«During the long 2005-2021 rule of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany’s prosperity rested on three pillars: exports to China, cheap gas from Russia and U.S. protection through NATO. They have all crumbled….

…

The result is a country forced to reinvent itself — but the fear of fringe parties is keeping mainstream politicians frozen, said Sabine Kropp, a political science professor at the Freie Universität Berlin.

“A truly poor approach at the moment is the constant fear of the AfD,” she said. `”Everything is viewed through the lens of whether it benefits or harms the AfD, and that reduces the ability to solve problems.”»

https://www.politico.eu/article/friedrich-merz-fragile-coalition-pressure-reform-germany/

“tactics without a strategy.“ Seems about right.

«a suspension of port fees on Chinese ships and the delay of U.S. export controls that would have barred more Chinese firms from accessing American technology.

…

Some experts said China inevitably had the upper hand in the trade fight because the Trump administration never had a clear objective.

“I think it’s an approach that can safely be described as tactics without a strategy,” said Jonathan Czin, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who previously analyzed Chinese politics at the C.I.A.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/world/asia/china-trump-xi-trade.html?unlocked_article_code=1.xU8.c-F1.8Yc9K02Z1dK8&smid=url-share

«”We know that there’s a lot of really quiet movements that are going on,” Pagitt said.

Dave Gibbons, lead pastor of the multiethnic Newsong Church in Santa Ana, Calif., tells Axios he’s talked with people quietly walking away from MAGA because of the mass deportations.

Reality check: Precisely how many evangelicals are “quietly quitting” MAGA isn’t clear — most don’t announce it publicly for fear of being criticized or harassed online.

Some evangelical church leaders also worry that speaking out — even when citing Scripture about helping strangers — could result in an exodus of members who back Trump, said Gibbons, a former fundamentalist.»

https://www.axios.com/2025/10/29/evangelicals-quietly-quitting-trump-maga

There’s a fair amount of this sort of quietness in (US) Christianity, not just among people de-MAGA-ifying themselves. The progressive Christians just aren’t as loud.

Meanwhile, tons of folks in the social-media-o-sphere continue to caricature Christians. (Granted, a fair number of people calling themselves “Christian” do a pretty good job of caricaturing themselves.)

Not that I really want to shill for Wal-Mart, but in light of all these posts on how to stay alive in the face of Republican hard-heartedness….

Gourmia 6 Qt Manual Slow Cooker with 3 Heat Settings, White – Walmart.com https://share.google/b0lOf8hmR864jk22j

Coupla good quotes in here. Here’s one:

«Writing in The Washington Post last week, former Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican, urged Indiana lawmakers to resist the push to redistrict. “Someone has to lead in climbing out of the mudhole,” he said.

“Hoosiers, like most Americans, place a high value on fairness and react badly to its naked violation,” he wrote.»

https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-indiana-kansas-trump-pressure-2026-election-506c874ec90c7f68167e0683b207dc41

«The president in July touted agreements with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines as the White House raced to secure as many trade deals as possible before a self-imposed deadline to raise tariffs. But beyond the celebratory social media posts, the White House provided little detail on the terms to lower U.S. duties. The three countries openly disputed some of the things Trump claimed they’d agreed to. And aside from a fact sheet on the Indonesian agreement, the administration has not released further updates in the ensuing months.»

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/25/as-trump-heads-to-asia-three-splashy-trade-deals-take-a-back-seat-00622756

Uh huh.

I’m sensing a pattern.

«“DOGE never really left, it just looks different now,” one of the SAMHSA employees said.»

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/25/hhs-shutdown-layoffs-doge-vought-00620786

Which we kind of already knew, right?

Heard Delta Rae in concert last night. Glad they’re still including this song in their playlist.

https://open.spotify.com/track/17SAOawsquYcePsBHBoP9W?si=PfnJyje1TuuVNV4a4_afYg

«If Kamala were President, we’d be having BRUNCH.»

https://www.axios.com/2025/10/15/trump-wic-soldier-troop-pay-democrats-illegal

Hmmm.