2026-01-05
9 分钟The Economist.
Hi, John Prado here.
I host Checks and Balance, our podcast on US politics.
Welcome to Editors Picks.
Here's an article from the latest edition of The Economist, handpicked by our team and read aloud.
I hope you enjoy it.
parasocial and rage-bait were contenders for word of the year in 2025.
In 2026, an early favourite for that title,
at least among pollsters and election strategists,
is affordability, often paired with the word crisis.
Having at last found a slogan that seems to work against the spell of Trumpism,
Democrats will talk of little else between now and the midterms in November.
In Europe, which is better at reposting American memes than coming up with fresh ones,
there is talk of a cost of living crisis.
A transatlantic consensus is forming that prices are out of whack.
But are they?
Affordability is a fuzzy term that can mean whatever feels true.
Telling people to stop complaining and be happy with their lot,
The Marie Antoinette strategy is not working for a White House where the tone and decor increasingly resemble Versailles.
Maddeningly, voters want contradictory things.