TBH, the Tucker/Megyn thing is not something I have a whole lot of interest in, though I have found it surprising as to their transformation. Here’s an interesting take from this morning:
“A civilization stands on three pillars: the belief that there exists a truth accessible to reason, the belief that there exists a good distinct from evil, the belief that there exists a heritage to be transmitted. French Theory set out to dynamite all three. Not out of malice. Out of intellectual play, fascination with suspicion, hatred of the bourgeoisie that had nurtured them. But the result is there. An entire generation learned to deconstruct and never learned to build. An entire generation knows how to suspect and no longer knows how to admire. An entire generation sees power everywhere and beauty nowhere”
Relates to some remarks by Jonathan Haidt, see my post Professors and the Pornography of Power:
It’s not just the house, or the land, it’s the neighbors.
Interesting video of a situation in which a man bought a beautiful, very extensive, fenced property in Mississippi, which includes a large lake. He apparently doesn’t live full time on the property, and is often away.
And, what he has found is that people—he thinks it’s some of the neighbors–apparently several relatives who owned a large tract of land–including the acreage and lake which was sold to him by one of those relatives–are not happy—are trespassing on his land—destroying items, fishing in the lake, putting nails on his driveway and around his house, sabotaging his vehicles, and are even removing some of his fencing on the more remote parts of his very large acreage.
He calls in someone he found on YouTube, who has had experience with dealing with people trespassing on his land, and this guy’s solution is to post a number of no trespassing signs, and to install a large number of cameras to try to image and identify these trespassers, so that they can be prosecuted.
Actually, it seems to me that given the seriousness and continuing nature of these incursions onto his land, if he really wants to prevent such trespassing, this new landowner might–at lease initially–have to hire full time, armed guards.
This situation has me wondering if this type of brazen trespassing and sabotage would have been as prevalent, say, a century or more ago, and whether, back then, it would just routinely have been met with a violent (and justified) defense of the new owner’s property, rather than today’s more “peaceful” solution, of calling on the uncertain (and, perhaps, ultimately ineffective) services of local law enforcement.
As well, who knows that kind of service an apparent “outsider” might expect from local law enforcement, when these cops are dealing with Mississippi “locals,” who they may have longstanding relationships with?
Seems to me that, before he bought the place, this new owner needed to perform his “due diligence,” and scope out the potential situation he might be putting himself in the middle of. *
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Against stupidity we are defenseless.”
David, sdferr and Kate,
The early 1980s French post-modernists, Foucault et al, are basically to blame for the present state of academia. It infected English departments first, then like a virus spread throughout, even reaching biology when I retired. Of course, as new faculty came in who did not see it as complete bullshit, it had a big foothold. I remember being in a faculty meeting and one of the converted proudly stated “that there is no truth!” I stood up and then said, “Your statement ‘that there is no truth’ is expressed as a truth, therefore by your logic your entire philosophy is null.” She had no answer……yes, a woman faculty. I hate to say it, but as faculty became majority female, the idiocy of the faculty increased.
On Nova Scotia, almost everything comes together but one big minus brings it all down. Was a interesting video.
Tucker/ Megyn saga has bored me, walk away and join the Marxists if you want.
Usefull idiots, minions of the Dark Ages and Satan.
Thanks, sdferr. That Frenchman (Brivael le Pogam, if that’s his real name) explains things very clearly and, I think, correctly.
physicsguy, I first ran into some deconstructionism in a senior history seminar in 1971, and in business graduate school in 1974-75. It made no sense then and it still doesn’t. Note the difference between critical analysis of events and ideas and critical theory, the assertion that there is no truth and every situation is about oppression.
I enjoyed the video about Nova Scotia. One of my long-ago relatives was reportedly on that ship in Boston Harbor throwing tea in the water, but another group left South Carolina after the Revolutionary War and built ships in Halifax.
Interesting video, certainly more than I ever knew, despite reading Longfellow’s “Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie” in high school.
Clearly, Trump ought to make Nova Scotia the 51st state (or 52nd after Greenland, or Cuba).
Then the Cajuns in Louisiana, who are descendants of the French-Acadians forcibly expelled by the British in the 1700s, should reclaim their ancestral lands and throw out the colonial oppressors.
