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After failing to rebuild the city since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has experienced everything from the cutting of social services, to an increase in street crime, to school privatization upwards of 70%. In this video, poet and critic Alex Sheremet presents a poem in the ario format, "They're Closing All The Schools In New Orleans". Hear Alex Sheremet discuss this poem at our poetry workshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVDpS0t6gEY A note on the ario poetic form: Bruce Ario (1955 – 2022) was a Minneapolis poet who created the “ario” poetic form, a 10-line poem with 3 stanzas of 3 lines each, concluding with a final line that inverts or otherwise comments upon everything which preceded it. For more information, check out our video, ArtiFact #35: The Life & Times Of Bruce Ario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycAD9s57Re8 If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Background footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf38Ugp0WGA Background music: Lil Wayne -- Ride 4 My Niggas (Sky's The Limit) -- 16% slowed -- Drought 3 Mixtape (2007) Text of poem: THEY'RE CLOSING ALL THE SCHOOLS IN NEW ORLEANS * on the flight over Swallowed to the pit like an old classroom Promoting fractions into wholes A child yaps I've filched an hour from New York. Go write. NOW——but needed time So needlessly distended It took itself for perpetuity As if we'd never had a holiday One could not just mop away on Bourbon Street. Imagine all the janitors kept home. Who tried to keep you honest? Tags: #shorts

Alex Sheremet and Keith Jackewicz discuss a variety of topics, tipsy on homemade sangria. Recorded in Central Park, NYC on 5/27/23. To get the patron-only B Side to this conversation, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/automachination B Side topics: bullshitting poetry & academia; why acting is unforgiving; park stranger refuses Alex’s directions, gets lost; a hot pink wedding; TikTok vs. early normie social media; cultural production is the real difficulty for Leftism; Wallace Stevens’s racism & whether artists help or hurt themselves in extended dialogue; the decline of literary illusions; China, Russia & their artistic unknowns; does Alex have a trustworthy face; the limits of liberal-style free speech; violations of rights in citizenship tests; Zelensky bans all opposition parties in Ukraine; the cult of Stefan Molyneux; historical representations of doctors as intellectuals vs. the anti-intellectual streak among doctors; & more Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 0:00 – Noam Chomsky as a liberal; Manufacturing Consent in the modern world; what it means to be an “influential thinker” these days; the Chomsky/Foucault debate in 2023 07:16 – a tipsy Alex attempts to cross a channel; Left/Right debates on human nature; how the Left gives up the argument before it even starts; what about that Ezekiel Yu at automachination dot com; nursing & the Philippines; Robin DiAngelo’s classist comments about minorities at “black tie events” 19:08 – rap as the only “poetry” which gets any attention; why does Eminem get respect from superior rappers; Alex and Keith explore a tunnel 24:00 – how the complexity of video games went up while artistry went down; game theory in video gaming; the tendency towards open-world gaming reduces artistic value/vision; Choose Your Own Adventure books as a model for future art; even “adult” games are constructed for a child’s mind Tags: #politics #videogames #art

Although it didn’t get much attention upon its release in 2018, Sergei Loznitsa's "Donbass" has enjoyed a resurgence, and a potential Criterion re-release in the future. Currently streaming on the Criterion Channel, "Donbass" is a black comedy split into 13 (or 17, depending on how it’s counted) loosely connected scenes depicting the Eastern Ukrainian territory in the midst of civil war. The scenes vary wildly in terms of staying power, from excellent writing to banal scripting, a good enigmatic opening and a bad, predictable ending, excellent cinematography with a purpose, to pretty window dressing without a reason. In MovieMacro #7, Alex Sheremet and Keith Jackewicz of Automachination dissect the film’s inner workings and the political backdrop of the Donbass Civil War. To help this channel grow, support us on Patreon and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 0:00 – dissecting claims of propaganda; can good art be propaganda; negative representations of Russian-speaking Ukrainians; Sergei Loznitsa’s accurate depiction of Russia’s POV on Donbass; ironies in Loznitsa’s biography 11:40 – the opening scene; crisis actors in John Cassavetes style banter; the enigma of the opening leads to predictability; false flags by Russians vs. false flags by Ukrainians; false flag paranoia; how ideology creates predictability & a poor film ending 22:14 – splitting Donbass; Russian-language vs. Ukrainian-language scenes; the Ukrainian-only scene in “Donbass” & Loznitsa’s implied commentary 28:18 – the maternity hospital; why the film title works so well; the long history of Donbass independence movements; the Ukrainian guard and separatist official are speaking in different languages to one another 37:55 – Loznitsa’s set-up for a great, writerly scene goes south; more John Cassavetes style banter between soldiers; Russians, Asians, & pickle juice 50:25 – the Donbass bomb shelter; why being sparing of detail works; linguistic vs. cultural mannerisms in Russia, Ukraine; 58:46 – final scenes: the beating / hazing of separatist soldiers; how the movie’s worst scene mirror peak anti-Trump, Resistance-era media of 2016-2017 Tags: #ukraine #movies #review

