We must call this what it is: a full-scale assault on our economy, our democracy, and the peaceful world order that’s prevented a third world war for nearly 80 years…
It is unforgivable that we can't depend on traditional media any longer. If they were doing the job we have traditionally depended on them to do the cultists would know what a liar and despot IT really is and when war comes (and he actually probably wants that) it will be too late.
You need to seriously investigate the reports that the 2024 election was hacked. There are inexplicable anomalies in the voting in 2024. This is being reported on the site "This Will Hold."
Expect the same or worse in 2026. GOP pols are already trying to suppress minority votes via redistricting, disqualification, or new rules requiring additional actions to stay registered to vote.
I'm not certain the current Democrats can swing this at all. The Resistance, regardless of party affiliation, will be "We the People". The younger leaders are showing up. Praying we choose one of them soon!
You are a great economic historian. You capture the events that brought us to day and couple them with Trump’s greed, ignorance, and complete malevolence as he, the GOP and the corporate elites bankrupt our country, cripple industry, and destroy the economy. And you tie these in to his attacks on American workers, his destruction of the safety net that took decades to construct, ravage the Constitution, our laws, and institutions while building a massive Fascist police state, removing the most important Constitutional and legal protections to our citizenry. On top of that he is destabilizing the world economic system, demolishing our alliances, and weakening international institutions and law, while punishing our closest allies with tariffs that harm the American people, all while he threatens war with our largest trading partner, and military competitor, yet leaving Russia unpunished.
Thank you for everything you write to make us more informed about our current situation and how we got here. All the best, and as always, watch your six.
When we allow no accountability for lying and for theft and for treason we have NO LAWS!
As Mr.Hartmann states so articulately, we’d better understand the need for accountability. That starts in our government. Congress, Supreme Court, President.
And then if we truly want to gain our own rights back, we must hold ourselves accountable for allowing propaganda to over ride truth and fact.
Take responsibility citizens. Stand up to dishonest and to disinformation. Stand up to cruel and inhuman behavior.
I have been crying for accountability in the targeting of me for more than two decades. I have spoken out about the cruel and inhumane behavior that spread like a hot California wildfire in the form of the inexplicable need for republicans to exact revenge first on my husband then on me. I have been told go shut up this is a dangerous game and you will be the loser if you confront it.
They use dishonest disinformation to control their narrative and the surveillance confirmed and performed by many to create havoc in our lives by using their dishonest claims ‘I don’t know what you are talking about. Right in the middle of manipulating our family relationships via divide and conquer.
The lack of accountability starts in our government and they have permitted anything they want as an excuse to terrorize me. There are no laws to protect me and the targeting is embedded in our corporations, city and state government all the way to the White House and foreign governments who participate meanwhile I have no privacy in my own home and my civil rights have been obliterated. People like Anderson Cooper or Chris Hedges use the surveillance to their own ends.
I have stood up to the decades of random people following me and those who have the same access that follow me to places of business or where I walk day and night. There was a great effort to even say she is paranoid and good my husband she is delusional.
Right now as I breathe every breath I take is under surveillance 24/7. If I try to hire a lawyer they say we don’t want the surveillance in our office so no I will not consult with you. To the degree that my privacy and need for legal representation is real everyone who participates and does not stop it contributes to destroying my rights.
I am at a loss as how to handle this situation. Even mental health people know and participate saying it exists and isn’t going away.
If I take a vacation ‘they’ meaning specific people who are notified of my trip set out to sabotage here and internationally in ways that are very destructive.
I have yet had anyone explain to me how this is not inhumane and fundamentally wrong and illegal. I have done nothing illegal so no one can take me to court. Instead they are spurred on by my enemies who have no character and refuse to confront me but depend on the sick individuals who like my dentist, Dr Hage, takes the time in his office to use what slander his staff pick up to punish me in the chair. He said I hire people to find out what I need to know. He even made a slip while numbing my lower lip for tooth extraction that froze -damaged a nerve permanently.
If it wasn’t for the onslaught by his staff using my personal life I would say yes mistakes can happen but I do not believe this was a mistake.
Past tense. After significant downsizing, all services on the West Campus, the grounds west of Martin Luther King Boulevard, stopped in 2003. Since 2010, the District of Columbia has operated a mental health facility on the East Campus.
West. East. Seriously? a.) Split hairs much? b.) I'm sure the van driver knows where he works.
Saint Elizabeth's Hospital is still active in Washington, DC. It’s the city’s public psychiatric facility, providing intensive inpatient care for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. The hospital is located at 1100 Alabama Ave SE, and its name has remained unchanged since Congress officially adopted it in 1916.
The name “St. Elizabeths” lives on in other parts of the campus:
- DHS Headquarters: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has its consolidated headquarters on the historic West Campus.
- Residences at St. Elizabeths East: A residential development on the East Campus that’s part of the area’s revitalization.
I don't live in DC anymore but when I was there, they moved all of residents elsewhere. Same thing happened to Walter Reed on New Hampshire Ave, closed in 2011, moved patients to Chevy Chase so that property could be developed.
