Government Coup

[catherine]

You crash the market, your friends buy. You pump the market, your friends sell. You keep repeating.

Exactly.

ETA: Paul Krugman had a good headline for his substack on this topic: "When an Arsonist Poses as a Firefighter."

[rosarugosa]

Someone on the MMM forum made reference to a "chaos monkey" running the show in the US, and I thought that was such a perfect descriptor for DJT.

[catherine]

George Saunders (Lincoln at the Bardo) had a moving op-ed in the Times today about the dismissal of the head of the Library of Congress. Like many firings this administration has executed, that dismissal was so stupid and unnecessary and based on (surprise, surprise) lies or complete ignorance about what the Library of Congress is.

[Rogar]

Maybe kids can have 15 dolls now?

Other than Trump throwing his weight around, it doesn't look like the China tariff threat has accomplished much. Local news featured a small business owner depending on imports who had laid off a few long time employees anticipating the more drastic traffic rate. It's probably all causing a huge headache for the port authorities.

[LDAHL]

Maybe kids can have 15 dolls now?

Other than Trump throwing his weight around, it doesn't look like the China tariff threat has accomplished much. Local news featured a small business owner depending on imports who had laid off a few long time employees anticipating the more drastic traffic rate. It's probably all causing a huge headache for the port authorities.

The doll thing sort of put me in mind of Bernie’s complaint that we had too many choices of underarm deodorant and sneakers. In terms of the economy, we might as well have elected one of the more reality-challenged Democrat.

[Tradd]

Very interesting NYT article that breaks down the customs form that shows how crazy the China tariffs have gotten. Surprised to see the 7501/entry summary in the NYT!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...e=articleShare

[Tybee]

George Saunders (Lincoln at the Bardo) had a moving op-ed in the Times today about the dismissal of the head of the Library of Congress. Like many firings this administration has executed, that dismissal was so stupid and unnecessary and based on (surprise, surprise) lies or complete ignorance about what the Library of Congress is.

Went to our local library today and there was a handout asking us to write our representatives. The illegal withholding of Maine's funding by the Institute of Museum and Library Services approved by Congress for 2025 has resulted in the closing of the Maine State Library to the public, along with the loss of 13 Maine State Library staff. (We tend to be a small state, and that's a lot.) This will affect things like interlibrary loan services, digital resources, internet access for libraries, and support services.

So yes, the harm done to the IMLS is already impacting our local, tiny library along with shuttering our state library.

[LDAHL]

How have we come to the point where a state library is dependent on federal whims for its very survival? At what point does federal funding become a means to subvert state sovereignty? The problem’s been there all along, but Trump is highlighting it for our brethren on the left. A central government that could pressure universities to dispense with due process for students accused of sex crimes can just as easily crack down them for failing to restrain their more enthusiastically antisemitic students.

[pinkytoe]

I don't have a problem with governments endorsing and helping to support libraries, public broadcasting, ie culture. Things that enlighten and promote culture enrich a society IMO.

[Tradd]

I had no clue that states get that much money from the feds.