Posted in Money

2:00PM Water Cooler 12/4/2024 | naked capitalism

   December 5, 2024  Leave a Comment on 2:00PM Water Cooler 12/4/2024 | naked capitalism


By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Bird Song of the Day

Northern Mockingbird, 138 Captains Dr, West Babylon, Suffolk, New York, United States. “This bird’s song includes mimicry of Carolina Wren, Northern Cardinal, and possibly Tree Swallow (final phrase at 0:44).”

“Wisdom.” What a lovely name (like “Sophia,” which I wonder why the Fish and Wildlife Service didn’t choose):


* * *

In Case You Might Miss…

  1. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot dead in Midtown Manhattan .
  2. DNC race begins .
  3. UAW cuts off pay from striking staffers.

* * *

Politics

“So many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles

* * *

Trump Transition

“Trump Mulls Replacing Pete Hegseth With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis” [Wall Street Journal]. “President-elect Donald Trump is considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement for Pete Hegseth, his pick to run the Pentagon, according to people familiar with the discussions, amid Republican senators’ concerns over mounting allegations about the former Fox News host’s personal life. Picking DeSantis, a 2024 GOP primary rival for the presidency, would amount to a stunning turn for Trump. But he would also find in the governor a well-known conservative with a service record who shares Trump’s—and Hegseth’s—view on culling what they see as ‘woke’ policies in the military. Trump allies increasingly think Hegseth may not survive further scrutiny, according to people close to the president-elect’s team, which considers the next 48 hours to be crucial to his fate. DeSantis, who served as a Navy lawyer in Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, was on an earlier list of potential defense secretary candidates that transition officials presented to the president.” • If conservative Republicans think fixing wokeness will fix the Pentagon, they’re out of their minds.

* * *

“Kash Patel Is Trump’s Scariest Cabinet Appointment Yet” [The Nation]. “Gina Haspell, Trump’s CIA director, likewise threatened to resign rather than accept Patel as her No. 2.” That “Bloody Gina” objects seems to me to be a strong argument on Patel’s favor. More: “Patel has also duly minted his battles over control of the deep state into a book, Government Gangsters, which derides the agency he’s now charged with administering as ‘one of the most cunning and powerful arms of the Deep State,’ where rampant corruption has become ‘an existential threat to our republican form of government.’ He has vowed, should he be entrusted with overseeing the agency’s operations, to shut down its Hoover Building headquarters in Washington on day one, and convert it into ‘a museum of the deep state.’…. There are of course, a battery of sound reasons to attack the investigative overreaches of the FBI, which has long empowered right-wing covert surveillance agendas and has never in its history had a non-Republican director.” • Sure, but the Democrats never acted on all those “sound reasons,” and so now we have Patel. Sheesh.

Blurting it out:

“… the Deep State, …” (see from 2014 here).

2024 Post Mortem

“A Requiem For Postmortems” [3 Quarks Daily]. “Donald Trump, regardless of how you feel about him, is an enormous political talent—in a class with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan. He has his own kind of eloquence—a mesmeric mass of malaprops, fabrications, threats, jokes, insults, syntaxial flights of lunacy—that all work for him. Trump has been accused of blowing the dog whistle. It’s true in the traditional sense of the phrase, but Trump adds a dimension like no other politician. His fans, his public, are able to hear a melody where the rest of us hear only noise. Kamala Harris just couldn’t play at his level. I’m not in the category of those who say she was a hopelessly bad candidate. She wasn’t. But she was a lot closer to John Kerry than Barack Obama. Presidential power remains the power to persuade, and Harris had trouble closing the sale. The argument that she would have improved if she’d had more time, or more of a challenge in getting the nomination has some superficial appeal, but that’s all it is. Let’s not forget, this is the same Kamala Harris who stalled early in 2020, and, while she got better, it was by degrees, not leaps and bounds. It’s very hard for even the best pitching coach to turn a soft-toss specialist into a strike-out machine. Harris didn’t have the arm for it, and she was facing someone who did.

