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marmar
marmar's Journal
marmar's Journal
April 4, 2025
TORONTO/NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - The "Buy Canadian" movement is sending new ripples of concern through the executive offices of U.S.-based , opens new tabconsumer companies that banked on selling their products on Canadian retail shelves.
California-based diaper maker Parasol Co had been working since January with a distributor to expand the sale of its diapers and baby wipes to new retailers in Canada, including convenience stores, CEO Jessica Hung said.
But, in early March the distributor, who Hung declined to name, halted work on the deal, she said, because of growing anti-American sentiment in Canada.
"They were instructed by a retailer to pause any American, opens new tab brand launch," Hung said, referring to the distributor. "They told us they would re-evaluate when market conditions allow."
"That's the kind of disruption we would never expect,” said Hung. "I never heard of this happening until now. It’s definitely quite a bit of headwinds." .............(more)
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/buy-canadian-grows-more-us-companies-say-retailers-turning-away-their-products-2025-03-31/
As 'Buy Canadian' grows, more US companies say retailers shunning their products
TORONTO/NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) - The "Buy Canadian" movement is sending new ripples of concern through the executive offices of U.S.-based , opens new tabconsumer companies that banked on selling their products on Canadian retail shelves.
California-based diaper maker Parasol Co had been working since January with a distributor to expand the sale of its diapers and baby wipes to new retailers in Canada, including convenience stores, CEO Jessica Hung said.
But, in early March the distributor, who Hung declined to name, halted work on the deal, she said, because of growing anti-American sentiment in Canada.
"They were instructed by a retailer to pause any American, opens new tab brand launch," Hung said, referring to the distributor. "They told us they would re-evaluate when market conditions allow."
"That's the kind of disruption we would never expect,” said Hung. "I never heard of this happening until now. It’s definitely quite a bit of headwinds." .............(more)
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/buy-canadian-grows-more-us-companies-say-retailers-turning-away-their-products-2025-03-31/
April 4, 2025
Trump's tariffs regime aims for much worse than a global trade war
Donald Trump is trying to dominate the world
By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published April 4, 2025 9:24AM (EDT)
(Salon) Everyone knew that President Trump was going to pull the trigger on his big tariff policy on Wednesday, but he actually dropped a nuclear bomb. He put a 10% tariff on nearly every country in the world and added even more on a number of them based upon a goofy formula that reflected false assumptions at best or Trump's personal whims at worst. It sent shock waves across the globe, with the markets taking a massive tumble and economic forecasters scrambling to revise upwards their predictions for a recession. Let's just say it was not well received.
....(snip)....
The big question hovering over all these tariffs, starting with Mexico and Canada and now the rest of the world, is what Donald Trump really wants. It's not been entirely clear. He claims that Canada must stop the flow of fentanyl into our country in order to get their tariffs lifted, but there is no flow of fentanyl. He wants Mexico to stop immigrants from coming over the border and likewise stop fentanyl from coming into the country, and they've done everything asked of them to make that happen. It didn't matter.
Canada has come to believe that Trump is actually serious about wanting to annex their country and is intent upon collapsing their economy in order to make that happen. Mexico almost certainly understands that Trump is readying a military incursion of some kind, ostensibly to "take out" the drug cartels. Neither of those things has anything to do with trade. In fact, Trump himself negotiated the USMCA trade agreement just seven years ago between the three countries, calling it "the largest, fairest, most balanced, and modern trade agreement ever achieved. There's never been anything like it." This is something else entirely.
....(snip)....
We don't know what he specifically wants from all these countries. I would assume that some of them will gain his favor with elaborate obsequiousness and flamboyant flattery. Others may have to offer up something a bit more material, perhaps a nice gift of some sort. And he will punish others, particularly those he sees as having been disloyal. In other words, he's going to treat the world as if it's the Republican Party, under his thumb and answering to his whim. .................(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/04/tariffs-regime-aims-for-much-bigger-than-a-global-trade/
Trump's tariffs regime aims for much worse than a global trade war
Trump's tariffs regime aims for much worse than a global trade war
Donald Trump is trying to dominate the world
By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published April 4, 2025 9:24AM (EDT)
(Salon) Everyone knew that President Trump was going to pull the trigger on his big tariff policy on Wednesday, but he actually dropped a nuclear bomb. He put a 10% tariff on nearly every country in the world and added even more on a number of them based upon a goofy formula that reflected false assumptions at best or Trump's personal whims at worst. It sent shock waves across the globe, with the markets taking a massive tumble and economic forecasters scrambling to revise upwards their predictions for a recession. Let's just say it was not well received.
....(snip)....
The big question hovering over all these tariffs, starting with Mexico and Canada and now the rest of the world, is what Donald Trump really wants. It's not been entirely clear. He claims that Canada must stop the flow of fentanyl into our country in order to get their tariffs lifted, but there is no flow of fentanyl. He wants Mexico to stop immigrants from coming over the border and likewise stop fentanyl from coming into the country, and they've done everything asked of them to make that happen. It didn't matter.
