Wednesday, 24 December 2025
Tuesday, 23 December 2025
Reagan ‘The Man Who Sold the World’
Sep 17, 2025 | Ronald Reagan is remembered as the "Great Communicator," the man who brought optimism back to America. But behind the smile was a ruthless counter-revolution.
This episode, the (tentatively) final in the series A History of Economic Tyranny, exposes how Reagan dismantled the New Deal, busted unions, exploded the deficit, and built the foundations of mass incarceration and extreme inequality that still haunts us today.
From the PATCO strike to the War on Drugs, from deregulation to the Savings & Loan crisis, Reagan's neoliberal project wasn't just policy: it was a political realignment. Both parties absorbed his philosophy, and for forty years America has lived in the house Reagan built.
Today's homelessness crisis, stagnant wages, racialized mass incarceration, climate inaction, and billionaire dominance are not accidents. They are Reagan's legacy. He didn't just win two elections. He won the next forty years and cursed us for several generations.
This is the story of the man who sold the world.font>
Ronald Reagan, who was “affectionately” known as ‘The Old Gipper’ was, given the perspective of time, a man who was full of BS. Just like his sister across the Pond, Margaret Thatcher. We were all taken in by their bullshit. If ‘The Old Gipper’ was the man who sold the world, then Margaret Thatcher was the woman who sold the United Kingdom TO the world! She sold off ALL our ASSETS. (And we are still, to this day, paying a very high price for her MISTAKES and her FOLLY.) — © Mark Alexander
This episode, the (tentatively) final in the series A History of Economic Tyranny, exposes how Reagan dismantled the New Deal, busted unions, exploded the deficit, and built the foundations of mass incarceration and extreme inequality that still haunts us today.
From the PATCO strike to the War on Drugs, from deregulation to the Savings & Loan crisis, Reagan's neoliberal project wasn't just policy: it was a political realignment. Both parties absorbed his philosophy, and for forty years America has lived in the house Reagan built.
Today's homelessness crisis, stagnant wages, racialized mass incarceration, climate inaction, and billionaire dominance are not accidents. They are Reagan's legacy. He didn't just win two elections. He won the next forty years and cursed us for several generations.
This is the story of the man who sold the world.font>
Ronald Reagan, who was “affectionately” known as ‘The Old Gipper’ was, given the perspective of time, a man who was full of BS. Just like his sister across the Pond, Margaret Thatcher. We were all taken in by their bullshit. If ‘The Old Gipper’ was the man who sold the world, then Margaret Thatcher was the woman who sold the United Kingdom TO the world! She sold off ALL our ASSETS. (And we are still, to this day, paying a very high price for her MISTAKES and her FOLLY.) — © Mark Alexander
Monday, 22 December 2025
Revealed: How Big Businesses Are Rolling Back Public Support for Pride
THE GUARDIAN: Guardian analysis of 20 major companies in UK and US shows mentions of Pride on social media have fallen substantially in past two years
The UK’s biggest businesses are rolling back their public support for Pride celebrations, Guardian analysis suggests, prompting warnings that “clear signals” are needed in the face of growing global LGBTQ+ hostility.
Analysis of social media posts by the country’s biggest companies found mentions of Pride had plummeted by 92% since 2023, mirroring a trend seen in large American firms.
The findings come after the US president, Donald Trump, signed a series of executive orders in 2025 that overturned federal government diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, leading companies on both sides of the Atlantic to rebrand, scale back and even scrap fairness policies.
The Guardian analysed the main customer-facing social media accounts of the 10 biggest UK-listed or headquartered companies, and the 10 biggest US companies by market capitalisation.
