Bruce E.
@pickleball-fanatic.bsky.social
Pickleball, polyglot, pro-critical thinking. Lived half my adult life in a civilized country, now living in the US.
Actually, I have discussed this with some economists who are fascinated by a real-world experiment to create value solely by agreement with no underlying material essence or even trust.
November 22, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Actually, I have discussed this with some economists who are fascinated by a real-world experiment to create value solely by agreement with no underlying material essence or even trust.
Yeah, and those hippie woke Democrats want to not only take away our right to insult [insert marginalized group] but give them our tax money.
November 20, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Yeah, and those hippie woke Democrats want to not only take away our right to insult [insert marginalized group] but give them our tax money.
Actually, that probably gives us a good indicator of the proportion of hard-core white supremacists and Christian nationalists we have to overcome.
November 20, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Actually, that probably gives us a good indicator of the proportion of hard-core white supremacists and Christian nationalists we have to overcome.
P.S. in case it's not clear, I currently live in a "blue" state but even the dread Zohran Mamdani is to my *right* on most issues. Again, I was center-right elsewhere.
October 28, 2025 at 7:24 PM
P.S. in case it's not clear, I currently live in a "blue" state but even the dread Zohran Mamdani is to my *right* on most issues. Again, I was center-right elsewhere.
I used to live in another country, where there was an actual "far left", i.e. anticapitalist, anti-globalization, etc. In that country, I fit in the center, slightly to the right. Now back in the US, I imagine that you would call me "far left". Please describe what you mean.
October 28, 2025 at 5:48 PM
I used to live in another country, where there was an actual "far left", i.e. anticapitalist, anti-globalization, etc. In that country, I fit in the center, slightly to the right. Now back in the US, I imagine that you would call me "far left". Please describe what you mean.
Trump merely repurposed the energy of the Tea Party, which itself was the descendant of the "Southern Strategy", which itself was the descendant of the Confederacy. Any brief moments of seeming unity were the exception for the past 200+ years.
September 14, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Trump merely repurposed the energy of the Tea Party, which itself was the descendant of the "Southern Strategy", which itself was the descendant of the Confederacy. Any brief moments of seeming unity were the exception for the past 200+ years.
How naïve or in denial to claim that this has been going on for only 10 years.
September 14, 2025 at 2:57 PM
How naïve or in denial to claim that this has been going on for only 10 years.
I think there's another factor: public opinion wasn't swayed until "nice" white people were victims of police violence (cf James Reeb and Viola Liuzzo in Alabama, and 4 students at Kent State). Signed, someone who lived through this 60 years ago.
June 8, 2025 at 12:22 PM
I think there's another factor: public opinion wasn't swayed until "nice" white people were victims of police violence (cf James Reeb and Viola Liuzzo in Alabama, and 4 students at Kent State). Signed, someone who lived through this 60 years ago.
1. Denounce the oligarchy.
1a. If you're part of or financed by the oligarchy, then get out of the Democratic Party.
2. Do whatever it takes, just as the GOP has done for nearly 50 years, to derail the implementation of P2025.
3. Give low-engagement voters a compelling reason to vote
1a. If you're part of or financed by the oligarchy, then get out of the Democratic Party.
2. Do whatever it takes, just as the GOP has done for nearly 50 years, to derail the implementation of P2025.
3. Give low-engagement voters a compelling reason to vote
May 29, 2025 at 12:11 AM
1. Denounce the oligarchy.
1a. If you're part of or financed by the oligarchy, then get out of the Democratic Party.
2. Do whatever it takes, just as the GOP has done for nearly 50 years, to derail the implementation of P2025.
3. Give low-engagement voters a compelling reason to vote
1a. If you're part of or financed by the oligarchy, then get out of the Democratic Party.
2. Do whatever it takes, just as the GOP has done for nearly 50 years, to derail the implementation of P2025.
3. Give low-engagement voters a compelling reason to vote
Oh, so wealth does create jobs after all </s>
March 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Oh, so wealth does create jobs after all </s>
If we assume that the US was ever "not broken", then for me the turning point was the backlash to the Civil Rights Act of 1965, which led to both the GOP's "Southern Strategy" and the creation of the Heritage Foundation.
March 17, 2025 at 12:13 PM
If we assume that the US was ever "not broken", then for me the turning point was the backlash to the Civil Rights Act of 1965, which led to both the GOP's "Southern Strategy" and the creation of the Heritage Foundation.
On behalf of all the modern pagans I know, please don't confuse tribalism and paganism. "Pagan" historically was nothing more than a blanket term for all non-Christian cultures, many of whom already had advanced civilizations, not necessarily savage. Thank you.
