Oliver Bateman Does the WorkVerified account

One of the best rejoinders to my jet-black pessimism regarding the motives of our public servants intellectuals is something like, "well of course we know they are self-interested rent seekers but..." What? You like them? You think they won't take a job like that amazon flunky?

Kids, every single person in DC or adjacent to it wants the Jay Carney job and would take it in a heartbeat, just like everybody wants to play for the Yankees, Real Madrid, Manchester United, etc. That's just how it works. That's why they're "leaning into China" as the future

I would, too. Believe me, throw the high or even mid six figures at me and I'll defend whatever you want defended, in the prettiest of prose, because I have a family to take care of. And that's the tea!

Even if America isn't finished, the power players realize it isn't especially necessary. What good is the world's consumption black hole when 40% of its service economy worker bees have been laid off from the hive? Who will buy the trinkets now? Time for a new hustle, kids!

I don't player hate, kids -- I player appreciate. And I appreciate how we kids have gotten played. I have no solutions except localism and retrenchment: a chastened, divided, inconsequential US of A, making more and doing less. Is that ideal? Who knows! Prob won't happen, either

And literally every power player is to blame, in that it is a human scale tragedy and human nature is always and everywhere "it's you or me, and I want it to be me"