126 Comments
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Substack Reader's avatar

100,000 people go to NFL games because it's what they do for fun. 100,000 protesters go to a protest because...?

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ElgeeR's avatar

They go to protests to take selfies to post on social media to virtue signal to their fellow progressive elites. Similar to Corey Booker's performance on the floor of the Senate.

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michael888's avatar

The abolition ("modernization") of Smith Mundt now allows domestic propaganda in the form of State Department (CIA)-controlled Official Narratives, spewed by State Media (the old legacy MSM). Worked so well for Covid. This was critical for success abroad, and has now come home.

The CIA's other major ploy is getting people to "take to the streets" in protest. The Maidan Coup of 25,000 people overturned UN-proctored domestic elections in Ukraine with 45 million people. It's obvious which protests are 'sanctioned' (George Floyd and anti-Trump protests) and which are not (January 6th gun-less 'Insurrection') by the responses of federal authorities and State Media. The State Dept/ CIA/ USAID have perfected interference with foreign governments; their techniques have now come home to attack political opponents.

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badnabor's avatar

The free bus ride, meals and pay check...might have some bearing on their participation.

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Mary Orlowski McFerson's avatar

Troll troll troll Karen

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Sera's avatar

Would you care to elaborate…?

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DingDongDoodooDaddy's avatar

This person is saying they are paid prob

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@CLJ3's avatar

yea. and clearly we have been doing so well as a country that we should keep the status quo. where to start - public health, education, infrastructure, our military, all in the tank and a massive budget deficit and what do we have to show for it.

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DingDongDoodooDaddy's avatar

I’m not agreeing, I was decoding. I’m on team “things are bad and keep getting worse”

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Substack Reader's avatar

I intended the symmetrical, "they do it for fun."

It's their social life. Meet for brunch. Dress up, paint their faces, grab signs, and then go dance around screaming. Like football tailgaters.

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DingDongDoodooDaddy's avatar

And subsequently get ignored by politicians and the public alike.

If you actually get someone’s attention they’ll deport you.

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Karen's avatar

We want Trump and Trumpism erased. Trump and Vance must be removed from office and prosecuted for every one of their crimes. Trumpism mist be erased from the face of the Earth if civilization is to survive.

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BookWench's avatar

"if civilization is to survive"?????

You sound like a total drama queen.

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Karen's avatar

Trump is the biggest threat to humanity on the planet.

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BookWench's avatar

It’s a wonder we’re all still alive, Karen.

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Karen's avatar

If Trump stays in office long enough, none of us will be.

Why do you worship him? What does that asshole do to keep you supporting his catastrophic policies? Do transwomen bother you so much that you will turn the entire planet into a smoking crater just to kill them? What is wrong with you morons?

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BookWench's avatar

“Ma’am, this is a Wendy’s. . . “

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Patrick's avatar

The sky landed near me on my way to work today

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Ministryofbullshit's avatar

His approval ratings are dropping, although that didn’t stop Biden’s handlers from doubling down on unpopular policies.

Culture has changed so much in my lifetime. Support for terrorists, out and proud protests for kleptocracy. Instant financial support for cold blooded murderers.

Glad I’m older:-(

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DingDongDoodooDaddy's avatar

“Support for terrorists”

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michael888's avatar

Just because al-Julani was literally a head-chopper (we now know al Qaeda and ISIS and offshoots were under CIA control), much like Osama bin Laden. "Terrorists" can mean "freedom fighters", if needed. Moral relativism?

Torture and genocide/ ethnic cleansing were un-American when I grew up. Things have changed, at least in DC. It's not bad when Americans do it.

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DingDongDoodooDaddy's avatar

I was under the impression OP meant something different. But if we are talking about US foreign policy, remove my quotes.

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michael888's avatar

Domestic policy is rapidly being distilled from foreign policy. Agree and support official narratives or you will be labeled a "domestic terrorist".

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Louis Marra's avatar

This was your best show yet. I share your frustration about the socioeconomic decline of the US, which I have witnessed over my sixty-plus years. I speak as an engineer who loves to build things, and found fewer opportunities to do so as time went by. Your analogy to the pride of renovating one's home is spot on. Let's hope that these changes work out.

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Mary Orlowski McFerson's avatar

Layoffs have come to Washington. Exactly! Not a lot of sympathy here. Most of us work the gig economy… no paid leave, time off, benefits

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Sharkey Daniel's avatar

Washington DC is taking a disproportionate hit for the Trump administrations activities so I would be surprised if 100,000 people didn’t show up. How many showed up to the protest in Des Moines Iowa or Kenosha Wisconsin or Oklahoma City

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michael888's avatar

Federal workers are a massive voting bloc for the Democrats. Biden's social security "fairness act" where he gave massive back pay from FICA taxes that many government workers (including Biden from 1973 to 1983) didn't pay into, getting more credit for non-FICA payment years in many cases (and a windfall back payment) than retirees who paid into FICA their whole working lives., is very typical of what politicians do to exclusively help their base. Their shrieking over job losses just means they have lived in a bubble, protected for decades while the rest of America has dealt with the fact that no one is owed a job, nor are those jobs secure.

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Sharkey Daniel's avatar

The strong turnout in Washington demonstrates exactly how much the present change to the workforce in Washington DC at the federal government level is necessary for the well-being of the rest of the country

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Rilie J. Morgan's avatar

And what is, or has this leisured society brought us so far Mr. Gates: Men who think they are

women and vice versa, the saturation of pornography, lowering birth rates, and a ruling class of elites who think they are morally superior to all, save their ilk. No thanks Bill!

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Carlos Marighella's avatar

Good discussion, guys. I especially liked what Matt said about watching everything deteriorate for his whole life, because I feel the same way.

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Colonel X's avatar

I currently own two manufacturing robots. I only need/want two because we don’t have enough volume to justify more. Since 2006, I’ve owned a total of ten robots and I am, and have been, the chief robot programmer at my facility. Robots have a ton of problems… parts have to be almost perfect. There is a big learning curve. They cost a lot to buy and repair. They need ingenious minds to design fixtures to hold parts. There are just a lot of issues and they don’t equate to getting rid of large swaths of people. They do take the drudgery out of many jobs and they definitely have a place. My guess is that if you have one single job and one robot for that job you can replace 4 people. But if you’re setting things up in a way that you utilize a robot for different tasks, what robots are really good at is doing the shitty portion of a job, like welding the same points on a frame. You still need people to load and unload and all the other minor things that must be done in a manufacturing process. But replacing people? No, because it seems we find other jobs for those individuals.

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Daniel's avatar

I spent the mid80s through 90s in manufacturing. Automation and work force reductions were driving everything. I think what is lost is the debate we were having way back then was how to train and retain (wages,benefits) the people that were still needed. Someone has to keep it running and their value goes UP. The people saying no one wants to work in a factory are still visualizating piece work assembly.

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DB's avatar
Apr 8Edited

I’ve been watching/listening since the beginning of the year. This was your best show yet.

Keep raising the bar.

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Outis's avatar

They've been on a roll! This week's livestream and last-week's pre-recorded have been very good. I only started watching (semi) regularly over the last couple months but these last two really stood out.

It is amazing, as others here have noted and Matt (rather passionately) mentioned, that the visible deterioration of the country isn't as much of an issue as it ostensibly should be.

That and the fact that to any rational person the exportation of the manufacturing sector was not a good idea. Obviously would come back to haunt the country. A few people made a ton of dough at the expense of the country all while confidently smirking about "free trade" while handing over the economy to a country that doesn't respect free trade, workers' rights or environmental standards.

Yeah, you can afford to make things cheaply if you can flout all the rules.

Also, I've been digging Walter's prognostications -- which I largely (almost completely) agree with.

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Fellow Traveler's avatar

I don’t want to scan my own groceries !!!!

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Dean's avatar

Not even with the added thrill from the prospect of being hauled off to jail if you or the machine misses something? Where is your spirit of adventure?

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Run Freedom Run's avatar

No one has lost millions or billions if they have not sold anything. It's such bullshit saying they lost trillions

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Russell's avatar

You are absolutely right. Market capitalization isn't actual capitalization at all. All the assets, the plant, equipment, materials, and cash these business have is still there even if some decide to sell their shares. All market cap is is a hypothetical extrapolated valuation based on just the last share transaction. That's all it is.

If a hurricane destroys a manufacturing plant, actual wealth is destroyed.

These folks saying "3 trillion in wealth was destroyed" are perverse.

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BookWench's avatar

I know!

Why would anybody sell their stock when the price drops?

That's just dumb.

Heck, I was a lit major, & even I can figure that out.

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Run Freedom Run's avatar

LOL

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Jack's avatar

Can Walter just admit he’s full MAGA now. He has become out of touch with the center. Shit runs down hill. Once all the “haves” start tightening up, the have nots get screwed. He’s always talking about how out of touch the mainstream media is and he’s right about that. However, he is becoming that same out of touch boomer. Basically just telling us that we re just hysterical.

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BookWench's avatar

Respectfully disagree.

Walter regularly exhibits compassion for those who are poor, lamenting the number of families he sees living in their cars, the number of closed businesses he sees in small town America, etc.

The fact is, many people ARE behaving like hysterics, torching or otherwise vandalizing cars that they wanted everyone to buy until 5 minutes ago, when Elon started pointing out all the waste, fraud, & abuse going on in DC. It's astonishing to me how many people cannot understand how they are being manipulated to despise Elon Musk.

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Moira Brown's avatar

I'm glad things are being broken too... but he should remember also that Trump's always been a delusional liar and a cheat. And disappearing people off the street, with no process And no renovation of health care or education beyond just privatize it all. Same answer for all govt functions, like PO. And ravaging the way-underfunded Arts/Culture dept. And f-ing Steven Miller. Oy. People are going to be hurting, telling you now.

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DingDongDoodooDaddy's avatar

I was in college during the financial collapse. I saw no prospects so I dropped out and learned a trade. 17 years later I watch my measly retirement savings shrink over a pipe dream that American industry is coming back on worldwide tariffs.

No really I should just sit back and trust the plan. Not like I haven’t been getting fucked my entire life.

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rob's avatar

If you were in college in 2008 your not retiring any time soon do you haven’t lost a nickel

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DingDongDoodooDaddy's avatar

I have your word, Rob?

Do you think I should have faith? If so, why?

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rob's avatar

Because you would be a fool to touch that fund right now . And yes over time the market has again and again absorbed corrections almost 10-15 percent and blasted pass that on the upswing

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Carlos Marighella's avatar

I'm very sorry to hear about this.

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DingDongDoodooDaddy's avatar

Thanks, Walt. I love Donald J Trump now. You did your job so can you just stop holding his nutsack for like 5 minutes?

“Back in my day journalist never let on to which candidate they supported”

Anyone else remember that gem?

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Ken's avatar

From Alex Christoforou - Ursula von der Crazy

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