Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein are both in China on some kind of junket, and both are complaining about the corporate shillishness of the American pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo. One of the videos that comprise America’s message to the world, says Ezra, is just a “long series of advertisements from the pavilion’s corporate sponsors, including a representative from Chevron who tells us that oil will have to be part of our energy future and actually uses their marketing buzzwords ‘human energy.'” But hey — that’s a World Expo for you. Compare and contrast this to a souvenir coin from the 1939 Golden Gate Expo in San Francisco, which happily informs us that “A dollar spent for petroleum products never stops circulating. It pays for wages, taxes, materials and brings countless benefits to every business.” Indeed. And still does, apparently.

Anyway, I have no real point to make. I just wanted an excuse to post a picture of that coin again.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate