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stevemur Profile picture
stevemur
@stevemur
entrepreneur, tech exec. politically independent, preference for data. msft/expe/startups. ms compsci, mba.
Apr 18 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
The recent NPR blowup, from the @uberliner piece to the hiring of the CEO, gets at something I've been thinking about for some time: the growing recognition that Liberalism and Progressivism are not the same things, and do not even have the same objectives.

Progressivism is not just "extremely liberal."

Liberalism favors Individualism and the Bill of Rights values, such as freedom of expression and property rights.

Modern American Progressivism on the other hand seeks collectivism, uses collective judgment based on “identity”, pushes racial essentialism, favors censorship, pushes against property rights and the institutions which protect them like the police and prosecutors, and pushes for compulsory redistribution. It favors “equity,” as opposed to elimination of discrimination.

In these and other ways, Progressives stand against Individualism, colorblind ideals and even freedom of movement and expression; these are subordinate to “higher” Progressive goals.

Berliner’s criticism isn’t primarily about NPR becoming too liberal (he is in fact liberal); it’s primarily about it having become far too Progressive/leftist, and so deep in its own ideological echo chamber that it is unwilling to honestly contend with anything which may run counter to Progressive/leftist dogma.

The recent hire of the new CEO, who is an utter parody of affluent Progressivism and luxury belief, is the capstone. As a Get Out the Vote canvasser for Biden in 2020, she joins a “diverse” group: of the 87 NPR executives with political declaration, 87 are Democrats and 0 are Republicans.

She’s on record saying the first amendment is problematic.

Progressivism and Liberalism are not the same things. The sooner we all recognize it, the quicker we can have a constructive conversation about just what kind of nation want to be, and how to get there. Followers will note that I've made this point before. But it seems to be cropping up in more and more contexts.

Dec 29, 2023 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
I started cautioning progressive and liberal friends in early 2020 to be very careful with the Fauci hagiography.

This is taking far longer than I expected, but eventually, the truth does attach to one’s reputation.

What if… he’s not, in fact, as good as he imagines himself to be?


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Oct 10, 2023 • 16 tweets • 4 min read
With the atrocities in Israel and the various responses to it, we are seeing yet again in full color that Liberalism and modern Progressivism are NOT the same thing.

Since 2010, Progressives have become increasingly illiberal, in multiple foundational ways: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, censorship, civil liberties, “colorblindness” and much more. They do not have the same goals as Liberals. They once shared common cause, but it should be crystal clear they no longer do. It’s up to Liberals to also reject such extremism from within their ranks. Conservatives and moderates cannot do it alone.

Will tacit support for the atrocities in Israel be a catalyst? This is a good time to do a gut check on your actual values. Are you truly liberal?
Sep 14, 2023 • 20 tweets • 6 min read
Okay, West Coast Progressives, it's time to show your work.

How's it going? By that I mean, how are empirical OUTCOMES of the programs you advocate doing in terms of metrics. In Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco, we've spun up programs. We've spent hundreds of millions. We've adopted well-intentioned policies like harm reduction, housing first, diversion from incarceration, decriminalization, and much more. No, these shifts were very likely not at the scale you'd like to see -- you want to see much more -- but we've done it more than enough to at least get a sense of the DIRECTION when in the field. Not in the lab.

So, directionally, which things getting better? What's improving? By how much? If you're not focused on empirical outcomes, after years of trying some of the things you want philosophically, I think it's reasonable to conclude that you don't actually care about improving them.

It is COMPLETELY FINE to report outcomes and acknowledge they aren't as we'd hoped. But you're not even doing that. You're way too focused on shaming people for not blindly hopping aboard.

One of the great things about progressivism is that it's a font of new ideas. I'm all for trying new ideas, but you've got to be willing to MEASURE if they are actually improving things, and adjust if they are not.

Public Education? Literacy? Math Scores? Addiction? Homelessness? Public safety?

Which outcomes are giving you confidence that we are very much on the right track?
Aug 2, 2023 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Under-reported story: Last week, an unlicensed and unmonitored biolab was officially shut down in Fresno CA. The facility was discovered LAST YEAR, after a simple violation revealed a facility operating unlicensed and unpermitted.

abc30.com/reedley-lab-ha… The CDC detected COVID, HIV, hepatitis and herpes at the lab.

NBC: nbcnews.com/news/us-news/o…
Jul 30, 2023 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
The Seattle City Council is expected to vote soon on a Rent Control measure being pushed by outgoing councilmember Kshama Sawant.

The one thing you can get prominent economists to agree upon: Rent Control Doesn't Work. 🧵 Time and again, when it's tried, it entrenches current renters, harms new renters seeking affordable units, reduces construction and new inventory, and reduces investment in improvements.
Jun 6, 2023 • 41 tweets • 8 min read
Tuned in late to the Seattle City Council meeting on the important vote today on criminalizing (or not) hard drug possession in the city... am just hearing part 2 of community feedback.

seattle.gov/council/watch-… My main reaction -- there's such a disconnect between public comment and actual public sentiment. Thus far 100% of the speakers are speaking in favor of continuing to permit hard drug use and possession in the city of Seatttle.
Jun 5, 2023 • 25 tweets • 7 min read
Many people use the shorthand term “liberal” or “lib” when they really mean progressive.

