“he’ll enforce this with proud boys!” okay, there are > 13,000 public school districts in the US. there are roughly 100,000 primary and secondary schools. trump pardoned 1500 people.
Replies
And, let's not forget that a number of the proud boy groups are busy fighting each other, these days.
feb 1, 2025, 8:19 pm • 4 0 • view
Let the proud boys come. I’ll name three breakfast cereals and they’ll have to stand down
feb 1, 2025, 6:01 pm • 1 0 • view
I’ve been thinking about this as I watch universities struggle with the federal funding freeze. Universities have an instinctive ardor for compliance with federal guidelines, and they are spending their own energy to identify which grants fall afoul of the EOs. Why are we putting our people on this?
feb 1, 2025, 9:59 pm • 7 0 • view
The regime depends on delegated effort and distributed self-regulation. Make them ID the grants they hate. Make them ctrl-F “diversity” and grapple with nonsense results about the diversity of mating displays, marine ecosystems, isotopic ratios, cheeses. Make them burn resources on this.
feb 1, 2025, 9:59 pm • 6 0 • view
They know they lack the manpower for an accurate hit job, and have opted for a blanket freeze until “it’s sorted out.” I have my doubts abt whether such a freeze ever gets lifted. DEI is the scapegoat; cutting off federal funding to universities is the desired outcome. Even more reason to do less.
feb 1, 2025, 9:59 pm • 5 0 • view
And to add, of that 1500, several are already back on jail or dead.
feb 2, 2025, 2:51 am • 1 0 • view
@theophite.bsky.social has been hammering this point over the past couple of days: there are, at max, fewer than 10,000 potential brownshirts in this country who are down for this and who take orders -- either officially or stochastically -- directly from the president
feb 1, 2025, 5:55 pm • 5 0 • view
Each Jan 6th defendant gets either 66 or 67 schools to ride circuit between like a 19th-century American judge and they have to arrest all the woke DEI people at each one by themselves. Very workable.
feb 1, 2025, 6:03 pm • 6 0 • view
They want a Stasi-style informant network ratting to local LEO. Likely using compliant social media to coordinate. www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne....
feb 1, 2025, 5:38 pm • 4 2 • view
Right, so get off social media like that when doing explicit politics and don't tell anyone who's likely to blab about what you're doing.
feb 1, 2025, 6:09 pm • 2 0 • view
Yes, but there are a lot of proud boys and others that weren’t arrested and they are “standing back and standing by”
feb 1, 2025, 5:40 pm • 0 0 • view
The highest estimate I’ve seen is six thousand. Still not enough to meaningfully enforce any of TFG’s wannabe fascist policies.
feb 1, 2025, 5:55 pm • 5 0 • view
That’s true. Valid point. Thanks for talking me down. I guess I’m concerned about violence/terrorism. Then frightened people will self police. It’s going to be hard to guard against that. Against the inclination to go along to get along.
feb 1, 2025, 6:06 pm • 4 0 • view
Trust me, I’m worried too. It’s important to remember that our strength lies in community; if we’re there for each other, we’ll make it through.
feb 1, 2025, 6:15 pm • 3 0 • view
Exactly. We are talking over a million k-12 classrooms, millions more if you include higher ed courses. We should be telling them to gtfoh.
feb 1, 2025, 5:37 pm • 0 0 • view
I mean.... they are building the SS www.yahoo.com/news/gov-des...
feb 2, 2025, 3:04 pm • 0 0 • view
Yes! And he can only pardon federal crimes. Realistically, he can wreck, but he can't force.
feb 1, 2025, 5:31 pm • 3 0 • view
The difficult part will be schools resisting when his goons show up and educators staying strong in the face of limited enforcement
feb 1, 2025, 5:58 pm • 1 0 • view
Cons think their deranged freaks all being gun nuts must mean anyone with a gun is a deranged freak like them. If Proud Boys start patrolling around girl’s volleyball games they’ll learn different.
feb 2, 2025, 2:12 am • 0 0 • view
Are you presuming the military will refuse illegal orders?
feb 1, 2025, 8:12 pm • 0 0 • view
Also like 5 of them are already dead/in jail again because unrepentant criminals do be doing crimes
feb 1, 2025, 5:46 pm • 5 0 • view
And even then, they’re currently dropping like flies.
feb 1, 2025, 5:57 pm • 0 0 • view
They can’t even find a way for schools to be safe from Mass shootings.There is barely any effort, no over sight, no money given to this to my knowledge . New schools contend to be build or been given grants to include any kind of safety measure . Nada . So enforcing some of these others initiatives?
feb 1, 2025, 9:50 pm • 2 0 • view
i think also the primacy of national politics in political discourse has maybe led people to forget that governance is very decentralized and the federal government does not control the states and has limited enforcement power over them
feb 1, 2025, 5:30 pm • 2,797 290 • view
THANK YOU for this. People really need to understand this point and stop assuming we’re on the verge of Trump passing an Enabling Act. Not saying it’s impossible, but it’s *really* hard to do something like that (legally) in the US with its federal structure.
feb 1, 2025, 5:34 pm • 4 0 • view
so how is it different from the Weimar Republic? did the German states have less power?
feb 1, 2025, 6:08 pm • 1 0 • view
Article 48 of the Weimar constitution gave the president authority to declare an emergency and rule by decree, and the power (used four times pre-Hitler) to invade states and replace their governments. It was the legal basis for Hitler's dictatorship. There is little analogous in American law.
feb 1, 2025, 7:22 pm • 3 0 • view
Forget Nazi Germany, there is plenty of rope for DJT/MAGA to turn us into an authoritarian society akin to many in Eastern Europe. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels. bsky.app/profile/adag...
feb 1, 2025, 7:35 pm • 1 0 • view
We are a 248 year old democracy. Weimar started a mere 15 years before Hitler toppled it.
feb 1, 2025, 6:13 pm • 1 0 • view
Germany had an elected house of parliament in 1866, though it wasn’t extended to the whole country until unification in 1871. So as a democracy it’s about as old as the 15th amendment (1870). With the failure of Reconstruction, Germany was arguably more of a democracy than the US.
feb 1, 2025, 6:33 pm • 0 0 • view
It was still a reconstructed nation. It's just not the same. It doesn't mean we're scot-free. It just means it's lazy and probably unhelpful to obsess about the parallels.
feb 1, 2025, 9:23 pm • 0 0 • view
🖤 National politics dominates the conversation, but real governance is decentralized. The federal government doesn’t control the states—it negotiates with them. If power is already fragmented, why do we keep acting like central authority is absolute? #Decentralization #Governance #ObsidianCrown
feb 27, 2025, 8:13 am • 0 0 • view
This is spot on. At first I was worried he would declare martial law. And then I was like…how? The US is a big fucking place. He might be able to do it in DC and some sympathetic red state capitals. The entire country? Good luck.
feb 1, 2025, 8:49 pm • 19 4 • view
Idk. A lot of loud mouthed lunatics got cities and school districts to back off on mask mandates. I think you only need one True Believer with a gun making problems to see some capitulation. But im very cynical so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
feb 1, 2025, 9:55 pm • 3 1 • view
it's not only conservatives that own guns though
feb 1, 2025, 11:38 pm • 5 0 • view
Conservatives like to think that though don’t they.
feb 2, 2025, 12:11 am • 2 0 • view
Just a thought. Elon seized control of the payment systems. What happens if he stops federal payments to states, either purposely or through incompetence?
feb 1, 2025, 5:51 pm • 1 0 • view
Is this 1861 again
feb 2, 2025, 8:34 am • 0 0 • view
"the federal government does not control the states and has limited enforcement power over them" Yes/No. The power of the purse is enormous because no state can jack up its taxes enough to cover for lost federal grants. Think M'caid, M'care, a thousand smaller but still v. significant grants.
feb 1, 2025, 8:50 pm • 3 0 • view
The blue states seem to contribute more?
feb 2, 2025, 8:30 am • 0 0 • view
Don't actually need people to enforce things if it's raining lawsuits from the feds
feb 1, 2025, 7:45 pm • 0 0 • view
??? Do you think lawsuits litigate themselves?
feb 1, 2025, 7:50 pm • 2 0 • view
We'll find out. At least Blue states will ...
feb 1, 2025, 6:02 pm • 1 0 • view
the decentralized problems that require centralization to solve (e.g. checking runaway wealth, climate change) are also a thematic target of the administration. no silver lining there.
feb 1, 2025, 6:53 pm • 1 0 • view
Except accepting federal funds and grants gives the feds much more power over states and local and they can’t just walk away from that no money.
feb 1, 2025, 8:49 pm • 1 0 • view
instead of affirming trump’s belief that he is king of america, it is important to recognize that federalism provides states the tools to push back or at least ignore these orders
feb 1, 2025, 5:30 pm • 4,647 784 • view
There are wayyyyy more resisters than there are enforcers
feb 1, 2025, 5:43 pm • 88 6 • view
And the Resistance just gained 6000 of the FBI's best agents.
feb 1, 2025, 5:52 pm • 57 5 • view
Yeah!!
feb 2, 2025, 12:27 am • 2 0 • view
They’re so f’ing stupid, they’ll stick w the MAGA MORONS, that’s who they are.
feb 1, 2025, 6:14 pm • 3 0 • view
You might be on to something here…
feb 1, 2025, 10:49 pm • 0 0 • view
I'm in California. Our governor is now afraid to push back because southern California needs FEMA support. Other states need assistance from floods. We are in a difficult situation. So are other vulnerable states
feb 1, 2025, 8:13 pm • 9 0 • view
California has the 5th largest GDP in the world. Calu stops sending money to the feds And uses it to help the people of California
feb 3, 2025, 2:46 am • 0 0 • view
I’m passing this on.
feb 2, 2025, 12:22 am • 0 0 • view
I want to thank you for this thread. I appreciate you.
feb 1, 2025, 6:02 pm • 2 0 • view
I might just mention that the second amendment (which you folks are so fond of) is in place to allow the states to protect themselves against federal government over reach.
feb 2, 2025, 11:33 pm • 1 0 • view
Oh, baloney. It was put in place so the slave states could have armed anti-slave patrols. It's another relic of America's racist past (and present). There hasn't been any armed anti-federal action since Washington lead the army to put down the Whiskey Rebellion.
feb 3, 2025, 4:00 am • 0 0 • view
Have you read it?
feb 3, 2025, 5:38 am • 0 0 • view
Yes. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" Everyone who wants to shape it to their beliefs ignore the first four words.
feb 3, 2025, 2:02 pm • 0 0 • view
Thank you dmark. I misinterpreted “state” to mean an individual state as opposed to the nation state.
