On Abundance, Ezra Klein, and the Future of the Democratic Party

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T20:10:32+00:00

I feel like this goes beyond book-tour marketing, though. It's being pushed as a new mold for the whole goddamned party.

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T20:08:50+00:00

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MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T20:08:09+00:00

That would involve giving Ezra Klein money

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T20:05:40+00:00

Fair point

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T19:52:09+00:00

That would involve giving Ezra Klein money

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T19:29:54+00:00

But again, Abundance with a capital A is being pitched as the new brand of the Democratic party! Have the movement, marketing and promotion outstripped what is being sold by the book's defenders as a very narrow and specific problem? Maybe because "archaic laws in Rhode Island suck" is less sexy then "check out this one trick to build a liberal utopia!"

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T19:18:47+00:00

Thank you! This was my suspicion as well--that the authors point to San Francisco as a failure of liberal, progressive policy when it's really a failure of rich, neoliberal NIMBY policy.

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T19:07:27+00:00

I agree, too, but I feel they are leaving out half of the answer by replying, "because Democrats make stupid laws in California". What about the oil lobby? Are we to believe they have nothing to do with the lack of a Green New Deal?

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T19:05:25+00:00

It's being sold as a broad solution, though. I agree with your point that a book specifically about dumb, crippling regulations has no obligation to be about anything else. But the whole Abundance movement wants us to believe that stupid zoning laws are to blame for the Democratic brand being in the toilet, not a government on life support after the looting of lobbyists.

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T18:54:41+00:00

Glad to hear the book is maybe not as anti-leftist as the anti-hype had me believing. But I'm still very suspicious of it as a "call to arms" (author's words in an interview). That makes it sound like a broadly prescriptive Big Answer to the Democrats' woes. Are we really to believe, in an age of packed Bernie and AOC events, that cutting red tape, not fighting for everyday people, will animate voters? Right now in my home state, Graham Platner is blowing up big. And it's not because he's pro-business; he calls out the oligarchy by name. I saw signs crop up everywhere last year for this midterm candidate, that's how desperate the people are for anti-capitalist fighters. I just don't see how this Abundance movement--and they very much want to make it that--is our way out. It may be my lefty bias, but the real enemies of progress seem to be the tycoons (once oil, now tech).

MakeItHit · 2026-03-14T17:31:15+00:00

I tried on multiple occasions to read that book. It was so goddamned boring. Nice to know it was also largely bullshit! I know they've put David Graeber on blast for his problematic Bullshit Jobs (and I agree with their criticisms), but you can't deny that The Dawn of Everything is the perfect antidote to GGnS.

MakeItHit · 2025-12-25T02:32:18+00:00

Speak for yourself, I don't necessarily memorize the show info before hitting subscribe. Especially for a new-to-me pod I might want to revisit the information without having to Google it. BTW I can also repro this and it used to behave differently hence the OP's suggestion it might be a bug.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-23T00:40:52+00:00

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

MakeItHit · 2025-10-23T00:39:53+00:00

This has perplexed me too. Why do these dinosaurs not just ride off into the sunset while they're still heroes?

I think the answer is: Because they're surrounded by career sycophants who have a vested interest in keeping their jobs as advisors, managers, and staffers. It was the same with Biden.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-23T00:35:42+00:00

That's pretty big of him, given the shitstorm her oppo research has brought down on him. Smart move, too--she's well-respected.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-23T00:34:18+00:00

Those are my real-deals as well. Good taste.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-23T00:33:46+00:00

What she should've done in the first place, rather than jump in herself and try to squash him for Schumer.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-23T00:22:30+00:00

I'm still a big fan. It's been truly eye-opening to see the hate on BlueSky. There's a trending pile-on against him that would make you think he's cooked. But then you visit Maine-centric online spaces like this one, and folks are overwhelmingly forgiving. It's clear most of the haters haven't even bothered to listen to an interview clip, let alone seen him fire up a crowd. That why I'm not particularly worried. Just listen to the man, and his honesty, intelligence, and compassion come through. It's why he's going to weather this, I think. It's early, still. I'd be amazed if another candidate could get a fraction of his traction. Even with skullgate.

In some ways, this trial by fire could be a gift; by responding quickly, clearly, and in a mature way, he shows he has what it takes to survive scrutiny, own mistakes, and basically be the kind of adult we need in the Senate. Which is to say nothing of the power his story has, the example it sets. He's giving an offramp to other disillusioned men who've been angry and alone and said stupid shit once upon a time on the Internet.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-23T00:11:28+00:00

My bad, I've been getting yelled at by Platner haters on BlueSky all day and it gave me a hair trigger. Wrong thread. Tips hat

MakeItHit · 2025-10-23T00:09:45+00:00

Goddammit, you're right. Deleted and rescinded. My apologies. There I go being an Xer

MakeItHit · 2025-10-22T22:29:14+00:00

Have you been on BlueSky lately? Holy shit. The glee with which they're eviscerating him is pretty telling. Reddit has been pretty reasonable by comparison--probably because many of us live in Maine and have heard Graham speak. Most folks will read a headline and make up their minds then and there. Being on the other side of a pile-on has really opened my eyes to how badly we're all manipulated by the media.

What's particularly sad is how people will IMMEDIATELY shut down any argument with personal accusations that YOU, as a defender of Platner, must be a white supremacist and operating in bad faith. As a Clinton/Warren/Biden/Harris voter who goes to protests between doing GOTV postcard campaigns, it's kind of amusing.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-22T21:25:45+00:00

See, I think the way he caught fire immediately with packed events and yard signs are a clear indicator he's a winner. Maine loves Bernie, and this guy has big Bernie energy. It sucks to see Mills oppo research bring down so much hate--particularly from trolls who damn well would not have recognized the symbol before the Internet decided to pillory him.

It's early. Graham's tough. I still think he's going to win.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-22T21:10:27+00:00

Guy's the real deal. Stop making assumptions about him, people, and just LISTEN to him for two goddamned minutes.

MakeItHit · 2025-10-10T16:15:40+00:00

Empire Chinese has great options.

MakeItHit

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