From the Last Week

Cops

Baltimore police officers carry toy guns to plant on people they shoot


Free Speech

Trump administration moves to curb campus criticism of Israel - Fuck the First Amendment.... there's a hurricane coming.


Politics

Yes, let's wipe out Trump. But take neoliberal Democrats with him, too -  Yep. My plan for the youngsters is.......

• Always Vote. 
• Always Vote for the most progressive choice.
• A Social D in the D Primaries.
• The Left most in the General.
• oh, and Always Vote

Medicare for all

What we don’t know about Bernie’s favorite health care idea

Now you know.

Corporations are people too.

Except a person would go to jail if they blew up 39 houses.


Trump

The American Conservative on Trump's Foreign Policy

So America under Trump has become a cat’s paw in a Middle East intrigue that is very likely to lead to war. This is not how he campaigned in 2016, and it is not what the American people want. If Trump doesn’t veer away from this path to war and the result is further Mideast blood and woe, he likely will go down in flames. That would be fitting and proper. But the rest of the world wouldn’t deserve the result.

No one really likes Trump. His supporters like the person he plays on TV but they'd hate him too if they ever had to work with him or even be around him for a few days

Mid Week

Cool Stuff

Some good shots of pre-war bikes. by Paul Clifton


Politics

Generation Gap

"We have impressions – things which enter our mind with “most force and violence” – and ideas, which are “faint images”. Our experiences in our formative years are impressions; everything else is an idea. This, I suspect, lies behind at least some of the generational divide in politics. And its partisans are insufficiently aware of it."

I agree. Here in the US, the depression era has been forgotten and we're in the death-throes of the Reagan generation with a shot of 9-11 and a  hint of the Vietnam era thrown in the mix. I can't wait for the younger, friendlier, grunge-rockers and Obama babies to really take control. 

Kavanaugh

The best thing I've read on Kavanaugh - I, TOO, GREW UP IN THE CRIME-RIDDEN STREETS OF BETHESDA, MARYLAND


Trump

Trump mocks NFL for ratings drop in season opener; suggests numbers would improve if players didn't kneel -  Hell, I've been boycotting NFL games because they black-listed Kaepernick.

On the Economy. “Best Ever” Economy?

The US is above the law, International Law that is.


Middle East

We use a carrot with Israel, moving the embassy to Jerusalem and allowing the settlements, but we use a stick with the Palestinians.


Our Crappy Media

CNN on the Economy - Trump's economy is roaring -- but the controversies around him are drowning it out. A  better headline would have been "The economy is rolling despite the Trump controversies" Liberal Media my ass.

Another left-wing, anti-war type blindly accepting that the Syrian chemical weapon attack was the real thing. Did Trump almost start WW III with Russia with Proposed Massive Bombing of Syrian AF?

"Knowing that the Russian Aerospace Forces personnel were all over Syrian air bases, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis became alarmed, and shaped a limited response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons at Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, 2017"

Capitalism's Race to the bottom.

About a quarter of rural Americans say access to high-speed internet is a major problem

Yep. It's a bitch. I live in Teabagistan (eastern Indiana) about a mile from a town with cable broadband and about 10 miles from a larger town with cable, wireless, and fiber broadband. The best available to me is copper-fed DSL at about 2.8MB. It's passable but barely. 

Not far from me we have $200,000 to 300,000 houses with no access to broadband. 

I expect 5G will help but until the phone carriers change their thought process from phone-like plans to more full-access, electricity-like service it will never work for users. Currently, Sprint 4G is my best option, 50gb for 50$ then the speed is cut. 50gb is about 10 days of use for an older, nearly-retired couple. That ain't going to get it. 

If I had to buy electricity like that, I'd get 500kwh a month then the house would go dark or I could turn on lights but couldn't use my oven, water heater or heat-pump.  

Still, I guess our broadband isn't as fucked up as our health care. - Insulin's High Cost Leads To Lethal Rationing.


