What Do the Oligarchs Have In Mind For Us?

The recent movement to investigate, and even break up, the current tech oligarchy has gained support on both sides of the Atlantic, and even leapt across the gaping divide in American politics. The immediate concerns relate to such things as the control of key markets by one or two firms, the huge concentration of wealth accruing to the tech elite and, increasingly, the oligarchy’s control over and manipulation of information pipelines.

Photo by Gage Skidmore; Donald Trump

As United States Divide, The Green New Deal Could be Democrats Undoing in 2020

More than by cultural memes touching on race, gender, and even taste, the United States are divided by where we live and how we make our living.

Protest march to Trump Tower

What is Social Justice?

Perhaps no issue more motivates progressive activists than social justice. Good intentions may motivate the social justice warriors, but good intentions do not necessarily produce good results. Indeed, often the policies favored by progressive idealists hinder the economic and social progress of the very people they seek to rescue.

California's progessive politics getting pushback from the middle class

California’s Progressive Betrayal

The recent California Democratic Party convention exposed the divide between the state’s progressive and working-class voters. Progressives support left-wing policies that often don’t affect them; it’s the working class that suffers from these proposals. But the Green New Deal pushed too far, triggering a backlash at the convention.

The Populist Dilemma

The recent upsurge in support for populist conservatives, not only across Europe, but in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and even India has inspired talk of “a nationalist revival” and “the cosmic magnetism” of Donald Trump and Brexit.

The Resistance We Need: Trump Administration Gears Up to Trust-Bust the Tech Giants

If ever any group had it coming, it’s the giants of the tech industry. The recent decision by the Trump administration to look into monopolistic practices by the tech oligarchs—talk about collusion!—represents a welcome change.

Green New Deal presser, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey

Making Life Worse: The Flaws of Green Mandates

“Saving the planet” should be an unbeatable political slogan. Yet consistently the imagined “green wave” mindlessly embraced by most of the media continues to fall short, as evidenced by recent elections in Canada and Australia, as well as across much of Europe.

Historic urban poverty

The New Shame of Our Cities

Urban revival views are more aspirational, than reflective of reality. Overall, data suggests that, with few exceptions, we are seeing continued movement from our large cities to suburbs and less dense cities.

America Can’t Ignore the Economic Threat of a Rising China

In the 21st century, how we cope with a rising China will determine the future of American economic and political pre-eminence. One does not have to approve of President Trump’s haphazard diplomacy to support a tough policy.

Mayoral Mismatch

Mayors have had little success in becoming president, with only one big-city chief executive, Grover Cleveland of Buffalo, later governor of New York, actually making it to the White House. Yet this year’s running of the donkeys includes several mayors and they may yet be joined by New York’s Bill de Blasio.