Pluralistic: Austerity creates fascism (13 Apr 2026)

Today's links

Austerity creates fascism: We can't afford to not afford nice things.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: The Server of Amontillado; Flapper's Dictionary; Mastercard v rec.humor.funny; Philippines electoral data breach; A front page from the Trump presidency; Spike Lee x Bernie Sanders; France v password hashing; Algorithms as Central European folk-dances; Save Comcast; Lex Luthor v export controls; Zuckerberg in the dock.
Upcoming appearances: Toronto, San Francisco, London, Berlin, NYC, Hay-on-Wye, London.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

Google steers Americans looking for health care into "junk insurance" : An enshittified search monopolist meets the worst health care system imaginable.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Disaster fantasies; "Sea to Sea"; Veronica Belmont on surviving memeification; Email carcinization.
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

For-profit healthcare is the problem, not (just) private equity: Competition can't solve the hospice problem.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: Inner-tube laces; NZ MPs ejected for talking about sexual assault; Snowden's opsec advice; Xi on interop.
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

Blue Cross of Louisiana doesn't give a shit about breast cancer: They owe $421 million for denying 91% of charges for breast reconstruction.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
Object permanence: 2005, 2010, 2020, 2024
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

Predicting the present: Thinking about "Radicalized" after Brian Thompson's assassination.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2009, 2014, 2019, 2023
Upcoming appearances: Where to find me.
Recent appearances: Where I've been.
Latest books: You keep readin' em, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Upcoming books: Like I said, I'll keep writin' 'em.
Colophon: All the rest.

In defense of Deliverism: The radical idea that people vote for politicians who make their lives better.
Hey look at this: Delights to delectate.
This day in history: 2008, 2013
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Hospital rings up $2755 upcharge by sending pregnant woman to ER: Poudre Valley Hospital is a clip-joint.
This day in history: 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2020.
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading

Podcasting "Disneyland at a stroll": Winding up my series on "amusement parks, crowd control, and load-balancing" (for now).
The Unraveling: Ben Rosenbaum's stunning debut novel.
What kind of emergency is our emergency?: Kim Stanley Robinson on the structure of feeling of this perilous moment.
The secrets of hospital bills: What do you call a "market" where no one chooses the services or knows the prices?
This day in history: None
Colophon: Recent publications, upcoming/recent appearances, current writing projects, current reading