Democrat James Malone just pulled off a narrow victory in a Pennsylvania state senate special election a bright red district where Trump won resoundingly with 57% of the vote last November. The 36th district hasn’t elected a Democrat since it moved from Philadelphia to Lancaster County in 1979, according to Lancaster Online. Malone made Musk and recent events in Washington DC a central part of his campaign
We have amazing Democratic senators and congressmen in Connecticut, men and women of integrity not afraid to demand accountability - Chris Murphy, Richard Blumenthal, John Larson, Rosa Delaura, etc.
I couldn't agree more. I lived in CT for many years and have met and worked with some of them. I had to move for my health, but I dearly miss CT politicians who actually care about people instead of only their careers.
I'm in Illinois and Adam Kissinger though he's a Republican, he ran the Jan 6th investigation and left Congress because of the family death threats! What kinda person threatens the life of a 5 mth old baby over politics! I'm at a loss and I live in the area he represented and would have no problem as he was defiantly for the people ❣️❣️
Maybe you should ask yourself why this is a bigger issue for you and others than is the survival of a program that keeps tens of millions of people out of poverty.
How is that relevant? First, this is a boogeyman issue. There are few who wish to do this. Second, many of these transgender children are taking hormones that decrease testosterone. They may be no stronger than the average biological girl.
Government shutdowns are politically risky even at the best of times; even for Republicans. And they have FOX News--a 24 hour full-on propaganda network--in their corner.
So stop already with the "let's bash the Dems" bullshit.
Unfortunate that they don't understand why he did what he did! Someone needs to keep an eye on the musk Klan+ it would cost over 1 billion $ for the government shut down and the bill is a kinda baby bill for the border which probably won't be done? But keeping a eye on the traitor's is important as I believe they will probably try and change the lock's, heck I'd be sleeping in my office with a stun gun
Miles, I think that for some of us who see unhappy with Sen Schumer as Minority Leader is that he caved without negotiating something in return. I know the Dems have limited options or leverage, but why not push for, say, a promise from Thune to block DOGE from doing a job (incompetently) that is clearly the role of Congress?
I'm nearing 70, and say that it's time for the Dems to go young. Replace him as leader with someone who is ready, willing and able to fight. Someone not hung up on Senate tradition, protocol and collegiality and unafraid to disturb the status quo. (I never thought I'd think that, or say it aloud, but here we are.) Heck, I'd love to see Elizabeth Warren, do it, and she's younger than Schumer and can kick ass.
I often forget she was in the state legislature, as well, but then she was in the headlines for so many years in AZ, when I lived there, so that makes sense.
Voters in AZ tend to vote overwhelmingly for initiatives they themselves put on the ballot that are quite liberal, even voting to increase their own taxes and for healthcare and teacher pay.
So, it seems odd to me that they then put so many conservatives in in the state legislature who then try to find ways to undo these voter initiatives.
Same issue in MO. The church, Fox News & social media have conditioned people to believe democrats are communists stealing their money & changing their children’s gender at school (??!??) but if there’s no letter next to the issue most people support progressive policies. The democrat brand needs to reboot.
My Massachusetts delegation is a match for any of the rethugs. What we need is more of them since the House and Senate still count the votes, not the IQs of our representatives in Congress.
And hard leftists act like having the Senate in Democratic hands wouldn't be vastly better for the country even when—pass the smelling salts!—they don't all vote like Elizabeth Warren.
OK, I'll bite. She does not understand the difference between wealth and income. When she says she's going after "millionaires and billionaires" she doesn't see how that scares suburbanites with million dollar homes and million dollars 401Ks on paper and she scares small business owners whose physical property they scrimped to buy 40 years ago but now has an appraised value of several million even though they see no income from that wealth. She turns off people like this who would vote for Dems but decide to either not vote or vote for the GOP. She does not understand what wealth creation really is and how many people don't look at the unrealized capital gains but do look at the income from those investments and a whole lot of grannies and grandpas who live off of $40K a year based on the $1 million in principal they saved mostly in their homes are not evil because they want to pass along something to their kids and really do think that is the American way to have a stepped up basis and not want to saddle their heirs with taxes. Her exemptions of, what, the first two million in wealth are scary to people when that is the average house price in a lot of cities. So, when she clamors for wealth taxes, she simply does not get that she's losing voters. We can disagree over the benefit or not of a wealth tax, I'm not arguing those merits, but whenever she talks on this subject, to my ears, she does not know what she is talking about. And she loses votes when she does.
She clearly understands the difference. My wife and I are "millionaires" on paper - paid off $500k mortgage on a house now worth over a million, plus 401k - and she's clearly talking about Jeff Bezos not us. I think people can make the distinction unless they're simply choosing not to ("She's a woman! From Massachusetts!"). Her biggest problem is that she has been so thoroughly demonized by the right that she's now an ineffective spokesperson. Funny how she's been the target so often when Bernie has the same message but has escaped the vitriolic attacks from potus...
You have mischaracterized Warren's position. It's not worth the time and effort to repeat her arguments to you because you either have not read them or do not understand them. In terms of tone and logic, your argument is equivalent to claiming Harris lost the election because she didn't deal with immigrants eating our pets.
Maybe she does understand the difference and that's why she thinks a wealth tax should be put on wealth above a very, very high threshold, like 50 million.
Rich people don't have incomes. It used to be that gangsters got caught on income tax evasion because their expenditures were so out of line with what they paid in taxes. Now we have billionaires who proudly pay no income taxes and receive billions in tax dollars.
I totally agree that being a millionaire isn't a big deal anymore. But if you notice the word denoting extreme wealth is now billionaire
Interesting since I'm below federal poverty level and I have both Medicare and Medicaid and I was going to get a small inheritance but I'll loose my Medicaid and after3 documented strokes one a brain hemmorage stroke that I had to be Airlifted to the trauma center which was 39,000 I'd loose any little bit I saved and it's unfortunate that your Gram's and Gramp's will have to unload their401k in order to go to a nursing home or everything will be taken! Bout time they change the rules for less then a million first and change the Laws that the ambulance companies that changed 39,000 for a 15min ride is negotiatied that's the fraud and the fraud that the Republicans are protecting cuz they have stock in these systems they change this amount because no one stops them and because they can!
Making the democratic tent smaller is not the solution you think it is. Demanding purity (to your personal ethical framework of course) is not the way to build a durable political majority.
Well, Dems have been winning special and off-year elections for years now because of revulsion towards MAGA. But when it counted most, the American electorate chose MAGA. So it’s hard to be enthusiastic about this Pennsylvania election result.
They (seing voters, not hardened MAGAts) choose Republicans because the media — mainstream and right wing —had convinced them the economy was bad, even though the majority told pollsters that they and their local region were doing well financially. Given decades of the media supporting the claim that Republicans are best for the economy and are the fiscally responsible party it should surprise no one that those extremely false, easily disproved claims are deeply embedded. Add in the media-created image of Trump as a great businessman and Biden as the cause of inflation….
The thing about off-year elections and special elections are that you get a better informed public voting.
Locally we had a clean sweep of ultra-MAGAs for local office (they're making a mess of everything- arrogance and ignorance to the fore) but we soon after had a re-call election of an ultra-MAGA and he went down in a landslide. The people voting in that election were those who read the local paper and paid attention to local politics.
Not even a majority of voters chose Trump. More chose Harris or third party. Millions chose to sit out "because they're both the same". Then there's Starlink and hacked voting tabulators. So please stop thinking Trump has a mandate and blaming "most" voters
You are right, Chris. Anyone who doubts this should visit two websites: www.gregpalast.com and electiontruthalliance.org for the facts, details and analysis. You can view the ELA's video presentations under their "Media" tab
- "Videos" and they are also available on their You Tube channel, "Dire Talks".
Greg Palast has done forensic analyses of election data and shows that had it not been for massive vote suppression in democratic areas (purging/mass challenges of eligible voters, valid ballots not counted, etc.), Kamala Harris would have won. This is in addition to the findings of the Election Truth Alliance, showing clear manipulation of Early Voting results in swing states. The vote tabulation computers display a clear "Russian Tail" hack that has been observed in past elections in Russia, the country of Georgia.
We must demand forensic audits in the swing states of the Presidential and Senate races. If there is resistance, lawsuits must and will be filed. Unless we fix this mess by shoring up and securing our elections, we will never have another free and fair election, again. It really is ALL ON THE LINE.
Claiming you're good at math is hilarious, since math doesn't have favorites. So let's use some facts. Trump won the popular vote by 1.5%, one of the smallest margins in history, and didn't even constitute a majority. Biden thrashed Trump in 2020 by over 4% and a popular majority. These are the facts. The rest of your whiny evidence free conspiracy theories about Biden can be safely dismissed, as his accomplishments dwarf your Orange King (passing an infrastructure bill as opposed to talking about it for 4 years). No need to engage further, I don't waste time on right wing cult members whiny grievance fueled victimhood.
Ah, right, from the perspective of what the election actually accomplished, it is indeed an important result. I was solely focused on what it might (or might not) mean for what voters do going forward. Thank you for removing my blinders here.
This whole text exchange is what makes me very disheartened about the “left”. Instead of mounting an effective resistance to the fascist coup unfolding in front of our eyes. Instead of finding common ground with one another, whether center left or hard left, we find ways to take issue with each other. Surely, there should be plenty of issues on which we can agree to address the crisis created by the Trumpster and The muskrats. But, NO, we spend our time attacking each other. Time is a-wasting, folks, and we need a battle plan to gather around, and get moving. We could learn from the Canadians, who, in the midst of an election seem to have United against Trump‘s declaration of war by tariff.
I think the big test is the 2 Florida elections. Let’s see how angry the retirees are that their social security, Medicare and Medicaid are being tampered with.
They have to know any elected republican will do NOTHING.
Next up: capitalize on Musk's mangling of the IRS, that's forecast to reduce collections by a whopping $500 billion. That's Billion with a "B;" or, half-a-Trillion with a "T." Of lost revenue. All due to GOP incompetence.
And if the GOP plans on ramming through their big tax cuts later this year--75% of which will go to the top 5%, and pay for Elon and Jeffy's new yachts--these bumblers will rack up a $3 trillion budget deficit this year alone. Coupled with their intentional crippling of Social Security and Medicare, the GOP's on track to have even their own Base loathe them. That's if FOX News decides that stories that expose GOP incompetence should ever be covered.
I don't think that this is incompetence, it's deliberate so that the wealthy get out of paying taxes. The IRS isn't going to be able to audit people, so people who already have a ridiculous amount of money can cheat on their taxes and pay nothing, sticking the middle class and working class with the tax bill. It's also designed to reduce the amount of money the government is taking in, so that they can use it as an excuse to cut departments and programs, especially those for the poor, even more.
Learn a little basic math: 2025 IRS revenues under GOP ineptitude is due to drop 10%, for $500billion net decrease: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/tax-revenue-collected-by-the-irs-set-to-plummet-report-says.html Gonna try and explain that away? Or to justify their upcoming tax cuts? Or to pretend that >$2 trillion deficits in an otherwise good year are fiscally responsible? Is this your idea of progress?
And you know damn well that taxes on capital gains and unearned income are set *considerably* lower than earned income. Or maybe you don't, cause it seems you're an Elon fanboy who thinks the bottom 60% are just parasites.
And in case you don't understand: fees, sales tax, school supplies, tuition and so on, hit the poor a *lot* harder as a share of their total income, than for wealthy folks like yourself. The bottom 60% are just a paycheck or two from homelessness. And meanwhile the nation's wealth keeps aggregating to the 1% in this latest Gilded Age.
Every society needs a healthy entrepreneur class. Capitalists who take the risks to start or grow small businesses. The GOP used to be out front on this; but instead of upping the budget of the Small Business Admin (SBA), they're all about helping the really big players...just get bigger. M & A in every single frickin' industry, to where Oligopoly, Monopoly and Duopoly is the new normal.
If you're defending anything covered on FOX News, and you honestly believe they're telling you the truth--about anything--then I've got a bridge to sell you.
Tell me even *one* issue you think FOX News gets right. Just one.
And regarding Elon's cuts, whatcha wanna bet that he'll NOT go after the BigAg slush fund? There's probably $40 billion--at least--of pure pork that can be cut there. But it's a GOP Farm State racket, and so he won't touch it. And it won't likely ever be heard about on FOX either.
Or what about the Medicare Advantage scamming? Probably $10bn at least of waste there. But again, with deep GOP ties, it'll probably slip right under the conservative radar. What about a Pentagon audit? They fail to account for about $8bn EVERY year.
And without restoring income and corporate taxes to what they were pre-Reagan/Bush, there's no way we can even come close to balancing the budget. None. Current GOP incompetence is set to produce a $2.5 to $3 TRILLION dollar shortfall this year alone! Is that your idea of responsible government? Of fiscal responsibility?
I would love to hear any economist explore the Right’s claim that privatization is ‘better’ when they never provide a justification for or offset of the profit that would need to be taken by privatization. The government does all this without taking a profit. Privatization will require taking a profit that would surely INCREASE costs…right?
Only an arsonist ‘owns’ a fire department…we need a fire prevention, a fire putting out department…and it’s an amazing change to see EMT’s as such a major part..I have an app that shows all the calls, 90% are medical! Slow and effective change over my lifetime. Little things. Community policing.
They have tried a number of times to privatize healthcare…what a shitty idea! To think you;d make more money by refusing services till people die…WWJD?
As a 71 year old woman, I truly regret that I enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, for many reasons. I attempted to switch to regular Medicare and found out that it was not an option for me now due to my pre-existing health conditions! What a sham!!!😡
I believe you could switch to traditional medicare. The issue then becomes adding a medicare supplemental insurance plan. You can add a supplemental plan without underwriting when you initially enroll but if you choose an Advantage Plan first and decide later to return to traditional medicare with a supplemental plan, you will be subject to underwriting and pre-existing conditions. It will either be too expensive or not available at all.
If you stay on MA too long you have to be approved by the supplement carrier if you want out of MA. It happened to me, I think we were on MA for 2 years and it wasn't a given that I'd get my old supplement plan back.
Privatization is best for the privateer. Without government incentives, the profit-minded owner won't penetrate small and/or poor population centers, leaving those places small and poor. Broadband internet distribution in the US is a good example of this phenomenon. And it's been my observation that corporate mergers seem to increase costs to consumers.
The issue here is that we didn’t learn from others with phone and now internet…the ‘service’ can be for profits but the access should be a shared function. One cell system, one non-profit/government based cables and WiFi.
That’s always been the case. Amalgamation/consolidation is the bad side of Capitalism. It’s meant to lower costs and competition for the companies involved. What it inevitably does is reduces the company‘a employee needs and allows the company to raise prices.
Absolutely. If any of these fools read Adam Smith, he stated in no uncertain terms “businessmen do not belong in government “. The business man serves shareholders, and maximizes profits. So when California privatized electric power, the cost per kilowatt hour more then doubled. The privatization movement is all about political patronage.
They do provide justifications - but it's always convoluted and elliptical.
They'll say something along the lines of "Well, you see, privatization will be more efficient because private businesses have a profit motive/incentive to run more efficiently".
If you're head isn't spinning after that, it's because you didn't swill enough cans of Schlitz.
Yes, and as an example, all those privately-owned nursing homes and hospitals deliver such great care. (sarcasm)
From the Lancet:
"At the very least, health-care privatisation has almost never had a positive effect on the quality of care. But outsourcing is not benign either, as it can reduce costs, but seems to do so at the expense of quality of care. Overall, our Review provides evidence challenging the justifications for health-care privatisation and concludes that the scientific support for further privatisation of health-care services is weak." https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(24)00003-3/fulltext
Their only defenses are shabby theoretical arguments. Privatization always raises the cost of service delivery, and almost always degrades the quality of service delivery.
If we had one cell phone system, one standard, then they could just sell us phones we liked. One highway, we buys cars, one type of gas (sort of) and multiple ‘service stations/stores. Then they create toll-roads and fuck it up! Electric charging systems for cars should be one standard…we are so silly.
In the "developed" world, the objective of privatization was to improve the efficiency and quality of service provided to the public (and presumably "freeing" public sources for other areas such as education, law enforcement, etc). The results were mixed, but the intentions were good for sure.
Then you have privatizations a la Turca or a la Russe, where the objective is to turn a public good into private money. Privatization makes corruption so much easier and of larger scale than a public sector enterprise where the worst you can do it stuff it people close to you and cause annual losses about which politicians can then complain.
Here an example:
A bridge is built on a BOOT basis, with the "investor" (=thieving partner) is chosen under a non-transparent tender. The cost of the project can be easily as high as 3x the "normal" cost (normal cost being the cost if selection were to occur as in a typical international public sector tender). The resulting "fee" for crossing the bridge from which the "investor" recovers its investment with a return margin is very high. That's not enough; to make it easier and cheaper for the "investor" to raise finance, the government gives a guarantee for the minimum number of vehicles that will drive through. And a few years later, the government extends (usually without the knowledge of the public) the "operating" period (the "transfer" occurring, say, not in 10 years but in 15) to transfer more public money into private pockets.
