Please, let me explain - it's important. We need to talk.

Just one more time

Sike. This is a substack, not a fundraising email from a Democratic candidate for public office. I won’t promise you much except that this is the last time you’ll receive an email with a title like this. Going forward you’ll see stuff like:

• The economy is a set of instituted processes, nothing is eternal, but that doesn’t mean money isn’t real.

• The production of political capital by means of political capital

• Understanding the Care Economy by reference to the Violence Economy

• Mayor Ted Wheeler is a danger to our community and provides safe harbor to people who make kill lists for Atomwaffen: Or, how I gave up and learned to care about municipal systems of governance again.

These are a taste of what’s to come. And, you know what? You’ve earned it. Because, folks, we are living in the Cool Zone. More and more people are saying, “Mitch, why don’t you write more than just quick-take tweets? You literally have your finger on the gaping pulse of America, but your style is stunted and you commit a tragic number of typos.” I have reluctantly come to realize that the people are correct. It’s time to staunch the bleeding.

Here’s what to expect

• I am going to try to post once per week - maybe more than that.

• Most posts will be about political economy spanning issues of national importance, but often getting into the weeds of local Portland stuff.

• My brain is irony-poisoned. I will do my best to draw a line of demarcation between serious commentary and raw shitposting, but we’re going to see how that plays out.

• I’m going to roast Portland City Council - particularly, Ted Wheeler, Dan Ryan and Mingus Mapps if he doesn’t get right quick. I hope this will serve as a model for my readers elsewhere.

Will this be monetized?

I don’t know - that depends upon you. I don’t have any ambitions for paid subscriptions. Honestly, if you want to pay for good content in this genre you’re better off subbing to Notes on the Crisis. That said, if this substack becomes a going concern then I might add a subscription feature, which I’ll just use to fund mutual aid efforts in Portland. So, we’ll see.