The ‘Brexit’ vote may signify the end of the illusion of ‘progress’

At some point, actually on May 30th, I’d seen enough of the arguments in the campaign leading up to the United Kingdom referendum on remaining in or leaving the European Union, often labeled “Brexit,” to conclude that this was largely a race between neoliberals against authoritarian populists and paleoconservatives. Which is to say, it’s not the sort of race I like to take sides in.[1] I am radical, not conservative, these are conservative arguments, and as I wrote at the time, Read more

  1. [1]David Benfell, “How can David Cameron possibly hope to win on ‘Brexit’ when his government is on the precipice?” Daily Bullshit, May 30, 2016, https://parts-unknown.org/reading/2016/05/30/how-can-david-cameron-possibly-hope-to-win-on-brexit-when-his-government-is-on-the-precipice-daily-bullshit-may-30-2016/

My friends are harmful for my health

In the fifteen years since I was last gainfully employed and through two alleged economic recoveries that have transpired since that time, it has been an ongoing source of pain to me that not one person I know has connected me with employment. In that time, I have completed a Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s degree, and a Ph.D. It is not like I have nothing to offer.

But to many of my friends, as to the world in general, it is as if I have no value. In my self-introduction page, I write,

Imagine being sealed in a concrete tomb, buried a mile underground. No matter how loudly you scream, no matter how hard you pound your fists on the walls, no one will hear you. This is what my job search often feels like.

But in fact it’s worse. Because some people do hear me. They have a fantasy that something will surely come through for me. They have been saying this, in one form or another, since I lost my last real job in the dot-com crash in 2001. It never happens, but they just carry on with their lives, as year, after year, after year passes.

It is my problem after all, not theirs. But it is a problem I am incapable of solving on my own.

I go on to detail my efforts to find work. But for all that, in all that time, I have had a grand total of three interviews for employment that even remotely reflects my value. I am twisting on the vine here, unable to go anywhere or do anything, because I have so little money. One would think that friends wouldn’t allow friends to suffer so. Read more

Killing is our business

Correction, June 13, 2016, 08:22: There is apparently some uncertainty surrounding the precise toll in the Orlando attack. I originally drew a death toll of 51 from the Wall Street Journal headline; the story has since been quietly modified to reflect a toll of 49.[1] This post has been modified accordingly.

Update, June 13, 2016: 09:06: A CNN story clarifies that a previously reported death toll of 50 “had included the gunman.”[2]


Reacting to yet another mass shooting, this time at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, which the dominant narrative has labeled “[t]he deadliest shooting attack in U.S. history,”[3] Lauren Chief Elk posted on Twitter,

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  1. [1]Valerie Bauerlein, Cameron McWhirter, and Scott Calvert, “Terror Shooting at Gay Nightclub in Orlando Leaves at Least 49 Dead, 53 Wounded,” Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/orlando-nightclub-hit-by-shooting-causing-multiple-injuries-1465720691
  2. [2]Ashley Fantz, Faith Karimi, Eliott C. McLaughlin, and Tim Hume, “Orlando shooting: All but one victim identified, officials say,” CNN, June 13, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting/index.html
  3. [3]Valerie Bauerlein, Cameron McWhirter, and Scott Calvert, “Terror Shooting at Gay Nightclub in Orlando Leaves 51 Dead, 53 Wounded,” Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/orlando-nightclub-hit-by-shooting-causing-multiple-injuries-1465720691
  4. [4]Lauren Chief Elk, [microblog post], Twitter, June 12, 2016,

The two-party system crashes and burns

Update, June 8, 2016, 00:24: This post has been updated to reflect Hillary Clinton’s apparent victory in California.[1]

Update, June 8, 2016, 13:27: This post has been updated with more information on Clinton’s now-confirmed victory in California.


So I popped into Facebook after putting out a 3rd edition of yesterday’s (June 6, 2016) Daily Bullshit and quickly found three memes that seem to capture a mood (figures 1, 2, and 3):

Fig. 1. Meme found on Facebook, June 6, 2016, fair use.
Fig. 2. Meme found on Facebook, June 6, 2016, fair use.

Fig. 3. Meme found on Facebook, June 6, 2016, fair use.
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  1. [1]Alex Roarty, “Sanders’ State Not So Golden,” Congressional Quarterly Roll Call, June 8, 2016, http://www.rollcall.com/sanders-state-not-golden/