“The End of Democratic Delusions” [George Packer, The Atlantic]. The conclusion: “A few weeks before the election, Representative Chris Deluzio, a first-term Democrat, was campaigning door-to-door in a closely divided district in western Pennsylvania. He’s a Navy veteran, a moderate on cultural issues, and a homegrown economic populist—critical of corporations, deep-pocketed donors, and the ideology that privileges capital over human beings and communities. At one house he spoke with a middle-aged white policeman named Mike, who had a Trump sign in his front yard. Without budging on his choice for president, Mike ended up voting for Deluzio. On Election Night, in a state carried by Trump, Deluzio outperformed Harris in his district, especially in the reddest areas, and won comfortably. What does this prove? Only that ” • It has occurred to me that outlawing all digital political advertising (Internet and TV) would have two salutary effects: It would force candidates (and their proxies) to speak directly to voters, Lincoln-Douglas style; and it would give paper-based, local media a guaranteed market. (I’d also outlaw political polling, as IIRC some European countries do, for some period before the election; say two months. Combine all this with handmarked paper ballots, hand-counted in public, and we might have a healthier electoral system.

Republican Funhouse

“‘Have the stomach’: Republican claims Dems need to back Social Security and Medicare cuts” [Raw Story]. “‘We’re gonna have to have some hard decisions,’ claimed [Rep. Richard McCormick (R-GA)] during his Fox appearance Tuesday. ‘We’re gonna have to bring in the Democrats to talk about Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare.’” • Ah, “hard decisions.” Hard for whom? More:

I can see the chin-stroking Op-Eds in The New York Times already. Surely, this time, we can achieve the Grand Bargain? What an exciting way for Democrats to show they’re really serious!

Democrats en déshabillé

“Why Democrats should pick — or pass over — potential contenders for DNC chair” [Politico]. “But the race for their leader, scheduled for Feb. 1, and decided by 448 committee members, remains wide open.” • Ken Martin, Martin O’Malley, Ben Wikler, James Skoufis, Michael Blake, and [drumroll] Rahm Emmanuel (see below). DNC = Democratic National Committee.

“DNC hopes to highlight success ahead of post-election meeting” [ABC]. “DNC Chair Jaime Harrison wrote in a grassroots memo obtained first by ABC News that while Democrats fell short in the presidential race, beefy and historic investments in down-ballot contests offer a roadmap to success. The party was able to salvage four Senate races in states President-elect Donald Trump won and gain House seats despite headwinds at the top of the ticket…. ‘In 2024, the DNC made strategic campaign grants in every state party for the first time in history, and delivered record-breaking investments directly to coordinated campaigns in every state — totaling over $264 million,” he added. “These investments yielded results and underscore the importance of continued state party investment…’” • Meanwhile:

Dear Hunter!

“DNC chair frontrunner offers ‘uncomfortable’ advice to Democrats after crushing loss to Trump” [FOX]. “Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party chair Ken Martin, a DNC vice chair who has led the association of state Democratic Party chairs, on Tuesday unveiled a 10-point memo titled ‘A New DNC Framework.’ Martin’s memo calls on Democrats to “show up in nontraditional and uncomfortable media spaces on a regular basis, increase outreach to local messengers and trusted validators, and create our own platforms for authentic engagement.” And: “Martin appears to be the early frontrunner in the race, and his campaign says he has the backing of at least 100 DNC voting members, which is nearly half of what a candidate needs to secure the chair. Also running and considered competitive is Ben Wikler, who’s chaired the state Democratic Party in battleground Wisconsin for five years and is well known by the voting members.” And finally: “A party insider who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News that ‘the DNC insiders/establishment have significant influence over this membership, so the race will be very close.’” • You don’t say!

“Even Centrists Agree: Ben Wikler for DNC Chair” [Politico]. The deck: “The president of Third Way endorses a MoveOn alum to lead the Democratic Party.” • Oh.

* * *

And speaking of the DNC = Democrat National Convention:


* * *

Meanwhile, on Rahm Emanuel”

And:

“Can Rahm Emanuel Flip the Script Again?” [New York Times]. “There’s a buzz around Rahm Emanuel — the former Bill Clinton adviser, former Illinois congressman, former chief of staff to President Barack Obama, former mayor of Chicago — possibly becoming the next head of the Democratic National Committee. The progressive left despises his pragmatism and liberal centrism…. But he also has a gift for constructing winning coalitions with difficult, unexpected partners.” And: “‘I think Democrats prefer losing and being morally right to winning,’ he says. ‘Me, I’m not into moral victory speeches. I’m into winning.’” • What exactly about Biden’s Democrat Party is “morally right”? The genocide? (Anti-trust, for sure but Kamala didn’t run on that, and Emanuel doesn’t mention it. It’s painfully clear that Emanuel as nothing new to say. But he can always punch left!

