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Comment by bediger4000 | Hacker News Reader

His progression seems like that of a lot of people, Matt Taibbi and Glenn Greenwald also seem like examples, maybe Matt Yglesias:

1. Liberal Dem 2. Contrarian 3. Double down contrarian 4. Conservative 5. Monarchist

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The "2. Contrarian 3. Double down contrarian" part tracks with conspiracy theorists' need to feel like they have special knowledge the rest of us don't see.

My observation is that the "double down" part is important. If someone is particularly privileged, getting smacked down for having an easily refutable idea is rare. But The Internet typically doesn't care about privilege, so cruel smackdowns effect sheltered rich kids differently. They double down, falsely believing their money or status will cause opponents to change their minds. Opponents do not change their minds, progress to 4. Conservative.

So basically a 2012 democrat? That’s what all of those people are

20s Greenwald hasn't written anything that 10s Greenwald would disagree with. The country has changed around him. Remember when the left was against globalization, racial segregation, corporate power, speech control, foreign intervention, and big pharma?

All of these narratives were adopted by corporations in the wake of the occupy movement.

These are no longer values of the American left, as it is now 100% the party of big corporations.

It’s actually really amazing to watch this happen in real time and the lack of self awareness of people.

Imagine thinking you are the “resistance” when your opinion is identical to that of every big bank, every major institution, the military industrial complex, big tech, big pharma, and every major corporation and rich celebrity.

Imagine that.

You are absolutely, totally correct. Watching the class strategy play out in real time has been fascinating.

I would say 3. Libertarian and 5. pro-oligarchy

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