Totally agree, but there absolutely is/was a concerted effort to “cancel” people over Charlie Kirk memes. Many lost their jobs. There is sort of a growing “wokeness” on the right, with the same people who built their careers crying about cancel culture now advocating cancelation.
Some people may now think it's ok to say or write "r*t*rd"; I don't. Let's not punch down on the intellectually disabled, people. Matthew Yglesias may think it is ok, but he then chose to be a contrarian centrist, which is much worse.
One can say “retard” with impunity now and btw, my mother threatened to wash my mouth out with soap in 1950 if I ever used that word, but woe be to anyone who dares criticize Israel on any platform. Post a photo of a Palestinian child being shot, and you risk suspension. Post a picture of starving people in Gaza, and you’re chastised for posting “hateful content”. People have lost their jobs for teaching/discussing the medical and general humanitarian crisis in Gaza or teaching the history of the Palestinians. We can criticize every country in the world, including our own, but it will soon be illegal to say a negative word about Israel. That’s censorship on steroids.
Just because we can say "retard" now doesn't mean censorship isn't still a problem. It's just got an alt-right veneer instead of a persnickety, obnoxious, temperamental woke veneer. And Zionist control of the public square is as bad as ever.
This administration's coarseness knows no bounds. You can badmouth past presidents, both Republican and Democrat, but no president has ever been close to as rude, crude, or vulgar as this one.
And while we're talking about President Zelenskiy's unfortunate visit to the gilded oval orifice, we can't forget our sorry excuse for a VP, JD Vance, who exhibited all the decorum of an enraged bull elephant.
The “vibe” is essentially what constitutes the relationship between the people and power. Eventually it leads to China and Russian style governments that leave the 99% not concerned about anything but getting by, and as long as the government, any government democratic or otherwise has them believing they’ve provided just that - an economy that allows most to just get by - then they don’t listen to anything else. For instance, I’m guessing (and it’s only a guess) the majority of Russians don’t pay attention to the war Putin is raging because they’re just trying to get by (families of the estimated 500,000 dead Russian soldiers excepted) and have no other option but to focus their daily lives there. Meanwhile, .5 % that control the military do as they wish whenever and however they wish within their country. That is Trump’s ultimate goal - do away with democracy and do whatever he pleases unfettered by the people.
It takes close scrutiny to tell the difference, which most people do not or can not do.
U.S. history has been a long slumber under a mass deception that everyone is "free and equal" here. Never has been true. Never could it be, under such an undemocratic and anti-egalitarian political, economic, and ideological system.
And certainly, it is not now. Nevertheless, U.S. citizens have the dream of prosperity deep in their minds, bolstered by a few glittering decades from here and there, like post-WWII imagery (which of course was not nearly as good as it's made to seem now and certainly was not an egalitarian prosperity).
And with that deep longing for prosperity, simultaneously look out into the real world today, and see a huge discrepancy and do not understand why... other than they have been tricked. By someone, by something.
It's the information age now. As people start to wake up from the spell they've been put under by those with the outsized share of wealth and power, there will be a million monsters to deceive them along the way.... with whatever at the moment seems like the "truth."
Of course, a people so divided and isolated, are even easier to trick.
Just be shamelessly confident to get in on the grift, while it still lasts.
". Nevertheless, U.S. citizens have the dream of prosperity deep in their minds, bolstered by a few glittering decades from here and there, like post-WWII imagery (which of course was not nearly as good as it's made to seem now and certainly was not an egalitarian prosperity)."
The mythos goes back way before the New Deal post-WWII. Who was the famous European author that said "When I see an American, I see a temporarily embarrassed millionaire" or something to that effect? Mark Twain may have actually been who said it. The concept is as old as the Constitution.
You ain't wrong. It's just that most who hearken to "American prosperity" these days in the political conversation seem to be referring to the New Deal and post-war boom.
Today's proliferation of "American Dream" propaganda refers strongly to this era, be it the Conservative Republican's "Make America Great Again," the Democrats' "Build Back Better" or even the Progressives' obsession with FDR's "New Deal America."
Yes, "decorum is dead". Trump insulted his way into the White House. Women, Blacks, Muslims, a handicapped journalist, "woke" culture. He never holds his tongue but acts offended when someone attacks him.
Hey, if he lobs them, I feel under no obligation to play nice. He is still a Felon, impeached twice who would not have been elected without dark money coming from abroad, So yeah, It's too bad about decorum.
The guy is truly a very crass person, calling a former lover "horseface". He called undocumented immigrants all kinds of terrible words, and his chances of being a pedophile are 99.99999%
In every society, there are consequences for doing that.
Now he whines constantly about folks not being nice to him. He does not deserve "nice".
YOU WILL GET THE RESPECT YOU GIVE. You are not entitled to more. I only respect the people who do not disrespect me, and that will continue and I won't apologize for it!