“Rahm Emanuel is ‘not interested’ in DNC chair but is far from done with politics” [Chicago Sun-Times]. “With his time as America’s ambassador to Japan ending, former Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday he has no interest in leading a Democratic comeback as his party’s national chairman, but still loves public service and isn’t done with it. ‘I’m not interested in the party. I’m interested in what the party can do for people … My enjoyment [is] in what I’ve done in public service,’ Emanuel told the Sun-Times.” • Nobody mentions Homan Square when interviewing Rahm, oddly.

* * *

I swore I’d give up snark…

… but “UnD” isn’t that bad…..

Syndemics

“I am in earnest — I will not equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison

* * *

Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, but national data). “Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts” (especially on hospitalization by city).

Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put “COVID” in the subject line. Thank you!

Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (wastewater); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).

Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada).

Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).

Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).

Stay safe out there!

“Influenza A(H5N1) shedding in air corresponds to transmissibility in mammals” [Nature]. “An increase in spillover events of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses to mammals suggests selection of viruses that transmit well in mammals.” • Oh.

* * *

TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts

Lambert here: Even though the Covid numbers seem low, please remember that the data is not nearly as good as it once was, that it lags, and that the downside risks of catching Covid are considerable. For those who have developed their own personal protocols, I wouldn’t relax them. Maybe next year.

Wastewater
This week[1] CDC November 25 Last week[2] CDC (until next week):

Variants [3] CDC November 23 Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC November 23

Hospitalization
★ New York[5] New York State, data December 3: National [6] CDC November 28:

Positivity
National[7] Walgreens December 2: Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic November 23:

Travelers Data
★ Positivity[9] CDC November 11: Variants[10] CDC November 4:

Deaths
Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] CDC November 2: Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] CDC November 2:

LEGEND

1) ★ for charts new today; all others are not updated.

2) For a full-size/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and “open image in new tab.”

NOTES

[1] (CDC) Good news!

[2] (CDC) Last week’s wastewater map.

[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* still popular. XEC has entered the chat. That WHO label, “Ommicron,” has done a great job normalizing successive waves of infection.

[4] (ED) Down.

[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Leveled out.

[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Actually improved; it’s now one of the few charts to show the entire course of the pandemic to the present day.

[7] (Walgreens) Down.

[8] (Cleveland) Down.

[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Leveling out.

[10] (Travelers: Variants). Positivity is new, but variants have not yet been released.

[11] Deaths low, positivity down.

[12] Deaths low, ED down.

Stats Watch

Employment Situation: “United States ADP Employment Change” [Trading Economics]. “Private businesses in the US added 146K workers to their payrolls in November 2024, the least in three months, following a downwardly revised 184K rise in October, and slightly below forecasts of 150K.”

Manufacturing: “United States Factory Orders” [Trading Economics]. “New orders for manufactured goods in the US increased by 0.2% from the previous month to $586.7 billion in October of 2024, in line with market expectations, after two consecutive monthly decreases.”

Manufacturing: “United States ISM Services PMI” [Trading Economics]. “The ISM Services PMI in the US declined to 52.1 in November 2024 from 56 in October and well below forecasts of 55.5. The reading pointed to the slowest growth in the services sector in three months…”

* * *

The Bezzle: “Godot Isn’t Making it” [Ed Zitron, Where’s Your Ed At?]. Grab a cup of coffee, but make sure you have a place to set it down becuase you’ll be laughing so hard. From the peroration: “Once the AI bubble pops, there are no other hyper-growth markets left, which will in turn lead to a bloodbath in big tech stocks as they realize that they’re out of big ideas to convince the street that they’re going to grow forever. There are some that will boast about ‘being right’ here, and yes, there is some satisfaction in being so. Nevertheless, knowing that the result of this bubble bursting will be massive layoffs, a dearth in venture capital funding, and a much more fragile tech ecosystem. Generative AI is the perfect monster of the Rot Economy — a technology that lacks any real purpose sold as if it could do literally anything, one without a real business model or killer app, proliferated because big tech no longer innovates, but rather clones and monopolizes. Yes, this much money can be this stupid….” • Hopefully some shorts make money on this thing.

