@getastandingdesk.bsky.social
Maybe it's a job that just *cannot be done well for long*, so people devolve into imposter syndrome, narcissism, cynical careerism, or whatever else goes into Pundit Brain.
November 14, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Maybe it's a job that just *cannot be done well for long*, so people devolve into imposter syndrome, narcissism, cynical careerism, or whatever else goes into Pundit Brain.
I suspect this would be a challenge even for actually brilliant people. If you asked Einstein or Lincoln how many truly great insights they'd ever had, would they claim more than two or three?
November 14, 2025 at 12:09 AM
I suspect this would be a challenge even for actually brilliant people. If you asked Einstein or Lincoln how many truly great insights they'd ever had, would they claim more than two or three?
I think this is partly an inevitable outcome of how punditry works as a profession. You're contracted for 2-3 insightful, accurate, thoughtful articles or interviews per week, usually on the topics most prevalent in the news, even if they aren't your area of expertise.
November 14, 2025 at 12:09 AM
I think this is partly an inevitable outcome of how punditry works as a profession. You're contracted for 2-3 insightful, accurate, thoughtful articles or interviews per week, usually on the topics most prevalent in the news, even if they aren't your area of expertise.
Another poster described it as Creep Omertà and that seems really accurate. Hell, it can even have its own induction ceremony
bsky.app/profile/fren...
bsky.app/profile/fren...
Elizabeth Warren and Yanis Varoufakis have each written of meeting Summers for the first time and him posing a specific, pretty odd question. I wonder how many of your scores of equally unimpressive people who wrote pieces defending him have gotten the same question and answered him differently.
November 13, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Another poster described it as Creep Omertà and that seems really accurate. Hell, it can even have its own induction ceremony
bsky.app/profile/fren...
bsky.app/profile/fren...
diegogambetta.org/wp-content/u... the mediocrity cartel paper is great reading for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.
diegogambetta.org
November 13, 2025 at 9:05 PM
diegogambetta.org/wp-content/u... the mediocrity cartel paper is great reading for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.
There's a tacit alliance of Elites For Elites that wants elites to never be held accountable to any standard whatsoever, because that world is more comfortable for them.
They all cover each other for abuse (sexual or otherwise) and incompetence.
They all cover each other for abuse (sexual or otherwise) and incompetence.
November 13, 2025 at 9:05 PM
There's a tacit alliance of Elites For Elites that wants elites to never be held accountable to any standard whatsoever, because that world is more comfortable for them.
They all cover each other for abuse (sexual or otherwise) and incompetence.
They all cover each other for abuse (sexual or otherwise) and incompetence.
These leaks are coming shortly after I read the Mediocrity Cartel essay and finished Careless People (Sarah Wynn-Williams). Together, they're rapidly shifting my perspective on elite culpability.
November 13, 2025 at 9:05 PM
These leaks are coming shortly after I read the Mediocrity Cartel essay and finished Careless People (Sarah Wynn-Williams). Together, they're rapidly shifting my perspective on elite culpability.
Epstein was a liar who traded a lot on his reputation for knowing powerful people (proximity to power is currency in the beltway); so he might have made this up to inflate his level of access and prestige.
Could be proved if we got access to the guest list for that party, though!
Could be proved if we got access to the guest list for that party, though!
November 13, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Epstein was a liar who traded a lot on his reputation for knowing powerful people (proximity to power is currency in the beltway); so he might have made this up to inflate his level of access and prestige.
Could be proved if we got access to the guest list for that party, though!
Could be proved if we got access to the guest list for that party, though!
Increasingly certain there's a through-line between NYT not running all the Epstein stuff they first got years ago, and their support of Cuomo today: a world made safe for rapists.
November 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Increasingly certain there's a through-line between NYT not running all the Epstein stuff they first got years ago, and their support of Cuomo today: a world made safe for rapists.
And as part of Creep Omertà, all sorts of professional and news organizations will treat these lines of attack as legitimate and plausible, not as an obviously conspiracy to slander the victim.
November 12, 2025 at 11:56 PM
And as part of Creep Omertà, all sorts of professional and news organizations will treat these lines of attack as legitimate and plausible, not as an obviously conspiracy to slander the victim.
Creep Omertà is a wonderful phrase and I'm going to start spamming it everywhere. We need a way to define the enemy here, and it's everyone in any position of power or influence who helps to hide and downplay abuse.
November 12, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Creep Omertà is a wonderful phrase and I'm going to start spamming it everywhere. We need a way to define the enemy here, and it's everyone in any position of power or influence who helps to hide and downplay abuse.
Another poster called it "Creep Omertà" and I think that's a useful way of thinking about it.
All of these people cover for each other reflexively, to create an environment where none of them will ever be held accountable.
All of these people cover for each other reflexively, to create an environment where none of them will ever be held accountable.
November 12, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Another poster called it "Creep Omertà" and I think that's a useful way of thinking about it.
All of these people cover for each other reflexively, to create an environment where none of them will ever be held accountable.
All of these people cover for each other reflexively, to create an environment where none of them will ever be held accountable.
"Don't do sephiroth posting on main" remains the greatest challenge for social media users
November 12, 2025 at 8:21 PM
"Don't do sephiroth posting on main" remains the greatest challenge for social media users
Also I don't think the victim is unnamed; she's redacted. In theory, there should be an original document with a name. Would be interesting to see if it's the same person who accused Trump in 2016.
November 12, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Also I don't think the victim is unnamed; she's redacted. In theory, there should be an original document with a name. Would be interesting to see if it's the same person who accused Trump in 2016.
