other-countries-shies-away-from-term-democratic-socialism/ Bernie Praises Welfare Systems of Other Countries, Shies Away from Term ‘Democratic Socialism’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 27, 2019.</ref>

===Sandinistas===
In 1985 Sanders traveled to New York City to meet with [[Daniel Ortega]] a few weeks after [[Nicaragua]] imposed a “state of emergency”, mass arrests of the socialist regime's critics, and the shuttering of opposition newspapers and magazines. Sanders refused to condemn the decision. Sanders said in a press conference that he was “not an expert in Nicaragua” and “not a Nicaraguan." “Am I aware enough of all the details of what is going on in Nicaragua to say ‘you have reacted too strongly?’ I don’t know.” Sanders later said that the Sandinistas’ brutal crackdown “makes sense to me.” TV talk-show host Phil Donahue told Ortega that his actions looked "[[fascist]]".

In 1985 Sanders was "the highest ranking American official” to attend a parade celebrating the [[Sandinista]] seizure of power in Nicaragua as Daniel Ortega's guest. Other wire reports described it as an “anti-U.S. rally" with the crowd chanting “Here, there, everywhere/the Yankee will die.”<ref>[https://www.yahoo.com/politics/bernie-sanders-radical-past-how-the-vermont-230255076.html Bernie Sanders’ radical past: How the Vermont firebrand started wearing a suit and gave up on taking over big companies], Hunter Walker, Yahoo Politics, January 17, 2016.</ref>

Sanders thought the Sandinista [[Marxist-Leninist]] clique had much to teach Burlington: “Vermont could set an example to the rest of the nation similar to the type of example Nicaragua is setting for the rest of [[Latin America]].”

In 1987 Sanders hosted Nora Astorga of the Sandinistas to Burlington. Astorga had lured Gen. Reynaldo Perez-Vega, a high-ranking figure in the Somoza regime, to her apartment with promises of sex. Perez-Vega’s body was later recovered wrapped in a Sandinista flag with his throat slit.<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/28/when-bernie-sanders-thought-castro-and-the-sandinistas-could-teach-america-a-lesson.html When Bernie Sanders Thought Castro And The Sandinistas Could Teach America A Lesson], Michael Moynihan, ''Daily Beast'', 02.27.16.</ref>

===U.S Peace Council===
A notice was placed in the communist newspaper, the ''[[Guardian (NY)]]'' on November 8, 1989, concerning an upcoming [[U.S. Peace Council]] national conference.<ref>''Guardian'', November 8, 1989</ref> The U.S. Peace Council was a [[Kremlin]]-backed anti-American [[communist front]] organization. Speakers included Bernie Sanders, Rep.[[John Conyers]], [[Leslie Cagan]], [[Holly Sklar]], Jack O'Dell of the [[Rainbow Coalition]], Zehdi Terzi of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]], Gunther Drefahl of the [[East German]] Peace Council among others.<ref>[http://www.aim.org/aim-column/should-the-nsa-be-watching-senator-sanders/ AIM Should the NSA Be Watching Senator Sanders? Cliff Kincaid — January 6, 2014]</ref>

==='Socialist Scholars'===
Sanders was a regular speaker at the Democratic Socialist's alleged 'Socialist Scholars' conferences and other DSA conventions throughout the country along with [[DSA]] vice chair and former director of the National Gay and Lesbian Clubs Christine Riddiough, DSA director Jim Shoch, [[Harry Magdoff]], Paul Sweezy, [[Frances Fox Piven]], Joseph S. Murphy of CUNY, President of the [[SEIU]] Local 1199 Dennis Rivera, author Ellen Willis, Doug Henwood, Robert Heilbroner, Bill Tabb, Robert Fitch, Jane Slaughter and Ellen Meiksins Wood.<ref>''Democratic Left'', November/December 1991, page 11.</ref><ref>''Dem. Left'', Sept./Oct 1995, page 40.</ref> Sanders was introduced by Congressman [[Bob Filner]] as the keynote speaker at DSA's national convention in 1999.

===I.F. Stone===
In October 1988, [[KGB]] agent and American [[propagandist]] [[I. F. Stone]] wrote a letter endorsing Burlington mayor Bernie Sanders' congressional run: {{quotebox|''Dear Friend, I've been politically active all my life. I was a member of the Executive Committee of the Socialist Party in New Jersey, before I was old enough to vote. Now I'd like to ask you to join me in a historic step forward in American politics. My favorite Mayor -- Bernie Sanders of Burlington, Vermont -- is running for Congress, and with our help he can win an unprecedented victory for us all. Bernie is a unique figure in our political system. He's an '''unapologetic socialist''' who has been elected Mayor of Vermont's largest city four times. He has proved that a socialist, running as an Independent against the combined opposition of Republicans and Democrats, can be successful by speaking out for working people, the elderly and the poor. Under Bernie's leadership, Burlington has become a vibrant, innovative city, nationally recognized for its accomplishments. The U. S. Conference of Mayors recently gave it the "Most Liveable City" award, and even the conservative U.S. News and World Report has spotlighted Bernie as one of the country's Top Twenty Mayors (December 21, 1987). Bernie has been a leader in the struggle for peace and justice . His activism was instrumental in Vermont's strong support of the Nuclear Freeze in its town meetings in 1982. He has traveled to Nicaragua to speak out against the Reagan Administration's war, and to establish a Sister City relation between Burlington and Puerto Cabezas. More recently, he went to the Soviet Union to set up a Sister City program with Yaroslavl. While socialism has a long and proud history in America, extending back to the utopian experiments of the early 1800s, it's been a long time since we've had a socialist voice in Congress. Not since Victor Berger of Milwaukee in the twenties , has the debate gone beyond the limits set by the conventional two-party system. Having Bernie in Washington will widen out the limits of political discussion. He'll speak up loudly, as he has in Vermont, for real alternatives. He'll show that we need a pragmatic socialism to deal with the grave problems of our economic system. I.F. STONE''}}

===Voting record===
Bernie Sanders has missed 4.4% of the roll call votes, higher than the average 1.7% of lifelong senators' records.<ref name=legislativerecord>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/bernard_sanders/400357 GovTrack.US]</ref> As of October 2015, he has introduced 353 bills in his 16 years in Congress, though only 3 of them were into law, giving him less than a 1% success rate.<ref name=sanderslegislation-washtimes>Miller, S.A.; Dinan, Stephen (October 27, 2015). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/oct/27/bernie-sanders-record-in-congress-shows-little-soc/?page=all Sanders has a tough time turning his socialist visions into reality]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved October 11, 2017.</ref>

Between 1995 and 2007, Sanders passed 17 amendments by a recorded roll call vote, the highest of any member of Congress during that period.<ref>[https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/mar/24/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-was-roll-call-amendment-king-1995-2/]</ref>

===CPC founders===
Once elected, Saunders was the founder of the [[Congressional Progressive Caucus]]. Co-founders included House members [[Ron Dellums]], Lane Evans, Tom Andrews, [[Peter DeFazio]], and [[Maxine Waters]].

Since 1998 the Progressive Caucus has held its own Progressive State of the Union. Attendees and speakers include [[Tammy Baldwin]] [D-WI], John Cavanagh co-director of the Institute for Policy Studies, [[John Conyers]] [D-MI], Peter DeFazio [D-OR], Karen Dolan, Coordinator Institute for Policy Studies, Earl Hilliard [D-AL], Maurice Hinchey [D-NY], [[Stephanie Tubbs Jones]] [D-OH], [[Barbara Lee]], [D-CA], [[Jerrold Nadler]] [D-NY], [[Grace Napolitano]] [D-CA], [[Major Owens]] [D-NY], Bernie Sanders, [I-VT], [[Jan Schakowsky]], [D-IL], House Minority Whip David Bonior (D-MI), [[Dennis Kucinich]] (D-OH); [[Cynthia McKinney]] (D-GA); and [[Lynn Woolsey]](D-CA).<ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/news2000/0126-103.htm Common Dreams, Progressive Groups And Congressional Caucus To Present Their Third Annual Alternative State Of The Union Address, JANUARY 26, 2000]</ref><ref>[https://www.c-span.org/video/?118893-1/progressive-state-union-address CSPAN, JANUARY 19, 1999 Progressive State of the Union Address]</ref>

===CPUSA 'Jobs for All' bill===
In 1997 Rep. Matthew Martinez of [[California]] introduced the "Martinez Public Works Jobs Bill" at the request of the Los Angeles Labor Coalition for Public Works Jobs. The leaders of the Coalition and its only affiliate, the New York Coalition for Public Works Jobs, are all members and supporters of the Communist Party USA. The bill had 33 original co-sponsors, including Sanders.<ref>[http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45b/085.html The Job Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act of 1997 (H.R. 950)], from the New York State Communist Party email list 16 March 1997, accessed June 14, 2010.</ref>

===Anti-NAFTA===
In 1995 Marcy Kaptur, [[Peter DeFazio]], [[Nydia Velasquez]], [[Gene Taylor]] and Bernie Sanders co-sponsored a Bill, to force the US to withdraw from NAFTA.<ref>''People's Weekly World'', January 21, 1995, page 4.</ref>

===Council for a Livable World===
The Council for a Livable World, founded in 1962 by long-time socialist activist and Soviet agent, [[Leo Szilard]], is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to "reduce the danger of nuclear weapons and increase national security", primarily through supporting progressive, congressional candidates who support their policies. The Council supported Bernie Sanders in his successful Senate run as candidate for Vermont.<ref>[http://www.livableworld.org/support/meet_candidates/ CLW website: Meet Our Candidates]</ref>

===Venezuela===
Sanders orchestrated a deal with [[Venezuela]]n strongman [[Hugo Chavez]], Citizens Energy President [[Joseph P. Kennedy II]] and the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity for a delivery of more than 2.5 million gallons of discounted heating oil.<ref>[National Post (f/k/a The Financial Post) (Canada) November 11, 2006 Saturday Toronto Edition]</ref>

At the height of the humanitarian crisis caused by socialism in Venezuela in 2019, Sanders still refused to call on fellow socialist [[dictator]] [[Nicolas Maduro]] to step down,<ref>https://freebeacon.com/politics/sanders-refuses-to-call-for-maduro-to-step-down-wont-say-explicitly-if-he-is-a-dictator/</ref> and he refused to describe Maduro as a dictator.<ref>Wolfsohn, Joseph A. (February 25, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-refuses-to-call-venezuelas-maduro-dictator-says-democratic-operations-taking-place Bernie Sanders refuses to call Venezuela's Maduro 'dictator,' says 'democratic operations taking place']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 26, 2019.</ref>

===European Socialist ties===
The Party of European Socialists dialogue with the US Democrats and the Transatlantic partnership "was a priority over the last years" (written in 2009).

Delegations, meetings and exchanges of information were held on a regular basis. After the [2006] victory in the Congress, where the Democrats won the double majority, a Party of European Socialists Delegation, led by PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, discovered the new mood in Washington D.C., on 15–18 April 2007. It had meetings with Governor [[Howard Dean]], Chair of the [[DLC]]; Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), Chairman of the Committee on Financial Services; Senator Bernie Sanders and with Senator [[Ben Cardin]]; [[John Podesta]], CEO of the [[Center for American Progress]], Former Chief of staff of [[President Clinton]]; John Sweeney, President of the [[AFL-CIO]] and [[Andy Stern]], Chair of [[Service Employees International Union]] (SEIU). The underlying motive of the delegation was reiterated with the need for US and EU progressive forces to actively prepare for the post-Bush EU-US relations.<ref>[http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/partyofeuropeansocialists/pages/214/attachments/original/1395960135/Activity_Report_2007-2009_61209.pdf?1395960135 The PES in action 2007-2009, Activity Report of the Party of European Socialists Adopted by the 8th PES Congress 8th PES Congress], Prague, December 2009.</ref>

===CPUSA Draft Bernie for President campaign===
In response to an organized campaign to draft Sanders for a presidential run in 2012, CPUSA member John Case wrote in the official communist organ ''[[Political Affairs]]'':
:''To use [[Carl Davidson]]'s excellent slogan around which left and working class forces can mobilize-- "peace and prosperity vs war and austerity" -- this is clearly a time when we can qualitatively expand the base of support for the principles the slogan expresses. The question is: can we do this and not end up playing a Nader-like spoiler role, that concludes by electing the Right, in those campaigns, primaries, etc where our main objective is to move the political center leftward and strengthen the hand of center forces against the right. Of course, in those campaigns where the left coalition has winning chances, where the center is ready to be led by left forces, tactics differ.
''
:''The complexity of the US political process at this moment requires shrewd and careful AND BOLD calculations There are few, if any, politicians on the left more shrewd than Bernie Sanders. I am not convinced about Bernie's denials. I got to know him somewhat in my years as a UE rep in Vt, and later as DO for the Communist Party in N. New England. With a few arguable exceptions, he has always -- both ideologicaly and politically -- pursued a working class line. As important, he become a demonstrated master of very concrete tactics directed at isolating the right, without appearing irresponsible or reckless to center forces. He kept focused on the concretes -- especially economics, and non-corrupt governance -- that blunted repeated attempts by the right to isolate him.''

:''He would have to run as a Democrat in the 2012 primaries, in order not to be counted as a spoiler. Unlike Nader, Bernie has never been a 'spoiler' politician. But running as a Democrat, after years of success as an Independent is something I think he would be temperamentally loath to do. Part of his success at independence is due to some very peculiar features unique to Vermont political history, that would not be practical to reproduce nationally. Nonetheless, I am sure he will be tempted.
''
:''Personally, at this point, I think a primary challenge against Obama is a mistake -- the history of such challenges is not encouraging for defeating Republicans. Obama is not a Blue Dog-er, IMHO, but rather a liberal doing what Presidents do -- not straying too far from the Center. I think we should focus our primary challenge energies against the blue dogs and in local and state campaigns where we can strengthen and galvanize our grass roots base. But I am willing to be persuaded otherwise -- only if we ourselves--the Left are grown-up enough to be as shrewd and smart and flexible as Kucinich on health care, or Sanders through most of his career.''<ref>[http://politicalaffairs.net/sanders-for-president/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Paeditorsblog+%28PA+Editors+Blog%29 PA Blog, Sanders for President? by: John Case Wednesday 29 December 2010]</ref>

===Globalism===
Sanders advocates for a [[globalist]] and weak U.S. foreign policy in which the goal is "'global engagement based on partnership' rather than dominance or withdrawal."<ref>Savitsky, Shane (September 21, 2017). [https://www.axios.com/sanders-advocates-foreign-policy-of-global-engagement-2488020738.html Sanders advocates foreign policy of "global engagement"]. ''Axios''. Retrieved September 21, 2017.</ref> While originally holding protectionist and even some nationalist views, he has caved to the [[uniparty]] establishment and endorsed globalist policies.<ref>Caplan, Joshua (October 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/10/09/bernie-sanders-abandons-u-s-against-china-trade-stance-in-new-world-order-speech/ Bernie Sanders Abandons ‘U.S. Against China’ Trade Stance in ‘New World Order’ Speech]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 9, 2018.</ref> He supports giving every American a government job.<ref>Rodriguez, Katherine (April 24, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/24/sen-bernie-sanders-unveil-plan-give-every-american-guaranteed-government-job/ Sen. Bernie Sanders to Unveil Plan to Give Every American a Guaranteed Government Job]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 26, 2018. See also:
*Carney, John (April 26, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/04/26/carney-the-problem-with-the-job-guarantee-is-not-that-its-too-expensive-its-that-the-left-hates-us/ Carney: The Problem with the ‘Job Guarantee’ Is Not That It’s Too Expensive. It’s That the Left Hates Us]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
*Thomas, Cal (April 26, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/04/26/crazy-bernie-sanders-is-at-it-again-will-be-getting-guaranteed-job-and-more-soon.html 'Crazy Bernie' Sanders is at it again -- Will you be getting a guaranteed job (and more) soon?] ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
*Kupfer, Theodore (April 26, 2018). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/04/democrats-jobs-guarantee-bernie-sanders-is-mainstream-now/ Democrats’ Jobs Guarantee: Bernie Sanders Is Mainstream Now]. ''National Review''. Retrieved April 26, 2018.</ref>

===Disregard for the law===
Sanders showed his contempt for federal law by hiring an illegal migrant as his spokesperson.<ref>Mikelionis, Lukas (March 1, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-2020-campaign-spox-wont-be-able-to-vote-for-him-due-to-her-illegal-immigrant-status New spokeswoman for Bernie Sanders won't be able to vote for him in 2020 -- she's an illegal immigrant]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 1, 2019.</ref><ref>Caplan, Joshua (March 1, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/03/01/bernie-sanders-campaign-hires-illegal-immigrant-as-deputy-press-secretary/ Bernie Sanders Campaign Hires Illegal Immigrant as Deputy Press Secretary]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 1, 2019.</ref><ref>Kirkwood, R. Cort (March 1, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/item/31617-sanders-who-opposed-importing-cheap-labor-hires-illegal-alien-as-campaign-s-deputy-spokesman Sanders, Who Opposed Importing Cheap Labor, Hires Illegal Alien as Campaign’s Deputy Spokesman]. ''The New American''. Retrieved March 1, 2019.</ref>

===Controversial votes===
[[File:YFO.png|right|350px|thumb|Economics 101 teaches that a loan that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy would have a lower rate than loans that can be discharged.]]
In 32 years of politics, Sanders authored 353 bills. Only three that made it into law and two of those were renaming post offices. [[Conservative Review]] has compiled a Liberty Score on Sanders. He gets a ''' 'F' ''' at just 16%.

Sanders headed the Veterans Affairs Committee. Under his purview; waiting list deaths, destruction and manipulation of medical records, whistleblowers punished, [[opioid]] abuse, fraud unpunished, mismanagement rewarded with pay raises, wait times to see a doctor has never been longer. Sanders has done next to nothing to fix these issues. Even as he campaigned, he remained a member of the committee with no plans to turn the duties over to somebody that would give it the time it deserves to fix.

During Sanders's 2006 Senatorial campaign, [[Republican]] opponent Rich Tarrant made an issue over Sanders 2003 vote against the [[Amber Alert]] even though he was actually in favor of the Amber Alert system to notify the public of missing children. The reason for his 'nay' vote was because the bill allegedly contained unconstitutional provisions<ref>[https://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2006/09/21/sanders_vote_on_amber_alert_emerges_as_key_campaign_issue/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News+%2F+Local]</ref> in it's 47 pages according to Sanders. Sanders earlier voted in favor of [[Megan's Law]],<ref>[https://votesmart.org/bill/2763/8163/27110/megans-law#.VsyGmigrKHs]</ref> which made sex offender information public. Bernie responded with an ad to try to clarify his position.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIa2KlEHhvc]</ref>

He was also one of only nineteen Congressman to vote against the Victims of Rape Health Protection Act passage, which would allow sexual assault victims to find out the HIV status of their suspected assailant<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/106-2000/h505 "H.R. 3088 (106th): Victims of Rape Health Protection Act"] (October 2, 2000). Govtrack.us website/Congress/Votes/House Vote #505 in 2000.</ref>

After damning evidence of election fraud by the group [[ACORN]], Sanders joined six Democrat Senators that voted to continue funding ACORN. The vote failed, and ACORN was stripped of funding in the Senate.<ref>Isenstadt, Alex (September 14, 2009). [https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27153.html "Senate denies ACORN funding"]. Politico website.</ref> Bill Wilson of [[Americans for Limited Government]] said, "The ACORN Housing Corporation has long been pushing the very loose-lending policies that helped destroy the housing industry. And now it has been exposed for working with prostitutes, as well. Yet, these seven Senators [Sanders] have knowingly voted to keep sending taxpayer money to a highly corrupt organization of pushers and pimps," <ref>Americans for Limited Government (September 15, 2009). [http://politicomafioso.blogspot.com/2009/09/alg-condemns-7-senators-for-voting-to.html "ALG condemns 7 Senators for voting to continue funding ACORN, calls for complete cutoff of federal funds"]. Americans for Limited Government website. Reprinted at Politico Mafioso website on September 16, 2009.</ref>

==Ideology==
[[File:Katyn bodies 1470221766 46847-475x300.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Mass grave of victims of Bernie Sanders beloved Soviet Union and socialist ideology.<ref>https://ww2gravestone.com/russian-brutality-massacres-russian-soldiers-ww2/</ref>]]
:{{See also|Marxist-Leninism}}
Sanders' godless utopian [[Socialist]] ideology is responsible for some, if not the most horrific and despicable [[crime]]s known to [[humanity]] in the entire history of the [[planet]]. The fact that few of the promulgators and instigators of these inhumane doctrines have ever faced scrutiny or [[justice]] is a crime itself. The failings of one generation to protect its children from the [[hate]], resentment, and twisted reasoning underpinning Socialism, which justifies the most atrocious [[human rights]] abuses and [[murder]] committed by [[government]]s, is an indelible [[moral]] blemish on the generations that fought the [[evil]]s of [[National Socialism]] in [[World War II]], and [[Communism]] in [[Cold War]].

In 1997, while Sanders shuttled across the country to various DSA conferences picking up the broken pieces of the communist dream, the ''The Black Book of Communism'' appeared documenting a history of political repressions by Communist states, including [[genocide]]s, extrajudicial executions, [[deportation]]s, killing population in [[labor camp]]s and artificially created famines. In the first chapter of the book entitled ''Introduction: The Crimes of Communism'', Stéphane Courtois states that "Communist regimes turned mass [[crime]] into a full-blown system of government" and they are responsible for a greater number of deaths than [[Nazism]] or any other political system.

Even former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt criticized Sanders for his support for communist countries.<ref>Chasmar, Jessica (February 25, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/25/swedens-former-prime-minister-rips-bernie-sanders-/ Sweden's former prime minister rips Bernie Sanders' Soviet Union praise]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved February 25, 2019.</ref>

=== Estimated number of victims ===
According to the chapter, the number of people killed by the Communist governments amounts to more than 94 million.<ref>Werth, Nicolas; Panné, Jean-Louis; Paczkowski, Andrzej; Bartosek, Karel; Margolin, Jean-Louis (October 1999), Courtois, Stéphane, ed., ''[https://archive.org/stream/TheBlackBookofCommunism10/the-black-book-of-communism-jean-louis-margolin-1999-communism_djvu.txt The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression]'', Harvard University Press, p. 4.</ref> Most of these murders occurred within Bernie Sanders lifetime, and even during his collegiate years when Sanders first committed his life to this vile ideology. The statistics of victims include deaths through executions, man-made hunger, famine, war, deportations and [[forced labor]]. The breakdown of the number of deaths is given as follows:
* 65 million in the [[People's Republic of China]]
* 20 million in the [[Soviet Union]]
* 2 million in [[Cambodia]]
* 2 million in [[North Korea]]
* 1.7 million in [[Ethiopia]]
* 1.5 million in [[Afghanistan]]
* 1 million in the [[Eastern Bloc]]
* 1 million in [[Vietnam]]
* 150,000 in [[Latin America]]
* 10,000 deaths "resulting from actions of the international Communist movement and Communist parties not in power"{{r|Courtois_et.al_1999|p=4}}

According to Courtois, the crimes by the Soviet Union included the following:
* The execution of tens of thousands of hostages and prisoners
* The murder of hundreds of thousands of rebellious workers and peasants from 1918 to 1922
* The Russian famine of 1921, which caused the death of 5 million people
* The Decossackization, a policy of systematic repression against the Don Cossacks between 1917 and 1933
* The murder of tens of thousands in [[Gulag|concentration camps]] in the period between 1918 and 1930
* The [[Great Purge]] which killed almost 690,000 people
* The deportation of 2 million so-called "[[kulak]]s" from 1930 to 1932
* The death of 4 million [[Ukrainian]]s ([[Holodomor]]) and 2 million others during the famine of 1932 and 1933
* The deportations of Poles, Ukrainians, [[Moldova]]ns and people from the Baltic states from 1939 to 1941 and from 1944 to 1945
* The deportation of the [[Volga Germans]] in 1941
* The deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1943
* Operation Lentil and deportation of the Ingush in 1944

=== Communist leaders ===
Sanders has praised several left-wing dictators during his career.<ref>Lott, Maxim (April 29, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sander-nista-archives-show-bernies-past-praise-of-socialist-revolutionaries Sander-nista? Archives show Bernie’s past praise of socialist revolutionaries]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 29, 2019.</ref>

Sanders supported the so-called 'Democratic' 'People's Republic' of 'Korea' during debates with Clinton, saying that [[Russia]] was a worse threat to American security than North Korea (or himself), an objectively false statement full of typical [[liberal claptrap|liberal-socialist claptrap]]. The [[Kim Jong-un]] of North Korean fame said of Sanders: "I have greatest confidence in Senator Bernard E. [''sic''] Sanders in holding the lackeys of the U.S. administration to account".<ref>John Nichols (21 March 2011). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=TxVsPrMD0dkC The "S" Word: A Short History of an American Tradition...Socialism.]'' Verso. ISBN 978-1-84467-679-8.</ref><ref>Patrick Martin (WARNING: SOCIALIST WEBSITE) [https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/08/27/sand-a27.html Bernie Sanders: Silent partner of American militarism] ''World Socialist Website''. 27 August 2015.</ref> Comrade [[Fidel Castro]] also praised the eminent "socialist transformation of America" under Sanders, adding falsely: "Americans have witnessed the utter failure of Capitalism, the destruction of its middle class and is tired of the endless wars. The Cuban model has proved its superiority and Americans now see through the government propaganda and now praise our country’s centralized economy, our health care system, our education system: Americans are hungry for Socialism."<ref>[http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/fidel-castro-bernie-sanders-will-bring-socialism-to-america/ FIDEL CASTRO: “BERNIE SANDERS WILL BRING SOCIALISM TO AMERICA”] October 29th, 2015 by Bob Flanagan</ref>

Sanders fawning over communists and communism earned him the nickname '''Breadline Bernie.'''

===[[Eugene Debs]] documentary===
In 1979, Sanders wrote, directed, and lent his voice for Debs' dialogue<ref>Shamsian, Jacob (September 18, 2015). [https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-loves-eugene-v-debs-documentary-2015-9 "A documentary that Bernie Sanders made about a socialist politician 36 years ago says a lot about his politics today"]. Business Insider website/Politics.</ref> in a documentary which shows a long-standing respect on part of Sanders for what Debs stood for.<ref>Kurtz, Stanley (October 20, 2015). [https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/425839/bernie-sanders-documentary-eugene-debs "Bernie Sanders’s documentary on Eugene Debs"]. ''National Review'' website. See [[National Review]].</ref>

== Bernie Sanders' religious views and atheists/agnostics support of Bernie Sanders ==

''See also:'' [[Essay: Bernie Sanders is a closet atheist]]

In many religious countries and even irreligious countries there is a stigma related to [[atheism]] and as a result many atheists are reluctant to: call themselves atheists and/or be outspoken atheists (see: [[Stigma of atheism]] and [[Views on atheists]] and [[Closet atheist]]).

Jon Green wrote about Bernie Sanders:
{{cquote|Bernie Sanders is, as he’s suggested before, Jewish with an emphasis on the ish. His Jewish heritage has informed his morality and his politics, but he doesn’t claim to be observant in any officially religious sense.

In an interview with the ''Washington Post'' published this morning, Sanders went a step further, making that point as clearly as he ever:

:“I am not actively involved with organized religion,” Sanders said in a recent interview.

:Sanders said he believes in God, though not necessarily in a traditional manner.

:“I think everyone believes in God in their own ways, “ he said. “To me, it means that all of us are connected, all of life is connected, and that we are all tied together.”

As atheist blogger [[Hemant Mehta]] pointed out, that’s basically a really [[Political correctness|PC]] way of saying you’re an atheist. Sanders may have used the word “God” to describe his belief system, but it’s pretty clear that his version of God isn’t an old man in the sky. There’s no actual deity involved — no theism — just a generalized interconnectedness.<ref name="americablog.com">[http://americablog.com/2016/01/bernie-sanders-mainstreaming-atheism.html Bernie Sanders is mainstreaming atheism in American politics]</ref>}}

''Deseret News'' declared:
{{Cquote|Speculation about Sanders' religious views ramped up last October after an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" during which he was directly asked whether he believes in God.

It was the nature of the candidate's response that piqued the interest of some viewers.

Kimmel [https://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/10/23/did-you-catch-how-bernie-sanders-responded-when-jimmy-kimmel-asked-do-you-believe-in-god/ cited Sanders' claims] that he is "culturally Jewish" and that he doesn't "feel religious" and then asked about a belief in God. He also questioned whether Sanders thinks it is important for Americans to embrace a higher power.

"I am who I am and what I believe in and what my spirituality is about is that we’re all in this together," Sanders responded. "That I think it is not a good thing to believe that as human beings we can turn our backs on the suffering of other people."

He continued, "This is not Judaism — this is what Pope Francis is talking about — that we cannot worship just billionaires and the making of more and more money. Life is more than that."

A few months later, speculation once again raged after Sanders did an interview with ''The Washington Post'' in which he said that he doesn't necessarily believe in God in a traditional sense.

"I am not actively involved with organized religion," he told the outlet. "I think everyone believes in God in their own ways. To me, it means that all of us are connected, all of life is connected, and that we are all tied together."

His brother Larry Sanders also [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bernie-sanders-finally-answers-the-god-question/2016/01/26/83429390-bfb0-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160_story.html told the outlet] that the candidate was "quite substantially not religious."<ref>[Is Bernie Sanders an atheist?] by Billy Hallowell, ''Deseret News'', 2016</ref>}}

The ''Religion News Service'' states: "Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders dashed the hopes of some atheists when he declared he had 'very strong religious and spiritual feelings' at a Democratic town hall."<ref>[http://religionnews.com/2016/02/04/bernie-sanders-disappoints-atheists-strong-religious-feelings/ Bernie Sanders disappoints some atheists with his ‘very strong religious’ feelings], Religion News Service</ref>

Sanders denies he is an atheist.<ref>[https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/289002-sanders-i-am-not-an-atheist Sanders: ‘I am not an atheist’], ''The Hill'', 2016</ref>

Sanders identifies as "Jewish", though admits he's "not particularly religious".<ref>[https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/monitor_breakfast/2015/0611/Bernie-Sanders-I-m-proud-to-be-Jewish]</ref> This is consistent with many others on the [[secular left]], and indicates that Sanders is culturally Jewish, though actually an [[agnostic]]/[[Atheism|atheist]]. [[Liberal intolerance|He has shown strong intolerance]] for theologically orthodox, conservative Christians and Christian beliefs.<ref>Starnes, Todd (June 9, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/06/09/bernie-sanders-attacks-trump-nominee-for-following-teachings-christ.html Bernie Sanders attacks Trump nominee for following teachings of Christ]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Berry, Susan, PhD (June 10, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/06/10/omb-top-post-nominee-berned-stake-christian-faith/ OMB Top Post Nominee ‘Berned’ at Stake for Christian Faith]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 10, 2017.</ref>

Atheists seem to like Bernie Sanders, for some reason. The might have something to do with the connection between [[atheism and communism]], as the atheist [[Karl Marx]], the author of [[The Communist Manifesto]], once stated: "Communism begins from the outset (Owen) with atheism; but atheism is at first far from being communism; indeed, that atheism is still mostly an abstraction."

=== Atheists/agnostics support of Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary ===

==== The Amazing Atheist ====
[[File:Hemant Mehta at Skepticon 7.jpg|thumbnail|right|300px|[[Hemant Mehta]] ]]
TJ Kirk, self-called [[The Amazing Atheist]], has pled to all Hillary supporters to stop supporting her, and to support Bernie, instead, because he believes the Socialist has integrity.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQINZ7N1Ses]</ref>

==== Hemant Mehta ====

The atheist Hemant Mehta voted for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx1UVEho82Y Bernie Sanders Was Wrong to Punish a Nominee for His Religious Beliefs] by Hemant Mehta</ref>

==== David Pakman Show ====

David Pakman, of the David Pakman Show, is an [[agnosticism|agnostic]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONxAuq1nAxw Caller: Does David Call Himself an Atheist?]</ref>

Pakman hints at Bernie support while portraying Hillary negatively, where he shows his bias,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/user/MidweekPolitics/videos]</ref> and calls the Best of Conservative politicians "the Best (Worst?)", indicating his negative bias toward [[conservative]]s. David Pakman often pretends to be unbiased, but is, in fact, biased against conservatives.

==== The Humanist Report ====

Mike Anthony of The Humanist Report has produced many videos in favor of Bernie Sanders, against Hillary Clinton, and against Donald Trump.

==== Jaclyn Glenn ====
[[File:Kyle Kulinski.jpg|thumbnail|220px|right|[[Secular Talk|Kyle Kulinski]] at the political convention Politicon 2018. Kulinski is the individual on the left.]]
Jacklyn Glenn, a militant atheist, vegan, angry feminist, and closet lesbian, makes fun of people who are voting for Hillary just to put the first female President in the White House (while wearing a Bernie Sanders t-shirt),<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GHyDl6WXLk]</ref> and endorses Bernie Sanders.

==== Secular Talk ====

Kyle Kulinski is an atheist who describes himself as a [[New Atheism|new atheist]] and a [[progressivism|progressive]] atheist.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As67_rhvTVY New Atheists Vs Progressives | Proposing A Ceasefire] by Kyle Kulinski (video)</ref>

Kyle Kulinski, of [[Secular Talk]], promotes Bernie Sanders in several of his videos,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/user/SecularTalk/videos]</ref> attacks Hillary Clinton and Republicans, and compared [[Barack Obama]] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf_H3pyayB0 to a Republican.]

==== The Secular Vegan ====

Isaiah, of The Secular Vegan, tells atheists to vote for Bernie, merely because he would be the first non-Christian President.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoMyiaOb6rE]</ref>

==== The Young Turks ====

Cenk Uygur, of [[The Young Turks]], is a self-described "fervent agnostic".<ref>Uygur, Cenk (April 29, 2008). "[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/six-degrees-of-barack-oba_b_99110.html Six Degrees of Barack Obama]". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2011. I am a fervent agnostic. I have argued vehemently against religion .... I went to school in Turkey until I was eight."</ref>

Cenk Uygur speaks highly of Bernie Sanders,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj2vdD0CMUI]</ref> while dismissing [[Hillary Clinton]] and Republican politicians as "robots", and practically every week, they release a video disrespecting Conservatives.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggFitmOTSok]</ref>
=== Bernie Sander's antipathy towards evangelical Christians holding public office ===

*[https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/bernie-sanders-chris-van-hollen-russell-vought/529614/ Bernie Sanders's Religious Test for Christians in Public Office] by Emma Green, ''The Atlantic'', June 8, 2017
*[https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/watch-bernie-sanders-unconstitutionally-impose-religious-test-public-office/ Watch Bernie Sanders Attack a Christian Nominee and Impose an Unconstitutional Religious Test for Public Office] by David French, ''National Review'', June 7, 2017
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjQSwYV5Qzs Bernie Sanders Applies Religious Litmus Test on Nominee] - video

Related article:

*[https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/16/u-s-evangelical-christians-are-chilly-toward-atheists-and-the-feeling-is-mutual/ U.S. evangelical Christians are chilly toward atheists – and the feeling is mutual], Pew Research, 2014

==Personal==
Bernie was born on September 8, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York.<ref>[https://observer.com/2016/04/bernie-sanders-heats-up-hipster-crowd-in-brooklyn/ https://observer.com/2016/04/bernie-sanders-heats-up-hipster-crowd-in-brooklyn/]</ref> His mother was Dorothy Glassberg Sanders, his father was Elias Sanders, and his grandfather was Benjamin Glassberg.<ref>[http://spectator.org/articles/66102/my-hunt-bernie%E2%80%99s-grandfather My Hunt for Bernie’s Grandfather], by Paul Kengor, [[American Spectator]]</ref> Sanders graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in political science in 1964.

During his college years, he was involved in a pro-[[Vietcong]] [[propaganda]] distribution ring within New York known as the Alternate U.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK5yB9-6O9A</ref><ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYcZoYWS2zE</ref> According to UV philosopher professor Richard Sugarman, Sanders would wake up every morning saying, "We're not crazy." Sugarman to ''Vox'', "Bernard, maybe the first thing you should say is 'Good morning' or something. But he'd say, 'We're. Not. Crazy.'"<ref>https://www.vox.com/2015/5/28/8682503/bernie-sanders-rape-fantasy</ref> In 1988, he ended up spending his honeymoon with his second wife Jane O'Meara in the USSR, with there being a video of him shirtless and singing "This Land is Your Land" with Soviet comrades while drunk.<ref>Multiple references:
* https://forward.com/schmooze/418282/footage-of-shirtless-bernie-sanders-singing-drunkenly-with-soviets-in-88/
*Jasper, William F. (February 4, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/31375-exposed-fake-news-ignores-video-of-drunk-naked-bernie-sanders-singing-with-soviet-comrades “Exposed”: Fake News Ignores Video of “Drunk, Naked” Bernie Sanders Singing With Soviet Comrades]. ''The New American''. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
*Dorman, Sam (May 3, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/details-of-sanders-soviet-honeymoon-exposed-as-entourage-member-recalls-shock-at-bernies-america-bashing Details of Sanders’ Soviet ‘honeymoon’ exposed, as entourage member recalls shock at Bernie’s America-bashing]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
*Vogt, Bailey (May 3, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/3/bernie-sanders-local-80s-tv-show-resurfaces-he-ask/ Bernie Sanders local '80s TV show resurfaces; he asks kids about drugs: 'Anyone ever see cocaine?'] ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 4, 2019.</ref>

Also, in the 1980s, Sanders publicly praised the USSR and other leftist dictatorships and called bread lines a "good thing."<ref>Shaw, Adam (February 22, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vintage-bernie-footage-shows-now-presidential-candidate-praising-breadlines-communist-nations Vintage Bernie footage shows now-presidential candidate praising breadlines, communist nations]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 22, 2019.</ref>

===Communist background===
Im 1963 Saunders spent time at a commune with the Hashomer Hatzair movement in [[Israel]]. The movement was a Marxist organization founded in 1913 and saw the Soviet Union as a model, and often flew the Red Flag at events.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/06/us/politics/bernie-sanders-kibbutz.html?_r=0 Bernie Sanders’s Kibbutz Found. Surprise: It’s Socialist], By STEVEN ERLANGER. ''[[New York Times]]'', FEB. 5, 2016.</ref> The commune's founder eulogized [[Joseph Stalin]]'s death , writing how shocked he and his comrades were, {{quotebox|"to hear of the terrible tragedy that has befallen the nations of the Soviet Union, the world proletariat and all of [[progressive]] mankind, upon the death of the great leader and extolled commander, Josef Vissarionovich Stalin. We lower our flag in grief in memory of the great revolutionary fighter, architect of socialist construction, and leader of the world's peace movement. His huge historical achievements will guide generations in their march towards the reign of socialism and [[communism]] the world over."}} [[Noam Chomsky]] wrote that he was fairly close to "Hashomer Hatzair, but couldn't join because it was split between Stalinists and [[Trotskyite]]s."<ref>''Al Hamishmar'', the movement's paper, had a headline which read, "The Progressive World Mourns the Death of J.V. Stalin/" [http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/261724/bernie-sanders-spent-months-marxist-stalinist-daniel-greenfield#.VrPxsICO11M.Facebook BERNIE SANDERS SPENT MONTHS AT MARXIST-STALINIST KIBBUTZ], Daniel Greenfield, '' Frontpage,'', February 4, 2016.</ref>

===Accusations of draft dodging===
Sanders was of age to be drafted into the [[Vietnam War]]. However, he filed for [[conscientious objector]] status on religious grounds.<ref>Vespa, Matt (December 28, 2015). [http://m.townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2015/12/28/apparently-bernie-sanders-would-be-a-lousy-commander-in-chief-and-hes-sort-of-an-ahole-to-his-staff-n2097445 "Apparently, Bernie Sanders would be 'A lousy commander in chief' and he's sort of 'an a**hole to his staff'"]. Townhall.com website.</ref> Sanders does not belong to any organized religion,<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bernie-sanders-finally-answers-the-god-question/2016/01/26/83429390-bfb0-11e5-bcda-62a36b394160_story.html? Why Bernie Sanders doesn’t participate in organized religion, WaPo, January 15, 2016]</ref> dismissing criticism because he has strong religious feelings.

