Humpy Appleby

@SeanTrende Worth noting that the top 3 were effectively absolute monarchs

These rankings tell us more about historians and political scientists than they do about presidents.

@MichaelAArouet It’s incredible if your population is Swiss

I was in Switzerland this week. Each time I go there, it amazes me how perfect, well-organized and safe it is. It’s the last country in Western Europe where one doesn’t have the feeling that everything is deteriorating. Why don’t more countries have direct democracy? It works.

@souljagoyteller Yeah. Troy is not a real place

Notably, Barack Obama is a real person and Helen of Troy isn’t

@Polymarket #democracy

JUST IN: Gavin Newsom says there is a “break the glass scenario” if Democrats are shut out of California’s governor race.

@TheAtlantic @alibreland So true

A small, influential group of right-wingers say their role model, Joseph McCarthy, didn't go far enough, @AliBreland reports: theatlantic.com/politics/2026/…

@StatisticUrban Who were the democratic senators that didn’t always vote with Biden and where are they now?

Cassidy loses. Quite unfortunate. Trump's most devastating power is the absolutely slavish devotion the GOP primary electorate has toward him. They obey nearly his every whim, nationwide. Increasingly, I believe primaries as a concept were a mistake.

@mattyglesias Where can I read all these rules?

Yes, you could remake Crimson Tide with a white executive officer on the submarine but you can’t remake Glory with a black actor playing Robert Gould Shaw or the story would be incomprehensible.

These are all biopics about historical figures whose racial identity is central to the story. By the same token, you couldn’t cast a black actor to play De Klerk in a Mandela movie.

@johnpavlovitz What does democracy mean in this sentence?

The Supreme Court is a threat to Democracy.

@curtis_yarvin @JulianWaller Damn. I feel old

@JulianWaller Have them read the “Open Letter to an Open-Minded Progressive.” Almost 20 years old

Since we're still doing this, I'm soliciting opinions. Every semester I teach a little Yarvin to my undergraduate students. We can only read one thing, and it's part of a broader lecture on 'authoritarian theory.' So no deep dive - surface level, big moving parts. Nevertheless, every semester I try out one reading to introduce them. Every time in the student reading takeaways it's mostly expressions of disappointment and/or confusion. It's really only in the lecture material itself that things make sense for them. I need better readings. I did the UnHerd one on monarchy this time. They thought it was silly. I did the Tablet one on the Cathedral the time before. They didn't really enjoy that one either. I'm not going to assign one of the full 2000s-era books, and individual chapters never seem to work (although maybe someone has a particular one in mind). Mr. Yarvin, do you have a recommendation for one essay from you that actually explains your views clearly, concisely, and systematically? I'll take suggestions from anyone else too.

Grade 4 Reading scores: Mississippi 219 Minnesota 214 Somehow, MS figured out how to improve. MN kept declining.

@Timmetie @StatisticUrban Everyone wants rate cuts for their side

@HumpyAppleby @StatisticUrban Huh, isn't Trumps whole thing with him that he wants to force rate cuts?

8 glorious years under his enlightened, benevolent rule. May you never be forgotten, you lion.

In case you're ever tempted to listen to this moron, remember that we live in unprecedented times of wealth equality - the rich have never been this poor relative to average people.

@mattyglesias Why? Seems obvious that we come from our parents

This is a very strange conception of what “luck” is.

@LibSoci @frigglehorn @OctopusIllusion @StatisticUrban Of course he was. Inflation never hit target levels. By definition, he didn’t raise enough for long enough. Cut way prematurely too

@HumpyAppleby @frigglehorn @OctopusIllusion @StatisticUrban are you seriously arguing that Powell was too *aggressive* on rate cuts?? and that somehow hurt Trump???

@andremarinhoc @StatisticUrban Wow

@HumpyAppleby @StatisticUrban Me when I don’t understand monetary policy works with an 18-month lag

@frigglehorn @OctopusIllusion @StatisticUrban Ok. What was the rationale to cut that much while inflation was that high? (It obviously proved wrong in retrospect at this point, given inflation stayed elevated).

@HumpyAppleby @OctopusIllusion @StatisticUrban you’re acting like rate cuts aren’t the most wide open thing the Fed does. Powell explicitly told you why he did it, you don’t really care. Why humor you when you won’t take the guy who wanted it to happens word for it

@OctopusIllusion @StatisticUrban Ok. What was the economic case for that cut at that time?

@HumpyAppleby @StatisticUrban Lol no it wasn’t retard Wasn’t Powell Trump’s guy, isn’t that who gave him the job?

@StefanMolyneux The Road

Saddest book you've ever read?

@Howlingmutant0 Libs will be like "minimum wages for these jobs should be $30, but we should important infinity illegal immigrants and let employers hire them for $3.50/hr to do all these jobs as well."

I think they should make fifty dollars an hour