People have different perspectives on privatization in the modern era, depending on where they live. The USA had little to privatize compared with European countries. In the USA privatization of utilities was not an issue (to a very large extent they were already private), the talk of town was how (not) to regulate them. Instead, the US privatization discussions centered around things like prisons, law enforcement, military (mercenaries in Iraq war and elsewhere), education, etc. which were no-no's for Europeans whether on the right or left.
Europe did its privatization of services provided by utilities (and few other sectors) in the 80s, 90s, 2000s, but I believe, it terms of % public ownership/control Europe is still far above the USA. Paradoxically, the backlash against privatization is probably also higher in Europe (UK?)
Or lower quality. A corporation can always wring money out of a program by reducing inputs like labor so the product/service has less utility. United Healthcare is a recent example.
Of course, the privateers can also reduce what they pay out in benefits while increasing copays and deductibles so they can line their pockets even further.
We have only to look at fire brigades in NY in the 19th century for the danger of privatization. Houses would burn to the ground as competing private fire brigades fought over who would get paid to put out the fire. Or if your house posted the badge of one private fire brigade but a different brigade showed up to your fire your house would be toast. There are things best managed by government. That is the point these f*ckwads miss.
Wish I still had the link, but I remember reading a study long long ago about the slew of privatizations that were done worldwide in the nineties after the fall of the USSR and the general discrediting of the Soviet-style model. The logic was that, because Private Sector Is Efficient and Public Sector Is Inefficient (shut up, it just is, that's like, science or something), surely turning over all those badly run public companies to the private sector would allow them to be whipped back into shape and run efficiently again.
As it turned out, though, private sector companies were never interested in buying any of those public companies in the first place, except in one of two scenarios:
* They were planning to break up the public company and sell off all its assets.
* The public company was already turning a profit.
In other words, only in cases where the stated rationale for privatization didn't apply.
To be devil's advocate, the profit is supposedly offset by efficiency. The private enterprise performs the function with fewer people, less overhead, paying everyone less - no unions, etc. Then they take the profit from the difference in cost. But often they have a monopoly, so they become even more inefficient at performance and better at sucking the money out of the taxpayer for personal gain of owner (often a buddy / donor).
Social Security administration costs have been reported to be only 1%.
I don't know how it could be any more efficient. Social Security fraud is reported to be at 1%, there are better ways to investigate or mitigate fraud than firing employees who so efficiently run SSA and cripple the services needed to efficiently administer SSA.
Curiously, Musk, DOGE, and trump are never asked to prove or show verifiable proof of their allegations of widespread fraud.
There is no reason to just take their word for it.
sort of like health care, then? the billions taken out of the system for insurance company profits and for-profit hospital (why do they even exist?) profits would pay for a lot of actual care...
These people are playing with outright revolution. Imagine the blowback, the protests when Social Security deposits actually do not arrive in bank accounts one month. I'm convinced my almost 89 year old mother will find a baseball bat and introduce it at high speed to the first elected representative that presents itself to her.
More seriously, as our Professor here mentions, if we really wanted to save billions of dollars in Medicare & Medicaid, let's completely dump Medicare Advantage. Use at least part of the savings to increase Medicare benefits and reimbursements to providers.
When this nightmare ends, I am convinced we will see not just everything rebuilt, but in the case of Medicare/Medicaid, we will see it opened up as a public insurance plan for everyone.
I’m afraid you are right. What also might happen is, as many slide deeper and deeper into poverty, they will instead of taking out their anger on the oligarchs all of whom have the wealth to protect themselves, the poorest will turn their rage on their neighbors who are one or two rungs above them on the poverty step ladder- in other words the middle class will be a target of lawlessness and murder. The oligarchs will take bets on who will win from their castles.
I am 81 years old. I don’t really expect to see this nightmare resolved in my lifetime. Initially, I thought we should all wear black arm bands to mark the death of our democracy. But this morning, I read about the expensive personal protection. One of the Substack authors needs for his family, I guess just responding to Paul Redman is sticking one neck out. It’s hard to reconcile oneself with the idea that bullying, intimidation, and extortion are now primary operations in our government.
We take the best parts of Medicare and the best parts of Medicaid, and consolidate them into Medicare for all. If insurance company executives complain, we unleash Luigi on them.
Outside your own country almost no one believes you have enough backbone to do that. In the EU we are Arming ourselves for the day when having 3 meals a day will be enough for you to join the marines and invade us.
My former employer pays most of the cost for my Medicare Advantage program. It saves me a lot of money and provides much better benefits. I would be very unhappy to lose it. I vote too,
Will your former employer pick up the tab for later-in-life expensive hospitalization if your Medicare Advantage plan doesn't cover it? Like one of the ladies above commented, once you develop a pre-existing condition, you will not be able to switch to a supplemental plan that does cover it. Just another way employers screw over current & former employees.
Good for you, Russ. But not for Medicare. Medicare Advantage plan is harming Medicare itself and thus everyone who relies or will rely on it. Bad on Congress for creating it.
Well, politics is a pendulum. It was swung back and forth for generations. The further to one side, the further back to the other it will eventually go.
Yes, Musk has big factories in China, he knows how the regime there is working, he likes their authoritarian top-down rule and the lack of social security for workers there, both good for business as he does it. He wants to implement the same in the U.S. He is not idiot but very evil person. His incompetence in DOGE is not a bug but feature.
Makes you wonder how much his Chinese factory workers make? And, of course, we know that they have no OSHA protection and probably no other safety nets.
I did a short stint at a company that imported kitchen appliances from China. One of the guys I worked with had visited a factory there. He described open vats of caustic chemicals where workers were lucky to be wearing rubber gloves but no one had respirators or safety goggles. Forget about steel toed shoes or helmets. Paint (probably lead based) peeling from the walls.
I used to write about the industry side of fashion in the 2000s, when everything for kids was neon colors. The dyeing processes for those colors is highly toxic , thus not environmental friendly. The responses I got were always "but the kids LOVE those colors." It's like that now with fast fashion-- not caring one whit where things come from, how the workers are treated, etc. The trans-Pacific Partnership has provisions to increase worker safety in places across the Pacific rim. That got trashed. Americans simply don't care unless the pollution and suffering is affecting them. By that thing though it's too late
I don't think that's fair to Xi. He's making the usual autocratic rulers mistakes of not getting a wide range of views, especially views contradictory to his own, but I think he's got more commitment to "humanity, or at least Chinese humanity" than Musk or Trump.
I think the pool of those who matter is far, far, far smaller in Trump/Musk world... maybe a few hundred superrich or super successful sycophants. I think MAGA 2025 have a larger pool who matter, but they have a theocratic point of view rather like Iran.
The unabashed loathing for the European position made my heart sink. As a European (and Brit by social oxymoron) I can only hope that this massive restructuring of global allies facilitates positive action in Europe. My greatest fear is America's actions fail to reap their sow before the European equivalent rising in Hungary, Romania, Italy and even Germany can profiteer off the confusion. So far so good, however.
Yes, The Europeans. - even the poems - need to get their skates own, and fast. Macron, Germany, the Baltic's, Danes and Nordics are providing leadership - it just needs to gather more momentum, and give Hungary and Slovakia the big A if they don't want to play. A EuATO (with Canada and Ukraine) is the future...
As an Australian living in the UK and Belgium, I'd like to see Australia and New Zealand in there too... I shouldn't put much faith in the US in the Pacific anymore!
ISTM the Pacific's problem with Trump is more difficult than Europe's. They're not ready to replace USN either, but their security problem isn't primarily naval, and the Russian Navy isn't a serious threat.
There’s only one reason that Social Security is being destroyed. It’s because Trump and the oligarchs need to reduce spending in order to create enough money in the US coffer to support their argument that we can afford a tax cut. Pure and simple. Don’t make it complicated. Tell the American people that Trump and Musk want to cut services (like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Education, Police Pay, FireFighter Pay) and steal the money to give billionaire oligarchs tax cuts. “Republicans want to steal your money and cut your services” simple as that !
There's a great irony here. You see, the actual amount of fat tax cuts for the fat cats exceeds the amount of money they save cutting services by orders of magnitude. Their real reason for destroying the social safety net is sheer mean spiritedness, a symptom of psychopathy.
Yes, the Trump Gang is both incompetent and evil, but there is a third dimension, too. That would be their efforts to help our foreign enemies at the expense of our friends. There is too much evidence that their strings are being pulled in Moscow. Who else would want the US to attack its allies and help Russia?
Yes, I think that's key, Robert. I've been trying to understand for months why Trump would in each case chose the almost comically perfect bad fit for every one of the departmental secretaries: but I imagine those were Putin's suggestions in all those cosy phone calls. Not only does he get to control everything, and trash everything thereby, but he also breaks down all faith of the Americans in their systems. Of all his wishes, we know that to destroy the US is the closest to his heart - or whatever you call that cold selfish lump in the middle of his being.
I noticed in yesterday's hearing that Gabbard saying that Signal had been installed on all their phones when they arrived in the department: if that is really true, who on earth ordered that? Everyone serious knows the Russians cracked Signal years ago...
I could go REALLY suspicious here, and wonder if Putin deliberately added an excellent journalist who knew exactly what he was talking about to the group. Multiple coup for him: breaks down trust even further, and drives even more of a wedge between US and its real friends.
The one thing he really wants from the US is stopping the sanctions, which have been working. After that he will let it all crash and burn.
BUT the one thing neither he nor any other dictator (or 'self-made' billionaire?) will ever understand is that, when push comes to shove, most people really will stand up against evil... everyone here in Europe is expecting we will be at war again soon, but everyone also knows there is really no choice, if we don't want Bucha everywhere...
One of the things that occurred to me when looking at his Ukraine policy is that a president who actually was douchey but self-interested in an America First kind of way would see this as a golden opportunity to extract some concessions from Russia:
"Sure, we'll block any Ukrainian accession to NATO. Sure, we'll end any military aid to Ukraine. In fact, in the spirit of Russo-American cooperation, we'll even withdraw any recognition of their independence. ... In exchange for you immediately ceasing all military aid to, withdrawing all military personnel from, and ending all military cooperation with, Cuba. You like that? Well, it doesn't have to stop there! You extend that from Cuba to all of Latin America, and we'll pull right out of NATO! From each according to his Sphere Of Influence, to each according to his Near Abroad!"
That's the kind of thing Trump would be doing if he actually *was* the Andrew Jackson or Teddy Roosevelt type of belligerent nationalist we're told he is.
It says so much about what a fully owned subsidiary of the Kremlin he is that he isn't asking for any of that, just giving the Russians everything they want for free.
Donny-John wants to be an oligarch so bad he can taste it! So he can then hand it down to Eric who may be the most evil of them all. Eric, musky, and their boy JD…
Thank you. I feel pointing out the evil is relevant, because evil would stay even if the incompetence were somehow magically fixed (also them being competent would probably just mean they'd do evil a lot faster), so attacking the incompetence by itself is not the best line of attack. It is always both.
Eike, yes: but unfortunately there are more competent people in the Trump 2 Administration than in Trump1, and they are even more fanatical: Stephen Miller; Patel; Homan; Vance. Hegseth is a fanatic but he’s incompetent; Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick, despite being billionaires, have revealed themselves as truly stupid (or just pawns to the MAGA script) which is a sad end to their reputations as so many other officials learned during Trump1.
From the advent of Trumpism, I have tried to learn to understand the nature of evil. Several lectures series make me no more expert, except only to harden my belief that an evil person is defined by actions taken. Deliberately harming another is evil. Surely, Trump and Musk are evil persons. I do get push back on my Manichaean division, but I insist they are evil persons who so legislate in the right wing extremist legislatures such as mine in Iowa. Evil persons are these state legislators who impose restrictions on women's health care and rend away from parents their ability to seek care for children with gender dysphoria. People are harmed deliberately to satisfy their prejudices and their aim to dictate how others must live. Thank you, Mr Krugman, for this column.
An article in NYT states JD Vance is organizing a mid-April fund raiser of the Rockbridge Group (his sponsors) and another in addition to the Kochs group (one brother is now dead) that have been out-of-favor in the past is one that includes Miriam Adelson. The amounts of money these outfits throw around have to be less than they'd pay in taxes &/or gain by looting our taxes combined, or they wouldn't be doing it.
Which is ironic because the cash they've thrown at it has actually exceeded their tax windfalls. The explanation is the same as it is for The Orange Scourge and Skunk Musk - sheer mean spiritedness. They don't want the poor to have any help.
YES, Shauna! The MUMP regime has a special affinity for Putin and they are using anti-democracy tactics straight out of Putin’s playbook.
Look at virtually EVERY decision that Trump has made, from dismantling our government, to angering our allies, to abandoning Ukraine. You could predict the MUMP regime's choice by asking WWPD - What Would Putin Do?
Trump IS a Russian asset, whether he realizes it or not.
If Trump KNOWS he is a Russian asset, that's EVIL.
If Trump DOESN'T KNOW he is a Russian asset, that's WORSE!
As Professor Krugman points out, the MUMP regime is a special combination of incompetence and evil.
…….And very little discussion of the Dr Oz travesty type of “incompetence” & “evil” involving the NOT NEEDED PUSH of Social Security recipients onto “lucrative privatization schemes” …….namely, MEDICARE ADVANTAGE SCHEMES!! ……..”(It remains notable that DOGE hasn’t so much as hinted about doing something about overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans run by private insurers, which we know are costing taxpayers tens of billions a year.)”
Baby Steps
Democrat James Malone just pulled off a narrow victory in a Pennsylvania state senate special election a bright red district where Trump won resoundingly with 57% of the vote last November. The 36th district hasn’t elected a Democrat since it moved from Philadelphia to Lancaster County in 1979, according to Lancaster Online. Malone made Musk and recent events in Washington DC a central part of his campaign
People cheer for Democrats as if they will save the day. Later they turn out like Fetterman, Manchin, Sinema, Schumer etc.
We have amazing Democratic senators and congressmen in Connecticut, men and women of integrity not afraid to demand accountability - Chris Murphy, Richard Blumenthal, John Larson, Rosa Delaura, etc.
I couldn't agree more. I lived in CT for many years and have met and worked with some of them. I had to move for my health, but I dearly miss CT politicians who actually care about people instead of only their careers.
I'm in Illinois and Adam Kissinger though he's a Republican, he ran the Jan 6th investigation and left Congress because of the family death threats! What kinda person threatens the life of a 5 mth old baby over politics! I'm at a loss and I live in the area he represented and would have no problem as he was defiantly for the people ❣️❣️
Maybe you should ask yourself why this is a bigger issue for you and others than is the survival of a program that keeps tens of millions of people out of poverty.
Man who never gave a shit about women’s sports suddenly excited he can use it as a cudgel against another minority he’s terrified of.
How is that relevant? First, this is a boogeyman issue. There are few who wish to do this. Second, many of these transgender children are taking hormones that decrease testosterone. They may be no stronger than the average biological girl.
Dem senators voted with GOP to pass CR.
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/14/senate-democrats-vote-with-republicans-avoid-government-shutdown
Government shutdowns are politically risky even at the best of times; even for Republicans. And they have FOX News--a 24 hour full-on propaganda network--in their corner.
So stop already with the "let's bash the Dems" bullshit.
Unfortunate that they don't understand why he did what he did! Someone needs to keep an eye on the musk Klan+ it would cost over 1 billion $ for the government shut down and the bill is a kinda baby bill for the border which probably won't be done? But keeping a eye on the traitor's is important as I believe they will probably try and change the lock's, heck I'd be sleeping in my office with a stun gun
Miles, I think that for some of us who see unhappy with Sen Schumer as Minority Leader is that he caved without negotiating something in return. I know the Dems have limited options or leverage, but why not push for, say, a promise from Thune to block DOGE from doing a job (incompetently) that is clearly the role of Congress?
I'm nearing 70, and say that it's time for the Dems to go young. Replace him as leader with someone who is ready, willing and able to fight. Someone not hung up on Senate tradition, protocol and collegiality and unafraid to disturb the status quo. (I never thought I'd think that, or say it aloud, but here we are.) Heck, I'd love to see Elizabeth Warren, do it, and she's younger than Schumer and can kick ass.
Nice people. But they're no match against the Fascists.
Not true of all Democrats. Maryland has Chris Van Hollen and Jamie Raskin.
Sinema was one of my senators. I'd choose her, today, over any existing R senator except, maybe, Lisa Murkowski. Maybe!
I often forget she was in the state legislature, as well, but then she was in the headlines for so many years in AZ, when I lived there, so that makes sense.
Voters in AZ tend to vote overwhelmingly for initiatives they themselves put on the ballot that are quite liberal, even voting to increase their own taxes and for healthcare and teacher pay.
So, it seems odd to me that they then put so many conservatives in in the state legislature who then try to find ways to undo these voter initiatives.
Same issue in MO. The church, Fox News & social media have conditioned people to believe democrats are communists stealing their money & changing their children’s gender at school (??!??) but if there’s no letter next to the issue most people support progressive policies. The democrat brand needs to reboot.
Do teachers see their wages increase? Or does it only happen at the ballot?
My Massachusetts delegation is a match for any of the rethugs. What we need is more of them since the House and Senate still count the votes, not the IQs of our representatives in Congress.
And hard leftists act like having the Senate in Democratic hands wouldn't be vastly better for the country even when—pass the smelling salts!—they don't all vote like Elizabeth Warren.
Yeah, try to tell me what’s wrong with Elizabeth Warren like to see you in a debate with her she did you for breakfast-
OK, I'll bite. She does not understand the difference between wealth and income. When she says she's going after "millionaires and billionaires" she doesn't see how that scares suburbanites with million dollar homes and million dollars 401Ks on paper and she scares small business owners whose physical property they scrimped to buy 40 years ago but now has an appraised value of several million even though they see no income from that wealth. She turns off people like this who would vote for Dems but decide to either not vote or vote for the GOP. She does not understand what wealth creation really is and how many people don't look at the unrealized capital gains but do look at the income from those investments and a whole lot of grannies and grandpas who live off of $40K a year based on the $1 million in principal they saved mostly in their homes are not evil because they want to pass along something to their kids and really do think that is the American way to have a stepped up basis and not want to saddle their heirs with taxes. Her exemptions of, what, the first two million in wealth are scary to people when that is the average house price in a lot of cities. So, when she clamors for wealth taxes, she simply does not get that she's losing voters. We can disagree over the benefit or not of a wealth tax, I'm not arguing those merits, but whenever she talks on this subject, to my ears, she does not know what she is talking about. And she loses votes when she does.
She clearly understands the difference. My wife and I are "millionaires" on paper - paid off $500k mortgage on a house now worth over a million, plus 401k - and she's clearly talking about Jeff Bezos not us. I think people can make the distinction unless they're simply choosing not to ("She's a woman! From Massachusetts!"). Her biggest problem is that she has been so thoroughly demonized by the right that she's now an ineffective spokesperson. Funny how she's been the target so often when Bernie has the same message but has escaped the vitriolic attacks from potus...
Because she's a woman and Bernie is not.
You have mischaracterized Warren's position. It's not worth the time and effort to repeat her arguments to you because you either have not read them or do not understand them. In terms of tone and logic, your argument is equivalent to claiming Harris lost the election because she didn't deal with immigrants eating our pets.
Maybe she does understand the difference and that's why she thinks a wealth tax should be put on wealth above a very, very high threshold, like 50 million.
Rich people don't have incomes. It used to be that gangsters got caught on income tax evasion because their expenditures were so out of line with what they paid in taxes. Now we have billionaires who proudly pay no income taxes and receive billions in tax dollars.
I totally agree that being a millionaire isn't a big deal anymore. But if you notice the word denoting extreme wealth is now billionaire
This is not Warren's problem. You are defending the right of ignorant people to be ignorant.
Interesting since I'm below federal poverty level and I have both Medicare and Medicaid and I was going to get a small inheritance but I'll loose my Medicaid and after3 documented strokes one a brain hemmorage stroke that I had to be Airlifted to the trauma center which was 39,000 I'd loose any little bit I saved and it's unfortunate that your Gram's and Gramp's will have to unload their401k in order to go to a nursing home or everything will be taken! Bout time they change the rules for less then a million first and change the Laws that the ambulance companies that changed 39,000 for a 15min ride is negotiatied that's the fraud and the fraud that the Republicans are protecting cuz they have stock in these systems they change this amount because no one stops them and because they can!
Making the democratic tent smaller is not the solution you think it is. Demanding purity (to your personal ethical framework of course) is not the way to build a durable political majority.
Because they are not Democrats. They use the label to get elected but then vote against the people
Actually if you look at polls recently no one is cheering. We’re just begging them to do something.
Here’s an idea: Traffic in over-the-top generalizations to make yourself a respected commenter.
No
Wonderful!
Well, Dems have been winning special and off-year elections for years now because of revulsion towards MAGA. But when it counted most, the American electorate chose MAGA. So it’s hard to be enthusiastic about this Pennsylvania election result.
They (seing voters, not hardened MAGAts) choose Republicans because the media — mainstream and right wing —had convinced them the economy was bad, even though the majority told pollsters that they and their local region were doing well financially. Given decades of the media supporting the claim that Republicans are best for the economy and are the fiscally responsible party it should surprise no one that those extremely false, easily disproved claims are deeply embedded. Add in the media-created image of Trump as a great businessman and Biden as the cause of inflation….
The thing about off-year elections and special elections are that you get a better informed public voting.
Locally we had a clean sweep of ultra-MAGAs for local office (they're making a mess of everything- arrogance and ignorance to the fore) but we soon after had a re-call election of an ultra-MAGA and he went down in a landslide. The people voting in that election were those who read the local paper and paid attention to local politics.
Not even a majority of voters chose Trump. More chose Harris or third party. Millions chose to sit out "because they're both the same". Then there's Starlink and hacked voting tabulators. So please stop thinking Trump has a mandate and blaming "most" voters
You are right, Chris. Anyone who doubts this should visit two websites: www.gregpalast.com and electiontruthalliance.org for the facts, details and analysis. You can view the ELA's video presentations under their "Media" tab
- "Videos" and they are also available on their You Tube channel, "Dire Talks".
Greg Palast has done forensic analyses of election data and shows that had it not been for massive vote suppression in democratic areas (purging/mass challenges of eligible voters, valid ballots not counted, etc.), Kamala Harris would have won. This is in addition to the findings of the Election Truth Alliance, showing clear manipulation of Early Voting results in swing states. The vote tabulation computers display a clear "Russian Tail" hack that has been observed in past elections in Russia, the country of Georgia.
We must demand forensic audits in the swing states of the Presidential and Senate races. If there is resistance, lawsuits must and will be filed. Unless we fix this mess by shoring up and securing our elections, we will never have another free and fair election, again. It really is ALL ON THE LINE.
I didn’t say anything about a mandate or most voters or blame. The American electorate did vote for Trump and a Republican Congress last November.
We have yet to know the legal status of almost everything!
I’d recommend taking a math class for the first time in your life if you think Trump had a mandate but Biden didn’t, when Biden won more convincingly.
Claiming you're good at math is hilarious, since math doesn't have favorites. So let's use some facts. Trump won the popular vote by 1.5%, one of the smallest margins in history, and didn't even constitute a majority. Biden thrashed Trump in 2020 by over 4% and a popular majority. These are the facts. The rest of your whiny evidence free conspiracy theories about Biden can be safely dismissed, as his accomplishments dwarf your Orange King (passing an infrastructure bill as opposed to talking about it for 4 years). No need to engage further, I don't waste time on right wing cult members whiny grievance fueled victimhood.
This election breaks the tie in the PA House, giving Democrats a majority. The PA Senate is 1 seat closer now with 27-R and 23-D.
Ah, right, from the perspective of what the election actually accomplished, it is indeed an important result. I was solely focused on what it might (or might not) mean for what voters do going forward. Thank you for removing my blinders here.
This whole text exchange is what makes me very disheartened about the “left”. Instead of mounting an effective resistance to the fascist coup unfolding in front of our eyes. Instead of finding common ground with one another, whether center left or hard left, we find ways to take issue with each other. Surely, there should be plenty of issues on which we can agree to address the crisis created by the Trumpster and The muskrats. But, NO, we spend our time attacking each other. Time is a-wasting, folks, and we need a battle plan to gather around, and get moving. We could learn from the Canadians, who, in the midst of an election seem to have United against Trump‘s declaration of war by tariff.
This is heartening news.
Wisconsin judicial election is another big test. Does anything break through to the voter?
One down, one to go. Go Valimont!✊
I think the big test is the 2 Florida elections. Let’s see how angry the retirees are that their social security, Medicare and Medicaid are being tampered with.
They have to know any elected republican will do NOTHING.
Next up: capitalize on Musk's mangling of the IRS, that's forecast to reduce collections by a whopping $500 billion. That's Billion with a "B;" or, half-a-Trillion with a "T." Of lost revenue. All due to GOP incompetence.
And if the GOP plans on ramming through their big tax cuts later this year--75% of which will go to the top 5%, and pay for Elon and Jeffy's new yachts--these bumblers will rack up a $3 trillion budget deficit this year alone. Coupled with their intentional crippling of Social Security and Medicare, the GOP's on track to have even their own Base loathe them. That's if FOX News decides that stories that expose GOP incompetence should ever be covered.
I don't think that this is incompetence, it's deliberate so that the wealthy get out of paying taxes. The IRS isn't going to be able to audit people, so people who already have a ridiculous amount of money can cheat on their taxes and pay nothing, sticking the middle class and working class with the tax bill. It's also designed to reduce the amount of money the government is taking in, so that they can use it as an excuse to cut departments and programs, especially those for the poor, even more.
Learn a little basic math: 2025 IRS revenues under GOP ineptitude is due to drop 10%, for $500billion net decrease: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/tax-revenue-collected-by-the-irs-set-to-plummet-report-says.html Gonna try and explain that away? Or to justify their upcoming tax cuts? Or to pretend that >$2 trillion deficits in an otherwise good year are fiscally responsible? Is this your idea of progress?
And you know damn well that taxes on capital gains and unearned income are set *considerably* lower than earned income. Or maybe you don't, cause it seems you're an Elon fanboy who thinks the bottom 60% are just parasites.
And in case you don't understand: fees, sales tax, school supplies, tuition and so on, hit the poor a *lot* harder as a share of their total income, than for wealthy folks like yourself. The bottom 60% are just a paycheck or two from homelessness. And meanwhile the nation's wealth keeps aggregating to the 1% in this latest Gilded Age.
Yes, I am. And I'm a small business owner.
Every society needs a healthy entrepreneur class. Capitalists who take the risks to start or grow small businesses. The GOP used to be out front on this; but instead of upping the budget of the Small Business Admin (SBA), they're all about helping the really big players...just get bigger. M & A in every single frickin' industry, to where Oligopoly, Monopoly and Duopoly is the new normal.
If you're defending anything covered on FOX News, and you honestly believe they're telling you the truth--about anything--then I've got a bridge to sell you.
Tell me even *one* issue you think FOX News gets right. Just one.
And regarding Elon's cuts, whatcha wanna bet that he'll NOT go after the BigAg slush fund? There's probably $40 billion--at least--of pure pork that can be cut there. But it's a GOP Farm State racket, and so he won't touch it. And it won't likely ever be heard about on FOX either.
Or what about the Medicare Advantage scamming? Probably $10bn at least of waste there. But again, with deep GOP ties, it'll probably slip right under the conservative radar. What about a Pentagon audit? They fail to account for about $8bn EVERY year.
And without restoring income and corporate taxes to what they were pre-Reagan/Bush, there's no way we can even come close to balancing the budget. None. Current GOP incompetence is set to produce a $2.5 to $3 TRILLION dollar shortfall this year alone! Is that your idea of responsible government? Of fiscal responsibility?
That's probably cuz Musk is working Wisconsin! I mean how can you compete with the chance to win a million Buck's I'm scared sad and disgusted!
Fantastic!
Oh course this is a significant signal to the all the fakes…it’s time to peak off the hell-bound train, really. First rats will get the attention.
Hmmm. So we make it stand and nothing else. We must not allow them to keep taking down our democracy! Right?
That's not an unlikely result.
I’m afraid the only way out is military action to defend the Constitution where it remains in effect and restore it where it has been overthrown.
I wasn’t worried one bit because no such thing was happening. And the military swears its allegiance to the Constitution, not to Trump.
I would love to hear any economist explore the Right’s claim that privatization is ‘better’ when they never provide a justification for or offset of the profit that would need to be taken by privatization. The government does all this without taking a profit. Privatization will require taking a profit that would surely INCREASE costs…right?
In the UK, that's been repeatedly proven. Certainly, privatisation of our water companies has become a catastrophic failure.
Only an arsonist ‘owns’ a fire department…we need a fire prevention, a fire putting out department…and it’s an amazing change to see EMT’s as such a major part..I have an app that shows all the calls, 90% are medical! Slow and effective change over my lifetime. Little things. Community policing.
They have tried a number of times to privatize healthcare…what a shitty idea! To think you;d make more money by refusing services till people die…WWJD?
Italy. Privatizations are thefts
The Conversation has an article on Medicare Advantage, from two economists, looking at how these private plans cost the government 22% more per recipient than the public plan https://theconversation.com/taxpayers-spend-22-more-per-patient-to-support-medicare-advantage-the-private-alternative-to-medicare-that-promised-to-cost-less-241997
As a 71 year old woman, I truly regret that I enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, for many reasons. I attempted to switch to regular Medicare and found out that it was not an option for me now due to my pre-existing health conditions! What a sham!!!😡
I believe you could switch to traditional medicare. The issue then becomes adding a medicare supplemental insurance plan. You can add a supplemental plan without underwriting when you initially enroll but if you choose an Advantage Plan first and decide later to return to traditional medicare with a supplemental plan, you will be subject to underwriting and pre-existing conditions. It will either be too expensive or not available at all.
If you stay on MA too long you have to be approved by the supplement carrier if you want out of MA. It happened to me, I think we were on MA for 2 years and it wasn't a given that I'd get my old supplement plan back.
My experience as well. Recent medical issues closed the door to a supplemental plan.
😢
And Dr. Oz is going to spearhead pushing these lousy plans on senior citizens
Nothing like another fraud kingpin in charge of a government agency 😡
I’m voting for brain enhancements, education, travel, community, conversations.
I loved when my dr referred to them as disadvantaged plans
I’m sure they’ll get DOGE right on that.
Privatization is best for the privateer. Without government incentives, the profit-minded owner won't penetrate small and/or poor population centers, leaving those places small and poor. Broadband internet distribution in the US is a good example of this phenomenon. And it's been my observation that corporate mergers seem to increase costs to consumers.
The issue here is that we didn’t learn from others with phone and now internet…the ‘service’ can be for profits but the access should be a shared function. One cell system, one non-profit/government based cables and WiFi.
That’s always been the case. Amalgamation/consolidation is the bad side of Capitalism. It’s meant to lower costs and competition for the companies involved. What it inevitably does is reduces the company‘a employee needs and allows the company to raise prices.
Absolutely. If any of these fools read Adam Smith, he stated in no uncertain terms “businessmen do not belong in government “. The business man serves shareholders, and maximizes profits. So when California privatized electric power, the cost per kilowatt hour more then doubled. The privatization movement is all about political patronage.
You mean Pacific Greed and Extortion? or Con-Edison…
They do provide justifications - but it's always convoluted and elliptical.
They'll say something along the lines of "Well, you see, privatization will be more efficient because private businesses have a profit motive/incentive to run more efficiently".
If you're head isn't spinning after that, it's because you didn't swill enough cans of Schlitz.
These days many private businesses, especially the plethora of start-ups are only after one thing, venture capital and take-the-money-and-run.
Straight up profiteering.
You forgot the [sarcasm] tags - I hope :)
And when they get caught red handed in lies or
deeds gone wrong, they play the blame game.
In the case of the chat gone wrong- blame the person that received the message- not the real
culprit who obviously was using laser beams from space to disrupt the servers . Un huh
Yes, and as an example, all those privately-owned nursing homes and hospitals deliver such great care. (sarcasm)
From the Lancet:
"At the very least, health-care privatisation has almost never had a positive effect on the quality of care. But outsourcing is not benign either, as it can reduce costs, but seems to do so at the expense of quality of care. Overall, our Review provides evidence challenging the justifications for health-care privatisation and concludes that the scientific support for further privatisation of health-care services is weak." https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(24)00003-3/fulltext
Their only defenses are shabby theoretical arguments. Privatization always raises the cost of service delivery, and almost always degrades the quality of service delivery.
If we had one cell phone system, one standard, then they could just sell us phones we liked. One highway, we buys cars, one type of gas (sort of) and multiple ‘service stations/stores. Then they create toll-roads and fuck it up! Electric charging systems for cars should be one standard…we are so silly.
In the "developed" world, the objective of privatization was to improve the efficiency and quality of service provided to the public (and presumably "freeing" public sources for other areas such as education, law enforcement, etc). The results were mixed, but the intentions were good for sure.
Then you have privatizations a la Turca or a la Russe, where the objective is to turn a public good into private money. Privatization makes corruption so much easier and of larger scale than a public sector enterprise where the worst you can do it stuff it people close to you and cause annual losses about which politicians can then complain.
