On Nikki Haley, you quote Tom NIchols: "As you have no doubt noticed, her campaign is “exciting,” telegenic, history-making, and… pointless. " But her point is not to be the Republican nominee. She knows that will not happen. But if the goal is to be the VP candate to an grossly overweight 76 year old whose lifestyle violates nearly every tenet of healthy aging, then it makes sense. So of course she will not differentiate herself from any position Trump has taken, because her goal is to become the VP to a President with a very short life expectancy in 2025. She will be constantly polite and deferential to the former guy, focusing on the age differential, in the (not completely batshit crazy belief) that the orange man will pick an attractive, clearly intelligent woman "of color" as his running mate.
Likely? no. Plausible? yes. Even if it flames out, it places her in good graces for 2028.
Great conversation with Anne Applebaum, who has always been, I think, one of the clearest seeing commenters and reporters on Eastern and Central Europe since the end of the Cold War. Thanks for bringing us her discussion with Bill Kristol in full.
This is apropos to nothing but it is a good thing that the case against Trump in Georgia isn't happening in Florida because here Governor Desantis can remove District Attorneys who displease him.
I worked in 666 Fifth Avenue in the 1990s for a law firm that no longer exists (curse of the address?). We had clients who refused to come into the office because of the address. Haha
Social Security is a government-forced Pension System to protect citizens from themselves in not planning for their future. However, as a pension system you don’t get dollar-for-dollar back (let alone growth). It is given to you as an annuity which you can’t leave to anyone when you die, if unmarried. Many never benefit from their giving at all - dying before eligibility. And if you never paid into Social Security, you receive nothing. So, no it’s not an entitlement! It’s a sort of pension system where your return is far less than if you’d saved the money privately. But too many, for numerous reasons, were unable to save for their retirement. So FDR stepped in and established a system to protect citizens in retirement USING THEIR OWN MONEY.
That our government over the years dipped into that money for their own projects without paying the money back is what contributed to any shortfall we may now have. Plus letting corporate executives who are paid only through stock options NOT PAYING A CENT to Social Security is abhorrent.
Then we have only paying social security in your pay check up to earnings of $160,000 - then pay not a dime more in a tax year no matter how much more you earn. So, all those mega-million athletes are done paying in the first month of the year. Or your doctors are done paying by Apr-Jun.
We and our employers pay 6.5% on our behalf ALL YEAR, if we earn less than $160k. That’s 13% of our pay for 30, 40 or maybe even 50 years we may work. And those who die before eligibility get nothing from that money. So please explain how getting Social Security is an ENTITLEMENT.
Thank you for sharing Bill’s interview with Anne Applebaum. She and Timothy Snyder have been the 2 most prominent voices I’ve listened to throughout the war because they actually understand Ukraine and approach the war from a Ukraine-centric vs a Russo-centric lens and that’s been critically important. If you haven’t read her book, “Twilight of Democracy”, go pick it up, it’s incredible and will help you understand more fully what’s at stake in Ukraine and why. Timothy Snyder’s “The Road to Unfreedom” is also critical reading.
Anne’s right, thank God Biden was president when this began. I think his connection to Ukraine is stronger than a lot of people understand. He was heavily emotionally invested over there when he was VP. Ukraine’s second cry for freedom from the Russian boot came under his watch (2014). For now, however, NATO needs to arm Ukraine faster. Period. At a minimum, we need to start pulling Ukrainians to train on every kind of advanced weaponry we have just in case we get off our asses and decide that *oh yeah, they could probably use that* and then have the deliveries delayed because they require 2-12 months of training before they can use them. Ukrainian fighter pilots aren’t flying much ATM - and there are a lot of them. Thankfully, Britain seems to get this and is moving forward to train Ukrainian pilots. Huzzah!
