When I was serving as a diplomat focused on politics in certain (unnamed) developing countries (highly unequal with masses of impoverished, illiterate or low literacy people), I used to have an axiom that had high predictive value: the more patently absurd, outlandish and preposterous the political proposal, the less sense it made to me and the more stupid and nonsensical it seemed, the more I knew I had to pay attention because the more chance it had to gain actual political legs and be taken seriously by the people or those who manipulated them. I feel a nauseatingly similar feeling reading Yarvin, and about him. Such dangerous drivel. Such idiocy. Such megalomaniac stupidity. It flies in the face of our imperfect but (on balance) successful centuries long democratic experiment—in which the first power, constitutionally speaking is clearly and unambiguously the legislative power, the one closest to the people. The thinking (if it can be dignified with the name) is so riddled with nonsense and outrageous assumptions that I’m gobsmacked anyone can take it seriously. That’s one of the many reasons I’m even more worried now than before. When will we the people wake up, beginning with our article 1 representatives, particularly on the republican side?
Alexis, thank you for your excellent post. I feel you are spot on in your view. Yarvin's "philosophy" is so warped and twisted one could be forgiven for not initially taking it seriously. And, as you point out, that IS the danger.
Back in the day, we use to describe people possessing such irrational sociopathic thinking with two words: a misfit. While today this term may not be politically correct, it is quite accurate. And frankly, an overuse of political correctness may be one reason the nation finds itself fighting for its survival. Not being able to state things as one sees them regardless of being true or not, offensive or not, destructive or not is an insult to freedom of speech. An example of a rare exception ruled by the Supreme Court would be that "one cannot yell fire in a crowded theater." But that was back when Americans had not yet lost their minds and senses.
On the whole, I remain optimistic that the nation will pull through this horrific nightmare and come out stronger and better for having gone through this period. People are and will continue to wake up especially as the attempted dismantling of their government begins to hit each individual personally.
Thank you Marion. I commend your optimism and hope you are right. I too always considered our democracy resilient, even anti-fragile. What worries me about this is how self-inflicted it is, how disproportionate the reaction to the underlying problems, however real and present these are for too many people. I understood it much better in places like Bolivia (where I lived and worked for 3 years) or Venezuela (which I watched as it flushed itself down the toilet from several neighboring countries). In fact, Donald Trump reminds me of nobody so much as Hugo Chavez, charismatic (after a fashion) and willing to tell any lie and twist any rule and throw any enemy (or friend) out of the window to remain in power. I just didn’t know so many Americans felt they had so little to lose. They (and the rest of us too, sadly) might just find out how much that was. That said, I hope our congressional representatives (including republicans) will grow a spine and stand up for something bigger than their political survival. Or it might come to masses of we the people taking to the streets to paralyze the takeover. Will it come to that?
You're very welcome, Alexis. I appreciate and respect the knowledge and experience you gained working abroad along with your current sentiments regarding our nation's predicament. You're writing is quite eloquent and elegant.
I believe we Americans may possibly be different. Yes, we have taken our freedoms and liberties for granted far too long. As a country we have perhaps failed to include those who missed out on the tremendous upheavals caused by the technological revolution occurring worldwide. (Think Rust Belt/Blue Collar folks who were left behind economically and to a degree culturally). When historical changes occur there are always groups of people left behind as new directions for society begin to take hold. This can be devastating for many as their identity is threatened. The answer is, of course, much better education and outreach to train for new economies.
Frankly, I would like to see our entire nation have a series of huge "Teach Ins," as in the 1960's, on the origin, formation, and meaning of our US Constitution. Americans need to understand in-depth the purpose of our government, how and why it was created and how it will and can serve the common good when populated with people whose primary motivating goal is to serve their country in a positive manner.
Wholly shit, we have a bunch of fucked up evil people in this country. This is why Americans need to rise up and stop this by all means necessary because the courts are 10 steps behind these evil pieces of shit. By April forget it. Everything will be destroyed if the courts keep playing around instead of putting out rulings that would actually do something. Dementia mussolini already defied so many orders from the court. To me that's already a constitutional crisis. The courts are afraid to call the marshals because of the orange turds DOJ. At this rate fuck it. Everything goes. Because we're looking at destruction with no return to normalcy. So, might as well go all in. We're just delaying the inevitable by sitting down and not acting. Eventually all of this will implode one way or another.
