The Progressive American

After all of the irresponsibility of Chris Cuomo and CNN’s support of his career, it is time for responsibility.

Chris Cuomo is in trouble once again, this time as the perpetrator of a confirmed incident of sexual harassment. In a guest piece to The New York Times, Cuomo’s former boss at ABC, Shelley Ross, revealed that the CNN host grabbed her rear without her consent, saying, “I can do this now that you’re no longer my boss….” The obvious arrogance and predatory undertones aside, Ross provides evidence of Cuomo’s undeniable guilt, pointing to an email that Cuomo sent her apologizing, in part, because Ross’ husband saw it. There is no denying this. Cuomo must be fired.

While the events are not unusual compared to other examples of sexual harassment, Cuomo’s behavior is part of something larger. They are part of a larger pattern of irresponsibility and self-indulgence that assumes that the perpetrator is entitled to the deference that the victim is not supposed to receive.

Despite helping a certain New York governor defend himself from his sexual harassment allegations, CNN has taken no action against their host. Save for recusal from covering the governor scandal, Cuomo has not faced the consequences for his obvious breach of journalistic integrity. He was not relieved of his position. Nor was he asked to apologize for his failings. Instead, CNN expected the public to move on with their day. That’s bull.

As I noted on my last podcast, the fight against sexual harassment is a fight against violation against the most basic principle that humanity has ever created: ‘keep your hands to yourself.’

The fact that Chris Cuomo may be able to keep his job despite clearly violating the consent of his former boss and violating his journalistic duty is indicative of CNN’s values. But more than that, it is indicative of our failure as a country to take the continued sexual harassment of our fellow Americans as a source of news rather than an issue for concern and change. If there is to be any justice, then Chris Cuomo should be fired.

The anti-vaxxer movement is a hindrance to public health and ought to be treated as such.

After a year of the coronavirus and months of fighting over vaccines, the time for games has passed. The anti-vaccine movement has long hampered public health efforts, and I have consistently deplored them for it, even before Covid-19. But with Covid deaths in America outpacing the 1918 pandemic, my patience is wearing thin and so too is the patience of the president. Rather than arguing why mandates are necessary, as I have already made that argument, I want to address the relentless cruelty of anti-vaxxerism. There is no other way to put it: anti-vaxxers are destroying our chances of defeating covid-19.

Getting vaccinated in the face of Covid-19 is not only a matter of personal safety; it is a duty to the public. Unlike most other forms of health, vaccines are an inherently collective form of health policy. It depends upon herd immunity, which significantly decreases the chances of the disease spreading and mutating. Rather than each individual getting protection for their own sake, getting the vaccination requires that all medically capable people get it to ensure the spread ends. It necessitates public cooperation. 

As it stands right now, the percentage of Americans vaccinated is inadequate, with only 55 percent of Americans fully vaccinated and only 66 percent receiving a single dose. Cities like El Paso have bucked this trend, with 75 percent of their population getting vaccinated and falling within the minimum percentage of 70 percent set by the Mayo Clinic. Still, herd immunity is well below what is needed to slow the pandemic. And it is primarily driven by the vaccine-hesitant.

While it is difficult to always define or distinguish between anti-vaccine and skeptical, the studies that have been done show a disturbing level of influence among Americans. The Journal for Politics, Groups, and Identities found that an estimated 22 percent of Americans identify as anti-vaxxers. The anti-vaxxers are far from insignificant or inactive. Nor have they ever been. In 2019, an anti-vaxxer threw blood at California lawmakers over their decision to alter the vaccine exceptions under their laws. Earlier this year, anti-vaxxers disrupted a vaccination site at Dodgers Stadium, temporarily preventing people from getting access to the vaccine. One woman drove her car through a vaccination tent in another incident, nearly hitting a dozen healthcare professionals while screaming anti-vaccine slogans. This is not going away.

The fundamental problem is that anti-vaxxers won’t merely refuse to get vaccinated themselves but will actively oppose any attempt to provide such services to the people. The fact that violence pops up within their movement is yet another reason to oppose their movement at every turn. And the consequences are evident for all to see. Hospitals are overrun with Covid patients, with ICU rooms unable to serve other injuries and illnesses, and instead of changing their ways, anti-vax advocates will argue that it is all a lie, a hoax. They don’t care about the suffering they inflict on others because that selfishness is the centerpiece of their ideology.

There can be no more negotiations and no more games. Anti-vax content online must be treated as a violation of TOS and dealt with directly. It must be called out in the public sphere and treated like the dangerous deception that it is. Mandates must be passed and enforced, or we will never get out of this pandemic. They’re the ones holding us back.

The senator from West Virginia’s obstruction to the Biden administration’s agenda is long-standing and far from an accident.

By now, most Americans know who Joe Manchin is. His consistent opposition to Democratic reforms and his refusal to reject the filibuster has made him famous on both sides of the aisle. He is, however, one of the biggest points of frustration for Democrats, as his refusal to support getting rid of the filibuster has all but stopped major reforms from being implemented. And none of it is surprising.

Despite having the label of ‘democrat,’ Joe Manchin is anything but that. His state, West Virginia, went for Trump by 68 percent compared to 29 percent for Biden. He’s arguing for a delay in negotiations for a key infrastructure bill just before the midterms and has tried to delay negotiations on the bill multiple times before that. He may have a ‘D’ next to his name, but a democrat, he is not.

Of course, someone like Manchin doesn’t merely throw away money for his state without reason. Manchin does have such a reason, though he doesn’t want to admit what that is.

As the number one recipient of their donations in the Senate, Manchin has strong ties to the oil, gas, and coal industries, per data from Open Secrets. His connections are so prevalent that Keith McCoy, Exxon’s senior director of federal relations, bragged that he had regular access to the senator, saying:

“Joe Manchin ― I talk to his office every week. He is the kingmaker, and he’s not shy about staking his claim early and completely changing the debate….”

The unfortunate reality is that Manchin, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has a significant influence over what gets passed. Especially when it relates to climate policy and infrastructure, that is why Manchin is such a good investment for the fossil fuel industry.

If things go according to plan, the Biden administration’s $3.5 trillion bill would require all utilities to stop burning fossil fuel and make the transition to greener sources of energy. The same bill that Manchin wants to delay past the midterm election will have no chance of being passed.

One need not delve into the abyss of political intrigue to understand what is happening here. Despite winning reelection in 2018, Manchin failed to gain a majority of the vote, winning by a measly 3.3 percent of the vote. His chances for reelection are growing slim as West Virginia shifts to the right, and in that environment, a senator can be influenced by those with the money to support him. Hence his continued refusal to support the climate change reforms we all need to see.

Whatever happens next with Manchin, remember that he is not looking for a future for the Democratic party or his fellow Americans; he is looking to keep faith with his donors and the coal moguls who would leave this country with nothing left but ruin.

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Cuomo’s resignation means nothing without permanent condemnation.

There was a time when Governor Andrew Cuomo was respected. When he was held up as the responsible leader in the face of the perpetual and stubborn ignorance of then-President Donald Trump, that day is long gone, and now, the once honored governor is facing the potential end of his career thanks to a bombshell report by the New York Attorney General. Said report reveals Cuomo’s disturbing pattern of harassment and the lengths his allies went to suppress the truth. The result of that report is almost uniform denunciation against the governor, and even the Biden administration has weighed in, calling for his resignation. And it appears that the Governor has heeded that demand. But that does not make impeachment any less important. If anything, Cuomo’s recent resignation makes impeachment even more necessary to prevent his return to power.

At the beginning of this month, the New York Attorney General released a report that exposed and quite possibly destroyed the governor’s career. The report alleges that Cuomo sexually harrassed 11 women.

With the report, Cuomo’s nature is shown in a much darker light. Rather than being merely creepy, his behavior is indicative of an unwillingness to change his course. It is also demonstrative of the level of power that Cuomo felt over the government.

The AG report demonstrates this perfectly. The report’s list of at least ten women Cuomo has sexually harassed reveals his cruelty and how that cruelty affected those around him. In the case of one woman, known only as Trooper #1, the possibility of being punished for discussing Cuomo’s actions. As Trooper #1 noted:

“…within the PSU, it’s kind of known that the Governor gives the seal
of approval who gets promoted and who doesn’t within PSU…always have an answer, don’t tell him no and whatever he wants, make it happen . . .”

When any institution surrounds the will of a singular person, it is a dangerous entity not worth maintaining. Through his continued control over the agents of the state, Cuomo not only violated the dignity of those who worked for him and violated the dignity of the very government he was responsible for.

Nor is he sorry for what he did—quite the opposite. Despite the report that he requested undermining his claims of innocence, Cuomo remains defiant, suggesting that he may attempt to reorient his political career in the future. That must not happen.

Though it is unclear if Cuomo will attempt to get back into political life soon, the fact that it is a possibility should be worrisome to everyone. When the dignity of your fellow Americans is abused, there can be no other option but to punish and isolate the person responsible. Impeachment would ensure that he would be kept from power. He’s proven that he can’t be trusted with it, much less any other source of power.

If there is to be any justice out of this affair, it needs to start with keeping this predator out of government for good. Anything less is a failure.

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