Ken O'Brien
@kob22225.bsky.social
Where were you? I was here and this was what they ran on. Blood libel and Nazi rallies at MSG. Since this is what they voted for, we are not out of woods yet.
December 30, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Where were you? I was here and this was what they ran on. Blood libel and Nazi rallies at MSG. Since this is what they voted for, we are not out of woods yet.
"Dismantle" as in: separate heads from bodies. I'm all in.
December 21, 2025 at 10:01 PM
"Dismantle" as in: separate heads from bodies. I'm all in.
The fact that the word 'inequality' is nowhere in this conversation explains why they are baffled. 'It is the income and wealth inequality, Stupid.'
December 21, 2025 at 2:28 PM
The fact that the word 'inequality' is nowhere in this conversation explains why they are baffled. 'It is the income and wealth inequality, Stupid.'
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
You implied at the end there might be a sub-$120 option for getting your book?
You implied at the end there might be a sub-$120 option for getting your book?
global.oup.com
December 21, 2025 at 12:35 AM
global.oup.com/academic/pro...
You implied at the end there might be a sub-$120 option for getting your book?
You implied at the end there might be a sub-$120 option for getting your book?
Why are you ignoring the issue of income and wealth inequality?
December 14, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Why are you ignoring the issue of income and wealth inequality?
But you have to admit income/wealth inequality _is_ really bad (whether worse in history or not) so that the _national_ wealth/income you tout is non-optimally distributed. Again, why do you dig in so hard to pointlessly antagonize?
November 28, 2025 at 1:02 PM
But you have to admit income/wealth inequality _is_ really bad (whether worse in history or not) so that the _national_ wealth/income you tout is non-optimally distributed. Again, why do you dig in so hard to pointlessly antagonize?
I agree the message right now should focus anti-Trump, anti-Fascist, pro-diversity. But seems to me there is plenty of room for anti-income/wealth inequality as a background message.
November 27, 2025 at 11:35 AM
I agree the message right now should focus anti-Trump, anti-Fascist, pro-diversity. But seems to me there is plenty of room for anti-income/wealth inequality as a background message.
Basement clean-out. 7 years of New England Journal of Medicine. I’m saving these two for history. Jan 2020/Dec 2020. This was medical technology, centuries in the making. Our American PolPot is well on his way to dismantling it in less than a year.
November 23, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Basement clean-out. 7 years of New England Journal of Medicine. I’m saving these two for history. Jan 2020/Dec 2020. This was medical technology, centuries in the making. Our American PolPot is well on his way to dismantling it in less than a year.
I still remember the moment it hit me. NE-NW-SW-SE.
November 21, 2025 at 2:02 AM
I still remember the moment it hit me. NE-NW-SW-SE.
Wait. How old are you? I’m suspicious you played Zork like I watched ‘I Love Lucy’ in reruns. I played Zork in basement of Rutgers Hill Comp. Center on a DEC driven terminal, 1979.
November 21, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Wait. How old are you? I’m suspicious you played Zork like I watched ‘I Love Lucy’ in reruns. I played Zork in basement of Rutgers Hill Comp. Center on a DEC driven terminal, 1979.
Changing 'preference' versus convincing about 'bad,' are different things. Convincing people big houses far apart that demand MASSIVE subsidy and MASSIVE government-directed land use patterns/MASSIVE transportation infrastructure that create unnecessary impact on the environment, is an easier lift.
November 20, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Changing 'preference' versus convincing about 'bad,' are different things. Convincing people big houses far apart that demand MASSIVE subsidy and MASSIVE government-directed land use patterns/MASSIVE transportation infrastructure that create unnecessary impact on the environment, is an easier lift.
If wishes were fishes…. Preferences are just one small input into what makes the world. Most people prefer some flavor of not having to work for a living.
November 19, 2025 at 3:04 PM
If wishes were fishes…. Preferences are just one small input into what makes the world. Most people prefer some flavor of not having to work for a living.
A better way to approach the question of what is most 'natural' land use pattern is to go back in time to when there were large organized societies but fewer of these political tools. Either way the question is moot.
November 19, 2025 at 12:04 PM
A better way to approach the question of what is most 'natural' land use pattern is to go back in time to when there were large organized societies but fewer of these political tools. Either way the question is moot.
The is no such thing as 'America without policy decisions.' Subsidies, zoning, public infrastructure design choices.
Suburb model is 100% a _choice_ by power-elites to funnel the wealth/political power of the nation into building highly subsidized, needlessly-high environment-impacting land use.
Suburb model is 100% a _choice_ by power-elites to funnel the wealth/political power of the nation into building highly subsidized, needlessly-high environment-impacting land use.
November 19, 2025 at 1:41 AM
The is no such thing as 'America without policy decisions.' Subsidies, zoning, public infrastructure design choices.
Suburb model is 100% a _choice_ by power-elites to funnel the wealth/political power of the nation into building highly subsidized, needlessly-high environment-impacting land use.
Suburb model is 100% a _choice_ by power-elites to funnel the wealth/political power of the nation into building highly subsidized, needlessly-high environment-impacting land use.
I'm an old man and not good with memes . I looked back and see the table says 'change my mind' and I guess that is not Kirk sitting at the table. But hopefully my point is clearer than my meme skills.
November 17, 2025 at 7:29 PM
I'm an old man and not good with memes . I looked back and see the table says 'change my mind' and I guess that is not Kirk sitting at the table. But hopefully my point is clearer than my meme skills.
OK. I agree with most things you say. But again. Think about Kirk at the 'convince me' table. That is what you look like to me occasionally. Especially with that long drawn out No-Kings-bigger-raw-numbers-at-individual-events-than-CRW thing. Pointless antagonism.
November 17, 2025 at 7:26 PM
OK. I agree with most things you say. But again. Think about Kirk at the 'convince me' table. That is what you look like to me occasionally. Especially with that long drawn out No-Kings-bigger-raw-numbers-at-individual-events-than-CRW thing. Pointless antagonism.
Well to be honest. I _am_ calling some version of "glib."
November 17, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Well to be honest. I _am_ calling some version of "glib."
I saw your recent shot at Ganz and I hear you. But you have Ganz-ism 5x worse... And in a more annoying smug fake-reasonable form. I mean almost a Kirk convince-me table form.
November 17, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I saw your recent shot at Ganz and I hear you. But you have Ganz-ism 5x worse... And in a more annoying smug fake-reasonable form. I mean almost a Kirk convince-me table form.
Look. I'm almost sure I would have voted for you for whatever you ran for a while ago. But I also would have been rolling my eyes at your frequent pointless antagonism with people who mostly agree with you.
November 17, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Look. I'm almost sure I would have voted for you for whatever you ran for a while ago. But I also would have been rolling my eyes at your frequent pointless antagonism with people who mostly agree with you.
Of course it is complex. But people are responding to your (performative-contrarian?) take implying suburb-vs-urban growth is the more natural thing. Similar to when you dug in so hard to dis the multi-generational, multi-event, huge impact-on-individuals involved CRW versus No Kings protests.
November 17, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Of course it is complex. But people are responding to your (performative-contrarian?) take implying suburb-vs-urban growth is the more natural thing. Similar to when you dug in so hard to dis the multi-generational, multi-event, huge impact-on-individuals involved CRW versus No Kings protests.
PS Calling Latino voters "know-nothings" as a bloc strikes me as kinda anti-Latino too.
November 17, 2025 at 1:13 PM
PS Calling Latino voters "know-nothings" as a bloc strikes me as kinda anti-Latino too.
Exit polls - 44% vs 46% in one that happened only a year ago are the same number, of a hard to measure number. You mischaracterized by calling it "highest in modern history." If you said "~matched another high bounce around mean of a consistent historic trend" I wouldn't have bothered to type
November 17, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Exit polls - 44% vs 46% in one that happened only a year ago are the same number, of a hard to measure number. You mischaracterized by calling it "highest in modern history." If you said "~matched another high bounce around mean of a consistent historic trend" I wouldn't have bothered to type
You, oc, make the point badly and Will make's it with more context.... Also, apparently you are pretty young if you think 2004 isn't part of modern history.
November 17, 2025 at 12:27 PM
You, oc, make the point badly and Will make's it with more context.... Also, apparently you are pretty young if you think 2004 isn't part of modern history.
It backs up your point - and Will's for that matter. But to degree exit polls can be believed , George HW Bush 44% and Trump's 46% is the same. There was nothing epochal in that vote. A couple of high bounces around the mean. It _would_ be cool if the Fascists bring on an actual epochal shift
November 17, 2025 at 12:22 PM
It backs up your point - and Will's for that matter. But to degree exit polls can be believed , George HW Bush 44% and Trump's 46% is the same. There was nothing epochal in that vote. A couple of high bounces around the mean. It _would_ be cool if the Fascists bring on an actual epochal shift
I don't think it is a plausible argument that that was the high tide point for political advantage. The overall population seeing (D) related (D) coded factions and (D) state governors mobilizing to fill gaps such as SNAP, along side (R) side doing exact opposite had WEEKS of play yet.
November 13, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I don't think it is a plausible argument that that was the high tide point for political advantage. The overall population seeing (D) related (D) coded factions and (D) state governors mobilizing to fill gaps such as SNAP, along side (R) side doing exact opposite had WEEKS of play yet.