Anyone else notice how this says “The President” and not “President Trump?”
Rebellions are built on hope. Co-Founder Momentum Training Institute, IfNotNow, More Perfect Union. Formerly Warren, Justice Democrats, etc.
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Anyone else notice how this says “The President” and not “President Trump?”
If you’re a journalist and can’t tell if U.S. democracy is under threat, it’s time to find a new line of work!
Elon is quoting Nazis again
In a democracy, this is what the party of the working class would sound like.
It does not seem good that a sizable portion of the political and media elite would rather cook their brains on a white nationalist website than have to engage with criticism from the left.
ICE has been going into communities where they’re not wanted and removing people who are wanted. That’s not how freedom or democracy works.
Hard agree. The data bois and tacticos agree too.
[Guy who constantly posts on the fascism app]: The problem is the anti-fascism app
[Guy who constantly posts on the fascism app]: The problem is the anti-fascism app
Prima facie, Elon Musk appears to be manipulating X platform for specific political voices he supports (as well as using his own account to amplify the far right & furthest right). In particular the platform dynamic has shifted & is helping Tommy Robinson to be amplified more than Nigel Farage.
It’s really sad that America is descending into fascism, but it’s nice that Trump has had to experience multiple news cycles in which the entire nation speculates on whether he’s a pedophile and/or dead.
This is the kind of thing you post at 6:54 if you might be dead.
A Supreme Court justice or two
universe loading the bases for a walkoff grand slam
That…is weird!
This is legit Baghdad Bob or North Korean levels of deranged. The pro-regime spokespeople are completely delulu. I can’t under how any human being would debase themselves in this way, or find such delusions persuasive.
This might be a hot take, but at this point I’ve come to the conclusion that Schumer and Jeffries failure to serve as effective opposition party leaders is basically a skill issue. They are genuinely incapable of creatively or strategically responding to MAGA’s political revolution.
The DeSantis regime will do more to protect sidewalks from chalk than children from bullets.
The DeSantis administration currently has at least seven Florida Highway Patrol troopers just on anti-chalk duty: Two watching from a Dunkin Donuts next door and five more parked in the lot right behind them.
🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics. The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
It's useful to think of Trump's political style as a form of "fan service," which is distinct from the "constituent service" we used to associate with the role of elected officials. I took this picture in March of *2022* at a Republican event in Salem, Oregon. That flag seemed bonkers at the time.
The White House says Trump’s visible bruises are nothing to worry about. Dr. Jonathan Reiner tells me that “is not a plausible explanation.” Why is the press silent on Trump’s obvious health issues? My latest for @status.news www.status.news/p/trump-heal...
Worst case scenario: this is a dry run for the big day! At least it’s a reminder that it’s Going To Happen.
The parties that spontaneously pop off when it actually happens will be the stuff of legend.
Live your life so that people don’t consider rumors of your death a form of edging.
Nice
I don’t understand this one
Once again, we are in the midst of the worst, most unprecedented Article I constitutional crisis in 🇺🇸 history
Yeah sex is cool, but have you ever #COYS
It’s important that everyone act as if the federal government is occupied by a group of Nazi sympathizing, neo-Confederate insurrectionists who are opposed to multiracial democracy and at war with the constitution—because that’s exactly what’s happening.
Love it
Fully Automated Luxury Space Communism is a form of Abundance
(I am excited to read about this in your newsletter that I subscribe to!)
And yet! We are so back.
I am so hype for this man, hope you guys cover on the next pod.
this is a significantly more exciting signing than the older players they dramatically failed to sign for this position
The Eze = Berahino thing is fun, but maybe it’s more like Simons could be Spurs Odegaard: a much hyped wonderkid from a global behemoth who didn’t work out at his original club who goes on to become a top playmaker in the PL.
🚨✍🏻 Xavi Simons’ contract until June 2030 plus two year option until 2032 is 100% signed. Tottenham will announce their new star signing today, in the upcoming hours. ⭐️
I’ve seen a lot of fucked up shit in my day, but this might just take the cake.
Spurs lucking into Xavi Simons after missing out on Eze and Gibbs-White is a huge blessing in disguise. He’s the guy we should have been after all along. The perfect profile for Spurs—he is going to be a monster for Thomas Frank. A huge, huge signing.
the harsh realization that every single administration hire is one of the shittiest unqualified mediocre people in the world
and never will! incredible to think I did this to myself
Men only want one thing and it's fucking disgusting
I’m embarrassed to admit how excited I am about this. After the Eze and Gibbs-White (and Hincapie, etc) situations, I know that I shouldn’t get too excited, but Simons was my dream signing from the jump. I’m ready to be hurt again. #COYS #THFC
More than this is that they have been actively antagonistic.
over the last week, several political scientists i trust have declared trump a dictator and that america is not a full functioning democracy anymore. see here: goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com/p/where-we-a... donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author... i think making a list clarifies this:
I don’t think this speaks well of me, but I find these kinds of aesthetic choices one of the most revolting parts of American fascism. Say what you will about the Nazis or the Italian fascists, at least they made it look good! We got Temu Fascism.
I dare you to go to Annunciation School and tell our grieving community, in effect, guns don’t kill kids, antidepressants do. Just shut up. Stop peddling bullshit. You should be fired.
We’re going to need Reconstruction 3.0 or Revolution 2.0.
Ah well, nevertheless
Sucks that feminism became politically verboten at exactly the moment when the right calcified into a masculinity death cult
“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” ― Gustav Mahler
excited to see the popularism guys come around on this!
If Democratic Party can’t lead the resistance against authoritarianism, the Democratic Party will cease to exist.
Americans haven’t given up on gun control—a majority of Americans have consistently supported banning assault weapons like the ones that are used in mass shootings. The problem is that the US Senate is an anti-democratic institution which only serves to block the will of the people.
The gap between the average Democratic voter and average Democratic politician on Palestine is almost incomprehensible at this point— to the extent that I really don't know what will finally break this dynamic
"The lesson isn’t that today’s left has too many causes. It’s that Democrats haven’t done the senior-partner job of choosing a unifying program and turning movement energy into governing power." - @waleedshahid.bsky.social, explaining what @mattyglesias.bsky.social gets wrong
Same!!!
Centrists: Woke leftists in the Democratic Party need to STOP talking about cultural issues no one likes, and start talking about affordability Leftists: Billionaires and corporate interests get rich at our expense; we can afford everything we need if we take our money back Centrists: Wait
Me: [googles “anything about Jewish history”] Oh. Oh no.
Oh okay nothing to worry about then
Quick question, is it bad when the dictator gets to decide who is a Jew? I’m not familiar with history, how does that usually work out for us?
The one upside of this is that we never have to pretend Republicans believe in the constitution, freedom, states rights, freedom of speech, America, democracy, the economy, jobs, children, decency or family values ever again.
Much much much worse!
“If the president does it, it’s not illegal” is the official policy. The constitution is just a series of suggestions. We’re well past the rubicon at this point. We live under authoritarianism—and it’s up to us to end it.
We've seen terrific pushback by Dem governors. Pritzker is leading the way, but Walz and Moore have come out swinging too and even Hochul has found a bit of a spine. Other issues aside, Newsom's social media game is strong and showing results. There's a popular model here for congressional Dems.
Many such cases
The Trump regime wants to end freedom of speech and competitive elections. They want to make it illegal to oppose them. I understand that sounds nuts, but that’s how dictatorship works. That’s their goal.
read trump's new executive order on domestic military dplymt + vigilante "portal." one of the reasons i am happy to be an independent journalist is so I can say that this is crazy, fascist, brownshirts shit without getting pulled into a meeting with PR for "opening us up to criticism from the right"
The fascists think the worst parts of American history were the best parts, and the best parts of American history were the worst parts.
Cooperative vs competitive veto points is the comparative poli sci version of what you’re saying and: I agree!
There were a lot of good reasons, despite its many serious flaws, to stick with the Constitution of 1789, try to amend it, but basically keep to the existing order. Lot of good reasons! Then Trump went and broke that order down the middle
We don’t talk enough about how ironic it is that a party that calls itself “Republicans” which was founded to emancipate enslaved African people ended the Republic after a Black man served as president.
We have a corrupt elite because we have a poorly designed system. Both had to fail to get us where we are today. The people deserve blame, but so do the institutions—even the constitution!
You can tell this is a really good joke because I’m having to explain it so much, but: yes I know the framers were quite concerned about demagogues, and some were concerned about parties. The joke is supposed to suggest that maybe what they thought isn’t the most important thing in the world.
No don’t apologize, lots of my fave smart people saying the same thing!
Yes, this is meant to be part of the joke, but as I’m having to explain it to everyone, it clearly is poorly constructed!
It’s not a good joke on my part because this was unclear, but I’m not disagreeing about that!
This is my most charitable and reasonable version as well
The bad news is that the American republic which began in 1789 is now over. The good news is that Trump is a very weak and stupid dictator—and the next republic could be much better than the last.
No of course. My joke is that the “the founders never could have imagined” bit really doesn’t stop at the supplication of Congress. They couldn’t imagine mass society. No one in the modern world would design a constitution the same way, because that’s not how the world works anymore.
The framers never imagined Trump. The framers never imagined modern political parties. The framers never imagined the internet, or telephones, or telegraphs, or cars, or steam locamotives. The framers never imagined universal suffrage or proportional representation. We can do a lot better!
So Trump is making an online portal where ppl with vigilante & vigilante-adjacent expertise sign up & get deputized as regime-approved brownshirts. Instead of venting on 4chan or Stormfront they can now sign up & be brutalizing regime enemies w/promise of legal immunity. Am I missing something?
American democracy is a good idea. We should try it some time!
Imagine putting the global financial system on the precipice of an epochal crisis just to fire a Black woman.
Japan Post just announced they will no longer deliver mail to the United States, joining Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy, France, and Sweden.
The good news is that the global financial system is not dependent on the credibility of the federal reserve. Hold on
✅ Resegregation the federal government ✅ Prompting a constitutional crisis ✅ Threatening a global financial crisis Promises made, promises kept!
Governors have much more power than members of Congress, but that goes both ways. Democratic leaders in Congress could be rhetorically and procedurally much more maximalist in their resistance to authoritarianism. It has fewer real consequences than governors doing the same. I don’t get it.
Governors have much more power, but also more responsibility. Democratic leaders in Congress have little power, but could more clear about Trump’s tyrannical goals—but many of them aren’t even rhetorically forceful. They also don’t use the procedural tools at their disposal. It’s weird.
It’s interesting and very noticeable that Democratic governors (even some I don’t like) have been quite strongly resisting authoritarianism, while Democratic leadership in Congress has been quite tepid about resisting authoritarianism. Why do you think that is the case?
The best thing Hakeem Jeffries could do for American democracy would be to retire from public life. The second best thing he could do would be to grow a pair.
I actually think some people do know this and the question is are we building a powerful base that can back him up. The question remains on the table.
Pritzker is describing Trump’s fascist invasion of Chicago with total moral and political clarity. It’s an example that every other Democrat in the country should follow.
Wait, who do you root for?
Newsom shapes everything around the brute fact that Trump is serially breaking the law and using government sponsored violence and intimidation to entrench authoritarian power. He accepts this as the core fact of our moment. Me and @whstancil.bsky.social on this: newrepublic.com/article/1995...
