We’re reading all sorts of fascinating news and journalism from around the world this week — here’s a taste of what’s intriguing us most, and we invite you to share your must-reads with us in the comments!
‘My Bizarre Dinner Party with Donald Trump, Roy Cohn and Estee Lauder‘ (Politico)
If it sounds like the entry to a bad joke, the story only gets weirder from there. This fascinating first person testimony from Peter Manso is a glimpse into an utterly bizarre world and a slice of political and social history.
At one point, Ivana asked where on Cape Cod I lived. The salad gave way to the main course, which had been brought in from a local restaurant then reheated—it was a pasta and lobster mélange, expensive, but hardly Chez Panisse—and then, out of nowhere, The Donald resumed, saying ever so brightly, ‘Hey, here’s an idea. I want the hippest, the brightest people living there. You’d fit right in.’
I looked at him quizzically. ‘There?’
Then he did it, I kid you not. He tried to sell me a condo.
‘Trump Towers, which is gonna be just spectacular.’
‘The System Isn’t ‘Rigged’ Against Sanders‘ (FiveThirtyEight)
The endless dance of electoral math in the United States may be puzzling the rest of the world and irritating for some jaded residents, but it’s deadly serious for the Sanders campaign, which hotly insists that it’s been cheated of a rightful victory. Nate Silver ran the numbers, and they tell a different story.
Nebraska and Washington are part of a pattern. As Sanders fans claim that the Democratic primary system is rigged against their candidate and that Sanders wins when turnout is higher, they fail to point out that Sanders has benefited tremendously from low-turnout caucuses. Indeed, if all the caucuses were primaries, Clinton would be winning the Democratic nomination by an even wider margin than she is now.
‘Hiroshima: I had family members among the dead‘ (The Guardian)
George Takei, an outspoken and powerful voice on Japanese-American history and the treatment of Japanese internees during the Second World War, has written a lovely piece on one of the worst days of his life, and why President Obama’s visit to Hiroshima was so important.
I recently returned to Hiroshima, a place I visit often. Seeing the modern city that arose from the ashes of the bomb reminded me once again of how humankind’s technological prowess has advanced over these seven decades, even while our penchant for warfare and for mightier weapons to wage it continues unabated. Without a commitment to peace and diplomacy, and to concerted and real action, we risk repeating the horror on a scale unimagined.
‘US: Raped in Military – Then Punished‘ (Human Rights Watch)
As the United States celebrates Memorial Day, Human Rights Watch issues a damning report discussing the cruel treatment of victims of military rape. Despite the work of people like Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to reform the military justice system and provide hope for rape victims, the Pentagon has shamefully dragged its heels on the subject.
The 124-page report, ‘Booted: Lack of Recourse for Wrongfully Discharged US Military Rape Survivors,’ found that many rape victims suffering from trauma were unfairly discharged for a “personality disorder” or other mental health condition that makes them ineligible for benefits. Others were given ‘Other Than Honorable’ discharges for misconduct related to the assault that shut them out of the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system and a broad range of educational and financial assistance. The consequences of having ‘bad paper’ – any discharge other than ‘honorable’ – or being labeled as having a ‘personality disorder’ are far-reaching for veterans and their families, impacting employment, child custody, health care, disability payments, burial rights – virtually all aspects of life.
‘South Sudan: The Book That Traveled Too Much‘ (Doctors Without Borders)
A compelling account of the brave MSF physicians and staff going above and beyond to provide medical care in impoverished and war-torn regions, even in the face of tremendous odds.
In South Sudan, an estimated 2.7 percent of adults live with HIV, but prevalence is higher than 6 percent in some regions. But barely 6 percent of those in need receive antiretrovirals (ARVs) due to scarcity of available care and stifling levels of stigma and discrimination. Following three lootings of the MSF hospital and massive displacement of the population, less than 50 of the 120 patients on ARVs at MSF’s Leer hospital have been able to re-establish contact with MSF to resume their life-sustaining HIV treatment. They are the lucky few, and many owe it to the dedication of Jeremiah, a former counselor and supervisor in the MSF TB and HIV program.
Do you like what you read on Global Comment? We aim to publish fresh, interesting, sharp analysis from all over the world for our audience, but independent media relies on readers like you. Please consider supporting Global Comment as a subscriber — supporters get exclusive access to our newsletter, which includes an array of exciting bonus content that you won’t want to miss. Our superstars get a little something extra now and then too, including interviews with contributors, previews of upcoming features, and more.
We can’t do it without you — thanks for your support.
Photo: 白士 李/Creative Commons