Joel Berger

a strong letter! We’re saved!

Really love that the Lions used their first two picks this year on the D Line and O Line. Especially re the O Line, this is all about ensuring that a current strength remains a strength.

Dan Campbell 101: shore up those trenches.

Americans, especially white collar Americans, not understanding labor organizing is one of the greatest successes of the Reagan era. People just don’t understand solidarity and say stupid shit like “Fuck that union because I don’t like its president” instead of “join and fight!”

I used to live off the very next exit after the bridge exit. Multiple friends were late to gatherings at my house over the 3 yrs I lived there because they made this mistake. Many were lifelong Detroiters. It really is such an easy thing to do. Horrifying that the stakes have heightened like this

As a Lions fan, I remember that first game of the ‘23 season, commentators talking about how the Chiefs spent all this money to upgrade their line, including on Taylor. And I as I watched him false start, line up off the line of scrimmage, hold, and generally get put on skates, I was like, “him”?

The reason billionaires like McMahon are obsessed with student debt is that creating financial precarity makes people more stressed about losing their job. If you’re worried about your job you’re less likely to quit and find work elsewhere. You’re less likely to ask for a raise. It’s pure class war.

Generations of poor kids were sold the idea that taking out a student loan was an investment on their future and one they couldn’t afford to pass. Now after multiple once-in-a-lifetime economic downturns and endless avocado toast pieces those same poor kids are being targeted for immiseration.

What, Exactly, Is Sinners Trying to Say? The racial politics of Ryan Coogler’s buzzy new vampire movie aren’t so black and white.

Watched Sinners last night and was wowed. This might be best review I’ve read of it yet, by Nadira Goffe. Only critic I’ve read so far that really grapples fully with the racial politics of the vampire metaphors, what it means that Remmick is Irish, the layers of villainy. slate.com/culture/2025...

Van Hollen has been pretty good fighting this whole Trump II term, but I’ll be honest that I didn’t know he had that El Salvador trip in him. In an era full of unpleasant surprises, really nice to get pleasantly surprised by someone showing some actual guts

The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump admin must facilitate the return of SMART Union Local 100 apprentice Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

They need to quit wasting time and bring our union brother home NOW!

Sometimes my intellectual brain melts away for a moment and I wonder what went wrong in our society that there is a mass constituency for this absolute, undiluted wickedness. These photo ops are evil. The politicians engaging in them make me question my core belief in the possibility of redemption.

The rise of end times fascism | Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor The governing ideology of the far right has become a monstrous, supremacist survivalism. Our task is to build a movement strong enough to stop them

Grim. It’s tough to understand what’s happening without paying attention to the ideology that underlies the unprecedented actions & ambitions of the 21st c right wing.

Proud to have you as my senator @vanhollen.senate.gov. Thank you!!!

Two children at school in uniforms and it looks like Japan, both of them look like girls or femmes. One is holding a giant tuba so that it's stuffed over the face of the other one that's pinned up against the wall. The one holding the tuba is labeled every company. The tuba is labeled unwanted AI And the one against the wall is labeled me

“Mary Ellen: Strike Boss.” Two pictures of DFT president Mary Ellen Riordan with caption “Mrs Riordan can be militant - or reasonable - in her dealings with the schools.” Title of article by William Pannill is “Teachers Boss: She’s Tough”

Gathering sources for my next dissertation chapter today and pulled back up this Detroit Free Press profile of DFT prez Mary Ellen Riordan during the 1967 Detroit teachers’ strike. I love it so much.

My God

I still can’t get over how crazy this is. Republican House blew up DC’s budget (by accident?) in their spending bill, and sanctimonious zealot Mike Johnson refuses to schedule a bill to fix it. Thus DC is barred from spending ITS OWN TAX MONEY - resulting in layoffs, service cuts, & more. TYRANNY.

Really respect Van Hollen for this. Next level shit. Happy he’s my senator.

Despite attacks from Trump and Musk, educators & community partners stood strong to protect and invest in public schools. This contract pushes back against dismantling public ed—securing smaller classes, more resources, student protections, and respect for veteran teachers. bsky.app/profile/ctul...

I will say this - EVERYONE with power seems to be desperately hoping that unpopularity does the work that consequences need to do

This reminds me that the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence next yr offers a prime year-long organizing opportunity for any and all activist groups who oppose this lawless, fascist administration. SO much you can do with this (assuming Trump isn’t impeached and removed before 2026)

Good way to see the current tariffs, as of literally today, is no tariffs on high value add manufactured goods marketed to middle and upper middle classes. Massive tariffs for cheap consumer items which amount to the biggest economic privilege of working class/middle class life in US.

Mike Davis: Anybody who knows American history knows at least 30% of America has been protofascist forever. And it’s a huge mistake not to understand how deeply reactionary so much of the petty bourgeoise and middle strata in so many parts of the country is. Tweet from Verso Books X account, Nov 3 2020, 11:10 pm

Here’s the Mike Davis quote I’m thinking of, props to Verso Books

This is why I can’t take the softness or triangulation of some Dems. Last thing you should do with fascists is try to meet them halfway. Stake out your ground and fight like hell for it. It’s the only way.

The late Mike Davis (RIP) said in an interview near the end of his life that a good 30% of ppl in this country are hardcore fascists…

a group of people in suits are dancing together Alt: a group of people in suits are dancing together, doing the Hustle in Detroit

I’ve had the “Devereux Wigs” jingle in my head all day - the version with Tim in it 😭 #Detroiters