Canada has come to believe that Trump is actually serious about wanting to annex their country and is intent upon collapsing their economy in order to make that happen. Mexico almost certainly understands that Trump is readying a military incursion of some kind, ostensibly to "take out" the drug cartels. Neither of those things has anything to do with trade. In fact, Trump himself negotiated the USMCA trade agreement just seven years ago between the three countries, calling it "the largest, fairest, most balanced, and modern trade agreement ever achieved. There's never been anything like it." This is something else entirely.
....(snip)....
We don't know what he specifically wants from all these countries. I would assume that some of them will gain his favor with elaborate obsequiousness and flamboyant flattery. Others may have to offer up something a bit more material, perhaps a nice gift of some sort. And he will punish others, particularly those he sees as having been disloyal. In other words, he's going to treat the world as if it's the Republican Party, under his thumb and answering to his whim. .................(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/04/tariffs-regime-aims-for-much-bigger-than-a-global-trade/
April 4, 2025
"Girls Gone Bible": Spicy Christian podcast sells young women on MAGA. Will scandal hurt or help?
Two L.A. actresses built an instant online empire on pre-tradwife content. Now former fans have questions
By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published April 4, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)
(Salon) "We look for confidence in our achievements, our appearance, our accomplishments," intoned the perfectly coiffed and made-up Angela Halili on a recent episode of the "Girls Gone Bible" podcast. But "godly confidence," she continued, "has nothing to do with your external circumstance." Her co-host, Arielle Reitsma, also in heavy makeup and with equally perfect hair, chimed in with an occasional "yeah" as Halili continued: "It's about finding confidence that's rooted in your identity in Jesus and trusting God that he has a purpose and plan for your life."
Fans of "Girls Gone Bible" swooned in the comments on YouTube over Halili and Reitsma's professions of Christian humility. But there's no denying that this explosively popular podcast has also produced worldly accomplishments for its hosts. "Girls Gone Bible" has only existed for two years, but it's been a huge success. Their YouTube channel has more than 730,000 subscribers and nearly a million Instagram followers. Their show sits at the top of Spotify's podcast charts in the Religion & Spirituality category.
....(snip)....
Whether or not this is entirely strategic, "Girls Gone Bible" and other female-centric, Christian-themed podcasts can be understood as parallel to the better-known "manfluencer" content of Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson and others. Although their content manifests first and foremost as lifestyle advice on dating, working out and fashion, for example, those influencers are perceived as driving younger men into the misogynistic far right and the MAGA movement, and may have been a decisive factor in the 2024 presidential election. Halili and Reitsma are offering a sense of community and religious fellowship to younger women who want to be seen as feminine, fashionable and sexually attractive. But the political and cultural ramifications of their messaging, which includes urging young women to accept a "submissive" role in marriage and overt support for the Trump agenda, are impossible to miss.
....(snip)....
Tia Levings, author of "A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy," said she sees GGB and similar content as "definitely a pipeline to MAGA, a funnel to Christian nationalism." While the online far right targets married women with content about health nutrition and parenting, she said, GGB appeals to "a bevy of Kardashian and Sephora-addicted Gen Z young women who want to be rich, famous and in love." .............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/04/girls-gone-bible-spicy-christian-podcast-sells-young-women-on-maga-will-scandal-hurt-or-help/
"Girls Gone Bible": Spicy Christian podcast sells young women on MAGA. Will scandal hurt or help?
"Girls Gone Bible": Spicy Christian podcast sells young women on MAGA. Will scandal hurt or help?
Two L.A. actresses built an instant online empire on pre-tradwife content. Now former fans have questions
By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published April 4, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)
(Salon) "We look for confidence in our achievements, our appearance, our accomplishments," intoned the perfectly coiffed and made-up Angela Halili on a recent episode of the "Girls Gone Bible" podcast. But "godly confidence," she continued, "has nothing to do with your external circumstance." Her co-host, Arielle Reitsma, also in heavy makeup and with equally perfect hair, chimed in with an occasional "yeah" as Halili continued: "It's about finding confidence that's rooted in your identity in Jesus and trusting God that he has a purpose and plan for your life."
Fans of "Girls Gone Bible" swooned in the comments on YouTube over Halili and Reitsma's professions of Christian humility. But there's no denying that this explosively popular podcast has also produced worldly accomplishments for its hosts. "Girls Gone Bible" has only existed for two years, but it's been a huge success. Their YouTube channel has more than 730,000 subscribers and nearly a million Instagram followers. Their show sits at the top of Spotify's podcast charts in the Religion & Spirituality category.
....(snip)....