It's always the cover-up! Won't it be the strangest thing on TRump's road to perdition, if his Administration falls because of the Epstein "files"? Will that rift in MAGA save all our asses? Conducting a war without his "popular support" seems like a stretch. It will be easy to see that HE caused the war.
Your history is always spot on, Thom. It just doesn't include the internet and a new media landscape. It's time for people to quit blaming the MSM---hardly anyone is watching it. Their feeds come from YouTube channels, podcasts, Insta, TikTok, Facebook, and on and on.
Sadly, the Psychopath still has the nukes, and that is no joke. The Republican theft of our economic future is assured if we don't take the Congress, impeach him and some of SCOTUS, and win the Presidency. Let the good trouble begin! See you in the streets on the 17th.
As regards the MSM. Even referring to them as such obfuscates. They are in fact corporate, the corporate media, and corporations have only one purpose to provide a positive return for their investors.
When one understands and internalizes that, then one understands that the corporate media will, has to side, with the corporate powers that be, if not then they are not fulfilling their purpose, and if they don't show a profit, the the board of directors will recommend that they hire new executives and dump the old.
You are correct about the new media, but the new media is also corporate and has investors to placate, except maybe media like Shitter, which is owned lock, stock and barrel by Musk. Who owns Tik Tok, Who owns Instagram, who owns any social media, that is where the power is today.
1) One good thing to say about WW III — there won't be WW IV.
2) Continuously growing the economy is, at a very rapid pace, leading to ecological collapse and events like the Kerrville flood or Hurricane Helene. Unless one has a sustainable economy (something I'm pretty sure is currently impossible with any large population) collapse is inevitable. Most of our economy is based on extraction. If we're curious where the cliff is all we have to do to find out is to keep pushing the gas pedal.
3) While I would love to blame WallyWorld, Bezos, the Tech Bros, and parasites like Musk, they in the end aren't the problem, we are. If we didn't buy their shit, or buy so much of it, we wouldn't be in this problem. There was a time when the storefronts were not boarded up; most people had good jobs; the streets were not filled with the homeless. I'm not going to pretend everything was peachy keen, it wasn't, but our economy was more decentralized, the wealth more evenly spread out — except for those on the lowest rungs of the economy — we never have given a damn about them. Then Walmart shows up, or Amazon starts selling things other than books. With Walmart, the products are cheap (and you get what you paid for) so it becomes an opportunity to some save money. Some Mom-and-Pops go under. Amazon comes along and begins offering a larger range of items. At first the prices are good and the convenience unquestionable so more and more we buy from it. There go five-and-dimes and many of the big box stores.
4) Remember when the extra things you didn't use were either kept in a closet or, if you had one, the garage? This country currently has about 25 million storage units. Many of us who have enough money buy just to buy, we buy what we don't need and quite possibly will never use —we're addicted to it. Which is just where the oligarchs want us to be. It didn't start out that way but frankly we're being groomed, and in the process millions are in lower paying jobs and the ranks of the unemployed and underemployed are growing.
5) As the economy fails more and more of the population the anger grows, people start to realize the politicians aren't listening (and don't really care to) when — surprise, surprise! — up pops a demagogue and here we are.
6) So what ARE we going to do about it? What we've been doing doesn't work, we need a new action plan. Now.
Robert your history is right on and absolutely correct. BUT, there is a BUT. First things first. The country is on the brink of losing our democracy. This is not the time to refresh our memory, as you so aptly have done. So what are we going to do about the current state of affairs? Most of us can recite the problem ad nauseam. What action do we need to take besides protesting. I suggest we start at the local level. One clever responder, probably a lawyer, said we should petition our local representatives, who should petition the governor. I am screwing it up, but more lawyers need to combine their efforts on the local level to start the ball rolling. I'm tired of hearing what's gone wrong!
Motivation must precede action, no matter what the issue might be. What we don't want is to react, though the temptation is strong; at that point they control the agenda. I'm pretty sure all of us are tired of hearing what's gone wrong but until we actually get around to deciding what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and where to do it, all we are left with is why.
This is a problem I have repeatedly brought up. At this point there seems to be no dialogue about, or at least none that I am aware of, focusing on a "big tent" philosophical overview inclusive enough to bring in a sufficiently large part of the left (assuming there is much of a left remaining). It should acknowledge the growing fascist state but that shouldn't be the focus. Rather, we need to have something(s) we are prepared to work toward instead of focusing our energies pushing against the what is so terribly wrong.
I come out of the Sixties — perhaps you do as well. There were two main evils (and, not to sight them, many, many others) that had to be addressed at that time: civil rights and the war in Southeast Asia. Civil rights, while acknowledging the horrific and violent racism that underpinned much of our society. (and arguably still does) worked for equal rights — that was their goal. Likewise, the antiwar movement, while acknowledging the military-industrial complex, and the possibility of imminent nuclear annihilation, marched and demonstrated for peace. Both put their bodies on the line, both experienced ongoing police brutality and more than a few died. The marches, the protests, did not stop — it wasn't every two hours every two weeks. It wasn't "nice".
