Memory holing also applies to the pandemic. Mamdani has said he supports vaccine mandates and would institute them again. In other words, he supports state-coerced medical treatment with a liability free shot that did not prevent transmission and now has the most deaths and disability reported of any shots in history. Talk about forgetting fast.
Kind of OT, but not really. Dick Cheney has passed. Bearing in mind the macabre response to the Charlie Kirk assassination, I decided to find something good to say about Richard and his family. Here's what AI kicked up when I google Dick Cheney Charity work. What can I say? He meant well and I disagreed with a lot of what he said and did. He loved America and his family and meant well. RIP and condolences to family and friends. Might be a good time to display a little grace and compassion.
"Dick Cheney, who passed away on November 3, 2025, supported several charitable organizations during his lifetime, with significant contributions directed toward Capital Partners for Education, the George Washington University Medical Center (specifically its cardiovascular institute), and the University of Wyoming Foundation.
Key Charitable Activities and Organizations
Capital Partners for Education (CPE): The Cheneys had a long-standing relationship with this Georgetown-based scholarship fund, which helps low-income students attend private schools. They made substantial donations, including a $1.3 million gift in 2005 that was the largest in the charity's history at the time, to support the education of inner-city teenagers.
George Washington University Medical Center: Following his own treatment for heart ailments at the facility, Cheney and his wife, Lynne, donated $2.7 million to establish a cardiovascular disease clinic named after them."
Oh it applies to more than the pandemic. Here are but a few examples:
#metoo where women were taught to speak out and men were taught to fear women. Now we kick black lesbians out of gyms because a white man with mental illness wants to change and shower with naked women.
The National Guard in Massachusetts was called when 50 migrants showed up in Martha’s Vineyard. The home of Barack Obama.
Daniel Penny, who was defended by other train passengers, was prosecuted in NYC after accidentally killing a violent, dangerous mentally ill man on a subway. He was branded a bloodthirsty ex Marine racist by most major outlets. Meanwhile “I GOT THAT WHITE GIRL” man murders harmless bus passenger and crickets by those same outlets.
I could go on.
People really are trying perpetually to bend reality, manipulate, brainwash and coerce. It truly is endless and the sophistry seems to procure new dimensions constantly.
It seems to me as though about 30% of us are aware and seek objectivity and repeatable results, evidence, receipts, etc. Another 25% of us might know but don’t care. These are mostly disaffected rural folks but not strictly. Another 45% is all in on the brain poison upside down people can be animals boys can be girls it’s cool to have sex with kids cops cause crime making money is evil no borders allowed net zero nonsensical this is how to destroy society don’t you dare fucking disagree with me or I’ll kill you globalist bullshit bucket and begging for seconds.
I have to admit I have started to doubt the intelligence of a large portion of the population. Having been born and lived in New York most of my life, it is profoundly depressing to me that Mamdani—who has a weaselly fake smile—won. The Democrats have been a disaster. Can’t even build a mental hospital or show a modicum of common sense. Plus our schools suck. Why vote for someone who wants to make the schools worse by doing away with higher performing charters, gifted programs etc.
Because they’re morons looking for a handout. Because the American dream dried up for them before they had a chance to realize it. There’s your standard left vs right answer to that question.
See Joe Rogan’s interview of John Kiriakou (#2392) for information on Brennan’s career. Crazy, eye-opening and relevant to his behavior in videos you played today.
Damn you both. I have a stack of books I read 40 years ago and just bought again because of you. You bring joy to my life. Also I loved you back in the day before you saw what we were beginning to see. What an interesting and terrifying ten years we have lived through.
Looking forward to starting a new read. Wonder what it will be. Hopefully not chosen via Twitter poll. We're the ones who subscribe, those of us here, Matt shouldn't dis us like that, seriously. Not that I am going to stop subscribing, reading, and watching any time soon, but still.
Matt, you gotta stop saying “our generation” when referring to yourself and Walter. You’re Generation X and Walter is a late Boomer . You are not of the same generation. And that’s from a loyal Gen X Racket supporter who leans more towards WK’s viewpoint. Kirn (1962) is just a year younger than Obama. 🤷♂️
I know what you're saying, but all these "generations" we like to talk about are really a continuum, the Z, X, Millenia, Boomers, etc are really just arbitrary categories. It really becomes obvious with people like Walter who were born at a dividing point.
