Hopefully, Israel will soon return to its democratic roots with new elections, Ukraine will get the aid it needs to repel Putin’s army & America will turn away from Trump’s authoritarian siren’s song…
Thank you so so much Thom for all you do. I just received one of your Books: 'The Hidden History of the American Oligarchy" and I'm really excited to start reading it!!
Can't say I'm not terrified though. Trying to stay hopeful. Least we get to watch the Orange menace squirm for awhile. That gives me some joy. 😆 Keep the faith dear friends. ❤️🇺🇸💙
Writing as a Jew and lifelong Zionist, I think Israel's "democratic roots" are largely mythical. More democratic than the autocracies of virtually every Arabic-speaking nation? Sure, but isn't that a case of damning with faint praise? Even in the much more idealistic time of ben Gurion, the blessings of liberty were not uniformly distributed.
Most of the "Palestinian" Arabs in the US self identify as Arab Christians who support Israel as a lesser lethal alternative, not Netanyahu. but certainly do not support Iran or any of the Sunni neighbors of Israel. Once upon time Lebanon, which was half Christian, tried a form of democracy, but it devolved into civil war and is ruled by tribalistic sects like Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy.
As heartbreaking as the tragedy of Palestine is, it's dwarfed by the tragedy of Lebanon. As for any two-state solution, I think Israel has gone too far down the road of colonizing the West Bank, to say nothing of (as I see it) the unworkability of a discontinuous Palestinian state.
I think it can be done. No different than Canada. Evangeline....the murmuring trees and hemlocks, gilded in moss... now called Nova Scotia. Only have to move a few miles.
I put a ‘like’ on this, but I don’t really like it. I hate it. I just agree with it.
I am immensely pleased to see and read Thom’s clear-eyed and frank description of what we are up against!! And Putin and Xi are only a couple of the most visible autocrats and strongmen — Trump genuflects at their altars, and at Orban’s, and Erdogan’s, and Bibi’s … and even Kim Jong Un’s!
I am thinking back a bit, though, to a point when I started to lose patience with the far, progressive Left, who tended to crab about centrist and mainstream politicians and the press when they talked about Russian interference and shenanigans aimed at destabilizing and ousting the US from its pre-eminent position as the strongest and most influential world power, after the break-up o the Soviet Union.
Too many progressive voices several years ago loudly crabbed that American pols and the press were going after Russia in a knee-jerk fashion, in an old Cold War mode, and they made out that warning about the danger of Russian schemes against us was unfair and inaccurate — to see so much “harm” being done by our old nemesis, Russia {and Putin} was supposedly replaying old tapes, and we should be paying more attention to our own failures.
For sure, the US has its own failures and mistakes to own up to and deal with. We have our own imperial footprint and chicanery around the world to acknowledge, and we need to resolve to do better.
It seemed to me, though, that some strong voices on the Left were being — whether they meant to be or not — apologists for Putin, or were serving as “knee-jerk” critics of US empire, losing sight of the REAL dangers that Russia {and China, for that matter} presents. And now, we see Putin and Russia and the disinformation state clear. And it is FORMIDABLE.
DJT went on and on about how unfair “Russia-Russia-Russia” was in the run up to and the aftermath of his 2016 “election.”
But contrary to his claims, the Mueller report revealed that Trump and his minions WERE ACTUALLY seriously involved with and influenced by Russian actors, as was our public media during the 2016 campaign season.
And it’s happening again — now.
I’m more than pleased to hear voices on the far Left recognizing and trying to do something to counteract the disinformation that is come at us fast and furious…
{There’s PLENTY for us to fix in this country — but we need to be able to walk and chew gum — if we take our eye off the disinformation coming at us, we may lose the White House to the Oligarchs in November. We will lose the chance to ever fix the things in our own government that we progressives have had our eye on for decades … Our democracy is not perfect, lord knows — but we must preserve it, if we hope to make it better. VOTE BLUE.}
Your Third paragraph Pat, Criticiism of the far left progressives, you know the always politically correct, who fall in love with anything that is anti American, because they have been duped into believing that the worst sin in the world is imperialist colonialist capitalism and they can only see those faults in the very nation and culture that nurtured and educated them to the point where they can spit in their parents face, after they were raised. Yes we have our flaws, but spit in faces?
And that brings me to this. In the latest Triad, A happy story by Will Steiber with photograph of Ahmadullah, and his lovely family arrived on our shores.
Problem is that Ahmadullah is all happy and dressed comfortably in T Shirt and western clothing, but look at his wife, especially her eyes, sad and unhappy because nothing has changed for her, she is for all intents and purposes dressed in a niqb, one step up from a burga, with heavy coat, hijab and face partially covered.
She can't even enjoy the freedoms and blessing of this country, because her "liberated:" and joyful husband has drug his medieval, barbaric and misogynistic culture with him.
The article says assaulted, the first news break said rape, but assault is always how the military and the establishment minimizes rape. Like Trump only assaulted E Jean Carroll
Thom, this is an idea I posted to Mary Trump's last substack article. Not about oligarch corruption per se, but about strengthening democracy. I'd like feedback on its practicality.
I did an online query that says the net worth of the New York Times is 7.17 billion dollars. Might someone start a fundraiser to buy out the Ochs-Sulzberger family and other stockholders, and create a non-profit newspaper without corrupting influences? Donors should be Members, not Shareholders, so votes regarding management would be one per member, not one per share. Democracy in operation should be an effective shield against corruption. Hopefully, some wealthy idealists might make major donations Despite that management rule.
The IRS has a website regarding charitable donations. The second group of qualifying organizations is defined as:
"A community chest, corporation, trust, fund, or foundation, organized or created in the United States or its possessions, or under the laws of the United States, any state, the District of Columbia or any possession of the United States, and organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals;"
The proposed organization seems to clearly qualify: "operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes" This should make very substantial donations from wealthy donors practical. (This idea might be applied to buy out other problematic corporations as well.)
I've been arguing for noblesse oblige to help save America. How about a hostile takeover of Fox? WSJ? A leveraged buyout would only probably, using the rule 9 to 1, take about a billion, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/leveragedbuyout.asp
Social Security—Maybe Charity Should Begin at Home
By Daniel F. Solomon
published by the ABA
For most of its history, Social Security was a terrific bargain: our parents and grandparents most probably received significantly more benefits than they paid into the Social Security Trust Fund. The trust fund comprises the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds (OASDI, collectively).
