Utopian Incrementalist
@meliorist.bsky.social
Liberal, pragmatist, humanist, democrat, reformist, meliorist, American, cosmopolite. "To be ignorant of the past is to remain forever a child." -- Cicero
Pinned
When I am feeling pessimistic, I sometimes think of a Paris Review interview of Paul Bowles that has stuck in my mind. When the interviewer asks Bowles how he feels toward America, Bowles suggests that for someone in love with a time and a place, change inevitably becomes a type of loss.
This is what makes the fight so difficult. We are not just trying to hold the line on reading books in school; we are facing all of the cultural forces telling people that reading and all of the habits it inculcates are no longer important, that they are obsolete and not worth preserving.
November 21, 2025 at 3:35 AM
When I am feeling pessimistic, I sometimes think of a Paris Review interview of Paul Bowles that has stuck in my mind. When the interviewer asks Bowles how he feels toward America, Bowles suggests that for someone in love with a time and a place, change inevitably becomes a type of loss.
There's not much point in trying to engage in reasoned debate with leftists who think the Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans. They are largely unpersuadable and unlikely to provide much insight. The best strategy is to just block and forget. You will make better use of your time.
November 21, 2025 at 3:06 AM
There's not much point in trying to engage in reasoned debate with leftists who think the Democrats are just as bad as the Republicans. They are largely unpersuadable and unlikely to provide much insight. The best strategy is to just block and forget. You will make better use of your time.
Although more information is always helpful, I think that we have known for a while that close elections turn on the votes of the people with low ideological commitment and weak engagement. The problem is that such information doesn't get us very far in figuring out how to win their votes.
Good morning. I've got a banger new post out today that develops a new method for placing voters on the left-right ideological spectrum, and adds a new, "non-ideological"/affordability axis to usual way we chart & think about US voters (esp swing voters). www.gelliottmorris.com/p/not-just-l...
Not just left vs right: Most voters think about affordability and material wellbeing, not in ideological terms
Most voters want a party that emphasizes cost of living issues and makes the world a better place. Few Americans think in solidly ideologically terms. "Moderates" are mostly non-ideological.
www.gelliottmorris.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Although more information is always helpful, I think that we have known for a while that close elections turn on the votes of the people with low ideological commitment and weak engagement. The problem is that such information doesn't get us very far in figuring out how to win their votes.
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
Attention is on NEETs today, but the problem is much worse.
NEETs include stay-at-home parents & jobseekers.
Strip those out to focus on people not working, not seeking work, not in education & not parenting: this group of economically & socially dislocated young adults has *doubled* in a decade.
NEETs include stay-at-home parents & jobseekers.
Strip those out to focus on people not working, not seeking work, not in education & not parenting: this group of economically & socially dislocated young adults has *doubled* in a decade.
November 20, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Attention is on NEETs today, but the problem is much worse.
NEETs include stay-at-home parents & jobseekers.
Strip those out to focus on people not working, not seeking work, not in education & not parenting: this group of economically & socially dislocated young adults has *doubled* in a decade.
NEETs include stay-at-home parents & jobseekers.
Strip those out to focus on people not working, not seeking work, not in education & not parenting: this group of economically & socially dislocated young adults has *doubled* in a decade.
It is sometimes warranted to use social pressures to discourage legal but undesirable behavior.
November 18, 2025 at 7:02 PM
It is sometimes warranted to use social pressures to discourage legal but undesirable behavior.
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
I fucking hate the way social media has embraced the “win every election forever can’t be the answer” straw man. Yes, we need structural change. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it will continue to be hard and require work. Every time I see this it feels like people lusting for an easy forever answer.
November 18, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I fucking hate the way social media has embraced the “win every election forever can’t be the answer” straw man. Yes, we need structural change. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it will continue to be hard and require work. Every time I see this it feels like people lusting for an easy forever answer.
In 10-20 years, all judicial rulings will sound like this: "The Court hereby denies Petitioner's request. Here's why."
I'm for it, but I'm also cringing at "Here's why."
Judicial decisions written as clickbait... yeccch.
Judicial decisions written as clickbait... yeccch.
November 18, 2025 at 6:50 PM
In 10-20 years, all judicial rulings will sound like this: "The Court hereby denies Petitioner's request. Here's why."
I would really love to see volume collecting social writings from the Great Depression. There is a whole set of fascinating works from that era, many of them hard to find:
* Theodore Dreiser, Tragic America (1931)
* Edmund Wilson, American Jitters (1932)
* Sherwood Anderson, Puzzled America (1933)
* Theodore Dreiser, Tragic America (1931)
* Edmund Wilson, American Jitters (1932)
* Sherwood Anderson, Puzzled America (1933)
What writer would you like to see get a volume (or more) in the Library of America?
