i used to believe in the Loch Ness Monster, in sasquatches and chupacabra, in Republican congresspeople.
do we believe this "unitary executive" wouldn't abuse NSA's capabilities to routinely spy on domestic enemies? what constraints would prevent or even mildly discourage even the most plainly illegal surveillance?
a "unitary executive" is an untrustworthy executive. how are we expected to be candid on our tax returns if the IRS can't offer confidentiality? https://masto.ai/@unusual_whales/114021367350443443
they claim what they do is theater, but in fact it is only theater theater.
in hell we'll all enjoy the irony.
Screenshot of Bari Weiss tweet. Bari Weiss, whose career has been spent mocking and deriding anything that might be excess of civilized impulse and who took enthusiastic part in the intellectual currents that elevates Trump says "No." in a tweet to Trump's Napoleonic-ish fascistic "He who saves his country does not violate any Law."
if the US shirks on flu surveillance and annual flu vaccines, for the rest of the world, are there alternative providers?
“This is arguably the most important week in European history since 1991 or even 1945. It is conceivable that the NATO alliance is breaking down in front of our eyes“ #PhillipsPOBrien https://open.substack.com/pub/phillipspobrien/p/weekend-update120-the-us-changes
evangelicals tied themself into pretzels about God and his imperfect instruments to embrace Trump. you'd think reconciling themself to Musk, with his transhumanist polymaternal marriage-less natalism, would be a especial challenge. but for now, there's no evidence they're having a hard time of it.
"TSMC and Intel rumors stoke Taiwanese fears of losing its 'Silicon Shield'" https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/tsmc-and-intel-rumors-stoke-taiwanese-fears-of-losing-the-silicon-shield
"TSMC and Intel rumors stoke Taiwanese fears of losing its 'Silicon Shield'" https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/tsmc-and-intel-rumors-stoke-taiwanese-fears-of-losing-the-silicon-shield
people on the tech right conflate capacity and propensity to destroy with human agency.
every centimillionaire is a policy failure.
You've read your last free article.
Once you start thinking about growth, it’s hard to think about anything else, and then your monomaniacal focus on a measure that counts market power as human welfare undermines democracy and becomes handmaiden and apology for fascism.
“i just want you all to know that i take great pride in my humility.”
“we have, and would normally want to have, some immunity shielding government officials from liability for doing their jobs, if we are going to leave them sufficiently free to do their jobs. But here no one in DOGE actually had a job that would have entitled them to do what they have done.” @cathygellis https://www.techdirt.com/2025/02/14/no-personal-liability-for-doge-yet-but-with-two-more-lawsuits-we-get-closer/ ht @glynmoody
isn’t the “unitary executive” just respectable Yarvinism?
it’s certainly contrary to a Constitution under which Congress structures, funds, and co-hires offices of the Executive Branch.
( interfluidity office hours in 10 mins, on the half hour, if anybody wants to drop by https://www.interfluidity.com/office-hours/ )
claude.ai just asked me to explain something. "Would you help me understand where I went wrong in my thinking about the Secondary Income credit entry?"
so i did, at least i explained how i think about it.
claude.ai "worked through" my explanation, then responded "Thank you for this clarification - it's a much more logical way to approach the problem!"
will claude.ai in any sense "remember" my explanation? have i meaningfully taught it anything?
say what you will about the man, but he had it right. he grabbed Congress by the pussies and they just let him do it.