Twitter needs to be regulated or nationalized. FOX & their ilk also, but even “good media” needs to be overhauled. Too much opinion journalism masquerading as news.
SCOTUS also needs reforming…
And gerrymandering
The enemy has been nibbling away democracy for a long time now.
HulitC ;Yes ; too many greedheads controlling and writing the narrative! even on the "good" networks! Last night on MSNBC there was a lot of talk about the challenges we face in the upcoming election. Not one word about the billionaire influence ; Except that Harlan Crowe has been voted back onto the board of the Federalist Society so we can have more indoctrinated judges to maintain our "heritage". Importantly, nothing about what we can do about the rampant corruption of the courts! This is a 5 alarm fire! They are not waiting for tRUMP to be elected ! They dismantle the Constitution a little more every day! and all the usual pap is being repeated by our Pundits. The same stuff they have said for years now, with no talk of real remedies! with the exception of Sheldon Whitehouse coming on occasionally to mention his efforts, or there is Representative Eric Swalwell updating us about his lawsuit against the jan 6th attackers against himself and the others working in the Capitol on Jan 6th, or the Black Congresswoman from Texas ; Jasmine Crockett, speaking out against the challenges in that state. Or the man, Colin Allred, D-Dallas, who will face Ted Cruz, to challenge his seat. And so many other persons who tell us what is going on that we should know about.
The big news yesterday is that Biden announced OPEC agreed to raise production quotas. Hopefully energy prices will drop in time for the election and Russia, Iran, et al will have less funding for their wars in the Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Gaza.
I keep asking why Treasury doesn't arbitrage part of the debt: borrow from our "allies" like Japan, Switzerland, Scandinavia, at their 1% rates to retire some 7% US debt? Why we haven't held OPEC accountable for arbitrarily fixing high prices?
IMHO Trump was responsible for high prices by encouraging OPEC to lower production to benefit BIG OIL, which led to inflation. Like a snowball from the mountain top leading to an avalanche.
Well, the Saudi’s “donated” $2 billion to tRump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in the last year of his presidency, for “investment advice,” in which Jared had absolutely no experience. Hmmm.🤔
Rose, and I don't hear about a trial set up to try our Jared for colluding with a foreign entity while Hunter is being tried for a ridiculous charge that involves nothing but a bunch of Republicans trying to make points, especially the "special counsel" who is a total jerk, but also pretty nasty, just what one would expect from a Trump appointee. I hope the jury sees the whole thing as the farce it is, but I doubt they will because Hunter has been in the news so much, he must have done something horrible that would lead to jail while Donald Trump keeps waltzing around with no restrictions beyond a gag order that seems to have little to no impact.
It's even more obvious that Hunter is being persecuted because he was already investigated and went to court in 2018! When Trump was still President the court dismissed the charges. He proved that he had paid the taxes in question and not mentioning drugs on a gun application is just a misdemeanor. So why, almost 8 years latter, would republicans want to re-investigate this?! Too hurt President Biden.
I guess Jared is buying up islands where there used to be military bases somewhere near or in the Middle East ? Hotels? Or strategic locations? Can't remember where.
Let us see. Jared is a Jew, he has visited Israel before and after Oct 7, and although Saudi Arabia will deny entry to anyone who has an Israeli stamp on their passport,, they are eager to meet with Jared and as pointed out above, gifted him 2 billion dollars.
Saudi Arabia is no friend of Palestinians, it bars them entry, and deports them if they manage to sneak in.
The Kingdom manages to stay in power because of the alliance that the Arab chief, King Abdulaziz made with a fanatic Muslim by name of Wahhab
The Emirate of Diriyah (Arabic: إِمَارَةُ الدِّرْعِيَّةِ), also known as the First Saudi State,[1] was established in February 1727 (1139 AH).[2][3] In 1744, the emir of a Najdi town called Diriyah, Muhammad bin Saud, and the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab signed a pact to found a socio-religious reform movement to unify the many states of the Arabian Peninsula. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirate_of_Diriyah
I doubt that the MBS is a fanatic practicing Wahhabiyyah Muslim, as he like all of the Princes are westernized, but their power depends on the loyalty of the Imans, the Wahhabi Muslim clerics.
In the same way that the Egyptian PhaRaohs, relied on the priesthoods of their many gods for secular authority, the same as Constantine who abolished the priesthoods of Rome which he had difficulty placating, for the singular priesthood of the Bishop of Rome. A tacitic that all sings and emperors from Charlemagne, Olaf Trygvasson of Norway, Harald Blueooth of Denmark, William the conqueror, Henry VIII all found necessary to sanction their secular rule, only Henry combined church and state, making himself head of the church. eliminating the power of the Pope.
The people of Saudi Arabia are devout Wahhabiyyah, but I doubt the the royals are.
Laurie, you know Republicans are desperate for a recession. I bet they would relish a full-blown depression because they are sure it wouldn't impact them (especially Musk and his ilk) and who cares about the American people. Jerome Powell of the fed has been working on the recession since he was approved for the fed under Trump, and alas, Biden kept him in office. I get it that Biden is trying for bipartisanship, but going right is not bipartisanship, it is a betrayal of the American people even though a good percentage of the people don't even realize what Republicans have done and are doing to them. We do need to wake up our news sources and demand better.
Saudis, Putin, fossil-fuel beholden Republicans cannot help but love each other. The year American journalist Kashoghi was murdered, Trump applauded the Saudi prince in public.
Trump did do that and basically told the Saudis that if they didn't cut oil production, he would cut their defense funding. More of his bully and bribe approach to how he operates but would be much worse if allowed back in the Oval Office. It will be a huge relief if we don't have see him or hear his name anymore and he ends up somewhere else that keeps him from doing his non stop damage.
The sword on the Saudi flag, represents the conquest of the Roman-Greco and Persian Empires, and the Islamization of once Christian and Zoroastrian lands.
The globe that Trump so lovingly caressed represent the world, and the aim of the Saudi's to control the world. The man was a dumb ass, uncurious, especially when it comes to symbology.
Daniel, the reason that Treasury doesn't arbitrage our debt is because, and it is not embedded in law, Treasury prints government securities after the President signs the budget prepared by congress, and the securities are sold to the Association of Primary Dealers in Government Securities, there are 25 of them Click on current list at this link. https://www.newyorkfed.org/markets/primarydealers
The APDIGS then sells them to the Fed, Institutional investors, overseas investors, including sovereign funds. The Fed then sells them at the Open Market Window, via a rate set by the Open Market Committee to member banks via the 12 regional feds.
Mess with the APIGS and you mess with your life.
I am not claiming a conspiracy, but I note that JFK, had Treasury issue $2 and $5 Treasury Notes, with plans to issue higher denominations, before he was assassinated.
I said Treasury Notes NOT Silver Certificates, you can still buy these Treasury notes from numinastic dealers, even on line.
Trreasury notes are liabilities of the government, not the Federal Reserve which is the Federal Reserve notes you have in your pocket.
Issuance of Treasury Notes, by passes the Association of Primary Dealers in Government Securities and the Fed. It cuts them out of the action and profits.
I know how they're sold, The issue is how they can be "retired" Call in some notes and the interest rates will drop. I'm big on moral suasion. Threaten to do it. .
Some interesting ideas. I'd like to add my own interpretations and you can see what you think.
Arbitraging the debt: One problem might be the sheer amount of debt we're wracking up. I'm not sure those other countries are selling enough of their own debt to cover it. But a bigger issue might be the actual purpose of the deficit. Because the U.S. Government is the sole legitimate supplier of dollars, it can print up as much as it likes and spend it. Which means there is no fiscal reason to be running deficits at all. And indeed we do stuff like that all the time through the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve among other mechanisms. And the fiscal discipline having to borrow supposedly provides doesn't actually instill any discipline at all as far as I can see. We just"borrow" as much as we need. I don't think there's that much co-ordination between the people who supply money (The Fed and the banks) and the people who spend it (The Congress and Senate). So I'm guessing that the real reason for borrowing money is something else. My guesses: 1) Government bonds are a safe place for the rich to park their money where it is safe because U.S. Gov has never defaulted on its debt. And the bonds can always be sold if a Billionaire needs some cash to do a deal that will provide a higher return. So Gov Bonds are a savings account for Billionaires. Another guess, 2) By selling Gov Bonds to foreigners, we are aligning our different interests with each other. Buying a Gov Bond is investing in America, if a foreigner buys our bonds, they have an interest is seeing us do well. Which means they won't do things to harm us, since that would be harming their own investment.
OPEC does not have the control of oil prices that everyone tends to believe. the oil market is controlled by supply and demand and every oil-producing country essentially sells as much as they can as long as the world price is above the cost of production. Quotas are always broken. Only those in the media believe that OPEC controls the price of oil. If they controlled prices you would see it in the commodity market, which will show a bump and then retreat on OPECS announcement.
OPEC controls prices, by agreeing to cut production, which it has done, Saudi Arabia is the leading and dominant member of OPEC, Google OPEC membership to see the players.
The U.S. is self sufficient in oil production, in fact it exports oil, but it also imports oil to keep the international oil scam operating, There are ties between the nations and companies, SAMREF is an equally owned joint venture between Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation).
ExxonMobil and SABIC have successfully collaborated on several petrochemical joint ventures in Saudi Arabia, including the Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company and Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Company
As Pogo said: "I have seen the enemy, and it is us"
Harvey has taken the supply side kool aid. In reality we don't need OPEC as we have enough production to move the markets. We could expand refinery capacity, uncap our wells and limit exports. Prices would drop like rocks.
We just don't have thqt much influence with OPEC. Twice in the 70s (1973, 1979) they just stopped pumping and it was economically didsasterou for us. For them... not so much.
I don't usually read The Paul Street Report due to time constraints, but I did yesterday. His "Thoughts on Revolution vs The Election Madness" struck a cord with me. Robert Reich and others describe the predicament we're in very well. We have lost our democracy to the wealthy oligarchs. It seems that a mass movement outside of the election process will be necessary to restore democracy if it's even possible at this point. It scares the hell out of me, but unless the oligarchs come to the understanding that they killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, it will happen. Survival is becoming increasingly difficult for the mudsill class.
There is the idea of a National Strike! Victory gardens 😍 to feed US! Support the local farmers, and diy! If there is a will, there is a way! Let the rich make their own beds! Fix their own cars, and clean their own homes!, how do the French do it? Are there other countries that have challenged the ruling class this way? If the rich guys can plot and plan autocracy: why can't the humans study successful striking on the national level? Resistance! Is it possible?
That goes without saying ; at least for me, and I believe, everyone in this forum, and most of US in the Country. Blue votes have won the last 7 elections. If there is no cheating, I believe we should have a landslide win!
I remember Victory Gardens, as a kid of 10 and 11, in 1949 and1950, I would walk a bridle path in Fairmont Park, scooping up horse manure to fertilize a community victory garden.
The reason that people don't do anything Laurie is because most of us are comfortable, and despite the grumbling, are content with our lives. And those that are really aware and concerned fear being penalized.
Even the right.
Look at the MAGAts, Jan 6th they fell out en masse, travled from all 50 states to attack the Capitol. Fast forward to the Manhattan trial, after (and this is important), the Jan 6 perps wound up in jail and prison, only one or two people showed up outside the courthouse.
This does not speak well for the, apparently empty, threats that Trump and the MAGAts are making if, and that is a big if, he loses.
Bif if, because this time around the Trump humpers have rigged the election.
