domain:city-journal.org
ThomasdelVasto
Κύριε, ποίησόν με ὄργανον τῆς ἀγάπης σου
18hr ago
In the correlations with easier, the countries with higher establishment media trust, and the higher willingness to support media truth-corrections, are also the countries where most people still prefer to read rather than hear (or watch) their online news.
This makes me wonder if the rise of podcasting/media is partially due to the fact that when you don't trust someone, you want to get more senses/more data when you take in information. It's much easier to consistently lie in print than it is in a talkshow or video, if only because you can pick up on tone of voice, pitch, etc etc.
FCfromSSC
Nuclear levels of sour
18hr ago
To be clear, I'm describing the life I used to have; I'm not living that way any more.
I don't think I could claim that it's the worst that could happen. My porn addiction was far more manageable and less destructive than, say, what I've seen of the median meth addict. There were pleasures and pursuits beyond mindless self-indulgence. But it was not a good life, and it absolutely was not getting better with time. I observed myself slowly degrading, becoming less in very tangible and concrete ways, losing my humanity and degenerating into something verging on the insectile, as bitter regret and the need to escape that regret grew more and more to define my existence through habitual loops of pointless escapism and empty stimulus-response. Lying awake in the early hours of the morning, I would remember what it felt like to have someone I loved lying next to me, and know for an absolute certainty that I would never, ever have that feeling again, and the pain of that was considerable. At the time, I joked to my family that my purpose in life was to serve as a cautionary example, but the joke wore thin the worse it got. Toward the end, I spent a lot of time fantasizing about being dead. One of my main objectives in my current life is to do what I can to help my children and nieces and nephews avoid ending up in a similar place.
...All this is to say that, in my experience, the question of whether sex is or can be better than masturbation depends on the mentality of the assessor. In my own experience, I know for a fact that masturbation appearing preferable was a consequence of profound dysfunction. I am at least somewhat confident that my own experience generalizes at least to some degree, but this is pretty obviously a question that grounds out at one's values. At a minimum, I'd endorse what you wrote here.
DelendaEst
18hr ago
The arresting of illegal immigrants bothers me not at all. And there is actually a point to making the arrests seem maximally scary, namely than illegal immigrants are not morons and are too numerous to deport all of them. But a scary deportation regime makes the act of illegally immigrating seem like a worse value proposition for those currently not in the US who are considering hopping the border, much as Biden's aggressively pro-immigrant stance made it seem like a good deal. Even if both administrations are actually deporting similar numbers they will have much different rates of new offenders.
All that said, I do not like the idea of the ICE agents being masked, it makes it too easy for bad actors to pretend to be cops. That erodes social trust in a way I find unnecessary and concerning. Their actual actions seem fine though.
The Economist isn't particularly highbrow either. Kind of mid-wit for just recycling consensus takes with branding. Very much in the middle of the low-mid-high IQ meme.
I think agents of the state should have to identify themselves as agents of the state when going about the business of the state. And the particular agents doing the state's business need to be identifiable after the fact to the people they interacted with for accountability reasons. I don't think this an insane thing to say? Maybe I am just too radically libertarian. There are just a whole[1] pile[2] of articles[3] discussing the phenomenon of people impersonating ICE officers to commit other crimes. It turns out a standard like "if someone claims to be from ICE you gotta do what they say, even if they refuse to provide identification or evidence, on pain of committing another federal crime" is a standard that is open to abuse!
On the more general topic I think black bagging is a lot harder in a world where ~everyone has a video camera in their pocket. All the Dem politicians detentions or arrests I'm aware of had contemporaneous video within minutes of them occurring. Even in cases of AEA-related deportation attempts the news has gotten out in hours or less.
My radical proposal is the judiciary should have their own police force, independent of the executive, for the purpose of enforcing their orders.
Why would someone who is being sued and appears to have some tangible assets choose a default judgment and not defend his or her self in court? This pertains to the Wes Watson situation. There is a thread about it: https://old.reddit.com/r/WesWatson/comments/1l39uoa/default_judgement_against_wes_watson_from_the_7/
It would seem completely irrational to not show up, especially as in the case of Mr. Watson , as he does appear to have attests that can be seized to fill the judgment. He can also be taken to court to testify under oath as to his financial situation and location of assets. I did some research on this , and typically there are exceptions (e.g. living expenses or homestead ) or the judge can set aside the judgment, but I don't think this would easily apply here. I also read a no-show would lessen the plaintiff's legal expenses, so this could lead to a smaller settlement if one does not expect to win.
Is it possible that he protected in his assets in such a way as to be judgment proof using a cool legal trick, or maybe he's actually as dumb IRL as he appears on youtube?
Lizzardspawn
18hr ago
I really love how trust erosion in the news is something that just happens. No one is responsible. The same way cars ram into parades. It just happens people.
2015 the media decided that stopping Trump is more important than the truth and they burned the social capital that they have been accumulating for more than a century. Trump is not stopped and they don't deliver the truth. So what is the point in their existence?
faceh
19hr ago
Agreed.
Which also changes the dynamics of what a war looks like. How can an inferior power ever hope to gain enough edge to deter an opponent from attacking when said opponent can just attack unilaterally with impunity to bring down any attempt at a functional deterrence.
