This quote from Ronald Wright encapsulates Eli's thoughts “John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
An Australian friend once told me a poor Australian sees a rich guy and wonders how he got so lucky. A poor American sees a rich guy and admires how hard he must’ve worked.
The most bonkers thing about the LA times piece (for me) was that these two women simply witnessed a seemingly racist act and had the hubris to think that they should spread and monetize their wisdom. It is an idea literally born out of a starbucks toilet
On the "they never believe just one conspiracy" point: Wasn't it a conspiracy that the COVID vaccine didn't stop the spread? Wasn't it a conspiracy that there might've been a lab leak? And didn't the FBI actually try to get MLK Jr. to kill himself? Doesn't the Durham report prove that there was a literal conspiracy against the president by Hillary Clinton and the "deep state." I don't believe the moon landing was fake, or that vaccines cause autism, or that 9/11 was really a bomb or whatever, but my reaction to someone saying that our government did something really evil is never "there's no way they would do that." I just want to see the evidence before I say it's likely.
Just listened to your latest podcast with Megyn. Nice to see her find time for you between RFK junior and Glenn Beck. Can you do a whole episode on Woks?
Flip it. Why are dumb people who go hard on conspiratorial thinking drawn to self-identify as libertarian? First, it affirms their suspicions of centralized power and those who seek it. Second, it highlights injustice done to minority communities, which are often the launching point for if this then that conspiracy narratives (if Tuskeegee syphilis experiments then surely mRNA vaccine blah blah etc). Lastly, it's a kindred underdog spirit kind of association - who else is The Man keeping down?
I would say the reason Libertarians are often so dumb is Libertarians tend to be people. Whenever people start to believe the group they are in is a reflection of their intellectual capacity you get trouble, and unfortunately that happens quite a bit. My own experience being an online atheist has convinced me plenty of times that we have me the enemy and he is us.
No knock on Eli, who is the best (I'm catching up on the Re-education on Fifth Column off days), but I thought there was going to be a guest you disagreed with and "fireworks" this week! Did Oliver Stone cancel?
Appreciate that Eli is trying to be fair with regard to the FBI's behavior, outlined in the Durham report, but odds are it was a knowing participant, as the subsequent behavior in the '20 election showed. It's also unlikely that this won't happen again. Trump may have washed away the levee, but after Trump is gone, the river will still be outside its banks.
I agree with you all in RFK Jr. being an awful candidate and his speech being nails on a chalkboard, but I think there seems to be a slight misunderstanding of the difference between supporting his candidacy vs. thinking he should actually be President and/or voting for him. There are obviously going to be exceptions, but I think most of the more influential commentators I've heard talk about him are just excited that he's challenging the establishment candidate ideologically and think he's better than Biden overall despite his many flaws, which is at least arguable from a libertarian perspective considering his stances on COVID and war.
About 3 minutes in, I had to double check whether this was a Member's Only episode.
My takeaway is that Moynihan is getting the Notre Dame leprechaun tattooed on his neck in order to qualify for irish reparations.
Eli Lake is an American treasure.
I bet a decently skilled interviewer could convince RFK, Jr. that Katy Perry is JonBenet Ramsey. Assuming he doesn't already believe it.
She isn’t?
This quote from Ronald Wright encapsulates Eli's thoughts “John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
An Australian friend once told me a poor Australian sees a rich guy and wonders how he got so lucky. A poor American sees a rich guy and admires how hard he must’ve worked.
I see a rich guy and wonder where the bodies are buried.
Or as Rom said, "On Ferenginar we don't want to stop the exploitation, we want to figure out how to be the exploiters."
Can we please add the Moynihan "just one final thought here" to the Fif' bingo card?
I may be late to the party in asking this, but mau mau is on there already, right?
Mao Mao*
You sure about that? https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mau-mau#:~:text=mau%2Dmau%20%E2%80%A2%20%5CMOW%2D,Mau%2Dmauing%20the%20Flak%20Catchers
Was making a very shitty Mao joke. I'll see myself out.
The most bonkers thing about the LA times piece (for me) was that these two women simply witnessed a seemingly racist act and had the hubris to think that they should spread and monetize their wisdom. It is an idea literally born out of a starbucks toilet
Exactly where it belongs.
Today marks one year since the NYC live show, Fifdom. Fond memories.
Caught my first case of Covid!
First and best!
Me too!!
It finally got me for the first time in December. I wasn't impressed. It was like the ghost of a cold. How are you holding up?
On the "they never believe just one conspiracy" point: Wasn't it a conspiracy that the COVID vaccine didn't stop the spread? Wasn't it a conspiracy that there might've been a lab leak? And didn't the FBI actually try to get MLK Jr. to kill himself? Doesn't the Durham report prove that there was a literal conspiracy against the president by Hillary Clinton and the "deep state." I don't believe the moon landing was fake, or that vaccines cause autism, or that 9/11 was really a bomb or whatever, but my reaction to someone saying that our government did something really evil is never "there's no way they would do that." I just want to see the evidence before I say it's likely.
Shout out to Matt for the Porno For Pyros reference
It definitely seems weird that RFK Jr. is pretty clearly more mentally disturbed than Sirhan Sirhan. What bizarre fucking times we live in, eh?
Just listened to your latest podcast with Megyn. Nice to see her find time for you between RFK junior and Glenn Beck. Can you do a whole episode on Woks?
"Why are libertarians so dumb sometimes?"
Flip it. Why are dumb people who go hard on conspiratorial thinking drawn to self-identify as libertarian? First, it affirms their suspicions of centralized power and those who seek it. Second, it highlights injustice done to minority communities, which are often the launching point for if this then that conspiracy narratives (if Tuskeegee syphilis experiments then surely mRNA vaccine blah blah etc). Lastly, it's a kindred underdog spirit kind of association - who else is The Man keeping down?
Also, the feeling of powerlessness.
I would say the reason Libertarians are often so dumb is Libertarians tend to be people. Whenever people start to believe the group they are in is a reflection of their intellectual capacity you get trouble, and unfortunately that happens quite a bit. My own experience being an online atheist has convinced me plenty of times that we have me the enemy and he is us.
Thank y'all for the serious and honest discussion about the border crisis.
No knock on Eli, who is the best (I'm catching up on the Re-education on Fifth Column off days), but I thought there was going to be a guest you disagreed with and "fireworks" this week! Did Oliver Stone cancel?
Stuff gets moved around.
Appreciate that Eli is trying to be fair with regard to the FBI's behavior, outlined in the Durham report, but odds are it was a knowing participant, as the subsequent behavior in the '20 election showed. It's also unlikely that this won't happen again. Trump may have washed away the levee, but after Trump is gone, the river will still be outside its banks.
I agree with you all in RFK Jr. being an awful candidate and his speech being nails on a chalkboard, but I think there seems to be a slight misunderstanding of the difference between supporting his candidacy vs. thinking he should actually be President and/or voting for him. There are obviously going to be exceptions, but I think most of the more influential commentators I've heard talk about him are just excited that he's challenging the establishment candidate ideologically and think he's better than Biden overall despite his many flaws, which is at least arguable from a libertarian perspective considering his stances on COVID and war.
Sure RFK Jr. is crazy, but look at the substantive record of the current administration. Who's more divorced from reality?