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Chrisella Herzog

@chrisella.bsky.social

Bluesky elder. Former journalist talking about politics, climate, tech, and disinformation. #Sewist and #knitter

333 Followers  |  470 Following  |  121 Posts  |  Joined: 22.08.2023
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Posts by Chrisella Herzog (@chrisella.bsky.social)

Orwell at his very best could never come up with some of this. Proactively in a defensive way is basically a line from a coen bros film.

03.03.2026 00:17 β€” πŸ‘ 2692    πŸ” 532    πŸ’¬ 126    πŸ“Œ 14

β€œThe truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand”

03.03.2026 00:35 β€” πŸ‘ 69    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Who needs reporters

02.03.2026 21:58 β€” πŸ‘ 921    πŸ” 215    πŸ’¬ 25    πŸ“Œ 7
Preview
Inside the plan to kill Ali Khamenei Israel spent years hacking Tehran’s traffic cameras and monitoring bodyguards ahead of the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader

"Nearly all the traffic cameras in Tehran had been hacked for years, their images encrypted and transmitted to servers in Tel Aviv and southern Israel, according to two people familiar with the matter." www.ft.com/content/bf99...

02.03.2026 18:36 β€” πŸ‘ 165    πŸ” 52    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 29
Preview
In Iran, the most consequential test of the Fox-Trump feedback loop yet

"They are gearing up for a propaganda war in which they declare Trump a world-historic victor and paint his critics as terrorists and traitors. For them, the details of what happens to the Iranians is for someone else to handle."
www.mediamatters.org/us-iran-rela...

02.03.2026 18:39 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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"The Peace President."

02.03.2026 18:45 β€” πŸ‘ 8436    πŸ” 3285    πŸ’¬ 434    πŸ“Œ 144

In 1990-91 CNN got ratings on that Gulf War that nobody had seen since the moon landing, and news orgs have been chasing that dragon ever since.

02.03.2026 16:01 β€” πŸ‘ 38    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3
A scanned image of the first page of a legal document on letterhead from Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, dated February 27, 2026. It is labeled "Opinion No. KP-0518" and addressed to Mr. Darrel D. Spinks, Executive Director of the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. A portion of the first paragraph is highlighted in yellow, reading: "mental health care providers" licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council."

A scanned image of the first page of a legal document on letterhead from Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, dated February 27, 2026. It is labeled "Opinion No. KP-0518" and addressed to Mr. Darrel D. Spinks, Executive Director of the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. A portion of the first paragraph is highlighted in yellow, reading: "mental health care providers" licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council."

A scanned image of the second page of the Attorney General Opinion document. A section in the first full paragraph is highlighted in yellow, which reads: "[f]or the purpose of transitioning a child’s biological sex as determined by the sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous profiles of the child or affirming the child’s perception of the child’s sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s biological sex."

A scanned image of the second page of the Attorney General Opinion document. A section in the first full paragraph is highlighted in yellow, which reads: "[f]or the purpose of transitioning a child’s biological sex as determined by the sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous profiles of the child or affirming the child’s perception of the child’s sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s biological sex."

A scanned image of the third page of the Attorney General Opinion document. The text discusses various statutory and dictionary definitions of the terms "health care provider" and "health care". There are no highlighted sections on this page.

A scanned image of the third page of the Attorney General Opinion document. The text discusses various statutory and dictionary definitions of the terms "health care provider" and "health care". There are no highlighted sections on this page.

A scanned image of the seventh and final page of the Attorney General Opinion document, showing the "SUMMARY" section and the signature block for Ken Paxton. The entire summary paragraph is highlighted in yellow, reading: "The definition of a β€œhealth care provider” in subsection 161.701(2) of the Health and Safety Code unambiguously encompasses the professions regulated by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. Any licensee that facilitates the provision of unlawful procedures or treatments that aim to transition a child’s sex are thus forbidden from receiving public money in support of those efforts and, separately, risk revocation of their licenses to practice."

A scanned image of the seventh and final page of the Attorney General Opinion document, showing the "SUMMARY" section and the signature block for Ken Paxton. The entire summary paragraph is highlighted in yellow, reading: "The definition of a β€œhealth care provider” in subsection 161.701(2) of the Health and Safety Code unambiguously encompasses the professions regulated by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. Any licensee that facilitates the provision of unlawful procedures or treatments that aim to transition a child’s sex are thus forbidden from receiving public money in support of those efforts and, separately, risk revocation of their licenses to practice."

Texas AG Ken Paxton has declared that it is illegal for mental health providers and therapists to treat trans youth. It means that trans youth will be denied access to any mental healthcare that isn't conversion therapy. Paxton also threatens parents of trans youth with child abuse investigations.

02.03.2026 16:26 β€” πŸ‘ 2173    πŸ” 1076    πŸ’¬ 94    πŸ“Œ 138

If JOHN BOLTON thinks your plan to bomb another country is half-assed, man, you really done fucked it up

02.03.2026 15:14 β€” πŸ‘ 806    πŸ” 119    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 5
Preview
BLM Announces Plan to Fell Oregon's Last Great Forests One billion board feet per year... 30 days to make your voice heard.

You only have a short time to comment. They are trying to destroy our forests to enrich a few logging company executives and the politicians they’ve paid off.
Leave your comment here:

eplanning.blm.gov/Participate-...

morethanjustparks.substack.com/p/blm-announ...

01.03.2026 19:07 β€” πŸ‘ 1527    πŸ” 1794    πŸ’¬ 54    πŸ“Œ 125
Preview
How the lack of newspapers feeds a rise in local corruption. Our study also found that digital media sites didn’t make much of a difference.

One large study found that when a major daily newspaper covering a federal judicial district disappears, corruption cases thereβ€”bribery, embezzlement, fraudβ€”rise by more than 7%.

The researchers suggest officials feel emboldened when no one's looking.
www.cjr.org/analysis/loc...

28.02.2026 13:26 β€” πŸ‘ 234    πŸ” 112    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
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We live in a world in which its entirely possible that Iran negotiations failed because people involved bet the under.

01.03.2026 18:52 β€” πŸ‘ 1788    πŸ” 470    πŸ’¬ 29    πŸ“Œ 15

schools are never valid military targets, on or off base

if someone bombed a DoD school in Okinawa and killed a bunch of American 4th graders, that would be a war crime.

The murder of Iranian schoolchildren is a war crime.

01.03.2026 19:19 β€” πŸ‘ 5270    πŸ” 948    πŸ’¬ 55    πŸ“Œ 17

Probably the ruins of Persepolis as well

01.03.2026 20:59 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
The real story is that foreign governments try to interfere with elections in the U.S. all the time. In 2020 and 2024, the U.S. had private and public infrastructure in place to catch them, call them out, and mitigate the damage. Now, those mechanisms are gone, intentionally undermined and dismantled by the Trump administration. Instead of securing our elections, it seems that the current administration would prefer to exploit the spectre of β€œforeign interference” to justify its own *federal interference* in the upcoming midterm election.

The real story is that foreign governments try to interfere with elections in the U.S. all the time. In 2020 and 2024, the U.S. had private and public infrastructure in place to catch them, call them out, and mitigate the damage. Now, those mechanisms are gone, intentionally undermined and dismantled by the Trump administration. Instead of securing our elections, it seems that the current administration would prefer to exploit the spectre of β€œforeign interference” to justify its own *federal interference* in the upcoming midterm election.

Yesterday, Trump tried to justify the attack on Iran with rehashed claims of "election interference" from 2020 and 2024. Here's my 2 cents on what that was all about:
katestarbird.substack.com/p/the-electi...

01.03.2026 20:40 β€” πŸ‘ 90    πŸ” 33    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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They spent billions on regime change in Venezuela and left the Maduro's head of torture in charge.

They are now spending billions on regime change in Iran, knowing the most likely outcome will be harder line leadership.

We do not have serious people running our country.

01.03.2026 15:19 β€” πŸ‘ 6715    πŸ” 2120    πŸ’¬ 318    πŸ“Œ 93

I still think we have time to burn the internet down

01.03.2026 16:48 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

world-altering decisions are being made by a cabal of gambling addicts hell bent on self enrichment no matter the cost to humanity, we should look into that.

01.03.2026 14:15 β€” πŸ‘ 11717    πŸ” 3803    πŸ’¬ 143    πŸ“Œ 177

I find I am honestly unsure what the long term implications are of the United States demonstrating twice in three months that its new preferred way of war is to engage in bolt-from-the-blue decapitation strikes with no obvious follow-up plan.

My instinct is that it will not turn out well.

