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Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 18h

“it’s actually a sophisticated form of moral abdication disguised as intellectual rigor.”

The Social Function of False Equivalence

Why People “Balance” the Unbalanceable

www.notesfromthecircus.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 18h

"I Got Out of My Cult, and Now My Cult Took Over the World." - Christy Lynne Wood

YouTube video by Jason Scott Montoya

www.youtube.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 18h

"The glaring disproportion between the criticism and the counterbalancing praise reveals that this isn’t really moral accounting—it’s social positioning.“

The Social Function of False Equivalence

Why People “Balance” the Unbalanceable

www.notesfromthecircus.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 18h

“This explains why the positive examples are always so forced and often trivial. “Sure, he tried to overturn an election, but gas prices were lower.” “Yes, he’s selling cryptocurrency from the Oval Office, but he’s not starting new wars.”

The Social Function of False Equivalence

Why People “Balance” the Unbalanceable

www.notesfromthecircus.com

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Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 20h

MLK and Lincoln: How Challenge Grew Them into Level 5 Leaders | Dr. Keith Eigel

YouTube video by Jason Scott Montoya

www.youtube.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 20h

“No one needs to wonder any longer how nations morph into police states under the thumb of dictators determined to wreak vengeance and destroy the lives and livelihoods of millions. It happens gradually and then suddenly.“

open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 20h

“The forced “balance” demonstrates that you won’t push anyone to choose sides or examine their own complicity too closely. You’ll always provide an escape route from moral clarity.“

The Social Function of False Equivalence

Why People “Balance” the Unbalanceable

www.notesfromthecircus.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 20h

“…when someone mentions Trump’s latest corruption scandal. The person who immediately responds with “but the economy was strong” or “but he shook up the establishment” isn’t making a serious moral argument. They’re managing relationships.“

The Social Function of False Equivalence

Why People “Balance” the Unbalanceable

www.notesfromthecircus.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

Why Evangelicals Support the Very Things They Used to Condemn | Christy Lynne Wood

YouTube video by Jason Scott Montoya

www.youtube.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

"(The five-year plan is working!) Well, well. How times have changed.“

The Most Communist President Ever

How we lose our democracy and our economy

open.substack.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

“Republicans, before the Donald Trump cult took hold, frequently railed (rightly so) against communist and fascist regimes that nationalized industry, indulged in crony capitalism, and substituted propaganda for the free flow of reliable information."

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Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

"The list evolves, but the logic remains the same: they are not like us. And because they are not like us, they must be stopped.”

The Anatomy of “Othering”:

How Authoritarians Build Permission for Violence

thecycle.substack.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

“Once a group is defined as outside the moral circle of society, anything becomes permissible. Ostracization. Censorship. Persecution. Deportation. Detention. Extermination."

The Anatomy of “Othering”:

How Authoritarians Build Permission for Violence

thecycle.substack.com

1

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

“Resourcefulness is another common trait. The best entrepreneurs love to “MacGyver” their way into opportunities, finagling introductions, connecting seemingly unrelated dots, and figuring out how to make progress when others would stop.“

What to Look for in an Entrepreneur

Last week I was catching up with an entrepreneur who was thinking about doing some angel investing, and he asked me what I look for in other entrepreneurs. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity …

davidcummings.org

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

"A framework. A campaign to paint certain people as dangerous, alien, corrupt, or diseased. To make them “other.”’

The Anatomy of “Othering”:

How Authoritarians Build Permission for Violence

thecycle.substack.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

“All autocratic regimes need enemies. Authoritarian invent them to seize power.
‍
If there’s one universal truth in the history of authoritarianism, it’s this: violence doesn’t begin with bullets—it begins with words. It begins with a process."

The Anatomy of “Othering”:

How Authoritarians Build Permission for Violence

thecycle.substack.com

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Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

"That is, markets act as if everything is normal until it’s blindingly obvious that it isn’t.“

Why Aren’t Markets Freaking Out?

Of Trump, Keynes and Wile E. Coyote

open.substack.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

“…market pricing almost never takes into account the possibility of huge, disruptive events, even when the strong possibility of such events should be obvious. The usual pattern, instead, is one of market complacency until the last possible moment."

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Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

"Never, ever turn to violence; as soon as you do that you lose support.”

#5: How to Break a Tyrant

It only takes 3.5% of the population to bring a regime to its knees if citizens know how to play the game.

open.substack.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

"But in practice, successful resistance movements all follow the same script. Build a solid organizational game that can sustain a movement over time. Make yourself relevant to the widest set of the population and convince them it’s in their interest to follow."

#5: How to Break a Tyrant

It only takes 3.5% of the population to bring a regime to its knees if citizens know how to play the game.

open.substack.com

1

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

“The bad news is that most people don’t know how this game is actually played. They think they can get rid of an autocrat by using existing institutions. Or through violence."

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Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

How We Move from "Me First" to the Highest Level of Leadership | Dr. Keith Eigel

YouTube video by Jason Scott Montoya

www.youtube.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

“Almost every entrepreneur I’ve worked with has had some compelling drive or unusual background that pushes them to prove themselves in an extreme way.“

What to Look for in an Entrepreneur

Last week I was catching up with an entrepreneur who was thinking about doing some angel investing, and he asked me what I look for in other entrepreneurs. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity …

davidcummings.org

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

"I’m not a politics reporter, but I think tech is playing ball this time because they know if they play ball, they can at least get part of what they want, whereas with Biden, it was unclear that they could get anything.”

How the MAGA goon squad became tech lobbyists

The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in vi...

www.theverge.com

Jason Scott Montoya @jasonscottmontoya.com · 21h

“with Trump, it’s purely transactional. It’s purely, if you give me this, I give you that. Trump is obsessed with optics, but I think he really just wants leverage."

How the MAGA goon squad became tech lobbyists

The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in vi...

www.theverge.com

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