The Taliban showed that its possible to outlast an opponent who seeks to occupy your lands. But if we don't care about occupying but are happy to just kneecap them if they try to build a nuke, or a missile stockpile, or bioweapons, there ain't much they can do but sponsor low level terrorism against our civilians.
It would, I'd argue, make it so that you HAVE to make friends with the biggest kid on your block and hope there's enough deterrent effect there. Which is looking like the only kids big enough to matter are the U.S. and China.
Hadad
19hr ago
These people do not generally trust that the Economist is where well-informed people are. That's what widespread loss of faith in institutions looks like.
ThomasdelVasto
Κύριε, ποίησόν με ὄργανον τῆς ἀγάπης σου
19hr ago
I hope you become a priest. Would be a good calling for you, from your writing on here!!!
But yeah I mean, sigh. That’s the rub. We can long for a better church all day but for our individual souls we need community. I agree with most of your critiques and wish we were more like the original church, that’s Orthodoxy’s whole thing. Even if we aren’t always perfect at it.
Lizzardspawn
19hr ago
just get completely wasted and go out of control on live shows, though of course it would be hard to create a political/news project based on that concept.
Summer of love 2025?
HaroldWilson
19hr ago
Better reporting: Respondents wanted journalists to spend their time investigating powerful people and providing depth rather than chasing algorithms for clicks. Employing more beat reporters who were true specialists in their field was another suggestion for improving trust.
I'd like this to be true but it seems very trivially not. Not in the sense that most people wouldn't say this, I don't doubt that at all, but they are either lying or have no self-knowledge. If people wanted depth they would be deserting popular 'mainstream' news for the most high-brow alternatives, not the worst social media slop. If they wanted to they could even just go and pick up a copy of the Economist and become part of the most well-informed 5% of the public on world news, but they don't.
The_Nybbler
In the game of roller derby, women aren't just the opposing team; they're the ball.
19hr ago
Right now, ICE is targeting a certain type of "undesirable", namely, allegedly undocumented illegal immigrants, and appear to have carte blanche to apprehend anyone who disrupts that process.
Apprehending illegal immigrants is squarely within ICE's statutory mission. Apprehending anyone who disrupts their activities is SOP for law enforcement.
Chrisprattalpharaptr
Ave Imperaptor
19hr ago
The following is a nakedly partisan take, but that's because you asked for a poll of opinions. These are my sincerely held beliefs; there's no room for anyone to argue me out of them, but I'm not expecting anyone to share it, either: there is simply no good faith left at all in my heart. my political opponents, and they will never operate in good faith. There is no negotiation in existential conflict. There is only the will and the power to act.
'You see Charlie, these liberals are trying to assassinate my character. And I can't change their mind. I won't change my mind, because I don't have to. Because I'm an American. I won't change my mind on anything, regardless of the facts that are set out before me. I'm dug in. And I'll never change.' For your viewing pleasure - one of my favorite clips, and not even for that quote.
Every time I read one of these pathetic tough guy screeds, my first thought is to laugh at the absolute lack of self-awareness. 'Reee, my outgroup is full of animals who would never compromise or act in good faith! This justifies me never acting in good faith either. I can't wait for my fellow citizens to get mown down by the stasi for disagreeing with me!'
My second thought is to reply, 'Say it louder, and into the microphone, please.' Seriously. Go hop on Fox News and give an interview about how you want to shoot protestors and cruelty is the point and God praise Donald Trump. Write your angry, impotent screeds and spread them as widely as possible - under your real name if you can. There's really nothing better for democratic electoral odds than platforming people like you.
Or, and I hold little hope for a week-old-probably-troll account, you could dig yourself out of your sad little internet radicalization hole and stop holding so much hate in your heart. I guarantee your life would be better for it.
mildly_obsolete
19hr ago
My point was about what I think Iranians believe to be plausible. I'm not predicting a strike in the current circumstances, though I do think US would sign off on it if Israelis made such a decision.
Dean
Flairless
19hr ago
Thanks for the summary, that was excellent. Did you find anywhere a further breakdown of who responded to the survey? I'm specifically interested in figuring out who the people in the UK are who responded saying they need more social media enforcement, because those people... have an interesting perspective.
There is a fair bit more source diving in the fuller paper, and more of the raw data stuff on the website that was linked in the 'billed as' section. IIRC, the main trend was 'political left consistently favors more content moderation of social media.'
Fruck
Lacks all conviction
19hr ago
Thanks for the summary, that was excellent. Did you find anywhere a further breakdown of who responded to the survey? I'm specifically interested in figuring out who the people in the UK are who responded saying they need more social media enforcement, because those people... have an interesting perspective.
That said- it's still worth reading. This is what it looks like when people try to mitigate their biases and take an objective look at the situation. Whatever the authors of a specific section may feel people should feel about themselves, they are not adverse to directly recognizing things like low reputational trust.
