I moved in these circles and saw the code up close: wealth as virtue, power as morality, and strivers like Michael Wolff treating predators not as warnings—but as career opportunities.
Excellent article Cliff. I always knew Ronnie Reagan started the destruction of this country by dismantling the regulators and making greed a virtue. I saw it coming and saw fox slowly but surely brainwash the idiot class into accepting all this shit as the new American utopia. Every one of these elite assholes needs to be not only exposed but punished with a severity that makes any future wannabes think twice about trying this shit again. Keep it up brother!!
Thanks, Peter. I appreciate it. Ronnie unleashed our worst instincts. He was playing with fire, and I’m not defending him, he sucked, but I don’t even think he knew how bad it would get (don’t think he was smart enough to get it). I’ll keep it up! You keep reading & sharing, my friend.
I agree, Reagan was definitely not the brightest bulb on the tree, he was put there for star appeal. He also suffered from the same delusion and mental block that all Republicans do which is a total blackout when it comes to future effects of their wonderful policies.
Yeah, HM was all about the worst values in general—money as a stand-in for character. But I didn’t know how bad it was—the molestation, til I was long gone.
A great thought provoking article. I always felt Reagan wasn't a great president even when people have pretty much made a saint out of him. Trickle-down economics led to the wealth divide we have now. I love Ellie Leonard and I look forward to seeing the two of you discussion Epstein-gate. The more I learn the more awful it becomes. It has deep deep roots. It going to take a long time (if ever!) to clean up this mess!
Thank you, Donna! It is amazing to me even historians rate him highly, and I’m sorry, but supply side economics and Iran Contra alone should put him in the bottom half. He was an actor with charisma, and by all accounts a nice guy interpersonally. How does that make up for all the damage done? All the primeval forces he unleashed when he justified pure greed?
As for Ellie, she’s the best. I can’t wait for our discussion.
It will get cleaned up because that is our cause. Like you, I always felt Ronbo was a phony and was led around by his Chief of Staff. Just like another failed GOP clown, George W.
Couldn’t agree more. Anyone who decide to throw in with these ghouls. As I talk about in the peace, I grew up among them, and I could’ve thrown in with them, instead I ran.
That was me for a while too, and I lived it! There were pieces of the puzzle everywhere…and suddenly, with Epstein, it all came together and I suddenly understood what I’d witnessed in its disgusting totality.
Great piece, Cliff! I'm looking forward to the deep dive with Ellie Leonard. Your tying in of Reagan & the assault on the New Deal system is terrific, and it's what the great HCR has been trying to hammer home as well - there was a time when there was a middle class, when people got paid living wages, when a CEO's only goal was not to gain value for shareholders. (Also, "The Biden Is Old Gazette" - brilliant! It'll join Bill Kristol's also terrific "The Wordle Picayune." So good!)
Thank you so much, Emma! I really appreciate your reading the piece and thoughtful response!! I think the Reagan tie-in is key. It's not that the sociopathy & narcissism weren't there, but they were held in check by the New Deal laws and New Deal culture pre-Reagan, and then that was all blown up so badly they didn't just tolerate the venality and cruelty, they celebrated it
Great article. I ran in many of those circles—slightly earlier—and I agree with your take on Reagan and the shift that followed. That period changed everything, including me. Only now, later in life, and old as dirt do I feel like I’ve returned to who I was in the late ’60s and ’70s—a fighter and a rebel again. The ’80s and ’90s pulled me in a different direction, I turned many a blind eye as to what was going on in the “secret dens” I question so much now.
I’ve always held that presidency responsible for the change in America and yes it enabled the trumps and Epstein’s of the world.
