DECEMBER 19, 2025

The Trumpists’ new dismissal of Europe in the world power system
[Adam Tooze] “…in a strange way, Europe isn’t really distinct from the American political space. It’s the same political space. The conflict is therefore, really uninhibited and overtly partisan. Basically [the Trump National Security Strategy 2025 document is] asking for European politics to open the gates to the right. The irony as a European—if you’re a left progressive European—is the idea that somehow it’s a bulk of woke progressive liberals opening the door to Muslim migrants; just go look in the Mediterranean on a bad day, there’s dozens of people drowning, with Frontex blocking the way. The whole thing is a MAGA fantasy, but it is projected onto Europe in a really dramatic way. That’s kind of unique, I think, in the MAGA universe.” Paul Krugman Talking with Adam Tooze about Europe and the US – dialogue from Paul Krugman’s substack.

Beckert’s account of capitalism covers the world, identifies distinctly pre capitalist formations as early as 12th century
Capitalism is a global economic system, so a proper chronicle of its rise to dominance has to examine the entire world, as historian Sven Beckert does in his massive new book, Capitalism: A Global History… “Beckert has been a pioneer in the creation of new narratives exploring how an ever-changing capitalism has been a socially and culturally rooted phenomenon. At well over a thousand pages, Beckert’s volume offers a synthesis and occasional recasting of almost everything we have learned about the history of capitalism, and not just in the closely studied societies bordering the North Atlantic. It is a global history, holds Beckert, because capitalism “was always a world economy.” Jacobin review by Nelson Lichtenstein

Socialism After AI
“AI arrives as a technology whose uses are discovered after deployment, whose boundaries are porous, and whose side‑effects appear in places nobody designed for. “Generative” is not just a marketing word; it names a genuine instability. For socialists, this instability poses a specific challenge. And their reflexes are familiar: Regulate platforms, tax windfalls, nationalize leading firms, plug their models into a planning apparatus. But if socialism is to be more than capitalism with nicer dashboards—if it really is a project of collectively remaking material life, not just of redistributing its outputs—it has to answer a harder question: Can it offer a better way of living with this technology than capitalism does? Can it deliver a distinct form of life worth wanting rather than just a fairer share of what capital has already made?” Evgeny Morozov, The Ideas Letter

US’s polarization affecting military ability to remain apolitical, says former joint chiefs chair
Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, who was the US’s top military commander under presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama, called the political environment facing currently serving US military officers “challenging” and “the most dangerous time” in his memory. Speaking at a security forum, he warned that it had become much harder to maintain the armed forces’ traditional apolitical stance than when he served as joint chiefs chair between 2007 and 2011. [He added that] broad cadres of politically inexperienced officers now faced having to navigate a politicized environment in which they fear making mistakes could be costly. The Guardian (UK)

Why Walmart wants to see Starbucks’ barista strike fail
The rise of Starbucks Workers United has energized the U.S. labor movement, as the struggle to unionize the mega-chain represents far more than baristas pitted against managers: Starbucks is a trend-setting global powerhouse and one of the top U.S. employers. Current fights at places like Starbucks and Amazon will shape the labor movement for decades to come. This is well understood by industry leaders, in no small part because of Starbucks’s deep interlocks with major corporations across numerous sectors. [Not only does Starbucks’ board feature former and current Walmart board members, but] the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), one of the leading industry groups for major corporate retailers, is dedicated to weakening labor unions and supporting anti-labor campaigns. Truthout via Portside