Although DJ Vlad (VladTV) is 1 of the most influential figures in hip-hop media, he is often accused of being a culture vulture. In this video, poet, critic, and novelist Alex Sheremet dissects the interview style of DJ Vlad (and, to a lesser extent, Adam22) and why he asks the questions that he asks, while systematically avoiding any real discussion of rap music and hip-hop culture. Adam22 (NoJumper) Forgot That He's A White Boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_OHMDDHP8E Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #hiphop #rap #djvlad

Peter Schiff and Jordan B. Peterson recently had a podcast together where they discussed the state of the American economy, financial markets, bitcoin, and gold bullion. Despite spending close to two hours on these topics, they failed to consider basic economic issues such as: the health of the labor force, rate hikes as a regressive form of stimulus spending, the nature of spending and debt, and why those with the worst financial and analytical track records get to control the narrative. In this video, the poet, critic, and novelist Alex Sheremet of Automachination discusses all the topics Jordan Peterson and Peter Schiff fail to tackle. Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #politics #jordanpeterson #gold

Adam22 of NoJumper is a podcast host, producer, BMX rider, and porn actor with an interesting past and an instructive business empire. Topics covered: segregation, integration, the mutual fascination between white and black America, Afropessimism, native black conservatism, business vs. loyalty, & more. Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #politics #nojumper #hiphop

The murder of a black homeless man, Jordan Neely, by ex-Marine vigilante Daniel Penny has brought out conservative fears again, and this time, even the notion of community is under fire. In this video, Alex Sheremet explores the contradictions between right-wing psychology and right-wing entitlement. This little-discussed fracture is visible in the works of Richard Hanania, Ben Shapiro, Thomas Sowell, and many more going back centuries, yet it is only in the past few decades that "classic" right-wing psychology has become distorted and regressive. To help this channel grow, support us on Patreon and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Our discussion of the Jordan Neely case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3k7mL-F6HM Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Background photo by Brian Lundquist. Tags: #newyork #politics #conservative

On May 1, 2023, a 30 year old black homeless man and former dancer/Michael Jackson impressionist Jordan Neely was killed after being placed in a chokehold by a former Marine, Daniel Penny. According to witnesses, Jordan Neely entered an F train yelling that he was hungry and thirsty, then started to behave threateningly when Daniel Penny pulled him to the ground for fifteen minutes. Video journalist Juan Alberto Vazquez captured the final few moments of the encounter, where Jordan Neely can be seen struggling for breath before going limp as three men hold him down and another discusses chokehold technique. The incident sparked outrage from housing and mental health activists, while drawing support elsewhere for Daniel Penny's vigilantism. In this video, Alex Sheremet recounts his own experiences with de-escalating violent situations with the mentally ill, while picking through witness accounts, analyzing Daniel Penny's behavior and background, Jordan Neely's history of being a healthy individual to his later homelessness, and right-wing / conservative accounts of crime. He spends some time with the work of Richard Hanania, who often discusses street crime despite very little knowledge of the specifics. To help this channel grow, support us on Patreon and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #jordanneely, #politics, #newyork

Recently, right-wing political commentator Steven Crowder announced he is getting divorced, and that this was a process of several years. This may have surprised some, but given Steven Crowder’s childish behavior, insecurities about sex and relationships, and unsustainable personal beliefs (including his belief that his wife, Hilary Crowder, should not have been so easily “allowed” to divorce him), Alex Sheremet argues that this was predictable. To help this channel grow, support us on Patreon for patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Thumbnail photo via Skidmore Gage, 2013. Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #politics #marriage #relationship

Donald Trump was recently indicted for campaign finance law violations due to his hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. After District Attorney Alvin Bragg presented his case, legal analysts on both the Left and the Right were unimpressed. More importantly, however, is everything Donald Trump (and most American presidents) could have been charged with, but wasn’t, and the even longer list of crimes which are never treated as crimes. In this video, critic, poet, and novelist Alex Sheremet of AUTOMACHINATION Media presents an alternative view of the Donald Trump indictment, arguing that a consistent application of both common sense as well as international law would mean that Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and others before them would be charged with far more consequential crimes. Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Thumbnail photo: Dall-E prompt: “Donald Trump Indicted” Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #politics #donaldtrump #crime

