Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump are two of the greatest con men of the age. Both successfully convinced many people to do immense harm to themselves and their country.
The Atlantic poses as a magazine of ideas, but its writers get away with terrible arguments. Its ascendance is a sign of the dire state of American intellectual life.
Commentary around the first Harris-Trump debate focused on Harris’s impressive performance. But both candidates accepted dangerous right-wing premises on climate, immigration, economics, and foreign policy.
Not everyone has the available time or energy to do deep reading. But if you’re going to make confident public pronouncements on matters that require a lot of research, books will help you avoid dangerous foolishness.
These are not our dads or aunts. We are electing a head of state who will wield immense power and control a massive nuclear arsenal. “Policy” is not peripheral or dispensable, it’s the only thing that really matters.