===Greed===
Sanders constantly complains about the rich 1% but [[Liberal hypocrisy|he doesn't live like a common man]] – he himself is a member of the 1%.<ref name="1%er"/> Bernie [[Limousine liberal|is a millionaire]] with three homes.<ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/randy-hall/2016/04/13/millionaire-bashing-bernie-sanders-millionaire-three-homes Billionaire-Bashing Bernie Sanders Is a Millionaire With Three Homes, MRC Newsbusters.org, April 13, 2016]</ref> Together, Bernie and Jane's 2014 total unadjusted gross earnings was $205,617.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/15/politics/bernie-sanders-jane-sanders-taxes/index.html Bernie and Jane Sanders earned nearly $206K in 2014, tax returns show, CNN, April 15, 2016]</ref>

==Awards==
Sander shared Maurer-Stump Award from the Reading-Berks Democratic Socialists of [[Pennsylvania]] with DSA founder [[Michael Harrington]] in 1988. Sanders told Deidre Riley of the ''Reading Times'', "Revolution can be done through the government, if you raise the right issues." <ref>Socialist tells of need to expand awareness, Deidre Riley, ''Reading Times'', 1/3/88.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Sam Farr]]
*[[Linda Evans]]
*[[Atheism and human rights violations]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sanders.senate.gov/ Senate site]
*[https://berniesanders.com Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign website]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w82pFvUq3o8 Bernie Sanders' 1979 Eugene Debs Documentary]
*[http://media.smithsonianfolkways.org/liner_notes/folkways/FW05571.pdf Trade Unionist, Socialist, Revolutionary - Eugene V. Debs, 1855 - 1926], Transcript of Sanders' documentary
*[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=coVE0PDGSw4&feature=player_embedded Socialist Senator Sanders Hawks His Book Like an Evil Capitalist]
*[http://www.weaselzippers.us/236973-trump-ad-on-bernie-sanders-we-need-a-strong-leader-and-it-aint-this-guy/ "A lot of people are switching to these really long putters, very unattractive" Donald "People are praying for me" Trump Ad On Bernie Sanders: “We Need A Strong Leader” And It Ain’t This Guy]
*[http://m.sfgate.com/news/article/Mike-Rowe-Bernie-Sanders-college-tweet-knucklehead-6702291.php Mike Rowe calls Bernie Sanders 'knucklehead' over tweet]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c_PsUR1wvA "The Truth About Communism]" documentary narrated by Ronald Reagan, 1962

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[[Category:114th United States Congress]][[Category:115th United States Congress]][[Category:116th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Anti-Constitutionalists]]
[[Category:Conspiracy Theorists]]
[[Category:Democratic Socialists]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:Communists]]
[[Category:Vermont]]
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Intersectionalism

2019-07-28T20:52:08Z

JamesQT: Adding information (about UK)

'''Intersectionalism''' is crossbreeding in [[identity politics]]. For example, a [[homosexual]] minority [[illegal immigrant]] becomes three times victimized by oppression and thus leapfrogged over persons who claim only a single or two-times victimization status in an oppression Olympics.

This intersectionalism can have unintended consequences. For example, in the [[United Kingdom]], there have been attempts to form an intersectional alliance between [[homosexual]]s and [[Muslim]]s as both being oppressed minorities. This is despite most British Muslims opposing homosexuality and its legalization.<ref>Perraudin, F. (11 april 2016). [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/11/british-muslims-strong-sense-of-belonging-poll-homosexuality-sharia-law "Half of all British Muslims think homosexuality should be illegal, poll finds"]. ''The Guardian''.</ref> This can be used to attack the dominant culture.

Gay Arabs Against Christ was an intersectional early 2000s grouping of "queer and non-conforming" [[Arab]]s who intended to fuse [[Islamic]] and [[Christianophobia|Christianophobic]] thought with [[Homosexual rights advocacy|homosexual advocacy]] and [[Sodomy apologist|sodomic apologism]] in the Middle East, in particular relating to the issue of cross-dressing and [[gender confusion]].<ref>Puar, Jasbir K. "Queer times, queer assemblages." ''Social text'' 23.3-4 (84-85) (2005): 121-139.</ref><ref>Obendorf, Simon B. "Homosexual rights and the non-Western world: a postcolonial reading of homosexual rights in international human rights law." ''Third World Legal Stud.'' (1998): 179.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cultural Marxism]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Marxist Terminology]]

The New Jim Crow

2019-07-28T16:49:08Z

JamesQT: /* Mass incarceration */ Reformatting, remove repetition, adding info from Wikipedia.

[[File:1994 Superpredator Act.jpg|right|350px|thumb|The '''Superpredator Act of 1994'''. Liberal icons Feinstein, Kerry, Biden and Wellstone are clearly visible with President Clinton. The bill is known for its sentencing disparities which led to mass incarceration of Blacks.<ref>https://fair.org/home/senate-crime-bill-unscrutinized-by-the-press/</ref>]]
'''''The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness''''' is a book by Michelle Alexander, a civil rights litigator and legal scholar. The book discusses race-related issues specific to [[African-American]] males and mass incarceration in the United States during the [[Clinton administration]].<ref>[https://www.salon.com/2016/01/31/the_clintons_sordid_race_game_no_one_will_say_it_but_the_clintons_rise_was_premised_on_repudiating_black_voters/ The Clintons’ sordid race game: No one will say it, but the Clintons’ rise was premised on repudiating black voters], Corey Robin, ''Salon'', Jan 31, 2016</ref>

==Mass incarceration==
Cumulatively since the he '''Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994''' (commonly known as the '''Biden Crime Bill''') passed, 2.5 million adult black males—more than 10% of the population—were incarcerated leaving untold damage on black families.<ref>http://www.prisonpolicy.org/research/incarceration_rates_growth_causes/</ref> 250,000 more African-Americans were imprisoned in the [[United States]] than under [[President Reagan]],<ref>http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=320</ref> a fact for which both [[Joseph Biden]] and [[Hillary Clinton]] took credit for.<ref name="Alexander">[https://www.thenation.com/article/hillary-clinton-does-not-deserve-black-peoples-votes/ Why Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Deserve the Black Vote], Michelle Alexander, ''The Nation'', February 10, 2016</ref> At the same time, [[Bill Clinton]] raised mandatory sentencing guidelines which disproportionately sent African-Americans to prison, giving the U.S. the highest mass incarceration rate in the world.<ref>[https://newrepublic.com/article/129433/clintons-war-drugs-black-lives-didnt-matter The Clintons’ War on Drugs: When Black Lives Didn’t Matter], By Donna Murch, ''The New Republic'', February 9, 2016</ref> Biden and the Clinton's championed the "three strikes, you're out" law, mandated life sentences for some three-time offenders, and authorized more than $16 billion for more state prisons. [[Human Rights Watch]] reported that in seven states, African-Americans constituted 80 to 90 percent of all drug offenders even though they were no more likely than whites to use or sell illegal drugs. Prison admissions for drug offenses reached a level in 2000 for African Americans more than 26 times the level they had been under [[Ronald Reagan]] (see: [[War on drugs]]).<ref name="Alexander" />

Title VI, the Federal Death Penalty Act, created 60 new death penalty offenses under 41 federal capital statutes,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Federal Death Penalty Act of 1994|url=http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/crm00069.htm|work=Office of the United States Attorneys|publisher=Department of Justice|accessdate=17 May 2013}}</ref> for crimes related to acts of [[terrorism]], [[murder]] of a federal law enforcement officer, [[civil rights]]-related murders, [[drive-by shooting]]s resulting in death, the use of [[weapons of mass destruction]] resulting in death, and [[carjacking]]s resulting in death.

==='Superpredators'===
The Clinton's divisiveness and hate was targeted at a diverse group of people.<ref>https://youtu.be/yu9OH_KfPXA</ref> Hillary Clinton publicly advocated treating minority youth like dogs,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsSDqbot-EI Hillary Clinton on "Superpredators"], Mrs. Clinton Campaign Speech Keene State University, January 25, 1996. youtube.com</ref> made mocking and offensive comments about [[Jews]] and retarded children.<ref>http://nation.foxnews.com/2016/09/12/clinton-and-doeplorables-her-comments-about-trump-voters-her-fellow-americans-show-why-she</ref> These sentiments were confirmed by Hillary's campaign chair, [[John Podesta]], and her campaign manager, [[Robby Mook]]. According to all major, reputable sources, [[Hillary Clinton]] and/or her organization and its surrogates started the [[birther movement]] to discredit [[Barack Obama]].<ref>https://youtu.be/bifsEkjTAc8</ref>

==='Predators beyond the pale'===
In a 1993 Senate floor speech Biden warned of "predators on our streets" who were "beyond the pale" and said they must be cordoned off from the rest of society because the justice system did not know how to rehabilitate them. Biden described a {{quotebox|"cadre of young people, tens of thousands of them, born out of wedlock, without parents, without supervision, without any structure, without any conscience developing because they literally ... because they literally have not been socialized, they literally have not had an opportunity."}} Biden went on in the same breath, {{quotebox|"It doesn't matter whether or not the person that is accosting your son or daughter or my son or daughter, my wife, your husband, my mother, your parents, it doesn't matter whether or not they were deprived as a youth. It doesn't matter whether or not they had no background that enabled them to become socialized into the fabric of society. It doesn't matter whether or not they're the victims of society. The end result is they're about to knock my mother on the head with a lead pipe, shoot my sister, beat up my wife, take on my sons."}} Biden said, that he didn't care "why someone is a malefactor in society" and that criminals needed to be "away from my mother, your husband, our families." Biden added "we should focus on them now" because "if we don't, they will, or a portion of them, will become the predators 15 years from now."

Biden's 1993 "predator" remarks are similar to comments then made by first lady [[Hillary Clinton]] where she warned of "Superpredators" who had "no conscience, no empathy" and who need to be brought "to heel."

==Biden Crime Bill==
Sen. [[Joseph Biden]] was a staunch opponent of school [[desegregation]] in the 1970s and leading crusader for mass incarceration in the 1980s and 1990s. Biden described [[African American]] felons in the aftermath of the Central Park 5 jogger case as 'predators' too [[sociopath]]ic to rehabilitate,<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/07/politics/biden-1993-speech-predators/index.html</ref> and [[white supremacist]] senators as his friends.

Biden boasts as one of his greatest legislative achievements passage of the 1994 Crime bill which locked up 10% of the Black adult male population of the United States.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/22/us/politics/joe-bidens-role-in-90s-crime-law-could-haunt-any-presidential-bid.html</ref><ref>http://www.prisonpolicy.org/research/incarceration_rates_growth_causes/</ref>

When [[President George H.W. Bush]] asked for a record increase in funding to fight the [[War on Drugs]], Biden told a TV interviewer {{Quotebox|"In a nutshell, the President's plan does not include enough police officers to catch the violent thugs, enough prosecutors to convict them, enough judges to sentence them or enough prison cells to put them away for a long time."<ref>http://articles.latimes.com/1989-09-06/news/mn-1646_1_drug-war</ref><ref>http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/first-step-act-skepticism.html</ref>}}
Biden, [[Ted Kennedy]], and [[Strom Thurmond]] worked on proposals that raised maximum penalties, removed a directive requiring the US Sentencing Commission to take into account prison capacity, and created the cabinet-level “drug czar” position. In 1984, they passed the Comprehensive Crime Control Act, which, among other things, abolished [[parole]], imposed a less generous cap on “good time” sentence reductions, and allowed the Sentencing Commission to issue more punitive guidelines.

Biden bragged on the Senate floor that it was under his and Thurmond's leadership that Congress passed a law sending anyone caught with a rock of cocaine the size of a quarter to jail for a minimum of five years - the notoriously racist hundred-to-one sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. In the same speech Biden took credit for [[civil asset forfeiture]] and seizure laws, and demanded to know why [[Papa Bush]] hadn't sentenced more drug dealers to life in prison or exercise the [[death penalty]] once Congress had given him that power.<ref>https://www.c-span.org/video/?18528-1/violent-crime-control-act-1991</ref>

Biden's version of a new crime bill added more than forty crimes that would be eligible for the [[death penalty]]. Biden boasted “we do everything but hang people for jaywalking.”<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=AK_DAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA141&dq=we%20do%20everything%20but%20hang%20people%20for%20jaywalking&pg=PA141#v=onepage&q=we%20do%20everything%20but%20hang%20people%20for%20jaywalking&f=false The First Civil Right: How Liberals Built Prison America]'', Naomi Murakawa, Oxford University Press, Jul 10, 2014, p. 141.</ref> The [[NAACP]] and other groups lobbied against the bill.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/27/us/civil-libertarians-go-after-crime-bills.html</ref> Although the 1991 crime bill was defeated by Republicans, the 1994 Biden/Clinton crime bill was passed.<ref>''[https://books.google.com/books?id=SGUJBAAAQBAJ&lpg=PT142&dq=biden%20strongly%20believes%20the%20administration%20needs%20to%20seize%20control%20of%20the%20issue%20by%20upping%20the%20ante&pg=PT142#v=onepage&q=biden%20strongly%20believes%20the%20administration%20needs%20to%20seize%20control%20of%20the%20issue%20by%20upping%20the%20ante&f=false The First Civil Right: How Liberals Built Prison America]'', Naomi Murakawa.</ref>

By 2001, the United States had the highest rate of incarceration in the world. [[Human Rights Watch]] reported that in seven states, African Americans constituted 80 to 90 percent of all drug offenders even though they were no more likely than whites to use or sell illegal drugs. Prison admissions for drug offenses reached a level in 2000 for African Americans more than 26 times the level they had been under [[Ronald Reagan]].<ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/hillary-clinton-does-not-deserve-black-peoples-votes/ Why Hillary Clinton Doesn’t Deserve the Black Vote], Michelle Alexander, ''The Nation'', February 10, 2016</ref> Biden's "social planning" had proven effective.

The Leftist ''Jacobin'' magazine summed up Biden's record: {{Quotebox|"It’s not as if Biden didn’t know what he was doing.... He just didn’t care. Biden had made a calculated decision that the elections he would win were worth the damage he inflicted.... But even if Biden has subsequently learned the error of his ways, the rank cynicism and callousness involved in his two-decade-long championing of carceral policies should be more than enough to give anyone pause about his qualities as a leader, let alone a [[progressive]] one."<ref>https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/08/biden-crime-mass-incarceration-police-prisons</ref>}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Clinton Administration]][[Category:Democratic Party]][[Category:1990s]][[Category:Civil Rights]]

British Liberal Party

2019-07-28T16:17:57Z

JamesQT: Their name in the UK is the Liberal Party, not British Liberal Party.

The '''Liberal Party''' was one of two main political parties in Britain from the mid-19th century to the 1920s. Since then it has become an also-ran with few seats in parliament despite a moderately large vote. In 1968 it merged with a breakaway faction of the [[Labour Party]] to form the '''Liberal Democratic Party.''' George Dangerfield argued in ''Strange Death of Liberal England'' (1935) that in the face of the multiple crises of Edwardian Britain arounfd 1910—women’s suffrage, Irish Home Rule, industrial unrest—liberalism crumbled. More recently historians have argued that 20th century Britain was dominated by liberalism and related creeds, especially as eembodied in various kinds of "liberal socialism."<ref>See Green and Tanner, eds, ''The Strange Survival of Liberal England: Political Leaders, Moral Values and the Reception of Economic Debate''(2007).</ref>

==Origins==
The Liberal Party emerged from the [[Whigs|Whig Party]] in the decades after passage of the Reform Bill of 1832 gave the vote to the British middle class. It brought together Whigs, Peelite liberal Tories, and radical politicians.<ref>"radical" at the time meant reformer; "liberal" meant libertarian.</ref> politicians. In terms of voters the party appealed to businessmen, Scots, and non-conformists (Protestants who did not belong to the Anglican Church, including Methodists and others).

In the 1830s there was a small but clear distinction between the "radical" (reformist) faction of the Whig Party and the reactionaries of the Tory ("Conservative") Party. The Tories accepted the reforms; the Whigs were still dominated by great aristocratic families. Politicians switched easily between parties. This era ended with Viscount [[Palmerston]]'s death in 1865 and the emergence of a new leader who drew sharp party lines..
===Gladstone===
The great leader of the party was [[William Gladstone]] (1809–98), an intensely religious and intellectual politician, who dueled for decades with Conservative leader [[Benjamin Disraeli]] (1804-1881) over who would be prime minister.
After the defeat of the Conservatives in the 1868 election, Gladstone became prime minister and proved he was not as ready to compromise as the much as the Whigs had done.

Between 1870 and 1874 religious disputes played a major part in ripping apart the broad Liberal Party coalition. Disputes over education, Irish disestablishment, and the Irish universities showed the divergence between, on the one hand, Whigs, who wanted state control of education and the propagation of a nondenominational, morally uplifting Christianity, and on the other hand Gladstone and his supporters, who sought to guard religion's independence from a modernizing civil power. This division struck a lasting blow to prospects of agreement on future policy over education and Ireland.<ref>J. P. Parry, "Religion and the Collapse of Gladstone's First Government, 1870-1874." ''Historical Journal'' 1982 25(1): 71-101. Issn: 0018-246x Fulltext: [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2638807 in Jstor]</ref>

====The Irish Question====
Gladstone united his party, which had several factions based on personalities. He got the Liberals to agree on the [[Irish question]], which dominated British politics from the 1870s to 1914. One achievement was to disestablish the Church of Ireland—a branch of the Church of England that Irish Catholics did not want to support. In 1870, Gladstone tried to resolve the agrarian problem, long a major cause of Irish unrest, in which Protestants and absentee English owners controlled most of the good farmlands in Ireland. He extended to predominantly Catholic southern Ireland the "Ulster Tenant Right", which had protected Protestants in northern Ireland. The new act provided that tenants who were arbitrarily evicted by landowners had to be compensated by them, and paid for improvements they had made to the farm. The act did not reduce the high rents nor give tenants any security. These problems were resolved when Gladstone passed a second Irish land act in 1881, which provided for The Three F's, (fair rent, free sale, and fixity of tenure), and established a land court to which landlords and tenants might appeal voluntarily. The land court reduced average rents by 25%, and helped resolve the agrarian problem. But the Irish kept demanding more power (although not yet agitating for independence). Following the reforms there was an alarming increase of violent outrages and lawlessness in rural Ireland directed against Protestant landlords. In 1886 Gladstone, after a brief Conservative interlude, became prime minister for the third time. He now realized that '''Home Rule'' was the only answer to the Irish question, but this solution split the Liberal party. A faction of radical imperialists led by [[Joseph Chamberlain]] broke off from the party and became known as the "Liberal Unionists". The Liberal Unionists voted with Conservatives to defeat Gladstone's Home Rule bill. The Liberals again came into office in 1892, after a campaign during which both parties stressed the Irish issue. In 1893 the House of Commons passed Gladstone's second Home Rule bill, but it was thrown out by the House of Lords. The Liberals stayed in office for more than a year after Gladstone's resignation in March 1894; but Home Rule went off the Liberal Party agenda until 1910.
====Reform legislation====
Liberals prided themselves on being reformers. The "Education Act of 1870" greatly enlarged the schooling opportunities of the working class. Previously only voluntary schools provided opportunity for the education of the poor, and of 4,300,000 children of school age in England, about half were not in school. The act of 1870 divided England and Wales into school districts with board schools in every district in which there was not an approved voluntary school. At first, elementary schooling was neither free nor compulsory, but it soon became both. Within a generation illiteracy decreased from 19.4% to 1.4%. The "Universities Test Act" of 1871 dropped the requirement of supporting Anglican doctrines and made it possible for non-Anglicans to receive degrees and teach there. The "Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1871", upgraded the legal standing of labour unions by declaring them to be neither criminal conspiracies nor unlawful combinations. The "Judicature Act, 1873," reorganized court system. The "Franchise Act of 1884" gave the vote to every man who was the head of a household, virtually established manhood suffrage. Along with it was a law that made one-member constituencies the norm. The buying and selling of officers' commissions in the army was ended. None of the reforms was reversed when the Conservatives came to power, and they became part of Britain's unwritten constitution.
====1880-1894====
With the Liberals defeat in the elections of 1874, Gladstone relinquished leadership of the Liberal Party. He returned as prime minister in 1880, and his government lasted until 1885. Legislation passed included the Land Act of 1881 for Ireland, and the third parliamentary Reform Act of 1884. His foreign policy, which was one of avoidance of entanglements, lacked consistency and distinction. The 1880-85 period had mixed results at best. He undermined his reputation among pacifists and anti-imperialists by his military attack on Egypt in 1882. He was then denounced by jingoes when he sent General Charles George Gordon to the [[Sudan]] then failed to rescue him as he was besieged at [[Khartoum]] for 10 months and killed 2 days before rescuers arrived.

====Laissez-faire policy====
In the 1880s the Liberal government was confronted with a worsening agricultural and trade depression, to which Gladstone's policy of laissez-faire provided no answer. Cheap grains imported from America were ruining British farmers; across the world tariffs were increasing and thus restricting British exports and causing unemployment; and a formidable growth of European armaments was menacing British security. That challenge stimulated two mass movements of British opinion, and demands arose for a policy of social reform at home and for a vigorous imperialist policy overseas. Gladstone rejected both demands. He held that the national character and prosperity would both be undercut by a welfare state of the sort that [[Bismark]] was initiating in Germany. He held that a race among the Great Powers for military and naval supremacy would quickly get out of hand if Britain either joined in or expanded its overseas empire in compensation for increasing relative weakness in Europe.

Disraeli's Conservative Party was proposing solutions that were popular and the root cause of Gladstone's anger toward Disraeli was his belief that his rival was deliberately corrupting the minds of the British people upon whom Gladstone placed their trust.

==1905-1920==
===1906 landslide===
The Liberals were out of power from 1895 to 1905, but made a remarkable comeback in 1906. In the 1900 election they had done poorly, as the Conservatives and Unionists had won 402 seats on the strength of success in the [[Boer War]]. The Liberals had only 184 seats; there were also 82 Irish Nationalists and two Labour Party members. The Liberals were split on such major issues as Leading the Boer war, imperialism, Ireland and women's suffrage. Their elderly leader Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1836-1908) was not inspiring. In late 1905 the Conservatives split over tariff issues, and Campbell-Bannerman formed a government with Edward Grey (1862-1933) as foreign secretary, [[Herbert Asquith]] (1852-1928) at the Exchequer, Lord Haldane (1856-1928) at the war office, and [[David Lloyd George]] (1863-45) at the Board of Trade.

An election was called early in 1906 as the Liberals campaigned on free trade and cheap food, as well as Nonconformist resentment over the Education Act of 1902 for favouring Church of England schools. It was a surprise landslide. Liberals with 49% of the vote took 400 seats; Conservatives and Unionists with 44% dropped to 157 seats; Irish Nationalists had 83 seats and Labour 30 . Campbell-Bannerman was Prime Minister 1905-8, and succeeded in keeping his very able ministers in harmony. Asquith became prime minister 1908-1916.
===Domestic policies===
The Liberal Party made its great contributions in the field of domestic affairs. It enacted legislation that began the welfare state. Britain was a few decades behind [[Bismark]]'s conservative government in Germany in this regard, but they hurried to make up for lost time. The leaders were [[Herbert Asquith]], who was prime minister [[David Lloyd George]] and [[Winston Churchill]]. (Churchill later switched parties). The welfare state included the "Old Age Pensions Act", granting small pensions to the indigent poor aged 70 years or older; the "National Insurance Act", providing compulsory insurance against sickness for workers between 16 and 65, and [[unemployment insurance]] that was at first limited to certain skilled trades but was later greatly extended. Liberals passed the "Small Holdings and Allotments Act", which empowered county councils to buy farmland at current prices and to rent it out in small farms. They passed the "Housing and Town Planning Act," designed to eliminate urban slums.
===House of Lords===
The House of Lords, controlled by Conservative landowners, approved nearly all of the Liberals' social program, but it rejected the Budget of 1909, on the ground that the new taxes would destroy the landed interests. The Liberals launched a strong counterattack on the House of Lords. Two elections were held in 1910, and the result was to sharply reduce the Liberal majority; the balance of power in the House of Commons was now in the hands of the Labour Party and the Irish Nationalists. By the "Parliament Act of 1911" the upper house was stripped of all control over money bills, and it were left with only the ability to delay legislation for two years. This made possible the final enactment of "Home Rule" for Ireland in 1914, but the coming of the World War meant that Home Rule was postponed until the war ended.

===Foreign policy and World War===
Liberal foreign policy seemed less able and vigorous than that of the Conservatives; the imperialism captured the public imagination around 1900 was a Conservative issue; it was alien to the Liberal mind. While not pacifists, the party generally opposed imperialism and overseas conflicts. Britain was so immersed in the Irish problem in 1914 that it was caught totally by surprise when war came. Counting on a fleet that remained powerful, the Liberals had downsized the army. German violation of Belgian neutrality outraged the Liberals as a betrayal—one that posed the immediate threat of German control of the entire continent. That was unacceptable and so unexpectedly Britain went to war with France and Russia against Germany, Austria and Turkey.

The Liberal Party as a whole—and indeed the whole nation—endorsed the declaration of war. Asquith, formed a coalition government with the Conservatives in 1915. Asquith made a fine leader in peacetime, but lacked the broad vision necessary to run a war, and he was forced out by Lloyd George in late 1916. The new prime minister was an amazing dynamo who took control of the whole war effort, as well as politics and diplomacy. His government was composed of members of the Conservative, Liberal, Unionist, and Labour parties. However, the majority of the Liberal ex-ministers deserted him to organize a group known as the independent Liberals. Before the war ended, the Liberals became hopelessly divided. Lloyd George's coalition ministry fell in 1922 when the Conservatives (the largest bloc) withdrew support after he proposed military intervention in Turkey.

The Liberals never pulled themselves together, as the trade union and working class supported deserted to the upstart [[Labour Party]], and Lloyd George kept personal control of the shrinking Liberal bloc in Parliament. More important than the MP's in the 1920s to 1940s were the Liberal intellectuals, especially economists [[John Maynard Keynes]] and [[William Beveridge]] who devised programmes of government control of the economy, and expansion of the welfare state, that deprived the trade unions of their chance at controlling the economy through socialism.

==Recent==
In 1981 the Liberals formed an electoral alliance with the newly formed Social Democratic Party (SDP). The Alliance won 25.4% of the vote in 1983, but only 23 seats in Parliament. In 1988 the Liberal Party and the SDP merged to form the "Social and Liberal Democratic Party," popularly known as the '''Liberal Democratic Party,''' (informally, "Lib Dems") which usually positioned itself between the Labour Party on the left and the Conservative Party on the right. Led by Paddy Ashdown (1941- ) from 1988 to 1999, the Liberal Democrats lost two seats in 1992 to 20, but did well in 1997, winning 46 seats. Charles Kennedy (1959- ) was leader 1999-2006 followed briefly by Menzies Campbell (1941- ) from 2006-7. The best showing since the 1920s came in 2005, as they won 62 seats (10% of the seats) on 22% of the popular vote.

Today's Liberal Democrats have been described as a party with a preponderance of left-of-centre policies supported preponderantly by centre and right-of-centre voters.<ref>Dutton (2004) p. 298</ref> They opposed British participation in the [[Iraq War]]. Efforts to form a coalition with Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]]'s Labour party failed, and the Liberal Democrats continue to go it alone. They rejected a bid from Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]] in 2007 to put two members in the cabinet, citing differences over Iraq and civil liberties. Nick Clegg (1967- ) is the current leader, with 63 MPs; polls show the party has the support of about 20% of the British voters.

==Further reading==
* Adelman, Paul. ''The Decline of the Liberal Party 1910-1931,'' (1995) [https://www.amazon.com/Decline-Liberal-1910-1931-Seminar-Studies/dp/0582277337/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237109426&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Aldous, Richard. ''The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs Disraeli'' (2007)
* Biagini, Eugenio F. ''Liberty, Retrenchment and Reform: Popular Liberalism in the Age of Gladstone, 1860-1880.'' (1992). 476 pp.
* Cannon, John. ''The Oxford Companion to British History'' (1997), online at academic libraries
* Cook, Chris. ''A Short History of the Liberal Party 1900-2001'' (6th ed. 2002) [https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Liberal-Party-1900-2001/dp/0333918371/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237109560&sr=8-25 excerpt and text search]
* Dangerfield, George. ''The Strange Death of Liberal England'' (1935), collpase of Liberals 1910-20
* DeGroot, Gerard J. ''Liberal Crusader: The Life of Sir Archibald Sinclair.'' (1993), mid 20th century
* Dutton, David. ''A History of the Liberal Party in the Twentieth Century,'' (2004). 360 pp.
* Ensor, Robert. ''England 1870-1914'' (Oxford History of England Series) (1936), 652pp good survey of politics [https://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0198217056/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-4827826-5463040#reader-link excerpt and text search]; [http://www.questiaschool.com/read/10005200 online edition]
* Green, E.H.H., and D.M. Tanner, eds. ''The Strange Survival of Liberal England: Political Leaders, Moral Values and the Reception of Economic Debate''(2007).
* Grigg, John. ''Lloyd George: The People's Champion, 1902-1911.'' (1979). 391 pp.
* Jalland, Patricia. ''The Liberals and Ireland: The Ulster Question in British Politics to 1914.'' (1980). 303 pp.
* Jenkins, T. A. ''The Liberal Ascendancy, 1830-1886.'' (1994). 252 pp.
* Jenkins, T. A. ''Gladstone, Whiggery, and the Liberal Party, 1874-1886.'' (1988). 328 pp.
* Matthew, H. C. G. "Gladstone, William Ewart (1809–1898)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,'' Oxford University Press, 2004; [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/10787 online edition May 2006]
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Age of Lloyd George: The Liberal Party and British Politics, 1880-1929'' (1971)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. "George, David Lloyd, first Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (1863–1945)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', 2004; [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/34570, online]
* Murray, Bruce K. ''The People's Budget 1909/10: Lloyd George and Liberal Politics.'' (1980). 352 pp.
* Parry, J. P. ''Democracy and religion: Gladstone and the Liberal party, 1867–1875'' (1986), 504 pp. [https://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Religion-Gladstone-18671875-Cambridge/dp/0521367832/ref=sr_1_14/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192323865&sr=1-14 excerpt and text search]
* Parry, J. P. "Review: The State of Victorian Political History," ''The Historical Journal,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Jun., 1983), pp. 469–484 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2638778 in JSTOR], historiography
* Perry, Jonathan. ''The Rise and Fall of Liberal Government in Victorian Britain.'' (1994). 383 pp.
* Searle, G. R. ''The Liberal Party: Triumph and Disintegration, 1886-1929.'' (1992). 234 pp.
* Searle, G. R. ''A New England?: Peace and War 1886-1918'' (2005) 976 pp [https://www.amazon.com/New-England-1886-1918-Oxford-History/dp/0199284407/ref=pd_sim_b_img_3 excerpt and text search], large-scale history of the era

* Vincent, John. ''The formation of the Liberal party, 1857–1868'' (1966), suggests the party lacked deep values and that workers were misled into supporting it

==See also==
* [[Winston Churchill]]
* [[William E. Gladstone]]
* [[David Lloyd-George]]

====References====
<references/>
[[Category:British Politics]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:British Empire]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liberal Party, Britain}}

British politics

2019-07-28T16:15:40Z

JamesQT: Update

'''British politics''' take place within the context of a democratic [[parliamentary]] system called "Westminster system" dominated by two major parties. Currently, there is a minority government of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] led by [[Theresa May]] (2017–2019 A.D.) and [[Boris Johnson]] (since 2019 A.D.), supported with a "Supply and Confidence" arrangement by the small Northern Ireland [[Democratic Unionist Party]].

The political culture of the UK tends to be more liberal than that of the United States, but less so than that of many other European nations. In contrast to many other [[Europe]]an countries, in the UK [[abortion]] is lightly restricted: to cases of [[rape]], fetal defects, socio-economic factors and when the mother's life is endangered. [[File:Brit-history.jpg|thumb|250px]]

==Institutions==
===Parliament===

''See also [[Parliament]]''

The cornerstone of the uncodified British [[constitution]] is ''Parliamentary supremacy'', or ''Parliamentary sovereignty''.

Britain is one of a small number of nations without a codified constitution, and the British legislature, ''Parliament'', is free to legislate however it pleases. In British law, the only authority higher than parliamentary legislation is the law of the [[European Union]], and Britain is subject to EU law only by virtue of the fact that Parliament has chosen to accept it.

Parliament consists of the Queen, the [[House of Lords]] and the [[House of Commons (UK)|House of Commons]]. The Queen today takes no part in active politics (the last time that a monarch refused to ratify a law passed by the Lords and Commons was in 1714). While the House of Lords is considered to be the more prestigious chamber, the Commons is dominant by virtue of the fact that its members are elected rather than appointed. The Lords can only delay rather than veto legislation, though the Commons rarely chooses to push through laws against the Lords' wishes (it has done so only five times since the Lords' absolute veto was removed in 1911).

Reform of the House of Lords is a current political issue in the UK. The House of Commons has resolved to make it more democratic, so that 80% or 100% of its members are elected rather than appointed.

===The Executive===

The British Government operates in the name of the Queen (or the "Crown"), but power lies in practice with the '''Prime Minister''' and his '''Cabinet'''. The British Prime Minister has one of the most powerful roles of any democratic head of government or head of state (though some, like the French President, have similar or more extensive powers).

Contrary to popular opinion, the British Prime Minister can be of any religion - for example, Iain Duncan-Smith, a Catholic, was made leader of the Conservative Party while in opposition which would have made him Prime Minister had the party won a general election at that time. In addition, [[Margaret Thatcher]] was a Methodist rather than an Anglican. Not many British political commentators make any mention of religion, and religion is not considered a major deciding factor in elections. The faith or denominations of party leaders is not well known.

The only relevant legislation that exists demands that the Monarch not be Catholic, and the Anglican coronation and automatic incumbency to the position of Supreme Governor of the Church of England ensure that the Sovereign is Anglican; however, the now defunct position of advising the monarch on ecclesiastical affairs could have fallen to any member of the cabinet. No legislation exists which regulates the religion of the Prime Minister or any other member of parliament.

== Devolution ==

{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
! Nation/Region || Legislature || Executive || Leader(s)
|-
| '''[[Scotland]]''' || [[Scottish Parliament]] || Scottish Government || First Minister
|-
| '''[[Wales]]''' || National Assembly for Wales || Welsh Assembly Government || First Minister
|-
| '''[[Northern Ireland]]''' || Northern Ireland Assembly || Northern Ireland Executive || First Minister and Deputy First Minister1
|-
| '''[[London|Greater London]]''' || London Assembly|| Mayor of London || Mayor of London
|}


1 Northern Ireland is a dyarchy in which both leaders are regarded as equal.


==Local government==

Each locality in the UK has its own '''local authority''': there are '''councils''' of various sorts, as well as a number of elected '''mayors''' (most notably in London, whose current mayor is the Muslim Labour Party politician [[Sadiq Khan]]). The powers of local authorities have been seen as declining for many years, however one of the main aims of the new coalition government is to reverse this. Local authorities can pass 'bylaws', secondary delegated legislation that can regulate planning and other local areas.

It should be noted that most mayors in Britain are relatively powerless officials who serve as mere figureheads, in a similar way to the Monarch, as the power is with the local council, of which the mayor is the leader. However, a number of cities, such as London, have powerful mayors with a full executive role.

==Parties==

The British political spectrum has historically been dominated by the '''[[Labour Party]]''' on the left, the '''[[Conservative Party]]''' on the right, and the '''Liberal Party''' (now the [[Liberal Democrats]]) in the centre between them ("liberal" in British political terminology is often used to mean "centrist" or "moderate", rather than "left-wing"). In theory, these parties represent the three main political ideologies; liberal, conservative and socialist, but recently, there has been a perception that the main parties are crowding together on the centre ground. In the 1990s, Labour moved decisively away from the traditional left (angering many of its more traditionally-minded supporters), to the point where it was perceived by many as being less left-wing than the Liberal Democrats. Since the advent of [[David Cameron]] as its leader in 2005, the Conservative Party has moved away from the territory of the traditional right (in this case too, angering many of its more strongly conservative or [[Thatcherite]] supporters).

===Labour===
see also [[Labour Party]]

The [[Labour Party]] is currently the main opposition party in the UK and is led by [[Jeremy Corbyn]]. It is also the largest party in the Welsh legislature and the second-largest party in the Scottish Parliament.

Following its defeat by Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in 1979, the Labour Party adopted a strongly left-wing, communistic program. Following a catastrophic defeat in the 1983 general election, more moderate politicians took charge of Labour and slowly moved it closer to the centre ground of British politics, a process started by [[Neil Kinnock]] in the mid-1980s and carried forward enthusiastically by [[Tony Blair]] after his election as leader in 1994. Many more traditional, left-wing Labour supporters see Tony Blair as an usurper whose policies are too right-wing for comfort. This has been the case in particular following the Iraq War.

