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As usual, 26 January has been marked by protests, denunciations of those protests, and further iterations. Even apart from the fact that it marks an invasion, the foundation of a colony that later became one of Australia’s states isn’t much of a basis for a national day. A logical choice would be the day our […]

I’m developing a set of Mastermind lectures on economics, and the marketing has included video “shorts” from my interview with Lex Fridman. This one, on why socialist economies didn’t innovate as fast as capitalist ones drew a lot of ire on Twitter. The text of that short is: Innovations: Socialist versus Capitalism [Under capitalism] You … Continue reading "Why did socialism fail at product innovation and economic growth?"

And he is the rest of us Donald J. Trump is a catalyst not a cause. Trumpism and its nihilistic “Deep State” wreckers have deeper roots than the shallow, game-show grifter whose name attached to our grievance-fueled anti-democracy movement. There is more than polarization afoot, argues Brian Klaas, writing from Britain. Unlike the U.S., few in England buy into conspiracy theories. Here, polarization “plus this conspiracist tendency risks turning run-of-the-mill democratic dysfunction into a democratic death spiral.” The paranoid style was with us since before Richard J. Hofstadter’s 1964 essay. Jared Yates Sexton argues that conspiratorial thinking found fertile ground in the New World and was present at the nation’s founding. Klaas compares the belief gap (The Atlantic): According to YouGov polling, a third of Americans believe that a small group of people secretly runs the world, while just 18 percent believe the same in the United Kingdom. Similarly, 9 percent of Americans think COVID-19 is a fake disease. In Britain, that figure is just 3 percent.

Why does the conservative American Dream look like Mogadishu? Jeff Sharlet is documenting the attrocities. I’ll repeat: Why does the conservative American Dream look like Mogadishu? And like Syria:

Some supposed “moderates” are nervous It won’t make a difference: Senior House Republicans are moving swiftly to build a case against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as they strongly weigh launching rare impeachment proceedings against a Cabinet secretary, a plan that could generate sharp backlash from GOP moderates. Key committee chairmen are already preparing to hold hearings on the problems at the southern border, which Republicans say could serve as a prelude to an impeachment inquiry against Mayorkas. Three House committees – Oversight, Homeland Security and Judiciary – will soon hold hearings about the influx of migrants and security concerns at the border. The House Judiciary Committee, which would have jurisdiction over an impeachment resolution, is prepared to move ahead with formal proceedings if there appears to be a consensus within the GOP conference, according to a GOP source directly familiar with the matter. The first impeachment resolution introduced by House Republicans already has picked up support, including from a member of the GOP leadership team.

Talk about optics … yikes. It’s not just optics. It’s very dangerous propaganda: I assume that Desantis thinks he can gather unassailable wingnut cred by doing all this stuff and then tack to “the center” and pretend he isn’t insane in a general election. But I don’t think that’s possible these days. This stuff lives on the internet forever. On the other hand, he may just be betting that between election suppression and propaganda a majority will sign on to this extreme far-right agenda. Maybe he thinks he can ride this insanity all the way to the White House. After all, Trump wasn’t exactly a middle of the road guy. However, the voters who loved Trump loved him because of his attitude, fame, wealth and other intangible personality traits. (Why, I’ll never understand.) And he went after specific people they didn’t like. DeSantis is a simple bully who instead of entertaining his audience with colorful insults and childish nicknames, is systematically attacking institutions and ideas, using the power of his state government to shut down dissent.

I thought it might be important to remind ourselves just what kind of person has been put on the Oversight and Homeland Security Committees today: That was in 2018. Dear god. Marge today:

A primer Paul Waldman with a very helpful reminder: Like many billionaires, Elon Musk apparently sees himself as a genius not only in areas where he has real experience but in all things, including politics and government. Which is why he tweeted this about the omnibus spending bill Congress passed last month: This is a common type of misinformation, one that swirled about with particular intensity regarding the omnibus bill. Not that Musk doesn’t believe it; I’m sure he does. His tweet shows how easy it is to be seduced by ideas that have intuitive appeal but are completely wrong. Let’s begin with Musk’s assertion and work our way through some other widespread but pernicious ideas about how politics works: “If members of Congress read bills before voting on them, legislation would be better.” How could anyone oppose that? But the truth is that most legislators usually don’t read the text —and that’s fine. It isn’t because they’re lazy. It’s because legislation involves a specialized type of language, written by experts for purposes that have nothing to do with understanding and wise decision-making.

"It is inappropriate to wave a flag that's linked to unprovoked military incursions"

The Albuquerque PD did The first few bullets fired through homes and buildings in Albuquerque, New Mexico beginning in early December appeared random. But by January 3, after multiple similar attacks, Albuquerque police Chief Harold Medina opened an investigation into what appeared to be a pattern. No one was injured in the shootings. On Monday, SWAT officers surrounded the home of a man they allege was the “mastermind” behind a conspiracy to attack Democratic officials’ homes. Suspect Solomon Pena, reports the Albuquerque Journal, “is a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for office in November, has made repeated claims that the election was rigged and appears to have attended the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in Washington, D.C.” Police allege Pena himself fired on at least one of the homes and that he hired four other men to commit the other shooting attacks against the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators: Pena ran unsuccessfully in the House District 14 race and claimed on social media he should have won the election.