In most cases, because our family units could rely on these benefits, they were able to enjoy enough financial independence to send people like us to school so that we could become lawyers—productive and, in some cases, wealthy, members of society. For 75 years, the Social Security Trust Fund has helped enable American soci- ety to achieve far beyond the aspirations of its founders, ultimately providing more than subsistence to retirees by also protecting widows, orphans, and disabled people. The dignity provided to needy beneficiaries surely far outweighs the economic value of the funds.
However, financial experts have long predicted a future insolvency of the funds. A majority of Americans have invested in the funds, recognize their social utility, and do not want to burden their heirs. Although there have been legislative attempts to “fix” the system, there is no consensus how to do it. The Congressional Research Service reported:
For example, for workers who earned average wages and retired in 1980 at age 65, it took 2.8 years to recover the value of the retirement portion of the combined employee and employer shares of their Social Security taxes plus interest. For their counterparts who retired at age 65 in 2002, it will take 16.9 years. For those retiring in 2020, it will take 20.9 years.
Geoffrey Kollmann and Dawn Nuschler, “Social Security Reform” (October 2002).
The National Commission on Social Security Reform (informally known as the “Greenspan Commission” after its chairman) was appointed by the Congress and President Ronald Reagan in 1981 in response to a short-term financing crisis that Social Security faced at that time. Estimates were that the OASI Trust Fund would run out of money possibly as early as August 1983. Congress rendered a compromise that extended the retirement age from 65 to 67, through a deal that raised payroll taxes and trimmed benefits enough to keep Social Security solvent. See Jackie Calmes, “Political Memo: The Bipartisan Panel: Did It Really Work?” New York Times, January 18, 2010. However, the legislation addressed only the immediate problem and did not address the long-term viability of the fund. See also Rudolph G. Penner, “The Greenspan Commission and the Social Security Reforms of 1983,” in Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Presidency, David Abshire, Editor. Washington: Center for the Study of the Presidency, pp. 129–31.
The George W. Bush administration commission deliberated on the issue and then called for a transition to a combination of a government-funded program and personal accounts (“individual” or “private accounts”) through partial privatization of the system.
President Barack Obama reportedly strongly opposes privatization or raising the retirement age but supports raising the cap on the payroll tax ($106,800 in 2009) to help fund the program. He has appointed a National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which is to report and offer another fix.
Current estimates predict that payroll taxes will only cover 78% of the scheduled payout amounts after 2037. This declines to 75% by 2084. 2010 OASDI Trust- ees Report, Figure II.D2, www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/2010/ trTOC.html.
Although the congressional plan was to ensure solvency through Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax, there is a private means to help: to also consider the humanitarian and charitable nature of the Social Security Administration (SSA), which has been possible since a legislative fix in 1972. Before then, bequests naming Social Security or a trust fund as a beneficiary could not be accepted, which caused problems in administration of some estates. Money gifts or bequests may be accepted for deposit by the managing trustee of the OASI and DI funds. Section 170(c)(l) of the Internal Revenue Code lists the U.S. government among the educational or charitable organizations to which donations are acceptable. Gifts must be unconditional, except that the donor may designate to which fund the gift should be donated. If no fund is designated, the gift is credited to the OASI Trust Fund.
However, SSA has not publicized its charitable persona. Although the agency has received some gifts and bequests, they have been insignificant and not given consideration in a possible fix. The concept has been so unimportant to the experts that the Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin does not specify how much the administration has received in gifts and bequests. Total revenue from gifts to the trust funds has been quite small. From 1974 to 1979 the most received in any one year was $91,949.88. During that period, the average annual amount was only $39,847. In 1980, almost two-thirds of the gifts were less than $100. The median gift size was $50. One person, for example, donated $13.11. She arrived at that amount by applying 5.85% (the employee tax rate then in effect) to her benefit amount and donated it to help “‘shore up’ the sagging, dwindling Social Security fund.” However, the 2010 Social Security Trustees Report lists them as about $98,000 (www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/2010/III_ cyoper.html#2). Compared to many other charities, this is a paltry amount.
Apparently, SSA has never done a feasibility study nor marketing research to determine how an aggressive campaign could raise funds to support Social Security, or how gifts and bequests could reduce the current estimates of impending doom. According to some estimates total deductions taken for all charities next year would be $413.5 billion. Estimates for fiscal year 2011 are that SSA will spend $730 billion. That amount is already covered through “contributions” (taxes), but it is reasonable that charitable contributions to the trust fund could significantly lessen taxpayer exposure for impending doom, if not return the fund to solvency.
As lawyers, we have the capacity to remind our families, our clients, and the public at large that there is a way to contribute to help endow future generations in the pursuit of the same kind of social stability that Social Security provided to our parents and grandparents.
Daniel F. Solomon is an administrative law judge at the U.S. Department of Labor, member of the ABA House of Delegates, past chair of the National Conference of Administrative Judiciary, Judicial Division, president of the Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference, and author of Breaking Up with Cuba (McFarland, 2011). All opinions expressed are those of the author and not any organization or group.
Thanks, Daniel. I wonder if there is a way to help the idea of "noblesse oblige to help save America" to go viral? I guess just discussing it on reputable and well-trafficked sites like Thom Hartmann's.
At one time many Protestant sects observed the Social Gospel. You would think that the folks at Common Good or other outlets would evangelize it. https://www.votecommongood.com/
When I was still working, I tried to take it to the Combined Federal Campaign and many other entities like the Social Security Advisory Board, to members of Congress, etc . I tried to turn into an ACUS project. A couple of retired SS Commissioners congratulated me. Mostly, like with most of my good ideas, I hear crickets. I wanted SS just to include a paragraph in its mailings that donations are accepted. I've sent it to the Biden Administration. The Commissioner should remember that my uncle's locker was next to his at the Downtown Athletic Club, Baltimore. His family is from Pennsyltucky. I understand that Trump donated one year. I don't know how many people contribute these days.
I always hoped that some huge foundation would take it away.
Maybe if we channel Taylor Swift.
