群组信息 私有

administrators

  • 但愿再受奥巴马”八年之苦”

    IMG_3278.jpeg

    作者:特里·卡特,《列克星敦先驱领袖报》
    编译:丹奇

    特朗普的支持者说:“我们在巴拉克·奥巴马的领导下受苦了8年。”
公平地说,我们来看看事实。

    奥巴马上任那天,道琼斯指数收于7949点。八年后,道琼斯指数几乎翻了三倍。

    通用汽车和克莱斯勒濒临破产,福特也好不到哪里去,它们的倒闭连同供应链的崩溃将导致数百万个工作岗位的流失。

    奥巴马推动了一项具有争议性的800亿美元救助计划来拯救汽车工业。美国汽车工业存活了下来,重新开始盈利,而这800亿美元全部连本带利地偿还了。

    虽然我们仍然容易受到独狼式袭击的威胁,但自9/11以来,没有任何一个外国恐怖组织成功在美国实施大规模袭击。

    奥巴马下令执行了击毙奥萨马·本·拉登的突袭行动。

    他将驻伊拉克和阿富汗的部队人数从18万减少到1.5万,并增加了退伍军人事务部的拨款。

    他启动了一个名为“开门”的计划,自2010年以来,无家可归的退伍军人数量下降了47%。

    他创造了连续73个月的私营部门就业增长纪录。
由于奥巴马的监管政策,温室气体排放量减少了12%,可再生能源产量翻倍以上,我们对外国石油的依赖减少了一半。

    他签署了《莉莉·莱德贝特法案》,使女性更容易因薪酬不平等起诉雇主。

    他的《公共土地管理综合法案》将超过200万英亩土地指定为荒野,创建了数千英里的步道,并保护了超过1000英里的河流。

    他将联邦赤字从2009年占GDP的9.8%减少到2016年的3.2%。

    尽管《平价医疗法案》存在诸多不足,我们似乎忘记了在该法案之前,你可能因为已有疾病而被拒绝保险,孩子们也不能在父母的保险下覆盖到26岁。

    奥巴马批准了145亿美元的系统来重建新奥尔良的防洪堤。

    所有这些成就,都是在我们自己的米奇·麦康奈尔公开宣称他的唯一使命就是阻挠奥巴马总统所做的一切时实现的。

    虽然奥巴马未能兑现竞选承诺关闭关塔那摩湾监狱,但该监狱的囚犯人数从242人减少到大约50人。

    他扩大了对胚胎干细胞研究的资助,支持了脊髓损伤治疗和癌症等领域具有突破性的进展。

    信用卡公司不再能收取隐藏费用或在没有提前通知的情况下提高利率。

    大多数年份,奥巴马都会为军人家庭举办7月4日的派对。他抱过婴儿,和孩子们玩游戏,端上烧烤,带领大家为7月4日出生的女儿玛利亚唱“生日快乐”。

    福利支出减少了:每100个贫困家庭中,只有24个领取现金援助,而1996年这一数字是64个。

    奥巴马在十多起大规模枪击事件后安慰了受害家庭和社区。在桑迪胡克事件后,他说:“今天死去的大多数人是孩子,5到10岁之间美丽的小孩。”
然而,
他从未拿走
任何人的枪……
他在教堂的祭坛前自发地唱起了《奇异恩典》。

    他是自艾森豪威尔以来首位在两个任期内没有个人或政治丑闻的总统。
他被授予了诺贝尔和平奖。

    奥巴马总统并不完美,没有哪个人或哪个总统是完美的,你当然可以不同意他的政治意识形态。

    但要说我们受苦了?
如果这就是论点,如果这就是我们在巴拉克·奥巴马领导下8年所受的“苦”,我只有一个愿望:

    愿我们如此幸运,能再“受苦”8年。

    英文原稿:

    Trump supporters say, 'We suffered 8 years under Barack Obama.
    Fair enough. Let’s take a look.
    The day Obama took office, the Dow closed at 7,949 points. Eight years later, the Dow had almost tripled.
    General Motors and Chrysler were on the brink of bankruptcy, with Ford not far behind, and their failure, along with their supply chains, would have meant the loss of millions of jobs. Obama pushed through a controversial, $80 billion bailout to save the car industry. The U.S. car industry survived, started making money again, and the entire $80 billion was paid back, with interest.
    While we remain vulnerable to lone-wolf attacks, no foreign terrorist organization has successfully executed a mass attack here since 9/11.
    Obama ordered the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden.
    He drew down the number of troops from 180,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan to just 15,000, and increased funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    He launched a program called Opening Doors which, since 2010, has led to a 47 percent decline in the number of homeless veterans. He set a record 73 straight months of private-sector job growth.
    Due to Obama’s regulatory policies, greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 12%, production of renewable energy more than doubled, and our dependence on foreign oil was cut in half.
    He signed The Lilly Ledbetter Act, making it easier for women to sue employers for unequal pay.
    His Omnibus Public Lands Management Act designated more than 2 million acres as wilderness, creating thousands of miles of trails and protecting over 1,000 miles of rivers.
    He reduced the federal deficit from 9.8 percent of GDP in 2009 to 3.2 percent in 2016.
    For all the inadequacies of the Affordable Care Act, we seem to have forgotten that, before the ACA, you could be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition and kids could not stay on their parents’ policies up to age 26.
    Obama approved a $14.5 billion system to rebuild the levees in New Orleans.
    All this, even as our own Mitch McConnell famously asserted that his singular mission would be to block anything President Obama tried to do.
    While Obama failed on his campaign pledge to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, that prison’s population decreased from 242 to around 50.
    He expanded funding for embryonic stem cell research, supporting ground breaking advancement in areas like spinal injury treatment and cancer.
    Credit card companies can no longer charge hidden fees or raise interest rates without advance notice.
    Most years, Obama threw a 4th of July party for military families. He held babies, played games with children, served barbecue, and led the singing of “Happy Birthday” to his daughter Malia, who was born on July 4.
    Welfare spending is down: for every 100 poor families, just 24 receive cash assistance, compared with 64 in 1996.
    Obama comforted families and communities following more than a dozen mass shootings. After Sandy Hook, he said, “The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old.”
    Yet,
    he never took away
    anyone’s guns........
    He sang Amazing Grace, spontaneously, at the altar.
    He was the first president since Eisenhower to serve two terms without personal or political scandal.
    He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
    President Obama was not perfect, as no man and no president is, and you can certainly disagree with his political ideologies. But to say we suffered?
    If that’s the argument, if this is how we suffered for 8 years under Barack Obama, I have one wish:
    may we be so fortunate as to suffer 8 more."

    by Teri Carter, Lexington Herald-Leader

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American
  • 我选的总统

    作者:佚名
    `
    去年十月美国大选时,我和太太都将票投给川普。结果出来后,刚高兴了几天,就被数以千计的总统令搞得眼花缭乱。紧接着马思克的一阵乱斧,砍的我是晕头转向。然后是川普无差别的贸易战,让我这个曾经的生意人,百思不解。更有甚者,二月二十八号白宫的闹剧、美国代表在联合国的投票(反对称俄罗斯为俄乌战争的侵略者),让我瞠目结舌。还有穿插其间的朝令夕改、谎言频频,那叫一个目不暇接。

    不是说“治大国如烹小鲜吗”?这不是我心目之中的美国总统!

    依我理解,美国二百多年来的立国之本,是捍卫民主与自由,匡扶正义,反对弱肉强食。如今的俄乌战争就是块试金石,它能试出文明与野蛮,试出正义与邪恶,试出美国将再次伟大或不再伟大。

    二零二二年二月,当俄罗斯的军队直逼基辅城下时,泽连斯基对其盟友说,我不要外逃的飞机,我要武器,这是真英雄,国家利益高于个人生死。当前线回来的乌克兰女兵向泽连斯基献旗并敬礼时,总统单膝下跪,这就是真英雄,在人民面前可以卑微如尘埃。在白宫,面对副总统万斯毫无教养的羞辱,泽连斯基双臂抱胸,甩出一句国骂,这就是真英雄,可作强权们的喉中之梗。

    英雄不问出处,最好的诠释就是在英国白金汉宫,英王查尔斯亲自给泽连斯基披上外衣时说的,“英雄不需要西装”。

    当乌克兰人民身处生死存亡之际,川普向泽连斯基索要美国上届政府给予乌克兰的战争援助,我感到羞愧。当川普说,没有美国的援助,乌克兰撑不过两周,而泽连斯基回答到,普京讲过同样的话,他说的是三天,我感到羞愧。当川普说泽连斯基不是民选总统,是独裁者时,我感到羞愧。当记者问川普,你现在还认为泽连斯基是独裁者吗?川普反问到,我说过吗?我感到羞愧。当听到“枫叶漫话”的播主说:“乌克兰人选了一个小丑当总统,而美国人选了一个总统当小丑”。我更感到羞愧,因为那是我选的总统。

    编辑:林胥

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American
  • 查理·里斯最后的专栏:545人对3亿人

    作者:Rick Loebach
    来源:脸书
    链接: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FLAcwC7QV/?mibextid=wwXIfr

    IMG_3082.jpeg
    前言:读了就哭,打印并保留!
    这应该登上每一家报纸的头版。
    查理·里斯最后的专栏!

    一篇非常有趣的专栏,完全中立。 一定要读到最后的诗。
    查理·里斯为《奥兰多哨兵报》撰写的最后一篇专栏……他做了49年的记者。他即将退休,这是他的最后一篇专栏。

    一定要读到最后的税务清单。

    这篇文章尽可能清晰易懂。下面的文章完全中立,既不反共和党也不反民主党。查理·里斯,《奥兰多哨兵报》的退休记者,一针见血地指出了最终必须为每天影响我们每个人的判断承担责任的人是谁。这篇短文值得一读,值得花时间,值得铭记!

    545人对3亿人 ——查理·里斯

    政客是世界上唯一一群制造问题然后又反对问题的人。
    你有没有想过,如果民主党人和共和党人都反对赤字,为什么我们还有赤字?

    你有没有想过,如果所有政客都反对通货膨胀和高税收,为什么我们还有通货膨胀和高税收?

