Rashed Mian

The Unitary Executive Endgame is Upon Us Dick Cheney thought he was living his dream when he made George W. Bush the first modern unitary executive. But that wasn’t the end of the story.

READ: www.unftr.com/blog/the-uni...

You can read the NYT's take on presidential power, exclusively focused on Trump.

Or you can read about how nearly a quarter-century of precedent has brought us to this point (Thanks, Bush, Cheney & Obama!)

Add in the inability for people to purchase a home—the current market is dominated by baby boomers, not the people who, in theory, should be in position to secure a mortgage, millennials and Gen Z.

The wealthiest 1 percent’s share of economic wealth in 1989 was 22.8 percent. In 2024, it jumped to 30.8 percent.

Even as America’s working class fights for crumbs, the political and economic power of the world’s wealthiest continues to grow. The number of billionaires grew between 2023 and 2024, from 2,565 to 2,769, and their combined wealth soared from $13 trillion to $15 trillion.

It’s Like the Elites Want Us Raging Against Each Other Charlie Kirk’s assassination sends America into tribal warfare—but are we raging against the wrong enemy?

As we brawl amongst ourselves, corporate elites -- backed by the politicians they buy and the media that protects the status quo -- continue to pillage enormous amounts of wealth and resources.

My thoughts 🔗

Trump’s Power Grab—The American Monarch Has Arrived Donald Trump’s assault on civil liberties and federal power grab reveal his ambition to be more than president—he wants to be America’s monarch.

Trump recently issued a slew of law & order EOs, including a chilling directive that's been mostly overlooked.

The EO effectively calls for the deputizing of Americans who can be deployed to "cities where public safety and order have been lost.” So, Trump Cops may come to a city near you.

SpaceX Gets Billions From the Government. It Gives Little to Nothing Back in Taxes.

All subsidies, no federal income taxes. Sounds like a mission for DOGE

NYC Dem Voters Call Gaza a Genocide, Embrace Mamdani’s Pro-Palestine Politics A new Data For Progress poll found NYC Democratic primary voters overwhelmingly support Zohran Mamdani’s pro-Palestine views and cost-of-living policies.

Guess what? Having unapologetically pro-Palestinian views boosted Zohran Mamdani electorally in the June Dem primary.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party’s standing is in the tank.

Is the dam breaking?

Hall of fame mental gymnastics to avoid saying Israel lied.

No Proof Hamas Routinely Stole U.N. Aid, Israeli Military Officials Say

Surprise surprise surprise surprise

Israel’s Deliberate Starvation Campaign Kills Palestinians as World Watches Palestinians face death whether seeking aid at militarized distribution sites or starving in the streets under Israel’s blockade.

The Israeli-plotted starvation campaign is now having horrific implications: Palestinians collapsing from hunger, malnourished babies and children dying & people succumbing to treatable wounds or other genocide-enabled health impacts because their bodies are too weak.

And the world does nothing.

Just as with Biden, Trump admin officials are SHOCKED — SHOCKED! — that a right-wing, genocidal regime continues to kill Palestinians and bomb its neighbors with impunity.

The NYT Published a 'Genocide' Argument Against Israel. Is the Dam Breaking? Now that the political class finally read a genocide case against Israel in its beloved paper, can we once and for all end this slaughter?

Now that the political class finally read a genocide case against Israel in its beloved paper, can we once and for all end this slaughter? #Gaza #Genocide

We Watched Tucker So You Don’t Have To. Is It Time To Worry? Tucker Carlson has attracted a seemingly diverse audience with recent interviews. Has entering the new media space made him more influential?

Tucker's post-Fox pivot is working—he's now #2 on Spotify behind Rogan. His anti-establishment shtick is pulling in progressives who agree with his takes. Don't let the algorithm fool you: capitalism cope ≠ progress.

The latest from @rashedmian.bsky.social.

www.unftr.com/blog/we-watched-tucker

Today is not the first time Netanyahu has gotten out of court after bombing another country. His appearance in March was similarly cancelled after Israel broke the ceasefire and renewed its mass assault on Gaza.

Opinion | I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It.

Here’s the piece:

Genocide scholar Omer Bartov goes into great detail why Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide. Although so many came to this realization early on, his essay is worth the read, especially his insights about the failures of other institutions to come to the same conclusion.

Let's Talk About That Thinly Sourced NYT Article About Iran's Nuclear Program The so-called Paper of Record performed stenography for Israel—and we're shocked it was published.

If you were flipping through the NYT this weekend, you may have stumbled upon a perplexing piece contradicting US intelligence about the attacks on Iran, all based on a single Israeli source—unusual coming from a paper with supposedly high editorial standards, prompting obvious questions.

Immigration Arrests in Los Angeles Spike Amid Aggressive Enforcement

Stephen Miller: “You have no say in this at all. Federal law is supreme and federal law will be enforced.”

Old enough to remember a time when a statement such as “federal law is supreme” ostensibly sent shivers down conservatives’ spines. Now many of them are content with an all-mighty executive.

Progressive Spotlight: Lina Khan. From her viral 2017 ‘Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox’ paper to becoming the youngest FTC chair, Lina Khan has transformed into a leading progressive figure.

Took a trip down memory lane recalling Lina Khan’s FTC run. Khan transformed an agency that acted as a rubber stamp for corporations, used courts to block mergers, created new guidelines that stopped others in their tracks & challenged power—all to uplift consumers.

Surge in U.S. Concern About Immigration Has Abated The percentage of Americans wanting less immigration has dropped by nearly half this year to 30%, with 79% now saying immigration benefits the U.S.

Here’s the poll

Americans support immigration — overwhelmingly, which makes the corporate Dem rightward turn on immigration that much more infuriating and unconscionable. The “leadership” of this party has no values nor conviction on anything except for perhaps more war.

How Netanyahu Prolonged the War in Gaza to Stay in Power

Full story: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/m...

The NYT “confirms” what we all knew: That Netanyahu has been using the genocide for his political survival. When will the media and political allies of Israel’s ring-wing government admit that the US is funding this slaughter, not for any military purpose, but to stop Netanyahu from losing power?

The F.B.I. Is Using Polygraphs to Test Officials’ Loyalty

“In interviews and polygraph tests, the F.B.I. has asked senior employees whether they have said anything negative about Mr. Patel.”

Gotta send DOGE in to take care of the huge inefficiencies caused by unnecessary polygraph tests!

Thanks to Palantir’s predictive technology for making it all happen!

This is not about reciprocal tariffs but it’s worth noting that the U.S. has a trade surplus with Brazil, per the government’s own data.

United States of Palantir: Peter Thiel’s Baby is Exploding Under Trump Palantir has been among the biggest beneficiaries of the Trump presidency and is poised to capitalize on Trump’s wealth transfer law, even as its widespread use raises privacy concerns.

A $2M infusion from the CIA's investment arm has grown into tens of millions in taxpayer-funded contracts, making Palantir one of the most influential tech companies in Washington.

Since Trump's return to office, the firm's fortunes have exploded.

Establishment Panics Over Israel Critics, Silent on ‘Deliberate’ Gaza Slaughter Pundits melt down over Israel critics in NYC and UK while ignoring explosive story on soldiers ‘deliberately’ shooting starving Gazans.

While corporate media melts down over Zohran Mamdani's rise in NYC, hundreds of Palestinians are being killed each day in Gaza, including at so-called humanitarian aid sites.

“It’s a killing field,” is how one soldier described it to Haaretz.

Wrote about it here:

www.unftr.com/blog/establi...