uspolitics

a useful reminder as to how young and anomalous democracy actually is and that the tendency is towards authoritarian rule. The way to shore up American democracy is to shore up American democracy—that is, to strengthen liberal institutions, in ways that are unglamorously specific and discouragingly minute. The task here is not so much to peer into our souls as to reduce the enormous democratic deficits under which the country labors, most notably an electoral landscape in which farmland tilts to power while city blocks are flattened....

[What Did the Democrats Win?](https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2020/12/17/election-2020-what-did-democrats-win/) it’s not a pretty picture when half the country picks the party of obstruction. Instead, we appear to be headed for two more years of gridlock. McConnell will pass nothing. As for the Supreme Court, not only will Biden not increase its size, which he’s hesitant to do anyway; we may be locked into a situation where Justice Stephen Breyer, now eighty-two, can’t retire and give Biden a chance to put a younger justice on the Court, because McConnell will likely not allow a vote....

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito just complained that “you can’t say that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. Now it’s considered bigotry.” This is a standard complaint of the right: the real victim is the racist who has been called a racist, not the victim of his racism, the real oppression is to be impeded in your freedom to oppress. And of course Alito is disingenuous; you can say that stuff against marriage equality (and he did)....

[How Greenwich Republicans Learned to Love Trump](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/05/11/how-greenwich-republicans-learned-to-love-trump) Leora Levy, who called him vulgar in the local paper, took to applauding his “leadership” and quoting him on Twitter, where she adopted some of his rhetorical style. “AMERICA WILL NEVER BE A SOCIALIST COUNTRY!!!” she posted. “WE ARE BORN FREE AND WILL STAY FREE!!!” Last fall, Trump nominated her to be the American Ambassador to Chile. i’m always a bit amused by these “we are born free and will stay free” assertions....

economists discuss the impacts or merits of the AOC tax comments/proposal. i’m inclined to agree with the assertion that the AOC proposal is largely symbolic. however, it will be interesting to see if there’s practical discussion around the notion of deregulation of building in large cities. (ref: SFO and MSP debates on this) if there’s anything wealthy, white “liberals” hate, it’s folks messing with the value of their homes.