Decades long mainstream project of pushing ideologies around commerce and efficiency that value them over any other social or personal quality is how you get the average person impressed by tyranny because "at least he is getting things done".

When you operate SpaceX with government contracts it is especially gross.

He will keep Elon around as long as Elon makes him feel smart (and rich). As soon as Elon makes him feel stupid, or less rich, he is out.

They let every right winger lie about people going unpunished for rioting in the summer of 2020. Plenty of people got convicted of crimes when the gov't could prove they committed crimes. It is their cover for J6 and they never should have been able to use it.

If he wrecks the New Deal in full Trump style, yes. If they keep him golfing and rallying while they wreck the New Deal, Roberts Court style, then, no.

I think talking to them to find out where these feelings come from is more useful than shame. Letting them talk it out so they realize very little in their own lives justifies those feelings. Then asking them why would an adult lie to you like that? Armor them against future manipulation

If everyone felt free to say no and could gracefully take a no the world would be a more pleasant place.

I think the belief that all conversation needs to be transactional in some way, lead to networking, permanent friendships, or sexual liaisons is a barrier to interesting social encounters in third spaces. You can relax and just talk to a random person and it does not need to be that deep.

Biases against spending time with people you consider uncool, awkward, and embarrassing only need to be mild to prevent you from entering any number of real life spaces. Then you add a desire to avoid feeling uncool, awkward or embarrassed on your own side and you get preference for online over IRL

Services like AP, Reuters are useful but corporate media is, more than anything else, unbelievably lazy. That is why they talk about personality more than policy, repeat each other's talking points, and relentlessly draw false equivalencies between the 2 parties in an attempt to minimize criticism.

Reflexive cynicism mistaken for informed analysis is what made them stay home or vote for Trump because he is "anti-establishment". The belief to the core of their being that both parties are exactly the same, even when shown evidence to the contrary, and only an outsider can make a difference.

Biden has been giving me Weimar Republic vibes since he said nothing will fundamentally change. Every election for the last 30 years has felt like a "change" election, an anti-establishment or anti-incumbent election to some extent. Failure of a politician to discern that is depressing.

What is left of the New Deal is important for the lives of working class people. Those particular imperfect institutions are worth defending.