The forces arrayed against the mere notion of independence in politics, thought, media, and elsewhere is pretty stupefying at times. The actual on-the-ground behavior of those who wish to limit or entirely extirpate independent endeavor is even worse. I wish you all the best as you move forward through such a fraught landscape, Mike. Looking forward to seeing what you do next.
Aug 2, 2023·edited Aug 2, 2023Liked by Michael Nayna
Part of the appeal I found in 'The Reformers' was, as you stated in the article, the demystification of the (very accomplished) individuals involved in the film; James, Helen and Peter. You soon realize that the humans behind the social media and internet persona, are just that - human beings. They each have their own private lives, idiosyncrasies, and personality. It's also necessary to mention, that they have directly lived each and every moment of their own lives, and this has led them to where they are, at the moment we come across them. It so easy to forget this fact, when we can jump from profile to profile, and become distracted at the mask that the accounts present, in that instant.
Idolizing internet personas, and potentially even following their every word and idea, as if they are an enlightened guru - or a digital cult leader, as you put it - is a dangerous thing; thanks for attesting to not be such a figure. I really enjoyed The Reformers, and I wish you the best of luck on your personal journey, of authentically discovering your own creativity.
Please partner with Chris Rufo and work on finding the driving forces - the No-S&!t decision makers, as quoted by Matt Taibi - of ESG, DEI, and “Woke, Inc”, to borrow from Vivek Ramaswamy, to determine how closely they are following the subjects of Rufo’s book and if it’s just using that language to drive profit and obscure other truths or if there truly is a global effort to arrive at a social Marxist place.
I'm glad to hear you've had a boost in subs. I signed on after I saw you on Ben Boyce with James and then decided to give the documentary a go. It was brilliant, I only vaguely knew of what happened during the Grievance Studies Affair, but the story was engrossing and the documentary itself was shot beautifully. Looking forward to seeing what follows!
In the 18th-19th century News Media was pretty decentralized. Newspapers/broadsheet were started/owned by politicians, political parties, or those look for influence with them. by (say) the 1960's we got Mass Media, owned by just a few company's. Then somewhere in the late 1990's-early 2000's along comes this little silicon Chip and something called the World Wide Web. And boys & girls we are back to decentralized/Atomized Media. The options of whee you get your news are expanding every day. Now, you can get your news from CNN or The Washington Examiner. You can watch MSNBC or Newsmax.. Welcome to the 19th century. That little silicon chip has changed...EVERYTHING.
The forces arrayed against the mere notion of independence in politics, thought, media, and elsewhere is pretty stupefying at times. The actual on-the-ground behavior of those who wish to limit or entirely extirpate independent endeavor is even worse. I wish you all the best as you move forward through such a fraught landscape, Mike. Looking forward to seeing what you do next.
Part of the appeal I found in 'The Reformers' was, as you stated in the article, the demystification of the (very accomplished) individuals involved in the film; James, Helen and Peter. You soon realize that the humans behind the social media and internet persona, are just that - human beings. They each have their own private lives, idiosyncrasies, and personality. It's also necessary to mention, that they have directly lived each and every moment of their own lives, and this has led them to where they are, at the moment we come across them. It so easy to forget this fact, when we can jump from profile to profile, and become distracted at the mask that the accounts present, in that instant.
Idolizing internet personas, and potentially even following their every word and idea, as if they are an enlightened guru - or a digital cult leader, as you put it - is a dangerous thing; thanks for attesting to not be such a figure. I really enjoyed The Reformers, and I wish you the best of luck on your personal journey, of authentically discovering your own creativity.
Happy and excited to be part of this "next phase" with you, Mike! Lead on!
Please partner with Chris Rufo and work on finding the driving forces - the No-S&!t decision makers, as quoted by Matt Taibi - of ESG, DEI, and “Woke, Inc”, to borrow from Vivek Ramaswamy, to determine how closely they are following the subjects of Rufo’s book and if it’s just using that language to drive profit and obscure other truths or if there truly is a global effort to arrive at a social Marxist place.
I'm glad to hear you've had a boost in subs. I signed on after I saw you on Ben Boyce with James and then decided to give the documentary a go. It was brilliant, I only vaguely knew of what happened during the Grievance Studies Affair, but the story was engrossing and the documentary itself was shot beautifully. Looking forward to seeing what follows!
In the 18th-19th century News Media was pretty decentralized. Newspapers/broadsheet were started/owned by politicians, political parties, or those look for influence with them. by (say) the 1960's we got Mass Media, owned by just a few company's. Then somewhere in the late 1990's-early 2000's along comes this little silicon Chip and something called the World Wide Web. And boys & girls we are back to decentralized/Atomized Media. The options of whee you get your news are expanding every day. Now, you can get your news from CNN or The Washington Examiner. You can watch MSNBC or Newsmax.. Welcome to the 19th century. That little silicon chip has changed...EVERYTHING.
Since the era of the 80s “A&R man”, the mass media machine has evolved into the all-consuming behemoth we live amidst today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMoop0rn780
Jim McGuinn, Chris Hillman 1967