Extracts from the work of Robert O. Paxton, with an assessment of the stage our political system has arrived at under the Trump administration.
Monday, September 29, 2025
2:00PM Water Cooler 7/22/2019
Today’s Water Cooler: Temporarily and partially open thread.
Insurers Running Medicare Advantage Plans Overbill Taxpayers By Billions As Feds Struggle To Stop It
Lambert here: Because markets. Fred Schulte and Lauren Weber, Kaiser Health News. Originally published at Kaiser Health News. [UPDATED at 1:45 p.m. ET] Health insurers that treat millions of seniors have overcharged Medicare by nearly $30 billion the past three years alone, but federal officials say they are moving ahead with long-delayed plans to recoup […]
Syriza, R.I.P.
The rule of the “radical left” Greek party Syriza came to an end earlier this month after it had abandoned its promise of reform.
Incentivizing an Ethical Economics
History shows that incentivizing the wealthy to contribute to the population’s basic needs makes everyone a winner.
Michael Hudson: U.S. Economic Warfare and Likely Foreign Defenses
How the US has used its economic muscle to defend its hegemony and the rest of the world is looking to claw power back.
The Cost of Climate Change: Steve Keen Dismantles William Nordhaus
Keen delves into DICE (“Dynamic Integrated model of Climate and the Economy”)—the mathematical model underpinning Nordhaus’ work and the flaws in Nordhaus’ methodologies.
Trump’s Peace Plan and the Future of Palestine
Trying to cut through the noise of Trump’s Palestine deal-making efforts.
Willing to Pay for Security: Gig Workers, Freelancers, and the Self-Employed Want Steady Jobs
Quelle surprise! Workers want a steady paycheck.
2:00PM Water Cooler 7/19/2019
Today’s Water Cooler: China v. Us trade, Biden, Buttigieg, Delaney, Sanders, Trump and fascism, Warren, Yang, DSA resolutions, consumer confidence, Epstein and our ruling class, safety deposit boxes, Google tracks pr0n sites, Airbus pitch-up issue, gardens, alligators, intergenerational trauma
The UK’s Dubious Role in the New Tanker War With Iran
Unpacking the issues in the seizure of an Iranian tanker.