feb 3, 2025, 3:33 pm • 0 0 • view
i always disliked how distributed the power was until one day trump won and i realized how much a benefit it could be
feb 1, 2025, 5:45 pm • 37 4 • view
Hmmm
feb 2, 2025, 12:29 am • 0 0 • view
Yeah I’ve been focusing my calls at the state and local level because even the orders acknowledge they will need to rely on state & local PD & prosecutors so even a city council member can thwart this shit
feb 1, 2025, 6:54 pm • 10 2 • view
I wish more of the government at a local level was more willing to realize this and act appropriately.
feb 1, 2025, 5:36 pm • 7 0 • view
And Republicans gave us the court precedents to use against this.
feb 1, 2025, 6:17 pm • 2 0 • view
Unfortunately those of us in deep blue areas in red states with fascist AGs like Bailey who was in the running for an admin role...
feb 1, 2025, 5:31 pm • 110 2 • view
Dude…I am in FL…half the band of merry fascists are homegrown in “ The free state of Florida” dumbassnazis are our main crop.
feb 1, 2025, 10:48 pm • 0 0 • view
Exactly. They can’t do *all* of it, but it is going to *really* suck in the places and for the people where they make the attempt.
feb 1, 2025, 5:55 pm • 90 0 • view
Still say NO
feb 2, 2025, 12:25 am • 2 0 • view
Bingo. Trump is not creating an all-powerful executive. He's creating a power vacuum; his orders are backed up by vapor and empty threats. The states can fill that vacuum by just saying "no".
feb 1, 2025, 7:07 pm • 360 43 • view
I'm in California. Our governor is now afraid to push back against Trump bc southern California needs FEMA support. So it isn't so easy if you are in a weakened position like we are.
feb 1, 2025, 8:10 pm • 2 1 • view
NO
feb 2, 2025, 12:24 am • 0 0 • view
I honestly think this is part of his goal. He wants them to say no so he can cut off federal funding, forcing the states to function independently of the federal government. This could potentially lead to the US breaking down into smaller nations, forced to support one another, weakening the whole.
feb 1, 2025, 8:48 pm • 0 1 • view
Which a lot of them are
feb 1, 2025, 7:59 pm • 0 0 • view
Which of course has always been Putin's dream scenario. I just never thought he'd come back and win the cold war so convincingly.
feb 1, 2025, 11:27 pm • 0 0 • view
WA State (at least) has said they will fight bc we send so much $ to federal govt and get very little back. We are saying we wont send it if we are being cut off.
feb 1, 2025, 7:10 pm • 14 0 • view
So true. It's not just pap to say, "don't obey in advance", it's a strategy. Resist and push back against their disruptions. We've already seen them crumble where there is pushback.
feb 1, 2025, 7:14 pm • 164 14 • view
I like to go one step forward and say “disobey in advance”. Make a plan today for what you will do when the fascists show up at your home, church, or place of business. Deception, public defiance, subversion, and feigned incompetence are all valid strategies, choose what works for you, follow thru
feb 2, 2025, 6:12 pm • 10 3 • view
☝️💯
feb 2, 2025, 6:46 pm • 0 0 • view
"Don't obey in advance" is bullshit. Just don't obey at all.
feb 1, 2025, 8:59 pm • 10 0 • view
There are so many things that touch every aspect of our lives that are well beyond the auspices of state and municipal leaders. It is not the time to take stock in existing guardrails but to be up in arms. bsky.app/profile/sara...
feb 1, 2025, 7:30 pm • 39 8 • view
So true and it's happening now. If you work in the federal govt. Do what you can to slow them down. Make what they are doing known. bsky.app/profile/aben...
feb 2, 2025, 4:32 pm • 6 0 • view
The majority of states and counties are run by Republicans. That's how Republicans have been winning elections despite not having the popular vote for some time.
feb 2, 2025, 1:12 am • 2 0 • view
I think it's more useful to look at what the populations of those states are. Republicans control many states with low population. If a majority of more heavily populated states defy Trump, that would be a meaningful resistance.
feb 2, 2025, 5:23 am • 0 0 • view
It's not more useful. The question was who would enforce Trump's executive orders and the answer is Republican governors, Republican county commissioners, Republican city councilors all the way down to Republican school boards. Every single person matters.
feb 2, 2025, 5:41 am • 1 0 • view
Even in red states there are major population centers that are run by Democrats, including big cities.There are counties, towns, school boards. If a red state governor is facing opposition from large portions of his own population, it's not going to be as easy as you think to enforce those orders.
feb 2, 2025, 5:46 am • 1 0 • view
And also, if the majority of the American population decides it's sick of Trump's shit, we're talking about a mass movement bigger than the movements for civil rights, gay rights, abortions, what have you. Strength in numbers.
feb 2, 2025, 5:47 am • 1 0 • view
I live in a very blue state in a very red county. I don't know what you mean by opposition, my county defunded 4H for being too woke and there's nothing the state can do about it. I'm not being cynical, just saying being federated doesn't help.
feb 2, 2025, 6:00 am • 0 0 • view
No, I get it. I live in California, so I know about deep red counties. Anywhere east of the coastal areas is basically Trump country. But: The reason that California as a state votes blue is because those counties have a tiny percentage of the state's population. As bad as its reputation is...
feb 2, 2025, 6:07 am • 0 0 • view
...EVERYBODY wants to live in the S.F. Bay Area. No one wants to live in Modesto or Bakersfield.
feb 2, 2025, 6:07 am • 0 0 • view
Hope they do. Hospitals are giving in on the trans order, turning away trans kids.