FLIP THE HOUSE Early: There are going to be three special elections. Florida District 1 and 6 will be April first. Democratic candidates are Gay Valimont and Josh Weil. Later in spring Democrat Blake Genebien is running for New York’s 21st District. This is our chance to flip the house. Please donate what you can for these candidates and or help spread the word or do phone banking for their campaigns.
They already rigged the presidential election. I've no doubts they'll do it for every other one too. Especially since Trump said by next year there will be no more blue states.
I find this utterly disturbing. This person is very damaged and has a sick mind and MAGA/DOGE has adopted this to it's core belief. "Dark Enlightenment"? Nothing is more enlightening than "oppressively controlling the unworthy masses." What a sick, sick mind.
My rational mind is struggling after reading this to believe it, even though I have known such whack jobs in my life with bizarre ideologies. But then, it was Reagan era and we would just put them against the back wall in class not to bother the rest of us. Apparently, this is revenge. While I’m experiencing nausea and panic, I’m grateful to have read about this. Many more need to read it because, I can assure you, like myself, they have no idea
I've been reading about this Yarvin dude's "philosophy" for a few weeks now but this piece pulls it together nicely. Thank you for writing it. Horrified you had to!
I've been so apprehensive to share with others because it seems so insane and conspiratorial. But it all seems to come together, right? Am I the crazy one? This shit is off the charts!
Very well articulated. Very hard to consume - but necessary. It sticks with you, gnawing at the back of your brain. I have come back several times now and am now sounding the alarm and sharing more widely. Trump has really given Musk carte blanche to enact this, and Trump will be none the wiser.
Call your Republican representative NOW and let it rip.
They vote today to gut Medicaid and give massive tax breaks to the wealthy. And the acting director at the Social Security Administration just called for a 50% reduction in forces there. They're starving out Social Security as we speak.
When I was serving as a diplomat focused on politics in certain (unnamed) developing countries (highly unequal with masses of impoverished, illiterate or low literacy people), I used to have an axiom that had high predictive value: the more patently absurd, outlandish and preposterous the political proposal, the less sense it made to me and the more stupid and nonsensical it seemed, the more I knew I had to pay attention because the more chance it had to gain actual political legs and be taken seriously by the people or those who manipulated them. I feel a nauseatingly similar feeling reading Yarvin, and about him. Such dangerous drivel. Such idiocy. Such megalomaniac stupidity. It flies in the face of our imperfect but (on balance) successful centuries long democratic experiment—in which the first power, constitutionally speaking is clearly and unambiguously the legislative power, the one closest to the people. The thinking (if it can be dignified with the name) is so riddled with nonsense and outrageous assumptions that I’m gobsmacked anyone can take it seriously. That’s one of the many reasons I’m even more worried now than before. When will we the people wake up, beginning with our article 1 representatives, particularly on the republican side?
Alexis, thank you for your excellent post. I feel you are spot on in your view. Yarvin's "philosophy" is so warped and twisted one could be forgiven for not initially taking it seriously. And, as you point out, that IS the danger.
Back in the day, we use to describe people possessing such irrational sociopathic thinking with two words: a misfit. While today this term may not be politically correct, it is quite accurate. And frankly, an overuse of political correctness may be one reason the nation finds itself fighting for its survival. Not being able to state things as one sees them regardless of being true or not, offensive or not, destructive or not is an insult to freedom of speech. An example of a rare exception ruled by the Supreme Court would be that "one cannot yell fire in a crowded theater." But that was back when Americans had not yet lost their minds and senses.
On the whole, I remain optimistic that the nation will pull through this horrific nightmare and come out stronger and better for having gone through this period. People are and will continue to wake up especially as the attempted dismantling of their government begins to hit each individual personally.
Thank you Marion. I commend your optimism and hope you are right. I too always considered our democracy resilient, even anti-fragile. What worries me about this is how self-inflicted it is, how disproportionate the reaction to the underlying problems, however real and present these are for too many people. I understood it much better in places like Bolivia (where I lived and worked for 3 years) or Venezuela (which I watched as it flushed itself down the toilet from several neighboring countries). In fact, Donald Trump reminds me of nobody so much as Hugo Chavez, charismatic (after a fashion) and willing to tell any lie and twist any rule and throw any enemy (or friend) out of the window to remain in power. I just didn’t know so many Americans felt they had so little to lose. They (and the rest of us too, sadly) might just find out how much that was. That said, I hope our congressional representatives (including republicans) will grow a spine and stand up for something bigger than their political survival. Or it might come to masses of we the people taking to the streets to paralyze the takeover. Will it come to that?
