Month: October 2024

You Think WE Have Inflation? In Russia, It’s 21%

Buck Banks

21%

Russia’s central bank on Friday raised its key interest rate by two percentage points to a record-high 21% in an effort to combat growing inflation as government spending on the military strains the economy’s capacity to produce goods and services – and drives up workers’ wages, reports Euro News. By contrast, it’s 2.4% in the U.S., according to CNBC.

Don’t Count on Bezos and the Oligarchs to Save Democracy

Buck Banks

“If there ever were an incident that stands for the proposition that democracy, and journalism, cannot rest on the shoulders of oligarchs, this is it. Bezos did a lot of good for the Post when he first took it over, but the consent of the billionaire is not a stable structure for newspapers or magazines in an authoritarian era. Eventually, they can be counted upon to protect themselves, and that may sometimes mean not speaking the truth—either by lying or, as here, just by not speaking at all.”

— Benjamin Wittes

How to Lose the Latino Vote

Buck Banks

“These Latinos, they love making babies, too. Just know that they do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They cum inside, just like they did to our country.” A few moments later, the comedian took a second swing at Puerto Ricans: “There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”

— “Comedian” Tony Hinchcliffe crudely mocked Latinos — a key constituency for any winning campaign in 2024 — during preprogramming for Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally October 27, NBC News reports.

Former WaPo Editor Calls Bezos’ Refusal to Endorse ‘Cowardice’

Buck Banks

“This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty. Donald Trump will see this as an invitation to further intimidate owner Jeff Bezos (and others). Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”

— Former Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron, on X, on the newspaper’s decision to not endorse in the election.

Ex-RNC Chair Michael Steele to Vote for Harris

Buck Banks

“I choose the love of my country over my party. I choose the noble responsibility of my civic duty. I choose my conscience because it reminds me of what I value as a citizen. I choose to stand with my neighbors against those who would lie to them, undermine their freedoms, turn neighbor against neighbor for the sake of one man. I choose a leader who, despite our political differences, values us more than herself.”

— Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele announced that he voted for Kamala Harris for president.

Obama Pummels Says Mark Robinson Makes Trump Look ‘Almost Normal’

Buck Banks

“I do not know where to start with this man. He called the civil rights movement crap. Called LGBTQ people filth. Self-identified as a Nazi. Suggested bringing back slavery. Now, I shouldn’t have to really get into all this. I think it’s fair to say you do not need a governor who makes Donald Trump look almost normal.”

— Barack Obama, talking about North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson (R).

Beyonce Knowles-Carter Stumps for Harris

Buck Banks

“We are at the precipice of an incredible shift, the brink of history. I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies. A world where we’re not divided.”

— Entertainer and Houston native Beyonce Knowles-Carter, during her introduction of Kamala Harris at a campaign rally in Houston, Texas, before an estimated crowd of 30,000, reports Time.