Foreign Influence

Ex-Trump adviser was reportedly accused of being unregistered Israeli agent. Wow, I thought he was working for Russia.

Over the Weekend

On Trump

The always good Stonekettle Station - Jenkins.

And that’s Trump, America’s shitty boyfriend. Selfish. Self centered. Stupid. Too much money and not enough goddamned sense. Entitled. Spoiled. Emotionally stunted. 

Trump daily complains about the news media, who he says doesn't really have the inside scoop on his administration  ... and then, instead of quoting his own staff, his own agencies, his own experts, his own government, he always, every time, presents information filtered through the media instead

Trump says he could use the MILITARY to build his wall if Congress won't fund it through Homeland Security's budget - and he won't rule out another government shutdown to get his way -

And American will pay for it?


Politics - Fox and CNN

A Trump insider, a right-winger, keeps his mouth shut for almost two years while the Trump administration works to trash human rights, civil rights, the world economy, the US budget, pal around with dumb-shit dictators, divide the country, all while handing even more of our national wealth to the rich and powerful and now CNN, the so-called left-wing media, calls the insider a hero?

That ain't left-wing media. Fuck CNN, oh and also,... Fuck Fox News.


Israel

I thought America's Christians were the "Chosen People"?

The Chosen People won't think twice about killing your arms-in-the-air ass.

International Law

Note, the US and Israel don't seem to have any problem breaking international law.

US Ambassador Friedman: Israel Shouldn't Have to Ask U.S. Permission to Build in West Bank

According to Friedman, the current administration has never challenged an Israeli construction plan in the West Bank.

The International view of the West Bank

"The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.[6][7][8][9] The International Court of Justice advisory ruling (2004) concluded that events that came after the 1967 occupation of the West Bank by Israel, including the Jerusalem Law, Israel's peace treaty with Jordan and the Oslo Accords, did not change the status of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) as occupied territory with Israel as the occupying power.[10][11]"

This Week

Media

THE CONSISTENT NON-INTERVENTIONIST MINDSET OF DONALD TRUMP

"After Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad launched a chemical attack on civilians in April 2017, Trump called Mattis and said he wanted to assassinate the dictator. “Let’s fucking kill him! Let’s go in. Let’s kill the fucking lot of them,” Trump said, according to Woodward." 

Assad's Chemical attack is just accepted as fact by our media, left or right. It was never proven. There was at least some evidence it was staged but now, it is accepted as fact forever by both sides. 

U.S. Envoy Warns That Syria Preparing To Use Chemical Weapons In Idlib - Here we go again.


Trump

Exploring Trump's Claim of Using Tariffs to Pay Down $21 Trillion in Debt - Believe it when you see it.

The United States is going to become the warehouse for global soybean supplies - Making Brazil Soybeans Great

The OP-Ed. I'm going with Pence. Even though it says the person "could be fired" and Pence really couldn't.

• Pence is the cowardly type who would be too afraid to take a bullet for the country. 
• He certainly wants to preserve his political future.
• This word from the anonymous New York Times op-ed may prove Mike Pence wrote it. 
• Also, this,  "It was a piece of moral cowardice of the worst sort.",  is a perfect description of Pence:  Link - [Trump’s Enablers boast of Saving Nation but Reveal they’re Looting the Nation]. 

All BS all the Time: Trump Shows Reporters an Article Praising Him, Then Lies About What It Says

And...Trump Suggests Nike’s Kaepernick Hire Is Fine – Because They Rent From Him

"Donald Trump is the most dishonest president in American history 95 percent of the time. But during that other 5 percent, his shamelessness — and utter dearth of impulse control — renders him the most disarmingly (and self-destructively) honest public figure in modern memory."

Medicare for All - or better yet, complete-full-coverage, Medicare for All!

Soaring bankruptcy rates signal a 'coming storm of broke elderly,' study finds

Medical costs are a frequent tipping point for older bankruptcy filers, the study found.

Politics

Speaking Interfering in our Politics - Israel Targeted Black Lives Matter Movement: Documentary


War 

What could go wrong?