Whether or not this is entirely strategic, "Girls Gone Bible" and other female-centric, Christian-themed podcasts can be understood as parallel to the better-known "manfluencer" content of Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson and others. Although their content manifests first and foremost as lifestyle advice on dating, working out and fashion, for example, those influencers are perceived as driving younger men into the misogynistic far right and the MAGA movement, and may have been a decisive factor in the 2024 presidential election. Halili and Reitsma are offering a sense of community and religious fellowship to younger women who want to be seen as feminine, fashionable and sexually attractive. But the political and cultural ramifications of their messaging, which includes urging young women to accept a "submissive" role in marriage and overt support for the Trump agenda, are impossible to miss.
....(snip)....
Tia Levings, author of "A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy," said she sees GGB and similar content as "definitely a pipeline to MAGA, a funnel to Christian nationalism." While the online far right targets married women with content about health nutrition and parenting, she said, GGB appeals to "a bevy of Kardashian and Sephora-addicted Gen Z young women who want to be rich, famous and in love." .............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/04/girls-gone-bible-spicy-christian-podcast-sells-young-women-on-maga-will-scandal-hurt-or-help/
April 4, 2025
From the Confederacy to the Gilded Age: Manisha Sinha on the "sorry history" that inspires MAGA
Manisha Sinha spoke to Salon about Donald Trump's 19th-century vision and America's history of radical resistance
By Charles R. Davis
News Editor
Published April 4, 2025 5:45AM (EDT)
(Salon) America has always been like this: a place of immense contradiction, promise and disappointment, where noble, progressives ideals are embedded in a founding document written by men who purported to believe that all are created equal, even as most claimed the right to treat other human beings as property and to kill and displace the original tenants of the land. We helped defeat fascism in Europe, Americans can rightly claim; we also helped inspire Europe’s fascists, who looked longingly at the United States’ reactionary tradition of genocide and racial segregation.
....(snip)....
“It can be a depressing story if you look at the downfall and the kind of backlash and reaction to progressive change,” Manisha Sinha, a history professor at the University of Connecticut, said in an interview, “but it can also be inspiring to think about all the people who fought against injustices and inequality — and ultimately prevailed.”
Sinha merges the depressing and inspiring in her recounting of Reconstruction, when the U.S. emerged from a state of war as a flawed but budding multiracial democracy. Published on the eve of the 2024 election, “The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republican: Reconstruction, 1860-1920,” is more relevant today than its author would likely prefer. It’s not just that the concept of a true democracy for all is under attack, but that those waging the contemporary assault are pointing to this Gilded Age of reaction as their model for everything from tariffs to imperial expansion.
....(snip)....
Salon: Are there any lessons you think from the example of the abolitionists or the suffragists that people trying to resist the current backlash could take inspiration from? Do you think they had tactics that could be useful for activists today?
Sinha: Oh yes, I think there are a lot of sort of legacies and examples that we can invoke and rely on. I really think that sometimes a lot of radical activists do not realize that, in order to achieve their objectives, you have to be able to fight on principle but be pragmatic in building broad coalitions, and that's what the abolitionists did. They were for the immediate abolition of slavery and for Black rights, but they formed alliances with anti-slavery moderates and politicians who didn't want to go beyond the non-expansion of slavery. ..............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/04/from-the-confederacy-to-the-gilded-age-manisha-sinha-on-the-sorry-history-that-inspires-maga/
From the Confederacy to the Gilded Age: Manisha Sinha on the "sorry history" that inspires MAGA
From the Confederacy to the Gilded Age: Manisha Sinha on the "sorry history" that inspires MAGA
Manisha Sinha spoke to Salon about Donald Trump's 19th-century vision and America's history of radical resistance
By Charles R. Davis
News Editor
Published April 4, 2025 5:45AM (EDT)
(Salon) America has always been like this: a place of immense contradiction, promise and disappointment, where noble, progressives ideals are embedded in a founding document written by men who purported to believe that all are created equal, even as most claimed the right to treat other human beings as property and to kill and displace the original tenants of the land. We helped defeat fascism in Europe, Americans can rightly claim; we also helped inspire Europe’s fascists, who looked longingly at the United States’ reactionary tradition of genocide and racial segregation.
....(snip)....
“It can be a depressing story if you look at the downfall and the kind of backlash and reaction to progressive change,” Manisha Sinha, a history professor at the University of Connecticut, said in an interview, “but it can also be inspiring to think about all the people who fought against injustices and inequality — and ultimately prevailed.”
Sinha merges the depressing and inspiring in her recounting of Reconstruction, when the U.S. emerged from a state of war as a flawed but budding multiracial democracy. Published on the eve of the 2024 election, “The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republican: Reconstruction, 1860-1920,” is more relevant today than its author would likely prefer. It’s not just that the concept of a true democracy for all is under attack, but that those waging the contemporary assault are pointing to this Gilded Age of reaction as their model for everything from tariffs to imperial expansion.
....(snip)....
Salon: Are there any lessons you think from the example of the abolitionists or the suffragists that people trying to resist the current backlash could take inspiration from? Do you think they had tactics that could be useful for activists today?
Sinha: Oh yes, I think there are a lot of sort of legacies and examples that we can invoke and rely on. I really think that sometimes a lot of radical activists do not realize that, in order to achieve their objectives, you have to be able to fight on principle but be pragmatic in building broad coalitions, and that's what the abolitionists did. They were for the immediate abolition of slavery and for Black rights, but they formed alliances with anti-slavery moderates and politicians who didn't want to go beyond the non-expansion of slavery. ..............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/04/from-the-confederacy-to-the-gilded-age-manisha-sinha-on-the-sorry-history-that-inspires-maga/
April 4, 2025
(Newsweek) Internet analysts have taken note of the similarities between the Trump administration's formula used to decide the "Liberation Day" tariffs, and the same methods provided by ChatGPT if asked.
....(snip)....
The Context
The White House imposed a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports, including those from U.S. allies and non-economically active regions, along with higher rates for countries with large trade surpluses against the U.S., on Wednesday. The administration expects the new rates to remain in place until the U.S. narrows a $1.2 trillion trade imbalance recorded last year.
....(snip)....
What To Know
After the tariffs were announced, the White House released the formula reportedly used to set the tariffs: dividing the U.S. trade deficit with a given country by the value of U.S. imports from that country, then applying that percentage as a tariff. In some cases, a flat 10 percent rate was used if it was higher.
However, many pointed out that ChatGPT proposes the same approach if questioned on creating a global tariff policy. The White House has not commented on how the formula was created, so the similarities may simply be coincidental.
"I think they asked ChatGPT to calculate the tariffs from other countries, which is why the tariffs make absolutely no sense," political commentator Steve Bonnell wrote on X, formerly Twitter. .................(more)
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-tariffs-chatgpt-2055203
Did Trump Admin Use ChatGPT to Allocate Tariffs? What We Know
(Newsweek) Internet analysts have taken note of the similarities between the Trump administration's formula used to decide the "Liberation Day" tariffs, and the same methods provided by ChatGPT if asked.
....(snip)....
The Context
The White House imposed a 10 percent baseline tariff on all imports, including those from U.S. allies and non-economically active regions, along with higher rates for countries with large trade surpluses against the U.S., on Wednesday. The administration expects the new rates to remain in place until the U.S. narrows a $1.2 trillion trade imbalance recorded last year.
....(snip)....
What To Know
After the tariffs were announced, the White House released the formula reportedly used to set the tariffs: dividing the U.S. trade deficit with a given country by the value of U.S. imports from that country, then applying that percentage as a tariff. In some cases, a flat 10 percent rate was used if it was higher.
However, many pointed out that ChatGPT proposes the same approach if questioned on creating a global tariff policy. The White House has not commented on how the formula was created, so the similarities may simply be coincidental.
"I think they asked ChatGPT to calculate the tariffs from other countries, which is why the tariffs make absolutely no sense," political commentator Steve Bonnell wrote on X, formerly Twitter. .................(more)
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-tariffs-chatgpt-2055203
April 3, 2025
What will Trump do when his tariffs backfire?
Nils Pratley
The US president’s tariffs are almost certain to have dire consequences and he is not impervious to market decline or public opinion
(Guardian UK) So much for the idea that “liberation day” would free financial markets from their fear of the unknown. Publication of precise tariff rates, went a cheerful line of advance thinking, would at least allow investors to assess the probable trade effects on the basis of hard information. True optimists clung to the idea that Donald Trump would not wish to risk a truly severe market reaction.
....(snip)....
The S&P 500 index fell 4% in early trading and is down more than 10% from its high six weeks ago. The dollar fell sharply even though traditional logic says tariffs ought to be currency-positive if $600bn (£457.5bn) of extra revenue is on cards. On this occasion, the market simply adjusted to the higher likelihood of a US recession from higher prices and slower growth.
....(snip)....
On that score, analysts noted the simplistic – or plain perverse – formula behind the administration’s tariff arithmetic. It seems to have taken a country’s trade deficit in goods with US, divided it by its exports to the US and called the resulting number a trade barrier that deserves a “reciprocal” US tariff. The underlying logic, it would appear, is that every country should always have a perfect trade balance with the US – never mind the impossibility of achieving that outcome, and never mind that the tariffs don’t affect trade in services.
....(snip)....
The view from bond specialist Pimco is that we should be wary. “He is certainly not entirely impervious to a market decline, nor is he unaffected by public sentiment, significant congressional pushback or concerns about a recession,” says Libby Cantrill, its head of US public policy.
“So, there is likely a limit to how much pain he and his administration are willing to endure in order to rebalance the economy, but when that is or what that looks like remains to be seen. For now, we should assume that his pain tolerance is pretty high and that tariffs stick around for a while.” ..................(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/03/the-world-looks-on-and-wonders-how-much-pain-is-trump-willing-to-take
What will Trump do when his tariffs backfire?
