Mr. Chimpanzy

I am here to say it.

A God that could be contained within the limits of human sexual or gender difference is no God at all

If you truly believed Graham Platner is not antisemitic at all, you would be sending him to synagogues in Maine to speak to Jews and reassure them of that. That is what Mamdani did during the NYC mayoral election. The fact they are not doing that is... telling.

Got a quick description of this intriguing sounding album for someone at work and unable to listen to a sample?

Not one of these ghouls knows a trans kid, understands anything about the actual circumstances or humanity of trans kids, or gives a shit. To them, trans kids play a purely symbolic role: they are a Weak Other that can be abused as form of collective self-soothing. So fucking gross.

It is repulsive to me -- morally, aesthetically, politically -- on a scale that I genuinely don't know how to describe. It's just so deeply, deeply gross, to be so filled with weakness that you abuse other, weaker people to feel better. What a horrible kind of human, to do that, to *allow* that.

I lack the words to capture it, but ... it's just endlessly remarkable to me that so many people in our society have chosen trans kis -- TRANS KIDS, the smallest, least significant, most vulnerable demographic slice you could possibly pick -- as a repository for all their fears & insecurities.

As the incredibly proud parent of one who technically now is an adult who’ll be heading off to college in the fall, thank you!

it has never been a better time to become and E-Bike Guy

a lot of what has made discourse insane is that there's an entire crop of guys who live in dc, do a ton of uppers, and have massive gender insecurity around the fact that they're soft-handed scribes

Let’s talk about Graham Platner’s Big Lie, finally. In 2009, at the height of the Gulf War, the Marines barred him from active duty. Platner claims it was his forearm tattoos. But his one forbidden tattoo was the Nazi symbol on his chest. He knew - and he left the Marines rather than give it up. 1/

I can practically feel the calluses on your hands all the way over here on the west coast!

Oh so you hate the working class huh?

I guess it is true, the status quo has been that a Nazi tattoo on a rich kid pretending to be working class would be utterly disqualifying for higher office. Congratulations on upsetting it I guess

So you’re Nazi-curious too then?

God the Mazda 5, what a great car! Sucks there’s nothing quite like it out there anymore.

I had two—one was even stick shift!—both purchased used, each sadly totaled after relatively minor accidents

I thought I was the only one!

"In this world, various types of progressives—liberals, greens, socialists—would cooperate in keeping fascism walled off and shut out. The national direction would be a conversation between them—not order vs progress as Mill would have it, but incremental progress vs radical."

This is a fantastic essay! A lot I’m going to be pondering on. Glad I clicked through & took the time to read it.

You’re publishing a lot of great stuff but Toby & Samantha especially are doing the most interesting & thoughtful writing on contemporary politics out there

Imagine a world where we simply win. We win in 2029, we win for a generation or more. Imagine it. Now let's go out and make that world.

Going to be thinking about the author's ( @polphilpod.bsky.social ) definition of conservatism vs. fascism for some time

Extremely persuasive essay from @polphilpod.bsky.social which puts some real and substantial meat on the bones of Wilhoit's Law.

I also appreciate the distinction between conservatism and fascism, and the recognition that fascism has decisively won the struggle between the two.

For real this is the best thing I’ve read on differentiating conservatism from fascism, why that difference matters & why “conservatives” by and large had no trouble becoming fascists.

Oughta read the essay as this is very much *not* what is claimed in it and he makes a good argument for a different framework for thinking about the relationship between the two ideologies

Really great essay that’s given me a lot to think about. A bit “long” but well worth the ~15 minutes it’ll take to read.

Offers a pretty compelling framework for thinking about how conservatism & fascism *do* differ & why “conservatives” by & large had little trouble embracing fascism.

lol you’re not making the “it’s always been fascism including liberalism” case look good here
“I only read a couple paragraphs and it’s wrong” oh okay you must be right then 🙄

not necessarily less so but more just an idea I’ve never thought possible to contemplate—what growing up in a small town in the ‘80s will do to you I guess!

So yeah, gonna be thinking about this one for awhile

Really interesting essay; a lot I’ll need to chew on.

I’ve tended to be a believer in “conservatism = defense of hierarchies” & “there will always be *a* conservatism so it’s important it be one accepting of democracy & human rights” & I find your criticism of the 1st really compelling, the 2nd…

My kirkdolonces bro

Only just saw this from nearly a year ago. The replies very much illustrate the point made...