Best of Unstuck

BestOf · January 17, 2020, 6:52pm

Time for another update!

There will be a few incidents, clearly, it’s a big country, but most of these people aren’t doing shit.

I can’t remember where I saw it, but a light bulb moment for me was reading someone say that what these people want is literally the words. That is, they don’t want to go to war with Iran, for example, they just want to hear people say that if those fuckers get out of line, you will own them. Representation is reality. Like that’s the frustrating thing about Trumpism right? He just has to say “manufacturing is coming back and we’re building the wall” and it’s true to these people whether it’s actually happening or not.

What most of these people want is to be immersed in a fantasy world where they have agency in their lives and they don’t have to experience the crushing feeling of alienation that we all feel in this age. Actually doing something isn’t just too hard, it’s impossible because it would expose the fantasy nature of this control they are asserting over things.

Edit: Like it’s hard to get your head around because most of us want concrete things to happen in the world as a result of politics, but if you entertain the idea that they don’t, things fall into place. For example, the fact that they don’t care that Trump is a transparent bullshit artist. Representation is reality to him too, that’s why they connect.

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Who will run in 2020?

Imagine, if you are able, a moment in history where the future of American democracy is at a pivot point. One of the most important elections, perhaps ever. A time when the scotus seat was blatantly and unapologetically stolen. A time when open gerrymandering and voter roll purging is rampant. A time when voter machines are being left purposely vulnerable. A president impeached for bribery. Atrocities at the border. Prison camps for babies. Back ally abortions on the menu. Racist fires being stoked for political gain. Science being denied. Environmental protections being torn up. Alliances disrupted.

Now imagine the opponent the Dems choose to counter this is saying he’d run with a repub, will only run for one term and parroting taking points from the right even as the gains made by the administration he is depending on for his clout by association are all being demolished one by one.

Republicans are bad but the Dems are only better in that we are the ones they are focused on grifting. I’m getting 20 emails or texts or fucking advertisements on social media a day begging me for more money. The money I already gave them has probably been spent asking me for more. By a mile the message I have heard the most from the candidates is they need my fucking donation.

Of course the rightwing pols are better at this shit. They are smarter. They picked the easy side to grift while our pols picked us, still marks to be sure, But tougher. Of course the ones who picked the easy money rubes on the right better operators. They are self selecting as more clever already.

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US Kills Soleimani in Airstrike

US Kills Soleimani in Airstrike

I’m pretty surprised it’s looking like the plane was shot down. Chris called it right away. I would have lost money on that bet for sure.

This will only be like the third passenger plane ever shot down I think.

There have been a bunch, there’s a Wiki list of them here.

Upgrade your Bayesian thinking imo. The question “what causes planes to go down” is a very different one to “what causes planes to go down over Tehran, on fire, at now of all times”. A low-probability theory which neatly explains the particulars can easily become more likely than a coincidence. This is also sort of what is going on in the Epstein thread. The question “what causes prisoners to die in jail” is a very different one to “what causes Jeffrey Epstein to die in jail”.

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And finally, the most liked posts since the last update.