Scott Alexander reviews the obscure psychoanalytic book 'Sadly, Porn', attempting to decipher its core ideas about human psychology and society. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews 'Sadly, Porn' by Edward Teach, a complex and obscure psychoanalytic work. He attempts to decipher the book's core ideas about human psychology, desire, and societal structures, while grappling with its intentionally difficult style and controversial claims. The review explores themes of envy, status-seeking, and the modern psyche's relationship with corporations and technology, as well as the book's critique of contemporary politics and culture. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander analyzes Trump's likely PR strategy as president, predicting a focus on symbolic 'job-saving' victories that will be effective in shaping public perception despite limited real impact. Longer summary

Scott Alexander expresses concern about Trump's PR strategy as president, focusing on highly publicized 'victories' in keeping jobs in the US. He argues that these will be largely symbolic, not scalable, and potentially corrupt, but effective in shaping public perception. Scott compares this to Batman's approach of personally fighting crime rather than using his resources for systemic change. He predicts that this strategy will be a central part of Trump's public relations over the next year, despite not significantly impacting overall job numbers. Shorter summary