Gloria : They are riding a tiger that they must dismount at some point! Or, looking at it from another perspective, they could end up beating a dead horse. Mother Nature could be the worst peril, eventually, and the most deadly!
Make it harder for the obscenely wealthy! Let them shift for themselves. We have our labor! They are relatively helpless! Let them clean their own homes and cut their own hair, cook their own food. mow their own grass! How has this been successfully done, if ever?
Gloria: a climate disaster could be All our undoing! We will need each other to survive! Rebuilding will be necessary if there is an earthquake, or if the greedheads decide to bomb. A large enough fire could ruin even expensive mansions. If those against healthcare persist and get their way, an Ebola virus pandemic could wipe everyone out! Especially if our medical experts are afraid to work on it, lest they end up like Dr. Fauci: being interrogated by $# itheads like Gymn Jordan !
We definitely need and indeed have each other. So my several postings ask, ' if that is so, and I fervently believe it to be so, why don't we act like it?
Laurie we do need all of us to survive, but to do that we need to live close to each other, and when people live in a community, there is always friction and someone becomes the MFWIC, or there is a fight to see who is the MFWIC (a political campaign is a fight BTW)
Laurie, why I thought Az and other counterintuitive postings, have a point lies in this innocuous phrase: 'We have our labor! They are relatively helpless!' But...they have our DESIRE, created by and for their benefit. And they have our PASSIVITY, equally created by and for them.
those of US who are conscious can make changes in where and how we shop. We can look more closely at local candidates running for office, and those currently in office. Not everyone is passive.
The Murdochs should be ejected for failure to be a real news organization. Or for being a propaganda machine, take your pick.
See New Zealand for how it’s done (they are perhaps the most non-litigious society I know, yet they threw the bums out!)…reinsitute two things eliminated from past…equal time, especially on publicly owned and licensed airways…the interweb is a whole ‘nother problem….and funding…a Gordian knot of enormous complexity, rife with opportunities for unexpected consequences…
Nonetheless, disinformation is perhaps the greatest and most glaringly critical existential threat to our fragile experiment in self governance.
An informed public is the spring from which a sane, safe, society flows.
Without information and understanding how can one make any informed decisions about anything?
Who is who? What is allowed? Why?
Without information one can trust as verified and accurate …fear, chaos, insanity ensues.
Voting might help, as would abandoning willful ignorance. When people do not participate in the democratic process they lose by default. They have themselves to blame.
Statistically... the Oligarchy took over sometime during the Reagan Administration. It doesn't happen everywhere all at once, but in stages, here and there and wherever. These days they feel
Az--We made them rich because they had a product that we all wanted. We were willing to pay for their services and we would gladly do it again if need be. The people of this country don't want to be controlled like Trump desires, we are free thinkers, and our future belongs to us not some orange egotistical fool hell bent on showing the world how much he doesn't know.
Some may say Democracy has been (or is) "lost", you seem to believe it has been "sold", some might decry it's been "stolen". I'd suggest bits and pieces of all of that have some collective truth based on a number of details. Basically the ruling class continue to influence direction (whether by our purchasing habits, or whatever circumstances enriched them), and they don't care what the minions think. Democracy simplistically and basically has been an experimental dream from the start, only held together by threads of cooperation, compromise, and a collective understanding of decency and respect. It seems we have entered a modern era of many doing all they can to break the threads of the tapestry to create their own design - for whatever end goal that suits them. Similar circumstances have occurred in other times of human history (in one form or another), but right now the ruling class are empowered by the unraveling of decency among lower classes. In their eyes, the end result of what happens to the masses won't matter to them. Given some of the apparent mental conditions of some of them, it would seem reducing the herd will simply be a necessary convenience...
If we pit against each other, they win! So we need to figure out how to be the one's to rebuild and reestablish compromise and decency. It's not trite, that's how this dream has survived! We need to find the place to come together. Call it Kumbaya all you want, but if we decidedly don't do that, indeed, we sold OURSELVES, not just democracy!
Az our politicians did that to us, Democrat and Republican and the voting public are responsible for all that befalls us, because the voting public is lazy, prone to beliefs and disinformation., the voting public gobbles up lies, like a turkey does grain.
The voting public is easily pitted against each other, over what amounts to trivial issues, which they allow to be elevated into causus belli,like race, religion, women, queers, and it has been that way since before the American revolution. It is old as the 1st Bishop of Rome and Constantine.
it lead to massive meters in the news and other tellacomm industries which lead to weekend FCC rules lead to buyout and ownership of gaint Corp of newspapers and new media. To name a few.
Az. to whom and what are you replying. Who ever it was didn't sell democracy by investing in Musk, MS, Apple and Amazon. Your use of you has to be first person plural, meaning not the personal you, yet in your last sentence you personalize it by asking Where have you been living? As if the person to whom you reply did in fact invest in Musk, etc.
I agree with your sentiments though, but instead of saying you, you should have said we. Unless you are not part of the We. Are you perhaps a citizen of the British Commonwealth.? If so then you suffer the same disabilities, of cabals and monopolies, as they plague the world, more so the autocracies, which grant them exclusivity which we call oligarchies.
Az, thank you for sharing your perspective. Unfortunately for us, the federal constitution of the country enables the rich to play one state against another. It also gives small states disproportional representation in Congress. On the fortunate side, we have large oil deposits, but this good fortune gives the fossil fuel industry great influence in our politics, which is a curse. Ours is a vast and complicated country, unlike France or Hungary.
Laurie, I regularly watch the 'good' network, MSNBC. And have especially noticed the egregious devolultion of Morning in America Joe (no typo). In my opinion, within the last, let's say, half year, this news segment has increasingly moved into news-tainment. From a spot recently celebrating Mika's birthday (what's this got to do with the news?), to increasing book review spots featuring books such as 'how my faith sees me through' to the regular attempts by the bro commentators to sneak in as much sports reportage as possible, to the requisite latest broadway show review -- I'm on the verge of not watching Morning in America Joe again. I have recently sent an email to Rachel Maddow Show to implore her, or anyone, at MSNBC to devote a serious panel to explicating the major areas of Project 2025. So far, no response. Are we surprised?
I totally agree that it’s nearly impossible to find “news, nothing but the news” on television. I’ve searched for it, without success. The BBC comes closest, but their U.S. coverage tends to be limited to big events and topics that have global impact. I’ve concluded that there aren’t enough of us news-only viewers to make that kind of programming profitable. Perhaps the answer would be some kind of legislation requiring networks to devote some daily time to fact-based, news-only reporting. It is critically important that Americans have access to unvarnished news reporting.
Laurie, I recently "shared" information on Facebook that some grocers were price gouging. I received a message from Facebook that I shared incorrect information, and if I do it again I will be banned from Facebook. How do I know without doing my own deep dive into fact checking if I am sharing incorrect information. It certainly stifles "sharing."
Considering there's no gas or supply shortage but grocery chains are raising prices, while making Record Profits... I'd "ask" factcheckers to show THEIR evidence. I know there are shortages on some products, like orange juice & fruits due to what They claim is a FAKE climate change, but not other products that have gone Way up in $$. I haven't been in a Fabo timeout in a long while...
My wife is addicted to Facebook,and often buys crap. This is the third time in a year, the second within a six month period, that we have to cancel a credit card and get a new one, because of some crap you saw on Facebook.
Facebook is an engine of chaos, nobody should be on it. I can't do anything but implore my wife, because I am no a dictator.
Clearly, you were on something because Target dropped their prices… makes you wonder why they did so. Maybe to get out ahead of the red-handed greed that has been making everyone suffer under high prices everywhere.
Jacquelyn, I stopped watching MSNBC about 9 mo ago, except for an occasional look at Maddow’s Monday night show, when it seemed little time was spent on real factual news , but was spent listening to their opinions. I miss Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite type of News, The word news used to imply fact checked information we could count on, if errors were made, we could count on them making a retraction , giving the truth , and apologizing, This spin, that there are alternative facts is just another fascist lie. I don’t have any answers , I just wish we could implement laws with real consequences for lies in media,
Jacquelyn, yes, I am surprised because the programs I have been listening to on MSNBC, mostly in the evenings and on weekends, do deal with current issues. They haven't delved into Project 25 too much yet, but certainly have mentioned it and encouraged people to read it or at least excerpts. Americans are scared right now and entertainment is what they do to pretend their fear isn't real. More horror movies are out than in recent years and people are going to them in pretty significant numbers. Fake fear trumps the real thing, maybe. Plus, there's money in advertising movies and other entertainment, not so much in real news. We all should be demanding more quality coverage.
I look at some shows on MSNBC and sometimes find a person of interest, or a good discussion with some depth to it about legal matters surrounding an ongoing trial, or case. Then there is Meidas touch and other things on you tube. some of it informative. the fact that it is usually fairly short makes it accessible.
Laurie Blair, I like news too, domestic and foreign. Do you like pbs newshour? They go deeper and they carry speeches and press conferences live on youtube. I like dw news out of Germany and they have a dw documentary too that is good. I watch on youtube. Also, sometimes I watch France 24 on youtube also.
Laurie, oh, I did not know this about undisclosed locations. Now, this is serious stuff. I guess tfg's minions are targeting news outlets/hosts even before tfg takes office and bans the whole lot. And yet, not a peep from MSNBC segments. Truly terrifying.
Laurie, right wing-ish is precisely the conclusion I've come to. First, Joe started talking a lot about how 'Reagan would have done things much better.' OK, so far so good -- I can accept that this opinion would have been his as a new Republican Rep. in Congress. Then, I noticed he would slip in remarks about how he was an evangelican, Southern Baptist Convention style. Then, I noticed he was taking the lead in closing comments about sports. Then...I noticed recently that the entire Joe segment was peppered with highlight news from the previous day. Regular readers don't need this -- we've already read it. And finally, his constant remarking about how he's 'just a simple country lawyer.' Well, we can certainly vouch for this. Lately, I've noticed he's dropped this bit of humor. But the final blow for me was last week, when an entire segment was devoted to Mika's birthday. Truly, this I don't need. And allow me to just cap off my remarks by saying that I've noticed how Mikka-know-your-value Brezinski (sp.) frequently gives Joe that worshipping gaze a-la Nancy Reagan. So, I'm upset by all this -- but where else do we go?
Why anyone watch morning joe is beyond me. Right off the bat it was announced that a Republican congressman from Florida, named Joe Scarborough was to host his early morning TV show, and then he marries that son of a bitch Zbegniew Brezinksi's daughter Mikka.
I wonder what Rachel's podcasts are like? I have wanted to explore some, but time runs out. There are books: but with what is happening slowly and the election coming faster, it feels more urgent than ever to get some real information, that we the people can use to survive and get it quickly
Oooohhhh — make time for Rachel’s podcasts! You won’t regret a moment. You WILL be horrified that none of the history she imparts has ever been taught in our institutions of higher learning.
Laurie and Nancy, I can't second this more!! The first Ultra series was enlightening, educational, and necessary. Do watch. Rachel has a second series starting shortly, also named Ultra.
Susan Beall; it would be nice to see him and others with the kind of information that tells us more about what can be done , and what IS being done about problems in our "justice" system.
Laurie - I am so grateful for every one of the good people who are constantly standing up for our rights and for a better version of our country - one that works better for us all. We are surrounded by heroes, it's just that sometimes we can't see or hear them - the roar of the present day media obliterates so much.
