Table of contents
Introduction
Welcome to The Cameron Journal Newsletter!
Each week I send out the latest headlines, the latest videos from The Cameron Journal and commentary about the week’s events. If you’re new here, my name is Cameron Lee Cowan M.A. MFA, and I’m the Creative Director here at The Cameron Journal. You can learn more about me on the about page.I do research and commentary on politics, culture, and the world around us. Remember, The World is Hard, This is Not.
Sign up for CameronJournal+
If you love these newsletters and want to support my work at The Cameron Journal, please consider signing up for CameronJournal+. You will get exclusive content for CJ+ subscribers, access to our Discord server, and special hang-outs with me. It’s the coolest club in town!
Updates
Happy Saturday everyone! It has been another crazy week in the news! Temperatures are warming up here in the Northeast and I’m excited to enjoy the warmer weather. It is nice to look outside and see some sun. I can always use more vitamin D.
I had some pleasant podcast recordings this week. I’m trying not to take too many bookings right now because the schedule is full (and I’m a little tired), but they keep pouring in no matter what I do! In any case, it is a nice problem to have. I’ve also been out and about. I did a panel show with David Beckemeyer and Jesse Hirsch to talk about the future of left-leaning media and the future of the Democratic party, as well as how we articulate a message that is from the Left and resonates with people. It was fun, and I always enjoy talking with those guys. I’m so glad to have met them!
I can say that my energies are up this week because I’ve been sleeping a great deal. I always try to reduce the number of pillows on my bed but I am a pillow maximalist and I just need to embrace it instead of trying to avoid it. Hi, my name is Cameron and I need all the pillows.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Maybe it’s time to write that book?
You can write a book in 2025 and I can help! My new writing courses are out now, and you can sign up for Fiction, Non-Fiction or both! To learn more, please visit The Cameron Journal Academy and check out my course: The Power of Story.
Study Plato with Daniel Sanderson
We’ve partnered with Daniel Sanderson, through The Cameron Journal Academy, to offer his new Plato course, Re-imagining Plato. If you’re interested in getting in-depth with this Stoic philosopher, this is the course for you, and it’s only $100 for lifetime access!
The Latest
Let’s dive into the stories I’m following this week!
Market Meltdown
I’m sure you’ve all heard about the falling stock markets this week due to uncertainty from Trump’s new tariff regime. There has been back-and-forth between Canada and Mexico about the varying tariff regimes. Trump’s new tariffs could raise the price of a new car by $12,000 or more and make many products more expensive. Canada, Mexico, and the EU have all put counter-tariffs on American goods. Trump has already issued missives to the EU about their new tariffs on American whiskey and has threatened another round of tariffs. I think Trump forgot that tariffs go both ways, and other countries aren’t going to deal with being less competitive in the US market while US firms are not affected in the same way in their markets. China, meanwhile, has not pushed back on the new 10% tariff regime. Still, I was watching a video today from Bloomberg where they were talking about how China has been reaching out to everyone angered by the US decisions and forging new relationships. Perhaps it will be the Asian century after all.
Regarding tariffs and free trade, I am most torn on this subject. This Monday on the Newshour, we’ll discuss a set of articles from the Cato Institute about free trade and free markets. I never thought I would be doing that. Let’s be clear: free trade has been great for the American consumer but not so great for the American worker. It has led to cheaper products and higher corporate profits, but it has undermined the industrial base and has left many smaller towns bereft of jobs.
The American economy has become dynamic and subject to the forces of global trade and global labor supply. I think the problem with the current obsession with protectionism is that the time to fix this problem was 20 years ago, when globalization and free trade took off. In my next book, America’s Lost Generation, I talk about how Millennials were the first generation to compete in a global labor market and often grew up in families affected by the shifting nature of employment in the 80s and 90s as companies moved jobs overseas.
