“In contemporary political economy, it is sometimes helpful to draw a distinction between a Proper State and an Improper State. The distinction tracks the relationship of the state’s public sector apparatuses to the productivity and fiscal consent of its citizenry. When a state is properly accountable to its citizens, it uses taxpayer revenue to support functions that the people broadly approve. If that traditional bond of institutional accountability is severed, a more pathological configuration materializes wherein the state operates independently, decoupling its structural survival from the prosperity of its people. The improper state maintains its power with two primary tools: narrative and institutional control.” (09/03/26)
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
by Marj Halperin
“Raise your hand if you have affordable, accessible healthcare. Anyone? Yeah, that’s what I thought. With independent studies showing that close to half of all Americans struggle to afford healthcare, I expect I got the rest of you with the addition of the word ‘accessible.’ That’s because, while rising costs are a barrier for too many, even those who can afford comprehensive health insurance are finding money can’t buy you a timely appointment with most doctors.” (09/03/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott
“This month, there will be over 400 Chinese officials in New Delhi—more than double the previous delegation in 2019—to discuss the future of Sino–Indian relations. For China, those relations have never been more favorable; India’s position on the world stage has declined, though not in ways caused by China, making the prospect of resumed and increased trade between the two nations increasingly likely.” (09/03/26)
“The socialist experiment in America is no longer confined to Washington or deep-blue national politics. It is coming to city halls and school boards across the country, where low-turnout elections can transform ambitious ideology into binding budgets and classroom policy. Local government often affects Americans’ everyday lives more directly than Washington, shaping taxes, municipal services, schools, policing and housing. Americans should therefore pay close attention to the DSA’s steady advance into local government, where ideological commitments can collide with fiscal limits, practical administration and community preferences.” [editor’s note: The MAGA version isn’t as quiet, but it’s just as socialist – TLK] (09/03/26)
“Congress and the Trump administration are not at blame for investing too little in America’s military; they are at fault for taking on too many national security projects. To quote a favorite line from the Rolling Stones, ‘You can’t always get what you want.'” (09/03/26)
“Brendan Greeley’s new book ‘The Almighty Dollar’ traces the dollar’s 500-year journey from a European silver coin to the shaky foundation of American financial power.” (09/03/26)
“When did saving a life start to feel like breaking the rules? When did the doctor at the bedside become less trusted than the people making decisions from far away, such as administrators, regulators, or distant experts who have never met the patient? And how did a profession built on judgment, uncertainty, and moral responsibility end up rewarding people for just following orders? These aren’t just abstract questions. They decide who can act when someone is dying, and who gets blamed if the official plan fails.” (09/03/26)
Source: Liberal Currents
by Shaily Patel & Matthew Gabriele
“The right wing’s assault on Religion and Humanities programs is an assault on our ability to understand the world, from Hindutva abroad to Christian Nationalism at home.” (09/03/26)
“The headlines this week wrote themselves: Meta, humbled at last, agrees to pay up to $17.1 billion and accept the strictest limits ever imposed on teenage social media use. A combined two-hour daily cap across Instagram and Facebook. A midnight-to-6 a.m. blackout. Age assurance. Attorneys general from 47 states, the District of Columbia, and three territories took a victory lap. But amid all this, Meta’s stock went up. Wall Street understood something the headlines missed. Meta did not simply buy peace. It bought a government-backed campaign to press the same restraints on its rivals — restraints that, by design, might cost rivals far more than they cost Meta, thus serving Meta’s interests.” (09/03/26)