Among the British brands were the technology company Arm Holdings, the pharmaceutical firms AstraZeneca and GSK, the nicotine products company British American Tobacco, HSBC bank, the chemicals company Linde, the defence and engineering company Rolls-Royce, the oil company Shell and the food conglomerate Unilever. » | Chris Osuh, Raphael Boyd and Geneva Abdul | Monday, December 22, 2025
The slide backwards for LGBT rights is all because of the corrupt dude in the White House. You know, the convicted sex offender, the one who likes pussy. It’s okay for him to “grab women by the pussy”, but it’s not okay for gays to fall in love with people of the same sex, for them to fall in love with, and be attracted to, people of the same sex, the way God created them. Strange that! In Trump’s America, there are different standards for different kinds of people. There are different standards for the rich and for the poor, and different standards for heterosexuals and different standards for homosexuals. There are even different standards for homosexuals, depending on whether they are haves or have-nots. We know this, because there are plenty of people near the top of Trump’s regime who are queer. What a disgusting man Trump is! He’s turning the clocks back to yesteryear. What poor judgment Americans have in choosing their presidents! That companies are following Trump’s lead into darkness shows us all only just how weak and fawning these so-called titans of the business world really are. Perhaps the best thing is to boycott their products wherever and whenever possible. The pink pound and pink dollar are mighty. — © Mark Alexander
The UK’s biggest businesses are rolling back their public support for Pride celebrations, Guardian analysis suggests, prompting warnings that “clear signals” are needed in the face of growing global LGBTQ+ hostility.
Analysis of social media posts by the country’s biggest companies found mentions of Pride had plummeted by 92% since 2023, mirroring a trend seen in large American firms.
The findings come after the US president, Donald Trump, signed a series of executive orders in 2025 that overturned federal government diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, leading companies on both sides of the Atlantic to rebrand, scale back and even scrap fairness policies.
The Guardian analysed the main customer-facing social media accounts of the 10 biggest UK-listed or headquartered companies, and the 10 biggest US companies by market capitalisation.
Among the British brands were the technology company Arm Holdings, the pharmaceutical firms AstraZeneca and GSK, the nicotine products company British American Tobacco, HSBC bank, the chemicals company Linde, the defence and engineering company Rolls-Royce, the oil company Shell and the food conglomerate Unilever. » | Chris Osuh, Raphael Boyd and Geneva Abdul | Monday, December 22, 2025
The slide backwards for LGBT rights is all because of the corrupt dude in the White House. You know, the convicted sex offender, the one who likes pussy. It’s okay for him to “grab women by the pussy”, but it’s not okay for gays to fall in love with people of the same sex, for them to fall in love with, and be attracted to, people of the same sex, the way God created them. Strange that! In Trump’s America, there are different standards for different kinds of people. There are different standards for the rich and for the poor, and different standards for heterosexuals and different standards for homosexuals. There are even different standards for homosexuals, depending on whether they are haves or have-nots. We know this, because there are plenty of people near the top of Trump’s regime who are queer. What a disgusting man Trump is! He’s turning the clocks back to yesteryear. What poor judgment Americans have in choosing their presidents! That companies are following Trump’s lead into darkness shows us all only just how weak and fawning these so-called titans of the business world really are. Perhaps the best thing is to boycott their products wherever and whenever possible. The pink pound and pink dollar are mighty. — © Mark Alexander
The Economy Survived 2025, but Many Americans Are Reeling
THE NEW YORK TIMES: A feared recession didn’t materialize, but unemployment rose, wage growth slowed and affordability challenges are mounting.
After a chaotic year filled with trade wars, market gyrations and the longest government shutdown in history, the U.S. economy has, once again, proved more resilient than many forecasters feared.
But “resilient” isn’t quite the same thing as “good.”
Many Americans are entering 2026 worried about their jobs, stressed about their finances and unconvinced that things will improve in the new year.
The flow of official economic data resumed last week after a prolonged delay caused by the government shutdown. The reports were muddled by technical quirks related to the shutdown, but on balance they suggested the economy remained stuck in the same uneasy limbo it was in before the data blackout began.
Job growth was decent in November, but unemployment rose. Retail sales were solid, but wage growth slowed. Inflation cooled, but remains elevated. » | Ben Casselman and Colby Smith | Monday, December 22, 2025
When it comes to economics, Donald Trump is incompetent. There is one very important fact that Trump never learned. It is this: a well-run economy should work for ALL, not just for the SELECT FEW, for the WORKER as well as for the BOSS, for the POOR as well as for the SUPERRICH. — © Mark Alexander
After a chaotic year filled with trade wars, market gyrations and the longest government shutdown in history, the U.S. economy has, once again, proved more resilient than many forecasters feared.
But “resilient” isn’t quite the same thing as “good.”
Many Americans are entering 2026 worried about their jobs, stressed about their finances and unconvinced that things will improve in the new year.
The flow of official economic data resumed last week after a prolonged delay caused by the government shutdown. The reports were muddled by technical quirks related to the shutdown, but on balance they suggested the economy remained stuck in the same uneasy limbo it was in before the data blackout began.
Job growth was decent in November, but unemployment rose. Retail sales were solid, but wage growth slowed. Inflation cooled, but remains elevated. » | Ben Casselman and Colby Smith | Monday, December 22, 2025
When it comes to economics, Donald Trump is incompetent. There is one very important fact that Trump never learned. It is this: a well-run economy should work for ALL, not just for the SELECT FEW, for the WORKER as well as for the BOSS, for the POOR as well as for the SUPERRICH. — © Mark Alexander
Sunday, 21 December 2025
How Peter Thiel Is Destroying Democracy
"Divorced from Reality": Economist Dean Baker Fact-checks Trump's Primetime Speech
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Saturday, 20 December 2025
Friday, 19 December 2025
Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Erst Drogen, jetzt Öl: Was will Trump von Venezuela wirklich?
Dec 17, 2025 | Die USA erhöhen den Druck auf Venezuela. US-Präsident Donald Trump hat eine Blockade aller sanktionierten Öltanker vor Venezuela angefordert und brachte nun die US-Militärpräsenz vor der venezolanischen Küste mit den Erdölvorkommen des Landes in Verbindung. Ging es ihm also schon immer um das Öl?
Bisher hat Donald Trump immer von einem Drogenkrieg gegen Venezuela gesprochen. Er erklärte, er wolle den Drogenschmuggel von Venezuela in die USA stoppen. Nun hat der US-Präsident in den sozialen Medien geschrieben, Venezuela habe den Vereinigten Staaten Öl, Land und andere Vermögenswerte gestohlen und er fordere die sofortige Rückgabe. Trump drohte zudem damit, die USA könnten weitere Schiffe in der Region beschlagnahmen. Venezuelas Regierung sprach von einer grotesken Drohung und bezeichnete sie als einen schwerwiegenden Verstoss gegen das Völkerrecht.
Was hat es mit Trumps Aussagen auf sich? Und was für eine Rolle spielen Venezuelas grosse Erdölvorkommen im Konflikt?
Bisher hat Donald Trump immer von einem Drogenkrieg gegen Venezuela gesprochen. Er erklärte, er wolle den Drogenschmuggel von Venezuela in die USA stoppen. Nun hat der US-Präsident in den sozialen Medien geschrieben, Venezuela habe den Vereinigten Staaten Öl, Land und andere Vermögenswerte gestohlen und er fordere die sofortige Rückgabe. Trump drohte zudem damit, die USA könnten weitere Schiffe in der Region beschlagnahmen. Venezuelas Regierung sprach von einer grotesken Drohung und bezeichnete sie als einen schwerwiegenden Verstoss gegen das Völkerrecht.
Was hat es mit Trumps Aussagen auf sich? Und was für eine Rolle spielen Venezuelas grosse Erdölvorkommen im Konflikt?
Scams, Schemes, Ruthless Cons: The Untold Story of How Jeffrey Epstein Got Rich
THE NEW YORK TIMES: For years, rumors swirled about where his wealth came from. A Times investigation reveals the truth of how a college dropout clawed his way to the pinnacle of American finance and society.