Blair's policies were arguably a mixture of left (e.g. higher taxes, higher government spending, greater integration with the European Union, equal rights for gay people) and right (e.g. pro-market reforms in the public services, retention of Lady Thatcher's labour laws, support for the [[War on Terror]] and [[George W. Bush]]'s foreign policies). His successor [[Gordon Brown]], once a close ally of Blair, has spoken out against the idea of the party shifting back to the left. Gordon Brown and Tony Blair were both seen as modernists within the Labour Party before they were elected to power in 1997.

===Conservatives===
* Also See: [[Conservative Party]]
British conservatism has traditionally been a moderate, non-ideological creed: its heroes include such pragmatic figures as [[Edmund Burke]] in the eighteenth century and Sir [[Robert Peel]] and [[Benjamin Disraeli]] in the nineteenth century. These figures contrasted with contemporary conservatives from other European countries such as the French thinker [[Joseph de Maistre]], who were often strong, ideologically-minded supporters of absolute monarchy and Roman Catholicism.

The Conservative Party became more ideologically conservative during the leadership of [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1975-1990). Since Lady Thatcher resigned in 1990, the strongly conservative element within the party has been more or less eclipsed. It had some influence in the 1990s during the leadership of Sir John Major (1990-1997), but the leader [[David Cameron]], has moved decisively away from "Thatcherism". This has caused dismay to many Conservative activists. It is often argued that this move has greatly increased the popularity and [[electability]] of the Conservative Party; however Margaret Thatcher achieved three solid general election victories while Cameron has been forced to form a coalition with the leftist pro-EU Liberal Democrats after failing to win an absolute majority.

Its current leader is [[Theresa May]].

===Liberal Democrats===

The Liberal Democrats (or "Lib Dems") were formed in 1988 by the merger of the old centrist Liberal Party with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP). They have long advocated disestablishing the [[Church of England]], and their former leader [[Nick Clegg]], who has publicly said he is "not an active believer" in God, but claims to be "open-minded" about religion, has married a Catholic and is bringing his children up as Catholics.<ref>''Nick Clegg is a believer in families, not God'' [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3076044.ece Times Online]</ref>

The Liberal Democrats are divided between a relatively left-wing faction (to which the former leaders Sir Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy belong), which has taken positions to the left of the Labour Party on a number of issues, and a more centrist, pro-[[free market]] faction to which the present leader belongs (several of whose members contributed to a controversial collection of essays published in 2004 called ''The Orange Book''). Despite the range of view on economic issues, the party is consistently culturally liberal, on social issues. The Liberal Democrats are strong advocates of anti-discrimination laws.

The party's current leader is [[Vince Cable]].

=== Scotland ===
The largest party in the [[Scottish Parliament]] is the '''[[Scottish National Party]]'''. Among other policies it advocates a greater level of independence for Scotland.

=== Wales ===
There is also a Welsh nationalist party, called '''Plaid Cymru''', or simply '''Plaid''', which currently in coalition with Labour has control of the [[Welsh Assembly]].

=== Northern Ireland ===
Northern Ireland has a number of political parties:
* '''[[Democratic Unionist Party]]''' - strongly Unionist
* '''[[Sinn Fein]]''' - strongly Irish-Nationalist ("Republican")
* '''[[Ulster Unionist Party]]''' - moderately Unionist
* '''[[Social Democratic and Labour Party]]''' - moderately Irish-Nationalist

===Minor parties===
There are several other minor British parties worthy of mention:
* The '''[[UK Independence Party]]''' advocates the withdrawal of Britain from the [[European Union]] and other more strongly conservative policies than those supported by the official Conservative Party.
* The '''[[Green Party (UK)|Green Party]]''' is a left-wing party that advocates major constraints on economic activity in order to prevent alleged anthropogenic global warming.
* '''[[RESPECT Party|Respect]]''' is a strongly far-left, socialist party led by the maverick ex-Labour politician [[George Galloway]], who has been endorsed by revolutionary Communist and Islamic parties within the UK.
* The '''[[British National Party]]''' is generally seen as an extreme [[national socialist]] or fascist party. It advocates the repatriation of non-white people from the UK to the countries of their or their families' origin.
*The [[Monster raving loony party|Monster Raving Loony Party]] is a 'joke' party, which however often receives significant numbers of [[protest vote]]s especially in high-profile [[by-election]]s (which may attract a large number, sometimes dozens, of other not entirely serious candidates).

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:British Politics]]
[[Category:British History]]

John McCain

2019-07-27T22:08:20Z

JamesQT: Reads better

{{Officeholder
|name=John McCain
|image=John McCain official portrait 2009.jpg
|party=[[Republican Party|Republican]]
|spouse=Carol Shepp (1965–1980) [[Cindy McCain|Cindy Lou Hensley]] (1980–2018)
|religion=[[Baptist]]
|offices=
{{Officeholder/senator
|state=Arizona
|terms=January 3, 1987 – August 25, 2018
|preceded=[[Barry Goldwater]]
|former=y
|succeeded=[[Jon Kyl]]
}}
{{Officeholder/representative
|state=Arizona
|district=1st
|terms=January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1987
|preceded=John Jacob Rhodes Jr.
|former=y
|succeeded=John Jacob Rhodes III
}}
|military=y
|branch=[[United States Navy]]
|serviceyears=1958–1981
|rank=Captain
|battles=[[Vietnam War]]
}}
'''John Sidney McCain III''' (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018)<ref name=bioguide>[http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=m0003http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/Button_enter.png Biographical Directory of the United States Congress]</ref> was the Republican candidate for President in 2008 as well as a prominent politician and [[Vietnam War]] veteran. He was also the senior [[United States Senate|Senator]] of [[Arizona]]. He was an influential [[establishment]] and [[neocon]] voice in American politics since 1986. McCain was defeated by [[George W. Bush]] for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, and lost to [[Barack Obama]] in the 2008 Presidential Election. McCain died on August 25, 2018,<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (August 25, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/25/john-mccain-1936-2018-conservative-frenemy-american-hero/ John McCain (1936-2018): Conservative Frenemy, American Hero]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 25, 2018.</ref> and Obama and [[Hillary Clinton]], among others, praised him.<ref>O'Reilly, Andrew (August 26, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/26/clinton-obama-among-democrats-paying-tribute-to-mccains-commitment-to-bipartisanship.html Clinton, Obama among Democrats paying tribute to McCain's commitment to bipartisanship]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved August 26, 2018. Several speakers at McCain's funeral criticized President Trump:
*Shaw, Adam (September 1, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/01/obama-bush-to-pay-tribute-to-john-mccain-at-washington-national-cathedral-memorial-service.html Meghan McCain, Obama knock Trump at John McCain's funeral service: 'America was always great']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
*Axelrod, Tal (September 1, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/news/404726-7-times-trump-was-called-out-at-john-mccains-funeral 7 subtle jabs speakers took at Trump during John McCain’s funeral]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
*Rodriguez, Katherine (September 1, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/01/meghan-mccain-uses-fathers-eulogy-to-take-pot-shots-at-trump/ Meghan McCain Uses Father’s Eulogy to Take Pot-Shots at Trump]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
*Betz, Bradford (September 2, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/02/trump-issues-4-word-reply-after-criticism-at-mccain-franklin-funerals.html Trump issues 4-word reply after criticism at McCain, Franklin funerals]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
See also:
*Virgil (September 2, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/02/virgil-the-mccain-funeral-marked-the-end-of-an-era-for-the-globalist-war-party/ Virgil: The McCain Funeral Marked the End of an Era for the Globalist War Party]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
*Byas, Steve (September 2, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/29939-the-politics-of-funerals The Politics of Funerals]. ''The New American''. Retrieved September 2, 2018.</ref> The [[mainstream media]] used McCain to accomplish its goals, and it frequently praised McCain for his role in advancing the left-wing agenda, except when he ran against Democrats in elections when they viciously attacked him.<ref>Multiple references:
*Byas, Steve (August 28, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/29893-why-was-john-mccain-the-media-s-favorite-republican Why Was John McCain the Media’s Favorite Republican?] ''The New American''. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
*Nolte, John (August 27, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/08/27/establishment-media-john-mccain-apology-2008-smears/ Nolte: The Establishment Media Still Owe John McCain a Big Apology]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
*Pollak, Joel B. (August 27, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/27/pollak-democrats-risk-repeating-mistake-of-paul-wellstones-memorial-with-john-mccain/ Pollak: Democrats, Media Risk Repeating Mistake of Paul Wellstone with John McCain]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
*Kurz, Howard (August 28, 2018). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/28/media-use-john-mccains-death-to-denigrate-donald-trump.html Media use John McCain's death to denigrate Donald Trump]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
*[https://video.foxnews.com/v/5827551968001/?playlist_id=5198073478001#sp=show-clips Tucker: Hypocritical left and the way to honor McCain]. ''Fox News Video''. August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
See also:
*Delingpole, James (August 29, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/29/delingpole-de-john-mccain-nil-nisi-bonum-thats-latin-trump-derangement-syndrome-strikes-again/ Delingpole: De John McCain Nil Nisi Bonum (That’s Latin for ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome Strikes Again’)]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
*Scarry, Eddie (August 30, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/trump-didnt-owe-the-media-a-show-over-john-mccains-death Trump didn't owe the media a show over John McCain's death]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
*Starr, Penny (September 3, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/09/03/leftist-media-define-mccains-memorial-service-biggest-resistance-meeting-yet/ Leftist Media Define McCain’s Memorial Service: ‘Biggest Resistance Meeting Yet’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
*Nolte John (September 3, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2018/09/03/nolte-how-vulgar-media-political-elite-ruined-two-funerals/ Nolte: How Our Vulgar Media and Political Elite Ruined Two Funerals]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved September 3, 2018.</ref> The conservative base strongly disliked McCain, based on his antagonistic attitude and policies toward them.<ref>Antle, W. James III (August 30, 2018). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/understanding-mccains-rift-with-the-right Understanding McCain's rift with the Right]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved August 30, 2018.</ref>

As a pilot for the [[United States Navy]] and former Prisoner-of-War ([[POW]]), he served in the military for 22 years.<ref name=bioguide /> McCain, a [[Baptist]],<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/09/16/mccain-identifies-himself-as-baptist.html McCain Identifies Himself as a Baptist], [[Fox News]]</ref> emphasized issues related to foreign policy and national security, which propelled him in the forefront of national politics as both an outspoken voice for the United States military and as a Presidential contender for the Republican Party starting in 1993.<ref>Paul Alexander, ''John McCain: Man of the People''. (2003)</ref> He originally ran for office attacking corruption, attacking [[pork barrel]] spending and working for [[campaign finance reform]]. Despite being a POW in Vietnam, McCain had no interest in returning other American POWs home, and he fought to cover up evidence that hundreds of American POWs remained in Vietnam decades after the war ended.<ref name="NoMaverick"/> He also attacked and denigrated those who, with strong evidence, argued that American POWs remained in Vietnam.<ref name="NoMaverick">Kirkwood, R. Cort (August 26, 2018). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/item/29882-mccain-was-no-maverick-on-pows McCain Was No Maverick on POWs]. ''The New American''. Retrieved August 26, 2018.</ref>

Despite his hawkish national security positions, McCain took moderate positions overall, and he has flip-flopped various times, most notably when he voted against repealing ObamaCare in 2017 when he made numerous campaign statements several years prior stating he would do the exact opposite. McCain also was a [[globalist]] on issues related to foreign policy.<ref name="McCainWhines">Newman, Alex (March 28, 2017). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/25700-mccain-whines-about-threats-to-globalist-new-world-order McCain Whines About Threats to Globalist “New World Order”]. ''The New American''. Retrieved February 6, 2018.</ref> He criticized [[Donald Trump]] for caring more about projecting strength than displaying a [[neoconservative]] promotion of democracy worldwide and letting in large numbers of refugees,<ref>Multiple references:
*Thomsen, Jacqueline (April 30, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/385540-mccain-torches-trump-in-new-book-he-places-the-appearance-of-toughness-over McCain torches Trump in new book: He prioritizes appearance of toughness over American values]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
*Stewart, Phil (May 3, 2018). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-mccain/mccain-in-new-memoir-chides-trump-for-undermining-u-s-values-idUSKBN1I42L4 McCain, in new memoir, chides Trump for undermining U.S. values]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
See also:
*Seipel, Brooke (May 26, 2019). [https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/445574-democratic-senator-says-mccain-listed-off-names-of-dictators-during-trump-inaugural Democratic senator says McCain listed off names of dictators during Trump inaugural]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
*Caplan, Joshua (May 27, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/05/27/amy-klobuchar-john-mccain-listed-names-of-dictators-during-trumps-inauguration/ Amy Klobuchar: John McCain Listed Names of Dictators During Trump’s Inauguration]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 28, 2019.</ref> as well as for his immigration positions.<ref name="Lee2018"/> He stated in 2018 that he regretted choosing conservative [[Sarah Palin]] as his running mate,<ref>Gstalter, Morgan (May 5, 2018). [https://thehill.com/homenews/news/386392-mccain-i-regret-picking-palin-as-my-vice-presidential-nominee McCain says he regrets picking Palin as running mate]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved May 5, 2018.</ref><ref>Lee, Tony (May 6, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/06/mccain-regrets-sarah-palin-vp-pick/ McCain Regrets Sarah Palin VP Pick]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 6, 2018.</ref> and his family even banned her from his funeral despite her continued loyalty toward him.<ref>Pollak, Joel B. (August 29, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/08/29/sarah-palin-loyal-running-mate-excluded-from-john-mccains-funeral/ Sarah Palin, Loyal Running Mate, Excluded from John McCain’s Funeral]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved August 29, 2018.</ref>

==Early life==
McCain's family had a long history of military service, including ancestors who fought as army soldiers in the Indian Wars, [[American Revolutionary War]], [[War of 1812]], for both the Union and the Confederate States of America during the [[American Civil War]], and in [[World War I]]. Both his father and grandfather were four-star Navy admirals. In addition, McCain's two sons are currently serving in the U.S. Navy.

In 1951, the McCain family moved to Northern [[Virginia]] and he attended Episcopal High School, a private preparatory boarding school in Alexandria. McCain was on the wrestling team and went on to graduate in 1954. He later joined the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1958.

==Military career==
[[Image:McCain 1965.jpg|left|thumb|200px|McCain photographed in 1965]]
McCain served heroically in the [[United States Navy]] from 1958 to 1981. He spent two and a half years as a naval aviator in training at the Naval Air Station Pensacola in [[Florida]] and the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in [[Texas]]. By 1967, McCain was a veteran pilot aboard the [[USS Forrestal|USS ''Forrestal'']] [[aircraft carrier]] off the coast of Vietnam. On 29 July 1967, while preparing to take off on a bombing run over North Vietnam, a missile accidentally fired from another plane, hitting the fuel tanks on McCain's aircraft and triggering explosions and a fire. McCain escaped from his plane by crawling onto the nose of the aircraft and diving on to the ship's deck which was ablaze from burning fuel. His attempt to rescue a fellow pilot whose flight suit was on fire was prevented when McCain was blown over by further explosions. When the fire was contained 24 hours later, 134 men had been killed and hundreds more injured. It was called the worst non-combat-related accident in U.S. naval history.<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=526451&in_page_id=1811 ''The coronation of the ultimate survivor, John McCain''] 5 March 2008 [[Daily Mail]]</ref>

===Prisoner-Of-War (1967–1973)===

On October 26, 1967, as McCain was flying over [[Hanoi]]'s Thermal Power Plant during his 23rd bombing mission, he was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese. He had just released his bombs when [[A-4 Skyhawk|his plane]] was shot down by a [[surface-to-air missile]]. As he ejected, unconscious from the accident, he broke his knee and both arms and descended by parachute into a lake. When he floated ashore, Vietnamese locals spit and kicked him, nearly killing him. The police took him to Hoa Loa Prison where he was held in solitary captivity without medical attention or sufficient food. During brutal interrogations, he was asked for information in return for medical care. McCain refused, giving only his name and date of birth. When it was discovered that he was the son of a top U.S. Admiral, he was given medical care. Hospital personnel never believed he would survive, as he had large wounds and weighed a mere 100 lbs. He also had completely white hair, a product of accelerated aging under harsh conditions. Nonetheless, his health improved and McCain was held as a Prisoner-Of-War (POW) at the [[Hanoi Hilton]]. As a prisoner, guards tortured him with frequent beatings and painful contortions, breaking his teeth and bones.<ref>Alexander, Paul. John McCain: Man of the People. Published 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-47545-9</ref>

After months of beating sessions and intense interrogations, McCain was psychologically and physically weakened. At one point, he was forced to sign a statement which made claims exonerating his captors of inhumane treatment.<ref>From which he earned the nicknane, "Songbird McCain" from other veterans. https://www.democraticunderground.com/1251254282 </ref> The paper was intended for use as propaganda, but in all their subsequent attempts for promoting a "humane" image of the POW camp, McCain worked his hardest to thwart them. In 1971, four years from his capture, he was placed with 20 to 30 other Americans in better treatment. They were allowed to celebrate Christian holidays, including Christmas. McCain, who served as an impromptu chaplain, recalled that during their services, men cried; "They were tears of joy that for the first time... we were able to celebrate Christmas together."<ref>Alexander, Paul. John McCain: Man of the People. Published 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-47545-9</ref> In light of his father's high military status, McCain was offered early release, which he adamantly refused in honor of the "First in, first out" clause of the POW Code of Conduct.

On March 14, 1973, after five and a half years of imprisonment, McCain was released alongside 106 other pilots under the Nixon administration. McCain received a heartfelt reception at the White House and was pronounced a war hero and eminent voice for the Vietnam War. Awards from the military followed, including the Legion of Merit, a [[Silver Star]], a [[Bronze Star]], a [[Purple Heart]], the [[Distinguished Flying Cross]], and the Vietnamese Legion of Honor.<ref>Alexander, Paul. John McCain: Man of the People. Published 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ISBN 0-471-47545-9</ref> McCain's severe war injuries prevent him today from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes.<ref>http://graphics.boston.com/news/politics/campaign2000/news/McCain_character_loyal_to_a_fault+.shtml</ref>

===Return to the Navy (1973–1981)===
The Vietnam War and his military service remained strong in McCain's. He immediately wanted to rejoin the Navy, and spent years preparing with excruciating physical therapy and a year of study in the Naval War College, where he attacked the liberal anti-war movement for weakening the morale of his fellow POWs.<ref>Kirkpatrick, David D. "[http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/14/america/15pows.php In '74 thesis, the seeds of McCain's war views.]" The New York Times (June 15, 2008) p. A1.</ref> With his extensive experience in the Navy's Aviation division, he was selected to reform the flying fleet as Commanding Officer. John McCain quickly transformed his crew's personnel, which had been underfunded in the post-Vietnam era. Carl Smith, who served under McCain, stated, "He immediately began making changes. He fired people, and he replaced people at the top who he thought were not being as effective as he wanted them to be. He wanted real leadership. He wanted the squadron to come to life."<ref>Alexander, Paul. John McCain: Man of the People. pg. 57</ref> Many in his staff were disappointed to have him leave, and praised his work in promoting efficiency.<ref>Alexander, Paul. John McCain: Man of the People.</ref>

During his assignment to the Senate as the Navy's liaison, 1977–81, McCain began to join the ranks of politicians. He transformed the position from a rather unimportant post into one of authority and respect{{fact}}, gaining allies in the Senate. The Senate liaison role provided a learning experience in national security policy and foreign affairs.

==Political career==
===Congressional (1982–1986)===

Prior to entering public service, McCain worked in [[Phoenix]] for his father-in-law's company, Hensley & Co, which was an Anheuser-Busch beer wholesaler and distributor. With nagging injuries and limited physical mobility, McCain realized he would never become a four-star general like his forefathers.<ref>[http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9542249 John McCain Biography (1936-)]</ref> Some biographers argue that he shifted into politics so that he could achieve the equivalent in politics, leading to his Senatorial career. After gaining support from local business leaders, he ran for a congressional seat for Arizona's 1st congressional district as a Republican in 1982. His [[liberal]] opponents labeled him as a "carpetbagger". McCain responded to a voter making the charge of "carpetbagging" saying,

{{cquote|Listen, pal. I spent 22 years in the Navy. My father was in the Navy. My grandfather was in the Navy. We in the military service tend to move a lot. We have to live in all parts of the country, all parts of the world. I wish I could have had the luxury, like you, of growing up and living and spending my entire life in a nice place like the First District of Arizona, but I was doing other things. As a matter of fact, when I think about it now, the place I lived longest in my life was Hanoi.}}

With the endorsements of local newspapers, McCain easily won the election. In 1983, he became President of the Republican freshman class of representatives. At the time, he largely supported Reagan's hard stance against the [[Soviet Union]], his tax cuts and matters on Indian Affairs. He did, however, break with the President on the decision to place a U.S. military presence in Lebanon, saying {{cquote|''I do not foresee obtainable objectives in Lebanon; I believe the longer we stay, the more difficult it will be to leave.''<ref>Alexander, Paul. John McCain: Man of the People. pg. 100</ref>}} During his four years in [[Congress]], McCain and his wife Cindy had three children.

===Senatorial (1986–Present)===
[[Image:Reagan mccain.jpg|left|thumb|300px|3/3/1987 President Reagan and Nancy Reagan greet John McCain in the Blue Room during a dinner for newly elected members of the 100th Congress]]
When Republican and [[conservative]] icon [[Barry Goldwater]] retired from the United States Senate in Arizona in 1986, Congressman McCain announced his candidacy for the seat. He easily won the election, defeating his Democratic opponent Richard Kimball by 20 percentage points. When entering the Senate, he became a member of the powerful Armed Services Committee and he also joined the Commerce Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee. During the 1988 Presidential Election, McCain was named chairman of Veterans for Bush. In 1991, Senator McCain became part of the "Keating Five" scandal, where McCain and four other Senators (all Democrats) were accused of improperly aiding Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of an investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board. Between 1982 and 1987, McCain had received approximately $112,000 in political contributions from Charles Keating Jr. After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee determined that McCain's involvement was minimal and was criticized for using "poor judgement".

===="Maverick" Image in the Senate====
John McCain has gained a reputation as a "maverick" for his sponsorship of many bills and leadership on almost every issue. Starting in 1994, he worked with Democratic [[Wisconsin]] Senator [[Russ Feingold]] on campaign finance reform. The McCain-Feingold bill banned "soft money". It passed and was signed into law on November 6, 2002, by President Bush. In the 1990s, McCain gained attention for his strong opposition to pork barrel spending. He championed the 1996 Line Item Veto Act, which gave the President the power to veto individual spending items. However, in 1998, the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] ruled the act unconstitutional.

Voteview.com rated McCain as the second most conservative Senator in the 109th Congress (Jan. 2005 - Jan. 2007).<ref>http://voteview.com/SEN109.HTM</ref>

John McCain and the Bush administration agree on most issues. He voted with the Bush administration 95% of the time in 2007, according to Congressional Quarterly's "Presidential Support Scores".<ref>[https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/jun/04/barack-obama/thats-what-the-votes-show-yes/ That's what the votes show, yes], Politifact fact checks McCain's voting support</ref> Issues include making the Bush tax cuts permanent (even though he originally opposed and voted against them), energy independence, winning the war in Iraq, reforming Social Security, and continuing and expanding Bush's supply-side economic policies.

In 2008, McCain asked for $0 in earmarks.<ref>[http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008_database 2008 ''Pig Book''], Council for Citizens Against Government Waste</ref> The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste has given him a rating of 100% in 2007 (88% lifetime).<ref>[http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/DocServer/2007_Senate_Ratings_Final.pdf?docID=3242 2007 Senate Scorecard]</ref> A score of 100% represents voting against all pork, and 0% represents voting ''for'' all pork. Democrats averaged 5% in 2007, whereas Republicans averaged 60%.<ref>[http://councilfor.cagw.org/site/News2?abbr=CCAGW_&page=NewsArticle&id=11590 CCAGW Releases ''2007 Congressional Ratings'']</ref>

==Presidential Politics==
===2000 Presidential Campaign===
McCain launched his first campaign for President in 2000, when he challenged then-[[Texas]] Governor [[George W. Bush]] for the Republican nomination. McCain's campaign was surprisingly strong. By ignoring the [[Iowa Caucus]], he was able to win the [[New Hampshire]] Primary by nineteen percentage points. He then won the [[Michigan]] Primary. However, he went on to lose [[South Carolina]] and 9 out of the 13 [[Super Tuesday]] states. McCain withdrew from the race on March 9, 2000.

After withdrawing, McCain announced that he supported the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the top of the South Carolina statehouse. During the primary he had stated he believed it was an issue for the state to decide, which was his true belief from a federal standpoint, but not his personal belief. He felt by withholding her personal belief that he had erred. He explained that he lived his life by being open and felt he should have been at that time and apologized for not speaking up sooner.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080116070837/http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/04/19/mccain.sc/ Apologetic McCain calls for removal of Confederate battle flag from S.C. Statehouse], [[CNN]]</ref>

Rick Davis was McCain's campaign manager in both 2000 and 2008.

===During Bush Presidency 2001–2008 ===
Following McCain's loss in the 2000 Presidential primary and reports of dirty tricks in [[South Carolina]],<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/03/21/the_anatomy_of_a_smear_campaign/ The anatomy of a smear campaign], March 21, 2004, [[Boston Globe]]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091221024959/http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2007/12/30/top-romney-advisor-tied-to-anonymous-attacks-of-previous-presidential-primary/ Top Romney advisor tied to anonymous attacks of previous presidential primary], December 30, 2007</ref> McCain began to disagree with President Bush on many issues, such as tax cuts, climate change, and gun legislation. After the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]], McCain wrote legislation that created the 9/11 Commission, while he and Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings co-sponsored the Aviation and Transportation Security Act that federalized airport security. In May 2005, McCain led the so-called "[[Gang of 14]]" in the Senate, which established a compromise that preserved the ability of senators to [[filibuster]] judicial nominees, but only in "extraordinary circumstances". McCain also co-sponsored comprehensive immigration reform (see below under political record for details). In addition to bipartisan work in the Senate, it was during this period that McCain was courted by the Senate Democrats, and considered switching parties.<ref>[https://thehill.com/homenews/news/11485-democrats-say-mccain-nearly-abandoned-gop https://thehill.com/homenews/news/11485-democrats-say-mccain-nearly-abandoned-gop]</ref>

In the mid-2000s McCain's campaign chairman Rick Davis connected with [[Russia]]n [[oligarch]] [[Oleg Deripaska]]. At the time, the Davis-Manafort firm was advising with pro-Russian political figures in [[Ukraine]] and also doing work in [[Montenegro]], another former Soviet satellite that Putin was trying to influence.

While Davis was building the political connections with the oligarch, he was handing off the commercial side of the relationship to [[Paul Manafort]], his longtime lobbying partner. Manafort came to work on the commercial side for Deripaska through Davis.

U.S intelligence raised concerns to McCain's staff about the Davis Manafort work. McCain's office also was warned about possible Russian military connections to one of his policy advisers at the International Republican Institute (IRI), a think tank which McCain chairs. In 2005, McCain's inner circle was encouraged to distance itself from the adviser, causing aides to scramble to separate Deripaska from McCain.

In 2006, Davis and Manafort arranged two meetings with McCain and Deripaska. The first occurred in January 2006 in [[Davos]], Switzerland.

Deripaska showed up by McCain a second time, during an official trip to [[Montenegro]], another place where the Davis-Manafort firm was offering advice. Deripaska and Davis joined McCain and other officials at a dinner hosted by the country's government in August 2006, and some of the attendees went on to take a cruise aboard a yacht where drinks and pastry were served in honor of McCain's 70th birthday.

Deripaska's visa to travel to the United States had been blocked by the State Department because of concerns about his ties to Russian businesses and government. The U.S. embassy in Moscow monitored Deripaska's business dealings during the time, reporting back to Washington they believed the oligarch was close to Putin.

{{Quotebox|“Deripaska enjoys a favorable relationship with [[President Putin]] -- he is a more or less permanent fixture on Putin's trips abroad, and he is widely acknowledged by our contacts to be among the 2-3 oligarchs Putin turns to on a regular basis,”}} one 2006 cable from the Moscow embassy to Washington declared.

The oligarch's visa controversy dragged on for years and reached the highest levels of both governments. A February 2008 State Department cable released by WikiLeaks shows that Putin was so concerned about the matter that he had then-Russian Deputy Foreign Minister [[Sergey Kislyak]] lobby then U.S. Ambassador to Moscow William Burns to try win Deripaska's entry to the United States. "Kislyak parried with a demand for more information on the U.S. refusal to issue Oleg Deripaska a visa. Ambassador said he had already provided our response,” the cable said. Putin eventually dispatched Kislyak to be his ambassador in Washington.

In 2018, Manafort plead guilty to money laundering and tax evasion schemes he was involved in while employed by John McCain.<ref>[https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4883168-Manafort-DC-Superseding-Criminal-Information.html#document/p1 Item 7, Manafort plea deal].</ref>

===2008 Presidential Campaign===

{{main|John McCain 2008 Presidential Campaign}}

McCain announced his run for President in early 2007 at New Hampshire, a state which had boosted his floundering 2000 run for President. From the onset, he ran on an unwavering support for the Iraq War and a close tie to President Bush, stemming from his shift during the 2004 election. The Republican Party was highly splintered among political groups, with strong constituents of the Christian social conservatives (Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee), anti-immigration activists (Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo), and the blockbuster fundraisers, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, who appeared to be media favorites upon entry. McCain was not seen as a viable candidate by many Republicans because of his strong support for immigration reform and distaste for political fund-raising. Mitt Romney, for instance, had raised $23 million in the first three months of 2007, for instance, three times that of Sen. McCain.<ref>Cook, Charles. "The 2008 Presidential Primaries: What in America's Name Is Going On?" The Washington Quarterly Vol. 31 Issue 3 pp. 193-204.</ref>

Christian conservatives overwhelmingly backed Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownback, rejecting McCain from longstanding offense he had struck during his 2000 run. John McCain had called politically-charged leaders such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson "agents of intolerance" for their part in a smear campaign during the South Carolina Primary. Many Christians were angered by these remarks, and fumed that they would field a Third Party candidate if McCain was chosen as the nominee. McCain had shown unfavorable views on abortion and religious initiatives in the past, and many Republican voters were worried that he could not be a reliably conservative candidate.<ref>Luo, Michael. "Evangelicals see Dilemma in GOP Field." July 8, 2007. New York Times.</ref>

Sen. McCain's unwavering support for victory in Iraq was made into a hot-button issue by many politicians following stories of insurgent violence erupting during early 2007. People began to fear the worst in Iraq, and the idea of a timetable for withdrawal became a major issue. At this time, conservative Republicans also feared McCain's position on immigration reform, and booed him loudly at the 2007 Conservative Political Action Conference. A news story by the New York Times was a major blow to the campaign, which reported that a scandalous affair between McCain and a lobbyist had taken place. It was found to be completely false, but the story severely hurt his political advances.

When news had spread that McCain's campaign bankrupted and "imploded" in the summer of 2007, the Republican nomination began a period of quick shifting; other candidates began to soar in the polls, detracting McCain's support. Rudy Giuliani, who collected a strong following based on his leadership as "America's Mayor", began to court evangelical Christians who felt uneasy about McCain, gaining the endorsement of televangelist Pat Robertson. However, as his less-than-flattering personal life and liberal positions on social issues became apparent, he quickly lost momentum to Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee.<ref>Cook, Charles. "The 2008 Presidential Primaries: What in America's Name Is Going On?" The Washington Quarterly Vol. 31 Issue 3 pp. 193-204.</ref> Fred Thompson, who entered late in the race, quickly withdrew because of lackadaisical popularity and poor fund-raising efforts. Huckabee remained popular in the Southern United States, but failed to win major contests among independents and Democrat voters.

Liberals, Democrats, Progressives, and the [[mainstream media]] painted McCain as a [[racist]] and [[traitor]] based on his record as a POW.<ref>https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2008/oct/14/uselections2008-johnmccain </ref>

Romney had the edge in early races, but couldn't deliver a knockout blow. McCain's poll numbers slowly increased and benefited as the field narrowed. After McCain defeated top contender Mitt Romney by a large margin on Super Tuesday in delegate-rich states like New York, California, and Arizona,<ref>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18772382 Mitt Romney Drops Out of GOP Presidential Race], [[NPR]], Scott Neuman and Howard Berkes. February 7, 2008.</ref> Mitt Romney withdrew with some protest, leaving McCain the clear front-runner.<ref>Bumiller, Elisabeth, Kirkpatrick, David. "Romney Is Out; McCain Emerges as G.O.P. Choice." Feb. 8, 2008. New York Times.</ref> Although McCain's proportion of the vote was not much higher than Romney's, he won most of the 'winner take all' states giving him a much higher proportion of the delegate count. Without Romney's well-financed opposition, McCain easily clinched the necessary delegate lead of 1,191 in March after a spirited yet short-lived fight from Mike Huckabee.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18739137 Election 2008: Huckabee, Romney Stay in Race for GOP Nomination], [[NPR]], February 6, 2008.</ref>

McCain had won the nomination and could focus on the [[2008 United States Presidential Election]].

==Domestic Policy==
[[Image:McCain_on_Meet_the_Press.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Senator John McCain discusses his opinions with Tim Russert on "Meet the Press", 2005]]

===Balanced Budget===
McCain emphasized reducing government spending over tax cuts. He was one of the Senate's most outspoken critics of pork-barrel spending and had pledged to veto any bill with pork as President. Congressional experience enabled John McCain to identify items that were unnecessary. McCain's website claimed he was fiscally responsible with the taxpayers' money and created a simple method to detect spending abuses.<ref>[http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=d1a878d9-f16c-4570-b402-9d1bc3fe6ab9] , http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=d1a878d9-f16c-4570-b402-9d1bc3fe6ab9, U.S. Senate Pork Barrel Spending</ref>

* An appropriation that is not properly authorized by the Senate and not requested by the Administration.
* An unauthorized and unrequested, locality-specific or facility-specific earmark (including those funds that are above the Administration request).
* A budget add-on that would be subject to a budget point of order.
* The transfer or disposal of federal property or items under terms that circumvent existing law.
* New items added in conference that were never considered in either bill in either House.

===Economy===
Upon his party gaining the White House in 2001, McCain opposed a $1.35 trillion cut in [[taxation]] over 10 years, but switched his position around 2006, and voted to renew it twice. The plan included the objectives of doubling the child tax credit from $500 to $1,000, reducing the tax penalty on [[marriage|married couples]] and fully repealing the [[Estate tax|tax on estates]]. A [[United States Senate]] Finance Committee Report estimated that with all the planned reductions fully phased in, the average family of four making $50,000 would save $1,825 per year.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/06/07/bush.taxes/ $1.35 trillion tax cut becomes law], [[CNN]], 21 June 2001</ref>

Since the tax cuts, [[IRS]] revenues increased from $1.78 trillion in 2003 to $2.56 trillion in 2007 with a 46.3% increase of individual income tax receipts. Surging $785 billion since the 2003 investment tax cuts, it is the largest four-year revenue increase in U.S. history<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119189497675953035 The Shrinking Deficit], [[Wall Street Journal]]</ref>

During this same time period, spending mandated by Congress has also increased by more than 29 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars, representing an 11.4 percent increase in federal spending as a percentage of [[Gross domestic product|GDP]]. This spending has doubled the federal debt, increasing it from 58 to 66 percent of GDP. Defense spending increased 61 percent, and non-defense by 23 percent during the eight years since 2000. The largest non-defense spending increase has been for federally-funded medical expenses, at 54 percent.<ref>[http://www.aier.org/research/commentaries/750-big-government-under-the-bush-administration Big Government Under The Bush Administration], AIER, 16 November 2008</ref> In total, Congress and the White House has increased government expenditures by the largest percentage since the administration of President [[Lyndon Johnson]], but McCain has opposed every earmark put forward in the Democratic and Republican congresses, even ones Bush supported. Part of the huge spending increases are directly traceable to the economic repercussions of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the economic downturn in its aftermath, and increased defense and Homeland Security spending. However, this appears likely to be eclipsed by the spending plans of [[Barack Obama]], who pledged on 6 December 2008 to invest "record amounts of money" in infrastructure, a plan which some members of Congress are estimating at $400 to $700 billion.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/us/politics/07radio.html?ref=us Obama Pledges Public Works on a Vast Scale], [[The New York Times]], 6 December 2008</ref>

McCain's policies caused general economic growth. This was partially due to changes in the stock market that lead to a record high in 2007, although the [[NASDAQ]] was still down considerably from the levels it was at before the Dot-com bubble burst. Corporations showed profits growing by double digits growth.<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/markets/us/2006-05-08-mart-usat_x.htm Dow closing in on record high], [[USA Today]]</ref> Even the working class benefited from the Bush economy, as unemployment hit an all-time low in March 2007.<ref>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/economy</ref> McCain supported a minimum wage increase, one of the platforms for the Democrats in the 2006 Congressional elections, after the House and Senate included McCain's request of provisions for small-business tax breaks.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/20/AR2006122001784.html Bush Supports Democrats' Minimum Wage Hike Plan], [[Washington Post]]</ref><ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/10/AR2007011001666.html House Passes Increase in Minimum Wage to $7.25], [[Washington Post]]</ref> Tax policies have been favorable to reducing the [[Capital Gains Tax]], with a subsequent surge in investment.

===Earmarks===
John McCain staunchly opposed [[earmarks]] as [[corrupt]] and wasteful spending. In his 28 years in federal government, McCain never requested an earmark. He vigorously crusaded against earmarks in his 2008 presidential campaign.

===Education===
McCain supported [[school vouchers]] and [[charter school]]s. His voting record showed support for reducing the federal government's role in [[education]]. He voted for school vouchers for Washington, D.C., education savings accounts, and against $5 billion for grants to local educational agencies. McCain sponsored the Education A-Plus bill in 1997 and again in 1999, which allowed parents to open tax-free saving accounts for their children's school supplies. McCain also co-sponsored the Child Nutrition Act, which would provide [[federal funding]] for at-risk children. He has publicly stated he supports [[intelligent design]] teaching in schools.<ref>http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/90069 "On Tuesday, though, he sided with the president on two issues that have made headlines recently: teaching intelligent design in schools...McCain told the Star that, like Bush, he believes "all points of view" should be available to students studying the origins of mankind."</ref>

===Health Care===
McCain's record and stated positions on [[health care]] were mixed. He claimed to oppose socialized health care and health coverage mandates. McCain supported tax credits for personal health savings accounts and enhancing competition in the healthcare industry to improve quality and lower costs. He also supported allowing citizens to purchase out-of-state health insurance. In an October 2007 statement, McCain said: "In health care, we believe in enhancing the freedom of individuals to receive necessary and desired care. We do not believe in coercion and the use of state power to mandate care, coverage or costs." McCain is a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership.<ref>[http://www.republicanmainstreet.org/healthcare.htm Pro Healthcare]</ref> However, in 2017, McCain cast the deciding vote to keep [[ObamaCare]], which went completely against those stated positions.