Right now, I want Biden's campaign to call me about the Amish. About Trump voters on SSI About FT6.
Great Idea, but I doubt that the Ochs Sulzberger family would sell, owning the NYT is status, and they have enough money as it is, so money is not a motivation, They also have an ideological bent, which you can see in their editorial staff and editors and the stories, meme's and ideas that the push, like Dubya's war of choice in Iraq
That was my knee-jerk reaction to "buy out Fox" too. The uber-assholes are like, "out of our cold dead hands." Isn't there an old saying about power being the ultimate drug? They just laugh at the victims they manipulate, probably. They have everything else, maybe the only thing staving off boredom is mean fun with the unwashed masses. Sorry. Just been stewing for a long time with the concept that there is not any connection between virtue and material "success."
Reading your comment made me think are any of immune from that disease? I mean really?
We like to think that we are, and there is evidence that some are, like FDR, but he wasn't a billionaire, and there were a number of conservatives who became Supreme court justices and once seated, no longer beholden to the money powers, presided progressively. Unlike the current crop of justices
What a great article you wrote Thom. I just wish we could get some of the Donald cult to read or at least listen to your radio program.
The government owns about 28% of all the land in America. I think Donald has his wandering eyeball set on acquiring and privatizing that land. For himself of course!
We need Biden to start using the bully pulpit and preaching to the Donald base about the vices of a dictatorship and the virtues of a democracy.
Looks to me like the billionaires are all lined up at the crap table and they're betting on the fascists. They are also showing no brains as well. Only China may be able to pull that one off, but 90% of dictatorships turn into total dumps. The rich don't want to pay more taxes they would rather let the peasants perish one way or the other!
Thanks, Thom, for all you do and have done for democracy and humanity. However, our human instinct to line-up behind a strong (rich) man is the result of our massive human overpopulation, and not found in our ancestral ecologically balanced migratory Hunter-Gatherer clans/bands, who numbered 1/3,000 th of our current 8B+, and were egalitarian.
Amazing that outright fascism in America is soft toast to the media. In fact the media owners are supporters of fascism and allow fake views to dominate and turn society favoring anti-democratic propaganda some of which are the views of dictators & Putin. Voices against democratic institutions around the world are domestic groups inside America. Hard to believe that such could exist but does.
I hope the Dem Party recognizes the danger and will use a base voter campaign of 3 or 4 economic issues daily repeated to get out the vote that a purely cultural campaign, as needed as they are, within the campaign are by themselves insufficient as the 2022 loss of the House showed plainly.
Breaking news: Israel seems to have "retaliated" with bombs inside Iran near Isfahan. Now the world has two "strongmen" ensconced in incompatible religious entitlement, facing off.
Here's the thing----Netanyahu seems determined to start enough fires causing a major Middle-East meltdown. Biden and Putin seem to understand. Russia voted for the cease-fire at the UN, and the President, despite hating Hamas and their attack, sees that suffering and death in Gaza must end.
So here we are willing to provide arms/funding, but we sure as hell do not want to go to war. So far, so good? Obviously not for those who died and are suffering. Biden will try to help not hurt. Then there is the other guy....
If Trump is elected, will war be his focus? He will be very busy destroying every American agency and putting in radical Republicans where he can. He definitely will pick theft and corruption from the triad, but war? He'll just let Putin win wherever he chooses. If he chooses a NATO country, what an f-ing mess that will be.
Congress has the right to declare war, but the President can refuse to activate or send troops. Trump is a contrarian, a psychopath, and owned by Putin. We The People and America means nothing to Trump, and Putin hates us. Hope, but VOTE!
Actually, I am reading this after I just got done watching 2 videos that cover 3000 years of German history. The series is in English and therefore I am going to post them for those who do not know anything of German history than the Holocaust. Each episode is around 59 minutes, and I think there was a commercial in the middle of each one. It is divided into 8 sections. The first thing that I thought was that one can see how exhausted European countries are of war because of their long histories of just battling and battling and then there is 100 year period that is less contentious, and then 2 world wars. Why would they want to be in a war again, particularly after having been in 2 World Wars in recent times. In any case, it made me think about the lessons from this as applied to Putin. One, Putin must know his German history. So, while he claims to model himself after Ivan the Terrible, I think he is also modeling himself after Frederick the Great of Prussia who successfully expanded territory and won wars using 'good military strategy." He also put a lot of money into his military. That was the best funded part of the government. Secondly, Putin looks at Hitler's mistakes in taking on both Europe, where he was having success, but then joining Japan in declaring war on the US who came into the war again, fresh as they had in WWI. He could not win on both fronts, just like Germany could not in WWI. Hitler did not learn the lessons of the past, but I think that Putin is looking at staving off the USA in any way he can, because no way can he defeat Europe's largest democracy if the USA steps into battle in a more direct way. In fact, he does not have the manpower unless he borrows from China (who would China send?) or Iran (who would the Ayatollah sendhe needs his military just to keep his people from an uprising), or (North Korea?) would Jung Un really send people to Ukraine where they could escape and fight for the other side? Not sure. Would have a harder time controlling their slave-like conditions. So, when Putin said he would rather have Biden in the White House I can see that as a truth even if it rings disingenuous. He knows that Biden is not likely to send our troops when the model we have is of sending our old weapons, and providing intelligence and military advice. It is a safe formula. Also, we know that unlike the other presidents of our time, Biden actually has had a child in the military, and will not unnecessarily risk US lives. These are the Hitler conditions that Putin is not expecting to face. So, as long as he can stave off a second front by waiving his nukes, he is assured of only fighting Ukraine, however unfairly. I am glad that German Vice Chancellor Habeck went to Kiev. It sounds like he went out of frustration with how much more Germany could be doing and is not, as Scholz is kowed into not doing enough by fear of Putin, and more recently a fear of the growing numbers and therefore prowess of members the AfD, who I have been thinking since covid have been stirred up by Putin's bots, and those of his allies. Those people are discontent over everything and nothing. I know people in Germany who are discontent even though they want for nothing and have a better lifestyle than most Americans, just because of insurance coverage and vacations. The Right and the Left are pro Putin, and since my mom's school friend is a member of the Left party, I get to hear what the standard thinking is from her and her partner. They both believe that Putin had to go into Ukraine because Russian speaking Zelenskiy was stopping the people of the Russian diaspora from speaking Russian, and he had to rescue them from mistreatment. I asked her, so should the native Americans accept domination by the US government not allowing them to speak their own language? And, do you want your grandchildren and great grandchildren to grow up speaking only Russian and only learning Russian culture if Putin decides to invade Germany? I have to really illustrate this for them, just as I am trying to illustrate to youth why disaffection for Trump should not translate into not getting involved, but into to voting for Biden. I have several people I am working on, on some I have made inroads on. So, I am not saying I am correct in my thinking about Putin, but these videos lead me to these thoughts, just being formed.
