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Ian Welsh26 minutes ago
Groups and Coalitions: Politics Chapter V[image: Story 512397934]
Previous: Identity
(Introduction and Table of Contents)
Politically active groups form because of ideology and identity: they have
beliefs about how the world should be; those beliefs are emotional and
create both identification with other people who have the beliefs and
shared desire to change the world or keep the world in line with how the
ideologies prescriptions.
Identification is necessary, but without ideology there would be no
direction: a group wouldn’t know who should rule or what they should do.
Should we convert everyone to our religion and di... read more
NYT > U.S. > Politics48 minutes ago
"In the US as of this writing the Republican party could be seen an
alliance between traditional fiscal/corporate conservatives,
libertarians and conservative “populists”. They vote together and can
rarely be broken apart: they on occasionally make separate peaces. The
democratic party, however, has some neoliberals who will make separate
peace, and since the Senate is 50-50, that means Biden can’t pass his
agenda since he can’t hold all 50 votes, while Republican leader Mitch McConnell can hold all 50 of his votes."
There is not much to argue with here.
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Matthew McConaughey Says He Will Not Run for Texas GovernorWith about two weeks before the candidate filing deadline for the Texas
primary, the actor said a run for office is “a path that I’m choosing not
to take at this moment.” read more
Let the Texas Republicans self destruct.
3
NYT > U.S. > Politics1 hour ago
Taliban and 9/11 Families Fight for Billions in Frozen Afghan FundsThe White House must figure out what to do with the Afghan central bank’s
account at the Federal Reserve, now blocked under U.S. law. read more
Those funds belong to the Afghans.
The 9/11 group should collect from the Saudis.
4
NYT > U.S. > Politics14 hours ago
Esper Claims Defense Dept. Is Improperly Blocking Parts of His MemoirThe former defense secretary sued the agency, saying that portions of the
book were being concealed “under the guise of classification.” read more
Esper must prove his contention in court.
Trump will claim "Executive Privilege".
5
NYT > U.S. > Politics14 hours ago
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/28/us/politics/china-nuclear-arms-race.html
China is in the same Mutual Assured Destruction trap.
The Red Army may have difficulty understanding the problem.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics15 hours ago
Carrie P. Meek, 5-Term Florida Representative, Dies at 95She was the first Black person to represent the state in the House since
Reconstruction, and she fought for programs to create jobs. read more
She was on the proper side as far as I can tell.
She lived a full life.
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Ian Welsh16 hours ago
Reading List[image: Story 512115526]
A few years ago someone asked me for a reading list. I recently came across
it again when someone else asked, and I thought I’d share it with everyone.
I wouldn’t necessarily read this exactly in order, and what you need to
read will will depend on your background, the person asking had very little
in the social sciences and humanities.
Writers who had an outsize affect on me compared to how others view them
are Randall Collins, Jane Jacobs and Damasio.
“Conflict Sociology” is dense and long and many would be served by skipping
it, but it’s also the book I... read more
I have sought understanding rather than"mastery"
I have an amateur interest.
Start with:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nullius_in_verba
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NYT > U.S. > Politics16 hours ago
Fetal Viability, Long an Abortion Dividing Line, Faces a Supreme Court TestOn Wednesday, the justices will hear the most important abortion case in
decades, one that could undermine or overturn Roe v. Wade. read more
The woman decides.
Medicine can help.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics18 hours ago
Years of Delays, Billions in Overruns: The Dismal History of Big InfrastructureThe nation’s most ambitious engineering projects are mired in postponements
and skyrocketing costs. Delivering $1.2 trillion in new infrastructure will
be tough. read more
The Republicans should stop whining.
Everything costs more later.
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Ian Welsh21 hours ago
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – November 28, 2021[image: Story 512042758]
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – November 28, 2021
by Tony Wikrent
*Strategic Political Economy*
Destroying Democracy Is Central to the Privatization of Public Goods
[Jacobin, via Naked Capitalism 11-22-2021]
How Delaware Became the World’s Biggest Offshore Haven
[Foreign Policy, via Naked Capitalism 11-21-2021]
The American Ruling Class Has Never Let Us Build Back Better
[Jacobin, via The Daily Poster, November 21, 2021]
The defeat of Reconstruction was the nation’s first failure to build back
better, and it set the stage for the failures th... read more
Boycott commerce.
We can all eat less food.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics1 day ago
Local News Outlets May Reap $1.7 Billion in Build Back Better AidA small paper like The Storm Lake Times in Iowa would receive a big tax
credit. So would Gannett, the nation’s largest news publisher. read more
Real news is necessary.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics1 day ago
The Disconnect Between Biden’s Popular Policies and His UnpopularityVoters often punish a president for pushing an unpopular agenda. But
President Biden has been learning that they rarely reward a president for
enacting legislation. read more
There is a large group for whom Biden's programs are not fast enough.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics1 day ago
Democrats Struggle to Energize Their Base as Frustrations MountEven as President Biden achieves some significant victories, Democrats are
warning that many of their most loyal supporters see inaction and broken
campaign promises. read more
A solution is to follow the news more closely.
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Ian Welsh2 days ago
Open Thread[image: Story 511590057]
Please use to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts.
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn
read more
Anything starts with live negotiation.
Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.
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Ian Welsh2 days ago
Preparing for Bad Times Thread[image: Story 511589477]
This is a thread for comments on how to prepare for bad times. All
off-topic comments will be deleted. The thread will be re-upped every
Saturday so that resources can build over time.
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp LinkedIn
read more
There will be economic hard times before climatic hard times.
Preparation will consist of personal wealth.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics2 days ago
U.S. to Place Travel Restrictions on South Africa, Other CountriesStarting Monday, travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia,
Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi will be barred unless they are
citizens or permanent residents. read more
That will be almost pointless.
Security theater.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics2 days ago
Seeking Backers for New Fund, Jared Kushner Turns to Middle EastFormer President Donald J. Trump’s son-in-law is trying to raise capital
for his investment firm and is turning to a region that he dealt with
extensively while in the White House. read more
The Saudis are smarter than that.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics2 days ago
Interior Dept. Report on Drilling Is Mostly Silent on Climate ChangeThe department recommended higher fees for oil and gas leases, but there
was no sign the government planned to take global warming into account when
weighing new applications. read more
The Interior Department follows executive instructions.
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Ian Welsh3 days ago
Fundraising Update[image: Story 511145045]
A little over 1 week in, and we’ve raised approximately $2,400. The first
tier is at $5.000:
A longer article on the collapse of the USSR, putting everything I’m aware
of together. In particular I want to discuss the steps Gorbachev took which
seem like either gross stupidity or intentional destruction. The fall of
the Soviet Union was studied in great detail by the Chinese Communist
Party, and has informed their actions since.
Donations this year have been the slowest I remember, probably both because
of Covid and doing the fundraiser around Thanksgiving.... read more
I will send Ian Welsh about one hundred dollars.
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NYT > U.S. > Politics3 days ago
Edward Durr Jr.: The Trump Republican Who’s Riding High in New Jersey“If anything, my election showed nobody’s untouchable,” said Edward Durr
Jr., who pulled off a stunning victory to win a New Jersey State Senate
seat. read more
I do not vote in New Jersey and will not support idiocy.
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