Psheltona 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇦🇨🇦🇩🇰🇬🇱🇪🇺🖖🏻📚⚽️@psheltona.bsky.social

A big part of the authoritarian playbook is war. War takes over the news. War blots out criticism. War divides a nation’s people, subjecting those against it to being called unpatriotic. War grants leaders all sorts of emergency powers. War consumes everything else.

We mustn’t let this war do so.

The Next Terrorist Attack And What Comes After (Updated)

Modern tyranny is terror management.
I wrote this essay in April 2025 and updated it in November. I'm posting it again now because my fear of this scenario has continued to grow.
"The Next Terrorist Attack: And What Comes After"
snyder.substack.com/p/the-next-t...

A brief history of US and Iran

Push from Saudis, Israel helped move Trump to attack Iran President Trump launched a wide-ranging attack on Iran after weeks-long lobbying by an unusual pair of U.S. allies in the Middle East: Israel and Saudi Arabia.

"The attack came despite US intelligence assessments that Iran was unlikely to pose an immediate threat to the US mainland within the next decade."

So why do it?

"A weeks-long lobbying effort by Israel and Saudi Arabia..."

Ah. Not just weak, but cheap, too.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Off the coast of Northumberland last May

What a wonderful beautiful photo. Sets quite a mood too 💙

1/9. In 2020 Iran did try to interfere with the presidential election.

Wordle 1,716 4/6

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Back to the 4s 😝

And it was still an unconstitutional act

Trump posts that Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei is dead — claiming the country has been “destroyed and, even, obliterated” — while declaring that bombing will “continue, uninterrupted throughout the week… to achieve our objective of PEACE.”

Operation Epic Distraction

anntelnaes.substack.com/p/operation-...

In an Intense Election Year, New Post Office Rules Could Trip Up Voter Registration A change in how mail is postmarked could lead some voters to miss key deadlines, including voter registration. Advocates worry the people most affected will be those already facing voting barriers.

Because of new USPS rules, voters who mail registration forms near the deadline may risk being left off the rolls. One solution: requesting a manual postmark at the retail counter of a post office.

Oooo… I enjoyed her books “She-wolves” and “The Eagle and the Hart” so I will have to check this out-thanks!!

One thing you can do right now: Cancel your Paramount and Warner Bros subscriptions and sign up for as many pro-democracy outlets as you are able.

You can start with Democracy Docket: bit.ly/4qmEiFz

The next Big Lie is to taking shape right in front of us. Donald Trump will try to use this to assert illegal and unconstitutional powers over the 2026 elections.

I need something to hope for right now 💙🖖🏻

Why Attack Iran? Our Authoritarianism and Our Corruption

“The presumption created by the surrounding evidence is that this war could very well be about (1) subverting US democracy, (2) enriching the president, or both. These presumptions, while not proof, provide solid lines of inquiry as we learn more about the war.”
snyder.substack.com/p/why-attack...

Confirmation that LUCAS drones were used against targets in Iran.

People have got to quit trying to downplay how much these cheap, disposable drones have fundamentally altered the way wars are fought.

It’s a big deal everywhere, not just in “permissive” environments.

President Trump fully acknowledging that this is a “war” and that American lives “may be lost.” All done against our Constitution, against the will of the American people, and without Congress’ approval.

Trump’s Fury at Canada Backfires in Surprise Blow to GOP’s 2026 Hopes The number of Canadians visiting the U.S. fell off a cliff in 2025. It’s pretty clear why. And this fall, the GOP should be made to pay a political price for it.

This is striking: Trump's deranged attacks on Canada have caused a big drop in Canadian visits to states like Michigan, hurting the state's economy. There are 3 vulnerable House Republicans in Michigan. So this lunacy could help cost GOP the House. 1/

(new piece)

newrepublic.com/article/2071...

TRUMP: “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties.”

Another war of choice. We have learned nothing.

Since he didn’t go through Congress starting this war is unconstitutional and illegal…not that he cares

CNN reporting that the strikes on Iran tonight are joint US and Israeli strikes.

Which means Donald Trump should be impeached for a third time.

What he has done tonight is illegal under the US constitution and the UN charter.

“As far as I can tell, not a single Republican lawmaker has informed the public that the Save America Act would compel all 50 states to send their voter registration rolls to the DHS or that the DHS would then run the rolls through its ‘SAVE’ voter purge system.” 2/26/26 …1/

There will be a new generation who will appreciate, love and support the royal family 💖

The 22nd Amendment clearly states “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”

Yet 75 years after its ratification, President Trump and his allies have repeatedly floated the idea that he could run again—making the history matter more than ever. 🧵

The world's tallest and longest hedge, the Meikleour Beech Hedge. The image shows a road leading up the middle of the frame with a field and some trees on the left. There are two cars travelling away from the viewer. On the right is a huge green bushy hedge extending up into the sky and as far along the road as the composition allows. The scene is in dim sunlight.

The world's tallest and longest hedge, the Meikleour Beech Hedge runs alongside and towers over the A93 a few miles south of Blairgowrie in Perthshire. Planted in the autumn of 1745, it has a tragic story to tell. More pics and info: www.undiscoveredscot...

#Scotland #Meikleour #Perthshire

Two Swifts in flight against blue sky

Scotland is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

Developments can – and must – be a part of the solution to turn things around.

Ahead of the Scottish election, our manifesto calls for new developments to help restore nature in Scotland 👉 www.rspb.org.uk/scotland/new...