@muchmore2learn.bsky.social
Here for thoughtful & respectful dialog, grounded in evidence and reason. Interests range from politics to history to science & technology.
"More Everything Forever" by Adam Becker dug into the EA, AI and space colonization fantasies that seem to drive several of these guys - it's a worthwhile read IMO
November 25, 2025 at 1:07 AM
"More Everything Forever" by Adam Becker dug into the EA, AI and space colonization fantasies that seem to drive several of these guys - it's a worthwhile read IMO
I think the shift by tech CEOs is the more recent story
November 24, 2025 at 10:42 PM
I think the shift by tech CEOs is the more recent story
Grew up in the south myself (New Orleans) but know relatively little about Hunt. Another factor, perhaps, is the "crankification" of the Republican party. Hunt (from a quick read online) seems to have missed the mainstream by being too weird; I don't know that there is such a thing today.
November 24, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Grew up in the south myself (New Orleans) but know relatively little about Hunt. Another factor, perhaps, is the "crankification" of the Republican party. Hunt (from a quick read online) seems to have missed the mainstream by being too weird; I don't know that there is such a thing today.
IMO rich people have been greedy forever; it feels like today we are in the grip of something more. I do think the tech billionaires are aging man-children who fantasize that they're "homo superior", and as they confront mortality it breeds desperation.
November 24, 2025 at 10:00 PM
IMO rich people have been greedy forever; it feels like today we are in the grip of something more. I do think the tech billionaires are aging man-children who fantasize that they're "homo superior", and as they confront mortality it breeds desperation.
My sense is that billionaires became more hostile to the political left due to COVID, antitrust, regulation and other Biden-era actions, while both the "woke" era & Gaza protests cemented the narrative that universities had moved too far to the cultural left, making them a "soft target".
November 24, 2025 at 9:40 PM
My sense is that billionaires became more hostile to the political left due to COVID, antitrust, regulation and other Biden-era actions, while both the "woke" era & Gaza protests cemented the narrative that universities had moved too far to the cultural left, making them a "soft target".
Feels like this could all radiate from Trump's obsession with physical appearance. No beardos, no fatties, keep the disabled completely out sight, only MAGA-faced women (and stay away if you're not at least a 6) and now we want people to dress up for flights.
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Feels like this could all radiate from Trump's obsession with physical appearance. No beardos, no fatties, keep the disabled completely out sight, only MAGA-faced women (and stay away if you're not at least a 6) and now we want people to dress up for flights.
IMO people want a mayor to help with affordable housing, safe streets, reliable transit and other mundane stuff. If these aren’t Mamdani’s priorities, he will fade faster than Adams did. (Note I do not live in NYC.)
November 23, 2025 at 10:26 PM
IMO people want a mayor to help with affordable housing, safe streets, reliable transit and other mundane stuff. If these aren’t Mamdani’s priorities, he will fade faster than Adams did. (Note I do not live in NYC.)
I think there are many factors behind the anti-Israel turn, and it’s not purely antisemitism and Qatari influence. And if Mamdani is only about anti-Israel activism, he will fail quickly as NYC mayor.
November 23, 2025 at 9:49 PM
I think there are many factors behind the anti-Israel turn, and it’s not purely antisemitism and Qatari influence. And if Mamdani is only about anti-Israel activism, he will fail quickly as NYC mayor.
FWIW I agree that his position on the synagogue protest was wrong; I hope this is a misstep rather than a pattern. IMO we are all challenged by the Israel-Palestine situation; Mamdani clearly leans strongly into sympathy for the Palestinians, as do many young Americans.
November 23, 2025 at 9:02 PM
FWIW I agree that his position on the synagogue protest was wrong; I hope this is a misstep rather than a pattern. IMO we are all challenged by the Israel-Palestine situation; Mamdani clearly leans strongly into sympathy for the Palestinians, as do many young Americans.
Good news in that it probably gives us a shot, but it's another septuagenarian from a former era of politics joining Roy Cooper, Janet Mills and other Dem recruitment "gets".
November 23, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Good news in that it probably gives us a shot, but it's another septuagenarian from a former era of politics joining Roy Cooper, Janet Mills and other Dem recruitment "gets".