In 1972, four scientists – Donella H. Meadows, Dennis L. Meadows, Jørgen Randers, William W. Behrens III – published a book called The Limits To Growth, about planetary limits based on a new computer model called World3. It was attacked by journalists, scientists, and economists who claimed it was making faulty predictions based on untested hypotheses, and was often rejected in highly emotional terms by a society that wanted to believe in infinite growth. These attacks accelerated in the 1990s, since models of food and resource scarcity failed, while the 1990s, themselves, were a highly idealistic decade. By 2023, however, it is obvious that the book’s core premises – that planetary limits exist, that they will be hit and create fresh limits, and this will likely cause a contraction in the standard of living – are beginning to be vindicated. Yes, the suggested limits to copper, fossil fuels, and food turned out to be far too pessimistic, but modern research suggests that the world is more or less going according to the basic scenarios of the World3 model. In ArtiFact #40, Alex Sheremet is joined by radical climate activist Arnold Schroder of the Fight Like An Animal podcast to discuss “The Limits to Growth” as well as follow-up texts and papers. Arnold Schroder’s website: https://www.againsttheinternet.com/ Arnold Schroder’s Twitter page: https://twitter.com/arnold_schroder To get the B Side to this conversation, support us on our Patreon page for patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination B Side topics: Arnold Schroder’s experiences in New Orleans as a teenager; why Alex thinks New Orleans is a symbol of America’s future; Portland in the time of Elliott Smith vs. today; issues of gentrification; why seemingly minor variables play major roles in an artist’s art; Alex’s neighborhood & why some people are targets of crime but not others; political equality vs. cultural elitism; political, psychological, and emotional stakes have heightened in the last few decades; the roles of Arnold / Alex might play in building ideological bridges; what IQ fetishists get wrong; & more Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 1:56 – introduction; the response to “The Limits to Growth” over time; from research to the empirical environment; how psychology mediates activism & complacency 9:12 – why “2020” kept coming up as a pivot point in 1972, 2004; how hitting planetary limits diverts capital to externalities as opposed to human welfare; why Arnold Schroder thinks public mobilization won’t happen even with poor public outcomes; how charts (as opposed to fundamentals) model potential futures; Gaya Herrington’s January 2020 model of how well “The Limits to Growth” tracked 25:23 – which model might best suit empirical reality; the factors behind civilizational collapse; COVID denialism on the Left & Right; total collapse will likely not happen 32:30 – the “stable world” model & conscious choice; why civilizational collapse tends to happen all at once; stagnation, inertia; are Democrats more blameworthy than Republicans for climate inaction; Arnold Schroder on abusive relationships within politics; how polarization worsens problems of collectivization, social cohesion 45:14 – models vs predictions; why readers should appreciate the simple, material rationales in “Limits to Growth”; it’s important to identify moments of stagnation; although specific limits change, the concept of planetary limits does not; systems theory & the environment: Jeffrey West’s “Scale”; the importance of logarithmic charts 58:04 – consumerism & the nervous system; how forced de-growth in one’s everyday life creates space & time; Nietzsche on religious war; the parameters of human nature; radical responsibility 1:11:08 – the world is getting more & more competitive, but over what?; China & population fetishism, population control; Elon Musk vs. Genghis Khan; how environmental issues became coded Left 1:19:44 – assessing the final numbers: 2, 3, or 4 degrees of warming?; the effects of individual milestones; feedback loops & uncertainties; why the survival of the human species is not the actual concern; how “survival” is used as a cudgel to minimize climate concerns 1:28:24 – Degrowth vs. Radical Abundance; understanding the arrow of progress vs. periods of stagnation Tags: #climatechange, #politics, #podcast

Ada Yukasheva (Ада Якушева, 1934 - 2012) was a Soviet bard and Russian poet who wrote musically simple, yet lyrically dense music. The first wife of Russian bard Yuri Vizbor, she was writing music and poetry since her days at the Moscow Pedagogical State University. I am not sure when “Alone” (or “Face-to-Face”, in its double meaning) was written, but it remains one of her best songs. Notice how startling its lyrics are for a love song: from claims to “loving” one’s aloneness, to the poetic descriptions of loneliness (“branches of light beat the wall”), to the abstract construction of a “nation” of emotions and personal associations, to the twist ending. As with some of the love songs of Yuri Vizbor (as well as Ada Yakusheva’s own “In The Stony River”), it take some time to recognize that it is in fact a love song. The background footage is from Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion” (1965). Watch our translated playlist of the best Soviet bard music, which features more songs by Ada Yakusheva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqmUe_MeXGU Read our in-depth examination of Russian bard music: https://www.automachination.com/russian-bard-soviet-poet-century-tradition/ If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #musicvideo, #russian, #film Russian & English lyrics: Ада Якушева – Наедине Мою страну зовут "Наедине". В ней прост вопрос и объяснение просто. Она длиной во много-много дней И шириной во много перекрестков. Я так люблю побыть наедине, Вернувшись ночью в черную квартиру, Где ветви света вьются по стене И теплый запах темноты и мира. Наедине... Побыть наедине... Нельзя мне с этим не сдружиться нынче. Я слышу за окном уставший снег И узнаю в вещах твоих привычки. Я кожей чую - утро настает, В нем бьется ветер, северен и нежен. Ты был иль не был? Бедствие мое... Ты был иль не был? Жил ты или не жил?... Ты был, ты был, но это все равно, Об этом все равно никто не знает. Наедине зову тебя страной, И ни на что тебя не променяю... Ada Yakusheva – Alone My country is called Alone. It has a simple question and the explanation's simple. Its length is many, many days And its width so many intersections. I really love to be alone Returning at night to a black apartment Where branches of light beat the wall And the warm smell of darkness and of peace. Alone... To be alone... I can't not make peace with this now. I hear outside the window tired snow And recognize your habits in things And feel with my skin that morning comes Wind beats within it, northern and gentle. Were you or were you not? My misfortune... Were you or not? Did you live or not live? You were, you were, but it doesn't matter, No one knows about it anyway. Alone (face-to-face) I call you (my) nation And won't exchange you for anything...