As an aside, I think what would really help the Ukrainians more than anything is if there was some way to pierce the RE media bubble with the reality or what is happening and what Russia is doing to Ukraine. Not just the actual devastation that’s being perpetrated on civilian targets,but the crimes against humanity. The rapes. The torture chambers. The “filtration camps”. The theft, deportation and Russian adoption of Ukrainian children - which is considered genocide under the Geneva Conventions. And what they REALLY need to understand is that this is UKRAINE’s war to win (or lose or draw) and that we can push and prod however much we want,but even if we stop sending them armaments, UKRAINIANS WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT HOWEVER AND WITH WHATEVER THEY CAN. They need to be made to understand the the Ukrainians know the stakes for themselves - and potentially the rest of the former Soviet bloc and Warsaw Pact nations - if the outcome of this war is anything less than a defeat that Russia is forced to recognize as such.
Maybe some hacker type could put together a documentary of the war crimes Russia has committed SO FAR and hacked Tucker’s show and aired it in lieu of his pro-Putin agitprop. Maybe if these people understood what Russia is doing to Ukraine and Ukrainians they’d understand why we need to support Ukraine until Russia is removed from their land. The bear needs to be skinned, not just put into hibernation to gather its strength. Any appeasement of Russia will only give them time to regroup and come back with a plan next time (Not that it would be any more effective - checks notes - the4th time).
We are lucky that Garland appointed Jack Smith as special prosecutor.He is aggressive and going full speed ahead.Now lets hope Garland accepts Smith's recommendation.I think he will. DY
Regarding Nikki Haley's not being able to answer on the differences between her and Trump on the issues, here are my takes.1) a great followup question would have been so you agree with Trump that the election was stolen? But Hannity being Hannity and Fox Being Fox that wasn't going to happen.And Haley would have had trouble squirreling out of that one. 2) Haley is running for VP.Hence the campaign speech as her non answer to the question. DY
Yesterday's article on Chris Miller's book by Amanda Carpenter is worth a read. It's a reminder that some people who seem MAGA are not simply nuts or opportunistic. Still not a fan of Chris Miller, but I have respect for his breadth of experience and how it informs his views.
The saddest thing about seeing “we should stop the Ukraine war for Ukraine’s sake” actually being argued is that it’s terrifyingly hard to tell whether they’re on Team Evil or Team Stupid. There’s no third option.
Here is some of what will happen if the US defaults on its debts: interest rates go up immediately,the stock market drops (perhaps 1000 points a day),seniors don't receive their social security checks, public sector workers don't get paid, unemployment skyrockets,401 k and other retirement accounts suffer enormous losses.These are only a few of the results that will happen.Sadly I feel the default on our debts will be breeched for a short time.For it will take an amount time of these terrible results to move the GOP house realize what it has done and act accordingly.(sorry to have the JVL pessimism) DY
Giselle Donnelly's article highlights, among many other points, Putin absolutely gruesome, cynical and heartless decision to let (make?) convicts die for his war. Taking 30-40,000 prisoners out of his penal system to become cannon fodder for minimal gains is, for him, a real twofer: He regains space in his prison system for new (political?) prisoners without having to build or staff more facilities, and preserves his "regular" troops for more important action than a replay of WWI on the Somme.
I'll put this here because there aren't comments for the East Palastine article.
UGH...so infuriating.
The author throws out half truths and glosses over anything that is beneficial.
Examples: “basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” and "chemicals that might kill you getting dumped at your doorstep"
No understanding (or acknowledgement - not sure which is worse) of why the chemicals were burned (to prevent a much larger and uncontrolled explosions (See: bleve)) or that none of these chemicals "might kill you" unless you swam in them.
He then goes on to attack the very manufacturing that is coming back to western PA after decrying how these areas have been dying (due to manufacturing leaving - ie, coal, steel).
Which is it? You want manufacturing or not? The county rep said it exactly - you can't just sit in a coffee shop and expect everything to magically be made. But of course the author frames that as callous and from an chemical/oil stooge.
The fact is that in the modern world, we use lots of hazardous materials everyday and 99.9% of the time they are handled safely. But accidents do happen, yet this author (and fellow travelers) don't want to acknowledge that, just gin up fear about "chemicals" or whatever it is they are peddling their "expertise" at decrying (to get on TV, write articles, etc.).