While these terms might have meant similar things a couple decades ago, they haven’t for some time.

Fundamental beliefs of 2020’s involve -rejection- of liberalism.

No, progressives do… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Using the term “liberal” to describe someone who, for instance, believes a trans-declared youth ought to compete in the girls’ sports category if they do choose, and use the locker room of their choice is erroneous.

That’s a progressive viewpoint. There are many liberals who… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Jun 4, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Handy rubric for Seattle voters - the King County Young Democrats pretty reliably endorse the leftmost candidate in any given race. They are hardly mainstream.

2021 General Election Endorsements - King County Young Democrats kcyd.org/2021/09/26/202… They would have preferred we had elected:

Mayor Lorena Gonzalez (instead of Bruce Harrell)

City Attorney Nicole Thomas-Kennedy (instead of Ann Davison)

City Council-member Nikita Oliver (instead of Sara Nelson)
Jun 1, 2023 • 27 tweets • 8 min read
One of the stories which deserves much more national attention is Seattle's municipal justice evolution.

Though early, it's an interesting A/B test on competing approaches to public safety: Progressive v. Moderate. 🧵 Image For several years now, public safety has been Seattle voters' #1 concern, e.g.:

seattlechamber.com/clientuploads/…
May 31, 2023 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
where are the suite of progressive policies working best: safety? homelessness? addiction? education?

Bike lanes, I suppose, are a net positive. What else? For a decade or more, progressives pointed to studies about how their policies would surely work best. They asserted their approach was the only one with compassion.

Now that the results are coming in, in city after city, are we prepared to admit it’s a failure?
May 31, 2023 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
A major milestone in the Theranos story happened today. Elizabeth Holmes reported to federal prison to begin serving her term. The rise and fall of Theranos is very well covered in “Bad Blood” by John Carreyrou; very good book and/or audiobook if you haven’t yet read it:

amazon.com/Bad-Blood-Secr…
May 31, 2023 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Interesting back and forth today.

Legally, I’m not actually sure of the conditions under which official government accounts. And I don’t know if this parody account would be considered a constituent. Here’s one such case:

eff.org/deeplinks/2021…
May 29, 2023 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
💡Chesterton’s Fence: Before tearing something down, be sure you completely understand the reasons it was erected in the first place. 🧵 Image “In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox.
Apr 27, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
This candidate, running for Seattle District 3 (Kshama Sawant's district) wants rent control.

Virtually every economist agrees: Rent Control is a bad idea. He seems to rely a lot upon, "This time, it'll be different." Rent control consistently results in:

1) Hoarding by existing tenants (low turnover)
2) Lack of new development
3) Lack of improvement into rental inventory
4) Harm to new entrants
Apr 27, 2023 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
“350 California Street was worth $300 million four years ago. It might sell for 80% less now, brokers say, in a market where office vacancy rates have soared.”

Fire sale on commercial real estate in some deep blue cities… something to watch. wsj.com/articles/san-f… “Nearly 30% of San Francisco’s office space is vacant, which is more than seven times the rate before the pandemic hit, and the biggest increase of any major U.S. city, according to commercial real estate services firm CBRE Group Inc.”
Apr 27, 2023 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
🧵 Randi Weingarten testified yesterday. Let's remember:

1. She called attempts to reopen schools in the fall of 2020 "reckless, callous and cruel." Nearly all public schools in Europe reopened. Many private schools in the US had opened safely.

theguardian.com/us-news/2020/j… 2. Her union pushed aggressively at the local level to expand triggers and restrictions:

edweek.org/teaching-learn…
Apr 26, 2023 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
I love this one. The imaginary shoebox of eloquence does it again. You know when she pulls it out, that what follows is going to be fantastic.
Apr 26, 2023 • 8 tweets • 5 min read
A few days into this blue check craziness, I’ve been on two threads now with former blue check holders (Matt Yglesias and Ben Collins of NBC), where tensions are so high!

They AND their followers are so quick to distort and demonize. So salty about this disruption in stature;… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Oh I forgot the other extremely normie take that’s somehow “extremist:”

4) The new mayor of Chicago will continue a “progressive” approach to crime and disorder, with an emphasis on “opportunity” and decarceration, as opposed to an emphasis on consequences and personal… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Apr 18, 2023 • 14 tweets • 5 min read
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. The Holocaust was the systematic murder of Europe’s Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators during the Second World War. Image The Holocaust led to the deaths of over 6 million Jewish people -- around 78% of all Jews in occupied Europe. It was the most extensive and industrialized act of systematic mass murder in world history.
Mar 11, 2023 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
Our government has been increasingly involved in suppressing lawful speech. Dissent, like COVID mitigation approaches, are legal and protected by the first amendment.

Please listen to @ShellenbergerMD’s excellent opening remarks before the House Subcommittee. #Twitterfiles twitter.com/i/web/status/1… Read more: