Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

Cancel the cowardly Times and Post and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

White supremacy is terrorism.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Second rate reporter says what?

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Tuesday Evening Open Thread: See, These Guys *Can* Be Correct!

Tuesday Evening Open Thread: See, These Guys *Can* Be Correct!

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Max Chafkin’s book The Contrarian seems like an excellent read, if bad for sane readers’ blood pressure…

… Thiel doesn’t control Zuckerberg, and their relationship is complicated, to say the least. Thiel unloaded most of his stock as soon as the company went public. (The shares were falling and morale was low. To rally the staff, Zuckerberg invited Thiel to an all-hands meeting at headquarters, but he just ended up insulting them. “My generation was promised colonies on the moon,” Thiel told them. “Instead we got Facebook.”) But in the years since, Thiel has remained a trusted confidant to Zuckerberg — despite personally cultivating Facebook antagonists, including James O’Keefe, the right-wing provocateur who produced undercover videos attempting to expose Facebook’s supposed bias against conservatives, and Charles Johnson, who helped start the face-recognition company Clearview AI…

In 2019, while on a trip to Washington to answer questions from Congress about his digital currency, Thiel joined Zuckerberg, Jared Kushner, Trump, and their spouses at the White House. The specifics of the discussion were secret — but, as I report in my book, Thiel later told a confidant that Zuckerberg came to an understanding with Kushner during the meal. Facebook, he promised, would continue to avoid fact-checking po­litical speech — thus allowing the Trump campaign to claim whatever it wanted. If the company followed through on that promise, the Trump administra­tion would lay off on any heavy-handed regulations.

After the dinner, Zuckerberg took a hands-off approach to conservative sites. In late October, after he detailed the policy in a speech at Georgetown, Facebook launched a news app that showcased what the company called “deeply reported and well-sourced” outlets. Among the list of recommended publications was Breitbart, Steve Bannon’s site, even though it had promoted itself as allied with the alt-right and had once included a section dedicated to “Black crime.” Facebook also seemed to go out of its way to help the Daily Wire, a younger, hipper version of Breitbart that would become one of the biggest publishers on the platform. Facebook had long seen itself as a government unto itself; now, thanks to the understanding brokered by Thiel, the site would push what the Thiel confidant called “state-sanctioned conservatism.”

Zuckerberg denied that there had been any deal with Trump, calling the notion “pretty ridiculous,” though Facebook’s actions in the run-up to the election would make the denial seem not entirely credible. During Black Lives Matter protests, Twitter hid a post by the president that seemed to condone violence: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts”; Face­book allowed it. In the days leading up to the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Facebook mostly ignored calls to limit the spread of “Stop the Steal” groups, which claimed that Trump had actually won the election…

Reader Interactions

118Comments

  1. 1.

    Splitting Image

    We need to lock them in a room with a golden apple inscribed “For the Fairest”.

    We can deal with whoever survives.

  2. 2.

    Baud

    I personally find our billionaires boring.

    But we should find out if there was any deal with the Trump people.

  3. 3.

    Elizabelle

    Fuckerberg. I cannot stand that fraud. Break his holdings up. Regulate content. Democracy cannot withstand a firehose of lies, amplified hour after hour.

  4. 4.

    dr. bloor

    Sublime. Obviously, the only way to settle this is to put them on a desert island with a variety of rusty farm implements, and check back to see who survives. In 2087.

  16. 16.

    MisterForkbeard

    Also, when Elon Musk thinks you’re a sociopath, that’s a thing. A Thing.

    I have (very briefly) met Thiel back when my wife worked for his company. I spoke all of 6 words to him so it’s not like I have a relationship with the guy, but he certainly felt like a sociopath.

  22. 22.

    M. Bouffant

    Of course Zucky did. Remember this? (It was only a wk. ago.) Behind WSJ paywall.
    Facebook Says Its Rules Apply to All. Company Documents Reveal a Secret Elite That’s Exempt.
    A program known as XCheck has given millions of celebrities, politicians and other high-profile users special treatment, a privilege many abuse

  29. 29.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Frank Wilhoit: I’ve had (through family and friend connections) met a few of the rich techbro dudes that pop up in articles. They ALL feel like sociopaths to me. They get personally offended when things don’t line up perfectly for them, and they demand everyone else fall in line. They also have a broad streak of “my opinion and welfare is the only thing that really matters”.

  39. 39.

    ceece

    went to high school with Thiel, and was bullied by many of the same people.

    I did not turn out to be a sociopath though.

  40. 40.

    ceece

    back then, Peter was a garden variety nerdy kid. No real indication then of how he would turn out.

    Wonder what I would say to him if I ever crossed paths with him again…..

  57. 57.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @MomSense: You know how the other side is trying to make pre-visitation Scrooge into a role model?  I guess we can mine Dickens for villains to reclaim as well.

  58. 58.

    Damien

    Facebook is a cancer, and should suffer the corporate death penalty. Burn the servers and top executives, everyone else quarantined in the Tenderloin

  60. 60.

    ronno2018

    I just cannot imagine the power Mr. T. and Mr. Z. have.   It is incredible, and to use it to support the most stupid and idiotic political philosophy and politicians is insane.  They are idiots and should be condemned to live lives of suffering and pain.   Sadly that will not happen.

  64. 64.

    MomSense

    @dr. bloor:

    I adore him.  Did you know that when he was a kid his family moved into a house and the previous owners left a guitar behind?!  Same thing happened to Jimmy Page.  Almost makes this cynical person believe in a “higher power”.

  66. 66.

    Starfish

    @MomSense: We cannot reply to all the stupid. There is just too much of it, and we cannot let stupid people choose what we are going to talk about. They are exhausting.

    In the local paper, I have a guest opinion about how a recall election against some school board members is a complete scam.

  68. 68.

    MomSense

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Lets just say the clacking of the needles is extra and there may be muttering.
    Knitting IS soothing so it’s a good thing I am not trying to cope with all this bullshit without it.

  76. 76.

    Another Scott

    Relatedly, … ProPublica:

    Legislation currently making its way through Congress would take a sledgehammer to the massive individual retirement accounts built up tax-free by a select group of the ultrawealthy.

    The proposal, which is part of the infrastructure and tax package advancing in the House, targets the jaw-dropping IRAs accumulated by multimillionaires and billionaires such as tech investor Peter Thiel, which were first reported by ProPublica earlier this year. Those accounts — Thiel’s alone was worth $5 billion in 2019 — have allowed some super-wealthy Americans to turn their Roth IRAs, tools meant to incentivize middle-class retirement saving, into supersized tax shelters.

    The proposed reform, put forward by House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., would effectively cap the total amount someone could hold in a Roth at $20 million and compel the holders of the giant accounts to withdraw anything over that limit. Separately, individuals would have to add up the balances of their retirement accounts — including Roths, traditional IRAs, 401(k)s and 403(b)s — and every year withdraw half of any amount over $10 million. The provisions would only apply to individuals with taxable income of over $400,000 or couples making over $450,000.

    […]

    Good, good.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  78. 78.

    dr. bloor

    @MomSense:

    Wee Willie Warmers (yes they are exactly what you think they are).

    Now there’s a bit of information I hadn’t expected would come my way today.

  84. 84.

    Bill Arnold

    @Starfish:
    For the science fiction fans among us, bold mine:
    Project MARS(Das Marsprojekt) (Dr. Wernher von Braun, English translation by Henry 1 White, Lt. Cdr. USN)
    Chapter 24 How Mars is Governed
    …
    The Martian government was directed by ten men, the leader of whom was elected by universal suffrage for five years and entitled “Elon.” Two houses of Parliament enacted the laws to be administered by the Elon and his cabinet.

  85. 85.

    Another Scott

    NEW: the House just passed legislation to prevent a shutdown and fund government operations and disaster relief efforts.

    The bill would also avert a default that could wreck the U.S. economy and destroy huge numbers of jobs.

    I voted YES.

    Every Republican voted against it. pic.twitter.com/8ntY4JsuEV— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) September 22, 2021

    Good, good.

    It’s almost as if there’s a difference between the political parties…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  88. 88.

    Another Scott

    Xi is on the case!!

    Hey @Sen_JoeManchin this will be the end of coal in West Virginia so can you quit fucking around with the infrastructure bill, pass it, and then bring some green energy jobs to WV. I know a nice young woman in the Bronx you can talk to for help. @AOC https://t.co/BNUsrIDuSZ

    — John Cole (@Johngcole) September 22, 2021

    Interesting. The details of how Xi’s decision came to be might be even more interesting.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  93. 93.

    Gabe Nichols

    “Musk thinks Peter is a sociopath, and Peter thinks Musk is a fraud and a braggart.”

     
    por qué no los dos

  95. 95.

    mali muso

    Probably a dead thread by now, but I’m home alone and need to scream into the void.  Just got the call from a cousin in Louisiana that our grandpa just passed.  He had been dealing with some heart issues in recent years and then came down with COVID last month even though he had been vaccinated.  Never was the same after the symptoms abated…can’t help but think that it’s what got him in the end.  fuck.