Democratic leadership are wringing their hands. The only suggestion is VOTE. Yes, but to insure the vote is for Biden, we have to insure that the electorate knows what's at stake and that takes doing a lot more right now than wringing our hands. All of the efforts to get out the vote will fail, if we do nothing about voter suppression and an uninformed, business as usual electorate. Democratic leadership must fight back. My suggestion on various newsletters is to organize a million man march led by people like Jamie Raskin, Dan Goldman, Sheldon Whitehouse, Thom Hartmann, Ken burns and celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Colbert, Taylor Swift and Streisand. This can grab people's attention and galvanize them to vote. Time is running out!
The MSM really is lame, they got that one right. What they got wrong was that their alternatives are even worse. And the corruption goes unremarked upon. Partly because the Dems are so corrupt themselves and partly because it could ruin their "access" to the politicians. They actually considered Tim Russert to be a tough investigative journalist because he would, every once in a while, point out something hypocritical they'd said. Tim Russert!!! That's like calling a Pekinese an attack dog!!!
The one who is stupid looking is shrewd and has a lot of help from his puppet masters. the other has more money than brains or ethics ; and he is mean! Mean people suck, and he is too stupid to know that! Some day all the "pretty" people will disinvite him to their parties! He may be ostracized, which can be painful.
I woke up from a terrible nightmare this morning in which Elon Musk was saluting Trump, both wearing twisted smiles. Though I’m relieved it was just a nightmare, it made me worry about the possibility of Trump choosing Musk or one of billionaire bros as his VP? Thoughts?
This has been a very good flow of ideas and discourse
Now I’m really scared shitless. As I witnessed the antics of tfg during his time in office, especially in dealing with the pandemic, I often wondered what a very smart and capable person with only personal gain and seeking power would do to our nation. I do believe that if the United States falls into the existence promised by tfg the rest of the world is in peril. We must do everything we can to prevent this.
I am in Mensa with an IQ tested at above the 99th percentile. I am quite possibly the smartest person in the room, but I don’t try to contain people or act like a jerk. But, I am not a white man from South Africa who as raised to believe he is privileged and superior. That is the driving force why he makes those decisions. You are a lesser person, you didn’t obey my commands, so I will fire you. That’s exactly what happened with the Supercharger situation. The woman in charge brilliantly negotiated other automakers to switch to NACS from CCS. She could only lay off a smaller percentage of her division’s workforce to expand the network adequately. Musk fires them all and sets back EV adoption in the US because the primary concern for drivers is the lack of a charging infrastructure. Tesla needs to kick him to the curb.
Musk may have high academic intelligence, but I'm willing to bet his emotional intelligence is at the low end of the scale. IMO, anyone that has the power to upend thousands of people's lives to further their own is a threat to the rest of us.
Eadie, based on what I've read, you may indeed be very correct. Walter Isaacson's recent bio of him places him on the autistic spectrum. And, if I'm not mistaken, I read somewhere that he himself gives some credence to this. On a more personal note, any man who fathers 10 (guessing...) children with no apparent relationship to their mothers is sad stuff.
I would not give Musk so much credit as an inventor. Nicolai Tesla was the inventor. Musk just lucked out when he was able to buy the company. When Nicolai died in a hotel room , his papers disappeared, and it is just a guess who got them. But Musk is not the inventor of the electric car technology. He had the wealth to buy it, and received subsidies from the taxpayers to build his business.
Agreed, Musk isn't stupid, but Trump is kind of an idiot after having gone to all of the best schools and having had every advantage.
That said, as little as five years ago Musk was being talked up by the media, and treated like some kind of visionary Capitalist deserving of all his great rewards. I remember and episode of the Simpson's in particular where Musk starred (assume it was his voice or that they got permission) and visited Lisa. He was riding hoverboards, talking about his EVs, and even genetically engineered crops perhaps being the only thing saving us in the future. Suffice it to say, it was a very positive depiction.
Exactly. Opinion journalism is cheap. No real reporters needed. Just opinionated people sitting around a table. Or, even worse(?), opinions of ‘average citizens’ selected to be ‘interesting’ to viewers…. I tend to stick with PBS and BBC.
R.G. : even PBS has corporate "sponsors" affecting the content. I used to watch BBC, but due to time constraints, have been seeing Katty Kay on MSNBC, when she is on.
I’m taking to reading intelligent Substack postings rather than listen to any mainstream broadcast news including PBS. The incredibly facile statements and senseless questions asked of their pundit guests lead to no meaningful insights.
100% actually as soon as government allowed the public (not just military) to have access to the internet, it should have been regulated. In addition Robert Murdock should have been imprisoned for what he and others have done to “ The News” Creating lies and conspiracies is not freedom of speech it is a entire new category of disgust I guess you can put it under treason. And the people they’re fine for all of these false narratives are pushing can’t seem to snap out of it. So Brainwashing is real I guess.
Murdoch is SLIME - can’t you just see a group of these billionaires with no morals sitting in a backyard of a mansion deciding who to make president? CREEPY
MSNBC & CNN are part of the same corporate apparatus. They serve as a very right-wing "left-stop" of ideas. They maintain the ideological spectrum's left edge, and FOX pushes their boundary on the right, ever rightward.
I don't know how old you are, but if you remember, in the late 1990s when Joe Scar was still in the House, he was the much hated right-wing congressman that they all loved to hate. I believe he was the one accused of killing his intern, although I'm not positive (googling) Lori Klausutis, a 28-year-old intern who was found dead in Scarborough’s Fort Walton Beach office in Florida when he was a congressman.
But my major point is, people we regarded as loathesome right-wingers before are now welcomed into the Democratic fold. The ideological spectrum continues to slide rightward, and why wouldn't it. Democrats aren't presenting ideas like Bernie Sanders outside of woke and abortion to attempt to pull us back, away from Fascism.
Ever right. Never left. That has been their motto since the repeal of Fairness Doctrine in '87.
James, I was indeed 'around' in the 1990's, but not paying too much attention to politics at that time. So, if Joe was a much-hated right-wing congressman, I didn't hear that. But given his forays into right wing-ishness now, I would say that you most likely are correct, as are my recent comments on Morning in America Joe. I believe my own eyes and ears. Also, I have heard, and Joe himself has addressed this more than once on his show, that his intern had a heart problem, had an attack, and fell into the corner of a desk, and died from hitting her head in this accident. But yet, I have neither read/heard any reputable news outlet report on this. So.... I do most emphatically agree with you that MSNBC is doing a piss-poor job of carrying the progressive side along, a la Sanders and E. Warren. You may have read my previous posts about how I have tried to contact R, Maddow Show about doing SOMETHING substantial about seriously communicating Project 2025 on someone's show -- Rachel being the most likely in my opinion. I think these problems, though, are more embedded than Joe's show. I think there's something in the executive suite of MSNBC that's turning, at least this one show, into news-tainment. This slide is hard to miss if one is looking for serious news (like I find on Lawrence O'Donnell, Joy Reid, Alex Wagner, and others), and of course there's the missing Rachel except for the already-read blogs.
Instead of Reagan's FCC trashing the "Fairness Doctrine" in 1987, they should've updated it and forced cable television, or at least any news show affair, to be under the same guises and rules.
Once fairness was gone from the media, it just became the biggest driving force in Lewis Powell's class war he called for in his 1971 memo. From then on, it was Rush Limbaugh, and all media was pro-rich, and hateful to the poor. They started worshiping all of these figures like Jack Welsch (sp?) and other rich guys, and blaming the poor for all of their errors and mistakes.
They pushed Republicans, and right-wing Democrats in the primaries, which hasn't stopped. "Ever to the right, never to the left," was their motto.
We the people through our elected representatives need to clearly define the boundry between free speech and anti-democracy toxic propaganda, make laws against it and enforce strict punishments for those who break it.
I think a simple, bold warning a few times a piece whether it is "FACT-BASED" or "OPINION-BASED" will suffice for those of us not in a Deathcult. This will be a NATIONAL system for 100% of "news" segments.
Agree... put "Fact Based or Opinion Based" on the crawl under each segment. Have the opinion speaker begin his/her segment by saying "this is my opinion".
Twitter and addressing the proliferation of opinion journalism posing as news are critical steps toward fostering a more informed and responsible public discourse. ...
I agree! I used to believe what I read in the newspaper or heard on the nightly news. I am tired of the daily junk being written about Trump and Musk. I would probably get better, truthful news from the National Inquirer!
The National Enquirer invents most of its reporting. I read once where even People magazine invented its own news but the Stars couldn’t be bothered countering it which would create more headline nes.
HulitC, you are so right about the reforms needed, but it would involve changing things people are used to, even if they wouldn't really notice much change if all the reforms were put in place. Change, the only thing besides death that can be guaranteed is not something people want to deal with, so they will wallow in the slime of what is going on now in our courts (Supremes especially) and social media because they like the old proverb that the "devil you know is better than the one you don't." They are wrong, but it's hard to move people forward if their fear holds them behind a wall that only Fox and trash social media can penetrate.
Your thoughtful essays are always interesting. Please continue to educate people about the plan for 2025. It truly is the most important issue, the issue that has potential to rally people to vote for Biden. Which is the most important thing right now...
Prof. Reich, I wholeheartedly endorse Gail's imploring you to devote some serious time to discussing Project 2025. No one else is. Biden's attempts to mention his mantra of 'democracy' in my opinion is rather fruitless considering the American people cannot tell the difference between democrary and autocracy. This is how much public school education is failing all of us. On my knees, I implore you....
The Trump-Musk axis is terrifying. I lay the blame for why so many Americans not only tolerate but actually encourage their behavior at the feet of Reagan and the complicit Republicans who for more than 40 years have deliberately destroyed our educational system leaving an electorate with no critical thinking skills and a lack of understanding of history. Our K-12 public schools are a disgrace - underfunded, under supported, our teachers under constant attack. Public money is siphoned off to private schools including religious ones, leaving less and less for the public systems. And the kind of curriculum necessary to create informed and engaged citizens is stifled, banned, obliterated, leaving a country of sheep willing to follow anyone who presents themselves as “savior.” Thugocracy is the perfect term.
Reagan always gets a 'free-pass." I have a Conservative childhood friend who voted
twice for the "Con." He doesn't think he can vote a third time (mentions Haley... REALLY?!?) BUT, pines for a return to the good ol' Reagan years. TOTALLY UNABLE TO WRAP HIS HEAD
AROUND THE FACT THAT RONNIE THE GREAT PRETENDER SET THE STAGE FOR THE
BILLIONAIRE CLASS THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO CONCEPT OF A COMMON GOOD
AND/OR EMPATHY FOR ANYONE ELSE!!! JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ
The plot to dumb down the citizenry appears to be working. I completely agree with you. If we don’t invest adequately in education we are doomed to be controlled by thugs.
You have to realize, Republicans push to the right, and Democrats march in time, spin their wheels, bide their time until they lose again.
Democrats are part of the process, as is their media. It's called the ratchet effect.
When is the last time their media (MSNBC or CNN) really advocated for things that helped the majority of our population, like real healthcare, education, or even an increase in the minimum wage? And the Democrats haven't come up with an original idea to push back to the left in ages.
Republicans push to the right, and Democrats wait for the next torquing. Heck, Bill Clinton even helped them by working with Newt Gingrich to achieve several massive right-wing legislative tasks. They deregulated banking, locked up thousands of likely Democratic voters with new drug crimes, and deregulated the media in 1996, making an already bad situation worse--and more.
The process is called "The ratchet effect." Republicans tighten toward Fascism, Democrats are the clicking of the ratchet (tool) to reposition but to never turn the tide (bolt) back to the left.
They are super-bullies, but they also see themselves as victims while they are among the most privileged, just highlighting the weakness of character that bullying actually reflects. It is likely an extension of being born to excessive wealth.
