{"updated":"2026-09-28T04:49:25Z","content_md":"From [Maintenance of Everything](https:\/\/ammdi.hyperphor.com\/Maintenance-of-Everything)\n\nThe presence of Elon Musk as some kind of hero of maintenance is a turd in the punchbowl for me.\n\nWhatever else Musk may be, he is also a fascist lunatic racist eugenecist. This sounds like invective but it is also 100% factual. He is personally responsible for an all-out assault on the institutions of American government \u2013 important parts of the machinery of civilization. Whatever he represents, it's the opposite of maintenance \u2013 he is a destroyer of infrastructure.\n\nYeah he also builds some, and at least some of his innovations are useful and important. There are some reasons to admire Musk for his technical and organizational accomplishments. And perhaps his purported goal of being of service to making are sincere and Brand sees a fellow big-thinking-world-savior. They probably hang out at the same high-end conferences. That's more salient to Brand than the fascism, fraud, and lunacy that he spews on Twitter.\n\nBUT \u2013 we have to look at the full record, and Musk has destroyed more systems than he's built (hm is that true, would have to quantify it). The DOGE effort that he led was a deliberate and sytematic attempt to destroy or corrupt the machinery of government, the sort of thing Brand is encouraging us to take care of.\n\n![Elon Musk wields chainsaw at conservative gathering, a gift from Argentina's Milei | Reuters](https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/resizer\/v2\/ADSZ6NJORNLIBHGTYPBRMHSZ3Y.jpg?auth=78c3e35ef508ed0da22855e594230b1723f438a5dd067c5c6626354f1c89637a&height=1500&width=1200&quality=80&smart=true){:height 1016, :width 807}\n\n[US federal agencies targeted by DOGE - Wikipedia](https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/US_federal_agencies_targeted_by_DOGE)\n\nBrand has a history of wanting things both ways (the Wendell Berry blowup, which also involved an enthusiasm for space colonization now that I think about it), eventually the contradictions catch up. [#TODO](https:\/\/ammdi.hyperphor.com\/TODO) explanation needed\n\nThe lack of female representation as noted in Unsung review. Less obviously egregious than Musk, but probably a bigger omission. Actually, one other instance of female besides Statue of Liberty \u2013 the book is dedicated to Brand's partner \"who maintains him\". Yeah no shit, maybe one future chapter should be dedicated to the largely unsung work of basic human biomaintanence, mostly women's work which is a big part of the problem.\n\nThis is a huge blind spot \u2013 not just with Brand, it didn't occur to me either until it was pointed out. Oh well he has 6 more volumes to write so maybe he will address this vast unsung enterprise, that which really keeps the thing going.","changelog":[{"version":1,"at":"2026-09-28T02:02:20Z","note":null},{"version":2,"at":"2026-09-28T04:29:39Z","note":null},{"version":3,"at":"2026-09-28T04:49:25Z","note":null}],"created":"2026-09-28T02:02:20Z","content_hash":"sha256:f55ef9a8b206e0f6de7da5fac85d22a5871b4593b576463f038f7422881e9806","id":"13y1x5g2hfghfty85f10sg8gjv","kind":"fragment","origin":"https:\/\/ammdi.hyperphor.com\/blyg\/","content_html":"

From Maintenance of Everything<\/a><\/p>

A discordant political note <\/h1><\/p>

The presence of Elon Musk as some kind of hero of maintenance is a turd in the punchbowl for me.<\/p>

Whatever else Musk may be, he is also a fascist lunatic racist eugenecist. This sounds like invective but it is also 100% factual. He is personally responsible for an all-out assault on the institutions of American government \u2013 important parts of the machinery of civilization. Whatever he represents, it's the opposite of maintenance \u2013 he is a destroyer of infrastructure.<\/p>

Yeah he also builds some, and at least some of his innovations are useful and important. There are some reasons to admire Musk for his technical and organizational accomplishments. And perhaps his purported goal of being of service to making are sincere and Brand sees a fellow big-thinking-world-savior. They probably hang out at the same high-end conferences. That's more salient to Brand than the fascism, fraud, and lunacy that he spews on Twitter.<\/p>

<\/p>

BUT \u2013 we have to look at the full record, and Musk has destroyed more systems than he's built (hm is that true, would have to quantify it). The DOGE effort that he led was a deliberate and sytematic attempt to destroy or corrupt the machinery of government, the sort of thing Brand is encouraging us to take care of.<\/p>

\"Elon<\/a><\/p>

US federal agencies targeted by DOGE - Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>

Brand has a history of wanting things both ways (the Wendell Berry blowup, which also involved an enthusiasm for space colonization now that I think about it), eventually the contradictions catch up. TODO<\/span> explanation needed<\/span><\/p>

The lack of female representation as noted in Unsung review. Less obviously egregious than Musk, but probably a bigger omission. Actually, one other instance of female besides Statue of Liberty \u2013 the book is dedicated to Brand's partner "who maintains him". Yeah no shit, maybe one future chapter should be dedicated to the largely unsung work of basic human biomaintanence, mostly women's work which is a big part of the problem<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>

This is a huge blind spot \u2013 not just with Brand, it didn't occur to me either until it was pointed out. Oh well he has 6 more volumes to write so maybe he will address this vast unsung enterprise, that which really keeps the thing going.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>","version":3,"media":[],"blyg":"0.2"}