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theiconoclast.bsky.social
theiconoclast
@theiconoclast.bsky.social
230 followers 150 following 590 posts
tech entrepreneur, democratic socialist, atheist, pet lover, straight guy with deep interest in biology and neuroscience and appreciation of the value of diversity and cooperation.
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theiconoclast.bsky.social
Seems like killing DEI could be thought of in religious terms as functionally equivalent to killing God.
Yet finding new uses for existing components is precisely what evolution does. Feathers did not evolve for flight, for example. This repurposing reflects how biological evolution is jerry-rigged, making use of what’s available. Kauffman argues that biological evolution is thus constantly creating not just new types of organisms but new possibilities for organisms, ones that not only did not exist at an earlier stage of evolution but could not possibly have existed. From the soup of single-celled organisms that constituted life on Earth 3 billion years ago, no elephant could have suddenly emerged — this required a whole host of preceding, contingent but specific innovations.
October 26, 2025 at 6:10 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Perhaps your next book should be a textbook for middle school social studies
U.S. state standards for teaching economic systems can be grouped into three broad categories: The Neoclassical/Free Enterprise Model: Presents market capitalism as the normative model, with other systems defined by their deviation from it. (Most Common) The Comparative Systems Model: Aims for a more neutral, descriptive comparison of systems based on their core features. (Growing in Prevalence) The Critical Analysis Model: Encourages students to evaluate all systems, including capitalism, based on historical outcomes and moral/philosophical arguments. (Least Common, found in specific districts or frameworks)
October 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Nancy Pelosi would be the first in line to call FDR a communist if he were running on these policies today.
Labor rights — legal recognition of unions (Wagner Act, 1935), collective bargaining, and protection from unfair labor practices. Social insurance — the Social Security Act (1935), unemployment insurance, and public assistance. Public works and jobs programs — WPA, CCC, and TVA, which directly employed millions of workers. Banking and market regulation — FDIC, SEC, and Glass–Steagall, designed to protect ordinary depositors and restore trust.
October 25, 2025 at 1:29 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
That "distributional conflict" is corporate profits being allocated to share buy-backs and dividends rather than worker compensation.
NASDAQ 1990 to 2025 showing the rapid rise in value after the 2008 market crash.
October 11, 2025 at 6:06 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
The article fails to provide any context about those arrested. They were skilled professionals assisting in the construction and setup of the new battery plant, and providing training for local American workers to get the advanced manufacturing facilities operational.
georgia.org/hyundaimotor...
September 7, 2025 at 3:09 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Pasricha never sat down with a Sunday edition of the Times and the Parade insert.
Our pre-TikTok ancestors were just reading a newspaper or whatever they could find. It wasn’t distracting to the same level
September 4, 2025 at 12:21 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Folks should start learning the difference between authoritarianism and totalitarianism. Totalitarian regimes seek to control every aspect of public & private life. They aim to reshape society & eliminate all forms of independent institutions. They demand obedience, active support & participation.
August 22, 2025 at 10:18 AM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Do you trust WSJ polling or Pew? They seem to be reporting dramatically different standings.

From July 23rd, 2025
www.pewresearch.org/politics/fac...
Pew Research Center’s annual National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) has measured partisan affiliation among U.S. adults since 2020. Explore recent patterns of partisan affiliation in the American public and among several key demographic groups below.
July 29, 2025 at 10:45 AM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Key Findings on Contemporary Female Mate Choice: The Multidimensional Preference Paradox: Research consistently shows women express simultaneous preferences for: Long-term: Kindness, emotional intelligence, stability, and cooperation (essential for parenting and partnership). Short-term/Attraction: Confidence, assertiveness, social dominance, and physical cues associated with testosterone (often linked to "bad boy" appeal). Status/Resources: Ambition, education, earning potential (evolved preference signaling resource provisioning).
July 20, 2025 at 11:58 AM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
The U.S., has seen a decline in recent decades. For example, non-Hispanic Whites in the U.S. decreased from over 83% of the population in 1970 to around 58% in 2020. This decline is projected to continue.
July 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Old newspaper article about Hitler riding triumphantly into Vienna
July 17, 2025 at 8:35 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Call it what it is -
July 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Totalitarianism, often mistakenly characterized merely as a severe form of authoritarianism, presents a profoundly different political reality. While both systems feature centralized power and the suppression of opposition, totalitarian regimes are driven by an insatiable hunger for total control. This ambition extends far beyond the political sphere, permeating every aspect of public and private existence. The economy, education, culture, and even the most intimate social institutions become mere extensions of the state's will. Unlike authoritarianism, which may seek passive compliance, totalitarianism is fueled by a potent, elaborate ideology, relentlessly seeking to actively mobilize its populace in unwavering support of the regime's grand, all-encompassing vision.
July 13, 2025 at 3:10 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Andreesen's views on a DEI hire back in 2007.

