This is weird. Because I found it because people were talking about them.
Are you in a place where you never encounter such stories? That's a good way to be surprised by them. Maybe a statement like "well, *I* never heard that!" will be a sufficient counter-argument...
As for "neither side has moral standing", you misunderstand. It's more of a "your moral authority isn't legible".
The main talking point seems to be invoking PPP loans from the middle of Covid and how since those didn't have to be paid back, student loans shouldn't have to be paid back either.
The counter-argument to that is something to the effect of "PPP loans were to cover payroll and some other business expenses because it would have been worse for businesses to close than for them to have been paused".
When the pandemic ended, the businesses could start back up and no problem. The PPP loans did their job (and the only theoretical problem were the non-businesses who got loans and spent the money on non-business stuff). In theory, the PPP loans were spent to keep the business alive.
Student loans, on the other hand, resulted in a student degree that, in theory, makes the individual student potential earning power worth that much more over the lifetime of having the degree.
Unfortunately, as the cost of college went up, that potential earning power got bigger and bigger bites taken out of it.
And now we get to wrestle with the question: "What to do with a loan for a degree that wasn't worth it?"
National Review was one of the first Anti-Trump right-wing institutions out there. They wrote an editorial against him all the way back in 2016.
Trump is a philosophically unmoored political opportunist who would trash the broad conservative ideological consensus within the GOP in favor of a free-floating populism with strong-man overtones.
After that, it just became a game of "wow, this is worse than I thought!" for everything that happened next.
In the absence of the patriots, the capitalists seem to be stepping up. The (stupid) tariffs and the lack of the actual trade deals in the wake of the art of the same are resulting in mini-revolts.
I suppose we should be relieved that he didn't go for even freer trade with the TPP while deporting people. We'd merely be stuck crying out about the tyranny of the price of strawberries while we discussed the prisons.
Part of the fundamental problem is that there has been an epistemic divorce between the right and the left. They have two separate overton windows.
Stuff that isn't bait and stuff that is get conflated with each other and real, serious, issues get ignored because, hey, that's just bait. That's not a real issue.
And, wouldn't you know it? We were in a bubble.
As for whether the Right-Wing-o-sphere is talking about it, I can't say for certain.
I can just link to The Harvard Crimson's article. Maybe we can spin it as being a "legacy" paper...
Oh, you don't want to argue the point that I made but a different point?
I agree with the different point you're raising.
Donald Trump's moral authority is worse than Harvard's. And that's taking into account all of the egg that Harvard got on its face over the last few years from the various letters that got signed to the various presidents that abdicated to, yes, the stolen bodies.
My 1970s dentist had one of those in the waiting room. There were three or four cards with various busy street scenes from various cities in the early part of the century.
"It's like a View-Master", my mom explained. (Huh. View-Master was discontinued back in 2019. So now those can show up in the funny pages and people can ask about them in a few decades.)
Maybe stop defending the indefensible actions of the worst, least honest people alive because the optics are somehow imperfect, a standard that is never, ever applied the other way around
Personally, I would have run with the Mencken quote about scoundrels.
The review. It was a pretty good meal with a decent dessert and the worst after-dinner mint I could possibly imagine.
Jey's win was fine and all and I guess I want to see what he'll do with it but I compared him to Jack Swagger deliberately. I agree with what the heel Gunther said months ago: Jey is a fine tag team wrestler.
New Day went from "not needing a belt" to "needing a belt". Pity that the War Raiders are so very bland. I've already forgotten them.
The El Grande Americano match was fun. The announcing put it over the top. I'll enjoy seeing what's done with this over the next few months and I'm certain I'll be sick of it right around Summerslam when we can drop it and move on to something else.
Jade Cargill is better than I remembered her being. Good for her. She put on a quality match.
LA Knight is a lot of fun but... yeah, he had a good run. I want to see what they do with Jacob.
I can't believe that Charlotte lost! I can't believe that Tiffany won! Pity that the match stunk.
Reigns vs. Punk vs. Rollins struck me like this: Remember when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince came out? It was 25 chapters of nothing and then a flurry of activity to set up the last book. The match was 25 minutes of nothing (fun nothing, mind!) and then a flurry of activity to attempt to turn Heyman, I guess. I thought that Heyman was unturnable and I guess I still think he is but I'm willing to see how wrong I would be about that in the next month or so.
Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley was, like, *REALLY GOOD*. I was shocked! And I was shocked that Rhea didn't win! Really good match, though.
Man, I hate Logan Paul. And now he's going to disappear and we're going to see AJ Styles vs. Carrion Cross. And I'm going to watch them fight and think about how much I hate Logan Paul.
Bron Breakker vs. Penta vs. Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio was a treat. That's always the best kind of match for a weak heel to win... and they had Dominik win the best possible way: Stabbing Finn in the back and, tomorrow, he's going to ask Finn "what's the big deal? Judgment Day won a belt!" Maybe they'll somehow manage to put the lid back on the pot and keep it simmering for another month or so.
I'm glad Drew won. He was approaching Kane levels of "win on TV, lose at the PPV".
