Jonathan Church, CFA
@jondavidchurch.bsky.social
Economist & author. Cancer survivor (so far). Senior editor at merionwest.com. Enjoy philosophy, literature, & history. Critic of capitalism. Pro-union. People over profits. It should have been Bernie.
Pinned
"Free speech" to Musk crowd always meant "I can say whatever I want, you must listen, and you can't say anything negative back to me."
That's been obvious for a while. Some people genuinely missed that, but many saw it and pretended not to, because they dislike the people they're trying to shut up.
That's been obvious for a while. Some people genuinely missed that, but many saw it and pretended not to, because they dislike the people they're trying to shut up.
1/I would add that, if you know anything about Curtis Yarvin, who is one of JD Vance's favorite philosophers & argues that the U.S. needs to replace democracy with monarchy & is or has been financially backed by Peter Thiel, it is not a stretch to see that Musk's game was never about defending
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
The Cyber Barrons are the Robber Barons of our time.
We need more antitrust enforcement, not less, to break up their digital monopolies.
It is necessary to counter their obscene wealth, power and influence in our democracy.
We need more antitrust enforcement, not less, to break up their digital monopolies.
It is necessary to counter their obscene wealth, power and influence in our democracy.
A former Palantir exec just published an extortion letter in the Washington Post: Democrats must fund tech oligarchs, abandon antitrust, and create 15 deregulated corporate zones—or “lose.”
When I challenged her, she blocked me.
Tech’s moral rot, exposed:
www.thenerdreich.com/silicon-vall...
When I challenged her, she blocked me.
Tech’s moral rot, exposed:
www.thenerdreich.com/silicon-vall...
Silicon Valley’s Extortion Letter to Democrats
Ex-Palantir Exec Warns Democrats to Bow Down or Lose the Future
www.thenerdreich.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:36 PM
The Cyber Barrons are the Robber Barons of our time.
We need more antitrust enforcement, not less, to break up their digital monopolies.
It is necessary to counter their obscene wealth, power and influence in our democracy.
We need more antitrust enforcement, not less, to break up their digital monopolies.
It is necessary to counter their obscene wealth, power and influence in our democracy.
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
My piece on meritocracy for @liberalcurrents.com
"The psychological and historical appeal of meritocracy is inversely proportional to its tenability. It is in fact hard to imagine a much more utopian idea that has even been posited than meritocracy." www.liberalcurrents.com/the-utopiani...
The Utopianism of the Meritocrats
The psychological and historical appeal of meritocracy is inversely proportional to its tenability.
www.liberalcurrents.com
November 15, 2025 at 6:27 PM
My piece on meritocracy for @liberalcurrents.com
Libertarianism in a nutshell: what's mine is mine, what's yours could be mine.
October 12, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Libertarianism in a nutshell: what's mine is mine, what's yours could be mine.
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
I love that Robert Redford did not want a public funeral, a theater of applause and tribute. Just another sign that he was a great man.
September 21, 2025 at 7:53 PM
I love that Robert Redford did not want a public funeral, a theater of applause and tribute. Just another sign that he was a great man.
Charisma has always struck me as a red flag in a person. It is almost like a personality flaw that I am inclined to distrust.
September 19, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Charisma has always struck me as a red flag in a person. It is almost like a personality flaw that I am inclined to distrust.
"Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist."
Kenneth Boulding
Kenneth Boulding
September 9, 2025 at 11:54 PM
"Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist."
Kenneth Boulding
Kenneth Boulding
Now Ophelia
She's 'neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her death
Is quite romantic
She wears an iron vest
Her profession's her religion
Her sin is her lifelessness
Bob Dylan, Desolation Row
She's 'neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her death
Is quite romantic
She wears an iron vest
Her profession's her religion
Her sin is her lifelessness
Bob Dylan, Desolation Row
September 1, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Now Ophelia
She's 'neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her death
Is quite romantic
She wears an iron vest
Her profession's her religion
Her sin is her lifelessness
Bob Dylan, Desolation Row
She's 'neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her death
Is quite romantic
She wears an iron vest
Her profession's her religion
Her sin is her lifelessness
Bob Dylan, Desolation Row
"The web of our lives is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together; our virtues would be proud, if our faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues."
Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well
Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well
August 28, 2025 at 2:08 AM
"The web of our lives is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together; our virtues would be proud, if our faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair, if they were not cherished by our virtues."
Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well
Shakespeare, All's Well That Ends Well
"Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty."
Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt
August 15, 2025 at 1:25 AM
"Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty."