The reverence in which two con-men are held is a natural consequence of the cult of the individual which exists at the expense of the collective. Ayn Rand’s poison has spread far and wide boosted by Reaganist and Thatcherist neoliberalism. I hope I live long enough to see the toxic Musk incarcerated.
Does sociology exist in America? Look at recent issues of Time mag. The 100 most influential people in this field and that field. That's okay but the story is not just about individuals but the institutions and systems that exist and how they mold outcomes. There's a reason sociologists have had a hard go of it in higher ed in Texas. They don't need no stinkin sociology.
I don’t disagree. Individualism, in which the devil takes the hindmost, plays out through institutions. My simple answer is that corporations have been allowed to run amok. Their very essence is extreme selfishness. Trade is like usury but the deity permits trade but forbids usury. In other words we can’t do without trade, for which read capitalism, but it must be rendered more benign.
At the risk of self-promotion I would like to recommend my essay on Substack dated 25 March 2024 which will show the source of my ideas. I’m confident the source will surprise
The existence of a megalomaniac such as Musk reminds me of Louis Brandeis quote, “we can have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.”
I’m old enough to remember the 1980 election. Everything was going wrong in the US. Interest rates were at double digit levels and our hostages were not only stuck in Iran, but our rescue mission failed. There was no possible way that Jimmy Carter could pull the election out, and we liberals were terrified of what Reagan would do to set the country back. We were right that Reagan would take us back more than 50 years, but at least he loved the US and cared about the population.
In contrast, now, economically, everything is going right in the US, but few people believe it. They are angry at the immigrants streaming across the border and are convinced that those unfortunate souls are ruining the lives of everyone that was here before. And we have a convicted criminal demagogue who is believed when he tells people their elections are being stolen. (People are indeed trying to steal elections, but NOT the ones being accused). Common sense should make the population run like hell, but instead, Republican leaders, as well as their voters, are following Trump as if he were the Pied Piper and they the rats in the town of Hamlin.
I fear that, as in 1980, we Dems can’t possibly pull things out. The difference is that we are about to throw over decent economic conditions and the possibility of restoring personal freedoms for someone who is a Hitler wannabe. (Yes, I went there). The thing that all these white men chanting for Trump are missing is that when the neo-Fascists finish locking up immigrants and government officials, do what Fascists always do — lock up people they no longer trust. But, hey, the trains may run on time, we workers can dream of being rich, and, anyway, it’s the guy across the street that will be hustled out in chains in the middle of the night — not me. Don’t bet on it.
I am slowly convincing myself that democracy is really TOO DIFFICULT for a population that can't be bothered to participate, share and understand what it TRULY MEANS to apply the lofty principles of our Constitution to the "OTHER!"
REAL history, TOO DIFFICULT! REAL acceptance, TOO DIFFICULT! REAL IDEALS, WAY TOO DIFFICULT!
I know it's a stretch BUT... I have been thinking a lot about how the psychological aspects of a "return to the past" (ie. childhood) is REALLY about the comfort and security (real or otherwise) that "seems" to come with having decisions MADE FOR YOU... food4thought!
I share your frustration with what appears to be an infantilized population that can't be bothered.
Its the comfort of having God for some. God makes happen what will be so I personally have little or no responsibility. This viewpoint was driven home to me by a conversation with a God fearing guy who spent his days smoking and drinking.
But don't convince yourself of democracy being too difficult. Was the population ever that devoted to participate and share the principles of the Constitution? I will admit though once I retired and had more time to assess the population on these issues what I found was utter ignorance of government and its role in society. A warning sign I did not really appreciate until, say, 2016.
Extreme capitalism is undermining democracy and even capitalism itself. But are there conditions in place that can prevent a further slide or is God/material conditions such that we're all going to hell? On a hopeful side maybe changing material conditions exist and I don't seen them, or maybe the widespread doom and gloom of Democrats is not fully justified. I think Biden policies will help but they take some time for their impact to grow.
Bullying has been around forever. The difference today is, as a society we allow them to have lots of $ that gives them power and with that power they become super bullies! They feel like they’re untouchable and are willing to push the boundaries of what is right and wrong without consequences! Bullies have no shame or empathy for others. The Supreme Court has the ball in their court to stop one of the worst bullies in history. Will they protect our democracy by stopping this madness or will they just continue to be his supporters?
Keith ; follow the money, They are bought, and possibly have accepted an offer they can't refuse. Besides ; Absolute power corrupts absolutely! The rich thugs have bought themselves this power! They have weaponized The Supreme Court of the United States of America for themselves, it looks like! In the media, the lawyers for tRUMP are saying that "their friends" on the court should fix the poor verdict of the Jurors in New York! Talk about unprecedented! see what happens...!
If you're looking for SOTUS or the billionaire class to come to their senses, forgetabout it. They are a big part of our problem. Not the solution. Repeat: Not the solution.
The solution writ large is the people (incl you and me) and hopefully some common sense and desire for survival on their part.
Trump Musk is incredibly dangerous, immense wealth potentially allied to immense power if Trump gets elected and with the ability to control the social media narrative.
The world’s a dangerous enough place already and there’s only a very thin line of democracy protecting us from an even more dangerous future - the US “swing states”.
Amazingly Trump could lose the popular vote by 10 million and still end up controlling the direction of world travel.
Perhaps one of the biggest problems is that voices like yours, Prof Reich, don’t get heard in this arena of algorithms and echo chambers.
Whatever motivates the people that support them, it is destroying our country. To these people, democracy is a joke. Power and wealth are the only things that matter. We must vote these people out.
Americans love to mingle with the rich. It makes them feel that they are important and valuable people. Some of the rich, however, have no heart or soul. We should make becoming rich anathema rather than attempting to emulate them we should put clear legal boundaries around them and their money. Making huge amounts of money in a limited world means that many people cannot share in that wealth. We should change that and put limits on what they can do with their money. We have let them modify our climate in negative ways and we allow them to continue to do that. We let them have massive power over our lives when their power grows unchecked just because they either had money given to them or they somehow made huge amounts on their own. As a culture we need to place limits on the rich and take a lot more of their money to take care of the many problems they create. Corporations need to be taxed and not allowed to run roughshod over us. There are limited resources in the world and our government has viewed as one of its primary purposes the giving essentially of our legacy and property to those that are rich. I think we should feed the ugly ones like Musk and Trump to the hogs. They are not worth the trouble they cause. It may be too late for us what with Citizens United and a purchased Supreme Court. What is happening is turning me into an anarchist and a fascist. Eat the rich might be the highest and best use of them. If we did that with a few of them they might gain a sense of perspective on the use of their wealth or they might just use their wealth to kill us.
"December 23, 1776
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God."
Thomas Paine's word are still rousing and a motivation to action.
Many of the current Republicans, especially those that support Trump committed treason to get elected. They took assistance and money from the Russians and they shared important secrets with them. This makes them traitors, people that should be shot, not reelected. They should be tried as traitors and locked up or disposed of. The evidence exists, we need to use and it may require more that the use of words to get these criminals out of our systems. We must let the super bullies know that we know they are criminals and that we will treat them as such. There should be no lifetime appointments in our government. Judges must be subject to the same laws that they promulgate. We, the people, are screwed everyday by the rich and the stupid if we would but acknowledge it.
It seems to me that unequality is the consequence of it. This ugly narcissism might come from the theatrical strands in American ethos, the basic belief that anything can be bought or sold, the red scare the U.S. still suffers from.
The story is okay and shocking, but I'm still curious.
Keep people at the bottom of the heap poor with tax breaks for the wealthy and removing their meagre benefits then tell them it’s the fault of the immigrants. Fascist play book page 1.
Twitter needs to be regulated or nationalized. FOX & their ilk also, but even “good media” needs to be overhauled. Too much opinion journalism masquerading as news.
SCOTUS also needs reforming…
And gerrymandering
The enemy has been nibbling away democracy for a long time now.
HulitC ;Yes ; too many greedheads controlling and writing the narrative! even on the "good" networks! Last night on MSNBC there was a lot of talk about the challenges we face in the upcoming election. Not one word about the billionaire influence ; Except that Harlan Crowe has been voted back onto the board of the Federalist Society so we can have more indoctrinated judges to maintain our "heritage". Importantly, nothing about what we can do about the rampant corruption of the courts! This is a 5 alarm fire! They are not waiting for tRUMP to be elected ! They dismantle the Constitution a little more every day! and all the usual pap is being repeated by our Pundits. The same stuff they have said for years now, with no talk of real remedies! with the exception of Sheldon Whitehouse coming on occasionally to mention his efforts, or there is Representative Eric Swalwell updating us about his lawsuit against the jan 6th attackers against himself and the others working in the Capitol on Jan 6th, or the Black Congresswoman from Texas ; Jasmine Crockett, speaking out against the challenges in that state. Or the man, Colin Allred, D-Dallas, who will face Ted Cruz, to challenge his seat. And so many other persons who tell us what is going on that we should know about.
The big news yesterday is that Biden announced OPEC agreed to raise production quotas. Hopefully energy prices will drop in time for the election and Russia, Iran, et al will have less funding for their wars in the Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and Gaza.
I keep asking why Treasury doesn't arbitrage part of the debt: borrow from our "allies" like Japan, Switzerland, Scandinavia, at their 1% rates to retire some 7% US debt? Why we haven't held OPEC accountable for arbitrarily fixing high prices?
IMHO Trump was responsible for high prices by encouraging OPEC to lower production to benefit BIG OIL, which led to inflation. Like a snowball from the mountain top leading to an avalanche.
Daniel Solomon: I guess like dubya, there is a 'soft spot' in tRUMP'S HEART for the Saudis! It works for Him. The rest of US be damned!
Well, the Saudi’s “donated” $2 billion to tRump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in the last year of his presidency, for “investment advice,” in which Jared had absolutely no experience. Hmmm.🤔
Rose, and I don't hear about a trial set up to try our Jared for colluding with a foreign entity while Hunter is being tried for a ridiculous charge that involves nothing but a bunch of Republicans trying to make points, especially the "special counsel" who is a total jerk, but also pretty nasty, just what one would expect from a Trump appointee. I hope the jury sees the whole thing as the farce it is, but I doubt they will because Hunter has been in the news so much, he must have done something horrible that would lead to jail while Donald Trump keeps waltzing around with no restrictions beyond a gag order that seems to have little to no impact.
It's even more obvious that Hunter is being persecuted because he was already investigated and went to court in 2018! When Trump was still President the court dismissed the charges. He proved that he had paid the taxes in question and not mentioning drugs on a gun application is just a misdemeanor. So why, almost 8 years latter, would republicans want to re-investigate this?! Too hurt President Biden.
https://open.substack.com/pub/simulationcommander/p/reprint-now-that-were-done-pretending?r=ce20v&utm_medium=ios
Really…guess what would happen to you if you did what Hunter did! You wouldn’t see nothing but bars for years!!!
I guess Jared is buying up islands where there used to be military bases somewhere near or in the Middle East ? Hotels? Or strategic locations? Can't remember where.
Jared? Yeah whst happened to the 2 billion in a suitcase?
Let us see. Jared is a Jew, he has visited Israel before and after Oct 7, and although Saudi Arabia will deny entry to anyone who has an Israeli stamp on their passport,, they are eager to meet with Jared and as pointed out above, gifted him 2 billion dollars.
Saudi Arabia is no friend of Palestinians, it bars them entry, and deports them if they manage to sneak in.