My disrespect for him will continue until he stops. He is a liar and a cheat and a low life, artificially elevated by money.
As I repeat early & often, Trump killed satire. Also, Ken, what occurred in the WH with Zelinsky was on Zelinsky. Watch closely to the dynamics of the conversation. Zelinsky is poking Trump & Vance before the two lose it.
Along with AGI, "national security" is among the most tossed about, least likely to see a comprehensible definition, common phrases.
I was making the equivalent of $500K in today's dollars doing software for national security back in the late 1960s. I got out because we were nationally secure. A whole bunch of nukes told me so. I wanted more meaning to my career.
Thanks, Ken, for gathering us a grab bag of current vibes.
We, and especially our kids, live in a world where polite lying doesn't hack it - doesn't hack anything. The kids have had it with war. They've had it with school. They've had it with school shootings. They've had it with anything the grownies excuse using their media. Go ahead, make TikTok your media. We'll take to the streets with bullhorns.
Donald Trump is a living, breathing 6,7 and we love that he's absurd out loud.
Kids see grownies trying to "protect" them from the truth and they want these "adults" replaced with real parents. Real parents are recognizable because they do not lie.
The new vibes are the desperately needed truth. Long may the new vibes ring out.
Authenticity is the 2026 word of the year unless our current grownies get to choose.
I think yo make so many good points and most of the examples are seriously cringe.
Hard to determine, however, even as a former A+ student, where the irony, sarcasm, humor and serious commentary overlap or diverge. Somehow I'm missing why it's so awful that Mamdani says he won't go to Israel. Maybe I'm slipping to a low B here , but so what? He's going to be the next mayor of NYC, if he wants to make a point, or alienate some people, he's not on the international stage much and although I celebrate his election, no one is beyond saying dumb things.
it's not awful at all except to people who've succumbed cult brainwashing, which it just so happens is more common among yanks than anyone likes to admit
“These are days in which ‘shamelessness’ is king. … Shamelessness is very powerful when it’s let loose, because …suddenly, everything becomes possible.”
~ Salman Rushdie, in an interview with Anand Giridharadas
Totally agree, but there absolutely is/was a concerted effort to “cancel” people over Charlie Kirk memes. Many lost their jobs. There is sort of a growing “wokeness” on the right, with the same people who built their careers crying about cancel culture now advocating cancelation.
They’re certainly trying but it mostly seems like a laughingstock that people don’t take seriously
But that depends entirely on whose view is being canceled.
Hipocracray rules!
I think what Mamdani said was great! My point is just that his doing so was a defiance of the stupid rules of politics
Some people may now think it's ok to say or write "r*t*rd"; I don't. Let's not punch down on the intellectually disabled, people. Matthew Yglesias may think it is ok, but he then chose to be a contrarian centrist, which is much worse.
One can say “retard” with impunity now and btw, my mother threatened to wash my mouth out with soap in 1950 if I ever used that word, but woe be to anyone who dares criticize Israel on any platform. Post a photo of a Palestinian child being shot, and you risk suspension. Post a picture of starving people in Gaza, and you’re chastised for posting “hateful content”. People have lost their jobs for teaching/discussing the medical and general humanitarian crisis in Gaza or teaching the history of the Palestinians. We can criticize every country in the world, including our own, but it will soon be illegal to say a negative word about Israel. That’s censorship on steroids.
Dude, you live in imagination land. You can criticize Israel all you'd like.
Stop with the persecution complex.
Just because we can say "retard" now doesn't mean censorship isn't still a problem. It's just got an alt-right veneer instead of a persnickety, obnoxious, temperamental woke veneer. And Zionist control of the public square is as bad as ever.
This administration's coarseness knows no bounds. You can badmouth past presidents, both Republican and Democrat, but no president has ever been close to as rude, crude, or vulgar as this one.
And while we're talking about President Zelenskiy's unfortunate visit to the gilded oval orifice, we can't forget our sorry excuse for a VP, JD Vance, who exhibited all the decorum of an enraged bull elephant.
Happy New Year everybody!
It's gotten pretty bad. So what can we do about it?
The “vibe” is essentially what constitutes the relationship between the people and power. Eventually it leads to China and Russian style governments that leave the 99% not concerned about anything but getting by, and as long as the government, any government democratic or otherwise has them believing they’ve provided just that - an economy that allows most to just get by - then they don’t listen to anything else. For instance, I’m guessing (and it’s only a guess) the majority of Russians don’t pay attention to the war Putin is raging because they’re just trying to get by (families of the estimated 500,000 dead Russian soldiers excepted) and have no other option but to focus their daily lives there. Meanwhile, .5 % that control the military do as they wish whenever and however they wish within their country. That is Trump’s ultimate goal - do away with democracy and do whatever he pleases unfettered by the people.