Hannah Arendt
Hannah Arendt
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
Depressing thing about the whole "debate me bro" phenomena is its basically the opposite of a Socratic argument. Everyone comes in convinced they have the truth in hand and the goal is to retrench the doxa of the already convinced as firmly as possible.
August 12, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Depressing thing about the whole "debate me bro" phenomena is its basically the opposite of a Socratic argument. Everyone comes in convinced they have the truth in hand and the goal is to retrench the doxa of the already convinced as firmly as possible.
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
The radical belief that it’s okay for a website to prioritize quality over size, maybe even good.
The premise of this article — that Bluesky needs hypergrowth — is exactly the problem.
The idea that internet companies should grow infinitely and monopolize their space, fattened on VC cash driven by optimistic valuations, is exactly what ruined the internet. www.piratewires.com/p/bluesky-is...
The idea that internet companies should grow infinitely and monopolize their space, fattened on VC cash driven by optimistic valuations, is exactly what ruined the internet. www.piratewires.com/p/bluesky-is...
Bluesky Is Trapped in a Doom Loop
once hailed as the future of decentralized ("nontoxic") social media, bluesky is shedding users and realizing
www.piratewires.com
August 1, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The radical belief that it’s okay for a website to prioritize quality over size, maybe even good.
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
'That is what the philosopher is: a mourner, a societal scapegoat, and an ‘enemy’ of human progress. Now the question is: What keeps her going?'
freethinker.co.uk/2025/07/the-...
freethinker.co.uk/2025/07/the-...
The consolation of the philosopher - The Freethinker
Philosophy is, fundamentally, born of curiosity. Curiosity is an instinct found in every human child. We have all…
freethinker.co.uk
July 24, 2025 at 10:26 AM
'That is what the philosopher is: a mourner, a societal scapegoat, and an ‘enemy’ of human progress. Now the question is: What keeps her going?'
freethinker.co.uk/2025/07/the-...
freethinker.co.uk/2025/07/the-...
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
Good morning! I'm in Uganda to visit family and friends.
But depending on your perspective, don't worry or I'm sorry: I'll be back by the end of the month.
See you soon, NYC.
But depending on your perspective, don't worry or I'm sorry: I'll be back by the end of the month.
See you soon, NYC.
July 20, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Good morning! I'm in Uganda to visit family and friends.
But depending on your perspective, don't worry or I'm sorry: I'll be back by the end of the month.
See you soon, NYC.
But depending on your perspective, don't worry or I'm sorry: I'll be back by the end of the month.
See you soon, NYC.
"In a one-sentence summary, this bill takes away health care from middle-class and poor people, and uses the money to pay for tax cuts mostly for rich people."
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/o...
Opinion | Trump May Get His ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ but the G.O.P. Will Pay a Price
www.nytimes.com
July 5, 2025 at 6:17 PM
"In a one-sentence summary, this bill takes away health care from middle-class and poor people, and uses the money to pay for tax cuts mostly for rich people."
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/o...
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
4 July thoughts on the state of secularism and democracy in America today, and a look back at previous articles and interviews about America.
freethinker.co.uk/2025/07/the-...
freethinker.co.uk/2025/07/the-...
The Fourth of July and the Battle for America's Soul - The Freethinker
Happy Independence Day, America.
freethinker.co.uk
July 4, 2025 at 3:14 PM
4 July thoughts on the state of secularism and democracy in America today, and a look back at previous articles and interviews about America.
freethinker.co.uk/2025/07/the-...
freethinker.co.uk/2025/07/the-...
"The simplest way to understand democratic socialism, from an academic standpoint, is as an ideology rooted in its opposition to capitalism and wanting to shift power to workers from corporations."
Sounds good to me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/u...
Sounds good to me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/u...
Zohran Mamdani Says He’s a Democratic Socialist. What Does That Mean?
www.nytimes.com
June 25, 2025 at 11:53 PM
"The simplest way to understand democratic socialism, from an academic standpoint, is as an ideology rooted in its opposition to capitalism and wanting to shift power to workers from corporations."
Sounds good to me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/u...
Sounds good to me.
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/u...
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
Way too many people talk about a billionaire creating a thousand jobs and not about a thousand workers creating one billionaire.
June 25, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Way too many people talk about a billionaire creating a thousand jobs and not about a thousand workers creating one billionaire.
Reposted by Jonathan Church, CFA
Today we honor Juneteenth, a reminder that freedom was fought for, not given. We must honor the past by continuing to fight every day for justice, truth, and equality.
June 19, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Today we honor Juneteenth, a reminder that freedom was fought for, not given. We must honor the past by continuing to fight every day for justice, truth, and equality.
Greed is not good.
June 13, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Greed is not good.