kjlevy | 100 seconds to midnight

A useful discussion outlining a framework of political perspectives relevant to the modern era, with the term "modernity" referring to the dawn of the industrial era beginning roughly with the introduction of steam powered machine engines that transformed the nature of work and social relations.   Audio and transcript: I think it is useful to set up as a framework for discussion four somewhat idealized positions with regard to the role of the state in an advanced industrial society. I want to call these positions: (1) classical liberal, (2) libertarian socialist, (3) state socialist, (4) state capitalist, and I want to consider each in turn. Also, I’d like to make clear my own point of view in advance, so that you can evaluate and judge what I am saying. I think that the libertarian socialist concepts, and by that I mean a range of thinking that extends from left-wing Marxism through to anarchism, I think that these are fundamentally correct and that they are the pro...

Excerpt: [The] conventional story is, in our view, both simplistic and self-serving. It fails to account for the well-documented—and perfectly comprehensible—objections that Russians have expressed toward NATO expansion over the past three decades, and obscures the central responsibility that the architects of U.S. foreign policy bear for the impasse. 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.   Full article: https://harpers.org/archive/2023/06/why-are-we-in-ukraine/

Is the US political system being deliberately transformed from a somewhat representative republic into a fascist state? The word "fascism" tends to bring to mind gas chambers, but that's an extreme expression of fascist political ideology, not a necessary element. The ChatGPT search below returned a list of characteristics common to fascism. What are the characteristics of fascism? Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian political ideology characterized by several key traits, including: 1. Ultranationalism – A strong emphasis on national identity, often at the expense of minority groups and foreign influences. 2. Authoritarianism – Centralized control by a single leader or ruling party, suppressing political opposition and civil liberties. 3. Militarism – Glorification of the military and war as tools for national strength and expansion. 4. Anti-Democracy – Rejection of democratic institutions, elections, and pluralism in favor of dictatorial rule. 5. Suppression of Dissent...

An eight minute overview of the US-Israel relationship from Chomsky. For depth and breadth, Chomsky has no peer, as far as I am aware.  I've yet to discover any error of fact in his work and I have little, if any, difference of opinion with his moral reasoning. Chapters and transcript available at YouTube: Noam Chomsky - Why Does the U.S. Support Israel?

This is a more thorough overview of the Israel-Palestine conflict than my prior post on the topic but it's worth repeating that the role of the US is likely to be crucial in a possible resolution of the conflict and that for depth and breadth, Chomsky has no peer as far as I am aware and I've yet to discover any error of fact in his work and have little, if any, difference of opinion with his moral reasoning. Chapters available at YouTube: Noam Chomsky: Israel and Palestine (Full Lecture)  

"Differences are growing within the Biden Administration over what kind of victory for Ukraine the United States should support. On the outcome of these discussions could depend not only the outcome of the war in Ukraine, but even conceivably the future of humanity."   Article at Quincy Institute

While the media keep touting the prospects for a recession, it is difficult to see why there would be one in the immediate future. To start with the basic picture, growth in the fourth quarter was a very solid 2.9 percent, following a slightly stronger 3.1 percent in the third quarter. This is very far from the negative growth we see in a recession. When we look at the individual components, the picture is somewhat mixed. Inventory accumulation accounted for half the growth, adding 1.46 percentage points to growth in the quarter. This obviously will not be sustained, and after the rapid growth in the fourth quarter, we are likely to see inventories as a drag on growth in future quarters. However, the flip side is that some of the items dragging growth down in the fourth quarter will have less of a negative impact in future quarters. Housing stands out here, and the drop in residential investment knocked 1.29 percentage points off the quarter’s growth, after lowering third-quarter growt...

"The bloodletting in Ukraine continues with no end in sight.  The risks of continued casualties, now numbering likely well over half a million, along with the attendant escalation spiral, must be firmly rejected by responsible leaders."  *** "Would the leaders of Russia and Ukraine come to the table for such a Korean-style armistice? Putin, as the leader bearing the greatest responsibility for this tragedy, surely realizes that his whole legacy is in grave jeopardy, so that he must end the unpopular war as soon as possible.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was elected originally to seek peace with Russia, knows that his country has been bled white in this struggle and it is well past time to turn to the arduous task of rebuilding. As there has been most likely well over half a million casualties in the present conflict, humanitarians across the whole world must hope courageous leaders will step forward to mediate and encourage Putin and Zelensky...

From the beginning of time non-heterosexuality has typically been treated by "civilization" with extraordinarily cruel contempt. This population (to acknowledge those who remain alone I hesitate to use the word "community") is a group who, from birth, have always comprised a substantial percentage of world population, although even if there were only one, the elementary moral recognition of their fundamental equality should be assumed. Yet maybe we don't all know that throughout history non-heterosexuals have endured every conceivable slander and violent abuse that one can imagine human beings perpetrating upon one another, including mass murder, and that defenders of universal human rights are also targets. In the US a lot has changed in many places in the past few decades. Still that ugly tendency, sometimes lone and sometimes organized, to condemn, to suppress, to lash out verbally and with physical violence and even to take the lives of the alienated persist...

At this point, a large majority of non-college educated whites (especially white men) are willing to follow Donald Trump off any cliff. They have open contempt for more educated people (a.k.a. the “elites”) and their institutions, such as universities, mainstream media outlets, and science. There is no justification for the racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry that Trump has cultivated since he entered politics. But there is a reason why it suddenly has so much appeal, and it’s not just that a Black guy (who many of them voted for) became president. I will again make the case here. Let’s Imagine a World Where the More Educated Screwed the Less-Educated We know the data on what has happened to income distribution over the last four decades. To take a simple point of reference, in debates on the minimum wage we often talk about how if it had kept pace with inflation since its peak real value in 1968, the national minimum wage would be over $12 an h...