Israel confirms 200 strikes in Syria in 18 months

An Israeli company that designs military-grade vests, uniforms and helmets has developed a bulletproof backpack for school students – and orders are pouring in from the US.

Fox Propaganda

Not a word about the op-ed on the Fox "News" front page

The Weekend

MAGA?

Trump's moves are spurring the rest of the world to look away from the US and its mighty dollar.

When Will The US Lose Control Of the World Payments System?

Germany calls for global payments system free of US

China defies Trump on Iran, Creating new Benchmark Crude Market in Yuan

"Reuters speculates that thwarting US sanctions on third parties that buy Iranian crude, due to kick in November 1, is one reason for the establishment of the Shanghai exchange. Since it functions in yuan, not dollars, the US Dept of Treasury has no say over it. If Chinese banks are used to transfer the yuan payments, Treasury cannot do anything to the companies involved."

Trump’s Policies Will Displace the Dollar

Turkey calls US ‘Wild Wolves,’ vows to Dump Dollar for Russia, Iran Trade


Israel vs US

Obama’s foreign policy options were continually limited by Netanyahu and the lobby — Ben Rhodes

The Lobby


The Working Class

Our Anti-Worker President

A new report shows how the United States is lining corporate executives’ pockets with tax dollars.

 ".. the report found that the corporations that received the most government funds often had the highest CEO-to-median-worker pay ratios." 

The Online Gig Economy’s ‘Race to the Bottom’: When the whole world is fighting for the same jobs, what happens to workers?


Politics

McCain

Friday

Trump

Medicare is socialism and our president is an idiot.

His Promises - Trump: My first day in office

"You're going to have such great health care at a tiny fraction of the cost and it's going to be so easy." 

Anyone who knew anything about our health care system knew he was lying but the Trumpers believed him because they never hear an opposing thought from the Fox Propaganda Network and the all believe everyone else is lying to them. Their fucking propaganda works.

Oh, and he is just a dick. For Labor Day, Trump Wants to Take Away Federal Employees' Raises 


Media

Fox is the problem - Florida Edition

Trump, Corporate Media Are Both Enemies of the People - CNN and MSNBC have more in common with Fox than they do with their own viewers

"How could it be otherwise? Just six massive and global corporations—Comcast, Viacom, Time Warner, CBS, the News Corporation and Disney—together control more than 90 percent of the nation’s television stations, radio stations, movies, newspapers and magazines." 

Middle East

Israel is Building Another 1,000 Homes on Palestinian land. Where’s the Outrage? Trump and the US Government would be pissed if this were some South Africans taking land from white farmers. 

The Last Few Days

The Economy

Jobs - Obama's last 18 months vs Trumps first 18 months.

Bernie vs Amazon - Click and read the thread.

Wow. @SenSanders is really getting under Amazon’s skin. This response on their corporate blog is a feat of corporate-speak — sort of hilarious and enraging all at once. Let’s break this down… 1/ https://t.co/R2iovHQauY

— Stacy Mitchell (@stacyfmitchell) August 29, 2018

Medicare for All

Hospital Bill Horror Story - Life-Threatening Heart Attack Leaves Teacher With $108,951 Bill - A great example of how our health care system rapes people.


Politics

It Would Take Only a Single Senator

"With Republicans clinging to a precarious 50–49 majority, every individual GOP senator can serve as a check on Trump’s excesses whenever they choose to act."

Trump and the current GOP group are doing lasting damage to their party. The youngsters will remember this.  

Neocons Rising


Corruption

Cuomo Received $25,000 From Weinstein Lawyer’s Firm as He Suspended Probe


Media

No More Mister Right Blog is Right! - Most right-wing sites don't do news, just opinion and fear mongering.

Trump’s latest misleading attack on Google, explained - Everyone hits Trump for these bogus "fake news" stories but they almost always originate from Fox News. Trump is a symptom. Fox is the problem.

Detecting Deep Fake Videos - I guess it might work for a while.

