421 Comments

The man is tweaking. If we assume (and I think it's likely), that he is making his own tweats, the paucity of sleep is alarming and could only be maintained by drugs--most likely modafinil. The human descent into psychosis in the absence of regular sleep is inexorable and well documented.

Expand full comment

"Who needs to read the classics when you know how to code? Why bother to learn American history when you can write America’s future in C++? Unfortunately for everyone, it turns out running a country it’s a little more complicated than building apps or cars or NFTs fake-money schemes. The whole country is at the mercy of conceited twentysomething computer science dipshits as they get a remedial crash course in government, learning the kinds of things that college freshman in political science 101 are expected already to know."

--------

Let me offer my own mea culpa on this one, because I used to be one of these people. In college in the early 1990's I studied math and threw in a little computer science, and I hated the fact that I was being made to care about things like literature and history. I realize now what a mistake this was. I took everything we had for granted, and scoffed at some international students who told me that one day even America could become politically unstable like other countries in the world.

However, in my defense, when I was in this entirely apolitical period of my life, I acted apolitical, and *I didn't vote*. I didn't fool myself into believing I had an informed opinion just out of a sense that I had a duty to make some kind of decision, regardless of how ill-considered it was. And part of me feels as though I still want to stick up for people who just wish to bury themselves in their books, so long as they know what they are and don't let it actively hurt the rest of the country.

Unfortunately, we need the smart people to pick their noses up from their nerdy studies and help make the right decisions. Because of the Dunning Kruger effect, we have too many dim bulbs who overrate their own intelligence and make the wrong ones, and there's no convincing *those people* not to vote. If you know you're too ignorant to make an informed decision, that means you're probably conscientious enough to make a better decision on your worst day than any of these Joe Rogan-worshipping Gen-Z bros or middle aged MAGA morons ever will in their lives.

Expand full comment

Some are saying that the current marches are coming organically. I think the Democrats inspired them. But which came first? The chicken or the walks? I think the Democratic Senator's Town Halls came first and that opened the gates. Now the chickens are riled up, they are marching and chanting and when chickens are upset. They don't lay eggs.

Now the chickens are emboldened and if i was a Fox type of canidate, id find a big fence to hide behind. Or maybe, just maybe id remember that those chickens put me here and i should start working for them and ask Trump, or maybe tell Trump. enough, ENOUGH! You and Musk have had some fun but its time for us to be the adults in the room. (Yes, the Republicans needs to act like the grown ups now)

The Democrats will help you. Its time to rein them in, or impeach them out.

The citizens cannot withstand 2 years to see who's on top. I cannot live in my car for 2 years while they abolish the entitlements.

Expand full comment

Let’s hope it will be somewhat like the way Rasputin’s reckless and disgraceful behavior helped to undo the Romanov empire.

Expand full comment

Please, everyone, stop saying "half the country voted for Trump". That is not true. Those who voted for Trump. 77,000,000 votes constituted a little over 20% of the U.S. population of 330,000,000. He prevailed by less than 2% of votes cast, a long way from a landslide or mandate from the voters.

Expand full comment

Oil the wheels of justice stat!

Expand full comment

The Quinnipiac poll on public opinions on the Democrats and Republicans began in 2008. Of course the Democrats' popularity with the public was the highest during the 8 years of Barack Obama's presidency. Back then, the Republicans were on the downslide. The Biden presidency could not seem to get its message across which impacted the Democrats' messages. Polling the public, especially with only 1,000 or so participants, can change on a whim. The public can be fickle. By 2 years at the most (if this country can survive) Trump's administration will have caused so much havoc on the lives of the public that I doubt that the Republicans can control Congress. But I do agree that the Democrats had better get a coherent message(s) and blast it on every public/social/private media constantly.

Expand full comment

Did I miss the part about "Trump's Undoing"? So how exactly is Musk Trump's undoing, please?

Expand full comment

Yes, Elon wasn’t elected. But a plurality voted affirmatively for the style of governing Trump and his surrogates (including Project 2025) have been promoting in his tweets, in his interviews, in his speeches. Team Trump was outspoken about what they wanted to do. It should have been clear to anyone paying attention the last 10 years that Trump would do it chaotically and illegally. Sorry. I reject the whole “the people didn’t vote for this.” They absolutely did but lacked the vision to see where it could go.

Expand full comment

Because Trump mainlined into a nerve of the American People, he owns all three branches of government. The Founders' plan has been neutered. The only thing that can stop Trump now is... Trump. But do not sign me up for a communist-adjacent dialectic stating Trumpism will collapse from its own inconsistencies. No, only competing ambition WITHIN Trumpworld, of which we have limited visibility, could damage its momentum sufficiently to make any difference. Each of the major internal players likely fear and hate the others, and this could lead to a self-immolation. But it's not a sure thing at all, Stalin executed a very effective consolidation of power and eliminated all of his opposition.

I think the wild card here is international opinion, actually. He has scared the living shit out of our closest neighbors, and his nascent Gaza real estate deal has succeeded in pissing off the entire planet (well, maybe not Russia and China, but let us not quibble). Self-preservation could very quickly lead to non-trivial alliances forming against us among former allies. I haven't checked, but American citizens may already be pariahs throughout the rest of the 'free' world. Trade? We don't want that anyway. Containment and isolation could very well be executed against us because we're so dangerous, and it would continue long after Trump backs down from his bluffs.

Expand full comment

Bill, I like the term Muskovites, but you should make clear that you are not referring to the residents of Moscow Idaho or Moscow Maine.

Expand full comment
Feb 6Edited

So, Bill, we can’t just contain. We have to resist in every way we can.. Democrats need to shut down the Senate and pull a full Mitch McConnell 2009. Musk is moving fast and all that he’s doing is illegal but by the time the courts get around to it, the government will be destroyed. There’s an ebola outbreak in Uganda and nobody there to stop it. Do you think the Trumpers will worry when it gets to their neighborhood? We have to do something now, whatever we can. i’m 75 years old and I’m hitting the streets tomorrow. This is a five alarm pants on fire moment.

Expand full comment

I frankly cannot see how this country under Trump will be able to sustain itself without some sort of, for lack of a better term, drastic intervention. Too much destruction, too much chaos all the time…The first thing that needs to happen is an injunction getting Musk’s dirty hands out of our government. Without that, there’s only darkness ahead.

Expand full comment

I've come to believe that Biden's Big Mistake was not making prosecuting Trump the #1 job of the Dept. of Justice, making sure that by Jan. 1, 2022 Trump was in jail. It's in the Constitution: ensuring that U.S. laws are faithfully executed.

Expand full comment

You are correct. We are in this unnecessary mess for at least the next four years because Joe Biden did not appoint an energetic attorney-general to prosecute Trump directly after the coup of Jan. 6, 2021. Instead, Biden appointed the timid Merrick Garland who went after Trump's underlings rather than the coup blotter himself, DJT. A major mistake by Joe Biden, but it is what it is, and our tradition of democracy is being attacked by the unelected Musk and the authoritarian Trump.

Expand full comment

CORRECTION: Trump won 49.8% of votes cast. Votes cast represented 63.9% of registered voters. DO THE MATH! 0.498 X 0.639 = 0.318. 31.8% of registered voters actually voted for Trump. Harris got 30.9%, which means that the actual plurality, 37.3% stayed home. PLEASE BE ACCURATE!!. It is important that people realize that Trump was elected by less than one third of registered voters, not almost half.

Expand full comment

Actual numbers matter. Thank you, Mr. Tippett.

Expand full comment

Please more Hannah and get her on some pods.

Expand full comment

Right???? I am here for her takes!!!

Expand full comment