first they came for the gang members, or for anyone who looked like gang members, and that actually seemed like a good idea. then they came for the price gougers, and, well, okay. but then they came for… https://apnews.com/article/bukele-salvador-crackdown-price-gouging-7e99374c444a81a4009ec09d94857d25 ht #GeorgeSelgin

yeah. you see, it’s all about “little tech”. that’s what they are for. free enterprise. they want to reign in big tech at least as much as the other guys. https://x.com/_richardhall/status/1814637134713639253

there’s no one less trustworthy than an anonymous insider.

“The broligarchs have made their move – and the rest of us need to understand exactly what that means.” #CaroleCadwalladr https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/20/tech-broligarchs-court-trump-vance-elon-musk-peter-thiel

“I am not a tech genius but it does seem like being able to update every single computer globally simultaneously is its own security flaw.” @Atrios https://www.eschatonblog.com/2024/07/seems-bad_01777332301.html

This post falls short of our editorial standards.

hell is misepistemology.

Donald Trump is what the singularity looks like. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/19/opinion/vance-tech-alliance.html

[new draft post] Trump v. United States: Greatest Hits https://drafts.interfluidity.com/2024/07/19/trump-v-united-states-greatest-hits/index.html

There's a version of "institutionalist" that is not remotely interested in defending anything about the substantive character of our institutions, but which simply triangulates itself, always, to the center of whatever the institutions of the moment happen to be, whether they are wonderful or abhorrent, no matter how they come to evolve, or to devolve.

“it only seems fair to point out that the only major surge in crime in 40 years occurred while Trump was in the White House.” @radleybalko https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-ted-cruzs-fearmongering-rnc-105151488.html

"no tax on tips" plus the supreme court's recent legalization of gratuities promises an exciting new revenue stream for almost everyone in a position of influence.

the freak show we just watched represents itself as america. but it is not america.

"'The Vibes' are no more and no less than a given political elite’s theory of public opinion. This theory provides some information about public opinion, when the political elite is not completely disconnected from it. It usually provides much more information about the beliefs and ideology of the relevant political elite" @henryfarrell https://www.programmablemutter.com/p/what-should-we-do-with-vibes-based via @ryanlcooper

who knew Bukele’s untried indefinite detainees were detained on America’s streets. shocking!

you learn something new every convention speech, i guess.

this convention is hosted in Stepford, Connecticut, right?

The SAVE plan would be, should be, a remarkable restructuring of higher-ed finance—not about remedying the catastrophe of past lending-based finance but ensuring that going forward, college is always affordable and cost negotiations would be between colleges and the Federal govt, rather than on the back of 18 year olds.

A court just blocked it, in a case with standing so thin it should never have passed go. I guess we have to place our hopes with, um, the Supreme Court? https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-appeals-court-blocks-all-biden-student-debt-relief-plan-2024-07-18/

in their early years, they asked us all to trust them, they were the good guys — “don’t be evil” was their mission! — they only make money when the web grows richer and deeper, they said.

trust us, they said, but they soon proved there is no trust they won’t violate if the P&L doesn’t pencil, even at the most trivial scales, or if some strategic brainstorm has them prefering we gravitate towards a next big thing. cf @danilo https://hachyderm.io/@danilo/112809807306890936

"campaigns are not where realignments happen, they are only where promises are made." #MatthewStoller writes on JD Vance https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/can-jd-vances-populist-crusade-succeed ht @DetroitDan

"For of all the reasons Donald Trump chose J.D. Vance to be his running mate, the one that stands out the clearest is this: Vance came complete with the biggest dowry in human history." #HaroldMeyerson https://prospect.org/politics/2024-07-18-would-jd-vance-join-uaw-picket-line-tesla/