Tag Archives: media spectacle

Rich on Rich Violence: The Uncomfortable Class Math Nobody Wants to Do

I keep coming back to a phrase, half joking, half not, that I think actually captures something true about the entire Luigi Mangione saga better than most of the earnest political commentary surrounding it, and that phrase is rich on rich violence. I say it with a little bit of a smirk because it soundsContinue reading “Rich on Rich Violence: The Uncomfortable Class Math Nobody Wants to Do”

The Populist Costume: How Luigi Mangione and Donald Trump Wear the Same Disguise

There is a peculiar kind of American theater that plays out whenever a rich person convinces enough people that they are, in fact, one of the little guys, and nowhere has that theater been performed with more success in the last decade than in the cases of Donald Trump and Luigi Mangione. On the surfaceContinue reading “The Populist Costume: How Luigi Mangione and Donald Trump Wear the Same Disguise”

Luigi Mangione and the Livestream Stunt: Why I Still Don’t Trust Him

I have written about Luigi Mangione before on this blog, more than once, and every single time I come back to the same conclusion, which is that I do not trust this man, not even a little bit. This week gave me yet another reason to feel that way, because his legal team has filedContinue reading “Luigi Mangione and the Livestream Stunt: Why I Still Don’t Trust Him”

The Difference Between Political Theater and Political Reality in New York

There is a massive difference between what politicians say during campaigns and what they would actually do once they are sitting in office with the full weight of government institutions, diplomatic pressure, federal agencies, media scrutiny, police unions, donors, courts, foreign governments, and financial markets all staring directly at them. That difference is exactly whyContinue reading “The Difference Between Political Theater and Political Reality in New York”

They’re Not Your Allies: Stop Romanticizing Opportunistic Violence

I’ve talked about this before when the whole Luigi Mangione situation first blew up, but now that these arson attacks are happening—and people are still making comparisons—I’m gonna say this again, even more directly: People like him, and anyone being put in the same category—whether it’s arsonists or so-called “copycats”—are not your allies. They areContinue reading “They’re Not Your Allies: Stop Romanticizing Opportunistic Violence”