How America Could Collapse By Matt Stoller, The Nation July 27, 2011 (T)he global supply chain is so tangled and fragile that next time it could be electronics, weaponry, or even food or medicine. As Lynn noted in an interview with Dylan Ratigan, China controls 100 percent of the national supply of ascorbic acid, which …
Tag: ek Politics
Jan 26 2017
A Primer On Trade
Trump Declares TPP Still Dead. So Now What? By Dave Johnson, Crooks and Liars 1/26/17 “Trade” used to be about countries that grow bananas and “developed” countries exchanging bananas for cars and toasters. The banana regions had a “comparative advantage” because the climate favored banana-growing, the developed countries’ advantage was a completed manufacturing ecosystem. Unfortunately …
Jan 25 2017
Chelsea Speaks!
Compromise doesn’t work with our political opponents. When will we learn? by Chelsea E. Manning, The Guardian Wednesday 25 January 2017 Barack Obama left behind hints of a progressive legacy. Unfortunately, despite his faith in our system and his positive track record on many issues over the last eight years, there have been very few …
Jan 24 2017
Resist!
This is not the definitive report on my personal experience, instead it is a piece I found at The Guardian that makes several good points. ‘Millions have done something together’ – why the Women’s March will spark the resistance by Paul Mason. The Guardian Monday 23 January 2017 On Saturday night, for Donald Trump’s inauguration …
Jan 24 2017
Death In The Afternoon
It’s no secret that I don’t have much reverence for Hemingway. The reason Primary and Middle School teachers assign him is because he’s short. The Smoke Like Black Labradors The woman scratched the dog’s ears. In the distance he could see the smoke from the train. The coffee was still too hot. He would have …
Jan 22 2017
The Numbers Game
So when he was in Langley after his visit to the CIA yesterday The Donald falsely claimed that his Inauguration drew about 1 to 1.5 Million people (I hope you don’t ask me for a transcript, nobody seems to have one, here’s a story from the Washington Post instead). Later on Sean Spicer walked back …
Jan 20 2017
Activism! (Women’s March on Washington)
Sigh. This is really TMC’s idea, we were having a story meeting (yeah, I may look like a complete flake but I’m actually classically trained, that’s why I never do obituaries anymore) and I brought up the Women’s March on Washington. She’s like- oh yeah, I’m going to be there; how about you? I never …
Jan 18 2017
Misty Eyed
As in, “Don’t be gettin’ all,” over Barack Obama’s departure. The transition period has been a time to reflect on the failures of his Administration, kind of an anti-Greatest Hits Album of broken promises, missed opportunities, and fecklessness. I’d almost be sorry if it wasn’t clear that Obama’s worst policies weren’t so clearly deliberate and …
Jan 18 2017
Talking With Jeremy Scahill
TMC and I have had the pleasure of meeting Jeremy Schakill twice. The first time was during his book tour for Dirty Wars when he was interviews at The New School by Spencer Ackerman (now of The Guardian– we actually sat next to Spencer’s Mom who was a very nice and charming lady). When we …
Jan 17 2017
One Good Thing
Surprise: President Obama Commutes Chelsea Manning’s Sentence by Mike Masnick, Tech Dirt Tue, Jan 17th 2017 Well, here’s a surprise. President Obama has just commuted the bulk of Chelsea Manning’s sentence, meaning she will be freed this May, rather than having to spend another three decades in jail. Manning, of course, was sent to prison …
Jan 17 2017
See Yah. Thanks For Nothing.
It is my contention that Barack Obama’s Neo Liberal, Moderate Republican agenda and concentration on symbolic Identity Politics to the exclusion of genuine economic reform, his tolerance of and participation in War Crimes, his looking the other way at real and provable Financial Fraud, his systemic militarization of Police and sufferance of their violence against …
Jan 17 2017
The End Of Davos Man?
One can only hope. Davos is the name of the Swiss town where the World Economic Forum is held annually. As you might expect it’s kind of a ‘Burning Man’ of Neo Liberal excess, but with inequality reaching a point where according to Oxfam half the World’s wealth is held by a mere 8 individuals …