You confuse the economic (neoliberalism) with a broader tendency of conservatism (neoconservatism), for which neoliberalism is a moral imperative. Neoconservatism holds that the U.S. political and economic system is the best system for all humans, regardless of history, regardless of culture, and demands that this system be “defended” at any cost, hence a muscular and imperialist foreign policy. Conservatism was the subject of my dissertation, so I do know something of which I speak.

I think, at best, it can only help with certain types of potential suicides. Some suicides occur due to apparently hopeless life situations. For instance, I haven’t been able to get a real job in 23 years despite, in that time, finishing a B.A., an M.A., and a Ph.D. Nothing that everybody says to do works for me and I’m frankly tired of hearing it. I’m stuck DoorDashing (Uber was way too abusive) and that I’m stuck doing that is intensely depressing.

Psychology can’t help with this. The only thing that can help is a real job. And that’s what a lot of the babble about suicide prevention seems to miss.

This appears to work. Thanks!

You’ll want a bucket and probably a mop.

When I first moved back east I was reveling in a thunderstorm, left the window open to hear the rain and the thunder. Did that a few times actually.

But yours is bigger.

If Elon Musk was worried that rail service between San Francisco and Los Angeles might diminish the demand for Teslas, then I think we have a more serious problem with delusion than I thought.

It is weird that Elon Musk was so worried about California’s high-speed rail project because it had the look of a boondoggle from the beginning. It’s horrendously expensive and the promise of an alternative to air travel has been diminished as they’ve decided to use more existing rail (you can’t run high speed on it) to save money.