Another piece resonated with me today on moral cowardice on the matter of truth versus lies.
"This is the cop-out I hate the most. The lazy negation of the idea of morality and a nuanced spectrum between good and evil. The cowardly act of renouncing responsibility, and the self-loathing tendency for people to annihilate their own agency, seeking cynicism, sarcasm, blame, resentment and grievance instead of acting, rather than choosing to trust and put any effort into hard thinking. It’s a form of gross cowardice, is intellectually bankrupt and entirely self-destructive. But this is a classic Kremlin tactic - spread confusion and ambiguity, doubt and ultimately distrust. It’s a form of digital nihilism, and its utterly corrosive. Unfortunately, the algorithms are aligned with the worst behaviours and instincts."
Thank you for presenting your analysis. I’m inspired to learn more concerning cyclical measures of cowardice (or may I refer to it as unresolved fear) and its scientific impact on morality v immorality. If there is more on this please share. You may be on to something here.
This is remarkable work, precise, fearless, and morally lucid. The way you show language becoming a shield for cowardice is masterful. Reducing cruelty to suboptimal behavior is the purest form of surrender, and you captured it with the clarity serious readers crave.
Huh. Yeah, i have an interest in a few cyclical theories, the fourth turning and the boom bust cycle of capitalism among them. But this weird little ‘cycle’ of three names and an ellipsis makes about as much sense as South Park's Underpants Gnomes.
Outside of astronomy, and our circulatory system, cycle theories are a common, lazy way out, whether they're for betting on the stock market, or on the collapse of civilizations, or (as here) on political direction. There's variation in trends, which rarely go on forever, but it is rarely akin to day-and-night nor a circle 'round the sun. There is no law of nature to bend every variety of change into cyclic form.
And my belief that history has no direction, is one of the reasons I'm not a socialist. Which I get into more deeply in the piece I'm still editing for tomorrow.
I watched the Bullwark interview and was blown away but the sheer stupidity of the man. It was more evidence of how delulu silicon valley is. The smelling your own farts club will be the ruin of us all.
Calcanis hasnt changed - when he was an 'entrepreneur' in the early years he scraped the web for his site and then he started calling himself an 'investor'???? Really?? The man does not have a spine or any moral compass! Thx 4 the post
"Everybody wants ta get inta da act!" —Jimmy Durante, The Great Schnozzola
I like, or should I say, I find value as a take-off point for dialogue/discussion among others your editorials. But I find little value in focusing this much cognitive energy on those that utter plain and obvious nonsense. And, like another Durante quote in the context not of jokes but of lunatics or nut jobs, "I gotta million of them" Jimmy Durante, Hollywood Party, 1934.
What I am saying is who the F cares about the idiocy of Calacanis? For me, in the context of where we are now, on 11/9/25, in the US, I know that I and others need your brains and insights and that of others about strategy. Where do we go from here? What should those in America who care about ethical behavior, about compassion and caring, about restoring this country and its resources, about steps to self-sufficiency of its citizenry and not being dependent on countries such as China, the appointed enemy of the US du jour.
For example, I noted that one of my Senators, Jeff Merkley, is the topic of today's New Republic (e.g., Jeff Merkley: authoritarianism isn't coming, it's here now." ). How many Americans have been educated about what authoritarianism is in plain language? We see major mainstream media spending hours on other topics while Rome burns; why not spend time on educating America what life was like in Franco's Spain, or focusing on Putin's murdering and plundering of other countries, like Trump is planning to do with Venezuela or even Greenland. As for Sen. Merkley, I am glad he finally woke up. I believe you and many of your readers, including me, had identified Trump as a dictator, fascist or something akin some years ago. Even Trump couldn't help confessing his plans.
WTF should be done by those who see Trump, his Administration, and the Republican Party (most of them) for what they are? What strategy should the so-called Democratic Party take, now that the latest attack from the Right is that Mamdani's election as Mayor is clear that the Left wants a communist or socialist to be their poster boy? Where is the education of the public by the mainstream media who is threatened every day by Trump- who to my thinking, is an outright fascist. Destroy the free press, attack those who are not loyal to you, do away with free speech and the right to peaceful assembly, and rip off as much personal wealth from the country you are commander-in-chief of. Bomb ships in the Caribbean and do this without approval from Congress, destroy a historical structure and replace it with a ballroom to entertain the heads of state while so much good needs to be done to fix this country.