The Kingdom manages to stay in power because of the alliance that the Arab chief, King Abdulaziz made with a fanatic Muslim by name of Wahhab
The Emirate of Diriyah (Arabic: إِمَارَةُ الدِّرْعِيَّةِ), also known as the First Saudi State,[1] was established in February 1727 (1139 AH).[2][3] In 1744, the emir of a Najdi town called Diriyah, Muhammad bin Saud, and the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab signed a pact to found a socio-religious reform movement to unify the many states of the Arabian Peninsula. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirate_of_Diriyah
I doubt that the MBS is a fanatic practicing Wahhabiyyah Muslim, as he like all of the Princes are westernized, but their power depends on the loyalty of the Imans, the Wahhabi Muslim clerics.
In the same way that the Egyptian PhaRaohs, relied on the priesthoods of their many gods for secular authority, the same as Constantine who abolished the priesthoods of Rome which he had difficulty placating, for the singular priesthood of the Bishop of Rome. A tacitic that all sings and emperors from Charlemagne, Olaf Trygvasson of Norway, Harald Blueooth of Denmark, William the conqueror, Henry VIII all found necessary to sanction their secular rule, only Henry combined church and state, making himself head of the church. eliminating the power of the Pope.
The people of Saudi Arabia are devout Wahhabiyyah, but I doubt the the royals are.
They seem to be more devout to oil than to the Quoran.
Laurie, you know Republicans are desperate for a recession. I bet they would relish a full-blown depression because they are sure it wouldn't impact them (especially Musk and his ilk) and who cares about the American people. Jerome Powell of the fed has been working on the recession since he was approved for the fed under Trump, and alas, Biden kept him in office. I get it that Biden is trying for bipartisanship, but going right is not bipartisanship, it is a betrayal of the American people even though a good percentage of the people don't even realize what Republicans have done and are doing to them. We do need to wake up our news sources and demand better.
Saudis, Putin, fossil-fuel beholden Republicans cannot help but love each other. The year American journalist Kashoghi was murdered, Trump applauded the Saudi prince in public.
Trump did do that and basically told the Saudis that if they didn't cut oil production, he would cut their defense funding. More of his bully and bribe approach to how he operates but would be much worse if allowed back in the Oval Office. It will be a huge relief if we don't have see him or hear his name anymore and he ends up somewhere else that keeps him from doing his non stop damage.
Must have been all of that sword dancing at the Princes house that swayed Trump
The sword on the Saudi flag, represents the conquest of the Roman-Greco and Persian Empires, and the Islamization of once Christian and Zoroastrian lands.
The globe that Trump so lovingly caressed represent the world, and the aim of the Saudi's to control the world. The man was a dumb ass, uncurious, especially when it comes to symbology.
Daniel, the reason that Treasury doesn't arbitrage our debt is because, and it is not embedded in law, Treasury prints government securities after the President signs the budget prepared by congress, and the securities are sold to the Association of Primary Dealers in Government Securities, there are 25 of them Click on current list at this link. https://www.newyorkfed.org/markets/primarydealers
The APDIGS then sells them to the Fed, Institutional investors, overseas investors, including sovereign funds. The Fed then sells them at the Open Market Window, via a rate set by the Open Market Committee to member banks via the 12 regional feds.
Mess with the APIGS and you mess with your life.
I am not claiming a conspiracy, but I note that JFK, had Treasury issue $2 and $5 Treasury Notes, with plans to issue higher denominations, before he was assassinated.
I said Treasury Notes NOT Silver Certificates, you can still buy these Treasury notes from numinastic dealers, even on line.
Trreasury notes are liabilities of the government, not the Federal Reserve which is the Federal Reserve notes you have in your pocket.
Issuance of Treasury Notes, by passes the Association of Primary Dealers in Government Securities and the Fed. It cuts them out of the action and profits.
I know how they're sold, The issue is how they can be "retired" Call in some notes and the interest rates will drop. I'm big on moral suasion. Threaten to do it. .
Understood, now I understand. Great plan, if only......
Some interesting ideas. I'd like to add my own interpretations and you can see what you think.
Arbitraging the debt: One problem might be the sheer amount of debt we're wracking up. I'm not sure those other countries are selling enough of their own debt to cover it. But a bigger issue might be the actual purpose of the deficit. Because the U.S. Government is the sole legitimate supplier of dollars, it can print up as much as it likes and spend it. Which means there is no fiscal reason to be running deficits at all. And indeed we do stuff like that all the time through the Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve among other mechanisms. And the fiscal discipline having to borrow supposedly provides doesn't actually instill any discipline at all as far as I can see. We just"borrow" as much as we need. I don't think there's that much co-ordination between the people who supply money (The Fed and the banks) and the people who spend it (The Congress and Senate). So I'm guessing that the real reason for borrowing money is something else. My guesses: 1) Government bonds are a safe place for the rich to park their money where it is safe because U.S. Gov has never defaulted on its debt. And the bonds can always be sold if a Billionaire needs some cash to do a deal that will provide a higher return. So Gov Bonds are a savings account for Billionaires. Another guess, 2) By selling Gov Bonds to foreigners, we are aligning our different interests with each other. Buying a Gov Bond is investing in America, if a foreigner buys our bonds, they have an interest is seeing us do well. Which means they won't do things to harm us, since that would be harming their own investment.
Does any of that make sense???
What do you think???
I think your logic is full of false assumptions. The people buying our debt are arbitraging.
OPEC does not have the control of oil prices that everyone tends to believe. the oil market is controlled by supply and demand and every oil-producing country essentially sells as much as they can as long as the world price is above the cost of production. Quotas are always broken. Only those in the media believe that OPEC controls the price of oil. If they controlled prices you would see it in the commodity market, which will show a bump and then retreat on OPECS announcement.
OPEC controls prices, by agreeing to cut production, which it has done, Saudi Arabia is the leading and dominant member of OPEC, Google OPEC membership to see the players.
The U.S. is self sufficient in oil production, in fact it exports oil, but it also imports oil to keep the international oil scam operating, There are ties between the nations and companies, SAMREF is an equally owned joint venture between Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation).
ExxonMobil and SABIC have successfully collaborated on several petrochemical joint ventures in Saudi Arabia, including the Al-Jubail Petrochemical Company and Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Company
As Pogo said: "I have seen the enemy, and it is us"
Harvey has taken the supply side kool aid. In reality we don't need OPEC as we have enough production to move the markets. We could expand refinery capacity, uncap our wells and limit exports. Prices would drop like rocks.
This used to be a bipartisan issue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Oil_Producing_and_Exporting_Cartels_Act
Totally agree Daniel. Maybe Harvey is an Exxon employee or plant.
See Daniel Solomon's post below this
We just don't have thqt much influence with OPEC. Twice in the 70s (1973, 1979) they just stopped pumping and it was economically didsasterou for us. For them... not so much.
I don't usually read The Paul Street Report due to time constraints, but I did yesterday. His "Thoughts on Revolution vs The Election Madness" struck a cord with me. Robert Reich and others describe the predicament we're in very well. We have lost our democracy to the wealthy oligarchs. It seems that a mass movement outside of the election process will be necessary to restore democracy if it's even possible at this point. It scares the hell out of me, but unless the oligarchs come to the understanding that they killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, it will happen. Survival is becoming increasingly difficult for the mudsill class.
There is the idea of a National Strike! Victory gardens 😍 to feed US! Support the local farmers, and diy! If there is a will, there is a way! Let the rich make their own beds! Fix their own cars, and clean their own homes!, how do the French do it? Are there other countries that have challenged the ruling class this way? If the rich guys can plot and plan autocracy: why can't the humans study successful striking on the national level? Resistance! Is it possible?
One way is to increase taxation after a certain income level ( including from investments) and reduce tax shelters.
I thought something like that was proposed by President Biden.
The president doesn't have the power, per the constitution, Laurie to impose changes to the tax laws or budget, that power is left to Congress.
Start by voting!
That goes without saying ; at least for me, and I believe, everyone in this forum, and most of US in the Country. Blue votes have won the last 7 elections. If there is no cheating, I believe we should have a landslide win!
IF is the question. tRump and his sycophants are hard at work purging voters from the rolls. What remedies have we come up with to combat this?
Yeah, it's possible -- the French had the audacity to stage a full-fledged revolution. Which...must be said...resulted in Napoleon in short order.
I had the impression that National strikes have happened there in more modern times.
They have Laurie and the French politicians have a vivid memory of the 1789 Revolution and are terrified of national uprisings (strikes).
The countries that send their armies to crush the French revolution made Napoleon possible. They paid a very high price for it.
I read that the Napoleonic war reduced the height of the French by 3 inches,
And power went to Napoleon's head
Absolute power does that. Our Presidents haven't had absolute power. If Trump is elected Project 2025 and Project 47 will change that.
I remember Victory Gardens, as a kid of 10 and 11, in 1949 and1950, I would walk a bridle path in Fairmont Park, scooping up horse manure to fertilize a community victory garden.
The reason that people don't do anything Laurie is because most of us are comfortable, and despite the grumbling, are content with our lives. And those that are really aware and concerned fear being penalized.
Even the right.
Look at the MAGAts, Jan 6th they fell out en masse, travled from all 50 states to attack the Capitol. Fast forward to the Manhattan trial, after (and this is important), the Jan 6 perps wound up in jail and prison, only one or two people showed up outside the courthouse.
This does not speak well for the, apparently empty, threats that Trump and the MAGAts are making if, and that is a big if, he loses.
Bif if, because this time around the Trump humpers have rigged the election.
Gloria : They are riding a tiger that they must dismount at some point! Or, looking at it from another perspective, they could end up beating a dead horse. Mother Nature could be the worst peril, eventually, and the most deadly!
It’s very similar to Germany 1939
Make it harder for the obscenely wealthy! Let them shift for themselves. We have our labor! They are relatively helpless! Let them clean their own homes and cut their own hair, cook their own food. mow their own grass! How has this been successfully done, if ever?
The problem is that they have the power. Who can make them do anything?
Gloria: a climate disaster could be All our undoing! We will need each other to survive! Rebuilding will be necessary if there is an earthquake, or if the greedheads decide to bomb. A large enough fire could ruin even expensive mansions. If those against healthcare persist and get their way, an Ebola virus pandemic could wipe everyone out! Especially if our medical experts are afraid to work on it, lest they end up like Dr. Fauci: being interrogated by $# itheads like Gymn Jordan !
Yes - people are living in a bubble not understanding just one catastrophe can wipe us all out - even the rich
We definitely need and indeed have each other. So my several postings ask, ' if that is so, and I fervently believe it to be so, why don't we act like it?
Laurie we do need all of us to survive, but to do that we need to live close to each other, and when people live in a community, there is always friction and someone becomes the MFWIC, or there is a fight to see who is the MFWIC (a political campaign is a fight BTW)
Voters!
But they are reliant on compliant workers to do so much. They may find it unappealing to "shift for themselves".
Laurie, why I thought Az and other counterintuitive postings, have a point lies in this innocuous phrase: 'We have our labor! They are relatively helpless!' But...they have our DESIRE, created by and for their benefit. And they have our PASSIVITY, equally created by and for them.
those of US who are conscious can make changes in where and how we shop. We can look more closely at local candidates running for office, and those currently in office. Not everyone is passive.
The Murdochs should be ejected for failure to be a real news organization. Or for being a propaganda machine, take your pick.