Orton vs. Joe Hendry was a comedy match. They had to throw something together in the last few weeks and that was what was thrown together. It's a pity that they had to make TNA look like a buncha tools but Joe Hendry was charismatic enough to win me over.
As the Cena/Rhodes match was going on, I said that, as a technical match, the match was a C- but, as a psychology bout, it was an A-. We got to watch a 1980's match between... I dunno. Dusty Rhodes vs. Roddy Piper. Cena was doing *EVERYTHING* to keep getting boos and Cody was doing everything to keep getting cheers. And then they brought out Travis Scott and I went from "this is very interesting" to "this is crap, what the heck, what are they thinking?"
All in all, if it were any other PPV, I'd say it was a good one with a skunk as a last match, but it was Wrestlemania so I merely have a very bad taste in my mouth.
He means those who have the stones to keep speaking truth to power in the face of the speech police.
Which, I suppose, is true as far as it goes (it's got a robust sense of reality!) but doesn't contain a moral element.
The speech police? They're just speech policing from the smack dab middle of their consensus that they're enforcing. Not good, not bad, just is.
The people who point out that ACAB? Well, if they get censored... first you have to deny that they did, then you have to point out that they should have just talked louder in the face of being squelched. No morality, no discussion of incentives, just the will to power.
On “US Department of Education Announces that it is Restarting Loan Collection”
That will result in people not getting loans and, presumably, not going to college at all.
Or, instead of going to their preferred SLAC, they'll go to a state school. Or, instead of a state school, they'll go to a community college.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/21/2025”
Obscure stories no one else is talking about?
This is weird. Because I found it because people were talking about them.
Are you in a place where you never encounter such stories? That's a good way to be surprised by them. Maybe a statement like "well, *I* never heard that!" will be a sufficient counter-argument...
As for "neither side has moral standing", you misunderstand. It's more of a "your moral authority isn't legible".
"
Yeah, last week one of the crypto-right wingers on the board posted an article that got into that.
Apparently, May 2020 at the height of COVID had 51 ships blank sailing. April 2025 has over 80 ships blank sailing. That is without cargo.
On “US Department of Education Announces that it is Restarting Loan Collection”
The main talking point seems to be invoking PPP loans from the middle of Covid and how since those didn't have to be paid back, student loans shouldn't have to be paid back either.
The counter-argument to that is something to the effect of "PPP loans were to cover payroll and some other business expenses because it would have been worse for businesses to close than for them to have been paused".
When the pandemic ended, the businesses could start back up and no problem. The PPP loans did their job (and the only theoretical problem were the non-businesses who got loans and spent the money on non-business stuff). In theory, the PPP loans were spent to keep the business alive.
Student loans, on the other hand, resulted in a student degree that, in theory, makes the individual student potential earning power worth that much more over the lifetime of having the degree.
Unfortunately, as the cost of college went up, that potential earning power got bigger and bigger bites taken out of it.
And now we get to wrestle with the question: "What to do with a loan for a degree that wasn't worth it?"
On “Back When Patriots Opposed Kings”
National Review was one of the first Anti-Trump right-wing institutions out there. They wrote an editorial against him all the way back in 2016.
After that, it just became a game of "wow, this is worse than I thought!" for everything that happened next.
"
In the absence of the patriots, the capitalists seem to be stepping up. The (stupid) tariffs and the lack of the actual trade deals in the wake of the art of the same are resulting in mini-revolts.
I suppose we should be relieved that he didn't go for even freer trade with the TPP while deporting people. We'd merely be stuck crying out about the tyranny of the price of strawberries while we discussed the prisons.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/21/2025”
Part of the fundamental problem is that there has been an epistemic divorce between the right and the left. They have two separate overton windows.
Stuff that isn't bait and stuff that is get conflated with each other and real, serious, issues get ignored because, hey, that's just bait. That's not a real issue.
And, wouldn't you know it? We were in a bubble.
As for whether the Right-Wing-o-sphere is talking about it, I can't say for certain.
I can just link to The Harvard Crimson's article. Maybe we can spin it as being a "legacy" paper...
"
Oh, you don't want to argue the point that I made but a different point?
I agree with the different point you're raising.
Donald Trump's moral authority is worse than Harvard's. And that's taking into account all of the egg that Harvard got on its face over the last few years from the various letters that got signed to the various presidents that abdicated to, yes, the stolen bodies.
"
We're nowhere near an election, true (though I understand the next one is the most important of our lifetimes).
As such, it's just a fight in the PR arena.
Another place where memes show up from time to time.
"
Not sure how "right-wing" this particular one is but you're definitely overstating my belief about the power of memes.
I wouldn't compare them to bombs as much as to elections.
"
Best to not have a Rounder be fired for stealing bodies smack dab in the middle of the PR campaign.
On “Somebody is Always Taking the Joy out of Life”
My 1970s dentist had one of those in the waiting room. There were three or four cards with various busy street scenes from various cities in the early part of the century.
"It's like a View-Master", my mom explained. (Huh. View-Master was discontinued back in 2019. So now those can show up in the funny pages and people can ask about them in a few decades.)
