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posts by anon 0x1d3

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in thread "Mapping the critical cohorts of the US":

I'd make a strong distinction between statesmen and the broader class of politicians. In particular, I'd define a statesman as a live player among politicians. In any given generation, the number of statesman is small (and at present, even smaller than usu... 13mo ago 22

I'd make a strong di 22

What are these virtues? Would you consider Soros to exemplify them? I consider Soros to be effective in getting what he wants, but I also think his influence on governance has been hugely negative. Which raises a further question: are the techniques for sp... 13mo ago 22

What are these virtu 22

The thing about Julius Caesar is that he did a whole lot of stuff prior to crossing the Rubicon that made the latter possible. Like, conquering all of Gaul against great odds. That's what put him in a position to dominate Rome. (And even then, he didn't do... 13mo ago 22

The thing about Juli 22

This actually raises an interesting distinction. Has anyone done a study of immigrants to the U.S. that went on to become successful founders and looked at the type of visa or legal status with which they entered the country? What proportion were something... 13mo ago 22

This actually raises 22

Ethnicity should not be a taboo subject. We just need to discuss it rationally. U.S. immigration law before 1965 specifically referred to ethnicity. ... 13mo ago 22

Ethnicity should not 22

I think the results of that experiment are pretty clearly in, and the answer is no. I'd argue the apparent early success was deceptively amplified by the U.S. having received a decades-long bonus for being the only major power, even among the victorious Al... 13mo ago 22

I think the results 22

This was the project of German "conservative revolutionary" thought, derailed by World War II. 13mo ago 22

This was the project 22

Indeed, among many others. ... 13mo ago 22

Indeed, among many o 22

Even the "colorblindness" of liberal, upperclass circles (say in the 1970-90's) included mandatory prohibitions on "noticing" many truths. At best, it required throwing out certain information about the world. In practice, it was already a kind of proto-wo... 13mo ago 22

Even the "colorblind 22

Excellent discussion of ideology. I would summarize by saying ideology is necessary but not sufficient. It is not fake, but it is weak when not integrated with elite interests. Further, that integration, when successful, is bidirectional. It both shapes an... 13mo ago 22

Excellent discussion 22

Yes, this is what I meant. It's not that we care what the masses think per se. The problem is that the elite is not a unified class. It has factions, and rhetorical weakness on our part will be exploited against us by competing factions. So it ends up matt... 13mo ago 22

Yes, this is what I 22

"Material" need not mean "economic," certainly not in the sense of "for the good of the economy as a whole." Low-skill immigration is of immediate political benefit to elite factions who are the immigrants' patrons via welfare-state programs. These faction... 13mo ago 22

"Material" need not 22

Cannot stress enough how common the sentiment expressed in this paragraph is. I have often spoken with high-IQ, well-educated liberal folks who speak exactly this way. Guys in our sphere look at the world at see huge dysfunctions. They look at the same phe... 13mo ago 22

Cannot stress enough 22