Comments on: A lot of things are starting to make sense now. https://habitablezone.com/2024/07/25/a-lot-of-things-are-starting-to-make-sense-now/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2024/07/25/a-lot-of-things-are-starting-to-make-sense-now/#comment-53327 BuckGalaxy Mon, 29 Jul 2024 18:49:38 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=103954#comment-53327 Project 2025 wants to take the Federal Reserve's power and put it in the White House. I can think of nothing that would be more damaging to the economy of the nation and the world than to have the Fed's immense decision making power become so entirely politically influenced. Politicians who are looking at short term elections cannot be trusted to have the long term interests of the economy in their hands. Project 2025 wants to take the Federal Reserve’s power and put it in the White House. I can think of nothing that would be more damaging to the economy of the nation and the world than to have the Fed’s immense decision making power become so entirely politically influenced. Politicians who are looking at short term elections cannot be trusted to have the long term interests of the economy in their hands.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2024/07/25/a-lot-of-things-are-starting-to-make-sense-now/#comment-53326 podrock Mon, 29 Jul 2024 16:58:33 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=103954#comment-53326 Used to follow her Twitter feed. Also suggest Heather Digby Parton who writes for Salon: https://digbysblog.net/ Used to follow her Twitter feed.

Also suggest Heather Digby Parton who writes for Salon: https://digbysblog.net/

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2024/07/25/a-lot-of-things-are-starting-to-make-sense-now/#comment-53320 BuckGalaxy Sun, 28 Jul 2024 23:12:17 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=103954#comment-53320 They want to give Trump nothing less than dictatorial powers. Not just the 50k government jobs they want sycophants to take over from experts, but the presidency taking over the power of the purse from Congress. That concentration of so much power in the executive branch matched with the criminal immunity the SCOTUS has bestowed is frightening. They want to give Trump nothing less than dictatorial powers. Not just the 50k government jobs they want sycophants to take over from experts, but the presidency taking over the power of the purse from Congress. That concentration of so much power in the executive branch matched with the criminal immunity the SCOTUS has bestowed is frightening.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2024/07/25/a-lot-of-things-are-starting-to-make-sense-now/#comment-53319 ER Sat, 27 Jul 2024 21:04:14 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=103954#comment-53319 and they certainly have a good point. But the reverse is also true, by dispersing power to individual economic and political entities you allow local thugs to take over. What you have in Russia today, and what the hard right would like to install here, is a gangster state, run by a loose alliance of oligarchs. If you look carefully at Project 2025, it is a plan to install exactly such a state. There's a lot of handwaving about ideology and culture, but its really all about money. And these gangster states are not necessarily all on the Right. Look at Cuba and Venezuela, and coming soon, Mexico. Magna Carta limited the divine right of kings, but it did not lead to increased rights for the common man. Granted, King John was a very bad king, but rule by the local barons was no improvement. I'm looking forward to reading Applebaum's book. She appears to be a worthy successor to Barbara Ehrenreich. and they certainly have a good point.

But the reverse is also true, by dispersing power to individual economic and political entities you allow local thugs to take over. What you have in Russia today, and what the hard right would like to install here, is a gangster state, run by a loose alliance of oligarchs. If you look carefully at Project 2025, it is a plan to install exactly such a state. There’s a lot of handwaving about ideology and culture, but its really all about money.

And these gangster states are not necessarily all on the Right. Look at Cuba and Venezuela, and coming soon, Mexico.

Magna Carta limited the divine right of kings, but it did not lead to increased rights for the common man. Granted, King John was a very bad king, but rule by the local barons was no improvement.

I’m looking forward to reading Applebaum’s book. She appears to be a worthy successor to Barbara Ehrenreich.

]]> By: BuckGalaxy https://habitablezone.com/2024/07/25/a-lot-of-things-are-starting-to-make-sense-now/#comment-53318 BuckGalaxy Sat, 27 Jul 2024 20:22:55 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=103954#comment-53318 I can so relate to her description of the feeling in the early post Cold War days that free enterprise would bring democracy to the former Soviet bloc. And yes there was progress but it certainly did crash and burn in Russia. (Not entirely, there is the Navalny movement, but Putin is firmly in control.) Not just private capital but Western government loans also vanished into the black hole Ruskie corruption. But there were some successes. Although certainly not perfect or smooth, a number of former Soviet client states established true democracies and still maintain them. Not entirely a failed project. But to your point, the corrpution that breeds authoritarianism is real. When you think about it happening here, that is what project 2025 is all about. America has long been described as a pluralistic society, with so many different concentrations and clusters of power that almost everyone's viewpoints and issues are represented somewhere. Project 2025 wants to concentrate so much power in one place that it can control everything. I'm skeptical that authoritarianism can set root in America simply because our federalist system giving so much power to the states makes it too difficult. But there's no doubt that is what the MAGAts and their 2025 plan want. I can so relate to her description of the feeling in the early post Cold War days that free enterprise would bring democracy to the former Soviet bloc. And yes there was progress but it certainly did crash and burn in Russia. (Not entirely, there is the Navalny movement, but Putin is firmly in control.) Not just private capital but Western government loans also vanished into the black hole Ruskie corruption. But there were some successes. Although certainly not perfect or smooth, a number of former Soviet client states established true democracies and still maintain them. Not entirely a failed project.

But to your point, the corrpution that breeds authoritarianism is real. When you think about it happening here, that is what project 2025 is all about. America has long been described as a pluralistic society, with so many different concentrations and clusters of power that almost everyone’s viewpoints and issues are represented somewhere. Project 2025 wants to concentrate so much power in one place that it can control everything. I’m skeptical that authoritarianism can set root in America simply because our federalist system giving so much power to the states makes it too difficult. But there’s no doubt that is what the MAGAts and their 2025 plan want.

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