Iran-based political influence operation - bigger, persistent, global - This sounds like a planted story to bolster the "Iran is evil" meme. This is the tell......

"...U.S.-based cyber security firm FireEye Inc and Israeli firm ClearSky..."

Over the Weekend

Politics

Polite Republicans - A pretty good description of our mainstream media here. Polite, centrist-to-conservative, don't really want much change. They're only liberal when compared to Fox News.

I wish everyone would stop talking about impeachment. My god folks, Mike Pence would be in charge.

• Note to Democrats: Don't Let Republicans Make You Abandon Impeachment Talk
• Republicans Are Talking About Impeachment Way More Than Democrats
• Be Careful What You Ask For: Wasting Time with Manafort, Cohen, and Russiagate

Also, The Clintons... AS TRUMP'S TROUBLES DEEPEN, WINGNUTS REDOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS TO TARGET ... HILLARY CLINTON

Everything is the Clintons' fault. Everything is always the Clintons' fault.

Yep. A good reason for The Clintons to get out of politics. They will always be the enemy the right can use to wind-up-the-wing-nuts.

and by the way, Sheldon Adelson owns the Rs


McCain

I never really liked the guy and never understood why the media revered him. I didn't know the details of his POW stay, it's quite a story, and for that alone he deserves some "hero" status. Still, as a politician he always struck me as not really that sharp on things that were out of his wheelhouse and his wheelhouse was really only war, bombs, POWs, and torture.

• McCain
• YES, MCCAIN WAS A HERO. HE WAS ALSO A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN, AND A POLITICIAN.

Economy

Household Savings: Average vs Median - Mish is right, Averages lie.

The average "boomer" headed into or in retirement has $274,910 in savings.
What's wrong with that?
Well, 50% of boomers have less than $24,280 saved up.

Stumbling and Mumbling on Socialism in One Country - Capitalism makes the pie bigger for everyone, until it doesn't, then it starts eating the pie from the inside. The US reached that point sometime in the late 80 or 90s. I think (hope) we're at peak-pie-eating now.


Raising prices for part of his base - I'd guess a lot of Fox-News-Watching, Trump-Voting old ladies buy their sewing and quilting supplies from Joann's. I don't think they'll like to see the prices going up.


Medicare for all

“The Reuters–Ipsos survey found 85 percent of Democrats said they support [Medicare for All] along with 52 percent of Republicans.” [Link]

So why can't we have it? Because that's what the people want and in the US, our policies are determined by what business wants.

Medicare for all two problems

Medicare for All - This assumes a lot of D winning.

Crappy Media

WSJ - Low levels of unemployment and high demand for H-2B visas mean there aren’t enough people working in landscaping this summer - I hate these "We can't find workers" articles. If they pay enough with the right benefits, they will get the workers. If you raised wages 40% over the last four years and you still can't find people then you haven't raised them enough. It's basic supply and demand,... free market assholes.

The lesson we refuse to learn about Republican voters

Thursday

Tech

It's Time to End the 'Data Is' vs 'Data Are' Debate - "Data is" it is.


Luck

The radical moral implications of luck in human life

"And yet when you turn 18, it’s all yours — the whole inheritance, warts and all. By the time you are an autonomous, responsible moral agent, you have effectively been fired out of a cannon, on a particular trajectory. You wake up, morally speaking, midflight"

Corruption

Crooks - Rep. Duncan Hunter and wife indicted on fraud and campaign finance charges


Money in Politics - How much democracy can you afford? Adelson gives 55 Million to the R's over the last year. Sheldon and Miriam Adelson give $25 million to help Republicans keep their majority in the Senate

• Republican megadonors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson combined to give $25 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC dedicated to protecting the GOP majority in the United States Senate.

• Their combined contribution made up nearly all of the $26 million haul that the PAC raised in July, according to new filings with the Federal Election Commission.

• In May, the Adelsons dished out $30 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC which aims to keep Republicans in control of the House

Also note that Adelson is a one issue guy, he want the US to fully support Israel. That's it. That's what he's paying for. Too bad that he likes the party that also wants lower taxes for the rich and powerful and less support for the poor and working class. 