===Energy===
John McCain stated "ethanol subsidies, tariff barriers and sugar quotas drive up food prices and hurt Americans. However, we cannot take the wrong direction and cut off trade for American goods."<ref>[http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/4dbd2cc7-890e-47f1-882f-b8fc4cfecc78.htm], McCain Economic Plan</ref> "America’s most vital interests call us to the mission of energy security, and so does our sense of honor. And the straightest, swiftest path to energy security is to produce more, use less, and find new sources of power — so that no commodity can determine our security, and no crisis can undermine our economy," McCain said in Houston, TX, June 16, 2008. He proposes to remove federal obstacles to offshore drilling. Among his major initiatives is the removal of the 27-year old federal moratorium on states’ abilities to explore and drill for oil and natural gas.<ref>[http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/06/17/mccain-slaps-obama-on-energy-calls-for-more-drilling/ McCain slaps Obama on energy], June 17th, 2008</ref> In addition, he wants the states to receive incentives and royalties to drill. The current ban on offshore drilling covers an estimated 80 percent of U.S. coastal waters."We've seen the impact of it in the form of food prices, in the form of gasoline, in the form of threats of inflation and indeed indications of inflation, and we must embark on a national mission to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil." <ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/topstories/2008-06-16-2824987828_x.htm McCain urges end to ban on offshore drilling], [[USA Today]]</ref> He indicated, though, that the end of the ban on offshore drilling would have mostly psychological effects in the short term. At a town hall meeting, McCain stated, "I don't see an immediate relief, but I do see that exploitation of existing reserves that may exist -- and in view of many experts that do exist off our coasts -- is also a way that we need to provide relief. Even though it may take some years, the fact that we are exploiting those reserves would have psychological impact that I think is beneficial."
He would support incentives for building new nuclear power plants.<ref>[http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2008/06/24/4434679-obamamccain-psychological-benefit?lite Obama/McCain: 'Psychological' benefit?], [[MSNBC]]</ref> John McCain wants more nuclear reactors to increase America's energy independence. He is calling for the construction of 45 new reactors by 2030. Also, McCain wants to increase federal funds for clean coal technology by 2 billion dollars to reduce dependence on foreign oil.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/us/politics/19nuke.html?_r=0 McCain Sets Goal of 45 New Nuclear Reactors by 2030], [[The New York Times]]</ref>
McCain supports increasing ethanol imports and more production of hybrid vehicles. He is co-sponsor of a Senate cap-and-trade bill designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions. He has consistently voted for preserving the budget for ANWR but against drilling for [[oil]] in the [[Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]] (ANWR), because of environmental concerns. Conservationists differ from conservatives that 2000 acres for oil drilling is not enough to impact [[polar bears]] in the region.

===Environment===
McCain's position on [[global warming]] issues put him at odds with conservatives. On January 2007, McCain said, "we continue to learn more about the science of climate change and the dangerous precedence of not addressing this environmental problem. The science tells us that urgent and significant action is needed." On October 30, 2003, he co-sponsored the Climate Stewardship Act (S.139), which was defeated. McCain was a member of, and was endorsed by, the Republicans for Environmental Protection organization. His conservative stances included voting to confirm Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior and he is in favor of renewable energy such as solar, hydro, and wind. "Wind power is one of many alternative energy sources that are changing our economy for the better, and one day they will change our economy forever."

===Immigration===
McCain flip-flopped on immigration issues, but he leaned toward the [[Liberal|Left]] on the issue. In 2007, McCain worked to provide border security efforts with a temporary worker program and an eventual path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants. Conservatives wanted nothing to do with the proposal and in June 2007, Congress' efforts collapsed. McCain said of the outcome,"I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people's priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders." <ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-11-03-610628094_x.htm McCain emphasizes border security], [[AP]], November 4, 2007</ref> "..I support the same solution. But we've got to secure the borders first" says McCain

On Jan. 5, regarding the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007, Senator McCain announced that anyone who says he supported amnesty is "a liar, is lying." The senator stated "I do not support, nor would I ever support, any services provided to someone who came to this country illegally, nor would I ever and I never have supported [[Social Security]] benefits for people who are in this country illegally. Any assertion to the contrary is absolutely false." During the comprehensive immigration reform debate, Senator McCain voted to table an amendment that would have prevented illegal immigrants from receiving Social Security who "are not able to receive Social Security benefits as a result of unlawful activity."<ref>https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00130</ref> Senator McCain stated in a May 29, 2003 interview, "Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens." Arguing amnesty is not a free pass or a reward for law breaking, McCain stated, "Well, because amnesty, according to the dictionary, is forgiveness. The proposal that we had- would require fines, would require back in the line, would require deportation for some. It would require others to go back to the country of their origin" <ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/celeb/John_McCain_Immigration.htm] , Ontheissues.com, John McCain on Immigration</ref> At the [[Republican]] debate at the Reagan Library, McCain stated he supports the deportation of 2 million illegals who have committed crimes in the USA.

Conversely, in a June 2008 meeting with Hispanic leaders in Chicago, McCain indicated he would push legislation to overhaul federal immigration laws if elected. According to one attendee, Rosanna Pulido, head of the Illinois [[Minuteman Project]], ""He's one John McCain in front of white Republicans. And he's a different John McCain in front of Hispanics..." <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081008102435/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/20/mccain-discusses-immigrat_n_108297.html McCain Discusses Immigration With Hispanic Leaders]</ref><ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/2008-06-19-4020801806_x.htm McCain Meets With Hispanic Leaders]</ref> Pulido further stated, "He was telling one group of people one thing and the Hispanics another, I'm a conservative and I think he's throwing conservatives under the bus."<ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/06/title----mcca-1.html McCain Double-Talk on Immigration?]</ref> Due to his support, members of the Minuteman Project, participating in the Minuteman Project Caravan, traveled to Washington, D.C. to register their disapproval. They made an entry into McCain's Guest Log Book asking him to uphold the Constitution and enforce the law. After making the entry, the group was forced to leave by a senior staffer for Senator McCain or be reported to the police.<ref>[http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1643181/posts Minuteman Project Thrown Out of McCain's Office]</ref>

Senator McCain's position on illegal immigration arguably resulted in the most criticisms from conservatives. On May 12, 2005, McCain joined Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] (D-[[Massachusetts]]) as co-sponsor of the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act. The bill would legalize and eventually grant citizenship to the estimated 12–20 million [[illegal alien]]s in the United States and have them immediately start collecting social security and other government benefits. The bill never came for a vote on the Senate floor. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 and the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 are two additional compromises based on the original McCain-Kennedy bill. McCain has consistently voted for visas for skilled workers. McCain voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006 and has said border security should be a bigger priority then the illegal aliens who are currently here.

In 2018, McCain criticized pro-Trump Republicans' views on immigration, claiming they were on the "wrong side of ... progress" and siding with the [[establishment]].<ref name="Lee2018">Lee, Tony (May 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/09/john-mccain-pro-trump-republicans-wrong-side-immigration-debate/ John McCain: Pro-Trump Republicans on ‘Wrong Side’ of Immigration Debate]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 9, 2018.</ref> In June 2018, McCain condemned Trump for pursuing a zero tolerance border policy despite having supported the same policy with [[Jeff Flake]] as recently as 2015.<ref>Munro, Neil (June 19, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/2018-elections/2018/06/19/sen-mccain-flip-flops-zero-tolerance-urges-no-detention-migrants/ Sen. McCain Flip-Flops on ‘Zero Tolerance,’ Now Urges Zero Enforcement]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 19, 2018.</ref><ref>Tillett, Emily (June 19, 2018). [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-mccain-slams-family-separation-policy-as-an-affront-to-american-decency/ John McCain slams family separation policy as an "affront" to American decency]. ''CBS News''. Retrieved June 19, 2018.</ref>

===Global Trade===
McCain actively supported reducing barriers to trade and so-called [[Free trade|"Free" Trade]] Agreements (FTA). McCain supported both pending FTAs for Columbia and [[South Korea]].<ref>[http://useconomy.about.com/od/candidatesandtheeconomy/p/McCain_Trade.htm], John McCain and Trade</ref> He voted for and defends the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

===Social Security===
McCain was a strong supporter of private [[Social Security]] accounts.

===Tax Reform===
In 2001, McCain gained attention as one of only two Republicans who voted against President Bush's tax cuts. He opposed accelerating the cuts in 2003, saying, "I voted against the tax cuts because of the disproportional amount that went to the wealthiest Americans. I would clearly support not extending those tax cuts in order to help address the deficit." He has now changed his stance, by voting to make the tax cuts permanent, and says he would do the same as President. In 2002, Senator McCain was one of only two Republicans to twice vote against the permanent repeal of the Death Tax. He has also refused to sign a pledge put forth by Americans for Tax Freedom not to impose any new taxes or increase existing taxes. However, many of McCain's votes has shown support for lower taxes, such as eliminating the marriage penalty, a 1997 vote to cut capital gains taxes and he introduced measures that would require a sixty-vote majority to pass a tax increase.

==Foreign Policy==

===Globalism===
McCain was a [[globalist]] who supports greater international cooperation, including through unaccountable international organizations.<ref name="McCainWhines"/> He has defended organizations such as the [[European Union]].<ref name="McCainWhines"/>

===National Security===

McCain urged the Senate to pass FISA. "For months, House Democrats, the [[ACLU]], and the trial lawyers have held up legislation to modernize our nation's terrorist surveillance laws. Today, the House passed a compromise bill to end this impasse. While I would have preferred to see the Senate bill enacted, which I voted for earlier this year, I am pleased Congressional leaders and the Administration were able to reach an agreement to reform our current surveillance law and not let FISA expire in August. I hope [[United States Senate|Senate]] Democrats will allow this matter to quickly be considered by the Senate and sent to the President for his signature. I will support this measure and hope that politics will be put aside in favor of this vital national security matter."<ref>[http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=a7f9dc6c-da0e-459d-dd6c-91e20a46e1e5] , McCAIN URGES SENATE PASSAGE OF FISA
, June 20, 2008</ref> Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was established in 1978.

McCain voted in support of the [[Patriot Act|USA PATRIOT Act]] as well as National Missile Defense. However, he joined [[liberal]]s in support of immediately closing [[Guantanamo Bay]], and moving all the prisoners to Fort Leavenworth. On October 3, 2005, he introduced the McCain Detainee Amendment which prohibits inhumane treatment of prisoners, including prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The bill was passed and signed by President [[George W. Bush]]. McCain has recently criticized the practice of [[waterboarding]], saying "they should know what it is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture." McCain voted against HR 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, which included provisions that would have prevented the CIA from waterboarding prisoners.

===Afghanistan===
After the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] McCain was a strong advocate for military action in [[Afghanistan]], saying:

''We did not cause this war. Our enemies did, and they are to blame for the deprivations and difficulties it occasions. They are to'' ''blame for the loss of innocent life. They are to blame for the geopolitical problems confronting our friends and us. We can help'' ''repair the damage of war. But to do so, we must destroy the people who started it.'' <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20011108001125/http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=95001375 No Substitute for Victory]</ref>

McCain called for 15,000 additional troops to address the situation in Afghanistan, similar to his victorious 2007 troop surge in Iraq.

===Iran===
McCain said that "We continue to be concerned about [[Iran]]ian influence and assistance to Hezbollah as well as Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons." He tried to ban Iran from playing in the 2006 World Cup, citing Iranian President [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]]'s [[Holocaust]] denials.

===Iraq===
[[Image:610x.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Senator John McCain with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, 03/17/08]] McCain voted with the majority [[Republican]] Party and 29 Democrats of the Senate in favor of the 2002 "[[Iraq War]] Resolution" authorizing President George W. Bush to go to war against Iraq and overthrow the [[Saddam Hussein]] regime. In 1998, McCain voted in favor of HR 4655 Iraq Liberation Act, signed by then-President Clinton.<ref>[http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Legislation/ILA.htm], http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Legislation/ILA.htm, HR4655 Public Law: 105-338, October 31, 1998</ref> HR 4655 declares that it should be the policy of the United States to seek to remove the Saddam Hussein regime from power in Iraq and to replace it with a democratic government. McCain went on to became a critic of the management of the war, arguing that there wasn't enough troop strength in the area. However, he never became a defeatist advocating surrender. McCain publicly stated that he had "no confidence" in then-Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]]. However, he refused to call for his resignation, saying that "the President picks his team, and the president has the right to stay with that team if he wants to." McCain became one of the strongest leading advocates in the Senate for the 2007 troop surge, which increased the number of American troops by 20,500, deployed to provide security to [[Baghdad]] and Al Anbar Province. On February 4, he criticized a non-binding resolution opposing the troop buildup, calling it a reckless "vote of no confidence" in the U.S. Commanders and in the military. Additionally, he voted against all measures aimed at withdrawal of U.S. forces and voted against cutting off of war funds. McCain rightly believes that Congress should not micromanage the war and to give the military everything they ask for to successfully complete the mission. He has mentioned in a town hall forum that staying the course in Iraq for 'a hundred years' would not bother him if no American soldier's were losing their lives. This became an issue for Democratic political strategy. The DNC lead by chairman [[Howard Dean]] repeatedly tried to use false statements in justifying attacking McCain.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080515102655/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/04/mccains_100year_war.html McCain's '100-year war'], [[Washington Post]], April 2, 2008</ref> What McCain said is very different from what the liberal media and the DNC were reporting. Asked in Derry, NH of the willingness to keep troops in Iraq for 50 years, he said "Make it 100" and

{{QuoteBox|"That's fine with me as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed."}}

===Russia===
Senator McCain strongly criticized [[Russia]]n President [[Vladimir Putin]]. During a primary debate he said, "He bullies his neighbors and he wants to get a control of the energy supply of Western Europe. This is a dangerous person. And he has to understand that there's a cost to some of his actions." In 2005 McCain and [[Connecticut]] senator [[Joe Lieberman]] drafted a resolution banning Russia from attending the Group of 8 (G8) international forum. McCain is also a strong supporter of ballistic national missile defenses.

===Cuba===
McCain forcefully supported the [[United States embargo against Cuba]] and believed it should be maintained until certain specific political freedoms are restored to the country.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/us/politics/21mccain.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&fta=y&adxnnlx=1222106556-zea3cQG12OakFI9P97dogQ Cuba Is Topic as McCain Continues Attack on Obama], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

===Syria===
During the [[Syrian Civil War]] McCain wanted to arm the Islamist opposition with weapons and also called for an air strike against the Syrian president [[Bashar al-Assad]].<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/05/mccain-calls-for-air-strikes-against-syrias-assad/ McCain calls for air strikes against Syria's Assad], [[Fox News]]</ref>

===Egypt===
After the [[Egypt]]ian dictator [[Mohammed Morsi]] was set down, McCain called it a "coup".<ref>[http://cnsnews.com/news/article/mccain-worries-egypt-may-suffer-prolonged-violence McCain worries Egypt may suffer prolonged violence], [[CNS News]]</ref>

===Ukraine===
During the [[Ukrainian crisis]] McCain called U.S. military support for Ukraine "right and decent". He called for [[President Obama]] to take actions to restore the United States' credibility and strength around the world.<ref>
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/15/mccain-calls-u-s-military-support-for-ukraine-right-and-decent/</ref> McCain praised the decision of [[President Trump]] to provide anti-tank munitions to Ukraine and called it "another significant step in the right direction". He explained that this action "sends a strong signal that the United States will stand by its allies and partners as they fight to defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity. This decision is years overdue".<ref>https://www.unian.info/politics/2315336-mccain-comments-on-trumps-decision-to-provide-anti-tank-munitions-to-ukraine.html</ref>

==Social Issues==
===Abortion===
{{QuoteBox|"If I am fortunate enough to be elected as the next President of the United States, I pledge to you to be a loyal and unswerving friend of the right to life movement."}}

Sen. John McCain had more than a twenty-year [[pro-life]] record, first in the [[U.S. House of Representatives]], then in the U.S. Senate. McCain voted 11 times on anti-abortion and other pro-life issues in the House. Senator McCain has voted 119 times on anti-abortion and other pro-life measures in the Senate.<ref>[http://www.naral.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf], http://www.naral.org/assets/files/mccain_fact_sheet.pdf</ref>

McCain's record in the Senate on abortion was pro-life. He voted for the 2003 Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. McCain has also voted against government funding of birth control and sex education.<ref>https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00214 Voted Nay on an amendment to authorize grants to carry out programs to provide education on preventing teen pregnancies</ref><ref>https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00075 Vote against allocation of $100m for prevention of unintended pregnancies</ref><ref>http://www.nowpublic.com/quiet-campaign-against-contraception Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain's campaign officials boast that he has "consistently voted against taxpayer-funded contraception programs." And Mr. McCain reports that his adviser on sexual-health matters is Sen. Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, who leads campaigns claiming condoms are unsafe and opposing emergency contraception.</ref> During his first Presidential campaign for the 2000 election, McCain said the following on [[Roe v. Wade]], "I'd love to see a point where it is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations." <ref>[https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07021908.html McCain’s Rejection of Roe v. Wade Seems As Wobbly as His Rejection of Gay "Marriage"], [[LifeSiteNews]]</ref> He has since changed his position, saying Roe v. Wade should be overturned.

John McCain:
* Voted against a [[Roe v. Wade]] resolution
* Co-sponsored and voted for the Federal Abortion Ban
* Supported H.R.1997, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act
* Voted for four anti-abortion U.S. Supreme Court judges
* Voted for six anti-abortion lower court judges
* Supported H.R.3913, to prohibit federal funds for abortion services in any case
* Voted to make it a federal crime for anyone but a parent to cross state lines for abortion termination
* Voted in favor of a national network of parental notification.

====Quotations====
“I do not support Roe v. Wade. It should be overturned.” <ref>Ann Althouse, Rudy & Mitt Hem & Haw on Abortion, N.Y. TIMES, Feb. 24, 2007.</ref>

*"I have many, many votes and it’s been consistent. And I’ve got a consistent zero from NARAL throughout all those years…."<ref>John McCain for President 2008, On the Issues: Human Dignity and the Sanctity of Life</ref>
*"My record is clear, and I think the important thing is you look at people’s voting record because sometimes rhetoric can be a little… misleading…. As you know I don’t support Roe v. Wade…. I thought it was a bad decision, and I think that the decision should be made in the states"<ref>John McCain for President 2008, On the Issues: Human Dignity and the Sanctity of Life</ref>
*“I’m proud that we have Justice Alito and Roberts on the United States Supreme Court. I’m very proud to have played a very small role in making that happen.” McCain explained further that he “will try to find clones of Alito and Roberts” to fill future court vacancies.<ref>[http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=26539], Letter from Sen. John McCain to Pro‐Life Community Janary 23, 2008</ref>

===Gun Control===
McCain's record on [[gun control]] was mixed. He co-sponsored the Gun Show Loophole Closing and Gun Law Enforcement Act of 2001. This act would reduce the number of gun shows, require gun-owners to purchase trigger locks, and allow federal agents to arrest those who violate federal gun laws. However, McCain has frequently voted in support of the Second Amendment, such as voting against background checks at gun shows and voting in support of prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. In August 1999, McCain said he was open to voting for an assault weapon ban, depending on the details. However, he still voted against the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and the efforts to renew it, as well as the Brady Bill.

A top official of the [[National Rifle Association]] said McCain was a reliable ally of gun owners despite divisions with the powerful lobbying group on some issues. NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre told The Associated Press "...We're not foolish enough to ignore the vast areas of agreement in which John McCain has been a friend to gun owners." <ref>[http://www.gopusa.com/news/2008/may/0514_nra_mccain.shtml], http://www.gopusa.com/news/2008/may/0514_nra_mccain.shtml, NRA chief stresses common ground with McCain, May 14, 2008</ref> The Republican presidential nominee has voted against a ban on assault-type weapons with restrictions which were objected. In 2013 he voted to block his colleagues' filibuster and was one of four Republicans who voted for the Manchin-Toomey background checks gun control bill.

===Same-sex marriage===
In the speech on the Senate floor July 13, 2004, McCain stated "Mr. President, most Americans believe, as I do, that the institution of marriage should be reserved for the union of a man and a woman."<ref>http://www.friendsofmccain.com/news/dspnews.cfm?id=143</ref> John McCain revealed his decision based on super majority requirements and the current political realities within Congress. “By my count, there is not at this time even a small majority of senators who would vote for Senator Allard’s amendment, much less the 67 votes required by the Constitution. That won’t change, Mr. President, unless public opinion changes significantly. The [[Founders]], wisely, made certain that the Constitution is difficult to amend, and, as a practical political matter, can’t be done without overwhelming public approval. And thank God for that. Were it any easier I fear we could not make the claim for the Constitution’s enduring success that I have just made." Further, he explained his approach to the amendment's ultimate success “If a constitution is to be amended, Mr. President, it should be a state constitution." McCain voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment. In May 2008, the California Supreme Court effectively created a ruling to grant same-sex partners equal rights to [[Marriage]] and to be recognized by the state. A spokesman for Republican John McCain, who opposes gay marriage, said the Arizona senator "doesn't believe judges should be making these decisions."

===Evolution===
Senator John McCain's position on evolution is nuanced:

{{QuoteBox|"I think Americans should be exposed to every point of view, I happen to [[believe in evolution]]. ... I respect those who think the world was created in seven days. Should it be taught as a science class? '''Probably not'''." [http://thinkprogress.org/2007/02/12/mccain-creationism/]}}

==Relationship with conservatives and tea partiers==
McCain had a very strained relationship with the traditional conservative base over the years, with some going as far as to describe his relationship with grassroots activists as "vicious".<ref>[https://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Ken-Cuccinelli-John-McCain-Senate-Conservatives-republican/2015/04/09/id/637565/ Cuccinelli: 'Vicious Anti-Conservative' McCain Must be Ousted], [[Newsmax]]</ref> Instead, McCain has seemingly preferred to pal around with liberal journalists.

===The Press===
As early as the 2000 election, McCain's own aids jokingly used to say that "McCain's base was the media".<ref>[https://www.weeklystandard.com/mccain-and-the-conservatives/article/14601 McCain and the Conservatives], [[Weekly Standard]]</ref> Over the years, McCain's loyalty to conservatives drifted further apart, while he continued to shore up his base in the media.<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/mccain-feeds-his-base-bbq-84405 McCain Feeds His ‘Base’ BBQ], [[Newsweek]]</ref><ref>[https://www.nysun.com/opinion/wooing-the-press/78708/ Wooing the Press]</ref>

===Bill Cunningham===
{{main|John McCain 2008 Presidential Campaign}}

During a campaign stop for then-candidate McCain, [[Bill Cunningham]] stated: "at one point, the media will quit taking sides in this thing and start covering Barack Hussein Obama." McCain took offense to these remarks, specifically the use of Obama's middle name "Hussein", and went on the offense against Cunningham.<ref>[https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/mccain-repudiates-hussein-obama-remarks/?_r=0 McCain Repudiates ‘Hussein Obama’ Remarks], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

===Hobbits, Wacko Birds, and more===
On July 27th, 2011, McCain derided<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/28/nation/la-na-mccain-tea-party-20110728 John McCain derides 'tea party hobbits' in debt ceiling fight], [[Los Angeles Times]]</ref> members of the Tea Party in a speech on the floor of the Senate,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7GfPEtyQsE McCain Floor Speech - Tea Party Hobbits], He said: "The idea seems to be, that if the House GOP refuses to raise the debt ceiling, a default crisis or gradual government shutdown will ensue, and the public will turn en-masse against Barack Obama. The Republican House that failed to raise the debt ceiling would somehow escape all the blame. Then Democrats would have no choice but to pass a balanced budget amendment and reform entitlements, and the tea party hobbits would return to middle earth having defeated Mordor."</ref> where he stated his disagreement with "tea party hobbits". The following night, he appeared on Hannity's show on Fox, and continued to act indignant about his position.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgnRtPHnOH4 John McCain Defends Trashing Tea Party]</ref>

A month later McCain was asked about his "Lord of the Rings" reference, and he still refused to apologize.<ref>[https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/176055--mccain-not-sorry-for-tea-party-hobbits-comment Sen. McCain won’t apologize for ‘Tea Party hobbits’ comment]</ref>

When John Brennan was nominated for the position as CIA director, Rand Paul led a filibuster in opposition. He was later joined by senators Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Jerry Moran, Marco Rubio, Saxby Chambliss, and Pat Toomey. In response, McCain called Paul, Lee, and Cruz "Wacko birds".<ref>[https://www.nationalreview.com/article/349919/mccain-against-wacko-birds-jonathan-strong McCain Against the ‘Wacko Birds’], [[National Review]]</ref>

Shortly after [[Jim DeMint]] left the senate and joined the [[Heritage Foundation]], McCain stated that the organization "just doesn’t have the credibility".<ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/mccain-against-heritage McCain Against Heritage]</ref>

===Arizona Purges===
Lost in McCain's high-profile national activity has been what McCain does in his home state of Arizona.<ref>[https://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/john-mccain-arizona-tea-party-113849 McCain's big purge], [[Politico]], The Arizona senator’s team has been ridding the state’s GOP apparatus of his tea party foes.</ref>

In Arizona, McCain gained considerable ire from conservative activists for his unseating of conservative activists from positions, in order to lay the continued groundwork for his own re-elections.<ref>[https://hotair.com/archives/2014/12/30/mccains-team-quietly-purging-arizona-gop-of-tea-party-foes-before-2016-reelection-bid/ McCain’s team quietly purging Arizona GOP of tea-party foes before 2016 reelection bid]</ref> There was some speculation that this was revenge for him being censured by the AZ GOP.<ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/248414/mccain-using-obama-san-francisco-donor-purge-daniel-greenfield McCain Using Obama San Francisco Donor to Purge Arizona Tea Partiers]</ref><ref>[http://archive.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20140125arizona-republican-party-mccain-censure-gop.html Arizona GOP censures McCain for ‘disastrous’ record]</ref>

===IRS Targeting===
On April 9th, 2015, [[Judicial Watch]] released documents pointing to pressure against Lois Lerner to target [[Tea Party]] groups, seemingly coming from senators [[Carl Levin]] and John McCain.<ref>[http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-irs-documents-reveal-lerner-knew-targeting-criteria-of-nonprofit-groups-might-raise-questions/ Judicial Watch: IRS Documents Reveal Lerner Knew Targeting Criteria of Nonprofit Groups ‘Might Raise Questions’]</ref><ref>[https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2015/04/11/key-mccain-aides-moved-to-silence-tea-party/ Key McCain Aides Moved To Silence Tea Party]</ref> McCain was quick to respond on Twitter, stating that the reports were "false".<ref>[https://pjmedia.com/blog/john-mccain-lashes-out-at-judicial-watch-over-damning-irs-doc-release/ John McCain Lashes Out at Judicial Watch over Damning IRS Doc Release]</ref><ref>[http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2015/04/mccain-counters-reports-of-jws-recent-irs-doc-release/ McCain Counters Reports of JW’s Recent IRS Doc Release]</ref>

==Personal life==
[[Image:Cindy McCain.jpg|thumb|Cindy McCain]]
McCain has been married twice. His first marriage, to Carol Shepp, ended in [[divorce]] in 1980 after 15 years, of which he spent five in captivity. McCain publicly acknowledges the responsibility for the breakup as his, stating in a 2008 interview with Pastor Rick Warren that "My greatest moral failing, and I have been a very imperfect person, is the failure of my first marriage".<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/rules021299.htm Rewriting the Rules], [[Washington Post]]</ref> His second and current wife is Cindy Lou Hensley, to whom he has been married for 28 years. His son John Sidney IV is a Midshipman at the [[United States Naval Academy]], Annapolis, and his son James is a non-commissioned officer in the [[United States Marine Corps]], who is serving in [[Iraq]] as part of [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]. Also, the McCains adopted a ten-week old baby girl in 1993, who they named Bridget, from [[Mother Teresa]]'s orphanage in [[Bangladesh]].<ref>[http://celebrity.rightpundits.com/?p=3183 Bridget McCain Biography] Rightpundits.com</ref><ref>[http://www.newsanalysisindia.com/109022008.htm Bridget vs Sonia: McCain vs Rajiv Gandhi] News Analysis India</ref>
Cindy McCain was in the country as part of the American Voluntary Medical Team<ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-041408-cindy-mccain-bio,1,2151434.story Bio of Cindy McCain]</ref> in response to the 1991 [[Bangladesh]] cyclone.
===McCain's family===
*Wife Cindy
*4 sons
**Douglas
**Andrew
**John (''"Jack"'') Sidney IV
**James
*3 daughters
**Sidney
**[[Meghan McCain|Meghan]]
**Bridget
*Parents
**[[Admiral]] John Sydney McCain, Jr. (from [[Indiana]])
**[[Roberta McCain|Roberta Wright McCain]] (from [[Oklahoma]]).

== Books ==
* ''Faith of My Fathers'' (Random House; 1999) ISBN 0-3755-0191-6
* ''Odysseus in America'' (Scribner; 2002) ISBN 0-7432-1156-1
* ''Worth Fighting For: A Memoir'' (Diane Publ. Co; 2002) ISBN 0-7567-6759-8
* ''Medal of Honor'' (Artisan; 2003) ISBN 1-5796-5240-9
* ''Why Courage Matters: The Way to a Braver Life'' (Random House; 2004) ISBN 1-4000-6030-3
* ''Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember'' (Random House; 2005) ISBN 1-4000-6412-0
* ''Hard Call: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them'' (Twelve; 2007) ISBN 0-4466-9911-X

==Further reading==
*McCain, John [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=513224&in_page_id=1811 ''My six years of hell: John McCain recalls life as a prisoner of war in Vietnam''] 8 February 2008 [[Daily Mail]]. Accessed 9 February 2008
*[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/25/john-mccains-military-career-from-his-time-as-vietnam-war-pow-to-role-in-passing-defense-bill.html John McCain's military career, from his time as Vietnam War POW to role in passing defense bill], by Madeline Farber of Fox News
*[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/25/john-mccains-political-accomplishments.html John McCain's political accomplishments] by Kaitlyn Schallhorn of Fox News

==See also==
*[[Spygate]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|small}}

==See also==
* [[John McCain 2008 Presidential Campaign]]
* [[Previous Breaking News/John McCain|Articles about John McCain from previous "Breaking News"]]
* [[White House]]
*[[Cindy McCain]], spouse of John McCain
*[[Roberta McCain]], mother of John McCain
*[[Spygate]]
*[[Trump-Russia scandal]]
*[[Deep state coup]]

== External links ==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQsckD9trn4&eurl=http://evangelicalsformccain.org/meetthesenator.htm ''John McCain: Courageous Service''] - Streaming video documentary hosted at YouTube, including footage of McCain's time as a POW and the Forrestal incident.
*[http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9542249 John McCain Biography]
*[http://evangelicalsformccain.org/index.htm Evangelicals for McCain] - Christians, Families and Patriots for John McCain
*[http://studentsformccain08.blogspot.com/ Students for McCain 2008]
*[http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/01/mccains-mom-pop.html McCain's Mom Pops Off]
*[http://www.rd.com/national-interest/people-and-politics/our-interview-with-sen-john-mccain/article.html Presidential Candidate John McCain on the Issues]
*[http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=53270 Voting record]
*[http://www.opencongress.org/people/show/300071_john_mccain OpenCongress]

{{2008 presidential candidates}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCain, John}}

[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:United States Senators]]
[[Category:American War Heroes]]
[[Category:United States Veterans]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]
[[Category:111th United States Congress]]
[[Category:112th United States Congress]]
[[Category:113th United States Congress]]
[[Category:114th United States Congress]]
[[Category:Former United States Representatives]]
[[Category:Failed Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax]]
[[Category:2000s]]
[[Category:Baptists]]
[[Category:RINOs]]
[[Category:Globalists]]

Cultural hegemony

2019-07-27T21:48:16Z

JamesQT: Redirected page to Hegemony

#redirect [[Hegemony]]

Londonderry

2019-07-27T21:46:16Z

JamesQT:

'''Londonderry''', also known as '''Derry''', is one of six counties in [[Northern Ireland]], and also the name of the main city in the county. The city is the second largest city of [[Northern Ireland]]. It lies close to the mouth of the River Foyle in the west of the Province, close to the border with [[County Donegal]] in the [[Republic of Ireland]]

== Nomenclature ==

Londonderry is reputed to have been founded by [[St. Columba]] in 546. The town was originally known in English as Derry (from the [[Irish]] ''an Doire'', meaning "oak grove"). The prefix ''London'' was adopted in 1613 when a charter gave the livery companies of London special privileges in the town.

Today the name is a source of controversy, with (roughly) Protestants/Unionists using the name ''Londonderry'' and Catholics/Republicans calling it ''Derry''. Those wishing to steer a middle course, or uncertain of the allegiance of those to whom they are talking, use "Derry/Londonderry" ("Derry-stroke-Londonderry"), and the broadcaster Gerry Anderson coined the term "Stroke City" in [[allusion]] to this dilemma. The most recent High Court decision (January 2007) affirms the name is officially Londonderry.<ref>High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland Queen's Bench Division Decisions [http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/nie/cases/NIHC/QB/2007/5.html&query=title+(+Derry+)&method=boolean (2007) NIQB 5]</ref>

== History ==

With money from the City of London, Londonderry was rebuilt and walled in 1618. The walls were able to withstand a siege by forces loyal to the ousted British monarch [[James II]] in 1689 which lasted from 18 April to 31 July, and which still occupies a prominent role in the Unionist/Loyalist identity (not least the slogan 'No Surrender'). In the nineteenth century Londonderry was noted for the manufacture of shirts. During the first period of devolved government in Northern Ireland following Partition in 1922 (between 1922 and 1972), the city was notorious for the gerrymandering of its local authority boundaries. Althgough it had a significant Roman Catholic majority population, it consistently returned (Protestant) Unionist-dominated councils.

Londonderry saw a great deal of violence in the early years of the 'Troubles' of the late twentieth century, most notably the 'Battle of the Bogside' in August 1969 (the event which prompted Britsh Home Secretary James Callaghan to send troops to Northern Ireland to restore order), and 'Bloody Sunday' (30 January 1972), when British troops shot dead fourteen civilians during a banned (but peaceful) civil rights march.

==Sport==
[[Derry City F.C.]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Irish Cities and Towns]]
[[Category:Irish History]]

Section 28

2019-07-27T20:00:27Z

JamesQT: Cameron hasn't been PM for a while now...

'''Section 28''', sometimes referred to as '''Clause 28''', is a former piece of legislation in the United Kingdom which was introduced as part of the Local Government Act 1988 and amended the Local Government Act 1986. The legislation banned local authorities and schools from teaching and promoting [[homosexuality]] in any shape or form alike. The legislation was introduced by the Conservative government of [[Margaret Thatcher]] in response to left-wing ([[Labour Party]]) controlled authorities seeking to deliberately indoctrinate and teach homosexuality to children.

In 2003 the Act was repealed by the Labour government of [[Tony Blair]]. Nowadays in Britain, the education system is encouraged to teach, encourage and indoctrinate acceptance of homosexuality to children.<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1349951/Gayness-mandatory-schools-Gay-victims-prejudice-new-McCarthyites.html]</ref><ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8275937/Gay-lessons-in-maths-geography-and-science.html]</ref><ref name="DC28Jan10">[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jan/28/david-cameron-gay-equality]</ref>

Former Conservative Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] has said the party "made a mistake with section 28" in response to a question from [[Homosexual rights advocacy|homosexual "rights"]] campaign group Stonewall, though he voted for retaining Section 28 in 2003.<ref name="DC28Jan10"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/9/section/28/enacted Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988]
*[http://www.christian.org.uk/briefingpapers/section28.htm Christian Apologists defending the needs for the act and arguments against the teaching of homosexuality in schools]

[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]

Conservative Party (UK)

2019-07-27T18:49:49Z

JamesQT: Became less environmentalist as time went on. Also added support for homosexual "marriage"

{{PoliticalParty
| party_name = Conservative and Unionist Party
| party_logo = [[File:Conservatives.png|frameless]]
| website = [https://conservatives.com/ conservatives.com]
| leader = [[Boris Johnson]]
| Parleader =
| foundation = 1945
| ideology = [[Establishment]] [[Liberal conservatism]]
| position =
| international = [[International Democrat Union]] [[Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe]]
| colors = blue
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Conservative Party''' is the largest right-of-center party in the [[United Kingdom]], and is one of that country's two major political parties. Its full official name is the ''Conservative and Unionist Party'', and it is commonly referred to as the ''Tories'' after its historical predecessor. Its current leader is [[Boris Johnson]].

The base of the Conservative Party leans [[Eurosceptic]] as more than 2/3 of its members voted for [[Brexit]]. Most of its MPs now support Brexit,<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/15/tories-set-to-become-more-eurosceptic-campaign-group-says</ref> including the current leader.

==British conservatism==
British conservatism has its own distinctive tradition, separate both from that of continental European conservatism and from that of American conservatism. Traditional British conservatism is rooted in pragmatism, practicality and concrete experience: this reflects a broader historical preference in British culture for the practical over the theoretical and for the concrete over the abstract. In continental Europe, many conservatives in past times, such as the Frenchman [[Joseph de Maistre]], were strongly ideological and defended causes such as absolute monarchy and Roman Catholicism. By contrast, the heroes of British conservatism (such as Sir [[Edmund Burke]] in the eighteenth century, Sir [[Robert Peel]] and [[Benjamin Disraeli]] in the nineteenth, and Sir [[Winston Churchill]] in the twentieth) were moderate, pragmatic and non-ideological. While a more ideological strand of conservatism was in the ascendant during the leadership of [[Margaret Thatcher|Lady Thatcher]] (1975-1990), the older, pragmatic trend has reasserted itself in more recent years.

==History since 1978==
===1980s and 90s===
{{See also|Margaret Thatcher}}
The modern British Conservative Party ran the United Kingdom for nearly 20 years, beginning with Margaret Thatcher's victory for the Party in 1979. She came into office facing a British economy that had been crippled by industrial disputes, strikes, high unemployment, and collapsing public services, especially during the so-called 'Winter of Discontent' of 1978-9. Mrs. Thatcher turned that around, broke the iron grip of the trade unions, and restored the British economy to a free enterprise system that has continued to this day. She was succeeded by [[John Major]] in 1990, and, to the surprise of the media, Major won the general election in 1992 and extended the Conservative Party's power until 1997.

