Sunday, July 27, 2025

Satyajit Das: Parsing President Trump’s Real Agenda

Divining the decision rules that guide Trump’s actions.

Adams Asks Feds to Probe Conditions at Designed-to-Evade Supervision ICE Lockup in Manhattan

ICE lawbreaking continues yet pressure on NYC Mayor Adams so far has elicited only a wet noodle lashing.

The Incredible Impact of Ozzy Osbourne, from Black Sabbath to Ozzfest to 30 Years of Retirement Tours

We depart from our usual programming to commemorate the death of Ozzy Osbourne.

Coffee Break: Gaza as Dress Rehearsal for War With China

The U.S. military legal establishment has big plans to use Gaza as a model for future large-scale conflicts, including with China.

How Can the Democrats Win Back the Working Class? Economic Populism

A new report finds that championing progressive economic policies can reverse the exodus of working class voters from the Democratic party.

Links 7/23/2025

“How Much Longer Can We Trust Our Economic Statistics?”

Trump budget whackage will further degrade the quality of official statistics. And that really does matter.

Abundance of Accelerationism: Democrat Rebrand Promises to Keep Foot on the Breakdown Gas 

If Elon Musk were to really start his own political party, would that signal that the donor class no longer has any use for the Democrats? 

What the World Can Learn from Uruguay as the Global Housing Crisis Deepens

Cooperative housing has been a big success in building affordable housing in Uruguray. But can this model be exported to the US?

Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Poison Gas

Before our current age of nuclear war anxiety, there was widespread concern about an earlier terrifying weapon of mass destruction: poison gas. I will describe the history of war gases in the context of our current concerns about atomic war. It is an ugly topic, but examining it may provide some hope for a way […]

Australia & Japan Are Seemingly Having Second Thoughts About the De Facto Asian NATO

Japan and Australia are finally questioning US exploitation. But what can they do about it?

Links 7/22/2025

Brussels’ Latest Destructive Project, Culling the Euro Area’s Banks, Hits a Snag

The governments of Italy and Spain are doing everything they can to obstruct EU-supported bank mergers from taking place within their borders. 

Africa’s Minerals Are Being Bartered for Security: Why It’s a Bad Idea

A minerals-for-security deal among the DRC, Rwanda and the US is as bad as the Ukraine “raw earths” security commitments.

The Fight for Hearts and Minds: Christian Churches Filling Void Created by Social Service Cuts, With Some Also Hard-Selling Far Right Political Messages

As safety nets shred, some Christian churches provide key services to the poor while others use the desperation to build political power