The Library
Essays, reporting, arguments, and observations from the archive.
Friend of the Working Man
Really? Summary: Support for Donald Trump is not about policy; it’s a transaction born from 40 years of economic and cultural humiliation by both parties. Trump successfully
Fools and Power
Summary for the time-constrained reader They give up power to retain power, it sounds crazy—it is. Our politicians are not just fools. They’re traitors. Trump
Fox Lighted the Match
Fox News and the Industrialization of American Collapse Summary: Fox News didn’t invent collapse—it monetized it. By 1996, the country was primed: racism repackaged as “law
It Wasn't Me
First it was Colbert, but it wasn’t me. Then it was Kimmel, but it wasn’t me. A joke cut, a contract torn, a stage gone dark.
Vaccine Hesitancy
How Russia Turned Vaccines into a Weapon Against Democracy For the Time-Constrained Reader Putin didn’t need secret meetings or kompromat. He didn’t need Trump as
The Halfway House
Home About Become a Member Share Summary Halfway House is a blunt look at the gap between punishment and freedom in the United States. It’s not a
Trump’s War on the Fed
The Trump White House went after Lisa Cook like it was a gang hit. She’s a Federal Reserve governor—appointed for 14 years, removable only for cause.
The Breeding Ranch
Summary: Jeffrey Epstein reportedly pitched a “breeding ranch” in New Mexico—twenty women at a time carrying his children—an idea multiple scientists said he floated in the
Rate Cuts Won't Save Jobs
Summary The Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in September, but meaningful relief won’t come in time. August produced just 22,000 jobs, unemployment rose to 4.
PrumpTutin's Fortress
A note from Joe: You spoke. I listened. Shocking, I know. The poll results are in, and you've sentenced me to Tuesdays and Fridays. Maybe Sundays
Killing Voters
Summary for the time-constrained reader: Excuses don’t keep people alive. They just shorten the voting rolls. We’ve gone backward since free COVID shots and free
We Were Warned
A note from Joe: You spoke. I listened. Shocking, I know. The poll results are in, and you've sentenced me to Tuesdays and Fridays. Maybe Sundays
Taxes are not for the Rich
The Regressive Lie Summary: The United States tax system is a con dressed up as progressivism. On paper, brackets climb to 37 percent. In practice, billionaires pay less
Socrates Would Have Hated AI
Summary: Socrates distrusted writing because it froze ideas, allowing people to look wise without doing the work of thought. He believed truth came only through dialogue—messy, difficult,
Keeping up with Tesla
Blind Ambition Elon Musk thinks he can teach a machine to see. Not just see—understand. Judge. Navigate. React. All using nothing but cameras. No lidar. No radar.
The End of the Beginning
Norms aren't laws. Laws aren't locks. Fear is the new currency. Summary: Trump didn't bend government—he broke it over his knee
PrumpTutin News is Sadly All the Same
Summary Trump’s tell isn’t subtle—it’s a foghorn. Whatever he accuses others of, he’s already done himself. Election fraud? He’s on the phone
Trickle This
Summary: Trickle-down economics was always a lie. The 1950s boom Republicans worship was built on a 91% top tax rate, strong unions, and public investment—policies they
Fear, Lies, and Distraction
His United States Summary: Trump's authoritarian strategy was straightforward: manufacture crime emergencies in Democratic cities, deploy federal forces as "rescue operations," then assert that
The Flag Code
Summary for time constricted readers: In America, the flag is less a symbol of unity than a tool of spectacle and profit. From car dealerships to political rallies,
The Ostrich-in-Chief
Summary (for the time constrained): Each crisis that threatened to expose him was smothered under a new outrage, a new headline, a new chant. When Epstein’s papers
The Corrupt Leading the Blind
Summary: Modern authoritarian takeovers don't need tanks—they need personnel departments. While everyone watches for obvious fascism, the real coup happens through systematic replacement of competent
Polybius Was Right
This is dedicated to my friend James, whose substack I recommend. He introduced me to Polybius, and I thought I was educated. Summary: Polybius mapped the rot of
subservient women
Summary (for time-stressed readers): Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a video advocating repeal of women's suffrage. His office confirmed he "appreciates" its message.
Ignorance
“I love the poorly educated.” Jun 12, 2025 That wasn’t a gaffe. It was a victory cry. Trump bellowed “I love the poorly educated.” after winning the
trump's Private Army
Summary (for time-stressed readers): Seven months in, trump has federalized D.C.’s police, deployed Marines without governors’ consent, and is pushing a permanent military reaction force
Rand meets Orwell
The Department of Government Efficiency. Say it out loud. Let it roll around in your head for a moment. Sounds like something out of a satire, doesn’t
Don’t Stop the Electoral College — Fix It
It was supposed to stop Trump, not crown him. We’re not a democracy. Never were. The Founders didn’t trust regular people that much. They trusted landowners.
The 35 Percent
Jun 24, 2025 It’s tempting to reduce them to numbers. Polls say 41% of Americans approve of him. Around 90% of Republicans still back him. Nearly half
The Founders Betrayed
as are we Jun 20, 2025 The Founders Built Impenetrable Firewalls. They Didn’t Plan for Bulldozers. The Founders weren’t naïve. They knew the danger of charismatic
Taking Over D.C. Is Just the First Step
I don't mean to bury you in emails. I know this is my second one today, and I get it—nobody needs more noise in their
Socialism
bad? Jun 16, 2025 It’s funny how fast the conversation changes when you use the word socialism. Mention it at a dinner with Republican friends and watch
Trump Pardons the Unpardonable
TrumpPardonstheUnpardonable0:00/245.615171× Cold Open Trump didn’t just pardon criminals—he put justice on the auction block. January 20, 2025, was proof: if you were loyal,
Headline: Milton Friedman Is Still Running the Economy—From the Grave
Dead Economist, Live Ammo: Milton Friedman’s Ideas Are Still Killing Us Eighteen years dead, Milton Friedman still signs the checks. Every tax cut, every gutted regulation, every
The Happy Losers
Listen0:00/602.1016551× They're not unhappy. They're ecstatic. They won. They elected a man who shits in a golden toilet to fight for
Destruction
Trump’s return to office isn’t politics as usual—it’s something colder, faster, and far more dangerous. What we’re watching isn’t just policy change.
Iran Seems Confused
76 years of losing to Israel, banned dog-walking at home, and a state that fears happiness more than war. I’ve spent a long time trying to
PrumpTutin dominates public attention
Jun 27, 2025 It’s Hard Not to Write About PrumpTutin I’ve tried. God knows I’ve tried. I sit down to write about anything else—climate
The Membership Trap
The last decade has been a long, ugly experiment in trying to understand trumpers. The best I’ve come up with is this: they believe reality is a
U. S. Health Care
The Cruel Cost of American Healthcare — And the Horror of PrumpTutin’s Vision We already know the numbers—and they’re obscene. In 2023, the United States spent
The Doctor Has Left the Building
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not a doctor. He’s a lawyer. And not the kind who reads medical journals. He’s the kind who sues vaccine makers,
Mobsters
trump surrounds himself with criminals. Always has. As if the list of convicted aides and cronies weren’t enough, he’s now gone further pardoning the January 6
History's got teeth when you know where to bite
Looking to write about something other than that corrupt fool for a change. History has got plenty of material. How Smugglers Started a Revolution and Called It Freedom
trump wins again
trump scammed his supporters yet again, and they thanked him for it. Six months in, trump owns everything—the White House, Congress, the courts, his base—and the