    你我不会提出联邦预算,那是总统的职责。

    你我没有宪法赋予的权力来投票决定拨款,那是众议院的职责。

    你我不会编写税法,那是国会的职责。
    你我不会设定财政政策,那是国会的职责。
    你我不会控制货币政策,那是联邦储备银行的职责。
    100名参议员、435名众议员、一名总统和九名最高法院法官,总共545人,在3亿人口中直接、合法、道德和个人地对困扰这个国家的国内问题负责。

    我把联邦储备委员会的成员排除在外,因为这个问题是国会造成的。1913年,国会将其宪法职责——提供健全的货币——委托给了一个联邦特许但私有的中央银行。

    我把所有特殊利益集团和游说者排除在外是有充分理由的。他们没有法定权力。他们无法强迫参议员、众议员或总统做任何事情。我不在乎他们是否给政客提供了100万美元现金,政客有权接受或拒绝。不管游说者承诺什么,决定如何投票是立法者的责任。

    这545人花费大量精力试图让你相信他们所做之事不是他们的错。他们不分党派地合作进行这场共同的骗局。
    政客与普通人区别在于他们有超乎寻常的胆量。没有哪个正常人会有众议院议长那样的胆量,站出来批评总统制造赤字。(总统只能提出预算,他无法强迫国会接受。)

    宪法是国家的最高法律,赋予众议院独有的责任来发起和批准拨款和税收。众议院议长是谁?(约翰·博纳。他是多数党的领袖。他和众议院同僚,而不是总统,可以批准他们想要的任何预算。)如果总统否决,他们只要同意就可以推翻否决。[众议院已经通过了一项预算,但参议院三年多来未批准预算。在这期间,总统提出的预算几乎在参议院全票被否。]

    对我来说,一个拥有3亿人口的国家无法替换这545个被当前事实证明无能和不负责任的人,这似乎不可思议。我想不出一个国内问题不是直接追溯到这545个人的。当你完全理解这545人行使联邦政府权力的简单真相时,就必须得出结论:现存的一切都是他们想要的。

    如果税法不公平,那是因为他们想要它不公平。
    如果预算赤字,那是因为他们想要赤字。
    如果陆军和海军陆战队在伊拉克和阿富汗,那是因为他们想要他们在那里。
    如果他们没有领取社会保障金,而是享受人民无法获得的精英退休计划,那是因为他们想要这样。
    没有无法解决的政府问题。

    不要让这545人把责任推给官僚——他们雇佣并可以废除这些官僚的职位;不要推给游说者——他们可以拒绝其礼物和建议;不要推给监管者——他们赋予其监管权力,也可以收回这种权力。最重要的是,不要让他们骗你相信存在什么“经济”、“通货膨胀”或“政治”之类神秘的力量,阻止他们履行他们宣誓要做的事。

    这545人,唯有他们,负有责任。他们,唯有他们,拥有权力。

    他们,唯有他们,应该由作为他们老板的人民来问责——前提是选民有勇气管理自己的雇员……我们应该把他们全部投票赶下台,清理他们的烂摊子!

    查理·里斯是《奥兰多哨兵报》的前专栏作家。

    你读完这篇文章后如何处理……取决于你。 如果这不是那么真实,可能会觉得好笑。 一定要读到最后:

    税他的土地, 税他的床, 税他吃饭的桌子。
    税他的拖拉机, 税他的骡子, 教他税收是规矩。
    税他的工作, 税他的工资, 反正他工作赚的是花生!
    税他的牛, 税他的羊, 税他的裤子, 税他的外套。
    税他的领带, 税他的衬衫, 税他的工作, 税他的泥土。
    税他的烟草, 税他的酒, 如果他思考, 也税他。
    税他的雪茄, 税他的啤酒, 如果他哭泣, 税他的眼泪。
    税他的车, 税他的汽油, 想其他办法, 税他的屁股。
    税他拥有的一切, 然后让他知道, 在把他榨干之前, 你不会停手。
    当他尖叫抗议时, 再多税他一些, 税到他痛彻心扉。
    然后税他的棺材, 税他的坟墓, 税他被埋葬的草皮……
    在墓碑上刻下这些话: “税收把我逼入绝境……”

    他走了以后, 别松懈, 是时候征收遗产税了。 应收账款税 建筑许可税 商业驾驶执照税 香烟税 企业所得税 狗证税 消费税 联邦所得税 联邦失业税(FUTA) 钓鱼执照税 食品执照税 燃料许可税 汽油税(当前每加仑44.75美分) 总收入税 狩猎执照税 遗产税 库存税 国税局利息费用 国税局罚款(税上加税) 酒税 奢侈品税 结婚证税 医疗保险税 个人财产税 财产税 房地产税 服务费税 社会保障税 道路使用税 休闲车税 销售税 学校税 州所得税 州失业税(SUTA) 电话联邦消费税 电话联邦通用服务费税 电话联邦、州和地方附加税 电话最低使用附加税 电话定期和非定期收费税 电话州和地方税 电话使用费税 公用事业税 车辆登记税 车辆销售税 水上交通工具登记税 井许可税 工人补偿税

    还觉得这好笑吗? 100年前,这些税一个都不存在,我们的国家是世界上最繁荣的。我们完全没有国债,拥有世界上最大的中产阶级,妈妈们在家带孩子。

    到底发生了什么?你会拼写“政客”吗? 我希望这篇文章能在美国传遍至少545次!!!你能帮它传出去!!!

    去吧……做个美国人吧!!!

    把这发给你认识的每个人!!!

    英文原文:

    翻译:READ, WEEP, PRINT AND KEEP!

    This should be on the front page of every newspaper.

    Charley Reese's Final column!

    A very interesting column. COMPLETELY NEUTRAL.
    Be sure to Read the Poem at the end..

    Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel... He has been a journalist for 49 years. He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.

    Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.

    This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!

    545 vs. 300,000,000 People
    -By Charlie Reese

    Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

    Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

    Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

    You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

    You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

    You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

    You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

    You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

    One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

    I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

    I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

    Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

    What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.. ( The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.)

    The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House?( John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. ) If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to. [The House has passed a budget but the Senate has not approved a budget in over three years. The President's proposed budgets have gotten almost unanimous rejections in the Senate in that time. ]

    It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

    If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

    If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

    If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ..

    If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

    There are no insoluble government problems.

    Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.
    Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

    Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power.

    They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses. Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees... We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

    Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

    What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
    This might be funny if it weren't so true.
    Be sure to read all the way to the end:

    Tax his land,
    Tax his bed,
    Tax the table,
    At which he's fed.

    Tax his tractor,
    Tax his mule,
    Teach him taxes
    Are the rule.

    Tax his work,
    Tax his pay,
    He works for
    peanuts anyway!

    Tax his cow,
    Tax his goat,
    Tax his pants,
    Tax his coat.

    Tax his ties,
    Tax his shirt,
    Tax his work,
    Tax his dirt.

    Tax his tobacco,
    Tax his drink,
    Tax him if he
    Tries to think.

    Tax his cigars,
    Tax his beers,
    If he cries
    Tax his tears.

    Tax his car,
    Tax his gas,
    Find other ways
    To tax his ass.

    Tax all he has
    Then let him know
    That you won't be done
    Till he has no dough.

    When he screams and hollers;
    Then tax him some more,
    Tax him till
    He's good and sore.

    Then tax his coffin,
    Tax his grave,
    Tax the sod in
    Which he's laid...

    Put these words
    Upon his tomb,
    'Taxes drove me
    to my doom...'

    When he's gone,
    Do not relax,
    Its time to apply
    The inheritance tax.
    Accounts Receivable Tax
    Building Permit Tax
    CDL license Tax
    Cigarette Tax
    Corporate Income Tax
    Dog License Tax
    Excise Taxes
    Federal Income Tax
    Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
    Fishing License Tax
    Food License Tax
    Fuel Permit Tax
    Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
    Gross Receipts Tax
    Hunting License Tax
    Inheritance Tax
    Inventory Tax
    IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
    Liquor Tax
    Luxury Taxes
    Marriage License Tax
    Medicare Tax
    Personal Property Tax
    Property Tax
    Real Estate Tax
    Service Charge Tax
    Social Security Tax
    Road Usage Tax
    Recreational Vehicle Tax
    Sales Tax
    School Tax
    State Income Tax
    State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
    Telephone Federal Excise Tax
    Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
    Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
    Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
    Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
    Telephone State and Local Tax
    Telephone Usage Charge Tax
    Utility Taxes
    Vehicle License Registration Tax
    Vehicle Sales Tax
    Watercraft Registration Tax
    Well Permit Tax
    Workers Compensation Tax

    STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
    Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

    What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
    I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!

    GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN!!!

    SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW

    编译:林胥

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American
  • 打开的窗户

    “我大叔马上就会回来, 纳特尔先生.”一个显得很自信的十二岁小姑娘说. “那时,您才会相信我的话.”
    x683-1.jpg
    佛拉姆款-纳特尔尽力想维持这场谈话,但他却又想不出什么好说的事情来.他也想随和一些,但在这位出奇地高度自信的孩子面前,竟不知如何是好.回想起来,他觉得不应该轻易地对他姐姐的劝告作让步. 这里一切都好, 只是没有那些以前熟悉人们来这陌生的人家串门了.

    在家时,大家就劝佛拉姆顿去乡下度一次闲静的暑假,以治疗他的精神紧张症,当他正准备来这安静的小镇度休假时,他姐姐说:”我知道那里的情况会怎么样.””你整天一个人呆在家里会感到孤独和不愉快的,而且会变得比以前更紧张不安, 等会儿,让我列出一些可以走访的人家的名字给你,以便当你离开家后,在乡下也有一些陪你玩的人.这些人在我所能记得的印象中, 有的是很友好的.”

    现在,弗拉姆顿怀疑正在访问的这家主妇是他姐姐所认为的”很友好”者之一的桑普尔顿太太.

    “您和这周围的许多人都相识吗?”小侄女问道、问话打断了弗拉姆顿的独自回想.”几乎不认识”弗拉姆顿回答说 .”我姐姐四年前一直住在这镇上,我来这里时,她为我写了些信件带给这里的人作为见面介绍之用“。

    ”那么, 您对我大婶也一点不熟,是吗?”,小姑娘问道。

    “仅仅知道她的名字和住址.” 佛拉姆顿回答说。

    弗拉姆顿不知道桑普尔顿太太是不是寡妇,但他认为不是。房子里的一些摆设使他感觉到,桑普尔顿先生仍活着,还住在这房于里.

    “三年前今天,她家里发生了一幕重大悲剧.”富有好奇心的孩子说道, “这发生在您姐姐来访之后,”

    “悲剧?”弗拉姆顿问道,由于某种原因,他不能想象在这样安静的乡村小镇上,一场悲剧给人带来的是什么一种感受。

    “您也许发现了,为什么在十月的下午, 我们一直开着窗户“.小侄女看着通向花园的法式屋门的方向继续说。”每年这种时候气候温暖,”

    弗拉姻顿说,“但这扇窗户和那场悲剧又有什么联系呢?”

    “三年前的今天,我大婶的丈夫和她的两个弟弟,穿过这扇窗户去外面打野鸭子.然而他们从那以后就再没回来,我们不熟悉周围的详细情况,但我们推测,跨过这片空地就是他们喜欢打猎的地方了.他们一定陷入了泥沼之中.这在平时是安全的地方, 但在这倒霉潮湿的秋天也变的非常危险了, 更可怜的是,他们的尸体也没有找到!”

    孩子犹豫一下. 过了一会儿,她那使弗拉姆烦恼得出奇的自信的神态似乎减轻了些. “ 我大婶确信他们有一天会回来,他们和那随他们一起失去的仅有的褐色猎狗,会像他们过去一样,从那扇窗户走进来.这就是为什么这扇窗户一直开着,直到天色很晚才关的原因。太悲惨了!我大婶时常和我说起他们出去时的情景,他丈夫穿一件白色雨衣, 罗尼,她的弟弟……您知道,有时在像今天这样静的夜晚里,我好像特别感觉到;他们会通过这扇窗户走进来似的”, 幸好,这时她大婶走进来,打断了孩子的离奇故事. “我是桑普尔顿太太,”她自我介绍说。

    “很抱歉,让您久等了,纳特尔先生, 希望我的小侄女维拉让你高兴.”

    “她很有趣.”弗拉姻顿客套似的回答说.”我希望您对开着的这扇窗户不要介意,”桑普尔顿大太用和气的语调说,”我丈夫和我的兄弟马上就要从外面打野鸭子回来了. 我想他的肯定会像别人一样,会在这地毯上留下泥印的, 对吧?大婶笑着问.