You suggest lawyers; I want to point out that lawyers have been one of the main problems in the first place, and that the judicial system itself is now corrupted by ideology, not directed by the rule of law. What I see that is necessary is general nationwide strikes, work stoppages and slow-downs, sit-ins, LARGE rallies, not the pleasant afternoons in front of the library but massive and sustained ones akin to the March on Washington.
Bring the people together, establish a declaration of vision and intent, let leaders naturally arise, not to control but to mobilize directed action. I'm way too old (not that I would have been any good at this anyway) but I'm ready to act. Hell, I'm even ready to breathe in tear gas. I've almost forgotten its many charms.
So yes, I'm tired of hearing what's gone wrong! What are you going to do about it? (Not meant in contempt, I'm just curious).
Today faith leaders will demonstrate in protests in 11 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Protestors plan to demonstrate outside Republican congressional district offices carrying caskets with statistics of the number of people expected to be harmed by the cuts.
I keep sayin' if we have an out, it's because Trump and many of his co-dependents are observably nutsy koo koo, and eventually a few of his own people will have an epiphany.
A conversion if not in the strict religious sense, at least as a practical matter.
84 of his loyal appointees, people he worked with every day, owed him their livlihoods, had come forward in the DC and Hotlanta cases as witnesses for the proseciution. It's too bad that the prosecutors were such duds and that SCOTUS was so complicit.
I'm heartened that at least one Republican Senator, Thom Tillis has recently come to his senses.
They brag that Capitalism lifted millions out of poverty. And so, here we are with material and no future. Maybe we should take a hard look at this god we have created. Is this a god of destruction? Are we any different than Plutus or Mammon? Perhaps we should define ourselves with something other than material. How we measure our fellow man matters. Politicians sold us what we wanted, material! We voted them into office, and now we call them scumbags. They are us! It doesn't matter if we elect a Democrat or a Republican unless we change who is doing the voting. Materialism, consumerism, and capitalism have created a culture, a group of habits that are self-destructive. We are watching a great big boulder roll down a mountain. When it hits the bottom, we will then start to push it bag up!
It seems really important here and now to review and BROADCAST continually trump's several references, during his 2024 rallies, to there being no election in 2026 or 2028. This is my recollection of the most specific one, at a rally late in the campaign. He first encouraged MAGAs to be sure to vote. He then paused and revealed that, actually, they didn't have to bother with voting, saying that "we already have enough votes, so you don't have to bother with that." He continued (again closely paraphrased): You know, in fact, after I'm elected in 2024 you won't ever have to bother with voting again. How about that, you won't have to bother with it ever again. It'll all be fixed, taken care of (not sure which exact words he used). He wound it up by asserting that it was a sure thing that he would win the election and that thereafter "Everything is going to be just beautiful and it will all be taken care of."
There were other, shorter, references to coming changes in our elections. It seems to me that these clips should and could be used effectively by all Democrats/Independents/disillusioned MAGAs. Trump also has made several references to a third world war, but my recollection of those is less specific than those for no future elections.
I have long believed that the most effective way to counter trump is to use his own words against him. His real intentions get lost in the barrages of pure nonsense. Perhaps those documented intentions could now be effective in reaching voters of all stripes, including MAGAs.
So true. It’s all so clear to some of us. While we stand by as witnesses, watching in horror, as our country is ransacked, I ask myself; What can I do? What can we do?
T made a big stink re the 2020 election and is still talking to his base about how he was cheated. At the same time, T was allowed to have his wealthy supporters pay voters to vote for him without any backlash. How is this possible?
There seems to be a double standard whereby a Republican politician can make unproven accusations against Democrats. But when Republicans cheat outright, the cheating passes by us and wins.
How can we, as a democracy right the ship?
I wonder, are we, the Democrats playing by the rules, whereas the Republicans are breaking the rules, cheating and rigging the system, as we stand by in horror?
We have a mob boss in the White House. He is taking us down into devastation. He is controlling the Supreme Court. Are we truly powerless to fight back? What can we do against a mob boss?
Whoa. You said it. Shakedowns and coercion is how he operates. Our world is crumbling around us. This guy is breaking everything we hold dear. God willing the 2026 elections will mean something.
Bonus for the GOP. I saw an illustration decades ago about which entities supported and voted for Republicans vs Democrats. It was as one would expect. The GOP was supported by wealthy Americans, corporations, banks, etc. The Dems were supported by unions (AFL-CIO, teachers, UAW, IBEW, garment workers), as well as lawyer,etc. Each group was listed and represented by lights. Then he observed, “here’s what happens to the Democratic Party if the unions go away” and he flicked a switch. Most of the lights went out. Bingo.
Since Reagan in 1981, the GOP has declared war on unions. Ironically, Reagan killed PATCO-the only major union that supported him in 1980. Reagan started exporting manufacturing jobs to Mexico (maquiladoras) and other countries. When Reagan was elected in 1980, the top two selling cars in the U.S. were made by Ford and GM. When Reagan left after eight years, the top two sellers were a Honda and Toyota. Reagan’s first speech after leaving office was in Japan…for which he was paid millions. Do the math.
This has been about 44 years of class warfare by the GOP.