techcrunch.com/2008/03/03/m...
July 12, 2025 at 5:34 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
This is an well drawn illustration in the style of a political cartoon featuring several elderly geriatric patients in wheelchairs, walkers and hospital beds placed in a lush soybean field where they are reaching from their wheelchairs and walkers to pick soybeans and lying in their hospital beds putting soybeans into baskets.
July 8, 2025 at 2:26 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
“It’s a doom loop,” said Danny Dayan, an investor and former hedge fund manager.

Sounds about right:

www.msn.com/en-us/money/...
The U.S. dollar has fallen to its lowest value since 1973. Here's what that means.
July 3, 2025 at 2:15 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/6/22/live-us-joins-israels-attacks-on-iran-bombs-three-nuclear-sites
June 22, 2025 at 9:12 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Hey Google: What are the most likely scenarios that could trigger World War III?

Israel is dog walking the US into war.
Israel-Iran Conflict: The current tensions and direct exchanges between Israel and Iran are highly volatile. If this conflict escalates further, especially with strikes on nuclear facilities or attacks on major allies, it could easily draw in powerful nations like the United States (supporting Israel) and Russia and China (who have ties with Iran), potentially widening into a regional and then global conflict.
June 22, 2025 at 9:08 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
I'm pretty certain it the "friends IG" that is lying to you
June 16, 2025 at 7:52 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Sounds about right -
Characteristics of a rentier society. Wealth inequality, Reduced taxation, Authoritarian
June 16, 2025 at 10:32 AM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
I know the man doesn't read books but....

The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (A Little) Craziness and (A Lot of) Success in America
www.amazon.com/Hypomanic-Ed...
Hypomania, a genetically based mild form of mania, endows many of us with unusual energy, creativity, enthusiasm, and a propensity for taking risks. America has an extraordinarily high number of hypomanics—grandiose types who leap on every wacky idea that occurs to them, utterly convinced it will change the world. Market bubbles and ill-considered messianic crusades can be the downside. But there is an enormous upside in terms of spectacular entrepreneurial zeal, drive for innovation, and material success. Americans may have a lot of crazy ideas, but some of them lead to brilliant inventions. Why is America so hypomanic? It is populated primarily by immigrants. This self-selection process is the boldest natural experiment ever conducted. Those who had the will, optimism, and daring to take the leap into the unknown have passed those traits on to their descendants. Bringing his audacious and persuasive thesis to life, Gartner offers case histories of some famous Americans who represent this phenomenon of hypomania. These are the real stories you never learned in school about some of those men who made America: Columbus, who discovered the continent, thought he was the messiah. John Winthrop, who settled and defined it, believed Americans were God’s new chosen people. Alexander Hamilton, the indispensable founder who envisioned America’s economic future, self-destructed because of pride and impulsive behavior. Andrew Carnegie, who began America's industrial revolution, was sure that he was destined personally to speed up human evolution and bring world peace. The Mayer and Selznick families helped create the peculiarly American art form of the Hollywood film, but familial bipolar disorders led to the fall of their empires. Craig Venter decoded the human genome, yet his arrogance made him despised by most of his scientific colleagues, even as he spurred them on to make great discoveries. While these men are extraordinary examples, Gartner argues that many Americans …
May 30, 2025 at 6:51 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
www.smh.com.au/business/the...
Sydney AU opinion piece on laughing stock Trump behavior
May 26, 2025 at 3:43 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Insightful analysis -
The Chinese state’s strategic focus on NEVs paid off. While Chinese internal combustion engine vehicles never secured massive market shares—either in China or globally—in just six years, China had effectively leapfrogged the internal combustion era, which the West had allowed to drag on for decades.
May 20, 2025 at 10:35 AM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Isn't this the life that every mother dreams of for their children?
the grit and grime of auto factory work
April 30, 2025 at 3:34 PM
theiconoclast.bsky.social
Is this how it was supposed to work?
Apple is reportedly moving its US bound iphone assembly operations from China to India
April 25, 2025 at 10:55 AM