March 12, 2025 at 12:17 PM
On behalf of all the modern pagans I know, please don't confuse tribalism and paganism. "Pagan" historically was nothing more than a blanket term for all non-Christian cultures, many of whom already had advanced civilizations, not necessarily savage. Thank you.
True. When I lived in Europe, I was considered to be center-right by local standards, whereas in the US everyone tells me that I'm too "extreme [left]", including my self-identified "progressive" friends.
March 9, 2025 at 2:44 AM
True. When I lived in Europe, I was considered to be center-right by local standards, whereas in the US everyone tells me that I'm too "extreme [left]", including my self-identified "progressive" friends.
Ok. So Democrats who manage to win in my purple county are basically indistinguishable from pre-MAGA "moderate Republicans," albeit timidly pro-choice. If that's the only path forward, then where does that leave the progressives? I notice they're already increasingly disenchanted with Dems.
January 17, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Ok. So Democrats who manage to win in my purple county are basically indistinguishable from pre-MAGA "moderate Republicans," albeit timidly pro-choice. If that's the only path forward, then where does that leave the progressives? I notice they're already increasingly disenchanted with Dems.
I suspect that they don't even care about the land, this is undoubtedly about shipping lanes and mineral rights.
January 7, 2025 at 3:07 AM
I suspect that they don't even care about the land, this is undoubtedly about shipping lanes and mineral rights.
Please elaborate, what is this mythical "center" of which you speak? I have lived in Europe, and the "center" there is already farther to the left than even the most progressive Democrats remaining in the US. So just how far to the global right do we have to go to be "acceptable"?
January 6, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Please elaborate, what is this mythical "center" of which you speak? I have lived in Europe, and the "center" there is already farther to the left than even the most progressive Democrats remaining in the US. So just how far to the global right do we have to go to be "acceptable"?
I also lived for over 20 years in another "high tax" country yet had more disposable income than I do in the US, as everyday life was less costly, especially (but not only) healthcare, education, and public transportation.
December 31, 2024 at 1:02 PM
I also lived for over 20 years in another "high tax" country yet had more disposable income than I do in the US, as everyday life was less costly, especially (but not only) healthcare, education, and public transportation.
Actually, I was an undergrad when calculators started displacing slide rules, and yes, professors did freak out when programmable calculators allowed students to solve problems without memorizing all the formulas.
December 27, 2024 at 1:31 PM
Actually, I was an undergrad when calculators started displacing slide rules, and yes, professors did freak out when programmable calculators allowed students to solve problems without memorizing all the formulas.
It's not just bad math and a lack of understanding how insurance works, I have had anti-universal health folks admit that they don't want their taxes paying for "undeserving" [i.e. Brown, LGBTQ, etc] people getting care.
December 14, 2024 at 10:30 PM
It's not just bad math and a lack of understanding how insurance works, I have had anti-universal health folks admit that they don't want their taxes paying for "undeserving" [i.e. Brown, LGBTQ, etc] people getting care.
And given that her healthcare is taxpayer funded, getting in done in Europe actually saves "us" a bunch of money.
December 14, 2024 at 5:32 PM
And given that her healthcare is taxpayer funded, getting in done in Europe actually saves "us" a bunch of money.
I don't know which is the cause and which is the effect, but those certainly seem to go hand-in-hand.
December 3, 2024 at 1:11 AM
I don't know which is the cause and which is the effect, but those certainly seem to go hand-in-hand.
I lived overseas for 20 years. The "center" (relative) of the US Overton window is very far to the right compared to the rest of the developed world. Personally, I was considered to be center-right in my adopted country and extreme left now in the US.
December 2, 2024 at 8:33 PM
I lived overseas for 20 years. The "center" (relative) of the US Overton window is very far to the right compared to the rest of the developed world. Personally, I was considered to be center-right in my adopted country and extreme left now in the US.
I lived there for over 20 years (1995-2016) and seemingly every year there was a similar "crisis". As de Gaulle "said" (maybe), 'how can you govern a country with so many different kinds of cheese.'
It's all part of the charm of life there (infinitely better than the IS, IMHO).
It's all part of the charm of life there (infinitely better than the IS, IMHO).
November 29, 2024 at 1:39 PM
I lived there for over 20 years (1995-2016) and seemingly every year there was a similar "crisis". As de Gaulle "said" (maybe), 'how can you govern a country with so many different kinds of cheese.'
It's all part of the charm of life there (infinitely better than the IS, IMHO).
It's all part of the charm of life there (infinitely better than the IS, IMHO).