Silliness. IMO the best takeaway from the meeting is that Mamdani is capable of being pragmatic and charming, which is really good news if you want him to be a successful mayor.
November 23, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Silliness. IMO the best takeaway from the meeting is that Mamdani is capable of being pragmatic and charming, which is really good news if you want him to be a successful mayor.
FWIW - we need to win elections, including Senate races in reddish states, to return to power, and I think this will require making room for former Trump supporters.
November 18, 2025 at 12:07 PM
FWIW - we need to win elections, including Senate races in reddish states, to return to power, and I think this will require making room for former Trump supporters.
Yes, points due to Biden (and Powell) for handling post-COVID economic challenges and getting inflation under control without causing a recession. But the electorate still "threw the bums out" in '24. I think there's a deeper malaise in the country that our economic indicators are not getting at.
November 17, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Yes, points due to Biden (and Powell) for handling post-COVID economic challenges and getting inflation under control without causing a recession. But the electorate still "threw the bums out" in '24. I think there's a deeper malaise in the country that our economic indicators are not getting at.
The crisis in our democracy stems from neither major party demonstrating that they can address these problems. "Throw the bums out" is the theme of every election. Somehow we (the anti-MAGA coalition) need to figure out how to do better.
November 17, 2025 at 3:10 PM
The crisis in our democracy stems from neither major party demonstrating that they can address these problems. "Throw the bums out" is the theme of every election. Somehow we (the anti-MAGA coalition) need to figure out how to do better.
It's as if she is a decent person trapped in a cocoon of confirmation bias and misinformation, and at least a little crazy as well
November 16, 2025 at 3:50 PM
It's as if she is a decent person trapped in a cocoon of confirmation bias and misinformation, and at least a little crazy as well
IMO this is sort of like the Trump-Musk divorce - a big break with a former staunch ally that might not be repaired. Hoping it's part of a larger MAGA crack-up to come.
November 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM
IMO this is sort of like the Trump-Musk divorce - a big break with a former staunch ally that might not be repaired. Hoping it's part of a larger MAGA crack-up to come.
The post-MAGA challenge - reforming (MAGA-proofing) our democracy and redefining our social contract - is enormous. Democrats completely failed at even a fraction of this in 2020-24. I wish I felt even a little confidence that we have people on our team who can accomplish what's needed.
November 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The post-MAGA challenge - reforming (MAGA-proofing) our democracy and redefining our social contract - is enormous. Democrats completely failed at even a fraction of this in 2020-24. I wish I felt even a little confidence that we have people on our team who can accomplish what's needed.
FWIW I usually find his stuff thought-provoking, but agree that he whiffed on Golden
November 13, 2025 at 11:51 PM
FWIW I usually find his stuff thought-provoking, but agree that he whiffed on Golden
We need to resist spreading this kind of confirmation bias bait as fact - it won’t help win over the “soft MAGAs”
November 13, 2025 at 10:45 PM
We need to resist spreading this kind of confirmation bias bait as fact - it won’t help win over the “soft MAGAs”
Pretty sure she can take it. But IMO, Matt Y is off in blaming this on Golden not getting enough love from left-aligned media.
November 13, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Pretty sure she can take it. But IMO, Matt Y is off in blaming this on Golden not getting enough love from left-aligned media.
He wasn't ignored by you, or by the folks at "Raging Moderates", or "The Bulwark". The anti-MAGA coalition is big & fractious, and there was space for Golden in it, and surely he could find other House Dems to build camaraderie with. Maybe this just wasn't for him.
November 13, 2025 at 12:40 PM
He wasn't ignored by you, or by the folks at "Raging Moderates", or "The Bulwark". The anti-MAGA coalition is big & fractious, and there was space for Golden in it, and surely he could find other House Dems to build camaraderie with. Maybe this just wasn't for him.
IMO it would be hard to get a better outcome than we got. The extremely online left loathes the institutionalists who led "the Cave"; I think most of them are indeed past their sell-by dates. If we get the win of the shutdown AND a purge of the gerontocracy it's an early Xmas.
November 12, 2025 at 10:00 PM
IMO it would be hard to get a better outcome than we got. The extremely online left loathes the institutionalists who led "the Cave"; I think most of them are indeed past their sell-by dates. If we get the win of the shutdown AND a purge of the gerontocracy it's an early Xmas.