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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 6, 2026

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Lyndon B Johnson famously would wave his dick at reporters and got the FDA to pretends eggs were unhealthy just to paper over inflation. Nixon was Nixon

LBJ knew shame. He was monstrous but self-aware about what he should be doing in his public capacity and what he is. He could at least be hypocritical and not wave his dick at the American voter, the story about reporters is not about a real press conference. If Trump had such a massive dick, he'd probably wave it on air, or at least certainly bring it up, along with his supposedly high IQ.

Nixon was a "problematic" but great man who worked hard, felt sincere responsibility for the welfare of his nation and talked in private much like my peer group does. I can't take Nixon bashing seriously.

Reagan was an empty suit good at reading speeches, I do think he got carried by the momentum of the era. Maybe Trump will be as lucky.

Democrats in your list probably benefit from the sovereign-defining-exceptions Moldbuggian mechanics, where their chicanery is rendered procedural and hard to criticize on norms, separately from its consequences.

etc. It's true that all that can be dismissed as special pleading. I still believe Trump outperforms all them on sum of flaws, but particularly on the shameless nature of it, the innocence of his savagery. He doesn't even seem to know what norms he violates, he's almost like a… normal uncultured low information voter LARPing being a president, which might be why his voters are so loyal to him.

But yes, he isn't a bad apple, he's an output the system permits, maybe even encourages. Just took time to roll such a specimen. And that's why I say what I say about Americans not demanding merit and virtue.