American Crapitalism

‘We Are All Accumulating Mountains of Things: How online shopping and cheap prices are turning Americans into hoarders: - American hoarding ridiculous amounts of ridiculous shit didn't start with online shopping, we've been filling up storage units for 30 years.



Trump

Making the US Weak Abroad - realizing they need an alternative to the US banking system.

I think this picture sums-up Trump. Thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, above the law (even the laws of nature), and above all just not real bright.

Police State

Federal officers establish unconstitutional checkpoints on road to Burning Man - Because they can.


Politics

Leaving Labour: why a party split is now inevitable - I wouldn't be surprised to see the US D's split over the next few years. The R's have been close to splitting up a few times over the last 10 years but avoided it by letting the crazy Tea-Party types just take over. Hopefully the same will hold for the D's and the more progressive Social-D types will win out.


Advertising

Google created a fake pizza brand to test out creative strategies for YouTube ads - You are the product.

Fake News

Fox News

One of these headlines is not like the others. (Google News 8/23/2018)

Trump South African Tweet

I have asked Secretary of State @SecPompeo to closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers. “South African Government is now seizing land from white farmers.” @TuckerCarlson @FoxNews

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2018

The Fox Fake News Story that inspired the Tweet.  The Fox News report that prompted Trump’s land expropriation tweet

Actual land seizure and expropriations and large scale killing are found here. Israel to Build 1,000 More Squatter Units on Usurped Palestinian Land

The Fox Headline.

Got to get that "Witch Hunt" in there.

Also, I'm sure that Trump supporter really knows her witch hunts.

The headline of the linked article: Manafort juror reveals lone holdout prevented Mueller team from winning conviction on all counts

Mid-Week

Israel - Palestine

Israel Rejects UN Plea to Allow Blue Helmet Protection to Palestinians, Blames Palestinians - There's definitely been a change in marketing on the US-Israeli side. The claim now is that all these dead Palestinians are the fault of the Palestinian leadership. Well,.. It ain't the Palestinian leadership pulling the triggers on these guns.  War Crime: Israeli Army Again Shoots unarmed Palestinian Protesters, Killing 2, Injuring 270


Speaking of influencing American Politics

Qatar Used a pro-Israel Businessman to Pay Zionist Organization of America $100,000

"A pro-Israel businessman doing public relations work for Qatar donated $100,000 to the Zionist Organization of America out of money Qatar paid him to engage in “community engagement.” 

"Joseph Allaham, an owner of kosher eateries, said his donations to ZOA, a conservative pro-Israel group, came out of $1.45 million intended by Qatar to woo Jewish and other leaders to its side in its dispute with Saudi Arabia, Mother Jones reported. Allaham disclosed the payments in a filing last week to register as an agent of a foreign government."

On Morton Klein - from Wikipedia

• Klein called Obama "a Jew-hating antisemite."[7]
• Klein has stated his belief that the U.S. should engage in religious profiling of Muslims. 
• In February 2012, the ZOA lost its tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service after it failed to file tax returns for three years.[9] The ZOA regained its status in May 2013.[10] Klein said it was a technical "glitch."[10] During the years that the ZOA failed to file tax returns, The Forward reported that Klein's salary increased 38%.[11]
• On January 20, 2018, shortly after Klein's paid trip to Qatar and just three days before the second $50,000 payment Allaham gave to ZOA on behalf of Qatar, Klein expressed to Haaretz a new, open attitude to dialogue with Qatar.[18] In a subsequent March 2018 interview, Klein then praised Qatar for flying an Israeli flag at a recent handball tournament and said the emir told him that "last summer they stopped funding terrorist groups."[16]

Energy

Stacking Concrete blocks to store energy


 The Cult

Not the Trump Cult. The Fox News Cult, Captured by Trump.