You're very welcome, Alexis. I appreciate and respect the knowledge and experience you gained working abroad along with your current sentiments regarding our nation's predicament. You're writing is quite eloquent and elegant.
I believe we Americans may possibly be different. Yes, we have taken our freedoms and liberties for granted far too long. As a country we have perhaps failed to include those who missed out on the tremendous upheavals caused by the technological revolution occurring worldwide. (Think Rust Belt/Blue Collar folks who were left behind economically and to a degree culturally). When historical changes occur there are always groups of people left behind as new directions for society begin to take hold. This can be devastating for many as their identity is threatened. The answer is, of course, much better education and outreach to train for new economies.
Frankly, I would like to see our entire nation have a series of huge "Teach Ins," as in the 1960's, on the origin, formation, and meaning of our US Constitution. Americans need to understand in-depth the purpose of our government, how and why it was created and how it will and can serve the common good when populated with people whose primary motivating goal is to serve their country in a positive manner.
I am in this fight for the long haul.
I, too, am GOBSMACKED! It’s happening.
Wholly shit, we have a bunch of fucked up evil people in this country. This is why Americans need to rise up and stop this by all means necessary because the courts are 10 steps behind these evil pieces of shit. By April forget it. Everything will be destroyed if the courts keep playing around instead of putting out rulings that would actually do something. Dementia mussolini already defied so many orders from the court. To me that's already a constitutional crisis. The courts are afraid to call the marshals because of the orange turds DOJ. At this rate fuck it. Everything goes. Because we're looking at destruction with no return to normalcy. So, might as well go all in. We're just delaying the inevitable by sitting down and not acting. Eventually all of this will implode one way or another.
I refuse to lie down.
FLIP THE HOUSE Early: There are going to be three special elections. Florida District 1 and 6 will be April first. Democratic candidates are Gay Valimont and Josh Weil. Later in spring Democrat Blake Genebien is running for New York’s 21st District. This is our chance to flip the house. Please donate what you can for these candidates and or help spread the word or do phone banking for their campaigns.
Thank you! Please spread the word!
They already rigged the presidential election. I've no doubts they'll do it for every other one too. Especially since Trump said by next year there will be no more blue states.
I was thinking the same thing.
I find this utterly disturbing. This person is very damaged and has a sick mind and MAGA/DOGE has adopted this to it's core belief. "Dark Enlightenment"? Nothing is more enlightening than "oppressively controlling the unworthy masses." What a sick, sick mind.
Call it any name you want but totalitarianism is still totalitarianism despite what crazy beliefs go into justifying it.
My rational mind is struggling after reading this to believe it, even though I have known such whack jobs in my life with bizarre ideologies. But then, it was Reagan era and we would just put them against the back wall in class not to bother the rest of us. Apparently, this is revenge. While I’m experiencing nausea and panic, I’m grateful to have read about this. Many more need to read it because, I can assure you, like myself, they have no idea
And now DOGE may have access to all contAct from the system that sends out mass text messages to everyone across the US
I've been reading about this Yarvin dude's "philosophy" for a few weeks now but this piece pulls it together nicely. Thank you for writing it. Horrified you had to!
I've been so apprehensive to share with others because it seems so insane and conspiratorial. But it all seems to come together, right? Am I the crazy one? This shit is off the charts!
Reading this is quite unnerving.
Frightening...
What's the end game when our country is destroyed? Broke masses don't buy, corporations lose money, stock crash, people don't buy cars, use gas....
I don't get what they get out of this.
We have been warned. The shit has hit the fan. Damn scary. Prepare now.
Very informative and disturbing. Great article.
We've got a moldbug infestation https://open.substack.com/pub/joseph595328/p/oh-no-we-have-moldbugs?r=735ee&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thank you for this excellent article!
Very well articulated. Very hard to consume - but necessary. It sticks with you, gnawing at the back of your brain. I have come back several times now and am now sounding the alarm and sharing more widely. Trump has really given Musk carte blanche to enact this, and Trump will be none the wiser.
Your action for today:
Call your Republican representative NOW and let it rip.
They vote today to gut Medicaid and give massive tax breaks to the wealthy. And the acting director at the Social Security Administration just called for a 50% reduction in forces there. They're starving out Social Security as we speak.
https://apnews.com/article/social-security-layoffs-doge-musk-trump-93efbed33957af5ec8ac37744d0592de
CALL 202-224-3121
SAY:
DON'T TOUCH MEDICAID AND SOCIAL SECURITY!!
We are angry and we are watching. THIS CARNAGE HAS TO STOP!
**********
PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.