On Nikki Haley, you quote Tom NIchols: "As you have no doubt noticed, her campaign is “exciting,” telegenic, history-making, and… pointless. " But her point is not to be the Republican nominee. She knows that will not happen. But if the goal is to be the VP candate to an grossly overweight 76 year old whose lifestyle violates nearly every tenet of healthy aging, then it makes sense. So of course she will not differentiate herself from any position Trump has taken, because her goal is to become the VP to a President with a very short life expectancy in 2025. She will be constantly polite and deferential to the former guy, focusing on the age differential, in the (not completely batshit crazy belief) that the orange man will pick an attractive, clearly intelligent woman "of color" as his running mate.
Likely? no. Plausible? yes. Even if it flames out, it places her in good graces for 2028.
Great conversation with Anne Applebaum, who has always been, I think, one of the clearest seeing commenters and reporters on Eastern and Central Europe since the end of the Cold War. Thanks for bringing us her discussion with Bill Kristol in full.
This is apropos to nothing but it is a good thing that the case against Trump in Georgia isn't happening in Florida because here Governor Desantis can remove District Attorneys who displease him.
When did Hannity get so old? And orange?
Great piece by Giselle Donelly. Sign her up for more!
I worked in 666 Fifth Avenue in the 1990s for a law firm that no longer exists (curse of the address?). We had clients who refused to come into the office because of the address. Haha
It was a sh*tty building, even back then.
Social Security is a government-forced Pension System to protect citizens from themselves in not planning for their future. However, as a pension system you don’t get dollar-for-dollar back (let alone growth). It is given to you as an annuity which you can’t leave to anyone when you die, if unmarried. Many never benefit from their giving at all - dying before eligibility. And if you never paid into Social Security, you receive nothing. So, no it’s not an entitlement! It’s a sort of pension system where your return is far less than if you’d saved the money privately. But too many, for numerous reasons, were unable to save for their retirement. So FDR stepped in and established a system to protect citizens in retirement USING THEIR OWN MONEY.
That our government over the years dipped into that money for their own projects without paying the money back is what contributed to any shortfall we may now have. Plus letting corporate executives who are paid only through stock options NOT PAYING A CENT to Social Security is abhorrent.
Then we have only paying social security in your pay check up to earnings of $160,000 - then pay not a dime more in a tax year no matter how much more you earn. So, all those mega-million athletes are done paying in the first month of the year. Or your doctors are done paying by Apr-Jun.
We and our employers pay 6.5% on our behalf ALL YEAR, if we earn less than $160k. That’s 13% of our pay for 30, 40 or maybe even 50 years we may work. And those who die before eligibility get nothing from that money. So please explain how getting Social Security is an ENTITLEMENT.
Trump's profile pic is not creepy or Big Brother-ish at all
Thank you for sharing Bill’s interview with Anne Applebaum. She and Timothy Snyder have been the 2 most prominent voices I’ve listened to throughout the war because they actually understand Ukraine and approach the war from a Ukraine-centric vs a Russo-centric lens and that’s been critically important. If you haven’t read her book, “Twilight of Democracy”, go pick it up, it’s incredible and will help you understand more fully what’s at stake in Ukraine and why. Timothy Snyder’s “The Road to Unfreedom” is also critical reading.
Anne’s right, thank God Biden was president when this began. I think his connection to Ukraine is stronger than a lot of people understand. He was heavily emotionally invested over there when he was VP. Ukraine’s second cry for freedom from the Russian boot came under his watch (2014). For now, however, NATO needs to arm Ukraine faster. Period. At a minimum, we need to start pulling Ukrainians to train on every kind of advanced weaponry we have just in case we get off our asses and decide that *oh yeah, they could probably use that* and then have the deliveries delayed because they require 2-12 months of training before they can use them. Ukrainian fighter pilots aren’t flying much ATM - and there are a lot of them. Thankfully, Britain seems to get this and is moving forward to train Ukrainian pilots. Huzzah!