Make Acadia Great Again!
I am in Serbia right now with my lovely wife visiting my best friend and his wife. The fresh food over here is OUTSTANDING! The vegetables taste unbelievable. My wife swoons at the tomatoes.I swear, the dried apricots do not exist in the US that are that good. The fruits taste intense. The meats are great along with the fresh bread. And drinkable yoghurt!
We are in Novi Sad three blocks from a farmers market. Our third time here.
Serbian food is good!
I remember when I encountered deconstruction in some of the review articles for literature, with skip gates who now has become respectable, and houston baker, (who seems to have faded out) and stanley fish,
one stream of comments comes from a intellectual property atty, who one would think relies on truth, but his truth, not anyone elses, a barbarian at the spanish cortes
they seem to be throwing semiotic handgrenades,
first time I come across brivael, he seems like a young version of jean jacques revel,
Halifax has a connection with Boston from the 1917 harbor explosion. 9000 dead and go worse from there. Boston’s response is epic. “Boston stands ready to go the limit.”
Somebody like Halifax harbor. I 95 looks kind of odd; an interstate in the piney woods of Maine. But it turns east and connects with the Trans Canada Highway, which will take you to Halifax. Our National Defense Highway Act envisioned connecting all deepwater ports with specialized, high speed, roadways. And after going north from Florida, passing maybe a dozen harbors already in use, I95 keeps going because, they want another deep water port. So in time of difficulty, so to speak, Halifax’ difficulties will be overcome or borne out of necessity.
At least 1782 dead, 9000 injured, in Halifax in 1917. That’s a high proportion in a small city.
We’ve spent a great deal of time here trying to understand mechanics and psychology of leftist indoctrination. This is an unusual take on that. (Maybe not so different from what we’ve discussed, but certainly couched in different terms.)
On the surface, the dynamics of left-wing politics represent a progression of the Tammany Hall patronage system into the professional and managerial class.
– – – –
Yet there is a quality in the modern left that distinguishes it from traditional arrangements of political patronage. A traditional patronage network works through a strictly defined relation of authority and subordination — lord to vassal, patron to client, political boss to precinct captain. The modern left, uncomfortable with hierarchies of formal authority, tends to obscure these dispensations of concrete authority in favor of manufacturing a “hive mind,” a consensus-driven social unit that attains political strength through ideological uniformity.
– – – – –
The patronage racket has been replaced by what is here dubbed an Oedipus Racket, a system of ideological compliance built upon a vertical chain — not of hierarchical authority, but of psychological dependence.
I worked of Halifax for a time in the late 90s. The ordinary folk that I mingled with did not appear to feel left behind. They felt blessed.
And I saw no indication that the folks of either Nova Scotia or Newfoundland were particularly concerned about the weather; and these were airline pilots for the most part. Their attitude, as was the case with most situations, was ‘it is what it is’.
I loved working with them by the way.
Time has passed, change is constant, and perhaps attitudes have changed.
The writings of the ‘French guy on X’ would be a cautionary tale for the United States, if anyone paid attention; and if were not so late in game.
From TommyJay’s link:
“The Oedipal left is thus anxious that all human interaction should be mediated through institutional authority”
It has struck me that much of the Left seems to turn relationships of the Gemeinschaft type (families, romantic relationships, etc) into impersonal, contractual relations of the Gesellschaft type. At the same time, they want to apply a Gemeinschaft-type emotional load to things like national governments, which are properly Gesellschaften.
Reference to the terminology, which I’m probably at least somewhare misusing:
(from Grok)
Tönnies (in his 1887 work Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft) described two ideal types of social organization that apply directly to groups and organizations:Gemeinschaft (“community”): Traditional organizations based on personal, emotional, and customary ties. Relationships are intimate, face-to-face, and rooted in shared values, family, kinship, or local traditions (e.g., a family farm, village guild, or tribal council). Loyalty is personal, not contractual; people know each other as whole individuals.
