Wisdom in SpaceFeb 26

As a nation, be began by declaring that 'all men are created equal'.... When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty &mdash to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.
-- Abraham Lincoln

⬆ #Wisdom #Quotes #AbrahamLincoln #Discrimination #Despotism #Hypocrisy #KnowNothings

⬇ #Photography #Panorama #MississippiRiver #PikesPeak #Iowa

WIST QuotationsFeb 16

A quotation from Montesquieu

When the savages of Louisiana want some fruit, they cut down the tree at the base and gather the fruit. That is how a despotic government works.
 
[Quand les sauvages de la Louisiane veulent avoir du fruit, ils coupent l’arbre au pied, & cueillent le fruit. Voilà le gouvernement despotique.]

Charles-Lewis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) French political philosopher
Spirit of Laws [The Spirit of the Laws; De l’esprit des lois], Book 5, ch. 13 (5.13) (1748) [tr. Stewart (2018)]

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/montesquieu/82151/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #montesquieu #spoils #autocracy #despotism #destruction #devastation #exploitation #inefficiency #pillage #taking #thoughtlessness #tyranny #unsustainability

Montesquieu - Spirit of Laws [The Spirit of the Laws; De l’esprit des lois], Book 5, ch. 13 (5.13) (1748) [tr. Stewart (2018)] | WIST Quotations

When the savages of Louisiana want some fruit, they cut down the tree at the base and gather the fruit. That is how a despotic government works. [Quand les sauvages de la Louisiane veulent avoir du fruit, ils coupent l’arbre au pied, & cueillent le fruit. Voilà le gouvernement despotique.]…

WIST Quotations
WIST QuotationsFeb 4

A quotation from Madeleine L'Engle

We think because we have words, not the other way around, and the greater our vocabulary, the greater our ability to think conceptually. The first people a dictator puts in jail are the writers, the teachers, the librarians — because these people are dangerous. They have enough vocabulary to recognize injustice and to speak out loudly about it. Let us have the courage to go on being dangerous people.

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) American writer
Speech (1983-11-16), “Dare To Be Creative,” Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

More about this quote: wist.info/lengle-madeleine/818…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #lengle #madeleinelengle #censorship #communication #concepts #despotism #dictatorship #jailing #librarians #suppression #teachers #tyranny #vocabulary #wellspoken #writers

L'Engle, Madeleine - Speech (1983-11-16), "Dare To Be Creative," Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC | WIST Quotations

We think because we have words, not the other way around, and the greater our vocabulary, the greater our ability to think conceptually. The first people a dictator puts in jail are the writers, the teachers, the librarians -- because these people are dangerous. They have enough vocabulary to recognize…

WIST Quotations
Show threadNonilexFeb 2

…The search & the administration’s flood of lawsuits against states have alarmed #election officials & experts, who worry that the moves are laying the groundwork for the administration to contest the results of this year’s congressional #midterms.

#law #WeaponizationOfGovernment #ElectionLaw #ElectionInterference #democracy #Trump #coup #MafiaState #authoritarianism #autocracy #despotism #dictatorship #fascism #tyranny

Show threadNonilexFeb 2

“I don’t know why the director was there,” #ToddBlanche said of #TulsiGabbard. “She is not part of the grand jury investigation, but she is for sure a key part of our efforts at election integrity & making sure we have free & fair elections. She’s an expert in that space & it’s a big part of what she & her team look at every day.”

#law #Trump #WeaponizationOfGovernment #ElectionLaw #ElectionInterference #coup #MafiaState #authoritarianism #autocracy #despotism #dictatorship #fascism #tyranny

NonilexFeb 2

🚨🚨🚨

#Trump Had Unusual Call With #FBI Agents After #Georgia #Election Center Search

The phone conversation was arranged by the director of national intelligence, #TulsiGabbard, who met with the agents a day after the search for reasons that remain unclear, NYT has learned.

#law #WeaponizationOfGovernment #ElectionLaw #ElectionInterference #democracy #coup #MafiaState #authoritarianism #autocracy #despotism #dictatorship #fascism #tyranny
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/us/politics/trump-fbi-phone-call-georgia-gabbard.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Gabbard Arranges Trump Call With FBI Agents After Georgia Election Center Search

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, brokered the call and President Trump directly questioned frontline agents on the inquiry, The Times has learned.

The New York Times
JosephFeb 1

An interesting read on #despotism within certain animal populations. Certainly with some interesting takeaways for us humans, too.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260121-what-animals-can-teach-us-about-overcoming-tyranny

#politics

What animals can teach us about overcoming tyranny

Some animal societies are ruled by despots with an iron fist, while others seem naturally egalitarian – and they all have lessons for us.

BBC
NonilexJan 31

Judge won’t scale back #Trump #immigration surge in #Minnesota for now

Minnesota officials had said the immigration crackdown was endangering public safety in their state.

#ReneeGood #AlexPretti #StateSponsoredTerrorism #law #murder #ExtraJudicialKillings #Minneapolis #Constitution #RightToProtest #CivilRights #UseOfForce #ExcessiveForce #PoliceBrutality #AbuseOfPower #authoritarianism #autocracy #despotism #fascism #tyranny #MafiaState #ICE #CBP #Sturmabteilung
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/31/minnesota-immigration-surge-court/

Judge denies Minnesota’s request for immediate end to immigration surge

Minnesota officials had said the immigration crackdown was endangering public safety in their state.

The Washington Post
Show threadNonilexJan 28

#Trump admin officials claimed that the officer who shot #ReneeGood had been under attack & was acting in self-defense, & #state investigators have been blocked from accessing #evidence related to the case.

After a 2nd resident was killed — #AlexPretti, a #VeteransAffairs #nurse who was also 37 — #federal officials initially appeared to use the same playbook.

#law #FAFO #federalism #MafiaState #AbuseOfPower #authoritarianism #autocracy #despotism #dictatorship #fascism #tyranny #MadKing

NonilexJan 28

#GiftArticle

City Prosecutors Join Forces to Bring Charges Against #FederalAgents

9 progressive #prosecutors from cities around the country are launching a coalition to assist in prosecuting federal law enforcement officers who violate #state #laws, one of the prosecutors, Larry Krasner in Philadelphia, said Tues.

#law #FAFO #federalism #10thAmendment #FederalGovernment #Trump #MafiaState #authoritarianism #autocracy #despotism #dictatorship #fascism #tyranny #MadKing
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/us/prosecutors-charges-against-federal-agents.html?unlocked_article_code=1.H1A.wZbM.U_sYBDJs6yu9&smid=nytcore-ios-share

City Prosecutors Join Forces to Bring Charges Against Federal Agents

Nine progressive prosecutors say they will work together to charge federal agents accused of wrongdoing, but they will face significant legal obstacles.

The New York Times