Socialism Is So 1845! August 19, 2026 NOT INTO POLITICS? 55 seconds you’ll enjoy. NOT LEAVING MAGA 4 minutes you won’t. Scary. NICK HANAUER Long-time readers know he’s one of my heroes. I can’t count the number of times I’ve linked you to his 2012 must-watch 6-minute TED talk (it is the middle class, not the rich, who are the job creators) . . . and to his 2014 TED follow on (“Beware, fellow plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming”). If you’ve never watched them, perhaps today’s the day. But it’s also the day to consider watching yesterday’s 83-minute interview (“A traitor to his class”). I know that’s a LOT of time to give to anything — we’re busy! — but it’s one of the most interesting, consequential things I’ve listened to in a long time. His personal story is itself interesting — how he became a multi-billionaire. As is his assessment of Jeff Bezos. But his call for “market humanism” and “middle-out economics” are worth the scrutiny of every concerned citizen, and certainly those engaged in the public discourse. “Socialism is so 1845,” he says. After listening, you might even decide to read his just-released Markets Built for Humans: A new story of how economic prosperity is created—and how we can create it for everyone. Free download. No signup or login required. Because as angry citizens on the left and the right have made clear — many of them living paycheck to paycheck while the Epstein class piles up ever more billions — the current system needs some pretty radical change. One side thinks it can come from a strongman who tells them he “alone can fix it” (though in fact everything he touches dies). The other side thinks we should go back to the Clinton/Obama/Biden days, when, as the economy was being handed off to Trump, it was “the envy of the world” — yet still far short of what Nick Hanauer argues persuasively it can, and must, be. Your thoughts?
Let’s Bring This Baby Home August 18, 2026 But first . . . “THE ECONOMIC SCOREBOARD THEY NEVER SHOW YOU” If you missed this last week: The Solo cups never lie — or, as this grandfather in short pants puts it: “Cups talk, bull—t walks” (150 seconds). Watch! FAREED ZAKARIA The Iran war is a master class in squandering a superpower’s credibility. Worth reading in full, it concludes: Credibility is an asset, painstakingly accumulated over generations and astonishingly easy to spend and squander. During the Cuban missile crisis, President John F. Kennedy sent former secretary of state Dean Acheson to Paris to brief Charles de Gaulle on the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. Acheson brought reconnaissance photographs to prove the case. De Gaulle, hardly an American supplicant, waved them away. He said he did not need the evidence. The word of the president of the United States was enough. That scene is unimaginable today. SETH MYERS Knowing that you may not have 12 minutes, I start the clip here . . . after Myers’ wonderful takedown of MAGA film critics (and their prediction that The Odyssey would totally flop) . . . to bring home Fareed’s point about our squandered credibility. Otherwise, start here. So now . . . “LET’S BRING THIS BABY HOME!” That’s how the irrepressible Terry McAuliffe wound up his remarks to the DNC membership in Austin Saturday (15 minutes). He is a great cheerleader — and if we all continue to lean in, we’re going to have a lot to cheer about 78 days from now. Join Indivisible! Support the opposition!
It’s Time To Flee The DSA August 17, 2026August 17, 2026 Bernie and AOC and Mamdani and El-Sayed, et al, could say: Look. We applaud the idealism of those who hope for a world where there’s no crime, so no need for police or prisons . . . a world where everyone lives in prosperous countries without fear of oppression, so no need for borders . . . a world without conflict, so no need for armies. But the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America, and recent statements of some of its leaders, bear no resemblance to what those of us actually in office or running for office — like those of us on this stage today — actually advocate. So to avoid confusion, we today bid that party farewell and will henceforth call ourselves social Democrats — the kind of Democrats who want affordable health care for all . . . well-regulated capitalism that provides a living wage and enforces worker rights and safety . . . well-regulated, enlightened community policing . . . a criminal justice system not designed to enrich billionaire owners of for-profit prisons . . . the old system of carefully considered pardons and commutations based on merit, not on bribes or presidential whim . . . common-sense gun safety laws of the type the NRA itself used to champion . . . an Internal Revenue Service adequately funded to collect taxes owed by the ultra-rich and corporations . . . a tax system where a billionaire’s top tax rate is not lower than the workers who launders his clothes and where loopholes available only to the rich are closed . . . a country that allies with invaded democracies not with invading dictatorships . . . a country where the Constitution is respected, corruption is rejected, and no one — not even the President or the rest of the Epstein class — is above the law . . . and quite a few other common sense things almost all Americans favor. And no, bizarre as it is that the 600,000 fine citizens of Wyoming have as many Unites States Senators as the 39 million fine citizens of California, we do not advocate abolishing the United States Senate. Yes, we are the liberal wing of the Democratic party. But we believe we want what most Americans — if not most billionaires or giant corporations and their lobbyists — want. Don’t be fooled by those trying to scare you. Ed Luce of the Financial Times is so sensible. Here he speaks with Charlie Sykes about a variety of topics, including — in the last few minutes of the interview — Francesca Hong campaigning in Wisconsin with Hasan Piker (“thank heavens she lost,” he says) and what he calls the “utterly lunatic idiotic positions” of Megan Romer, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America. Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, he notes, is no Francesca Hong. “Hurray,” he says, for “the normies.” Worth a listen.