Gesellschaft (“society” or “association”): Formal and anonymous (impersonal) organizations based on rational self-interest, contracts, and indirect roles. Interactions are detached, rule-guided, and often anonymous—people relate via positions or functions rather than personal knowledge (e.g., a modern corporation, government bureaucracy, or large urban firm). Bonds are weak and instrumental; efficiency and formal rules replace tradition.
This pair is often summarized as traditional/personal/community vs. modern/formal/impersonal/anonymous. Tönnies saw the shift from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft as a hallmark of industrialization and urbanization.
@ David Foster > “shift from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft ”
I think it would be possible to see a small instantiation of that in Snow’s story about the property buyer in Mississippi, and the problem he would probably face attempting to enforce his legal rights.
“who knows that kind of service an apparent “outsider” [the Gesellschaft buyer, who probably dealt only with a realtor] might expect from local law enforcement, when these cops are dealing with Mississippi “locals,” who they may have longstanding relationships [Gesellschaft] with?”
Kate.
Thanks for the correction.
There was an additional horror; the explosion happened after a ship had been on fire for some time. People were watching out their windows. The explosion shattered the glass and caused far more eye injuries than would have been the case had the explosion come out of nowhere.
And the Haligonians ship the biggest Christmas tree they can find to Boston each year in commemoration for the help they received.
This story above is a reminder that–when it comes right down to it–everything depends, not on reason, but on force, on who has the power to coerce people, and to enforce a particular set of rules and standards.
It has been said that one of our most important rights is that of being able to own private property—to have ownership of and control over the assets that you have accumulated—whether it’s money, land, or tangible or intangible assets you have earned, created, or inherited.
But, as the story above illustrates, it is only yours, if, you can keep others from taking it, and that involves some sort of force–your individual force, or the force of the State enforcing the Law.
However, as our Founding Fathers understood–all too well–if a people want to remain free, giving the State a monopoly on force is not a good idea, hence our 2nd Amendment, and why the Left–the party of the power of the State–to control you and your life–wants so desperately to eliminate it.
Yes Richard, Serbian food can be good. Should you find yourself in Belgrade I would recommend you visit Dva Jelena Restaurant http://www.dvajelena.rs/en in the Skardalijia neighborhood. Nice way to spend a pleasant afternoon enjoying grilled meats and the local wine. If you are lucky there may be a Tambura Orchestra playing for a wedding.
Limit the generative capacity enough and only the “slogan set” can be articulated.
2.
“NOW WE REALLY KNOW HOW THE LEFT PLAYED THE [Southern Baptist Convention]: A deeply deceptive piece in the Texas Monthly illustrates how the Left uses sequential linking of otherwise unrelated entities to create a damaging narrative.” https://instapundit.com/797342/
So this evening there’s report of Trump meeting with his security council about Iran but not until Tuesday. Comments from the right on the report best summed by the statement. ” Stop dicking around.”. From the left, “Another TACO Tuesday. ” hmmm…
Seems like both sides coming to the same conclusion.
The two Growlers that collided at the air show today were from NAS Whidbey Island.
physicsguy:
My bet is the US and Israel go hot this week.
Since the crews are safe I can say that the spectators got their money’s worth at the air show! I also hope the taxpayers did.
Can’t have those pilots flying those planes in unnecessary challenging situations, it might risk our taxpayer money. They should only fly when absolutely required. (Sarc x 11)
TBH, the Tucker/Megyn thing is not something I have a whole lot of interest in, though I have found it surprising as to their transformation. Here’s an interesting take from this morning:
https://townhall.com/columnists/kevinmccullough/2026/05/15/why-its-time-to-disown-tucker-and-megyn-n2676161
Interesting post from a French guy at X:
“A civilization stands on three pillars: the belief that there exists a truth accessible to reason, the belief that there exists a good distinct from evil, the belief that there exists a heritage to be transmitted. French Theory set out to dynamite all three. Not out of malice. Out of intellectual play, fascination with suspicion, hatred of the bourgeoisie that had nurtured them. But the result is there. An entire generation learned to deconstruct and never learned to build. An entire generation knows how to suspect and no longer knows how to admire. An entire generation sees power everywhere and beauty nowhere”
Relates to some remarks by Jonathan Haidt, see my post Professors and the Pornography of Power:
https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/56415.html
David Foster, can you provide a link to the comments from “a French guy on X?”
