Assorted content to start your week.
- Marc Elias explores what it means to worry that "we're on our own" in the face of a fascist government and crumbling institutions - while noting that one of the most important tasks in building resistance is to ensure people don't give up the fight for democracy and solidarity. Brian Beutler makes the case to work on pro-social activity - particularly in contrast to engaging with the social media outlets which have been turned into propaganda mills by techbros. And Josh Marshall rightly notes that there's a massive opportunity to tap into existing public sentiment in opposing government by billionaires for billionaires.
- A.R. Moxon writes that an economic system built on the principle of unconstrained growth and ruthless efficiency in extracting wealth regardless of the cost to human life can hardly expected to do anything but grind through the population without any compunction. Angel Munarriz writes about the "nationalist international" seeking to impose discriminatory authoritarianism on a country-by-country basis. David Howarth implores UK Labour to limit plutocratic domination of media and politics before it's too late. And Dale Smith warns about the need to beware of Pierre Poilievre's own plan to turn public policy over to the broligarchy.
- Jon Ungoed-Thomas reports on the multinationals who are exercising discretion to let the value of UK employees' pensions erode even while raking in massive profits. And David Climenhaga notes that the UCP is looking to dismiss a readily-foreseeable report from the chief actuary of Canada saying that Alberta can't steal over half of the value of the Canada Pension Plan to funnel into dirty energy.
- Jim Stanford writes about the high cost of not striking - as the failure of workers to stand up for each other produces a far worse outcome for the entire working class. And Adam King points out the Trudeau Libs' contempt for collective action - with its squelching of the Canada Post strike representing just the latest of many choices to prioritize management control over the interest of workers and the public.
- Ashley Wan-Tzu Lo and Suman Kumar Mitra study the effect of urban design, and find that denser and more accessible environments improve mobility and social activity. And Ron Johnson discusses new research showing how biking to work is associated with a bevy of health benefits (including lower cancer rates). But Trevor Potts discusses how Doug Ford is determined to pour public money into highways while deliberately destroying bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
- Finally, Paul Krugman writes about the U.S.' choice to cultivate gambling and other addictions in order to create profit centers at the expense of far greater social harms.