As to Kristol’s observations—proof positive that big money does not equate big brains. Trump is a phony and a liar. Musk, a liar and blowhard. (Vance their remora.) No brains but plenty of malarkey.
NYT had an article today about a couple crypto scam failures whose new “venture” is being touted by Trump. His sons talked him into it because they’re such brilliant businessmen. We have Zuckerberg parading around like a Jack ass; Elon Musk acting like a 13 year old and running X as such; and the top of the ticket acting like children. These are not well adjusted, mature grown men.
I agree with many commenters here, regarding how the oligarchs are funding/using Trump to achieve their anti-state and state-cooption goals (no regulation and no taxes, to start). Has noone noticed how Musk's personal roots make him especially susceptible to this unhealthy symbiotic relationship to Trump. Time to bow down to our new overlords, I guess!
Whoever your friend is he is correct in much of his analysis. I think all the oligarchs you named and especially Musk see the election of t***p as the means to cement permanent power. t***p's dementia is getting more and more obvious, I can see Musk and the others making a power play against him not even a year in. JustDumb is just that, he trusts and is impressed by the money and will be very easy to control. There is a paragraph from Dr. Richardson's Letter this morning that sums this up:
" In 2014, then–Breitbart chief executive Steve Bannon explained to a right-wing Catholic group meeting at the Vatican that he believed traditional western civilization was fighting a war for survival. To win, current western-style civilizations must be completely reconfigured to put a few wealthy white Christian male leaders in charge to direct and protect subordinates."
There really is such a thing as "The Iron Law of Oligarchy."
The idea of regulated capitalism is as big a pipe dream as Marjorie Taylor Greene's meteorological theories.
The process of corporate/oligarchical capture of the government was just slower than it has been in places like Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Belarus, etc. Partly because of the built in strengths of our democracy and the complexity and size of our Republic. But technology and communications have changed all that so that we see a rapid oligarchical emergence.
Trump maybe the gateway but he is just one of many inevitable paths that can and will be taken by the corporate capture of the government.
Right now a handful of companies control most of the food that is grown and processed, the grocery stores that distribute the food, and to a large extent what we get to choose to eat. Food is a powerful weapon.
The combination of oligarchy and disinformation resulted in Adolph coming to power legally. Don't, for a second, think that the same can't happen here. It may already be too late.
Our politics (to put this all in an over-simplified way) are primarily about race; our economic "capitalism" is all about taxation. One thing that the American capital class ("oligarchs") can count on is that about 40% of the adult population works on this principle: white people do not want to pay taxes to in any way support people who are not white.
There's a tunnel at the end of the tunnel...and, while we commented earlier, we are still hot! We beat those two assholes to the stage by hours, we have excoriated the Press/Media for complicity, The Campaign is fucking pissed: https://cosmiceric.substack.com/p/a-slow-apocalypse-is-still-an-apocalypse. That apartheid immigrant THREATENED OUR COUNTRY! And his nasty mama needs to be locked up while we're at it! Or are we really "at it"?
Yes, because there's no truer friend to the former coal miners and out-of-work factory workers than billionaire tech bros. Because, you know, people designing technologies specifically to make sure blue collar workers never again have a job are, simultaneously, heroes of the working class.
"the new oligarchs understood this was the moment at which they could cement their control of the new Republican party—and perhaps the government itself." This is reminiscent of The Anarchy. "The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adelin (the only legitimate son of King Henry I) who had drowned in the White Ship disaster of 1120." (quote attributed to Wikipedia). The barons (oligarchs of the time) were determined to have a weaker king who they could manipulate. The death of William Adelin occurred when he drowned during the sinking of the newest and most advanced ship of the time. The sinking of that ship was likely a plot to remove Henry I's heir to the throne thereby throwing the ascendancy to the throne into disarray. In so doing, the barons achieved their goal of creating chaos in the country and courts, thereby consolidating their power. Isn't it amusing how history repeats itself? Or terrifying.
Charlie, some good self-reflection here from you, seeing the healthy elements of a social democratic tradition and democratic capitalism. As to the oligarchs and democracy, that makes me think about how the capitalists in 1930s Germany supported the Nazis cause they were afraid of the communists controlling their wealth. Anything "social" reeks of communism to the Right in the US. So you've come a long way here today!
"Reviving a healthy liberal democratic capitalism will, I think, require a recognition of the healthy elements of a social democratic tradition that some of us have neglected in recent decades"
Because this is what the confidant do …
As to Kristol’s observations—proof positive that big money does not equate big brains. Trump is a phony and a liar. Musk, a liar and blowhard. (Vance their remora.) No brains but plenty of malarkey.
I'm no sailor, but if the picture of Kim were real, I'd expect the boat to be listing to starboard a bit.
NYT had an article today about a couple crypto scam failures whose new “venture” is being touted by Trump. His sons talked him into it because they’re such brilliant businessmen. We have Zuckerberg parading around like a Jack ass; Elon Musk acting like a 13 year old and running X as such; and the top of the ticket acting like children. These are not well adjusted, mature grown men.
I agree with many commenters here, regarding how the oligarchs are funding/using Trump to achieve their anti-state and state-cooption goals (no regulation and no taxes, to start). Has noone noticed how Musk's personal roots make him especially susceptible to this unhealthy symbiotic relationship to Trump. Time to bow down to our new overlords, I guess!
Whoever your friend is he is correct in much of his analysis. I think all the oligarchs you named and especially Musk see the election of t***p as the means to cement permanent power. t***p's dementia is getting more and more obvious, I can see Musk and the others making a power play against him not even a year in. JustDumb is just that, he trusts and is impressed by the money and will be very easy to control. There is a paragraph from Dr. Richardson's Letter this morning that sums this up:
" In 2014, then–Breitbart chief executive Steve Bannon explained to a right-wing Catholic group meeting at the Vatican that he believed traditional western civilization was fighting a war for survival. To win, current western-style civilizations must be completely reconfigured to put a few wealthy white Christian male leaders in charge to direct and protect subordinates."
There really is such a thing as "The Iron Law of Oligarchy."
The idea of regulated capitalism is as big a pipe dream as Marjorie Taylor Greene's meteorological theories.
The process of corporate/oligarchical capture of the government was just slower than it has been in places like Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Belarus, etc. Partly because of the built in strengths of our democracy and the complexity and size of our Republic. But technology and communications have changed all that so that we see a rapid oligarchical emergence.
Trump maybe the gateway but he is just one of many inevitable paths that can and will be taken by the corporate capture of the government.
Right now a handful of companies control most of the food that is grown and processed, the grocery stores that distribute the food, and to a large extent what we get to choose to eat. Food is a powerful weapon.
The combination of oligarchy and disinformation resulted in Adolph coming to power legally. Don't, for a second, think that the same can't happen here. It may already be too late.
Our politics (to put this all in an over-simplified way) are primarily about race; our economic "capitalism" is all about taxation. One thing that the American capital class ("oligarchs") can count on is that about 40% of the adult population works on this principle: white people do not want to pay taxes to in any way support people who are not white.
JD Vance is the Manchurian candidate of the wannabe oligarch class.
Andrew, I read Charlie's Substack yesterday, and I posted that I was disappointed in the emphasis on how scared we all should be. He didn't note anything about what state and local law enforcement and the Harris campaign's legal team are doing about all these threats. See https://open.substack.com/pub/charliesykes/p/why-this-election-aftermath-will?r=1dlvn&utm_campaign=comment-list-share-cta&utm_medium=web&comments=true&commentId=71636998.
I'm seeing this same lack of emphasis at the Bulwark.
There's a tunnel at the end of the tunnel...and, while we commented earlier, we are still hot! We beat those two assholes to the stage by hours, we have excoriated the Press/Media for complicity, The Campaign is fucking pissed: https://cosmiceric.substack.com/p/a-slow-apocalypse-is-still-an-apocalypse. That apartheid immigrant THREATENED OUR COUNTRY! And his nasty mama needs to be locked up while we're at it! Or are we really "at it"?
Yes, because there's no truer friend to the former coal miners and out-of-work factory workers than billionaire tech bros. Because, you know, people designing technologies specifically to make sure blue collar workers never again have a job are, simultaneously, heroes of the working class.
Cognitive dissonance is a hell of a drug.
Willie Nelson has a song for Sarah:
https://youtu.be/qdZ5wY9XxdA?si=wk1fJR0w-WSnrs7L
Anyone wanna bet Trump tries to use this at one of his rallies?
"the new oligarchs understood this was the moment at which they could cement their control of the new Republican party—and perhaps the government itself." This is reminiscent of The Anarchy. "The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adelin (the only legitimate son of King Henry I) who had drowned in the White Ship disaster of 1120." (quote attributed to Wikipedia). The barons (oligarchs of the time) were determined to have a weaker king who they could manipulate. The death of William Adelin occurred when he drowned during the sinking of the newest and most advanced ship of the time. The sinking of that ship was likely a plot to remove Henry I's heir to the throne thereby throwing the ascendancy to the throne into disarray. In so doing, the barons achieved their goal of creating chaos in the country and courts, thereby consolidating their power. Isn't it amusing how history repeats itself? Or terrifying.
It may not repeat but it sure echoes a lot! Thanks for that historical snap shot (not snap chat!)
Charlie, some good self-reflection here from you, seeing the healthy elements of a social democratic tradition and democratic capitalism. As to the oligarchs and democracy, that makes me think about how the capitalists in 1930s Germany supported the Nazis cause they were afraid of the communists controlling their wealth. Anything "social" reeks of communism to the Right in the US. So you've come a long way here today!
"Reviving a healthy liberal democratic capitalism will, I think, require a recognition of the healthy elements of a social democratic tradition that some of us have neglected in recent decades"
Never a truer word spoken.