A photo Beijing released on March 6th of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s foreign minister Wang Yi delivered a seismic shock in Washington. There he was, standing between Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, and Saudi National Security Adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban. They were awkwardly shaking hands on an agreement to reestablish Continue reading »
Reading
Here’s an interesting view on some dynamics underlying the debt ceiling negotiations I’ve never seen before from Talking Points Memo. I can’t vouch for whether all these details are correct, but if they are it makes you wonder why nobody has been discussing it. Anyway, just throwing it out there as food for thought: You were wondering how Biden was able to get such a good deal; in the end all this drama just amounted to getting the budget-negotiation process started early, with the GOP’s main takeaway being something (spending freeze) that their control of the House already guaranteed them via the tool of passing continuing resolutions.
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – May 28, 2023
by Tony Wikrent
War
Benjamin Schwarz, Christopher Layne [Harpers, June 2023 issue, via Naked Capitalism 5-22-2023]
Both the global role that Washington has assigned itself generally, and America’s specific policies toward NATO and Russia, have led inexorably to war—as many foreign policy critics, ourselves among them, have long warned that they would….
A debt ceiling fight ending with a whimper not a bang It’s not over yet, because Kevin McCarthy still has to round up enough votes to get past the Hastert Rule (GOP can’t bring a bill to floor with a majority of Democratic votes) and he might still face a motion to vacate the chair when all is said and done (which is his problem, not ours) it appears that creaky old Joe got the best deal we could have expected, most importantly an agreement to extend the debt limit until after the next election. Donald Trump hasn’t said a word yet. Whether he whips against voting for it is unknown. But you can bet he is not happy about it. Here’s Dave Dayen at the American Prospect with the view from the progressives: With one potentially major exception, the relative harm and help was kept to a minimum in the final agreement. It will only be a little bit easier to commit wage theft, or to sell defective or poisoned products. It’ll only be a little harder to get rental assistance or tuition support. Only a few people will be freer to pollute the environment; only a few will find it more difficult to get food. The Internal Revenue Service will only be a little worse.
I wrote and deleted a long post about an argument I had with my Dad. Instead I’ll summarise with a tidied up extract from an email I sent to MJD.
I did not even last 48 hours …
Doctor Who script editor Scott Handcock's production update offered interesting teases for Series 14, the 60th-anniversary special & more.
Nothing is real AI tools are the hot new toys every kid wants for Christmas. Just like crypto was the hot, new, get-rich investment? We gave a sidelong glance at using AI in political campaigns just last week. The Atlantic‘s Russell Berman offers another take beginning with the CEO of the company behind ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, practically begging Congress (in Berman’s telling) to regulate his industry. Firms hyping the new tools name-drop candidates such as former Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman whose campaigns have used them already. But? “I don’t remember anyone using AI for anything on that campaign,” Kenneth Pennington, a digital consultant and one of the Fetterman campaign’s earliest hires, told me. Promoters pitch generative-AI as a way for small-time candidates to campaigns like the big kids, using it “to create digital ads, proofread, and even write press releases and fundraising pitches.” And to increase the number of targeted ads and emails you spend time blocking and deleting.
"I want to find a place of grace far from the stench of the media. I want to go where I am not reminded of the social media sewer."
“Texas AGs have often been scoundrels” Seems the blush is off the Texas rose (Texas Tribune): For Angela Paxton, June 1 will always be “I love you day,” the anniversary of the first time a baby-faced Baylor undergrad named Ken told her he loved her. This year, “I love you day” will have a dark cloud looming over it, as that young man, now the attorney general of Texas, faces removal from office by the state Senate — of which Angela Paxton is a member. On Saturday, the Texas House voted 121-23 to impeach Ken Paxton on a range of charges, at least one of which involved his wife, and at least one of which related to an alleged extramarital affair. Ken Paxton is suspended while the Senate decides whether he should be removed from office. Paxton’s reputation as a scoundrel did not stop him in Texas from becoming attorney general. He has been under indictment for felony securities fraud for nearly eight years. His lawyers have managed to redirect the case to friendly turf his home county and delay, delay, delay. If it wasn’t beneath him, presidential candidate Donald Trump might tap Paxton for pointers.
The Republicans are threatening to tank the economy, and the Democrats are just waiting to get pantsed.
