So it all goes on the record, and you and Matt should be applauded as a member of a small club of actual journalists.. What if anything will change? Half of the country is so entrenched in the ends justifying the means, certain of the moral rightness of their position, that they fail to care about the Constitution, the rule of law. What will happen when our children aren’t even taught about the protections of the Constitution, just its lack of “equity,” when our courts work even more slowly than they do now. Our potus purposely issues executive orders he knows are illegal, sure in the knowledge that by the time the courts rule, he will have already ensured his votes.. Where does this all leave us?
Uncle Sam and 1776 are currently undergoing enhanced interrogation aka a Struggle Session performed by the children of Chairman Mao and 1619, who are known for their tolerance and compassion.
Once the New Left seized the means of cultural production all this was inevitable, but most people couldn't be bothered to notice as long as their 401(k)s were rising. As for the liberals who claim to care so much about democracy and fair play, they are always Useful Idiots for the Left, and they spent the past decade whistling past the graveyard, trying to convince everyone (themselves first and foremost) that we weren't experiencing an ideological takeover of our culture.
Our future will be much like what happened to other countries that were conquered by Leftists. Be prepared to enjoy the same freedom and prosperity that people did in Soviet Russia, Castro's Cuba, Chavez's Venezuala, etc..
It may have been 20 years ago or more that kids began being taught the lesson of Orwell in reverse. How many generations now see Big Brother as the hero of that story? There is so much work ahead to dig out of this...
There's no need to be so pessimistic. Common sense isn't dead. It just needs leadership and time to assert itself. In this case, Schellenberger and Taibbi's testimony may well have effect. They testified to a House committee run by sympathetic Republicans with power to do something about this issue. We need to get out of the learned helplessness mode. The tide has already shifted significantly from 2020.
They don't control that committee. That's my point. The committee could very well launch investigations that could yield results. Dems won't change, for sure. But that doesn't mean they'll continue to control mainstream cultural institutions indefinitely.
They run all major educational institutions, think tanks, they run all major media save Twitter, Fox and all governmental agencies. A change in administrations will not change the entrenched unelected government and supporting institutions unless we the people rise up and rebel. I just don’t see that happening in any real way.
I have little to no faith that Garland's DOJ would act other than to dismiss any criminal referrals issued from the Republican majority. Without control of the Senate and the White House, the GOP House cannot pass laws to take corrective action. To give us a strong sense of where the contemporary Democratic Party is, yesterday, House Democrats voted unanimously against Rep. Comer's "Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act". This is where they are, in complete opposition to our First Amendment. They are, in spirit and in practice, Constitution deniers.
Well done, Michael. Beginning with Eisenhower's admonition regarding the potential hijacking of public policy by a "scientific-technological elite" is brilliant. Isn't that what we've seen with COVID and climate change, too?
Just finished watching the hearing. Elon, Michael, Matt, Bari, Alex, and colleagues are the Woodward/Bernstein/Ellsberg of the 21st century.
I will watch eagerly in hopes that you slip in the famous line from A Few Good Men: "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!" Proud to pay for your righteous work. We must continue to counter the cultural revolution, comrade: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/counter-the-cultural-revolution. PS: How ironic is it that Ministry of Truth theater kid Nina Jankowicz is crowdfunding for a lawsuit against Fox News?
I got sucked into the hearing about halfway through. What has happened to Democrats? I was just horrified watching. Never mind the rudeness and snark against someone who is politically on their side if not even a little further left than most of them there. The lack of understanding of the danger of what they are trying to defend is just astonishing and horrifying.
Wasn't that woman crazy? I mean, I think she's not all there, but also her very existence and position in government are antithetical to belief in a rational world. She understood nothing about Twitter or Substack or independent journalism. She didn't understand that what Taibbi "gave the Republicans" on the committee was something that's in the public domain through Twitter. She had no idea what's going on. Michael Schellenberger is a better person than I am. I might have answered the same way but added "you ignorant old bat."
Most of these so-called congressmen and women are beyond ignorant and I’ll-prepared. Not only did they mispronounce Michael and Matt’s names repeatedly, they had no grasp of the issue and it was clear that the statements some of them read from (poorly, I might add) were written by staffers and the congressperson had not even read through it prior. It was like asking a second grader to read from a book they haven’t read. It was so embarrassing for our country that these foola have any power. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a disgrace.
Off topic but: Bravo, Bravo, Bravo to you Mr Shellenberger and to Mr Taibbi for your clarity, courage and representation of the millions of us who need your voices on todays Weaponization hearing! Thank you both!
“They will say such censorship is necessary for “fighting disinformation.” “
If one is honest and truthful one does not need to fight disinformation. It’s the fact that they want to which makes me wonder what they are afraid of us finding out.
Thank you for this important work -- and good luck today.
Question: Have you dug into what percentage of our federal/state spending is now for third-party good/services, as opposed to public employees "doing/making" things? Furthermore, are we now hiring third parties for managerial/strategic decisions, as opposed to contracting with vendors for things? Obviously, the broader pie has grown massively post-WW II, but it seems like the folks we pay directly no longer have a hand on the tiller. A private company analogy would be a management team that has outsourced most everything to McKinsey, with maybe a 1/3 of the board aware, and shareholders completely clueless. Thank you again!
McKinsey is all over the Canadian government as well. Billions and billions spent for their expertise. We are on the censorship precipice here as well with bill C-11 all but a foregone conclusion and the CRTC having outsized oversight over what appears on the internet. I’m sure Trudeau and Biden can high five each other on March 23rd. Dark days but my god so grateful for intelligent people with morals.
The great octopus of the Federal Government arms reach every where. If you notice you are a threat to the State. The Fifth Wave is here though and the Normies hopefully can at least keep the beast at bay. The Government can’t control all the media but will try.
I highly recommend reading Michael’s entire testimony document. We are living in unprecedented times where what we know, talk about and even think is censored and manipulated. Eisenhower was an interesting prognosticator of concern about the military industrial complex, as he was a military insider.
So it all goes on the record, and you and Matt should be applauded as a member of a small club of actual journalists.. What if anything will change? Half of the country is so entrenched in the ends justifying the means, certain of the moral rightness of their position, that they fail to care about the Constitution, the rule of law. What will happen when our children aren’t even taught about the protections of the Constitution, just its lack of “equity,” when our courts work even more slowly than they do now. Our potus purposely issues executive orders he knows are illegal, sure in the knowledge that by the time the courts rule, he will have already ensured his votes.. Where does this all leave us?
Uncle Sam and 1776 are currently undergoing enhanced interrogation aka a Struggle Session performed by the children of Chairman Mao and 1619, who are known for their tolerance and compassion.
Once the New Left seized the means of cultural production all this was inevitable, but most people couldn't be bothered to notice as long as their 401(k)s were rising. As for the liberals who claim to care so much about democracy and fair play, they are always Useful Idiots for the Left, and they spent the past decade whistling past the graveyard, trying to convince everyone (themselves first and foremost) that we weren't experiencing an ideological takeover of our culture.
Our future will be much like what happened to other countries that were conquered by Leftists. Be prepared to enjoy the same freedom and prosperity that people did in Soviet Russia, Castro's Cuba, Chavez's Venezuala, etc..
It may have been 20 years ago or more that kids began being taught the lesson of Orwell in reverse. How many generations now see Big Brother as the hero of that story? There is so much work ahead to dig out of this...
There's no need to be so pessimistic. Common sense isn't dead. It just needs leadership and time to assert itself. In this case, Schellenberger and Taibbi's testimony may well have effect. They testified to a House committee run by sympathetic Republicans with power to do something about this issue. We need to get out of the learned helplessness mode. The tide has already shifted significantly from 2020.
Did you SEE the testimony? The democrats on the committee couldn’t have cared less about the first amendment. Nothing will be done.
They don't control that committee. That's my point. The committee could very well launch investigations that could yield results. Dems won't change, for sure. But that doesn't mean they'll continue to control mainstream cultural institutions indefinitely.
They run all major educational institutions, think tanks, they run all major media save Twitter, Fox and all governmental agencies. A change in administrations will not change the entrenched unelected government and supporting institutions unless we the people rise up and rebel. I just don’t see that happening in any real way.
I have little to no faith that Garland's DOJ would act other than to dismiss any criminal referrals issued from the Republican majority. Without control of the Senate and the White House, the GOP House cannot pass laws to take corrective action. To give us a strong sense of where the contemporary Democratic Party is, yesterday, House Democrats voted unanimously against Rep. Comer's "Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act". This is where they are, in complete opposition to our First Amendment. They are, in spirit and in practice, Constitution deniers.