Ada Yukasheva (Ада Якушева, 1934 - 2012) was a Russian bard and Soviet poet who wrote musically simple, yet lyrically dense music. The first wife of Soviet bard Yuri Vizbor, she was writing music and poetry since the 1950s, when "Evening Wanders" was first recorded. This performance of "Evening Wanders" is with Ada Yakusheva's children, in 1987. Watch our translated playlist of the best Soviet bard music, which features more songs by Ada Yakusheva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqmUe_MeXGU Read our in-depth examination of Russian bard music: https://www.automachination.com/russian-bard-soviet-poet-century-tradition/ If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #lyrics, #ussr, #songwriter Russian & English lyrics: Ада Якушева – Вечер бродит Вечер бродит по лесным дорожкам, Ты ведь тоже любишь вечера. Подожди, постой еще немножко, Посидим с товарищами у костра. Подожди, постой еще немножко, Посидим с товарищами у костра. Вслед за песней позовут ребята, В неизвестные еще края. И тогда над крыльями заката Вспыхнет яркой звездочкой мечта моя. И тогда над крыльями заката Вспыхнет яркой звездочкой мечта моя. Вижу целый мир в глазах тревожных, В этот час на берегу крутом. Не смотри ты так неосторожно, Я могу подумать что-нибудь не то. Не смотри ты так неосторожно, Я могу подумать что-нибудь не то. Вечер бродит по лесным дорожкам, Ты ведь тоже любишь вечера. Подожди, постой еще немножко, Посидим с товарищами у костра. Подожди, постой еще немножко, Посидим с товарищами у костра. Ada Yakusheva -- Evening Wanders Evening wanders on the forest paths Don't you like the evenings too? Then wait a little while longer And we'll sit with friends by the fire. Then wait a little while longer And we'll sit with friends by the fire. The guys will call after the song To still-unknown lands And then, under the wings of sunset, My dreaming will flash as a bright star. And then, under the wings of sunset, My dreaming will flash as a bright star. I see the whole world in anxious eyes At this hour on the steep shore Don't look so carelessly at me -- I might think something isn't right. Don't look so carelessly at me -- I might think something isn't right. Evening wanders on the forest paths Don't you like the evenings too? Then wait a little longer And we'll sit with friends by the fire. Then wait a little longer And we'll sit with friends by the fire.

At her best, Ada Yukasheva (Ада Якушева, 1934 - 2012), Yuri Vizbor's first wife, was a great Soviet bard with novel ideas. Although lacking the dynamism and range of her better-known contemporaries, she excelled at both love songs and meditations on nature. This performance of "Song About Moscow" must have been recorded well before her death in 2012, as it looks similar to her performances in the 1980s and 1990s. It remains one of her best-known compositions, taking an ostensibly sad event -- the bombing of Moscow in World War II -- and turning it into a reason for artistic creation, memory, and more. Watch our translated playlist of the best Soviet bard music, which features more songs by Ada Yakusheva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqmUe_MeXGU Read our in-depth examination of Russian bard music: https://www.automachination.com/russian-bard-soviet-poet-century-tradition/ If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #russia, #russian, #lyrics, #songwriter, #song Russian & English lyrics: Песенка о Москве В институте под сводами лестниц Одержимые жаждой творить Написать захотели мы песню И на память Москве подарить: Город светлый, город чудный! Или все тебе спето давно? Или новое выдумать трудно Или просто нам мало дано? Написать бы о том, как по крышам Скачут светлые капли дождя? Или, может быть, лучше напишем Как весною бульвары галдят? Город светлый, город чудный! Или все тебе спето давно? Или новое выдумать трудно Или просто нам мало дано? Как шоссе убегает куда-то, Как рассвет над Москвою стоит, Как в кривых переулках Арбата Прячет солнце закаты свои. Город светлый, город чудный! Или все тебе спето давно? Или новое выдумать трудно Или просто нам мало дано? Долго мерзли в холодном подвале Зажигала Москва фонари Все затихло, а мы увидали Что нам нечего, вроде, дарить. Город светлый, город чудный! Или все тебе спето давно? Или новое выдумать трудно Или просто нам мало дано? Song About Moscow At school under the arches of stairs Taken by the desire to create We wanted to write a song And gift to the memory of Moscow. The city is light, the city is marvelous Or is it that everything has been sung long ago? Or that it is hard to think of something new Or just that we weren't given enough? Should we write how, on the roofs, Jump big drops of rain Or, maybe, we should write How the boulevards hum in spring? The city is light, the city is marvelous Or is it that everything has been sung long ago? Or that it is hard to think of something new Or just that we weren't given enough? How the highway runs away somewhere Or how Pushkin stands over the square Or how in the street of the Arbat The sun hides its sunsets? The city is light, the city is marvelous Or is it that everything has been sung long ago? Or that it is hard to think of something new Or just that we weren't given enough? Long freezing in a cold basement Moscow lit up its lamps Everything quieted and we saw That we had nothing to gift. The city is light, the city is marvelous Or is it that everything has been sung long ago? Or that it is hard to think of something new Or just that we weren't given enough?

Bret Weinstein had come to prominence on the heels of the Evergreen State College meltdown in 2017, where students confronted and physically threatened Weinstein when he was still a professor there. Since that time, he’s become a member of the Intellectual Dark Web, cultivated a relationship, then falling out with, Sam Harris over Bret Weinstein’s COVID-19 vaccine skepticism, and has taken on other increasingly right-wing beliefs partly due to his growing right-wing audience. Some of these beliefs touch on sex and sexuality, including some recent negative comments towards OnlyFans performer Aella (Aella_Girl). In this video, poets Alex Sheremet and Laura Woods dissect the controversy, as well as its weird turn of events towards sex nerds, unicorns, and unicorn hunters. It is part of a much longer discussion on Friedrich Nietzsche’s seminal “The Gay Science”. Clipped from ArtiFact #39: On Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Gay Science – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV8xtLySAx4 For access to the B Side conversation, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags for Aella vs. Bret Weinstein’s Unicorns: #aella, #bretweinstein, #politics

In 1979, Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi doctor and “Angel of Death” drowned in Brazil after having a stroke. He had been living under an assumed identity for decades as the world’s Nazi-hunters tried to close in on him. He spent his final years in difficulty, and had never renounced fascism. In “Instructions For A Deteriorating Life Vest”, poet Alex Sheremet (who reads the poem) attempts to use the drowning of Josef Mengele as a controlling image in unconventional ways. Although the poem is not explicitly about history nor politics, it subtly taps both to make a case for the value of abstract pursuits, such as poetry and art, against the backdrop of wasteful conduct, which Josef Mengele personifies. In this way, there can be a renewed connection between ethics and artistic creation, even if we reject the clunkier and less nuanced connections between both. A note on the ario poetic form: Bruce Ario (1955 – 2022) was a Minneapolis poet who created the “ario” poetic form, a 10-line poem with 3 stanzas of 3 lines each, concluding with a final line that inverts that which preceded it. For more information, check out our video, ArtiFact #35: The Life & Times Of Bruce Ario: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycAD9s57Re8 If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Background footage: The Manhunt For The Angel Of Death – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2UnkEIg_3k Text of poem: INSTRUCTIONS FOR A DETERIORATING LIFE VEST I've lost count of ways to lose it all Though hope remains The biggest culprit. I had hoped to never have to move again From the bed with the big blonde Pencil picking sore spots like Mengele Rocked open on a swim. Hope? One can only pack the lungs with hope A poem floats better than a body As a poem flows better than a poem. Tags: #shorts #poem #war

Friedrich Nietzsche wrote a large number of books defying systematization, creating a reputation for difficulty that is not altogether fair. For instance, “The Gay Science” (1882) captures the bulk of Nietzsche’s philosophy through great writing highlighting its own anti-obscurantism, which makes it the perfect book for introducing readers to his work. In ArtiFact #39, Alex Sheremet and Irish poet Laura Woods tackle Friedrich Nietzsche’s literary and intellectual accomplishments by carefully assessing the book’s introductory poems and 383 aphorisms, by way of Walter Kaufmann's classic translation. They dissect Nietzsche’s views of women, art, politics, war, questions of personal experience, and more, finishing their conversation in a patron-only discussion on the book’s remainder. Other subjects include: Brett Weinstein and Aella (OnlyFans), Steven Pinker’s misunderstandings of Nietzsche, how Friedrich Nietzsche can be used for left-wing politics, a men’s rebellion on Reddit, and more. For access to the B Side conversation, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Watch our analysis of Steven Pinker’s rejection of Nietzsche in “Enlightenment Now”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4uAyN00BdM Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Thumbnail photo: Joel Parrish: https://poeticimport.com Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 1:11 – introducing Friedrich Nietzsche’s “The Gay Science”; why this is a book one returns to; how Nietzsche combines logical and rhetorical argument; common criticisms of the text; why non-systematization works for Nietzsche; the desire for objective values; how Steven Pinker uses Nietzsche without crediting him; calling Nietzsche a “great stylist” is often a pejorative; why “great style” so often encourages great, re-purposed ideas; Nietzsche’s self-conception as an artist 20:51 – Nietzsche’s poetic writing in the “Preface to the Second Edition” of The Gay Science; the claim that certain books, ideas require experience to understand; rebuffing the pop cultural understanding of Nietzsche; “convalescent art”, Alex’s & Laura’s experience with such; Nietzsche glosses over differing responses to sickness; Jordan Peterson vs. Friedrich Nietzsche; linking subjectivity and objectivity; an art for artists 48:00 – truth, illusion, art, reality; dissecting Friedrich Nietzsche’s poems in “The Gay Science”; the Walt Whitman connection; the meaning of Gay Science as a title; how Nietzsche makes fun of artistic clichés in his poems; how notions of “art and truth” developed over millennia; Dan Schneider’s view of art is almost more Nietzschean than Nietzsche’s 01:04:54 – tackling the aphorisms of Book 1 of The Gay Science; Aphorism 1- explaining what Friedrich Nietzsche means by “good”, “bad”, and “evil”; the see-saw structure of the aphorisms; Nietzsche failed to distinguish war from wars of stagnation; why hasn’t China unleashed more carnage on to the world; Donald Trump vs. Middle America; how stagnation leads to a conflict of attrition; Nietzsche’s endearing response to the Paris Commune; psychology of sickness; levity/laughter as a corrective for life and art 01:28:32 – aphorism 20; science vs. scientism; foundational thinking in the modern world; on the issue of sex nerds; Bret Weinstein gets accused of trying to recruit unicorns into his marriage; Weinstein’s comments on Aella 01:42:50 – aphorism 16: Over the Footbridge: lyrical, structural; its emotional import for The Gay Science; aphorism 54- on the process of writing; aphorism 56 & “ending aphorisms” in Nietzsche 01:58:03 – Nietzsche on women; hidden progressivism in Nietzsche; rejecting the cult of rationality; experiences have pre-rational effects; why it’s impossible to get out of the body; the “concept” of women; aphorism 66: feminine, masculine, exaggerated weakness; what women, men can “afford” to do; how liberals argue from conservative assumptions; mixed messages to men about opening up, showing emotions; Reddit’s AskMen subreddit in open rebellion; “smile more, girl!” vs. “cry more, men!”; the desire of both men and women to “change” their partners based on a mental image; 02:17:49 – aphorism 67; Friedrich Nietzsche’s abusive language vs. progressive content of views; arbitrary metrics in dating apps; aphorism 68; aphorism 71- “on female chastity”; Tags: #books #philosophy #podcast #nietzsche #booktube

Many Russians were upset with Ukrainian independence in the 1990s. Although much of this can be attributed to a perceived loss of status and imperial power, real, practical problems, such as newly-made borders which separated ethnic Russians from their families in Russia, persisted as well. In this video, Eduard Limonov (1943 - 2020), the founder of Russia’s National Bolshevik Party (pejoratively known as Nazbol abroad), speaks at a demonstration in 1992. He is upset not only with Boris Yeltsin, whom he perceives as weak, but Perestroika, as well, calling it a slow but deadly process for over a hundred million Russians dealing with a near-total collapse of the state. There are two details worth mentioning. First, notice that 1990s Russian politics do not fit into predictable American politics. Although Eduard Limonov (Эдуард Лимонов) is a reactionary, this does not mean he’s interested in markets or the aesthetic trappings of capitalism. Second, notice how Russian political thought once thought to be “fringe”, might not have been fringe at all. One can also imagine Russia under a different context (such as with an American-led Marshall Plan to help prevent the appeal of authoritarianism) where soft power matters above all, and the loss of Ukraine is negligible. This video was used as part of our 3.5 hour discussion with Ukrainian scholar Ivan Katchanovski. This can be found at ArtiFact #38: Ivan Katchanovski On Russia / Ukraine Propaganda, Maidan, Donbass, & The USSR – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xvNnTfmh50 This longer discussion can also be seen on Rumble: https://rumble.com/v2apa5z-artifact-38-ivan-katchanovski-on-russia-ukraine-propaganda-maidan-donbass-a.html If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Watch our translated playlist of the best Soviet and Russian bard music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqmUe_MeXGU Read our in-depth examination of Russian bard music: https://www.automachination.com/russian-bard-soviet-poet-century-tradition/ Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #ukrainewar, #russianlanguage, #putin

In 2013-14, the Maidan Revolution (or Euromaidan, Revolution of Dignity) was marred by violence which ultimately led to the overthrow of Victor Yanukovych’s government. Today’s leading narrative suggests that it was Yanukovych’s police force which killed dozens of protesters, but according to University of Ottawa’s Ivan Katchanovski, video footage and evidence from the Yanukovych treason trial overwhelmingly suggests that it was right-wing Ukrainian militias, such as Azov and the Right Sector, that killed Maidan protesters, perhaps to solicit Western intervention. The United States of America soon recognized the new Maidan government, but according to Professor Katchanovski, the process of Victor Yanukovych’s removal was not only unconstitutional, but voting was done under duress and threats of violence from right-wing militias against members of the Rada. This raises questions not only of Western culpability in supporting a coup, but also its obligations in ending the Russia-Ukraine War. This conversation is part of our much longer discussion on Russia-Ukraine with Ukrainian scholar Ivan Katchanovski: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xvNnTfmh50 Ivan Katchanovski's research on the Maidan Massacre: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ivan-Katchanovski/publication/280134889_The_Maidan_Massacre_in_Ukraine_A_Summary_of_Analysis_Evidence_and_Findings/links/5717e22908ae30c3f9f17513/The-Maidan-Massacre-in-Ukraine-A-Summary-of-Analysis-Evidence-and-Findings.pdf Follow Ivan Katchanovski on Twitter: https://twitter.com/I_Katchanovski If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Watch our translated playlist of the best Soviet and Russian bard music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqmUe_MeXGU Read our in-depth examination of Russian bard music: https://www.automachination.com/russian-bard-soviet-poet-century-tradition/ Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Tags: #russiaukrainewar, #ukrainewar, #politics

Although Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 caught many analysts off-guard, Ukrainian-born scholar Ivan Katchanovski (University of Ottawa) predicted the growth of tensions well before the Maidan. In some respects, the Ukraine War as well as Vladimir Putin and Putinism had their roots in the early 1990s. On the one hand, the West made contradictory promises to Ukraine about its security while demanding they give up nuclear arms, and on the other, Zbigniew Brzezinski’s fears (The Grand Chessboard, 1997) of America’s “mismanagement” of its Russia policies were slowly realized. At the same time, Russia’s poverty and instability in the 1990s gave rise to ultra-nationalism and other forms of right-wing discourse which would eventually go mainstream. In ArtiFact #38, Alex Sheremet is joined by Ivan Katchanovski to discuss some lesser-known details of Russian and Ukrainian history in light of the Ukraine War. Follow Ivan Katchanovski on Twitter: https://twitter.com/I_Katchanovski If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 0:00 – Ivan Katchanovski’s theory of the Maidan Massacre as a right-wing false flag attack 1:32 – Ivan Katchanovski as a Ukrainian dissident in the Soviet Union & a Ukrainian dissident today; Alex Sheremet’s Chernobyl mutations 5:20 – Ivan Katchanovski on the pitfalls of Russia-Ukraine discourse; his upbringing in Ukraine under the USSR; why studying international relations was impossible in the Soviet Union; studying alongside the future presidents of Georgia and Ukraine; family expulsions from Poland; attending anti-Soviet demonstrations; why writing a thesis in Ukrainian was acceptable but its content rejected; censorship today 24:16 – Alex: censorship in the West is (mostly) outsourced to liberal institutions rather than government censorship; on the nature of the left/right divide & student demonstrations in the USSR; how Soviet politics bleed into Ukrainian & American politics; why Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is more like the Crimean War of 1853-56 as opposed to Hitler’s invasion of Poland; neither Russia nor America want a truly strong, independent Ukraine, but a client state; fractures in pro/anti-Soviet referendums in early 90s Ukraine; why some post-Soviet states remained free of conflict & others not 51:32 – Eduard Limonov’s 1992 prognostication of civil war coming to Ukraine; to what extent are his comments on Ukraine the thinking of Russian intellectuals in the 1990s; right-wing and left-wing repression in the 1990s; Boris Yeltsin’s & Vladimir Putin’s relationship with right-wing post-Soviet thought 01:07:50 – the historical & linguistic fault-lines between Russia, Ukraine; Bolshevism & anti-Bolshevism the roots of ultranationalism and Nazism within Ukraine; the lack of hostility between Russians & Ukrainians after 1950s; Ukraine’s present-day illiberalism on language policy; Lenin’s policy of Ukrainianization; class-based policies vs. cultural policy 01:26:42 – the Donbass: its history & present; how the Donbass thought of itself through history; why Donbass was unhappy after voting for a unified Ukraine; Donbass as “Europe’s final frontier”; Donbass independence streak means Russia might have to deal with Donbass secessionist movements; how oligarchs took over East Ukraine; how Maidan changed oligarch structure 01:40:49 – assessing the 1990s for Russia & Ukraine’ Zbigniew Brzezinski’s “The Grand Chessboard” & Heartland Theory; how America’s behavior towards 1990s Russia helped create Putin & Putinism; how Putin combined multiple ideologies; the West has blocked peace deals in the Ukraine War; why did the US offer a Marshall Plan for Europe but not for Russia; the Customs Union vs. European Union Association Agreement 02:13:36 – was the Maidan Massacre a false flag; right-wing groups were not politically popular, but provided the muscle for Maidan; what changes if the Maidan Massacre was a false flag?; Ivan Katchanovski on the role of right-wing militias; Ukraine as containment strategy; assessing whether Maidan was a “Western-backed coup”, totally independent, or something in the middle? 02:50:52 – why Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal; hypothetical circumstances under which Russia’s invasion would be legal or ethical; John Mearsheimer & getting beyond the Monroe Doctrine; how the Russia-Ukraine war will determine the fate of America & Russia Tags: #russiaukrainewar, #russia, #ukraine

Although the death of Queen Elizabeth II was expected to reveal fissures in not only the English monarchy, but also the UK’s response to monarchy, the exact opposite happened. Non-legally binding commands, such as an arbitrary period of mourning, were forced on the UK under threat of social penalty, while a compliant media sprung to the monarchy’s defense for weeks on end. What are some thoughts on English monarchy going forward? Can the UK have a true, functional democracy with the monarchy intact? How do the Crown’s business interests in the media control the flow of information? In this video, UK painter Ethan Pinch explains the state of affairs while answering these and other questions. You can also watch our full back-catalog on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/automachination If you found this video useful, support us on our Patreon page and get the full 2-hour conversation between Alex Sheremet, Jessica Schneider, and Ethan Pinch: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Patron-only video topics: Jessica learns the final piece of her Zoom puzzle; why Ethan Pinch’s pet rabbit made Alex think differently of him; explaining why Bruce Ario’s (as well as Walt Whitman’s) poems creep up upon the reader; Jessica assesses Bruce Ario’s Enneagram types via his novel Cityboy; how death de-fangs “threatening” artists; Jessica on Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story on Netflix; thinking about psychopathy, human violence; debating the best artist biopics: Vivian Maier, Amadeus, Into The Deep (on Herman Melville), Emily Dickinson; art & futurity Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Subscribe to Ethan Pinch’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AnthropomorphicHorse Read the latest essays from the automachination universe: https://www.automachination.com/ Read Alex's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Timestamps: Tags: #QueenElizabeth, #Monarchy, #UK