COLORADO V. CONNECTICUT August 16, 2026 RIDICULOUS IN COLORADO Remember the preposterous Republican Congressman George Santos? Whose prison sentence, after he was expelled from Congress, Trump commuted? Well . . . meet Victor Marx, the Republican choice to govern Colorado (150 seconds). With luck, Phil Weiser will be Colorado’s next governor. THOUGHTFUL IN CONNECTICUT How politics should work. As we approach the gubernatorial election, incumbent Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican nominee state Sen. Ryan Fazio are modeling something virtually extinct on the national stage: a masterclass in political civility. Connecticut is extraordinarily lucky to have both Lamont and Fazio as the two parties’ standard bearers, and they are showing the way for the entire nation. . . . SUPER IMPORTANT BONUS The Democratic party needs to do more than represent wealthy progressives.
Three Minutes And 20 Seconds August 13, 2026August 13, 2026 A Trump supporter can’t think of a single promise Trump has kept (one minute). After that minute, he might be having doubts. If so, he’s not alone. Pete on Inequality (two minutes). Really interesting. Even shorter (20 seconds).
X-Rated Wednesday August 11, 2026August 11, 2026 Lindsey Graham was allegedly this trans sex worker’s client. And good for him! He wasn’t cheating on his wife. In America, it seems to me, consenting adults should be free to do whatever they want so long as they’re not hurting anyone else. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Where it gets icky is not in what he may have liked to do with hookers, but in his consistent votes to oppress people like those hookers — and like himself, if reports of his sexual orientation were true. I post this video not because I think you’ll necessarily love the woman who tells her story, but because some of us have never had much contact with sex workers — or trans women — which makes them easy to dismiss. After watching Ms. Snyder’s interview, you might or might not be comfortable inviting her to Thanksgiving dinner . . . she may not be your cup of tea . . . and that’s fine. This is America. But at the same time, you just might come away thinking she deserves as much respect — as a human being — as (say) Lindsey Graham did. Or you may not. Again: this is America. People should be able to disagree without being labeled scum. “THE ECONOMIC SCOREBOARD THEY NEVER SHOW YOU” The Solo cups never lie (two-and-a-half minutes). Or, as this grandfather in short pants puts it: “Cups talk, bull—t walks.” Watch! Share! Join Indivisible! Support the opposition!
