First things first: I didn't read Durant to encourage others to read Durant. I read Durant because it's easier to get ahold of than Toynbee, who is responsible for one of my favorite quotes: Civilizations die from suicide, not from murder. Devac was insane enough to follow me up the mountain but it has to stop now. Second thing: This was a self-exploratory venture through geopolitics. It ended up being a largely rationalist venture but the rationalists are the hardest to argue with. They are the geopolitical equivalent of "reversion to the mean." If I read twenty books and came up with a rationalist point of view, odds are good that if you read the same 20 books you would end up with the same rationalist view. Really, our discussion was "read the following ten thousand pages of prose and see if you can agree with my viewpoint." You'd have come around through sheer fatigue. Doesn't mean I'm right. I think fundamentally, you're lawful good while I'm chaotic good. I vote Blue Team because they're the lesser of two evils; for lots of people (I'm guessing yourself included) "lesser of two evils" is fightin' words. I'd definitely have voted for Hillary Clinton all over again but not because she was the lesser of two evils. I think she would have done a reasonably good job... from a globalist, center-right point of view. I would much rather have had Bernie Sanders' platform in place but I remain unconvinced that Bernie Sanders would have been as good an administrator. Carter came from a place of good and I think we can both agree he made a bit of a cockup of the place. An argument for the lesser evil: every time you tug the rope a little closer to you, you're further from the fringe. But you have to grab the rope. The Democratic Socialists of America would have been a joke in the '80s - shit they would have been a joke in the '00s. Yet here we are. I would like to vote Green but at a national or even state level, I don't see it as a tenable choice. Craven pragmatism, that's me. If I could make a suggestion? You've earned a break. Join me. Just yesterday, Friedman & Co recommended Judt.
Not happening. I didn't make it to base camp just to take a selfie and go home. Seems like a fair estimation. I am a literal bleeding heart choirboy. I completely agree with this estimation, which is why I couldn't vote for her. I don't want a globalist center-right perspective pushed or endorsed. When you vote in the US it's not like the UN where I get to say 'Yes, with rights' and explain how my support of a candidate or idea is tentative and subject to immediate revocation if certain terms and conditions are not met. A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote in positive, unmitigated support of the Democratic Party and all it stands for. I do not give the blue team my positive, unmitigated support. He wouldn't have been as good an administrator and his term would have been full of stumbling blocks and unfulfilled idealism. He likely would not have won a second term, if he lived long enough to run. Still better than either of the alternatives. Evidently a lot of folks felt the same way, so here we are in the darker, stupider timeline. I don't think so. The world doesn't take breaks and I have too much enforced downtime as it is. One day maybe my stack of books will be high enough to see over the fence into the promised land. it has to stop now.
I think fundamentally, you're lawful good while I'm chaotic good.
I think she would have done a reasonably good job... from a globalist, center-right point of view.
I remain unconvinced that Bernie Sanders would have been as good an administrator.
You've earned a break.
We're not very far apart in one ways but in others we're leagues away. I voted for Bernie in the primaries and would have given him my full-throated support had his journey continued. Quixotic or no, shitty administrator or no, I would have continued to give him money for as long as there were ads to buy. However, the idea that "A vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote in positive, unmitigated support of the Democratic Party and all it stands for" strikes me as purest insanity. If someone says "which do you prefer, diarrhea or vomiting" I'ma go with diarrhea. Doesn't mean I'm endorsing diarrhea. Means I'd rather sit on the crapper for hours than hug it for same. Clearly, "a day at the spa" beats both choices but I recognize that if you do not choose, you are allowing others to choose for you. The last time I voted in person, I wandered into the church and a nice guy in his '40s struck up a conversation with me. Within about five minutes he flat out asked me who he should vote for. He was doing his civic duty, but he felt completely in the dark about his options (it was a state-level election, as I recall). I did my civic duty: I gave him the pros and cons of every choice and let him make up his mind. He resented me for it. I think that guy has become my democratic exemplar. THESE guys are voting and they are often voting based on color. If you know what's going on, you owe it to future generations to make an informed choice because stupid can't be allowed to win. "Grandpa, how did Jamaica get nuked? Didn't you guys know not to let Trump win?" "Sorry, sweetie, but I voted Jill Stein because principle, shame about those Jamaicans." A darker, stupider timeline indeed... your words, not mine. When I say "break" I mean "something easy and fun to read." Think of the Century Trilogy as a well-written dramatization of the past 100 years of world history.
We've been down this road before. I'd care not tread down it again unless you think that there is some possible meeting of minds that I can't foresee. You believe that I'm crazy, I believe you are being strong-armed/held hostage by the lack of non-shitty candidates. And we just established that big decisions aren't settled by democratic processes anyway. To re-use a phrase Bombs will fall or they won't, either way, I'm not a part of the process. Show me an anti-war candidate, they will get everything I can afford to give them and then some. I haven't seen one in my lifetime. Bernie was the closest I think we are likely to get for a few boot-cycles. I have no taste for crumpets at the moment. There is enough drama in the present day. Saved your link for a later time though.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-25/cambridge-analytica-s-promotion-of-discontent-tied-to-bannonYou believe that I'm crazy, I believe you are being strong-armed/held hostage by the lack of non-shitty candidates.
Bannon said he wanted to use Cambridge Analytica to discourage specific groups of people from voting, including those likely to vote for Democrats, Wylie told lawmakers, according to the partial transcript released on Wednesday.
A Study of History is on archive.org. You probably found it yourself, but I'm leaving the link anyway. You made a compelling argument for Durant in your review and I didn't see it as advertising or trying to gather a following or whatever. It looked like the kind of overview of history and ethnology (among other disciplines) that I'd enjoy and, after passing the middle-point of the series, it's still the case. Also, I track all of my projects and the more ambitious and massive they are, the greater the chance I'll complete them. Same goes for almost all of my studies: I'm half-convinced that I'd drop out three semesters ago if I couldn't take graduate level courses. Grit >> boredom. Dunno if it makes me insane, tho.Devac was insane enough to follow me up the mountain but it has to stop now.