Here you go, Kate, I think this is the fellow: https://x.com/i/status/2055414755435889086
Follow his other post below that as well. (And there may be others, as it’s been a while since I encountered this one.)
This was the first I saw this morning:
https://x.com/i/status/2055411322628583488
Private Property—But, is it?
It’s not just the house, or the land, it’s the neighbors.
Interesting video of a situation in which a man bought a beautiful, very extensive, fenced property in Mississippi, which includes a large lake. He apparently doesn’t live full time on the property, and is often away.
And, what he has found is that people—he thinks it’s some of the neighbors–apparently several relatives who owned a large tract of land–including the acreage and lake which was sold to him by one of those relatives–are not happy—are trespassing on his land—destroying items, fishing in the lake, putting nails on his driveway and around his house, sabotaging his vehicles, and are even removing some of his fencing on the more remote parts of his very large acreage.
He calls in someone he found on YouTube, who has had experience with dealing with people trespassing on his land, and this guy’s solution is to post a number of no trespassing signs, and to install a large number of cameras to try to image and identify these trespassers, so that they can be prosecuted.
Actually, it seems to me that given the seriousness and continuing nature of these incursions onto his land, if he really wants to prevent such trespassing, this new landowner might–at lease initially–have to hire full time, armed guards.
This situation has me wondering if this type of brazen trespassing and sabotage would have been as prevalent, say, a century or more ago, and whether, back then, it would just routinely have been met with a violent (and justified) defense of the new owner’s property, rather than today’s more “peaceful” solution, of calling on the uncertain (and, perhaps, ultimately ineffective) services of local law enforcement.
As well, who knows that kind of service an apparent “outsider” might expect from local law enforcement, when these cops are dealing with Mississippi “locals,” who they may have longstanding relationships with?
Seems to me that, before he bought the place, this new owner needed to perform his “due diligence,” and scope out the potential situation he might be putting himself in the middle of. *
• See https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ruIS5Gr07-M
Bonhoeffer quote about stupidity–
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil; it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Against stupidity we are defenseless.”
David, sdferr and Kate,
The early 1980s French post-modernists, Foucault et al, are basically to blame for the present state of academia. It infected English departments first, then like a virus spread throughout, even reaching biology when I retired. Of course, as new faculty came in who did not see it as complete bullshit, it had a big foothold. I remember being in a faculty meeting and one of the converted proudly stated “that there is no truth!” I stood up and then said, “Your statement ‘that there is no truth’ is expressed as a truth, therefore by your logic your entire philosophy is null.” She had no answer……yes, a woman faculty. I hate to say it, but as faculty became majority female, the idiocy of the faculty increased.
On Nova Scotia, almost everything comes together but one big minus brings it all down. Was a interesting video.
Tucker/ Megyn saga has bored me, walk away and join the Marxists if you want.
Usefull idiots, minions of the Dark Ages and Satan.
Thanks, sdferr. That Frenchman (Brivael le Pogam, if that’s his real name) explains things very clearly and, I think, correctly.
physicsguy, I first ran into some deconstructionism in a senior history seminar in 1971, and in business graduate school in 1974-75. It made no sense then and it still doesn’t. Note the difference between critical analysis of events and ideas and critical theory, the assertion that there is no truth and every situation is about oppression.
I enjoyed the video about Nova Scotia. One of my long-ago relatives was reportedly on that ship in Boston Harbor throwing tea in the water, but another group left South Carolina after the Revolutionary War and built ships in Halifax.
Interesting video, certainly more than I ever knew, despite reading Longfellow’s “Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie” in high school.
Clearly, Trump ought to make Nova Scotia the 51st state (or 52nd after Greenland, or Cuba).
Then the Cajuns in Louisiana, who are descendants of the French-Acadians forcibly expelled by the British in the 1700s, should reclaim their ancestral lands and throw out the colonial oppressors.
Make Acadia Great Again!
