Russian Times back at it again

[Pakuni]

Favorite part of the indictment is that producers at the media company involved didn't want to post the video of Tucker grocery shopping in Moscow because it was too obviously Russian propaganda.

[rocky_warrior]

This kinda sums up my thinking...

Jane Coaston 🏔️
@janecoaston
“They want to give me $400K a month and all I have to do is record four videos a week” baby at BEST you are working for the cartels, at absolute best

Sure, but would that stop you?  For $4.8M/year?  As long as they setup their front sufficiently, and you can claim ignorance? 

[jficke13]

I get all my news from Elon's feed.
Did you guys know Churchill is to blame for WWII?

I've thought a lot about whether that guy is just an edgelord making a cynical and soulless marketing decision based on what maximizes his engagement/revenue or if he really believes the things that he says. I honestly am not certain. He did a podcast on counterterrorism in Iraq with Jocko Willink that seemed pretty level-headed based on their combined experiences in theater. Then he kinda dropped off my radar until his massive twitter thread setting forth what he framed as proof that the 2020 election was stolen (or maybe he framed it as "why so many people rightfully believe it was stolen"). After that I filed him into the "at least an edgelord" category and forgot all about him until he just popped back up the other day. A cursory review of what he's been up to in the last 4 years suggests that "really believes the things he says" is more and more plausible.

It is notable that several years ago Dan Carlin, a person who as far as I can tell has made zero public enemies, outright called Darryl a fascist on twitter (saying something like, "there's a word that describes you, it's fascist, save us all some time and own it").

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Sure, but would that stop you?  For $4.8M/year?  As long as they setup their front sufficiently, and you can claim ignorance? 

If someone came to me and offered me a lot of money to do sketchy stuff? I would hope so.

[Pakuni]

I've thought a lot about whether that guy is just an edgelord making a cynical and soulless marketing decision based on what maximizes his engagement/revenue or if he really believes the things that he says. I honestly am not certain. He did a podcast on counterterrorism in Iraq with Jocko Willink that seemed pretty level-headed based on their combined experiences in theater. Then he kinda dropped off my radar until his massive twitter thread setting forth what he framed as proof that the 2020 election was stolen (or maybe he framed it as "why so many people rightfully believe it was stolen"). After that I filed him into the "at least an edgelord" category and forgot all about him until he just popped back up the other day. A cursory review of what he's been up to in the last 4 years suggests that "really believes the things he says" is more and more plausible.

It is notable that several years ago Dan Carlin, a person who as far as I can tell has made zero public enemies, outright called Darryl a fascist on twitter (saying something like, "there's a word that describes you, it's fascist, save us all some time and own it").

Him being called a fascist might have something to do with posts like this:

https://twitter.com/HistoryBoomer/status/1831106940228739446/photo/1

[Hards Alumni]

This kinda sums up my thinking...

Jane Coaston 🏔️
@janecoaston
“They want to give me $400K a month and all I have to do is record four videos a week” baby at BEST you are working for the cartels, at absolute best

Exactly.  "Don't tell me where the money comes from, just cash the checks" is something I'm sure that was said.  Anyone with a shred of dignity that is taking money to produce content about specific topics isn't this stupid.  Their reputation is what fuels their audience.  They knew what they were doing 100%, but saw the big bag of money and just went ahead with it.  Lots of people make terrible decisions, but all of these grifters knew where that bag was coming from.

[jficke13]

Him being called a fascist might have something to do with posts like this:

https://twitter.com/HistoryBoomer/status/1831106940228739446/photo/1

Obviously.

And, I would be remiss if I didn't note the applicability of Popehat's Rule of Goats*: If you [kiss] a goat ironically to prove a point or for some other purpose besides physical gratification that you contend is good, you're still a goat [kisser].

*Kiss is not the verb in the original.