Medicare for all

Fact Checkers - muddying the waters

Friday

Media and Fake News

America’s Newspapers Just Played Right Into Trump’s Hands - I have to agree.

A better plan would be to methodically take-down the fake news and lies of the right like the following.




Another good take-down of Right-Wing Bullshit.

Kevin Williamson’s unhinged attack on Elizabeth Warren’s corporate accountability bill, explained
I’m not sure he actually read it. - Matthew Yglesias takes apart Kevin Williamson's article on Elizabeth Warren. This is a good example of someone on the right throwing out crazy bullshit to scare conservatives and someone on the left clearing up the lies and distortions. Too bad we can't get a few post like this in front of conservative eyes.

Gingrich and Fox pukes out a load of Shit -  Absolute Bullshit.... Trying to scare the shit out of the old people. see above

Subtle Drudge Propaganda. Scaring the shit out of people with those evil foreigners and then mentioning Ocasio-Cortez. Propaganda at its slimiest. (no link, from about 8am, 18-08-18)

White House Blackout? I've seen this a lot lately. I think the White House has quite talking to people they don't like.

"..Officials at the White House and the E.P.A. did not respond to requests for comment." (NY Times)

"..and the White House did not respond to CNN's requests for comment." (CNN)

Social Security 

What you probably don’t know about Social Security - Not hyperventilating about going broke.

"One huge misconception is that it is going bankrupt and it is unaffordable. Whether to expand Social Security or cut Social Security is a question of values, not affordability. We’re the wealthiest country in the world. There’s no question we can afford not only the current Social Security program but the expanded Social Security if that’s what the American people want. 

Another misconception is that it is a government handout. It is, in the words of the elite, an entitlement. The truth is it is an insurance each of us earns through our work and payroll contributions."

Unlike this BS from our so-called liberal press - Cuts in Social Security and Medicare are inevitable. Delaying reform will make it worse.

As the first post states, it is about choice.  We can continue to cut taxes for the people who already own and control everything or we can choose to help the people by fixing Social Security, implementing Medicare for all, and decreasing the cost of college, building infrastructure, etc.


Trump and Harley Davidson

Trump Encourages People to Boycott Harley: Dealer and Rider Reactions -  I know a lot of Harley riders and most of them voted for Trump. They are all fiercely loyal to HD and most developed that loyalty long before Trump came on the political scene. Still I don't think this will hurt his reputation with them. My guess is a few muttered "Fuck You" when Trump hammered HD but many are Fox News watchers so got the sanitized version if they heard it at all. Also, most (that I know) like their guns and have been convinced that any vote for and D would be then end of their guns. So, while it might hurt Trump a little, very little in their eyes, they are still Hard R voters.

Jeffrey St. Clair's take.

"The Maoist used to talk about heightening the contradictions of capitalism, but is it possible to get more contradicted than this: Trump praises Harley-owners for boycotting Harley-Davidson after the company announced plans to open overseas plants in response to Trump’s tariffs. On the very same day, the president holds a press event with a cadre of Bikers for Trump, whose organizer sells Bikers for Trump t-shirts that are made in Haiti because it’s “too expensive” for them to be made in the US."

Democratic Socialists

“Socialism” vs. “capitalism” is a false dichotomy

Warren’s coalescing vision of the market-friendly welfare state doesn’t exactly amount to the second coming of Milton Friedman, but it’s far more intellectually sound and politically attractive than anything Republicans currently have on offer.

Speaking of Interfering in US Politics

Israel lobby group J Street withdraws Rashida Tlaib endorsement - J Street is supposed to be the least radical of the Israeli lobby groups. Vote for Rahida Tlaib. We need to break the Israeli Likud's party hold on US politics.


Health care - Medicare for All !!!

Yeah, Obamacare was a screw-up but still the subsidy here only exists because of Obamacare. How many retired couples making $55,000 per year could afford to spend over $20,000 a year on health insurance?  Vote Medicare for All !

A couple with one spouse who is 60 and the other age 55 with $55,000 in annual household income, for example, would pay an average of $438 a month for a mid-level benefit “silver” plan, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. 