November 17, 2025 at 4:56 AM
I would really love to see volume collecting social writings from the Great Depression. There is a whole set of fascinating works from that era, many of them hard to find:
* Theodore Dreiser, Tragic America (1931)
* Edmund Wilson, American Jitters (1932)
* Sherwood Anderson, Puzzled America (1933)
* Theodore Dreiser, Tragic America (1931)
* Edmund Wilson, American Jitters (1932)
* Sherwood Anderson, Puzzled America (1933)
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
The Founders were so concerned about bribery that the Constitution forbids it three separate times. Two emoluments clauses ban officials—unambiguously including the president—from accepting things of value, plus bribery is the only named impeachable offense besides treason.
Unprecedentedly corrupt.
Unprecedentedly corrupt.
To negotiate a trade deal with the President of the United States, the Swiss government arrived with a "special Rolex desktop clock" and "a 1-kilogram personalized gold bar"
www.axios.com/2025/11/14/t...
www.axios.com/2025/11/14/t...
How to lobby Trump with Swiss precision: gifts, gold and gab
How the Swiss broke a diplomatic logjam on tariffs by arriving with tributes fit for a king.
www.axios.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:50 PM
The Founders were so concerned about bribery that the Constitution forbids it three separate times. Two emoluments clauses ban officials—unambiguously including the president—from accepting things of value, plus bribery is the only named impeachable offense besides treason.
Unprecedentedly corrupt.
Unprecedentedly corrupt.
Three years before the next presidential election, with no incumbent in the running, there is no such thing as a front-runner. That is the silly sort of claim someone makes when they need to complete an op-ed column.
J-MART, on Newsom:
“.. Ask yourself: How many other potential candidates .. can transcend the political-pop culture divide ..?
“.. there may not be a modern political figure who was simultaneously so well-positioned to be his party’s nominee ..”
@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
“.. Ask yourself: How many other potential candidates .. can transcend the political-pop culture divide ..?
“.. there may not be a modern political figure who was simultaneously so well-positioned to be his party’s nominee ..”
@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/magazin...
November 16, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Three years before the next presidential election, with no incumbent in the running, there is no such thing as a front-runner. That is the silly sort of claim someone makes when they need to complete an op-ed column.
GOP voters are appallingly bad at identifying corrupt or potentially corrupt candidates. They are practically grift blind. Democratic voters are remarkably good at weeding out potential corruption: witness the lack of corruption in the Obama and Biden administration.
Watching right-wingers suddenly discover that Trump is a bad person is wild
November 15, 2025 at 10:23 PM
GOP voters are appallingly bad at identifying corrupt or potentially corrupt candidates. They are practically grift blind. Democratic voters are remarkably good at weeding out potential corruption: witness the lack of corruption in the Obama and Biden administration.
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
this post will publish tomorrow at 7:30 am
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/you-should...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/you-should...
You should quit social media for good
Platforms optimized for engagement warp our politics, erode attention, and harm our wellbeing. Here’s how I minimize time on the (anti‑)social web.
www.gelliottmorris.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:54 AM
this post will publish tomorrow at 7:30 am
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/you-should...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/you-should...
It is during times like this that I truly realize how limited social media platforms are for understanding politics. There is a lot of noise. but much less insight. Too many people are reacting out of anger and making confident predictions about elections in one year and three years from now.
November 10, 2025 at 2:33 PM
It is during times like this that I truly realize how limited social media platforms are for understanding politics. There is a lot of noise. but much less insight. Too many people are reacting out of anger and making confident predictions about elections in one year and three years from now.
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
Those who produce these guidelines surely understand that they are playing a game of pretend, acting as if the most likely outcome will not be that many students simply take what the LLM gives them and pass it off as their own.
I've been reading more about Ohio State's initiatives and saw this on their teaching and learning website. There are a lot of ways to help students at these early stages of the writing process but I'm not sure what problem is solved by producing "reams of raw content."
November 9, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Those who produce these guidelines surely understand that they are playing a game of pretend, acting as if the most likely outcome will not be that many students simply take what the LLM gives them and pass it off as their own.
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
Last night, the Trump Administration sent a letter suggesting Wisconsin should return our FoodShare payments.
My response ⬇️
My response ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Last night, the Trump Administration sent a letter suggesting Wisconsin should return our FoodShare payments.
My response ⬇️
My response ⬇️
Men are more likely to buy into reactionary frames. And part of that appeal is that men benefit from the legacy of a sexist and patriarchal society. Changing the aesthetics or vibe of the Democratic Party will do little or nothing to change that appeal or to diminish gender polarization.
