Hartmann Report

Unless and until we understand the genesis of the chaos sweeping our nation, we’ll be helpless to stop it and its consequences… There’s a factor — a group of people, really— who are badly distorting America’s political dialogue because of their members’ individual need to create chaos, and there’s virtually no discussion of them in our media or among politicians. And if we don’t get a handle on this soon, they will do even more damage than they’ve already done. Part of the problem is that such voices and behavior — which had been largely marginalized or ignored throughout most of American history — have acquired a new force and power. Social media and the rise of a dishonest, billionaire-funded highly partisan rightwing media infrastructure — both relatively recent phenomena — have now amplified the reach and power of this element in our society and body politic.

"The biggest enemy of western people is not war or terrorism, it is their own governments' lack of regulation of public health and safety". - British author and engineer Steven Magee

The Best of the Rest of the News. — Isn’t is weird that Trump is printing “Never Surrender” under the mugshot of him surrendering to authorities at the Fulton County jail? — Is Trump getting ready to flee the country? — Georgia Republicans prepare to oust Fani Willis from her job. — The world is subsidizing the fossil fuel industry’s efforts to destroy our planet at a rate of $13 million per minute. — Speaking of fossil fuels, the feds are cracking down on the pathetic, childish, and deadly practice of “rolling coal.” — Billionaire-funded rightwing think tanks are lining up to lobby SCOTUS to block even the possibility of Congress passing a wealth tax. — Ranked choice voting is gaining momentum, but both the Republican and Democratic parties are pushing back. — Tough on crime should not mean inhumane US prison conditions. — Geeky Science! Have scientists found a link between junk food and tumors? Is this why young people are getting cancer in record numbers? — Crazy Alert! A morbidly rich wannabee cult leader is calling himself a warlord and creating a city to survive the coming apocalypse, according to reporting in Raw Story and elsewhere.

Instead of wanting to transform the agencies of government to dominate and control the American people like DeSantis promises, he wants to simply destroy them... The Washington Post says the two big winners of the first Republican debate were Ron Desantis (29%) and Vivik Ramaswamy (26%). In DeSantis, we see the GOP going full fascist with his assertion that he’s going to leave people at the border “stone-cold dead,” his unilaterally removing Florida elected officials, intimidating teachers, replacing college administrators, declaring war on Black History and queer people, and attacking corporations that call out his extremism. But Ramaswamy is a different kind of cat. Instead of wanting to transform the agencies of government to dominate and control the American people like DeSantis promises, he wants to simply destroy them.

They put an egg into a caterpillar or spider and when the wasp larvae hatches it eats its host, leaving behind only a husk.... The Republican presidential debate wasn’t encouraging: Trump’s hold on the GOP appears stronger than ever. And that’s bad news for America. In Robert Hubbell’s excellent Today’s Edition Newsletter on Substack, he made the point yesterday that Trump’s relationship to the GOP is like that of one of those parasitic wasps that puts an egg into a caterpillar or spider and when the wasp larvae hatches it eats its host, leaving behind only a husk. I’d take the metaphor a step farther: there’s a fungus, cordyceps, that infects ants and seizes control of their brains to alter their behavior to the fungus’ advantage. Another example is the toxoplasma parasite that’s often spread by cats: when mice are infected with the parasite, they no longer fear the smell of cats (and sometimes even want to play with them!), thus becoming easy prey. Scientists call it “fatal attraction.” What Trump has done to the GOP is really quite impressive, worthy of either cordyceps or toxoplasma. And, frankly, it’s amazing that they didn’t even see it coming or try to stop him. (More on that in a moment.)

Here’s a quick summary of the things that Biden has accomplished (with a little help from Democrats in Congress) in his first two-and-a-half years in office... The first Republican debate of the 2024 election cycle is tonight, and while all the drama seems focused on whether or not anybody beyond Chris Christie will take a serious swing at Trump, odds are most of the evening’s time will be devoted to trashing President Joe Biden. So, to help keep you sane through all the lies and BS — and the fog you may be in by the end of the debate if your drinking game involved the word “woke” — here’s a quick summary* of the things that Biden has accomplished (with a little help from Democrats in Congress) in his first two-and-a-half years in office.

Hawaii needs to move on this quick, before other for-profit utilities get into the act. The corporate raiders will soon be circling, even as Lahaina buries its dead… Following the tragic — and perhaps criminal — fires in Lahaina, the state of Hawaii should purchase Hawaiian Electric, the sole provider of electric power to the state, and run it as a publicly owned utility. Here’s why. When it comes to electric utilities, there are basically only two types of companies: private and public. The main difference between the two is one of incentives.

If we want America to become the “we society” that represents the highest outcome of democratic governance, we must get a large enough progressive majority in Congress to can actually pull it off… Ron DeSantis, it’s reported this weekend, is targeting giant corporations and billionaires for money in exchange for political favors: he’s essentially soliciting bribes. How the hell did America get here? There are basically two models for social organization, regardless of all the names. They are “me societies” and “we societies.”

"The future masters of technology will have to be light-hearted and intelligent. The machine easily masters the grim and the dumb." —Marshall McLuhan Read more at HartmannReport.com. -Thom

The Best of the Rest of the News. — New tapes show the fake electors plot goes all the way back to before the election was even held! — Some on the right are saying “please stop with the progressive hero worship of Jack Smith & Tanya Chutkan” — but aren’t they in fact heroes? — People are “shocked” and have “never seen anything like this” about Jared Kushner’s billions. Where is the investigation? — If the ruling of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is upheld by the Supreme Court, the abortion drug Mifiprestone will become almost impossible for women to access in Republican-controlled states that have outlawed abortion. — Good News Alert! Climate Change: the kids won their trial in Montana! — Electric cars are facing punitive fees in Red states: why are they blocking progress? — Geeky Science: To paraphrase Napoleon Hill, think and grow young! — Crazy Alert! 13 yr old girl emerges as the new head of QANON cult and vows to indoctrinate kids... Read more at HartmannReport.com. -Thom