See New Zealand for how it’s done (they are perhaps the most non-litigious society I know, yet they threw the bums out!)…reinsitute two things eliminated from past…equal time, especially on publicly owned and licensed airways…the interweb is a whole ‘nother problem….and funding…a Gordian knot of enormous complexity, rife with opportunities for unexpected consequences…
Nonetheless, disinformation is perhaps the greatest and most glaringly critical existential threat to our fragile experiment in self governance.
An informed public is the spring from which a sane, safe, society flows.
Without information and understanding how can one make any informed decisions about anything?
Who is who? What is allowed? Why?
Without information one can trust as verified and accurate …fear, chaos, insanity ensues.
Exactly.
Voting might help, as would abandoning willful ignorance. When people do not participate in the democratic process they lose by default. They have themselves to blame.
Statistically... the Oligarchy took over sometime during the Reagan Administration. It doesn't happen everywhere all at once, but in stages, here and there and wherever. These days they feel
Where have YOU been living? We don't have all the choices you seem to think we have.
AZ is a bot or Russian troll, or both!
Laurie Blair, thanks for saying that. His response to your comment, tells me his posts are not in good faith, so I'll ignore them.
Az--Oddly we follow the rule of the law, something Republicans should try sometimes.
The only solution in response Az is to live outside without shelter and starve. No one, not even rugged mountain men,escape the system.
Az--We made them rich because they had a product that we all wanted. We were willing to pay for their services and we would gladly do it again if need be. The people of this country don't want to be controlled like Trump desires, we are free thinkers, and our future belongs to us not some orange egotistical fool hell bent on showing the world how much he doesn't know.
Some may say Democracy has been (or is) "lost", you seem to believe it has been "sold", some might decry it's been "stolen". I'd suggest bits and pieces of all of that have some collective truth based on a number of details. Basically the ruling class continue to influence direction (whether by our purchasing habits, or whatever circumstances enriched them), and they don't care what the minions think. Democracy simplistically and basically has been an experimental dream from the start, only held together by threads of cooperation, compromise, and a collective understanding of decency and respect. It seems we have entered a modern era of many doing all they can to break the threads of the tapestry to create their own design - for whatever end goal that suits them. Similar circumstances have occurred in other times of human history (in one form or another), but right now the ruling class are empowered by the unraveling of decency among lower classes. In their eyes, the end result of what happens to the masses won't matter to them. Given some of the apparent mental conditions of some of them, it would seem reducing the herd will simply be a necessary convenience...
If we pit against each other, they win! So we need to figure out how to be the one's to rebuild and reestablish compromise and decency. It's not trite, that's how this dream has survived! We need to find the place to come together. Call it Kumbaya all you want, but if we decidedly don't do that, indeed, we sold OURSELVES, not just democracy!
Az our politicians did that to us, Democrat and Republican and the voting public are responsible for all that befalls us, because the voting public is lazy, prone to beliefs and disinformation., the voting public gobbles up lies, like a turkey does grain.
The voting public is easily pitted against each other, over what amounts to trivial issues, which they allow to be elevated into causus belli,like race, religion, women, queers, and it has been that way since before the American revolution. It is old as the 1st Bishop of Rome and Constantine.
The most damaging part of what you described happened after the passage of the Communication Act of 1996.
it lead to massive meters in the news and other tellacomm industries which lead to weekend FCC rules lead to buyout and ownership of gaint Corp of newspapers and new media. To name a few.
Study it, see for yourself
Az. to whom and what are you replying. Who ever it was didn't sell democracy by investing in Musk, MS, Apple and Amazon. Your use of you has to be first person plural, meaning not the personal you, yet in your last sentence you personalize it by asking Where have you been living? As if the person to whom you reply did in fact invest in Musk, etc.
I agree with your sentiments though, but instead of saying you, you should have said we. Unless you are not part of the We. Are you perhaps a citizen of the British Commonwealth.? If so then you suffer the same disabilities, of cabals and monopolies, as they plague the world, more so the autocracies, which grant them exclusivity which we call oligarchies.
Az, thank you for sharing your perspective. Unfortunately for us, the federal constitution of the country enables the rich to play one state against another. It also gives small states disproportional representation in Congress. On the fortunate side, we have large oil deposits, but this good fortune gives the fossil fuel industry great influence in our politics, which is a curse. Ours is a vast and complicated country, unlike France or Hungary.
Laurie, I regularly watch the 'good' network, MSNBC. And have especially noticed the egregious devolultion of Morning in America Joe (no typo). In my opinion, within the last, let's say, half year, this news segment has increasingly moved into news-tainment. From a spot recently celebrating Mika's birthday (what's this got to do with the news?), to increasing book review spots featuring books such as 'how my faith sees me through' to the regular attempts by the bro commentators to sneak in as much sports reportage as possible, to the requisite latest broadway show review -- I'm on the verge of not watching Morning in America Joe again. I have recently sent an email to Rachel Maddow Show to implore her, or anyone, at MSNBC to devote a serious panel to explicating the major areas of Project 2025. So far, no response. Are we surprised?
The Project 2025 should be at the TOP of all reporting on the stakes of this year’s presidential election …
I totally agree that it’s nearly impossible to find “news, nothing but the news” on television. I’ve searched for it, without success. The BBC comes closest, but their U.S. coverage tends to be limited to big events and topics that have global impact. I’ve concluded that there aren’t enough of us news-only viewers to make that kind of programming profitable. Perhaps the answer would be some kind of legislation requiring networks to devote some daily time to fact-based, news-only reporting. It is critically important that Americans have access to unvarnished news reporting.
I agree and there was a time when such fact only news was required by the FCC.
Laurie, I recently "shared" information on Facebook that some grocers were price gouging. I received a message from Facebook that I shared incorrect information, and if I do it again I will be banned from Facebook. How do I know without doing my own deep dive into fact checking if I am sharing incorrect information. It certainly stifles "sharing."
Considering there's no gas or supply shortage but grocery chains are raising prices, while making Record Profits... I'd "ask" factcheckers to show THEIR evidence. I know there are shortages on some products, like orange juice & fruits due to what They claim is a FAKE climate change, but not other products that have gone Way up in $$. I haven't been in a Fabo timeout in a long while...
Climate change is a fake,? mbch2u Really.
By the way these so called fact checkers are mental midgets, hall monitors given some authority they get an orgasm wielding it.
I avoid posting on FB. It is the wild west, or " rebel without a cause" territory. Did they identify themselves?
Gloria : Sounds like a bully trying to keep you from sharing facts.
My wife is addicted to Facebook,and often buys crap. This is the third time in a year, the second within a six month period, that we have to cancel a credit card and get a new one, because of some crap you saw on Facebook.
Facebook is an engine of chaos, nobody should be on it. I can't do anything but implore my wife, because I am no a dictator.
They said they are Facebook fact checkers.
Clearly, you were on something because Target dropped their prices… makes you wonder why they did so. Maybe to get out ahead of the red-handed greed that has been making everyone suffer under high prices everywhere.
Fed analysis that corporate profits are in line with pre-pandemic trends?
"Don't worry, be happy" is the junk food networks are providing.
And report it all. Don't leave the important facts out. Often it is what they are not reporting that is most vital.
Jacquelyn, I stopped watching MSNBC about 9 mo ago, except for an occasional look at Maddow’s Monday night show, when it seemed little time was spent on real factual news , but was spent listening to their opinions. I miss Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite type of News, The word news used to imply fact checked information we could count on, if errors were made, we could count on them making a retraction , giving the truth , and apologizing, This spin, that there are alternative facts is just another fascist lie. I don’t have any answers , I just wish we could implement laws with real consequences for lies in media,
I stopped in 2016 when they (Rachel in particular) took every chance to dump on Sanders' head.
Linda Querry, geez I haven't the word, retraction, in a long time. Maybe that's an indicator of how far the media has fallen.
Jacquelyn, yes, I am surprised because the programs I have been listening to on MSNBC, mostly in the evenings and on weekends, do deal with current issues. They haven't delved into Project 25 too much yet, but certainly have mentioned it and encouraged people to read it or at least excerpts. Americans are scared right now and entertainment is what they do to pretend their fear isn't real. More horror movies are out than in recent years and people are going to them in pretty significant numbers. Fake fear trumps the real thing, maybe. Plus, there's money in advertising movies and other entertainment, not so much in real news. We all should be demanding more quality coverage.
I look at some shows on MSNBC and sometimes find a person of interest, or a good discussion with some depth to it about legal matters surrounding an ongoing trial, or case. Then there is Meidas touch and other things on you tube. some of it informative. the fact that it is usually fairly short makes it accessible.
Laurie Blair, I like news too, domestic and foreign. Do you like pbs newshour? They go deeper and they carry speeches and press conferences live on youtube. I like dw news out of Germany and they have a dw documentary too that is good. I watch on youtube. Also, sometimes I watch France 24 on youtube also.
I will check them out, Thank you.
I bet Rachael is trying to stay alive!
Yes, Rachel's feelings about all this garbage coverage do cross my mind!
She has had death threats, like many others in journalism and government, Has had to do her shows from an undisclosed location at times.
Laurie, oh, I did not know this about undisclosed locations. Now, this is serious stuff. I guess tfg's minions are targeting news outlets/hosts even before tfg takes office and bans the whole lot. And yet, not a peep from MSNBC segments. Truly terrifying.
I never liked Morning Joe. Suspiciously right wing ish.
Laurie, right wing-ish is precisely the conclusion I've come to. First, Joe started talking a lot about how 'Reagan would have done things much better.' OK, so far so good -- I can accept that this opinion would have been his as a new Republican Rep. in Congress. Then, I noticed he would slip in remarks about how he was an evangelican, Southern Baptist Convention style. Then, I noticed he was taking the lead in closing comments about sports. Then...I noticed recently that the entire Joe segment was peppered with highlight news from the previous day. Regular readers don't need this -- we've already read it. And finally, his constant remarking about how he's 'just a simple country lawyer.' Well, we can certainly vouch for this. Lately, I've noticed he's dropped this bit of humor. But the final blow for me was last week, when an entire segment was devoted to Mika's birthday. Truly, this I don't need. And allow me to just cap off my remarks by saying that I've noticed how Mikka-know-your-value Brezinski (sp.) frequently gives Joe that worshipping gaze a-la Nancy Reagan. So, I'm upset by all this -- but where else do we go?
Why anyone watch morning joe is beyond me. Right off the bat it was announced that a Republican congressman from Florida, named Joe Scarborough was to host his early morning TV show, and then he marries that son of a bitch Zbegniew Brezinksi's daughter Mikka.
I wonder what Rachel's podcasts are like? I have wanted to explore some, but time runs out. There are books: but with what is happening slowly and the election coming faster, it feels more urgent than ever to get some real information, that we the people can use to survive and get it quickly
Oooohhhh — make time for Rachel’s podcasts! You won’t regret a moment. You WILL be horrified that none of the history she imparts has ever been taught in our institutions of higher learning.
Laurie and Nancy, I can't second this more!! The first Ultra series was enlightening, educational, and necessary. Do watch. Rachel has a second series starting shortly, also named Ultra.
I love Sheldon Whitehouse- love to hear his commentary on what is happening to our government- too bad he doesn’t run for president
I’d like to see Whitehouse at Senate Majority Leader! He’s fearless.
Susan Beall; it would be nice to see him and others with the kind of information that tells us more about what can be done , and what IS being done about problems in our "justice" system.
Laurie - I am so grateful for every one of the good people who are constantly standing up for our rights and for a better version of our country - one that works better for us all. We are surrounded by heroes, it's just that sometimes we can't see or hear them - the roar of the present day media obliterates so much.
Lark Leonard: I agree, and it is good to appreciate those who do their jobs honorably! They are heroes!