I am in Serbia right now with my lovely wife visiting my best friend and his wife. The fresh food over here is OUTSTANDING! The vegetables taste unbelievable. My wife swoons at the tomatoes.I swear, the dried apricots do not exist in the US that are that good. The fruits taste intense. The meats are great along with the fresh bread. And drinkable yoghurt!
We are in Novi Sad three blocks from a farmers market. Our third time here.
Serbian food is good!
I remember when I encountered deconstruction in some of the review articles for literature, with skip gates who now has become respectable, and houston baker, (who seems to have faded out) and stanley fish,
one stream of comments comes from a intellectual property atty, who one would think relies on truth, but his truth, not anyone elses, a barbarian at the spanish cortes
they seem to be throwing semiotic handgrenades,
first time I come across brivael, he seems like a young version of jean jacques revel,
Halifax has a connection with Boston from the 1917 harbor explosion. 9000 dead and go worse from there. Boston’s response is epic. “Boston stands ready to go the limit.”
Somebody like Halifax harbor. I 95 looks kind of odd; an interstate in the piney woods of Maine. But it turns east and connects with the Trans Canada Highway, which will take you to Halifax. Our National Defense Highway Act envisioned connecting all deepwater ports with specialized, high speed, roadways. And after going north from Florida, passing maybe a dozen harbors already in use, I95 keeps going because, they want another deep water port. So in time of difficulty, so to speak, Halifax’ difficulties will be overcome or borne out of necessity.
At least 1782 dead, 9000 injured, in Halifax in 1917. That’s a high proportion in a small city.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Explosion
We’ve spent a great deal of time here trying to understand mechanics and psychology of leftist indoctrination. This is an unusual take on that. (Maybe not so different from what we’ve discussed, but certainly couched in different terms.)
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/05/the_left_s_oedipus_racket.html
The Left’s Oedipus Racket
Related:
Trouble on the Danube.
“Trojan horse: The Shape-Shifting Politics of Péter Magyar”—
https://europeanconservative.com/articles/commentary/trojan-horse-the-shape-shifting-politics-of-peter-magyar/
I worked of Halifax for a time in the late 90s. The ordinary folk that I mingled with did not appear to feel left behind. They felt blessed.
And I saw no indication that the folks of either Nova Scotia or Newfoundland were particularly concerned about the weather; and these were airline pilots for the most part. Their attitude, as was the case with most situations, was ‘it is what it is’.
I loved working with them by the way.
Time has passed, change is constant, and perhaps attitudes have changed.
The writings of the ‘French guy on X’ would be a cautionary tale for the United States, if anyone paid attention; and if were not so late in game.
From TommyJay’s link:
“The Oedipal left is thus anxious that all human interaction should be mediated through institutional authority”
It has struck me that much of the Left seems to turn relationships of the Gemeinschaft type (families, romantic relationships, etc) into impersonal, contractual relations of the Gesellschaft type. At the same time, they want to apply a Gemeinschaft-type emotional load to things like national governments, which are properly Gesellschaften.
Reference to the terminology, which I’m probably at least somewhare misusing:
(from Grok)
Tönnies (in his 1887 work Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft) described two ideal types of social organization that apply directly to groups and organizations:Gemeinschaft (“community”): Traditional organizations based on personal, emotional, and customary ties. Relationships are intimate, face-to-face, and rooted in shared values, family, kinship, or local traditions (e.g., a family farm, village guild, or tribal council). Loyalty is personal, not contractual; people know each other as whole individuals.
Gesellschaft (“society” or “association”): Formal and anonymous (impersonal) organizations based on rational self-interest, contracts, and indirect roles. Interactions are detached, rule-guided, and often anonymous—people relate via positions or functions rather than personal knowledge (e.g., a modern corporation, government bureaucracy, or large urban firm). Bonds are weak and instrumental; efficiency and formal rules replace tradition.
This pair is often summarized as traditional/personal/community vs. modern/formal/impersonal/anonymous. Tönnies saw the shift from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft as a hallmark of industrialization and urbanization.
