By the way, the owner of one of the pairs of UGGs is a kid whose family has lived in the radius of 5 miles around here for a crazy number of generations, running a family business that is a local landmark. Imagine how extraordinarily stupid I’d have to be to claim that I’m as American as they are.
High Trust
At a local trampoline park filled with people of all ages, I left all our coats and shoes, including two pairs of UGGs, a pair of Michael Kors sneakers, and a leather jacket, unattended in complete certainty that nobody would take them. A young dad left his laptop and walked over to the basketball hoops from where the laptop isn’t visible. There are two unattended Stanley cups whose owners are certain they’ll be there when they come back.
It’s not abnormal or immoral to want to live like this.
A Propositional Nation
Here’s a question to ponder. We’ve been hearing a lot from the leaders of both political parties that America is based on a set of beliefs, and anybody who shares them is automatically American.
But how do we know anybody’s beliefs? Because they say so? Words are cheap.
Also, what do we do in cases like Zohran Mamdani who gets elected to a position of great power and immediately declares that he’s against American principles and wants the opposite ones?
When words become more important than reality, the results are always bad. Propositional or credal mean “based on words.” A propositional nation means no nation.
Come to Nothing
Who else thinks that these revelations of fraud will come to absolutely nothing whatsoever?
I don’t want to be cynical but what is the solution? Dragging screaming, tearful black women in hijabs away from their nine kids? Having that be the news story for months? And then what? Even if several of the fraudsters go on trial, what prevents an army of new ones replacing them? Nobody is getting deported, that’s all a fantasy. We couldn’t deport Kilmar Abrego García who is illegal, and these are all citizens. So then what? Even taxing remittances has not been passed and there seem to be no plans to do it.
And what’s the motivation to do anything? Voters will move on from this story to some imaginary war on Venezuela (if they are on the right) or war on Denmark (if they are on the left).
You should see the procedure I go through to expend state funds on buying printer paper for my department. We keep the paper under lock and key. There’s pre-order accountability and post-order accountability. I know everything that was bought with department money in the past 6 years, and I can guarantee that no state funds were wasted or misappropriated. I’m an honest person, and the recent revelations of mass fraud didn’t tempt me to start stealing. But now whenever I file a request to buy a package of printer paper in the amount of $6.55, I’ll feel stupid. And cynical. That’s the only effect of this debacle. To make honest people cynical and disappointed in the very concept of a country as a meaningful category of engaging with reality.
Rugged
All day I’ve felt like absolute donkey’s vomit. I had no alcohol yesterday, ate very sparingly, and engaged in no excesses. The only explanation for feeling like the world has wiped its rugged butt with me today is that I caught a virus. Which is extremely bad timing as I have tons to do in the next few days.
Thank you to the person who recommended the book about Matthew Shepard in the anonymous comments. I’ve been listening to it and it’s kept me very entertained on the day when I’m utterly useless. Great book, mega shocking.
Looking for the Positive
Is it humanly possible to be any more gay than Mamdani?
His gayness is the only endearing thing about him, which is why I bring it up.
New Year’s Surprise
White Rex is alive:
Maybe there’s hope for Russian nationalism after all.
It’s a great way to start the year. I hope everybody is celebrating their hearts out today.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
No Reset for the Owls
When school is in session, I get up at 5:45 am. To make that possible, I’m in bed by 9:30 pm. And it’s fine.
But the moment school closes, I’m blissfully back to my natural state of going to bed by 1am and getting up by 9. My mental health experiences paroxysms of delight when that happens.
You can’t change us, fuckers. So don’t even try.
Anti-white
At least somebody gets it:
The whole idea of the “Global South” which is incongruously led by Russia is about this form of ethnic resentment. Why Russians decided to turn non-white is completely beyond me but there you have it.
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