  99. 99.

    trollhattan

    Ten bitcoins to you, if you had this on your 2021 bingo cards.

    A High Desert State Prison employee is on leave amid allegations he shot another prison employee Sunday in Susanville.

    On Monday, someone made a bomb threat to the same prison, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Dana Simas confirmed in the email.

    “It has not yet been determined if the two incidents are related,” Simas said.

    Simas confirmed Tuesday that there was an “incident involving two off-duty, non-peace officer” employees at the Lassen County institution. The victim survived the incident.

    Simas declined to identify the employees involved or provide more details on the incident, deferring to the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff’s Department deferred to the Susanville Police Department, which did not return multiple calls on Tuesday.

    Kenneth Hunter, 63, a prison store supervisor, is being held on attempted homicide charges, according to the Lassen County jail. Hunter’s bail was set at $500,000, according to the jail.

    Simas said the corrections department coordinated with the Reno Police Department to respond to the bomb threat.

    They found “no evidence of bombs and don’t believe the institution is in any danger,” Simas said in the email.
    https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article254421723.html#storylink=cpy

    The Susanville prison is on Newsom’s list of correctional facilities to close and the Patriot State of Jefferson Small Gummint Citizens of Lassen County are hell-bent on retaining their sack of of gummint jerbs, because Freedom’s just another word for not pulling shifts at the 7-11.

  101. 101.

    mali muso

    @Eunicecycle:

    @Benw:

    Thanks, I guess you always think you’ll have more time, y’know? He was a very physically active and fit man, even into his 80s, so he had a good run.  Trying to feel some comfort that he’s not suffering and trapped in a failing body.

  105. 105.

    Citizen Alan

    @Damien: I’m back in FB jail for 30 days. Because I said someone who complained about Obama golfing all the time was super-ultra-mega-stupid. Apparently, that’s bullying, at least to think-skinned snowflake fascist toddlers.

  107. 107.

    Ksmiami

    @MisterForkbeard: paraphrasing Quint, “A sharks’ got black eyes; dead eyes and when he bites you they roll back…” maybe it was his eyes that gave away Thiel’s inner psycho killer

  108. 108.

    Feathers

    Greetings all. Boosting kitties in need of new homes that came across my Twitter feed. Angelica Jade is a brilliant film critic and culture writer who has had a rough COVID. Her grandmother passed and then she evacuated her mother out of Ida’s path, along with her cats. Her mother has gone home, but left the cats behind. Angelica has cats of her own and can’t keep these. They are young, shy but friendly, healthy with all their shots. Three total, two of them a bonded pair, one could be be adopted separately. They are in Chicago. Tweet link: https://twitter.com/angelicabastien/status/1440476407843340292

    She doesn’t hang out here, but I’d really recommend her work to everyone. Hope folks can boost this. Thanks.

  111. 111.

    Bill Arnold

    @Another Scott:

    The details of how Xi’s decision came to be might be even more interesting.

    Indeed.
    Here’s a pdf of the translation of the speech:
    Bolstering Confidence and Jointly Overcoming Difficulties To Build a Better World – Statement by H.E. Xi Jinping, at UN General Assmembly (21 September 2021)

    China will step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.

    What will also be interesting is any domestic changes in China re its extremely high CO2 emissions from coal burning.

  113. 113.

    Another Scott

    @Bill Arnold: It’s an important step.

    AlJazeera:

    From 2013 to 2019, data shows that China was financing 13 percent of coal-fired power capacity built outside China – “far and away the largest public financier,” according to Kevin Gallagher, who directs the Boston University centre.

    The climate advocacy movement 350.org called Xi’s announcement “huge,” saying it could be a “real game-changer” depending on when it takes effect.

    Helen Mountford, the vice president for climate and economics at the World Resources Institute, said it was “a historic turning point away from the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel.”

    “China’s pledge shows that the firehose of international public financing for coal is being turned off,” she said but noted that Beijing continued to invest in coal at home.

    China brought 38.4 gigawatts of new coal-fired power into operation last year – more than three times what was brought on line globally.

    Non-governmental groups in a letter earlier this year said the state-run Bank of China was the largest single funder of coal projects, providing $35bn since the Paris climate agreement.

    Xi repeated pledges from last year that China would achieve a peak in carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.

    Xi needs to get on the stick at home, also too.

    Thanks.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  116. 116.

    Eric NNY

    Gonna kill me, but just shut my Facebook account down. Will have far reaching effects but fuck those guys. Ugh. Gotta get my rolodex out of storage.

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