Of course they’re arbitrary. But they’re still from very culturally distinct generational backgrounds. Example A: Walter didn’t grow up listening to the likes of Grandmaster Flash or The Dead Kennedys. They’re both smart, educated, thoughtful men but they came of age in very, very different cultural circumstances.
I predict a Zohran victory. And I’m voting Sliwa. The reason that Matt and Walter missed is that he really is bringing new people into the voting process and whoever does that wins. Sure its all snake oil. But I live in NYC and have met these Mambani canvasers who, to a person, are all over educated and under employed. Many could not afford NYC and left for a while. They believe this hook line and sinker. And I’m making plans to move out after 30 years in Manhattan.
In the mid 1970s I met a woman from Chicago who had moved to a small town in Arkansas as member of a commune. She had a masters in fine arts from the University of Chicago. She had a small stained glass business.
She said in every commune there were ants and grasshoppers. And the grasshoppers always outnumbered the ants. That's why communes almost always fail.
I have no way of knowing if her story is true, but the lesson of the LaFontaine fable certainly rings true. Human nature doesn’t change much. We had to memorize that fable for French class. Can still recite it after all these years.
Ha. Showing my eyesight is waning. I thought you said, "Tables", not "Fables", which also shows my ignorance b/c I am not aware of such a fable. I'll have to research it. There were a number of communes in rural Arkansas; most notably Clinton and Eureka Springs. Most, if not all have gone by the way, thanks to the dominance by the grasshoppers.
La Fontaine’s fables are jewels. You’re not ignorant. Not many people are au courant on 17th century French writers:) Hope you find some good translations. Enjoy! They really are great fun.
Trump endorsed Cuomo. Me thinks he did it as part of a 3D chess move, because he knows his endorsement will help Mamdani win, which is what he wants, so he can use him to paint the Dems as radical socialists/communists. Doing this Trump also gets the bonus of appearing the logical experienced statesman by endorsing the Democratic candidate. I have to think that in NYC the endorsement by Trump of Cuomo will hurt his chances not help them. Also, if Cuomo does win, it's also a win for Trump because he can claim he helped Cuomo get elected
When did this happen? Not in the clip Matt played of the interview. He said he didn’t want to endorse the Communist but these days the Democrats are about the same. He never said he was endorsing anyone.
It's about winning. Bernie has been the best thing that has happened to the Republican Party in decades, maybe in history. The Bernie effect beginning in 2016 is THE reason the Democrats have moved so far to the left - they saw how close Bernie came to winning in 2016 and they followed. Bernie is the gift that keeps on giving for Trump and the republicans. AOC, and now Mamdani, the Democratic Socialists, are how the Republicans want to identify their opponents. Most mainstream Democrats do not like the leftward shift but thanks to the power of the DSA and their ability to win primaries and raise money the mainstream Democrats are stuck with reluctantly supporting Mamdani and the DCA candidates that win primaries. Schumer's position on the shutdown being motivated by his fear of a primary challenge from AOC.
Hard to believe there's that many people that ignorant about what socialism will bring, as evidenced in some of the comments today. That being said, it's also interesting to remember Orwell was a life-long socialist, but still wrote this book and 1984.
Socialism comes in many forms in real life. Collective bargaining and nationalizing essential industries and services makes perfect sense to me and many others. The US and most of the west has lost complete control of the production supply chain. Apple, we know, prefers Chinese slave labor and that's just fine with most consumers. People talk a good game but when it comes to our wallets - principle usually goes right out the window.
US and Canadian workers traded their jobs for cheap cars and appliances and its been downhill ever since. France, the UK and new even Germany are ready to go over the same cliff. Unfettered free enterprise comes at a cost - hey, how about opening the southern border? Not suggesting you're behind such a notion, but given the choke hold big pharma and big insurance has on US taxpayers and the ridiculously poor health of many makes one at least question what the ROI actually is, not to mention the opportunity costs of being ill.
Those discrepancies you mention are exactly why people vote for socialism. The latest “injustice” is the wholesale appropriation of electrical power, land, and water for data centers for AI. That being said, socialist governments are even better at appropriating resources for the “public good”, a recurring theme in “Animal Farm”.
Imagine believing your own hype in your early 30's and people encourage it including his parents who should be harnessing his ambition - encouraging him to get a job - learn something real.
When he's figured a few things out by his 40's - based on the experience of real life - go for it. He's just such a vessel of elite hubris it shocks me.
The shutdown is almost gone from the media except some scattered complaints about people not being able to afford ketchup, which anybody can get free from McDonalds. What are the odds it’s a reemergent Obama who is pushing the Dems to play hard ball in an effort to save his signature program- Obamacare? With him, it’s all about the ego.
Yeah, I see Obama out there stumping, unlike other ex presidents. Has he mentioned those 24 million people? If he did, I missed it. We always get Obama’s ego show, where he tells us how great he was but now we are disappointing him. Point is, Obamacare screwed up health insurance in this country with their F-ed up exchange system. They kept it afloat through “Covid Relief” but now the time has come to let it work as advertised….and it’s unaffordable. So Dems unilaterally voted in Obamacare, find out it’s unaffordable, and demand the republicans vote with them to throw trillions into the furnace. Problem is the debt. That clock is ticking and will increasingly squeeze out discretionary spending until all we can pay for is mandated benefits. It can’t last and Obama lit the fuse to national insolvency.
Democrats have been “fixing” health care for 30 years (since Hillarycare). I’m convinced they will never be satisfied until we all enjoy crappy socialist national health care.
'The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.'
- Milan Kundera
"The Book of Laughter and Forgetting"?
Yes.
Great quote
Best thread-opener ever. Well done.
Memory holing also applies to the pandemic. Mamdani has said he supports vaccine mandates and would institute them again. In other words, he supports state-coerced medical treatment with a liability free shot that did not prevent transmission and now has the most deaths and disability reported of any shots in history. Talk about forgetting fast.
I'm sure he's into any form of coercion he can "dream" up.
Kind of OT, but not really. Dick Cheney has passed. Bearing in mind the macabre response to the Charlie Kirk assassination, I decided to find something good to say about Richard and his family. Here's what AI kicked up when I google Dick Cheney Charity work. What can I say? He meant well and I disagreed with a lot of what he said and did. He loved America and his family and meant well. RIP and condolences to family and friends. Might be a good time to display a little grace and compassion.
"Dick Cheney, who passed away on November 3, 2025, supported several charitable organizations during his lifetime, with significant contributions directed toward Capital Partners for Education, the George Washington University Medical Center (specifically its cardiovascular institute), and the University of Wyoming Foundation.
Key Charitable Activities and Organizations
Capital Partners for Education (CPE): The Cheneys had a long-standing relationship with this Georgetown-based scholarship fund, which helps low-income students attend private schools. They made substantial donations, including a $1.3 million gift in 2005 that was the largest in the charity's history at the time, to support the education of inner-city teenagers.
George Washington University Medical Center: Following his own treatment for heart ailments at the facility, Cheney and his wife, Lynne, donated $2.7 million to establish a cardiovascular disease clinic named after them."
Oh it applies to more than the pandemic. Here are but a few examples:
#metoo where women were taught to speak out and men were taught to fear women. Now we kick black lesbians out of gyms because a white man with mental illness wants to change and shower with naked women.
The National Guard in Massachusetts was called when 50 migrants showed up in Martha’s Vineyard. The home of Barack Obama.
Daniel Penny, who was defended by other train passengers, was prosecuted in NYC after accidentally killing a violent, dangerous mentally ill man on a subway. He was branded a bloodthirsty ex Marine racist by most major outlets. Meanwhile “I GOT THAT WHITE GIRL” man murders harmless bus passenger and crickets by those same outlets.
I could go on.
People really are trying perpetually to bend reality, manipulate, brainwash and coerce. It truly is endless and the sophistry seems to procure new dimensions constantly.
It seems to me as though about 30% of us are aware and seek objectivity and repeatable results, evidence, receipts, etc. Another 25% of us might know but don’t care. These are mostly disaffected rural folks but not strictly. Another 45% is all in on the brain poison upside down people can be animals boys can be girls it’s cool to have sex with kids cops cause crime making money is evil no borders allowed net zero nonsensical this is how to destroy society don’t you dare fucking disagree with me or I’ll kill you globalist bullshit bucket and begging for seconds.
That’s too much.
I have to admit I have started to doubt the intelligence of a large portion of the population. Having been born and lived in New York most of my life, it is profoundly depressing to me that Mamdani—who has a weaselly fake smile—won. The Democrats have been a disaster. Can’t even build a mental hospital or show a modicum of common sense. Plus our schools suck. Why vote for someone who wants to make the schools worse by doing away with higher performing charters, gifted programs etc.
Because they’re morons looking for a handout. Because the American dream dried up for them before they had a chance to realize it. There’s your standard left vs right answer to that question.
But no laughter this time..
See Joe Rogan’s interview of John Kiriakou (#2392) for information on Brennan’s career. Crazy, eye-opening and relevant to his behavior in videos you played today.
I think if he made contact with that finger, that’s assault.
Walter has great hair!
Damn you both. I have a stack of books I read 40 years ago and just bought again because of you. You bring joy to my life. Also I loved you back in the day before you saw what we were beginning to see. What an interesting and terrifying ten years we have lived through.
Mamdani is possibly the smarmiest human being of all fucking time. A face that screams for a backhand smack.
“I wouldn’t even hit you with my fist, I’d just smack the shit out of you because…”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aEhRM-JmXSk&pp=0gcJCR4Bo7VqN5tD
Looking forward to starting a new read. Wonder what it will be. Hopefully not chosen via Twitter poll. We're the ones who subscribe, those of us here, Matt shouldn't dis us like that, seriously. Not that I am going to stop subscribing, reading, and watching any time soon, but still.
Matt, you gotta stop saying “our generation” when referring to yourself and Walter. You’re Generation X and Walter is a late Boomer . You are not of the same generation. And that’s from a loyal Gen X Racket supporter who leans more towards WK’s viewpoint. Kirn (1962) is just a year younger than Obama. 🤷♂️
I know what you're saying, but all these "generations" we like to talk about are really a continuum, the Z, X, Millenia, Boomers, etc are really just arbitrary categories. It really becomes obvious with people like Walter who were born at a dividing point.
Of course they’re arbitrary. But they’re still from very culturally distinct generational backgrounds. Example A: Walter didn’t grow up listening to the likes of Grandmaster Flash or The Dead Kennedys. They’re both smart, educated, thoughtful men but they came of age in very, very different cultural circumstances.
I predict a Zohran victory. And I’m voting Sliwa. The reason that Matt and Walter missed is that he really is bringing new people into the voting process and whoever does that wins. Sure its all snake oil. But I live in NYC and have met these Mambani canvasers who, to a person, are all over educated and under employed. Many could not afford NYC and left for a while. They believe this hook line and sinker. And I’m making plans to move out after 30 years in Manhattan.
I prefer credentialed rather than educated.
In the mid 1970s I met a woman from Chicago who had moved to a small town in Arkansas as member of a commune. She had a masters in fine arts from the University of Chicago. She had a small stained glass business.
She said in every commune there were ants and grasshoppers. And the grasshoppers always outnumbered the ants. That's why communes almost always fail.
That’s one of my favorite LaFontaine fables. Thank you for sharing that story.
Are you saying you bought the piece from her?
I have no way of knowing if her story is true, but the lesson of the LaFontaine fable certainly rings true. Human nature doesn’t change much. We had to memorize that fable for French class. Can still recite it after all these years.
Ha. Showing my eyesight is waning. I thought you said, "Tables", not "Fables", which also shows my ignorance b/c I am not aware of such a fable. I'll have to research it. There were a number of communes in rural Arkansas; most notably Clinton and Eureka Springs. Most, if not all have gone by the way, thanks to the dominance by the grasshoppers.
La Fontaine’s fables are jewels. You’re not ignorant. Not many people are au courant on 17th century French writers:) Hope you find some good translations. Enjoy! They really are great fun.
Merci Beaucoup. Married, in a former life, to a woman born in Casa Blanca and grew up in Paris.
