Links from Readers

Reader S sent this link to a Tableau visualization of all of the (known) people disappeared by ICE. There are 245 at last count.

Somewhat related to that, and not from a reader, is Atrios’ point that immigration polls ask questions in a way designed to illicit a “yes” on the core immigration question (should we deport illegals), but when you drill in, people still believe in due process.

Reader Gloria DryGarden is our Facebook monitor and she sends a piece that is actually a good summary of the whole Musk DOGE scam:

❝

If you're a little confused about what Musk is trying to achieve with DOGE, here's the breakdown:

Elon Musk and Peter Thiel cofounded a company that became PayPal.

Other executives at PayPal went on to found or lead other huge tech companies including YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Affirm, and many VC firms.

This group became known as the PayPal mafia because they exerted an outsized influence on Silicon Valley.

Peter Thiel mentored a young JD Vance and helped him get set up in his first VC firm.

Peter Thiel and the PayPal mafia funded JD Vance's successful Senate run. Amazing because he had absolutely zero political experience.

Thiel and Musk all but forced Trump to choose JD Vance as VP in exchange for funding his presidential campaign.

The three of them, plus a lot of other tech billionaires subscribe to an ideology called the Dark Enlightenment espoused by this super weird, creepy dude: Curtis Yarvin aka Mencius Moldbug.

Yarvin preaches that the media and academia represent "The Cathedral" that secretly controls power and must be dismantled.

He advocates for a corporate run, monarchy, led by a CEO-Dictator.

Says that Democracy is an "outdated software" and openly opposes it and that:

- Government agencies should be dismantled and The U.S. should be broken up into "patchworks" controlled by tech oligarchs.

- That the elite tech billionaires should rule because they have the intelligence to "fix" society

- That the "masses are asses" too dumb to govern themselves.

The strategy is to gut the government via R.A.G.E - Retire All Govt Employees to make government incapable of operating.

Then to replace government with private corporations.

To eliminate elections because they are "obsolete"

To use distraction and chaos to prevent public resistance.

Trump is their useful tool to be disposed of as soon as they can wrest control.

This is why Elon wears a black MAGA hat. They are not Trump supporters, they are "Dark MAGA"

This isn't a hypothetical. The plan is already in motion:

- Musk, Thiel, and their network are actively dismantling democratic institutions.

- JD Vance, the “MAGA heir,” is being positioned to help implement this transition.

- The public is too distracted to realize what’s happening.

- If successful, democracy in America will be permanently replaced by a corporate-run authoritarian state.

David Vandygriff, Founder of Jax Magazine

I hope that it’s not all right-wing propaganda on Meta.

Thanks for sending links, commenting, reading and subscribing!

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Scott H1 year ago

And yet, a crapton of entitled, white professionals who are self-professed progressives push Theil-financed, Reaganomic crap on a daily basis. Peel away a layer and they're the same people that say public education is good "in theory" (and make damn sure their kids go to all-white schools when the time comes) and are always looking for ways to toss organized labor under the bus without actually saying that.

Such behavior has been on display for years at another blog from the front page on down.

But don't push back because you'll be considered "toxic" or a "purity pony".

I think that's one reason why we see such a mishmash of Dem reactions, particularly at the top, in these times. The Party is being pulled in divergent directions and as I've said before, sometimes it's easier dealing with a Klansman than a neoliberal, Totebagger Radio listener/Atlantic reader/Ezra Klein podcast listener.

John S.1 year ago

The current battle lines are drawn very clearly. On one side, you have the status quo institutionalists like Schumer who are more concerned about their donors than their constituents. On the other side, you have reformers who want to shake things up and recognize that corporate money is the problem, not the solution.

The long simmering battle between the rich and the poor is now out in the open.

mister mixAuthor1 year ago

Apparently Ezra Klein and John Stewart had a podcast where they spent time complaining about the red tape in the rural broadband initiative. Yeah, there's red tape because it's a $32 billion initiative that will involve private contractors and state priorities. That shit doesn't happen overnight, and it's messy. And, yes, it probably could have been done better. But the notion that these two dummies have anything constructive to say about how we could do that better is beyond laughable.

Scott H1 year ago

Klein is nothing but a degulatory, neoliberal, again, entitled white professional that I rail against all the time. The connection people like him have to the massive wealth accumulation in this country is telling.

So, what he says is entirely predictable.

Also too, the second largest Dem donor via Open Philanthropy, has thrown about $120m into groups peddling the crap Little Ezra is so busy promoting lately. Wanna see how entrenched they are with top leadership? https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/13/open-philanthropy-funding-ai-policy-00121362

Tam R1 year ago

I didn’t hear that particular discussion but I have heard Ezra talk about this and unfortunately we are going to have to figure this out because it’s very hard to campaign on look at all these great, life improving things we have done for you that you won’t be able to benefit from anytime soon. We also need to figure out housing because ithe inability of municipalities with Democratic leaders to go against their wealthy constituents to change the zoning laws so affordable housing is even possible is killing us.

Sepideh M1 year ago

The way school funding works off of property tax is very broken, and the way things like https://www.greatschools.org are scoring schools is bad. The scores correspond with things like race and socioeconomic status of the kids.

John S.1 year ago

All the main social media platforms have turned into rightwing propaganda mills. It’s a combination of endless MAGA content and algorithms which prioritize their puke to go into the funnel that is aimed at users.

TBone Dinosaur1 year ago

BLECH!

Gloria DryGarden 1 year ago

You may be right,but I don't see it, on my Facebook. Most of my friends there are Anti racist, anti maga, progressive, pro LGBT+ folks. I keep a few "friends" to see what the other side thinks. It's good to know, and I don't give them much attention unless to call bullshit. While I understand it's not private, but is data mined, it's also a place we exchange good articles and rage about the current situation, and info about community events, people we know. But I've curated it pretty carefully. If I go to a strangers page, like I did w Brian Tyler Cohen, sure, there are jerks who flame and are mean, and judgemental and attacking, makes folks in a certain blog seem tame. Cohen changed his time in his posts, which was what I wanted, so I assume his team saw my comment. So it worked. Sometimes it's the only place I can find certain groups.

Gloria DryGarden 1 year ago

Auto predict fix. Changed his tone.

TBone Dinosaur1 year ago

In addition, the cooy of the Declaration of Independence that now hangs in the Oval Office has black funerary drapes "protecting it from sunlight" because Dotard thinks it is real? Nope, not buying that dipshittery! The black draperies are hung there covering it up because it's inspirational for DARK MAGA.

TBone Dinosaur1 year ago

Copy aaarggh I hate typos, sorry!

https://apnews.com/article/trump-declaration-of-independence-oval-office-5b9b9a07ac61ab303d77bcb4f6f252e5

TBone Dinosaur1 year ago

Says dark blue but tgey appear black to me.

mister mixAuthor1 year ago

They like the Declaration of Independence and the Don't Tread on Me flags and all the other trappings of the revolution because they are revolutionaries in their little fantasies. Not as much interest in the Constitution, except to treat it the way a tent revival evangelist treats the Bible: something to interpret to justify whatever they want to do.

TBone Dinosaur1 year ago

Jim Clyburn weighs in:

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3llomsg2ahc2m

Hi Miss Gloria whenever you get here!

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