Steve Miles

Hey Brendan "we can do this the easy way or the hard way" Carr:

Last year in National Rifle Association v. Vullo, the Supreme Court unanimously reaffirmed this fundamental principle of our constitutional republic:

A headline from USA Today reads: "Trump suggests FCC should consider revoking licenses over negative coverage of him"

What Trump said is a fucking outrage.

It’s against democracy.

If Donald Trump has his way on this, our democracy is over.

Senate confirms 48 Trump nominees at once, including Kimberly Guilfoyle and Callista Gingrich Republicans this month triggered the "nuclear option," changing Senate rules to confirm nominees en bloc, calling it an attempt to overcome Democratic obstruction.

I hope I'm wrong but: The main reason Senate parties haven't escalated the nuclear option in the past was because they knew the other party would use it when they gained power. Why are the Republicans doing this now? Because they don't expect to lose control of the Senate. Ever.

Please don't bend the knee @jimmykimmel.com. You said nothing wrong or inappropriate. Disney is likely reeling from the loss of many Disney, Hulu, etc. subscribers over the past day. You hold the cards.

The silencing of Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, not to mention CBS’s editorial bending-of-the-knee, are the most noteworthy and shocking examples of true CENSORSHIP in my lifetime. We are on a slippery slope, folks. And it doesn’t lead to a good place.

The Right has been whining about “cancel-culture” for decades as “censorship”. In fact, what they call cancel-culture is really just expression of free speech by PEOPLE. True censorship OTOH is the direct or indirect silencing of critics by the GOVERNMENT...

I have cancelled my Hulu and Disney subscriptions "indefinitely". I also cancelled my Paramount Plus subscription, although that was not a "purely financial decision."

We shouldn't worry too much about the poor job numbers announced today. I mean there's a pretty clear solution to that problem: just fire the person who announced those numbers. Because killing the messenger always solves the problem, right?

"We are a democracy. But we can lose that democracy." This afternoon, Washington Senator Patty Murray, who has been in the Senate for more than 32 years, rose to condemn the treatment of California Senator Alex Padilla, who was manhandled out of a press ...

Read these words from Senator Murray, who has said it so well tonight. We’re in danger of losing democracy. Don’t ignore what’s happening. joycevance.substack.com/p/we-are-a-d...

She is saying that the intent of federal forces to LA is to usurp the democratically elected leaders of California and Los Angeles. Let that sink in for a moment. Watch out Seattle, Chicago, DC, Philadelphia and New York, you're next.

WATCH: Noem holds briefing on immigration raids and response to Los Angeles protests Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla on Thursday was forcefully removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s news conference in Los Angeles and handcuffed by officers as he tried to speak up ab...

www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...

(Starts at about the 7 min mark.)

Just before Noem's gestapo forcibly silenced Sen. Padilla, here's what she was saying: "We are staying to liberate this city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into this city."

This is how you normalize authoritarianism.

It took RFK Jr. just six minutes to lie to Congress Trump's HHS nominee is indeed anti-vaccine.

And why are editors still doing both-sides framing? RFK Jr made money from his anti-vax grift. He lied during his confirmation hearing. And yet his “experts” carry the same weight in stories as “pro-vaccine groups” that represent the vast majority of scientists?

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Not a very fine person?

Double.

Finally, if Democrats do manage to take back Congress, it will be Trump's first defeat since 2020. Like that election, he will claim that the outcomes were "rigged" and illegitimate. Look for another Jan. 6-style attempt to thwart a legitimate electoral outcome that he disagrees with. (7/7)

Before and after the mid-terms, look for Trump to try to replace local election officials to ensure the outcomes that he wants. After the election, he will strong-arm Republicans who currently control Congress to only accept representatives whom he deems "legitimately elected". (6/7)

One way to interfere with elections will be through a massive disinformation campaign. A campaign that will be financed by the bribes he has received since his re-election and/or by his oligarch enablers. (5/7)

As we get closer to the mid-terms, look for Trump to try to assert authority (authority he doesn't have) over local elections and election officials. He will stop an nothing to prevent Democrats from gaining control of Congress. (4/7)

He will also likely use the DOJ and courts to silence or coerce pollsters to do his bidding, as he has tried to do with law firms, universities, and other entities who stand or who have stood up for the truth. (3/7)

Trump will try to discredit pollsters and their polls using the same ad-hominem attacks that he has used against anyone that doesn't fall in line (e.g. the "failing NY Times", "overrated" Bruce Springsteen and countless other examples). (2/7)

As poll numbers for Trump continue to fall and as the mid-terms get nearer, look for two things: 1) Trump will ramp up attacks on pollsters and polls; 2) Trump will try to interfere with the mid-term elections to prevent Democrats from taking back control of Congress. (1/7)

Reading Karl Popper’s "The Open Society and Its Enemies", I came across this Heraclitus quote that echoes across centuries: “A people ought to fight for the laws of the city as if they were its walls.” Today, the rule of law is under attack. Will we fight to defend it?

@joycewhitevance.bsky.social

“You’re gambling with World War 3!” Trump’s words in his embarrassing Oval Office shakedown today. Remember: with Trump, every accusation is a confession. What Trump/Vance displayed was weakness. And weakness invites chaos. They didn't just betray our allies; they brought the world closer to war.

History will remember this day— when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for.

Double-checked by Google Gemini which called GPT's analysis "excellent".

ChatGPT - 14th Amendment Citizenship Scope Shared via ChatGPT

ChatGPT's analysis of Trump's post re 14th Amendment. Summary: "The framers wrote it broadly, and ...[SCOTUS] has interpreted it to mean what it ... says: If you’re born in the US (and not the child of a foreign diplomat or hostile occupying force), you are a US citizen."
chatgpt.com/share/67b268...

On Ukraine, Europe must step into the void | Virgin

Europe can’t rely on the strength of the transatlantic relationship to help contain Russia’s threat – it must lead from the front and be the true force of support that Ukraine needs. Not just for Ukraine’s sake, but for a free and sovereign Europe.

The cynicism of such a statement coming from the US VP is stunning -- and sickening. The statement isn't even logically sound. That people are easily manipulated isn't a statement about the strength of a democracy, but simply about the need for better tools and methods to fight disinformation.