Barbara Jordan—a Black woman from Houston’s Fifth Ward—crossed every line drawn to keep her out: the color line, the gender line, the sexuality line, the Mason-Dixon line. And when, 49 years ago this week, the nation asked who would speak for America in crisis, she answered. With conviction. With the Constitution. And with a voice they never forgot.
1/ 20 #history #politics #histodons #blackandwhite
#photography #blackmastodon
Image: Barbara Jordan DNC keynote speech, NYC, July 12, 1976. AP.

Martin Sandbu (FT) identifies four myths about wealth taxes:

Its too hard to do - well that hasn't stopped both Switzerland & Norway doing it (pretty well);

It won't actually raise much money - both countries above it raises substantial revenue;

It will scare the rich away - well it seldom does & then often they go to Switzerland (err, that has wealth taxes);

It will depress investment - no evidence backs up this claim.

So there we have it; wealth taxes are clearly possible!

#tax #politics

Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi’s aggressive tactics to lower the price of rice has left many farming communities feeling frustrated and abandoned — and that discontent may be reflected in Sunday’s vote. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/japan/politics/yamagata-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shinjirokoizumi #yamagata #ldp #sanseito #cdp #dpp #jcp #2025upperhouseelection #rice #agriculture

Rising political party Sanseito is the third-most popular pick among voters ahead of Sunday's election for the Upper House, a Jiji Press opinion poll for July showed Thursday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/japan/politics/japan-opposition-sanseito-support-up/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #surveys #2025upperhouseelection #sanseito #ldp #dpp

The UK will let 16 and 17-year-olds vote in general elections.

16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in the next UK general election.

The change marks the fulfilment of a Labour manifesto commitment and will bring UK-wide elections in line with those in Scotland and Wales.

The government highlights that young people “already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military.”

https://mediafaro.org/article/20250717-the-uk-will-let-16-and-17-year-olds-vote-in-general-elections?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#UK#Elections#Politics#Democracy#Youth

The leader of Japan’s largest opposition party has criticized the concept of “Japanese First” policy — advocated by small, right-wing party Sanseito — saying foreign residents are critical to maintaining Japan’s economy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/japan/politics/cdp-noda-foreigners/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #yoshihikonoda #cdp #sanseito #foreignworkers #expats #2025upperhouseelection

With 1,100 tons of emergency food rations nearing expiry after President Donald Trump's aid freeze, it took a warning of "wasted tax dollars" for a top U.S. official to eventually agree to a deal to use the supplies. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/world/politics/us-aid-workers-food-destruction-trump/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #us #usaid #hunger #gaza #sudan

Highlight videos are playing a major role in the upcoming Upper House election, with social media increasingly impacting election results amid the growing popularity of YouTube and other video-sharing sites. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/japan/politics/highlight-videos-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #2025upperhouseelection #socialmedia #youtube #shinjiishimaru

South Korea has kicked off a retrial for the country's former spy chief, Kim Jae-gyu, over the 1979 assassination of then-president Park Chung-hee, Kim's family said on Thursday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-1979-presidential-assassination/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics

Female candidates in the Upper House election face many forms of harassment from voters and supporters — from stalking and death threats to uncomfortably long handshakes and hugs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/japan/politics/female-candidates-harassment/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #2025upperhouseelection #mayuushida #dpp #shioriyamao #saya #women039sissues

With its policies of focusing on helping Japan's working generations, many younger voters are turning to the Democratic Party for the People as an alternative to the traditionalist Liberal Democratic Party. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/japan/politics/upper-house-election-tokyo-district/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #tokyo #yuichirotamaki #kazuyashimba #dpp #sanseito #ldp #2025upperhouseelection #cdp #jcp #komeito

Ukraine will get its first new prime minister of the war on Thursday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tries to wrangle wartime defense spending and win over both Donald Trump and a war-weary public. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/world/politics/zelenskyy-trump-ukraine-cabinet/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #ukraine #russia #russiaukrainewar #vladimirputin#volodymyrzelenskyy #us #donaldtrump

U.S. President Donald Trump has dialed down his confrontational tone with China to try to secure a summit with counterpart Xi Jinping and a trade deal with the world’s second-largest economy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/17/world/politics/trump-china-xi-summit-trade/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #xijinping #china #us #donaldtrump #trade #tariffs

With just days left until Sunday’s Upper House election, the fate of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his Liberal Democratic Party is uncertain as polls suggest the ruling camp may lose its majority. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/16/japan/politics/final-phase-election-polls/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #shigeruishiba #ldp #komeito #dpp #nipponishinnokai #2025upperhouseelection

While many candidates in Sunday's Upper House election are heading to major cities for speeches and turning to social media, one candidate from Hokkaido is giving politics one last go-through a grassroots campaign. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/16/japan/politics/muneo-suzuki-election-hokkaido/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #muneosuzuki #hokkaido #ldp #nipponishinnokai #2025upperhouseelection #okinawa #russia

U.S. President Donald Trump has finally found a way to like arming Ukraine: ask European allies to donate their weapons, and sell them American replacements. Now comes the hard part. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/16/world/politics/trump-ukraine-weapons-details-focus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #russia #ukraine #russiaukrainewar #donaldtrump #nato #eu #europe #us

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou proposed scrapping two public holidays and freezing most public spending as part of a €43.8 billion budget squeeze he outlined on Tuesday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/16/world/politics/france-pm-public-holidays-finances/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #france #francoisbayrou #emmanuelmacron