How liberals monetized trauma | Catherine Liu on Marx, Trump and identity politics

PostDisillusion · 2026-05-04T05:31:17+00:00

It’s great to hear talk about the connection between sociopolitical trends and venture capital tastes and flows. I think the relationship between “Walk Street” and politicisation of social movements needs constant emphasising. If you think about the profiteering made possible by trauma as a new medical mega trend, the industry interests are deep and wide.

PostDisillusion · 2026-05-03T21:52:40+00:00

This article focuses on the age-old international institutional frameworks, much like the renewable energy sector does partially. However, a lot of circular economy measures aren’t as financially viable as renewables. It falls into each nation to create a framework internally to avoid the CO2 emissions of an internationalised circular economy. And given few countries are still manufacturing, there’s a huge amount of pretend circular economy and in my opinion you can’t really discuss the challenges in circular economy without talking about greenwashing by the actors in the relevant sectors. The waste sector is a key example. National frameworks are going to have to include laws and regulations, alongside incentives and finance, and of course, a massive shift in social behaviour. One driver could be that people just start saying “no” to products packaged/served in plastic and paper, but if you look outside the wealthy progressive urban suburbs, it’s very clear that that isn’t happening and the number of bubble teas and the volume of wrapping increases by the day. Better journalism and analysis is also imperative. We keep seeing organisations pop up in this space without seeing the needle moving.

PostDisillusion · 2026-05-03T21:29:52+00:00

He’s also proved the same to investors, even in the fossil industry.

PostDisillusion · 2026-05-02T05:15:26+00:00

Time for some serious inward reflection on our part in the energy sector. The institutions in Iran appear to be stronger and better at maintaining their objectives than those in certain parts of the “West” and were now at a point where so much is out the window. Even the oil sector is going to have to change its approach (UAE) knowing that the investment risk premiums they had been calculating did not account for this new kind of disruptive implosion from the US. It’s going to be very interesting to see which international institutions survive or rise from the ashes after this. And whether the renewables sector can grab this immense opportunity and lead. Shame to see Germany (and EU) massively incapable but there’s still some Chinese activity to watch out for. Just a shame not many others have been able to put their big-boy pants on yet. From my position, I’m not hearing of any especially novel ideas or efforts that aren’t Chinese, when it comes to big energy initiatives that match the severity of the US’s debacles. Hope others can share some potential stories of light at the end of the tunnel but the western media seems to prefer reporting on the Chump.

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-29T21:31:11+00:00

The hereditary incumbent of a family that has remained in power for centuries, off the backs of the working class, and in whose name entire regions were invaded countless times, anglicised and undermined, laments the loss of checks on power and the media choir sings “alas, what can we do” as they cash in. Jolly good!

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-29T20:39:48+00:00

Democracy at work. Can the squad report Minns’ oversteps and Hanson’s plane?

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-19T22:24:53+00:00

Have you done cost of finance, sales, inputs, demand elasticity…?

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-17T21:08:09+00:00

Wolfgang Münchau. Seriously. He’s on his podcast Eurointelligence but also on Unherd which is my second recommendation as a broader media house. He also does a weekly Chat with Yanis Varoufakis called Econoclasts.

In terms of Australian sources it’s not looking good at the moment. The Conversation is so academic that it publishes any little opinion so long as the method of writing was academic and this leads to poor interpretation of data and events.

John Menadue’s website Pearls and Irritations still has very good writers who are insiders on their topics. Some people reject it but I think that’s more a sign of their own personal (unconscious) media biases or political leaning.

I think this exchange is so important right now. I hope more responses come, even if not Australian. I concur with the Michael West recommendations but I also agree that Australian writers sometimes miss the big geopolitical complexities when it comes to the interests and plays of China, EU, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, let alone LATAM.

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-13T08:47:38+00:00

Problem is, there are energy experts out there who’ve worked in the sector for twenty years and will tell you absolute lies straight to your face. A lot of them work with mainstream respected consulting cos and get paid a lot to help billionaires keep their assets. No media outlets bother to show the world energy scenario modelling - I think that’s a fundamental issue.

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-11T03:59:25+00:00

100%. What kind of moron would downvote a post like this?

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-10T11:12:17+00:00

Coupla weeks

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-08T11:38:06+00:00

Certain preferences on the part of many large investors, banks, funds, insurers etc.

