The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan, 10/02/26
Source: The Weekly Dish
“Emily Eakin On What Postmodernism Wrought.” (10/02/26)
https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/emily-eakin-on-what-postmodernism
Author: Thomas L. Knapp
Where Does Russia’s Violent Imperialism Come From?
Source: Foreign Policy
by Ian Garner
“Four and a half years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has conquered no more than a slice of Ukrainian territory. In return, half a million Russian soldiers are dead, the economy is running on fumes, Moscow’s relationship with the West is in tatters, and the country’s reliance on China grows ever stronger. Yet there is no sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin seeking peace. his army continues its bombardment of Ukraine. The frontline voraciously consumes more Russian troops than he can recruit. What is it that drives Russia to wage this hugely costly and apparently irrational war? Could it be the individualist greed, lawless capitalism, and corruption for which the Russian elite is infamous? Or is it a collective neo-imperialism expressed in Putin’s obsession with conquest and Russia’s world-historical mission?” (10/02/26)
Ethiopia: Regime Forces Seize Capital of Tigray Region From Rebels
Source: US News & World Report
“Ethiopian government forces and allied militias have regained control of the capital of Tigray, three sources told Reuters on Sunday, dealing a major setback to the opposition alliance that rules the northern region. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which leads the opposition alliance, said in a statement posted on Facebook it had retreated from the capital and that the regional government would be ‘temporarily moved out of Mekelle and operate from somewhere else.’ A source close to the pro-government militia, the Tigray Peace Forces, said its fighters entered the centre of Mekelle on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Ethiopian military. A humanitarian source and a Mekelle resident, who asked not to be named, confirmed the city was controlled by government forces. The prime minister’s office did not respond immediately to a request for comment.” (10/04/26)
System Update, 10/02/26
Source: Glenn Greenwald
“Weekly Q&A with Glenn Greenwald.” (10/02/26)
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/weekly-q-and-a-with-glenn-greenwald-2de
The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026: 4 ways the new permitting package gets transmission policy right
Source: Niskanen Center
by Rachel Levine & Liza Reed
“Last October, we posited that Congress could reach a bipartisan deal on permitting reform to address project timelines and get more transmission and clean energy built. With the introduction of the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) of 2026, lawmakers are close to doing just that. Here are four ways the transmission policies in the bill, sponsored by Senators Mike Lee, Shelley Moore Capito, Martin Heinrich, and Sheldon Whitehouse this week, can build the grid we need.” (10/02/26)
The Myth of the Radical Right
Source: Law & Liberty
by George Hawley
“Despite the continuous efforts of right-wing identitarians calling for more racial solidarity, feelings of white identity have not increased among most Republican voters. In fact, we see the opposite. Nor do we see meaningful growth in feelings of white racial grievance. Social media provides a skewed view of American life. The racial anger that seems so pervasive on X (formerly Twitter) is not reflected in these surveys. This means the politicians and media figures chasing accolades from the most bitter voices in the online right are misreading the nation’s political atmosphere.” (10/02/26)
Two Visions of Peace
Source: Liberalism.org
by Christopher J Coyne
“Peacemaking is often understood as a top-down phenomenon: Peace, defined as the absence of large-scale violence, results from state action. … A second view emphasizes peacemaking as a bottom-up process. This perspective recognizes that peace is not a one-size-fits-all policy or outcome, but rather an emergent result of exercising diverse micro-level skills.” (10/02/26)
The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 10/02/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Weird Tirade on Midterms Accidentally Reveals Key GOP Weakness.” (10/02/26)
Made in “Europe”
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Mark Nayler
“If the EU Commission didn’t take itself so seriously, you might think that the so-called Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) had been given its name as a self-deprecating joke. Unveiled in March, the initiative aims to boost the bloc’s industrial capacity and decarbonization efforts, in order to compete with China and achieve Brussels’s stringent climate goals; but seven months on, its progress through the EU’s bureaucratic obstacle course is steadily decelerating. Like many EU initiatives before it, the IAA is causing internal division—in this case over the scope of the phrase ‘Made in Europe.’ The question at the center of the dispute is whether protectionist measures will help or harm flagging EU industries.” (10/02/26)
Trump’s fits of pique explain his lifetime of failure
Source: Los Angeles Times
by LZ Granderson
“Ideally, the screams of infancy and the insolence of toddlerhood fade as a person grows and the scalpel of life begins sculpting away. Yes, problems still persist, but part of maturing is understanding that ‘he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.’ As the Bible story goes, King Solomon asked God for wisdom, and that proverb was among the things he told him. Of course it’s not necessary to be a Bible follower to understand the drawbacks of hot-headedness as an adult. … President Trump’s tendency to erupt at journalists and others is more than embarrassing or unprofessional. It’s informative.” (10/02/26)