If you have a different interpretation I would love to hear it. I think we could extend these lessons to all of the dictators that Thom mentions. They learn some lessons from wars, but theirs are how to exploit weaknesses. We are trying to learn the lessons of what is the kind of life we want to live and support.
What the west does not understand Daniel, and this because they are wholly ignorant of Islam, is that there can be no peace between Islam and Israel, in fact no peace between Islam and the non Islamic world. only a detente, with sniping on the periphery, not because Judaism or the west is hostile to Islam, but because Islam is hostile to Jews and the west. It is the foundation of their religion. Islam is triumphalist, they have a manifest destiny to rule the world, and that they don't is only a set back, Inshallah, (the will of inscrutable allah). If more in the west actually read the Quran and hadiths, they would know that
Westerners project, we don't have intentions to ruled the world by converting everyone to our relgion, or accept dhimmi status (second class citizens,, but only peoples of the book or Christians and Jews, not Hindus, agnostics, atheists, or any other religion.
Islamic countries are secular, not sectarian. Indonesia claims to be a democracy, but it is ruled by the Quran and Islamic jurists.
People can vote, but the only candidates are Islamists.
You can vote in Russia as well but the only candidates are Putinist.
America is on the verge of the same, if 2024 election puts Trump and his humpers in power.
I am currently on a web zoom with Iranians and Israelis. According to the Iranian experts 80% of the Iranian population sided with Israel philosophically on Oct. 7. According to the Israeli expert, 80% of the Israeli public want Netanyahu to resign.
It's possible that if both are not zealous fundamentalists that peace can come. There are reform movements in both countries. In Iran, currently it's a capital offense. We know that nobody showed up for the last elections. There have ben protests. Riots. The arc of justice trends in that direction.
Not true -- never has been true - in modern Israel. Most Ashkenazim are secularists. Founded by and for secularists.
Fortunately, the Senate passed the aid packages for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan last night AND the Gaza aid package, as well by a margin of 95 for (including Republicans!)-20 against.
We should include GW Bush and Dick Cheney in that list of non-democratic leaders that took their countries into unprovoked wars. With the USA this cost the taxpayers more than $7 trillion and destroyed any chance for women to have equal rights. It was however very profitable for Cheney with his Halliburton stock that doubled in value while he was in office.
Not considered is that the US provoked Russia's invasion of the Ukraine with U.S. led eastward expansion of NATO. The capitalist elites want to crush what they cannot control and profit enormously from the sales of NATO compatible weapons to new members.
Israel has never been a true democracy and apartheid and ethnic cleansing has been ongoing since 1948 with millions of displaced Palestinians who have been forcibly removed from their ancestral lands and had their homes and family members obliterated.
The Europeans and the Jews in the United States like the idea of sending the Jews displaced by the Nazi to Israel instead of having to deal with them in the U.S. (which had turned away Jewish refugees). Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, etc.
In effect Israel became a dumping ground for the Jews and that the land was already occupied was of no consequence. for the Imperial powers in charge. They were used to displacing native populations by force for profit.
Thom—Perhaps it’s not evident to us in an older generation, but there is substantial disinformation issue happening on TikTok on this front to the Millennials and Zoomers. This very complex situation is being oversimplified into TikTok moments. Your piece helps illustrate the complexity of all the intersecting strands in the region. None of that is captured in TikTok. I know from conversations with friends in Abu Dhabi that the complexity and interlocking risks are not lost on those in the region.
One might rightfully ask if there is some algorithmic manipulation in TikTok that helps to amplify a distortion of simplicity.
I keep hoping that the noise over TikTok ownership can somehow be directed into reform of Section 230 and assigning accountability to social media. Perhaps hope springs external?
Israel has never been a democracy, it is a theocracy. Nearly 700,000 of its population are settlers in the West Bank. The vast majority of the population could care less about what its government does to the Palestinian people as they are not Jews, and those who are not Jewish have little to no rights. Now you are including Iran in your "axis of evil?" It's ironic that you wrote a book on oligarchy yet your propaganda is largely in support of its most basic tenet--perpetual war and world domination. As for Ukraine, nobody who favors the funneling of billions in weapons can tell me how Ukraine will ever emerge victorious. Every single military expert that I have seen sees no road to military victory, but administration members have admitted that money on Ukraine is well spent because the Ukrainians are doing our fighting against Russia, hundreds of thousands dying in the process. It is the same in Israel, with the US directly supplying the IDF with the weapons to carry out its campaign of genocide. You can distract all you want, but too many of us are not buying the distraction away from what the Democratic Party really represents and their culpability in ushering in the era of Trump.
NOT a theocracy. There are Holy Joes in the Knesset but they were founded by secularists for secularists. They protect Judaism. The courts are open to everyone.
Thank you so so much Thom for all you do. I just received one of your Books: 'The Hidden History of the American Oligarchy" and I'm really excited to start reading it!!
Can't say I'm not terrified though. Trying to stay hopeful. Least we get to watch the Orange menace squirm for awhile. That gives me some joy. 😆 Keep the faith dear friends. ❤️🇺🇸💙
Writing as a Jew and lifelong Zionist, I think Israel's "democratic roots" are largely mythical. More democratic than the autocracies of virtually every Arabic-speaking nation? Sure, but isn't that a case of damning with faint praise? Even in the much more idealistic time of ben Gurion, the blessings of liberty were not uniformly distributed.