[Uncle Rico]

Exactly.  "Don't tell me where the money comes from, just cash the checks" is something I'm sure that was said.  Anyone with a shred of dignity that is taking money to produce content about specific topics isn't this stupid.  Their reputation is what fuels their audience.  They knew what they were doing 100%, but saw the big bag of money and just went ahead with it.  Lots of people make terrible decisions, but all of these grifters knew where that bag was coming from.

Modern day Rush Limbaugh’s

[TSmith34, Inc.]

From the daily “not surprised at all” file.


Tucker has been cavorting with nazis and commies. Now he will be cavorting with JD Vance.

Will we even notice the difference? Is Vance a holocaust denier? Is Vance happy that childless women were gassed?

This is how far right the Overton Window has shifted. "Nazi apologist and antisemite to campaign with VP candidate" doesn't warrant more than a passing mention from the media.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I've thought a lot about whether that guy is just an edgelord making a cynical and soulless marketing decision based on what maximizes his engagement/revenue or if he really believes the things that he says. I honestly am not certain.

Given his fascist antics have literally cost him billions of dollars, we can rule out "maximizing his engagement/revenue".

Which leaves us with: he really is this terrible of a human being.

[jficke13]

Given his fascist antics have literally cost him billions of dollars, we can rule out "maximizing his engagement/revenue".

Which leaves us with: he really is this terrible of a human being.

I was talking about Daryll Cooper.

My take on Elon is that he's tweeting through a not insignificant mental health and substance abuse spiral all while in control of nation-state-level assets and without a single person with the juice to tell him no or to help him pull out of the reality tunnel he's created for himself. I don't know if on a moral philosophical level he's a white nationalist, but on some level (see Rule of Goats) if he acts like one then whether he believes it or not is irrelevant.

[JWags85]

Given his fascist antics have literally cost him billions of dollars, we can rule out "maximizing his engagement/revenue".

Which leaves us with: he really is this terrible of a human being.

He's talking about Darryl Cooper, not Elon...

Exactly.  "Don't tell me where the money comes from, just cash the checks" is something I'm sure that was said.  Anyone with a shred of dignity that is taking money to produce content about specific topics isn't this stupid.  Their reputation is what fuels their audience.  They knew what they were doing 100%, but saw the big bag of money and just went ahead with it.  Lots of people make terrible decisions, but all of these grifters knew where that bag was coming from.

Thats where you've lost it with this.  The last year has shown so many of these people to be just complete mercenary wankers who don't care about anything other than a paycheck now that their follower numbers are large enough.  From the Tim Pools and Jack Pobesenics to the Krasstein brothers and Jackson Hinkles to the Cernovichs, etc...  Stuff like the Israel/Palestine conflict to Russia to more standard political spats, these people are dropping all manner of "rounded" perspective to relentlessly hammer on whatever side or point they are being paid to promote or run interference on.

And in less dastardly and geopolitical realms, stumble upon pro-bike/public transit Twitter or social media and you have paid shills presenting just outrageously slanted viewpoints, venerating all manner of CCP activity because of their trains (Modern day "at least Mussolini had the trains on time!) and their obvious counterparts in the pro-car/oil realm.

[Hards Alumni]

He's talking about Darryl Cooper, not Elon...

Thats where you've lost it with this.  The last year has shown so many of these people to be just complete mercenary wankers who don't care about anything other than a paycheck now that their follower numbers are large enough.  From the Tim Pools and Jack Pobesenics to the Krasstein brothers and Jackson Hinkles to the Cernovichs, etc...  Stuff like the Israel/Palestine conflict to Russia to more standard political spats, these people are dropping all manner of "rounded" perspective to relentlessly hammer on whatever side or point they are being paid to promote or run interference on.

And in less dastardly and geopolitical realms, stumble upon pro-bike/public transit Twitter or social media and you have paid shills presenting just outrageously slanted viewpoints, venerating all manner of CCP activity because of their trains (Modern day "at least Mussolini had the trains on time!) and their obvious counterparts in the pro-car/oil realm.

Oh I know 

[TSmith34, Inc.]

I was talking about Daryll Cooper.

Ah, my bad

My take on Elon is that he's tweeting through a not insignificant mental health and substance abuse spiral all while in control of nation-state-level assets and without a single person with the juice to tell him no or to help him pull out of the reality tunnel he's created for himself. I don't know if on a moral philosophical level he's a white nationalist, but on some level (see Rule of Goats) if he acts like one then whether he believes it or not is irrelevant.

Indeed, he has surrounded himself solely with sycophants whose paychecks depend on him (see Tesla board) and likeminded deluded techbros like David Sacks and Bill Ackman who not only won't tell him no, but who agree with his every bit of racist drivel. He's reached the stage, along with Pavel Durov, of believing himself some sort of genetic superman whose sperm should populate this and other worlds.

[rocky_warrior]

If someone came to me and offered me a lot of money to do sketchy stuff? I would hope so.

Lets just pretend for a second that people offered you a lot of money to say things that you already say.  But we'll throw in a bonus if you add ____ to your repertoire, which aligns with your current ramblings.  You would take that, right?

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Lets just pretend for a second that people offered you a lot of money to say things that you already say.  But we'll throw in a bonus if you add ____ to your repertoire, which aligns with your current ramblings.  You would take that, right?

That's it exactly. No duping necessary. They already want to say these things.

[JWags85]

My take on Elon is that he's tweeting through a not insignificant mental health and substance abuse spiral all while in control of nation-state-level assets and without a single person with the juice to tell him no or to help him pull out of the reality tunnel he's created for himself. I don't know if on a moral philosophical level he's a white nationalist, but on some level (see Rule of Goats) if he acts like one then whether he believes it or not is irrelevant.

Thats actually a very interesting and good read on what he's doing right now.  And the nature of Twitter makes it so dangerously easy and fast to make flippant comments and, much more problematically, endorsements of stuff with no nuance or greater picture.

He in a general sense reminds of a situation I had with a friend from college.  He was from a smaller town in Ohio, first in his family to go to college and only one of his good friends who went further than the local CC.  His stepdad was a friendly guy but unabashedly racist.  Not dropping hard R bombs, but not at all subtle in his referencing of offensive stereotype, blaming minorities for any number of things, etc...  His friends from HS were very similar.  Really fun/friendly dudes (in your late teens early 20s) who were loyal and generous, but intensely problematic in their views and outright statements on anything racial.  Didn't really connect until they kind of bristled when they visited us at school and realized one of our closest friends in the dorm was a AA football player.

My friend is and was a great dude, intelligent and compassionate, not racist in anyway...but pretty consistently excused or tried to explain away some of the stuff his stepdad or friends said or expressed, didn't see why it was wrong, blamed things on "different perspectives being from (hometown)".  Anyone who knew him (and that fact that he was a dorm representative in a multicultural alliance group on campus) could tell you he wasn't anything like them, but if you didn't, it wasn't hard to chalk him up to at least being an apologist or sympathizer.  Unfortunately, his mother passed away in his early 20s, but that combined with a not great reception to an Indian GF he had shortly after her death kind of snapped him out of all of that and made him realize where he kind of had went wrong, thankfully.

Now lord knows Elon hasn't done anything to deserve benefit of the doubt like my friend had and has shown now positive character arc otherwise.  But I always use it as my reference point in the idea that if you gladhand or don't explicitly distance yourself from toxic people, ideologies, or arguments, no matter "good" you are under it all, you're going to rightly be locked with them arm in arm in the perception of everyone else.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Lets just pretend for a second that people offered you a lot of money to say things that you already say.  But we'll throw in a bonus if you add ____ to your repertoire, which aligns with your current ramblings.  You would take that, right?

If someone offered me a huge amount of money to do things I already do for much less, I would question why they would do such a thing.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I’m sure Ron Johnson and Tucker are embarrassed, then?

Speaking of Ron…

https://x.com/heartlandsignal/status/1831714244485587032?s=46&t=ppua9BCUAa7dWM9-SthPmg

[tower912]

Right wing media is a grift.  How much did Fox News, Alex Jones, Rudy Giuliani have to pay for flat out lying?   These guys shilling for Putin is one of the least surprising things I have heard.   I accused one of our 'disrupters' of being a Russian bot 8-9 years ago.   Probably not a bot, but clearly a shill.

Pimping for the most evil man on the planet, pimping for a deadly virus, same clowns, same circus, same level of pathetic.

[rocky_warrior]

If someone offered me a huge amount of money to do things I already do for much less, I would question why they would do such a thing.

Because the world needs more people like you.  We love your messaging and want to help you continue to have your voice in the world.  With our help, you could expand your reach 10x.

[Pakuni]

Speaking of Ron…

https://x.com/heartlandsignal/status/1831714244485587032?s=46&t=ppua9BCUAa7dWM9-SthPmg

"I know it sounds like a conspiracy theory ..."

Yep, and there's a reason for that Ron.

[jficke13]

Thats actually a very interesting and good read on what he's doing right now.  And the nature of Twitter makes it so dangerously easy and fast to make flippant comments and, much more problematically, endorsements of stuff with no nuance or greater picture.

He in a general sense reminds of a situation I had with a friend from college.  He was from a smaller town in Ohio, first in his family to go to college and only one of his good friends who went further than the local CC.  His stepdad was a friendly guy but unabashedly racist.  Not dropping hard R bombs, but not at all subtle in his referencing of offensive stereotype, blaming minorities for any number of things, etc...  His friends from HS were very similar.  Really fun/friendly dudes (in your late teens early 20s) who were loyal and generous, but intensely problematic in their views and outright statements on anything racial.  Didn't really connect until they kind of bristled when they visited us at school and realized one of our closest friends in the dorm was a AA football player.

My friend is and was a great dude, intelligent and compassionate, not racist in anyway...but pretty consistently excused or tried to explain away some of the stuff his stepdad or friends said or expressed, didn't see why it was wrong, blamed things on "different perspectives being from (hometown)".  Anyone who knew him (and that fact that he was a dorm representative in a multicultural alliance group on campus) could tell you he wasn't anything like them, but if you didn't, it wasn't hard to chalk him up to at least being an apologist or sympathizer.  Unfortunately, his mother passed away in his early 20s, but that combined with a not great reception to an Indian GF he had shortly after her death kind of snapped him out of all of that and made him realize where he kind of had went wrong, thankfully.

Now lord knows Elon hasn't done anything to deserve benefit of the doubt like my friend had and has shown now positive character arc otherwise.  But I always use it as my reference point in the idea that if you gladhand or don't explicitly distance yourself from toxic people, ideologies, or arguments, no matter "good" you are under it all, you're going to rightly be locked with them arm in arm in the perception of everyone else.

This absolutely contributes to the manifestation of Elon's downward spiral if for no other reason than for the first time in human history (well, like within the last 10-20 years), a person can have unfettered access to a medium that communicates to the entire world *AND* does so instantly with zero burden. Patrick Wyman (historian/podcaster) did a really interesting series on Martin Luther in which he posited that Luther was the closest thing that era had to a poster. Dude just wrote tract after tract after tract attacking his opponents and it was his access to the printing press that made it possible. Elon has that on steroids. His id is a button-press away from being shared to the entire world not just to wherever the pamphleteer can run broadsheets to. And it is abundantly clear that there is no one on earth with the ability to constrain his id.

[Jockey]

If someone came to me and offered me a lot of money to do sketchy stuff? I would hope so.

Thank you. I had the same thought without even needing to think about it.

[jficke13]

Thank you. I had the same thought without even needing to think about it.

I saw someone post something like "someone offers you $400k to only post 4 videos a week the BEST case scenario, you're working for a drug cartel"