"What kind of high cultural highlights are going to come out of a performing arts center whose sole creative directors are a slumlord and a fucking spook?"
Grenell isn't even a spook. Before he was trump's last DNI, he was the ambassador to Germany. He was still a fucking creep and a giant asshole, though.
As to the broader point of your essay, it sucks that nobody gave these internally tortured gourds a guitar or a bass or a pair of drumsticks, along with a copy of Dead Kennedy's Fresh Fruit or Minor Threat's Complete Discography. How much misery could have been avoided if these gamergate-incubated neo-colonialists had just started a punk band in high school, like the rest of us weirdos...
So, I've been reading "The Earth Transformed" by Peter Frankopan at bedtime. It's nice to remember that no matter how badly we have fucked or been fucked by this planet in the past, generally we at least hold on by the skins of our fuckin' teeth.
A bunch of people will suffer & die who probably didn't need to, because of the leadership decisions we have made. But the species will (probably) survive. Maybe. It might help if we changed leadership. Lots of historical precedents for ways that could happen, all of which are fine with me, as long as it happens.
It's dizzying! There was something that happened a couple weeks ago that I was reminded of a few hours ago. I was like "oh yeah, that was a thing that happened pretty recently." And I've ALREADY forgotten what it was.
Exactly right, it comes from a position of incredible weakness.
Americans of the MAGA mindset are caught in the throes of an extinction burst.
Though they've won the government trifecta and have the SCOTUS in their hip pocket, they are still mad and getting madder by the day.
Regardless of how much Trump claims to achieve, regardless of their claims to be winning, they're certainly desperate to change the existing narrative.
I completely expect them to get louder and angrier, their gish gallops to be faster and more ridiculous. Their claims of Trump's greatness more absurd, their willingness to wear a diaper, a garbage bag or a maxi pad on their ears more embarrassing.
More Trump hats and flags, more threats to arrest Dems like AOC, more calls to impeach judges, more calls for a third term, more outlandish proposals like putting the Melon Felon on Mt Rushmore or to make his birthday a national holiday. More attempts to blame the rest of us for their missteps and change the narrative.
This ridiculous performative posturing comes from a position of extreme weakness.
Just like the toddler who's been told "no" will throw himself on the floor, pull his own hair and scream "I hate you" until he can't even breathe.
Just like the lab rat, used to hitting a lever for immediate food. When the lever stops providing instant gratification, does the rat immediately walk away?
Oh no. He hits that lever harder and faster, squealing his frustration, flipping around and frantically biting and pawing the lever until his feet and mouth are bleeding.
For MAGA, that's doubling down on ridiculousness when they're called out for their toxic behavior....as is happening with increasing frequency. This actually explains their increasing support for Trump and his band of misanthropes...in the face of increasing evidence of their unfitness.
Then 💥
The toddler and the rat, after exhausting themselves, both eventually realize their behavior is not going to be rewarded and they cease the tantrums and move on to more productive behaviors.
Assuming Mom and the scientist stand their ground.
I disagree with you. I think the aphorism is correct. You just placed us in the wrong part of the timeline. We’ve been in the “good times create weak men” part of the timeline. We’re now entering the “weak men make hard times” part of the timeline.
"What kind of high cultural highlights are going to come out of a performing arts center whose sole creative directors are a slumlord and a fucking spook?"
Grenell isn't even a spook. Before he was trump's last DNI, he was the ambassador to Germany. He was still a fucking creep and a giant asshole, though.
As to the broader point of your essay, it sucks that nobody gave these internally tortured gourds a guitar or a bass or a pair of drumsticks, along with a copy of Dead Kennedy's Fresh Fruit or Minor Threat's Complete Discography. How much misery could have been avoided if these gamergate-incubated neo-colonialists had just started a punk band in high school, like the rest of us weirdos...
So, I've been reading "The Earth Transformed" by Peter Frankopan at bedtime. It's nice to remember that no matter how badly we have fucked or been fucked by this planet in the past, generally we at least hold on by the skins of our fuckin' teeth.
A bunch of people will suffer & die who probably didn't need to, because of the leadership decisions we have made. But the species will (probably) survive. Maybe. It might help if we changed leadership. Lots of historical precedents for ways that could happen, all of which are fine with me, as long as it happens.
https://bookshop.org/p/books/climate-a-lost-history-peter-frankopan/
OMG has it really only been three weeks? ,😵
It's dizzying! There was something that happened a couple weeks ago that I was reminded of a few hours ago. I was like "oh yeah, that was a thing that happened pretty recently." And I've ALREADY forgotten what it was.
Exactly right, it comes from a position of incredible weakness.
Americans of the MAGA mindset are caught in the throes of an extinction burst.
Though they've won the government trifecta and have the SCOTUS in their hip pocket, they are still mad and getting madder by the day.
Regardless of how much Trump claims to achieve, regardless of their claims to be winning, they're certainly desperate to change the existing narrative.
I completely expect them to get louder and angrier, their gish gallops to be faster and more ridiculous. Their claims of Trump's greatness more absurd, their willingness to wear a diaper, a garbage bag or a maxi pad on their ears more embarrassing.
More Trump hats and flags, more threats to arrest Dems like AOC, more calls to impeach judges, more calls for a third term, more outlandish proposals like putting the Melon Felon on Mt Rushmore or to make his birthday a national holiday. More attempts to blame the rest of us for their missteps and change the narrative.
This ridiculous performative posturing comes from a position of extreme weakness.
Just like the toddler who's been told "no" will throw himself on the floor, pull his own hair and scream "I hate you" until he can't even breathe.
Just like the lab rat, used to hitting a lever for immediate food. When the lever stops providing instant gratification, does the rat immediately walk away?
Oh no. He hits that lever harder and faster, squealing his frustration, flipping around and frantically biting and pawing the lever until his feet and mouth are bleeding.
For MAGA, that's doubling down on ridiculousness when they're called out for their toxic behavior....as is happening with increasing frequency. This actually explains their increasing support for Trump and his band of misanthropes...in the face of increasing evidence of their unfitness.
Then 💥
The toddler and the rat, after exhausting themselves, both eventually realize their behavior is not going to be rewarded and they cease the tantrums and move on to more productive behaviors.
Assuming Mom and the scientist stand their ground.
Rich explains it BEAUTIFULLY
https://substack.com/@ohhthatsrich/note/c-90556834?r=1gwgym
I disagree with you. I think the aphorism is correct. You just placed us in the wrong part of the timeline. We’ve been in the “good times create weak men” part of the timeline. We’re now entering the “weak men make hard times” part of the timeline.
If fascism is just pathetic cringe loser shit, then clearly there is no rush or hurry to oppose it, right?
Thanks for your idiotic question, but no, I think we should oppose fascism.
Think about it for a year and tell me your thoughts when your ban expires.