can we admit that billionaires are a policy failure that must be remedied now?

yes. it's political insiders — concerned about donors and donor-financed opposition campaigns — that tend to be more cautious of increasing taxes in the rich, more cautious than the public, including even the Republican public. taxing the rich more polls very well.

“yes,” said the boy who cried wolf. “but there were guard rails — i mean fences — around the village those times.”

“I’ve noticed a little linguistic tic in some recent public statements – the use of the word ‘ruthless’ as if it was a synonym for ‘diligent’ or ‘competent’.” @dsquareddigest.bsky.social backofmind.substack.com/p/ruthless-p... // kind of dark. reminds me of Kamala Harris’ choice of “lethal”.

no. just support FDR style taxation, and maybe an Elizabeth Warren wealth tax to boot.

without comment www.wsj.com/world/russia...

yes. they love to issue paper attached to weak obligations in exchange for purchasing power over real goods and services. but it’s an affront to God if a government does it.

you’ve become a casualty of the war — in a sense, just a bit — if you find your initial reaction to news of soldiers’ deaths on the side that you dislike is unleavened by sadness or grief.

you think this is unintended? the plan is to snort what you’ve become on November 6. they were hoping for some ketamine in the mix.

they have a theory based on an idealized libertarian gold standard, along with profound cynicism and hostility towards the govt, and the idea it might be able to issue paper on advantageous terms, enabling it to act capaciously. i agree there’s a FAFO aspect to it. to bad we’re along for the ride.

they’re working on it. i guess we’ll all see what’s next.

they’ve dealt with livestock before.

i don't actually think they are more "ask not what you can do for your country" than the other way around.

i love this guy. of course he was crushed. from Ben Ryder Howe nymag.com/intelligence... ht @lollardfish.bsky.social @maeamian.bsky.social

as billionaires buy media, bribe voters with “petitions”, finance dark money influence groups in order to buy a Supreme Court and now an election for a fascist, will center-left liberals finally concede that top inequality is a problem, that it’s not sufficient to just try to “raise the bottom”?

[new draft post] Midsize is the right size drafts.interfluidity.com/2024/10/24/m...

when throwing one scapegoat off the cliff doesn’t resolve the problem, well you need to find another scapegoat to throw off the cliff for that!

A very good interview by @lexfridman.bsky.social of #BernieSanders, a guy who through all the twists and turns has retained my admiration. It's also quite remarkable how quick and on-point he remains, compared to his contemporaries, Joe Biden, Donald Trump. lexfridman.com/bernie-sande...

Culturally, we’ve grown accustomed to rooting for anti-heroes. I wonder if that hasn’t primed us to be able to vote for someone like Donald Trump, in full(ish) knowledge of who he is. Are we just collectively Breaking Bad?

from @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social inthesetimes.com/article/unio... ht @erikloomis.bsky.social