Month: March 2024

According to David French, the left has finally fled Sewer, which has turned into a extreme right-wing playpen. Even more than Fox News, it has become the right’s chosen source of (mis)information.

The problem for Musk is that the kind of people who now populate Sewer would rather eat ground glass than buy an electric car. He is busy alienating existing and potential Tesla customers in favor of a constituency that hates his primary product.

Musk thinks he’s above the rules. Unfortunately for him, the rules of logic still apply, and they’re going to cost him a lot of money.

The left wants a cease-fire in Gaza. One assumes they also want the Israelis to withdraw. Then what? Hamas will still be in charge of the wreckage. It has no interest in improving the lives of the residents; it only wants to destroy Israel. How do we get from a stinking pile of rubble and a starving populace under the control of a revolutionary organization to a lasting peace and a real Palestinian state? You can’t get from Point A to Point B.

The right just wants the Israelis to bounce the rubble in Gaza. How does that enable us to midwife an alliance between Israel and the Saudis? How does it help us rally the world against Putin and China? All it does is alienate world opinion and make us look like hypocrites when we advocate for universal human rights.

Here’s what I would say about foreign policy:

1. UKRAINE: Putin is a bloody dictator who invaded a small democracy, killed tens of thousands of people, and destroyed everything in his path for no better reason than he just wanted it under his control. Some members of Congress think if we appease him, he’ll stop with Ukraine, but history tells us otherwise. Some members of Congress think Ukraine is a European problem, and we should focus solely on China, but Europe doesn’t have the resources in the short run to stop Putin, and the best way to deter potential Chinese aggression in Asia is to prove we have the will and the means to stop their ally without, of course, risking World War III. If those members of Congress had been alive after Pearl Harbor, they would have told the American public we didn’t have the ability to fight both Hitler and the Japanese at the same time. Guess how that would have turned out!
2. CHINA: We have mobilized our friends in Asia to send a message to the Chinese that aggression will not be accepted. That said, we need to work with the Chinese on issues such as North Korea and climate change, and diversifying supply chains will take time, so we need to operate with some degree of nuance. Slapping huge tariffs on the Chinese will only increase inflation at home. Do we really want that?
3. GAZA: Israel had every right to defend itself against Hamas. Hamas is a revolutionary organization, not a real government, and has refused to be a partner for peace in the Middle East. As such, any hope for real progress on the Palestinian issue is conditioned on its destruction, and demanding a cease-fire with Hamas still in control of parts of Gaza is counterproductive. But providing unqualified support for any Israeli action, regardless of how brutal and unfocused, in Gaza is also a mistake; how does turning Gaza into rubble and killing tens of thousands of civilians make the creation of a Palestinian state, and an alliance between moderate Arabs and Israel, more likely? How does alienating public opinion around the world by slaughtering Palestinian civilians help us deal with our other foreign policy challenges? A middle course, with the objective of real change in the Middle East, is what is required here.
4. IRAN: Some members of Congress want us to strike directly at Iran and start a new war in the Middle East. Given our history, do we really want another war there? And does it make sense to rally the citizens of Iran around the government at a time when its legitimacy is in question, and regime change is around the corner? We will continue to deter Iran and its proxies, but in a way that is proportionate to any attacks on our forces so as to avoid a wider conflict.

Biden’s most important task in the SOTU is to prove to the public that he is physically and mentally fit to do the job for another four years. I can’t help him with that, but here’s some advice on what to say on domestic issues:

1. A BLAST FROM THE PAST: America has forgotten what life was like when Biden took office. Unemployment had soared; thousands of people were dying from the virus every day; and the government’s response to the challenge was chaotic at best. And, of course, there was January 6. Today, unemployment is very low and the pandemic is over. Life is good, comparatively speaking.
2. INFLATION: Inflation was a worldwide problem caused by side effects of the pandemic. Just as it did after the two world wars, it has subsided. It is under control again. It won’t be, however, if we impose new tariffs on imported goods; that’s a big tax increase, by the way.
3. ABORTION: Due to the decision in Dobbs, abortion rights are under threat in the entire country–even in states that have put them in their constitutions. A national ban is a real possibility. Roe should be codified at the federal level immediately.
4. CLIMATE CHANGE: It is still an existential threat. The huge fire in Texas is evidence of that. It comes for people in red as well as blue states. We made significant progress by passing the IRA, but more needs to be done. Let’s keep working on it.
5. THE BORDER: The problems at the border are the result of inadequate resources and legislation that doesn’t address some of the issues with regard to asylum. The bipartisan Senate bill was a big step forward. Let’s finish the job.

I realized for the first time yesterday that the protagonist in this song bears an uncomfortable resemblance to Donald Trump. Listen to it yourself–you’ll see what I mean.

I’m pretty sure Pete Townshend never dreamed that he was describing a future POTUS when he was writing this song. What does he think when he plays it now?

McConnell knew it was time to go; his health was visibly declining, and he was starting to lose control of his MAGA members. His timing was impeccable; without the burden of speaking for his entire caucus, he is now free to advocate for Ukraine with fewer limits. But what happens when he goes? Is the Senate doomed to become yet another version of the House?

Not exactly. The combination of tradition and longer terms (leading to slower turnover) will prevent radical change in the short run. In addition, because senators represent entire states, there are no constituencies that are entirely bright red and rural. There is no doubt, however, that the MAGA influence will increase after the election unless the Democrats defy the odds and win a blowout victory. I’m not holding my breath on that one.

The real question is whether the filibuster survives without McConnell in the leadership if Trump wins and the GOP has a majority in the Senate. There will be enormous pressure to get rid of it to facilitate a national abortion ban. Collins and Murkowski will not vote for that, however. The filibuster will stay unless the GOP winds up with at least 52 Senate seats after November, which is possible, but pretty unlikely.