“I learned basic arithmetic skills in third grade. I wasn’t exceptional; everyone in my public school third grade class learned them. Of course, we all can now use computers to have calculations done for us in a fraction of a second. But still, somehow we have major national debates that show zero understanding of even the most basic arithmetic. The latest example is the $2,000 tariff dividend check that Trump is promising us. The arithmetic here is about as simple as it gets. We have roughly 340 million people in the country. Let’s say 10 percent don’t get the check because they meet Trump’s category of ‘high-income’. That leaves over 300 million people getting Trump’s $2,000 checks. That comes to more than $600 billion. Trump’s tariffs are raising around $270 billion. That means we will be paying out $330 billion more in Trump tariff dividend checks than he is raising in tariff revenue.” (11/10/25)
“The U.S. military has murdered more than 70 people in the Caribbean and the Pacific over the last two months. The president and the Secretary of Defense have given illegal orders to kill civilians on these boats at least 18 times and every time the orders have been carried out. The president wants to use the military as his own assassins, and it appears that no one is willing to refuse that assignment.” (11/10/25)
“In last Tuesday’s elections, Trump’s regal apathy made him all but useless to his party. He never campaigned in person for Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for governor of New Jersey. He never even endorsed Winsome Earle-Sears, the party’s nominee for governor of Virginia. But Trump had plenty to say about himself. Two days before the election, he posted, ‘I’M GETTING READY TO WATCH PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP (ME!) ON 60 MINUTES.’ On Wednesday morning, hours after the Democratic sweep, Republican senators went to the White House for a breakfast with Trump. He used the occasion to distance himself from the losers. In fact, he bragged that the party’s losses underscored how special he was.” (11/10/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“It’s interesting how much the IDF’s constant ceasefire violations in Gaza and Lebanon line up with the way people familiar with Israeli culture say Israelis like to test everyone’s boundaries to find out exactly how much they can get away with. There are two terms, ‘shitat matzliach’ and ‘freier’, which come up over and over again whenever you see people discussing the prevalence of this obnoxious behavior in Israeli society. ‘Shitat matzliach’ translates to ‘successful method’, and basically means trying to exploit people in the hope that they’re naive or not paying attention and then backing off if they call you out. ‘Frier’ roughly translates to ‘sucker’, i.e. the sort of person that shitat matzliach will work on.” (11/10/25)
“The death penalty is a travesty when it is used against anyone. It is called the ultimate penalty for a reason. In the American legal tradition, it is only to be imposed after a careful weighing of evidence and consideration of the appropriateness of taking someone’s life as a punishment for crime. That is why news of the Trump administration’s campaign of bombing boats off the coast of Venezuela and in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico should be so disturbing to all Americans. It is a glaring example of the president’s ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ approach to the world.” (11/10/25)
“This year in Washington so far has been one of gloves-off politics rather than handshake compromises. More than 150 lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration’s actions. Then, starting Oct. 1, Democrats in the Senate voted 14 times not to fund the government until a key demand on health care was met. The shutdown has been the longest in United States history. On Sunday, however, a gaggle of three former governors (Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire along with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine) were able to broker a deal and achieve a 60-40 Senate vote that is expected to end the shutdown in coming days.” (11/10/25)
“With everything that the Trump administration is doing to militarize our cities and neighborhoods, it can be easy to forget about all of the damage that Elon Musk has done, and continues to do. He and his Department of Government Efficiency minions destroyed the US Agency for International Development, resulting in incredible misery and thousands of deaths in countries around the world. They fired thousands of dedicated civil servants and embedded themselves in all major government agencies, and combined our personal data in illegal ways that make us all more vulnerable. … he continues to use his vast wealth to subvert democracy both here and around the world, and will continue to do so unless we fight back. One of the pillars of his empire is Starlink, which leverages Musk’s relationship with President Donald Trump to help it acquire additional spectrum licenses and crush its competition.” (11/10/25)
“Even with the robust protections offered to us by the First Amendment and the decades of decisions made by our federal and Supreme courts, defending free speech is still difficult business. Infringements on our rights often take advantage of loopholes and gaps in our legal frameworks, leading to actions — particularly from those in power — that violate our expressive rights and chill free speech. That’s why FIRE has long championed a variety of proposals to help safeguard free expression from government attacks and abuse, including federal legislation. But what would that legislation look like?” (11/10/25)
“Instead of the politics of domination, just let more socio-cultural enclaves get exactly what they vote for, ‘good and hard.’ Then, everyone can learn from their mistakes in tighter feedback loops.” (11/10/25)