🎯🎯
If truth is gold, then confidence is fool's gold.
It takes close scrutiny to tell the difference, which most people do not or can not do.
U.S. history has been a long slumber under a mass deception that everyone is "free and equal" here. Never has been true. Never could it be, under such an undemocratic and anti-egalitarian political, economic, and ideological system.
And certainly, it is not now. Nevertheless, U.S. citizens have the dream of prosperity deep in their minds, bolstered by a few glittering decades from here and there, like post-WWII imagery (which of course was not nearly as good as it's made to seem now and certainly was not an egalitarian prosperity).
And with that deep longing for prosperity, simultaneously look out into the real world today, and see a huge discrepancy and do not understand why... other than they have been tricked. By someone, by something.
It's the information age now. As people start to wake up from the spell they've been put under by those with the outsized share of wealth and power, there will be a million monsters to deceive them along the way.... with whatever at the moment seems like the "truth."
Of course, a people so divided and isolated, are even easier to trick.
Just be shamelessly confident to get in on the grift, while it still lasts.
". Nevertheless, U.S. citizens have the dream of prosperity deep in their minds, bolstered by a few glittering decades from here and there, like post-WWII imagery (which of course was not nearly as good as it's made to seem now and certainly was not an egalitarian prosperity)."
The mythos goes back way before the New Deal post-WWII. Who was the famous European author that said "When I see an American, I see a temporarily embarrassed millionaire" or something to that effect? Mark Twain may have actually been who said it. The concept is as old as the Constitution.
You ain't wrong. It's just that most who hearken to "American prosperity" these days in the political conversation seem to be referring to the New Deal and post-war boom.
Today's proliferation of "American Dream" propaganda refers strongly to this era, be it the Conservative Republican's "Make America Great Again," the Democrats' "Build Back Better" or even the Progressives' obsession with FDR's "New Deal America."
Yes, "decorum is dead". Trump insulted his way into the White House. Women, Blacks, Muslims, a handicapped journalist, "woke" culture. He never holds his tongue but acts offended when someone attacks him.
Hey, if he lobs them, I feel under no obligation to play nice. He is still a Felon, impeached twice who would not have been elected without dark money coming from abroad, So yeah, It's too bad about decorum.
The guy is truly a very crass person, calling a former lover "horseface". He called undocumented immigrants all kinds of terrible words, and his chances of being a pedophile are 99.99999%
In every society, there are consequences for doing that.
Now he whines constantly about folks not being nice to him. He does not deserve "nice".
YOU WILL GET THE RESPECT YOU GIVE. You are not entitled to more. I only respect the people who do not disrespect me, and that will continue and I won't apologize for it!
My disrespect for him will continue until he stops. He is a liar and a cheat and a low life, artificially elevated by money.
As I repeat early & often, Trump killed satire. Also, Ken, what occurred in the WH with Zelinsky was on Zelinsky. Watch closely to the dynamics of the conversation. Zelinsky is poking Trump & Vance before the two lose it.
Along with AGI, "national security" is among the most tossed about, least likely to see a comprehensible definition, common phrases.
I was making the equivalent of $500K in today's dollars doing software for national security back in the late 1960s. I got out because we were nationally secure. A whole bunch of nukes told me so. I wanted more meaning to my career.
Thanks, Ken, for gathering us a grab bag of current vibes.
We, and especially our kids, live in a world where polite lying doesn't hack it - doesn't hack anything. The kids have had it with war. They've had it with school. They've had it with school shootings. They've had it with anything the grownies excuse using their media. Go ahead, make TikTok your media. We'll take to the streets with bullhorns.
Donald Trump is a living, breathing 6,7 and we love that he's absurd out loud.
Kids see grownies trying to "protect" them from the truth and they want these "adults" replaced with real parents. Real parents are recognizable because they do not lie.
The new vibes are the desperately needed truth. Long may the new vibes ring out.
Authenticity is the 2026 word of the year unless our current grownies get to choose.
Looking forward to your railside reverse warrior and such.
For better or worse, R word remains strongly frowned upon by my true bosses.
I think yo make so many good points and most of the examples are seriously cringe.
Hard to determine, however, even as a former A+ student, where the irony, sarcasm, humor and serious commentary overlap or diverge. Somehow I'm missing why it's so awful that Mamdani says he won't go to Israel. Maybe I'm slipping to a low B here , but so what? He's going to be the next mayor of NYC, if he wants to make a point, or alienate some people, he's not on the international stage much and although I celebrate his election, no one is beyond saying dumb things.
it's not awful at all except to people who've succumbed cult brainwashing, which it just so happens is more common among yanks than anyone likes to admit
“These are days in which ‘shamelessness’ is king. … Shamelessness is very powerful when it’s let loose, because …suddenly, everything becomes possible.”
~ Salman Rushdie, in an interview with Anand Giridharadas