Elvis Costello – Watching The Detectives
Elvis Costello “Watching The Detectives” live BBC, 1996 (HD)
The new deluxe album ‘Look Now’ is out now, order here: https://ElvisCostello.lnk.to/LookNow Explore more music from Elvis Costello: https://lnk.to/wWTFS Music video by Elvis Costello performing Watching The Detectives. (C) 1977 Elvis Costello under exclusive license to Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Watching the Detectives: The Crisis of Trust in a Post-Truth Republic
Trust in government has been unraveling for decades. What was once the bedrock of civic life—faith in our institutions—has become a fragile thread that stretches thinner with each passing year. You may have noticed it in your own lifetime, or perhaps you’ve heard your parents or grandparents speak wistfully of a time when the word of an elected official carried weight, not just spin. But now, we stand at a precipice, where public trust in local, state, and national systems faces a crisis. It’s no longer a question of whether we trust; it’s about whether we even know what trust means in a world of shifting realities.
In the midst of this erosion, one must ask: Who benefits when the ties that bind our democratic institutions to the people are severed? Who gains when doubt is not just sown but cultivated? Is the disintegration of trust an accident, or is it the consequence of a deliberate push by those who benefit from disorder and division?
This brings us to a central concern in today’s political landscape: the proliferation of “alternative facts.” As these distortions permeate public discourse, distinguishing opinion from fact has never been more critical. Leaders who blur the line between truth and falsehood don’t merely chip away at the edges of democracy—they dig at its core. But it’s not just misinformation that’s the problem; it’s the active discouragement of verification. Politicians who tell their followers to stop questioning, to cease critical thinking, are not just playing politics—they’re laying the groundwork for authoritarianism.
Elvis Costello’s 1977 track “Watching the Detectives” serves as a prescient metaphor for our times. In it, the detectives represent those who seek out the truth amid a landscape of chaos, deception, and manipulation. Today, the role of “detective” has never been more important. We are all asked to don the proverbial trench coat, to investigate, to question, to discern. It’s not enough to take statements at face value, especially when some political leaders actively discourage scrutiny, demanding loyalty not to the truth but to them.
Consider this: when a leader tells you to trust no one but themselves and their handpicked media outlets, what are they really asking? They are, in effect, asking you to abandon your agency. The disorienting barrage of conflicting narratives we see daily is no accident. It is strategic. It diverts our attention from tangible solutions to the real problems at hand—rising inequality, decaying infrastructure, the healthcare crisis, and systemic failures. Instead, it invites us to wallow in grievance without moving toward resolution.
Herein lies the crux of the matter: leaders who lead with grievances often have no intention of solving the problems they so vehemently decry. They capitalize on outrage, leveraging it as a tool to galvanize their base. Highlighting societal failures—whether in infrastructure, healthcare, or education—is easy. Offering tangible, evidence-based solutions? Far more difficult. That’s the true test of leadership. Yet, many political figures bypass this test entirely. By focusing solely on the failures of the system and inflaming public resentment, they create a political climate that is not just divided but hostile to dialogue and progress.
Trump’s Final Numbers
Statistical indicators of President Trump’s four years in office.
The statistics for Donald Trump’s time in office are nearly all compiled. As we did for his predecessor four years ago, we present a final look at the numbers.
- The economy lost 2.9 million jobs. The unemployment rate increased by 1.6 percentage points to 6.3%.
- Paychecks grew faster than inflation. Average weekly earnings for all workers were up 8.7% after inflation.
- After-tax corporate profits went up, and the stock market set new records. The S&P 500 index rose 67.8%.
- The international trade deficit Trump promised to reduce went up. The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services in 2020 was the highest since 2008 and increased 40.5% from 2016.
- The number of people lacking health insurance rose by 3 million.
- The federal debt held by the public went up from $14.4 trillion to $21.6 trillion.
- Home prices rose 27.5%, and the homeownership rate increased 2.1 percentage points to 65.8%.
- Illegal immigration increased. Apprehensions at the Southwest border rose 14.7% last year compared with 2016.