As I made my way through the files I and attempted to figure out how I was going to attempt to make sense of this jumbled mess the DOJ regurgitated, I had what I consider a “holy shit” realization. These files were very much like a 7-8million page screen play that had been written by hand then dropped outside of a window during a rain storm. Some pages blew away some got wet and were thrown away. The other pages were just gathered up then stapled and bound to be later given to me because they suck and make no sense. That was a very dramatic way to say my superpower is that once I figure out the cast of characters and the story in my mind, I’m good to go. In my head, this became the real life version of Cruel Intentions minus any of the good looking men. This also helped when I’d start to feel too much because obviously, what we are reading isn’t a make believe fiction screenplay. It’s the hardest, most devastating part of many women’s lives and it’s should be treated as a responsibility to just have these pages to read.
Cliff I’m so curious to hear if Michael Wolff was as much of a doofus bk then as he is now…
looking forward to your first hand accounts and also, you rock.
These idiots have the latest bro boy club. It’s the rule of the uber wealthy over the rest of society. And, as we can see we will never be members of their club. They grossly underestimate the populace. We need to take away the money of the people that abuse us and then permanently deport them.Place them in an ICE facility for a while with real hardened criminals and then send them packing.
I was in grad school in the 80s, and knew lots of people from Horace Mann. (I was at Harvard. So not too big a coincidence.) But the pedophilia scandal was covered up pretty well. Parents, students, not a word to non-Horace Mann people.
Many of us didn’t know about it while there, Alexandra. I knew it was weird for a teacher to massage my shoulders, though more acceptable then than now. I didn’t know the other stuff was going on. So when you were at Harvard, most HMers, unless they were victims, may not have known
Excellent article Cliff. I always knew Ronnie Reagan started the destruction of this country by dismantling the regulators and making greed a virtue. I saw it coming and saw fox slowly but surely brainwash the idiot class into accepting all this shit as the new American utopia. Every one of these elite assholes needs to be not only exposed but punished with a severity that makes any future wannabes think twice about trying this shit again. Keep it up brother!!
Thanks, Peter. I appreciate it. Ronnie unleashed our worst instincts. He was playing with fire, and I’m not defending him, he sucked, but I don’t even think he knew how bad it would get (don’t think he was smart enough to get it). I’ll keep it up! You keep reading & sharing, my friend.
I agree, Reagan was definitely not the brightest bulb on the tree, he was put there for star appeal. He also suffered from the same delusion and mental block that all Republicans do which is a total blackout when it comes to future effects of their wonderful policies.
I take it you got a good laugh out of the Laffer Curve too.
That was my barroom napkin reference :)
Excellent essay. I had no idea things were quite so grim at Dalton and Horace Mann, but should have guessed.
Yeah, HM was all about the worst values in general—money as a stand-in for character. But I didn’t know how bad it was—the molestation, til I was long gone.
A great thought provoking article. I always felt Reagan wasn't a great president even when people have pretty much made a saint out of him. Trickle-down economics led to the wealth divide we have now. I love Ellie Leonard and I look forward to seeing the two of you discussion Epstein-gate. The more I learn the more awful it becomes. It has deep deep roots. It going to take a long time (if ever!) to clean up this mess!
Thank you, Donna! It is amazing to me even historians rate him highly, and I’m sorry, but supply side economics and Iran Contra alone should put him in the bottom half. He was an actor with charisma, and by all accounts a nice guy interpersonally. How does that make up for all the damage done? All the primeval forces he unleashed when he justified pure greed?
As for Ellie, she’s the best. I can’t wait for our discussion.
I totally agree with you and I'm really looking forward to you and Ellie discussing Epstein!!
It will get cleaned up because that is our cause. Like you, I always felt Ronbo was a phony and was led around by his Chief of Staff. Just like another failed GOP clown, George W.
Never could understand why Reagan was thought of as a good president. I must have missed something!
Grotesque!
Time to get rid of them all.
Couldn’t agree more. Anyone who decide to throw in with these ghouls. As I talk about in the peace, I grew up among them, and I could’ve thrown in with them, instead I ran.
And you were smart to do so! Good for you using your good judgement.
