96 Comments
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Slamy's avatar

Ryan Holiday owns a bookstore / tax write-off in Bastrop, Texas. It required shoppers to mask up well into 2023. Stoicism!

The locals all despise him.

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Yuri Bezmenov's avatar

Yet another California transplant ruining Texas.

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Jeck's avatar

Interesting

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Chris Coffman's avatar

A very discerning psychological analysis of how permanent personal immaturity is projected into politics. One of your very best posts. You’ve diagnosed the mental pathology of the worst (and until recently, most influential) members of an entire generation. May they all be stripped of significance and forgotten—except as a terrible warning to future generations—as soon as possible.

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Yuri Bezmenov's avatar

Perhaps I can deliver a speech at the Naval Academy about ideological subversion ;)

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Phony Doc (Ph.D.)'s avatar

Don't waste your breath, Yuri. I taught at West Point for three years. It's wasted effort. . . .

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Reputation Intelligence's avatar

Why so? :) Curious and willing to learn if you are comfortable detailing your experiences.

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DefCon-Dan's avatar

That was a great example to do this analysis on, even though I never heard of Ryan before this. Speaking of 'permanent personal immaturity' projected into politics.

I can't wait to read your analysis on the Pope Trump agent of chaos kerfuffle.

Is Trump really an agent of chaos, a 10 year old child, or is he really just losing his mind?

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John Henry Holliday, DDS's avatar

"Honor your mother and father" is a commandment, not a request. In this case I hope that his boomer dad burns through his savings and leaves nothing to his son.

Self-righteousness + absence of self-awareness = Libtard

Why change when you are perfect? This is exactly why conflict is brewing. So utterly convinced of their moral/intellectual superiority, liberals view their opponents as less-than-human, unworthy of any role in the country other than to sheepishly follow them.

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Vxi7's avatar

It's a fake letter to his father. I'm pretty sure he knew about it before and approved it.

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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

Another textbook case of unearned authority, straight from Yuri’s growing list of progressive grifters. Another banger takedown of an influencer preaching Stoicism or whatever the trendy ideal of the week is while indulging in moral narcissism and public virtue signalling. Embarrassing, revealing, pathetic.

I feel for his father.

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Alison Bull's avatar

I find his arrogance grating. And speaking of unearned authority, he preaches about parenting and his kids are little and still easy to control.

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Riff Raffer's avatar

I had a very loving & close relationship with my parents. So for me, the only appropriate reaction to someone treating his father this way, is: “what a disgusting piece of trash”.

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Jeff Keener's avatar

When I read his essay whining about being disinvited to speak at the Academy, I wrote back saying "Next time, respect your host."

You see, it's the left's moral vanity that makes them so contemptible.

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Lydia Lozano's avatar

And an interesting question would be who invited him to speak and if they are still there.

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Ryan Gardner's avatar

The saddest part of Ryan Holiday "outing" his father is that one day, not unlike "Parsons" (Winstons neighbor) in 1984, he would be proud of his children if they reported him to the Thought Police, even if he had done nothing wrong.

For this means "The Party", in all its wisdom, has been justified (by arresting him) in its punishment of thoughtcrimes to protect the purity and purpose of the ideology of The Party.

The revolution will be complete when "thought" has become "perfect".

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SSBN734's avatar

Great point.

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Mark Marshall's avatar

Funny how much "diversity" divides.

Actually, it's not funny. It's awful. Wokeness and TDS divides.

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ThePossum's avatar

What a dick.

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AMWL's avatar

Brevity is the soul of wit!

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Biff's avatar

Take away: Ryan’s ego, his self love, his ambition, have completely overridden his natural instinct to respect and venerate his father. And, I do not believe his quote of the workman at his ranch. I believe he made it up. By including it in his “letter” he allows himself to clearly and easily demonstrate his moral superiority to the that of the beliefs that Trump’s critics have so successfully portrayed his supporters as having.

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Scott's avatar

You could be right. Either way, we really, really, really, really DON'T want mass Muslim immigration, legal or not. And there's nothing racist or illogical about that sentiment.

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Karin's avatar

I agree. No contractor talks politics without knowing the person very well in case they lose the job. He is painting Trump supporters are xenophobic, racist, low IQ, working class idiots with that snippet.

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Curtis's avatar

Agreed. I do home remodeling and often work in Portland, OR.... Our customers are generally very nice, but very delusional liberals. I wouldn't dream of discussing politics with them, and if I did, I'd probably be fired immediately.

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Chickensusie's avatar

My daughter and SIL live in Portland, and you’re right!! We can’t have a normal conversation. Reed College surely did its job!!

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bestuvall's avatar

I pre-approve anyone who works in my house by having fox on very loud when they come over

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Biff's avatar

So well said Karin. It’s so disappointing when we witness this sort of phony, self serving, posturing, virtue signaling behavior from someone who is so blinded by their ego that they believe others cannot see thru their charade. I first heard of this phony when he was interviewed by Bari Weiss on her podcast - a few years ago. At the time I was impressed. Shows how wrong one can be. Thanks to Yuri’s well written article I now understand him for the phony he is.

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Karin's avatar

I feel for his father. If I were his mother, I would feel that I had failed and want to box his ears. Nothing like using your family as fodder for your writing!

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Curtis's avatar

The first I heard of Bari Weiss was when she was on Joe Rogan and slamming Tulsi Gabbard with no evidence....

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Karin's avatar

He’s also a patronising snob.

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bestuvall's avatar

nah.. would more likely say we dont want a bunch of beaners

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Kim C McClung's avatar

Could it be that people like Ryan are so carefully protected in their self made social media and communal bubble that the only place they have to endure diversity of opinion is in their own families? (Because you can't choose them) Not being able to tolerate any opinion that differs from their world view, they must grind it into the dirt to maintain the perfection of their bubble and their moral superiority. I don't know how a father-son relationship can survive this.

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Charles Wemyss, Jr.'s avatar

What a fraud this kid is, all tatted up and sanctimonious, he’s special all right. This little clown, pampered and spoiled, he is angry cuz mommy and daddy told him every night at the dinner table, just like Beto O’Rourke’s mommy and daddy, that yes, Ryan you can be president. So when a dude descends down an escalator in the building that he built, works in and lives and says “I’m gonna be president!” Little Ryan just soils his early onset TDS depends and waddles off to write another insulting letter to his father. News flash Ryan, if your old man has half a brain, he may still love his son, but he tuned you out so long ago that he can’t remember when he did, but watching paint dry is more satisfying to him than reading your narcissistic blather.

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bestuvall's avatar

he even looks like beto. and those tatts.. probably cried when he got them

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Donnie Proles's avatar

This guy is such an annoying know it all. He thinks he’s so profound but his books and podcast interviews are insufferable.

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Scott's avatar

This: "If I were the father, I’d vote for Trump at this point just out of spite." What a disgusting, self-important, whining, virtue signaling waste of protoplasm. He'll no doubt keep is son away from his father--cuz TDS.

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Curtis's avatar

I've watched a few of his videos and occasionally read his emails. Ironically, I received and read his newsletter moments before yours. While I hadn't specifically heard of his political views, I had my suspicions. A pic on his Google Maps page shows a large "Pride Month" display....

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bestuvall's avatar

goeth before a fall. every time

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AMWL's avatar

To dishonor your father like this is shameful. He should be ashamed. A healthy sense of shame when we err in a manner so deeply personal like this would lead to repentance and a desire for forgiveness from your father. He should try it.

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Karin's avatar

We need to bring back shaming. It’s an underutilised tool in today’s public sphere..

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Ryan Gardner's avatar

100%.

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