IT SHOULD NOT BE THAT HARD FOR DEMOCRATS to associate Donald Trump and the Republicans with the elite that actually is responsible for the shrinkage of the middle class and the abandonment of investment in rural and small-town America, regions of the country that have become most heavily Republican.
The reason it is hard for Democrats to do what this American Prospect commentator advises is that the Democratic establishment has been in bed with its own set of anti-worker, anti-justice operators. Clinton pushed for financial deregulation that led – and was enormously accelerated by Bush's even more active coddling of the rich and powerful – directly to the conditions that created the 2008 crash. Obama rewarded the bankers instead of punishing them, and ignored the financial industry's continued pillaging of the American people. Biden was the first Democratic president in decades to give a damn about reducing, if not reversing, the wealth gap that is at the worst level since the Gilded Age. Only when Democrats give an actual damn about crushing the oligarchy – in words and deeds – will they have a prayer of regaining power.
Gallium and germanium are used in semiconductors, while germanium is also used in infrared technology, fibre optic cables and solar cells. Antimony is used in bullets and other weaponry, while graphite is the largest component by volume of electric vehicle batteries. The move has sparked fresh concern that Beijing could next target other critical minerals, including those with even broader usage such as nickel or cobalt. "China has been signalling for some time that it's willing to take these steps, so when is the U.S. going to learn its lesson?" said Todd Malan of Talon Metals (TLO.TO), opens new tab, which is trying to develop a nickel mine in Minnesota and is exploring for the metal in Michigan. The only U.S. nickel mine will be depleted by 2028.
This Reuters article isn't an announcement of disaster. But it's a harbinger. Trump's plans to put big tariffs on everything and everyone in sight have so many flaws, but one of them is the arrogance in assuming that two (or more) can't play this game. I believe, strongly, that the U.S. needs to detach itself as much as possible from reliance on China's foul regime – over time and not cold turkey. And we need to do everything in our power to not be hostage to supply-chain blockades. Asia's most powerful nation has been rapacious and has shown contempt for honest trade over the years. But the U.S. hasn't had clean hands by any means. At least Biden's own anti-China economic policies have at least shown a smidgen of practicality. We could be heading into trade wars that lead to the worst kinds of economic outcomes for everyone.
No part of the country will be immune from the destructive impact of these policies. While it’s tempting, living in California, to look at this train wreck and assume that the worst impacts won’t be felt deep in blue country, I’m not so sure that’s the case. Yes, California’s social safety net is strong, its environmental policies are second to none, its expanded healthcare system is approaching universal coverage, its public health investments, while still too little, are better than those of many states, and its well-resourced Department of Justice is willing to go toe to toe with the feds over the coming years. But the state is also in Trump’s sights. He wants to bring California’s independent politics to heel. He is determined to eviscerate the state’s waivers that allow it to craft its own environmental standards. And he is set on using the federal government’s fiscal levers to punish California and its cities if and when they don’t cooperate with his extreme agenda, especially around mass immigration sweeps and deportations.
This report in the Nation is a reminder that so-called "blue states" are not remotely immune from the "gangster governance" that's coming from the next Trump regime. But we have to let progressive leaders know that we are counting on them to fight even if they end up losing. Capitulation in advance isn't acceptable.
Hegseth’s record before becoming a full-time Fox News TV host, in 2017, raises additional questions about his suitability to run the world’s largest and most lethal military force. A trail of documents, corroborated by the accounts of former colleagues, indicates that Hegseth was forced to step down by both of the two nonprofit advocacy groups that he ran—Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America—in the face of serious allegations of financial mismanagement, sexual impropriety, and personal misconduct.
Just in case you haven't read this New Yorker article by one of the best journalists working today, you absolutely should. The report shows him to be even more disgusting as a person – and professionally incompetent – than I thought possible. For Trump and the Republican cult, these aren't disqualifying issues. They're sterling qualifications for high public office, which now is about one thing: doing Dear Leader's corrupt bidding without any concern for legality or ethics. I tend to believe rumors that Hegseth's nomination is dead, because it seems there is a small group of Republicans aware that this stuff is way, way over the line. Even if so, Trump probably will end up with a "defense" chief who'll be eager to deploy tanks and troops into our cities and towns on the boss' corrupt orders. Back to my main reason for highlighting Mayer's article: It reflects her dogged reporting over the years on America's oligarchy and abuses of power. I have no doubt that the leaked documents and the people who spoke to her are a result of her sterling reputation as a journalist. It's about time that as many journalists as possible acknowledge the new political context; explain it in everything they report; and become the kind of people who sources call when they know of bad acts by bad people.
This newsletter is a compendium of the reporting and commentary that best explains the America's political, economic, and social conditions – and, most important, how we can find a way back from the dark days ahead. You will rarely find anything here from the New York Times or Washington Post or any of the other Big Journalism companies that failed us so completely during the 2024 elections and are now sucking up – even more than usual – to Donald Trump, his cult, and corporate oligarchs. My focus will be on smaller, more honorable outlets (and individuals). I hope you'll support them with your attention and your money. For more details, please read my About page.
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Harold Meyerson
Sasha Abramsky
Jane Mayer
