Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp

Venkatesh Rao ☀️

@vgr

503 Following
95311 Followers
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
At this point we should all just learn Russian
1 reply
1 recast
9 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
Research is dead too. It’s being aggressively dismantled.
1 reply
0 recast
4 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
This is great. @timber has been firing on all cylinders lately https://open.substack.com/pub/protocolist/p/mold-rust-and-the-risk-society
0 reply
0 recast
2 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
All bad political thought begins with trying to institutionalize progress into an ism Accept it when it happens, keep trying to patiently provoke it when it doesn’t. That’s all you can do. Progress is content that breaks containers, not a containerization form factor.
0 reply
0 recast
12 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
There is no “progressivism” there are only spasmodic epochs of progress before the underlying forces get captured and domesticated or killed, with or without retention of the label
0 reply
0 recast
5 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
One reason I’m very bullish on Southeast Asia is that pluralism is existential there, not some sort of nice optional extra for good times. SEA doesn’t exist without pluralism. When it has abandoned pluralism, historically it has degenerated to absolutely dystopian bloodiness, not some sort of ethnonationalist rump state that at least the victors can pretend to enjoy if they squint. And it’s notable that in recent decades the region attracted both a cohort of ex-Soviets in the 90s and ex-Putin-Russians since 2020. It’s also where the Chinese have historically retreated when their state has turned against them. I suspect there will be a new wave of American expats in the region soon, very different from the Tim Ferriss vitamin selling nomad era.
0 reply
1 recast
8 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
Note I posted on substack. Substack has turned into my default posting place now for broader topics. I still post here first for crypto and crypto adjacent stuff.
4 replies
3 recasts
41 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
Bullshit plus bullshit is always bullshit but bullshit minus bullshit is sometimes signal
3 replies
2 recasts
15 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
You know how we’ve been in endless reboots and franchise/universe extensions of old tv and movies for a couple of decades now? What if AI is that but for all human thought 😬 What if we’re done thinking and this is all just endless recycling from here on out 😖🫣
4 replies
10 recasts
26 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
How dare you. Go say thank you to J. D. Vance for America immediately. 😤🇺🇸
0 reply
1 recast
5 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
Two visions of America: As a country that stands for certain values and as a country that expects people to be respectful and thankful to J. D. Vance. Now which one to support hmm 🤔
2 replies
1 recast
13 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
I’ll bet against Past peak cozy
1 reply
0 recast
0 reaction
‿ pfp
‿
@na
adding progress here https://summerofprotocols.com/protocol-reader
2 replies
2 recasts
5 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
Music people: Why have key changes declined in popular music? https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/z5dty1/oc_the_slow_decline_of_key_changes_in_popular/?rdt=55238
2 replies
0 recast
11 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
Yes but the world has gotten too transparent and information too ubiquitous for the vibe of foggy mystery and secrets to work
1 reply
0 recast
0 reaction
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
You can imagine the other shows being transposed in relatively straightforward ways to 2025. X-files would take very deep surgery to transpose.
1 reply
1 recast
8 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
30y on I think the most iconic 90s show is X-files Not Seinfeld, Simpsons, or anything else. The show captured the pre-internet information environment with uncanny precision.
4 replies
1 recast
17 reactions
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
Yeah that’s not what I was suggesting. I just think any use of either term in 2025 makes you a bad faith actor. Not someone looking for a just resolution to real conflict. It’s dirty fighting for its own sake rather than principled fighting for a cause you believe to be just. I’m fine with clean fighting continuing to a meaningful conclusion and a judgment of history on the outcome. Grace in victory or defeat is an unrelated matter as far as I’m concerned.
0 reply
0 recast
0 reaction
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
How are you interpreting what I’m saying as a call for gracious behavior from flyover types?
1 reply
0 recast
0 reaction
Venkatesh Rao ☀️ pfp
Venkatesh Rao ☀️
@vgr
If you don’t have equally strong allergic reactions to the words woke and based, you’re part of the reason the culture war continues
0 reply
0 recast
13 reactions