I remember when these podcasts were substantive.
Trump endorsed Cuomo. Me thinks he did it as part of a 3D chess move, because he knows his endorsement will help Mamdani win, which is what he wants, so he can use him to paint the Dems as radical socialists/communists. Doing this Trump also gets the bonus of appearing the logical experienced statesman by endorsing the Democratic candidate. I have to think that in NYC the endorsement by Trump of Cuomo will hurt his chances not help them. Also, if Cuomo does win, it's also a win for Trump because he can claim he helped Cuomo get elected
When did this happen? Not in the clip Matt played of the interview. He said he didn’t want to endorse the Communist but these days the Democrats are about the same. He never said he was endorsing anyone.
It's about winning. Bernie has been the best thing that has happened to the Republican Party in decades, maybe in history. The Bernie effect beginning in 2016 is THE reason the Democrats have moved so far to the left - they saw how close Bernie came to winning in 2016 and they followed. Bernie is the gift that keeps on giving for Trump and the republicans. AOC, and now Mamdani, the Democratic Socialists, are how the Republicans want to identify their opponents. Most mainstream Democrats do not like the leftward shift but thanks to the power of the DSA and their ability to win primaries and raise money the mainstream Democrats are stuck with reluctantly supporting Mamdani and the DCA candidates that win primaries. Schumer's position on the shutdown being motivated by his fear of a primary challenge from AOC.
Hard to believe there's that many people that ignorant about what socialism will bring, as evidenced in some of the comments today. That being said, it's also interesting to remember Orwell was a life-long socialist, but still wrote this book and 1984.
Socialism comes in many forms in real life. Collective bargaining and nationalizing essential industries and services makes perfect sense to me and many others. The US and most of the west has lost complete control of the production supply chain. Apple, we know, prefers Chinese slave labor and that's just fine with most consumers. People talk a good game but when it comes to our wallets - principle usually goes right out the window.
US and Canadian workers traded their jobs for cheap cars and appliances and its been downhill ever since. France, the UK and new even Germany are ready to go over the same cliff. Unfettered free enterprise comes at a cost - hey, how about opening the southern border? Not suggesting you're behind such a notion, but given the choke hold big pharma and big insurance has on US taxpayers and the ridiculously poor health of many makes one at least question what the ROI actually is, not to mention the opportunity costs of being ill.
Those discrepancies you mention are exactly why people vote for socialism. The latest “injustice” is the wholesale appropriation of electrical power, land, and water for data centers for AI. That being said, socialist governments are even better at appropriating resources for the “public good”, a recurring theme in “Animal Farm”.
Imagine believing your own hype in your early 30's and people encourage it including his parents who should be harnessing his ambition - encouraging him to get a job - learn something real.
When he's figured a few things out by his 40's - based on the experience of real life - go for it. He's just such a vessel of elite hubris it shocks me.
They rarely ever sent the plumber.
The shutdown is almost gone from the media except some scattered complaints about people not being able to afford ketchup, which anybody can get free from McDonalds. What are the odds it’s a reemergent Obama who is pushing the Dems to play hard ball in an effort to save his signature program- Obamacare? With him, it’s all about the ego.
Or maybe he cares about the 24 million people on ACA insurance. The personal animosity is drowning the discussion.
Yeah, I see Obama out there stumping, unlike other ex presidents. Has he mentioned those 24 million people? If he did, I missed it. We always get Obama’s ego show, where he tells us how great he was but now we are disappointing him. Point is, Obamacare screwed up health insurance in this country with their F-ed up exchange system. They kept it afloat through “Covid Relief” but now the time has come to let it work as advertised….and it’s unaffordable. So Dems unilaterally voted in Obamacare, find out it’s unaffordable, and demand the republicans vote with them to throw trillions into the furnace. Problem is the debt. That clock is ticking and will increasingly squeeze out discretionary spending until all we can pay for is mandated benefits. It can’t last and Obama lit the fuse to national insolvency.
It’s all so weird because I was sure that in 2010 we fixed healthcare and saved 69,420,000 lives.
Democrats have been “fixing” health care for 30 years (since Hillarycare). I’m convinced they will never be satisfied until we all enjoy crappy socialist national health care.