Well done, Michael. Beginning with Eisenhower's admonition regarding the potential hijacking of public policy by a "scientific-technological elite" is brilliant. Isn't that what we've seen with COVID and climate change, too?
Just finished watching the hearing. Elon, Michael, Matt, Bari, Alex, and colleagues are the Woodward/Bernstein/Ellsberg of the 21st century.
Courage, my friends!
They call to mind our Founding Fathers! Truly.
I will watch eagerly in hopes that you slip in the famous line from A Few Good Men: "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!" Proud to pay for your righteous work. We must continue to counter the cultural revolution, comrade: https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/counter-the-cultural-revolution. PS: How ironic is it that Ministry of Truth theater kid Nina Jankowicz is crowdfunding for a lawsuit against Fox News?
I got sucked into the hearing about halfway through. What has happened to Democrats? I was just horrified watching. Never mind the rudeness and snark against someone who is politically on their side if not even a little further left than most of them there. The lack of understanding of the danger of what they are trying to defend is just astonishing and horrifying.
Thank you for putting yourself out there.
I did have to laugh about the comment about having a threesome.
Wasn't that woman crazy? I mean, I think she's not all there, but also her very existence and position in government are antithetical to belief in a rational world. She understood nothing about Twitter or Substack or independent journalism. She didn't understand that what Taibbi "gave the Republicans" on the committee was something that's in the public domain through Twitter. She had no idea what's going on. Michael Schellenberger is a better person than I am. I might have answered the same way but added "you ignorant old bat."
Most of these so-called congressmen and women are beyond ignorant and I’ll-prepared. Not only did they mispronounce Michael and Matt’s names repeatedly, they had no grasp of the issue and it was clear that the statements some of them read from (poorly, I might add) were written by staffers and the congressperson had not even read through it prior. It was like asking a second grader to read from a book they haven’t read. It was so embarrassing for our country that these foola have any power. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a disgrace.
As you watch a hearing jot down the congress-critters' names.
Then go look up their educational backgrounds on Wikipedia.
It's eye opening. All the dems seem to either have minimal education or advanced degrees in some variation on sociology.
On the Republican side you still see a lot who performed military service.
Thank you for your service to the country. This is an extraordinary time in history.
Don't be scared of "68 pages". The font is huge and the last 15 pages are footnotes :)
Reading now.
I read every word, learned a lot. Thank you, Michael!!
Yes-- thank you for mentioning that. I was hesitant until you wrote that. I just finished it.
Off topic but: Bravo, Bravo, Bravo to you Mr Shellenberger and to Mr Taibbi for your clarity, courage and representation of the millions of us who need your voices on todays Weaponization hearing! Thank you both!
“They will say such censorship is necessary for “fighting disinformation.” “
If one is honest and truthful one does not need to fight disinformation. It’s the fact that they want to which makes me wonder what they are afraid of us finding out.
Defund the police state
Happy to be a paid subscriber to this Substack.
May God bless you and our "one country, under God"!
Godspeed Michael!
Thank you for this important work -- and good luck today.
Question: Have you dug into what percentage of our federal/state spending is now for third-party good/services, as opposed to public employees "doing/making" things? Furthermore, are we now hiring third parties for managerial/strategic decisions, as opposed to contracting with vendors for things? Obviously, the broader pie has grown massively post-WW II, but it seems like the folks we pay directly no longer have a hand on the tiller. A private company analogy would be a management team that has outsourced most everything to McKinsey, with maybe a 1/3 of the board aware, and shareholders completely clueless. Thank you again!
They do, "routinely" use McKinsey, who, I'm convinced are rife with spooks. In the very least, ruthless manipulators in psyops.
McKinsey is all over the Canadian government as well. Billions and billions spent for their expertise. We are on the censorship precipice here as well with bill C-11 all but a foregone conclusion and the CRTC having outsized oversight over what appears on the internet. I’m sure Trudeau and Biden can high five each other on March 23rd. Dark days but my god so grateful for intelligent people with morals.
The great octopus of the Federal Government arms reach every where. If you notice you are a threat to the State. The Fifth Wave is here though and the Normies hopefully can at least keep the beast at bay. The Government can’t control all the media but will try.
Thanks for your great work
I highly recommend reading Michael’s entire testimony document. We are living in unprecedented times where what we know, talk about and even think is censored and manipulated. Eisenhower was an interesting prognosticator of concern about the military industrial complex, as he was a military insider.