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Litigiousness goes with trumpcore aesthetic like PB&J. Though US as a whole has a rep for litigiousness, it is not a randomly distributed trait. I think it’s a Jacksonian-America trait. The language points to a subculture: “So sue me” “See you in court” “It’s perfectly legal”
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Perhaps the clearest example of it is sovereign citizen conspiracy theories, ideas that income tax is illegal, etc. My theory is that these are self-soothing tales of agency poor white males began telling themselves in the 1830s after getting a taste of power under Jackson.
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You grasp at legalistic notions of agency when you’re admitted into society under the letter of the law but not the spirit. When you’re granted frustrating access to the nominal power but denied access to the inner rings. Trump has that same feeling at a fractally higher level.
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Basically, starting in 1830s a *national* class emerged in the US whose identity was built around suing richer whites and punching down at still-disenfranchised blacks and browns. A superset of poor-white post-civil war southerner.
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Before Sling crashed, token Republican on CNN was arguing that the biggest outcome is rejection of far left. I kinda agree. If it had been Bernie on the ballot with AOC cheerleading, Trump would likely have won in a landslide. This is a major bourgeoisie warning shot across bows.
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While I’m sympathetic to some far-left policy priorities, Bernieverse vastly underestimates how much bourgeois middle values stability, even if short of law-and-order dogwhistles. This is the 800lb fascist-lite egregorilla++ we’re talking about. It includes Biden’s core.
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Even in countries that are not paranoid about communism, it takes a lot of oppression of a lot more people over a long time to truly activate a far-left movement. I grew up near the Maoist Naxalite belt in India. The cartoon antifa Fox agonizes about is a cute joke by comparison.
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Replying to
Several people have brought up minimum wage as proof of far left policy support. No it’s support for more money for yourself when you make very little. I can’t think of a litmus test policy that would reliably gauge sympathy level for real socialism. Which I think is really low
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Don’t agree with this, but linking it in to think about more in my later lessons learned analysis
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Replying to @ArchivesBoy and @vgr
The left right spectrum isn’t the issue. People jump all over for the right candidate. Messaging is the problem. Run a candidate that rejects establishment dems, supports a minimum standard of living, and acknowledges problems with big gov—they’ll do fine.
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This too. Don’t agree but interesting to think about. I think imagination *is* among the concerns to cater to. People vote for an overall emergent story, not a spectrum-auction bundle of policies.
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Replying to @Stephen_Corwin @ArchivesBoy and @vgr
Also, cater to people concerns, not their imaginations.
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This is an example of another anomalous feature of this election despite surface normalcy. Everybody is armed to the teeth including a ton of Democrats who are buying guns for first time. Best case: lots of used guns for sale after a peaceful transition.
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I did a thread on an outsider view of American gun culture in June when this arming of the populace was ramping up.
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So... thinking more about this mall-ninja white house syndrome in the context of American gun culture overall... some more thoughts on the role of guns in situations like this. twitter.com/vgr/status/126…
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Guns are exhibit A in why you must cater to imaginations not just needs. If you don’t, a dark imagination takes over. The narrative imagination abhors a vacuum. In America it also shoots at it. And sometimes the void shoots back.
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CNN says Biden team being super cautious and disciplined in firmly not gloating about either Trump or his supporters, or taking any bait. The afternoon statement signaled a clear intent to be beaker in chief and woo away non-core trump voters if he wins.
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I don’t think the mainstream media or social media is going to be that restrained or forgiving if Biden wins. Jake Tapper already described Trump’s litigation endgame as “flailing.” Otoh if Trump squeaks through — still a slim possibility, his holy rage will be unstoppable.
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Worth thinking this through since it’s so close. If he does win I think Trump will go Old Testament on everyone who is now abandoning him. Mitch on down. Revenge on traitors will be first priority of second term. Both GOP and Fox will be tortured for doubting him.
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Everyone’s written him off, but he’s definitely not done. Statistical weird luck and/or strange legal events could still hand this to him. If he wins I think after revenge, his second biggest priority will be destroying Obamacare as his legacy. Scorched earth.
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Yep, Trump is still very much in this game. His early switch to litigious endgame tactics should not be mistaken for actual weakness. The count is in charge, not his premature reactions.
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Brand new Arizona numbers tonight reinforce the trend I detail in this video. The math points to an AZ win for Pres Trump. Stay positive and stay engaged, patriots!
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If it’s Trump, dark age If it’s Biden, dark age served cold
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Thought for the week: “If it's chicken, chicken a la king. If it's fish, fish a la king. If it's turkey, fish a la king.” — Bender, on Iron Chef
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“Whoever wins” is a fun twitter search right now. Everybody is hedging expectations and trying to be antifragile 🤣
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An extremely new disease, Arizona Derangement Syndrome, ADS has taken hold. It’ll be done in a few days... unless it turns into Florida.
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Premature calls are really dangerous because you get loss aversion shock when it doesn’t actually work out. Last night AZ looked like it was so safe, Fox called it for Biden (in despair? Bracing for a shock?). Now it looks like the expected flip might be flipped. Flip-flop state.
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Commercial break: This portion of the livetweet brought to you by the Grand Canyon. Enjoy the greatest canyon in the world just hours from maricopa county where the fate of empires hangs in the balance an outbreak of Arizona Derangement Syndrome is underway.
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If this drags on into tomorrow I’ll have to get back to work. Could only block out 2 days for the dooooomscrolling
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CNN explains the AZ mystery: late mail/drop off in AZ is skewing republican because they’ve been doing it for longer etc. Unlike everywhere else where it’s tending strongly for Biden.
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Update soon it looks like. They might have to pause the count till tomorrow because open carry trumpies demonstrating for trump are creating a security situation in the parking lot making a shift change hard or something 🙄
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Okay looks like nothing more will move tonight. GA and AZ will both take overnight at least. GA just narrowed a bit more in favor of Biden. This is like watching Cthulhu colored* paint dry. I’m going to call it a night soon. * greenish grey
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