Where the F are our balls? When the NBC correspondent was shut down by Trump attacking her with "Fake news" why doesn't all get up and walk out? Yes, Fox News and perhaps one or more others would stay, but isn't it time for all good men and women to stand up and speak up for our rights?
Why aren't the Democrats in the House and Senate, on paid recess, making $476 per day, en masse donating this money to feed constituents who are vetted to be hungry? Over the last 40 days, this amounts to $5 million.
Why is there not a TV telethon with all the glitz of sports and movie stars, and other notables there to raise money to off-set the greed of Trump and the GOP? Start off with all the Congressional Democrats writing checks for their free pay. Show the love, caring, compassion. As Wendell Berry wrote, "It All Turns On Affection." And that affection is directed to all of us, in Red states or Blue states, in the UNITED states. Let's not let a fascist POTUS destroy our great experiment.
Lastly, I wish to say that I truly value what Mike Brock writes. I simply offer an opinion from an old man who has "been here, seen that," and believes that experience can lead to further understanding, and certainly perspective.
Good article, it articulates the reason for the underlying heartache I feel when I watch/listen Allin. I always feel like Jason pulls up short of real push back. This is a good explanation, it's the choice of a person without moral courage.
You could have shorten the article a couple paragraphs, you repeat yourself a couple of times at the end.
This is so well written, thank you! I've come to instinctively detest this very same "theory" as whenever someone brings it up as part of their political analysis I immediately know it only serves them to delegitimize others' moral principles. "Doh, so you don't like that Trump is doing fascisty things? Well maybe you shouldn't have been so mean to him and call him a fascist in the first place." It's so stupid.
Before the election, when Tim Miller was talking to him, Jason admitted he had no idea who Colin Allred was. Dude lives in Texas and didn't even know who the Senate candidates were.
I wish whenever anyone talked to these guys -- Calcanis, Joe Rogan etc -- they would be asked if they voted for Ted Cruz.
Another piece resonated with me today on moral cowardice on the matter of truth versus lies.
"This is the cop-out I hate the most. The lazy negation of the idea of morality and a nuanced spectrum between good and evil. The cowardly act of renouncing responsibility, and the self-loathing tendency for people to annihilate their own agency, seeking cynicism, sarcasm, blame, resentment and grievance instead of acting, rather than choosing to trust and put any effort into hard thinking. It’s a form of gross cowardice, is intellectually bankrupt and entirely self-destructive. But this is a classic Kremlin tactic - spread confusion and ambiguity, doubt and ultimately distrust. It’s a form of digital nihilism, and its utterly corrosive. Unfortunately, the algorithms are aligned with the worst behaviours and instincts."
https://open.substack.com/pub/siliconcurtain/p/army-of-fakes
The way I’ve put it when encountering this “political science” — “There is no fucking pendulum.”
However, there is ample evidence of a "pit"...
😆
Thank you for presenting your analysis. I’m inspired to learn more concerning cyclical measures of cowardice (or may I refer to it as unresolved fear) and its scientific impact on morality v immorality. If there is more on this please share. You may be on to something here.
I think the underlying problem is that Silicon Valley is full of douchebags.
This is remarkable work, precise, fearless, and morally lucid. The way you show language becoming a shield for cowardice is masterful. Reducing cruelty to suboptimal behavior is the purest form of surrender, and you captured it with the clarity serious readers crave.
Huh. Yeah, i have an interest in a few cyclical theories, the fourth turning and the boom bust cycle of capitalism among them. But this weird little ‘cycle’ of three names and an ellipsis makes about as much sense as South Park's Underpants Gnomes.
Outside of astronomy, and our circulatory system, cycle theories are a common, lazy way out, whether they're for betting on the stock market, or on the collapse of civilizations, or (as here) on political direction. There's variation in trends, which rarely go on forever, but it is rarely akin to day-and-night nor a circle 'round the sun. There is no law of nature to bend every variety of change into cyclic form.
And my belief that history has no direction, is one of the reasons I'm not a socialist. Which I get into more deeply in the piece I'm still editing for tomorrow.
ICYMI on that same Bulwark interview, Jason tells Tim Miller about a couple domain names he’s registered: JasonForGoverner and JasonForPresident.
I watched the Bullwark interview and was blown away but the sheer stupidity of the man. It was more evidence of how delulu silicon valley is. The smelling your own farts club will be the ruin of us all.
