Bro

The Mamdani's aunt thing is not because people don't understand that use of the word, or find it culturally alien. They know, for example, that Uncle Sam isn't a biological relative. There is an esoteric caucasian politico-cultural practice known as "throwing shit at a wall to see if it sticks" 1/85

After you’ve read enough about diplomacy and IR you just start to filter every interaction through that lens

I wonder if anyone has done this meme with: King Idris being overthrown in Libya->US Democracy on the rocks

From a 2002 article entitled “the liberal quandary over Iraq” George Packer traces the rise and fall of what he terms the ‘Bosnia consensus’

Moving to New York out of spite now

You’re living in Coolidge’s America

Reiterating this

Still goated

It was the right set of circumstances. Today Congress’ approval is perennially low, and Americans look more to the White House for national problems to be solved.

Truman’s 48 convention speech definitely has to be watched. You get this folksy preacher vibe that I suspect was influenced by Truman having witnessed William Jennings Bryan, one of his heroes, deliver his speech at the democratic convention of 1900.

I emphatically agree, but this isn’t a 2025 thing lol

The clerk(whose ethnicity I do not know only that the guy evidently believed she was Hispanic) said his name, and he told her to pronounce it differently cause “this is America, not mexico” and he went on about that for a while

Accurate depiction of the hard hat riot, circa 1970

Super obscure Batman comic from the 90’s, called “The ugly American.” Basically this guy who signed up for a super soldier type program becomes a hyper aggressive ethnonationalist

Slopulist is a good one

My name is Americus Flagman from Maryland oblast. I am here to install new wireless lighting system in situation room.

Well this actually reads as him being racist since he seems to only take issue with Harris being characterized that way

Mind you, operations in the Middle East were influenced by the myth of the military having one hand tied behind its back in Vietnam

NYC, known for its homogeneity and lack of pluralism

Important to understand how many people go around thinking shit like this

Narrator: “He did not say any of that”

Broke: Republicans are refighting 2020 Bespoke: Republicans are trying to do evil reconstruction on blue states

Somebody pitch this show idea to hbo or Netflix or whatever streaming service

Evil reconstruction

Guy whose mental picture of Venezuela is stuck in the early 2000’s. Thinks Chavez is still in charge.

And I still do think this is brinkmanship, though inertia has a way of carrying events forward

There’s not really a coherent strategy for Venezuela. Langley’s down there, but the publicized military brinksmanship doesn’t really make for a subtle approach. I think their hope is that Maduro steps down out of fear?

Truman’s having a laugh right about now

X men always had an edge to it that you just didn’t find in the avengers or fantastic four.

Actually love that Batman is posed as Superman’s shadow in this panel

From a Superman comic but actually captures the essence of Batman incredibly well. He’s motivated, fundamentally, by empathy for other victims.

Gonna recommend this book because on top of being informative and engaging, its subject matter occupies a niche that appeals to me. So many aspects of the world we live in are far more recent inventions than we acknowledge.

Curve ball: this article that was just published on US policy in Afghanistan in the 80’s. Dispels common myths and gives a really good understanding of the subject.

Not posting anymore is part of why it’s regular now

Insert Kissinger quote about the Iran-Iraq war

…It’s apt

Might need to start having a well dressed man with a stern voice hand out life lessons every week again

Neil Postman would be fairly unsurprised by these developments fwiw

That early postwar moral clarity hits different

Twilight Zone is such a fascinating time capsule. There’s an episode that come out like right after the Eichmann Trial about a former ss officer being haunted by the crimes of his past. What was most striking to me watching it was how Sterling took aim at the notion of ‘just following orders’-

Satisfied with what I’ve learned this year. Read a lot of interesting literature and took more time to think.

Those religious fanatics banned alcohol. Not like that’s happened in the west any time in the past century or anything.

“Religious wars” I wish Americans read anything about anything

This was consistent with sentiments about democracy Kennan expressed throughout his life in postwar America. He had a pretty dour view of things, to put it lightly.

Kennan on the Ford/Carter debate

These guys will spend all day doing this and still have philosopher pfps

Oh George, you would have loved the 2020’s

Kennan complaining about TV

Kennan expressing distaste at how domestic politics affects the direction of foreign policy