If they didn’t qualify for a subsidy, their monthly premium would jump to $1,857.

from : What to Know About Money in Retirement

 

Thursday

Tech

10 PowerShell cmdlets to speed network troubleshooting -  Sure, I'd rather type "Test-NetConnection -comp1" instead of  "ping conp1". Come on Microsoft.


Politics

Tyler Cowen - Trump Hurts U.S. Exports in the Marketplace of Ideas

"It is often suggested, by Senator Bernie Sanders among others, that the U.S. should become more like Denmark, with higher taxes, stronger social protections and tougher regulation. Maybe that would increase economic security for many Americans — but it also could make the U.S. economy less dynamic and innovative, by limiting incentives and transferring resources away from the private sector. American innovations — smartphones, medical devices, entertainment and so on — spread around the world. As a general rule, when evaluating a policy for the U.S., the focus first should be on America as a global ideas generator and distributor" 

Why shouldn't the focus first be on taking better care of Americans? 

"And since Trump took office, America has lost much of its global standing. It is no longer considered a beacon of tolerance and democracy, and is seen as uninterested if not hostile to much of the rest of the world. A Gallup poll in early 2018 found that global confidence in U.S. leadership never has been lower, and China now stands in higher overall favor." 

Agreed, Trump is not making America great again in the eyes of the world, only in the eyes of backward looking Trump supporters.

Economic Opinions Depend Largely on Party - Bias is bad for both but R's look worse than D's. Fox News? Skin Color of the President?

The definitive ranking of 2020 Democrats - Biden? Cillizza and Enten should be banished from the American political scene for this article alone.




Fake News

Good post here...Why I’m Not Worked Up About “Fake News” And Why I Am

I feel so dumb, I once thought Stossel was a smart guy (well, I was 15). Anyway, Lots of lies and misinformation here. Put the Social Security tax on incomes over $130,000, raise incomes taxes on those who make over $250,000, move to Medicare For All and both programs take care of themselves over time.  Stossel can go fuck himself.

PBS On Yemen

Absolute bullshit propaganda found on Drudge here:  Mainstream media tries to 'rewrite history' to credit Obama for Trump accomplishments. Zero facts offered. A quote from IBD? Just a headline to make the Trumpers hate the media. Jennifer Harper should be branded a propagandist.

Here are a couple of charts. the first is US unemployment. the second is the SP500. Could you pick out the Trump Years if they weren't labeled?

Speaking of interfering in US politics

From the Jerusalem Post: PALESTINIAN U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN-TO-BE VOWS TO VOTE AGAINST ISRAEL AID


Folks

You might be a redneck.... If your town has a dollar store.

Music

I need some Music after that.

Tuesday Night

Crooks

This Is So Much Bigger Than Paul Manafort - American Corrupitalism

America has become the sanctuary of choice for laundered money, a bastion of shell companies and anonymously purchased real estate. American elites have learned to plant money offshore with acumen that comes close to matching their crooked counterparts’ abroad.

Investing

Survivorship Bias on Wheels - On cars.


Politics

StoneKettle Station  - Zero Sum

These white conservatives, they're all mad, pissed off, they have no idea why and they don't care. Pissed off is an identity, the identity, of modern conservatives. They're always mad about something, always certain they are being attacked, diminished, made lesser somehow, under assault, being invaded and violated.

Human Rights

Israel normalizing war crimes in Gaza - They don't need no stinkin' human rights


Media

Taibbi: Censorship Does Not End Well


Health Care

Medicare for All! - Donald Trump is making Medicare-for-all inevitable

Medicare for All!! - Sorry, Bernie Is Right

Medicare for All!!! - The tale of two Medicares: Canadian and American

Medicare for All!!!! - Enrolling Americans in Medicaid Is Now Cheaper Than Subsidizing Their Obamacare Coverage


Socialism

Socialism works for broadband -  A Community-Run ISP Is the Highest Rated Broadband Company in America