4510

Without articles like this, who would look out for rich white people? First Elizabeth Holmes, now this. What is this country coming to?

4511

I have heard of them but know next to nothing about the Christly family. I guess they are a middle aged white couple whose family has done a reality show for many years.

They have been found guilty of bank fraud and other fun things and both sentenced to prison for longer than the Theranos woman.

So that makes three cases.

4512

I’m posting this here instead of the Russia thread as my take is more about media presentation and the piece itself is more about Euro-American relations than Russia per se.

A Politico hit piece on the US alleging the EU is getting very upset with EVIL AMERICAN DOINGS related to… the Inflation Reduction Act and green energy subsidy. One of the bullshit lines that is in the article is how the cost of gas is somehow multiplied 4X when it crosses the Atlantic. The article briefly mentions the internal EU middle-market but doesn’t mention other EU and national policies which affect the price of gas.

I won’t quote the article b/c I found it to be utter BS. Also, the underlying issue to me is that the article definitely sounds like shilling for right wing European parties. For example, they are upset over the green energy subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act in part b/c it is “forcing” EU countries to increase their own green energy subsidies. (Ummm, dumbasses, that kind of ripple effect was hoped for and intended.)

Politico is shit. I wish I could quit it.

4513

Calling it Tiger Beat on the Potomac as Charlie Pierce does could help.

4514

I mean, they are. It’s the top story on the FT at the moment. Whether they’re justified in doing so is another matter.

4515

Well of course. The right-leaning citizens of the EU nations are being hit with this kind of selectively presented and spun/framed propaganda. The Financial Times is probably channeling info that was pushed by organizations like Murdoch’s and right wing internet/twitter. The right wing media operates somewhat different in Europe than in the US but it does operate.

4516

It’s channeling what Valdis Dombrovskis is saying on the record.

4517

Isn’t that guy from a populist/right wing background?

4518

I don’t think you get how this “inflation” thing works, Reuters.

4519

That’s really embarrassing for Reuters. Supposedly premier financial journalism.

4520

It kind of is though? If everyone’s hit by inflation they’ll spend more on essentials with less available for luxury goods. You’d see that bear out via soft sales leading up to Black Friday as people save up to get the most bang for their buck during deep discounts. The article could have done a much better job saying if this was what actually happened than a single throwaway line.

Personally, I had a few larger purchases I put off until this weekend. And have some insight that tracks to that theory in certain markets. Along with words about Adobe Analytics being the source of this report :)

4521

Sort of. One of the predictions with inflation is that, with prices going up, people don’t wait to spend money – they spend it right away. As such, there were some commentators who were concerned that Black Friday would be a bust because consumers weren’t waiting for sales or markdowns because they were afraid inflation would erode those “deals.” Obviously those commentators were not entirely correct!

4522
4523

It has direct quotes from at least 6 mainstream politicians from across the spectrum from conservative-liberal to social democratic to green. Every one of them would have loudly celebrated when Biden beat Trump. Three of them are high profile enough that you should be aware of them (Macron, Borrell, Habeck), and none of the people quoted are minor figures who can mouth off without consequence.

Just stop. You are coming across as ignorant and insular, which I know you are not.

Personally I think the US is largely in the right on gas prices, whereas the EU is largely in the right on the trade-distorting effects of the IRA, but there’s space for a discussion there. To assert that complaints must have come from the far-right is a reality-denying smear, nothing more and nothing less.

The FT is a solidly centrist paper and hates anything that comes from right-wing twitter with a passion.

Do you read politico.eu much? It is very different from the US site (which I haven’t read in years).

4524

People are saying, tell me about your sleepover and pillow fights.

4525

What an ace of a response to such a stupid question. I’m envious of the leadership that these countries are able to elect.

That was a breath of fresh air after the likes of GWB, Trump, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, etc. over the years.

4526

Is this too high a price to pay for sending Chris Cillizza packing?

4527

Though I guess WaPo still feeds him. Or maybe not? Thought he had a WaPo byline.

4528

I typically don’t look at the author when reading CNN articles so it’s been a fun little game where I’ll get a few paragraphs in and think “Wait a minute… this turd has to be a Cillizza piece”. I probably had a 80% success rate!

Good riddance.

4529

I read the WaPo opinions pages fairly regularly and I think it’s been a couple years since I’ve seen him there.