April Horton

The Beached Whale Messaging for leaders who actually want to lead. Playing to Win - part of a series about directional alignment.

I wrote about leaders who don't (or won't) lead, the death of a political order unsuited for these dark times, what the new one should look like, and the importance of playing to win. New visions for a new and better America: Solidarity, leadership, reframing.

www.the-reframe.com/the-beached-...

If/when we find these new leaders, I hope they make you the speechwriter.

They’re being old white men.

French Senator Claude Malhuret:

"Washington has become Nero’s court, with an incendiary emperor, submissive courtiers and a jester high on ketamine... We were at war with a dictator, we are now at war with a dictator backed by a traitor."

Republicans are lining up to denounce Zelensky because their base was seduced by a cranky old racist with a fondness for dictators. Just wild how the whims, prejudices, and weird obsessions of a senile 78-year-old have completely supplanted the party’s priorities — and reshuffled the world order.

Medicaid is not for sale.
NASA is not for sale.
The Post Office is not for sale.
America is not for sale.

We have an obligation to resist kings. We outnumber them. And they can be overwhelmed.

Exactly right

🗣️ @aoc.bsky.social out fighting for the people & federal workers: “Every day our job is to wake up and say ‘what can I do today?’ — There is no act too small. Every action matters.” 🇺🇸

Normalize calling Republicans Nazis.

The root that tears apart your foundation begins as a seed of distrust, hate, and blame.

The seed that grew into a dictatorship in Europe didn’t arrive overnight.

It started with everyday Germans mad about inflation and looking for someone to blame.

WTAF

Crockett: "It's just that they're idiots. These are the same guys as it relates to our nuclear stockpile, they're like, 'Oh, wait a minute, we needed those guys? Can we get them back? Oh, we don't know how to.' I don't know how anyone can look at this administration & feel a semblance of confidence"

If you wanted to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, you would empower the inspectors general.

If you wanted more waste, fraud, and abuse, you would fire them.

Fascist to his core.

South Korea’s President Yoon Is Indicted President Yoon Suk Yeol will stand trial along with his former defense minister and others who participated in his short-lived imposition of martial law.

Oh so it can be done? And in a matter of weeks? Did it make the people charging him "just as bad as him?" No? Hmm. Yes but does this leave the nation destabilized or "unable to heal?" Again no? Ah. I see.

Well,

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/26/w...

2024 Shkreli Awards - Lown Institute A top ten list of the worst examples of profiteering and dysfunction in health care, named for the infamous "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli.

How to make money in medicine? You can bankrupt community hospitals. Sell body parts. Or, if you're UHC, you can "pressure [physicians] to reduce time with patients and to practice aggressive medical coding tactics that make patients seem as sick as possible."
lowninstitute.org/projects/202...

🧙