The Science of Politics, 08/19/26
Source: Niskanen Center
“Can housing policy overcome lousy folk economic thinking?” (08/19/26)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/can-housing-policy-overcome-lousy-folk-economic-thinking/
Postliberalism Is Not About Economic Transformation
Source: The Bulwark
by Matt McManus
“Disregard the empty allegations of ‘socialism.’ The real problem with postliberalism is its underlying authoritarian vision.” (08/20/26)
Why Paul Krugman Is Wrong About Medicare for All
Source: Common Dreams
by Dr. Rob Stone
“Paul Krugman won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2008 and must be a smart fellow. He wrote on Substack August 11, ‘The U.S. Healthcare System is Already Mostly Socialized, and there’s nothing radical about wanting to end insurance company parasitism’. Krugman explained that taxpayers currently pay two-thirds of US healthcare costs. It’s not just the costs of Medicare, Medicaid, the Indian Health Service, the VA, and the Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, but also employers deduct their contribution for their employees’ private insurance as a tax-deductible expense, while the employees owe no income tax on the value of employers’ contribution. Maybe that’s a bit wonky, but the point is simple – when we give tax breaks that subsidize heath insurance for employees, then the rest of us taxpayers have to make up the difference.” (08/20/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/medicare-for-all-2677735164
US bond yields edge higher as traders digest Treasury debt buyback plan
Source: CNBC
“Bond yields edged higher on Thursday morning after pulling back sharply during the previous session following the Treasury Department’s move to dramatically ramp up government debt repurchases in a bid to shore up longer-dated debt. … The Treasury Department, led by Scott Bessent, said Wednesday it would double the size of its debt repurchases, mainly at the long-end of the yield curve. The move sent yields tumbling, with the 30-year yield plunging more than 10 basis points on the day and the 10-year note yield falling more than 6 basis points, reversing this week’s earlier advance. Treasury yields have been pushing steeply higher since June, touching levels not seen since before the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.” (08/20/26)
Pink Flame of Liberty, 08/19/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“OOF the Creeping DSA Communism Inside the Democratic Party.” (08/19/26)
Really, O’Reilly? Bill Demands War Crimes In Iran
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Charles Goyette
“Other Fox New hosts and contributors who ended up in the Trump administration include Sean Duffy, Jeanine Pirro, John Bolton, Larry Kudlow, Mike Walz, Dan Bongino, Sebastian Gorka, Mike Huckabee…There are more, but you get the idea. A preponderance of war enthusiasts, some for Iraq, others for Ukraine, all for Iran. O’Reilly supported all three wars. And since he was the biggest Fox star for sixteen years, one must assume he looms large in Trump’s consciousness. That makes his pathogenic influence especially menacing.” (08/20/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/really-oreilly-bill-demands-war-crimes-in-iran
In Massachusetts, ‘reproductive freedom’ goes only one way
Source: Washington Post
by Carine Hajjar
“The attack on pregnancy resource centers has been years in the making. The governor in 2024 launched a ‘first-in-the-nation public education campaign’ to protect residents from the ‘dangers of anti-abortion centers.’ The effort, aided by the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation and backed by $1 million in taxpayer funding, appeared on social media, billboards and public transportation with its message. The state says pregnancy resource centers ‘can put your health at risk’ and ‘mislead you about your options.’ In the government’s telling, the groups lure abortion-seeking women in and trick them into not terminating their pregnancies.” (08/20/26)
UK, French, German, Italian and Canadian regimes condemn Israeli regime’s West Bank squat project
Source: BBC News
“Israel’s plans to open up tenders for the construction of some 1,200 [squatter] homes in a strategically important part of the occupied West Bank have sparked fresh condemnation by major Western powers. In a joint statement, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada called the decision ‘unacceptable’ and urged Israel to ‘retract the plans immediately’. All s[squats] are illegal under international law and, under international pressure, Israel held off for decades on plans to build in E1 to the east of Jerusalem. Many of its allies and Palestinians argued this development would deal a major blow to hopes of a two-state solution, effectively cutting the West Bank in two and isolating east Jerusalem.” (08/20/26)
Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 08/19/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Announces ‘Crushing Economic Operation’ Against Iran, Israel Massacres 10 in Gaza, and More.” (08/19/26)
“We’ll Bomb the Sh*t Out of Them”: Trump and the War on Morality
Source: Antiwar.com
by Nolan Denaro
“As a result of Trump’s loss at the hands of Iran, the American empire has been dealt a severe dent to its armor. The image of American bases scattered across the Middle East – once a symbol of military dominance – has been quite literally shattered. Trump can no longer rely on previously held assumptions about American power in order to get his way. Thus, he must lower himself rhetorically to the level of a brutal warlord.” (08/20/26)