Blog

***** The Terrifying Future of the American Right

“The first great project of the national conservatives is to man the barricades in the culture war,” @nytdavidbrooks reports from the National Conservatism Conference.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/11/scary-future-american-right-national-conservatism-conference/620746/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYWiI8s_s4SdLn0Vg-c5878I&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social

***** $$$$$$ ‘I Run the Country and the World’

Donald Trump’s remarkable political comeback has made him feel like he’s invincible. @AshleyRParker and @michaelscherer report from inside a White House where loyalty is the most important credential and the boss always gets his way:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/trump-second-term-comeback/682573/?gift=yGKGqaI9BMfIDuch_TrGYbCOqWdVH8xCygDDFfi76f8&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social

***** Cronyism, Capitulation and Utter Chaos

 

Paul Krugman

1

Cronyism, Capitulation and Utter Chaos

And what the hell was Scott Bessent doing briefing Morgan clients?

 

Hitting the road today, but I have time for a note on the news that moved markets yesterday. Bloomberg reports:

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit Tuesday that the tariff standoff with China cannot be sustained by both sides and that the world’s two largest economies will have to find ways to de-escalate.

That de-escalation will come in the very near future, Bessent said during an event hosted by J.P. Morgan Chase in Washington, which wasn’t open to the public or media. He characterized the current situation as essentially a trade embargo, according to people who attended the session.

 

https://open.substack.com/pub/paulkrugman/p/cronyism-capitulation-and-chaos?r=3azmy&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false