I’m sorry, but a goofy looking guy who grew up a privileged son of a pediatrician and has a phd in social theory from the university of Goethe and started in tech by investing an inheritance left to him by his grandfather talking about being a “dude” is very, very funny to me.
November 9, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Men are more likely to buy into reactionary frames. And part of that appeal is that men benefit from the legacy of a sexist and patriarchal society. Changing the aesthetics or vibe of the Democratic Party will do little or nothing to change that appeal or to diminish gender polarization.
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
Reagan-appointed federal judge: "justice is supposed to be administered...equally for everyone, without fear or favor. This is the opposite of what is happening now....Day after day, I observed in silence as President Trump, his aides, & his allies dismantled so much of what I dedicated my life to."
“What Nixon did episodically and covertly, knowing it was illegal or improper, Trump now does routinely and overtly.” — recently retired federal judge
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Why I Am Leaving the Federal Bench
A judge explains his reasons for resigning.
www.theatlantic.com
November 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reagan-appointed federal judge: "justice is supposed to be administered...equally for everyone, without fear or favor. This is the opposite of what is happening now....Day after day, I observed in silence as President Trump, his aides, & his allies dismantled so much of what I dedicated my life to."
I have two concerns. First, the study seems designed for the sorts of subjects that involve understanding a settled body of information and reproducing it or applying it on tests. Not all education is like that: learning a language, developing reading skills, analyzing arguments, being creative.
Are we approaching a Turing Test for Teaching? A deep dive into the evidence on AI tutoring. carlhendrick.substack.com/p/the-algori...
November 8, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I have two concerns. First, the study seems designed for the sorts of subjects that involve understanding a settled body of information and reproducing it or applying it on tests. Not all education is like that: learning a language, developing reading skills, analyzing arguments, being creative.
As far as I can tell, the idea of training students for the age of AI just means letting students use LLMs all of the time. In other words, it seeks to eliminate all of our traditional ways of educating children behind the charade of preparing them for the glorious technological future.
the use and abuse of Abraham Lincoln's memory, AI dystopia edition
Abraham Lincoln set off an education revolution in 1862 with the Land Grant Act. We need the same thing today for AI | Fortune
Imagine a federal initiative that builds a nationwide system of universities and colleges equipped to educate and train every region for the age of AI.
fortune.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:54 PM
As far as I can tell, the idea of training students for the age of AI just means letting students use LLMs all of the time. In other words, it seeks to eliminate all of our traditional ways of educating children behind the charade of preparing them for the glorious technological future.
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
"This long-running war on knowledge and expertise has sown the ground for the narratives widely used by AI companies and the CEOs adopting it. Human labor, inquiry, creativity, and expertise is spurned in the name of “efficiency.” With AI, there is no need for human expertise"
AI Is Supercharging the War on Libraries, Education, and Human Knowledge
"Fascism and AI, whether or not they have the same goals, they sure are working to accelerate one another."
www.404media.co
November 7, 2025 at 4:20 PM
"This long-running war on knowledge and expertise has sown the ground for the narratives widely used by AI companies and the CEOs adopting it. Human labor, inquiry, creativity, and expertise is spurned in the name of “efficiency.” With AI, there is no need for human expertise"
Reposted by Utopian Incrementalist
congrats to everyone for thinking this through before signing very big contracts to put it on every student’s device at the school or university you run
OVER A MILLION USERS
DISCUSS SUICIDE WITH CHATGPT
EVERY *WEEK*
what the fuck are we DOING here
DISCUSS SUICIDE WITH CHATGPT
EVERY *WEEK*
what the fuck are we DOING here
Panera’s moderately caffeinated lemonade was loosely associated with 2 deaths before it was taken off market.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
This article alone has 4 examples of ChatGPT encouraging young people to commit suicide, and OpenAI’s own public stats estimate over a million users discuss suicide with ChatGPT each week.
November 7, 2025 at 11:24 PM
congrats to everyone for thinking this through before signing very big contracts to put it on every student’s device at the school or university you run
Welp. This was a depressing thing to read. The world in a gooncave. I suspect that the unleashing of pervasive, unrestricted hardcore pornography on society, available to any twelve-year-old with an internet connection, may turn out to have some negative consequences.
harpers.org/archive/2025...
harpers.org/archive/2025...
The Goon Squad, by Daniel Kolitz
Loneliness, porn’s next frontier, and the dream of endless masturbation
harpers.org
November 8, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Welp. This was a depressing thing to read. The world in a gooncave. I suspect that the unleashing of pervasive, unrestricted hardcore pornography on society, available to any twelve-year-old with an internet connection, may turn out to have some negative consequences.
harpers.org/archive/2025...
harpers.org/archive/2025...