feb 1, 2025, 8:58 pm • 0 0 • view
I suppose this is why Musk has taken control of Treasury payments, to try to bring states to heel by withholding expected funding.
feb 1, 2025, 9:20 pm • 0 0 • view
Hmm federalism. Sounds like using their own tactics against them.
feb 1, 2025, 10:41 pm • 3 1 • view
We have this same issue in Canada, where people assume that the Prime Minister is the boss of all the provinces, which is not the case. Ironically, this is because Canadians also believe that the US President is the boss of all the states, and expect the PM has the same power.
feb 1, 2025, 5:38 pm • 11 1 • view
No they don't...if they thought Trudeau was the powerful Oz...they would be doing the lemming off Vancouver Island and New Brunswick.
feb 3, 2025, 2:48 am • 0 0 • view
Indiana officials like a lot of what is going on and are trying to replicate it. I imagine some other red states are likely similar. It will take pressure from Republican voters in red states to turn this tide.
feb 3, 2025, 4:38 am • 0 0 • view
Yes. Just do with their Neo-Nazi crap what they've done with everything else. They will selectively enforce to scare people--but people should realize --THEY'LL DO THAT ANYWAY. There is no placating them. They will continually escalate. We must make it hard for them, not give in right away.
feb 1, 2025, 8:07 pm • 12 2 • view
What democratic governors are stepping up?
feb 2, 2025, 1:26 am • 2 0 • view
We know Illinois Gov Pritzker is doing great, he certainly is on top of every Trump move. Not sure who else?
feb 2, 2025, 1:36 am • 6 0 • view
That doesn’t surprise me! I’ll start following him.
feb 2, 2025, 1:40 am • 1 0 • view
I actually think he won’t even notice if states ignore these executive orders. What’s he gonna do, pop in to see if everyone’s using the right bathroom? The signing of the order IS the end goal, for him. Obviously it WILL hurt lots of people in places that DO comply, but he’s not “checking”.
feb 1, 2025, 5:52 pm • 32 0 • view
Don’t just depends on where his surrogates put THEIR energy, and that remains to be seen.
feb 1, 2025, 5:53 pm • 6 0 • view
Given that the trans EOs have Musk’s nasty hateful fingerprints all over them, assume that Musk will deputize his Twitter Blue stans to report bathroom usage
feb 3, 2025, 9:59 pm • 1 0 • view
Oh LibsofTikTok is FOAMING at the mouth
feb 3, 2025, 10:02 pm • 1 0 • view
I would love to think what you say is true. The flaw w this theory is, his deplorables do whatever he wants. Remember, he is their “ messiah” if my FTM trans son goes into a men’s room he chances being attacked! If he uses the women’s room ladies see him and call police… he gets beat up… or worse.😡
feb 1, 2025, 10:57 pm • 0 0 • view
That’s why I said “for him,” meaning just Trump, and why I said people will still get hurt in places that comply. I also have a trans kid, and I empathize with your reasonable fear. I’m not suggesting or predicting any specific outcome, only observing what TRUMP’S personal priorities seem to be.
feb 1, 2025, 11:01 pm • 0 0 • view
and he's counting on neighbors/parents/teachers to rat each other out, thus perpetuating a culture of fear.
feb 1, 2025, 6:10 pm • 7 0 • view
They WILL rat people out… they will harass them… they will lynch them, beat them, break bones, you name it! Being ratted out is just the start! Im from Mattt Gaetz land in the ballsack of florida…it’s a whole different world in this hellhole and many people dont have the money to just pack up &leave
feb 1, 2025, 11:01 pm • 0 0 • view
Not only that I don’t think he cares. I think he’s literally mostly sitting around on his phone until Musk or Heritage goons hand him something to sign.
feb 1, 2025, 6:14 pm • 4 0 • view
This might be a hot take but I actually don’t think his heart is even in the anti-trans stuff, like he’s DOWN, but he gets much more excited about the trade war shit than identity politics.
feb 1, 2025, 6:44 pm • 7 0 • view
I don’t think he truly has any political concerns beyond feeling like a bigshot. He also has no empathy or kindness so he’ll go along with whatever
feb 1, 2025, 8:14 pm • 5 0 • view
Look at what the bastards running texas did with every Biden EO, and run their playbook for good instead of evil.
feb 1, 2025, 5:50 pm • 13 3 • view
you don’t think you’re making the same thought mistakes again and again? you just made a video TT about how you got it wrong and you’re doing it again here Project 2025 made a database of potential employees and applicants. they don’t care about competence they will learn on the job or die trying
feb 1, 2025, 10:04 pm • 2 1 • view
They’re already not writing checks tho.
feb 1, 2025, 6:25 pm • 0 0 • view
So are my fed taxes going down since they cut all these programs or are we going to keep subsidizing the oligarch?
feb 1, 2025, 6:46 pm • 2 0 • view
But the feds are spending the money to investigate Denver East HS for a gender neutral bathroom.
feb 1, 2025, 6:30 pm • 8 1 • view
WTHELL
feb 2, 2025, 12:40 am • 0 0 • view
Federalism is our greatest defense against his coming attacks on elections, too. Elections are run by the states.
feb 1, 2025, 5:51 pm • 27 5 • view
A lot of states are complicit or are the active attackers.
feb 1, 2025, 6:49 pm • 8 1 • view
Right, that’s the unfortunate flip side.
