Glenn Greenwald: There is a National Craving for a Third Political Party

Can we find a way to get a legitimate third party on the national ballot in 2028? Glenn Greenwald believe that, as a country, we are motivated to try. The alternative is more of the same. More incompetence. More corruption. More focus on getting re-elected rather than improving the country.

Glenn Greenwald: "I think where people are who never before would have considered it are going to be much more open to identifying with movements or even kind of campaigns or parties that are not connected to or identifying as Republican or Democrat. We've seen ones in the past that have worked like Ross Perot. Of course, he was a billionaire, which is maybe what you need. But he had a very successful third-party candidacy based on the support by both Clinton and Bush 41 for free trade. That, as he very presciently warned, would deindustrialize the country, suck out all jobs, and you know you've seen that before. But I think we've never been more ripe for it because both parties are hated, and the system itself is hated, and I think people are craving a credible alternative. It's just hard to create a credible alternative given all the barriers that have been deliberately erected."

Tucker Carlson: "But something is coming. You feel that?"

Greenwald: "For sure. I mean, no doubt. How can it not? I mean, this is you know, the biggest myth, the biggest lie of our political system is that the two political parties can't agree on anything. They're always at each other's throats. It's always so polarized. The reality is that the two political parties agree at 90% at least of major policy issues. The only time the media covers it is in those very few cases when they disagree, and it casts the appearance that they're always disagreeing. Obama himself, when they used to use this very vitriolic language against him, like John Boehner and the House Republicans, he would always say in private, we all know it's theater. We're all playing within the two 40-yard lines. That's the reality of the two political parties in the United States. This myth that there's these vast fundamental differences between the two parties is crucial to giving you the sense that you have this wild freedom that everything is just so free spirited and and and and nothing is controlled or limited. When reality, there's lockdown on most policy debates because both parties are fully on board because they save serve the same donor classes, they serve the same interests, and that is, I think, more and more people are realizing that."

I would love to see an alternative political party. For the past several elections I have cast vote for increasingly, the worst candidate I have ever voted for. That is not a meaningful action. That is a joke. That is theater. And many of the people with whom I speak, feel the same way.

I am concerned, however, that the cost of forming a third-party and successfully getting that candidate on the ballot is daunting. I say this because of what the DNC did to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. last election cycle. Democrats, including the DNC and its allied groups, pursued multiple legal and regulatory challenges aimed at limiting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s 2024 independent presidential campaign, primarily by contesting his ballot access and related activities. And it's worth remembering that these obstructionist actions mirror historical Democratic efforts against third-party or independent candidates seen as potential spoilers (e.g., extensive litigation against Ralph Nader in 2004 across many states).

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Short History of Leftist Violence

To all you leftists protesters and the No Kings attendees, this is what the left doesn’t want you to hear. Watch this, this has been true throughout history and you are being used. Their cause isn’t your cause, think for yourself and you will see you are on the wrong side of this matter, it’s not too late for you.

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RFK, Jr.: Three Rules About Totalitarianism

[Transcription by Camus on X]

RFK Jr: " And I would tell you there are three rules that we should all remember.

One is that when a government takes a power from us, a right from us, it will never voluntarily relinquish it.

Number two, any power the government takes from us, it will ultimately abuse to the maximum extent possible.

Number three, nobody ever complied their way out of totalitarianism.

We need to resist, resist, resist."

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About Trump’s Election

I mostly agree with Eric Weinstein about Trump. Weinstein recently tweeted his position:

I will say it simply. @realDonaldTrump and @JDVance have the opportunity to change everything. Everything depends on @realDonaldTrump’s use of this historic opportunity. This could restore America. Or tank it.

To say it my way, this is the highest *variance* presidency of my lifetime. As bad as Kamala was (and you know my position) she was probably lower variance. Lower variance and much lower mean.

This is potentially amazing because the sky is the limit. Given the chance, I will help anyone to use this mandate to make it the best presidency it can possibly be. But you can’t ask me to close my eyes to the risks. I’m just not that guy. Never was and never will be. This is incredibly dangerous as we are seated at the high stakes table now.

I don’t understand Americans who want Trump to fail. I think he is a brilliant man which I have always said. But he is also incredibly divisive. I think he truly loves his country and wants the best for it. He is also very dangerous and unpredictable. And he NEEDS that unpredictability to survive. He is very strong. And perhaps he needs to be dangerous. I could be persuaded that this is necessary.

He learned last time that you need an sea of people to govern. He won’t make that mistake again.

Am I optimistic? Yes. Very. Am I deeply deeply worried? Absolutely. Very."

Again in my language: stop focusing on the mean. If I absolutely had to say what I am feeling, with a gun to my head I might say this is high mean, high variance, negative skew, high kurtosis.

As a weather report: this is a low confidence forecast of an amazing spring day with a bit more than a slight chance of apocalypse.

I know “But Bruh, Are you MAGA?” No. This is why we have more than one moment of a distribution and not a simple binary. MAGA is a broad coalition that seats some people who I view as “unworkable”. I can’t personally endorse a movement that tolerates that element in order to win. But I get along with plenty of MAGA People. And generally they get me. Most of them like me, understand me from podcasting, and don’t need me wearing a hat.

Lastly, you have no idea how desperately I want this to work. And it could be amazing. I think that is likely but with very weak conviction. As above.

Here to help, This is more or less what I predicted. Nothing has changed. And word to the wise: Mind the time *before* the inauguration. Don’t take your eye off the ball prematurely.

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