Calcanis hasnt changed - when he was an 'entrepreneur' in the early years he scraped the web for his site and then he started calling himself an 'investor'???? Really?? The man does not have a spine or any moral compass! Thx 4 the post
"Everybody wants ta get inta da act!" —Jimmy Durante, The Great Schnozzola
I like, or should I say, I find value as a take-off point for dialogue/discussion among others your editorials. But I find little value in focusing this much cognitive energy on those that utter plain and obvious nonsense. And, like another Durante quote in the context not of jokes but of lunatics or nut jobs, "I gotta million of them" Jimmy Durante, Hollywood Party, 1934.
What I am saying is who the F cares about the idiocy of Calacanis? For me, in the context of where we are now, on 11/9/25, in the US, I know that I and others need your brains and insights and that of others about strategy. Where do we go from here? What should those in America who care about ethical behavior, about compassion and caring, about restoring this country and its resources, about steps to self-sufficiency of its citizenry and not being dependent on countries such as China, the appointed enemy of the US du jour.
For example, I noted that one of my Senators, Jeff Merkley, is the topic of today's New Republic (e.g., Jeff Merkley: authoritarianism isn't coming, it's here now." ). How many Americans have been educated about what authoritarianism is in plain language? We see major mainstream media spending hours on other topics while Rome burns; why not spend time on educating America what life was like in Franco's Spain, or focusing on Putin's murdering and plundering of other countries, like Trump is planning to do with Venezuela or even Greenland. As for Sen. Merkley, I am glad he finally woke up. I believe you and many of your readers, including me, had identified Trump as a dictator, fascist or something akin some years ago. Even Trump couldn't help confessing his plans.
WTF should be done by those who see Trump, his Administration, and the Republican Party (most of them) for what they are? What strategy should the so-called Democratic Party take, now that the latest attack from the Right is that Mamdani's election as Mayor is clear that the Left wants a communist or socialist to be their poster boy? Where is the education of the public by the mainstream media who is threatened every day by Trump- who to my thinking, is an outright fascist. Destroy the free press, attack those who are not loyal to you, do away with free speech and the right to peaceful assembly, and rip off as much personal wealth from the country you are commander-in-chief of. Bomb ships in the Caribbean and do this without approval from Congress, destroy a historical structure and replace it with a ballroom to entertain the heads of state while so much good needs to be done to fix this country.
Where the F are our balls? When the NBC correspondent was shut down by Trump attacking her with "Fake news" why doesn't all get up and walk out? Yes, Fox News and perhaps one or more others would stay, but isn't it time for all good men and women to stand up and speak up for our rights?
Why aren't the Democrats in the House and Senate, on paid recess, making $476 per day, en masse donating this money to feed constituents who are vetted to be hungry? Over the last 40 days, this amounts to $5 million.
Why is there not a TV telethon with all the glitz of sports and movie stars, and other notables there to raise money to off-set the greed of Trump and the GOP? Start off with all the Congressional Democrats writing checks for their free pay. Show the love, caring, compassion. As Wendell Berry wrote, "It All Turns On Affection." And that affection is directed to all of us, in Red states or Blue states, in the UNITED states. Let's not let a fascist POTUS destroy our great experiment.
Lastly, I wish to say that I truly value what Mike Brock writes. I simply offer an opinion from an old man who has "been here, seen that," and believes that experience can lead to further understanding, and certainly perspective.
Good article, it articulates the reason for the underlying heartache I feel when I watch/listen Allin. I always feel like Jason pulls up short of real push back. This is a good explanation, it's the choice of a person without moral courage.
You could have shorten the article a couple paragraphs, you repeat yourself a couple of times at the end.
This is so well written, thank you! I've come to instinctively detest this very same "theory" as whenever someone brings it up as part of their political analysis I immediately know it only serves them to delegitimize others' moral principles. "Doh, so you don't like that Trump is doing fascisty things? Well maybe you shouldn't have been so mean to him and call him a fascist in the first place." It's so stupid.
Before the election, when Tim Miller was talking to him, Jason admitted he had no idea who Colin Allred was. Dude lives in Texas and didn't even know who the Senate candidates were.
I wish whenever anyone talked to these guys -- Calcanis, Joe Rogan etc -- they would be asked if they voted for Ted Cruz.