[FRIAM] Patriotic Millionaires

[Marcus Daniels]

I think it is what you've been saying -- the illusion of individualism (the technical intended meaning of that term has been clarified multiple times here).   Psychologically, Putin is like some white supremacist guy in Idaho that has declared his farm a sovereign land.   He's written his own laws (or says God told him what to record) and inculcated them into his family, who he beats with a stick until they can recite them.   When the sheriff drives by because someone called in a health check for one of his captive wives, rifles are poised at their embrasures ready to murder the sheriff and her officer.

In the US and most western democracies, there's a hierarchy of federal law and then refinements by state, county, and cities.   In North America, the states/provinces have a lot of autonomy.   So much so that people start to think they have options like this.   In fact, they DO have options like this, but exercising these options comes with costs, just like it does for nation states.   Sovereigns are not trees with roots independent of other sovereigns, they are a network.    Putin forgot that or doesn't care, and I am beginning to think the same about India.

-----Original Message-----
From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of glen
Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 9:06 AM
To: friam at redfish.com
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Patriotic Millionaires

Yep. I still wonder if Putin is a tool or an agent. Trump is obviously a mere tool. There's no agency there. But is Putin also a puppet? If this invasion is *not* evidence of Putin's genius/insanity, i.e. the invasion isn't an attribute of Putin, the person, at all, then what processes are actually responsible for the invasion? Similarly, if Trump et al are not really the efficient causes of our COVID-deniers, anti-vaxxers, flat-earthers, etc., then what processes are responsible for such stupidity?


On 3/8/22 08:48, Marcus Daniels wrote:
> Already see it with DeSantis, Boebert, Cruz, etc. -- the validators of the invalid.   It should hurt to be that stupid, but they make it feel good.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of glen
> Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 8:42 AM
> To: friam at redfish.com
> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Patriotic Millionaires
> 
> I continue to think more about how to transform Russia from the inside than directly about their military assault. Although the Putin:Trump analogy is terrible, there's a lot of meat there. E.g.
> 
> https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-if-trump-were-still-president
> https://theconversation.com/meet-russias-oligarchs-a-group-of-men-who-
> wont-be-toppling-putin-anytime-soon-178474
> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/08/donald-trump-pow
> er-trumpism-danger-now
> 
> To spell it out, Putin and Trump are irrelevant, bit players filling their role temporarily, much like the individuals participating in Patriotic Millionaires. Focus on the individuals is silly and useless. The systems are open to material cause (though obviously not entirely open). What matters are the trends, roles, objectives, & ends.
> 
> On 3/8/22 08:19, Prof David West wrote:
>> I have a very good friend, Ukrainian living in Moscow wrestling with the dilemma of giving up his professional and very very lucrative career to go home and fight; recognizing the almost certain probability that he would not be allowed out of Russia.


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