To quote Thom: "First, let’s get back to basics. There are only two primary ways to grow a nation’s wealth: by extracting resources from the earth or by manufacturing goods, adding value to those resources. Everything else — lawns getting mowed, nails getting done, stocks getting traded — may move money around or improve quality of life, but don’t grow the actual wealth of a nation."
So true, and that confirms what I learned half a century ago. every time a case of cancer is diagnosed, the GDP goes up
When I spend $24 for a case of cat food, I am paying for someone to produce the animals and grain that go into the cat food.
But I want to launch into an esoteric discussion of wealth. What is wealth.
To quote the 19th Century economist, Arthur Kitson, wealth is that which makes one happy.
By that token I am very wealthy. I don't have a boat, I don't have a plane, I am not able to tour the world, or go to Disney world, then again I have no desire to do any of that, but would doing so make me happy or happier. Not really.
I would be wealthier, if I had less aches and pains, and medical concerns, if I were in perfect health I would be perfectly happy and as wealthy as I could wish to be. Meanwhile I live better than Kings of old. I don't need a chamberlain to wipe my bum, when I make toilet through a hole in the castle wall where it falls into the moat. I don't have to endure blood letting to cure cancer, I can enjoy spaghetti with capers, romano cheese, olives , eat ice cream and pineapple, oranges and apples any time even in winter.
I don't need ermine, sable, diamonds, pearls to impress my peers, and prove my power, and I don't have the headaches, worries and fears that come with owning and trying to acquire and keep such things.
Wealth is not measured in dollars. Elon Musk's wealth is dependent on the price of his stocks, what a worry, he is one misstep away from calamity.
Trump's wealth is dependent on his bluff and bully, and is supported by a cast and crew which uses him to prop themselves up. But are they happy?I doubt it, they live in misery and constant fear that the whole charade will collapse.
Gross national product (GNP) is the total value of all the final goods and services made by a nation's economy in a specific time. Includes income derived from services and interest and dividends from securities.
A security is a financial instrument that can be traded between parties in the open market. The four types of security are debt, equity, derivative, and hybrid securities. Holders of equity securities (e.g., shares) can benefit from capital gains by selling stocks.
Using securities, the same item can be bought and sold simultaneously.
Explain commodities like Bitcoin, which do not actually exist, yet may/may not hold value, entirely based on buyers' expectations that they may be worth something. In December 2017, the first futures on bitcoin was introduced by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), so a peson can speculate on something that may/may not even exist -- and winners can take it to the bank to cash in. .
Actually, more money is made through fraud and through prestidigitation than manufactring and mining.
Politicians like Putin just take what they want.
Intellectual property (E.G. Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos,etc.) Protected by stuff like patents, which can measure value. In my music class, we study the "art" of music whereas the "value" is the copyright.
AI. Growth theory in economics refers to the study of how economies expand over time, examining the factors that contribute to increases in output and living standards. It's a field that seeks to understand the drivers of economic growth, including factors like capital accumulation, technological progress, and population growth. Different theories offer various explanations for how these factors interact and influence economic expansion.
Neoclassical Growth Theory:
.Developed by Robert Solow and Trevor Swan, this theory introduces the concept of technological progress as an exogenous factor influencing growth. It focuses on the role of capital, labor, and technological advancements in determining the long-run level of output. While acknowledging the importance of technology, it treats technological progress as something that happens "outside" the model, rather than being determined by the choices and actions within the economy.
New Growth Theory (Endogenous Growth Theory):
.This theory challenges the neoclassical view by arguing that economic growth is primarily driven by internal factors within the economy, particularly technological innovation and the accumulation of knowledge. It emphasizes the role of factors like research and development, education, and public policies in fostering innovation and sustainable growth. Unlike neoclassical theory, new growth theory suggests that knowledge and technology can have increasing returns, meaning that investment in these areas can lead to sustained economic growth.
Unified Growth Theory:.
This relatively newer theory attempts to integrate elements from both classical and neoclassical growth theories, as well as incorporating the insights of new growth theory. It seeks to explain the long period of stagnation in human history before the Industrial Revolution, the subsequent takeoff of economic growth, and the divergence in economic growth patterns across different countries.
Theories of Growth - CFA, FRM, and Actuarial Exams Study Notes
In essence, growth theory provides a framework for understanding how economies expand, how living standards improve, and what factors can be influenced to promote economic growth.
It is unforgivable that we can't depend on traditional media any longer. If they were doing the job we have traditionally depended on them to do the cultists would know what a liar and despot IT really is and when war comes (and he actually probably wants that) it will be too late.
You need to seriously investigate the reports that the 2024 election was hacked. There are inexplicable anomalies in the voting in 2024. This is being reported on the site "This Will Hold."
Agreed!!! This "drop off" vote hacking occurred in many places.
See https://electiontruthalliance.org/ for extensive and detailed analyses in Pennsylvania and Nevada.
They note preliminary results in the other "swing states" like Wisconsin and Michigan...
Amen. Did Trump admit that Musk stole Pennsylvania?
Expect the same or worse in 2026. GOP pols are already trying to suppress minority votes via redistricting, disqualification, or new rules requiring additional actions to stay registered to vote.
