On rebuilding Europe's defense.

DeMentis advocates putting an end to China's permanent right to normal, unrestricted trade with the US.

To do this would require putting an end to the World Trade Organization. I am in favor of this, but it won't be easy for the US to defeat the plutocratist forces that benefit from the WTO.

DeMentis probably thinks that the US will be able to use this against China better than China can use it against the US. I make no such assumption, but I think that without the WTO we could do environmental protection and decarbonization better.

The EU is considering legalizing small gene changes in plants for cultivation, as an exception to the general policy prohibiting them.

This might be acceptable provided that the law also makes them an exception to patent law: patents should not cover the use of these plants.

*Rightwingers say "pink-haired liberals" are killing New York pizza.* In fact, *An air quality rule passed seven years ago requires some shops to install air filters like those used in Italy.*

The US used price controls effectively to prevent inflation during World War II, without hurting workers. It could do this again now, but most economists don't want it to be considered.

Why not? Perhaps because they are supported by (and thus serve) the right-wing interests of business.