this post was submitted on 08 Jun 2025
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Leopards Ate My Face
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A bit of column A, a bit of column B.
This is their whole shtick: constantly manufacturing more outrage and "engagement". Yes, the personal grievances, egomania and narcissism are real. But it's just what they do. Throwing shit at the wall, and if something sticks, decide what to do with it. It's not acting per se but it has method. Very simple, very primitive, only half-coscious method, but a method it is.
And surely meanwhile somebody behind them is using the opportunity to actively dismantle US democracy - more focused, but essentially still using the same "method".
This situation is certainly beneficial for Trump, as it places him back in the spotlight and generates conversation. It's also advantageous for Elon, as people flock to Twitter for updates and discussions. Additionally, the ongoing debate about whether to borrow more money allows Elon to position himself as the "good" guy advocating for the right side.
The more I analyze it, the more it seems like a manufactured outrage aimed at boosting engagement.
You know, they figured out a long time ago that smart people weren't any better at getting to the truth in emotional contexts, because a smart person can just think up more logical reasons for why the reason they want to be true is true.
The human brain is primarily emotional, not intellectual. We receive stimuli, the brain decides the most appropriate emotion to respond to the stimulus with, and then generates reasoning post hoc. This, btw, is why Trump can be so successful despite his obvious bullshittery - he creates an emotional response in his followers, and then leaves the reasoning up to them.
What is happening to you is that your brain has been trained to associate news of Trump with fear and distress. So since the emotional response can't possibly be wrong (according to your brain), you keep looking for ways to make it seem reasonable until you find some.
Take a step back and realize that the most likely outcome here is good. When narcissistic egomaniacs gain power, they must contend with the fact that their power only exists with the help of the spinless syncophants, backstabbing snakes, and other narcissistic egomaniacs they brought with them. Once they gain the top position, there isn't much to keep them distracted from backstabbing and infighting. There is no real belief in higher ideals that ties everyone together - just pure self interest. So once their self interests conflict - even over such minor things as perceived slights - they start to spin out, and can no longer effectively collaborate.
Even some dark, shadow-y puppeteer is unlikely to benefit from this. Maybe their dark, shadow-y plans are largely unaffected, and there is a small chance that the random chaos of conflict will help them.... But people achieve things - including nefarious things - by making and executing long term plans which universally depend on some level of stability in the environment. Of course, you don't raise to the level of top-tier villainy with a pessimistic can't-do attitude. A good evil capitalist should always look at situations with an eye towards their opportunities - but objectively, this will be a setback for anyone banking on Trump or Musks political influence, or the effectiveness of the Trump administration to create real and lasting change in the name of evil.