I'm not certain the current Democrats can swing this at all. The Resistance, regardless of party affiliation, will be "We the People". The younger leaders are showing up. Praying we choose one of them soon!
Psy ops at work.
Thom,
You are a great economic historian. You capture the events that brought us to day and couple them with Trump’s greed, ignorance, and complete malevolence as he, the GOP and the corporate elites bankrupt our country, cripple industry, and destroy the economy. And you tie these in to his attacks on American workers, his destruction of the safety net that took decades to construct, ravage the Constitution, our laws, and institutions while building a massive Fascist police state, removing the most important Constitutional and legal protections to our citizenry. On top of that he is destabilizing the world economic system, demolishing our alliances, and weakening international institutions and law, while punishing our closest allies with tariffs that harm the American people, all while he threatens war with our largest trading partner, and military competitor, yet leaving Russia unpunished.
Thank you for everything you write to make us more informed about our current situation and how we got here. All the best, and as always, watch your six.
Steve Dundas
When we allow no accountability for lying and for theft and for treason we have NO LAWS!
As Mr.Hartmann states so articulately, we’d better understand the need for accountability. That starts in our government. Congress, Supreme Court, President.
And then if we truly want to gain our own rights back, we must hold ourselves accountable for allowing propaganda to over ride truth and fact.
Take responsibility citizens. Stand up to dishonest and to disinformation. Stand up to cruel and inhuman behavior.
I have been crying for accountability in the targeting of me for more than two decades. I have spoken out about the cruel and inhumane behavior that spread like a hot California wildfire in the form of the inexplicable need for republicans to exact revenge first on my husband then on me. I have been told go shut up this is a dangerous game and you will be the loser if you confront it.
They use dishonest disinformation to control their narrative and the surveillance confirmed and performed by many to create havoc in our lives by using their dishonest claims ‘I don’t know what you are talking about. Right in the middle of manipulating our family relationships via divide and conquer.
The lack of accountability starts in our government and they have permitted anything they want as an excuse to terrorize me. There are no laws to protect me and the targeting is embedded in our corporations, city and state government all the way to the White House and foreign governments who participate meanwhile I have no privacy in my own home and my civil rights have been obliterated. People like Anderson Cooper or Chris Hedges use the surveillance to their own ends.
I have stood up to the decades of random people following me and those who have the same access that follow me to places of business or where I walk day and night. There was a great effort to even say she is paranoid and good my husband she is delusional.
Right now as I breathe every breath I take is under surveillance 24/7. If I try to hire a lawyer they say we don’t want the surveillance in our office so no I will not consult with you. To the degree that my privacy and need for legal representation is real everyone who participates and does not stop it contributes to destroying my rights.
I am at a loss as how to handle this situation. Even mental health people know and participate saying it exists and isn’t going away.
If I take a vacation ‘they’ meaning specific people who are notified of my trip set out to sabotage here and internationally in ways that are very destructive.
I have yet had anyone explain to me how this is not inhumane and fundamentally wrong and illegal. I have done nothing illegal so no one can take me to court. Instead they are spurred on by my enemies who have no character and refuse to confront me but depend on the sick individuals who like my dentist, Dr Hage, takes the time in his office to use what slander his staff pick up to punish me in the chair. He said I hire people to find out what I need to know. He even made a slip while numbing my lower lip for tooth extraction that froze -damaged a nerve permanently.
If it wasn’t for the onslaught by his staff using my personal life I would say yes mistakes can happen but I do not believe this was a mistake.
It's waaay past time to call Saint Elizabeth's*. That is, call in the people with the padded vans, the nets, and strait-jackets.
Chase that raving, imbecilic pedo around those used-car-lot-height flag poles with a big butterfly net, figure-8s across the White House lawn.
But do net him, jacket him, and chuck him in the padded van. Just put him the-eff away, out of our misery.
What does it take, for cryin' out loud?
Roll film: Van! Net! Jacket! Action!!!
*Saint Elizabeth's Hospital operates in Washington, D.C., and remains the city’s public psychiatric facility.
- Provides intensive inpatient care for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness.
- Offers civil and forensic psychiatric services, including court-ordered evaluations and treatment.
Past tense. After significant downsizing, all services on the West Campus, the grounds west of Martin Luther King Boulevard, stopped in 2003. Since 2010, the District of Columbia has operated a mental health facility on the East Campus.
West. East. Seriously? a.) Split hairs much? b.) I'm sure the van driver knows where he works.
Saint Elizabeth's Hospital is still active in Washington, DC. It’s the city’s public psychiatric facility, providing intensive inpatient care for individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. The hospital is located at 1100 Alabama Ave SE, and its name has remained unchanged since Congress officially adopted it in 1916.
The name “St. Elizabeths” lives on in other parts of the campus:
- DHS Headquarters: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has its consolidated headquarters on the historic West Campus.
- Residences at St. Elizabeths East: A residential development on the East Campus that’s part of the area’s revitalization.