- Coal production declined by 26.5%, and coal-mining jobs dropped by 16.7%. Carbon emissions from energy consumption dropped 11.5%.
- Handgun production rose 12.5% last year compared with 2016, setting a new record.
- The murder rate last year rose to the highest level since 1997.
- Trump filled one-third of the Supreme Court, nearly 30% of the appellate court seats, and a quarter of District Court seats. ***
— Ms. Malarkey ⚖️ (@MsMalarkey24) September 16, 2023
What does this latest bill do?
It includes:
- Nearly $370 billion for climate and energy priorities
- provisions allowing the health secretary to negotiate the cost of the prices of certain drugs covered under Medicare and sets a cap on out-of-pocket Medicare costs of $2,000 a year
- a 3-year Affordable Care Act subsidies extension
- $5 billion in drought funding
- a 15% minimum tax on corporations making $1 billion or more and
- a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks
Jan 10, 2023, Hakeem Jeffries
@RepJeffries
The price of Insulin is now capped at $35 per month for millions of Americans.
Democrats did that.
For. The. People.
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 528,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.5 percent. August 05
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the American economy added 315,000 jobs in August, and the unemployment rate rose to 3.7 percent as more people entered the labor market looking for work. Sep 2, 2022
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in September, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality and in health care. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. October 06,02022 2 days ago.
BY TOBIAS BURNS – 02/03/23 8:32 AM ET
The U.S. labor market clocked a shockingly strong month in January, adding 517,000 jobs and dipping down to 3.4 percent unemployment, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department.
The numbers blew past expectations. Analysts were projecting an increase of around 185,000 jobs and for the unemployment rate to rise to 3.6 percent. In December, the unemployment rate dipped back down to 3.5 percent and added 260,000 new jobs, according to revised figures released Friday.
The year-over-year pace of core inflation to end 2024 in a range of 2.1%–2.4%.
Section Three of the 14th Amendment
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Top U.S. & World Headlines — March 10, 2023
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that their Creator endows them with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
America is on the verge of a big discovery about 2024 and our tenuous Republic. Watching the Detectives is the soundtrack to embolden our newly discovered discernment. We all know the tumult in our post-pandemic world is chaos created by our universal fear and a general longing for certainty. Do we blame pandemic supply chain economic uncertainty, climate change acceleration, political uncertainty created by your elected leaders, general disarray caused by master manipulators, outside election interference, voter disenfranchisement engineered by dark money sources, and 10-word response answers to complex problems? Are we compliant sheep or do we have the inner strength to resist manipulation? Perhaps instead of looking backward at some Utopian, simpler time that probably never existed, we move forward together as Americans.
Let’s start with some indisputable facts about the first-year accomplishments of the Biden administration.
$1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package
One of Biden’s flagship victories last year was the approval of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, drastically increasing investment in the national network of bridges and roads, airports, public transport, national broadband internet, waterways, and energy systems.
The House passed the bipartisan bill in November by 228 votes to 206, with 13 breaking ranks to join the Democrats supporting the bill. Biden initially released the proposed bill in March, which the Senate first approved in August.
In a White House statement, the Biden administration claimed the bill would help tackle growing inflation by easing supply chain disruptions.
Republicans and moderate Democrats feared the bill’s high budget would likely contribute to the ballooning inflation, despite a group of 15 Nobel Prize-winning economists backing the bill.
In a video Tweeted on November 8, Biden said: “We’re doing so much with this legislation. It will make it easier for companies to get goods to market faster and reduce supply chain bottlenecks, now and for decades.
The $1.9 trillion COVID relief deal
In March, the Biden administration passed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package to help the country combat the ongoing COVID pandemic.
The package provided direct payments of up to $1,400 to many struggling U.S. citizens, temporarily extended unemployment support by $300 per week, channeled approximately $20 billion into the COVID vaccination program, as well as provided $25 billion in rental support and a further $350 billion into state, tribal and local relief efforts.
The legislation was also designed to tackle child poverty and nutritional issues across the country. The bill invested almost $30 billion in restaurants and hospitality and raised the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program support by 15 percent. An extra $120 billion were also invested in K-12 schools nationwide.