The Communist Menace What To Tell Friends Who Are Scared of the DSA August 11, 2026August 11, 2026 Trump: “Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world, only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America. It’s like a cancer, you got to cut it out.” Communism is like a cancer. It always leads to tyranny. Fortunately, not a single elected officeholder in America (out of roughly 500,000) is a communist. Nor a single serious candidate for office, for that matter. The fear that team-Trump hopes to stoke to draw attention from the horrible mess he’s made (see below: reckless and feckless) is ridiculous. Not one in half a million? Is that really a menace? I’ll get to Democratic socialists in a second — but wait a minute! What about our warriors who battled FASCISM on battlefields across the world, only to have THAT menace rear its ugly head right back here in America? Isn’t that like a cancer, too? Don’t you have to cut it out, too? And here’s the difference: Where no Democratic candidate or officeholder is a communist (though some do openly aspire to see America be more like Canada and Europe) the leader of the Republican Party is himself a budding fascist, in the style of Mussolini. Here are some of the characteristics of fascism: Strongman leadership style (loyalty over merit; personal whim over institutional competence) Authoritarian rhetoric (attacks on courts, press, and elections) Populist nationalism (Make America Great Again) Self-glorification (“I alone can fix it,” portraits of the leader’s face on government buildings, on the proposed $250 bill, on passports; renaming the Kennedy Center . . .) Demonization of out-groups (immigrants, Democrats, trans Americans) Racism (firing black generals, branding black leaders “low IQ,” welcoming white Afrikaners) Dehumanization (“scum,” “vermin”) Co-optation of the business elite (in the front row of his inauguration) A brown-shirt type police force (masked and unidentified) Thugs loyal to the leader (celebrated as patriots, pardoned when convicted) Constant disinformation (Orwell on steroids) I doubt you can find a Democratic officeholder who for years kept a book of Karl Marx by his bedside . . . but Trump for years kept a book of Hitler’s speeches by his. Where the co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America — a woman with no power that no one had ever heard of until last month — goes on TV saying we should abolish the Senate . . . perhaps because Wyoming’s 600,000 fine citizens have as much power as California’s 40 million . . . Trump has all but entirely co-opted the Senate. Or just ignored it, as in the case of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. So yes: The platform of the Democratic Socialists of America has crazy stuff in it. But it is not stuff that “mainstream” Democratic Socialists — like Bernie and AOC and Zohran — advocate. Abolish the police and prisons? And borders? And the Senate? And private property? I mean — come on. If the DSA co-chair runs for president, as she has every right to, I’d be amazed if she won the endorsement of a single Democrat. So, if you know anyone who is genuinely scared by the Red Menace — and not just pretending to be, like Trump — share this info with them so they can relax and enjoy the rest of the summer. And if you know anyone who’s terrified we will become a country with free public education or free roads or free public parks — or higher income tax rates — as they have in Canada and Europe and Australia and just about everywhere else . . . or that we’ll have universal health care (with access to private care and luxury hospital suites for those who can afford it) . . . suggest that they vacation to Madrid or Milan or Munich or Montreal or Melbourne and see whether those are really the hell holes Trump would have you think. ‘ And remind them that we already have a lot of these socialist things. Do they really want to abolish Medicare (the creation of which Ronald Reagan so vigorously opposed)? Do they really want to cut off food assistance to children, the disabled, veterans and the elderly who need it? I don’t think they do. RECKLESS AND FECKLESS How could we have let this happen??? Our country was so recently “the envy of the world.” The good guy that, despite all her flaws and missteps, was seen to stand for freedom, compassion, leadership. Truth, justice, and the American way, so to speak. Fighting corruption, not governed by it. Before Trump, inflation had fallen to 2.7% and was headed down, as were interest rates. Job growth was strong. Today, we have stagflation: rising prices and stagnant job growth. Before Trump, the Strait of Hormuz was open and we had unlimited 24/7 inspection of its nuclear facilities, with 98% of their enriched uranium removed. What’s more, our awesome military invincibility was taken as a given. Today, the Strait is closed, and the world sees us as both reckless and feckless. Iran has us over a barrel. Millions of barrels, actually. I ask again: how could we have let this happen? He promised to end the Ukraine War on Day one, to bring prices down on Day One. He alone could fix it. He hired “all the best people.” (Mostly from FOX News.) All twenty-odd women who had accused him of wrongdoing were lying. Not since Lincoln has a president ever been so badly treated! Everything is rigged against him! He is such a victim! The more than $2 billion by which he’s enriched his family in a year and a half in no way violates the emoluments clause of the Constitution. The economy is hot! Everybdy knows it! Things are great! He’s the most handsome, healthy, honest, successful president in history — and if you don’t agree, just look at all the monuments he’s erecting to himself. He won the FIFA Peace Prize, for crying out loud! And how about the gladiators he had fighting on the White House lawn? And the way he’s bulldozed the East Wing and refurbished the reflecting pool? Mount Rushmore, here he comes. If only he can protect us from the radical lunatic communist scum who don’t approve of the job he’s doing. Which is 66% of the country. Join Indivisible! 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Pete Hegseth’s Pastor On Hand Jobs And Oral Sex August 9, 2026 But first . . . A Democrat Sounds the Alarm on Christian Nationalism in Congress Representative Jared Huffman of California, the only self-declared “humanist” in Congress [read: “atheist” and note that there are many others un-declared], writes in a new book [No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism] that the separation of church and state is in grave danger. . . . Speaker Mike Johnson is a Christian nationalist who dangerously blurs the boundary between church and state. The speaker, who has placed his evangelical Christianity at the center of his political life and policy positions, did not respond to a request for comment about the book’s claims. . . . “He has been hapless and ineffective at governing [Huffman tells the Times]. But if you judge him by, “Has he advanced the cause of Christian nationalism?” he’s been wildly successful.” See also my oft-recommended Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds. And now . . . PETE HEGSETH’S PASTOR ON HAND JOBS AND ORAL SEX Doug Wilson seems like a nice guy (truly), but in this interview with Uncloseted Media he has some bad news for homosexuals — and women. I’m on the advisory board of Uncloseted Media, and a fan of its founder, a former producer at “60 Minutes” who once imbedded himself with the Boogaloo Boys. One question I wish Spencer had thought to ask Pastor Wilson: “Do you believe that when my boyfriend and I are in Hell we will meet Trump?”