By 1997 the [[Labour Party]] had finally embraced the more conservative direction for the country and abandoned many of its socialist economic policies of the past. Economic difficulties, including a dispute over whether the UK should join the currency of the European Union, hurt the Conservative Party further. This was coupled with a perception that the party had become corrupt, with a number of high-profile members of the party being involved in financial and sexual scandals. The Labour Party won in a landslide in 1997 and held power until 2010.

Major was soon after replaced by [[William Hague]], whose election as party leader was seen as an affirmation that the party wanted to continue with its [[Thatcherite]] policies. Hague was the victim of smears and attacks by a media which became Labour-biased to an extent never before seen in British history, and any attempt he made to state his policies or attack the government was routinely ignored (the UK has media regulations similar to the [[Fairness Doctrine]], but does not regulate what the media are supposed to report, only how much time they allocate to each party). The 2001 election went little better than the previous for the Conservatives, for which Hague accepted responsibility and stepped down as leader. [[Iain Duncan Smith]] replaced Hague, seemingly getting elected for no reason other than the fact that he was endorsed by Thatcher, and made no real impact as party leader. After passing up chances to attack the government for their role in [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] (which had far less support in the UK than it did in the US), the party decided that enough was enough and Duncan Smith was removed as leader in late 2003. [[Michael Howard]] was seen by many as the only possible man to take the Conservatives forward, and was elected as the new party leader without opposition. A far more adept period of leadership saw a recovery at the 2005 election, halving Labour's majority in the House of Commons. A few weeks later, Howard announced that while the recovery of the Conservative Party had begun, he had done all he could as party leader, and so would step down once a successor had been elected.

===Moderate shift and David Cameron===
{{See also|David Cameron}}

Since the early 2000s, the Conservative Party leaders have softened its conservative stance on social and fiscal issues, and this has increased its popularity with the voters. Particularly since David Cameron – a self-declared "liberal conservative" (which in British English means "moderate conservative") – became leader of the Conservative Party, their support in the country has risen dramatically, however this is also due to the media-perpetuated anti-war feeling within the United Kingdom following [[Tony Blair]]'s era, coupled with the unpopularity of [[Gordon Brown]]'s government<ref>http://politics.guardian.co.uk/speeches/story/0,,1869970,00.html</ref> and recent polls.<ref>http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2007/Guardian%20-%20Jan/guardian-jan-2007.asp</ref><ref>http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,2016791,00.html</ref>

Cameron could be seen as more moderate than many previous leaders. His initial policies have gravitated towards a more "green" outlook; however, while in government his party weakened or got rid of a succession of environmentalist policies.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2016/apr/20/david-cameron-hug-a-husky-green-legacy-10-years</ref> As with every Conservative leader since 1945, he has also praised Britain's socialized healthcare system, the [[National Health Service|NHS]]; but has also considered privatisation of sections of the service in an attempt to decrease the deficit at which it currently operates. The party has also continued to support some traditional elements of Conservative policy, such as support for the family.{{citation needed}}

In 2013, Cameron supported the legalization of [[same-sex "marriage"]] against "universal" advice from colleagues, the majority of his own party's MPs and his own mother.<ref>https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-ignored-tory-mps-and-his-mum-over-legalisation-of-gay-marriage-10516205.html</ref>

After forming the Coalition Government in 2010, Cameron's popularity rapidly declined, as indicated by various opinion polls conducted by the media. However, the Conservative Party gained a slim majority in the 2015 general election. During this time, the [[United Kingdom Independence Party]] grew to become a serious rival of the party, sitting on its Right.

Cameron pledged to reduce immigration to under 100,000 annually. Despite this pledge, EU and Non-EU [[European migrant crisis|immigration soared during his tenure to even higher levels]] than when he first took office.<ref>Whitehead, Tom (February 26, 2015). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/11436403/David-Cameron-immigration-pledge-in-tatters-as-net-immigration-stands-at-298000.html David Cameron immigration pledge in tatters as net immigration stands at 298,000]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref> Immigration played a very influential role in the successful [[Brexit]] referendum on June 23, 2016,<ref>Bennett, Asa (June 29, 2016). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/29/did-britain-really-vote-brexit-to-cut-immigration/ Did Britain really vote Brexit to cut immigration?]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref><ref>Siegel, Josh (June 23, 2016). [http://dailysignal.com/2016/06/23/how-immigration-fueled-the-brexit-result/ How Immigration Fueled the Brexit Result]. ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref> along with other very important and related factors such as sovereignty and backlash against the leftist [[establishment]] elites who support large levels of immigration.<ref>Friedman, George; Mauldin, John (July 5, 2016). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmauldin/2016/07/05/3-reasons-brits-voted-for-brexit/#6f7d841d78c1 3 Reasons Brits Voted For Brexit]. ''Forbes''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref>

Cameron made the decision to hold the [[Brexit]] referendum<ref name="Alexander2016">Alexander, Harriet (December 9, 2016). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/09/david-cameron-brexit-donald-trump-does-not-regret-calling-referendum/ David Cameron on Brexit, Donald Trump and why he does not regret calling a referendum]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> and opposed the UK leaving the EU.<ref name="BBCJune2016">[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-36615028 Brexit: David Cameron to quit after UK votes to leave EU]. ''BBC''. June 24, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> He resigned immediately after the referendum did not go his way.<ref name="BBCJune2016"/>

===Theresa May and Brexit===
{{See also|Brexit|Theresa May}}
Theresa May became Prime Minister after Cameron. She initiated the formal Brexit process and called an early election to be held in June 2017.

The Conservative Party shifted its public stances after the Brexit vote, adopting right-wing stances on Europe and immigration more similar to UKIP,<ref>Kentish, Ben (May 15, 2017). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-voters-more-right-wing-ukip-poll-latest-theresa-may-nigel-farage-a7737491.html Tory voters think their party is now more right-wing than Ukip, poll finds]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> something noted by former UKIP leader [[Nigel Farage]].<ref name="MerrickMay2017">Merrick, Rob (May 7, 2017). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/election-latest-nigel-farage-theresa-may-stolen-ukip-policies-brussels-bashing-immigration-a7722346.html Nigel Farage says Theresa May is winning because she has stolen all his policies]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved May 7, 2017.</ref>This could be seen in the 2017 Conservative Party campaign manifesto, under Prime Minister [[Theresa May]], which adopted some of UKIP's EU and immigration policies.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (May 18, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/may-reveals-polarising-policies-immigration-social-care/ Theresa May Launches Conservative Manifesto: Pledge to Leave EU Single Market, Elderly Care Cost Raid]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref><ref name="RaynerMay2017">Rayner, Gordon (May 18, 2017). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/conservative-manifesto-general-election-2017-key-points-policies/ Conservative manifesto for General Election 2017: Key points, policies and summary]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> Because of this shift, the Conservative Party absorbed many UKIP voters.<ref>Dickson, Annabelle (May 17, 2017). [https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-marches-into-ukip-land/ Theresa May marches into UKIP country]. ''Politico''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> However, the manifesto also called for some forms of government expansion and additional social spending,<ref name="RaynerMay2017"/><ref>Edmunds, Donna Rachel (May 18, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/conservatives-social-policy-biggest-stealth-tax-history/ Conservatives’ Social Policy is ‘Biggest Stealth Tax in History’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> and the manifesto contained several worrisome pledges for conservatives and proponents of Brexit.<ref>Edmunds, Donna Rachel (May 18, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/top-7-conservative-manifesto-pledges-to-worry-brexiteers/ Top 7 Conservative Manifesto Pledges to Worry Brexiteers]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 19, 2017.</ref> Additionally, the manifesto rejected individualism and "untrammeled free markets", and May rejected statements that she was like former Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] or that she would "drift to the Right."<ref>Hughes, Laura (May 18, 2017). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/general-election-2017-latest-news-polls-analysis/ Theresa May rejects Margaret Thatcher comparisons and says her government 'will not drift to the right']. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> Noting the Conservative Party's past failures to reduce immigration in the recent past, former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, now editor of the London Evening Standard, wrote an editorial at the time of the manifesto's release in May 2017 that the Conservative Party leadership opposed and never intended to keep its immigration reduction promises.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (May 17, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/17/osborne-boasts-tories-never-intended-keep-immigration-promises/ Osborne Boasts Tories Never Intended to Keep Immigration Promises in Shock Editorial]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref>

====2017 general election====
Due to several blunders made during the campaign,<ref>Barone, Michael (June 9, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/barone-breaking-down-theresa-mays-disastrous-night/article/2625473 Barone: Breaking down Theresa May's disastrous night]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Dickson, Annabelle (June 9, 2017). [https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-election-mistakes/ 8 election blunders that cost Theresa May her majority]. ''Politico''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> May's Conservative Party lost seats in a snap election she chose to hold in order to gain power, resulting in a hung parliament.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/09/uk-election-theresa-may-to-ask-queen-permission-to-form-government-despite-losing-majority.html UK election: Theresa May to ask queen permission to form government despite losing majority]. ''Fox News''. June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> As the Conservative Party remained the party with the most seats, May decided to seek a governing agreement with the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP), a right-wing, socially conservative party representing Northern Ireland.<ref>Kassam, Raheem (June 9, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/09/secret-blessing-tory-dup-alliance-will-remind-tories-conservatism-supposed-look-like/ The Silver Lining? A Tory-DUP Alliance Will Remind the Tories What Conservatism Is Supposed to Look Like]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Horton, Helena (June 9, 2017). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/09/7-things-didnt-know-dup/ 7 things you didn't know about the DUP]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> The two parties signed the agreement<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/tory-dup-deal-agreement-full/ Tory-DUP deal: The agreement in full]. ''The Telegraph''. June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref> on June 26, 2017.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (June 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/26/theresa-may-signs-confidence-supply-agreement-dup/ DUP Triumphant: Tories Forced to Protect Pensions Triple Lock and Commit to Armed Forces Covenant]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-40403434 Conservatives agree pact with DUP to support May government]. ''BBC News''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref><ref>Kirka, Danica; Katz, Gregory (June 26, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/26/northern-ireland-party-leader-in-talks-with-conservatives.html UK's May makes deal she needs to govern, but critics abound]. ''Fox News'' (from the ''Associated Press''). Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref>

===Leadership election 2019===
[[Theresa May]] resigned as party leader on June 7, 2019. Her successor, as party leader and Prime Minister, is [[Boris Johnson]].

==See also==
* [[British politics]]
* [[British conservatives]]
* [[Conservative Party of New York State|Conservative Party of New York State (CPNYS)]]
* [[American Conservative Party|American Conservative Party (ACP)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.conservatives.com/ Conservative Party Official Website]
* [http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Manifesto.aspx Conservative Party Manefesto for the 2010 General Election]
* [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-miliband-would-beat-cameron--unlike-ed-6292887.html]

[[Category:British Political Parties]]
[[Category:British History]]

Conservative Party (UK)

2019-07-27T18:36:44Z

JamesQT: Update: Boris Johnson is PM. Cabinet is now more Brexiteer than before, so comments on Euroskepticism don't make sense.

{{PoliticalParty
| party_name = Conservative and Unionist Party
| party_logo = [[File:Conservatives.png|frameless]]
| website = [https://conservatives.com/ conservatives.com]
| leader = [[Boris Johnson]]
| Parleader =
| foundation = 1945
| ideology = [[Establishment]] [[Liberal conservatism]]
| position =
| international = [[International Democrat Union]] [[Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe]]
| colors = blue
| footnotes =
}}
The '''Conservative Party''' is the largest right-of-center party in the [[United Kingdom]], and is one of that country's two major political parties. Its full official name is the ''Conservative and Unionist Party'', and it is commonly referred to as the ''Tories'' after its historical predecessor. Its current leader is [[Boris Johnson]].

The base of the Conservative Party leans [[Eurosceptic]] as more than 2/3 of its members voted for [[Brexit]]. Most of its MPs now support Brexit,<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/15/tories-set-to-become-more-eurosceptic-campaign-group-says</ref> including the current leader.

==British conservatism==
British conservatism has its own distinctive tradition, separate both from that of continental European conservatism and from that of American conservatism. Traditional British conservatism is rooted in pragmatism, practicality and concrete experience: this reflects a broader historical preference in British culture for the practical over the theoretical and for the concrete over the abstract. In continental Europe, many conservatives in past times, such as the Frenchman [[Joseph de Maistre]], were strongly ideological and defended causes such as absolute monarchy and Roman Catholicism. By contrast, the heroes of British conservatism (such as Sir [[Edmund Burke]] in the eighteenth century, Sir [[Robert Peel]] and [[Benjamin Disraeli]] in the nineteenth, and Sir [[Winston Churchill]] in the twentieth) were moderate, pragmatic and non-ideological. While a more ideological strand of conservatism was in the ascendant during the leadership of [[Margaret Thatcher|Lady Thatcher]] (1975-1990), the older, pragmatic trend has reasserted itself in more recent years.

==History since 1978==
===1980s and 90s===
{{See also|Margaret Thatcher}}
The modern British Conservative Party ran the United Kingdom for nearly 20 years, beginning with Margaret Thatcher's victory for the Party in 1979. She came into office facing a British economy that had been crippled by industrial disputes, strikes, high unemployment, and collapsing public services, especially during the so-called 'Winter of Discontent' of 1978-9. Mrs. Thatcher turned that around, broke the iron grip of the trade unions, and restored the British economy to a free enterprise system that has continued to this day. She was succeeded by [[John Major]] in 1990, and, to the surprise of the media, Major won the general election in 1992 and extended the Conservative Party's power until 1997.

By 1997 the [[Labour Party]] had finally embraced the more conservative direction for the country and abandoned many of its socialist economic policies of the past. Economic difficulties, including a dispute over whether the UK should join the currency of the European Union, hurt the Conservative Party further. This was coupled with a perception that the party had become corrupt, with a number of high-profile members of the party being involved in financial and sexual scandals. The Labour Party won in a landslide in 1997 and held power until 2010.

Major was soon after replaced by [[William Hague]], whose election as party leader was seen as an affirmation that the party wanted to continue with its [[Thatcherite]] policies. Hague was the victim of smears and attacks by a media which became Labour-biased to an extent never before seen in British history, and any attempt he made to state his policies or attack the government was routinely ignored (the UK has media regulations similar to the [[Fairness Doctrine]], but does not regulate what the media are supposed to report, only how much time they allocate to each party). The 2001 election went little better than the previous for the Conservatives, for which Hague accepted responsibility and stepped down as leader. [[Iain Duncan Smith]] replaced Hague, seemingly getting elected for no reason other than the fact that he was endorsed by Thatcher, and made no real impact as party leader. After passing up chances to attack the government for their role in [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] (which had far less support in the UK than it did in the US), the party decided that enough was enough and Duncan Smith was removed as leader in late 2003. [[Michael Howard]] was seen by many as the only possible man to take the Conservatives forward, and was elected as the new party leader without opposition. A far more adept period of leadership saw a recovery at the 2005 election, halving Labour's majority in the House of Commons. A few weeks later, Howard announced that while the recovery of the Conservative Party had begun, he had done all he could as party leader, and so would step down once a successor had been elected.

===Moderate shift and David Cameron===
{{See also|David Cameron}}

Since the early 2000s, the Conservative Party leaders have softened its conservative stance on social and fiscal issues, and this has increased its popularity with the voters. Particularly since David Cameron – a self-declared "liberal conservative" (which in British English means "moderate conservative") – became leader of the Conservative Party, their support in the country has risen dramatically, however this is also due to the media-perpetuated anti-war feeling within the United Kingdom following [[Tony Blair]]'s era, coupled with the unpopularity of [[Gordon Brown]]'s government<ref>http://politics.guardian.co.uk/speeches/story/0,,1869970,00.html</ref> and recent polls.<ref>http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2007/Guardian%20-%20Jan/guardian-jan-2007.asp</ref><ref>http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labour/story/0,,2016791,00.html</ref>

Cameron could be seen as more moderate than many previous leaders. His party policies have gravitated towards a more "green" outlook as the concern about [[global warming]] has grown within the UK. He has also praised Britain's socialized healthcare system, the [[National Health Service|NHS]]; but has also considered privatisation of sections of the service in an attempt to decrease the deficit at which it currently operates. The party has also continued to support some traditional elements of Conservative policy, such as support for the family.

After forming the Coalition Government in 2010, Cameron's popularity rapidly declined, as indicated by various opinion polls conducted by the media. However, the Conservative Party gained a slim majority in the 2015 general election. During this time, the [[United Kingdom Independence Party]] grew to become a serious rival of the party, sitting on its Right.

Cameron pledged to reduce immigration to under 100,000 annually. Despite this pledge, EU and Non-EU [[European migrant crisis|immigration soared during his tenure to even higher levels]] than when he first took office.<ref>Whitehead, Tom (February 26, 2015). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/11436403/David-Cameron-immigration-pledge-in-tatters-as-net-immigration-stands-at-298000.html David Cameron immigration pledge in tatters as net immigration stands at 298,000]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref> Immigration played a very influential role in the successful [[Brexit]] referendum on June 23, 2016,<ref>Bennett, Asa (June 29, 2016). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/29/did-britain-really-vote-brexit-to-cut-immigration/ Did Britain really vote Brexit to cut immigration?]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref><ref>Siegel, Josh (June 23, 2016). [http://dailysignal.com/2016/06/23/how-immigration-fueled-the-brexit-result/ How Immigration Fueled the Brexit Result]. ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref> along with other very important and related factors such as sovereignty and backlash against the leftist [[establishment]] elites who support large levels of immigration.<ref>Friedman, George; Mauldin, John (July 5, 2016). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnmauldin/2016/07/05/3-reasons-brits-voted-for-brexit/#6f7d841d78c1 3 Reasons Brits Voted For Brexit]. ''Forbes''. Retrieved January 7, 2017.</ref>

Cameron made the decision to hold the [[Brexit]] referendum<ref name="Alexander2016">Alexander, Harriet (December 9, 2016). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/09/david-cameron-brexit-donald-trump-does-not-regret-calling-referendum/ David Cameron on Brexit, Donald Trump and why he does not regret calling a referendum]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> and opposed the UK leaving the EU.<ref name="BBCJune2016">[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-36615028 Brexit: David Cameron to quit after UK votes to leave EU]. ''BBC''. June 24, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> He resigned immediately after the referendum did not go his way.<ref name="BBCJune2016"/>

===Theresa May and Brexit===
{{See also|Brexit|Theresa May}}
Theresa May became Prime Minister after Cameron. She initiated the formal Brexit process and called an early election to be held in June 2017.

The Conservative Party shifted its public stances after the Brexit vote, adopting right-wing stances on Europe and immigration more similar to UKIP,<ref>Kentish, Ben (May 15, 2017). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-voters-more-right-wing-ukip-poll-latest-theresa-may-nigel-farage-a7737491.html Tory voters think their party is now more right-wing than Ukip, poll finds]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> something noted by former UKIP leader [[Nigel Farage]].<ref name="MerrickMay2017">Merrick, Rob (May 7, 2017). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/election-latest-nigel-farage-theresa-may-stolen-ukip-policies-brussels-bashing-immigration-a7722346.html Nigel Farage says Theresa May is winning because she has stolen all his policies]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved May 7, 2017.</ref>This could be seen in the 2017 Conservative Party campaign manifesto, under Prime Minister [[Theresa May]], which adopted some of UKIP's EU and immigration policies.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (May 18, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/may-reveals-polarising-policies-immigration-social-care/ Theresa May Launches Conservative Manifesto: Pledge to Leave EU Single Market, Elderly Care Cost Raid]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref><ref name="RaynerMay2017">Rayner, Gordon (May 18, 2017). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/conservative-manifesto-general-election-2017-key-points-policies/ Conservative manifesto for General Election 2017: Key points, policies and summary]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> Because of this shift, the Conservative Party absorbed many UKIP voters.<ref>Dickson, Annabelle (May 17, 2017). [https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-marches-into-ukip-land/ Theresa May marches into UKIP country]. ''Politico''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> However, the manifesto also called for some forms of government expansion and additional social spending,<ref name="RaynerMay2017"/><ref>Edmunds, Donna Rachel (May 18, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/conservatives-social-policy-biggest-stealth-tax-history/ Conservatives’ Social Policy is ‘Biggest Stealth Tax in History’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> and the manifesto contained several worrisome pledges for conservatives and proponents of Brexit.<ref>Edmunds, Donna Rachel (May 18, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/18/top-7-conservative-manifesto-pledges-to-worry-brexiteers/ Top 7 Conservative Manifesto Pledges to Worry Brexiteers]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 19, 2017.</ref> Additionally, the manifesto rejected individualism and "untrammeled free markets", and May rejected statements that she was like former Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] or that she would "drift to the Right."<ref>Hughes, Laura (May 18, 2017). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/general-election-2017-latest-news-polls-analysis/ Theresa May rejects Margaret Thatcher comparisons and says her government 'will not drift to the right']. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> Noting the Conservative Party's past failures to reduce immigration in the recent past, former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, now editor of the London Evening Standard, wrote an editorial at the time of the manifesto's release in May 2017 that the Conservative Party leadership opposed and never intended to keep its immigration reduction promises.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (May 17, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/05/17/osborne-boasts-tories-never-intended-keep-immigration-promises/ Osborne Boasts Tories Never Intended to Keep Immigration Promises in Shock Editorial]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref>

====2017 general election====
Due to several blunders made during the campaign,<ref>Barone, Michael (June 9, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/barone-breaking-down-theresa-mays-disastrous-night/article/2625473 Barone: Breaking down Theresa May's disastrous night]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Dickson, Annabelle (June 9, 2017). [https://www.politico.eu/article/theresa-may-election-mistakes/ 8 election blunders that cost Theresa May her majority]. ''Politico''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> May's Conservative Party lost seats in a snap election she chose to hold in order to gain power, resulting in a hung parliament.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/09/uk-election-theresa-may-to-ask-queen-permission-to-form-government-despite-losing-majority.html UK election: Theresa May to ask queen permission to form government despite losing majority]. ''Fox News''. June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> As the Conservative Party remained the party with the most seats, May decided to seek a governing agreement with the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP), a right-wing, socially conservative party representing Northern Ireland.<ref>Kassam, Raheem (June 9, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/09/secret-blessing-tory-dup-alliance-will-remind-tories-conservatism-supposed-look-like/ The Silver Lining? A Tory-DUP Alliance Will Remind the Tories What Conservatism Is Supposed to Look Like]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Horton, Helena (June 9, 2017). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/09/7-things-didnt-know-dup/ 7 things you didn't know about the DUP]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved June 9, 2017.</ref> The two parties signed the agreement<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/tory-dup-deal-agreement-full/ Tory-DUP deal: The agreement in full]. ''The Telegraph''. June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref> on June 26, 2017.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (June 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/06/26/theresa-may-signs-confidence-supply-agreement-dup/ DUP Triumphant: Tories Forced to Protect Pensions Triple Lock and Commit to Armed Forces Covenant]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-40403434 Conservatives agree pact with DUP to support May government]. ''BBC News''. Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref><ref>Kirka, Danica; Katz, Gregory (June 26, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/26/northern-ireland-party-leader-in-talks-with-conservatives.html UK's May makes deal she needs to govern, but critics abound]. ''Fox News'' (from the ''Associated Press''). Retrieved June 26, 2017.</ref>

===Leadership election 2019===
[[Theresa May]] resigned as party leader on June 7, 2019. Her successor, as party leader and Prime Minister, is [[Boris Johnson]].

==See also==
* [[British politics]]
* [[British conservatives]]
* [[Conservative Party of New York State|Conservative Party of New York State (CPNYS)]]
* [[American Conservative Party|American Conservative Party (ACP)]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.conservatives.com/ Conservative Party Official Website]
* [http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Manifesto.aspx Conservative Party Manefesto for the 2010 General Election]
* [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-miliband-would-beat-cameron--unlike-ed-6292887.html]

[[Category:British Political Parties]]
[[Category:British History]]

Winter of Discontent

2019-07-27T18:31:48Z

JamesQT:

[[Image:Ford strike 1978.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Strikes began when 72,000 Ford workers "downed tools" and walked off the job, leaving 23 Ford factories across the country empty.]]
The phrase '''Winter of Discontent''' refers to the [[British]] winter of 1978-1979, when widespread strikes marked the largest stoppage of labour since the [[1926 General Strike]] as the working classes and the [[Labor union|Trade Unions]] rebelled against the [[Labour Party]] government of [[James Callaghan]], the Prime Minister 1976-79. The period was marked by food shortages, power cuts, household refuse uncollected, and even the dead were left unburied. Twenty-nine million working days were lost to industrial action involving 4.6 million workers. Thirty years later, the memory of snow-bound Britain in the midst of industrial chaos remains deeply etched in the national psyche. It was the key factor in Labour's defeat in the general election of 1979 and continued to resonate in British politics for many years after.

==Origin of the phrase==
"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York" are the first two lines spoken in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s play, ''[[The Tragedy of King Richard III|Richard III]]'' (1594). Metaphorically, it means that the period of unhappiness is ending, winter marking the end of a cycle. The phrase was used to describe the social and industrial unrest of the 1978-79 winter by the political editor of the British national [[newspaper]] ''[[The Sun]]''.

==Background==
When the [[Labour Party]] was elected in 1974 its manifesto stated "It is our intention to bring about a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of power and wealth in favour of working people and their families." However the 1974-9 government imposed the greatest attacks on working class living standards since the depression of the 1930s:
*Housing - By 1978 fewer council houses were being built than in any year since the Second World War.
*Health - 25,000 hospital bed places were removed in the first two years of the Labour government.
*Education - teachers suffered large scale redundancies for the first time in living memory.
*Prices - doubled between February 1974 and December 1978.
*Jobs - an average of 1,000 a day went in Labour's first three years. [[Unemployment]] was 500,000 in 1974. It reached 1.6 million in 1976.
*Wages - a family of four on average earnings was worse off in 1979 than in 1974.<ref name="swo">''Winter of Discontent 1978-9: We struck because Labour betrayed us'' (2002) [http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=11511 Socialist Worker Online]. Retrieved 20 November 2008</ref>

The Trade Unions Congress (TUC), an umbrella organisation of Britain's trade unions, had become "tied" to the government following the adoption of the [[Social Contract]],<ref>''The agreement was known colloquially among rank and file union members however as the "Social Con Trick".</ref> a bipartite arrangement between the government and the trade union movement. "The package was an attempt to control inflation through regulation of prices, provide growth of employment through industrial strategy and improve the social wage by redistributive fiscal policies and changes in patterns of public expenditure, and was to include a programme of employment law involving the repeal of the Industrial Relations Act 1971 , introduction of new statutory protections for employees and rights for trade unions and legislation on industrial democracy . The unions in return were to co-operate in restraining wages."<ref name="emire">''Social Contract'' (2007) [http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emire/UNITED%20KINGDOM/SOCIALCONTRACT-EN.htm European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions]. Retrieved 20 November 2008.</ref> Although the government failed to deliver its side of the bargain, the TUC insisted on upholding theirs, even to the detriment of its member unions: in 1976 the Seamen's Union proposed strike action over a delayed pay award. The general secretary of the TUC, Len Murray, told them, "By god, we'll make sure no union supports you. We'll cripple you."<ref name="swo" /> A further three major strikes by groups of skilled workers in 1977 collapsed after the TUC instructed other workers to cross the picket lines.<ref name="swo" />

The "discontent" of British workers continued to build for several years; [[inflation]] had reached 26.9% in August 1975, and the incumbent [[Labour Party|Labour]] government under [[Prime Minister]] [[Harold Wilson]] introduced a "cap" on pay increases for workers at limits set by the government, and far below the rate of inflation. For workers earning under £8,500 ($17,000) a year the maximum pay increase could not exceed £6 ($12) per week. By 1978, inflation had almost halved, but the government refused to remove the caps, fixing the maximum pay increase at 5%. However, at the end of 1977, [[firefighter]]s had gone on strike and, despite being forced back to work (the strike had ended violently, with the firefighters even attacking their own Union officials whom they felt had betrayed them), achieved a 10% increase, followed in early 1978 by further concessions from the government, giving them an increase in real terms of 20%. Furthermore, their salaries became index linked against inflation, a privilege which had previously only been accorded to the Army Chiefs, police and judges, as a compensation for not being allowed to strike. The firefighters had however still retained the right to strike. Told that ''their'' rises would still be capped at 5% the remainder of the already disgruntled workforce took notice of how the firefighters had been successful in "defeat" and began to see how weak the government had become when challenged by [[direct action]].<ref name="winter">''The Winter of Discontent'' "History and Class Consciousness in the U.K." (2002) [http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davewalton/archive/local/winterofdiscontent.html Revolt Against an Age of Plenty]. Accessed 1 February 2008</ref>

In April 1976, Wilson had been replaced as Prime Minister by Labour's [[James Callaghan]], and it was widely expected that he would call for a general election and the removal of the wage caps in September 1978 following the TUC conference. Instead, he announced that there would be no general election and that the cap would remain for at least another year to allow the economy to stabilise. The same month, a pay increase for workers at [[Ford Motor Company]] was set by the company within the allotted 5% designated by the government but was rejected by the workers. A strike began when 15,000 Ford workers walked off the job on September 22 and by September 26 had been joined by 57,000 others, leaving 23 Ford factories unmanned.<ref name="aspden">'''Aspden, Alex''' ''1978-1979: Winter of Discontent'' (2007) [http://libcom.org/history/1978-1979-winter-of-discontent Libcom.org]. Retrieved 1 February 2008</ref>

==The Ford deal==
The strike by the Ford workers was unofficial, and had not been formally sanctioned by the workers' union, the '''Transport and General Workers Union''' (TGWU), however, given the determination of their members not to return to work, and the violence that had marked the previous year's firefighter's strike, the TGWU officially gave its support on 5 October. They demanded a 25% pay increase and a reduction to a 35-hour working week, and negotiations began with the management of Ford. On 22 November they accepted a 17% pay increase, with no reduction in working hours, and returned to work. The government were furious that Ford had breached the pay policy and attempted to impose sanctions on the company, but this was defeated in [[House of Commons (UK)|Parliament]], with Callaghan only narrowly surviving a motion of confidence. Humiliated and further weakened, the government was now powerless to enforce the 5% cap, which would now be challenged by strikes in both the public and private sectors.<ref name="aspden" />

Unlike the strikes which were to follow, the Ford strike was unique in that the entire workforce withdrew their labour - no picket lines were required. English workers in ancillary industries assisted the strike by preventing the movement of components both on the motorways and in the docks, and this also enabled the workers to turn the division of labour between [[Europe]]an states against Ford as the majority of European factories were prevented from operating because of the lack of components or because components destined for English factories were held up. Henry Ford said, "It was the worst strike I have ever seen".<ref name="winter" /> Analysts have concluded that it was this single strike which caused the Labour Government to fall.<ref name="winter" />

==Transport strikes==
In an attempt to win a 40% pay increase, fuel tanker drivers employed by [[British Petroleum]] and [[Esso]] had begun "working to rule" and refusing to work overtime. They received such small allowances for overnight stops that they were forced to sleep three to a room in dirty hostels.<ref name="swo" /> On 9 January 1979, all truck drivers of the TGWU went out on strike for more pay. This crippled the national distribution system, causing food shortages as well as halting the transport of materials required by industry. Fuel stations were closed due to no deliveries to fill their storage tanks, and oil refineries were blockaded by [[flying picket]]s. In less than a month, with road distribution at a standstill, the drivers achieved a pay deal just £1 ($2) less per week than they had asked for.

==Floodgates opened==
[[Image:Waste collectors strike 1978.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Uncollected refuse spilling onto the streets remains an iconic image of the Winter of Discontent]]
While the transport strike was still in force, many public sector workers launched strikes of their own. The railwaymens' unions, the '''National Union of Railwaymen''' (NUR) and the '''Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen''' (ASLEF)<ref>A popular joke among workers at the time was that "ASLEF" stood for "As'lef'ma'train in the depot"</ref> had begun to close down the public transport network, and on 22 January the public sector unions called a "Day of Action" which saw 1.5 million workers refusing to work, the largest general stoppage of work in the UK since the General Strike of 1926. Schools and airports were forced to close and ambulance drivers and nurses working for the [[National Health Service]] began refusing to treat patients except for life-threatening emergencies. Many workers who struck on the Day of Action simply did not return to work afterwards, staying out on strike until February. In late January, gravediggers went out on strike, and health officials began contingency planing for burials at sea. However, after two weeks of strike action, the gravediggers achieved a 14% pay increase and returned to work. Waste collection workers were also on strike, and refuse began to pile high in the streets. They remained on strike until 21 February, achieving an 11% increase.<ref name="aspden" />

=="Crisis? What crisis?"==
It is generally held that these three words sealed the fate of the government, even though the person to whom they were attrributed never actually said them. At the height of the strikes, Callaghan flew to Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, to attend a summit. On his return to Heathrow, he was asked what he made of the mounting chaos. He gave a typically complacent, convoluted answer, "I don't think other people in the world would share the view [that] there is mounting chaos". A journalist for The Sun translated that as "Crisis? What Crisis?" and this was the newspaper's headline on 11 January 1979. Callaghan's standing in the polls went from a five-point lead over the Conservatives in November 1978 to a 20-point deficit in February 1979. After losing a confidence motion, he was forced to call a general election and the Conservative party under Margaret Thatcher won by a landslide. Labour received its lowest share of the vote since the war, while the Liberals and the Scottish and Welsh nationalists saw their support slump from previous highs enjoyed in 1974.

==Political and social impact==
The effects of the Winter of Discontent were far reaching and changed British society, politics, economics and working practices in ways which noone could have foreseen. These included:
*victory for the Conservatives, making [[Margaret Thatcher]] Britain's first ever woman prime minister.
*the birth of [[Thatcherism]]
*the rise of [[Militant Tendency]]
*the decline of trade union influence
*trade union membership halved
*privatisation by the government and the loss of Britain's manufacturing base
*the birth of New Labour and the decline of Old Labour
*the confrontation between the state and the National Union of Mineworkers in 1984-1985
*the abandonment of [[Keynes' General Theory]] which had been the blueprint for Britain's post war settlement

==Media==
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7598647.stm ''Winter of Discontent: 30 years on''] - Slideshow including [[BBC]] archive material, and interviews with politicians, union leaders and commentators [[Denis Healey]], Rodney Bickerstaffe, Brendan Barber, Geoffrey Goodman, and Lord Bernard Donoghue.

==See also==
*[[Miners' Strike 1984]]
*[[Stagflation]]
*[[Era of Stagnation]]

==Further reading==
* Davies, Andrew. ''To Build a New Jerusalem: The British Labour Party from Keir Hardie to Tony Blair'' (1996)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Britain since 1945: The People's Peace'' (2001)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Callaghan: A Life'' (1997).

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:British Politics]][[Category:Labor]][[Category:British History]]

Winter of Discontent

2019-07-27T18:31:18Z

JamesQT: Close italics

[[Image:Ford strike 1978.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Strikes began when 72,000 Ford workers "downed tools" and walked off the job, leaving 23 Ford factories across the country empty.]]
The phrase '''Winter of Discontent''' refers to the [[British]] winter of 1978-1979, when widespread strikes marked the largest stoppage of labour since the [[1926 General Strike]] as the working classes and the [[Labor union|Trade Unions]] rebelled against the [[Labour Party]] government of [[James Callaghan]], the Prime Minister 1976-79. The period was marked by food shortages, power cuts, household refuse uncollected, and even the dead were left unburied. Twenty-nine million working days were lost to industrial action involving 4.6 million workers. Thirty years later, the memory of snow-bound Britain in the midst of industrial chaos remains deeply etched in the national psyche. It was the key factor in Labour's defeat in the general election of 1979 and continued to resonate in British politics for many years after.

==Origin of the phrase==
"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York" are the first two lines spoken in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s in his play, ''[[The Tragedy of King Richard III|Richard III]]'' (1594). Metaphorically, it means that the period of unhappiness is ending, winter marking the end of a cycle. The phrase was used to describe the social and industrial unrest of the 1978-79 winter by the political editor of the British national [[newspaper]] ''[[The Sun]]''.