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/21/2025”
"Didn't your morgue sell bodies?"
"We fired the guy who did that. Quit changing the subject."
There are those who see this as a perfectly cromulent response.
Others see it as coming up at a particularly bad time.
On “Somebody is Always Taking the Joy out of Life”
This particular guy probably felt like his insight was novel.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/21/2025”
Harvard and Trump are having a bit of a spat. Harvard is trading on, among other things, its moral authority.
"
Seriously, this couldn't have come at a worse time: Former HMS Morgue Manager Pleads Guilty to Selling Human Remains
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/14/2025”
Instead of someone bringing up different pardons? Huh.
On “Pope Francis Dead at 88”
A much-needed skinny Pope after the previous fat one.
Betting markets for the next Pope are open.
Luis Antonio Tagle and Pietro Parolin are neck and neck.
On “From Marginal Revolution: o3 and AGI, is April 16th AGI day?”
AI Not Kill Everyone Memes points out:
The test was one created to be brand spankin' new, never published, so all of the questions are novel and not googleable.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/14/2025”
Maybe stop defending the indefensible actions of the worst, least honest people alive because the optics are somehow imperfect, a standard that is never, ever applied the other way around
Personally, I would have run with the Mencken quote about scoundrels.
That wouldn't have invited whataboutery.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: Are you ready for Wrestlemania?”
Okay.
The review. It was a pretty good meal with a decent dessert and the worst after-dinner mint I could possibly imagine.
Jey's win was fine and all and I guess I want to see what he'll do with it but I compared him to Jack Swagger deliberately. I agree with what the heel Gunther said months ago: Jey is a fine tag team wrestler.
New Day went from "not needing a belt" to "needing a belt". Pity that the War Raiders are so very bland. I've already forgotten them.
The El Grande Americano match was fun. The announcing put it over the top. I'll enjoy seeing what's done with this over the next few months and I'm certain I'll be sick of it right around Summerslam when we can drop it and move on to something else.
Jade Cargill is better than I remembered her being. Good for her. She put on a quality match.
LA Knight is a lot of fun but... yeah, he had a good run. I want to see what they do with Jacob.
I can't believe that Charlotte lost! I can't believe that Tiffany won! Pity that the match stunk.
Reigns vs. Punk vs. Rollins struck me like this: Remember when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince came out? It was 25 chapters of nothing and then a flurry of activity to set up the last book. The match was 25 minutes of nothing (fun nothing, mind!) and then a flurry of activity to attempt to turn Heyman, I guess. I thought that Heyman was unturnable and I guess I still think he is but I'm willing to see how wrong I would be about that in the next month or so.
Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley was, like, *REALLY GOOD*. I was shocked! And I was shocked that Rhea didn't win! Really good match, though.
Man, I hate Logan Paul. And now he's going to disappear and we're going to see AJ Styles vs. Carrion Cross. And I'm going to watch them fight and think about how much I hate Logan Paul.
Bron Breakker vs. Penta vs. Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio was a treat. That's always the best kind of match for a weak heel to win... and they had Dominik win the best possible way: Stabbing Finn in the back and, tomorrow, he's going to ask Finn "what's the big deal? Judgment Day won a belt!" Maybe they'll somehow manage to put the lid back on the pot and keep it simmering for another month or so.
I'm glad Drew won. He was approaching Kane levels of "win on TV, lose at the PPV".
Orton vs. Joe Hendry was a comedy match. They had to throw something together in the last few weeks and that was what was thrown together. It's a pity that they had to make TNA look like a buncha tools but Joe Hendry was charismatic enough to win me over.
As the Cena/Rhodes match was going on, I said that, as a technical match, the match was a C- but, as a psychology bout, it was an A-. We got to watch a 1980's match between... I dunno. Dusty Rhodes vs. Roddy Piper. Cena was doing *EVERYTHING* to keep getting boos and Cody was doing everything to keep getting cheers. And then they brought out Travis Scott and I went from "this is very interesting" to "this is crap, what the heck, what are they thinking?"
All in all, if it were any other PPV, I'd say it was a good one with a skunk as a last match, but it was Wrestlemania so I merely have a very bad taste in my mouth.
On “Saturday Morning Gaming: Hollow Knight”
Aaaaaand the game is beaten.
I collected all of the grubs and 39 1/2 charms. I googled what I needed to do to find the last half of the 40th and... yeah.
The game is beaten. Really good Metroidvania, though.
On “Open Mic for the Week of 4/14/2025”
He means those who have the stones to keep speaking truth to power in the face of the speech police.
Which, I suppose, is true as far as it goes (it's got a robust sense of reality!) but doesn't contain a moral element.
The speech police? They're just speech policing from the smack dab middle of their consensus that they're enforcing. Not good, not bad, just is.
The people who point out that ACAB? Well, if they get censored... first you have to deny that they did, then you have to point out that they should have just talked louder in the face of being squelched. No morality, no discussion of incentives, just the will to power.
"
One of the best indicators for SF has shown up: There's a newspaper article talking about windshield repair shops struggling.
"
"Therefore, censorship didn't happen. Q.E.D."