Heroin liberals and cocaine conservatives
Democratic politics proper—the contest for sovereign power by organizations or individuals with massive support, decided by counting heads—is basically dead. In the present American regime, politicians, pro-regime or anti-regime, are only granted a small trickle of discretionary power which is constrained more and more every year—making the election more and more farcical. Once this power reaches zero, and the politicians are as symbolic as the old hereditary monarchs, the evolution is over. The state has become a pure, naked oligarchy, governed by “independent” institutions. (“Independent,” in this context, means “unaccountable”—protected from elections.) But just because democratic politics isn’t real—or, cleverly, is just barely real—doesn’t mean the show can’t go on. Like: if it was real, would you have to raise money for it? The story is its own thing. The story can go on for ever, like a soap opera. The purpose of raising money is to pretend you are real—ideally, to become real.
Heroin liberals and cocaine conservatives "The difference between conservatism and cocaine is that you can OD on cocaine." Jan 07, 2024 393 49 Share Political orientations in present America are best regarded as fundraising narratives. Democratic politics proper—the contest for sovereign power by organizations or individuals with massive support, decided by counting heads—is basically dead. In the present American regime, politicians, pro-regime or anti-regime, are only granted a small trickle of discretionary power which is constrained more and more every year—making the election more and mor
saved by
related reading
- Think Tanks Have Defeated Democracypalladiummag.com
- Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid - The Atlantictheatlantic.com
- A real path to grand politicsgraymirror.substack.com
- modern malaiseava.substack.com
- The rise of the abundance factionhypertextjournal.substack.com
- Liberals Don't Understand Conservatives & It's Why They Can't Fight Backbenwheeler.substack.com
- The Birth of the New American Aristocracy - The Atlantictheatlantic.com
- Do not conquer what you cannot defend — LessWronglesswrong.com
- Against lists of bookssamkriss.substack.com
- Who Really Runs America? - The Atlantictheatlantic.com
- Donald Trump Is an Opioid for the Masses, But He Can't Solve America's Growing Social-Cultural Crisistheatlantic.com
- A brief explanation of the cathedralgraymirror.substack.com