==Background==
When the [[Labour Party]] was elected in 1974 its manifesto stated "It is our intention to bring about a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of power and wealth in favour of working people and their families." However the 1974-9 government imposed the greatest attacks on working class living standards since the depression of the 1930s:
*Housing - By 1978 fewer council houses were being built than in any year since the Second World War.
*Health - 25,000 hospital bed places were removed in the first two years of the Labour government.
*Education - teachers suffered large scale redundancies for the first time in living memory.
*Prices - doubled between February 1974 and December 1978.
*Jobs - an average of 1,000 a day went in Labour's first three years. [[Unemployment]] was 500,000 in 1974. It reached 1.6 million in 1976.
*Wages - a family of four on average earnings was worse off in 1979 than in 1974.<ref name="swo">''Winter of Discontent 1978-9: We struck because Labour betrayed us'' (2002) [http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=11511 Socialist Worker Online]. Retrieved 20 November 2008</ref>

The Trade Unions Congress (TUC), an umbrella organisation of Britain's trade unions, had become "tied" to the government following the adoption of the [[Social Contract]],<ref>''The agreement was known colloquially among rank and file union members however as the "Social Con Trick".</ref> a bipartite arrangement between the government and the trade union movement. "The package was an attempt to control inflation through regulation of prices, provide growth of employment through industrial strategy and improve the social wage by redistributive fiscal policies and changes in patterns of public expenditure, and was to include a programme of employment law involving the repeal of the Industrial Relations Act 1971 , introduction of new statutory protections for employees and rights for trade unions and legislation on industrial democracy . The unions in return were to co-operate in restraining wages."<ref name="emire">''Social Contract'' (2007) [http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emire/UNITED%20KINGDOM/SOCIALCONTRACT-EN.htm European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions]. Retrieved 20 November 2008.</ref> Although the government failed to deliver its side of the bargain, the TUC insisted on upholding theirs, even to the detriment of its member unions: in 1976 the Seamen's Union proposed strike action over a delayed pay award. The general secretary of the TUC, Len Murray, told them, "By god, we'll make sure no union supports you. We'll cripple you."<ref name="swo" /> A further three major strikes by groups of skilled workers in 1977 collapsed after the TUC instructed other workers to cross the picket lines.<ref name="swo" />

The "discontent" of British workers continued to build for several years; [[inflation]] had reached 26.9% in August 1975, and the incumbent [[Labour Party|Labour]] government under [[Prime Minister]] [[Harold Wilson]] introduced a "cap" on pay increases for workers at limits set by the government, and far below the rate of inflation. For workers earning under £8,500 ($17,000) a year the maximum pay increase could not exceed £6 ($12) per week. By 1978, inflation had almost halved, but the government refused to remove the caps, fixing the maximum pay increase at 5%. However, at the end of 1977, [[firefighter]]s had gone on strike and, despite being forced back to work (the strike had ended violently, with the firefighters even attacking their own Union officials whom they felt had betrayed them), achieved a 10% increase, followed in early 1978 by further concessions from the government, giving them an increase in real terms of 20%. Furthermore, their salaries became index linked against inflation, a privilege which had previously only been accorded to the Army Chiefs, police and judges, as a compensation for not being allowed to strike. The firefighters had however still retained the right to strike. Told that ''their'' rises would still be capped at 5% the remainder of the already disgruntled workforce took notice of how the firefighters had been successful in "defeat" and began to see how weak the government had become when challenged by [[direct action]].<ref name="winter">''The Winter of Discontent'' "History and Class Consciousness in the U.K." (2002) [http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davewalton/archive/local/winterofdiscontent.html Revolt Against an Age of Plenty]. Accessed 1 February 2008</ref>

In April 1976, Wilson had been replaced as Prime Minister by Labour's [[James Callaghan]], and it was widely expected that he would call for a general election and the removal of the wage caps in September 1978 following the TUC conference. Instead, he announced that there would be no general election and that the cap would remain for at least another year to allow the economy to stabilise. The same month, a pay increase for workers at [[Ford Motor Company]] was set by the company within the allotted 5% designated by the government but was rejected by the workers. A strike began when 15,000 Ford workers walked off the job on September 22 and by September 26 had been joined by 57,000 others, leaving 23 Ford factories unmanned.<ref name="aspden">'''Aspden, Alex''' ''1978-1979: Winter of Discontent'' (2007) [http://libcom.org/history/1978-1979-winter-of-discontent Libcom.org]. Retrieved 1 February 2008</ref>

==The Ford deal==
The strike by the Ford workers was unofficial, and had not been formally sanctioned by the workers' union, the '''Transport and General Workers Union''' (TGWU), however, given the determination of their members not to return to work, and the violence that had marked the previous year's firefighter's strike, the TGWU officially gave its support on 5 October. They demanded a 25% pay increase and a reduction to a 35-hour working week, and negotiations began with the management of Ford. On 22 November they accepted a 17% pay increase, with no reduction in working hours, and returned to work. The government were furious that Ford had breached the pay policy and attempted to impose sanctions on the company, but this was defeated in [[House of Commons (UK)|Parliament]], with Callaghan only narrowly surviving a motion of confidence. Humiliated and further weakened, the government was now powerless to enforce the 5% cap, which would now be challenged by strikes in both the public and private sectors.<ref name="aspden" />

Unlike the strikes which were to follow, the Ford strike was unique in that the entire workforce withdrew their labour - no picket lines were required. English workers in ancillary industries assisted the strike by preventing the movement of components both on the motorways and in the docks, and this also enabled the workers to turn the division of labour between [[Europe]]an states against Ford as the majority of European factories were prevented from operating because of the lack of components or because components destined for English factories were held up. Henry Ford said, "It was the worst strike I have ever seen".<ref name="winter" /> Analysts have concluded that it was this single strike which caused the Labour Government to fall.<ref name="winter" />

==Transport strikes==
In an attempt to win a 40% pay increase, fuel tanker drivers employed by [[British Petroleum]] and [[Esso]] had begun "working to rule" and refusing to work overtime. They received such small allowances for overnight stops that they were forced to sleep three to a room in dirty hostels.<ref name="swo" /> On 9 January 1979, all truck drivers of the TGWU went out on strike for more pay. This crippled the national distribution system, causing food shortages as well as halting the transport of materials required by industry. Fuel stations were closed due to no deliveries to fill their storage tanks, and oil refineries were blockaded by [[flying picket]]s. In less than a month, with road distribution at a standstill, the drivers achieved a pay deal just £1 ($2) less per week than they had asked for.

==Floodgates opened==
[[Image:Waste collectors strike 1978.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Uncollected refuse spilling onto the streets remains an iconic image of the Winter of Discontent]]
While the transport strike was still in force, many public sector workers launched strikes of their own. The railwaymens' unions, the '''National Union of Railwaymen''' (NUR) and the '''Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen''' (ASLEF)<ref>A popular joke among workers at the time was that "ASLEF" stood for "As'lef'ma'train in the depot"</ref> had begun to close down the public transport network, and on 22 January the public sector unions called a "Day of Action" which saw 1.5 million workers refusing to work, the largest general stoppage of work in the UK since the General Strike of 1926. Schools and airports were forced to close and ambulance drivers and nurses working for the [[National Health Service]] began refusing to treat patients except for life-threatening emergencies. Many workers who struck on the Day of Action simply did not return to work afterwards, staying out on strike until February. In late January, gravediggers went out on strike, and health officials began contingency planing for burials at sea. However, after two weeks of strike action, the gravediggers achieved a 14% pay increase and returned to work. Waste collection workers were also on strike, and refuse began to pile high in the streets. They remained on strike until 21 February, achieving an 11% increase.<ref name="aspden" />

=="Crisis? What crisis?"==
It is generally held that these three words sealed the fate of the government, even though the person to whom they were attrributed never actually said them. At the height of the strikes, Callaghan flew to Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, to attend a summit. On his return to Heathrow, he was asked what he made of the mounting chaos. He gave a typically complacent, convoluted answer, "I don't think other people in the world would share the view [that] there is mounting chaos". A journalist for The Sun translated that as "Crisis? What Crisis?" and this was the newspaper's headline on 11 January 1979. Callaghan's standing in the polls went from a five-point lead over the Conservatives in November 1978 to a 20-point deficit in February 1979. After losing a confidence motion, he was forced to call a general election and the Conservative party under Margaret Thatcher won by a landslide. Labour received its lowest share of the vote since the war, while the Liberals and the Scottish and Welsh nationalists saw their support slump from previous highs enjoyed in 1974.

==Political and social impact==
The effects of the Winter of Discontent were far reaching and changed British society, politics, economics and working practices in ways which noone could have foreseen. These included:
*victory for the Conservatives, making [[Margaret Thatcher]] Britain's first ever woman prime minister.
*the birth of [[Thatcherism]]
*the rise of [[Militant Tendency]]
*the decline of trade union influence
*trade union membership halved
*privatisation by the government and the loss of Britain's manufacturing base
*the birth of New Labour and the decline of Old Labour
*the confrontation between the state and the National Union of Mineworkers in 1984-1985
*the abandonment of [[Keynes' General Theory]] which had been the blueprint for Britain's post war settlement

==Media==
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7598647.stm ''Winter of Discontent: 30 years on''] - Slideshow including [[BBC]] archive material, and interviews with politicians, union leaders and commentators [[Denis Healey]], Rodney Bickerstaffe, Brendan Barber, Geoffrey Goodman, and Lord Bernard Donoghue.

==See also==
*[[Miners' Strike 1984]]
*[[Stagflation]]
*[[Era of Stagnation]]

==Further reading==
* Davies, Andrew. ''To Build a New Jerusalem: The British Labour Party from Keir Hardie to Tony Blair'' (1996)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Britain since 1945: The People's Peace'' (2001)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Callaghan: A Life'' (1997).

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:British Politics]][[Category:Labor]][[Category:British History]]

Winter of Discontent

2019-07-27T18:30:43Z

JamesQT: Mainly formatting

[[Image:Ford strike 1978.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Strikes began when 72,000 Ford workers "downed tools" and walked off the job, leaving 23 Ford factories across the country empty.]]
The phrase '''Winter of Discontent''' refers to the [[British]] winter of 1978-1979, when widespread strikes marked the largest stoppage of labour since the [[1926 General Strike]] as the working classes and the [[Labor union|Trade Unions]] rebelled against the [[Labour Party]] government of [[James Callaghan]], the Prime Minister 1976-79. The period was marked by food shortages, power cuts, household refuse uncollected, and even the dead were left unburied. Twenty-nine million working days were lost to industrial action involving 4.6 million workers. Thirty years later, the memory of snow-bound Britain in the midst of industrial chaos remains deeply etched in the national psyche. It was the key factor in Labour's defeat in the general election of 1979 and continued to resonate in British politics for many years after.

==Origin of the phrase==
"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York" are the first two lines spoken in [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s in his play, ''[[The Tragedy of King Richard III|Richard III]] (1594). Metaphorically, it means that the period of unhappiness is ending, winter marking the end of a cycle. The phrase was used to describe the social and industrial unrest of the 1978-79 winter by the political editor of the British national [[newspaper]] ''[[The Sun]]''.

==Background==
When the [[Labour Party]] was elected in 1974 its manifesto stated "It is our intention to bring about a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of power and wealth in favour of working people and their families." However the 1974-9 government imposed the greatest attacks on working class living standards since the depression of the 1930s:
*Housing - By 1978 fewer council houses were being built than in any year since the Second World War.
*Health - 25,000 hospital bed places were removed in the first two years of the Labour government.
*Education - teachers suffered large scale redundancies for the first time in living memory.
*Prices - doubled between February 1974 and December 1978.
*Jobs - an average of 1,000 a day went in Labour's first three years. [[Unemployment]] was 500,000 in 1974. It reached 1.6 million in 1976.
*Wages - a family of four on average earnings was worse off in 1979 than in 1974.<ref name="swo">''Winter of Discontent 1978-9: We struck because Labour betrayed us'' (2002) [http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=11511 Socialist Worker Online]. Retrieved 20 November 2008</ref>

The Trade Unions Congress (TUC), an umbrella organisation of Britain's trade unions, had become "tied" to the government following the adoption of the [[Social Contract]],<ref>''The agreement was known colloquially among rank and file union members however as the "Social Con Trick".</ref> a bipartite arrangement between the government and the trade union movement. "The package was an attempt to control inflation through regulation of prices, provide growth of employment through industrial strategy and improve the social wage by redistributive fiscal policies and changes in patterns of public expenditure, and was to include a programme of employment law involving the repeal of the Industrial Relations Act 1971 , introduction of new statutory protections for employees and rights for trade unions and legislation on industrial democracy . The unions in return were to co-operate in restraining wages."<ref name="emire">''Social Contract'' (2007) [http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emire/UNITED%20KINGDOM/SOCIALCONTRACT-EN.htm European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions]. Retrieved 20 November 2008.</ref> Although the government failed to deliver its side of the bargain, the TUC insisted on upholding theirs, even to the detriment of its member unions: in 1976 the Seamen's Union proposed strike action over a delayed pay award. The general secretary of the TUC, Len Murray, told them, "By god, we'll make sure no union supports you. We'll cripple you."<ref name="swo" /> A further three major strikes by groups of skilled workers in 1977 collapsed after the TUC instructed other workers to cross the picket lines.<ref name="swo" />

The "discontent" of British workers continued to build for several years; [[inflation]] had reached 26.9% in August 1975, and the incumbent [[Labour Party|Labour]] government under [[Prime Minister]] [[Harold Wilson]] introduced a "cap" on pay increases for workers at limits set by the government, and far below the rate of inflation. For workers earning under £8,500 ($17,000) a year the maximum pay increase could not exceed £6 ($12) per week. By 1978, inflation had almost halved, but the government refused to remove the caps, fixing the maximum pay increase at 5%. However, at the end of 1977, [[firefighter]]s had gone on strike and, despite being forced back to work (the strike had ended violently, with the firefighters even attacking their own Union officials whom they felt had betrayed them), achieved a 10% increase, followed in early 1978 by further concessions from the government, giving them an increase in real terms of 20%. Furthermore, their salaries became index linked against inflation, a privilege which had previously only been accorded to the Army Chiefs, police and judges, as a compensation for not being allowed to strike. The firefighters had however still retained the right to strike. Told that ''their'' rises would still be capped at 5% the remainder of the already disgruntled workforce took notice of how the firefighters had been successful in "defeat" and began to see how weak the government had become when challenged by [[direct action]].<ref name="winter">''The Winter of Discontent'' "History and Class Consciousness in the U.K." (2002) [http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davewalton/archive/local/winterofdiscontent.html Revolt Against an Age of Plenty]. Accessed 1 February 2008</ref>

In April 1976, Wilson had been replaced as Prime Minister by Labour's [[James Callaghan]], and it was widely expected that he would call for a general election and the removal of the wage caps in September 1978 following the TUC conference. Instead, he announced that there would be no general election and that the cap would remain for at least another year to allow the economy to stabilise. The same month, a pay increase for workers at [[Ford Motor Company]] was set by the company within the allotted 5% designated by the government but was rejected by the workers. A strike began when 15,000 Ford workers walked off the job on September 22 and by September 26 had been joined by 57,000 others, leaving 23 Ford factories unmanned.<ref name="aspden">'''Aspden, Alex''' ''1978-1979: Winter of Discontent'' (2007) [http://libcom.org/history/1978-1979-winter-of-discontent Libcom.org]. Retrieved 1 February 2008</ref>

==The Ford deal==
The strike by the Ford workers was unofficial, and had not been formally sanctioned by the workers' union, the '''Transport and General Workers Union''' (TGWU), however, given the determination of their members not to return to work, and the violence that had marked the previous year's firefighter's strike, the TGWU officially gave its support on 5 October. They demanded a 25% pay increase and a reduction to a 35-hour working week, and negotiations began with the management of Ford. On 22 November they accepted a 17% pay increase, with no reduction in working hours, and returned to work. The government were furious that Ford had breached the pay policy and attempted to impose sanctions on the company, but this was defeated in [[House of Commons (UK)|Parliament]], with Callaghan only narrowly surviving a motion of confidence. Humiliated and further weakened, the government was now powerless to enforce the 5% cap, which would now be challenged by strikes in both the public and private sectors.<ref name="aspden" />

Unlike the strikes which were to follow, the Ford strike was unique in that the entire workforce withdrew their labour - no picket lines were required. English workers in ancillary industries assisted the strike by preventing the movement of components both on the motorways and in the docks, and this also enabled the workers to turn the division of labour between [[Europe]]an states against Ford as the majority of European factories were prevented from operating because of the lack of components or because components destined for English factories were held up. Henry Ford said, "It was the worst strike I have ever seen".<ref name="winter" /> Analysts have concluded that it was this single strike which caused the Labour Government to fall.<ref name="winter" />

==Transport strikes==
In an attempt to win a 40% pay increase, fuel tanker drivers employed by [[British Petroleum]] and [[Esso]] had begun "working to rule" and refusing to work overtime. They received such small allowances for overnight stops that they were forced to sleep three to a room in dirty hostels.<ref name="swo" /> On 9 January 1979, all truck drivers of the TGWU went out on strike for more pay. This crippled the national distribution system, causing food shortages as well as halting the transport of materials required by industry. Fuel stations were closed due to no deliveries to fill their storage tanks, and oil refineries were blockaded by [[flying picket]]s. In less than a month, with road distribution at a standstill, the drivers achieved a pay deal just £1 ($2) less per week than they had asked for.

==Floodgates opened==
[[Image:Waste collectors strike 1978.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Uncollected refuse spilling onto the streets remains an iconic image of the Winter of Discontent]]
While the transport strike was still in force, many public sector workers launched strikes of their own. The railwaymens' unions, the '''National Union of Railwaymen''' (NUR) and the '''Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen''' (ASLEF)<ref>A popular joke among workers at the time was that "ASLEF" stood for "As'lef'ma'train in the depot"</ref> had begun to close down the public transport network, and on 22 January the public sector unions called a "Day of Action" which saw 1.5 million workers refusing to work, the largest general stoppage of work in the UK since the General Strike of 1926. Schools and airports were forced to close and ambulance drivers and nurses working for the [[National Health Service]] began refusing to treat patients except for life-threatening emergencies. Many workers who struck on the Day of Action simply did not return to work afterwards, staying out on strike until February. In late January, gravediggers went out on strike, and health officials began contingency planing for burials at sea. However, after two weeks of strike action, the gravediggers achieved a 14% pay increase and returned to work. Waste collection workers were also on strike, and refuse began to pile high in the streets. They remained on strike until 21 February, achieving an 11% increase.<ref name="aspden" />

=="Crisis? What crisis?"==
It is generally held that these three words sealed the fate of the government, even though the person to whom they were attrributed never actually said them. At the height of the strikes, Callaghan flew to Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, to attend a summit. On his return to Heathrow, he was asked what he made of the mounting chaos. He gave a typically complacent, convoluted answer, "I don't think other people in the world would share the view [that] there is mounting chaos". A journalist for The Sun translated that as "Crisis? What Crisis?" and this was the newspaper's headline on 11 January 1979. Callaghan's standing in the polls went from a five-point lead over the Conservatives in November 1978 to a 20-point deficit in February 1979. After losing a confidence motion, he was forced to call a general election and the Conservative party under Margaret Thatcher won by a landslide. Labour received its lowest share of the vote since the war, while the Liberals and the Scottish and Welsh nationalists saw their support slump from previous highs enjoyed in 1974.

==Political and social impact==
The effects of the Winter of Discontent were far reaching and changed British society, politics, economics and working practices in ways which noone could have foreseen. These included:
*victory for the Conservatives, making [[Margaret Thatcher]] Britain's first ever woman prime minister.
*the birth of [[Thatcherism]]
*the rise of [[Militant Tendency]]
*the decline of trade union influence
*trade union membership halved
*privatisation by the government and the loss of Britain's manufacturing base
*the birth of New Labour and the decline of Old Labour
*the confrontation between the state and the National Union of Mineworkers in 1984-1985
*the abandonment of [[Keynes' General Theory]] which had been the blueprint for Britain's post war settlement

==Media==
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7598647.stm ''Winter of Discontent: 30 years on''] - Slideshow including [[BBC]] archive material, and interviews with politicians, union leaders and commentators [[Denis Healey]], Rodney Bickerstaffe, Brendan Barber, Geoffrey Goodman, and Lord Bernard Donoghue.

==See also==
*[[Miners' Strike 1984]]
*[[Stagflation]]
*[[Era of Stagnation]]

==Further reading==
* Davies, Andrew. ''To Build a New Jerusalem: The British Labour Party from Keir Hardie to Tony Blair'' (1996)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Britain since 1945: The People's Peace'' (2001)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Callaghan: A Life'' (1997).

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:British Politics]][[Category:Labor]][[Category:British History]]

Winter of Discontent

2019-07-27T18:27:54Z

JamesQT:

[[Image:Ford strike 1978.jpg|right|thumb|350px|Strikes began when 72,000 Ford workers "downed tools" and walked off the job, leaving 23 Ford factories across the country empty.]]
The phrase '''Winter of Discontent''' refers to the [[British]] winter of 1978-1979, when widespread strikes marked the largest stoppage of labour since the [[1926 General Strike]] as the working classes and the [[Labor union|Trade Unions]] rebelled against the [[Labour Party]] government of [[James Callaghan]], the Prime Minister 1976-79. The period was marked by food shortages, power cuts, household refuse uncollected, and even the dead were left unburied. Twenty-nine million working days were lost to industrial action involving 4.6 million workers. Thirty years later, the memory of snow-bound Britain in the midst of industrial chaos remains deeply etched in the national psyche. It was the key factor in Labour's defeat in the general election of 1979 and continued to resonate in British politics for many years after.

==Origin of the phrase==
''"Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York"'' was written by [[William Shakespeare]] in his play '''Richard III''' (1594). It actually means that the period of discontent or unhappiness is ending, winter marking the end of a cycle. The phrase was used to describe the social and industrial unrest of the 1978-79 winter by the political editor of the British national [[newspaper]] ''[[The Sun]]''.

==Background==
When the [[Labour Party]] was elected in 1974 its manifesto stated "It is our intention to bring about a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of power and wealth in favour of working people and their families." However the 1974-9 government imposed the greatest attacks on working class living standards since the depression of the 1930s:
*Housing - By 1978 fewer council houses were being built than in any year since the Second World War.
*Health - 25,000 hospital bed places were removed in the first two years of the Labour government.
*Education - teachers suffered large scale redundancies for the first time in living memory.
*Prices - doubled between February 1974 and December 1978.
*Jobs - an average of 1,000 a day went in Labour's first three years. [[Unemployment]] was 500,000 in 1974. It reached 1.6 million in 1976.
*Wages - a family of four on average earnings was worse off in 1979 than in 1974.<ref name="swo">''Winter of Discontent 1978-9: We struck because Labour betrayed us'' (2002) [http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=11511 Socialist Worker Online]. Retrieved 20 November 2008</ref>

The Trade Unions Congress (TUC), an umbrella organisation of Britain's trade unions, had become "tied" to the government following the adoption of the [[Social Contract]],<ref>''The agreement was known colloquially among rank and file union members however as the "Social Con Trick".</ref> a bipartite arrangement between the government and the trade union movement. "The package was an attempt to control inflation through regulation of prices, provide growth of employment through industrial strategy and improve the social wage by redistributive fiscal policies and changes in patterns of public expenditure, and was to include a programme of employment law involving the repeal of the Industrial Relations Act 1971 , introduction of new statutory protections for employees and rights for trade unions and legislation on industrial democracy . The unions in return were to co-operate in restraining wages."<ref name="emire">''Social Contract'' (2007) [http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emire/UNITED%20KINGDOM/SOCIALCONTRACT-EN.htm European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions]. Retrieved 20 November 2008.</ref> Although the government failed to deliver its side of the bargain, the TUC insisted on upholding theirs, even to the detriment of its member unions: in 1976 the Seamen's Union proposed strike action over a delayed pay award. The general secretary of the TUC, Len Murray, told them, "By god, we'll make sure no union supports you. We'll cripple you."<ref name="swo" /> A further three major strikes by groups of skilled workers in 1977 collapsed after the TUC instructed other workers to cross the picket lines.<ref name="swo" />

The "discontent" of British workers continued to build for several years; [[inflation]] had reached 26.9% in August 1975, and the incumbent [[Labour Party|Labour]] government under [[Prime Minister]] [[Harold Wilson]] introduced a "cap" on pay increases for workers at limits set by the government, and far below the rate of inflation. For workers earning under £8,500 ($17,000) a year the maximum pay increase could not exceed £6 ($12) per week. By 1978, inflation had almost halved, but the government refused to remove the caps, fixing the maximum pay increase at 5%. However, at the end of 1977, [[firefighter]]s had gone on strike and, despite being forced back to work (the strike had ended violently, with the firefighters even attacking their own Union officials whom they felt had betrayed them), achieved a 10% increase, followed in early 1978 by further concessions from the government, giving them an increase in real terms of 20%. Furthermore, their salaries became index linked against inflation, a privilege which had previously only been accorded to the Army Chiefs, police and judges, as a compensation for not being allowed to strike. The firefighters had however still retained the right to strike. Told that ''their'' rises would still be capped at 5% the remainder of the already disgruntled workforce took notice of how the firefighters had been successful in "defeat" and began to see how weak the government had become when challenged by [[direct action]].<ref name="winter">''The Winter of Discontent'' "History and Class Consciousness in the U.K." (2002) [http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davewalton/archive/local/winterofdiscontent.html Revolt Against an Age of Plenty]. Accessed 1 February 2008</ref>

In April 1976, Wilson had been replaced as Prime Minister by Labour's [[James Callaghan]], and it was widely expected that he would call for a general election and the removal of the wage caps in September 1978 following the TUC conference. Instead, he announced that there would be no general election and that the cap would remain for at least another year to allow the economy to stabilise. The same month, a pay increase for workers at [[Ford Motor Company]] was set by the company within the allotted 5% designated by the government but was rejected by the workers. A strike began when 15,000 Ford workers walked off the job on September 22 and by September 26 had been joined by 57,000 others, leaving 23 Ford factories unmanned.<ref name="aspden">'''Aspden, Alex''' ''1978-1979: Winter of Discontent'' (2007) [http://libcom.org/history/1978-1979-winter-of-discontent Libcom.org]. Retrieved 1 February 2008</ref>

==The Ford deal==
The strike by the Ford workers was unofficial, and had not been formally sanctioned by the workers' union, the '''Transport and General Workers Union''' (TGWU), however, given the determination of their members not to return to work, and the violence that had marked the previous year's firefighter's strike, the TGWU officially gave its support on 5 October. They demanded a 25% pay increase and a reduction to a 35-hour working week, and negotiations began with the management of Ford. On 22 November they accepted a 17% pay increase, with no reduction in working hours, and returned to work. The government were furious that Ford had breached the pay policy and attempted to impose sanctions on the company, but this was defeated in [[House of Commons (UK)|Parliament]], with Callaghan only narrowly surviving a motion of confidence. Humiliated and further weakened, the government was now powerless to enforce the 5% cap, which would now be challenged by strikes in both the public and private sectors.<ref name="aspden" />

Unlike the strikes which were to follow, the Ford strike was unique in that the entire workforce withdrew their labour - no picket lines were required. English workers in ancillary industries assisted the strike by preventing the movement of components both on the motorways and in the docks, and this also enabled the workers to turn the division of labour between [[Europe]]an states against Ford as the majority of European factories were prevented from operating because of the lack of components or because components destined for English factories were held up. Henry Ford said, "It was the worst strike I have ever seen".<ref name="winter" /> Analysts have concluded that it was this single strike which caused the Labour Government to fall.<ref name="winter" />

==Transport strikes==
In an attempt to win a 40% pay increase, fuel tanker drivers employed by [[British Petroleum]] and [[Esso]] had begun "working to rule" and refusing to work overtime. They received such small allowances for overnight stops that they were forced to sleep three to a room in dirty hostels.<ref name="swo" /> On 9 January 1979, all truck drivers of the TGWU went out on strike for more pay. This crippled the national distribution system, causing food shortages as well as halting the transport of materials required by industry. Fuel stations were closed due to no deliveries to fill their storage tanks, and oil refineries were blockaded by [[flying picket]]s. In less than a month, with road distribution at a standstill, the drivers achieved a pay deal just £1 ($2) less per week than they had asked for.

==Floodgates opened==
[[Image:Waste collectors strike 1978.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Uncollected refuse spilling onto the streets remains an iconic image of the Winter of Discontent]]
While the transport strike was still in force, many public sector workers launched strikes of their own. The railwaymens' unions, the '''National Union of Railwaymen''' (NUR) and the '''Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen''' (ASLEF)<ref>A popular joke among workers at the time was that "ASLEF" stood for "As'lef'ma'train in the depot"</ref> had begun to close down the public transport network, and on 22 January the public sector unions called a "Day of Action" which saw 1.5 million workers refusing to work, the largest general stoppage of work in the UK since the General Strike of 1926. Schools and airports were forced to close and ambulance drivers and nurses working for the [[National Health Service]] began refusing to treat patients except for life-threatening emergencies. Many workers who struck on the Day of Action simply did not return to work afterwards, staying out on strike until February. In late January, gravediggers went out on strike, and health officials began contingency planing for burials at sea. However, after two weeks of strike action, the gravediggers achieved a 14% pay increase and returned to work. Waste collection workers were also on strike, and refuse began to pile high in the streets. They remained on strike until 21 February, achieving an 11% increase.<ref name="aspden" />

=="Crisis? What crisis?"==
It is generally held that these three words sealed the fate of the government, even though the person to whom they were attrributed never actually said them. At the height of the strikes, Callaghan flew to Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, to attend a summit. On his return to Heathrow, he was asked what he made of the mounting chaos. He gave a typically complacent, convoluted answer, "I don't think other people in the world would share the view [that] there is mounting chaos". A journalist for The Sun translated that as "Crisis? What Crisis?" and this was the newspaper's headline on 11 January 1979. Callaghan's standing in the polls went from a five-point lead over the Conservatives in November 1978 to a 20-point deficit in February 1979. After losing a confidence motion, he was forced to call a general election and the Conservative party under Margaret Thatcher won by a landslide. Labour received its lowest share of the vote since the war, while the Liberals and the Scottish and Welsh nationalists saw their support slump from previous highs enjoyed in 1974.

==Political and social impact==
The effects of the Winter of Discontent were far reaching and changed British society, politics, economics and working practices in ways which noone could have foreseen. These included:
*victory for the Conservatives, making [[Margaret Thatcher]] Britain's first ever woman prime minister.
*the birth of [[Thatcherism]]
*the rise of [[Militant Tendency]]
*the decline of trade union influence
*trade union membership halved
*privatisation by the government and the loss of Britain's manufacturing base
*the birth of New Labour and the decline of Old Labour
*the confrontation between the state and the National Union of Mineworkers in 1984-1985
*the abandonment of [[Keynes' General Theory]] which had been the blueprint for Britain's post war settlement

==Media==
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7598647.stm ''Winter of Discontent: 30 years on''] - Slideshow including [[BBC]] archive material, and interviews with politicians, union leaders and commentators [[Denis Healey]], Rodney Bickerstaffe, Brendan Barber, Geoffrey Goodman, and Lord Bernard Donoghue.

==See also==
*[[Miners' Strike 1984]]
*[[Stagflation]]
*[[Era of Stagnation]]

==Further reading==
* Davies, Andrew. ''To Build a New Jerusalem: The British Labour Party from Keir Hardie to Tony Blair'' (1996)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Britain since 1945: The People's Peace'' (2001)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Callaghan: A Life'' (1997).

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:British Politics]][[Category:Labor]][[Category:British History]]

Corn flakes

2019-07-26T13:27:53Z

JamesQT:

'''Corn flakes''' is a [[breakfast cereal]] created by Dr. [[John Harvey Kellogg]], a [[vegetarian]] and former [[Seventh Day Adventist]] who was director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in [[Michigan]]. It was intended to be an anaphrodisiac foodstuff which reduced sinful urges in males ([[onanism]]). The Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company was formed by Dr. John's brother, William Keith Kellogg. W.K. Kellogg promoted corn flakes outside of the sanitarium and abandoned many of his brother's teachings, focusing more on the commercial aspect.

The company's experience during the [[Great Depression]] is a subject for teaching about [[economics]].<ref>http://www.biography.com/classroom/study-guides/the_kellogg_brothers_corn_flake_kings.jsp</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Breakfast cereals]] for a more comprehensive overview.

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Food and Drink]]

Corn flakes

2019-07-26T13:27:22Z

JamesQT: Makes more sense

'''Corn flakes''' is a [[breakfast cereal]] created by Dr. [[John Harvey Kellogg]], a [[vegetarian]] and former [[Seventh Day Adventist]] and director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in [[Michigan]]. It was intended to be an anaphrodisiac foodstuff which reduced sinful urges in males ([[onanism]]). The Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company was formed by Dr. John's brother, William Keith Kellogg. W.K. Kellogg promoted corn flakes outside of the sanitarium and abandoned many of his brother's teachings, focusing more on the commercial aspect.

The company's experience during the [[Great Depression]] is a subject for teaching about [[economics]].<ref>http://www.biography.com/classroom/study-guides/the_kellogg_brothers_corn_flake_kings.jsp</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Breakfast cereals]] for a more comprehensive overview.

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Food and Drink]]

Corn flakes

2019-07-26T13:24:16Z

JamesQT: It was Dr. John's brother who marketed cornflakes to the public (see breakfast cereal article).

'''Corn flakes''' is a [[breakfast cereal]] created by Dr. [[John Harvey Kellogg]], a [[vegetarian]] and former [[Seventh Day Adventist]] and director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in [[Michigan]]. It was intended to be an anaphrodisiac foodstuff which reduced sinful urges in males ([[onanism]]). The Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company formed by his brother (William Keith Kellogg) promoted corn flakes outside of the sanitarium and abandonded many of his brother's teachings (such as lacing the cereals with [[sugar]] and other stimulating foodstuffs.

The company's experience during the [[Great Depression]] is a subject for teaching about [[economics]].<ref>http://www.biography.com/classroom/study-guides/the_kellogg_brothers_corn_flake_kings.jsp</ref>

for the detailed history see [[Breakfast cereals]]
== References ==

<references/>
[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Food and Drink]]

Boris Johnson

2019-07-25T14:26:17Z

JamesQT: /* Political views */ Previous comments on Trump were not as positive.

{{Prime Minister
|image=Boris Johnson, foreign minister.jpg
|seq=77
|term_start=July 24, 2019
|term_end=present
|previous=Theresa May
|next=
|party=Conservative Party
|birth_date=June 19, 1964
|birth_place=New York City
|spouse=Allegra Mostyn-Owen (div.) Marina Wheeler (div.)
|religion=
}}
'''Boris Johnson''' (born New York, June 19, 1964) is the Prime Minister of the [[United Kingdom]] and leader of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], serving since July 2019. Previously, he served as Mayor of [[London]] from May 2008 to May 2016 and as UK Foreign Minister from July 2016 to July 2018. He is a noted supporter of [[Brexit]]. Johnson defeated incumbent London mayor [[Ken Livingstone]] in 2008 and was succeeded by [[Sadiq Khan]]‎, the first [[Islam]]ic mayor of any European capital. Observers in the media have noted Johnson's effective public speaking skills.<ref>Hayward, Freddie; Faulconbridge, Guy (July 23, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader-johnson-language/boris-johnsons-magniloquent-tongue-reaps-political-gold-linguists-say-idUSKCN1UI1LV Boris Johnson's magniloquent tongue reaps political gold, linguists say]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.</ref>

==Early life and career==
Johnson was born in [[New York City]]. He no longer claims U.S. citizenship because he chose to renounce it following trouble entering the U.S. on his British passport.<ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1681132/posts</ref> However, he did not clarify whether he had ever formally renounced his U.S. citizenship before a U.S. consular officer and it is uncertain whether he remains a citizen under U.S. law.

===Mayor of London===
Johnson's campaign for Mayor of London from the Conservative Party was in a majority [[Labour Party]] dominated region. Johnson promised during the campaign that he would roll back a recent expansion of Central London congestion charging Livingstone had introduced.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7188239.stm</ref> He also advocated the removal of articulated, or "bendy", buses that had been introduced to London.<ref>http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23411785-details/Scrap+the+bendy+bus+and+bring+back+Routemasters,+says+Boris/article.do</ref> He also called for minor changes to law and order in London in the form of a ban on drinking alcohol on public transport (the London Underground in particular)<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7387113.stm</ref> and the revocation of free travel for youths who misbehave on buses and trains.

===Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs===
On July 13, 2016, Johnson was appointed as the British [[Foreign Secretary|Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs]] by Prime Minister [[Theresa May]].<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/foreign-secretary Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs]</ref>

In July 2018, due to his opposition to May's Brexit plan which undermined UK sovereignty and independence, Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary.<ref>Lane, Oliver JJ (July 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/07/09/british-foreign-secretary-boris-johnson-resigns-government-amid-brexit-rebellion/ British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Resigns Government Amid Brexit Rebellion]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 9, 2018. See also:
*[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-johnson-resignation/former-foreign-minister-johnson-warns-britain-will-end-up-like-colony-to-the-eu-after-brexit-idUSKBN1JZ2AH Former foreign minister Johnson warns Britain will end up like colony to the EU after Brexit]. ''Reuters''. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
*Montgomery, Jack (July 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/07/09/boris-speaks-brexit-is-dying-white-flags-are-fluttering-may-deal-will-make-britain-an-eu-colony/ BORIS SPEAKS: ‘Brexit is Dying, White Flags Are Fluttering, May Deal Will Make Britain an EU Colony’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 9, 2018.</ref> He was replaced by [[Jeremy Hunt]], who he later competed against and defeated in the race for leader of the Conservative Party.

