From Paul Krugman’s newsletter of June 27th:

Who Trump’s OBBBA will hurt badly

from Paul Krugman’s substack newsletter

Basically, we’re talking about undoing all the progress America has made in expanding health insurance. And as I said, many independent analysts believe it could be substantially worse.

Remember, this isn’t happening to save money: If Republicans cared about the deficit, they could forego those tax cuts. It isn’t happening by popular demand: the Big Beautiful Bill is extremely unpopular already, and will become even more unpopular once people see its effects.

It’s happening because our government has been taken over by fanatics who believe that, one way or another, they can escape the electoral consequences of making millions of Americans’ lives much, much worse.

Two hundred forty-nine years ago, the continental congress passed the resolution that kicked off the revolution against the mother country and its authoritarian royal government. Here we are two hundred and forty nine years later seeing our democracy weakened almost as never before and wondering if we will make it to two hundred fifty as a viable democracy.

The whole idea of our form of government was that the law was king, not any human that could rule on a whim as George III did. Now we have a human who is manipulating markets, cities, states and countries and attacking Americans in their homes based on his whim. We have basically a masked Gestapo in our streets meting out racist justice without warrants or authorizations. We have a gutless party in congress that refuses to stand against him. We have a subservient press that seeks his favor.

The genius of the American system — at least in theory — is that it puts checks on state power and that by splitting power centers into several parts each power center would act to keep the others in check. The press and the people are included among those that can check the usurpation of power. The executive cannot theoretically act like a king. The courts must protect the vulnerable. And the public must have visibility into the actions done in our name.

This week, though, the Supreme Court abdicated that role. And in doing so, the six Republicans on the bench handed a dangerous tool to a man most inclined to abuse it. Let’s not kid ourselves. The decision wasn’t just about deportation. It was about moral laundering, washing the blood off our hands by putting it on someone else’s tarmac. The Nazis did it. So did the Bush administration. Now Trump’s backers on the Court have opened the door once more.

The splitting of power has been bypassed. Last year the SCOTUS gave the executive a pass on criminality while president, this year they are making dents in tn our due process laws. Next year I am sure we can expect birthright citizenship to be greatly chipped away. SCOTUS now seems to act in concert with the executive.

MAGAs in congress absolutely quiver in fear of the felon in the White House. MAGAs in state government shape election suppression laws so their party almost can’t lose, thus negating the power of the electorate. 99% of the press quivers in fear of an attack by FIWH. The part of the press that doesn’t acquiesce will probably be sued out of existence as was done in Orban’s Hungary.

The assessment of the state of our democracy on July 4th of 2025 is that Uncle Sam is pretty sick.