One evening in early 1976, a bushy-haired Jeffrey Epstein showed up for an event at an art gallery in Midtown Manhattan. Epstein was a math and physics teacher at the city’s prestigious Dalton School, and the father of one of his students had invited him. Epstein initially demurred, saying he didn’t go out much, but eventually relented. It would turn out to be one of the best decisions he ever made.
At the gallery, Epstein bumped into another Dalton parent, who had heard tales of the 23-year-old’s wondrous math skills. The parent asked if he’d ever thought about a job on Wall Street, according to an unreleased recording of Epstein and a document prepared by his lawyers. Epstein was game. The parent dialed a friend: Ace Greenberg, a top executive at Bear Stearns. Epstein, the friend told Greenberg, was “wasting his time at Dalton.”
Greenberg invited Epstein to the investment firm’s offices at 55 Water Street at the southern tip of Manhattan. Epstein showed up in a turtleneck. Greenberg was impressed — even though the young man didn’t have the foggiest idea of how Wall Street worked. Greenberg had helped build Bear Stearns into one of the industry’s scrappiest firms by eschewing the traditional investment-banking practice of hiring Ivy Leaguers with M.B.A.s. He preferred what he called P.S.D.s: those who were poor, smart and had “a deep desire to become rich.”
Epstein fit the bill. He grew up in a working-class family in Coney Island. Friends described him as a math whiz and a piano virtuoso. And, as Greenberg and his colleagues would soon learn, he yearned for wealth. That trait had been apparent as early as ninth grade: A classmate told us that Epstein predicted to her that one day he would be very rich. » | David Enrich, Steve Eder, Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Matthew Goldstein | Tuesday, December 16, 2025
The reporters, who have been investigating Jeffrey Epstein since 2019, interviewed dozens of his former colleagues, girlfriends, business partners and others. They also dug through archives, reviewed photos, notes and emails and scoured thousands of pages of public records.
One evening in early 1976, a bushy-haired Jeffrey Epstein showed up for an event at an art gallery in Midtown Manhattan. Epstein was a math and physics teacher at the city’s prestigious Dalton School, and the father of one of his students had invited him. Epstein initially demurred, saying he didn’t go out much, but eventually relented. It would turn out to be one of the best decisions he ever made.
At the gallery, Epstein bumped into another Dalton parent, who had heard tales of the 23-year-old’s wondrous math skills. The parent asked if he’d ever thought about a job on Wall Street, according to an unreleased recording of Epstein and a document prepared by his lawyers. Epstein was game. The parent dialed a friend: Ace Greenberg, a top executive at Bear Stearns. Epstein, the friend told Greenberg, was “wasting his time at Dalton.”
Greenberg invited Epstein to the investment firm’s offices at 55 Water Street at the southern tip of Manhattan. Epstein showed up in a turtleneck. Greenberg was impressed — even though the young man didn’t have the foggiest idea of how Wall Street worked. Greenberg had helped build Bear Stearns into one of the industry’s scrappiest firms by eschewing the traditional investment-banking practice of hiring Ivy Leaguers with M.B.A.s. He preferred what he called P.S.D.s: those who were poor, smart and had “a deep desire to become rich.”
Epstein fit the bill. He grew up in a working-class family in Coney Island. Friends described him as a math whiz and a piano virtuoso. And, as Greenberg and his colleagues would soon learn, he yearned for wealth. That trait had been apparent as early as ninth grade: A classmate told us that Epstein predicted to her that one day he would be very rich. » | David Enrich, Steve Eder, Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Matthew Goldstein | Tuesday, December 16, 2025
The reporters, who have been investigating Jeffrey Epstein since 2019, interviewed dozens of his former colleagues, girlfriends, business partners and others. They also dug through archives, reviewed photos, notes and emails and scoured thousands of pages of public records.
Monday, 15 December 2025
A Continent of Power: Does Europe Know Its True Strength? | To The Point
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)