313 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 11 Jul
Seriously worth reading. I do not agree with everything here (rarely do) but on the whole this is a thought provoking article.
Its the same but different man.
"History never repeats itself but it rhymes" ~ Mark Twain
Dang
Yup
Writer doesn't mention the NSA which was built to fight the USSR. It has become something the Soviets could only dream of.
They do broach
It was exposed for the world to see and yet it remains. I suspect little has changed. Legalities were simply routed around.
The US has two parties in the US instead of the one in the USSR.
The US limits central planning. Instead the US regulates smaller business out of the market so there are only a few players which are easier to manage but still can grow.
The US is more subtle with its empire building. Speaking publicly about the will of the people while using debt and military defense to control rulers across the globe. All under the banner of democracy when in reality global corporations are pulling many of the strings and make massive profits off of markets the US has its thumb on.
This also seems clear to me.
reply
113 sats \ 10 replies \ @398ja OP 11 Jul
If you've enjoyed this piece, consider reading Jonah Goldberg's rebuttal. In essence, while Goldberg agrees on many points, he also believes that Ferguson's comparisons and analogies go too far, and fail at capturing the nuances and highlighting the moral superiority of the US. He concludes with this quote:
https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/gfile/no-we-are-not-living-in-late-soviet-america/ (12 min)
reply
76 sats \ 0 replies \ @wingalt 11 Jul
What a weak rebuttal there is nothing in there, either wrong or twisted arguments the whole piece while agreeing 90% with the original article. So pretty much a good a academic exercise (i.e., meaningless babbling)
reply
76 sats \ 2 replies \ @kepford 11 Jul
Please...
What an absurd response to this article. I didn't read Ferguson's piece as the people of the US are as bad as the people of the USSR. I also didn't read it as the governments are on the same level.
I would summarize that when you are fighting something be careful that you don't become what you hate. I think the US government has been on that path since the cold war.
All that said, I haven't read Goldberg response yet.
reply
55 sats \ 1 reply \ @Bell_curve 11 Jul
Goldberg is a waste of time. No one cares about his opinions. He has zero demand in the marketplace for pundits.
reply
13 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 11 Jul
I read "Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left" by him many years ago. Was interesting but I was in a very different place with my world view.
reply
63 sats \ 4 replies \ @Bell_curve 11 Jul
I have to intervene as a 'friend'
Ferguson is good but Jonah Goldberg and the dispatch are pathetic Never Trump Republicans without an audience.
Jonah is more knowledge than intelligence, once in a while he gets lucky and say something insightful like a broken clock twice a day
Stop reading Jonah Goldberg and Dispatch
Regarding his quote, Niall is comparing the Democrats and left wing apparatchiks to the old Soviet Union Politburo and Pravda
Democrats have embraced Kremlinology
reply
68 sats \ 2 replies \ @398ja OP 11 Jul
I didn't want to say it first, but I found that Goldberg was just nitpicking...
reply
13 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 11 Jul
Dang, it sure is nitpicking. I mean I could nitpick it as well but the main thread is spot on.
reply
0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 11 Jul
That's what he does because he can't contribute anything of substance
Lost a lot of respect for him in 2017
I didn't mind he didn't vote for Trump but he hated Trump personally
reply
13 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 11 Jul
Goldberg is an establishment guy. I haven't read anything from him in years because he seemed like a mouth piece for the neocons to me. The neocons hate Trump because he doesn't really have ideals and doesn't play their game. I'm not Trump fan but his brash approach and ability to garner support exposes the truth in those that hate him. Those in his party and those in other parties. Its one of the more fascinating things to observe as a politically disenfranchised person.
reply
0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 12 Jul
https://dailycaller.com/2024/07/11/victor-davis-hanson-brezhnev-pravda-soviet-union-joe-biden-kamala-harris
Something similar has happened to a calcified America under President Joe Biden. Like the late-stage Brezhnev, Biden is now a president in name only. He has outsourced his administration to a vestigial hard-left apparat from the Obama years.
reply
21 sats \ 0 replies \ @IamSINGLE 11 Jul
Great Article! Thanks for sharing!
reply
21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 11 Jul
A very thought provoking article! Thanks for sharing!
reply
513 sats \ 0 replies \ @zapsammy 11 Jul
very funny southpark excerpt linked in the video: the end of obesity 😂
reply
13 sats \ 0 replies \ @wingalt 11 Jul
Many good points and very thought provoking indeed, quite rare these these days, thank you for sharing
reply