Here’s a set of links to subscriber writing for the month of November 2023. It’s not Thursday! Sorry. But here it is, writing by people who subscribe to this newsletter. Please check out their work and let them know if you like what you read. Guys, I can’t take late submissions!
Really enjoying some of these- god's banana peel is delightful, to pick one - and absolutely taken aback by how psychotic some of them are, the ROGD one is a particular low point. World in a bottle here
I think it's really interesting how many people gravitate towards Freddie's work without actually agreeing with any of his axiomatic beliefs. The number of 'I was woke... until it materially inconvenienced me' posts is pretty wild, considering the genesis of his own anti-wokeness as essentially not materialist enough
Yeah I had a look at three of the "I used to be woke, now I'm not" and two of them complain about being turned from wokeness by insufficient support for letting Israel kill whoever they feel like, and one starts out sounding reasonable and then swerves suddenly into trans panic, bathroom warrior nonsense. Baffling
90% of the way through it's a critique of the HR-industrial complex that's taken over liberal politics, which, is fine, sure, didn't really need another one but okay. Then suddenly it goes "but what if rape victims have to see a penis in a locker room? What if male sex offenders get into women only spaces by pretending to be trans??" and links to TERF Breitbart, which is an absolute headscratcher
Sorry to say the latter concern is one I share (and the use of the conditional mood seems very odd), but in respect of Freddie's rules I won't labour the point.
The growth mindset one is interesting because there's this weird apology where having the right mindset is 'obviously' beneficial, no I won't be taking any questions. The author walks riiiiight up to the fact that this is clearly a bullshit idea and always has been and flinches, like Raskolnikov recognizing that he's no Nietzschean superman but still believing that someone out there must be. It's not that you can't teach growth mindset! You can absolutely teach it! You can brainwash kids in all kinds of exciting ways, it simply does not make a difference. The whole silicon valley idea of failure is fundamentally broken.
Thanks again for doing this again, Freddie. And sorry about the "innocent" crack. Thought your book was excellent, and said so, but I also thought you stopped short of considering whether both sides abuse their bases this way in order to maintain their comfortable status quo.
As always, Freddie, thank you.
I second that motion!
Really enjoying some of these- god's banana peel is delightful, to pick one - and absolutely taken aback by how psychotic some of them are, the ROGD one is a particular low point. World in a bottle here
I think it's really interesting how many people gravitate towards Freddie's work without actually agreeing with any of his axiomatic beliefs. The number of 'I was woke... until it materially inconvenienced me' posts is pretty wild, considering the genesis of his own anti-wokeness as essentially not materialist enough
In the words of the band Simple Plan, welcome to my life
Yeah I had a look at three of the "I used to be woke, now I'm not" and two of them complain about being turned from wokeness by insufficient support for letting Israel kill whoever they feel like, and one starts out sounding reasonable and then swerves suddenly into trans panic, bathroom warrior nonsense. Baffling
>one starts out sounding reasonable and then swerves suddenly into trans panic, bathroom warrior nonsense
Which one is that?
https://ericaetelson.substack.com/p/why-im-no-longer-woke
90% of the way through it's a critique of the HR-industrial complex that's taken over liberal politics, which, is fine, sure, didn't really need another one but okay. Then suddenly it goes "but what if rape victims have to see a penis in a locker room? What if male sex offenders get into women only spaces by pretending to be trans??" and links to TERF Breitbart, which is an absolute headscratcher
Sorry to say the latter concern is one I share (and the use of the conditional mood seems very odd), but in respect of Freddie's rules I won't labour the point.
"Getting Zeb Vance’s Context Just Right"
The hyperlink is missing.
It's a conspiracy!!
Don’t know if this is inadvertent, but Stan Hister’s piece links to a private page - not accessible even with a subscription.
Hmmm
The growth mindset one is interesting because there's this weird apology where having the right mindset is 'obviously' beneficial, no I won't be taking any questions. The author walks riiiiight up to the fact that this is clearly a bullshit idea and always has been and flinches, like Raskolnikov recognizing that he's no Nietzschean superman but still believing that someone out there must be. It's not that you can't teach growth mindset! You can absolutely teach it! You can brainwash kids in all kinds of exciting ways, it simply does not make a difference. The whole silicon valley idea of failure is fundamentally broken.
Thank you, Freddie.
Thoroughly enjoyed the "go woke, go broke" piece. The comparison with faith-based films is apt.
Thanks again for doing this again, Freddie. And sorry about the "innocent" crack. Thought your book was excellent, and said so, but I also thought you stopped short of considering whether both sides abuse their bases this way in order to maintain their comfortable status quo.
Cjf
You are a hero and I subscribed for your radical declaration that Palestinians are human.