From Laura Loomer –
“Ending U.S. Military Aid Is Key To A Fully Sovereign Israel And Netanyahu Agrees”
https://loomered.com/2026/05/13/ending-u-s-military-aid-is-key-to-a-fully-sovereign-israel-and-netanyahu-agrees/
@ David Foster > “shift from Gemeinschaft to Gesellschaft ”
I think it would be possible to see a small instantiation of that in Snow’s story about the property buyer in Mississippi, and the problem he would probably face attempting to enforce his legal rights.
“who knows that kind of service an apparent “outsider” [the Gesellschaft buyer, who probably dealt only with a realtor] might expect from local law enforcement, when these cops are dealing with Mississippi “locals,” who they may have longstanding relationships [Gesellschaft] with?”
Kate.
Thanks for the correction.
There was an additional horror; the explosion happened after a ship had been on fire for some time. People were watching out their windows. The explosion shattered the glass and caused far more eye injuries than would have been the case had the explosion come out of nowhere.
And the Haligonians ship the biggest Christmas tree they can find to Boston each year in commemoration for the help they received.
This story above is a reminder that–when it comes right down to it–everything depends, not on reason, but on force, on who has the power to coerce people, and to enforce a particular set of rules and standards.
It has been said that one of our most important rights is that of being able to own private property—to have ownership of and control over the assets that you have accumulated—whether it’s money, land, or tangible or intangible assets you have earned, created, or inherited.
But, as the story above illustrates, it is only yours, if, you can keep others from taking it, and that involves some sort of force–your individual force, or the force of the State enforcing the Law.
However, as our Founding Fathers understood–all too well–if a people want to remain free, giving the State a monopoly on force is not a good idea, hence our 2nd Amendment, and why the Left–the party of the power of the State–to control you and your life–wants so desperately to eliminate it.
Yes Richard, Serbian food can be good. Should you find yourself in Belgrade I would recommend you visit Dva Jelena Restaurant http://www.dvajelena.rs/en in the Skardalijia neighborhood. Nice way to spend a pleasant afternoon enjoying grilled meats and the local wine. If you are lucky there may be a Tambura Orchestra playing for a wedding.
Warning: Old Dominion political metaphor alert…
“Train collides with truck carrying septic tank…”—
https://nypost.com/2026/05/16/us-news/horror-as-train-collides-with-truck-carrying-septic-tank-seriously-injuring-driver-video/
– – – – – – –
Re the catastrophic Halifax explosion, I’d recommend reading Hugh MacLennan’s “Barometer Rising”, a well-wrought fictionalized account of the event, which he lived through as an eight-year-old.
Some of you will enjoy this wide-ranging, timely and highly pleasurable effort by—whom else?—Roger Kimball:
“The Golden Thread and the Defense of the West;
“Western civilization survives only if each generation rejects egalitarian vandalism and relearns its duty to preserve, cultivate, and pass on greatness.”—
https://amgreatness.com/2026/05/17/the-golden-thread-and-the-defense-of-the-west/
H/T Powerline blog.
Compare and contrast…
Methodologies of institutional capture:
1.
“How the BBC was captured by taking over the official style guide….”—
https://instapundit.com/797337/
Key phrases;
2.
“NOW WE REALLY KNOW HOW THE LEFT PLAYED THE [Southern Baptist Convention]: A deeply deceptive piece in the Texas Monthly illustrates how the Left uses sequential linking of otherwise unrelated entities to create a damaging narrative.”
https://instapundit.com/797342/
+ Bonus:
“It Was All A Lie;
“SBC President Bart Barber Admits It Was a Scam”—
https://www.rodmartin.org/p/it-was-all-a-lie
So this evening there’s report of Trump meeting with his security council about Iran but not until Tuesday. Comments from the right on the report best summed by the statement. ” Stop dicking around.”. From the left, “Another TACO Tuesday. ” hmmm…
Seems like both sides coming to the same conclusion.
The two Growlers that collided at the air show today were from NAS Whidbey Island.
physicsguy:
My bet is the US and Israel go hot this week.
Since the crews are safe I can say that the spectators got their money’s worth at the air show! I also hope the taxpayers did.
Can’t have those pilots flying those planes in unnecessary challenging situations, it might risk our taxpayer money. They should only fly when absolutely required. (Sarc x 11)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2026/05/17/keir-starmers-sickening-libels-against-the-british-people/