A Baltimore and Biden Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to all who celebrate! This week’s going to be light as I intend to be present for the Holiday weekend.
In the tapestry of modern life, a stark dichotomy has unfolded between the realms of the digital and the physical world, presenting a vision of progress juxtaposed with rot and stagnation. As we navigate through these contrasting landscapes, the differences become not just apparent but profoundly significant, shaping our experiences and expectations of what the future might hold.
The digital domain has witnessed a renaissance of innovation and growth that is nothing short of miraculous. From the sprawling expanses of the internet to the ethereal realms of cloud computing, the digital world has unfurled like a boundless universe, teeming with possibilities. Gaming, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology, particularly exemplified by Bitcoin, have not only redefined industries but have also sculpted new dimensions of societal interaction, making life and business more efficient and interconnected. The evolution from cumbersome checkbooks to sleek digital transactions, from towering server rooms to streamlined cloud services, encapsulates a journey towards a world where convenience, speed, and efficiency are paramount.
Yet, as we marvel at the digital wonders, the physical world seems to languish in a quagmire of decay and dysfunction.
The physical world seems ensnared in a web of decay, where the once-sturdy pillars of infrastructure crumble, and the marvels of modern transportation are marred by failures. The decline in this tangible realm starkly contrasts the vibrancy of the digital universe, painting a picture of a society at a crossroads.
The crumbling facades of our infrastructure, the incessant dance of potholes and construction tape on our roads, and the alarming incidents of failing air, rail and sea transportation mechanisms paint a grim picture of decline. The narrative of progress seems lost amidst the echoes of collapsing bridges and derailed trains, a stark reminder of our tangible world's fragility.
The contrast becomes even more glaring when we consider the historical feats of engineering and resolve. The rapid clearance of Pearl Harbor post the catastrophic attack during World War II and the monumental achievement of the Apollo moon missions stand as testaments to what was once deemed possible with the technology of yesteryears, far inferior to the computing power that resides in the palm of our hands today.
As we delve into this disparity, it becomes imperative to diagnose the root causes accurately. While the erosion of educational standards and the contentious debates around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, coupled with a shift towards valuing identity over merit, have certainly played a role in what can be termed the 'Competency Crisis,' these factors alone cannot encapsulate the entirety of the issue. It's a complex tapestry woven from strands of societal change, reflecting a deeper, more systemic malaise.
This divergence raises poignant questions about the direction and focus of our technological and scientific endeavors. The exponential advancements in digital technology, marked by a millionfold increase in capabilities, stand in sharp relief against the stagnation in the physical sciences and material world, where meaningful progress seems elusive if not downright regressive.
Peter Thiel, in his incisive critique "Zero to One," laments this very phenomenon, where the immense potential unleashed by computing advancements has been channeled predominantly towards digital and virtual enhancements, often at the expense of tangible, real-world innovations. The promise of a future replete with flying cars and transformative technologies remains unfulfilled, supplanted by the ephemeral delights of social media and incremental digital conveniences.
As we stand at this crossroads, it's imperative to ponder the trajectory of our collective ingenuity. Will we continue to tread the path of digital escapism, further widening the chasm between our virtual achievements and physical realities?
Or will we harness the incredible potential of our technological prowess to bridge this divide, reinvigorating the physical world with the same fervor and imagination that has propelled the digital age?
The choices we make and the priorities we set will shape the legacy of our era. It's time to dream beyond the screens, to envision a future where innovation harmonizes the digital with the physical, crafting a world where progress is not just a feature of our virtual lives, but a tangible reality that elevates the human experience in every dimension.
Baltimore - From Bad to Worse
I won't delve into speculating about 'What really happened?' or entertain any conspiracy theories, as there seems to be insufficient data currently available to form a well-informed opinion.
Could the incident have been a result of a mere catastrophic power failure, resulting in a large vessel colliding with a critical point that led to the bridge's collapse? It's a possibility.
However, irrespective of one's desire for probing questions and a thorough investigation, it's essential to navigate through the available information to grasp a few key points:
This is the exact type of attack I and others have been warning about for years.
The FBI added fodder to the conspiracy-minded when they came out a mere 8 hours after the accident and issued a statement claiming, “It was not terrorism.”
So you mean to tell me the FBI conducted a thorough investigation, accessed the ships logs, interview the entire crew and conducted a through investigation in a few hours? Even if you didn’t think it was something sketchy, your hair should stand up and be on high alert after the FBI’s definitive statement.
