This bullshit society just gets more and more inauthentic. War on Iran, sanctions against Cuba, are not "terroristic"? And every 18 year old American male must register with the Department of War (OK, that one finally called what it is now) because we are a freedom loving democracy? What's next, grandmothers arrested for baking cookies of color???
We can't vote our way out of the predicament we are in. Money counts more than votes.
It will take a severe crash similar to the Great Depression to wake American citizens up. Sorry but Americans need a good hard economic slap in the face to get the discontentment juices flowing. Still it is hard to see how the Current Political Class will be replaced by representatives beholden to their voters instead of their donors.
Nice work Ken, the US domestic news beat is where you truly excel.
It appears to me this multi million dollar corporation not only doesn’t like to pay their workers a living wage, but they also don’t like to keep their warehouses up on fire codes. There is no reason that one guy and a 2.00 lighter should be able to set a fire that big if the warehouse was fully equipped with fire prevention equipment. I hope the insurance company refuses to pay out the claim because this is clearly irresponsible business practices that caused so much damage!
Love your reporting, etc, but I have to quibble with your characterization of gasoline prices as "obscene". Inflation-adjusted price of gasoline (in 2026 dollars) has hit $3 three times and hit $6 three times. It was above $5 from 2011 until 2014. Even in nominal dollars today's average price of ~$4.15 is on the high side but still not an outlier.
OTOH, we have serious issues with lagging wage growth, political zealotry, policy-driven decimation of the middle class, monopoly power, regulatory capture, etc. These are all real and serious problems; the price of gasoline simply isn't the actual issue.
Well, we know this ridiculous regime is going to go with option 1. I expect to see more retaliation like this coming, regardless of this regime's trying to classify free speech as terrorism.
The basis of capitalism is profit. An investment of capital is made and there must be a return (profit) on that investment which is then invested for profit. This is how billionaires are made. It is said that billionaires can get away with their take because every American believes him/herself to be a frustrated millionaire looking for a chance.
Seeking profit means eternally looking to cut expense. Billionaires don't just disregard the 99%, they actively seek to put the 99% out of work. The "Reagan Revolution" put the 1% on a roll that hasn't stopped right up to this moment. And here comes AI, a godsend to profit and the 1% for whom an enterprise with no human workforce is a wet dream.
The question is only if the 99% are going to dethrone the 1% before systemic/ecological collapse brings down everything. Even if there is a tremendous redistribution of income our fundamental problem of too many people with each one a consumer that wants more (unlimited desire) dooms the way we live.
Capitalism is by its very nature unsustainable because it demands infinite growth on a finite planet. There is no question that it will come to an end. Climate change is telling us about this but we aren't listening because as GWB once said "The American way of life is not negotiable". Mother Nature doesn't negotiate and Trump doesn't recognize Mother Nature, only profit.
If each of us upon death would have all the things we had consumed piled up by the gravesite it would be astounding...cars, herds of animals consumed, furniture, a mountain of electronics and a lake of thousands of gallons of gasoline, all used up by one person. Think of the garbage we put out for pickup not disappearing but piling up over a lifetime. I don't think it hyperbolic to call us monsters of consumption, an unsustainable species, the only one of all life. It's frightening so we ignore it and literally drive on.
I am terrified for what my grandchildren will face regardless of what they do. They, not we, will pay the full price for what mankind has done since the Industrial Revolution. Even with the best intentions and diligent effort to head off collapse the end is coming. The psychological effect of helplessness will be as devastating as material collapse. The only historical analogy is the collapse of the Roman Empire that put the West into the Dark Ages relieved only by the belief that there was a better world waiting after death. We can't face admitting there are consequences to the way we live denying all limits. The result will be dumped on those who follow us.
Neoliberalism. Named after the late 20th century economic theory that the rich should exercise total control over all aspects of society, and lie about it.
When the Neoliberals conquered the Earth, it wasn’t in face-to-face military battles like the ancient Romans or British used. Instead, the Neoliberals won by destabilizing and corrupting all competing power structures. Conquest is expensive. Tearing down is easy. To invade and occupy a nation-state would require planning, resources, and intelligence. To disrupt it? That only requires the technological high ground and a total lack of scruples. Destroy the power stations and water pumps. Sabotage their data networks, use your vast financial wealth to bribe political parties to betray their nation, block them from the international financial system, ensure that the mainstream media 24/7 slander and belittle and ignore the patriots.
The primary strength of the Neoliberals was their total lack of shame. You could catch them in lies, or contradictions, they could screw up totally, or rob you blind, and they wouldn’t care. They would just go on saying whatever they wanted to say and doing whatever they wanted to do. Neoliberalism is the application of power without moral restraint. You cannot debate them, you cannot reason with them. You can suck up to them and hope to be rewarded. You can do nothing and they will crush you into abject slavery. Oppose them in the slightest way, and they will destroy you by any means possible. Appeals to conscience are as useful as fighting cancer by asking for sympathy. Ultimately, the only winning strategy for dealing with Neoliberalism is to kill it
“These bitches dirt cheap” referred to the bic lighter he was holding in his hand.
This guy will do life while Todd Blanche rewards Ghislaine Maxwell with a puppy and a laptop for protecting our way of life.
Jury nullification anyone?
Democrats and Republican politicians alike mouth “affordability” but do nothing.
That’s the bottom line. And neither party will ever get my vote.
