Liberal Currents
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A community of mere liberals. Discussing, defending, and applying the many varieties of liberalism. liberalcurrents.com
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"Keynes certainly agreed with the worldly philosophers of old that financial preoccupation could have a pacifying effect on the public, but this soothing concession to the moral power of economics was no endorsement of crude profiteering." www.liberalcurrents.com/you-should-r...
You Should Read Keynes
Keynes was a liberal for our age: morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 19, 2026 at 6:54 PM
"Keynes certainly agreed with the worldly philosophers of old that financial preoccupation could have a pacifying effect on the public, but this soothing concession to the moral power of economics was no endorsement of crude profiteering." www.liberalcurrents.com/you-should-r...
"The reach of the conservative media ecosystem today, and the haplessness (at best) of the liberal one, are not inevitable." www.liberalcurrents.com/editors-note...
Editor's Notes: Media Consolidation Is More Dangerous Than Media Fragmentation
We need to strengthen truly liberal media institutions.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 19, 2026 at 3:31 PM
"The reach of the conservative media ecosystem today, and the haplessness (at best) of the liberal one, are not inevitable." www.liberalcurrents.com/editors-note...
"Sports and sports betting, has been around for a long time. But the real innovation of modern sports is what the fans have created from it: sports culture. Limitations on gambling created enough space for spectator sports to evolve into a new social role, where…tight orbits of community coalesced."
Betting Alone
Sports betting is destroying an important part of the American social fabric.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 19, 2026 at 2:15 PM
"Sports and sports betting, has been around for a long time. But the real innovation of modern sports is what the fans have created from it: sports culture. Limitations on gambling created enough space for spectator sports to evolve into a new social role, where…tight orbits of community coalesced."
"If you are reading this, there is a high odds you played a significant role in making all of this possible. Why distance yourself from that accomplishment? Redeem one of these discounts today and come join us." www.liberalcurrents.com/join-the-lib...
Join the Liberal Currents Community Today and Be Part of Our Fight for the Future of Liberal Democracy
Get a copy of The Reconstruction Papers while inventory lasts, and reserve a copy of next year’s issue.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 19, 2026 at 3:10 AM
"If you are reading this, there is a high odds you played a significant role in making all of this possible. Why distance yourself from that accomplishment? Redeem one of these discounts today and come join us." www.liberalcurrents.com/join-the-lib...
"I will admit to a certain anxiety about the midterms… Not even because I think that Republicans will win or that they'll successfully subvert unfavorable results. But because this is the first big national election since 2024, and it will give us real information about where voters actually stand."
Editor's Notes: "My Generals"
Trump treats the people's government like his personal property.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 19, 2026 at 1:46 AM
"I will admit to a certain anxiety about the midterms… Not even because I think that Republicans will win or that they'll successfully subvert unfavorable results. But because this is the first big national election since 2024, and it will give us real information about where voters actually stand."
"Donald Trump continues to deteriorate before our eyes... But before we get too sanguine, I’d like to direct our attention to Texas and its Republican Party, which I believe currently offers the best picture of what the GOP will most likely look like in a post-Trump world."
The Future of the Republican Party After Trump Is in Texas
The white male supremacists of the Texas GOP embody what the national party has become.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 19, 2026 at 12:41 AM
"Donald Trump continues to deteriorate before our eyes... But before we get too sanguine, I’d like to direct our attention to Texas and its Republican Party, which I believe currently offers the best picture of what the GOP will most likely look like in a post-Trump world."
"A through line of Keynes’s career, beginning with The Economic Consequences of the Peace, is that international indebtedness is dangerous, that keeping it moderate and supportable is a prerequisite to peace and human flourishing. Keynes’s innovation to charge creditors is both practical and moral."
Rebalancing Trade in a Fragmented International Order
Chapter 9 (pp. 62–77) from The Reconstruction Papers.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 11:29 PM
"A through line of Keynes’s career, beginning with The Economic Consequences of the Peace, is that international indebtedness is dangerous, that keeping it moderate and supportable is a prerequisite to peace and human flourishing. Keynes’s innovation to charge creditors is both practical and moral."
"Keynes may have discarded some residues of his family’s ancestral Christian faith (his maternal grandfather was a nonconformist preacher), but he never lost a religious outlook on life. A moral severity comes through in his criticism of the corrupting power of money and avarice."
