“This sounds distinctly non-optimal: ‘Disabled people in England ‘have to wait up to two years for wheelchairs’’ … We do grasp that wheelchairs are more than simply four wheels and a chair these days. Also that there’s more than a little personal optimisation dependent upon the specific disability being catered to. But they’re not that complicated. … There is competition for the trade so where is the problem? Why is it that it can take up to two years? No, we don’t know either and it seems to us one of those things where we’d all like to know the answer. Our assumption is that the problem is with the monopoly, the NHS.” (11/12/26)
“After the midterm wipeout, divisive blame-gaming erupted on the Right. One particularly bitter divide was over supposed ‘neocon’ interventionism and the Iran war. But who are—or were—the neocons, and what is neoconservatism? The word, clearly, means ‘new conservatives’. It was first used to characterize former liberals and Democrats in the 1970s who were turned off by their erstwhile party’s soft-on-crime domestic policies and especially by its cheery notion that we no longer needed to fear Soviet communism. They were even more appalled by Jimmy Carter’s paralytic reaction to Iran’s hostage-taking. In reaction, a number of public intellectuals and officials—such as Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, James Q. Wilson, Bill Bennett, and Jeane Kirkpatrick—began supporting Ronald Reagan’s ‘we win, and they lose’ approach to the Cold War and the military buildup needed to restore deterrence.” [editor’s note: File under “historical revisionism” – TLK] (11/12/26)
Source: The Atlantic
by Thomas Chatterton Williams
“An assault on free speech is unfolding in France. On Tuesday, a judge placed Michel Houellebecq, one of the country’s most significant living writers, under investigation for his alleged ‘complicity in incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence,’ an accusation that stems from comments he made about Muslims several years ago. Houellebecq’s remarks were controversial and insensitive, but defending his freedom to speak does not require finding his words unobjectionable. … The fact that he now faces the possibility of criminal charges should concern anyone who professes to care about the free exchange of ideas.” (11/12/26)
“You hear the hopeful sighs among certain Republicans looking to move past Donald Trump and seeing JD Vance mired in quicksand. Maybe Rubio could be the future? He has MAGA credibility but without the cutthroat affect of JD or DeSantis. He was confirmed 99–0 in the Senate. He’s Hispanic. He’s clearly not full MAGA. Forget it. I say this as someone who would dearly love to see the GOP turn away from Trump and MAGA. But Rubio is not the vehicle. He may not have personally bitten the heads off the chickens, but he enjoyed the meal. Let’s consider the ways in which he has permanently stained his character. And for the sake of space as well as mercy, let’s limit our scope just to Trump’s second term.” (11/12/26)
“Congressional Democrats will face the first test of their willingness to translate their electoral gains into action against the Iran war before the new Congress is seated in January. While almost all Democrats appear united in wanting to end the war, a question of how to do so — and, perhaps more importantly, when to do so — is looming. Some are urging the current Congress to target Dec. 11, when ongoing government spending authority runs out. Though Democrats will still be in the minority at that point, activists and a number of members argue that the midterm results give the party both the political capital and the leverage needed to act.” (11/12/26)
“It’s a longstanding truism of modern American politics: The next presidential race begins as soon as midterm elections end. That nonstop politicking has been an annoyance for many voters but also for political reporters like myself. Like, give us a break, literally. Not this time. In the wake of the 2026 midterm elections that scrambled the national political map and its hoary red- and blue-state boundaries, Americans of all persuasions should be excited by the potential of the 2028 presidential election — and not just for its promise of ushering out Donald Trump. The 2028 contest stands to be one of the most wide-open, eventful, wholly unpredictable and historic races in memory.” (11/12/26)
“With Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth temporarily safe from impeachment, a dozen humanitarian groups are calling on Congress to investigate one of the eight shelved charges lodged against him: his role in the deaths of hundreds of people during the ‘unauthorized war in Yemen.’ … The push for accountability follows last week’s electoral rout of the GOP and immediate calls by top Democrats for scrutiny of war powers abuses by the Trump administration. But with Democrats taking the gavel in both chambers next year, a defense official told The Intercept that the Trump administration’s failed 2025 conflict in Yemen risks becoming a ‘forgotten war’ amid a push for accountability focused on higher profile conflicts.” (11/12/26)
“US President Trump is fighting the International Criminal Court, whose mission is to prosecute and convict high-ranking suspected criminals who have violated international law and human rights in The Hague. The US government under Trump is now imposing sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court as an institution. This represents yet another attack on global justice. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has 125 member states and, since 2002, has been prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide—including those committed by high-ranking officials. Like China, Israel, and Russia, the US is not a member of the ICC. However, a clear majority of countries worldwide (125 member states) do support it. The US government is now not only imposing sanctions on the ICC as an institution but has also previously taken action against members of the court. Thirteen judges and the chief prosecutor of the ICC have been placed on the U.S. sanctions list.” (11/12/26)
“Defense Secretary Hegseth’s term is likely to be seen as one of the most disastrous ones in the Pentagon’s history. The lack of personal integrity and even basic executive experience compounds an aggressive, ideologically overdriven campaign that has triggered a chilling effect, tanked military approval ratings and alienated America’s allies, partners and adversaries alike.” (11/12/26)