Additionally, 209 million Americans have received the full dose of the COVID vaccination, and 249 million — 74 percent of the U.S. population — have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Highest appointment of federal judges since Reagan
Biden has appointed 41 federal judges in his opening year at the White House. This is more than double those set by his predecessor Donald Trump and is the most a president has appointed in their freshman year since Ronald Reagan in 1981.
The president has also been mindful of issues of representation in his appointments over the last year, as 80 percent of the new federal judges are women, and 53 percent are people of color.
In the long run, the federal judiciary’s new look could have a lasting effect, as the lower courts are believed to be the trial stage for future Supreme Court contenders.
Since being sworn in last January, Biden has nominated 73 individuals to federal judgeships.
Halt on Federal Executions
President Biden is an opponent of the federal penalty and therefore reinstated a national freeze on federal executions, which had been in
place for 17 years until former president Donald Trump ended the pause.
In July, the Biden administration opted to restore the pre-Trump status quo and suspended federal executions while the Department of Justice assessed the existing procedures and policies.
The pause does not enable the President to halt executions at the state level, though the Biden administration has vowed to eradicate capital punishment at the federal level.
Before Biden’s pause, there had been 13 federal executions under Trump.
Commitment to Combating Climate Change
During his presidential campaign and since taking office, Biden has been a vocal supporter of the need for a greater effort to tackle the climate crisis.
Shortly after coming to power, Biden re-joined the international Paris Climate Accord, which Trump had parted ways with, allowing the U.S. to continue to work with global players in the worldwide drive to deter the climate’s deterioration.
Last November, the President joined an additional agreement to reverse deforestation and presented a 100-country strong pledge to reduce greenhouse emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030.
Additionally, in December, Biden ordered all government agencies to immediately halt the financing of new international carbon-intensive fossil fuel projects and instead work towards clean energy use.
Despite the Biden administration’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis, the U.S. did not sign a global pledge designed to end the use of coal power that was announced at the summit.
Support for Transgender Service Members
Within his first week at the White House, Biden issued an executive order to overturn the Trump-era ban on openly transgender members of theU.S. military.
The original ban was first announced by Trump during his first year in power, as the former president tweeted that the U.S. military would cease to allow transgender Americans from serving in the military, claiming it imposed “tremendous medical costs and disruption.”
Trump’s ban came into effect in April 2019, and existing transgender personnel remained in service, but recruits were turned back.
According to the Department of Defence data analyzed by the non-profit group Palm Center, there were approximately 8,980 active transgender troops in service in 2019.
Biden’s repeal represents a considerable step forward in the fight for transgender rights in the U.S.. However, it has not been considered as pivotal as Barack Obama’s 2010 decision to overturn the longstanding Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.
Reduced unemployment
The Biden administration has also been challenged to restore normalcy to an economy burdened by the pandemic. In his freshman year, Biden managed to reduce the rate of national unemployment.
In December, the national unemployment rate dropped to 3.9 percent, while jobless claims sunk to their lowest levels since 1969. When Biden took office, the unemployment rate stood at 6.3 percent.
Despite the growing inflation, wages paid by private businesses increased by 2.4 percent from January through October last year, while disposable income rose by 3 percent.
Biden’s Stutter: How a Childhood Battle Shaped Him | The Choice 2020 | FRONTLINE
Trump the ‘Bully’: How Childhood & Military School Shaped Him | The Choice 2020 | FRONTLINE
Lawrence: Republicans have created a ‘committee to obstruct justice
Watch President Biden’s full 2023 State of the Union address.
Confident your Republic can withstand four years of Authoritarian rule in these United States? Consider for a moment how our National divide is today compared to 2015. How did our founding fathers source information about the tenure and Fragility of democratically elected Republics? Adams, Jefferson, and Madison all looked to Cicero. Cicero: Defender of the Roman Republic Cicero was a Roman orator, lawyer, statesman, and philosopher. During political corruption and violence, he wrote about what he believed to be the ideal form of government.