Just as television eventually gave way to mass adoption and lowest common denominator programming, the Internet, once niche, has given a means for narcissists, sciolists, and other bad actors to carve out an unsuspecting audience. Taken from the Latin “scius” (knowing) and its diminutive “sciolus” (little knower), the word “sciolist” refers to a pretender towards knowledge – conscious or not. Of course, this is a cross-cultural, cross-political phenomenon, for there is a basic, simian drive to not only “know”, but to pretend to know when one does not. Perhaps the most notable example of sciolism of the 1990s was Christopher Langan, who has since leveraged the Internet to gain a new following. Most famous for having an alleged 200+ IQ, he has also written the CTMU as a “Theory of Everything”, and became controversial on social media for advocating race science, spreading vaccine disinformation, and encouraging cult-like behavior in his followers. Yet Langan arrives at most of his conclusions by playing word games, starting from the wrong premises or questions, or seemingly not understanding (or refusing to define) many other terms. Excerpted from ArtiFact #23, which can be found here: https://youtu.be/9e0sb886l1Y If you found this video useful, consider becoming a patron and get patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Timestamps: 0:00 – introduction; Dan Schneider’s experiences with Mensa & IQ tests, Alex Sheremet’s experiences with school, the SATs, graduating Valedictorian in college; emotional insecurities generating a wish to ‘succeed’; why don’t high IQ individuals produce things of value?; intelligence vs. accomplishment 29:12 – assessing Erroll Morris’s film on Christopher Langan; assessing Langan’s style of communication, obfuscation tactics, & extremist ideas 01:29:00 – Christopher Langan’s incoherent concept of “evil”; the CTMU & its language games; why non-artists try to use artistic language to cover up more “boring” ideas 01:37:35 – Christopher Langan’s totally insane social media presence; how can “the smartest man in the America” have such terrible ideas?; Langan’s incoherent quotes are poorly written, trite, and without a deeper purpose Dan Schneider’s YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN5k... Read Dan Schneider’s essay on early 2000s Internet sciolism: http://www.cosmoetica.com/B184-DES128... Read the latest from the automachination universe: https://www.automachination.com Read Alex’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Tags: #ChristopherLangan, #IQ, #ArtiFactPodcast

Twitter personality Matthew Yglesias has an opinion on everything: the “good people” of the NYPD, the economics of pre-revolutionary Russia, film criticism, climate change, inflation, who was at fault at Camp David & Taba, the pressing need to invade North Korea. But do any of these opinions hold water? How does a nice boy from the Dalton School in Manhattan – home to co-luminaries such as Jeffrey Epstein – end up filling his head with so much information, yet so little wisdom? In this video, Alex Sheremet discusses Matthew Yglesias’s views on the Inflation Reduction Act and climate change more broadly. He assesses the misleading rhetoric of Yglesias’s tweets, going back to Yglesias’s earliest writings, and considers what genuine activists think of the Biden administration’s climate change policies. Other topics include: the coming climate refugee crisis, the limits of private school education, fresh attacks on Bernie Sanders. If you found this video useful, subscribe to our Patreon to support our work and receive patron-only content: https://www.patreon.com/automachination Subscribe to our YouTube channel for our entire back catalog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jXkP_23ND4 Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3dSQXxJ Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Read the latest from the automachination universe: https://www.automachination.com Read Alex’s (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Timestamps: 0:00 – introducing Matthew Yglesias; how a media career was handed to Matt; why those who are repeatedly wrong fail upwards; Matt’s misleading tweet on climate change “survivability”; understanding global warming against the near-impossibility of human extinction; the coming climate refugee crisis; how non-linear global warming leads to chaos / unpredictability in climate systems; Matthew Yglesias & rhetorical strategy; what happens at 4 degrees of warming; how private school hyper-education leads to intellectual stasis; Matt Yglesias as neoliberal Ben Shapiro 24:28 – some historical tweets from Yglesias: celebrating George W. Bush’s attempts to gut the Endangered Species Act; a total ignorance of Israel / Palestine & the Camp David/Taba negotiations; Yglesias cheerleading invasions of Iraq & Afghanistan, support for an invasion of North Korea; Matthew eggs on “dirty” anti-war protesters getting their “heads crushed” by the “good people of the NYPD”; do photos of Matthew Yglesias suggest a desire for revenge against childhood bullies; Yglesias as Fyodor Dostoevsky’s mouse of “exaggerated consciousness” until he is totally divorced from reality 53:56 – the Inflation Reduction Act; what we mean by a ‘good’ vs. ‘good enough for…’ climate bill; how Democrats (and the whole world) continue to shift climate goal posts; how phrases like “survivable levels” are simply means of protecting pundits; establishing objective metrics for climate change 01:08:56 – why Food & Water Watch is one of the best climate-related organizations; Food & Water Watch critiques the Inflation Reduction Act as corporate handouts & climate hypocrisy dependent on untested and untestable models; tax credits vs. genuine public investments 01:26:54 – Jordan Weissmann’s article on the Inflation Reduction Act in Slate; strawmen arguments, false pragmatism, & misunderstanding of climate change; how neoliberal climate change policies push a regressive tax on the most vulnerable communities in the world; Matthew Yglesias willfully misunderstands “choice” 01:37:00 – Bernie Sanders gets attacked by child-like Reddit grunts 01:47:20 – subjective experiences of climate change; climate refugees are already here; America lags in climate spending vs. China Tags: #MatthewYglesias, #climatechange, #InflationReductionAct