Pragmatic Papers

You can find the Pragmatic Papers here (external link).

The Pragmatic Papers is a community-run publication that produces topical and succinct news articles that aim to provide DGGers with pragmatic and practical solutions that they can participate in to shape the political environment. Occasionally, the publication furnishes articles written by Destiny to provide an opportunity for the community to challenge and debate a belief that he holds.

Volumes

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Volume 1 (March 2, 2025)

Democracy in the US is being torn apart. Our standing on the world stage has never been worse, and, most importantly, the January 6th video still isn’t out. If you’re like me, you’ve been doom-scrolling since the inauguration, wondering why everyone seems to be operating as if it's business as usual.

At times like these, the importance of community has never been more apparent - and I want to channel some of the frustration that we’ve all been feeling into something positive.

To this end, some of us have formed a news team and we’re putting together a weekly post - by DGG, for DGG. We call it The Pragmatic Papers. Our framers envisioned a world where every citizen has a hand in shaping the future of the Republic. Our work on this project aspires to honor their vision and give you all the tools to do so as well.

The weekly news post aims to achieve the following:

1. Highlight the most pressing news.
2. Provide straightforward summaries for key articles; and,
3. Show you how you can get involved.

More information about #3 is coming in the near future, but for now you can submit stories, chat with us in the comments, and maybe stop doom-scrolling enough to enjoy life a bit. In the future we hope to have some daily posts for those who want just the latest headlines without having to wade knee-deep into the subreddit, so keep your eyes peeled!

Volume 2 (March 8, 2025)

DGG Political Action
Liberalism has been on a 250-year tear, proving itself to be the heart of any society hoping to maximize the prosperity of its people. Today, on the eve of the end of history, a bizarre menagerie of radicals, authoritarians, terrorists, evangelicals, and communists has united against us. For the first time in a generation, it can no longer be taken for granted that history will end with freedom’s ring sounding across the globe. We have rested on our laurels while our enemies clawed every day for survival. We are smarter, better, more numerous, and more aligned than any of them. Every advantage is in our corner – all we have left to do is fight.

The doomer arc is over. Welcome to the cause, soldier.

Join the Discord server to take your next step: https://discord.gg/mR4yyh4C

Volume 3 (March 16, 2025)

Schumer Folds on Funding, Loses Dems in Process
On Saturday morning, Donald Trump signed into law legislation that funds the government through the end of September, officially putting a bow on a tumultuous session that left Democrats divided on how to move forward and Republicans giddy over the continued dismantling of our government. Chuck Schumer drew criticism after a change of heart on how to proceed in a catch-22 for the Democratic Party. In this week’s featured article we take a look at the bill and the surrounding drama that ensued.

Schumer Folds on Funding

by u/Greatwhiteterr · March 16, 2025
On Saturday morning, Donald Trump signed into law legislation that funds the government through the end of September, officially putting a bow on a tumultuous session that left Democrats divided on how to move forward and Republicans giddy over the continued dismantling of our government. Before diving too far into opinions, let’s take a look at the facts surrounding H.R 1968... (Read the full article here.)

Volume 4 (March 23, 2025)

Wars Get Worse as “Peacemaker” Fails to Make Peace
Trump’s masterful peacemaking falters as a fragile energy ceasefire with Putin unravels and Israel resumes strikes on Gaza, killing hundreds despite his earlier boasts of being able to end wars quickly. While Ukraine defiantly hits back at Russia and Zelenskyy demands more than promises, the Israel-Palestine war continues with casualties mounting, exposing Trump’s diplomatic grandstanding as powerless against deepening chaos.

Ceasefire In Name Only

by u/FaylenTV · March 23, 2025
Following U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s trip to Moscow last Thursday, he told CNN on Monday that President Trump would be speaking with Putin sometime this week—a call PBS later confirmed would take place on Tuesday. We also got a bit more insight into Witkoff’s closed-door meeting with Putin—at least in terms of what was discussed. He confirmed that territory was part of the conversation, though he declined to say what that might mean for Ukraine’s future borders. Witkoff tried to reassure the public that Ukraine is being kept updated on every move, but whether that’s actually happening is still anyone’s guess.

Volume 5 (March 30, 2025)

Trump’s Deportation Clash Defies Courts
President Trump’s mass deportation of Venezuelans under the Alien Enemies Act ignites a constitutional showdown as five plaintiffs win a rare court order to halt the removals—only for the administration to brazenly defy it. With the government dodging hearings and flouting judicial authority, the judge hesitates to act, leaving sanctions as a fragile hope against an executive gone rogue.

TROs, Contempt, and the Last Stand of the Judiciary

by u/KafkaEsquire · March 30, 2025
It is difficult to summarize the case of J.G.G. v. Donald Trump, in which five Venezuelans have sued to prevent their removal from the United States. There are many detailed and well written breakdowns of the events that happened prior to trial. The most relevant details are that over two hundred Venezuelans, allegedly members or associated with the Tren de Aragua gang, were detained and deported to an El Salvadorian prison by the US government. This was at the direction of President Trump, via the Alien Enemies Act (“AEA”) and his alleged war time powers.

