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Looking forward to reading it.

You ask....Why not return to a class based critique and activism (something I embrace)? Because social activism, regardless of intent, acts as cover for class.

The failure of Occupy Wall Street was near total. On the other hand, Black Lives Matter (and MeToo) were embraced by the business world precisely because they posed no threat to business models and their money making mission.

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Pre-ordered a hard copy. Congrats for this. I can't believe you wrote a book while sustaining the pace on this substack. You have a hell of a work ethic.

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Thanks, mate. I've literally just 15 minutes ago stepped out for lunch from the training course I'm on. I'm training to be a union rep. The last couple of hours have been one of the must brutal, uncompromising examples of exactly the kind of fuckery that's destroying the left from the inside out. I can't bring myself to write out the details. I'm on lunch. I tried my best to offer some measured, well, less critique but just proposal of an alternative, slightly less insanely uncompromising approach that acknowledged there were trade-offs involved and that it's hard to get it right but got put down so hard I ended up going back off camera until the session ended. I'm left wondering if I really even want to be a union rep, if this is the culture that's being enforced on me and that I'm told I have to enforce in my branch if I want the union's support.

I know buying your book isn't praxis. I know ranting a bit in your comments section will change literally nothing. This was all just self-soothing through self-expression, and self-expression through paying money for a thing that identifies me with a certain movement or group or something. Not the healthiest impulse to indulge on the regular, I know. But from time to time it is a salve, and it just hit the spot, just right now, to be reminded I'm not alone in this, and to look forward to getting your thoughts on what to do about it, all together in one place.

I hope this comes across as positive and not like you just accidentally exploited me or something! I was 99% going to buy this anyway! It just felt extra-good that the pre-order link arrived just right when it did.

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I can likely boil it all down for you...the movement became corrupted the moment someone figured out they could gain status or money from it......sadly, this happens to MOST movements.

It was founded on ideal principles, although George Floyd was NOT a good poster boy. Many people of color who were not career criminals came to harm through bad policies and to pick one so obviously flawed and DEMAND that everyone worship him like he's the second coming of Jesus Christ was a misstep of epic proportions.

I'm not saying he deserved to die, but the fact that it cannot even be discussed how much Fentanyl was in his bloodstream and the fact that he was also COVID positive at the time of his death greatly weakens the argument. The whole thing was coopted by people who wanted Trump out and they forgot to actually help Black People...except Patrisse Cullors, she seemed to have been helped quite a bit.

You cannot have a movement with this type of corruption. You cannot have a SUCCESSFUL movement if it cannot be questioned.

Yes, rich white liberals destroy everything they touch, all the while spouting their own virtuosity.

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I like to imagine Jordan Peterson and co getting very excited by the title... with a nasty surprise awaiting within.

Anyways, Congrats!

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Wait. You mean you weren't compiling a coffee table book of photos of kittens in winter sweaters?

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Please add a Denver stop to your book tour, Tattered Cover is our big one. Many libraries offer a “Request It” service for new books, so ask your local library to stock it all!

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Excited for this!

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Preordered! Congratulations! I’m a teacher, and I really enjoyed cult of smart and am looking forward to this.

Side note: I also like Mike Duncan and revolutions, and when he wrote books, he was totally shameless about trying to get on the best seller list by plugging it in his podcast constantly, saying he was doing it to get on the list and he needed support, etc. It worked for both of his books.

I’m a fan of your writing and would not be bothered if you used your Substack space to promote and get that support from your readers.

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Congrats man. Excited to read it.

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Per this book, would “The Cult of Smart” have had better sales and been more persuasive if it was titled “You Can’t Fix Stupid”?

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Inshallah! Love it. I never see anyone say that outside the Middle East 🌙

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Sounds like a fun read. Do you go into MattY’s arguments that this was all brought on by Hillary v Bernie in the first place?

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Looking forward to reading this. I'll also get a copy for my daughter. She has been active in organizing workers and has been disappointed with the lack of concrete useful actions in the progressive movement. She helped set up the Indie Sellers Guild https://indiesellersguild.org

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Congratulations, Freddie! Sounds like a great, incredibly timely work! Here's hoping for a book tour!

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