feb 1, 2025, 6:51 pm • 10 1 • view
I say that because I’ve worked elections:-) it’s fun, not crazy like the right would have folks believing.
feb 1, 2025, 11:32 pm • 3 1 • view
So here’s how to combat that, we need folks to sign up to be election workers. Simple right? Work the election, become active that way we have some folks in their wanting to do the right things.
feb 1, 2025, 11:30 pm • 3 0 • view
Are you underestimating the threat of menace re: the pardoning of the convicetd J6 offenders, and a loose pardoning strategy? IIRC, several Republican Senators privately said they voted against impeachment out of fear of reprisals from the electorate, not "I'll get voted out" but "I'll be attacked".
feb 1, 2025, 6:26 pm • 2 0 • view
I think you forget that the GOP is Federalism for me, but not for Thee
feb 2, 2025, 8:48 am • 0 0 • view
Got an excellent, impassioned, email saying no fucking way from the district's superintendent yesterday. Need to deliver that man some donuts, at the very minimum
feb 1, 2025, 5:44 pm • 40 3 • view
All of these structures and checks and balances are theoretical: they have never been stress tested in this manner before. Laws are meaningless if not enforced. The question is: how much will -unelected- Elon Musk be allowed to dismantle the government in this clearly unconstitutional manner.
feb 1, 2025, 6:08 pm • 15 5 • view
well, once before
feb 1, 2025, 8:49 pm • 0 0 • view
They did before the SCOTUS granted him immunity
feb 2, 2025, 11:37 pm • 1 0 • view
And we should already have practice with this from Trump 1 www.vox.com/the-big-idea...
feb 1, 2025, 6:43 pm • 12 3 • view
I’ve been saying that Dems need to start supporting federalism right now. He can’t impose his will on states and also dismantle the federal govt.
feb 1, 2025, 6:07 pm • 8 1 • view
I have a serious story for you, too. I have dictator phobia youtu.be/VeVhHNSe9Ks?...
feb 1, 2025, 6:41 pm • 1 1 • view
Yarvin also espoused turning the infirm, unproductive, and elderly into bio-diesel. No shit. They talk about "ruling class" yet they are billionaires, tax-exempt, who bought the US Presidency. They have no fucking self-awareness. They are Nazis....plain and simple. Musk, another follower of Yarvin.
feb 1, 2025, 10:31 pm • 5 0 • view
They are insane and very dangerous.
feb 1, 2025, 10:32 pm • 0 0 • view
This is crucial. The federal government is not designed or staffed to exercise the nationwide control they aspire to. About 13K FBI agents and 20K border control, and all those people have an actual job to do already, that isn't looking for rainbow posters in blue states.
feb 1, 2025, 5:58 pm • 20 1 • view
Combine that with the concurrent purges of those deemed insufficiently loyal; a half-assed illegal attempt to make sweeping cuts in the number of federal employees, and putting 25-year-old groypers in management posts.
feb 1, 2025, 5:58 pm • 11 1 • view
And a lot of the security services are being pulled into doing border enforcement of various kinds.
feb 1, 2025, 6:09 pm • 2 0 • view
Next 2 years is a great time for normie criminals to go about their business, while all fed law enforcement are busy hunting for brown people and DEI samizdat and dreaming up spurious cases to harass prominent Dems.
feb 1, 2025, 6:19 pm • 4 1 • view
Hardly any of this shit is going to get done, except where red-state governments sign up to it and provide the money and manpower. With "money" being fairly crucial, especially while Trump's goons try to cut off federal grants which are ~50% of Lousiana's budget, for example.
feb 1, 2025, 5:58 pm • 12 0 • view
Can’t even enforce traffic laws down here, IJS
feb 1, 2025, 6:46 pm • 2 0 • view
Interesting stats on number of law enforcement in each state, CA has most, at ~70K. worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankin...
feb 1, 2025, 6:51 pm • 2 0 • view
They're going to try to get the military involved, but 1. That's highly illegal in most circumstances 2. The military is young and diverse and not as MAGA as they hope 3. There's a long tradition of staying the f out of politics
feb 1, 2025, 6:05 pm • 12 1 • view
4. A lot of serving troops have seen Iraq or Afghanistan and won't want to inflict civil war / insurrection on the USA.
feb 1, 2025, 6:05 pm • 12 1 • view
The other thing to consider, though, is the snitch networks they love to create. They definitely plan to set up hotlines so that Joe MAGA can report them there transgenders in the bathroom at Cinemax
feb 1, 2025, 7:29 pm • 2 0 • view
Those are great. As soon as they're set up they can be spammed with bogus reports to get the overworked goons chasing their tails. Gen Z are fire at this game.
feb 1, 2025, 7:46 pm • 4 0 • view
Well my Gen Z trans kid was threatened with a gun in Colorado!! Imagine the less progressive states. This isn’t just whining… it is real fear. When you have to text your kids every day to make sure they havent been killed… by someone else or themselves. I am livid and done w trusting others to help.
feb 1, 2025, 11:08 pm • 2 0 • view
I’m seeing a lot less executive orders from governors than in Trump’s first term. That’s more distressing than congressional Democrats’ behavior so far. And with all of the blue state shield laws passed since 2019, I don’t think those are enough.
feb 4, 2025, 4:56 am • 1 0 • view
This assumes you live in a democratic state. I’m from Missouri. Governor and legislature are Republican controlled. We won’t push back. We’ll joyfully follow. 😖🤬
feb 1, 2025, 6:57 pm • 2 0 • view
Screams in Florida
feb 1, 2025, 6:45 pm • 0 0 • view
Are we not where we are because the majority of states and counties are run by Republicans?
feb 2, 2025, 1:10 am • 1 0 • view
This is admittedly my hobby horse,but a big part of this is learned authoritarian obedience. The "powerful man" said a thing,so now you all put your heads down and do it. That's how coups work. For a country that won't stop talking about it's great revolution,a lot of you don't know how to revolt.
feb 1, 2025, 8:27 pm • 19 2 • view
That’s so true
feb 2, 2025, 12:26 am • 1 0 • view
Just to head off misunderstandings: by "a lot," I mean mostly people who have enough privilege that you've never *had to* resist/rebel/revolt before, and I include myself in that group (cis/het, able-bodied white man). Black people know resistance. Queer people know resistance. My people don't.
feb 1, 2025, 8:29 pm • 17 2 • view
True but also people really don’t know how govt works and what it can realistically do, like the mass deportation stuff was always fantasy because it would take a huge amount of resources.
feb 1, 2025, 8:59 pm • 1 0 • view
THIS. State Attorneys General have the power to do so much. Demand they act!
feb 1, 2025, 6:37 pm • 10 1 • view
Thank the gods, we live in Illinois.
feb 1, 2025, 6:12 pm • 4 0 • view
Your Governor seems to understand what's happening. We live in Washington, thankfully.
feb 1, 2025, 6:41 pm • 4 0 • view
Who different local police forces in different areas break for, if and when pushed, would matter a lot.
feb 1, 2025, 10:46 pm • 3 0 • view
Tennessean - judging by our state legislature and governor, they’re in lockstep. Tying school voucher bill to Helene aid for one. HB6001 public officials are threatened with a felony and removal from office over subjective immigration enforcement. The states can resist, I just don’t think they will
feb 1, 2025, 9:44 pm • 1 0 • view
Do you states here this. Hello
feb 3, 2025, 12:18 am • 0 0 • view
More governors of blue states need to follow what IL is doing.
feb 1, 2025, 9:10 pm • 7 1 • view
@joshshapiropa.bsky.social
feb 2, 2025, 12:28 am • 0 0 • view
I’ve been working on backfilling the gaping hole in the center-left’s imagination about federalism for the past decade. It’s rough sledding.
feb 1, 2025, 11:22 pm • 65 1 • view
sounds awesome, can you explain - really briefly lol - how that works and what the benefits/outcomes are?
feb 2, 2025, 1:59 am • 0 0 • view
Preach!
feb 2, 2025, 1:25 am • 5 0 • view
There's a lot of ways of combatting rent extraction where the Constitution shackles the states -- finance, bankruptcy, copyright law, among others... OTOH, land value taxation's one area where the states can act that the feds probably can't. Citizen Dividend funded by LVT would be a game-changer...
feb 2, 2025, 2:53 am • 0 0 • view
...as would a guaranteed minimum income funded by negative income tax, and card check unionism.
feb 2, 2025, 2:53 am • 0 0 • view
That’d be great if CRT panic didn’t give Glenn Youngkin and Jason Miyares power in Virginia
feb 1, 2025, 6:11 pm • 1 0 • view
We need state AGs filing more lawsuits against Musk for violating its citizens privacy.
feb 3, 2025, 1:59 am • 5 0 • view
As the Ds in Washington piss down their legs in panic, the states will have to be where the action is. In my world (the legal world), every lawyer participating in the implementation of Trump's manifestly illegal schemes, in court or otherwise, ought to be exposed to serious disciplinary risk.
feb 1, 2025, 6:40 pm • 14 2 • view
Disbarred!
feb 2, 2025, 12:35 am • 0 0 • view
Unless you live in a red state. My state just kisses his ass
feb 2, 2025, 11:49 pm • 1 0 • view
Agreed. People need to understand that with the Democrats a minority in Congress, it's going to be up to the States to do a lot of the heavy lifting. That's why so many lawsuits are coming from there. And we need to hope the Supreme Court sees a lot of this stuff as a bridge too far.
feb 1, 2025, 7:11 pm • 4 0 • view
And it's worth remembering that conservatives on the Supreme Court are terrible, but not mindless lackies of Trump (well, maybe 2 of them might as well be). They largely don't agree with the Unitary Executive Theory, for instance. But also expect someu terrible rulings for things they get that far.
feb 1, 2025, 7:14 pm • 3 0 • view
It’s hard to ignore it if Musk and his trolls actually have access to payment systems and ignore existing legally-signed contracts to stop disbursing funds.
feb 1, 2025, 6:43 pm • 1 0 • view
I would certainly like to see California have open job offers for all laid-off FBI and military. Staff up an independent military - California can do it.
feb 2, 2025, 1:43 am • 5 1 • view
Sure, that's why it isn't 21 years the age of the legal age for alcohol consumption on all the land. Right? The federal government can force States to do their bid through money. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationa...
feb 2, 2025, 1:22 am • 1 0 • view
On the one hand, there are some levers the admin is using to push state compliance on immigration: threatening all federal $, detailing people from other federal agencies to anti-“sanctuary” enforcement OTOH, worth noting those are now resources that CAN’T be used to fight states on other fronts
feb 1, 2025, 6:40 pm • 29 3 • view
Federalism might be our saving grace. Also, elections are widely in the domain of states. That can create problems sometimes, but can also serve as an important check.
feb 1, 2025, 9:02 pm • 5 2 • view
this is the benefit and the curse of america. we're.....a very big place with a lot of redundancy and complexity. it's what makes police reform so hard -- you have federal, state, tribal, country, city, etc law enforcement agencies and areas of responsibility and you can't just pass one big
feb 1, 2025, 6:29 pm • 17 1 • view
reg that will make them all behave the same way. However if you want to delay some kind of undesirable behavior from a centralized government, this kludge always slows things down quite a bit
feb 1, 2025, 6:30 pm • 9 2 • view
Are we in the rope a dope phase of the Dem move to save democracy? Even when Ali did his famous rope a dope he threw some punches? These folks in the ring with their hands in their pockets.
feb 1, 2025, 7:10 pm • 2 0 • view
To be fair, their opponent seems to be occupied with breaking his own knees
feb 1, 2025, 10:04 pm • 4 1 • view
They may be kneecappin themselves but taking tons of folks down with them.
feb 1, 2025, 10:06 pm • 1 0 • view
I wish ringside seats weren’t mandatory
feb 1, 2025, 10:09 pm • 2 1 • view
Its like watching a freight train derail. All 150 cars slowly coming off the tracks.
feb 1, 2025, 10:16 pm • 1 0 • view
We've already seen California tell Trump to fuck off with his education rules, hoping more states do the same.
feb 1, 2025, 6:43 pm • 2 0 • view
The counties that went for Trump also have right leaning local governments. My county commissioners have already defunded programs like 4H due to DEI initiatives. I'm sure the blue counties will be fine though.
feb 2, 2025, 1:08 am • 0 0 • view
Because 4H wants a membership of more than white boys?
feb 2, 2025, 1:27 am • 2 0 • view
True, and... An important factor to note is that ICE, HSI, CBP, and other federal agencies have been training private citizens to perform law enforcement duties for several years. States and cities run similar "Private Citizen Academies" programs. Those graduates, or anyone, can be deputized.
feb 1, 2025, 6:19 pm • 1 0 • view
??
feb 2, 2025, 8:33 am • 0 0 • view
Thank you for zooming out a bit, Jamelle! We need to have realistic perspectives in this very frightening time.
feb 1, 2025, 5:47 pm • 5 0 • view
Some tips here from Racoons of the Resistance and @firstdogonthemoon.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
feb 2, 2025, 11:35 pm • 0 0 • view
Unfortunately, in Indiana the right wing governor is mimicking tRump's orders....there's that Republican trickle down.
feb 1, 2025, 7:47 pm • 2 0 • view
East Germany didn’t rely on agents to enforce law or control the people. They relied on snitches. People reporting their neighbors.
feb 1, 2025, 7:44 pm • 2 0 • view
you need someone for the snitches to report to, the stasi had almost 100,000 full time employees and a dedicated paramilitary military division
feb 1, 2025, 8:51 pm • 3 0 • view
Thank you. I really appreciate that information.
feb 1, 2025, 8:53 pm • 1 0 • view
It's also a violation of the first amendment. If entities are funding activities without federal dollars, there should be zero interference by the feds, zero retribution.
feb 1, 2025, 8:49 pm • 1 0 • view
It also would be nice if people who insist that there is nothing we can do and Trump is now emperor quit trying to get everybody else to agree with them.
feb 1, 2025, 6:39 pm • 3 0 • view
All politics are local
feb 1, 2025, 7:37 pm • 2 0 • view
If it wasn't, Reconstruction would have worked and the Klan, Wallace, and Mississippi Burning would have worked out very differently.
feb 2, 2025, 3:01 am • 2 0 • view
Also district memories of the proud boys getting chased out of New York because “we were so mean and didn’t want to debate”
feb 1, 2025, 5:44 pm • 18 0 • view
feb 1, 2025, 6:26 pm • 4 0 • view
especially, if the fascist vandals zero out all the federal programs for states that they trade for desired policies. The feds didn't mandate no-alcohol till age 21 -- they just threatened to withhold funds if states didn't do that. No federal funds to states means no lever.
feb 1, 2025, 7:40 pm • 2 0 • view
Unless you are a state that contributes more than it gets back
feb 2, 2025, 8:32 am • 0 0 • view
What's the lever? Sure, the feds take from the blue states to give to the reds (I live in MA) but the lever has to have some quid pro quo movement attached. If complying with federal wishes doesn't reduce the take, if ignoring does not increase the take, why pay any attention to what they want?
feb 2, 2025, 2:57 pm • 0 0 • view
It’s also important to understand that to have quality people at the top requires having quality people at the bottom where everyone starts. If voters made sure that only the best people were elected at the lowest levels of government, they’d be more likely to have the best people at the upper ranks
feb 2, 2025, 2:42 am • 3 1 • view
As proof of that, I urge you to look at local Republican politicians and compare them to those at the national level, then understand that the GOP effort to make their party what it is today has been going on since the arrival of the Tea Party
feb 2, 2025, 3:02 am • 1 1 • view
Damn now *those* are states' rights I can get behind
feb 1, 2025, 6:37 pm • 2 0 • view
What’s next? Brown shirts?
feb 1, 2025, 6:24 pm • 0 0 • view
He’s depending on us helping him.
feb 1, 2025, 5:49 pm • 3 0 • view
And teachers are overwhelmingly liberal (or at least pro-democracy). As one, we might as well hold to our moral and ethical values cause they’re gonna make shit up about us anyway.