As an aside, I think what would really help the Ukrainians more than anything is if there was some way to pierce the RE media bubble with the reality or what is happening and what Russia is doing to Ukraine. Not just the actual devastation that’s being perpetrated on civilian targets,but the crimes against humanity. The rapes. The torture chambers. The “filtration camps”. The theft, deportation and Russian adoption of Ukrainian children - which is considered genocide under the Geneva Conventions. And what they REALLY need to understand is that this is UKRAINE’s war to win (or lose or draw) and that we can push and prod however much we want,but even if we stop sending them armaments, UKRAINIANS WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT HOWEVER AND WITH WHATEVER THEY CAN. They need to be made to understand the the Ukrainians know the stakes for themselves - and potentially the rest of the former Soviet bloc and Warsaw Pact nations - if the outcome of this war is anything less than a defeat that Russia is forced to recognize as such.
Maybe some hacker type could put together a documentary of the war crimes Russia has committed SO FAR and hacked Tucker’s show and aired it in lieu of his pro-Putin agitprop. Maybe if these people understood what Russia is doing to Ukraine and Ukrainians they’d understand why we need to support Ukraine until Russia is removed from their land. The bear needs to be skinned, not just put into hibernation to gather its strength. Any appeasement of Russia will only give them time to regroup and come back with a plan next time (Not that it would be any more effective - checks notes - the4th time).
Slava Ukrani! 🇺🇦
We are lucky that Garland appointed Jack Smith as special prosecutor.He is aggressive and going full speed ahead.Now lets hope Garland accepts Smith's recommendation.I think he will. DY
Regarding Nikki Haley's not being able to answer on the differences between her and Trump on the issues, here are my takes.1) a great followup question would have been so you agree with Trump that the election was stolen? But Hannity being Hannity and Fox Being Fox that wasn't going to happen.And Haley would have had trouble squirreling out of that one. 2) Haley is running for VP.Hence the campaign speech as her non answer to the question. DY
Yesterday's article on Chris Miller's book by Amanda Carpenter is worth a read. It's a reminder that some people who seem MAGA are not simply nuts or opportunistic. Still not a fan of Chris Miller, but I have respect for his breadth of experience and how it informs his views.
The saddest thing about seeing “we should stop the Ukraine war for Ukraine’s sake” actually being argued is that it’s terrifyingly hard to tell whether they’re on Team Evil or Team Stupid. There’s no third option.
Here is some of what will happen if the US defaults on its debts: interest rates go up immediately,the stock market drops (perhaps 1000 points a day),seniors don't receive their social security checks, public sector workers don't get paid, unemployment skyrockets,401 k and other retirement accounts suffer enormous losses.These are only a few of the results that will happen.Sadly I feel the default on our debts will be breeched for a short time.For it will take an amount time of these terrible results to move the GOP house realize what it has done and act accordingly.(sorry to have the JVL pessimism) DY
Giselle Donnelly's article highlights, among many other points, Putin absolutely gruesome, cynical and heartless decision to let (make?) convicts die for his war. Taking 30-40,000 prisoners out of his penal system to become cannon fodder for minimal gains is, for him, a real twofer: He regains space in his prison system for new (political?) prisoners without having to build or staff more facilities, and preserves his "regular" troops for more important action than a replay of WWI on the Somme.
I'll put this here because there aren't comments for the East Palastine article.
UGH...so infuriating.
The author throws out half truths and glosses over anything that is beneficial.
Examples: “basically nuked a town with chemicals so we could get a railroad open,” and "chemicals that might kill you getting dumped at your doorstep"
No understanding (or acknowledgement - not sure which is worse) of why the chemicals were burned (to prevent a much larger and uncontrolled explosions (See: bleve)) or that none of these chemicals "might kill you" unless you swam in them.
He then goes on to attack the very manufacturing that is coming back to western PA after decrying how these areas have been dying (due to manufacturing leaving - ie, coal, steel).
Which is it? You want manufacturing or not? The county rep said it exactly - you can't just sit in a coffee shop and expect everything to magically be made. But of course the author frames that as callous and from an chemical/oil stooge.
The fact is that in the modern world, we use lots of hazardous materials everyday and 99.9% of the time they are handled safely. But accidents do happen, yet this author (and fellow travelers) don't want to acknowledge that, just gin up fear about "chemicals" or whatever it is they are peddling their "expertise" at decrying (to get on TV, write articles, etc.).