Craig, love your work but have to disagree with you about Substack. Obviously, everyone hates Nazis, but this is a manufactured controversy that is ultimately based on The Atlantic resenting that independent writers like you have a platform on Substack to make a living without the mainstream media controlling it. Every single platform has a Nazi problem, including Ghost and others. Freddie DeBoer has an excellent post on his Substack about this.
You pretty much summed up exactly how I feel about the current Substack situation. It doesn't seem that difficult to me. The first amendment says you can't be arrested for spouting Nazi crap, but that doesn't mean anyone has to publish it.
My fear is that all the big names will abandon the site and it will crater, and those of us who have carved out smaller, but not insignificant audiences will get hurt the worst. I guess I will take the blame though. As soon as I started making headway promoting my newsletter on Twitter, Musk came along and ruined it, so I guess it only makes sense now that I'm getting real traction with my newsletter that Substack will fall off a cliff.
Craig, thanks as always for your comments on the Royals. I've been a season ticket holder since 1969 and share the joy and frustration. Your insights are miles ahead of any mainstream commentators (low bar I know.
That said, I've already had the Substack conversation on JoPo's site, but I'll repeat my position here.
It's important to acknowledge that free speech only means protecting ideas you abhor. Anyone can support free speech for motherhood, apple pie and baseball. That's trivial. It's free speech for ideas you hate that are the true test. If your position is "free speech but..." please don't pretend you're in favor of free speech. When I was growing up, censorship was considered so bad no one would even consider it. Today it's mainstream. I hope you will change your position and acknowledge the bravery and principle behind Substack and their leader.
Censorship is bad; and in fact worse than the ideas anyone wants to censor. It leads to narrower discussion of everything, leading to a lesser understanding of truth. Crazy ideas published are rarely harmful. I'll bet most people on this site didn't even know about the Substack controversy until you brought it up (unless of course they read JoPo, in which case they didn't know about it until he brought it up). And I'll also bet not a single person read a pro-Nazi Substack article. So no need for outrage.
There is also a trickle effect. If you censor Nazis, then call Trump a Nazi, you must censor Trump. Then if I support Trump, you must censor me. Elon Musk said negative things about Israel and is now considered pro-Palestinian. Pro-Palestinian = anti Israel, therefore, Musk must be pro-Nazi and therefore censored. I know this is ridiculous, but who decides what is ridiculous and what is evil? If no one does, then we're all free to read or ignore what we want. If someone else decides, we're all held hostage to that person, whether his/her intentions are good or evil.
Please support free speech and stay with a site of principle. Our country will be better for it.
Great article as always. Sorry you are having difficulties with your platform. I have been under the impression Taylor won't be available until later in the season due to his surgery, so I had Brentz in the opening day bullpen along with your other seven picks.
Man, I kind of hate the idea that we're going to start with Dairon Blanco in AAA. Not because he's so great, but because I think he offers a higher floor than most of the guys in the outfield and I'd like a high floor guy as the fourth or fifth outfielder while one of those guys (preferably Melendez) gets dealt to upgrade the team elsewhere.
Also, interested that you didn't even mention McMillon in the bullpen picture. I've been counting him as something close to a lock. Should I not be?
Mr. B,
Happy New Year to you and fingers crossed for the Blue Crew in '24.
Is Singer's not coming up with a third pitch just sheer stubbornness? I should think
getting slapped around like he did last year might motivate him to get to work on that.
Also, no McMillon in the 'pen? I thought he performed well as the season wrapped.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!! I will continue to follow you as I am once a Royal, always a Royal!! Go Blue in 2024!!!
Are these really Nazis or just Republicans or MAGA Republicans? Just wondering because I kind of like the dope running twitter.
Thanks, Craig. Agree with you on all parts of your post.
I think Angel Zerpa breaks camp with the big boys. And thanks for the article. Happy New Year!
Craig, love your work but have to disagree with you about Substack. Obviously, everyone hates Nazis, but this is a manufactured controversy that is ultimately based on The Atlantic resenting that independent writers like you have a platform on Substack to make a living without the mainstream media controlling it. Every single platform has a Nazi problem, including Ghost and others. Freddie DeBoer has an excellent post on his Substack about this.
You pretty much summed up exactly how I feel about the current Substack situation. It doesn't seem that difficult to me. The first amendment says you can't be arrested for spouting Nazi crap, but that doesn't mean anyone has to publish it.
My fear is that all the big names will abandon the site and it will crater, and those of us who have carved out smaller, but not insignificant audiences will get hurt the worst. I guess I will take the blame though. As soon as I started making headway promoting my newsletter on Twitter, Musk came along and ruined it, so I guess it only makes sense now that I'm getting real traction with my newsletter that Substack will fall off a cliff.
Craig, thanks as always for your comments on the Royals. I've been a season ticket holder since 1969 and share the joy and frustration. Your insights are miles ahead of any mainstream commentators (low bar I know.
That said, I've already had the Substack conversation on JoPo's site, but I'll repeat my position here.
It's important to acknowledge that free speech only means protecting ideas you abhor. Anyone can support free speech for motherhood, apple pie and baseball. That's trivial. It's free speech for ideas you hate that are the true test. If your position is "free speech but..." please don't pretend you're in favor of free speech. When I was growing up, censorship was considered so bad no one would even consider it. Today it's mainstream. I hope you will change your position and acknowledge the bravery and principle behind Substack and their leader.
Censorship is bad; and in fact worse than the ideas anyone wants to censor. It leads to narrower discussion of everything, leading to a lesser understanding of truth. Crazy ideas published are rarely harmful. I'll bet most people on this site didn't even know about the Substack controversy until you brought it up (unless of course they read JoPo, in which case they didn't know about it until he brought it up). And I'll also bet not a single person read a pro-Nazi Substack article. So no need for outrage.
There is also a trickle effect. If you censor Nazis, then call Trump a Nazi, you must censor Trump. Then if I support Trump, you must censor me. Elon Musk said negative things about Israel and is now considered pro-Palestinian. Pro-Palestinian = anti Israel, therefore, Musk must be pro-Nazi and therefore censored. I know this is ridiculous, but who decides what is ridiculous and what is evil? If no one does, then we're all free to read or ignore what we want. If someone else decides, we're all held hostage to that person, whether his/her intentions are good or evil.
Please support free speech and stay with a site of principle. Our country will be better for it.
MIke
If you think Mcmillon isn't going to be in this bullpen when healthy you got another think coming
Mr. B,
My hatred of Nazis and all white supremacists aside, I am a big fan of Into the Fountains.
I depend on this newsletter as an important source of information and analysis as I follow
my favorite team's rise from the ashes.
In addition, I enjoy your writing; your fluid style and ever-present wit make for quick and pleasurable reading.
I'm not going anywhere but Into the Fountains.
Great article as always. Sorry you are having difficulties with your platform. I have been under the impression Taylor won't be available until later in the season due to his surgery, so I had Brentz in the opening day bullpen along with your other seven picks.
Man, I kind of hate the idea that we're going to start with Dairon Blanco in AAA. Not because he's so great, but because I think he offers a higher floor than most of the guys in the outfield and I'd like a high floor guy as the fourth or fifth outfielder while one of those guys (preferably Melendez) gets dealt to upgrade the team elsewhere.
Also, interested that you didn't even mention McMillon in the bullpen picture. I've been counting him as something close to a lock. Should I not be?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and for your concern about the Nazi problem around here.
Here's a different view of the Nazi problem from another Substack writer:
https://public.substack.com/p/censors-are-trying-to-trick-you-into?r=j9ceb