Mamdani’s brilliant economic Rx: More government jobs

Source: New York Post
by staff

“Bringing his socialist economic chops to fix New York City’s stagnant-to-sluggish jobs growth, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new solution is to hire more government employees. His always-busy press office and Maoist ‘mass engagement’ cadres announced Monday a new Jobs NYC Center, a ‘hub connecting New Yorkers to careers in public service’. Citywide unemployment as of August was 4.8%, about a fifth higher than the national average of 4.1%. Mamdani’s hate-the-rich, capitalism bad rhetoric hasn’t helped: Finance — which provides the tax revenue to fuel Gotham’s lavish social spending — has been reducing jobs in the city for long decades; these days job growth in financial services comes almost exclusively in lower-tax, business-friendly cities and states. In the last year, the city added a measly 27,600 jobs to its private-sector workforce of 4.2 million — nearly all of them home-health aide work, which is mostly funded by Medicaid.” (09/29/26)

https://nypost.com/2026/09/29/opinion/mamdanis-brilliant-economic-rx-more-government-jobs/

US forces set to leave Iraq after first invading/occupying in 2003

Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]

“U.S. forces are set to pull out from their last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies, who now have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war. Iraqi security experts say ‌the withdrawal — agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump’s administration even as it wages war against Iran — could give Tehran and its powerful allies free rein, while also allowing other U.S. enemies to stage a comeback, including Islamic State. … While the eventual departure of U.S. forces is ⁠broadly popular among Iraqis, those who worry about the strength of the Iran-backed groups fear the withdrawal is premature.” (09/29/26)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iraq-us-forces-withrdrawal-9.7362428

The Beclowning of Scott Bessent

Source: Paul Krugman
by Paul Krugman

“One iron law of current politics is that nobody who associates themselves with Donald Trump emerges with a shred of credibility. For some, that’s not a big loss — it’s not as if anyone respected Pete Hegseth even before he decided that the key to military success in an age of drones and AI was more testosterone. For others, however, the costs are real. I’m old enough to remember when Marco Rubio was widely considered a reasonable, thoughtful politician. Right now, however, my candidate for the biggest loser is Scott Bessent, the Secretary of the Treasury.” (09/29/26)

https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-beclowning-of-scott-bessent

I Was A Delegate in 2008. The Libertarian Party is About to Repeat It

Source: Jake Porter’s Analysis & Investigations
by Jake Porter

“Rand Paul told Newsmax on September 23 that he’s considering a 2028 presidential run and will weigh the midterms before deciding. Libertarian leaning Thomas Massie’s name circulates as a potential Republican contender. And the Libertarian Party (LP), which locked in a February 2028 nominating convention in El Paso, Texas, has inadvertently built the perfect scenario for chaos. I know, because I was a delegate in 2008 when we were saved from a similar situation by having a convention in May after most of the primaries were over.” (09/29/26)

https://jakeporter.substack.com/p/i-was-a-delegate-in-2008-the-libertarian

AI Won’t Solve Humanity’s Problems; Our Problems Aren’t Caused By Lack Of Intelligence

Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone

“I hate it when people say humanity’s problems will be solved by ‘artificial superintelligence’ as though all we need to fix the cruelty and abusiveness in our world is an AI that is smarter than a human. … [Mark Zuckerberg] said the following in a statement titled ‘The Future is for Everyone — The Path to a Positive AI Future’: ‘In the next few years, people will be able to use superintelligence beyond human capacity to create and discover extraordinary new things, build new businesses, express new ideas, learn new concepts, and advance our health and quality of life. As we get closer to this moment, it is important to develop a philosophy for how we can best use superintelligence to ensure it improves all of our lives, work, communities, freedom and safety.'” (09/29/26)

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/09/29/ai-wont-solve-humanitys-problems-because-our-problems-arent-caused-by-lack-of-intelligence/