    她继续谈论打猎和野鸭子的数量现在变少以及冬天打猎的问题.弗拉姆顿显得很不舒服,他试图谈些别的能减少恐惧的事情,但未见效.因为桑普尔顿太太几乎就没听他说一个字。她一直眼睛瞟着他身后开着的窗户和花园的外边. 来访者显得越来越不安。

    假如早知道今天是个可悲的纪念日,他决不会在这种时间访问桑普尔顿太太,他希望现在他躺在自己家的床上休息就好了,但又因客气而不好意思告辞,于是佛拉姆顿又试图换一个话题. 他说,“医生们告诉我,去度一次安静的暑假: —- 没有噪声, 没有刺激,避免做任何体育锻炼.”弗拉姆顿说,”在饮食上,他们倒没有提出什么要求”.

    女主人听完 尽力想发现弗拉姆顿对自己病情迟钝的描述中令人感兴趣的东西. 这时,她突然从椅子的边缘站起来, 显得有点紧张不安–但不是弗拉顿刚谈及的那种紧张不安. “应该是他们回来了!”她用高兴的语调喊道.”正是用茶的时候,你看看他们是不是浑身上下都是泥巴?”

    弗拉姆顿转向小侄女,想表示出某种同情的神态来.只见小姑娘眼睛睁得很大,带着恐怖神色,凝视看开着的窗户.突然感到一阵毛骨悚然的冷风吹来,佛拉姆顿环顾了自己座位的周围,也转向同一方向. 天几乎黑了,但他们仍能看见三个人影慢慢地横过花园朝窗户走来,每人身上都背着来福枪,其中一人肩上披着一件白色雨衣,一条疲乏不堪的褐色狗跟在他们的身后,当他们走近房子时, 其中一人喊道:”我们回来了,亲爱的.”

    弗拉姆顿心里顿时充满了恐怖之感,从椅子上”嗖”地跳起来,也不知道他要去哪.只见他冲出小屋、越过厅堂, 跑出前门、夺路而逃,开摩托车的男人把车开到了路边才避免了这场碰撞事故.

    “尽否我们浑身是泥,但基本上是干的.穿白色雨衣的人穿过那窗户时说.”顺便问一下,刚才当我们走近时,那个从这里匆忙跑出的人是谁?”

    “一个非常特别的人, 纳尔特先生”桑普尔顿太太解释说,”他刚了谈到他自己的病情时,你们就回来了,这时他突然脸色变白,连一声再见或其它解释之类的话都未说就跑出去了。他的举动简直就像看见鬼似的,我无法想象究竟发生了什么事情…..”

    “我怀疑这是因为那只狗.”小侄女带着神秘的微笑解释说.他告诉我他怕狗,他曾经在印度恒河附近被凶恶的狗袭击过. 他跑出去是想藏在他准备在那过夜的坟地的空墓中, 避免那可恶的动物再追逐他.有过这种经历, 它使任何人都会表现出奇怪的举动来!”

    作者: Skaki 萨基(1870-1906) 英国人

    《the open window》是作者传世名篇之一,在不长的篇幅中,让一位才思敏捷的女孩编造了一个小小的故事,使得有点神经紧张的来客丧魂落魄而逃,过后却又机灵地掩饰过去,使读者也随着先是一惊,然后才又松了一口气感觉.

