Yea, both extraordinarily accurate and depressing at the same time. Hamilton is certainly right that these boobs will destroy themselves eventually because none of them are competent at anything besides whining and trolling but they may pull us all into the muck with them.
I saw somewhere on Twitter or Bluesky or the like that we are being governed by "the worst people in high school" and I thought that was pretty perceptive but perhaps not quite aggressive enough (though I refrained from criticizing the writer on those grounds). The analogy here to the worst internet trolls and buffoons is much better and captures that extra oomph I wanted to see -- just wanted to offer my unqualified praise and support of this writing. No notes, nailed it!
This is an excellent way to look at the US now and its "leaders" and retain a modicum of sanity. Reminds me of this quote from David Simon: "America is now a unique amalgam of lethal, blood-spattered abattoir and pratfalling, slapstick comedy. We are surely the richest, funniest, stupidest, most horrifying and disastrous tribe this planet has ever seen."
People who reply to articles with their comments are genuinely the most deranged people in "discourse". It's both pathetic and vain. Incapable of committing to writing something of real substance themselves, and instead offering "two cents". What's that even worth, considering how bad inflation is?
Being yelled at by dumbasses proves you are speaking the truth. Be of good heart. You are not a lone voice crying in the wilderness, but you are one of the most powerfully effective ones. Your fans will block the gulag's door.
"There are, too, always a class of smart, calculating, and completely amoral men who believe that they can cynically exploit the strongman for their own ends. Historically most of these people end up in a ditch."
Basically the only thought that give me any comfort anymore.
No one is commenting on the most important words in this article: gestapo and gulag.
Mussolini’s run was 20 years. Stalin’s 26 from the time he consolidated power to his death. Hitler “just” 12 because he wasn’t content just running all of Europe west of Warsaw and North Africa. Maybe that’s your point - he stuck his foot in a bucket eventually? A lot of water under the bridge before that happened.
Do you realize that you sound exactly like conservatives who talked about the Obama/Biden administrations? You say fascism while conservatives said communists, and you say Hitler, etc. and conservatives said Stalin, Mao, etc.?
You are just the same as those who came before (on both the left and right), but because of your echo chamber you think you are saying something important and new. Obama did not destroy our way of life as conservatives thought - he just had policies that conservatives disliked. Just like Trump has policies you do not like, and his policies will not lead to a dictatorship as you so firmly believe.
Get over yourself, and come up with better policies that impress the American people and stop the silly name calling and fear mongering. Come up with some ideas that work and the American people can believe in with you.
He’s just saying that they are dumb. I don’t think there is any argument about that. Even the Claremont institute, possibly the last vestige of ultra conservative academics has been taken over by idiots.
Good piece. Would quibble slightly with this “ the security state is run by a collection of bumbling media figures “ .
Would highly recommend checking out the book, ‘American Exception’. The author clarifies who runs what, and where the levers of power actually reside amongst and within the three legs of the stool that is the American policy apparatus, those legs being: 1) the Madisonians, what the majority of American citizens view as ‘government’ based on public school civics class; the three branches of government, if you will. 2) the Trumanists, those within and outside government who participate in national ‘security state’ endeavors, ever since the National Security Act was passed in the ‘40s, and 3) the actual ‘deep state’, consisting of the under world (organized crime/the mob) everything from trafficking to money laundering, and the over world (monied interests, both corporate and legacy, as well as new (tech)).
There is plenty of crossover between the latter legs, and both, for all intents and purposes, own the first leg.
You're waiting with hand-rubbing anticipation to see who points out and corrects the typos and punctuation errors, aren't you 👹 Ain't gonna be meeee. I like your stuff, Hamilton Nolan. Keep it coming.
I keep saying that the worst part about all the fascism is how fucking stupid it is. This sums it up!
Oh god you said it. The utter stupidity at every turn is stomach churning.
The stupidity truly does add insult to injury.
uh-Yup. It's really something to be living through one of the most viciously stupid (stupidly vicious?) periods in history.
A million likes! I can't tell you how much I love this post and how important it is. Thank you a zillion! 😘😘
Yea, both extraordinarily accurate and depressing at the same time. Hamilton is certainly right that these boobs will destroy themselves eventually because none of them are competent at anything besides whining and trolling but they may pull us all into the muck with them.
I think it helps to be reminded of all this. It can be pretty disconcerting when it happens.
Nolan's posts are consistently excellent
Yes!
Does Vance's performative scowl make his face hurt?
surprised it doesn't crack his poorly applied guyliner.
