I used to think Trump was just stupid. Then I thought he was just a front man, a puppet, for oil CEOs and other rich people. Now I realize that he is, perhaps in addition to the above, really good at blackmailing people for whatever he wants. Reading this book has released me of my …
Category: government
Sep 02 2026
Great comment about the trade imbalance (aka deficit)
“I’m going to leave you with this, okay? If you’re MAGA, if you’re conservative, okay, you don’t like that trade imbalance, right? Because you’ve only ever heard of it from Donald Trump and he doesn’t understand it. He doesn’t want you to understand. I want you to think, just um a test for yourself, an …
Aug 02 2026
some excerpts from Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine
“In every country where Chicago School policies [neo-liberalism] have been applied over the past three decades, what has emerged is a powerful ruling alliance between a few very large corporations and a class of mostly wealthy politicians—with hazy and ever-shifting lines between the two groups.” p17 “A more accurate term for a system that erases …
Oct 19 2025
State of Terror – Louise Penny and Hilary Rodham Clinton
Having read this book, I’m left with two insights: One, I don’t know enough, and never will, to form any valid opinions about anything political. It’s beyond complicated. Whatever ‘it’ is. Two, what the fuck. I mean, if an insider such as Clinton, who DOES know enough to form valid opinions, thinks this could happen …
Jun 27 2025
Spending — I finally get it.
I finally get it. A few days ago, I bought some stuff from a new local bakery, not because I needed what I bought or even because I really wanted it, but because I wanted to support the business, I wanted to help the owner and her small staff stay in business, because so many …
Jun 20 2025
An exit strategy (for Trump)
(You seem to be painting yourself into a corner, and you’re 79, and you need an exit strategy …) ‘You know, someone asked me the other day, what am I gonna do next? Well, I’ll tell you. I’m gonna quit. Quit while I’m ahead. That’s the smart thing to do. I’m the richest man on …
Jun 14 2025
Strip Search – movie by Tom Fontana – highly recommended NOW
I watched this years ago, but happened to watch it again today (it’s on CRAVE), and WOW. Talk about timely. The current political context in the States adds so much to the viewing. Highly recommended. (Though I the classroom ‘What if?’ bookends are unnecessary and, actually, reduce the film.)
Jun 07 2025
from The Last Election, Andrew Yang and Stephen Marche
“It is a successful fifteen seconds of television, the result of months of planning and hundreds of thousands of dollars in consultancy fees.” p24 Yeah. Politicians are as bad as business owners. If they spent their marketing budget on making a better product, providing better service … There ought to be a low ceiling in …
May 14 2025
from “Emergency Skin” by N. K. Jemisin
” … the Founders told us that the Earth died because of greed. That was true, but they lied about whose greed was to blame. …” “What the Leaving proved was that the Earth could sustain billions, if we simply shared resources and responsibilities in a sensible way. What it couldn’t sustain was a handful …
fiction