    (译文稍有改动), 译者:王平

    发布在 互动博客InteractiveBlogs
  • 罄竹难书:除了这些小瑕疵,大总统完美无缺

    我之前一直批评特朗普的总统任期,现在仍然如此。

    但公平地说,特朗普总统并非那么糟糕,除了他煽动了对政府的叛乱,

    在疫情管理不善,导致超过一百万美国人死亡,
    称新纳粹分子为“非常好的人”,

    将儿童与他们的家庭分离,

    在官僚体系中失去了这些儿童,

    在拉斐特广场上对和平抗议者使用催泪瓦斯,以便他能在教堂前手持圣经拍照,

    试图禁止所有穆斯林进入美国,

    被弹劾,

    再次被弹劾,

    拥有现代历史上任何总统中最差的就业记录,

    向乌克兰施压以挖掘乔·拜登的黑料,

    因为FBI调查他与俄罗斯的关系而解雇了FBI局长,

    在电视上吹嘘解雇FBI局长,

    相信普京的话而不是美国情报界,

    挪用军事资金建造他的墙,

    导致美国历史上最长的政府关门,

    称“黑Lives Matter”为“仇恨的象征”,

    撒谎超过3万次,

    禁止跨性别者参军,

    将提出尖锐问题的记者逐出白宫简报室,

    否决国防拨款法案,因为它将以邦联士兵命名的军事基地改名,

    拒绝公布他的纳税申报表,

    使国家债务增加了近8万亿美元,

    拥有美国历史上三个最高的年度贸易赤字,

    称在战斗中死去的退伍军人和士兵为“失败者和傻瓜”,

    在沙特领导人下令处决并肢解一名美国记者后对其进行纵容,

    拒绝承认2020年选举结果,

    聘用他不合格的女儿和女婿在白宫工作,

    在接受莱斯利·斯塔尔采访时离场,

    建议人们将漂白剂注入体内以对抗COVID,

    抛弃我们的库尔德盟友给土耳其,

    为最富有人群推动大规模减税,但不愿帮助工薪阶层美国人,

    在疫情高峰期煽动几个州的反对封锁抗议者,

    将美国退出巴黎气候协定,

    将美国退出伊朗核协议,

    将美国退出旨在阻止中国前进的跨太平洋伙伴关系,

    在推特上侮辱他自己的内阁成员,

    在拍照时将黑山领导人推开,

    未能重申美国对保卫北约盟友的承诺,

    称海地和非洲国家为“粪坑国家”,

    称巴尔的摩市为“全国最差”,

    声称他单枪匹马让“圣诞快乐”这个词重新流行,尽管它从未消失,

    强迫他的内阁成员像邪教领袖一样公开赞美他,

    相信自己应该获得诺贝尔和平奖,

    在司法部长因俄罗斯调查而回避时对其进行责骂和贬低,

    建议美国应该购买格陵兰岛,

    与米奇·麦康奈尔勾结推动联邦法官和两名最高法院大法官的任命,支持阻止前任任命法官的努力,

    反复称媒体为“人民的敌人”,

    声称如果我们少测试COVID就会有更少的病例,

    违反了薪酬条款,

    认为“纳米比亚”是一个国家,

    私下对鲍勃·伍德沃德说冠状病毒是个大问题,但在公开场合淡化其严重性,

    称对他极为忠诚的副总统因遵守宪法而是“懦夫”,

    在推特上威胁伊朗后几乎让我们与伊朗开战,

    提名了一名腐败的环保署负责人,

    提名了一名腐败的卫生与公众服务部负责人,

    提名了一名腐败的内政部负责人,

    提名了一名腐败的农业部负责人,

    赞扬世界各地的独裁者和专制者,同时批评盟友,

    拒绝允许总统过渡开始,

    侮辱战英雄约翰·麦凯恩——甚至在他去世后,

    在批评巴拉克·奥巴马打高尔夫球(次数远少于他)后,自己花了大量时间打高尔夫球,

    错误地声称他赢得了2016年的普选,

    称伦敦的穆斯林市长为“冷酷的失败者”,

    错误地声称他拒绝了《时代》杂志的年度人物称号,

    多次考虑解雇特别检察官罗伯特·穆勒,

    嘲笑戴口罩以防止传播COVID的行为,

    通过任命代理官员,锁定了国会确认内阁官员的宪法职责,

    使用种族主义的狗哨,称COVID为“中国病毒”,

    雇用并与许多最终被判联邦罪行的可疑人物交往,包括他的竞选经理和国家安全顾问,

    赦免了他的几个可疑同伙,

    将总统自由勋章授予两名放大他疯狂阴谋论的国会议员,

    与澳大利亚领导人发生电话争吵(!),

    有一位称他为白痴的国务卿,

    强迫他的新闻秘书毫无根据地声称他的就职典礼人群是历史上最大的,

    搞砸了COVID疫苗的推出,

    发了太多危险的宣传推文,最终被Twitter封禁,

    向特勤局收取高于市场价格的费用,

    在与乔·拜登的第一次总统辩论中不断打断对方,

    声称COVID会“神奇地”消失,

    称一位美国参议员为“波卡洪塔斯”,

    在诺德斯特龙停止销售伊万卡的商品时,用推特账号抨击该公司,

    开放了数百万英亩原始联邦土地用于开发和钻探,

    与中国陷入了一场失败的关税战,迫使美国纳税人救助农民,

    声称他输掉的关税战是美国的胜利,

    忽视或甚至不参与每日情报简报,

    因为下雨而放弃在法国纪念美国战死者,

    重新设计空军一号使其看起来像特朗普班车,

    被金正恩及其“情书”玩弄,

    威胁要违宪地对付社交媒体公司,

    搞砸了对波多黎各飓风玛丽亚的应对,

    在最终访问波多黎各时向他们扔纸巾,

    向佐治亚州州长和州务卿施压,要求他们“找到”选票,

    认为维尔京群岛有总统,

    用马克笔在地图上涂改,以证明他关于阿拉巴马受飓风威胁的不准确推文,

    允许白宫工作人员在官方业务中使用个人电子邮件账户,此前他曾因希拉里·克林顿这样做而抨击她,

    取消了对公众免受汞和石棉危害的法规,

    推动监管机构浪费时间研究COVID的蛇油疗法,

    取消了阻止煤炭公司向河流倾倒废物的法规,

    在白宫举行明显的竞选集会,

    试图因为法律以一个黑人命名而剥夺数百万美国人的医疗保险,

    拒绝参加继任者的就职典礼,

    提名了历史上最差的教育部长,

    威胁不按他意愿行事的法官,

    攻击安东尼·福奇博士,

    承诺墨西哥会为墙付钱(并未发生),

    允许政治黑客否决政府科学家关于气候变化和其他问题的主要报告,

    在声称对手虚弱后,自己在坡道上行走困难,

    称一位非裔美国国会议员“低智商”,

    威胁要扣留对民主党领导的州和城市的联邦援助,

    在疫情期间举行充满无口罩支持者的集会,

    声称对他不当行为的合法调查是“猎巫”,

    似乎认为美国革命期间有机场,

    要求FBI局长“完全忠诚”,

    赞扬民主党是撒旦恋童癖的阴谋论,

    彻底摧毁了美国之音,

    任命一名政治黑客掌管邮政服务,

    毫无证据地声称奥巴马政府窃听了特朗普大厦,

    建议美国应允许更多来自挪威等地的人入境,

    建议COVID没那么严重,因为他在顶级政府医生和公众无法获得的治疗帮助下康复,

    推翻了连行业都支持的节能标准,

    减少了美国接受的难民数量,

    用幼稚的绰号侮辱国会议员和媒体的各个成员,

    在国情咨文演讲中将总统自由勋章授予拉什·林博,

    任命一名29岁的联邦人事负责人,此人此前因财务不当指控被白宫解雇,

    取消了白宫的流行病应对办公室,

    将士兵用作竞选道具,

    解雇任何敢于反对他的顾问,

    要求五角大楼为他举行苏联式军事游行,

    雇佣了一大堆白人民族主义者,

    将公务员体系政治化,

    在俄罗斯黑客攻击美国政府后毫无作为,

    谎称童子军打电话给他,说他在童军大会上的怪演讲是给童军的最佳演讲,

    声称如果拜登获胜,黑人将占领郊区,

    侮辱有色人种记者,

    侮辱女性记者,侮辱有色人种女性记者,

    暗示他对中国压迫维吾尔人没意见,

    在最高法院裁决对他不利时攻击法院,

    召集宾夕法尼亚州立法领导人到白宫,施压他们推翻选举结果,

    每天花无数小时看福克斯新闻,

    拒绝让他的政府遵守国会传票,

    雇佣鲁迪·朱利安尼作为他的律师,

    试图惩罚亚马逊,因为杰夫·贝佐斯拥有的《华盛顿邮报》写了关于他的负面报道,

    表现得好像美国司法部长是他的私人律师,

    试图让联邦政府在一女性指控他性侵犯的诽谤诉讼中为他辩护,

    与普京举行私人会晤,没有工作人员在场,

    不披露他与普京的私人会晤,以至于美国必须通过俄罗斯媒体了解情况,

    数月不举行新闻发布会,

    “命令”美国公司离开中国,尽管他没有这种权力,

    领导一个甚至懒得起草政策纲领的政党,

    荒谬地声称宪法第二条赋予他绝对权力,

    试图向英国施压,让英国公开赛在他的高尔夫球场举行,

    建议政府用核弹对付飓风,

    建议风力涡轮机导致癌症,

    说他有特殊的科学天赋,

    在2020年选举被证明安全后解雇了选举网络安全负责人,

    向俄罗斯官员泄露机密信息,

    试图强迫G7在他失败的高尔夫度假村开会,

    在代理司法部长拒绝配合他违宪的穆斯林旅行禁令时解雇她,

    雇佣了斯蒂芬·米勒,

    在马阿拉歌的餐厅公开讨论国家安全问题,所有人都能听到,

    干扰FBI搬迁计划,因为新开发项目可能与他酒店竞争,

    抛弃在战争中帮助美国的伊拉克难民,

    试图让俄罗斯重返G7,

    在玫瑰园举行COVID超级传播活动,

    似乎相信弗雷德里克·道格拉斯还活着,

    在法庭上输掉了60起选举欺诈案件,包括在他提名的法官面前,

    错误地声称工厂重新开放,其实并未如此,

    无耻地利用欧洲的恐怖袭击为他的反移民政策辩护,

    仍未提出医疗计划,

    尽管多次举办“基础设施周”,仍未提出基础设施计划,

    在感染COVID时强迫特勤局特工开车带他绕沃尔特·里德医院,

    告诉“骄傲男孩”要“待命待命”,

    搞砸了人口普查措辞,

    在疫情期间将美国退出世界卫生组织,

    他执行的职责如此之少,以至于他的新闻团队被迫在他的日程表上写道:“特朗普总统将从清晨工作到深夜。他将打很多电话,参加很多会议”,

    允许他的工作人员反复违反《哈奇法案》,

    似乎不知道亚伯拉罕·林肯是共和党人,

    站在神圣的CIA英雄墙前吹嘘他的选举胜利,

    不断声称自己比任何总统受到的待遇都差(这可能包括四位被暗杀的总统,以及他的前任,其合法性和出生地被一个名叫唐纳德·特朗普的种族主义真人秀明星质疑),

    声称安德鲁·杰克逊本可以阻止内战,尽管他在内战前16年就去世了,

    说任何显示他落后的民意调查都是假的,

    声称在他当选总统前其他国家嘲笑我们,而几位世界领导人实际上在嘲笑他,

    声称在他当选总统前军方弹药耗尽,

    成立了一个粉饰美国历史的委员会,

    转发了英国最种族主义者之一的反伊斯兰视频,

    荒谬地声称如果有人有枪,脉冲夜总会枪击案就不会发生,尽管那里有武装保安,

    雇佣了一位高级职员,她引用不存在的“鲍灵格林大屠杀”作为禁止穆斯林的理由,

    有一位新闻秘书声称纳粹德国从未使用化学武器,尽管每个理智的人都知道他们用毒气杀害了数百万犹太人和其他人,

    以高于市场价的价格向特勤局收费,当他们不得不住在特朗普的物业时,

    显然在他离开白宫时卖了赦免,

    剥夺了59,000海地人的保护地位,

    错误地声称拜登想取消警察经费,

    说疾病控制与预防中心负责人不知道自己在说什么,

    试图取消对“梦想者”的保护,

    给自己应对疫情的表现打了A+,

    试图因网络谣言抵制固特异轮胎,

    说如果不计算蓝州,美国的COVID感染率会更低,

    驱逐了为国家服务的无证美国退伍军人,

    声称他为非裔美国人做的比林肯以来的任何总统都多,

    吹嘘一种“超厉害”的秘密“水声”导弹,可能是一种新的“高超音速”导弹,也可能根本不存在,

    转发了一个称拜登为恋童癖的gif,

    为家人强制通过安全许可,

    建议警察应该粗暴对待嫌疑人,

    建议拜登在使用兴奋剂,

    试图阻止跨性别学生按照性别认同使用学校厕所,

    建议美国不接受游轮上的COVID患者,因为这会让美国数字看起来更高,

    提名了一位气候变化怀疑论者主持白宫环境政策顾问委员会,

    转发了一段被篡改的视频,看起来像是拜登在竞选活动中播放了一首名为“Fuck tha Police”的歌,

    拥抱了数量惊人的美国国旗,

    指责民主党在国情咨文演讲中不鼓掌是“叛国”,

    声称FBI未能抓住帕克兰学校枪手,

    因为他们“花太多时间”在俄罗斯问题上,

    嘲笑克里斯汀·布拉西·福特博士在指控布雷特·卡瓦诺性侵时的证词,

    对低流量厕所着迷,

    在没有疫苗可释放时下令重新释放更多COVID疫苗,

    呼吁建造一个奇怪的英雄花园,里面有著名已故美国人和至少一个加拿大人(亚历克斯·特雷贝克)的雕像,

    劫持了华盛顿7月4日的庆祝活动,发表了一场党派演讲,

    听取了MyPillow家伙的建议,

    声称寻求在美国过上更好生活的移民是危险的毒贩和强奸犯车队,

    在普京毒害一名主要反对派人物时保持沉默,

    似乎从未听从他妻子“做最好”的活动建议,

    错误地声称邮寄投票有欺诈,尽管他自己也通过邮寄投票,

    宣布从叙利亚仓促撤军,这不仅让俄罗斯和ISIS获胜,还促使他的国防部长抗议辞职,

    侮辱加拿大领导人,

    侮辱法国领导人,

    侮辱英国领导人,

    侮辱德国领导人,

    侮辱瑞典领导人(瑞典!!),

    错误地声称他让北约成员增加了会费份额,

    错过了两次亚洲峰会,尽管它们是以虚拟方式举行,

    继续谎称与9/11救援人员在世贸中心度过了很多时间,

    说如果美国遭到攻击,日本会坐下来看他们的“索尼电视”,

    在一怒之下提前离开北约峰会,

    直视日食,尽管每个5岁以上的人都知道不能这样做,

    称自己是一个非常稳定的天才,尽管有大量相反证据,

    拒绝承诺和平移交权力,并兑现了他的承诺,

    还有一大堆我现在记不起来的其他事情。

    但除此之外……🤷🏽♀️ 他是一个伟大的总统 😃
    所有这些都有据可查——我很希望有人能向我证明其中任何一条是错误的,我会修正特朗普所作所为的记录簿!

    编译:林胥
    ———————————-

    英文原文:来自脸书
    作者:佚名
    I’ve been critical of the Trump presidency before and I still am.

    But to be fair, President Trump wasn’t that bad, other than when he incited an insurrection against the government,

    Mismanaged a pandemic that killed over a million Americans,
    Called neo-Nazis “very fine people,”

    Separated children from their families,

    Lost those children in the bureaucracy,

    Tear-gassed peaceful protesters on Lafayette Square so he could hold a photo op holding a Bible in front of a church,

    Tried to block all Muslims from entering the country,

    Got impeached,

    Got impeached again,

    Had the worst jobs record of any president in modern history,

    Pressured Ukraine to dig dirt on Joe Biden,

    Fired the FBI director for investigating his ties to Russia,

    Bragged about firing the FBI director on TV,

    Took Vladimir Putin’s word over the US intelligence community,

    Diverted military funding to build his wall,

    Caused the longest government shutdown in US history,

    Called Black Lives Matter a “symbol of hate,”

    Lied over 30,000 times,

    Banned transgender people from serving in the military,

    Ejected reporters from the White House briefing room who asked tough questions,

    Vetoed the defense funding bill because it renamed military bases named for Confederate soldiers,

    Refused to release his tax returns,

    Increased the national debt by nearly $8 trillion,

    Had three of the highest annual trade deficits in U.S. history,

    Called veterans and soldiers who died in combat losers and suckers,

    Coddled the leader of Saudi Arabia after he ordered the execution and dismembering of a US-based journalist,

    Refused to concede the 2020 election,

    Hired his unqualified daughter and son-in-law to work in the White House,

    Walked out of an interview with Lesley Stahl,

    Suggested that people should inject bleach into their bodies to fight COVID,

    Abandoned our allies the Kurds to Turkey,

    Pushed through massive tax cuts for the wealthiest but balked at helping working Americans,

    Incited anti-lockdown protestors in several states at the height of the pandemic,

    Withdrew the US from the Paris climate accords,

    Withdrew the US from the Iranian nuclear deal,

    Withdrew the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership which was designed to block China’s advances,

    Insulted his own Cabinet members on Twitter,

    Pushed the leader of Montenegro out of the way during a photo op,

    Failed to reiterate US commitment to defending NATO allies,

    Called Haiti and African nations “shithole” countries,

    Called the city of Baltimore the “worst in the nation,”

    Claimed that he single handedly brought back the phrase “Merry Christmas” even though it hadn’t gone anywhere,

    Forced his Cabinet members to praise him publicly like some cult leader,

    Believed he should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,

    Berated and belittled his hand-picked Attorney General when he recused himself from the Russia probe,

    Suggested the US should buy Greenland,

    Colluded with Mitch McConnell to push through federal judges and two Supreme Court justices, after supporting efforts to prevent his predecessor from appointing judges,

    Repeatedly called the media “enemies of the people,”

    Claimed that if we tested fewer people for COVID we’d have fewer cases,

    Violated the emoluments clause,

    Thought that Nambia was a country,

    Told Bob Woodward in private that the coronavirus was a big deal but then downplayed it in public,

    Called his exceedingly faithful vice president a “p---y” for following the Constitution,

    Nearly got us into a war with Iran after threatening them by tweet,

    Nominated a corrupt head of the EPA,

    Nominated a corrupt head of HHS,

    Nominated a corrupt head of the Interior Department,

    Nominated a corrupt head of the USDA,

    Praised dictators and authoritarians around the world while criticizing allies,

    Refused to allow the presidential transition to begin,

    Insulted war hero John McCain – even after his death,

    Spent an obscene amount of time playing golf after criticizing Barack Obama for playing (far less) golf while president,

    Falsely claimed that he won the 2016 popular vote,

    Called the Muslim mayor of London a “stone cold loser,”

    Falsely claimed that he turned down being Time’s Man of the Year,

    Considered firing special counsel Robert Mueller on several occasions,

    Mocked wearing face masks to guard against transmitting COVID,

    Locked Congress out of its constitutional duty to confirm Cabinet officials by hiring acting ones,

    Used a racist dog whistle by calling COVID the “China virus,”

    Hired and associated with numerous shady figures that were eventually convicted of federal offenses including his campaign manager and national security adviser,

    Pardoned several of his shady associates,

    Gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to two congressman who amplified his bat shit crazy conspiracy theories,

    Got into telephone fight with the leader of Australia(!),

    Had a Secretary of State who called him a moron,

    Forced his press secretary to claim without merit that his was the largest inauguration crowd in history,

    Botched the COVID vaccine rollout,

    Tweeted so much dangerous propaganda that Twitter eventually banned him,

    Charged the Secret Service jacked-up rates at his properties,

    Constantly interrupted Joe Biden in their first presidential debate,

    Claimed that COVID would “magically” disappear,

    Called a U.S. Senator “Pocahontas,”

    Used his Twitter account to blast Nordstrom when it stopped selling Ivanka’s merchandise,

    Opened up millions of pristine federal lands to development and drilling,

    Got into a losing tariff war with China that forced US taxpayers to bail out farmers,

    Claimed that his losing tariff war was a win for the US,

    Ignored or didn’t even take part in daily intelligence briefings,

    Blew off honoring American war dead in France because it was raining,

    Redesigned Air Force One to look like the Trump Shuttle,

    Got played by Kim Jung Un and his “love letters,”

    Threatened to go after social media companies in clear violation of the Constitution,

    Botched the response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico,

    Threw paper towels at Puerto Ricans when he finally visited them,

    Pressured the governor and secretary of state of Georgia to “find” him votes,

    Thought that the Virgin islands had a President,

    Drew on a map with a Sharpie to justify his inaccurate tweet that Alabama was threatened by a hurricane,

    Allowed White House staff to use personal email accounts for official businesses after blasting Hillary Clinton for doing the same thing,

    Rolled back regulations that protected the public from mercury and asbestos,

    Pushed regulators to waste time studying snake-oil remedies for COVID,

    Rolled back regulations that stopped coal companies from dumping waste into rivers,

    Held blatant campaign rallies at the White House,

    Tried to take away millions of Americans’ health insurance because the law was named for a Black man,

    Refused to attend his successors’ inauguration,

    Nominated the worst Education Secretary in history,

    Threatened judges who didn’t do what he wanted,

    Attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci,

    Promised that Mexico would pay for the wall (it didn’t),

    Allowed political hacks to overrule government scientists on major reports on climate change and other issues,

    Struggled navigating a ramp after claiming his opponent was feeble,

    Called an African-American Congresswoman “low IQ,”

    Threatened to withhold federal aid from states and cities with Democratic leaders,

    Went ahead with rallies filled with maskless supporters in the middle of a pandemic,

    Claimed that legitimate investigations of his wrongdoing were “witch hunts,”

    Seemed to demonstrate a belief that there were airports during the American Revolution,

    Demanded “total loyalty” from the FBI director,

    Praised a conspiracy theory that Democrats are Satanic pedophiles,

    Completely gutted the Voice of America,

    Placed a political hack in charge of the Postal Service,

    Claimed without evidence that the Obama administration bugged Trump Tower,

    Suggested that the US should allow more people from places like Norway into the country,

    Suggested that COVID wasn’t that bad because he recovered with the help of top government doctors and treatments not available to the public,

    Overturned energy conservation standards that even industry supported,

    Reduced the number of refugees the US accepts,

    Insulted various members of Congress and the media with infantile nicknames,

    Gave Rush Limbaugh a Presidential medal of Freedom at the State of the Union address,

    Named as head of federal personnel a 29-year old who’d previously been fired from the White House for allegations of financial improprieties,

    Eliminated the White House office of pandemic response,
    Used soldiers as campaign props,

    Fired any advisor who made the mistake of disagreeing with him,
    Demanded the Pentagon throw him a Soviet-style military parade,

    Hired a shit ton of white nationalists,

    Politicized the civil service,

    Did absolutely nothing after Russia hacked the U.S. government,

    Falsely said the Boy Scouts called him to say his bizarre Jamboree speech was the best speech ever given to the Scouts,

    Claimed that Black people would overrun the suburbs if Biden won,

    Insulted reporters of color,

    Insulted women reporters, insulted women reporters of color,

    Suggested he was fine with China’s oppression of the Uighurs,

    Attacked the Supreme Court when it ruled against him,

    Summoned Pennsylvania state legislative leaders to the White House, to pressure them to overturn the election,

    Spent countless hours every day watching Fox News,

    Refused to allow his administration to comply with Congressional subpoenas,

    Hired Rudy Giuliani as his lawyer,

    Tried to punish Amazon because the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post wrote negative stories about him,

    Acted as if the Attorney General of the United States was his personal attorney,
    Attempted to get the federal government to defend him in a libel lawsuit from a women who accused him of sexual assault,

    Held private meetings with Vladimir Putin without staff present,

    Didn’t disclose his private meetings with Vladimir Putin so that the US had to find out via Russian media,

    Stopped holding press briefings for months at a time,

    “Ordered” US companies to leave China even though he has no such power,

    Led a political party that couldn’t even be bothered to draft a policy platform,

    Claimed preposterously that Article II of the Constitution gave him absolute powers,

    Tried to pressure the U.K. to hold the British Open at his golf course,

    Suggested that the government nuke hurricanes,

    Suggested that wind turbines cause cancer,

    Said that he had a special aptitude for science,

    Fired the head of election cyber security after he said that the 2020 election was secure,

    Blurted out classified information to Russian officials,

    Tried to force the G7 to hold their meeting at his failing golf resort in Florida,

    Fired the acting attorney general when she refused to go along with his unconstitutional Muslim travel ban,

    Hired Stephen Miller,

    Openly discussed national security issues in the dining room at Mar-a-Lago where everyone could hear them,

    Interfered with plans to relocate the FBI because a new development there might compete with his hotel,

    Abandoned Iraqi refugees who’d helped the U.S. during the war,
    Tried to get Russia back into the G7,

    Held a COVID super spreader event in the Rose Garden,

    Seemed to believe that Frederick Douglass is still alive,

    Lost 60 election fraud cases in court including before judges he had nominated,

    Falsely claimed that factories were reopening when they weren’t,

    Shamelessly exploited terror attacks in Europe to justify his anti-immigrant policies,

    Still hasn’t come up with a healthcare plan,

    Still hasn’t come up with an infrastructure plan despite repeated “Infrastructure Weeks,”

    Forced Secret Service agents to drive him around Walter Reed while contagious with COVID,

    Told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by,”

    Screwed up the Census wording,

    Withdrew the U.S. from the World Health Organization in the middle of a pandemic,

    Did so few of his duties that his press staff were forced to state on his daily schedule: “President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings,”

    Allowed his staff to repeatedly violate the Hatch Act,

    Seemed not to know that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican,
    Stood before sacred CIA wall of heroes and bragged about his election win,

    Constantly claimed he was treated worse than any president, (which presumably includes four that were assassinated, and his predecessor whose legitimacy and birthplace were challenged by a racist reality TV show star named Donald Trump),

    Claimed Andrew Jackson could’ve stopped the Civil War even though he died 16 years before it happened,

    Said that any opinion poll showing him behind was fake,

    Claimed that other countries laughed at us before he became president when several world leaders were literally laughing at him,

    Claimed that the military was out of ammunition before he became President,

    Created a commission to whitewash American history,

    Retweeted anti-Islam videos from one of the most racist people in Britain,

    Claimed ludicrously that the Pulse nightclub shooting wouldn’t have happened if someone there had a gun even though there was an armed security guard there,

    Hired a senior staffer who cited the non-existent "Bowling Green Massacre" as a reason to ban Muslims,

    Had a press secretary who claimed that Nazi Germany never used chemical weapons even though every sane human being knows they used gas to kill millions of Jews and others,

    Bilked the Secret Service for higher than market rates when they had to stay at Trump properties,

    Apparently sold pardons on his way out of the White House,
    Stripped protective status from 59,000 Haitians,

    Falsely claimed Biden wanted to de-fund the police,

    Said that the head of the CDC didn’t know what he was talking about,

    Tried to rescind protection from DREAMers,

    Gave himself an A+ for his handling of the pandemic,

    Tried to start a boycott of Goodyear tires due to an Internet hoax,
    Said U.S. rates of COVID would be lower if you didn’t count blue states,

    Deported U.S. veterans who served their country but were undocumented,

    Claimed he did more for African Americans than any president since Lincoln,

    Touted a “super-duper” secret “hydrosonic” missile, which may or may not be a new “hypersonic” missile, or may not exist at all,

    Retweeted a gif calling Biden a pedophile,

    Forced through security clearances for his family,

    Suggested that police officers should rough up suspects,

    Suggested that Biden was on performance-enhancing drugs,

    Tried to stop transgender students from being able to use school bathrooms in line with their gender identification,

    Suggested the US not accept COVID patients from a cruise ship because it would make US numbers look higher,

    Nominated a climate change skeptic to chair the committee advising the White House on environmental policy,

    Retweeted a video doctored to look like Biden had played a song called “Fuck tha Police” at a campaign event,

    Hugged a disturbingly large number of U.S. flags,

    Accused Democrats of “treason” for not applauding his State of the Union address,

    Claimed that the FBI failed to capture the Parkland school shooter,

    because they were “spending too much time” on Russia,

    Mocked the testimony of Dr Christine Blasey Ford when she accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault,

    Obsessed over low-flow toilets,

    Ordered the re-release of more COVID vaccines when there weren’t any to release,

    Called for the construction of a bizarre garden of heroes with statutes of famous dead Americans as well as at least one Canadian (Alex Trebek),

    Hijacked Washington’s July 4th celebrations to give a partisan speech,

    Took advice from the MyPillow guy,

    Claimed that migrants seeking a better life in the US were dangerous caravans of drug dealers and rapists,

    Said nothing when Vladimir Putin poisoned a leading opposition figure,

    Never seemed to heed the advice of his wife’s “Be Best” campaign,

    Falsely claimed that mail-in voting is fraudulent, though he, (himself), votes by mail,

    Announced a precipitous withdrawal of troops from Syria which not only handed Russia and ISIS a win but also prompted his defense secretary to resign in protest,

    Insulted the leader of Canada,

    Insulted the leader of France,

    Insulted the leader of Britain,

    Insulted the leader of Germany,

    Insulted the leader of Sweden (Sweden!!),

    Falsely claimed credit for getting NATO members to increase their share of dues,

    Blew off two Asia summits even though they were held virtually,

    Continued lying about spending lots of time at Ground Zero with 9/11 responders,

    Said that the Japanese would sit back and watch their “Sony televisions” if the US were ever attacked,

    Left a NATO summit early in a huff,

    Stared directly into an eclipse even though everyone over the age of 5 knows not to do that,

    Called himself a very stable genius despite significant evidence to the contrary,

    Refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and kept his promise,

    and a whole bunch of other things I can’t remember at the moment.

    But other than that. . . 🤷🏽♀️ He was a great President 😃
    All documented - - I would LOVE for anyone to show me proof that any of these are WRONG, and I will correct the Record Book of what Trump did!

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American
  • 复仇与毁灭:他为何誓要摧毁乌克兰与泽连斯基

    这不是他想让普京赢。
    这只是复仇,纯粹的复仇。

    他想摧毁泽连斯基,摧毁乌克兰,摧毁地球上每一个乌克兰人。

    为什么?因为在他上一次执政期间,他在全世界面前遭受了彻底的羞辱。

    他曾是美国总统,却连这样一个小国都无法胁迫,无法让它提供那样一个简单的东西——“拜登的黑料”。仅此而已。

    结果呢?他什么也没得到。

    更糟糕的是,他被法院和国会推翻。他被揭露,被否定,被调查。

    他被弹劾了。

    他本来希望赢得普京的钦佩和尊重,结果却成了一个彻头彻尾的失败者,一个笑柄。他和他整个自封的“黑手党”组织都成了笑柄。

    人们对1月6日国会骚乱那天的记忆,最深刻的就是那个戴着牛角帽、像小狗一样嚎叫的男人。

    人们对他“窃取选举”的指控和“大谎言”案件的记忆,则是朱利安尼的染发剂滴落,以及他那帮小丑律师在一个汽修厂门口开记者会的荒诞场面。

    他们记得他那屈辱的第二次弹劾。

    他总统生涯的结尾,成了笑话,成了无数梗图的素材。他灰溜溜地离开,站在机场跑道上,只有家人和雇员为他鼓掌,而其他所有人都去参加了总统就职典礼。

    而这一切——全都是因为泽连斯基拒绝帮他这个“世界上最有权势的人”一个小忙。

    所以,不,这次不关普京的事。

    他不是想把乌克兰当作礼物送给普京。他想让乌克兰的每一寸土地都化为灰烬。他想让乌克兰人民被消灭。他要让普京只剩下一片废墟。

    他甚至要对付在美国的乌克兰难民,撤销他们的保护身份,把他们驱逐回去,让他们被彻底毁灭。

    他也没有要求俄罗斯归还那些被绑架的乌克兰儿童。他无所谓这些孩子被当作俄罗斯人养大,忘记自己曾是乌克兰人。

    但在这一切发生之前,他还要先递给泽连斯基一根假橄榄枝,给他一丝希望。他要让泽连斯基为了这点希望而低声下气,匍匐在他脚下,在全世界面前恳求他的怜悯。

    不,不是全世界。是欧洲。他要让整个欧洲为曾经对他的轻蔑而忏悔。他要让他们害怕自己也会遭遇同样的命运,害怕他们的生命,害怕他们的安全。他要让他们也跪下来求他。

    还有加拿大。

    至于澳大利亚,他已经得到了他们的“尊重”。在太平洋地区,这对他来说就够了。至于中国,那随它去。台湾、韩国、日本——这些国家的人对他来说根本不重要。

    印度,只要他们记得他是老板,他们都得听他的。他最在意的,就是让人们知道自己的位置。

    以色列,这个得特殊对待,以取悦他的“虔诚基督徒”支持者——直到世界末日到来。但在那之前,他得先建好自己的加沙度假村。等世界末日过后,那片美丽的海滨地块仍然会在那里,而它的主人,依旧是他。

    至于南美和非洲,它们在他的计划里根本没有位置。他当然不会再给它们提供任何援助——无论是金钱、粮食,还是药品。如果再来一次全球疫情,就让它顺势“减少剩余人口”吧,正如斯克鲁奇所说的那样。聪明的商人,那个斯克鲁奇。可惜最后心软了。

    与此同时,他正在彻底拆解曾在上次任期内违抗他的美国政府,打造一个全新的企业化模式——充满唯唯诺诺的附庸和迎合者,终于让他得到他认为自己应得的服从。

    也许到那时,普京才会真正尊重他。

    如果不尊重……嗯,也许他会让皮特(Pete)直接扔颗炸弹过去。

    他现在还需要普京吗?

    ———————————

    英文原文:
    作者:佚名

    No. This is not him wanting Putin to win.
    This is REVENGE, pure and simple.

    He wants to destroy Zelenskyy, destroy Ukraine, and destroy every single Ukrainian on Earth.

    WHY? Because he was totally humiliated, in front of the entire world, during his last administration.

    Here he was President of the United States, and he could not extort this one little country to give him something SO simple. Something that would cost them nothing. Just "Dirt On Biden". That's all.

    Instead he got NOTHING.

    Worse, he got over-ruled by the Courts and by Congress here at home. He got exposed. He got repudiated. He got investigated.

    He got IMPEACHED.

    Instead of earning Putin's admiration and respect, he looked like a total loser. He looked like a fool. Him, and his whole would-be mafia organization.

    The picture everyone remembers most of the day of the January 6th insurrection is that ridiculous guy with the horns, howling like a puppy dog.

    The picture they have the prosecution of the "stolen election", the Big Lie, is Rudy's dripping hair dye, and his clown car of lawyers, holding a presser in front of a landscape garage by mistake.

    They remember his humiliating SECOND impeachment.

    He ended his presidency a laughingstock. The butt of a million memes. Slinking away, with only his family and hirelings applauding him on the airport tarmac. Everyone else had gone to the Inauguration.

    And all of it - ALL OF IT- was because Zelenskyy would not do him - the most powerful man in the world - a simple little favor.

    And so, no. This is not about Putin. Not this time.

    He is not handing Ukraine to Putin as a gift. He wants every last inch of Ukraine destroyed. He wants its people destroyed. He wants Putin to get only ashes.

    He is even going after Ukrainian refugees here in America, to revoke their protected status, and deport them back to be destroyed as well.

    He is not demanding that Russia return the thousands of Ukrainian children Russian forces kidnapped, either. He is fine with them being raised as Russians, and forgetting they ever were Ukrainian.

    But before any of that happens, he wants to hold out a fake olive branch of hope to Zelenskyy. He wants Zelenskyy to grovel for it. To crawl to him for it. To humble himself on his knees and plead for mercy, in front of the entire world.

    No, not the entire world. In front of the EUROPEAN world. He wants all of Europe to repent for their contempt of him, too. He wants them to fear for THEIR lives. For THEIR safety. He wants THEM to grovel to him, too.

    And Canada.

    He already has Australia's "respect". That is all that matters to him in the Pacific. China can do what it wants with the rest. Taiwan, South Korea, Japan - none of THOSE people really matter to him at all.

    India is OK as long as they remember HE is the boss, and they all work for HIM. He is all about people knowing their place.

    And Israel. Well, he has to take special care of Israel to keep his "beautiful Christians" happy. Until it is destroyed in the Apolcalypse. But he plans to get his Gaza resort built before that. And afterwards, that beautiful waterfront property will still be there, and he'll still own it.

    As for South America and Africa, they don't fit into his plans at all. He certainly is not going to send them any more aid, whether it is money, food, or medicine. If another pandemic comes along, let it just "decrease the surplus population", as Scrooge once said. Smart man of business, that Scrooge. Too bad he got soft at the end.

    Meanwhile, he is busy dismantling the American government that bucked him at every turn last time, for the new Corporate model of yes-men and party girls that will finally give HIM the obeisance he DESERVES.

    And maybe then, Putin will respect him, too. If not, well, maybe he'll just get Pete to drop a bomb on him.

    Why does he need Putin any more?

    编译:林胥

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American
  • 国会议员西尔维斯特·特纳(Sylvester Turner)讣告

    IMG_8953.jpeg

    西尔维斯特·特纳(Sylvester Turner)——一位深受爱戴的父亲、祖父、兄弟、亲属,以及来自阿克斯之家(Acres Home)的儿子,他曾担任得克萨斯州众议员、休斯顿市市长,并最终成为得克萨斯州第18国会选区的美国众议员,于2025年3月5日安息主怀。

    西尔维斯特直到生命的最后一刻都在践行自己的使命。在他去世的当晚,他仍然出席国会联席会议,并在网上发布视频,呼吁全体美国人团结一致,保护最弱势群体。他留给世人的最后一句话是:“别动我们的医疗补助(Medicaid)。” 随后,他因长期健康问题,在家中安详离世。

    亲属和挚友

    西尔维斯特的亲人包括:
    • 女儿:阿什莉·佩奇·特纳·卡普顿(Ashley Paige Turner Captain)及其丈夫吉米·李·卡普顿(Jimmie Lee Captain),以及他们的子女安妮雅(Aniya)和詹姆森(Jameson);
    • 姐妹:帕特丽夏·丁农(Patricia Dinnon)、杰奎琳·特纳(Jacqueline Turner);
    • 兄弟:克利福德·特纳(Clifford Turner)、罗伯特·特纳(Robert Turner)、唐纳德·雷·特纳(Donald Ray Turner)及其妻子黛博拉(Deborah);
    • 前妻:谢丽尔(Cheryl);
    • 众多侄子、侄女、堂表亲戚,以及许多他视为家人的挚友。

    他已故的亲人包括:母亲露比·梅·特纳(Ruby Mae Turner)、父亲艾迪·特纳(Eddie Turner),以及兄弟姐妹阿尔弗雷德·“查尔斯”·特纳(Alfred “Charles” Turner)、里昂·特纳(Leon Turner)、珀莉·玛丽·泰隆(Pearlie Marie Tyrone)、马蒂·托马斯(Mattie Thomas)、埃弗雷特·特纳(Everett Turner)。

    西尔维斯特的家人特别感谢他忠实的工作人员——杰夫·斯普塔克(Jeff Syptak)和马瓦莱特·亨特(Marvalette Hunter),他们始终不离不弃,陪伴他直到生命的终点。

    生平

    西尔维斯特·特纳于1954年9月27日出生于得克萨斯州阿克斯之家(Acres Home),这是美国南部最大的非裔美国人非建制社区。他的母亲**露比·梅(Ruby Mae)在休斯顿的老莱斯酒店(Rice Hotel)担任女佣;父亲艾迪(Eddie)**则是大陆Ensco公司的油漆工,周末还会带着孩子们一起割草,以补贴家用。

    他在一个两居室的房子里,与八个兄弟姐妹一起成长。13岁那年,他失去了父亲,家庭的重担落在了母亲肩上。他常说,母亲是特纳家的首席执行官(CEO),她常教导他:“努力工作,明天一定会比今天更好。”

    1973年,西尔维斯特以克莱因高中(Klein High School)的毕业生代表(valedictorian)身份毕业。四年后,他在休斯顿大学(University of Houston)获得政治学学士学位,随后进入哈佛法学院(Harvard Law School),并于1980年获得法学博士(J.D.)。1983年,他与人共同创办了巴恩斯与特纳律师事务所(Barnes & Turner)。

    政治生涯

    1988年,西尔维斯特当选得克萨斯州众议员,代表哈里斯县的第139选区,并连续13届连任。2003年至2009年,他担任得州众议院临时议长(Speaker Pro Tempore)。在州议会期间,他成功阻止了电力公司不合理地提高电费,推动儿童和家庭医疗更可负担,并领导恢复了数十亿美元的公立学校资金。

    2015年,西尔维斯特当选休斯顿市长。在两个任期内,他带领美国第四大城市应对了一系列挑战,包括财政赤字、无家可归问题,以及七次联邦级别的自然灾害,其中包括哈维飓风(Hurricane Harvey)和尤里冬季风暴(Winter Storm Uri)。

    在他的领导下,他被《60分钟》、MSNBC、CNN、CNBC、FOX新闻等主流媒体誉为思想领袖,并多次接受《华尔街日报》、《黑人企业杂志》、《纽约时报》、《华盛顿邮报》等权威媒体的专访。

    2024年,他的挚友兼同事、国会众议员希拉·杰克逊·李(Sheila Jackson Lee)不幸去世后,西尔维斯特决定结束退休生活,竞选并当选得州第18国会选区的众议员,继续为人民服务。

    尽管成就斐然,他从未忘记自己的根。他的导师露比·莫斯利(Ruby Mosley)曾评价他:“阿克斯之家出生,阿克斯之家成长,阿克斯之家拥有。” 直到生命的最后一天,他都住在他深爱的阿克斯之家社区。

    葬礼安排

    遗体瞻仰

    休斯顿市政厅(市长遗体停灵)
    📍 时间:2025年3月11日(星期二)9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
    📍 地点:休斯顿市政厅 - 旋转大厅(Rotunda)
    📍 地址:901 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002

    得克萨斯州议会大厦(国会议员遗体停灵)
    📍 时间:2025年3月13日(星期四)中午 至 2025年3月14日(星期五)中午
    📍 地点:得州州议会大厦 - 旋转大厅(Rotunda)
    📍 地址:1100 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701

    葬礼仪式

    📍 时间:2025年3月15日(星期六)1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
    📍 地点:无墙教会(The Church Without Walls)
    📍 地址:5725 Queenston Blvd., Houston, TX 77084
    📍 主祭:拉尔夫·韦斯特博士(Dr. Ralph West)
    📍 葬礼后设有招待会

    📌 宾客请穿蓝色以纪念西尔维斯特。

    特别事项

    🔹 扶柩人:前安保团队成员
    🔹 葬礼直播:请点击此处观看在线直播
    🔹 悼念邮件:请寄至Turner Family, P.O. Box 56386, Houston, TX 77256
    🔹 捐款建议:请考虑向**MD安德森癌症中心(MD Anderson Cancer Center)**或其他慈善机构捐款,以西尔维斯特的名义。

    愿他安息。

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American
  • 纽约时报|观点:马斯克不明白政府为何重要

    来源:纽约时报 New York Times
    作者:编辑委员会
    2025年3月8日 上午7:00(美东时间)
    原文链接:https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/08/opinion/elon-musk-doge-government.html?smid=url-share

    IMG_2915.jpeg

    埃隆·马斯克(Elon Musk)的成功故事是美国梦的典范。他一次次准确预测世界的发展方向,不仅创造了新产品,还催生了全新的产业。从在线支付的先驱,到构建SpaceX的卫星网络,再到特斯拉电动车的规模化生产,这些成就让他成为全球首富。

    但马斯克的财富并非仅仅源自他的个人才华。他在一个政治稳定、法治健全的国家建立了自己的商业帝国,并且离不开政府的大量支持。根据《华盛顿邮报》的分析,马斯克的公司至少获得了380亿美元的政府资金支持。NASA为SpaceX投入超过150亿美元,而特斯拉也获得了110亿美元的补贴,以促进电动车行业的发展。

    然而,如今,马斯克作为特朗普总统的重要顾问,正在破坏助他崛起的政府体系。他领导了一个名为“政府效率部”(Department of Government Efficiency,简称DOGE)的机构,该机构并不存在于国会批准的政府体系内,但却擅自削减了数十亿美元的政府预算,并解雇了数千名科学家、监管人员及其他公务员。在保守派政治行动会议(CPAC)上,马斯克甚至手持电锯,公开宣称:“这就是砍向官僚机构的电锯!砍!”

    马斯克声称,政府就像一家公司,需要颠覆式创新,他要消除浪费,提高效率。他的批评并非毫无道理——联邦政府确实存在浪费和低效问题。纳税人、企业主和政府服务的使用者都深有体会,尤其是政府在技术应用上的落后和冗余。然而,DOGE的做法并不是在建设一个更好的政府,而是在无序地拆解政府的核心职能,威胁到美国人民的安全与福祉。

    举例来说,马斯克下令解雇核安全部门工作人员,导致政府不得不在几天后紧急召回他们;他终止了联邦埃博拉病毒监测的资金,即便事后承认监测埃博拉“可能是个好主意”,但资金仍未完全恢复。在他的推动下,政府干扰了癌症研究,拖延了基础交通项目,甚至试图关闭2008年金融危机后成立的消费者金融保护局(该机构专门保护消费者免受银行欺诈)。

    更严重的是,马斯克和特朗普正在破坏法治,挑战宪法对总统权力的限制。他们坚称,选民希望变革,DOGE的口号是“人民投票支持重大改革”。但他们推行的政策并不是依法进行的改革,而是直接无视国会通过的法律,并试图削弱联邦法院的裁决权。特朗普近日称自己为“国王”,随后又辩解说自己是在开玩笑。但他试图凌驾于政府分权制衡体系之上的行为毫无玩笑的意味。

    即便马斯克的某些行为仍然在法律范围内,但他对商业与政府的根本区别却缺乏理解。在商业领域,企业可以通过不断试验和失败来优化产品,正如SpaceX早期经历了一系列火箭发射失败,最终才取得成功。马斯克本人也常说:“如果没有失败,那说明你创新得不够。” 但管理一个国家的航空管制系统或社会保障体系,并不能靠“失败”来试验。

    商业公司可以承担失败的风险,因为它们的目标是利润。但政府不能失败。如果推特(Twitter)宕机,人们只是无法发推文;但如果政府职能崩溃,人民的生命可能会受到威胁。尽管政府运作中确实存在低效之处,但相较于国家基础设施崩溃带来的后果,某些程度的低效是可以接受的。

    混乱正在影响经济。特朗普政府的举措已经引起了党内一些人的不满。乔治亚州共和党众议员里奇·麦考密克(Rich McCormick) 在接受《亚特兰大宪法报》采访时表示:“我们的步伐有点太快了。我们在极快的速度下前进,但我们还不知道后果是什么。” 特朗普在最近的一次内阁会议上表示,未来各部门的预算削减将由各自的部长负责,而马斯克的权限将被限制为顾问角色。但这是否会真正发生,仍然有待观察。

    美国的政府体系天生就是为了稳定而设计的。它与许多议会制国家不同,在那里,一次选举可能会引发政策的剧烈变化。而在美国,权力被分割在行政、立法和司法三个独立的分支之间,因此极少有政党能够在长期内完全掌控政府。

    这种稳定性,尽管时常令人沮丧,但它实际上是美国经济繁荣的关键因素。它为企业提供了可预测的环境,鼓励投资和创新。然而,如今,美国正在经历政治不稳定的加剧,甚至出现政治暴力。在2020年总统选举之后,暴力事件明显增加,而最近对特朗普的刺杀未遂事件更是加剧了这种不安定。根据世界银行的政治稳定指数,2013年美国位于全球前66%,而到了2023年,已经跌至全球国家的后半区。

    研究表明,即使是政治稳定性的小幅下降,也会对经济增长造成长期影响,主要体现在投资环境的恶化。在动荡不安的环境下,例如英国脱欧后的经济混乱或特朗普执政时期的不确定性,企业家们更不愿意冒险推进重大创新,投资者也会对长期承诺持谨慎态度。

    DOGE只是特朗普破坏稳定性的诸多方式之一。此外,他还通过行政命令随意改写环境政策、重新诠释宪法第十四修正案,甚至采取摇摆不定的关税政策。他还彻底颠覆了美国的外交政策,一边拉拢普京,一边疏远长期盟友。

    马斯克一直蔑视谨慎行事的态度,而特朗普更应该倾听党内那些对马斯克行为表示担忧的声音。混乱的影响已经显现——通货膨胀预期上升,股市震荡下跌。

    美国人崇尚冒险,但他们需要一个稳定、可靠的政府来支撑这些冒险。

    编译:丹奇

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American
  • 沉痛悼念国会议员Sylvester Turner

    沉痛悼念国会议员 Sylvester Turner

    美国亚裔领袖委员会(AALC) 怀着无比沉痛的心情,悼念 前休斯顿市长、现任国会议员 Sylvester Turner 的不幸离世。他的一生致力于公共服务,深深扎根于这座城市的土地,始终以人民福祉为先。他的离世不仅是 第18国会选区和休斯顿市民 的重大损失,更是华人社区 失去了一位坚实的盟友和挚友。

    Turner 议员为 德克萨斯州 服务超过 35 年,从 德州州议员 到 休斯顿市长,再到 美国国会议员,他的足迹遍布休斯顿的每一个角落。他代表着 休斯顿精神——坚韧不拔、充满同情心,并在困难面前毫不退缩。无论是 哈维飓风还是新冠疫情,他始终站在最前线,带领休斯顿人民渡过难关,用坚定的信念守护这座城市。

    他更是休斯顿华人社区的坚定支持者。在 2023 年,我们共同面对 SB147 种族歧视法案 的挑战,Turner 议员与 Sheila Jackson Lee、Al Green 等国会议员并肩作战,坚定反对这一歧视性法案。他不仅发表有力声明,更亲自参加 AALC 组织的休斯顿华人大游行,在上千名华人面前发表讲话,展现了他对华人权益的坚定支持。他的正义之声和无畏行动,将永远铭刻在休斯顿华人社区的记忆中。

    作为一位卓越的领导者,他不仅塑造了休斯顿的未来,更成为这座城市力量的象征。他坚定不移地为人民发声,捍卫正义,他的 精神和遗产将继续激励后人前行。

    AALC 向 Turner 议员的家人和亲友表达最深切的哀悼。我们将铭记他的奉献精神,并继续践行他捍卫公平正义的遗志。愿他安息。

    罗玲 主席
    美国亚裔领袖委员会 (AALC)
    Asian Americans Leadership Council
    2025年3月5日

    IMG_2849.jpeg

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American
  • 纽约时报|MAGA对言论的战争

    纽约时报:今日观点
    推荐:Kathleen Kingsbury (观点编辑)

    第一修正案是我们民主的基石,确保了我们言论自由、新闻自由和公开对话的权利——这些都是美国身份认同不可或缺的部分。今天,这些自由面临着严重的挑战,特别是在权力走廊内部,以及——矛盾的是——来自一些最近最为高调倡导言论自由的人。

    在声明中,特朗普总统、埃隆·马斯克及其盟友们赞美不受限制表达的美德,将自己描绘成抵制审查的堡垒。编辑委员会写道:“他们利用左派的审查倾向,定期宣讲让人们随心所欲说话的必要性,即使这些言论充满仇恨、愚蠢或具有腐蚀性。”

    正如编辑部所论述,他们的行动揭示了一个更阴暗的野心:操纵话语以服务于党派目的。

    最近对联邦网站的审查、对持异见的新闻声音的边缘化,以及对某些新闻机构从新闻活动中被战略性排除,凸显出一种协同个努力以压制反对意见。这些行为呼应了专制政权危险的策略,在那里语言被控制以符合意识形态上纯洁的叙事。

    《时报观点》坚定承诺,当国家领导人违反法律、滋生腐败、行为不道德或以其他方式损害美国人珍视的价值观时,我们将予以揭露。我们的使命是提供广泛的视角,帮助人们理解塑造我们全球的力量,并发展和挑战他们的观点。

