13 Comments
User's avatar
Bill Schmidt's avatar

79 million people voted for this and they're getting it "good and hard" to paraphrase H L Mencken. Whether they will learn anything from the experience and whether it will change their future votes (if there are any) is doubtful, based on past experience

Expand full comment
Partha's avatar

Trump's, and by extension America's, response to immediate needs like hunger and poverty is to go into a fantasy land of cryptos and AI. Perhaps that is how creative destruction works. But , for now, I see a lot of destruction and not nearly enough creation.

Expand full comment
Javaman's avatar

Thomas Huxley wrote, “Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.”

Mr. Bernstein, these are excellent facts, but ever since Kellyanne Conway denied the smaller size of the first Trump inaugural with “alternative facts” we have all known about information bubbles.

There is very little learning going on for some.

Expand full comment
Good thoughts's avatar

The hypocrisy is bottomless at every level of those in power and suggests the larger agenda of Elimination. We are subject to arrest without due process, no health care insurance because premiums are too high, false and misleading information about health, excessive inflation on food, cars and rent. Expensive child care. And now starvation for many military families, mostly children and all people who are trying to get on their feet economically. While billionaires attend costume parties and fund vanity projects. No one voted for this. No one wants this. VOTE!

Expand full comment
James Patrick's avatar

Mr Bernstein, I only read roughly one NYT per week. Often I choose Tuesday because it has the Science section. But if you have a column in THAT days HARDCOPY paper, please let your Substack readers know, so then I will pick up that day's paper. THANKS

Expand full comment
Vincent kotsubo's avatar

I wondering whether those that will see insurance premiums rise or lose SNAP benefits can make the connection to Republicans. Yes, I believe that the electorate is that ignorant.

Expand full comment
Theodora30's avatar

The polling is showing that the majority of people are making that connection. Only the MAGAites don’t and they account for 20% of the population or less.

Expand full comment
Sarah Greenwood's avatar

Propaganda and “alternative facts.” Just lies by another name.

Expand full comment
Shaky Lee's avatar

Deeply troubling that there's no way to hold them criminally accountable for these lies.

Expand full comment
Sam (Citro) Alexander's avatar

Some new data to add. Not only is SNAP a critical anti-hunger tool, it’s also an effective health equity program. Contrary to popular belief, new data shows that SNAP participants shop ~10% healthier than those not receiving SNAP at the same income level: https://samtalksfood.substack.com/p/whats-really-in-americas-grocery

Expand full comment
Tessa Lena's avatar

I believe that good American people are being played, alas—and by both sides of the political spectacle. https://tessa.substack.com/p/american-sin-of-poverty

Expand full comment
Wendell Bell's avatar

The government lawyers are being willfully obtuse, and are threatening fiscal collapse, it would seem:

file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/67/07/E039A902-75B9-4A9D-A04C-53A5182980CD/IMG_4158.heic

Expand full comment