==Premiership==
On July 23, 2019, Johnson won the Conservative Party leadership election, campaigning on a strongly pro-Brexit platform and defeating [[Jeremy Hunt]]. By winning the leadership election, he also became the UK's prime minister.<ref>Multiple references:
*Murphy, James (July 23, 2019). [https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/32930-hardline-brexiteer-boris-johnson-selected-as-new-prime-minister-of-uk Hardline Brexiteer Boris Johnson Selected as New Prime Minister of U.K.] ''The New American''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Lane, Oliver JJ (July 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/23/boris-johnson-wins-uk-leadership-race-will-be-prime-minister/ Boris Johnson Wins UK Leadership Race, Will be Prime Minister]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Fidler, Stephen; Colchester, Max (July 23, 2019). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/boris-johnson-to-become-u-k-prime-minister-after-winning-party-election-11563879952 Boris Johnson to Become U.K. Prime Minister After Winning Party Election]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Lawless, Jill; Kirka, Danica (July 23, 2019). [https://www.apnews.com/6f533afc9bb14c29a1b9e013f270159e Boris Johnson chosen as new UK leader, now faces Brexit test]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Mikelionis, Lukas (July 23, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/boris-johnson-to-become-next-british-prime-minister-after-winning-conservative-party-leadership-ballot Boris Johnson to become next British Prime Minister, after winning Conservative Party leadership ballot]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
See also:
*Kassam, Raheem (July 23, 2019). [https://humanevents.com/2019/07/23/how-to-make-boris-work/ How to Make Boris Work.] ''Human Events''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Friedman, Victoria (July 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/23/does-he-have-courage-deliver-brexit-reactions-johnson-victory/ ‘Does He Have the Courage to Deliver?’: Reactions to Johnson’s Leadership Victory]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Colchester, Max; Norman, Laurence (July 22, 2019). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-dont-know-what-he-will-do-europe-braces-for-brexit-with-boris-johnson-11563825742 ‘I Don’t Know What He Will Do’: Europe Braces for Brexit With Boris Johnson]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Mikelionis, Lukas (July 23, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/boris-johnson-profile-brexit-winston-churchill Gaffe-prone Boris Johnson seeks to turbo-charge Britain's departure from EU, prove he's modern-day Winston Churchill]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.</ref> After winning, Johnson promised he would achieve Brexit as prime minister,<ref>Faulconbridge, Guy; Piper, Elizabeth (July 23, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader/britains-new-leader-johnson-we-are-going-to-get-brexit-done-idUSKCN1UH2JQ Britain's new leader Johnson: 'We are going to get Brexit done']. ''Reuters''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.</ref> and his tenure as prime minister began the following day.<ref>Multiple references:
*Lane, Oliver JJ (July 24, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/24/boris-johnson-makes-first-speech-as-uk-prime-minister/ ‘Brexit in 99 Days, No Ifs, No Buts’: Boris Johnson Makes First Speech as UK Prime Minister]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Mikelionis, Lukas (July 24, 2019). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/boris-johnson-queen-officially-prime-minister-britain-brexit-theresa-may Boris Johnson officially becomes Prime Minister, pledges 'modern Britain' cabinet with pro-Brexit tilt]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Colchester, Max; Douglas, Jason (July 24, 2019). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/boris-johnson-picks-his-top-team-for-brexit-battle-11563966841 Boris Johnson Takes the Helm as Prime Minister, Gears Up for Brexit Battle]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Klar, Rebecca (July 24, 2019). [https://thehill.com/policy/international/europe/454505-boris-johnson-officially-becomes-new-uk-prime-minister Boris Johnson officially becomes UK prime minister, vows to get Brexit done]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Lawless, Jill; Kirka, Danica (July 24, 2019). [https://www.apnews.com/18957b2a83e14a31865610cf1ee20579 Boris Johnson becomes UK PM, aims to win over doubters]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*James, William; MacLellan, Kylie (July 23, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-leader/british-prime-minister-johnson-vows-brexit-with-no-ifs-or-buts-idUSKCN1UI2WK British Prime Minister Johnson vows Brexit with 'no ifs or buts']. ''Reuters''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Hill, Geoff (July 24, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jul/24/boris-johnson-new-uk-prime-minister-sets-sights-br/ 'No ifs, ands or buts': Boris Johnson takes charge, sets sights on Brexit]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*James, William; MacLellan, Kylie (July 23, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader/british-prime-minister-johnson-promises-a-bold-new-brexit-deal-idUSKCN1UI2W2 British Prime Minister Johnson promises a bold new Brexit deal]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Kennedy, Merrit (July 24, 2019). [https://www.npr.org/2019/07/24/744839100/the-time-has-come-to-act-boris-johnson-takes-the-helm-as-u-k-prime-minister 'The Time Has Come To Act': Boris Johnson Takes The Helm As U.K. Prime Minister]. ''NPR''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.</ref> Johnson appointed a much more conservative candidate than his predecessor, firing over half of May's cabinet in the largest purge in British history, and with cabinet positions going to MPs open to a "no deal" Brexit.<ref>Multiple references:
*Cooper, Charlie; Dickson, Annabelle; Casalicchio, Emilio (July 24, 2019). [https://www.politico.eu/article/boris-johnson-day-1-revolution-brexit/ Boris Johnson’s Day 1 revolution]. ''Politico''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Hutton, Robert (July 24, 2019). [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-24/boris-johnson-has-put-the-old-brexit-gang-back-together-again Boris Johnson Has Put the Old Brexit Gang Back Together Again]. ''Bloomberg''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
* https://www.ft.com/content/7999d570-ae17-11e9-8030-530adfa879c2
*Staunton, Denis (July 24, 2019). [https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/boris-johnson-all-smiles-amid-biggest-cabinet-bloodbath-in-british-history-1.3966401 Boris Johnson all smiles amid biggest cabinet bloodbath in British history]. ''The Irish Times''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Stewart, Heather; Mason, Rowena (July 24, 2019). [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/24/boris-johnson-takes-his-revenge-and-sacks-over-half-the-cabinet Boris Johnson takes his revenge and sacks over half the cabinet]. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Friedman, Victoria (July 24, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/24/prime-minister-johnson-clears-out-cabinet-makes-fresh-appointments/ Prime Minister Johnson Purges Hardline Remainers from Cabinet, Prepares to Deliver Brexit in 99 Days’ Time]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Morales, Alex; Mayes, Joe; Donaldson, Kitty (July 24, 2019). [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-24/the-great-purge-johnson-culls-cabinet-to-make-his-brexit-mark The Great Purge: Boris Johnson Culls Cabinet to Make His Brexit Mark]. ''Bloomberg''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Rayner, Gordon; Yorke, Harry; Bennett, Asa; Rothwell, James (July 24, 2019). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/07/24/boris-johnson-prime-minister-new-cabinet-latest-news-speech/ Boris Johnson promotes Brexit loyalists in biggest Cabinet cull in 60 years]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
*[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader-reesmogg/uk-pm-johnson-appoints-rees-mogg-as-leader-of-the-house-of-commons-idUSKCN1UJ31I UK PM Johnson appoints Rees-Mogg as leader of the House of Commons]. ''Reuters''. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
List of cabinet members:
*[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49043973 Prime Minister Boris Johnson: Who's in his cabinet?] ''BBC News''. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-cabinet-factbox/factbox-who-has-uk-pm-johnson-appointed-to-his-cabinet-idUSKCN1UJ2MH Factbox: Who has UK PM Johnson appointed to his cabinet?] ''Reuters''. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
See also:
*Rogan, Tom (July 24, 2019). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/boris-johnson-just-cleaned-house-in-the-uk-and-his-new-cabinet-is-far-more-conservative Boris Johnson just cleaned house in the UK, and his new Cabinet is far more conservative]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Friedman, Victoria (July 24, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/24/johnson-to-assemble-brexiteer-cabinet-that-reflects-modern-britain/ Johnson to Assemble Brexiteer Cabinet that Reflects ‘Modern Britain’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.</ref> He also appointed strongly pro-Brexit individuals to other administration positions.<ref>Multiple references:
*Delingpole, James (July 24, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/24/boris-appoints-brexit-axeman-tackle-deep-state/ Delingpole: Boris Appoints Brexit Mastermind Cummings to Drain the Swamp]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Lane, Oliver JJ (July 17, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/17/pm-in-waiting-boris-johnson-appoints-brexit-hardliner-as-senior-advisor/ PM-in-Waiting Boris Johnson Appoints Brexit Hardliner as Senior Advisor]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*Piper, Elizabeth (July 24, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader-cummings/architect-of-brexit-campaign-becomes-adviser-to-new-uk-pm-johnson-idUSKCN1UJ0XU Architect of Brexit campaign becomes adviser to new UK PM Johnson]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
*[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49101464 Who is Dominic Cummings?] ''BBC News''. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.</ref>

==Political views==
Johnson holds a mix of conservative and liberal views, and he has also changed positions on important issues.<ref>Friedman, Victoria (July 24, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/24/five-times-boris-johnson-flip-flopped-brexit-trump-immigration/ ‘Flip-Flop’ Johnson: Five Times Boris U-Turned on Brexit, the EU, and Trump]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 24, 2019.</ref> For example, he has been described as the "British [[Trump]]", though the several liberal positions he takes undermines such a comparison.<ref>Montgomery, Jack (July 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/23/boris-british-trump-not-so-fast/ Boris the British Trump? Not So Fast…] ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.</ref> He has made statements both supporting and opposing the EU during his career,<ref>Multiple references:
*MacAskill, Andrew (June 11, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-johnson-views-factbox/factbox-die-hard-eurosceptic-or-opportunist-boris-johnsons-views-on-the-eu-idUSKCN1TC1XK Factbox: Die-hard eurosceptic or opportunist? Boris Johnson's views on the EU]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
*MacAskill, Andrew (July 23, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader-johnson-europe-fact/factbox-die-hard-eurosceptic-or-opportunist-boris-johnsons-views-on-the-eu-idUSKCN1UI19E Factbox: Die-hard eurosceptic or opportunist? Boris Johnson's views on the EU]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.</ref> though he strongly supported [[Brexit]] and the restoration of UK [[sovereignty]] in the 2016 referendum.

Johnson has taken [[open borders]] positions on immigration in the past.<ref>Friedman, Victoria (July 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/23/flashback-amnesty-johnson-illegals-open-borders-turkey-migration-caps/ Flashback: ‘Amnesty Boris’ on Illegals, Open Borders to Turkey, Migration Caps]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.</ref> However, he generally supports lower taxes.<ref>MacLellan, Kylie (July 23, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader-johnson-policies-fa/factbox-incoming-uk-pm-johnsons-stance-on-iran-trump-huawei-and-the-economy-idUSKCN1UI19G Factbox: Incoming UK PM Johnson's stance on Iran, Trump, Huawei and the economy]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.</ref>

Johnson announced during the 2008 US presidential campaign that he favored an [[Obama]] victory.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/10/21/do2101.xml]</ref> He has relatively good relations with [[Donald Trump]];<ref>Multiple references:
*Spiering, Charlie (July 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/07/23/donald-trump-congratulates-boris-johnson-for-prime-minister-victory/ Donald Trump Congratulates Boris Johnson for Prime Minister Victory]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Lane, Oliver JJ (July 23, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/07/23/trump-welcomes-prime-minister-boris-johnson-he-will-be-great/ Trump Welcomes Prime Minister Boris Johnson: ‘He Will Be Great!’] ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Pitofsky, Marina (July 23, 2019). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/454336-trump-calls-boris-johnson-britain-trump-they-like-me-over-there Trump calls Boris Johnson 'Britain Trump': 'They like me over there']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Frazin, Rachel (July 23, 2019). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/454260-trump-congratulates-boris-johnson-on-election-to-be-prime-minister Trump congratulates Boris Johnson: 'He will be great' prime minister]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
*Holland, Steve (July 23, 2019). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-usa-trump-johnson/different-kind-of-guy-trump-sees-kindred-spirit-in-boris-johnson-idUSKCN1UI2EM 'Different kind of guy': Trump sees kindred spirit in Boris Johnson]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved July 23, 2019.</ref> however, he has criticized Trump personally over comments he made on London (saying "I would invite him to come and see the whole of London and take him round the city, except that I wouldn't want to expose Londoners to any unnecessary risk of meeting Donald Trump.") and the [[travel ban]].<ref>Robert Mackey. June 6, 2017. [https://theintercept.com/2017/06/06/two-london-mayors-called-trumps-muslim-ban-ignorant-attacking-one/ "Two London Mayors Called Trump's Muslim Ban Wrong. Why Is He Only Attacking One?"]. ''The Indercept''. Retrieved July 25, 2019.</ref>

Johnson is highly critical of [[Russia]]n president [[Vladimir Putin]]. When in March 2018 former Russian agent [[Sergei Skripal]] and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in [[Salisbury]], Johnson compared Russia's hosting of the [[World Cup]] to [[Adolf Hitler]]'s hosting of the [[Olympic Games]] in 1936.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/mar/21/boris-johnson-compares-russian-world-cup-to-hitlers-1936-olympics|title=Boris Johnson compares Russian World Cup to Hitler's 1936 Olympics|last=Wintour|first=Patrick|date=21 March 2018|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>

== References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

{{UKPrimeMinisters}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Boris}}
[[Category:United Kingdom Prime Ministers]]
[[Category:British Politicians]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Liberal Conservatism]]
[[Category:Members of Parliament]]
[[Category:Mayors]]
[[Category:Current Heads of Government]]

Westboro Baptist Church

2019-07-25T14:07:12Z

JamesQT: Redlink fix

[[Image:20001025 xnjdo FredGoreFiny.jpg|thumb|right|Rev. [[Fred Phelps]] with [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner [[Al Gore]] at a Westboro Baptist Church event. The two share a messianic vision of saving the plant from evil: Phelps through a strident anti-[[gay]] message, Gore through attacking the foundations of our economy with [[global warming]].]]
The '''Westboro Baptist Church''' (WBC) is a [[radical]], self-proclaimed [[Baptist|Primitive Baptist]] church located in [[Topeka]], [[Kansas]], and receives most of its publicity from its infamous "God Hates Fags" protests. It was founded in 1955, and began picketing in 1991. It consists of a family of lawyers working for the Phelps Chartered Law Firm who reap massive monetary awards from suing those they rile up.<ref name=aol>Stone, A. (2011, May 3). [http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/03/fred-phelps-daughters-may-misread-bible-but-they-know-the-law/ Fred Phelps' Daughters May Misread Bible but They Know the Law]. ''AOL News''.</ref> The "church" is draped with an upside-down [[American Flag]], and is contained within a walled compound housing it and five homes. The [[ACLU]] has filed lawsuits in [[Ohio]] and [[Missouri]] on behalf of Westboro's activities without success.<ref name=fred>''Southern Poverty Law Center''. [http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/profiles/fred-phelps Fred Phelps]. ''Intelligence Profiles''.</ref>

The "church" was founded by [[Fred Phelps]], who was [[excommunicated]] right before his death, reportedly for recanting his position on homosexuality.

The WBC is closely monitored by both the [[Anti-Defamation League]] and the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]], and is regarded by the latter as a hate group.<ref name=spc>[http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/westboro-baptist-church Intelligence Files: Westboro Baptist Church]. ''Southern Poverty Law Center''.</ref> While mainstream [[Christianity]] rejects [[homosexuality]] as [[sin]], following [[God]]'s example, true Christians [[love]] the sinner. In contrast, WBC demonstrates no love for the sinner, and their attitude is considered to be one of hate. While the name implies that the church is affiliated with other mainstream [[Baptist]] churches, the WBC is independent of mainstream Christianity, and is denounced by even some of the most anti-LGBT [[Independent Baptist]] churches. The church's members are almost entirely family members and are infamous for their protests and pickets at the funerals of soldiers who died in the line of duty, where they take the opportunity to denounce what they consider to be [[America]]'s acceptance of homosexuality. The name of their website reflects this. Their antics are denounced across almost all spectra of political and religious thought. Their hatred, and seeking of publicity, goes beyond homosexuality. They also protest military funerals, high school graduation ceremonies, liberal and conservative political rallies, and religious ceremonies, including services at actual Baptist churches. The group even protested the [[Pope]]'s visit, calling him the [[anti-Christ]].

==Phelps Chartered Law Firm==
{{Main|Phelps Chartered Law Firm}}

Fred Phelps graduated from [[Washburn University School of Law]] in Topeka in 1962<ref name=phelps>[http://fredphelps.com/ About Fred Phelps]. ''FredPhelps.com''.</ref> and designed his church/family as a giant [[law firm]] used to sue those angry enough to retaliate against the "church" or to bar its offensive activities from their communities. Eleven of Phelps' thirteen children are [[lawyers]]. All five of the attorneys for the [[Phelps Chartered Law Firm]], which Fred Phelps founded in 1964, are his children.<ref name=aol /> The firm is located at 1414 S.W. Topeka Blvd. in Topeka, Kansas.<ref name=powder>Fry, S. (2010, October 5). [http://cjonline.com/news/state/2010-10-05/powder_sent_to_phelps_law_firm Powder Sent to Phelps Law Firm]. ''The Topeka Capital-Journal''.</ref>
{{cquote|"'They scrupulously obeyed the ordinance' that kept them and their 'God hates fags' and 'America is doomed' signs away from the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, said Mark Potok, who directs Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project. 'They're good at this,' Potok said, noting that the family has successfully sued many communities for monetary damages after they tried to restrict the family's constitutionally protected protests. 'They understand the First Amendment very, very well. They are not stupid people. They are vile people.'"
-Andrea Stone, ''AOL News''<ref name=aol />}}
The Kansas Supreme Court disbarred Fred Phelps himself in 1979 for a lack of ethics; he agreed to stop practicing law on condition 5 of his children (accused of making false accusations against federal judges) could continue to do so.<ref name=aol /> Because the firm represents Westboro Baptist Church in its lawsuits, it can use money from cases it wins to further fund the church.<ref name=spc />
{{cquote|"'They have a very well-respected law firm in Topeka,' Sherman says. 'People in town said, Well, we don't like them, but if we want to win a case, we'll go to them.' Church spokeswoman Phelps-Roper says their booming employment and family law practice pays the bills for their travels across the country, when they shout their anti-gay message. They travel in vans to keep down the costs, which she says can add up to $200,000 a year... The protests are in themselves a source of some income, according to Potok. Over the years the Phelpses have filed lawsuits against communities that try to stop them from demonstrating. 'And as a general matter they have won,' he says. 'They know their [[First Amendment]] rights very well, and they've been very good at defending them.' When they win, they often receive tens of thousands of dollars in court fees. And their winning streak is likely to continue, now that the [[Supreme Court]] has decided that Westboro's right to [[free speech]] trumps the right of families to bury their loved ones undisturbed."
-Barbara Bradley Hagerty, ''NPR''<ref name=npr />}}

==Composition==
Westboro's membership consists of 9 of 13 children of the late Fred Phelps (the others are [[estranged]]), their children and spouses, and a few other families and individuals.<ref name=spc /> Almost all of the church's roughly 100 members are related to Fred Phelps.<ref name=npr>Hagerty, B.B. (2011, March 2). [https://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134198937/a-peek-inside-the-westboro-baptist-church A Peek Inside the Westboro Baptist Church]. ''NPR''.</ref> All four of Phelps' estranged children asserted in 1993-94 interviews that their father's religious beliefs were either non-existent or have dwindled to virtually nothing, and that Westboro serves rather to sate Phelps' addiction to hatred.<ref name=phelps /> Members of the family and their relationships to Fred Phelps include:

* Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper, daughter.<ref name=aol /> Spokeswoman for the church, says that they picket funerals to make people angry so people will reject God and be condemned to Hell,<ref name=npr /> effectively making their protests a Satanic ritual. Lawyer for Phelps' law firm.<ref name=capital>Taschler, J. & Fry, S. (1994, August 3). [http://cjonline.com/indepth/phelps/stories/080394_phelps16.shtml Phelps' Law Career Checkered]. ''The Topeka Capital-Journal''.</ref>
* Jonathan Baxter Phelps, son. Lawyer for Phelps' law firm.<ref name=capital />
* Elizabeth Marie Phelps, daughter. Worked for Shawnee County Sheriff's Department<ref name=spc /> and a lawyer for Phelps' law firm.<ref name=capital />
* Rachel Hockenbarger, daughter. Lawyer at Phelps' law firm.<ref name=powder />
* Fred W. Phelps Jr., son. Works for Kansas' Department of Corrections as a staff attorney<ref name=spc /> and a lawyer for Phelps' law firm.<ref name=capital />
* Margie Jean Phelps, daughter. Works for the Kansas' Department of Corrections,<ref name=spc /> and a lawyer for Phelps' law firm.<ref name=capital />
* Katherine Phelps, daughter (estranged).<ref name=phelps />
* Dotty Phelps, daughter (estranged).<ref name=phelps />
* Abigail Phelps, . Worked in Kansas' Juvenile Justice Authority in staff development.<ref name=spc />
* Lee Ann Phelps, . Worked for Shawnee County Sheriff's Department.<ref name=spc />
* Brent Roper, son in law. Married to Shirley Phelps-Roper, they have 11 children and 9 grandchildren.<ref name=aol />
* Betty Joan Phelps, daughter in law. Married to Fred W. Phelps Jr. and a lawyer for Phelps' law firm.<ref name=capital />
* Paulette Phelps, daughter in law. Married to Jonathan Baxter Phelps and works at Phelps' law firm as an office assistant.<ref name=powder />
* Megan Phelps-Roper, granddaughter. Daughter of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper. Works for Phelps' law firm as a spokesperson.<ref name=heir>Arnett, D. (2011, November 21). [http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/19/3275645/megan-phelps-roper-an-heir-to.html Megan Phelps-Roper of Westboro Baptist Church: An heir to hate]. ''The Kansas City Star''.</ref>
* Benjamin Phelps, grandson.<ref name=phelpsfour />
* Jacob Phelps, grandson.<ref name=phelpsfour />
* Charles F. Hockenbarger, .<ref name=phelpsfour /><ref name=timeline />
* Chris Davis, .<ref name=phelpsfour />
* Karl Hockenbarger, .<ref name=phelpsfour />
* Timothy Phelps, .<ref name=phelpsfour />

Members of the family who left the church and their relationship to Fred Phelps Sr. are as follows:

* [[Nathan Phelps]], son. Nathan claims his father abused his children and wife to create an atmosphere of fear and maintain authority.<ref name=spc /> He later became an atheist and supporter of homosexuality.
* Mark Phelps, son.<ref name=phelps />
* Katherine Phelps, daughter.<ref name=phelps />
* Libby Phelps, granddaughter. Married to Logan Alvarez.<ref name=heir />

==Protests==
Westboro has protested or otherwise targeted the following:
{{cquote|Calling from New York City where she was protesting at the United Nations building, church spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper said she was happy Albert Snyder, the Marine's father, had filed the lawsuit. "If he hadn't put us on trial, we wouldn't have exploded around the world," she said of the media exposure.
-James Carlson and Kevin Elliott, ''Topeka Capital-Journal''.<ref>Carlson, J. & Elliott, K. (2009, September 24). [http://cjonline.com/news/local/2009-09-24/court_overturns_wbc_judgment Court Overturns WBC Judgment]. ''The Topeka Capital-Journal''.</ref>}}
* [[Homosexuals]], including [[Matthew Shepard]],<ref name=npr /> [[Ellen DeGeneres]], and Diane Whipple.<ref name=phelpsfour>[http://fredphelps.com/?page_id=4 About Westboro Baptist Church]. ''FredPhelps.com''.</ref>
* [[Billy Graham]].<ref name=phelpsfour />
* Victims of [[9/11]].<ref name=spc />
* Victims of the [[Virginia Tech]] massacre.<ref name=phelpsfour />
* Victims of the [[Westroads Mall]] massacre.<ref name=phelpsfour />
* Victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.<ref name=phelps />
* U.S. soldiers killed in [[Iraq]] and [[Afghanistan]]<ref name=spc /> including Spc. [[Edward Myers]].<ref name=phelpsfour />
* The 17 soldiers killed aboard the [[USS Cole]] in [[Yemen]] in 2000.<ref name=fred />
* [[Amish]] schoolgirls murdered in [[Pennsylvania]].<ref name=spc />
* Victims who died when the I-35W [[Mississippi River]] bridge collapsed.<ref name=phelpsfour />
* Jews.<ref name=spc />
* The Catholic [[Pope]]<ref>http://www.adl.org/special_reports/wbc/default.asp</ref> and the [[Catholic Church]].<ref name=fred />
* AIDS victims<ref name=spc /> including Kevin Oldham.<ref name=phelpsfour />
* [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] (Mormons)<ref name=phelps /> and the funeral of [[Gordon B. Hinckley]] its former president.<ref name=phelpsfour />
* [[Islam]] and Muslims.<ref name=phelps />
* The [[Ku Klux Klan]].<ref name=fred />
* [[Santa Claus]].<ref name=fred />
* Celebrities, including [[Justin Bieber]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Sonny Bono]],<ref name=spc /> [[Jon Stewart]], [[Stephen Colbert]], [[Fred Rogers]], [[Reggie White]], [[Jerry Falwell]],<ref name=phelps /> [[Frank Sinatra]],<ref name=fred /> [[Heath Ledger]], [[Coretta Scott King]],<ref name=phelpsfour /> and [[Billy Graham]]
* Political figures, including [[Bob Dole]], [[Bill Clinton]]'s mother,<ref name=spc /> [[Ronald Reagan]], [[Princess Diana]], Supreme Court Justice [[William Rehnquist]], former Senator David Norris,<ref name=phelps /> Topeka Mayor James McClinton, Princess Madeleine of Sweden,<ref name=phelpsfour /> and [[Donald Trump]]
* The nations of [[Israel]], [[Sweden]], [[Canada]], and [[Ireland]].<ref name=phelps />
* Joseph Estabrook Elementary School in [[Massachusetts]].<ref name=phelps />

==Other Activism==
The views of the Church on religion, society, and sexuality are so bizarre that it is hard to categorize their members in terms of normal political leanings.

The Westboro Church helped run [[Al Gore]]'s Kansas campaign in 1988. Fred Phelps Jr. was a Gore delegate to the 1988 [[Democratic National Convention]]<ref name=phelps /> and invited to the first Clinton-Gore [[inauguration]] in 1993.<ref name=timeline>''Southern Poverty Law Center''. [http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2001/spring/a-city-held-hostage/fred-phelps-timel Fred Phelps Timeline]. Intelligence Report, Spring 2001, Issue Number: 101.</ref>

Phelps Sr. ran for [[Governor]] of Kansas in 1990 and received 6.7% of the vote. In 1992, Fred Phelps Sr. ran for [[U.S. Senate]] and received 30.8% of the ballots cast.<ref name=timeline />

Phelps has strongly supported [[Fidel Castro]] and [[Saddam Hussein]] in the past. Hussein allowed a group of Westboro delegates to visit Iraq to protest against the U.S.<ref name=phelps />

Margie Phelps stated on Fox News in 2011 that "Obama is ‘The Beast’ from Revelation".<ref>[http://www.rawstory.com/2011/03/westboro-attorney-obama-is-the-beast-from-revelation/ Obama is the Beast From Revelation, Rawstory.com, March 6, 2011]</ref>

Margie Phelps has also gone on [[Twitter]] to proclaim her love for [[Obama]] and Democrats and hate the [[GOP]] and the Tea Party.<ref>[http://www.rightwingnews.com/obamacare/the-westboro-baptist-church-says-they-love-obama-and-hate-the-tea-party/ The Westboro Baptist Church Losers Say They Love Obama And Hate The Tea Party, RightwingNews.com, October 24, 2013]</ref>

==Snyder v. Phelps==
In 2011 the church's speech - that is, their picketing of funerals - was ruled as protected by the [[First Amendment]] in the case ''Snyder v. Phelps''. The Church, represented by daughter of the pastor Shirley Phelps, had picketed a Marine's funeral, and the Marine's father had sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The [[ACLU]] and [[NPR]], amongst others, had filed amicus briefs in favor of Phelps, while many Congressmen filed on behalf of Snyder. [[Chief Justice]] [[John Roberts]] wrote, "As a Nation we have chosen a different course—to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate. That choice requires that we shield Westboro from tort liability for its picketing in this case."

==See also==
* [[Fred Phelps]]

==External links==
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/Westboro-Baptist-Church.html What is Westboro Baptist Church?], at [[GotQuestions]].

==References==

<References/>

{{homosexualityb}}
[[Category:Hate Groups]]
[[Category:Political Activists]]
[[Category:Racist Organizations]]
[[Category:Anti-Semitism]]

Hong Kong

2019-07-25T14:02:16Z

JamesQT: Updating, adding about recent events

{{Country
|name =Hong Kong ''Xiānggǎng''
|map =Hong kong pol98.jpg
|flag =674uygjh.png
|arms =Hong Kong Emblem.png
|capital =
|capital-raw =
|government =Special Administrative Region
|government-raw =
|language = Cantonese, English
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|chief Executive= Leung Cheng Ying
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =
|area =426.4 sq. miles
|pop =6.92 million
|pop-basis =2007
|gdp =$188.8 billion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$27,600
|currency =Hong Kong dollar
|idd =
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}}
'''Hong Kong''' is a [[Special Administrative Region]] of [[China]], situated at the mouth of the [[Pearl River]]. Formerly a British colony, it sits opposite the former Portuguese possession of [[Macau]]. It consists of Hong Kong island, Lamma, Lantau and various smaller islands, and [[Kowloon]] and the [[New Territories]] on the Chinese mainland. The name Hong Kong means ''fragrant harbor''.

From 1841-1997, it was a British colony and the main trading base for the [[British Empire]] in Asia. Despite being handed back to China in 1997, it has remained autonomy under "one country, two systems" and being an SAR status. There is a free press but no democracy and no real elections; all major government decisions are made by the government of China.

The population of Hong Kong is about 7 million people. The largest urban areas are Kowloon (population 2 million), Central, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin. Property prices in Hong Kong's Central District are the second most expensive in the world, after those of central [[Tokyo]].

==People==
{{language box
|c=香港
|p=Xiānggǎng
|j=Hoeng1 Gong2
}}
Hong Kong's population has increased steadily over the past decade, reaching about 6.92 million in 2007. Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with an overall density of some 6,250 people per square kilometer. Cantonese, the official Chinese language in Hong Kong, is spoken by most of the population. English, also an official language, is widely understood, being spoken by more than one-third of the population. Every major religion is practiced freely in Hong Kong. All children are required by law to be in full-time education between the ages of 6 and 15. Preschool education for most children begins at age 3. Primary school begins normally at the age of 6 and lasts for 6 years. At about age 12, children progress to a 3-year course of junior secondary education. Most stay on for a 2-year senior secondary course, while others join full-time vocational training. More than 90% of children complete upper secondary education or equivalent vocational education.
*Population (mid-2007): 6.92 million.
*Population growth rate (2006): 0.6%.
*Ethnic groups: Chinese 95%; other 5%.
*Religions: About 43% participate in some form of religious practice. Christian, about 9.6%.
*Languages: Cantonese (a dialect of Chinese) and English are official.
*Education: Literacy—97.1% (98.7% male, 95.4% female).
*Health (2006): Infant mortality rate—1.8/1,000. Life expectancy—82.6 yrs. (overall); 79.5 yrs. males, 85.6 yrs. females.
*Work force (2007): 3.65 million. Wholesale, retail, and import/export trades and restaurants and hotels—28.8%; finance, insurance, real estate, and business services—13.8%; manufacturing—4.3%.

====The arts====
Hong Kong has the world's third largest film industry after [[Bollywood]] and [[Hollywood]]. Most films are produced in the [[Cantonese]] language, although a few Hong Kong stars, such as [[Jackie Chan]] are known internationally.

==Government and political conditions==
The political conditions in Hong Kong differ from that of the Chinese mainland due to the history of British [[colonialism]]. Hong Kong maintained a British colony for 156 years until 1997, whereby it was handed to China under the "one country, two systems" policy formulated by [[Deng Xiaoping]] and [[Margaret Thatcher]] in 1984. This policy supposedly means that [[classical liberal]] freedoms such as the [[rule of law]], [[freedom of speech]], [[economic freedom]].

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) is headed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who first took office in 2017. The Election Committee that votes on the Chief Executive (CE) is made up of approximately 800 Hong Kong residents from four constituency groups: commercial, industrial, and financial interests; professionals; labor, social services, and religious interests; and the legislature, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the P.R.C. National People's Congress.
[[File:Government House Hong Kong.jpg|thumb|left|360px|Government House.]]

In July 2002, the Hong Kong Government implemented the Principal Officials Accountability System, which was designed to make the government more responsive to public concerns. Twelve political appointees, directly responsible to the Chief Executive, run the 12 policy bureaus. Three other senior civil service positions—the Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Justice Secretary—are also filled by political appointments.

While Hong Kong remains a free and open society where human rights are respected, courts are independent, and there is well-established respect for the rule of law, residents are limited in their ability to change their government, and the legislature is limited in its power to affect government policies. The September 12, 2004 Legislative Council (Legco) elections were seen as generally free, open, and widely contested, although Hong Kong groups have alleged voter intimidation, manipulation, or pressure in connection with them.

In December 2005 the Legco rejected a Hong Kong Government-proposed package of incremental reforms to the mechanisms for choosing the CE in 2007 and forming the Legco in 2008. In July 2007, the Hong Kong Government's Commission on Strategic Development issued a Green Paper on Constitutional Development, which set out a myriad of options to reform the CE and Legco electoral mechanisms, with the "ultimate aim" of universal suffrage as prescribed by the Basic Law.

On December 12, 2007, former Chief Executive Donald Tsang submitted a report on the Green Paper to the central government. The report said more than half of local people wanted universal suffrage by 2012, but 2017 might be a more realistic date. In December 2007, the P.R.C. National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) issued a decision on Hong Kong's constitutional development which, while ruling out universal suffrage in 2012, appears to open the way for Hong Kong to achieve full universal suffrage for the CE in 2017, and full universal suffrage for Legco sometime thereafter. Any amendments to the Basic Law will require approval by the CE, at least two-thirds of Legco, and then the NPCSC.

In 2011- 2012, the government tried to implement National Education in Hong Kong but failed due to protests. While it may sound good to a [[Conservative]] [[American]], it has a bias slant towards China as it is missing key points in Chinese history like the [[June 4th incident]].

On June 1, 2012, Chief Executive Leung Cheng Ying replaced Donald Tsang as Chief Executive.

On September 28, 2014, police fired tear gas onto unarmed protesters that occupied major roads in the city centre. The protests were commonly known as the Umbrella Movement. The protesters were fighting for basic [[Universal Suffrage]] instead of SAR government's view of democracy which selects pro Beijing candidates by using the election committee consisting of 1200 mostly pro Beijing citizens in Hong Kong. Instead of ending the protests, the protests spread to other areas of Hong Kong including Mongkok, a place known for shopping and triad/ gang activity, Tsim Sha Tui, a shopping and tourist district and Causeway Bay, the Hong Kong version of the [[New York]] [[Times Square]]. The protests ended on December 15, 2014 due to the lack of support from the Hong Kong public, failed tactics and police clearance of the streets.

In 2019, Hong Kong was besieged by protests of hundreds and thousands of people against an extradition bill. Opponents of the proposed law claim that it violates the "one country, two systems" policy, and that such extradition would allow political opponents to be extradited to mainland China, where their rights are not protected to the same level as in Hong Kong, citing arrests from the 2014 protests as precedent.<ref>Lily Kuo and Verna Yu. July 25, 2019. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/10/what-are-the-hong-kong-protests-about-explainer "What are the Hong Kong protests about?".] ''The Guardian''.</ref>

===Foreign relations===
Hong Kong's foreign relations and defense are the responsibility of China. Hong Kong is an independent customs territory and economic entity separate from the rest of China and is able to enter into international agreements on its own behalf in commercial and economic matters. Hong Kong, independently of China, participates as a full member of numerous international economic organizations including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
[[Image:Hongkong.jpg|center|thumb|950px|The Hong Kong skyline.]]

==Economy==
[[File:Hong Kong Trade Development.JPG|thumb|240px|left|Trade Development Council.]]
Hong Kong is one of the world's most open and dynamic economies. Its per capita GDP is comparable to other developed countries. Real GDP expanded by 6.8% in 2006 year-on-year, driven by thriving exports, vibrant inbound tourism and strong consumer spending. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused the Hong Kong economy to shrink during the first half of 2003, and property prices had fallen 66% from their late 1997 peak, but have since rebounded by about 84% from that lower base. The unemployment rate declined to 3.6% in September–November 2007, the lowest level since mid-1998. The surplus for fiscal year 2007-08 was $7.5 billion or 4.0% of GDP, attributed to the robust economy, increased corporate profits and salaries, the buoyant stock market, and a stable property market.

Hong Kong enjoys a number of economic strengths, including accumulated public and private wealth from decades of unprecedented growth, a sound banking system, virtually no public debt, a strong legal system, and an able and rigorously enforced anti-corruption regime. The need for economic restructuring poses difficult challenges and choices for the government. Hong Kong is endeavoring to improve its attractiveness as a commercial and trading center, especially after China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), and continues to refine its financial architecture. The government is deepening its economic interaction with the Pearl River Delta in an effort to maintain Hong Kong's position as a gateway to China. These efforts include the conclusion of a free trade agreement with China, the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), which applies zero tariffs to all Hong Kong-origin goods and preferential treatment in 27 service sectors. Hong Kong, along with the Macau SAR, is also participating in a new pan-Pearl River Delta trade bloc with nine Chinese provinces, which aims to lower trade barriers among members, standardize regulations, and improve infrastructure. U.S. companies have a generally favorable view of Hong Kong's business environment, including its legal system and the free flow of information, low taxation, and infrastructure. The American Chamber of Commerce's annual business confidence survey, released in December 2007, showed 99% of respondents had a "good" or "satisfactory" outlook for 2008. Survey results indicated a positive economic outlook through 2010.

On the international front, Hong Kong is a separate and active member of the WTO and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, where it is an articulate and effective champion of free markets and the reduction of trade barriers. Hong Kong residents across the political spectrum supported China's accession to the WTO, believing this would open new opportunities on the mainland for local firms and stabilize relations between Hong Kong's two most important trade and investment partners, the United States and China.
*GDP (2006): $188.8 billion.
*GDP real growth rate (2006): 6.8%.
*Per capita GDP (2006): $27,600.
*Natural resources: Outstanding deepwater harbor.
*Industry: Types—textiles, clothing, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks.
*Trade: Exports--$315.5 billion: clothing, electronics, textiles, watches and clocks, office machinery. Imports--$333.3 billion: consumer goods, raw materials and semi-manufactures, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuels.

==History==
[[Image:Old Flag of Hong Kong.png|right|200px|thumb|British Crown Colony flag, in use until 1997]]

When British merchants were forced out of Canton in the 1820s, they began to use Hong Kong harbor for anchorage and storage depots. Hong Kong, with a population of 3600 villagers and 2000 fishermen, came under British control by the Convention of Chuenpi, a treaty with China in 1841, as part of the British conquest during the opium wars British foreign minister Lord Palmerston contemptuously dismissed the place as "a barren island with hardly a house upon it." Its prized harbor was used only by fishermen, pirates, and opium smugglers. However, it soon became a key and Royal Navy coaling station.

By the Treaty of the Bogue (Humen) in 1843, Chinese merchants based in the mainland were allowed free access to Hong Kong for trading purposes. By 1851 the population reached 32,000 (95% Chinese), The Second Anglo-Chinese War (1856–58) resulted in another British victory and led to the secession of the Kowloon Peninsula. Under a convention signed in Peking in 1898, the New Territories — comprising the area north of Kowloon up to the Shum Chun (Shenzhen) River and 235 islands—was leased for 99 years, primarily to forestall French or Russian occupation.

===Business===
In the 19th century the British colony was chiefly a naval base and as an entrepôt for trade with the mainland. An international business community grew up; Warren Delano, Jr., grandfather of President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]], worked in Hong Kong in the 1860s as a partner in the American trading firm of Russell and Company. Jardine Matheson, founded in 1832, was a British partnership that did marketing for correspondent merchants in Britain, India, and parts of south-east Asia. It became active in finance, insurance, and shipping, but its most profitable commodity was opium, which was sold, illegally, in Canton and along the coast of China. In 1843 it moved its headquarters to Hong Kong, signalling the new base for British merchants, who dominated the international trade of south China. They sent teas and silks to Europe, and imported coal, machinery, metals, wines, and liquors. In 2007 Jardine Matheson had revenues of US$32 billion, and is the largest employer in HKSAR after the government.<ref>See [http://www.jardines.com/profile/history.html Jardine's History]</ref>
[[File:HK-1850.jpg|thumb|left|280px|The city in 1850.]]
Shortages of arable land, fresh water, forest and mineral resources, and skilled labor appeared to be insuperable barriers to the development of industry. However, Chinese businessmen by the 1880s were creating a distinct cultural-historical role for the colony. They contributed to China's nation-building effort by providing financing and imports China could not secure on its own. Their success made Hong Kong a valued member of the British Empire. By 1900, the colonial government appreciated the Chinese businessmen as more than profit-bound sojourners, but as allies in the struggle for order and stability, not just in Hong Kong and in south China, but in the British empire in Asia. Nationalism does not inevitably pit colonized against colonizers, for Chinese nationalism did not drive the Chinese merchants and intellectuals into opposition; the ideal of a powerful, modern China united them with the British, for both parties realized a strong, modern China meant a commercially vibrant China.

