one way to understand the moment we're in as "As Seen On TV". when TV was new, people did not understand how alien, how different, it was as a source of knowledge and information. they treated it with level of trust it did not deserve. so "seen on TV" constituted endorsement. 1/
we collectively learned that "seen on TV" could be bought or influenced, well beyond what was openly disclosed a ads or sponsorships, and "As Seen On TV" has faded to a kind of campy joke (even a way of imbuing products with camp). 2/
similarly, we collectively have not understood how different the internet and social media are from other media, have been caught of guard, are making dumb inferential mistakes. but maybe, like with television, we do eventually, collectively learn. 3/
of course, on TV and on the internet, the influencers and manipulators will be learning and changing too. maybe internet media evolve so fast we are destined to lose the cat and mouse game. 4/
maybe, but maybe not. we are changing our priors not just with respect to existing internet platforms, but also with respect to emerging media. that's a bit sad, to lose the sense of hope new media used to bring! but maybe it constrains media toward greater virtue. /fin
is localist left or right?
special code for films with DJT cameo.
thanks! the whole issue space is a bit terrifying. but a sprawling space opera might help dilute the pain of exploring it.
no!
instead of getting uploaded we’re going to be modeled. does the difference matter? ht @newqueuelure.bsky.social
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“french films” undermining our morals again.
we are all experiencing moral injury.
i keep seeing this graph and i want to be like “fucking Trump”, but what happened in 2023? (maybe 2016 is the important inflection, so, fucking Trump.)
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it’s striking though how much of our collapse is prosecuted not by people professing blind obeisance of authority, but people who style themselves as questioning authority, the ostentatiously skeptical “do your own research” crowd (whose skepticism collapses to obeisance of anti-authorities).
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not a viewpoint that composes, if everyone adopts it.
not much in terms of direct costs (e.g. the lost spending from wages of the laid off), incalculably much in terms of the work not done — people not getting AIDS meds, promising cancer research abandoned midstream, IRS agents not scrutinizing rich evaders, mistaken storm surge estimates.
it’s not narcissism it’s just ordo amoris.
you read the news about the gears of the world, and it’s interesting. but never forget there’s somebody gettting crushed right now by the gears of the world, perhaps hundreds or thousands or millions of people. 1/
and it’s interesting. but as the gears turn it could be you or your loved ones crushed. and to everybody else it will still be interesting. /fin
this bill is antisemitism.
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from "Trade Balances: It’s the Spending, Stupid" by @steveroth.bsky.social wealtheconomics.substack.com/p/trade-bala...
Text: Here’s the simple understanding to estimate US production from actual measured spending: • Tally up US total spending on new final goods and services. FSDP. • Subtract spending on goods and services that were not produced in the US. Imports. • Add other countries’ spending on goods that were produced in the US. Exports. You’re done.
the "it's not easy being greens"
kermit the frog is wearing a seat belt while sitting in a car
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if we're going to get trigonometric, i feel like cosplay sounds less fun that sinplay.
"They apply the logic of collective guilt and punishment to public services. I don’t like one aspect of an agency or program—therefore it must cease to exist. Even if you hate DEI, or are a believer in the lab leak hypothesis…USAID, NSF, and NIH do a lot more than DEI programs or virology research."
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ha!