All of the Mueller report’s major findings in less than 30 minutes
When special counsel Robert Mueller broke his silence in May, his main point was that his long-awaited report spoke for itself. But the report is 448 pages long. So Lisa Desjardins and William Brangham decided to dig into what the findings say – and what they don’t. Here, in less than 30 minutes, are all of the most important points from the Mueller report.
Note: This report has been corrected to remove a reference to Carter Page being paid for delivering a speech in Russia. Page received travel, lodging, and meals on his trip, but there is no evidence he was paid.
Jon Stewart: GOP resorts to culture wars because they are out of ideas
Jon Stewart discusses the weaponization of Critical Race Theory in politics and the Republican tactic of stoking culture wars among voters with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.
Longtime Republican LEAVES Republican Party
INTERVIEW: Brian interviews former Republican consultant and writer at The Bulwark, Tim Miller, about the ever-growing list of George Santos lies, where a so-called moderate Republican like him fits into politics now, and what he expects to see from the impending Trump-DeSantis feud.
congress beats the stock market #insidertrading #2023
Former Republican congressman charged in insider trading case
CNBC’s Shep Smith reports a former congressman, Steve Buyer, was among several people hit with insider trading charges today. For access to live and exclusive videos from CNBC, subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi
Congress Has Done Nothing About Banning Stock Trading For Congress Members
Silence was meaningful with the Lakota, and his granting a space of silence to the speech-maker and his own moment of silence before talking, was done in the practice of true politeness and regard for the rule that thought comes before speech.” – Luther Standing Bear (1868-1939)
Adam Kinzinger’s take on the 2023 State of the Union
1day ago
In regards to decorum, I couldn’t agree more! Adults need to show adult behavior. Other Countries are watching us model what democracy is. Above all, OUR NEXT GENERATION is watching and learning these behaviors. Regardless of their political beliefs, we have the duty to do better. What was demonstrated at the State of/the Union is shameful and disgusting!
Human Warnings
9 hours ago
This is actually a quote that starts the book “American Psycho.”
“One of the major mistakes people make is that they think manners are only the expression of happy ideas. A whole range of behavior can be expressed in a mannerly way. That’s what civilization is all about — doing it in a mannerly and not an antagonistic way. One of the places we went wrong was the naturalistic, Rousseauean movement of the Sixties in which people said, ”Why can’t you say what’s on your mind?” In civilization, there have to be some restraints. If we followed every impulse, we’d be killing one another.”
― Judith Martin
Noel Casler Podcast
OPEC sharply cuts oil production, the US disappointed by “short-sighted decision.”
Opec (Riyad) and Russia made a pact to cut production 30 days before the midterms and during the Russia difficulty within Ukraine. What common denominator do MBS and Putin prefer, a Joe Biden Admin or a Donald Trump Admin? Follow the money:
the-trump-administrations-tally-of-350-billion-plus-in-deals-with-saudi-arabia
Former January 6 committee technical adviser Denver Riggleman: The 60 Minutes Interview
Former GOP Rep. Denver Riggleman says there is “irrefutable” proof of a plot to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
Rachel Maddow Explains Our Fight Against Fascism (Past and Present) | Offline with Jon Favreau
Rachel Maddow, the longtime MSNBC anchor, joins Jon to talk about her new podcast “Ultra,” which details an all-but-forgotten ring-wing plot to overthrow American democracy — not in 2022, but 1940. Though the context has changed, Rachel argues that the tactics and strategies to defeat fascism has not and that we can learn from those who first defeated the threat.
CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 2:07 Rachel Maddow’s New Podcast “Ultra” 14:45 Ad Break 18:27 The Timeless Appeal of Fascism and Having to Argue the Opposite 35:23 Ad Break 38:58 How Did We Stop Fascism in the 1940s? How Can We Do it Now?
Lies, Politics and Democracy: Robert Costa (interview) | FRONTLINE
Robert Costa is the chief election and campaign correspondent for CBS News. He previously reported on politics for The Washington Post and is the co-author, with Bob Woodward, of Peril. The following interview was conducted by the Kirk Documentary Group’s Mike Wiser for FRONTLINE on April 29, 2022. It has been edited for clarity and length.
Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney said at The Texas Tribune festival Saturday that if former President Donald Trump becomes the Republican Party’s nominee for president in 2024, she will not remain a Republican.
Barr: The argument against a Special Master: The judge dodges the only question: Can the former President have standing
Bill Barr’s abject corruption; 40 subpoenas & 2 seized cell phones; & Trump’s special master pick
Fox News Host leaves colleagues STUNNED with epic Pro-Biden rant!
“They are threatening law enforcement and the DOJ, claiming that the country will erupt into violence if they don’t do what Trump wants,” says Chris Hayes on response to the Mar-a-Lago probe. “The last time Trump’s rhetoric was this openly inciting…a mob stormed the Capitol, and people ended up dead.”
Andrew Yang On UBI, Redefining Progress & Human-Centered Capitalism
2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang joins Rich to share the merits of universal basic income, human-centered capitalism, and redefining progress as a nation. To read more about Andrew and peruse the full show notes click here👉🏾https://bit.ly/richroll640
Beto FLIPS Trump voters in STUNNING town hall appearance
DONATE TO BETO: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bft…
NEW: Beto FLIPS Trump voters in STUNNING town hall appearance.
EXPOSED: Ron DeSantis HUMILIATING infrastructure grift routine REVEALED
All year long, Ron DeSantis has been traveling around Florida handing out oversized checks as he takes credit for President Biden’s infrastructure bill, which DeSantis opposed and both Florida Republican Senators voted against.
Hackers tore apart voting machines. Here’s what they found
At DEF CON in Las Vegas, hackers took apart voting machines to test vulnerabilities. They tell CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan that conspiracy theories, not software, are the biggest threats to democracy.
#donieosullivan #ac360 #CNNo
How Jessica Denson ESCAPED Trump’s CULT and WON in court | The Weekend Show
Former Trump aide Jessica Denson reveals nightmare working practices and exposes Republican thought process behind the big lie.
Donald Trump’s SECRET RECORDING with Georgia Secretary of State EXPOSED in FULL
Just re-released by the January 6th committee, hear the full, unedited recording between former President Donald Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. There are more than 11,780 reasons to listen to this.
After Trump Demands Comey Punishment, Trump-Run IRS Busted For Suspicious Comey Audit
Former F.B.I. Director James Comey and former F.B.I. Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, both reviled by Donald Trump, were targets of a supposedly random tax audit, the “most invasive” audit carried out by the IRS. The audit was conducted under the leadership of a Trump appointee, who has now agreed to an internal probe of the audits. In this special report, MSNBC’s Ari Melber reports on the suspicious audits that occurred shortly after Trump called for Comey and McCabe to be punished.
President Biden’s plans vs. the GOP’s Ultra-MAGA Agenda: pic.twitter.com/3BKPMuSVrZ
— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) May 11, 2022
Oil companies swam in record profits over the last few months at a time when many Americans struggled to pay for gasoline, food, and other basic necessities. On Friday, Exxon Mobil booked an unprecedented $17.85 billion profit for the second quarter and Chevron made a record $11.62 billion. In Aggregate, oil companies including aforementioned netted 60Billion in profits over the last 3 months. What are they doing with these record profits: buying back company stock-thus increasing share value for the company.
Former Conservative DEBUNKS Right Wing Myths about the Economy
Former conservative Republican James Killen AKA TikTok’s DUCK_dadof3 deconstructs myths about the United States economy.
Interview Footage From Bill Barr And Top Trump Aide Jason Miller Released At Jan 6 Cmte Hearing
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) gives opening remarks during the January 6th Committee’s first public hearing as they begin announcing their findings.
WATCH: Giuliani’s false claim of ‘suitcase full of ballots’ debunked by former U.S. attorney
Joe: Dems Running Against GOP Could Just Say ‘This Is The Party Of Liars And Kooks’
The Morning Joe panel breaks down the week that was for the Republican Party and why Democrats could be united around a message of the GOP being a party of ‘liars and kooks’.
