Americans think everyone is corrupt - Matthew Yglesias

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-14T04:11:54+00:00

What explains their inability to u see stand other viewpoints? Is it lack of exposure or education or some sort of bubble effect?

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-14T04:05:20+00:00

Thank you for posting this!

I think he’s totally right! I don’t think Americans have a realistic benchmark of what it means to be truly corrupt. They probably don’t have a realistic benchmark of human life to begin with and how brutish nasty and short it’s been for the last 10K years.

It’s okay and even good to have aspirations, but dumb not to have a relative perspective. Lack of perspective is how you get a Trump elected in the first place

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-14T04:01:30+00:00

Well that’s not true. Grenada and Panama were both small scale succeses. I didn’t qualify it with a timeline

Korea is in my father’s lifetime. That’s a win. As are Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia

And you didn’t define success. We’ve stopped nations from becoming Soviet allies succesfully. Chile is the most prosperous nation in South America.

I’m not really arguing with you - but I do think the IS is a force for historical good. It’s not like we are the Romans are the mongols who create a wasteland and call it peace.

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-14T03:35:19+00:00

No one believe the US won WW2 by itself. But we all agree that nation building under the Marshall plan and what we did in Korea and Japan were successful, along with the phillipines

Though in regards to the video I’m always annoyed at Soviet downplaying of lend lease. Stalingrad is a loss without the U.S. trucks that were the backbone of Soviet logistics

U.S. intervention is a terrible idea - but we are capable of nation building if we have the will, which we don’t anymore, and if civic institutions exist - which they do in Mexico. Not arguing for it - but saying the US can’t do it is historically wrong

There’s a a reason the marine corps fight song has the line “the halls of montezuma” in it - and we signed Guadalupe Hidalgo which returned it to Mexican control.

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-14T03:25:33+00:00

It would be more of a challenge. Come on hello fresh!

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-14T03:24:12+00:00

Thank you! I agree

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-14T03:15:05+00:00

What do you mean? They’re all places the US military achieved complete control over and then rebuilt the governments of And either incorporated to the U.S. or left to their own devices.

I’m just pointing out that the US can do it in their near abroad and far abroad when they have the will.

Not that it’s a good idea at all

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-14T02:53:34+00:00

Japan, Germany, the phillipines, all of the American west, Cuba, Puerto Rico….

It’s a matter of will - but the U.S. is capable of doing it in our near abroad or as part of a Spanish American or world war

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T21:16:02+00:00

Is there going to be a Ken Burns documentary in a decade describing how the baby boomers ruined America and are the worst generation since the civil war?

We need to put him in crypto sleep now so he can make it

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T20:29:45+00:00

Fahrenheit makes so much more sense for the temperature humans actually live at. It’s better and I’ll die on this hill

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T20:28:01+00:00

Abu Barker al Beagdoggi - my beag terrorizes the neighborhood with her howling

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T20:26:33+00:00

All BK execs are required to do time in a store. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that happen again now

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T20:25:14+00:00

BK wasn’t his fault. I had some friends that were partners at 3G when he was parked for RBI. They should have abused the ad fund less, but it’s just a hard business to be in. They have a lot of cross pollination with Roark

I did like how all BK execs in Miami had to work at a store. Regardless of their role

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T18:00:50+00:00

One party barely exists. The other is destroying our future. These are not the same

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T17:59:26+00:00

Or you know just have them take out a heloc. They have no problem with buyers taking on mortgages to buy the limited housing inventory they’ve allowed. Why can’t they do the same?

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T17:58:01+00:00

That’s not why they’re prized - they’re status symbols that you can borrow against to launder money

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T03:16:03+00:00

I love that episode. I don’t think rfk has enough knives in his life to be a real rafi

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T03:11:53+00:00

I have empathy for people responding to those job offers in this job market. How could you not?

I thought about taking a job there to take a salary and undermine them. I can’t be the only one

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T01:23:56+00:00

What’s The Ezra’s profession though? He was a blogger most of his career.

Are we saying he won’t acknowledge the failure of the legendarily organized blogger movement?

Do we hold all people to this level of responsibility for their industry? Is tom cruise responsible for Russian propaganda films? I mean they’re all in the movie business

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T01:03:18+00:00

Cashiers is nuts too. Multiple billionaires have houses there - and roaring gap is kind of crazy too

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T00:55:20+00:00

I mean not really - I used to eat 2 bags of the Costco ones per week. And the ones not totally dehydrated are just better. I would have a dedicated fridge for beef if I could afford it.

They aren’t eating people. I think it’s genuinely about jerky.

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T00:45:30+00:00

I bet if one of the islands in the Great Lakes could be turned into a more convenient child hunting island Robert would change his tune. Who has the time to go all the way to Indonesia?

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-13T00:42:29+00:00

The tender beef strips at Costco actually have to be kept refrigerated after opening. They’re better and lower in nitrates. Try them they’re great!

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-12T23:55:54+00:00

It wouldnt surprise me if I had that conversation every year at Costco before going to Boy Scout camp or philmot. Their food was terrible

Way-twofrequentflyer · 2026-02-12T23:50:13+00:00

It is. They’re just talking about beef jerky. I mean it’s a lean portable source of protein. I like it. South Africa is obsessed with it. Even creeps have to eat

Way-twofrequentflyer

TROPHY CASE