That's why a 2 state solution is feasible. Note that Arabs aren't necessarily Moslem and those who aren't fear them. Israel has an Arab Party which is part of the coalition government. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Arab_members_of_the_Knesset
Some Arabs, i.e. the Druze, serve voluntarily in the Israeli military. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druze_in_Israel
Most of the "Palestinian" Arabs in the US self identify as Arab Christians who support Israel as a lesser lethal alternative, not Netanyahu. but certainly do not support Iran or any of the Sunni neighbors of Israel. Once upon time Lebanon, which was half Christian, tried a form of democracy, but it devolved into civil war and is ruled by tribalistic sects like Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy.
As heartbreaking as the tragedy of Palestine is, it's dwarfed by the tragedy of Lebanon. As for any two-state solution, I think Israel has gone too far down the road of colonizing the West Bank, to say nothing of (as I see it) the unworkability of a discontinuous Palestinian state.
I think it can be done. No different than Canada. Evangeline....the murmuring trees and hemlocks, gilded in moss... now called Nova Scotia. Only have to move a few miles.
I put a ‘like’ on this, but I don’t really like it. I hate it. I just agree with it.
I am immensely pleased to see and read Thom’s clear-eyed and frank description of what we are up against!! And Putin and Xi are only a couple of the most visible autocrats and strongmen — Trump genuflects at their altars, and at Orban’s, and Erdogan’s, and Bibi’s … and even Kim Jong Un’s!
I am thinking back a bit, though, to a point when I started to lose patience with the far, progressive Left, who tended to crab about centrist and mainstream politicians and the press when they talked about Russian interference and shenanigans aimed at destabilizing and ousting the US from its pre-eminent position as the strongest and most influential world power, after the break-up o the Soviet Union.
Too many progressive voices several years ago loudly crabbed that American pols and the press were going after Russia in a knee-jerk fashion, in an old Cold War mode, and they made out that warning about the danger of Russian schemes against us was unfair and inaccurate — to see so much “harm” being done by our old nemesis, Russia {and Putin} was supposedly replaying old tapes, and we should be paying more attention to our own failures.
For sure, the US has its own failures and mistakes to own up to and deal with. We have our own imperial footprint and chicanery around the world to acknowledge, and we need to resolve to do better.
It seemed to me, though, that some strong voices on the Left were being — whether they meant to be or not — apologists for Putin, or were serving as “knee-jerk” critics of US empire, losing sight of the REAL dangers that Russia {and China, for that matter} presents. And now, we see Putin and Russia and the disinformation state clear. And it is FORMIDABLE.
DJT went on and on about how unfair “Russia-Russia-Russia” was in the run up to and the aftermath of his 2016 “election.”
But contrary to his claims, the Mueller report revealed that Trump and his minions WERE ACTUALLY seriously involved with and influenced by Russian actors, as was our public media during the 2016 campaign season.
And it’s happening again — now.
I’m more than pleased to hear voices on the far Left recognizing and trying to do something to counteract the disinformation that is come at us fast and furious…
{There’s PLENTY for us to fix in this country — but we need to be able to walk and chew gum — if we take our eye off the disinformation coming at us, we may lose the White House to the Oligarchs in November. We will lose the chance to ever fix the things in our own government that we progressives have had our eye on for decades … Our democracy is not perfect, lord knows — but we must preserve it, if we hope to make it better. VOTE BLUE.}
Your Third paragraph Pat, Criticiism of the far left progressives, you know the always politically correct, who fall in love with anything that is anti American, because they have been duped into believing that the worst sin in the world is imperialist colonialist capitalism and they can only see those faults in the very nation and culture that nurtured and educated them to the point where they can spit in their parents face, after they were raised. Yes we have our flaws, but spit in faces?
And that brings me to this. In the latest Triad, A happy story by Will Steiber with photograph of Ahmadullah, and his lovely family arrived on our shores.
Problem is that Ahmadullah is all happy and dressed comfortably in T Shirt and western clothing, but look at his wife, especially her eyes, sad and unhappy because nothing has changed for her, she is for all intents and purposes dressed in a niqb, one step up from a burga, with heavy coat, hijab and face partially covered.
She can't even enjoy the freedoms and blessing of this country, because her "liberated:" and joyful husband has drug his medieval, barbaric and misogynistic culture with him.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/this-thing-of-ours
And I don't want to hear from anyone about the bullshit cultural relativism.
And that is what is happening these Afghan interpreters etc are dragging their medieval and misogynistic cultures with them.
Buried years ago, was the story of a female soldier at Ft Bliss that was raped by two Afghan "refugees" on Ft Hood.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/25/female-soldier-fort-bliss-said-she-was-assaulted-group-of-male-afghan-refugees-officials-say.html
The article says assaulted, the first news break said rape, but assault is always how the military and the establishment minimizes rape. Like Trump only assaulted E Jean Carroll
When in Rome...
Thom, this is an idea I posted to Mary Trump's last substack article. Not about oligarch corruption per se, but about strengthening democracy. I'd like feedback on its practicality.
I did an online query that says the net worth of the New York Times is 7.17 billion dollars. Might someone start a fundraiser to buy out the Ochs-Sulzberger family and other stockholders, and create a non-profit newspaper without corrupting influences? Donors should be Members, not Shareholders, so votes regarding management would be one per member, not one per share. Democracy in operation should be an effective shield against corruption. Hopefully, some wealthy idealists might make major donations Despite that management rule.
The IRS has a website regarding charitable donations. The second group of qualifying organizations is defined as:
"A community chest, corporation, trust, fund, or foundation, organized or created in the United States or its possessions, or under the laws of the United States, any state, the District of Columbia or any possession of the United States, and organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals;"
The proposed organization seems to clearly qualify: "operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes" This should make very substantial donations from wealthy donors practical. (This idea might be applied to buy out other problematic corporations as well.)
I've been arguing for noblesse oblige to help save America. How about a hostile takeover of Fox? WSJ? A leveraged buyout would only probably, using the rule 9 to 1, take about a billion, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/leveragedbuyout.asp
I've been arguing that threat of default of the Social Security retirement fund can be eased using charitable deductions. https://www.ssa.gov/agency/donations.html#:~:text=Make%20out%20a%20check%20or,Survivors%20Insurance%20Trust%20Fund%3B%20or
Here's an article that I wrote for lawyers:
December 01, 2011 FINANCIAL PLANNING
Social Security—Maybe Charity Should Begin at Home
By Daniel F. Solomon
published by the ABA
For most of its history, Social Security was a terrific bargain: our parents and grandparents most probably received significantly more benefits than they paid into the Social Security Trust Fund. The trust fund comprises the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) and Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Funds (OASDI, collectively).
In most cases, because our family units could rely on these benefits, they were able to enjoy enough financial independence to send people like us to school so that we could become lawyers—productive and, in some cases, wealthy, members of society. For 75 years, the Social Security Trust Fund has helped enable American soci- ety to achieve far beyond the aspirations of its founders, ultimately providing more than subsistence to retirees by also protecting widows, orphans, and disabled people. The dignity provided to needy beneficiaries surely far outweighs the economic value of the funds.
However, financial experts have long predicted a future insolvency of the funds. A majority of Americans have invested in the funds, recognize their social utility, and do not want to burden their heirs. Although there have been legislative attempts to “fix” the system, there is no consensus how to do it. The Congressional Research Service reported:
For example, for workers who earned average wages and retired in 1980 at age 65, it took 2.8 years to recover the value of the retirement portion of the combined employee and employer shares of their Social Security taxes plus interest. For their counterparts who retired at age 65 in 2002, it will take 16.9 years. For those retiring in 2020, it will take 20.9 years.
Geoffrey Kollmann and Dawn Nuschler, “Social Security Reform” (October 2002).
The National Commission on Social Security Reform (informally known as the “Greenspan Commission” after its chairman) was appointed by the Congress and President Ronald Reagan in 1981 in response to a short-term financing crisis that Social Security faced at that time. Estimates were that the OASI Trust Fund would run out of money possibly as early as August 1983. Congress rendered a compromise that extended the retirement age from 65 to 67, through a deal that raised payroll taxes and trimmed benefits enough to keep Social Security solvent. See Jackie Calmes, “Political Memo: The Bipartisan Panel: Did It Really Work?” New York Times, January 18, 2010. However, the legislation addressed only the immediate problem and did not address the long-term viability of the fund. See also Rudolph G. Penner, “The Greenspan Commission and the Social Security Reforms of 1983,” in Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Presidency, David Abshire, Editor. Washington: Center for the Study of the Presidency, pp. 129–31.
The George W. Bush administration commission deliberated on the issue and then called for a transition to a combination of a government-funded program and personal accounts (“individual” or “private accounts”) through partial privatization of the system.
President Barack Obama reportedly strongly opposes privatization or raising the retirement age but supports raising the cap on the payroll tax ($106,800 in 2009) to help fund the program. He has appointed a National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which is to report and offer another fix.
Current estimates predict that payroll taxes will only cover 78% of the scheduled payout amounts after 2037. This declines to 75% by 2084. 2010 OASDI Trust- ees Report, Figure II.D2, www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/2010/ trTOC.html.
Although the congressional plan was to ensure solvency through Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax, there is a private means to help: to also consider the humanitarian and charitable nature of the Social Security Administration (SSA), which has been possible since a legislative fix in 1972. Before then, bequests naming Social Security or a trust fund as a beneficiary could not be accepted, which caused problems in administration of some estates. Money gifts or bequests may be accepted for deposit by the managing trustee of the OASI and DI funds. Section 170(c)(l) of the Internal Revenue Code lists the U.S. government among the educational or charitable organizations to which donations are acceptable. Gifts must be unconditional, except that the donor may designate to which fund the gift should be donated. If no fund is designated, the gift is credited to the OASI Trust Fund.
However, SSA has not publicized its charitable persona. Although the agency has received some gifts and bequests, they have been insignificant and not given consideration in a possible fix. The concept has been so unimportant to the experts that the Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin does not specify how much the administration has received in gifts and bequests. Total revenue from gifts to the trust funds has been quite small. From 1974 to 1979 the most received in any one year was $91,949.88. During that period, the average annual amount was only $39,847. In 1980, almost two-thirds of the gifts were less than $100. The median gift size was $50. One person, for example, donated $13.11. She arrived at that amount by applying 5.85% (the employee tax rate then in effect) to her benefit amount and donated it to help “‘shore up’ the sagging, dwindling Social Security fund.” However, the 2010 Social Security Trustees Report lists them as about $98,000 (www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/2010/III_ cyoper.html#2). Compared to many other charities, this is a paltry amount.
Apparently, SSA has never done a feasibility study nor marketing research to determine how an aggressive campaign could raise funds to support Social Security, or how gifts and bequests could reduce the current estimates of impending doom. According to some estimates total deductions taken for all charities next year would be $413.5 billion. Estimates for fiscal year 2011 are that SSA will spend $730 billion. That amount is already covered through “contributions” (taxes), but it is reasonable that charitable contributions to the trust fund could significantly lessen taxpayer exposure for impending doom, if not return the fund to solvency.
As lawyers, we have the capacity to remind our families, our clients, and the public at large that there is a way to contribute to help endow future generations in the pursuit of the same kind of social stability that Social Security provided to our parents and grandparents.
Daniel F. Solomon is an administrative law judge at the U.S. Department of Labor, member of the ABA House of Delegates, past chair of the National Conference of Administrative Judiciary, Judicial Division, president of the Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference, and author of Breaking Up with Cuba (McFarland, 2011). All opinions expressed are those of the author and not any organization or group.
Thanks, Daniel. I wonder if there is a way to help the idea of "noblesse oblige to help save America" to go viral? I guess just discussing it on reputable and well-trafficked sites like Thom Hartmann's.
At one time many Protestant sects observed the Social Gospel. You would think that the folks at Common Good or other outlets would evangelize it. https://www.votecommongood.com/
When I was still working, I tried to take it to the Combined Federal Campaign and many other entities like the Social Security Advisory Board, to members of Congress, etc . I tried to turn into an ACUS project. A couple of retired SS Commissioners congratulated me. Mostly, like with most of my good ideas, I hear crickets. I wanted SS just to include a paragraph in its mailings that donations are accepted. I've sent it to the Biden Administration. The Commissioner should remember that my uncle's locker was next to his at the Downtown Athletic Club, Baltimore. His family is from Pennsyltucky. I understand that Trump donated one year. I don't know how many people contribute these days.
I always hoped that some huge foundation would take it away.
Maybe if we channel Taylor Swift.