Link: https://dbh.dc.gov/page/saint-elizabeths-hospital
I don't live in DC anymore but when I was there, they moved all of residents elsewhere. Same thing happened to Walter Reed on New Hampshire Ave, closed in 2011, moved patients to Chevy Chase so that property could be developed.
According to AI, now most at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington https://psychinstitute.com/
Joke of the Century
It's always the cover-up! Won't it be the strangest thing on TRump's road to perdition, if his Administration falls because of the Epstein "files"? Will that rift in MAGA save all our asses? Conducting a war without his "popular support" seems like a stretch. It will be easy to see that HE caused the war.
Your history is always spot on, Thom. It just doesn't include the internet and a new media landscape. It's time for people to quit blaming the MSM---hardly anyone is watching it. Their feeds come from YouTube channels, podcasts, Insta, TikTok, Facebook, and on and on.
Sadly, the Psychopath still has the nukes, and that is no joke. The Republican theft of our economic future is assured if we don't take the Congress, impeach him and some of SCOTUS, and win the Presidency. Let the good trouble begin! See you in the streets on the 17th.
As regards the MSM. Even referring to them as such obfuscates. They are in fact corporate, the corporate media, and corporations have only one purpose to provide a positive return for their investors.
When one understands and internalizes that, then one understands that the corporate media will, has to side, with the corporate powers that be, if not then they are not fulfilling their purpose, and if they don't show a profit, the the board of directors will recommend that they hire new executives and dump the old.
You are correct about the new media, but the new media is also corporate and has investors to placate, except maybe media like Shitter, which is owned lock, stock and barrel by Musk. Who owns Tik Tok, Who owns Instagram, who owns any social media, that is where the power is today.
1) One good thing to say about WW III — there won't be WW IV.
2) Continuously growing the economy is, at a very rapid pace, leading to ecological collapse and events like the Kerrville flood or Hurricane Helene. Unless one has a sustainable economy (something I'm pretty sure is currently impossible with any large population) collapse is inevitable. Most of our economy is based on extraction. If we're curious where the cliff is all we have to do to find out is to keep pushing the gas pedal.
3) While I would love to blame WallyWorld, Bezos, the Tech Bros, and parasites like Musk, they in the end aren't the problem, we are. If we didn't buy their shit, or buy so much of it, we wouldn't be in this problem. There was a time when the storefronts were not boarded up; most people had good jobs; the streets were not filled with the homeless. I'm not going to pretend everything was peachy keen, it wasn't, but our economy was more decentralized, the wealth more evenly spread out — except for those on the lowest rungs of the economy — we never have given a damn about them. Then Walmart shows up, or Amazon starts selling things other than books. With Walmart, the products are cheap (and you get what you paid for) so it becomes an opportunity to some save money. Some Mom-and-Pops go under. Amazon comes along and begins offering a larger range of items. At first the prices are good and the convenience unquestionable so more and more we buy from it. There go five-and-dimes and many of the big box stores.
4) Remember when the extra things you didn't use were either kept in a closet or, if you had one, the garage? This country currently has about 25 million storage units. Many of us who have enough money buy just to buy, we buy what we don't need and quite possibly will never use —we're addicted to it. Which is just where the oligarchs want us to be. It didn't start out that way but frankly we're being groomed, and in the process millions are in lower paying jobs and the ranks of the unemployed and underemployed are growing.
5) As the economy fails more and more of the population the anger grows, people start to realize the politicians aren't listening (and don't really care to) when — surprise, surprise! — up pops a demagogue and here we are.
6) So what ARE we going to do about it? What we've been doing doesn't work, we need a new action plan. Now.
Robert your history is right on and absolutely correct. BUT, there is a BUT. First things first. The country is on the brink of losing our democracy. This is not the time to refresh our memory, as you so aptly have done. So what are we going to do about the current state of affairs? Most of us can recite the problem ad nauseam. What action do we need to take besides protesting. I suggest we start at the local level. One clever responder, probably a lawyer, said we should petition our local representatives, who should petition the governor. I am screwing it up, but more lawyers need to combine their efforts on the local level to start the ball rolling. I'm tired of hearing what's gone wrong!
Motivation must precede action, no matter what the issue might be. What we don't want is to react, though the temptation is strong; at that point they control the agenda. I'm pretty sure all of us are tired of hearing what's gone wrong but until we actually get around to deciding what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and where to do it, all we are left with is why.
This is a problem I have repeatedly brought up. At this point there seems to be no dialogue about, or at least none that I am aware of, focusing on a "big tent" philosophical overview inclusive enough to bring in a sufficiently large part of the left (assuming there is much of a left remaining). It should acknowledge the growing fascist state but that shouldn't be the focus. Rather, we need to have something(s) we are prepared to work toward instead of focusing our energies pushing against the what is so terribly wrong.
I come out of the Sixties — perhaps you do as well. There were two main evils (and, not to sight them, many, many others) that had to be addressed at that time: civil rights and the war in Southeast Asia. Civil rights, while acknowledging the horrific and violent racism that underpinned much of our society. (and arguably still does) worked for equal rights — that was their goal. Likewise, the antiwar movement, while acknowledging the military-industrial complex, and the possibility of imminent nuclear annihilation, marched and demonstrated for peace. Both put their bodies on the line, both experienced ongoing police brutality and more than a few died. The marches, the protests, did not stop — it wasn't every two hours every two weeks. It wasn't "nice".