I am so glad people can start seeing this again, mitigate your biases should be a war cry or a chant or something, maybe we can get Will Smith to sing about it once he's convinced everyone he likes pretty girls. If people can admit their biases and own up to them, I think they can be worked with. Regardless of their ideology. Like I'll even work with a communist neo nazi if they can admit their biases, because it is psychologically very difficult to, in a discussion with another person you respect, say 'yeah I know it's just bias making me think this way but ehhhh I'm sticking with it'. The bias is still strong it appears, but the more progressives are forced to interact with conservatives the more they will be forced to moderate.
Don't put too much faith on the exact numbers, but do value the magnitude and general direction.
I tell the women I sleep with the same thing (I'm so sorry everyone)
This surprised me a bit since there was a dedicated effort to undercut / subvert X due to Musk. Later data indicates this is more because more right-leaning people joined than left-leaning people left, which isn't surprising, but the failure of the rivals to scale upwards is notable as a long-term influence vector.
This- combined with the failure of the left-social-sphere like Bluesky- makes X an uncontested (but now bipartisan) public forum.
I feel like you are underselling how dedicated that push was though. The fact it isn't higher than 2%, after every progressive I know or follow swore they were leaving for bluesky, is blowing my mind.
This is business-actionable advice. Don't be surprised if some media corporation takes this as evidence that people need to be less happy with free offerings.
You aren't wrong, but the business who decides this will be. God please let them do it. The countries spell it out - live somewhere comfortable and well off? Pay for news, why not, they do good work, they keep us informed, we all live in a society. Live in Greece? Yeah no, there are better uses for your money. I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea if we hadn't destroyed the middle class, but if you make everyone proles they aren't factoring the news into their budgets. And you can't really shift that model to the personality driven model without a significant cut to revenue.
cjet79
19hr ago
Mother of Learning is usually my first recommendation, if someone doesn't like it then I just tell them the genre is not for them.
Sympathetic protagonist my favorite might be Ar'Kendrithyst. Its an incredibly long story, but it is complete! The protagonist and his daughter get pulled into another world with a system that has stats and skills and leveling up. The protagonist is a bleeding heart liberal in the best sense of that term. He is a kind man that cares about others and for a long time has reservations about even killing monsters (the monsters in the setting are generally totally unsympathetic, they are either straight up evil, or amoral killing machines). He genuinely wants to make the world a better place for everyone, and the story is about how he accomplishes that getting over increasingly large obstacles. Main reason it might not be for you (or anyone really) is that the protagonist is bisexual. No graphic sex scenes, and its not very shoved in the face, but its present.
Any other aspects of MOL you liked? I've read like 200-300 stories in this genre, and about 20-30 of them are ones i might recommend for various reasons. That hit rate sounds terrible I guess, but lots of mid stories that just have better versions of them out there.
wayfarer
19hr ago
likely to sign off on and aid a nuclear strike on the city.
no, it is not likely for start USA does not benefit from breaking nuclear taboo and after Israeli clean up conventional bombing will achieve the same things at lower costs
I am predicting you are wrong and your prediction will fail (with chances of USA/Israel using nuclear bomb on Tehran being deeply below 0.0000001% )
Main query: Are the blackbagging tactics of ICE a necessary evil, a dangerous overstep, or some nuanced in-between?
Main answer: None of the above. The ICE tactics you describe are not blackbagging by standards that would have been applied outside of Trump.
Ending query: Assuming (for the sake of this question) that the end goal of this administration is to establish a type of authoritarianism where people are kidnapped and disappeared because of vocal opposition to the regime, what should be the response by the opposition that would want to prevent that?
Touching grass and recognizing that if you have to assume for the sake of argument that the outgroup is uber-boo, then you are admitting that the outgroup is not, in fact, uber-boo.
If the outgroup was uber-boo, you would not need to assume the conclusion for the sake of the argument, nor would you need to change standards to invoke pejoratives. Instead, there are years of precedent in of people not being disappeared for vocal opposition to the regime.
Conversely, acting on a false consensus that the outgroup is uber-boo, and then taking actions that merit a corresponding response in even a non-boo context, will instead be viewed as confirmation bias that the outgroup is uber-boo. Thus self-justifying more actions that do warrant detention from even non-boo actors.
These detentions, in turn, would be prevented by not perpetuating false perceptions that the outgroup is uber-boo meriting detention-worthy opposition.
wayfarer
19hr ago
Also, if something is too well protected for drones to blow it up: then drones can observe and summon artillery/missile strikes/glide bombs etc.
And it is not only on land, we had already plane being shot down by naval drones.
mildly_obsolete
19hr ago
I didn't say it was neighborly.
If 'nation-building' is supposed to mean anything other than conquest, then it is deranged and incompetent.
wayfarer
19hr ago
No, strategic bombing has a mediocre track record and in most of those cases it was accompanied by full scale land invasions. Strategic bombing alone just makes the bombee really really mad at you.
Israel seems to be bombing very very specific targets in Iran. Up to nearly comical level - in some cases destroying specific room in an apartment block. Not demolishing entire cities.
hitler is in hell right now being forced to watch split screen footage of the jews precision striking the exact apartments of their enemies, and the germans decommissioning their nuclear reactors for no reason at all
Cool. Tell me about some relevant instances of your outgroup acting in good faith.
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