General Discussion

Last edited Sat Mar 14, 2026, 08:51 AM - Edit history (2)

Maybe Talarico has it in him to be a uniter not divider, the thing Bush fraudulently sold. He is less pugilistically “go team”.

I am not American, but in addition to climate change and the worst form of globalization (Facebook, Google etc and limits to growth testing junk capitalism with no products or services but extortion) affecting me daily here in India (in addition to our own overpopulation, dysfunction, homegrown insanity and our own adorably sleazy indigenous billionaires), if nukes are dropped in Iran, we will be not screwn but screwed.


I am not surprised that the football team type of approach works for the GOP..Trump is mainly known for reality tv and emotion manipulation is how that medium works and it works best for this Goebbels type without even bots…the sleazy human touch! I remember Trump’s speech on a snake a long time ago..so creepy and malicious. The KGB and even CIA etc use similar gambits.

My dad has been to Russia (he is an Indian military vet..no ties to espionage etc. Scratch the surface and my family is not very good at basic diplomacy, to the point of rudeness unfortunately, let alone subterfuge).

He has said that the Russian approach is a more Machiavellian approach than makes sense to the average, no-nonsense military officer. He did like average Russian people though..who he viewed as struggling under a nightmarish system.

Even when that Machiavellian stuff is not very convincing or persuasive in any material or real way, it is annoying..constant swiping at mosquitoes.

I believe less in influence on the whole than in ransomware..But I am never very easily swayed..sometimes one has to figure out how best to get rid of the immediate personal nuisance and ignore personally irrelevant ones..

So maybe influence is real. God..that would be such a nightmarish experience..batted every which way by random algorithms or buying into Trump whose reelection my brain mostly associates with: 1) Galileo’s capitulation to avoid torture..I remember my grand-dad telling me about his softly saying “Eppur si muove” (that must be the position of anyone with a science job they/we cannot afford to lose/have them lose 2) Wodehouse’s radio broadcasts after being captured by German forces, which is how I sometimes feel as I warily poke around online trying to find the bloody exit..dammit..