You suggest lawyers; I want to point out that lawyers have been one of the main problems in the first place, and that the judicial system itself is now corrupted by ideology, not directed by the rule of law. What I see that is necessary is general nationwide strikes, work stoppages and slow-downs, sit-ins, LARGE rallies, not the pleasant afternoons in front of the library but massive and sustained ones akin to the March on Washington.
Bring the people together, establish a declaration of vision and intent, let leaders naturally arise, not to control but to mobilize directed action. I'm way too old (not that I would have been any good at this anyway) but I'm ready to act. Hell, I'm even ready to breathe in tear gas. I've almost forgotten its many charms.
So yes, I'm tired of hearing what's gone wrong! What are you going to do about it? (Not meant in contempt, I'm just curious).
Today faith leaders will demonstrate in protests in 11 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Protestors plan to demonstrate outside Republican congressional district offices carrying caskets with statistics of the number of people expected to be harmed by the cuts.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/07/14/faith-leaders-budget-bill-cuts-harm-poor/84640502007/?utm_source=usat-DailyBriefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-briefing-with-greeting&utm_term=newsletter-greeting&utm_content=8872UT-E-NLETTER02-Weekday
I keep sayin' if we have an out, it's because Trump and many of his co-dependents are observably nutsy koo koo, and eventually a few of his own people will have an epiphany.
A conversion if not in the strict religious sense, at least as a practical matter.
84 of his loyal appointees, people he worked with every day, owed him their livlihoods, had come forward in the DC and Hotlanta cases as witnesses for the proseciution. It's too bad that the prosecutors were such duds and that SCOTUS was so complicit.
I'm heartened that at least one Republican Senator, Thom Tillis has recently come to his senses.
We need more.
"I saw the needle and the damage done"
They brag that Capitalism lifted millions out of poverty. And so, here we are with material and no future. Maybe we should take a hard look at this god we have created. Is this a god of destruction? Are we any different than Plutus or Mammon? Perhaps we should define ourselves with something other than material. How we measure our fellow man matters. Politicians sold us what we wanted, material! We voted them into office, and now we call them scumbags. They are us! It doesn't matter if we elect a Democrat or a Republican unless we change who is doing the voting. Materialism, consumerism, and capitalism have created a culture, a group of habits that are self-destructive. We are watching a great big boulder roll down a mountain. When it hits the bottom, we will then start to push it bag up!
It seems really important here and now to review and BROADCAST continually trump's several references, during his 2024 rallies, to there being no election in 2026 or 2028. This is my recollection of the most specific one, at a rally late in the campaign. He first encouraged MAGAs to be sure to vote. He then paused and revealed that, actually, they didn't have to bother with voting, saying that "we already have enough votes, so you don't have to bother with that." He continued (again closely paraphrased): You know, in fact, after I'm elected in 2024 you won't ever have to bother with voting again. How about that, you won't have to bother with it ever again. It'll all be fixed, taken care of (not sure which exact words he used). He wound it up by asserting that it was a sure thing that he would win the election and that thereafter "Everything is going to be just beautiful and it will all be taken care of."
There were other, shorter, references to coming changes in our elections. It seems to me that these clips should and could be used effectively by all Democrats/Independents/disillusioned MAGAs. Trump also has made several references to a third world war, but my recollection of those is less specific than those for no future elections.
I have long believed that the most effective way to counter trump is to use his own words against him. His real intentions get lost in the barrages of pure nonsense. Perhaps those documented intentions could now be effective in reaching voters of all stripes, including MAGAs.
So true. It’s all so clear to some of us. While we stand by as witnesses, watching in horror, as our country is ransacked, I ask myself; What can I do? What can we do?
T made a big stink re the 2020 election and is still talking to his base about how he was cheated. At the same time, T was allowed to have his wealthy supporters pay voters to vote for him without any backlash. How is this possible?
There seems to be a double standard whereby a Republican politician can make unproven accusations against Democrats. But when Republicans cheat outright, the cheating passes by us and wins.
How can we, as a democracy right the ship?
I wonder, are we, the Democrats playing by the rules, whereas the Republicans are breaking the rules, cheating and rigging the system, as we stand by in horror?
We have a mob boss in the White House. He is taking us down into devastation. He is controlling the Supreme Court. Are we truly powerless to fight back? What can we do against a mob boss?
Whoa. You said it. Shakedowns and coercion is how he operates. Our world is crumbling around us. This guy is breaking everything we hold dear. God willing the 2026 elections will mean something.
Bonus for the GOP. I saw an illustration decades ago about which entities supported and voted for Republicans vs Democrats. It was as one would expect. The GOP was supported by wealthy Americans, corporations, banks, etc. The Dems were supported by unions (AFL-CIO, teachers, UAW, IBEW, garment workers), as well as lawyer,etc. Each group was listed and represented by lights. Then he observed, “here’s what happens to the Democratic Party if the unions go away” and he flicked a switch. Most of the lights went out. Bingo.
Since Reagan in 1981, the GOP has declared war on unions. Ironically, Reagan killed PATCO-the only major union that supported him in 1980. Reagan started exporting manufacturing jobs to Mexico (maquiladoras) and other countries. When Reagan was elected in 1980, the top two selling cars in the U.S. were made by Ford and GM. When Reagan left after eight years, the top two sellers were a Honda and Toyota. Reagan’s first speech after leaving office was in Japan…for which he was paid millions. Do the math.
This has been about 44 years of class warfare by the GOP.
Sharing this for anyone interested, Yanis Varoufakis on why the US wants to stop China's Rise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAQ9srTzyYQ
To quote Thom: "First, let’s get back to basics. There are only two primary ways to grow a nation’s wealth: by extracting resources from the earth or by manufacturing goods, adding value to those resources. Everything else — lawns getting mowed, nails getting done, stocks getting traded — may move money around or improve quality of life, but don’t grow the actual wealth of a nation."
So true, and that confirms what I learned half a century ago. every time a case of cancer is diagnosed, the GDP goes up
When I spend $24 for a case of cat food, I am paying for someone to produce the animals and grain that go into the cat food.
But I want to launch into an esoteric discussion of wealth. What is wealth.
To quote the 19th Century economist, Arthur Kitson, wealth is that which makes one happy.
By that token I am very wealthy. I don't have a boat, I don't have a plane, I am not able to tour the world, or go to Disney world, then again I have no desire to do any of that, but would doing so make me happy or happier. Not really.
I would be wealthier, if I had less aches and pains, and medical concerns, if I were in perfect health I would be perfectly happy and as wealthy as I could wish to be. Meanwhile I live better than Kings of old. I don't need a chamberlain to wipe my bum, when I make toilet through a hole in the castle wall where it falls into the moat. I don't have to endure blood letting to cure cancer, I can enjoy spaghetti with capers, romano cheese, olives , eat ice cream and pineapple, oranges and apples any time even in winter.
I don't need ermine, sable, diamonds, pearls to impress my peers, and prove my power, and I don't have the headaches, worries and fears that come with owning and trying to acquire and keep such things.
Wealth is not measured in dollars. Elon Musk's wealth is dependent on the price of his stocks, what a worry, he is one misstep away from calamity.
Trump's wealth is dependent on his bluff and bully, and is supported by a cast and crew which uses him to prop themselves up. But are they happy?I doubt it, they live in misery and constant fear that the whole charade will collapse.
Oh to be an Alfred E Neuman.
Maybe in "classic" "value" theory.
Gross national product (GNP) is the total value of all the final goods and services made by a nation's economy in a specific time. Includes income derived from services and interest and dividends from securities.
A security is a financial instrument that can be traded between parties in the open market. The four types of security are debt, equity, derivative, and hybrid securities. Holders of equity securities (e.g., shares) can benefit from capital gains by selling stocks.
Using securities, the same item can be bought and sold simultaneously.
Explain commodities like Bitcoin, which do not actually exist, yet may/may not hold value, entirely based on buyers' expectations that they may be worth something. In December 2017, the first futures on bitcoin was introduced by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), so a peson can speculate on something that may/may not even exist -- and winners can take it to the bank to cash in. .
Actually, more money is made through fraud and through prestidigitation than manufactring and mining.
Politicians like Putin just take what they want.
Intellectual property (E.G. Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos,etc.) Protected by stuff like patents, which can measure value. In my music class, we study the "art" of music whereas the "value" is the copyright.
AI. Growth theory in economics refers to the study of how economies expand over time, examining the factors that contribute to increases in output and living standards. It's a field that seeks to understand the drivers of economic growth, including factors like capital accumulation, technological progress, and population growth. Different theories offer various explanations for how these factors interact and influence economic expansion.
Neoclassical Growth Theory:
.Developed by Robert Solow and Trevor Swan, this theory introduces the concept of technological progress as an exogenous factor influencing growth. It focuses on the role of capital, labor, and technological advancements in determining the long-run level of output. While acknowledging the importance of technology, it treats technological progress as something that happens "outside" the model, rather than being determined by the choices and actions within the economy.
New Growth Theory (Endogenous Growth Theory):
.This theory challenges the neoclassical view by arguing that economic growth is primarily driven by internal factors within the economy, particularly technological innovation and the accumulation of knowledge. It emphasizes the role of factors like research and development, education, and public policies in fostering innovation and sustainable growth. Unlike neoclassical theory, new growth theory suggests that knowledge and technology can have increasing returns, meaning that investment in these areas can lead to sustained economic growth.
Unified Growth Theory:.
This relatively newer theory attempts to integrate elements from both classical and neoclassical growth theories, as well as incorporating the insights of new growth theory. It seeks to explain the long period of stagnation in human history before the Industrial Revolution, the subsequent takeoff of economic growth, and the divergence in economic growth patterns across different countries.
Theories of Growth - CFA, FRM, and Actuarial Exams Study Notes
In essence, growth theory provides a framework for understanding how economies expand, how living standards improve, and what factors can be influenced to promote economic growth.