I saw somewhere on Twitter or Bluesky or the like that we are being governed by "the worst people in high school" and I thought that was pretty perceptive but perhaps not quite aggressive enough (though I refrained from criticizing the writer on those grounds). The analogy here to the worst internet trolls and buffoons is much better and captures that extra oomph I wanted to see -- just wanted to offer my unqualified praise and support of this writing. No notes, nailed it!
This is an excellent way to look at the US now and its "leaders" and retain a modicum of sanity. Reminds me of this quote from David Simon: "America is now a unique amalgam of lethal, blood-spattered abattoir and pratfalling, slapstick comedy. We are surely the richest, funniest, stupidest, most horrifying and disastrous tribe this planet has ever seen."
People who reply to articles with their comments are genuinely the most deranged people in "discourse". It's both pathetic and vain. Incapable of committing to writing something of real substance themselves, and instead offering "two cents". What's that even worth, considering how bad inflation is?
A truly brilliant response—if it's meant to be ironic. Otherwise, uh-oh.
Being yelled at by dumbasses proves you are speaking the truth. Be of good heart. You are not a lone voice crying in the wilderness, but you are one of the most powerfully effective ones. Your fans will block the gulag's door.
No, it doesn't. Being yelled at by dumbasses is a consequence of publishing your ideas, not your beliefs being right.
"There are, too, always a class of smart, calculating, and completely amoral men who believe that they can cynically exploit the strongman for their own ends. Historically most of these people end up in a ditch."
Basically the only thought that give me any comfort anymore.
No one is commenting on the most important words in this article: gestapo and gulag.
Mussolini’s run was 20 years. Stalin’s 26 from the time he consolidated power to his death. Hitler “just” 12 because he wasn’t content just running all of Europe west of Warsaw and North Africa. Maybe that’s your point - he stuck his foot in a bucket eventually? A lot of water under the bridge before that happened.
Sorry to be such a downer. Sorry, really sorry.
A hit dog will holler. So will a dumbass.
Perfection:
"If you want to know how you could have done better, here is an essay I wrote instead—can you take a look?"
Do you realize that you sound exactly like conservatives who talked about the Obama/Biden administrations? You say fascism while conservatives said communists, and you say Hitler, etc. and conservatives said Stalin, Mao, etc.?
You are just the same as those who came before (on both the left and right), but because of your echo chamber you think you are saying something important and new. Obama did not destroy our way of life as conservatives thought - he just had policies that conservatives disliked. Just like Trump has policies you do not like, and his policies will not lead to a dictatorship as you so firmly believe.
Get over yourself, and come up with better policies that impress the American people and stop the silly name calling and fear mongering. Come up with some ideas that work and the American people can believe in with you.
Thank you Dale.
Is Dale making a meta joke here? If so he's GOOD. I really can't tell!
A perfect invocation of Poe’s Law.
Indeed!
I REALLY can't tell
LOL!
Every president since FDR has had a big hand in destroying our way of life, especially the ones since Ford.
Fantastic satire here, Dale. 👏 (Assuming you meant to be satirical.)
He’s just saying that they are dumb. I don’t think there is any argument about that. Even the Claremont institute, possibly the last vestige of ultra conservative academics has been taken over by idiots.
Okay, honestly, I think it was a bit long... But great writing, and right on target! The question remains, however, what do we DO about it?
I saw what you did there.
snicker
Big Kash-Patel-In-Utah energy here
Good piece. Would quibble slightly with this “ the security state is run by a collection of bumbling media figures “ .
Would highly recommend checking out the book, ‘American Exception’. The author clarifies who runs what, and where the levers of power actually reside amongst and within the three legs of the stool that is the American policy apparatus, those legs being: 1) the Madisonians, what the majority of American citizens view as ‘government’ based on public school civics class; the three branches of government, if you will. 2) the Trumanists, those within and outside government who participate in national ‘security state’ endeavors, ever since the National Security Act was passed in the ‘40s, and 3) the actual ‘deep state’, consisting of the under world (organized crime/the mob) everything from trafficking to money laundering, and the over world (monied interests, both corporate and legacy, as well as new (tech)).
There is plenty of crossover between the latter legs, and both, for all intents and purposes, own the first leg.
You're waiting with hand-rubbing anticipation to see who points out and corrects the typos and punctuation errors, aren't you 👹 Ain't gonna be meeee. I like your stuff, Hamilton Nolan. Keep it coming.