You Should Read Keynes
Keynes was a liberal for our age: morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 10:14 PM
"Keynes may have discarded some residues of his family’s ancestral Christian faith (his maternal grandfather was a nonconformist preacher), but he never lost a religious outlook on life. A moral severity comes through in his criticism of the corrupting power of money and avarice."
"Capabilities are ultimately more valuable than current goods and services. Acquiescing to persistent trade deficit means tacitly adopting an industrial policy no sane leadership would otherwise choose." www.liberalcurrents.com/rebalancing-...
Rebalancing Trade in a Fragmented International Order
Chapter 9 (pp. 62–77) from The Reconstruction Papers.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 9:18 PM
"Capabilities are ultimately more valuable than current goods and services. Acquiescing to persistent trade deficit means tacitly adopting an industrial policy no sane leadership would otherwise choose." www.liberalcurrents.com/rebalancing-...
"This week, Jim Geraghty mused at National Review that 2028 could see Cruz or some other 'traditional conservative presidential candidate' take the Republican nomination. It’s a gormless, insipid bit of fantasy because no such type exists." www.liberalcurrents.com/the-future-o...
The Future of the Republican Party After Trump Is in Texas
The white male supremacists of the Texas GOP embody what the national party has become.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 8:22 PM
"This week, Jim Geraghty mused at National Review that 2028 could see Cruz or some other 'traditional conservative presidential candidate' take the Republican nomination. It’s a gormless, insipid bit of fantasy because no such type exists." www.liberalcurrents.com/the-future-o...
"Todd Blanche, the current Attorney General of the United States, obtained his role because he was a personal attorney for Trump. … On Tuesday, Blanche gave a White House press briefing himself, as if an important part of his role…were public relations for the president."
Editor's Notes: "My Generals"
Trump treats the people's government like his personal property.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 7:35 PM
"Todd Blanche, the current Attorney General of the United States, obtained his role because he was a personal attorney for Trump. … On Tuesday, Blanche gave a White House press briefing himself, as if an important part of his role…were public relations for the president."
"Keynes regarded the tendency to hoard money as a 'somewhat disgusting morbidity…' The fact that this social malady was allowed to spread unimpeded throughout the body politic was a powerful testament to the extreme humiliation of religion in post-Victorian society."
You Should Read Keynes
Keynes was a liberal for our age: morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 6:06 PM
"Keynes regarded the tendency to hoard money as a 'somewhat disgusting morbidity…' The fact that this social malady was allowed to spread unimpeded throughout the body politic was a powerful testament to the extreme humiliation of religion in post-Victorian society."
“He treats the White House as though it is simply his private property. He treats the military as if it is his and the generals as if they are his employees. He's trying to stamp his name and face on absolutely every government building in DC.” www.liberalcurrents.com/editors-note...
Editor's Notes: "My Generals"
Trump treats the people's government like his personal property.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 3:01 PM
“He treats the White House as though it is simply his private property. He treats the military as if it is his and the generals as if they are his employees. He's trying to stamp his name and face on absolutely every government building in DC.” www.liberalcurrents.com/editors-note...
Reposted by Liberal Currents
If you want to get a copy of The Reconstruction Papers to read that essay for yourself, and support work like @gawattia.bsky.social's, consider redeeming our subscriber drive deal right now www.liberalcurrents.com/drive/
Redeem This Deal to Subscribe to Liberal Currents Today!
Reserve your copy of next year's issue of The Reconstruction Papers.
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September 18, 2026 at 1:01 PM
If you want to get a copy of The Reconstruction Papers to read that essay for yourself, and support work like @gawattia.bsky.social's, consider redeeming our subscriber drive deal right now www.liberalcurrents.com/drive/
Reposted by Liberal Currents
That is precisely the role he played in The Reconstruction Papers, in the penultimate essay of the collection www.liberalcurrents.com/the-reconstr...
The Reconstruction Papers
For nearly a century, the conservative movement's white whale was the government the New Deal and the Great Society had built. Republicans chipped away at it but feared the political ramifications of ...
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 1:01 PM
That is precisely the role he played in The Reconstruction Papers, in the penultimate essay of the collection www.liberalcurrents.com/the-reconstr...
Reposted by Liberal Currents
Few people represent the vision we launched with more than @gawattia.bsky.social, who is deeply read in the liberal tradition and constantly going back to mine it for insights. www.liberalcurrents.com/author/guill...