It’s embarrassing and serves the opposite effect. Of course, several days later in a press conference it was admitted that the black box on the ship is missing several key hours of data. Kinda like the videotape footage around the time Epstein killed himself magically disappeared…
The FBI is a corrupt institution at its core. The onus is on them at this time to prove otherwise and the burden of proof on any of their statements lies with at their feet.
The accident and repair lends to my thoughts at the opening of this letter about our utter incompetence as a society in the physical realm these days.
Estimates to drudge the harbor of the wreckage will take 6 months or more, interrupting shipping traffic at one of the key U.S. ports.
Estimate to rebuild the bridge are coming in at 10 years or longer. 10 years!
Remember, China was able to build a hospital in 10 days during the Covid fiasco. They also recently built a bridge 10x the size of this in 6 years.
And let’s not forget, it took us 14 years to build One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) after 9/11.
Our forefathers built the Golden Gate bridge in 4 years for a cost of approximately $400 million in today’s dollars.
Recently, it took San Francisco several years longer and about the same cost to run an anti-suicide net underneath that same bridge.
And that’s nothing compared to the bus lane San Francisco just finished that took 27 years and $300 million.
And let’s not forget the infamous California bullet train to ‘Nowhere’ from LA to SF that is expected to take 25 years+ at a cost to exceed $50B.
China, Japan, and nearly any other country in the world have built dozens of world-class trains at a fraction of the cost and time.
It’s a clown show any way you look at it. 🤡
The sad truth is we are no longer able to perform in the physical world, and government is incapable of doing nearly anything on any scale anywhere.
Some of the side drama to the Harbor accident was worth noting as well.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott came under fire for his youth and inexperience after his press conference with some social media accounts labeling him a “DEI Mayor”.
Scott is actually 40 years old, and merely looks like he just graduated college. The DEI tag may be unfair, as the political position he’s in is a result of a popular election and not the type of race-based preferences that permeate the academic, business and political appointee world.
Nevertheless, it appears Scott has never worked in the private sector (what I would call a ‘real job’) and has been on the Baltimore City Council and other political positions during the last 15 years. I’ll let you judge whether Baltimore has improved since Scott’s arrival and select this clip from Scott’s own background on his Mayoral website for further consideration.
“In early 2018, then-Councilman Scott introduced and passed monumental legislation on equity in Baltimore. His equity assessment program law will require all city agencies to operate through a lens of equity and require all operating budgets, capital budgets, and proposed legislation to be weighed through an equity lens. That legislation is in the early stages of implementation.”
Additionally, Scott didn’t do himself any favors and dramatically improved the odds that he’s not competent to fill the position after he went on MSNBC and spoke with the dumbest woman on television, Joy Reid about the incident.
Rather than offering comfort to the citizens, rallying morale to meet the challenge, he decided the focus of his national TV newds appearance was to highlight his ‘mission’ - to make white people uncomfortable.
Remember, this is the Mayor of a major city with a major port whose citizens now will encounter hardship for a significant period of time due to an accident.
Either way, Baltimore will receive what it voted for and I’m not going to pile on.
For those mocking the Baltimore mayor for his age, experience or color… consider for a moment this was the twice elected mayor of the largest, most important city in the U.S:
But before we spend too much time or grace on the Baltimore Mayor, I’ll allow some good old fashioned nihilism to creep in.
Baltimore's challenges seem insurmountable, especially with the current leadership, and perhaps even with the most capable leaders, given that the necessary measures might clash with the principles of a democratic society.
The most practical approach might be to contain the issues within the inner city, preventing them from affecting broader areas.
Chicago once excelled at this, managing to insulate its wider areas from inner-city problems for many years.
However, following the events after George Floyd's death, the strict boundaries that once existed have been softened, to the detriment of the larger Chicago community. If this trend continues and leaders like Mayor Brandon Johnson remain in power, Chicago might find itself facing challenges similar to those in Baltimore.
NYC Fight Club
We were treated this week to a series of videos of women crying after being punched in the face on the sidewalks of NYC.
Here’s a few samples:
In the old days, I might get angry and question why this is allowed to happen and what’s being done about it.
Repeat electoral outcomes and the Daniel Perry case has cured me of those errant thoughts.
These days Jesse Kelly captures my thought process perfectly.
You voted for this. Whether it’s Covid, crime or otherwise. Until I hear a mea culpa and people start changing their tune and voting habits, expect the beatings to continue until morale improves…
Fundraiser or Funeral
Meanwhile, we were treated to the perfect dichotomy between the two candidates.
While Joe Biden, his puppet master Barack Obama and suspected pedophile Bill Clinton were in NYC at a ‘star-studded’ fundraiser expected to raise $25 million dollars, Donald Trump was at the funeral for slain NYC cop Jonathan Diller.
In a day marked by mourning over the police officer’s senseless killing, the highlight was Gov Kathy Hochul showing up and being told in no uncertain words by the family and police officers mourning their brother that she was not welcome at the funeral before she stormed off.
This is the way.
These people created this mess. They shouldn’t be able to show their faces anywhere.
And as a side note, interesting that we’ve come to the point where Bill Clinton - someone who made dozens of trips to Epstein Island and is almost certainly a serial pedophile is still considered Democratic royalty and can shamelessly headline an event of this magnitude without any criticism or pushback.
Equally astonishing is the purported figure that showed up as Bill Clinton doesn’t garner a hint of curiosity or skepticism despite appearing 20 years younger than his recent public appearances.
Happy Easter
As I’ve written before, amid the head-scratching juxtapositions of our time, the resurgence of faith and spirituality, particularly through grassroots movements within Christianity, stands as a bow wave amidst the contemporary wave of secular enlightenment practices. Figures such as Sean Feucht, Steve Weatherford, and Steven Furtick are at the forefront of this spiritual renaissance, advocating a relational approach to Christianity that emphasizes direct, personal connections with Jesus and community engagement.
Parallel to this, there's a growing trend towards secular methods of consciousness expansion, such as the use of psychedelics, breathwork, yoga, and other practices aimed at transcending the mundane to reach higher states of awareness. This secular quest for enlightenment, rooted in ancient traditions yet adapted for modern sensibilities, offers a complement and contrast not just to traditional religious pathways, but to the nonsense emanating from the political sphere.
The contrast is further accentuated by the demonic and anti-human ramblings the Biden Administration and Democratic base offer up on a daily basis.
Case in point, the Biden Administration decided to throw it’s hat into the ring with this tone deaf glove slap to those who believe in Jesus and celebrate Easter.
Rather than be enraged, I applaud the above.
This is great. The more obvious (and demonic) they become, the easier it is to wake people up and marshal resistance.
Let’s not pretend it’s accidental or tone deaf. This is deliberately spitting in the face of Christians and Americans worldwide.
Lines have been clearly drawn. Recognize what we are dealing with.
Here’s James Lindsay with a more thorough take:
Matt Taibbi
Matt Taibbi was asked "why doesn't he pay much attention to the sins (or threats) from "the right"?"
He gave a great answer:
“Why I don’t spend a lot of time on the Republicans:
1) There is a enormous army of MSM reporters already going after them from every angle, with most major news organizations little more than proxies for the DNC, to the point where stations hire Biden spokespeople as anchors;
2) The Republicans have very little institutional power nationally. It’s not their point of view prevailing in schools, on campuses, in newsrooms (where over 90% of working reporters vote blue), and especially in the intelligence and military apparatus, which has openly aligned itself with Democrats. Even if Donald Trump were a “threat to Democracy” he lacks the institutional pull to do much damage, which can’t be said of Democrats;
3) The Democrats’ ambitions are significantly more dangerous than those of the Republicans. From digital surveillance to censorship to making Intel and enforcement agencies central players in domestic governance — all plans being executed globally as well as in our one country — they are thinking on a much bigger and more dangerous scale than Republicans. I lived in third world countries and the endless criminal indictments of people like Trump and ongoing lawfare efforts to prevent even third party challenges are classic authoritarian symptoms. The Republicans aren’t near this kind of capability;
4) Last and most important, the Democrats are being organized around a more potent but also much dumber, more cultlike ideology. People like Yuval Harari and his Transhumanist “divinity” concept scare me a lot more than the Rs, and I was once undercover in an apocalyptic church in Texas. Ask your average Russian or Cuban what overempowered pseudo-intellectuals are capable of.
I have a pretty good record of picking dangerous phenomena ahead of time. I feel confident on this one, and that’s before we get to the demographic/class shifts in the parties.” -MT
Best of Twitter
Memetic Warfare
Parting Words…
That’s it for this week folks. Hope you enjoyed and Happy Easter! -MK