Great comment . You took the words out of my mouth.
Democratic leadership are wringing their hands. The only suggestion is VOTE. Yes, but to insure the vote is for Biden, we have to insure that the electorate knows what's at stake and that takes doing a lot more right now than wringing our hands. All of the efforts to get out the vote will fail, if we do nothing about voter suppression and an uninformed, business as usual electorate. Democratic leadership must fight back. My suggestion on various newsletters is to organize a million man march led by people like Jamie Raskin, Dan Goldman, Sheldon Whitehouse, Thom Hartmann, Ken burns and celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Colbert, Taylor Swift and Streisand. This can grab people's attention and galvanize them to vote. Time is running out!
The MSM really is lame, they got that one right. What they got wrong was that their alternatives are even worse. And the corruption goes unremarked upon. Partly because the Dems are so corrupt themselves and partly because it could ruin their "access" to the politicians. They actually considered Tim Russert to be a tough investigative journalist because he would, every once in a while, point out something hypocritical they'd said. Tim Russert!!! That's like calling a Pekinese an attack dog!!!
Trump vs Musk, one looks stupid the other is.
The one who is stupid looking is shrewd and has a lot of help from his puppet masters. the other has more money than brains or ethics ; and he is mean! Mean people suck, and he is too stupid to know that! Some day all the "pretty" people will disinvite him to their parties! He may be ostracized, which can be painful.
Musk is accused of making 7.5 billion via insider trading!!! https://www.reuters.com/legal/tesla-shareholder-sues-musk-alleged-75-billion-insider-trading-2024-06-01/
arrogant and criminal! Like he does not already have enough money!
Hope all of his freak cars fall apart and are left on the side of the road everywhere
There are entire websites and Reddit threads dedicated to laughing at Tesla pickup trucks and their owners.
I woke up from a terrible nightmare this morning in which Elon Musk was saluting Trump, both wearing twisted smiles. Though I’m relieved it was just a nightmare, it made me worry about the possibility of Trump choosing Musk or one of billionaire bros as his VP? Thoughts?
Musk can't be president. He wasn't born in the US.
This has been a very good flow of ideas and discourse
Now I’m really scared shitless. As I witnessed the antics of tfg during his time in office, especially in dealing with the pandemic, I often wondered what a very smart and capable person with only personal gain and seeking power would do to our nation. I do believe that if the United States falls into the existence promised by tfg the rest of the world is in peril. We must do everything we can to prevent this.
I am in Mensa with an IQ tested at above the 99th percentile. I am quite possibly the smartest person in the room, but I don’t try to contain people or act like a jerk. But, I am not a white man from South Africa who as raised to believe he is privileged and superior. That is the driving force why he makes those decisions. You are a lesser person, you didn’t obey my commands, so I will fire you. That’s exactly what happened with the Supercharger situation. The woman in charge brilliantly negotiated other automakers to switch to NACS from CCS. She could only lay off a smaller percentage of her division’s workforce to expand the network adequately. Musk fires them all and sets back EV adoption in the US because the primary concern for drivers is the lack of a charging infrastructure. Tesla needs to kick him to the curb.
Musk may have high academic intelligence, but I'm willing to bet his emotional intelligence is at the low end of the scale. IMO, anyone that has the power to upend thousands of people's lives to further their own is a threat to the rest of us.
Eadie, based on what I've read, you may indeed be very correct. Walter Isaacson's recent bio of him places him on the autistic spectrum. And, if I'm not mistaken, I read somewhere that he himself gives some credence to this. On a more personal note, any man who fathers 10 (guessing...) children with no apparent relationship to their mothers is sad stuff.
I would not give Musk so much credit as an inventor. Nicolai Tesla was the inventor. Musk just lucked out when he was able to buy the company. When Nicolai died in a hotel room , his papers disappeared, and it is just a guess who got them. But Musk is not the inventor of the electric car technology. He had the wealth to buy it, and received subsidies from the taxpayers to build his business.
Interesting. What about Space X?
Agreed, Musk isn't stupid, but Trump is kind of an idiot after having gone to all of the best schools and having had every advantage.
That said, as little as five years ago Musk was being talked up by the media, and treated like some kind of visionary Capitalist deserving of all his great rewards. I remember and episode of the Simpson's in particular where Musk starred (assume it was his voice or that they got permission) and visited Lisa. He was riding hoverboards, talking about his EVs, and even genetically engineered crops perhaps being the only thing saving us in the future. Suffice it to say, it was a very positive depiction.
Now he's the demon billionaire from "heck."
Az, so I guess we all just need to fly our AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN flags....
Exactly. Opinion journalism is cheap. No real reporters needed. Just opinionated people sitting around a table. Or, even worse(?), opinions of ‘average citizens’ selected to be ‘interesting’ to viewers…. I tend to stick with PBS and BBC.
R.G. : even PBS has corporate "sponsors" affecting the content. I used to watch BBC, but due to time constraints, have been seeing Katty Kay on MSNBC, when she is on.
I read the BBC and Reuters online. Both are free.
I’m taking to reading intelligent Substack postings rather than listen to any mainstream broadcast news including PBS. The incredibly facile statements and senseless questions asked of their pundit guests lead to no meaningful insights.
100% actually as soon as government allowed the public (not just military) to have access to the internet, it should have been regulated. In addition Robert Murdock should have been imprisoned for what he and others have done to “ The News” Creating lies and conspiracies is not freedom of speech it is a entire new category of disgust I guess you can put it under treason. And the people they’re fine for all of these false narratives are pushing can’t seem to snap out of it. So Brainwashing is real I guess.
I’m all for including brainwashing in the definition of treason.
We also should be able to repeal journalist credentials for habitual “bs flingers”
Lol.
Murdoch is SLIME - can’t you just see a group of these billionaires with no morals sitting in a backyard of a mansion deciding who to make president? CREEPY
MSNBC & CNN are part of the same corporate apparatus. They serve as a very right-wing "left-stop" of ideas. They maintain the ideological spectrum's left edge, and FOX pushes their boundary on the right, ever rightward.
I would be tempted to just say LOL, but after my recent experiences with Morning in America Joe, I will say you are very on target!
I don't know how old you are, but if you remember, in the late 1990s when Joe Scar was still in the House, he was the much hated right-wing congressman that they all loved to hate. I believe he was the one accused of killing his intern, although I'm not positive (googling) Lori Klausutis, a 28-year-old intern who was found dead in Scarborough’s Fort Walton Beach office in Florida when he was a congressman.
But my major point is, people we regarded as loathesome right-wingers before are now welcomed into the Democratic fold. The ideological spectrum continues to slide rightward, and why wouldn't it. Democrats aren't presenting ideas like Bernie Sanders outside of woke and abortion to attempt to pull us back, away from Fascism.
Ever right. Never left. That has been their motto since the repeal of Fairness Doctrine in '87.
James, I was indeed 'around' in the 1990's, but not paying too much attention to politics at that time. So, if Joe was a much-hated right-wing congressman, I didn't hear that. But given his forays into right wing-ishness now, I would say that you most likely are correct, as are my recent comments on Morning in America Joe. I believe my own eyes and ears. Also, I have heard, and Joe himself has addressed this more than once on his show, that his intern had a heart problem, had an attack, and fell into the corner of a desk, and died from hitting her head in this accident. But yet, I have neither read/heard any reputable news outlet report on this. So.... I do most emphatically agree with you that MSNBC is doing a piss-poor job of carrying the progressive side along, a la Sanders and E. Warren. You may have read my previous posts about how I have tried to contact R, Maddow Show about doing SOMETHING substantial about seriously communicating Project 2025 on someone's show -- Rachel being the most likely in my opinion. I think these problems, though, are more embedded than Joe's show. I think there's something in the executive suite of MSNBC that's turning, at least this one show, into news-tainment. This slide is hard to miss if one is looking for serious news (like I find on Lawrence O'Donnell, Joy Reid, Alex Wagner, and others), and of course there's the missing Rachel except for the already-read blogs.
Instead of Reagan's FCC trashing the "Fairness Doctrine" in 1987, they should've updated it and forced cable television, or at least any news show affair, to be under the same guises and rules.
Once fairness was gone from the media, it just became the biggest driving force in Lewis Powell's class war he called for in his 1971 memo. From then on, it was Rush Limbaugh, and all media was pro-rich, and hateful to the poor. They started worshiping all of these figures like Jack Welsch (sp?) and other rich guys, and blaming the poor for all of their errors and mistakes.
They pushed Republicans, and right-wing Democrats in the primaries, which hasn't stopped. "Ever to the right, never to the left," was their motto.
Rupert Murdoch was recently at a big rally and fundraiser in LA, where other billionaires were doing their thing to consolidate power.
They are all becoming dangerous.
The Supreme Court is already bought and dangerous it looks like.
We the people through our elected representatives need to clearly define the boundry between free speech and anti-democracy toxic propaganda, make laws against it and enforce strict punishments for those who break it.
Lies should be distinguished from facts, if possible. misinformation and disinformation should not be considered free speech.
SUPPORT THE GUARDIAN.
I think a simple, bold warning a few times a piece whether it is "FACT-BASED" or "OPINION-BASED" will suffice for those of us not in a Deathcult. This will be a NATIONAL system for 100% of "news" segments.
Agree... put "Fact Based or Opinion Based" on the crawl under each segment. Have the opinion speaker begin his/her segment by saying "this is my opinion".
Twitter and addressing the proliferation of opinion journalism posing as news are critical steps toward fostering a more informed and responsible public discourse. ...
NEWS should be factual.
Guardian Uk is.
I've even caught myself skipping over the hard news in favor of the op-ed page. That opinion is just so attractive!
A brief comment on the general gestalt of America.
If you don’t exercise your franchise as a citizen, you don’t matter….harsh? Nope!
And I mean participate in democracy…not just in big elections, but primaries and contests for local office too.
Lots of people begin their service as volunteers, school board officials or council members.
Village trustees. Even home owners associations. We the people, trying to create a more perfect Union, for ALL.
Freedom isn’t free. It takes work. Attention to detail. Engagement.
YES!!! It’s hard. But WTF-you have a better idea?
Citizenship is precious, but you have to work to maintain it.
So…suck it up, show up, speak up, and vote!
You are an authoritarian mediocrity.
Putting the Fairness Doctrine back into law would be a good start!
I agree! I used to believe what I read in the newspaper or heard on the nightly news. I am tired of the daily junk being written about Trump and Musk. I would probably get better, truthful news from the National Inquirer!
I wouldn’t go that far!!
The National Enquirer invents most of its reporting. I read once where even People magazine invented its own news but the Stars couldn’t be bothered countering it which would create more headline nes.
HulitC, you are so right about the reforms needed, but it would involve changing things people are used to, even if they wouldn't really notice much change if all the reforms were put in place. Change, the only thing besides death that can be guaranteed is not something people want to deal with, so they will wallow in the slime of what is going on now in our courts (Supremes especially) and social media because they like the old proverb that the "devil you know is better than the one you don't." They are wrong, but it's hard to move people forward if their fear holds them behind a wall that only Fox and trash social media can penetrate.
Dear professor Reich,
Your thoughtful essays are always interesting. Please continue to educate people about the plan for 2025. It truly is the most important issue, the issue that has potential to rally people to vote for Biden. Which is the most important thing right now...
Aloha,
Gail Breakey, Honolulu
Prof. Reich, I wholeheartedly endorse Gail's imploring you to devote some serious time to discussing Project 2025. No one else is. Biden's attempts to mention his mantra of 'democracy' in my opinion is rather fruitless considering the American people cannot tell the difference between democrary and autocracy. This is how much public school education is failing all of us. On my knees, I implore you....