I get what Trump is trying to do by rebuilding the American workforce and the industrial base, but I’m not sure this is the best way to do it, and it certainly leaves a giant power vacuum that China is all too happy to fill. I think the reality is that we live in a global village in a globalized economy, and as much as I would like the jobs to come back and for our country to be vibrant once again, that economy and world no longer exist. I never thought I would be over here agreeing with neoliberal folks from the 2000s about free markets, but here we are.
I still want strong unions, higher taxes for corporations and strong social safety nets but I think we need to do more to adapt people to the realities of a global economy instead of trying to shield them from it.
There Will Be No Resistance
Senator Chuck Schumer has decided not to block the continuing resolution to fund the government and keep it open and pretty much the entire Democratic party is in enraged right now. Sen. Michael Bennett of Colorado berated leadership behind closed doors on Friday (CNN sourced). The calls on social media to replace both Schumer and Jeffries as leaders of the Senate and house respectively are growing louder.
This proves my ongoing thesis that there will be no resistance to the Trump agenda because the Democratic party and the greater left are all in retreat. The election loss of 2024 was a complete surrender to the forces of MAGA and the Right. There will be damn little resistance from the party. Most of the resistance is coming from outside organizations like the ACLU and is being battled in courts. The Trump administration is already starting to push back on the idea of courts being able to check their actions. We are headed to a Constitutional crisis. The time to resist this was at the ballot box in November. The Left has surrendered. The Democratic party is in disarray and Trump will probably get what he wants.
Mahmoud Khalil and Free Speech
This week on The Cameron Journal Newshour, I talked about the curious case of Mahmoud Khalil, who has been arrested and essentially disappeared but spoke out against Israel and its war against Hamas and the genocide committed against Palestinians. He is a green card holder, and for some reason, Trump thinks that means he has no free speech rights. I defended his free speech rights and his ability to lead this protest, and I’ve gotten it from both sides this week. Right-wing readers complain that I’m not defending America against foreign influence, and my progressive leftist friends are now calling me a liberal because my defense of him didn’t go far enough. It appears I’ve lost on all sides.
I don’t agree with the violence committed against Jewish students at Columbia, but I do not think that merely being a permanent resident with a green card means that free speech and political disagreement are suddenly restricted. I think this idea that immigrants have to consent to everything the US government does without questioning anything about our society is short-sighted and undemocratic. And let’s be clear: he was a permanent resident. They get rights, all of them. They even pay into social security. But we all know why this case is “special.” In the first, he is brown and in the second, the long sword of anti-semitism is once again at play.
Dems and Project 2025
I was inspired by this Twitter thread this week about why Dems don’t have a Project 2025 plan of their own. I don’t think the Dems having a 2028 plan is the right move but some of the items in this list are interesting to think about. I don’t think most voters would go for it but what could a democrat version of a comprehensive plan for society look like?
In the tweet he proposes a Human Bill of Rights:
- Education as a right
- Universal healthcare
- Free speech
- Universal Free Electricity (tax payer supported)
- Safe and free travel among people’s (open borders)
- Universal food access program
- Clean Water/Air/Land
- Right to self-identification (People have to right to be who they choose)
I’m proud to say that some parts of this already exist but I think this would be a tough pill to swallow. However, it is probably not a bad idea for the Democrat party to come up with some bold policy proposals and articulate a vision beyond, “Trump bad.” That just does not resonate with voters (for obvious reasons). Some people would argue that being too into policy and too wonky was the problem with both Clinton and Harris. However, I think the point is that you need bold policy proposals that are articulated in a dead simple way. “No tax on tips” is four words. Whatever is proposed needs to be packaged in a slick slogan that can be stated in 8 words or less (and less is better). That has always been the beauty of Make America Great Again. It’s simple and can mean anything to anyone. That’s what the Democratic party needs. A simple message that can resonate with anyone, anywhere and at any time.
From The Cameron Journal
From my new collection: What the Hell is Going On?
Articles of Interest:
Dr. James Ogsbury REACTS to Greg Vigdor
Keep up with The Cameron Journal Podcast
The Interview:
The Cameron Journal Newshour:
Discover more from The Cameron Journal
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
