Correct me if I’ve missed something but they’re still only a single carrier battle group there, right? “Go to war” in this context is…air strikes? The US has been doing this my entire adult life, lazily lobbing cruise missiles at someone. If Trump thinks this will hold the public’s attention…Lol.

All the other immunodeficiency viruses:

I've received very few bits of insight from random strangers in bars in my lifetime, but "Punks are good people pretending to be shitty ones; hippies are shitty people pretending to be good ones" qualifies. It rarely fails me.

Absolutely demoralizing the first type of populism we're being exposed to in a generation is the confused, "aristopopulism" of the new right.

"I have a couple irons in the fire at the Heritage Foundation I don't wanna mess up writing OpEd's" -- A Very Serious Political Person

Interest rates are only a single component of affordability. These have returned to historically normal levels for the US.

I mean it's also Bluesky, so you can throw a stone and hit 3 people who, for some reason, feel personally sleighted by criticism of anything Democrat party related.

The alternative movement is growing, but clearly not driving yet.

I know retail sales are a lagging indicator, but I just don't think there's yet sufficient data to match a narrative of a recession. Sideways? Sure.

But remember to steel yourself against your own political biases and its impact on viewing the economy. Sentiment walks, money talks.

*Taps the hole that used to be the first page of the "Donald, the Dove. Hillary, the Hawk" article from 2016*

It really is that simple. But gets right back to the heart of the powerful and the powerless

Engaging in a debate over whether or not he’s “kidding“ will paint you into a corner in which “But he’s just kidding!” means it’s not a big deal.

Treat it the way the FBI would treat it when they show up at your door after you make “jokes“ about assassinating someone. Your intent is irrelevant.

I think political types fail to know how little Americans actually think about these things. They blame bad outcomes on the ones in charge. Especially a demagogue whose power derives from showing what he can do without bipartisan support.

THIS WAS THEIR VICE PRESIDENT PICK

But on something like this shutdown, where were the votes whipped? Where were Senators brought in line for consensus? Maybe they just aren't that good at their jobs, but that they, instead, do the things these serious political types want them to do?

In light of all the Pelosi career-praise with her retirement announcement, I had the thought today that all the serious, in-the-know types have told us for decades that Pelosi and Schumer are incredible at their jobs and none of these idealogues could do what they do.

mfw Cornell was already one of the largest agriculture programs of the Ivy League before this. Particularly in the biology of apple trees, owing to their large test orchards.