“Det dunkelt sagda är det dunkelt tänkta” — fanns det ‘postmodern’ mumbojumbo redan på Esaias Tegnérs tid?
Book recommendations and more from Intercept staffers.
The post What We’re Reading and Watching appeared first on The Intercept.
As the Boundary Review reorganises the parliamentary geography of Wales, it is worth looking back on our history and the steps taken to represent working people. Last year was the centenary of Welsh Labour’s rise to domination of politics in Wales, where it has remained the largest parliamentary party since 1922. But it was […]
Here’s the real reason ‘asset managers’ object to ‘printing money’
Bucolic fairytales are a threat to life on Earth. By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 26th May 2023 No issue is more important, and none so shrouded in myth and wishful thinking. The way we feed ourselves is the key determinant of whether we survive this century, as no other sector is as damaging. […]
It doesn’t get any more twisted than this: Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, appears to be launching an online community for anti-vaxxers called 4thePURE. For a lifetime founding membership of $2,500, users will be free to connect with unvaccinated singles and also gain access to a directory of “COVID-19 unvaccinated patriot businesses,” according to Insider. In a video promoting the site, which first made the rounds on Twitter on May 9, Flynn delivers a pitch saying, “I’m honored to announce an opportunity to support a new freedom movement sweeping across the nation. 4thePURE is an online community meant to connect likeminded individuals who courageously stood against the COVID-19 jab campaign.” I hope most of them are under 60 (which I doubt) because otherwise a few of them are probably be going to be dating in the ICU.
DeSantis comes out for de-funding the IRS It makes my head hurt when I think of how the wingnuts capitalized on a few left wing activists saying “defund the police” whenever I hear these calls to “defund” everything from the FBI to DHS to the IRS. You’d think they’d at least be a tiny bit embarrassed by the raging hypocrisy: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would be “welcoming” of a measure from Congress to defund the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) if he’s elected president next year. The comments from DeSantis, who officially announced this week that he would seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, came during a conversation with radio host and Second Amendment advocate Dana Loesch on The Dana Show. During the interview, DeSantis was asked whether he would sign a measure from Congress to abolish the IRS through funding means, as well as what he would replace the system with. “Are you for a far tax, a flat tax, where do you stand on that?” Loesch asked DeSantis. “So, the answer’s yes.
Noam Chomsky on Why This Is the Most Dangerous Point in Human History Noam Chomsky Interviewed by C. J. Polychroniou May 27, 2023. Common Dreams. We live in a world facing existential threats while extreme inequality is tearing our societies apart and democracy is in sharp decline. The U.S., meanwhile, is bent on maintaining global hegemony […]
I’m sure you’ll recall that Elon Musk recently held a little event with Ron Desantis. It didn’t go well. But that doesn’t mean Ron isn’t grateful: FLORIDA GOV. RON DeSantis (R-FL) signed a bill regarding spaceflight on Thursday just one day after he announced his presidential run in a glitch-filled interview with Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces. DeSantis signed into law CS/SB 1318 – Spaceflight Entity Liability along with 27 other bills. The law exempts “spaceflight entity from liability for injury to or death of a crew resulting from spaceflight activities under certain circumstances.” The measure also requires “a spaceflight entity to have a crew sign a specified warning statement.” Florida is a known launching point for SpaceX aircrafts, and the new law could potentially shield Musk and other space flight companies from being sued for accidents that injure or kill crew members.
SAWTELL Public School (PS) is moving forward with building an outdoor Gumbaynggirr community cultural learning area in memory of Uncle Mark Flanders. “The Rotary Club Of Sawtell is proud to be supporting this project and to this end has donated $5,000 towards its construction,” Sawtell Rotarian Alan Freedman told News Of The Area. Advertise with...
The post Rotary supports Gumbaynggirr learning space at Sawtell Public School appeared first on News Of The Area.
THE new President of the Coffs City Probus Club, Jane Newell, has been speaking out about what the club offers, in a recent interview on Coffs Harbour community radio station, 2AIRFM. Hosting the interview, Ken Capps who is the recent past-President of Coffs City Probus, felt it would be a good opportunity to tell people...
The post Newly appointed Coffs City Probus president chats on 2AIRFM appeared first on News Of The Area.