Volume 6 (April 6, 2025)

Destiny vs. The Dreaded Billionaires
Destiny dismantles the myth that billionaires rig U.S. politics, pointing to election losses despite big spending—like Musk’s $20 million flop in Wisconsin. He argues the anti-billionaire obsession distracts from smarter policies, like taxing broader bases over chasing wealth taxes that flop globally.

Destiny’s Dissent: Billionaires

by u/NeoDestiny · April 6, 2025
The incessant complaining about the “BU-BU-BILLIONAIRES” is misguided, politically ineffective, and distracting from achievable and effective policy goals.

“Billionaires control government” is a sexy idea that seemed to find some academic purchase with the 2014 study from Gilens and Page, “Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens” but multiple analyses since have demonstrated, using the same data set from that study, that the middle class and the wealthy agree on policy positions almost 90% of the time anyway, and where they disagree it’s a coin-toss to see whose policy wins out in the end. Despite it being a simple “truism” that the wealthy can simply buy elections or pass whatever legislation they desire, a sober reading of even recent history would seem to cast much doubt on that conclusion.

Volume 7 (April 13, 2025)

Trump’s Tariff Tantrum Tanks Economy
Trump’s chaotic tariff blitz tanks markets by $6 trillion and threatens American families with $3,800 in extra costs, only to unravel in days—yet a 145% China tariff remains. As allies reel and China retaliates, his reckless gamble risks inflation and isolation, not revival.

Build Walls, Burn Bridges: Trump’s Global Trade Disaster

by u/no-commission9088 · April 12, 2025
Trump’s tariffs weren’t a strategy—they were a stunt that collapsed in real time. Within a week of announcing sweeping import taxes up to 60%, Trump reversed course on most country-specific tariffs—but kept a baseline 10% tariff on all imports, and increased import duties on China to 145%.

His own team contradicted itself at every turn. Top aides like Peter Navarro insisted this was “not a negotiation,” only to pivot days later and claim it was all part of Trump’s brilliant deal making strategy.

Volume 8 (April 13, 2025)

Trump’s Chaotic Blueprint Fizzles
Russia’s brutal missile strike on Sumy kills 35 civilians, yet Trump calls it a ‘mistake’ while blocking G7 condemnation to protect Moscow talks. As Ukraine extends martial law and fights on, Trump’s team eyes recognizing Russian control of Crimea.

Concepts of a Plan: Trump’s Roadmap to Nowhere

by u/FaylenTV · April 20, 2025
On Sunday, April 13th, Russia opened with its deadliest attack of the year, firing two ballistic missiles into the center of Sumy, killing 35 and injuring 129 more. The strike, which used cluster munitions according to Ukrainian officials, was targeted entirely at civilians, both on the street and in public transportation. President Zelenskyy was quick to condemn the strike as a “deliberate massacre,” made all the more horrific by its timing on Palm Sunday—a holy day for Christians around the world. As expected, Moscow quickly countered with its usual excuse—claiming it had targeted a “meeting of Ukrainian and Western officers.” Naturally, no evidence was provided, and Ukrainian officials found nothing of the sort at the site of the massacre. The news of the strike also reached President Trump, who, when asked about it, responded that he was told “they made a mistake”—once again downplaying the clear intentionality behind Russia’s actions. Moscow hasn’t denied the strike or where it hit—only who they meant to kill—so maybe Trump didn’t get the full story from his handlers in Moscow.

Volume 9 (April 27, 2025)

Trump’s Latest Crackdown: Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan
Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan’s arrest by the FBI for aiding an immigrant sparks debate over judicial warrants and courthouse arrests. The Trump administration’s swift cuffs and public shaming signal a bold warning to judges nationwide.

Judge Detained as Trump Admin Escalates

by u/GreatWhiteTerr · April 27, 2025
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was taken into custody on April 25th by the FBI, alleging that she had helped Eduardo Flores-Ruiz evade immigration authorities a week earlier on April 18th. The FBI’s complaint says that Flores-Ruiz was in the courthouse for a scheduled hearing on his criminal case and federal agents had planned to arrest Flores-Ruiz after said hearing. After being notified of ICE’s presence, Judge Dugan confronted the arrest team and stated they needed a judicial warrant, rather than the administrative one they had. After directing the arrest team to the Chief Judge, the complaint alleges that Dugan returned to the courtroom, directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney to leave through the non-public jury door, and adjourned his case without calling it or notifying the attorney handling the case on behalf of the state. Members of the arrest team who weren’t talking with the Chief Judge saw Flores-Ruiz leaving the jury room, and followed him onto the elevator and out of the courthouse. After a brief chase, members of the arrest team apprehended Flores-Ruiz outside of the courthouse. If you take the complaint at face value, the arrest may seem justified. But as is the case with a lot of the administration's actions, a little scrutiny goes a long way.

Volume 10 (May 4, 2025)

Trump’s 100-Day Wrecking Ball
Trump’s first 100 days gutted USAID, deported citizens, and erased transgender rights. From crashing the stock market to cozying up to Putin, his policies have sparked chaos and global backlash. What else happened?

100 Days, 100 Ways Trump Has Hurt the US

by u/GreatWhiteTerr · May 4, 2025
Killed USAID, resulting in an estimated 200,000+ deaths thus far, hutted the Department of Education, crippled FEMA through layoffs and budget cuts, and more.