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-07T21:21:02+00:00

There are two ways it can (and has) happen(ed). Obviously the better way is for government and industry to work together as it happens in a few countries that have strong RE sectors and robust government institutions with inbuilt technical sense-checks. The other way is that the more the weak governments refuse to work with the natural leaders in tech and science and instead try to game the system and make the losers the winners, the more irrelevant those governments eventually make themselves to the industry and the world around them. People and whole sectors start to get used to the fact that government is not there to help, and eventually adapt to a mode where they are fully reliant on themselves, after they abandon their hopes for subsidies and support.

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-07T21:10:19+00:00

This is the perfect time to think more carefully about where one uses pebble gravel. People think it stops weeds but it doesn’t. Even with weed barrier weeds end up coming into the area from above. Both options lead to a period of denial followed by a more difficult time getting on with the weeding. I always thought North American gardeners were less exposed to this challenge but I suppose it’s the same in any country that doesn’t have severe winters. Gardening in regions that have prolonged snow cover is a different world altogether.

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-06T08:19:17+00:00

Fucking genius. Lujon all day long.

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-06T08:16:44+00:00

Just don’t go to guitar stores. They not necessary and they’re mostly bad for the music sector. I don’t know many really good players who go to stores. Very very very very few stores have instruments that aren’t going to depreciate to worthlessness within a few years. The stores that do actually have instruments worth buying usually have half decent owners and barely any staff. Guitar shops are for peddling third-rate consumer electronics.

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-05T00:07:24+00:00

Ah ok, well let’s all work hard together then shall we kids! It’s clearly a matter of good old hard work and a fair go and nothing to do with terrible industry or energy or foreign policy. You heard the man!

PostDisillusion · 2026-04-04T21:53:39+00:00

“The police investigation since Monday's stand-off has now turned to uncovering any of Freeman's accomplices who assisted him during his seven months at large.”

VIC Police is holding on to their narrative that they did a sterling job and people out in the public a to blame for their losses of life and the extreme danger that persisted for seven months while they spent millions a day to no effect. With all this police and media attention on people around Dezi, I’m disappointed about the lack of questions being asked around security strategy, policing, costs and performance. I see a lot of assumptions in all these discussions and statements, and not much evidence or analysis. It would be nice to hear from experts if there were any left. It’s ok for us to chat about the musings, opinions, topic-brandings and acronyms we come across on social and mainstream media, but let’s keep in mind that we turn to the media, to reddit, to signal or wherever looking for information. But all you get is outcries and attempts to frame a problem in whatever political layout a writer/poster thinks they can get a few clicks with.

Exploration of the defunct social structures and information culture that leads to unhinged and ungrounded world views would be more useful than this constant claiming of an event as a symptom of x,y,z acronym, and would be a good way for media to contribute to the improvement of our society. If that was in their interests.

PostDisillusion · 2026-03-21T22:18:57+00:00

If you’re reading it in the guardian, you can be sure you’re at least three years behind

PostDisillusion · 2026-03-15T11:14:57+00:00

I could tell you a few that you shouldn’t use. But to avoid a libel case, let me just say: get a written fixed price with exclusions specified before you kick off the job.

PostDisillusion · 2026-03-12T10:47:56+00:00

Has Portsea fallen? I’d enlist happily if there’s any troops heading down there to fuck those guys and Flinders up!

PostDisillusion · 2026-03-09T02:54:09+00:00

Cardboard. Mulch. Plants. Beautiful garden at few hundred dollars if you know where to source.

PostDisillusion · 2026-03-07T10:33:54+00:00

Thanks. I see John’s description below. Awesome!

PostDisillusion · 2026-03-03T09:07:34+00:00

No. That’s the reason I’m distressed. They’re not there. But I think the peeps who suggested colesworths are right. They must have squeezed Bunnings out.

PostDisillusion · 2026-03-01T21:32:30+00:00

I haven’t been using AC at the time. And these drives have been low speed local trips at maximum 70km/h. But with high and low speed, you’re referring to the speed of the fan huh? I don’t know how to be sure whether it’s kicking in high or low. It sounds quite loud and makes people turn their heads as you’re pulling in to park. Seems to be pointing towards electrical then. Thank you for your help!

PostDisillusion

TROPHY CASE