My new book, "The Jews and the Irrational," Kindle edn, just got posted on Amazon. Those of you who want to order the pb edn: it will take 72 hrs to get posted, after which I'll start a new thread based on it. The chances of my getting attacked in the street are quite high, at least in the US. Less so in Mexico, I'm thinking. Whee!
1. At an appointed hour, all American citizens must stand up and say, "My life has been a complete pile of crap, and I am nothing more than a buffoon."
2. All of these citizens read the 2nd story of my bk "The Heart of the Matter," and adopt its recommendations (esp., anti-consumerism).
3.They also read my forthcoming bk, "Buffoons: A Concise History of the United States."
Unless Americans follow these 3 suggestions, there is simply no hope for the country. But then, I'm optimistic, myself, because I'm sure that the American population will be eager to do these things. :-)
There are 3 bottom lines here. One is the tectonic shift. History chose Trumpi as its agent for this, so it didn't matter what Schmamala did or said; the fix was in. Second was the issue of wounded pride: Trump voters understood that the Democratic elite looked down on them, as "garbage" (Schmiden) and "deplorables" (Hillary). Finally, they also understood that regardless of what she said, Schmamala was just a continuation of the world-order arrangement put in place after WW2, that was by now desiccated. (See R.R. Reno on this; he calls it "the postwar consensus.") She talked abt "turning the page," but in fact it was Trumpi who was actually offering to turn the page by upending that world order. So while it is true, what you guys pt out, that the Trumpites will wind up being hurt by his regime, even if they understood this, they wdn't care. Things such as wounded pride, and a (correct) perception that more of the same (Schmamala) wd do 0 for them--that that world order had failed them-- are very powerful forces, and there was no way that the Dems cd overcome them. Despite the hoopla, what the Dems were offering America was essentially negative. Trumpaloni, on the other hand, was offering the Trumpites (at least) something that they cd relate to, and this easily overcame the fact that he was/is a total scumbag and a de facto fascist. Look at the electoral college results: he handed Schmamala her head on a platter (312 to 226). Her pitch was intellectual (new economic programs etc.); his was ontological (I will help you where you are hurting). His famous boast, that he cd murder someone in Times Square in broad daylight and still win the election--was rt!
ps: I just gave that bk review a 2nd read. What struck me the most was that Beck reproduces my argument in WAF, that from the first--i.e., going back 400+ years--the premises on wh/America was settled, founded, and developed were erroneous and destructive (Freud: "America is a gigantic mistake"). For example, he says that the US response to 9/11 was (I'm quoting the reviewer, David Klion) "the logical culmination of American history dating back to the first white settlers on the continent." From the first, Americans have held to the same basic story: "'savages' inexplicably attack our blameless, vulnerable Christian civilization." (See my own discussion of our need for an enemy, and our Manichaean logic.) And finally, there is Beck's global indictment of capitalism, going back 500 years or more: "an economic system premised on permanent GDP growth has always depended on hegemonic states to protect and advance it." The "war on terror" fit this formula perfectly: "it became a tool for managing and suppressing the wretched of the earth in places where capitalism itself failed to deliver." So we have counterinsurgency tactics employed in American cities, and in Gaza....All of these deployments of state violence...--now quoting Beck directly--"are *part of the same project*, the same larger effort to preserve American supremacy at the expense of the global poor even as America loses the economic capabilities that legitimized its global leadership in the first place."
One result, he says, is a sense of hopelessness among young Americans, wh/is a direct product of this neoliberal doctrine, now coming apart. What are they going to believe in, at this point? Trumpi? Schmamala? "Work hard and get ahead"? Give me a break.
We are condemned to keep making the same mistakes, Beck argues, and he describes our situation in Freudian terms: "a repetition compulsion carried out on a national scale." Touche. There is no reversing our trajectory at this pt, wh/is moving in a straight direction: down.
A note that I have “scraped” the content from the old Blogspot blog and downloaded all the old posts in HTML format, thus creating a backup. So if things suddenly get deleted, fried, wiped, or lost, there is now a copy out there besides Internet Archive. Although maybe not a priority, I believe it’s worth saving for posterity.
I just read a headline on the L.A. Times website that a toddler in Fresno shot his/her mother. Cdn't access the article itself, but my own feeling is that we need to arm all toddlers to the teeth. Our motto must be: NO TODDLER WITHOUT A GUN! Wafers are encouraged to respond to this.
