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Did you feel the vibe shift?

As a second Trump administration dawns — or, for his opponents, descends — on America, an interesting and unusual discussion has emerged over the broader meaning of Trump’s victory. One thing that makes it unusual is that there’s more consensus than disagreement about the fundamental point: There’s been a significant “vibe shift” in American politics. That’s not the way things typically work. Every victorious party claims a “new era” of some kind, but the losing side usually dissents. That’s because, historically, ideologues and activists are sufficiently ...

I remain hopeful about America

So many people I know — including, I suspect, many of you — are despairing over Trump’s second regime, which starts today. I share your fears about what’s to come. Yet I remain hopeful about the future of America. Here’s why. Trump hoodwinked average working Americans into believing he’s on their side and convinced enough voters that Kamala Harris and Democrats were on the side of cultural elites (the “deep state,” “woke”ism, “coastal elites,” and so on). But Trump’s hoax will not work for long, given the oligarchy’s conspicuous takeover of America ...

‘Sustainability’ a meaningless word

“Sustainability” investments became popular a few years back. So-called experts said companies shouldn’t just focus on profit. They should put more effort into being “nice.” Funds pushing ESG (environmental, social and governance) were all the rage. Giant investment firms like BlackRock pressured companies to hire more women and minorities. CEO Larry Fink announced, “All investments are going to be looked through sustainability.” But “sustainability” is a mostly meaningless word. Parnassus claimed it helped meet UN sustainability goals of “nutrition” and ...

Trump’s second time around

According to the Frank Sinatra song, “Love is lovelier, the second time around.” We’ll see how that works out in the second coming of Donald. J. Trump, now president of the United States for a second time, following a four-year “intermission.” The two terms will be a contrast in policy, personnel and persistence. This time, the Republican Party is unified if they can keep it. Trump will also not be constrained by a pandemic. In his Second Inaugural Address, the old/new president decided to mostly turn from the dark side, displayed and disliked by many in his first ...

Presidency inaugurates an old con

Right before his inauguration, Donald Trump issued a $TRUMP meme coin featuring a defiant him pumping his fist after an assassination attempt. Shortly after their release, the market capitalization for $TRUMP coins passed $5 billion. Oracle of Omaha Warren Buffett once called bitcoin “rat poison squared.” Jamie Dimon, chief at JPMorgan Chase, noted that “it’s got no intrinsic value,” adding, “I remember when Beanie Babies were selling for $2,000 a pop.” Beanie Babies. Back in the 1990s, crowds pushed their way into toy stores to get in on Beanie Babies. TV hucksters ...

Transparency needed from social media platforms

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has taken a lot of heat since he announced last week that he is pulling his company out of the fact-checking business and curtailing content moderation on its platforms. The criticism is understandable, given the uncertainty over how Meta’s new rules will handle misinformation and otherwise harmful material. Keep in mind, however, that the company’s content-moderation strategies — and indeed those of practically all social media platforms — have not worked as intended. As Zuckerberg noted in a video about the changes, Meta’s automated content ...