Mr Wayne may talk about his highly polished ideals and Better Brighter Gotham... But with whose money? His own? I doubt it. We need a doer, not an eletist talker like Wayne.

And the Mexican Civil War was bad. Replacing governments faster than I replace the air filter on my car. Endless violence and instability. You have a system with enforced stability because the alternative is malthusian.

Nevermind, sorry - not trying to insert myself into your discussion. But it's an interesting one, and thanks for the perspective.

Absolutely, thanks!

That has to be worth at least 1/53 that many likes I suppose.

I once knew a guy who hated (HATED) Air Bud. It mostly seems pretty inoffensive, you might think, but there's plenty you might not like. His however was "Air Bud mocks the warrior ethos." All I'm saying is, people have reasons equally stupid and complex why they hate things, and appreciate your take

Not for guests and subjects, certainly. There will be guild membership in parts of the crew at least.

Truly he will be missed. Actually, more like 'remembered'. Well, if we're being honest, he will be reduced to a brand, flanderized, and slapped on merch and fashist policies for years to come. But, that's pretty much who he was in life too as far as I can tell.

You would mock them for doing what they love? So much for the tolerant left.

Look, he wanted them murdered systematically by the state, not killed in a scuffle like some filthy peasant! Clearly he was a model of civility.

Stephen Miller claims Charlie Kirk's last wish was to dismantle left organizations, which Miller states will be done in Kirk's name.

Just apropos of this point...

There's a really weird thing on X that sees more common than I can explain, where people feel owed patronage, deference, and respect. Like, Elon literally sued companies for not buying advertising, and this feels similar.

Yes, certainly. But also, I don't want it to be someone who can be used as an excuse for taking rights or consolidating power. I really don't want it to be anyone from the left just now, for very practical reasons.

Jesus, they made me like something Matty Y said, and for that I will never forgive them. I mean, there's other things too, but that's definitely a thing I won't forgive about them.

I keep imagining Justice Kavinaugh's reaction if he was in England and stopped at gunpoint by police demanding proof on the spot of his legal right to be there. Any country that doesn't extend the same rights (not including privileges) to all persons within their territory is lawless.

It's a good article, thanks. Essentially it would be like reading "Dear John" on one of the bombs in Strangelove, and trying to uncover who John is in the plot. It's both very context dependent, and very self aware in it's messaging.

It's one of the few viewpoints I have in common with him, as far as I can tell.

At least Riefenstahl cold create a coherent narrative.

It fits very comfortably in the 'too good to be true' scam space, given the context. It could totally be real, and aesthetically feels believable, but so do scams.

Yup. And they have to simultaneously feel so impossibly close to their fascist aspirations, but stubbornly just out of reach, and entirely dependent on Trump. And they get to see him without the makeup. Gonna get pretty desperate soon if it isn't already.

I really appreciate this conversation because it got me thinking - I don't think enough has been said about interfaction fighting for position in the face of Trump dying. Nobody thinks it's Vance, and everyone in that circle wants to either be it, or to align enough support to be part of what's next

Ah yes, that notorious den of communists.

Obviously not my post, but I read it as less 'this is the first killing in a new NOLK' and more 'this internecine fighting looks terrible for MAGA and results in a bloody purging of his rowdy early (groyper) followers to consolidate under more publicly palatable followers ala NOLK.'

How dare you, I guess.

Among those things the Internet is unbeatable at, random strangers getting angry at you for things they imagine you said may be the top.

That movie was a lot of fun, thanks for the reminder.

I would say the biggest advances are all less obvious things like biomed and materials science stuff. Not obvious, but really important.

Oh sure, that's all well and good if you want a chance at success. But what if you want the closest approximation you can get with no cost, commitment, or infringement on my preferences?

(sorry - just trying to find a little humor, not dooming)

Nice that he roped the state into participating in performance art.

Also, just the perfect image as usual.

I will never get tired of an expert discussing something they know, and I appreciate the conversation with K. Chen for teasing out the details.