Uncategorized | Page 2 of 32 | Washington Monthly

Trump’s rewrite of rural broadband rules helped Musk, steering public money toward Starlink and strengthening SpaceX while leaving rural Americans with worse internet. Here, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's speech before the ringing of the NASDAQ opening bell is projected in Times Square. Credit: Sipa USA via AP. Here, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's speech before the ringing of the NASDAQ opening bell, seen from Times Square. Credit: M10s/TheNews2/Cover Images (Cover Images via AP Images)

The Monopolized Economy

How Trump Screwed Rural Americans to Help Musk Become a Trillionaire

by Kainoa Lowman June 22, 2026June 21, 2026

Rule by the rich looks inevitable, but it’s not. From ancient Greece to New Deal America, democracies have found ways to contain oligarchs.

The Monopolized Economy

How to Contain the Oligarchs

by David Lingelbach and Valentina Rodríguez Guerra June 18, 2026June 18, 2026

Iranian and Venezuelan émigré networks helped sell U.S. intervention. Then Trump cut them out.

The Exiles Who Sold Trump’s Wars

by María Isabel Puerta Riera and Kourosh Ziabari June 17, 2026June 16, 2026

World War III

Remember When We Used to Take World War III Seriously?

by Bill Scher June 12, 2026June 12, 2026

Robert Coles shakes hands with President George W. Bush during the National Endowment for the Arts Awards ceremony in 2002. Credit: Associated Press.

A Liberal Without the Elitism: Robert Coles, RIP

by Richard D. Kahlenberg June 10, 2026June 9, 2026

Return To Sender: Ukraine’s growing long-range strike capacity has pushed the war’s impacts deeper into Russia this spring. Here, debris dangles from a damaged apartment building after a Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow on May 4, 2026.

Could the Tide Be Turning in Ukraine?

by Tamar Jacoby June 1, 2026June 1, 2026

Strategic Swagger: After years of warning that the Europe needs “strategic autonomy,” French President Emmanuel Macron has won the argument abroad—and lost his public at home. Here, Macron during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2026.

The French Rejection

by Gillen Tener Martin May 26, 2026May 27, 2026

Social Capital: Which U.S. Regions Are Bowling Alone?

by Colin Woodard May 25, 2026May 24, 2026

Stephen Colbert and his team from "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" accept the award for outstanding talk series during the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Inside Colbert’s Success

by Jonathan Alter May 21, 2026May 21, 2026

Former Secretary of Defense and Director of the CIA Leon Panetta.

Panetta: Iran War a ‘Terrible Mistake’ and Hegseth Is a ‘Disaster’

by Jonathan Alter May 19, 2026May 19, 2026

Support the Washington Monthly

Founded in 1969, the Washington Monthly is an independent media organization based in Washington, D.C. Our mission: To preserve democracy and champion good governance through honest journalism and thoughtful commentary.

We’re not a subsidiary of a giant media company or a mouthpiece for ideologues. We’re independent, listened to by insiders and willing to take on sacred cows—liberal and conservative.

Yes, I'll Make a Donation