September 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Few people represent the vision we launched with more than @gawattia.bsky.social, who is deeply read in the liberal tradition and constantly going back to mine it for insights. www.liberalcurrents.com/author/guill...
Reposted by Liberal Currents
Today's essay is the 26th that we have published by @gawattia.bsky.social. The topic is John Maynard Keynes, whose brand of liberalism is worthy of recovery, "morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order."
You Should Read Keynes
Keynes was a liberal for our age: morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Today's essay is the 26th that we have published by @gawattia.bsky.social. The topic is John Maynard Keynes, whose brand of liberalism is worthy of recovery, "morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order."
Reposted by Liberal Currents
JPMorgan recently noted that they "simply don't know how to model the endgame” of the Iran war. Keynes would likely have looked disapprovingly at the recklessness which now characterizes modern politics. Read my latest @liberalcurrents.com to understand why. www.liberalcurrents.com/you-should-r...
You Should Read Keynes
Keynes was a liberal for our age: morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:07 PM
JPMorgan recently noted that they "simply don't know how to model the endgame” of the Iran war. Keynes would likely have looked disapprovingly at the recklessness which now characterizes modern politics. Read my latest @liberalcurrents.com to understand why. www.liberalcurrents.com/you-should-r...
Reposted by Liberal Currents
@liberalcurrents.com did it already
September 18, 2026 at 12:56 PM
@liberalcurrents.com did it already
Today's essay is the 26th that we have published by @gawattia.bsky.social. The topic is John Maynard Keynes, whose brand of liberalism is worthy of recovery, "morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order."
You Should Read Keynes
Keynes was a liberal for our age: morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Today's essay is the 26th that we have published by @gawattia.bsky.social. The topic is John Maynard Keynes, whose brand of liberalism is worthy of recovery, "morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order."
"William A. Galston faults liberal thinkers for failing to recognize that human nature...rather than just the social system or environment, is the chief reason why wars keep on happening. Peace should not be assumed. As Galston warns, 'Never again,' is a 'commitment, not a guarantee'"
You Should Read Keynes
Keynes was a liberal for our age: morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 11:48 AM
"William A. Galston faults liberal thinkers for failing to recognize that human nature...rather than just the social system or environment, is the chief reason why wars keep on happening. Peace should not be assumed. As Galston warns, 'Never again,' is a 'commitment, not a guarantee'"
“The trajectory of politics following the Great Depression is a good reminder to stay attuned to the changes in our political economy, and to examine the character of the proposals being put forward to solve the existing troubles of our age.” www.liberalcurrents.com/you-should-r...
You Should Read Keynes
Keynes was a liberal for our age: morally serious, hopeful for a better future, and yet reconciled to the compromises necessary to preserve the fragile liberal order.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 10:34 AM
“The trajectory of politics following the Great Depression is a good reminder to stay attuned to the changes in our political economy, and to examine the character of the proposals being put forward to solve the existing troubles of our age.” www.liberalcurrents.com/you-should-r...
"Human beings may overcome the economic problem(s) of the human species, but the question of meaning and existential satisfaction will remain 'the permanent problem of the human race.'" www.liberalcurrents.com/you-should-r...
September 18, 2026 at 6:10 AM
"Human beings may overcome the economic problem(s) of the human species, but the question of meaning and existential satisfaction will remain 'the permanent problem of the human race.'" www.liberalcurrents.com/you-should-r...
"If you are serious about avoiding war, you have to care about soft power. The fact that our universities educate an enormous number of international students each year is a strength of the American system." www.liberalcurrents.com/editors-note...
Editor's Notes: Getting a Grip on Geopolitics
Is a stable and liberal geopolitics possible?
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 3:45 AM
"If you are serious about avoiding war, you have to care about soft power. The fact that our universities educate an enormous number of international students each year is a strength of the American system." www.liberalcurrents.com/editors-note...
"Patrick has said he’ll work to penalize school districts that fail to remove questionable books and then released a list of over 2,000 titles… The list includes Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Elie Wiesel’s Night, and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner."
The Future of the Republican Party After Trump Is in Texas
The white male supremacists of the Texas GOP embody what the national party has become.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:03 AM
"Patrick has said he’ll work to penalize school districts that fail to remove questionable books and then released a list of over 2,000 titles… The list includes Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, Elie Wiesel’s Night, and Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner."