This is great; your voice is so strong and your perspective is so clear!
If the opening line was, "I'm sitting on the tarmac with a glass of bourbon waiting for the Xanax to kick in...." I'd say this reminds me of Hunter Thompson. But that's not the first line, so: This reminds me of PJ O'Rourke!
Fascinating analysis. Thanks so much. The problem is that the only opposition (fake opposition) is the moribund Democratic Party, which is a gerontocracy completely dominated by the same capital the Republicans worship. How to create a pluralist political system? Our constitution no longer works, as Jamelle Bouie keeps pointing out.
It's a HUGE problem. I've given up on the Dems completely at this point, and I agree that we need structural change. Like, we're not going back to the neoliberal era. America as it existed is over and the only question is whether these assholes win or whether we eventually find a way to build something better
What we really, really need imo is a robust progressive/left bloc capable of coordinated action and running local candidates. Stuff like Zohran Mamdani's shockingly successful NYC mayoral campaign is an example of what that could look like. We have to stop waiting for the Dems to get their shit together, recognize that they won't, and step into the vacuum they've created
Given the structural duopoly of our political system, I'm confident that a successful opposition will still be called the Democrats, but everyone in charge right now needs to be swept away. Trump neutralized most of the GOP old guard by winning the 2016 primary. Something similar must happen to the Democrats. Credit to Newt Gingrich, limiting GOP committee chairs to a six year term in 1994 was a good move and Dems really need something like that to move forward. The current strict seniority system means the public face of the Democrats is people in the safest, bluest districts. Fresh faces in swing districts get no national attention.
As always, I am advocating for conversion and not alliance. We do not pander or move to the center. We do not sacrifice a single principle, we do not sacrifice trans people or immigrant rights or racial justice. We present our case for building a better world: solutions that actually address the very real problems that have driven so many people to madness. A critical mass of people in this country voted for Trump, and we cannot win this fight without peeling off some of them. A lot of people are beyond help at this point. I can't believe all of them are.
Thank you, Laura. You are a treasure. *Broad gesture* This is a horrible reality for those of us who want the planet to be around for a while, food and housing for all, and lack of violence, and I'm so grateful for your writing.
While The Disruptors may be winning, I think they carry seeds to their own destruction. On the AI front, there's a lot of hype and VC money supporting what looks like a huge bubble around LLMs. Hard to see how there's not a 1999-style tech crash at some point. After that, I think the uses for AI that actually generate value will become more apparent.
The crypto risks are probably even worse. Obviously, there is the Ponzi nature of traditional crypto like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Meme coins are simply a means for grift. But the new favorite, Stablecoins, has a very traditional problem. Companies that issue stablecoin are behaving like banks. The Disruptors won't want their favorite new business to be regulated. And economists since Adam Smith have known that unregulated banks are subject to bank runs. It's a tale as old as time, and it never ends well.
Great piece Laura. Helps frame a lot of whats going on. While the rest of us are huddling in a defensive crouch, we can at least enjoy the popcorn.
Damn Laura, this is such an excellent piece of incredible research and knowledge. Thank you! Truly excellent work with great insights. 🙌
Commenting on the craft:
This is great; your voice is so strong and your perspective is so clear!
If the opening line was, "I'm sitting on the tarmac with a glass of bourbon waiting for the Xanax to kick in...." I'd say this reminds me of Hunter Thompson. But that's not the first line, so: This reminds me of PJ O'Rourke!
Fascinating analysis. Thanks so much. The problem is that the only opposition (fake opposition) is the moribund Democratic Party, which is a gerontocracy completely dominated by the same capital the Republicans worship. How to create a pluralist political system? Our constitution no longer works, as Jamelle Bouie keeps pointing out.
It's a HUGE problem. I've given up on the Dems completely at this point, and I agree that we need structural change. Like, we're not going back to the neoliberal era. America as it existed is over and the only question is whether these assholes win or whether we eventually find a way to build something better
What we really, really need imo is a robust progressive/left bloc capable of coordinated action and running local candidates. Stuff like Zohran Mamdani's shockingly successful NYC mayoral campaign is an example of what that could look like. We have to stop waiting for the Dems to get their shit together, recognize that they won't, and step into the vacuum they've created
Given the structural duopoly of our political system, I'm confident that a successful opposition will still be called the Democrats, but everyone in charge right now needs to be swept away. Trump neutralized most of the GOP old guard by winning the 2016 primary. Something similar must happen to the Democrats. Credit to Newt Gingrich, limiting GOP committee chairs to a six year term in 1994 was a good move and Dems really need something like that to move forward. The current strict seniority system means the public face of the Democrats is people in the safest, bluest districts. Fresh faces in swing districts get no national attention.
This piece hits hard
Omg! You're saving me! ...Genuflections
Goddess, I do love this last bit:
""
As always, I am advocating for conversion and not alliance. We do not pander or move to the center. We do not sacrifice a single principle, we do not sacrifice trans people or immigrant rights or racial justice. We present our case for building a better world: solutions that actually address the very real problems that have driven so many people to madness. A critical mass of people in this country voted for Trump, and we cannot win this fight without peeling off some of them. A lot of people are beyond help at this point. I can't believe all of them are.
Outstanding insights. I need to find some way of having an AI read this to me in David Attenborough's voice.
Thank you, Laura. You are a treasure. *Broad gesture* This is a horrible reality for those of us who want the planet to be around for a while, food and housing for all, and lack of violence, and I'm so grateful for your writing.
The NazBoli scares the shit out of me.
While The Disruptors may be winning, I think they carry seeds to their own destruction. On the AI front, there's a lot of hype and VC money supporting what looks like a huge bubble around LLMs. Hard to see how there's not a 1999-style tech crash at some point. After that, I think the uses for AI that actually generate value will become more apparent.
The crypto risks are probably even worse. Obviously, there is the Ponzi nature of traditional crypto like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Meme coins are simply a means for grift. But the new favorite, Stablecoins, has a very traditional problem. Companies that issue stablecoin are behaving like banks. The Disruptors won't want their favorite new business to be regulated. And economists since Adam Smith have known that unregulated banks are subject to bank runs. It's a tale as old as time, and it never ends well.
Great piece Laura. Helps frame a lot of whats going on. While the rest of us are huddling in a defensive crouch, we can at least enjoy the popcorn.
Absolute fire, fantastic piece 🎉🔥