* * *

Today’s Fear & Greed Index: 67 Greed (previous close: 66 Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 64 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Dec 2 at 1:53:27 PM ET.

Gallery

Not sure about this one. Cubism is about cubes, or I suppose polygons. I suppose the occasional curve (as of a guitar or the edge of a table) fits into the paradigm, but circles? Lots of them?

Then again:

So what do I know?

The 420

“How weed won over America” [VOX]. “In the last few decades, marijuana’s had a major glow-up. In 1992, less than 1 million people were using it daily or nearly every day — a low point, according to an analysis of data from the US National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which began surveying Americans in the 1970s. Ten times as many people, meanwhile, reported drinking alcohol daily or almost daily. In the 1990s, weed was illegal nationally and in every state. But marijuana’s since had a major rebrand: Three decades later, it’s legal for recreational adult use in nearly half of the 50 states. Now, it’s even challenging alcohol for its status as America’s favorite daily intoxicant. In 2022, for the first time, more Americans were using marijuana daily, or near daily, than consuming alcohol at the same rate, according to a study by Jonathan Caulkins, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. The number of daily or near daily marijuana users has grown from less than 1 million in 1992 to 17.7 million in 2022; in terms of per capita rate, that’s a 15-fold increase.” • Hmm.

Healthcare

“UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot dead in Midtown Manhattan, masked gunman at large” [ABC]. Ski mask. “Brian Thompson, the CEO of major insurance group UnitedHealthcare, was shot to death at point-blank range in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning before he was set to attend an investor conference, according to police. The masked gunman, who remains on the loose, appeared to be lying in wait and shot Thompson several times from behind, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. The shooting, which was reported around 6:40 a.m., appeared to be a ‘brazen, targeted attack’ that was ‘premeditated,’ Tisch stressed. But the motive remains unknown, police said.” And: “The shooter arrived at the scene about five minutes before Thompson arrived, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at the news conference.” After the shooting: “The suspect fled on foot into an alley, where a phone was recovered, Kenny said. He then fled on an e-bike and he was last seen riding into Central Park at 6:48 a.m., police said. The bikes are equipped with GPS and police are following up, Kenny said.” • Commentary:

“UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shot and killed outside Manhattan Hilton hotel” [Daily Mail]. “Witnesses said the suspected gunman was seen waiting outside the hotel before the shooting, and knew which door Thompson was going to emerge from before shooting him at point-blank range.” And: “United is the biggest health insurer by market share in America. The company has been the subject of frequent protests by activists for allegedly systematically denying care for patients. One such protest earlier this year led to the arrests of 11 people outside the United Healthcare headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The company made headlines in February after it was subjected to a cyber-attack which cost $872 million.” • Commentary:

And:

“UnitedHealth uses AI model with 90% error rate to deny care, lawsuit alleges” [Ars Technica]. From 2023. “UnitedHealthcare, the largest health insurance company in the US, is allegedly using a deeply flawed AI algorithm to override doctors’ judgments and wrongfully deny critical health coverage to elderly patients. This has resulted in patients being kicked out of rehabilitation programs and care facilities far too early, forcing them to drain their life savings to obtain needed care that should be covered under their government-funded Medicare Advantage Plan. That’s all according to a lawsuit filed this week in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota. The lawsuit is brought by the estates of two deceased people who were denied health coverage by UnitedHealth. The suit also seeks class-action status for similarly situated people, of which there may be tens of thousands across the country. The lawsuit lands alongside an investigation by Stat News that largely backs the lawsuit’s claims. The investigation’s findings stem from internal documents and communications the outlet obtained, as well as interviews with former employees of NaviHealth, the UnitedHealth subsidiary that developed the AI algorithm called nH Predict.”

