“Do not expect the Constitution’s language and structure to impede what decades of presidential practices have made normal: presidents doing what they choose regarding warmaking. The current president has pushed prerogative to absurdity (e.g., defining war as something waged by suspected drug smugglers). In domestic affairs (e.g., a bogus ’emergency’ justifying tariffs; an executive order amending the 14th Amendment regarding birthright citizenship), the Constitution probably soon will restrain him. Regarding warmaking, however, the Constitution, Congress and norms are cobwebs inadequate for lassoing a presidential locomotive. So, voters are learning the Constitution’s limited ability to mitigate the consequences of their choices. Neither the language of the law (constitutional or other), nor what are now shadows of norms, can substitute for what is indispensable: an occupant of the presidency whose constitutional conscience causes him or her to distinguish the proper from the merely possible.” (12/10/25)
“At its core, mercantilism emphasizes using tariffs and trade restrictions to boost national exports, limit imports, and accumulate wealth or power, rather than relying on free-market trade flows to optimize global welfare. The current trade strategy of President Trump and his administration largely echoes those principles, with aggressive and broad tariffs on imports, plus reciprocal tariffs meant to penalize trade partners. Some commentators call this a new mercantilism,adapted for 21st-century global trade conflicts. It is characterized by combining tariffs, trade restrictions, and industrial policy aimed at re-shoring manufacturing and reducing dependency on rival powers. … in terms of motivation and tools, the US seems to be embracing a mercantilist trade-power strategy again, even if it doesn’t use the same rhetoric as 18th-century mercantilist states.” (12/10/25)
“In their current push for patient choice, Republicans in Congress and the administration are focused primarily on the demand side by adjusting the offerings available in the Affordable Care Act marketplace and pursuing aggressive price transparency requirements for hospitals and insurers. Together, these reform efforts aim to make patients more price-sensitive shoppers with greater direct control over their healthcare spending. This year, Republicans greatly expanded the reach of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) – tools that individuals can use to pay directly for health expenses when paired with cheaper, higher-deductible insurance plans. … these reforms often rely on a competitively responsive supply side. In reality, a worsening doctor shortage and the erosion of independent, lower-cost providers make clear that the supply side is unlikely to meet this moment for patients without similar reforms.” (12/10/25)
Source: Orange County Register
by the editorial board
“As a general rule, babies born in the United States of America are citizens of the United States of America. There isn’t any question about that. It’s in the Constitution, 14th Amendment: ‘All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.’ … If the president, as with any other citizen, thinks there’s a problem with some part of the Constitution, he’s welcome to lead the charge to repeal it, and with his bully pulpit he would have a better chance than most in his quest. But instead of pursuing normal legal channels, Trump on his first day back in office issued an executive order …”
“Civilians around the world daily and easily engage with artificial intelligence, communicating with chatbot ‘therapists’ and ‘friends’ or creating realistic videos with entirely machine-generated content. Governments, meanwhile, are racing to keep up with the implications of AI – positive and otherwise – for national security and economic competitiveness as well as for citizen freedoms, privacy, and safety. The challenge centers on whether and how much to regulate this rapidly advancing and lucrative sector. And how to do so without eroding the democratic, free-market values of individual and entrepreneurial autonomy. Australia is now the first country to ban social media use for children under age 16. In July, the United Kingdom enacted age verification for accessing pornographic sites. And last year, the European Union passed an AI Act to ‘foster responsible’ development, while addressing ‘potential risks to citizens’ health, safety, and fundamental rights.'” (12/09/25)
“It doesn’t take a political genius to recognize that things are in free fall over at the White House. Less than a year after staffing his administration with a cadre of bumbling goons valued only for their slavish devotion to his ego, President Trump now finds himself leading a government wholly incapable of governing. Forgive my lack of surprise. … Trump’s crumbling administration is living proof that the best way to convince voters to elect Democrats is to let Republicans run things for a year.” (12/10/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Just as the United States hits its first official trillion-dollar annual military budget, the New York Times editorial board has published an article which argues that the US is going to need to increase military funding to prepare for a major war with China. The article is titled ‘Overmatched: Why the U.S. Military Must Reinvent Itself,’ and to be clear it is an editorial, not an op-ed, meaning it represents the position of the newspaper itself rather than solely that of the authors. This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows that The New York Times has supported every American war throughout its entire history, because The New York Times is a war propaganda firm disguised as a news outlet. But it is surprising how brazen they are about it in this particular case.” (12/10/25)
“Last night Donald Trump gave an important speech on the economy in Pennsylvania …. The event was initially touted as the start of an ‘affordability tour,’ the first of a series of speeches intended to reverse Trump’s cratering approval on his handling of inflation and the economy. A number of news analyses suggested that he would use the occasion to blame Democrats for the economy’s troubles. That was never going to happen. … to blame Democrats for the economy’s problems he would have to admit that the Trump economy has problems. … Trump and his minions seem to have come around to admitting that Americans are, in fact, unhappy with the state of the economy. But if the economy is A+++++, why don’t people see it? The problem can’t possibly lie with him — so it must lie with you.” (12/10/25)
“The first US missiles that struck the boats in the Caribbean in early September 2025 were described by Washington as a ‘counter-narcotics operation,’ a sterile phrase meant to dull the violence of incinerating human beings in an instant. Then came the second strike, this time on survivors already struggling to stay afloat. Once the details emerged, however, the official story began to fall apart. Local fishermen contradicted US claims. Relatives of those killed have said the men were not cartel operatives at all, but fishermen, divers, and small-scale couriers. … Maritime workers noted what everyone in the region already knows: the route near Venezuela’s waters is not a fentanyl corridor into the United States.” (12/10/25)
“On December 4, 2025, the Trump administration released a document claiming to herald a ‘Golden Age of Peace;’ yet a careful reading reveals an entirely different picture: a roadmap for institutionalizing chronic militarism and perpetuating conflict in a new form. The new U.S. National Security Strategy portrays Trump as the ‘Peace President’ who has allegedly ‘chieved peace in eight global conflicts,’ yet the same document simultaneously authorizes the use of ‘lethal force’ in other countries, the expansion of military deployments at borders, and the weaponization of economic tools. This apparent contradiction is not accidental; it is part of a structural logic that links claims of non-interventionism with the reality of expanding military dominance.” (12/10/25)
