Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Israel Launches Attacks Against Iran; Iran Begins Retaliation

Parsing emerging information on the Israel campaign against Iran, and Iran’s initial response.

Kennedy’s HHS Sent Congress ‘Junk Science’ To Defend Vaccine Changes, Experts Say

More on RFK, Jr. making shit up but attempting to wrap it in the mantle of science.

Gaza: The Sacrificial Ram on Capital’s New Altar

Gaza and Ukraine symbolize the death of an old ‘nomos’ and the rise of a new one shaped by war, capital, and collapsing ideals

Climate Adaptation and Inequality: Lessons from Cape Town’s Drought

Cape Town’s drought illustrated that when climate crises become acute, the rich care for themselves irrespective of bigger effects.

Links 6/12/2025

Rob Urie: Why Retaliation Rhymes with Negotiation, US – Russia Edition

On not-well-known elements of the US-Ukraine-Russia conflict, the fecklessness of the left, and the abject stupidity of Western leaders

Satyajit Das: A Fist Full of Dollars

Two recent books seem unduly complacent about the status of the dollar as reserve currency.

“Is All Economic Growth Good?”

It can’t be said too often: what most economists call growth is too often what we here call groaf.

Coffee Break: Trump Deploys National Guard to LA

President Trump deploys National Guard and US Marines to Los Angeles in support of ICE. Gavin Newsom files suit in opposition. Waymos burn.

The Projected Death Count from Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill

Researchers projects that “big beautiful bill” cuts to public health insurance coverage may lead to upwards of 51,000 deaths a year.

Links 6/11/2025

How the ICE Raids and Crackdowns on Anti-Genocide Speech Are A Threat to All American Workers

The precarity of the undocumented worker is the future of US labor relations. 

“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”: Why Are Young Men Giving Up on Sex?

Many, and perhapse even most, young American men have soured on sex. What could be responsible?

Do AI Models Think?

A new paper confirms early doubts that LLMs could ever meet AI boosters’ claims that they were intelligent.

Coffee Break: Armed Madhouse – Implausible Deniability and the Deep State

The Central Intelligence Agency has in many ways achieved the opposite of the purpose for which it was founded. Instead of increasing the security of the U.S., it has weakened it. The CIA is a main element of what is known as the Deep State, a permanent government that operates apart from the democratic machinery […]