Once again you nailed it--stuck the landing! Thank you again for your thinking: It shouldn’t be a surprise that these two wealthy, white men who have felt threatened by so-called “wokeness” want to join forces and attack it. Yep. I have always been unable to trust Maher. At my age I have met enough types that I have an instinct for someone who’s an opportunist blowing smoke. I am right to not waste my time with Maher. Your writing on the other hand is worth my time. Thanks again
Thanks for your important work and thanks for the book. I read it as soon as it came out. It’s so important to keep pointing out that the “power structure” is so connected. Big corporations, their corporate media, wealthy individuals, Republican politicians and a good number of Democrats too. Their goal is to preserve and protect the rigged economy that keeps them in power and living in the lap of luxury. They will all push back vigorously on any challenge to their privileged position. They feel their wealth will insulate them from the ravages of the Climate Crisis that threatens the habitability of the very planet we live on. As much as I try to sustain hope it is very hard to see how this ends well. My feeling is things have to get much worse before they get any better. 🌎🔥
You are very, very welcome sir! And keep those books coming! As for Maher, if I had not quit him years ago because his I’m-so-much-more-intelligent-than-you shtick wore really thin, giving Musk a platform in the first place would have been a bridge way too far.
Great article. I’ve been wanting to hear this commentary about Maher for years now. Thanks for using your platform to help inform people about this gaslighting.
Keep up the good work and I’ll promote your work to others!
Until recently, I appreciated Bill Maher, despite not agreeing with some of his positions. He sure seems to have taken a new tone under new management, Discovery and its Libertarian leanings. Whitewashing Elon’s bad behavior and uncritically giving him a platform is unacceptable in this dangerous moment. As such, seems to me Maher is just another cog in this ugly machine barreling us towards autocracy.
Respectfully, I disagree on some of the other points here. Meritocracy is never achieved, it is a goal, a noble one that liberal systems in principle strive towards. But liberal systems are not perfectly fair, not by a long shot, and ours is very much corrupted today. Thats why its an American dream, a myth, and not an American reality. But as deeply imperfect and as corrupted as our liberalism is, it is so much better than the alternatives. Please never forget. We have a Golden Goose, even if it is not even close to living up to its legend.
Jared, this is the best thing I've read in a very long time. I look forward to reading The Midnight Kingdom. And I am so glad to make your online acquaintance.
It's funny! Bill Maher compliance that it's not him who has changed it's "the left" that has. He tells us in plain language exactly what you are saying. He has not changed! He goes where the ratings are. With Democrats and the White House and in marginal control of the Senate it stands to reason he has to go after liberals. What bothers me is he knows and once in a great while we'll mention that the problems on the right are so much heavier and actually evil. The threat of authoritarianism. He brags that he predicted that Donald Trump wouldn't leave the white house. I always really admired him for his sharp observations. He's a very smart guy. But he spends so much time attacking what to me seems like such a little problem in comparison to the authoritarian take over that is occurring. What a waste of valuable platform. Maybe I'm naive about the degree to which cancel culture on the left is occurring. But it certainly is easily matched on the right but with the power of the state behind it. You can't get more cancel culture than Ron DeSantis using everything he's got to silence detractors. Look at the lengths to which he's going to do so. And then just imagine that on a scale 1000 times worse. If Bill Maher would just put his attention to where the dangers are rather than beside tracked by what I consider to be minor issues. I'm not saying free speech on campus is a minor issue but it's canceled out. I guess that's my point and then you have authoritarianism and fascism on the right which has no equal on the left
Once again you nailed it--stuck the landing! Thank you again for your thinking: It shouldn’t be a surprise that these two wealthy, white men who have felt threatened by so-called “wokeness” want to join forces and attack it. Yep. I have always been unable to trust Maher. At my age I have met enough types that I have an instinct for someone who’s an opportunist blowing smoke. I am right to not waste my time with Maher. Your writing on the other hand is worth my time. Thanks again
Thanks for your important work and thanks for the book. I read it as soon as it came out. It’s so important to keep pointing out that the “power structure” is so connected. Big corporations, their corporate media, wealthy individuals, Republican politicians and a good number of Democrats too. Their goal is to preserve and protect the rigged economy that keeps them in power and living in the lap of luxury. They will all push back vigorously on any challenge to their privileged position. They feel their wealth will insulate them from the ravages of the Climate Crisis that threatens the habitability of the very planet we live on. As much as I try to sustain hope it is very hard to see how this ends well. My feeling is things have to get much worse before they get any better. 🌎🔥
You are very, very welcome sir! And keep those books coming! As for Maher, if I had not quit him years ago because his I’m-so-much-more-intelligent-than-you shtick wore really thin, giving Musk a platform in the first place would have been a bridge way too far.
Great article. I’ve been wanting to hear this commentary about Maher for years now. Thanks for using your platform to help inform people about this gaslighting.
Keep up the good work and I’ll promote your work to others!
Thanks for another thoughtful piece.
Until recently, I appreciated Bill Maher, despite not agreeing with some of his positions. He sure seems to have taken a new tone under new management, Discovery and its Libertarian leanings. Whitewashing Elon’s bad behavior and uncritically giving him a platform is unacceptable in this dangerous moment. As such, seems to me Maher is just another cog in this ugly machine barreling us towards autocracy.
Respectfully, I disagree on some of the other points here. Meritocracy is never achieved, it is a goal, a noble one that liberal systems in principle strive towards. But liberal systems are not perfectly fair, not by a long shot, and ours is very much corrupted today. Thats why its an American dream, a myth, and not an American reality. But as deeply imperfect and as corrupted as our liberalism is, it is so much better than the alternatives. Please never forget. We have a Golden Goose, even if it is not even close to living up to its legend.
Hell, if we're "revolutionaries" now, let's just cut to the part with the tumbrels and pitchforks.
In my experience, the circle of rich, hypocritical, sociopathic "liberals" is quite small. YMMV.
Jared, this is the best thing I've read in a very long time. I look forward to reading The Midnight Kingdom. And I am so glad to make your online acquaintance.
Thank you.
It's funny! Bill Maher compliance that it's not him who has changed it's "the left" that has. He tells us in plain language exactly what you are saying. He has not changed! He goes where the ratings are. With Democrats and the White House and in marginal control of the Senate it stands to reason he has to go after liberals. What bothers me is he knows and once in a great while we'll mention that the problems on the right are so much heavier and actually evil. The threat of authoritarianism. He brags that he predicted that Donald Trump wouldn't leave the white house. I always really admired him for his sharp observations. He's a very smart guy. But he spends so much time attacking what to me seems like such a little problem in comparison to the authoritarian take over that is occurring. What a waste of valuable platform. Maybe I'm naive about the degree to which cancel culture on the left is occurring. But it certainly is easily matched on the right but with the power of the state behind it. You can't get more cancel culture than Ron DeSantis using everything he's got to silence detractors. Look at the lengths to which he's going to do so. And then just imagine that on a scale 1000 times worse. If Bill Maher would just put his attention to where the dangers are rather than beside tracked by what I consider to be minor issues. I'm not saying free speech on campus is a minor issue but it's canceled out. I guess that's my point and then you have authoritarianism and fascism on the right which has no equal on the left