End of 2020: Nothing to Look Forward to
Embrace this moment we call 2020; next year will be so much worse.
Author: Ilari Kaila
Talking Musk on “Tech Won’t Save Us”
Talking about the cosmic shitshow that is Elon Musk, on Paris Marx’s new podcast “Tech Won’t Save Us”.
Contrapuntal Consciousness (Aeon Magazine)
“Gödel, Escher, Bach” by Douglas Hofstadter turns 40 this year. Bach’s music never had a justified place in the book – but could it find one?
The New Scientology of Elon Musk
Elon Musk is the perfect hero for our era of reboots and reality TV. Much of the mythos around him consists of tired sci-fi clichés, recycled and sold as reality. And in this way, Musk himself is like an update on L. Ron Hubbard.
The Usefulness of “Neoliberalism”
A leftwing case against the term “neoliberalism” from historian Daniel Rodgers plays into the hands of those aiming to divert criticism.
Kinsley Gaffes: Slavery Edition (Progressive Army)
It’s always fascinating when a public official commits a Kinsley gaffe, and the veil drops for a brief moment.
Guns and Propaganda: Lying for a Good Cause
Did you know that Finland has twice as many mass shootings per capita as the US? Discussing violence honestly matters, and propaganda, even for a good cause, is counterproductive — as in criminologist Frederic Lemieux’s analysis.
If You’re High on Trump, Please Shut Up
Stop saying, “Isn’t it unbelievable that Trump is president?” It’s the kind of disjointed revelation you get when you’re high. “Isn’t it amazing that we have, like, hands? Doesn’t it blow your mind that trees exist?”
Dumb Europeans—Part 3: Where Hogs Dwindle and Dogs Go Mute
Anti-Americanism is as old as America, and so are many of its most common tropes, but the underlying beliefs and justifications vary. America’s pathology has been depicted as manifesting its inherent racism, or its racial inferiority; as being due to a lack of democracy or too much democracy; and the criticism has been leveled from the left, the right, and everywhere in between.
Whores and Whores: Sex Work, Corruption, and Colbert’s Cock Holster
Who are we insulting when we use the word “whore”? And who can metaphorically suck off whom?
Limited Hangout 