Andra Watkins has a substack: How Project 2025 Will Ruin Your Life is a good start
Right. Register Democrats to save the world.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
The Trump-Musk axis is terrifying. I lay the blame for why so many Americans not only tolerate but actually encourage their behavior at the feet of Reagan and the complicit Republicans who for more than 40 years have deliberately destroyed our educational system leaving an electorate with no critical thinking skills and a lack of understanding of history. Our K-12 public schools are a disgrace - underfunded, under supported, our teachers under constant attack. Public money is siphoned off to private schools including religious ones, leaving less and less for the public systems. And the kind of curriculum necessary to create informed and engaged citizens is stifled, banned, obliterated, leaving a country of sheep willing to follow anyone who presents themselves as “savior.” Thugocracy is the perfect term.
DEAD ON, Andrea, DEAD ON!!!
Reagan always gets a 'free-pass." I have a Conservative childhood friend who voted
twice for the "Con." He doesn't think he can vote a third time (mentions Haley... REALLY?!?) BUT, pines for a return to the good ol' Reagan years. TOTALLY UNABLE TO WRAP HIS HEAD
AROUND THE FACT THAT RONNIE THE GREAT PRETENDER SET THE STAGE FOR THE
BILLIONAIRE CLASS THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO CONCEPT OF A COMMON GOOD
AND/OR EMPATHY FOR ANYONE ELSE!!! JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ
The plot to dumb down the citizenry appears to be working. I completely agree with you. If we don’t invest adequately in education we are doomed to be controlled by thugs.
I am a Social Worker and in my 20 year at my job, I see college grads who cannot write a complete sentence!
Andrea, couldn't have said it better myself. Now, who's listenting?
You have to realize, Republicans push to the right, and Democrats march in time, spin their wheels, bide their time until they lose again.
Democrats are part of the process, as is their media. It's called the ratchet effect.
When is the last time their media (MSNBC or CNN) really advocated for things that helped the majority of our population, like real healthcare, education, or even an increase in the minimum wage? And the Democrats haven't come up with an original idea to push back to the left in ages.
Republicans push to the right, and Democrats wait for the next torquing. Heck, Bill Clinton even helped them by working with Newt Gingrich to achieve several massive right-wing legislative tasks. They deregulated banking, locked up thousands of likely Democratic voters with new drug crimes, and deregulated the media in 1996, making an already bad situation worse--and more.
The process is called "The ratchet effect." Republicans tighten toward Fascism, Democrats are the clicking of the ratchet (tool) to reposition but to never turn the tide (bolt) back to the left.
What happened to Separation of Church and State?
They are super-bullies, but they also see themselves as victims while they are among the most privileged, just highlighting the weakness of character that bullying actually reflects. It is likely an extension of being born to excessive wealth.
And they think any call for accountability makes them the victims
Or equality for that matter.
"They are super-bullies, but they also see themselves as victims"
This aspect of these chuckleheads is MOST infuriating!!!
The reverence in which two con-men are held is a natural consequence of the cult of the individual which exists at the expense of the collective. Ayn Rand’s poison has spread far and wide boosted by Reaganist and Thatcherist neoliberalism. I hope I live long enough to see the toxic Musk incarcerated.
Does sociology exist in America? Look at recent issues of Time mag. The 100 most influential people in this field and that field. That's okay but the story is not just about individuals but the institutions and systems that exist and how they mold outcomes. There's a reason sociologists have had a hard go of it in higher ed in Texas. They don't need no stinkin sociology.
I don’t disagree. Individualism, in which the devil takes the hindmost, plays out through institutions. My simple answer is that corporations have been allowed to run amok. Their very essence is extreme selfishness. Trade is like usury but the deity permits trade but forbids usury. In other words we can’t do without trade, for which read capitalism, but it must be rendered more benign.
Yep, it's Camp Runamuck for sure.
Brilliant comment!
At the risk of self-promotion I would like to recommend my essay on Substack dated 25 March 2024 which will show the source of my ideas. I’m confident the source will surprise
Thanks! I will read it!
The existence of a megalomaniac such as Musk reminds me of Louis Brandeis quote, “we can have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.”
I’m old enough to remember the 1980 election. Everything was going wrong in the US. Interest rates were at double digit levels and our hostages were not only stuck in Iran, but our rescue mission failed. There was no possible way that Jimmy Carter could pull the election out, and we liberals were terrified of what Reagan would do to set the country back. We were right that Reagan would take us back more than 50 years, but at least he loved the US and cared about the population.
In contrast, now, economically, everything is going right in the US, but few people believe it. They are angry at the immigrants streaming across the border and are convinced that those unfortunate souls are ruining the lives of everyone that was here before. And we have a convicted criminal demagogue who is believed when he tells people their elections are being stolen. (People are indeed trying to steal elections, but NOT the ones being accused). Common sense should make the population run like hell, but instead, Republican leaders, as well as their voters, are following Trump as if he were the Pied Piper and they the rats in the town of Hamlin.
I fear that, as in 1980, we Dems can’t possibly pull things out. The difference is that we are about to throw over decent economic conditions and the possibility of restoring personal freedoms for someone who is a Hitler wannabe. (Yes, I went there). The thing that all these white men chanting for Trump are missing is that when the neo-Fascists finish locking up immigrants and government officials, do what Fascists always do — lock up people they no longer trust. But, hey, the trains may run on time, we workers can dream of being rich, and, anyway, it’s the guy across the street that will be hustled out in chains in the middle of the night — not me. Don’t bet on it.
I am slowly convincing myself that democracy is really TOO DIFFICULT for a population that can't be bothered to participate, share and understand what it TRULY MEANS to apply the lofty principles of our Constitution to the "OTHER!"
REAL history, TOO DIFFICULT! REAL acceptance, TOO DIFFICULT! REAL IDEALS, WAY TOO DIFFICULT!
I know it's a stretch BUT... I have been thinking a lot about how the psychological aspects of a "return to the past" (ie. childhood) is REALLY about the comfort and security (real or otherwise) that "seems" to come with having decisions MADE FOR YOU... food4thought!
I share your frustration with what appears to be an infantilized population that can't be bothered.
Its the comfort of having God for some. God makes happen what will be so I personally have little or no responsibility. This viewpoint was driven home to me by a conversation with a God fearing guy who spent his days smoking and drinking.
But don't convince yourself of democracy being too difficult. Was the population ever that devoted to participate and share the principles of the Constitution? I will admit though once I retired and had more time to assess the population on these issues what I found was utter ignorance of government and its role in society. A warning sign I did not really appreciate until, say, 2016.
Extreme capitalism is undermining democracy and even capitalism itself. But are there conditions in place that can prevent a further slide or is God/material conditions such that we're all going to hell? On a hopeful side maybe changing material conditions exist and I don't seen them, or maybe the widespread doom and gloom of Democrats is not fully justified. I think Biden policies will help but they take some time for their impact to grow.
Well-said.
They mistake bullying for strength of character and envy those who wield it.
Victims of toxic masculinity no doubt.
Very likely.
"Toxic Masculinity"
That is a myth... according to the RW nut squad.
Bullying has been around forever. The difference today is, as a society we allow them to have lots of $ that gives them power and with that power they become super bullies! They feel like they’re untouchable and are willing to push the boundaries of what is right and wrong without consequences! Bullies have no shame or empathy for others. The Supreme Court has the ball in their court to stop one of the worst bullies in history. Will they protect our democracy by stopping this madness or will they just continue to be his supporters?
Keith ; follow the money, They are bought, and possibly have accepted an offer they can't refuse. Besides ; Absolute power corrupts absolutely! The rich thugs have bought themselves this power! They have weaponized The Supreme Court of the United States of America for themselves, it looks like! In the media, the lawyers for tRUMP are saying that "their friends" on the court should fix the poor verdict of the Jurors in New York! Talk about unprecedented! see what happens...!
If you're looking for SOTUS or the billionaire class to come to their senses, forgetabout it. They are a big part of our problem. Not the solution. Repeat: Not the solution.
The solution writ large is the people (incl you and me) and hopefully some common sense and desire for survival on their part.
Trump Musk is incredibly dangerous, immense wealth potentially allied to immense power if Trump gets elected and with the ability to control the social media narrative.
The world’s a dangerous enough place already and there’s only a very thin line of democracy protecting us from an even more dangerous future - the US “swing states”.
Amazingly Trump could lose the popular vote by 10 million and still end up controlling the direction of world travel.
Perhaps one of the biggest problems is that voices like yours, Prof Reich, don’t get heard in this arena of algorithms and echo chambers.
"But shamelessness has gained a certain elan."
Apt word.
It is likely a symptom of weakened community spirit in America, perhaps.
Whatever motivates the people that support them, it is destroying our country. To these people, democracy is a joke. Power and wealth are the only things that matter. We must vote these people out.
Americans love to mingle with the rich. It makes them feel that they are important and valuable people. Some of the rich, however, have no heart or soul. We should make becoming rich anathema rather than attempting to emulate them we should put clear legal boundaries around them and their money. Making huge amounts of money in a limited world means that many people cannot share in that wealth. We should change that and put limits on what they can do with their money. We have let them modify our climate in negative ways and we allow them to continue to do that. We let them have massive power over our lives when their power grows unchecked just because they either had money given to them or they somehow made huge amounts on their own. As a culture we need to place limits on the rich and take a lot more of their money to take care of the many problems they create. Corporations need to be taxed and not allowed to run roughshod over us. There are limited resources in the world and our government has viewed as one of its primary purposes the giving essentially of our legacy and property to those that are rich. I think we should feed the ugly ones like Musk and Trump to the hogs. They are not worth the trouble they cause. It may be too late for us what with Citizens United and a purchased Supreme Court. What is happening is turning me into an anarchist and a fascist. Eat the rich might be the highest and best use of them. If we did that with a few of them they might gain a sense of perspective on the use of their wealth or they might just use their wealth to kill us.
"December 23, 1776
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God."
Thomas Paine's word are still rousing and a motivation to action.
Many of the current Republicans, especially those that support Trump committed treason to get elected. They took assistance and money from the Russians and they shared important secrets with them. This makes them traitors, people that should be shot, not reelected. They should be tried as traitors and locked up or disposed of. The evidence exists, we need to use and it may require more that the use of words to get these criminals out of our systems. We must let the super bullies know that we know they are criminals and that we will treat them as such. There should be no lifetime appointments in our government. Judges must be subject to the same laws that they promulgate. We, the people, are screwed everyday by the rich and the stupid if we would but acknowledge it.
EVERYTHING has a price in our culture... EVERYTHING!
SOUL is just ANOTHER COMMODITY!!!
My soul cannot be sold. Pray that neither yours nor anyone else’s can be, else we are all really lost and, even, doomed.
Wow. You said it. "Soul is just commodity."
Anarchy is the last thing we need at this point. It will only feed the rich.
They’re living vicariously through them. Pretty sad, ‘innit?
Thugocracy well coined !
Compliments
But what is the cause of this terrible behaviour?
It seems to me that unequality is the consequence of it. This ugly narcissism might come from the theatrical strands in American ethos, the basic belief that anything can be bought or sold, the red scare the U.S. still suffers from.
The story is okay and shocking, but I'm still curious.
Keep people at the bottom of the heap poor with tax breaks for the wealthy and removing their meagre benefits then tell them it’s the fault of the immigrants. Fascist play book page 1.