The Chinese nationalists played a major role in service to the Qing dynasty and the succeeding Republican governments, in leading the 1911 revolution and becoming a strategic a haven for Chinese refugees. Hong Kong's philanthropic and relief works, and the commercial and industrial activities of the entrepreneurs were role models for South China. The Chinese business community in Hong Kong, resembled the British business communities there and in Shanghai, which was larger and commercially more important before 1948. Both British and Chinese businessmen were dedicated to opening markets in China, to the point at which Hong Kong Chinese were in a sense both colonized and colonizers. Both groups benefited from their connections in the British Empire, and both were dependent on its power. Members of both societies saw themselves as permanent residents rather than as expatriates or sojourners, but they also continued to send money home to support philanthropic causes and, when necessary, to assist national war efforts. Both British and Chinese could have a number of identities: British or Chinese, imperial, national, and local. Both communities based their local identities on self-images of industriousness, entrepreneurship, and public spirit. London refused demands by British residents for self-government, arguing that saying the 98% Chinese majority would be subject to the control of a small European minority.<ref>John Carroll, "Colonialism, Nationalism, and Difference: Reassessing the Role of Hong Kong in Modern Chinese History." ''Chinese Historical Review'' 2006 13(1): 92-104. Issn: 1547-402x</ref>
[[File:HongKongMap.jpg|right|180px]]
Modernization proceeded rapidly, with the Hong Kong and China Gas Company starting in 1861, the Peak Tram in 1885, the Hong Kong Electric Company in 1889, China Light and Power in 1903, the electric tramways in 1904 and the Kowloon-Canton Railway, in 1910. Successive reclamations began in 1851 — notably one completed in 1904 in Central District which produced Chater Road, Connaught Road and Des Voeux Road; and another in Wan Chai between 1921 and 1929.

A representative leader was Sir Kai Ho Kai, (1859-1914), barrister, physician, reformist, revolutionary and essayist. His grandfather was a Protestant printer in Malacca (Malaysia); his father was educated at the Anglo-Chinese College in Malacca and became a Protestant minister in Hong Kong as well as a rich real estate entrepreneur. Ho Kai was one of the first Chinese physicians to be professionally trained in Britain (at Aberdeen University), becoming a central figure in the history of Western medicine in China. His public service on Hong Kong's appointed Legislative Council from 1890 to 1914, his role in helping to found the Tung Wah Hospital, Alice Memorial Hospital, the Hong Kong College of Medicine and the Po Leung Kuk orphanage; he wrote numerous essays on governmental reform.<ref>G. H. Choa, ''The Life and Times of Sir Kai Ho Kai: A Prominent Figure in Nineteenth-Century Hong Kong.'' (2nd ed. 2000)</ref>

===Education and religion===
[[File:Buddhistic Statues Hong Kong.jpg|thumb|340px|Buddhistic Statues.]]
Schooling was not compulsory but the colonial government began annual cash grants in 1847 to schools for the Chinese; there was never any effort to impose English. In 1873, the annual grants were extended to voluntary schools operated by Christian missionaries. College of Medicine for the Chinese, opened in 1887 with [[Sun Yat Sen]] as one of its first two students; it became the University of Hong Kong in 1911 and built arts, engineering and medical faculties. However, throughout the 20th century higher education opportunities were limited.

The Church Missionary Society of the Church of England promoted work in China after 1844. George Smith (1815–1871) was the first bishop of Hong Kong, 1850-64. Smith handled Anglican pastoral and missionary, and directed St. Paul's Missionary College (now St Paul's Boys' School). He spoke Chinese and conducted both Chinese and English services. Smith set up the first mission to seamen in Hong Kong and was president of the Bible Society in Hong Kong. He ordained the first two Chinese deacons in 1863. The governor appointed Smith as chairman of the education committee in 1852 and of its successor, the board of education, in 1860.<ref>Gillian Bickley, "Smith, George (1815–1871)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,'' (Sept 2004); online edn, Jan 2008</ref>

Frederick Stewart (1836–1889), the first head of the government education department was a Scottish Presbyterian educator who helped structure the educational system 1862-1878. Most residents were too poor to educate their children: school attendance among the farming and large transient fishing communities was irregular and Chinese girls generally were not educated. Stewart passionately valued education for individual fulfillment and only secondly for society's needs. He established, developed, and managed both a school and a system, learning and using spoken Cantonese and written Chinese in his work. In 1873 he established a successful grant-in-aid scheme for non-government schools (generally warmly supported by missionaries) and saw a sharp increase in attendance. In 1889 he supported a successful initiative to extend government Western education taught through English to Chinese girls. His work was enthusiastically supported by the governors Sir Richard MacDonnell and Sir Arthur Kennedy, but his work was obstructed by John Pope-Hennessy, governor 1877-1882. Pope-Hennessy, a highly controversial Irish Catholic hostile to Protestants, favored the Chinese over the British, and faulted the English-language achievements of Stewart's Central School pupils and disapproved of the dual curriculum which was the school's unique and particular strength. Although language policy had been a source of controversy at various times during the 1860s and 1870s, it was not until Pope-Hennessy’s raised the issue that conflict over the roles of English and Chinese in the colony's education system came fully into the open.<ref>Kate Lowe and Eugene McLaughlin. "Sir John Pope Hennessy and the 'native race craze': colonial government in Hong Kong, 1877–1882", ''Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History,'' 20 (1992), 223–47 ·
</ref> In 1883, on the initiative of the Colonial Office, and under a new governor, Sir George Bowen, he was appointed registrar-general and protector of Chinese. In 1887 Stewart was appointed colonial secretary—the head of the permanent civil service—and he occasionally acted as governor. Through his work in setting up a government education system which accommodated the best of two cultures—English and Chinese languages, Western and Chinese curricula, and modern and traditional pedagogies—Stewart made a lasting impact which accelerated the modernization of China. His own educational example, the pedagogical materials he produced, and his graduates all were important. Bilingual and bicultural pupils from the flagship Hong Kong Government Central School for Boys staffed many Hong Kong and imperial institutions; many attended the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, of which Stewart was the first rector. Several won positions of influence in the imperial Chinese or Hong Kong colonial governments; others, admiring Western ideals, became revolutionaries, most notably Sun Yat Sen, the first president of China.<ref>Gillian Bickley, "Stewart, Frederick (1836–1889)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,'' Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008</ref>

===Great Depression===
In 1932, facing a worldwide [[Great Depression]] and higher tariffs from the United States, the [[British Empire]] decided at the Imperial Economic Conference to protect industry and agriculture in the Empire by raising tariffs on imports from outside the Empire and encouraging colonial entrepreneurs. Since Hong Kong was a free port with no customs duties on imports or exports, industrialisation there was different than in other British colonies, where industry could only be established with the aid of protective tariffs and other government assistance, and where manufactured goods could only be sold in local markets. Hong Kong's industrialization rapidly expanded thanks to the new preference for goods made inside the Empire, and especially to the higher tariffs on Japanese textiles, footwear, and other goods. Chinese entrepreneurs in Hong Kong soon took over from the Japanese as the main competitors of British manufacturers in textiles and rubber footwear. The local and regional market expanded, with 24,000 ocean-going ships clearing the harbor in 1939. The large-scale relocation of industrial enterprises from mainland China began in the late 1930s, and resumed after the war.<ref>Norman Miners, "Industrial Development in the Colonial Empire and the Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa 1932." ''Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History'' 2002 30(2): 53-76. Issn: 0308-6534</ref>
===Second World War ===
[[File:VC John Robert Osborn Statue Military of Canada Hong Kong.jpg|thumb|Statue, Military of Canada, Hong Kong's Park.]]
London realized it could never defend the isolated colony against [[Japan]], but had to send forces to maintain imperial prestige. Indian and Canadian troops were sent in 1941 but they lacked training, equipment, and ammunition. They served a sacrificial role, with 6500 imprisoned for the duration, while British Commonwealth forces sought a major victory in North Africa. Refugees pured in from the mainland pushing the population well over one million, with extremely crowded conditions. Japan ruled from December, 1941 to September 1945, a time of hyperinflation and food shortages. Upwards of half the population left for the mainland.<ref>Andrew J. Whitfield, ''Hong Kong, Empire and the Anglo-American Alliance at War, 1941-1945.'' (2001) [http://www.questia.com/read/101710900?title=Hong%20Kong%2c%20Empire%20and%20the%20Anglo-American%20Alliance%20at%20War%2c%201941-45 online edition]</ref>

===Social trends===
Open currency markets and a free trade policy in Hong Kong after World War II gave it great economic advantages over Shanghai, whose government-controlled import-export trade could not compete with the British colony. In the late 1940s thousands of businessmen and professionals from Shanghai and other cities fled to Hong Kong top escape the imminent takeover of China by the Communists.

Despite a low birth rate, Hong Kong's population grew rapidly after 1945, as it became a base for entrepreneurs and a haven for refugees from poverty, war and Communism in China. The population tripled from 600,000 in 1945 to 1.8 million in 1948, then grew to 4 million in 1970 and 5.6 million in 1997. Steady growth continues, reaching 6.9 million in 2006.
[[File:TVB newsroom Hong Kong.jpg|left|TVB newsroom, Hong Kong.]]
The colony's strong high school system produced some of the professionals and skilled workers who contributed to rapid economic development after 1945, but they were outnumbered by new arrivals from China. Hong Kong's open and competitive employment system offered an important channel for upward social mobility, which tended to forestall a growth in class consciousness. Graduates joined an English-speaking elite and took pride in its acquaintance with the British culture. This elite was then incorporated by the British Establishment. This integration reduced potential friction between the colonial government and the local elite, who displayed far less antagonism or demands for independence than elites in other colonies. Demands for political participation emerged in the 1970s, as the colonial government vastly expanded its social service commitments. Its policy of "administrative absorption" encompassed more elites from all social strata. Its image was also improved by attempts to be a "government by consultation," while the threat of a takeover by Communist China undercut demands for autonomy. Economic development consistently raised the people's living standards and lowered their demand for political participation. Hong Kong elites were proud of not being affected by the "British disease," the symptoms of which included too much social welfare, militant trade unionism, frequent labour disputes, and a decline in economic competitiveness, as affected Britain itself in the 1970s. Radical ideologies were unattractive to the community and the Maoist factions gained little support. After 1984 both Britain and China promised more democracy, but as of 2008 there still is little of it.<ref>Joseph Y.S. Cheng, "Elections and Political Parties in Hong Kong's Political Development", ''Journal of Contemporary Asia,'' 2001, 31#3 346-374</ref>

===Economic boom===
[[File:Collage Hong Kong.jpg|right|120px]]
In the 1950s, Hong Kong viewed Guangdong on the mainland as its economic past: an underdeveloped hinterland of cottage industries and peasant agriculture. Guangdong, meanwhile, looked on Hong Kong as its political past: a territory oppressed by colonialism. That is, Hong Kong leaders saw Guangdong as socialist, planned, unfree, and poor. Meanwhile, the Commuist leaders in Guangdong saw Hong Kong as colonial, exploitative,class stratified, and dehumanizing.<ref>Seth Harter, "'Time Is Moving Forward, but We Are Moving Faster': Racing towards Modernity in Hong Kong and Guangdong, 1945-1962." (2006).</ref>

The colony experienced some of the highest economic growth rates in world history during the last half of the 20th century. In the 1960s its average annual rate of growth was 13.2%, setting a world record. New factories opened, especially textiles and plastics. A major construction boom continued almost non-stop. In the 1960s the port became as a major center for world trade, exceeding all of China by 30%. It became a major international financial center. Low taxation, a strong currency, and a free currency exchange attracted international banks and foreign investment, although uncertainty regarding the 1997 takeover sent some investors to Canada. In the 1970s the growth rate slowed to a very high 8% annually. Per capita income soared, despite the fast growing population, and was the third highest in Asia by 1980, albeit less than half that of Japan.

In 1971 the colonial government made education compulsory and virtually free. Total school enrollment in 1981 was 1,339,000, but included a mere 16,000 full-time higher education students. In 1989 Governor Edward Youde moved to expand and strengthen higher education in response to public demands. He envision the founding of a world class university, an Asian equivalent of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1991 the colony established the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). More expansion took place in the 1990s, resulting in nine major centers of higher education, with enrollment expanded by 50%.<ref>Timothy Man-kong Wong, "From Expansion to Repositioning: Recent Changes in Higher Education in Hong Kong," ''China: An International Journal'' 2#1 March 2004, pp. 150-166 in [[Project Muse]]</ref> By 2006 the most prestigious school, the University of Hong Kong, had 11,600 undergraduates, 7,900 postgraduates, and 2,000 MPhil and PhD students.

===1997===
When Britain turned Hong Kong over to China in 1997 it was the most modern colonial metropolis in the world, where robust entrepreneurship flourished under a British legal system providing a high degree of civil liberties for its citizens, but which had never set up a democratic system. Between 1960 and 1982, Hong Kong showed the staggering average growth rate of 7.0% per year, then held at 6.7% annually to 1992. In 1995, Hong Kong's GDP per person (in parity purchasing power) was the third highest in the world.

In 1997, at the end of the 99-year lease, the whole of the Hong Kong territory was returned to China. A "one country, two systems" model for 50 years was promised by China's leader [[Deng Xiaoping]], and the formula was accepted by Britain. Beijing selected the Basic Law Drafting Committee in 1985, making it clear it placed top priority on the stability and prosperity of the territory and that radical political reforms would be unlikely. Of the 59 members there were 23 members from Hong Kong, most of them prominent businessmen and leading professionals. The interests of the Establishment in Hong Kong apparently were assured, as the Chinese authorities were keen to retain Hong Kong's attractiveness to investors. The Basic Law Drafting Committee favoured an "executive-led" system of government for the future HKSAR with power concentrated in the hands of the Chief Executive, rather than the weak Legislative Council.

[[File:HK Bank of China Tower 2008.jpg|thumb|left|HK Bank of China Tower, 2008.]]
The 1985 elections to the colonial Legislative Council involved representation of different interest groups; there were a mere 70,000 eligible voters, of whom only 25,000 voted.The September 1985 elections to the Legislative Council were based on the electoral college, comprising members of the District Boards, the Urban Council and the Provisional Regional Council, and the functional constituencies.[ 10] Qualified voters therefore only numbered about 70,000 and those who actually voted amounted to about 25,000.

To rule after 1997 China created its first Special Administration Region, and as a result, Hong Kong became largely autonomous with its own government and laws, distinct from that of the rest of the People's Republic. All final decisions, however, were made by the government of China, but the influence was light-handed and "soft" before 2003.<ref>Willy Lam, "Beijing's hand in Hong Kong politics," ''Association for Asian Research'' [http://www.asianresearch.org/articles/2153.html June 14, 2004, online]</ref>
===Democratic issues===
On 1 July 2003, over half a million Hong Kong citizens staged a mass protest against the poor governance of the post-handover SAR government. The grievances of the marchers quickly snowballed into a widely backed movement for democracy, and another large rally was held on 1 July 2004. The landslide support for pro-democratic candidates during the local elections held on 23 November 2003 unnerved Beijing over its possible loss of control over Hong Kong. The government of China quickly shifted from a soft-line approach that talked about virtual autonomy to a hard-line approach, attempting to dampen the local democracy movement. Beijing banned universal suffrage for the elections of a Chief Executive in 2007 and a legislature in 2008. There were five fundamental causes of Hong Kong's broad-based demand for full democracy. First economic uncertainly rose sharply after 1999, as the competitiveness of the Hong Kong economy slipped and the transition to a knowledge economy was hindered by stagnant rates of university attendance. Secondly, the level of economic inequality increased,<ref>Li Zhang, "Economic Growth and Income Inequality in Hong Kong: Trends and Explanations," ''China: An International Journal'' 3#1 March 2005, pp. 74-103 in [[Project Muse]]</ref> along with a sense that cronyism was rampant and getting worse. Thirdly the government deficit has soared, leading to cutbacks in government services; by 2003 the government had spent half the financial reserves left by the British, and sold land assets to cover the deficit. At a deeper level citizens are anxious about their lack of voice in an authoritarian polity.<ref>Yushuo Zheng, "Hong Kong's Democrats Stumble," ''Journal of Democracy'' 16#1 January 2005, pp. 138-152 in [[Project Muse]]</ref> The The fifth fundamental problem was the failure of the new "Principal Officials Accountability System" and the growth of popular distrust towards the non-democratic system.<ref>Ming Sing, "The Legitimacy Problem and Democratic Reform in Hong Kong." ''Journal of Contemporary China'' 2006 15(48): 517-532. Issn: 1067-0564 Fulltext: [[Ebsco]]; Christine Loh, and Richard Cullen, "Political Reform in Hong Kong: the Principal Officials Accountability System. The First Year (2002-2003)." ''Journal of Contemporary China'' 2005 14(42): 153-176. Issn: 1067-0564 Fulltext: [[Ebsco]]</ref>

In September 2008, "pandemocrats" as they call themselves, retained the voters’ support during the Legislative Council election. Beijing’s interferences with the elections, though less blatant than those of 2004, unmistakably cast doubt on its sincerity to implement democracy in Hong Kong by 2020. In 2008, Beijing promoted a new wave of pro-Beijing professionals with a stronger and more independent image. The sudden rise and stunning electoral victories of the Social Democrats, who are hallmarked by civil disobedience on behalf of democratic and social reforms, reflect a deepening sense of public despair about the futility of the current political system, and a proliferating radicalism. A decade after the handover of their city to China, Hong Kong’s “pandemocrats” remain able to stand their ground at the ballot box.<ref>Ming Sing, "Hong Kong’s Democrats Hold Their Own," ''Journal of Democracy'', Volume 20, Number 1, January 2009, pp. 98-112 in [[Project MUSE]]</ref>

==Bibliography==
* DK. ''Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides: Hong Kong'' (2002) [https://www.amazon.com/Eyewitness-Top-10-Travel-Guides/dp/078948434X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208912192&sr=1-3 excerpt and text search]
* ''Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau'' (2009) [https://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Guide-Hong-Macau-Guides/dp/2067140450/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254795126&sr=1-25 excerpt and text search]
* ''Frommer's Hong Kong'' by Beth Reiber, (2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Frommers-Hong-Kong-Complete/dp/0470078332/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208912192&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* Stone, Andrew. ''Lonely Planet Hong Kong & Macau City Guide'' (2008) [https://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Hong-Macau-Guide/dp/1741046653/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208912192&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* ''Culture Shock! Hong Kong: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette'' by Betty Wei and Elizabeth Li (2008) [https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Shock-Hong-Kong-Etiquette/dp/0761454829/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254795206&sr=1-43 excerpt and text search]

===History===
* Carroll, John M. '' A Concise History of Hong Kong'' (2007) 270 pages [https://books.google.com/books?id=D37ijXG-FykC&pg=PA87&dq=intitle:A+intitle:history+intitle:of+intitle:Hong+intitle:Kong&lr=&num=30&as_brr=0&sig=YSlyseZ_8GY1hdC6pe8pvOSXAg4 excerpt and text search]
* Chiu, Stephen, and Tai-Lok Lui. ''Hong Kong: The Global City'' (2009) [https://www.amazon.com/Hong-Kong-Global-Stephen-Chiu/dp/0415220106/ref=sr_1_67?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254795340&sr=1-67 excerpt and text search]
* Fu, Poshek, and David Desser. ''The Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity'' (2008) [https://www.amazon.com/Cinema-Hong-Kong-History-Identity/dp/0521776023/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254795022&sr=1-18 excerpt and text search]
* Ingham, Michael. '' Hong Kong: A Cultural History'' (2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Hong-Kong-Cultural-History-Cityscapes/dp/0195314972/ref=sr_1_50?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254795261&sr=1-50 excerpt and text search]
* Tsang, Steve. ''A Modern History of Hong Kong'' (2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Modern-History-Hong-Kong/dp/1845114191/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208912427&sr=1-14 excerpt and text search]
* Vickers, Claire. ''Hong Kong - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette'' (2006) [https://www.amazon.com/Hong-Kong-Culture-customs-etiquette/dp/1857333683/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208912192&sr=1-12 excerpt and text search]
* Welsh, Frank. ''A Borrowed Place: The History of Hong Kong'' (1993), 624pp readable and well-researched history
* Wright, Rachel. ''Living and Working in Hong Kong: The Complete Practical Guide to Expatriate Life in China's Gateway'' (2008) [https://www.amazon.com/Living-Working-Hong-Kong-Expatriate/dp/1845281950/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208912427&sr=1-24 excerpt and text search]

===Primary sources===
* Endacott, G. B., ed. '' An Eastern Entrepot: A Collection of Documents Illustrating the History of Hong Kong'' (1964) 293 pp
* Tsang, Steve. ''Government and Politics: A Documentary History of Hong Kong.'' (1995), 312pp [http://www.questia.com/read/14561367?title=Government%20and%20Politics%3a%20A%20Documentary%20History%20of%20Hong%20Kong online edition]

==See also==
*[[Canton]]

== References ==

<references/>

{| style="width: 100%; background:transparent; border: 2px solid #000099;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1"
!colspan=2 style="width: 100%; text-align: center; background-color: #000088; color: white; "|'''Copyright Details'''
|-
!style="background-color: #000088; color:white;"|License:
|style=" background-color: none;"| Some content for this article is in the [[Public Domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the U.S. Code
|-
!style=" background-color: #000088; color:white;"|Source:
|style="background-color: none;border-top: 2px solid black"| File available from the {{{1|[[United States Federal Government]] [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2747.htm]}}}.
|}

[[Category:Chinese Cities and Towns]]
[[Category:Chinese History]]
[[Category:British Empire]]

Evolution syndrome

2019-07-25T13:39:52Z

JamesQT: "and even though evolutionists pretend to be learned" seems like unusual phrasing to me; removed. Also changed "favour" to "favor".

[[Image:5712dawkins.jpg|alt=Richard Dawkins|thumbnail|260px|right|On camera, the [[agnosticism|agnostic]] and staunch [[evolution]]ist [[Richard Dawkins]] was stumped by a [[creationism|creationist]] question (see: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaKryi3605g Richard Dawkins stumped by creationists' question - Raw footage]).]]
'''Evolution [[syndrome]]''' is the tendency of some people to insist compulsively that human [[evolution]] from animals ''must'' somehow be true, and to spend nearly all of their time pushing that belief on others.<ref>[http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_01]</ref> It is reflected on the [[internet]] by people who devote a significant amount of their postings to pushing their belief in evolution and insisting on [[censoring]] or demonizing alternative views of the issue. They are particularly against teaching any alternative theories to children in school. A childish insistence on [[last wordism]] is a common characteristic of evolution syndrome.

Sufferers of evolution syndrome tend to be college students or graduates who wanted to excel in math or physics, but lacked the ability or work ethic to do so. They are frustrated "wannabes" with respect to academic recognition. But they find that [[liberals]] will praise their intelligence if they promote evolution. This is analogous to a struggling ball player deceitfully turning to steroids to enhance his performance, and thereby make it to the "Big Leagues."

Evolution syndrome blinds its victims to the logical fallacy of their [[materialism]]: if human senses have merely evolved, then it is to be expected that human senses have not developed to the point of being able to detect all of reality. Much of reality would still be "unseen" to an evolving human. Yet victims of evolution syndrome insist that there is nothing unseen, and no [[God]].

The primary effect of evolution syndrome is to keep its victims away from learning the [[Bible]]. Victims of this syndrome claim to be educated, yet justify their complete ignorance about the Bible in their slavish commitment to their evolution belief system.

Characteristics of evolution syndrome include:

*Frequent use of bizarre jargon such as "[[quote mining]]," "[[moving the goalposts]]," and "[[Fundementalism|fundie]]"
*A belief that consensus can somehow define scientific truth, even though consensus cannot define mathematical truth
*An utter lack of [[open-mindedness]]
*A reluctance to debate when large audiences will see the debate. See: [[Creation vs. evolution debates|Creation scientists tend to win the creation vs. evolution debates]]
*[[Liberal style]]
*A superficiality or pseudo-intellectualism
*A lack of critical thinking
*Over-reliance on name-calling
[[Image:Olive baboon.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Scienceblogger Chad Orzel described the commentators on [[PZ Myers]]' Scienceblogs.com site [[Pharyngula (blog)|Pharyngula]], and other Scienceblogs.com commentators, as "screechy monkeys."<ref name="truefree">http://www.truefreethinker.com/articles/pz-myers-and-pavlovs-monkeys</ref>]]
*Ruthlessly demanding "provable fact" by the other side while themselves insisting on unproven theories
*Utter intolerance for [[Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed|other positions in science]]
*A complete lack of curiosity and knowledge about anything that might contradict [[materialism]], such as [[migration]] and [[homing]]
*[[Deliberate ignorance]] about the [[Bible]], despite its historical value
*A tendency to be irrational [[atheism|atheists]] (see: [[Causes of atheism]])
*A tendency to favor non-democratic political ideals such as [[socialism]] or [[fascism]]
*An over-reliance on academic authority
*A tendency to be easily amused by [[deceit]]

Evolution syndrome particularly afflicts people who have some educational background without having the intellectual depth of more accomplished peers. They are like minor league baseball players who take steroids to try to get to the major leagues: they think that harping on evolution will gain them credibility they lack based on their intellect. Evolution syndrome can be seen on [[wiki]]s, [[Usenet]] groups, faculty positions below full professorships, and some less selective doctoral programs.

There is a high incidence of [[atheism]] among this group and indeed, many if not most atheists suffer from evolution syndrome. Whether atheism is a cause of evolution syndrome or vice-versa is still to be discovered, but the number of [[theistic evolution]]ists suggest that the link is not absolute.

Keeping an open mind, not obsessing about one's own views, and avoiding the insistence that others should share in one's view are key to avoiding evolution syndrome.

== The behavior of the fans of Richard Dawkins and PZ Myers and other matters ==

In February 2010, the news organization ''The Telegraph'' reported that [[agnosticism|agnostic]] and evolutionist [[Richard Dawkins]] was "embroiled in a bitter online battle over plans to rid his popular internet forum for atheists of foul language, insults and 'frivolous gossip'."<ref name="telegraph" /> In addition, Richard Dawkins [[Abrasiveness of Richard Dawkins|has a reputation for being abrasive]].

In 2010, the [[Christian apologetics]] website [[True Free Thinker]] wrote: "Scienceblogger [http://scienceblogs.com/principles/2008/04/the_cost_of_not_framing.php Chad Orzel described] the commentators on [[PZ Myers]] ' Scienceblogs.com site [[Pharyngula (blog)|Pharyngula]], and other Scienceblogs.com commentators, as "screechy monkeys."<ref name="telegraph">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7322177/Richard-Dawkins-in-bitter-web-censorship-row-with-fellow-atheists.html</ref>

In addition, there is a widespread problem with [[Atheist bullying|atheist cyberbullying]] on [[YouTube]] toward [[Christian]] and [[creationism|creationist]] YouTube channels. [[CreationWiki]] has developed a web page entitled [http://creationwiki.org/Creationist_YouTube_video Creationist YouTube video] designed to show creationists how to thwart atheist/evolutionist cyberbullies.
[[File:Question-Evolution-Campaign.jpg|thumbnail|250px|right|The [[Question evolution! campaign]] by [[Creation Ministries International]] is a worldwide campaign which poses 15 questions that evolutionists cannot satisfactorily answer.<ref name="qevo">[https://creation.com/question-eviolution Question evolution! campaign] by [[Creation Ministries International]]</ref> The 15 questions posed to evolutionists can be found [https://creation.com/15-questions HERE] ]]

== Question evolution! campaign ==

''See also:'' [[Question evolution! campaign]]

Since [[World War II]] a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the [[evolution|theory of evolution]] which employs [[methodological naturalism]] have been atheists.<ref>
* Dr. Don Batten,[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/737/ A ''Who’s Who'' of evolutionists] ''Creation'' 20(1):32, December 1997.
* [[Jonathan Sarfati]], Ph.D.,F.M., [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3830 ''Refuting Evolution'', Chapter 1, Facts and Bias]
</ref> In 2011, a campaign called the [[Question evolution! campaign]] was launched by the [[Bible|biblical]] [[creation]] organization [[Creation Ministries International]] which is a worldwide "[[grassroots|grass-roots]] movement to challenge the anti-[[Christianity|Christian]] [[dogma]] of [[evolution]]".<ref name="qevo" /> The focus of the Question evolution! campaign is on "15 questions that evolutionists cannot satisfactorily answer."<ref name="qevo" /> The 15 questions posed to evolutionists (and undecided individuals) can be found [https://creation.com/15-questions HERE] The campaign will be primarily conducted in the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Canada]], [[Europe]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Singapore]] and [[South Africa]].<ref name="qevo" />

== See also ==

*[[Atheism and obsession with God]]
*[[Disturbed character]]
*[[Evolution of the gaps]]
*[[Richard Dawkins]]
*[[Evolution]]
*[[Atheism]]
*[[Creation denial]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Syndromes]]
[[Category:Conservapedia Terms]]
[[Category:Liberal Traits]]

USS Growler (SS-215)

2019-07-25T13:32:09Z

JamesQT: /* History */ Formatting errors fixed

{| border="1" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="300" style="margin-left:5px"
|align="center" colspan="2"|[[Image:USSGrowlerSS215.jpg|300px]]
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|USS ''Growler'' (SS-215)
|-
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|Career
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|[[Image:US Naval Jack 48 stars.png|48px|United States Navy Jack]]
|-
|-
| Class:
| ''Gato''
|-
| Launched:
| 2 November 1941
|-
| Commissioned:
| 20 March 1942
|-
| Fate:
| Sunk in battle, 8 November 1944
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy;"| General characteristics
|-
| Displacement:
| 2,424 t
|-
| Length:
| 311 ft 9 in
|-
| Beam:
| 27 ft 2 in
|-
| Draft:
| 15 ft 3 in
|-
| Speed:
| 20 knots
|-
| Complement:
| 66 officers and men
|-
| Armament:
| One 3"/54 deck gun; 10 torpedo tubes
|}
'''USS ''Growler''''' (SS-215) was a [[Gato class submarine|''Gato''-class submarine]] whose service in [[World War II]] earned the boat eight battle stars and a postumous [[Medal of Honor]] for her commanding officer.

==History==
''Growler'' (SS-215) was launched 2 November 1941, by Electric Boat Company of Groton, [[Connecticut]], and commissioned on 20 March 1942, Lieutenant Commander Howard W. Gilmore in command.

''Growler's'' first war patrol began 29 June 1942 as she cleared [[Pearl Harbor]] for her assigned patrol area around Dutch Harbor, [[Alaska]]; topping off at [[Midway]] on 24 June, she entered her area on 30 June. Five days later she saw her first action: sighting three destroyers, ''Growler'' closed them for a submerged torpedo attack and then surfaced. Her torpedoes struck the first two targets amidships, putting them out of action, and hit the third in the bow, but not before she had fired two torpedoes at ''Growler''. As the Japanese torpedoes "swished down each side" of ''Growler'', she dived deep, but no depth charges followed. One of the torpedoed destroyers, ''Arare'', was sunk, and the other two were severely damaged. ''Growler'' completed her patrol without finding any more targets, and on 17 July berthed at Pearl Harbor.

On 5 August ''Growler'' began her second and most successful war patrol, entering her area near [[Taiwan]] on 21 August. Two days later she conducted a submerged night attack on a freighter, surfacing to give chase when both torpedoes ran under the target and failed to explode; the freighter's quick exit into shallow waters prevented ''Growler'' from gun attack. Patrolling amidst a large fishing fleet on 25 August, ''Growler'' sighted and fired at a large passenger freighter but all three torepdoes missed; after a 3-hour depth charge attack, in which some 53 ash cans were dropped, ''Growler'' surfaced and almost immediately spotted a convoy. After 2 hours of maneuvering, she failed to catch up with the main body of the convoy but did fire at and sink an ex-gunboat, the ''Senyo Maru''. No more ships appeared in this immediate area for 3 days, so ''Growler'' shifted to the east side of the island. First to fall victim was ''Eifu{{'}}ku Maru'', a 5,866-ton cargo ship ''Growler'' sank within 40 minutes after first sighting her on 31 August. On 4 September ''Growler'' sank by gunfire the ''Kashino'', a 4,000-ton supply ship; 3 days later she sent two torpedoes into the 2,204-toh cargo ship ''Taika Maru'', which broke in half and sank in 2 minutes. On 15 September ''Growler'' cleared her patrol area, and arrived back at Pearl 30 September.

During refitting, new surface radar was installed, as well as a new 20mm. gun; thus equipped, ''Growler'' sailed from [[Hawaii]] for her new patrol area in the Solomon Islands across the key Truk-Rabaul shipping lines. Her patrol area in these days of bitter fighting over [[Guadalcanal]] was almost continually covered by enemy planes, and only eight enemy ships were sighted with no chance for attack. ''Growler'' cleared the area 3 December and arrived in Brisbane, [[Australia]], 10 December.

[[New Year's Day]] of 1943 saw ''Growler'' sail from Brisbane for what was to prove one of the most gallant actions in naval history. Entering her patrol area, again athwart the [[Truk]]-[[Rabaul]] shipping lanes, on 11 January, she waited only 5 days before sighting an enemy convoy. Maneuvering inside the escorts, ''Growler'' fired two torpedoes and saw them hit; then, as her war diary reports, she was in the unfortunate predicament of being about 400 yards from the destroyer and had to dive without being able to continue the attack. She was credited with sinking ''Chifu{{'}}ku Maru'', a passenger-cargo ship.

====Loss of Gilmore====
The patrol continued as normal, with two further attacks, but no sinkings until shortly after 01:00. 7 February when ''Growler'' stealthily approached a gunboat for a night surface attack. The small fast ship suddenly turned to ram. Comdr. Gilmore then took the only move to save his ship; he brought ''Growler'' left full rudder and rammed the enemy amidships at 17 knots. Machine gun fire raked the bridge at point blank range. The courageous sub seemed lost. Comdr. Gilmore cleared the bridge except for himself. Desperately wounded, he realized that he could not get below in time if his ship were to be saved. "Take her down" he ordered; and, as he floated in the sea, he wrote another stirring tale of inspirational naval history. For his heroic sacrifice to ship and crew, Comdr. Gilmore was awarded the [[Medal of Honor]], one of six submariners to receive it.

Severely damaged, but still under control, ''Growler'' returned to Brisbane under command of her executive officer, Lt. Comdr. A. F. Schade; she docked 17 February for extensive repairs.

==Last patrols==
''Growler's'' fifth, sixth, and seventh patrols, out of Brisbane to the Bismarck-Solomons area, were relatively uneventful; heavy enemy air cover and a lack of targets resulted in her coming home empty-handed from all but the fifth, on which she sank the passenger-cargo strip ''Miyadono Marti''. The seventh patrol was marred by trouble with the storage battery and generators, and on 27 October 1943, only 11 days out of Brisbane, she was ordered to Pearl Harbor, arriving 7 November, and from there to the Navy Yard at Hunter's Point, [[California]] for an extensive overhaul and refitting.

Returning to the Pacific, on 21 February 1944, ''Growler'' departed Pearl Harbor, and after refueling at Midway, headed for her patrol area. However, a week out of Midway a typhoon's high seas and wind delayed her arrival to the patrol area. Once there, ''Growler'' was again plagued by violent weather which made even periscope observation almost impossible.

''Growler'' returned to Majuro 16 April, and departed there 14 May to take up patrol in the Marianas-Eastern [[Philippines]]-Luzon area, where the first stages of the attack on the Marianas and the [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]] were getting underway. Rendezvousing with ''Banff'' and ''Seahorse'' to form a wolfpack, she continued the patrol closing several targets but achieving firing position only once, when she sank the cargo vessel ''Katori Maru''.

Her 10th patrol, from Pearl Harbor 11 August, found her in a new wolfpack, nicknamed "Ben's Busters" after ''Growler's'' skipper Comdr. T. B. Oakley; in company with ''Sealion'' and ''Pampanito'', she headed for the [[Formosa Straits]] area. Aided greatly by reconnaissance and guidance from planes, the wolfpack closed a convoy for night surface action 31 August; their torpedoes plunged the Japanese into chaos, with their own ships shooting at each other in the dark, but no sinkings were reported. Two weeks later. 12 September, the wolfpack sighted a second convoy and closed for torpedo action. A destroyer spotted ''Growler'' and attacked her, but the sub calmly fired a spread at the destroyer. Heavily damaged by the torpedoes, the flaming destroyer bore down on ''Growler'' and only adroit maneuvering took her out of the enemy's way; paint on the bridge was seared by the heat of the passing destroyer. Meantime ''Growler's'' other torpedoes and those of ''Sealion'' and ''Pampanito'' were hitting the convoy, and when Ben's Busters returned to Fremantle 26 September, they were credited with a total of six enemy ships. ''Growler'' had sunk the destroyer ''Shikinami'' and the frigate ''Hirado''; and her companions had racked up two each. The submarines had also rescued over 150 Allied prisoners from one of the torpedoed ships which had served the Japanese as a prison ship. This difficult operation had been carried out despite rough seas caused by an approaching typhoon.

==Loss==
''Growler's'' llth and final war patrol began out of Fremantle 20 October in a wolfpack with ''Hake'' and ''Hardhead''. On 8 November the wolfpack, headed by ''Growler'', closed a convoy for attack, with ''Growler'' on the opposite side of the enemy from ''Hake'' and ''Hardhead''. The order to commence attacking was the last communication ever received from ''Growler''. After the attack was underway, ''Hake'' and ''Hardhead'' heard what sounded like a torpedo explosion and then a series of depth charges on ''Growler's'' side of the convoy, and then nothing. All efforts to contact ''Growler'' for the next 3 days proved futile, and the gallant submarine, veteran of seven successful war patrols, was listed as lost in action against the enemy, cause unknown.

''Growler'' has received eight battle stars for her service in World War II.

==Medal of Honor Citation for Howard W. Gilmore==
''"For distinguished gallantry and valor above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the USS ''Growler'' during her Fourth War Patrol in the Southwest Pacific from 10 January to 7 February 1943. Boldly striking at the enemy in spite of continuous hostile air and antisubmarine patrols, Commander Gilmore sank one Japanese freighter and damaged another by torpedo fire, successfully evading sever depth charges following each attack. In the darkness of night on 7 February, an enemy gunboat closed range and prepared to ram the ''Growler''. Commander Gilmore daringly maneuvered to avoid the crash and rammed the attacker instead., ripping into the port side at 17 knots and bursting wide her plates. In the terrific fire of the sinking gunboat's heavy machine guns, Commander Gilmore calmly gave the order to clear the bridge and refusing safety for himself, remained on deck while his men preceded him below. Struck down by the fusillade of bullets and having done his utmost against the enemy, in his final moments, Commander Gilmore gave his last order to the officer of the deck, "Take her down." The ''Growler'' dived seriously damaged but under control, she was brought safely to port by her well-trained crew inspired by the courageous fighting spirit of their dead captain."''

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''Article incorporates text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, a work in the public domain.''

==References==
*[http://www.submarinesailor.com/biography/HowardGilmore/HowardGilmore-4.htm SubmarineSailor.com bio on Gilmore]

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[[Category:United States Navy]][[Category:Submarines]]