The news is indeed demoralizing. Wouldn’t it be great if we shifted to joke-telling until Inauguration Day instead, or better yet, a week beyond that day? Having said that, I believe there’s one person who can still be a gatekeeper with the ability to obstruct full MAGA power, and that’s John Thune. Like John McCain, Thune has the experience of suffering under his belt, and that tempers that ugly entitled rich boy disease that is going to infest every corner of the political stage until the mid-terms. And the best part is that Trump can’t fire him. I honestly believe Thune has the potential to oppose the man who would be king. That belief might keep me sane, at least for a little while.
good to hear from you Nick! exactly how I’ve felt; disbelief and numbness. thanks for the book recommendation! I look forward to you returning but take your time.
Have you considered more mind-candy reading? Zeihan's book doesn't seem to quality as "easing back in" material. But as this old lady thinks the yutes say, you do you. Don't hurry back until you're ready, but we do miss you.
Understanding the trajectory of American social dynamics requires diving into the insights of René Girard, a seminal philosopher whose theories of mimetic desire and scapegoating offer a penetrating lens into our current cultural tensions.
Girard's concept of mimetic desire reveals how human beings fundamentally learn their wants and identities through imitation. This isn't merely shallow celebrity worship, but a deep psychological mechanism where we unconsciously adopt desires by observing and emulating perceived successful or influential figures. The Kim Kardashian phenomenon exemplifies this – people don't just admire her, they desperately want to embody her lifestyle, consuming similar products, mimicking her aesthetic, and internalizing her perceived markers of success.
More critically, Girard's theory of scapegoating illuminates how societies manage internal conflicts by projecting their anxieties onto marginalized groups. Historical examples like the Salem Witch Trials demonstrate this mechanism perfectly: when a community experiences systemic stress, it identifies vulnerable outsiders to blame, thereby temporarily unifying the dominant group by creating a common "enemy."
In contemporary politics, this pattern is starkly visible. Donald Trump's political strategy systematically weaponized scapegoating, repeatedly portraying immigrants, racial minorities, and transgender individuals as threats to national stability. By casting these groups as sources of societal problems, he effectively channeled collective frustration and fear, creating a powerful narrative of us versus them.
Girard's work isn't just academic theory – it's a critical tool for understanding how social tensions emerge, persist, and potentially resolve. By recognizing these mechanisms, we can develop more nuanced, empathetic approaches to social conflict.
I'D like to put money in not a SINGLE piece of legislation getting passed federally the next two years. Without a SINGLE seat to lose pretty much, they're SCREWED.
The news is indeed demoralizing. Wouldn’t it be great if we shifted to joke-telling until Inauguration Day instead, or better yet, a week beyond that day? Having said that, I believe there’s one person who can still be a gatekeeper with the ability to obstruct full MAGA power, and that’s John Thune. Like John McCain, Thune has the experience of suffering under his belt, and that tempers that ugly entitled rich boy disease that is going to infest every corner of the political stage until the mid-terms. And the best part is that Trump can’t fire him. I honestly believe Thune has the potential to oppose the man who would be king. That belief might keep me sane, at least for a little while.
good to hear from you Nick! exactly how I’ve felt; disbelief and numbness. thanks for the book recommendation! I look forward to you returning but take your time.
Have you considered more mind-candy reading? Zeihan's book doesn't seem to quality as "easing back in" material. But as this old lady thinks the yutes say, you do you. Don't hurry back until you're ready, but we do miss you.
Understanding the trajectory of American social dynamics requires diving into the insights of René Girard, a seminal philosopher whose theories of mimetic desire and scapegoating offer a penetrating lens into our current cultural tensions.
Girard's concept of mimetic desire reveals how human beings fundamentally learn their wants and identities through imitation. This isn't merely shallow celebrity worship, but a deep psychological mechanism where we unconsciously adopt desires by observing and emulating perceived successful or influential figures. The Kim Kardashian phenomenon exemplifies this – people don't just admire her, they desperately want to embody her lifestyle, consuming similar products, mimicking her aesthetic, and internalizing her perceived markers of success.
More critically, Girard's theory of scapegoating illuminates how societies manage internal conflicts by projecting their anxieties onto marginalized groups. Historical examples like the Salem Witch Trials demonstrate this mechanism perfectly: when a community experiences systemic stress, it identifies vulnerable outsiders to blame, thereby temporarily unifying the dominant group by creating a common "enemy."
In contemporary politics, this pattern is starkly visible. Donald Trump's political strategy systematically weaponized scapegoating, repeatedly portraying immigrants, racial minorities, and transgender individuals as threats to national stability. By casting these groups as sources of societal problems, he effectively channeled collective frustration and fear, creating a powerful narrative of us versus them.
Girard's work isn't just academic theory – it's a critical tool for understanding how social tensions emerge, persist, and potentially resolve. By recognizing these mechanisms, we can develop more nuanced, empathetic approaches to social conflict.
I'd like to put my (some) money on the shoelaces-tied-together ineptitude of His appointees ..
I'D like to put money in not a SINGLE piece of legislation getting passed federally the next two years. Without a SINGLE seat to lose pretty much, they're SCREWED.
A reverse of McConnell's stonewalling Obama for 8 years ..
scary but fascinating. the edge of the abyss,