Mike Brock 🇺🇸
@brockm.bsky.social
Standing somewhere. A circus, perhaps. From here, this is what I see. Observations here: notesfromthecircus.com
Pinned
The Plot Against America, One Year Later
How a dangerous ideology was exposed to the American people — and rejected.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
The gates did not hold. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
Reposted by Mike Brock 🇺🇸
The gates did not hold. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
The Plot Against America, One Year Later
How a dangerous ideology was exposed to the American people — and rejected.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 18, 2026 at 10:47 AM
The gates did not hold. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
Bitcoin mining and AI datacenters are making people sick in Texas—and across America.
Datacenters Behaving Like Acoustic Weapons
YouTube video by Benn Jordan
www.youtube.com
February 18, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Bitcoin mining and AI datacenters are making people sick in Texas—and across America.
Reposted by Mike Brock 🇺🇸
"the American public, whatever its divisions, did not sign up to have its republic dismantled by venture capitalists who think democracy is a bug to be patched out of the system"
The gates did not hold. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
The Plot Against America, One Year Later
How a dangerous ideology was exposed to the American people — and rejected.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM
"the American public, whatever its divisions, did not sign up to have its republic dismantled by venture capitalists who think democracy is a bug to be patched out of the system"
I was invited to attend Garry Kasparov's Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture at UCLA a few years ago. It was an honor to see my friend Garry speak in that place, for the stated virtues. I will not be receiving an invite to this one. And if I did, I would refuse it.
February 18, 2026 at 11:17 AM
I was invited to attend Garry Kasparov's Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture at UCLA a few years ago. It was an honor to see my friend Garry speak in that place, for the stated virtues. I will not be receiving an invite to this one. And if I did, I would refuse it.
The gates did not hold. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
The Plot Against America, One Year Later
How a dangerous ideology was exposed to the American people — and rejected.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 18, 2026 at 10:47 AM
The gates did not hold. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
They named their companies after Tolkien but should have paid closer attention to the character who clutched the ring calling it precious.
The Plot Against America, One Year Later
How a dangerous ideology was exposed to the American people — and rejected.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:48 AM
They named their companies after Tolkien but should have paid closer attention to the character who clutched the ring calling it precious.
Mark of the beast
Mike Rounds says Republicans just want to make you show your document with a yellow star in order to vote
February 17, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Mark of the beast
The People and the United States of America.
SPQR.
Res ipsa loquitur.
SPQR.
Res ipsa loquitur.
The Crisis, No. 17
Towards imagination
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 15, 2026 at 6:46 PM
The People and the United States of America.
SPQR.
Res ipsa loquitur.
SPQR.
Res ipsa loquitur.
"Heaven must not be a kingdom, but a republic."
The Crisis, No. 16
On the republic of Heaven
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 15, 2026 at 2:33 PM
"Heaven must not be a kingdom, but a republic."
Despite all the recent advances. My views here have not fundamentally evolved.
LLMs Are Universal Translators, Not Universal Thinkers
Or: Why the AGI Skeptics Are Right But Missing the Deeper Point
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 14, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Despite all the recent advances. My views here have not fundamentally evolved.
It's quite clear that John Fetterman does not know what time it is.
February 14, 2026 at 3:13 PM
It's quite clear that John Fetterman does not know what time it is.
Reposted by Mike Brock 🇺🇸
My response to Noah Smith's essay from this morning. www.notesfromthecircus.com/p/the-crisis...
The Crisis, No. 15
On the lie that the future is fixed
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 13, 2026 at 8:43 PM
My response to Noah Smith's essay from this morning. www.notesfromthecircus.com/p/the-crisis...
Reposted by Mike Brock 🇺🇸
I read this piece in February last year and kept coming back to it ever since.
I can’t recommend this enough.
I can’t recommend this enough.
If you’re interested in the backstory of how Silicon Valley got so evil. Well, I invite you to my most-read piece from February.
The Plot Against America
How a Dangerous Ideology Born From the Libertarian Movement Stands Ready to Seize America
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 13, 2026 at 10:13 PM
I read this piece in February last year and kept coming back to it ever since.