What will Trump do when his tariffs backfire?
Nils Pratley
The US president’s tariffs are almost certain to have dire consequences and he is not impervious to market decline or public opinion
(Guardian UK) So much for the idea that “liberation day” would free financial markets from their fear of the unknown. Publication of precise tariff rates, went a cheerful line of advance thinking, would at least allow investors to assess the probable trade effects on the basis of hard information. True optimists clung to the idea that Donald Trump would not wish to risk a truly severe market reaction.
....(snip)....
The S&P 500 index fell 4% in early trading and is down more than 10% from its high six weeks ago. The dollar fell sharply even though traditional logic says tariffs ought to be currency-positive if $600bn (£457.5bn) of extra revenue is on cards. On this occasion, the market simply adjusted to the higher likelihood of a US recession from higher prices and slower growth.
....(snip)....
On that score, analysts noted the simplistic – or plain perverse – formula behind the administration’s tariff arithmetic. It seems to have taken a country’s trade deficit in goods with US, divided it by its exports to the US and called the resulting number a trade barrier that deserves a “reciprocal” US tariff. The underlying logic, it would appear, is that every country should always have a perfect trade balance with the US – never mind the impossibility of achieving that outcome, and never mind that the tariffs don’t affect trade in services.
....(snip)....
The view from bond specialist Pimco is that we should be wary. “He is certainly not entirely impervious to a market decline, nor is he unaffected by public sentiment, significant congressional pushback or concerns about a recession,” says Libby Cantrill, its head of US public policy.
“So, there is likely a limit to how much pain he and his administration are willing to endure in order to rebalance the economy, but when that is or what that looks like remains to be seen. For now, we should assume that his pain tolerance is pretty high and that tariffs stick around for a while.” ..................(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/03/the-world-looks-on-and-wonders-how-much-pain-is-trump-willing-to-take
April 3, 2025
Mike Johnson melts down after House proxy vote failure exposes MAGA's "pro-family" lie
The House speaker's latest tantrum shows how the "pro-family" MAGA GOP just wants women back in the kitchen
By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published April 3, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)
(Salon) Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., once famously said that, to understand his "worldview," all one needs to do is "pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it." A few months into Donald Trump's second term, however, Johnson has displayed a lot of tolerance for injustices that would outrage the Jesus of the Bible: redentioning innocent men to a torture prison in El Salvador, falsely accusing grandparents of being "frauds" as a pretext to take away their Social Security checks, and condemning children to die of preventable diseases like HIV and measles. None of this has perturbed Johnson, who backed Trump throughout the spiraling sadism of the administration.
This week, however, Johnson found one policy he cannot abide by: allowing representatives to serve their constituents while simultaneously caring for their newborn infants. On Tuesday, Johnson attempted to block a bipartisan bill to permit House members to vote by proxy, aided by technology, when on parental leave. Even though the speaker has extensive control over what bills come up for a vote, he couldn't stop this one. Nine Republicans crossed the aisle to help Democrats meet the threshold to force the bill onto the floor. After it passed, Johnson was so irate he canceled all congressional activity for the week and sent members home.
....(snip)....
But it's not quite right to attribute this to hypocrisy. Johnson's behavior is perfectly consistent with the renewed Republican enthusiasm for pushing women out of public life and back into the kitchen. As David Graham at the Atlantic wrote in a recent article on how Republicans are implementing Project 2025, the party under Trump has made the "effort to restore traditional families" a priority. "In this vision, men are breadwinners and women are mothers," he writes, pointing out how the Project 2025 blueprint spells out different policy ideas to force women out of the workplace and into roles as stay-at-home wives.
....(snip)....
This is a piece of a larger Republican Party revolt against the work-from-home culture that rose during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of Trump's first actions when he returned to the White House was to issue an executive order forcing federal workers to cease remote work and show up at the office, whether their jobs required it or not. He justified this by falsely accusing remote workers of "not working" but "playing tennis" or "playing golf." Part of this is his usual psychological projection, as Trump spends an inordinate amount of his work week on the golf course. Part of it was the Project 2025 and Elon Musk's agenda of making the job so miserable that people quit. But Johnson's tantrum is a reminder that another central Republican concern is that work-from-home policies might help women's equality. ..................(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/03/mike-johnson-melts-down-after-proxy-vote-failure-exposes-magas-pro-family-lie/
Mike Johnson melts down after House proxy vote failure exposes MAGA's "pro-family" lie
Mike Johnson melts down after House proxy vote failure exposes MAGA's "pro-family" lie
The House speaker's latest tantrum shows how the "pro-family" MAGA GOP just wants women back in the kitchen
By Amanda Marcotte
Senior Writer
Published April 3, 2025 6:00AM (EDT)
(Salon) Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., once famously said that, to understand his "worldview," all one needs to do is "pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it." A few months into Donald Trump's second term, however, Johnson has displayed a lot of tolerance for injustices that would outrage the Jesus of the Bible: redentioning innocent men to a torture prison in El Salvador, falsely accusing grandparents of being "frauds" as a pretext to take away their Social Security checks, and condemning children to die of preventable diseases like HIV and measles. None of this has perturbed Johnson, who backed Trump throughout the spiraling sadism of the administration.
This week, however, Johnson found one policy he cannot abide by: allowing representatives to serve their constituents while simultaneously caring for their newborn infants. On Tuesday, Johnson attempted to block a bipartisan bill to permit House members to vote by proxy, aided by technology, when on parental leave. Even though the speaker has extensive control over what bills come up for a vote, he couldn't stop this one. Nine Republicans crossed the aisle to help Democrats meet the threshold to force the bill onto the floor. After it passed, Johnson was so irate he canceled all congressional activity for the week and sent members home.
....(snip)....
But it's not quite right to attribute this to hypocrisy. Johnson's behavior is perfectly consistent with the renewed Republican enthusiasm for pushing women out of public life and back into the kitchen. As David Graham at the Atlantic wrote in a recent article on how Republicans are implementing Project 2025, the party under Trump has made the "effort to restore traditional families" a priority. "In this vision, men are breadwinners and women are mothers," he writes, pointing out how the Project 2025 blueprint spells out different policy ideas to force women out of the workplace and into roles as stay-at-home wives.
....(snip)....
This is a piece of a larger Republican Party revolt against the work-from-home culture that rose during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of Trump's first actions when he returned to the White House was to issue an executive order forcing federal workers to cease remote work and show up at the office, whether their jobs required it or not. He justified this by falsely accusing remote workers of "not working" but "playing tennis" or "playing golf." Part of this is his usual psychological projection, as Trump spends an inordinate amount of his work week on the golf course. Part of it was the Project 2025 and Elon Musk's agenda of making the job so miserable that people quit. But Johnson's tantrum is a reminder that another central Republican concern is that work-from-home policies might help women's equality. ..................(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/03/mike-johnson-melts-down-after-proxy-vote-failure-exposes-magas-pro-family-lie/
April 3, 2025
"Liberation Day" surprise: Trump gets outmatched
Sen. Cory Booker steals Trump’s tariff limelight with a historic marathon speech
By Brian Karem
White House columnist
Published April 3, 2025 9:17AM (EDT)
(Salon) Donald Trump strode into the Rose Garden Wednesday with the elegance and subtlety of a sledgehammer. He was there to enact a variety of “reciprocal tariffs” on a host of nations, friends and foes, on what he called “Liberation Day.” Within a minute of smiling and walking to the podium, he talked about “punishing” our allies and told us “in many cases the friend is worse than the foe” in trade. He pointed at the Oval Office about 60 feet away from where he stood, and as the brisk April breeze danced through his thinning hair, he said he blamed former presidents and past leaders for destroying the manufacturing base of the U.S. “To an extent no one can even believe.”
....(snip)....
On day 72 of the new Donald Trump regime, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker took it. But to Donald’s credit, Booker had to stand up for 25 hours straight, without a bathroom break, without eating, without resting and had to hold the floor of the U.S. Senate to accomplish the task.
....(snip)....
To them, Trump’s revenge tour (i.e. his new administration) is “Liberation Day,” above and beyond what Trump did in the Rose Garden Wednesday. “He liberated us the moment he walked into the White House,” his followers continue to preach. So, if Trump says domestic production will increase exponentially “overnight,” then they believe it.
That is diametrically opposed to what Booker said in his opening remarks before he stood up to oppose Trump in the Senate. “In just 71 days, the president has inflicted harm after harm on Americans' safety, financial stability, the foundations of our democracy, and any sense of common decency," Booker said in his introductory remarks. "These are not normal times in our nation. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate." ...................(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/03/liberation-day-surprise-gets-outmatched/
"Liberation Day" surprise: Trump gets outmatched
"Liberation Day" surprise: Trump gets outmatched
Sen. Cory Booker steals Trump’s tariff limelight with a historic marathon speech
By Brian Karem
White House columnist
Published April 3, 2025 9:17AM (EDT)
(Salon) Donald Trump strode into the Rose Garden Wednesday with the elegance and subtlety of a sledgehammer. He was there to enact a variety of “reciprocal tariffs” on a host of nations, friends and foes, on what he called “Liberation Day.” Within a minute of smiling and walking to the podium, he talked about “punishing” our allies and told us “in many cases the friend is worse than the foe” in trade. He pointed at the Oval Office about 60 feet away from where he stood, and as the brisk April breeze danced through his thinning hair, he said he blamed former presidents and past leaders for destroying the manufacturing base of the U.S. “To an extent no one can even believe.”
....(snip)....
On day 72 of the new Donald Trump regime, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker took it. But to Donald’s credit, Booker had to stand up for 25 hours straight, without a bathroom break, without eating, without resting and had to hold the floor of the U.S. Senate to accomplish the task.
....(snip)....
To them, Trump’s revenge tour (i.e. his new administration) is “Liberation Day,” above and beyond what Trump did in the Rose Garden Wednesday. “He liberated us the moment he walked into the White House,” his followers continue to preach. So, if Trump says domestic production will increase exponentially “overnight,” then they believe it.
That is diametrically opposed to what Booker said in his opening remarks before he stood up to oppose Trump in the Senate. “In just 71 days, the president has inflicted harm after harm on Americans' safety, financial stability, the foundations of our democracy, and any sense of common decency," Booker said in his introductory remarks. "These are not normal times in our nation. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate." ...................(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/03/liberation-day-surprise-gets-outmatched/
April 2, 2025
Elon Musk delivers hope and change for Democrats
A victory in a tight Wisconsin race boosts Democrats in their quest to defeat the billionaire's DOGE plans
By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published April 2, 2025 9:48AM (EDT)
(Salon) There is so much bad news happening in politics daily that sometimes you feel like you've been physically pummeled by it. The Trump administration's "shock and awe" campaign to overwhelm the country with one extreme policy after another, dismantling most of the government institutions that make the United States a global leader, is extraordinarily punishing. You can't blame people for opting to tune out a bit and care for their emotional well-being.
....(snip)....
I made a promise to myself that I was not going to get my hopes up about elections after all that. No more hopium for me. I said that I would certainly root for Democrats to win wherever possible and would do what I could to make that happen. But I just couldn't let myself pore over polling and racehorse analysis anymore or allow myself to put too much stock in any individual victories.
....(snip)....
On Monday evening, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker began a marathon floor speech to break the record that the odious Dixiecrat Strom Thurman set when he filibustered the Civil Rights Act on 1957 for 24 hours and 17 minutes. The symbolism of Booker, a Black senator, doing that was obvious and excellent under our current circumstances, where the Trump administration is doing everything it can to erase the story of racial minorities in American life. But I had no idea how thrilling it would be to see him stand there for what turned out to be 25 hours and 4 minutes and lay out the case against what Trump and the Republicans are doing. He opened his speech by saying:
....(snip)....
And then came Tuesday's election returns. The two Florida races were won by Republicans as expected — but by about 15 points, half the margin Trump received last November. The big one in Wisconsin was a banger. I'd certainly paid attention in recent days to Elon Musk's antics there, where he poured more than $20 million into the right-wing candidate's campaign and handed out million-dollar checks along with other cash goodies. He made the race a referendum on himself, even turning up in person on Sunday to tell people that it would be the end of America if the liberal won. ...............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/02/elon-musk-delivers-hope-and-change-for-democrats/
Elon Musk delivers hope and change for Democrats
Elon Musk delivers hope and change for Democrats
A victory in a tight Wisconsin race boosts Democrats in their quest to defeat the billionaire's DOGE plans
By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published April 2, 2025 9:48AM (EDT)
(Salon) There is so much bad news happening in politics daily that sometimes you feel like you've been physically pummeled by it. The Trump administration's "shock and awe" campaign to overwhelm the country with one extreme policy after another, dismantling most of the government institutions that make the United States a global leader, is extraordinarily punishing. You can't blame people for opting to tune out a bit and care for their emotional well-being.
....(snip)....
I made a promise to myself that I was not going to get my hopes up about elections after all that. No more hopium for me. I said that I would certainly root for Democrats to win wherever possible and would do what I could to make that happen. But I just couldn't let myself pore over polling and racehorse analysis anymore or allow myself to put too much stock in any individual victories.
....(snip)....
On Monday evening, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker began a marathon floor speech to break the record that the odious Dixiecrat Strom Thurman set when he filibustered the Civil Rights Act on 1957 for 24 hours and 17 minutes. The symbolism of Booker, a Black senator, doing that was obvious and excellent under our current circumstances, where the Trump administration is doing everything it can to erase the story of racial minorities in American life. But I had no idea how thrilling it would be to see him stand there for what turned out to be 25 hours and 4 minutes and lay out the case against what Trump and the Republicans are doing. He opened his speech by saying:
“These are not normal times in our nation. And they should not be treated as such in the United States Senate. The threats to the American people and American democracy are grave and urgent, and we all must do more to stand against them."
....(snip)....
And then came Tuesday's election returns. The two Florida races were won by Republicans as expected — but by about 15 points, half the margin Trump received last November. The big one in Wisconsin was a banger. I'd certainly paid attention in recent days to Elon Musk's antics there, where he poured more than $20 million into the right-wing candidate's campaign and handed out million-dollar checks along with other cash goodies. He made the race a referendum on himself, even turning up in person on Sunday to tell people that it would be the end of America if the liberal won. ...............(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/04/02/elon-musk-delivers-hope-and-change-for-democrats/
April 2, 2025
Sadopolitics: Why MAGA clings tighter to Trump the more his policies hurt them
Psychology helps to explain why Trump’s followers will not abandon him
By Chauncey DeVega
Senior Writer
Published March 27, 2025 6:57AM (EDT)
(Salon) Donald Trump’s budget cuts and the larger war on federal employees and government are not laser-targeted on Democrats, liberals, progressives or the other people and communities that he has deemed to be “the vermin” and “poison in the blood” of the nation who should be purged. Trump’s approach is broad, the political equivalent of carpet-bombing, and the casualties include Trump’s own MAGA people and red state parts of the country.
....(snip)....
Much of this news coverage and commentary, and the reactions to these stories online and elsewhere, is colored by liberal schadenfreude. The Trump supporters are mocked as getting their just rewards because they voted for a president who then fires them or otherwise causes them great harm. There is often shock and surprise that these same voters do not immediately turn against Trump, the MAGA movement or the Republican Party, even after they have been hurt by their Dear Leader.
....(snip)....
Donald Trump and other right-wing leaders and influentials command a vast propaganda and experience machine that consists of traditional news media such as TV, radio and print, websites, social media, podcasts, publishers, movies, sports, film, television, comedy, right-wing Christian churches, schools and “education,” interest groups, think tanks and other civil society organizations. For at least the last nine years (and decades before with the rise of Fox News and the right-wing echo chamber) this propaganda and experience machine has created an alternate reality that has emotionally trained and conditioned its public to be loyal to Trump, MAGA, and the larger right-wing “conservative” movement and to reject any outside information or influences (their much-hated “reality-based community”).
The American public is highly polarized politically (and socially). Politics is not “just” limited to voting and elections and other explicitly political matters such as support for a given public policy, law, candidate or party. Politics now encompasses many, if not most, aspects of American culture, from food to entertainment, dating, marriage, friendship networks, where one lives, religion and church attendance, and other aspects of day-to-day life. What political scientists describe as affective/negative polarization describes how political disagreements are increasingly existential value judgments where “the other side” is not just wrong but evil. In such an environment, changing one’s mind, by, for example, deciding to no longer support Trump’s policies, becomes less likely. ......................(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/03/27/sadopolitics-why-maga-clings-more-to-the-more-his-policies-hurt-them/
Sadopolitics: Why MAGA clings tighter to Trump the more his policies hurt them
Sadopolitics: Why MAGA clings tighter to Trump the more his policies hurt them
Psychology helps to explain why Trump’s followers will not abandon him
By Chauncey DeVega
Senior Writer
Published March 27, 2025 6:57AM (EDT)
(Salon) Donald Trump’s budget cuts and the larger war on federal employees and government are not laser-targeted on Democrats, liberals, progressives or the other people and communities that he has deemed to be “the vermin” and “poison in the blood” of the nation who should be purged. Trump’s approach is broad, the political equivalent of carpet-bombing, and the casualties include Trump’s own MAGA people and red state parts of the country.
....(snip)....
Much of this news coverage and commentary, and the reactions to these stories online and elsewhere, is colored by liberal schadenfreude. The Trump supporters are mocked as getting their just rewards because they voted for a president who then fires them or otherwise causes them great harm. There is often shock and surprise that these same voters do not immediately turn against Trump, the MAGA movement or the Republican Party, even after they have been hurt by their Dear Leader.
....(snip)....
Donald Trump and other right-wing leaders and influentials command a vast propaganda and experience machine that consists of traditional news media such as TV, radio and print, websites, social media, podcasts, publishers, movies, sports, film, television, comedy, right-wing Christian churches, schools and “education,” interest groups, think tanks and other civil society organizations. For at least the last nine years (and decades before with the rise of Fox News and the right-wing echo chamber) this propaganda and experience machine has created an alternate reality that has emotionally trained and conditioned its public to be loyal to Trump, MAGA, and the larger right-wing “conservative” movement and to reject any outside information or influences (their much-hated “reality-based community”).
The American public is highly polarized politically (and socially). Politics is not “just” limited to voting and elections and other explicitly political matters such as support for a given public policy, law, candidate or party. Politics now encompasses many, if not most, aspects of American culture, from food to entertainment, dating, marriage, friendship networks, where one lives, religion and church attendance, and other aspects of day-to-day life. What political scientists describe as affective/negative polarization describes how political disagreements are increasingly existential value judgments where “the other side” is not just wrong but evil. In such an environment, changing one’s mind, by, for example, deciding to no longer support Trump’s policies, becomes less likely. ......................(more)
https://www.salon.com/2025/03/27/sadopolitics-why-maga-clings-more-to-the-more-his-policies-hurt-them/
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