01.03.2026 15:07 β€” πŸ‘ 1577    πŸ” 245    πŸ’¬ 33    πŸ“Œ 21

At the Rocky Horror Picture Show in Minneapolis, they’re throwing out ICE whistles shaped like dicks.

01.03.2026 06:04 β€” πŸ‘ 2340    πŸ” 393    πŸ’¬ 25    πŸ“Œ 39

Seems like the emerging policy is: you people out there are responsible for setting up your own governments, but if the US doesn’t like who ends up in charge we’ll just assassinate or kidnap them and then the ball is back in your court.

01.03.2026 15:48 β€” πŸ‘ 4533    πŸ” 1135    πŸ’¬ 184    πŸ“Œ 74
Black and white photo of Marjane Satrapi with the quote:

"The world is not divided between East and West. You are American. I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you.

And our governments are very much the same."

Black and white photo of Marjane Satrapi with the quote: "The world is not divided between East and West. You are American. I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you. And our governments are very much the same."

Once again.

28.02.2026 18:42 β€” πŸ‘ 4657    πŸ” 1638    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 28
We are At War now, according to President Bush, and I take him at his word. He also says this War might last for "a very long time."
Generals and military scholars will tell you that eight or 10 years is actually not such a long time in the span of human history - which is no doubt true - but history also tells us that 10 years of martial law and a wartime economy are going to feel like a Lifetime to people who are in their twenties today. The poor bastards of what will forever be known as Generation Z are doomed to be the first generation of Americans who will grow up with a lower standard of living than their parents enjoyed.
That is extremely heavy news, and it will take a while for it to sink in. The 22 babies born in New York City while the World Trade Center burned will never know what they missed. The last half of the 20th century will seem like a wild party for rich kids, compared to what's coming now. The party's over, folks.

We are At War now, according to President Bush, and I take him at his word. He also says this War might last for "a very long time." Generals and military scholars will tell you that eight or 10 years is actually not such a long time in the span of human history - which is no doubt true - but history also tells us that 10 years of martial law and a wartime economy are going to feel like a Lifetime to people who are in their twenties today. The poor bastards of what will forever be known as Generation Z are doomed to be the first generation of Americans who will grow up with a lower standard of living than their parents enjoyed. That is extremely heavy news, and it will take a while for it to sink in. The 22 babies born in New York City while the World Trade Center burned will never know what they missed. The last half of the 20th century will seem like a wild party for rich kids, compared to what's coming now. The party's over, folks.

From Hunter S. Thompson’s ESPN page 2 column one week after 9/11.

28.02.2026 16:26 β€” πŸ‘ 5995    πŸ” 2022    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 122

Indeed, www.belfercenter.org/publication/...

28.02.2026 20:18 β€” πŸ‘ 23    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Please remember you are likely to see even anti-war and anti-intervention Iranians celebrate Khamenei’s death (if confirmed) as he has been a source of death, tyranny, destruction, and has held Iran back.

28.02.2026 20:07 β€” πŸ‘ 897    πŸ” 188    πŸ’¬ 28    πŸ“Œ 17

"The Islamists oppose women getting an education," I mutter, as I aim my missile at the girls school

28.02.2026 18:53 β€” πŸ‘ 23485    πŸ” 5952    πŸ’¬ 142    πŸ“Œ 64
Preview
Trump Has No Plan for the Iranian People The mere act of bombing Iran will not by itself create a stable regime.

The American bombardment of Iran has been launched without explanation, without Congress, without public support. Above all it has been launched without a coherent strategy for the Iranian people, and without a plan to let them build a legitimate Iranian state.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

28.02.2026 18:41 β€” πŸ‘ 2168    πŸ” 971    πŸ’¬ 148    πŸ“Œ 55

things every single republican president of your lifetime has done

- started a war in the middle east
- completely destroyed the economy

28.02.2026 14:20 β€” πŸ‘ 25410    πŸ” 8627    πŸ’¬ 273    πŸ“Œ 313

β€œWhat terrible news to wake up to” is a sentence I wish felt rare

28.02.2026 12:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1005    πŸ” 158    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 2

there are a lot of people working in the government right now who want to intentionally trigger an apocalypse to create the conditions for the return of jesus christ and I know how crazy that sounds but its absolutely true

28.02.2026 11:54 β€” πŸ‘ 10108    πŸ” 2573    πŸ’¬ 319    πŸ“Œ 390