Is there a weird overlap between this and the Lord of the Rings-loving "hobbit fascist" right-wingers?
November 12, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Is there a weird overlap between this and the Lord of the Rings-loving "hobbit fascist" right-wingers?
Also he now has enough money to blow off 50 billion dollars trying to look cool, because looking cool matters to him, and $50B doesn't. This might have Consequences™ for the rest of us
bsky.app/profile/geta...
bsky.app/profile/geta...
Maybe one of the most compelling anti-billionaire arguments is actually a free market one?
The free market disciplines actors; you have to succeed or you go broke.
But what if you're so rich you can afford to fail forever? You no longer have an incentive to provide good corporate leadership!
The free market disciplines actors; you have to succeed or you go broke.
But what if you're so rich you can afford to fail forever? You no longer have an incentive to provide good corporate leadership!
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Also he now has enough money to blow off 50 billion dollars trying to look cool, because looking cool matters to him, and $50B doesn't. This might have Consequences™ for the rest of us
bsky.app/profile/geta...
bsky.app/profile/geta...
This is Econ 101 stuff though. Diminishing marginal utility to new wealth: he *already* has everything he can buy and always will, so the only thing left to focus on is pandering to his own feelings & weird social cachet stuff. Self-actualization for a man who refuses self-improvement.
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
This is Econ 101 stuff though. Diminishing marginal utility to new wealth: he *already* has everything he can buy and always will, so the only thing left to focus on is pandering to his own feelings & weird social cachet stuff. Self-actualization for a man who refuses self-improvement.
Right when the Republicans seem to be entering a phase of psychological vulnerability that could result in *them* caving, too! Super disappointing.
November 10, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Right when the Republicans seem to be entering a phase of psychological vulnerability that could result in *them* caving, too! Super disappointing.
That's pretty wild ngl. But at least 90% of people don't live in places with jersey-level crooks. Lots of people here *could* get together with their friends and reform the local party, and it's not helpful to scare them off.
November 10, 2025 at 7:28 AM
That's pretty wild ngl. But at least 90% of people don't live in places with jersey-level crooks. Lots of people here *could* get together with their friends and reform the local party, and it's not helpful to scare them off.
A lot of efforts to translate power/enthusiasm/organization into actual policy need to be routed through official party organs, sometimes for practical reasons, sometimes as a legal requirement. And there's no easy way to do this in local politics without being inside the local party.
November 10, 2025 at 4:58 AM
A lot of efforts to translate power/enthusiasm/organization into actual policy need to be routed through official party organs, sometimes for practical reasons, sometimes as a legal requirement. And there's no easy way to do this in local politics without being inside the local party.
A lot of people probably look at a local candidate slate and think, wow, why can't the Democrats find someone to endorse who isn't an 80-year-old Clinton-era political hack, without knowing that the endorsements committee is staffed by 80-year-old Clinton-era political hacks. You can unseat them!
November 10, 2025 at 4:58 AM
A lot of people probably look at a local candidate slate and think, wow, why can't the Democrats find someone to endorse who isn't an 80-year-old Clinton-era political hack, without knowing that the endorsements committee is staffed by 80-year-old Clinton-era political hacks. You can unseat them!
Parallel organizing is often useful; there's nothing wrong with being in two different groups (although it probably rules out the DSA).
The Dem orgs have a lot of bureaucratic rules & it's often hard to get things done, but they also have important powers; for example, candidate endorsements.
The Dem orgs have a lot of bureaucratic rules & it's often hard to get things done, but they also have important powers; for example, candidate endorsements.
November 10, 2025 at 4:58 AM
Parallel organizing is often useful; there's nothing wrong with being in two different groups (although it probably rules out the DSA).
The Dem orgs have a lot of bureaucratic rules & it's often hard to get things done, but they also have important powers; for example, candidate endorsements.
The Dem orgs have a lot of bureaucratic rules & it's often hard to get things done, but they also have important powers; for example, candidate endorsements.
Don't forget about the actual, official, local democratic party! Those groups are often *woefully* understaffed & it's a big part of why the party is dysfunctional.
Look up your state legislative district, or your county, and check for associated Democratic Party organizations!
Look up your state legislative district, or your county, and check for associated Democratic Party organizations!
November 10, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Don't forget about the actual, official, local democratic party! Those groups are often *woefully* understaffed & it's a big part of why the party is dysfunctional.
Look up your state legislative district, or your county, and check for associated Democratic Party organizations!
Look up your state legislative district, or your county, and check for associated Democratic Party organizations!
His recent posting about SNAP also seems to be trending toward Actually Angry territory.
iirc he had to get anger management therapy sometime in the past & it might be part of why he has the weird aloof/neutral tone that we normally assume is just smugness. Seeing some cracks in the facade now.
iirc he had to get anger management therapy sometime in the past & it might be part of why he has the weird aloof/neutral tone that we normally assume is just smugness. Seeing some cracks in the facade now.
November 10, 2025 at 3:08 AM
His recent posting about SNAP also seems to be trending toward Actually Angry territory.
iirc he had to get anger management therapy sometime in the past & it might be part of why he has the weird aloof/neutral tone that we normally assume is just smugness. Seeing some cracks in the facade now.
iirc he had to get anger management therapy sometime in the past & it might be part of why he has the weird aloof/neutral tone that we normally assume is just smugness. Seeing some cracks in the facade now.
(Complaining about zoomers, not your data)
November 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
(Complaining about zoomers, not your data)