I can’t recommend this enough.
I can’t recommend this enough.
Reposted by Mike Brock 🇺🇸
"The future is not fixed. The trajectory is not fate. The tiger was built by human hands, and human hands can choose what to build next. The parent who says I didn’t ask for this is not naive. She is making the foundational democratic claim — 1/
My response to Noah Smith's essay from this morning. www.notesfromthecircus.com/p/the-crisis...
The Crisis, No. 15
On the lie that the future is fixed
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 14, 2026 at 2:48 AM
"The future is not fixed. The trajectory is not fate. The tiger was built by human hands, and human hands can choose what to build next. The parent who says I didn’t ask for this is not naive. She is making the foundational democratic claim — 1/
My response to Noah Smith's essay from this morning. www.notesfromthecircus.com/p/the-crisis...
The Crisis, No. 15
On the lie that the future is fixed
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 13, 2026 at 8:43 PM
My response to Noah Smith's essay from this morning. www.notesfromthecircus.com/p/the-crisis...
Right-libertarianism is feudalism with liberal characteristics.
The Crisis, No. 14
On the nature of property
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Right-libertarianism is feudalism with liberal characteristics.
The American libertarian argument fundamentally comes down to the notion that Thomas Jefferson erred in restating Locke’s “life, liberty, and property” to the more radical “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.” Libertarians believe they are correcting this historical error.
The Crisis, No. 14
On the nature of property
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 13, 2026 at 4:44 PM
The American libertarian argument fundamentally comes down to the notion that Thomas Jefferson erred in restating Locke’s “life, liberty, and property” to the more radical “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.” Libertarians believe they are correcting this historical error.
Let’s talk about property rights.
The Crisis, No. 14
On the nature of property
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Let’s talk about property rights.
Software isn’t going to eat the world. It’s going to eat itself.
February 13, 2026 at 3:35 AM
Software isn’t going to eat the world. It’s going to eat itself.
Reposted by Mike Brock 🇺🇸
Whatever do I mean by this?
David Bowie is God
On the view from somewhere.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Whatever do I mean by this?
Reposted by Mike Brock 🇺🇸
A fascinating piece by Mike.
The “view from nowhere” is the foundation of John Perry Barlow’s Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace. “Ours is a world that is both everywhere & nowhere, but it is not where bodies live.” Sadly, far too many people have mistaken this dystopian vision for utopia.
The “view from nowhere” is the foundation of John Perry Barlow’s Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace. “Ours is a world that is both everywhere & nowhere, but it is not where bodies live.” Sadly, far too many people have mistaken this dystopian vision for utopia.
Whatever do I mean by this?
David Bowie is God
On the view from somewhere.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:13 PM
A fascinating piece by Mike.
The “view from nowhere” is the foundation of John Perry Barlow’s Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace. “Ours is a world that is both everywhere & nowhere, but it is not where bodies live.” Sadly, far too many people have mistaken this dystopian vision for utopia.
The “view from nowhere” is the foundation of John Perry Barlow’s Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace. “Ours is a world that is both everywhere & nowhere, but it is not where bodies live.” Sadly, far too many people have mistaken this dystopian vision for utopia.
Whatever do I mean by this?
David Bowie is God
On the view from somewhere.
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Whatever do I mean by this?
This is the last time I will mention Bari Weiss in the Crisis series.
The Crisis, No. 13
On the view from nowhere
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:22 PM
This is the last time I will mention Bari Weiss in the Crisis series.
Fuck the IOC
A Ukrainian athlete was disqualified from the Winter Olympics in Italy on Thursday because he had planned to wear a helmet commemorating countrymen who were killed in the war with Russia. Officials said that the helmet violated the Games’ ban on political speech. Read more: nyti.ms/4qDNF3T
February 12, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Fuck the IOC
Reposted by Mike Brock 🇺🇸
"It's a big club and you ain't in it..." Worth a read, understanding is in the seeing.
I have some thoughts about George Carlin. Seriously.
The Crisis, No. 12
On moral seriousness
www.notesfromthecircus.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:44 PM
"It's a big club and you ain't in it..." Worth a read, understanding is in the seeing.