This bullshit society just gets more and more inauthentic. War on Iran, sanctions against Cuba, are not "terroristic"? And every 18 year old American male must register with the Department of War (OK, that one finally called what it is now) because we are a freedom loving democracy? What's next, grandmothers arrested for baking cookies of color???
Our "way of life"??? Where do these morons come from, how are they fed, propped up?
We can't vote our way out of the predicament we are in. Money counts more than votes.
It will take a severe crash similar to the Great Depression to wake American citizens up. Sorry but Americans need a good hard economic slap in the face to get the discontentment juices flowing. Still it is hard to see how the Current Political Class will be replaced by representatives beholden to their voters instead of their donors.
Nice work Ken, the US domestic news beat is where you truly excel.
It appears to me this multi million dollar corporation not only doesn’t like to pay their workers a living wage, but they also don’t like to keep their warehouses up on fire codes. There is no reason that one guy and a 2.00 lighter should be able to set a fire that big if the warehouse was fully equipped with fire prevention equipment. I hope the insurance company refuses to pay out the claim because this is clearly irresponsible business practices that caused so much damage!
The old fools in power are worried USA is going the way of Britain. They ought to be more concerned we might be going the way of Russia.
I was so fond of that evanescent bumper sticker, "One Evil Empire down, one to go."
How does one guy cause that tremendous amount of damage? Did they not follow fire codes or is there more to this?
Love your reporting, etc, but I have to quibble with your characterization of gasoline prices as "obscene". Inflation-adjusted price of gasoline (in 2026 dollars) has hit $3 three times and hit $6 three times. It was above $5 from 2011 until 2014. Even in nominal dollars today's average price of ~$4.15 is on the high side but still not an outlier.
OTOH, we have serious issues with lagging wage growth, political zealotry, policy-driven decimation of the middle class, monopoly power, regulatory capture, etc. These are all real and serious problems; the price of gasoline simply isn't the actual issue.
Keep up the good work!
Well, we know this ridiculous regime is going to go with option 1. I expect to see more retaliation like this coming, regardless of this regime's trying to classify free speech as terrorism.
Perhaps they will attempt to connect this one to the Sam Altman attackers that also happened this month?
Thanks for the stapler reference :)
Capitalism.
The basis of capitalism is profit. An investment of capital is made and there must be a return (profit) on that investment which is then invested for profit. This is how billionaires are made. It is said that billionaires can get away with their take because every American believes him/herself to be a frustrated millionaire looking for a chance.
Seeking profit means eternally looking to cut expense. Billionaires don't just disregard the 99%, they actively seek to put the 99% out of work. The "Reagan Revolution" put the 1% on a roll that hasn't stopped right up to this moment. And here comes AI, a godsend to profit and the 1% for whom an enterprise with no human workforce is a wet dream.
The question is only if the 99% are going to dethrone the 1% before systemic/ecological collapse brings down everything. Even if there is a tremendous redistribution of income our fundamental problem of too many people with each one a consumer that wants more (unlimited desire) dooms the way we live.
Capitalism is by its very nature unsustainable because it demands infinite growth on a finite planet. There is no question that it will come to an end. Climate change is telling us about this but we aren't listening because as GWB once said "The American way of life is not negotiable". Mother Nature doesn't negotiate and Trump doesn't recognize Mother Nature, only profit.
If each of us upon death would have all the things we had consumed piled up by the gravesite it would be astounding...cars, herds of animals consumed, furniture, a mountain of electronics and a lake of thousands of gallons of gasoline, all used up by one person. Think of the garbage we put out for pickup not disappearing but piling up over a lifetime. I don't think it hyperbolic to call us monsters of consumption, an unsustainable species, the only one of all life. It's frightening so we ignore it and literally drive on.
I am terrified for what my grandchildren will face regardless of what they do. They, not we, will pay the full price for what mankind has done since the Industrial Revolution. Even with the best intentions and diligent effort to head off collapse the end is coming. The psychological effect of helplessness will be as devastating as material collapse. The only historical analogy is the collapse of the Roman Empire that put the West into the Dark Ages relieved only by the belief that there was a better world waiting after death. We can't face admitting there are consequences to the way we live denying all limits. The result will be dumped on those who follow us.
Neoliberalism. Named after the late 20th century economic theory that the rich should exercise total control over all aspects of society, and lie about it.
When the Neoliberals conquered the Earth, it wasn’t in face-to-face military battles like the ancient Romans or British used. Instead, the Neoliberals won by destabilizing and corrupting all competing power structures. Conquest is expensive. Tearing down is easy. To invade and occupy a nation-state would require planning, resources, and intelligence. To disrupt it? That only requires the technological high ground and a total lack of scruples. Destroy the power stations and water pumps. Sabotage their data networks, use your vast financial wealth to bribe political parties to betray their nation, block them from the international financial system, ensure that the mainstream media 24/7 slander and belittle and ignore the patriots.
The primary strength of the Neoliberals was their total lack of shame. You could catch them in lies, or contradictions, they could screw up totally, or rob you blind, and they wouldn’t care. They would just go on saying whatever they wanted to say and doing whatever they wanted to do. Neoliberalism is the application of power without moral restraint. You cannot debate them, you cannot reason with them. You can suck up to them and hope to be rewarded. You can do nothing and they will crush you into abject slavery. Oppose them in the slightest way, and they will destroy you by any means possible. Appeals to conscience are as useful as fighting cancer by asking for sympathy. Ultimately, the only winning strategy for dealing with Neoliberalism is to kill it
I don’t think Luigi did it