Brave Susan / Muslim Abdul August 8, 2026August 8, 2026 Susan Collins had the courage to stand up against her party 61 times (61 times!) when Republicans controlled the Senate in the years since 1997, as they do now — not even counting her brave announcement this past week that she would vote against Trump’s pick for attorney general, Epstein-files-scofflaw Todd Blanche. (Look at that, Mainers! She stands up to Trump!) The only thing is . . . according to an analysis a classmate of mine just did with the help of A.I. . . . that in 60 of those 61 instances (60!), she knew her vote wouldn’t matter, so she got permission to do it, and it was not bravery on display, but cunning hypocrisy. (Look at that, Mainers: she thinks you’re stupid!) (The lone exception was a 2000 legislative-branch appropriations conference report defeated 28–69, with Republicans themselves almost evenly divided, so it was hardly much by way of defiance.) Every one of her 27 votes against a Republican president’s nominee ended in confirmation. And Trump’s Big Ugly Bill? Collins was — bravely! — the sole Republican NO. But, as planned, it squeaked by when Vance broke the 50-50 tie. She is, of course, famously ridiculed for being “concerned” about women losing control over their reproductive organs — etc. — but the only thing I think she’s really concerned about is losing to Troy Jackson. It will be sweet when she does. Abdul El-Sayed FIRES BACK at anti-Muslim attacks in Michigan Senate race (11 minutes). Some of my friends are worried about this guy. On the one hand, he says: “To all of my sisters and brothers of the Jewish faith, or any faith at all, or no faith at all, I want you to know that my commitment to your safety — to Jewish safety — is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters,” he said. On the other, he sympathizes even more than most of the rest of us do with the plight of the Palestinians. I’m naive enough to think he means what he said above. But even if not, he will be just one of 100 senators. Nowhere near a filibuster-proof majority. So I think the concerns are overdone. My main concern is winning the Senate — and supporting Dr. El-Sayed is a key part of doing that. BONUS How the Reflecting Pool Came to Mirror Trump’s Washington Many of the details of the saga are reported in this article for the first time. They show that the pool, which was supposed to reflect the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, became a striking reflection instead of the second Trump administration’s willingness to skirt laws, expend millions of dollars, ignore facts and punish truth tellers in service of the president’s demands to put his mark on the capital. Join Indivisible! Support the opposition!
You Go, Pete! August 7, 2026August 6, 2026 Pete Buttigieg on FOX (15 minutes). America elected an extraordinary black president. I’m not entirely sure — which is in itself astonishing — that it might not be ready to elect an extraordinary gay president. How far we’ve come. FAREED ZAKARIA Trump appears to order the government to lie on behalf of tariffs. . . . For these new sweeping tariffs, the rationale — discovered suddenly in the last few months — is alleged forced labor. The administration has declared that countries ranging from Cambodia and China to Norway, Japan and Australia have failed to keep products made with forced labor out of their markets, and that this failure burdens American commerce. The charge is so obviously spurious and sweeping (Sweden is as bad as Cambodia?) that it gives away the game. It was almost certainly devised because the White House needed a legal pretext to subvert the spirit of the Supreme Court ruling against Trump. This is more than ordinary political spin. The president appears to be ordering the United States government to formally certify as fact something it knows is not true. Agencies must publish findings, construct legal arguments and affix the authority of the American state to a falsehood manufactured for the apparent purpose of evading the nation’s highest court. That is how institutions are corrupted: First they are asked to bend the truth, then to attest to the lie. And then the lies become routine, so no one thinks they are unusual. It is the road to Orwell’s world. Also of note from last Sunday’s program: Black fourth-graders in Mississippi now score higher in reading, on average, than those in Massachusetts. How did it make such remarkable progress? Fareed talked with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof. Have a great weekend. Join Indivisible! Support the opposition!