    为此,我推荐我们的专栏作家埃兹拉·克莱恩与马丁·古里的对话。你会发现,古里——一位前中央情报局媒体分析师——对特朗普及其言论方式提供了一个不同的观点。

    古里关于信息去中心化的理论阐释了在数字时代传统权力结构的不安,当时叙事不再容易被控制。他认为,这是一个混乱但最终赋予人权力的转变,将沟通的力量交到了多数人手中,而不是少数人。
    ———————————————

    ** MAGA对言论的战争**

    观点
    作者:编辑委员会
    编译:丹奇
    2025年2月28日

    编辑委员会撰写
    编辑委员会是一群观点记者,他们的看法基于专业知识、研究、辩论和某些长期坚持的价值观。该委员会独立于新闻编辑室。

    IMG_2832.jpeg

    图片来源:《纽约时报》插图作者丽贝卡·丘

    1791年,美国的开国元勋们批准了宪法第一修正案。这一修正案为这个新兴国家提供了前所未有的保护:向政府提出请求和批评政府的权利;表达意见,无论受欢迎与否;和平集会的权利;实践多元宗教信仰的权利;以及拥有不受审查或报复恐惧的自由新闻出版信息的权利。

    这一宪法条款反映了制定者意图建立一个社会,在这个社会中,个人能够表达自己的观点,并积极参与塑造国家治理,同时让他们的领导人承担责任。这五项被保障的自由至今使美国人民成为世界上最自由的人民。

    特朗普总统和他的许多支持者——从科技领袖如埃隆·马斯克到民粹主义政治家如副总统JD·万斯——在过去几年中一直将自己描绘成言论自由的斗士。他们利用左派的审查倾向,定期宣讲让人们随心所欲说话的必要性,即使这些言论充满仇恨、愚蠢或具有腐蚀性。

    这种旨在捍卫不仅是被青睐的言论还有不受欢迎的言论的绝对言论自由形式,在美国社会中有着悠久且受欢迎的角色。问题在于,尽管这些所谓的言论自由斗士大肆宣扬,他们却一贯对与自己意见相左的言辞、想法和观点表现出不容忍。

    在过去一个月里,特朗普先生及其盟友对自由表达和不受欢迎的发言者展开了大规模的镇压,这种行为不仅应被谴责为虚伪,而且也被视为非美国和违宪的。

    在特朗普政府的扭曲观点中,保护言论自由需要控制言论自由——禁止挑战或使政府偏爱的言论复杂化的词语、短语和想法。华盛顿的官员们在过去一个月里一直在剥离联邦网站上任何不受欢迎的词语和思想的痕迹,惩罚拒绝重复总统语言的新闻机构,并威胁惩罚那些对调查和起诉提出批评的人。

    这种方法的奥威尔式本质是故意且危险的。这种姿态并不是为了保护言论自由,而是为了优先考虑极右意识形态——有时甚至以防止语言犯罪化为幌子,庆祝谎言和仇恨言论——同时试图压制独立思考、不便的真相和异议的声音。

    例如,当特朗普先生宣布将墨西哥湾更名为美国湾时,这看似是一种基本无害的民族主义炫耀,与他对国家安全、公共卫生、公务员制度和法治打算造成的真正损害相比显得微不足道。但随后他明确表示必须遵守。

    本月,一名美联社记者出现在椭圆形办公室的活动中,却因该新闻机构继续使用自16世纪以来国际公认的名称称呼该湾而被禁止进入。这是美联社、就像《时报》和其他许多媒体一样,有权自行做出的编辑决定,不受政府干预。
    白宫新闻办公室随后加码;它现在将美联社的记者和摄影师排除在许多新闻活动和总统旅行中的空军一号之外,使全国最大的通讯社提供基本报道变得更加困难。美联社值得高度赞扬的是,它已起诉政府官员,表示这样做是为了“维护其受美国宪法保障的编辑独立性,并防止行政部门强迫记者仅使用政府批准的语言报道新闻”。

    联邦地区法官特雷弗·麦克法登尚未对美联社的请求作出裁决,但明确表示白宫似乎在不适当地惩罚该通讯社的编辑决定。“这看起来很明显是观点歧视,”法官在初步听证会上说。

    这场斗争显然不仅仅关乎一片水域的名称;白宫希望通过胁迫来控制报道方式,甚至控制谁有权报道总统。周二,新闻办公室表示,将开始手动挑选作为新闻池一部分报道特朗普的新闻机构——这一决定至今由代表新闻机构的团体自行作出。白宫立即从新闻池中剔除了路透社和赫芬顿邮报,并增加了两个奉承的媒体,Newsmax和The Blaze。

    “白宫新闻池的存在是为了服务公众,而不是总统,”记者自由委员会执行主任布鲁斯·布朗说。

    政治家有权批评新闻界——这也是言论自由的一部分,没什么新鲜的——但使用语言和使用武力是有区别的。政府官员本应利用其巨大的监管权力造福公众,而不是为了个人或党派目标。然而,这个政府正在召集政府的力量压制它不喜欢的言论,强迫使用它偏爱的词汇和想法。它不将新闻界视为拥有明确宪法特权的机构,而是视为需要克服的障碍,就像监察长或自由思考的共和党参议员一样。国会议员可能成为初选目标,监察长可能被解雇;在同样的心态下,记者需要被排除在外,他们的老板需要面临诉讼。
    通过观察特朗普政府与公众的沟通方式,可以清楚地看到其意图。根据美国人事管理办公室的一份备忘录,所有联邦合同、工作描述和社交媒体帖子都在接受审查,以查找任何“性别意识形态”的迹象;涉及“灌输或推广性别意识形态”的联邦雇员必须被停职。

    国家公园管理局在其描述纽约市斯通沃尔国家纪念碑的网站上删除了L.G.B.T.Q.中的T和Q。事实上,已有超过8000个联邦网站被关闭或更改,以移除被MAGA运动嘲笑的概念。这些包括关于疫苗研究和性病预防指南、防止仇恨犯罪、防止药物试验中的种族歧视以及发放联邦拨款和减缓气候变化的环境政策的数千页内容。

    政府甚至不会将自己的博物馆藏品描述为多样化的。内政部网站上描述联邦所有的艺术品和自然历史内容时删除了“多样化”一词,尽管它拥有世界上最广泛、最重要的收藏之一。

    在言论问题上的公开虚伪也许最好通过马斯克先生的行为体现出来,即使在他成为特朗普政府指定破坏政府关键机构的“破坏球”之前。马斯克先生完全有权在X上(一家私人公司拥有的论坛)说任何他想说的话。他自称“言论自由绝对主义者”,表示他在2022年收购Twitter是为了创建一个“共同的数字城镇广场,让广泛的信念能够以健康的方式进行辩论”。他似乎特别不满于该平台敢于区分谎言——比如关于新冠疫苗和2020年选举的谎言——与可验证的真相。

    但几乎立即,他开始展示他所捍卫的唯一言论自由是自己的。不到几个月,他暂停了那些对他商业行为或私人飞机飞行发表批评的记者的账户。(这与他之前表达的希望“即使我最严厉的批评者也能留在Twitter上,因为这就是言论自由的含义”大相径庭。)
    然后,他开始压制包含“跨性别”和“双性恋”等词汇或乌克兰对抗俄罗斯侵略等想法的帖子,并使平台用户更难以阅读来自独立新闻机构的文章,包括《时报》和路透社。仇恨言论的传播者被邀请返回Twitter,后来他将其更名为X,当一些批评者倡导抵制该平台作为回应时,他采取行动屏蔽他们。马斯克甚至在X上提升自己的声明,强迫他的帖子即使在不关注他的人的时间线上也显眼地出现。

    当他无法让批评者沉默时,他就起诉他们。他对美国媒体监督组织Media Matters提起诉讼,该组织撰文指出X上的广告出现在新纳粹内容旁边,然后又起诉了一些知名企业,包括联合利华和CVS,指责它们非法抵制他的平台。(去年,一名联邦法官驳回了马斯克对打击数字仇恨中心提起的类似诉讼。)

    当《连线》杂志公布了为马斯克所谓的政府效率部门工作的六个缺乏经验的年轻人的名字时,马斯克在X上错误地宣布发布这些名字构成“犯罪”。后来,为了说明马斯克的目标与政府之间的联系,特朗普在华盛顿安装的一名忠诚的联邦检察官发表了煽动性声明,表示他将利用司法部的职位来捍卫马斯克提出的主张。

    政府控制言论和思想的愿望已扩展到国会、军队和大学校园。最近的其他例子包括:

    在纽约民主党众议员亚历山大·奥卡西奥-科特兹的办公室举办了一场网络研讨会,向移民传授他们在面对联邦官员挑战时的宪法权利后,总统所谓的边境沙皇汤姆·霍曼表示,他已要求司法部调查她是否通过建议不遵守联邦移民官员的要求而越过了法律红线。

    五角大楼开始从军人家庭子女使用的学校图书馆中下架书籍,如果这些书籍违反了特朗普关于不谈论性别或种族平等问题的新规定。受军事审查的书籍包括一本关于鲁斯·巴德·金斯伯格大法官的图画书和一本由女演员朱丽安·摩尔撰写的关于一个小女孩应对雀斑的书。

    在上个月关于反犹太主义的行政命令附带的事实表中,特朗普表示,如果合法移民参与“支持圣战”的抗议活动,他将驱逐他们,并取消大学校园里所有哈马斯同情者的学生签证。“我们警告你们,”他写道。“2025年到来时,我们会找到你们,我们会驱逐你们。”支持恐怖主义始终是错误的,反犹太主义无论以何种形式出现都是卑鄙的。甚至一些国会民主党人也为这项行政命令欢呼。然而,政府正在建立的是一个更为广泛的仇恨言论法律定义,甚至包括对以色列政府政策的强烈批评。

    现任政府可能会辩称,这些步骤只是对近年来美国政治左派因监督言论而受到的正当批评的报复,从试图关闭或喊倒保守派发言人,到试图强制执行其自己的可接受词汇和短语列表,如“孕人”、“无家可归者”、“被监禁的个体”和“拉丁裔”。

    但特朗普政府对批评和尖锐言论的早期激烈反应不仅犯有同样的罪过;更令人担忧的是,它利用国家的权力扩大了这些罪过。如果MAGA运动真的相信美国公众坚定支持新的不容忍态度,那么为什么不欢迎严肃的新闻报道甚至批评者的嘲笑,让最好的想法获胜呢?这似乎是万斯先生最近在保守派政治行动会议上的言论所倡导的。

    “如果你如此害怕自己的人民,以至于你让他们沉默并闭嘴,那么你们就没有共同的价值观,”他说。

    政府和更广泛的MAGA运动正在表明,他们缺乏让美国人民自由思考的信心。但这些人民仍然拥有230多年前《权利法案》赋予他们的权力,让自己的声音被听到。

    美国人在通过社交媒体或公共广场反对特朗普压迫性和虚伪的言论制度方面拥有巨大的能力和令人羡慕的创造力。美联社和其他组织独立于政府命令做出决定的权利应得到捍卫和支持。特朗普想通过禁令、欺凌和恐惧重新定义言论自由。现在比以往任何时候都更有必要发声。

    发布在 美华之音 &Voice of Chinese American