Right now, I want Biden's campaign to call me about the Amish. About Trump voters on SSI About FT6.
Great Idea, but I doubt that the Ochs Sulzberger family would sell, owning the NYT is status, and they have enough money as it is, so money is not a motivation, They also have an ideological bent, which you can see in their editorial staff and editors and the stories, meme's and ideas that the push, like Dubya's war of choice in Iraq
That was my knee-jerk reaction to "buy out Fox" too. The uber-assholes are like, "out of our cold dead hands." Isn't there an old saying about power being the ultimate drug? They just laugh at the victims they manipulate, probably. They have everything else, maybe the only thing staving off boredom is mean fun with the unwashed masses. Sorry. Just been stewing for a long time with the concept that there is not any connection between virtue and material "success."
Reading your comment made me think are any of immune from that disease? I mean really?
We like to think that we are, and there is evidence that some are, like FDR, but he wasn't a billionaire, and there were a number of conservatives who became Supreme court justices and once seated, no longer beholden to the money powers, presided progressively. Unlike the current crop of justices
Hostile takeover.
What a great article you wrote Thom. I just wish we could get some of the Donald cult to read or at least listen to your radio program.
The government owns about 28% of all the land in America. I think Donald has his wandering eyeball set on acquiring and privatizing that land. For himself of course!
We need Biden to start using the bully pulpit and preaching to the Donald base about the vices of a dictatorship and the virtues of a democracy.
Looks to me like the billionaires are all lined up at the crap table and they're betting on the fascists. They are also showing no brains as well. Only China may be able to pull that one off, but 90% of dictatorships turn into total dumps. The rich don't want to pay more taxes they would rather let the peasants perish one way or the other!
The maggots think that a dictatorship, with Trump as the dictator, would be just fine.
They are seven cylinders short of having a smooth running V8 motor.
Thanks, Thom, for all you do and have done for democracy and humanity. However, our human instinct to line-up behind a strong (rich) man is the result of our massive human overpopulation, and not found in our ancestral ecologically balanced migratory Hunter-Gatherer clans/bands, who numbered 1/3,000 th of our current 8B+, and were egalitarian.
Amazing that outright fascism in America is soft toast to the media. In fact the media owners are supporters of fascism and allow fake views to dominate and turn society favoring anti-democratic propaganda some of which are the views of dictators & Putin. Voices against democratic institutions around the world are domestic groups inside America. Hard to believe that such could exist but does.
I hope the Dem Party recognizes the danger and will use a base voter campaign of 3 or 4 economic issues daily repeated to get out the vote that a purely cultural campaign, as needed as they are, within the campaign are by themselves insufficient as the 2022 loss of the House showed plainly.
Breaking news: Israel seems to have "retaliated" with bombs inside Iran near Isfahan. Now the world has two "strongmen" ensconced in incompatible religious entitlement, facing off.
Two clueless and narcissistic baby Donald's.
Thom's hopes are my hopes.
Here's the thing----Netanyahu seems determined to start enough fires causing a major Middle-East meltdown. Biden and Putin seem to understand. Russia voted for the cease-fire at the UN, and the President, despite hating Hamas and their attack, sees that suffering and death in Gaza must end.
So here we are willing to provide arms/funding, but we sure as hell do not want to go to war. So far, so good? Obviously not for those who died and are suffering. Biden will try to help not hurt. Then there is the other guy....
If Trump is elected, will war be his focus? He will be very busy destroying every American agency and putting in radical Republicans where he can. He definitely will pick theft and corruption from the triad, but war? He'll just let Putin win wherever he chooses. If he chooses a NATO country, what an f-ing mess that will be.
Congress has the right to declare war, but the President can refuse to activate or send troops. Trump is a contrarian, a psychopath, and owned by Putin. We The People and America means nothing to Trump, and Putin hates us. Hope, but VOTE!
Actually, I am reading this after I just got done watching 2 videos that cover 3000 years of German history. The series is in English and therefore I am going to post them for those who do not know anything of German history than the Holocaust. Each episode is around 59 minutes, and I think there was a commercial in the middle of each one. It is divided into 8 sections. The first thing that I thought was that one can see how exhausted European countries are of war because of their long histories of just battling and battling and then there is 100 year period that is less contentious, and then 2 world wars. Why would they want to be in a war again, particularly after having been in 2 World Wars in recent times. In any case, it made me think about the lessons from this as applied to Putin. One, Putin must know his German history. So, while he claims to model himself after Ivan the Terrible, I think he is also modeling himself after Frederick the Great of Prussia who successfully expanded territory and won wars using 'good military strategy." He also put a lot of money into his military. That was the best funded part of the government. Secondly, Putin looks at Hitler's mistakes in taking on both Europe, where he was having success, but then joining Japan in declaring war on the US who came into the war again, fresh as they had in WWI. He could not win on both fronts, just like Germany could not in WWI. Hitler did not learn the lessons of the past, but I think that Putin is looking at staving off the USA in any way he can, because no way can he defeat Europe's largest democracy if the USA steps into battle in a more direct way. In fact, he does not have the manpower unless he borrows from China (who would China send?) or Iran (who would the Ayatollah sendhe needs his military just to keep his people from an uprising), or (North Korea?) would Jung Un really send people to Ukraine where they could escape and fight for the other side? Not sure. Would have a harder time controlling their slave-like conditions. So, when Putin said he would rather have Biden in the White House I can see that as a truth even if it rings disingenuous. He knows that Biden is not likely to send our troops when the model we have is of sending our old weapons, and providing intelligence and military advice. It is a safe formula. Also, we know that unlike the other presidents of our time, Biden actually has had a child in the military, and will not unnecessarily risk US lives. These are the Hitler conditions that Putin is not expecting to face. So, as long as he can stave off a second front by waiving his nukes, he is assured of only fighting Ukraine, however unfairly. I am glad that German Vice Chancellor Habeck went to Kiev. It sounds like he went out of frustration with how much more Germany could be doing and is not, as Scholz is kowed into not doing enough by fear of Putin, and more recently a fear of the growing numbers and therefore prowess of members the AfD, who I have been thinking since covid have been stirred up by Putin's bots, and those of his allies. Those people are discontent over everything and nothing. I know people in Germany who are discontent even though they want for nothing and have a better lifestyle than most Americans, just because of insurance coverage and vacations. The Right and the Left are pro Putin, and since my mom's school friend is a member of the Left party, I get to hear what the standard thinking is from her and her partner. They both believe that Putin had to go into Ukraine because Russian speaking Zelenskiy was stopping the people of the Russian diaspora from speaking Russian, and he had to rescue them from mistreatment. I asked her, so should the native Americans accept domination by the US government not allowing them to speak their own language? And, do you want your grandchildren and great grandchildren to grow up speaking only Russian and only learning Russian culture if Putin decides to invade Germany? I have to really illustrate this for them, just as I am trying to illustrate to youth why disaffection for Trump should not translate into not getting involved, but into to voting for Biden. I have several people I am working on, on some I have made inroads on. So, I am not saying I am correct in my thinking about Putin, but these videos lead me to these thoughts, just being formed.
Part 1 https://youtu.be/0ZR9B2KIJBI?si=k3jUxpHkwSVjRHfG
Part 2 https://youtu.be/rF_V41lyqsY?si=7QF8issIX2b4Cj3K
If you have a different interpretation I would love to hear it. I think we could extend these lessons to all of the dictators that Thom mentions. They learn some lessons from wars, but theirs are how to exploit weaknesses. We are trying to learn the lessons of what is the kind of life we want to live and support.
I’d recommend reading Apeirogon by Colum McCann. How can Israelis and Palestinians work together? Some do.
Inside Israel.....and on Long Avenue in my hometown.
What the west does not understand Daniel, and this because they are wholly ignorant of Islam, is that there can be no peace between Islam and Israel, in fact no peace between Islam and the non Islamic world. only a detente, with sniping on the periphery, not because Judaism or the west is hostile to Islam, but because Islam is hostile to Jews and the west. It is the foundation of their religion. Islam is triumphalist, they have a manifest destiny to rule the world, and that they don't is only a set back, Inshallah, (the will of inscrutable allah). If more in the west actually read the Quran and hadiths, they would know that
Westerners project, we don't have intentions to ruled the world by converting everyone to our relgion, or accept dhimmi status (second class citizens,, but only peoples of the book or Christians and Jews, not Hindus, agnostics, atheists, or any other religion.
Islamic countries are secular, not sectarian. Indonesia claims to be a democracy, but it is ruled by the Quran and Islamic jurists.
People can vote, but the only candidates are Islamists.
You can vote in Russia as well but the only candidates are Putinist.
America is on the verge of the same, if 2024 election puts Trump and his humpers in power.
I am currently on a web zoom with Iranians and Israelis. According to the Iranian experts 80% of the Iranian population sided with Israel philosophically on Oct. 7. According to the Israeli expert, 80% of the Israeli public want Netanyahu to resign.
It's possible that if both are not zealous fundamentalists that peace can come. There are reform movements in both countries. In Iran, currently it's a capital offense. We know that nobody showed up for the last elections. There have ben protests. Riots. The arc of justice trends in that direction.
Not true -- never has been true - in modern Israel. Most Ashkenazim are secularists. Founded by and for secularists.
Thanks Daniel. I now that all you say is true, but like in America it is not popular sentiment, but the militant minority that drives policy.
Fortunately, the Senate passed the aid packages for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan last night AND the Gaza aid package, as well by a margin of 95 for (including Republicans!)-20 against.
We should include GW Bush and Dick Cheney in that list of non-democratic leaders that took their countries into unprovoked wars. With the USA this cost the taxpayers more than $7 trillion and destroyed any chance for women to have equal rights. It was however very profitable for Cheney with his Halliburton stock that doubled in value while he was in office.
Not considered is that the US provoked Russia's invasion of the Ukraine with U.S. led eastward expansion of NATO. The capitalist elites want to crush what they cannot control and profit enormously from the sales of NATO compatible weapons to new members.
Israel has never been a true democracy and apartheid and ethnic cleansing has been ongoing since 1948 with millions of displaced Palestinians who have been forcibly removed from their ancestral lands and had their homes and family members obliterated.
The Europeans and the Jews in the United States like the idea of sending the Jews displaced by the Nazi to Israel instead of having to deal with them in the U.S. (which had turned away Jewish refugees). Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, etc.
In effect Israel became a dumping ground for the Jews and that the land was already occupied was of no consequence. for the Imperial powers in charge. They were used to displacing native populations by force for profit.
Thom—Perhaps it’s not evident to us in an older generation, but there is substantial disinformation issue happening on TikTok on this front to the Millennials and Zoomers. This very complex situation is being oversimplified into TikTok moments. Your piece helps illustrate the complexity of all the intersecting strands in the region. None of that is captured in TikTok. I know from conversations with friends in Abu Dhabi that the complexity and interlocking risks are not lost on those in the region.
One might rightfully ask if there is some algorithmic manipulation in TikTok that helps to amplify a distortion of simplicity.
I keep hoping that the noise over TikTok ownership can somehow be directed into reform of Section 230 and assigning accountability to social media. Perhaps hope springs external?
Israel has never been a democracy, it is a theocracy. Nearly 700,000 of its population are settlers in the West Bank. The vast majority of the population could care less about what its government does to the Palestinian people as they are not Jews, and those who are not Jewish have little to no rights. Now you are including Iran in your "axis of evil?" It's ironic that you wrote a book on oligarchy yet your propaganda is largely in support of its most basic tenet--perpetual war and world domination. As for Ukraine, nobody who favors the funneling of billions in weapons can tell me how Ukraine will ever emerge victorious. Every single military expert that I have seen sees no road to military victory, but administration members have admitted that money on Ukraine is well spent because the Ukrainians are doing our fighting against Russia, hundreds of thousands dying in the process. It is the same in Israel, with the US directly supplying the IDF with the weapons to carry out its campaign of genocide. You can distract all you want, but too many of us are not buying the distraction away from what the Democratic Party really represents and their culpability in ushering in the era of Trump.
NOT a theocracy. There are Holy Joes in the Knesset but they were founded by secularists for secularists. They protect Judaism. The courts are open to everyone.
What an interesting statement from Mike Johnson coming after his visit to Mar-a-Lago: https://www.c-span.org/video/?535006-1/speaker-mike-johnson-holds-news-conference