feb 1, 2025, 5:36 pm • 9 0 • view
There were 9000 active duty transgender US soldiers in 2016, & Donnie plans on making all of them disgruntled former soldiers. Those numbers do not appear to favor the right wing militia movement. web.archive.org/web/20200412...
feb 1, 2025, 6:55 pm • 3 1 • view
And a couple of those have already gone back to jail or died!
feb 1, 2025, 6:37 pm • 0 0 • view
Don't forget all the ones that didn't go to DC. Seems like every town has a small group of THOSE assholes who will happily raise hell with their local school districts over Trump's crap. They're cowards, but loudmouth cowards.
feb 2, 2025, 11:50 pm • 0 0 • view
bsky.app/profile/phoe...
feb 5, 2025, 4:31 am • 0 0 • view
I think the fact that conservatives run a decent chunk of those schools is also a factor. We've had Trumpers take over multiple city school boards here in Eastern Washington and I imagine it's similar across rural America. Not to mention if a state has a conservative DoE, that's another layer.
feb 1, 2025, 7:02 pm • 2 0 • view
So somebody is going to get a hurtin'. 1500 versus 113,000 and yes you better believe 113,000 will come together to smash the shit outta 1500 proud boys. Like that is an invitation to meet me behind the portable and I'll clean your clock. Bring it Proud Boys. We're related and I will blood eagle u!
feb 1, 2025, 6:56 pm • 1 0 • view
These are the parts that provide me some solace too. Some of the bad shit he wants he simply can't get unless everyone just rolls over, congress is falling way down but states can and are doing good and I live in WA so that help me a little. Bob Ferguson is the gov and he sued Trump constantly.
feb 1, 2025, 5:44 pm • 11 1 • view
He was the AG previously.
feb 1, 2025, 5:45 pm • 1 0 • view
Also approximately 1% of the pardoned J6ers appear to get arrested on a new crime or shot each week, attrition is gonna cut those numbers down even more
feb 1, 2025, 9:18 pm • 9 0 • view
How many guards vs prisoners were there in concentration camps? Or in prisons? It's all about the "right way" of intimidation and use of violence to exert control.
feb 1, 2025, 6:21 pm • 0 0 • view
There are way more than 1600 wannabe"proud boys" in every nook of the country. If 10 come to your house after being doxxed,that's an isolated event. If 10 start showing up at millions of peoples homes,that's a system whose design is based on historic behavior. i.e.Rwanda,Myanmar,Sudan, Yugoslavia
feb 1, 2025, 7:07 pm • 0 0 • view
You're suggesting there are more than 10 million proud boys, but in secret?
feb 1, 2025, 7:55 pm • 2 0 • view
Yes. Easily. Not a stretch. I live in the most blue city(Seattle)in an extremely blue state & these maga young men full of testosterone,angst & grievance are everywhere. Openly. Especially in the construction industry I work in. They don't have to be dues paying initiates,to be on board for volence.
feb 3, 2025, 8:14 pm • 0 0 • view
Trump got 77 million votes. Are you saying that fully 1/7th of his voters are young men willing to commit violence to strangers at his order? Or that they are willing to commit that violence, but not vote? Your numbers do not add up my dude.
feb 3, 2025, 8:17 pm • 0 0 • view
Believe what you want. I'm 65 & have seen a lot of evil come in cycles here & abroad in real time,as throughout history, & that was before the internet & right-wing media monopolies connected the like-minded. People are no different than they've ever been with the same propensity for mob psychology
feb 3, 2025, 8:28 pm • 0 0 • view
More than 10 million of them...
feb 3, 2025, 9:18 pm • 0 0 • view
The KKK rose from 6ppl to 4million++wide national support WITH Jim Crow in effect. The population was only 116million (1/3rd the current 346ml = 12mil). Brownshirts rose from 30ppl to 4million out of 71mil pop. Apropo example of massive cult-phoria young ppl explosion into violence for a leader:👇
feb 5, 2025, 6:20 pm • 0 0 • view
I don’t think many juries would convict anyone defending their school district from these fuckin terrorists
feb 1, 2025, 6:01 pm • 7 0 • view
Sorry but this is shockingly naive. That's just the ones who were caught and prosecuted. There were far more in total on Jan 6th and even more who would be at minimum willing to snitch out schools. It's also not an instant thing. We're about to face YEARS of persecution at best.
feb 1, 2025, 5:56 pm • 0 0 • view
Seems to me you've mistaken this executive for one that cares for hiring standards and due process.
feb 1, 2025, 5:59 pm • 2 0 • view
From what we know, there's about 10,000 in militias total. That's not enough without through local law enforcement cooperation, and if we don't go turning information over to them, well, have you seen local law enforcement when they're investigating crime? It's bad.
feb 1, 2025, 6:12 pm • 2 0 • view
They don't need to bum rush every school district all at once. Targeting even a small number will have a massive chilling effect. I really don't think y'all get how fascism works. It's relentless systematic oppression over an extended period of time.
feb 1, 2025, 6:33 pm • 0 0 • view
Beyond that I don't think y'all understand the mechanism by which it will be enforced. It does not require a militia. All it takes is one snitch in the community and Elon Musk flipping a switch in the OMB computer to halt payments to a school.
feb 1, 2025, 6:36 pm • 2 0 • view
So snitches get stitches.
feb 1, 2025, 6:47 pm • 0 0 • view