Economists discuss the impact of the stimulus on our recession
Summary: The US economy continues to slow, albeit the rate of decay has slowed. But the net damage is severe and a recovery soon is imperative — or more “black swans” will appear. This is the third...
View ArticleTomGram: “The Imperial Presidency 2.0″
The power of the Presidency grows inexorably for many reason. One is the political ratchet: each Administration increases some aspects of the Executive’s powers, amidst praise from its partisans and...
View ArticleThe breakdown of the American political system, pointing to a new and better...
Introduction: This is the second in a series of dashed off speculative opinions. Normal procedure on the FM website for these topics would be 3 thousand word posts, supported by dozens of links. I...
View ArticleAnother nail put in the Constitution’s coffin, but we don’t care
Summary: Americans expressed horror at the thought of “death panels.” Now the government reveals that the President issues death warrants on American citizens – without even a hearing before a panel....
View ArticleToday’s reading: “Let Them Eat Dogma”
This excerpt is just an hors’ dourves. I recommend reading the article in full, a valuable perspective on today’s events: “Let Them Eat Dogma“, Chris Lehmann, The Baffler, 25 January 2010 — Excerpt:...
View ArticleAbout the strategic significance of bin Laden’s execution, and the road not...
Summary: The capture and execution of bin Laden was a powerful act of grand strategy. Did it advance or damage our national interests? There was an alternative to his execution, another of the roads...
View ArticleOur rulers are skilled at running information operations (but less so at...
Summary: Elections used to determine public policy in America. No longer. More broadly we can now see that information operations determine public policy in America, as our ruling elites realize...
View ArticleIraq gives us another opportunity to confront our mistakes, and learn from them
Summary: The Iraq War begins a new phase, perhaps with US involvement. But we’ve not admitted, let along learned from, the massive institutional failures of the public policy machinery that produced...
View ArticleProof pointing to the people guilty of weakening America
Summary: We, Americans, delight in creative explanations blaming others for our problems. “It’s not my fault” is our mantra. Here are two examples suggesting that we can find the guilty parties can be...
View ArticleLet’s honor our generation’s greatest leader, one of the chief builders of a...
Summary: Enough time has passed so that we can see in the 8 years of George W. Bush America changed to a degree seldom seen in our history, making him one of our few transformative Presidents. That...
View ArticleWe live in the America Bush Jr created, a break with our past.
Summary: Dazzled by Nobel Peace Prize President Hope and Change, people (including historians and political scientists) and have only slowly recognized that Obama has largely continued the policies of...
View ArticleAnother nail put in the Constitution’s coffin, but we don’t care
Tweet Summary: Americans expressed horror at the thought of “death panels.” Now the government reveals that the President issues death warrants on American citizens — without even a hearing before a...
View ArticleToday’s reading: “Let Them Eat Dogma”
Tweet This excerpt is just an hors’ dourves. I recommend reading the article in full, a valuable perspective on today’s events: “Let Them Eat Dogma“, Chris Lehmann, The Baffler, 25 January 2010 —...
View ArticleAbout the strategic significance of bin Laden’s execution, and the road not...
Tweet Summary: The capture and execution of bin Laden was a powerful act of grand strategy. Did it advance or damage our national interests? There was an alternative to his execution, another of...
View ArticleOur rulers are skilled at running information operations (but less so at...
Tweet Summary: Elections used to determine public policy in America. No longer. More broadly we can now see that information operations determine public policy in America, as our ruling elites...
View ArticleRemember what happened after 9/11, when America took a new path
Tweet Now that the 9/11 remembrances have ended for another year, let’s remember what happened afterwards. Let’s remember how Bush Jr. used our weakness and hysteria to reshape America on a scale...
View ArticleIn 2020 America might resume the revolution
Tweet Summary: Sometimes, as in depressions and wars, we recognize periods of great political change. But sometimes we keep the illusion of normalcy while the nation changes beneath our feet. This is...
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