They made depravity look glamorous, corruption look inevitable, and exploitation look like the spoils of winning”
We are that voice Cliff and its growing. Damn fine piece. As for the felon, he will never bomb his way out of the Epstein files.
Thanks, Tim. I truly appreciate the kind words. And, yeah, he’s not fooling anyone anymore. The midterms need to be timeline altering…
This makes so much sense! In a fucked up way but reading this was like opening a door to something I knew was there, I just couldn't see it. Thanks!
That was me for a while too, and I lived it! There were pieces of the puzzle everywhere…and suddenly, with Epstein, it all came together and I suddenly understood what I’d witnessed in its disgusting totality.
PS: My pleasure
Great piece, Cliff! I'm looking forward to the deep dive with Ellie Leonard. Your tying in of Reagan & the assault on the New Deal system is terrific, and it's what the great HCR has been trying to hammer home as well - there was a time when there was a middle class, when people got paid living wages, when a CEO's only goal was not to gain value for shareholders. (Also, "The Biden Is Old Gazette" - brilliant! It'll join Bill Kristol's also terrific "The Wordle Picayune." So good!)
Thank you so much, Emma! I really appreciate your reading the piece and thoughtful response!! I think the Reagan tie-in is key. It's not that the sociopathy & narcissism weren't there, but they were held in check by the New Deal laws and New Deal culture pre-Reagan, and then that was all blown up so badly they didn't just tolerate the venality and cruelty, they celebrated it
I knew the Reagan economic effect, but the cultural effect, including those movies, is really hitting me.
Yeah they were all related. Culture reflect politics and vice versa. So they were mutually reinforcing
Great article. I ran in many of those circles—slightly earlier—and I agree with your take on Reagan and the shift that followed. That period changed everything, including me. Only now, later in life, and old as dirt do I feel like I’ve returned to who I was in the late ’60s and ’70s—a fighter and a rebel again. The ’80s and ’90s pulled me in a different direction, I turned many a blind eye as to what was going on in the “secret dens” I question so much now.
I’ve always held that presidency responsible for the change in America and yes it enabled the trumps and Epstein’s of the world.
Excellent article describing a grotesque reality.
Like maybe a general worker and consumer strike will wake up our politicians in Congress.
As I made my way through the files I and attempted to figure out how I was going to attempt to make sense of this jumbled mess the DOJ regurgitated, I had what I consider a “holy shit” realization. These files were very much like a 7-8million page screen play that had been written by hand then dropped outside of a window during a rain storm. Some pages blew away some got wet and were thrown away. The other pages were just gathered up then stapled and bound to be later given to me because they suck and make no sense. That was a very dramatic way to say my superpower is that once I figure out the cast of characters and the story in my mind, I’m good to go. In my head, this became the real life version of Cruel Intentions minus any of the good looking men. This also helped when I’d start to feel too much because obviously, what we are reading isn’t a make believe fiction screenplay. It’s the hardest, most devastating part of many women’s lives and it’s should be treated as a responsibility to just have these pages to read.
Cliff I’m so curious to hear if Michael Wolff was as much of a doofus bk then as he is now…
looking forward to your first hand accounts and also, you rock.
These idiots have the latest bro boy club. It’s the rule of the uber wealthy over the rest of society. And, as we can see we will never be members of their club. They grossly underestimate the populace. We need to take away the money of the people that abuse us and then permanently deport them.Place them in an ICE facility for a while with real hardened criminals and then send them packing.
I was in grad school in the 80s, and knew lots of people from Horace Mann. (I was at Harvard. So not too big a coincidence.) But the pedophilia scandal was covered up pretty well. Parents, students, not a word to non-Horace Mann people.
Many of us didn’t know about it while there, Alexandra. I knew it was weird for a teacher to massage my shoulders, though more acceptable then than now. I didn’t know the other stuff was going on. So when you were at Harvard, most HMers, unless they were victims, may not have known