TLP Week in Review, 1/21-1/27
Your weekly summary of what we've been up to here at The Liberal Patriot.
What We’re Reading (and Watching and Listening To…)
“Can the U.S. Find Allies to Help in Gaza?”: In the Wall Street Journal, TLP contributor Steven A. Cook argues that the Biden administration’s timidity and passivity—above all toward Iran and its proxies—have hampered its attempt to build regional support for plans to put the Palestinian Authority back in charge of post-war Gaza. “If the Biden administration is opposed to another Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, then the best chance for it to realize its goals is to bring Blinken’s listening tours to an end in favor of resolute American action.”
“A Titanic Geopolitical Struggle Is Underway”: Long-time New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman contends that the wars in Ukraine and Gaza “reflect a titanic geopolitical struggle between two opposing networks of nations and nonstate actors over whose values and interests will dominate our post-post-Cold War world—following the relatively stable Pax Americana/globalization era that was ushered in by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet bloc, America’s chief Cold War rival,” with Russia and Iran trying to prevent Ukraine from joining the West and Israel from normalizing ties with its Arab Gulf neighbors.
“This Is Why Americans Are So Cynical About Politics”: American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Yuval Levin writes in the New York Times that Americans have become so cynical about politics because far too many insiders, whether members of Congress or federal employees, think of themselves and act as if they’re outsiders. “The twisted hybrids that we now live with present themselves as simultaneously truth tellers and power players but, in fact, are just exercising power without responsibility. By seeking the government job and the activist megaphone at the same time, they render public officials into passive observers and critics, or else they deploy power outside its legitimate channels.”
“Wall Street’s bargain with Trump”: Financial Times editor Ed Luce writes that global business leaders are making the same sort of bad deal with Trump that they did with fascist leaders like Mussolini in the 1930s, seeing lower taxes and fewer regulations as more important than the rule of law, democracy, or anything else. “America’s 2024 election will be a battle between liberal democracy and the strongman. It could also be seen as a contest between capitalism and capitalists. Which is better: the system or the aspiring monopolist? No prizes for guessing where Trump’s instincts lie.”
“How the Biden White House Cornered Itself”: Fascinating new survey data and report from American Compass looking at ten Biden economic policies, five “polarizing” ones and five “broadly supported ones.” The report argues: "Successful elected officials typically choose to ‘pick fights’ on contested issues where the bulk of voters are on their side. President Biden has done the opposite, doubling down on a set of high-contrast issues where Independents are much closer to Republicans, and where strongest support comes from the (much smaller) upper class while strongest opposition comes from the (much larger) working class."
People Who Aren't There Anymore: The Baltimore synth giants Future Islands are back with a cracking new album of upbeat bass-heavy tunes and more sedate ballads, with Sam Herring's unique vocals throughout. A U.S. tour has not been announced yet, but if you haven't seen Future Islands in concert do yourself a favor and grab a ticket when they come to town—they’re one of the best live bands around.
What We’ve Posted
“Building a More Resilient Navy” by TLP contributor Michael D. Purzycki.
“The Coming Working Class Election” by TLP politics editor Ruy Teixeira.
“Political Trench Warfare” by TLP executive editor John Halpin.
“America Needs a New Iran Policy” by TLP editor-at-large Brian Katulis.
“TLP's 2024 Swing-State Project: Pennsylvania” parts one and two by TLP contributor Michael Baharaeen.
Ruy’s Science-Fiction Pulp Cover of the Week
Just one more thing…
After nearly three years and 72 total flights, the mission of NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity, has come to an end after suffering damage to one of its carbon-fiber rotors during its last flight.
