Sarah Matthews

It occurs to me that my fondness for these Bulwark contributors kinda harkens back to a time when we could disagree and punch around with each other over policy differences, and still be able to hang out together because we both knew the other one was keeping the faith - we both wanted what's best for the most, we just thought we needed to go about getting the best in different ways.

At least, that was the pleasant, comfortable, fragile understanding (some say fantasy) that let us sleep better at night.

The truth is that there are always - have always been - will always be - assholes who can't be satisfied with winning the debate. They have to dominate, subjugate, and dictate. And that desire - that need - to be able to dictate everything to everyone is the real fantasy. Because it doesn't work in the long run.

People will be free.

It's been said that you don't want to set up a system of government that requires a change in human nature in order to work well. And democracy's opponents - those people who need to rule instead of serve - believe they have the winning argument against it. Because in a democracy, we have to give a little. We have to go against our basic animal instincts of "I Me Mine" and work in the interest of the whole.

That doesn't mean anybody is required to be "selfless", but that's a whole big messy can of worms. That one always leads me back to Ayn Rand, and Milton Friedman, and Freddie Hayak, which requires a lengthy dissertation on how it sounds pretty good at first, but almost immediately crashes and burns in The Logical Extreme (where even good ideas go to die).

Anyway - Sarah Matthews, and our family shit is not to be paraded in front of strangers.

Policy? What Policy?

Republicans talking out their ass.

Political Communication

• F ear
• L ove
• A nger
• G reed
• S ympathy

How does my life get better if I help you get elected?

The Republican Triangle Of Doom

If you want immigrants to "do it the right way", then you can't do enforcement the wrong way - you can't have masked thugs who are armed and lawless running around strong-arming people 

Stop going out of your way looking for something to virtue signal about

Yippee Ki Yay

Bulwark

It's An Infestation

Bulwark On MSNOW

There were other topics that made this segment of Katy Tur's show interesting to me, but the thing that really stood out was the subject of Data Centers.

And what makes me a little crazier than usual, is listening to the pundits talking about the moves being made by the billionaires as if it's just another political issue. It's not.

The mega tech bros (eg) have voiced their utter disdain for democratic self-governance. And even though every dictator does indeed have to have some support from the mob, these guys are determined to make this joint look like that inevitable company meeting, where the gist of the boss's remarks is: "You're not here to provide us with your input - we're just giving you a chance to agree with decisions we've already made."

Seven Rules for Dealing with Autocrats And Their Enablers. --Trygve Olsen

Rule #1: Play the Game You Are In, Not the One You Wish or Want to Play.

Recognize and adapt to the dynamics. In a zero-sum struggle against illiberal forces, there's no room for romantic win-win approaches. The outcome is binary: victory for democracy and defeat for autocracy.

I'm starting this at 16:30

He Said What?

News

Will Saletan

Manly Men

Sarah nails it starting at about 12:15

Nicolle Brings It

• In 2016, Obama ran a clean and fair election, and Trump won
• In 2024, Biden ran a clean and fair election, and Trump won
• But in 2020, Trump fucked it up so bad, Trump lost
• Now it's like we should not think he's going to fuck it all up again

There's no rhyme or reason to anything - just like The Daddy State needs it.

Remember this:

Daddy State Awareness

• The Daddy State lies as a means of demonstrating power.
• The lies have practically nothing to do with the subject of the lies.
• Lying about everything creates chaos, which helps condition us to stop thinking, and look to them for "guidance".
• Once we're totally dependent on them, we'll accept the premise that they can do anything they want.

The goal is to destroy our ability

to experience reality directly,

so they can dictate reality to us

The Bulwark Comes To Colorado

Kyle Clark is a really good analyst, and that may be what makes him a really good old-school-type journalist.

"...because Jared Polis is the smartest guy Jared Polis has ever met."

Finding A Way

Reading - on the nail head.

If you read well, you can do anything. If you don't, everything is harder, and some things are completely out of your reach - you're done before you get started.

I'd give anything to have had my deficit properly diagnosed by 3rd or 4th grade.

Compensating for your difficulty - and having to defend yourself against "He's a bright kid, but he doesn't apply himself ... he's not living up to his potential" - that shit's exhausting.

Patterns Of Criminality

Trump pardoned almost 1600 J6 rioter-assholes. Dozens of them have since been arrested and charged with new crimes:

• child sexual assault
• production of child pornography
• possession of child pornography
• rape
• conspiracy to commit murder of FBI agents
• kidnapping
• sexual assault
• aggravated robbery
• reckless homicide
• driving under the influence causing death
• illegal possession of firearms
• domestic violence by strangulation
• burglary
• vandalism
• grand theft
• stalking
• violation of protective orders
• threatening public officials
• drug trafficking

January 6

was not

a day of love

Democracy Is

It's been going around for some time now, that it's not Red vs Blue, or Conservative vs Progressive, or even Good vs Evil (although we've seen a lot of that too)

And there's certainly a Class vs Class element to it - a big one actually.

But what it's come down to is liberal vs ill-liberal. Do we want our version of democracy to work for us, or do we want a version that just requires us to obey - and work for - the government?

I have one basic bone to pick with Mr Frum - he left out the yang:

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals - and you know it."

--Agent K, Men In Black

And that's the eternal paradox - the necessary rights of the individual, and the necessary commitment to a collective society every individual depends on.

Today's Bulwark

"We have deeply unserious leadership in a deadly serious moment."

And The Good News Is ...

... two days ago, when some of the Jan6 mob gathered again on the National Mall to celebrate having tried to totally fuck our democracy five years ago, they were outnumbered by the cops and counter-protesters.

We have to deal with asshole ICE "agents" (eg) who get caught up in their own daddy issues - or whatever drives their pathetic existence - but we should also keep in mind just how small the various factions are that make up the gang they think is huge and powerful and  impossible to resist.

What's really at work is the large network of shit-slingers and bots that blast the nonsense that fuel these idiots' fantasies of dominance and conquest.

We should continue to believe them when they tell us what raving assholes they are, but we also have to see them for the scared little men we know them to be when they're out in the open, and exposed to the disinfectant properties of either literal or figurative sunshine.

when you turn on the kitchen light

you'll see the cockroaches scuttle back

to their safe space under the dishwasher

Bulwark

Bulwark Takes

You know you're in a really bad place when the most important profit center driving your business - and your business decisions - is the guy monitoring Trump's social media feeds.