Here an example:
A bridge is built on a BOOT basis, with the "investor" (=thieving partner) is chosen under a non-transparent tender. The cost of the project can be easily as high as 3x the "normal" cost (normal cost being the cost if selection were to occur as in a typical international public sector tender). The resulting "fee" for crossing the bridge from which the "investor" recovers its investment with a return margin is very high. That's not enough; to make it easier and cheaper for the "investor" to raise finance, the government gives a guarantee for the minimum number of vehicles that will drive through. And a few years later, the government extends (usually without the knowledge of the public) the "operating" period (the "transfer" occurring, say, not in 10 years but in 15) to transfer more public money into private pockets.
This and more happened in Turkey.
The intentions were always to make a profit. Period. There were no good intentions.
For clarity:
People have different perspectives on privatization in the modern era, depending on where they live. The USA had little to privatize compared with European countries. In the USA privatization of utilities was not an issue (to a very large extent they were already private), the talk of town was how (not) to regulate them. Instead, the US privatization discussions centered around things like prisons, law enforcement, military (mercenaries in Iraq war and elsewhere), education, etc. which were no-no's for Europeans whether on the right or left.
Europe did its privatization of services provided by utilities (and few other sectors) in the 80s, 90s, 2000s, but I believe, it terms of % public ownership/control Europe is still far above the USA. Paradoxically, the backlash against privatization is probably also higher in Europe (UK?)
Or lower quality. A corporation can always wring money out of a program by reducing inputs like labor so the product/service has less utility. United Healthcare is a recent example.
Of course, the privateers can also reduce what they pay out in benefits while increasing copays and deductibles so they can line their pockets even further.
We have only to look at fire brigades in NY in the 19th century for the danger of privatization. Houses would burn to the ground as competing private fire brigades fought over who would get paid to put out the fire. Or if your house posted the badge of one private fire brigade but a different brigade showed up to your fire your house would be toast. There are things best managed by government. That is the point these f*ckwads miss.
Wish I still had the link, but I remember reading a study long long ago about the slew of privatizations that were done worldwide in the nineties after the fall of the USSR and the general discrediting of the Soviet-style model. The logic was that, because Private Sector Is Efficient and Public Sector Is Inefficient (shut up, it just is, that's like, science or something), surely turning over all those badly run public companies to the private sector would allow them to be whipped back into shape and run efficiently again.
As it turned out, though, private sector companies were never interested in buying any of those public companies in the first place, except in one of two scenarios:
* They were planning to break up the public company and sell off all its assets.
* The public company was already turning a profit.
In other words, only in cases where the stated rationale for privatization didn't apply.
This is why running a government is NOT the same as running a business!
To be devil's advocate, the profit is supposedly offset by efficiency. The private enterprise performs the function with fewer people, less overhead, paying everyone less - no unions, etc. Then they take the profit from the difference in cost. But often they have a monopoly, so they become even more inefficient at performance and better at sucking the money out of the taxpayer for personal gain of owner (often a buddy / donor).
Social Security administration costs have been reported to be only 1%.
I don't know how it could be any more efficient. Social Security fraud is reported to be at 1%, there are better ways to investigate or mitigate fraud than firing employees who so efficiently run SSA and cripple the services needed to efficiently administer SSA.
Curiously, Musk, DOGE, and trump are never asked to prove or show verifiable proof of their allegations of widespread fraud.
There is no reason to just take their word for it.
sort of like health care, then? the billions taken out of the system for insurance company profits and for-profit hospital (why do they even exist?) profits would pay for a lot of actual care...
These people are playing with outright revolution. Imagine the blowback, the protests when Social Security deposits actually do not arrive in bank accounts one month. I'm convinced my almost 89 year old mother will find a baseball bat and introduce it at high speed to the first elected representative that presents itself to her.
More seriously, as our Professor here mentions, if we really wanted to save billions of dollars in Medicare & Medicaid, let's completely dump Medicare Advantage. Use at least part of the savings to increase Medicare benefits and reimbursements to providers.
When this nightmare ends, I am convinced we will see not just everything rebuilt, but in the case of Medicare/Medicaid, we will see it opened up as a public insurance plan for everyone.
Something like Australia has with our "Medicare". It's far from perfect, but much better than nothing!
And almost certainly better than what we have.
I’m afraid you are right. What also might happen is, as many slide deeper and deeper into poverty, they will instead of taking out their anger on the oligarchs all of whom have the wealth to protect themselves, the poorest will turn their rage on their neighbors who are one or two rungs above them on the poverty step ladder- in other words the middle class will be a target of lawlessness and murder. The oligarchs will take bets on who will win from their castles.
That's an unfortunate possibility - >unless< our middle class neighbors join us to fight the Orange Scourge, which I believe most likely.
Aussie? For your musical coda, The Beaches “Shower Beer.” Dee why?
I am 81 years old. I don’t really expect to see this nightmare resolved in my lifetime. Initially, I thought we should all wear black arm bands to mark the death of our democracy. But this morning, I read about the expensive personal protection. One of the Substack authors needs for his family, I guess just responding to Paul Redman is sticking one neck out. It’s hard to reconcile oneself with the idea that bullying, intimidation, and extortion are now primary operations in our government.
I have the same expectations at 85.
We take the best parts of Medicare and the best parts of Medicaid, and consolidate them into Medicare for all. If insurance company executives complain, we unleash Luigi on them.
Outside your own country almost no one believes you have enough backbone to do that. In the EU we are Arming ourselves for the day when having 3 meals a day will be enough for you to join the marines and invade us.
I like your optimism.
My former employer pays most of the cost for my Medicare Advantage program. It saves me a lot of money and provides much better benefits. I would be very unhappy to lose it. I vote too,
Will your former employer pick up the tab for later-in-life expensive hospitalization if your Medicare Advantage plan doesn't cover it? Like one of the ladies above commented, once you develop a pre-existing condition, you will not be able to switch to a supplemental plan that does cover it. Just another way employers screw over current & former employees.
Good for you, Russ. But not for Medicare. Medicare Advantage plan is harming Medicare itself and thus everyone who relies or will rely on it. Bad on Congress for creating it.
Would you prefer to see full privatization? That is what the GOP wants. I had no choice. My former employer made the decision for me.
Well, politics is a pendulum. It was swung back and forth for generations. The further to one side, the further back to the other it will eventually go.
Yes, Musk has big factories in China, he knows how the regime there is working, he likes their authoritarian top-down rule and the lack of social security for workers there, both good for business as he does it. He wants to implement the same in the U.S. He is not idiot but very evil person. His incompetence in DOGE is not a bug but feature.
Makes you wonder how much his Chinese factory workers make? And, of course, we know that they have no OSHA protection and probably no other safety nets.
A bowl of rice a day. And they don't have OSHA in China.
Zero safety nets. Probably sleep on the floor between shifts.
I did a short stint at a company that imported kitchen appliances from China. One of the guys I worked with had visited a factory there. He described open vats of caustic chemicals where workers were lucky to be wearing rubber gloves but no one had respirators or safety goggles. Forget about steel toed shoes or helmets. Paint (probably lead based) peeling from the walls.
It was bad.
I used to write about the industry side of fashion in the 2000s, when everything for kids was neon colors. The dyeing processes for those colors is highly toxic , thus not environmental friendly. The responses I got were always "but the kids LOVE those colors." It's like that now with fast fashion-- not caring one whit where things come from, how the workers are treated, etc. The trans-Pacific Partnership has provisions to increase worker safety in places across the Pacific rim. That got trashed. Americans simply don't care unless the pollution and suffering is affecting them. By that thing though it's too late
Musk and China have a major common factors, they don’t much like/value ‘organic human beings.’
I don't think that's fair to Xi. He's making the usual autocratic rulers mistakes of not getting a wide range of views, especially views contradictory to his own, but I think he's got more commitment to "humanity, or at least Chinese humanity" than Musk or Trump.
I dont think Xi really care about humanity as a Chinese, but yes, at least he was not out of control and didn’t decide to destroy the world.
They do try to be human/humane but only to those that ‘matter’ and that’s the issue.
I think the pool of those who matter is far, far, far smaller in Trump/Musk world... maybe a few hundred superrich or super successful sycophants. I think MAGA 2025 have a larger pool who matter, but they have a theocratic point of view rather like Iran.
He's both. It's a buggy feature.
Musk is an 'ignoranus' (someone who is both ignorant and an asshole).
You win the Internet for the day!
Oh how I wish I had written that.
I’m using that from now on
Me too!!!!
This perfectly fits that old joke with the punchline "you don't have to be a brain to be the boss, just an asshole".
An excellent portmanteau! Thanks, I will use that!
The unabashed loathing for the European position made my heart sink. As a European (and Brit by social oxymoron) I can only hope that this massive restructuring of global allies facilitates positive action in Europe. My greatest fear is America's actions fail to reap their sow before the European equivalent rising in Hungary, Romania, Italy and even Germany can profiteer off the confusion. So far so good, however.
Yes, The Europeans. - even the poems - need to get their skates own, and fast. Macron, Germany, the Baltic's, Danes and Nordics are providing leadership - it just needs to gather more momentum, and give Hungary and Slovakia the big A if they don't want to play. A EuATO (with Canada and Ukraine) is the future...
As an Australian living in the UK and Belgium, I'd like to see Australia and New Zealand in there too... I shouldn't put much faith in the US in the Pacific anymore!
ISTM the Pacific's problem with Trump is more difficult than Europe's. They're not ready to replace USN either, but their security problem isn't primarily naval, and the Russian Navy isn't a serious threat.
Yup!
There’s only one reason that Social Security is being destroyed. It’s because Trump and the oligarchs need to reduce spending in order to create enough money in the US coffer to support their argument that we can afford a tax cut. Pure and simple. Don’t make it complicated. Tell the American people that Trump and Musk want to cut services (like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Education, Police Pay, FireFighter Pay) and steal the money to give billionaire oligarchs tax cuts. “Republicans want to steal your money and cut your services” simple as that !
There's a great irony here. You see, the actual amount of fat tax cuts for the fat cats exceeds the amount of money they save cutting services by orders of magnitude. Their real reason for destroying the social safety net is sheer mean spiritedness, a symptom of psychopathy.
No empathy, no compassion, none…they really don’t fucking care! PayPals! JD…their little boy.
Yes, the Trump Gang is both incompetent and evil, but there is a third dimension, too. That would be their efforts to help our foreign enemies at the expense of our friends. There is too much evidence that their strings are being pulled in Moscow. Who else would want the US to attack its allies and help Russia?
Yes, I think that's key, Robert. I've been trying to understand for months why Trump would in each case chose the almost comically perfect bad fit for every one of the departmental secretaries: but I imagine those were Putin's suggestions in all those cosy phone calls. Not only does he get to control everything, and trash everything thereby, but he also breaks down all faith of the Americans in their systems. Of all his wishes, we know that to destroy the US is the closest to his heart - or whatever you call that cold selfish lump in the middle of his being.
I noticed in yesterday's hearing that Gabbard saying that Signal had been installed on all their phones when they arrived in the department: if that is really true, who on earth ordered that? Everyone serious knows the Russians cracked Signal years ago...
I could go REALLY suspicious here, and wonder if Putin deliberately added an excellent journalist who knew exactly what he was talking about to the group. Multiple coup for him: breaks down trust even further, and drives even more of a wedge between US and its real friends.
The one thing he really wants from the US is stopping the sanctions, which have been working. After that he will let it all crash and burn.
BUT the one thing neither he nor any other dictator (or 'self-made' billionaire?) will ever understand is that, when push comes to shove, most people really will stand up against evil... everyone here in Europe is expecting we will be at war again soon, but everyone also knows there is really no choice, if we don't want Bucha everywhere...
We all better learn to read, write and speak Ha Pycckom.
Oh, if Goldberg was deliberately added, Walz did it to undermine Trump.
You might be on to something there...
For sure.
One of the things that occurred to me when looking at his Ukraine policy is that a president who actually was douchey but self-interested in an America First kind of way would see this as a golden opportunity to extract some concessions from Russia:
"Sure, we'll block any Ukrainian accession to NATO. Sure, we'll end any military aid to Ukraine. In fact, in the spirit of Russo-American cooperation, we'll even withdraw any recognition of their independence. ... In exchange for you immediately ceasing all military aid to, withdrawing all military personnel from, and ending all military cooperation with, Cuba. You like that? Well, it doesn't have to stop there! You extend that from Cuba to all of Latin America, and we'll pull right out of NATO! From each according to his Sphere Of Influence, to each according to his Near Abroad!"
That's the kind of thing Trump would be doing if he actually *was* the Andrew Jackson or Teddy Roosevelt type of belligerent nationalist we're told he is.
It says so much about what a fully owned subsidiary of the Kremlin he is that he isn't asking for any of that, just giving the Russians everything they want for free.
That too is true. King Krasnov was compromised decades ago, and now Putin is cashing in.
Donny-John wants to be an oligarch so bad he can taste it! So he can then hand it down to Eric who may be the most evil of them all. Eric, musky, and their boy JD…
Narcissism big diagnostic for both also.
And psychopathy, don't forget that. Narcissists aren't usually murderers. Psychopaths often are.
Musk is an immigrant! Send him to El Salvador!
To Mars.
Or Guantanamo.
I’m voting Mars, now!
Thank you. I feel pointing out the evil is relevant, because evil would stay even if the incompetence were somehow magically fixed (also them being competent would probably just mean they'd do evil a lot faster), so attacking the incompetence by itself is not the best line of attack. It is always both.
Eike, yes: but unfortunately there are more competent people in the Trump 2 Administration than in Trump1, and they are even more fanatical: Stephen Miller; Patel; Homan; Vance. Hegseth is a fanatic but he’s incompetent; Scott Bessent and Howard Lutnick, despite being billionaires, have revealed themselves as truly stupid (or just pawns to the MAGA script) which is a sad end to their reputations as so many other officials learned during Trump1.
From the advent of Trumpism, I have tried to learn to understand the nature of evil. Several lectures series make me no more expert, except only to harden my belief that an evil person is defined by actions taken. Deliberately harming another is evil. Surely, Trump and Musk are evil persons. I do get push back on my Manichaean division, but I insist they are evil persons who so legislate in the right wing extremist legislatures such as mine in Iowa. Evil persons are these state legislators who impose restrictions on women's health care and rend away from parents their ability to seek care for children with gender dysphoria. People are harmed deliberately to satisfy their prejudices and their aim to dictate how others must live. Thank you, Mr Krugman, for this column.
They're all paid for by the Brothers Koch.
An article in NYT states JD Vance is organizing a mid-April fund raiser of the Rockbridge Group (his sponsors) and another in addition to the Kochs group (one brother is now dead) that have been out-of-favor in the past is one that includes Miriam Adelson. The amounts of money these outfits throw around have to be less than they'd pay in taxes &/or gain by looting our taxes combined, or they wouldn't be doing it.
Which is ironic because the cash they've thrown at it has actually exceeded their tax windfalls. The explanation is the same as it is for The Orange Scourge and Skunk Musk - sheer mean spiritedness. They don't want the poor to have any help.
Margot Asquith's retort in the UK House of Commons comes to mind "The Honourable Member opposite is a self-made man - and he worships His Creator."
I HAS to stop ............. we are one baby step from being a Russia.... and not stopped , we will get to a full blown autocracy and we all know it
YES, Shauna! The MUMP regime has a special affinity for Putin and they are using anti-democracy tactics straight out of Putin’s playbook.
Look at virtually EVERY decision that Trump has made, from dismantling our government, to angering our allies, to abandoning Ukraine. You could predict the MUMP regime's choice by asking WWPD - What Would Putin Do?
Trump IS a Russian asset, whether he realizes it or not.
If Trump KNOWS he is a Russian asset, that's EVIL.
If Trump DOESN'T KNOW he is a Russian asset, that's WORSE!
As Professor Krugman points out, the MUMP regime is a special combination of incompetence and evil.
SPOT ON! Professor Krugman, the Musk/Trump regime (what Professor Timothy Snyder calls the MUMP regime) is a special combination of INCOMPETENT EVIL.
Trump is the left upper peak on the Dunning-Kruger curve. 👇
https://bsky.app/profile/justinsg.bsky.social/post/3lgyra2gsl22b
You, on the other hand, are at the far right on that curve both with regard to economics and political analysis.
Thank you for your insights.
What an irony. The political far right is on the far left of the D-K curve, and we on the left are on the far right.
…….And very little discussion of the Dr Oz travesty type of “incompetence” & “evil” involving the NOT NEEDED PUSH of Social Security recipients onto “lucrative privatization schemes” …….namely, MEDICARE ADVANTAGE SCHEMES!! ……..”(It remains notable that DOGE hasn’t so much as hinted about doing something about overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans run by private insurers, which we know are costing taxpayers tens of billions a year.)”
This is so outrageous…….thanks for this information!