Regarding the acquittal of Daniel Penny for killing Jordan Neely: I have not been able to obtain any info on the composition of the jury. Specifically, were there any black people on the jury, and if so, how many?
I guess some yrs ago Tulsi von Schmulsi visited Assad and decided he was an OK-sorta guy (brutal dictator, actually). Will this hurt her nomination to be director of intelligence? Her name evokes the German word verschmolzen. Perhaps her brain is verschmolzt. Anyway, she is still going to give the keynote address at the Institute of Buffoonery at Evergreen State College, but w/a new title: "I Fucked Up With Assad, and I'm a Douche Bag." Jack L. and I will then provide a defense of her position, i.e. that she's a douche bag, drawing on an extensive database. A reception, hosted by the Evergreen faculty, will follow.
Who wouldn't want to cozy up to a guy whose torture prisons have been nick-named "human slaughter houses." I've think we've moved to a realm beyond douche bag here. Does this mean the right has stopped pretending to be anything but Hitler-style fascists? Meanwhile, the corporate press has all but normalized this. Everyone keep spending and pretend everything is OK and the dems will provide "safeguards" lol. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/9/assads-human-slaughterhouses-what-to-know-about-syrias-prisons
In case you hadn't noticed, Americans are v. stupid.
Meanwhile, can someone tell me what was the relationship between Tulsi von Schmulsi and Syria? I seem to remember reading something abt it, some time ago.
Wafers-
My new book, "The Jews and the Irrational," Kindle edn, just got posted on Amazon. Those of you who want to order the pb edn: it will take 72 hrs to get posted, after which I'll start a new thread based on it. The chances of my getting attacked in the street are quite high, at least in the US. Less so in Mexico, I'm thinking. Whee!
-mb
(continued from below)
My own recs for healing are:
1. At an appointed hour, all American citizens must stand up and say, "My life has been a complete pile of crap, and I am nothing more than a buffoon."
2. All of these citizens read the 2nd story of my bk "The Heart of the Matter," and adopt its recommendations (esp., anti-consumerism).
3.They also read my forthcoming bk, "Buffoons: A Concise History of the United States."
Unless Americans follow these 3 suggestions, there is simply no hope for the country. But then, I'm optimistic, myself, because I'm sure that the American population will be eager to do these things. :-)
-mb
Contemporary society has gone Twilight Zoningly absurd.
Brenton-
Welcome to the updated blog. Regarding AI Jesus: Check out ch. 3 of WAF. Plus keep in mind that the lives of most Americans are spiritually empty.
-mb
Black, Michael-
There are 3 bottom lines here. One is the tectonic shift. History chose Trumpi as its agent for this, so it didn't matter what Schmamala did or said; the fix was in. Second was the issue of wounded pride: Trump voters understood that the Democratic elite looked down on them, as "garbage" (Schmiden) and "deplorables" (Hillary). Finally, they also understood that regardless of what she said, Schmamala was just a continuation of the world-order arrangement put in place after WW2, that was by now desiccated. (See R.R. Reno on this; he calls it "the postwar consensus.") She talked abt "turning the page," but in fact it was Trumpi who was actually offering to turn the page by upending that world order. So while it is true, what you guys pt out, that the Trumpites will wind up being hurt by his regime, even if they understood this, they wdn't care. Things such as wounded pride, and a (correct) perception that more of the same (Schmamala) wd do 0 for them--that that world order had failed them-- are very powerful forces, and there was no way that the Dems cd overcome them. Despite the hoopla, what the Dems were offering America was essentially negative. Trumpaloni, on the other hand, was offering the Trumpites (at least) something that they cd relate to, and this easily overcame the fact that he was/is a total scumbag and a de facto fascist. Look at the electoral college results: he handed Schmamala her head on a platter (312 to 226). Her pitch was intellectual (new economic programs etc.); his was ontological (I will help you where you are hurting). His famous boast, that he cd murder someone in Times Square in broad daylight and still win the election--was rt!
-mb
ps: I just gave that bk review a 2nd read. What struck me the most was that Beck reproduces my argument in WAF, that from the first--i.e., going back 400+ years--the premises on wh/America was settled, founded, and developed were erroneous and destructive (Freud: "America is a gigantic mistake"). For example, he says that the US response to 9/11 was (I'm quoting the reviewer, David Klion) "the logical culmination of American history dating back to the first white settlers on the continent." From the first, Americans have held to the same basic story: "'savages' inexplicably attack our blameless, vulnerable Christian civilization." (See my own discussion of our need for an enemy, and our Manichaean logic.) And finally, there is Beck's global indictment of capitalism, going back 500 years or more: "an economic system premised on permanent GDP growth has always depended on hegemonic states to protect and advance it." The "war on terror" fit this formula perfectly: "it became a tool for managing and suppressing the wretched of the earth in places where capitalism itself failed to deliver." So we have counterinsurgency tactics employed in American cities, and in Gaza....All of these deployments of state violence...--now quoting Beck directly--"are *part of the same project*, the same larger effort to preserve American supremacy at the expense of the global poor even as America loses the economic capabilities that legitimized its global leadership in the first place."
One result, he says, is a sense of hopelessness among young Americans, wh/is a direct product of this neoliberal doctrine, now coming apart. What are they going to believe in, at this point? Trumpi? Schmamala? "Work hard and get ahead"? Give me a break.
We are condemned to keep making the same mistakes, Beck argues, and he describes our situation in Freudian terms: "a repetition compulsion carried out on a national scale." Touche. There is no reversing our trajectory at this pt, wh/is moving in a straight direction: down.
(continued above)
Wafers-
Check this out:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/04/ohio-satanic-temple-elementary-school
I'll be hornswoggled!
-mb
We're (un)well into Dark Ages 2.0 and will be for the rest of our lives.
Can any of you guys give me a single reason (cost of airfare aside) as to why we shdn't fly to DC and hold Schmiden's head under water for 10 mins?
None whatsoever.
The stupid ass seems comfortable with starting WW3 on his way out the door.
"Not my problem!"
Janus-
Gd job, thank you!
-mb
MB and Wafers:
A note that I have “scraped” the content from the old Blogspot blog and downloaded all the old posts in HTML format, thus creating a backup. So if things suddenly get deleted, fried, wiped, or lost, there is now a copy out there besides Internet Archive. Although maybe not a priority, I believe it’s worth saving for posterity.
Very good thing to do. Thanks.
Wafers-
Is Kimberly Guilfoyle a douche baguette? She looks like one, but that cd be a bit unfair. I need yr input on this.
-mb
ps: I'm also wondering if she's related to Aluminum Foyle, or has any connections with Lauren Boebert or Gisele Bundchen.
Jeff-
Thanks for info. I guess guns need to be re-engineered so that a 2-yr-old can pull the trigger.
ARM INFANTS NOW! is what I say. Also a gd line for a post-it on one's fridge.
-mb
This American Life Dept.:
I just read a headline on the L.A. Times website that a toddler in Fresno shot his/her mother. Cdn't access the article itself, but my own feeling is that we need to arm all toddlers to the teeth. Our motto must be: NO TODDLER WITHOUT A GUN! Wafers are encouraged to respond to this.
-mb
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/11/americans-living-with-diseases-health-study
Gee, I wonder why that is? Cd it be related to our way of life? Nah...
Meanwhile, Israel is such a great country--immensely kind:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/11/death-feels-imminent-for-96-of-children-in-gaza-study-finds
-mb
Wafers-
Regarding the acquittal of Daniel Penny for killing Jordan Neely: I have not been able to obtain any info on the composition of the jury. Specifically, were there any black people on the jury, and if so, how many?
-mb
Wafers-
I guess some yrs ago Tulsi von Schmulsi visited Assad and decided he was an OK-sorta guy (brutal dictator, actually). Will this hurt her nomination to be director of intelligence? Her name evokes the German word verschmolzen. Perhaps her brain is verschmolzt. Anyway, she is still going to give the keynote address at the Institute of Buffoonery at Evergreen State College, but w/a new title: "I Fucked Up With Assad, and I'm a Douche Bag." Jack L. and I will then provide a defense of her position, i.e. that she's a douche bag, drawing on an extensive database. A reception, hosted by the Evergreen faculty, will follow.
-mb
Who wouldn't want to cozy up to a guy whose torture prisons have been nick-named "human slaughter houses." I've think we've moved to a realm beyond douche bag here. Does this mean the right has stopped pretending to be anything but Hitler-style fascists? Meanwhile, the corporate press has all but normalized this. Everyone keep spending and pretend everything is OK and the dems will provide "safeguards" lol. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/9/assads-human-slaughterhouses-what-to-know-about-syrias-prisons
Mo-
In case you hadn't noticed, Americans are v. stupid.
Meanwhile, can someone tell me what was the relationship between Tulsi von Schmulsi and Syria? I seem to remember reading something abt it, some time ago.
-mb