* * *

“Anthem Insurance issues new edict to cap anesthesia coverage at a time limit” [FOX]. “On Nov. 14, the American Society of Anesthesiologists put out a letter that sounded the alarm that Anthem insurance suddenly decided to cap its coverage of anesthesia at an arbitrary time limit. It’s a change that doctors say isn’t based on good medicine…. Doctors won’t be waking patients up to ask them permission to continue medically necessary anesthesia, but that means when they do wake up, they may be whacked with an unexpected out-of-pocket expense. ‘There are circumstances where they won’t pay for any of the anesthesia even up to the point of where they say it’s justified. It’s just absurd,’ said [Connecticut Anesthesiologist Dr. Kenneth Stone]. … Doctors cite real-world examples of surgeries taking longer than expected for reasons such as blood loss, difficult anatomy, a complication or comorbidity. Doctors say medicine isn’t one size fits all.” • Why not just put an automatic cutoff on the gas pumps?

* * *

I should have thought to make this joke myself, but so it goes:

>

Class Warfare

“UAW Staff Strike Ignored as Labor Influencers Fear Losing UAW’s Social Media Reach” [Payday Report]. “Yesterday, UAW staffers went on strike in the northeast against their international union. Workers say that the union is relying heavily on temporary employees, a practice they have criticized at the Big Three, and attempting to exclude them from the staff union. Some UAW organizers are kept on temporary status for up to three years. … Today, the UAW announced that they were cutting off pay in a hardball move designed to intimidate staffers.” Solidarity forever! More: “So, why would so many labor journalists ignore this story of hypocrisy by UAW President Shawn Fain? They need the social media engine of the UAW in order to make their work go viral.” • This is a must-read. It shows where Payday Reports donation model really shines.

“My Smartphone Was Ruining My Life. So I Quit.” [The Free Press]. “Still, I learned that my followers’ love was contingent on high engagement levels, and because the algorithm was constantly changing, I had to change with it. I was constantly adapting my visual and verbal style to keep up with trends. One consistently effective strategy was being vulnerable. Regardless of what I drew, regardless of how good it was, I would get more likes and comments on my art when I paired it with an emotional disclosure, ideally of the tragic variety. In 2018, I shared a tiny drawing of a shark: ‘Crying nonstop & blowing my nose on my shirt,’ the caption read. ‘Thank you all for being my internet family, I truly need that in my life.’ I sold more when I wrote things like this, presumably because my followers took pity on me and wanted to help. I leaned into this effect, mining my life for pain. By the beginning of 2019, I had passed the 100,000-follower mark. I still wasn’t earning above minimum wage, but I was selling enough prints through my website to call myself an artist. More accurately, though, I was an influencer.” • I don’t think it’s the phone that’s the problem.

News of the Wired

I am not feeling wired today.

* * *

Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From KoG:

K0G writes: “Caught this a bit ago on one of the Finger Lakes.”

* * *

Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert’s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. If you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn’t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I’m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:

Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:

If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

This entry was posted in Water Cooler on by Lambert Strether.

About Lambert Strether

Readers, I have had a correspondent characterize my views as realistic cynical. Let me briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that provide concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is the prime example, but tuition-free college and a Post Office Bank also fall under this heading. So do a Jobs Guarantee and a Debt Jubilee. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can deliver on such programs, because the two are different flavors of neoliberalism (“Because markets”). I don’t much care about the “ism” that delivers the benefits, although whichever one does have to put common humanity first, as opposed to markets. Could be a second FDR saving capitalism, democratic socialism leashing and collaring it, or communism razing it. I don’t much care, as long as the benefits are delivered.

To me, the key issue — and this is why Medicare for All is always first with me — is the tens of thousands of excess “deaths from despair,” as described by the Case-Deaton study, and other recent studies. That enormous body count makes Medicare for All, at the very least, a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics — even the worthy fight to help the refugees Bush, Obama, and Clinton’s wars created — bright shiny objects by comparison. Hence my frustration with the news flow — currently in my view the swirling intersection of two, separate Shock Doctrine campaigns, one by the Administration, and the other by out-of-power liberals and their allies in the State and in the press — a news flow that constantly forces me to focus on matters that I regard as of secondary importance to the excess deaths. What kind of political economy is it that halts or even reverses the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved? I am also very hopeful that the continuing destruction of both party establishments will open the space for voices supporting programs similar to those I have listed; let’s call such voices “the left.” Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democrat establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, isn’t allowed to get back into the saddle. Eyes on the prize! I love the tactical level, and secretly love even the horse race, since I’ve been blogging about it daily for fourteen years, but everything I write has this perspective at the back of it.











Share: XFacebookPinterestLinkedin
Author: admin

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *