“But before I could worry about it too much, a senior military officer from a major (non-American) allied nation drove a stake right through the heart of the matter.

America has blown 80 years of accumulated goodwill and trust among its allies, our American moderator was told. A rock-steady assumption of allied defence and security planning for literally generations has been that America would act in its own interests, sure, but that those interests would be rational, and would still generally value the institutions that America itself worked so hard to build after the Second World War. America’s recent actions have destroyed the ability of any ally to continue to have faith in America to act even within its own strategic self-interest, let alone that of any ally.

The officer then said that even a swift return of America to its former role won’t matter.

Because “we will never fucking trust you again.”
https://www.readtheline.ca/p/matt-gurney-we-will-never-fucking

I’ve been researching #Italian #immigration to the #US for my #novel and every other primary source I open from 1890-1915 gives me major Déjà vu to how the #Republicans talk about immigration today.

“They aren’t white enough”, “they are a drain on our resources”, “deported because they would be a public charge”, “uneducated”, “barbaric”, “increasing crime”.

All the arguments are the same. Some of the laws are the same. And yet people in 1890 were arguing about the lack of race purity and “dirty blood” of people from Europe who the current conservatives would wholeheartedly consider white Christians and part of the great West or whatever.

Really makes you see as clear as day how BS and arbitrary all of this racist and anti-immigration rhetoric is. It’s nonsense. Always was. Always will be.

People deserve dignity and respect. Immigrants deserve to be welcomed in and accommodated.

There is a major difference between the left and the right. And journalists need to stop ‘both sidesing’ things.

Because no matter how much you disagree with the left’s policy proposals, none of them set out to hurt people.

After 63 years of life, I have come to realise the single distinguishing issue - equality, parity, fairness.

The right is allergic to equality. Someone’s gain is always their imagined loss.

Does anyone here do #SeatWeaving? I've got 6 old Ikea chairs like these, and the Danish paper cord on them is starting to fray. I LOVE them and they are discontinued. Trying to figure out if it's folly for a beginner to attempt to cut off and reweave. The curve looks daunting and I'm not sure which way to start warping (front to back versus left to right).

Anyone here done anything like this and have words of wisdom? #AskFedi #Weaving #Furniture #FurnitureRestoration #Restoration

We have "growth hackers" but no "stability hackers." "Disruptors" but no "preservers." Our entire vocabulary is oriented toward the new. We have no language for the equally difficult work of keeping existing things from falling apart.

https://www.joanwestenberg.com/the-rime-of-the-ancient-maintainer/

Het wordt steeds duidelijker dat de boeren onvoorstelbaar genaaid zijn door BBB-ers vdPlas en Wiersma.

"Veeboeren zijn immers verantwoordelijk voor de meeste stikstofuitstoot in Nederland. Voor rechtse politici blijft dit feit niettemin een ongemakkelijke waarheid. “Wanneer gaat het kwartje nu eindelijk eens vallen?”, vraagt Vollenbroek."

"Johan Vollenbroek waarschuwt nieuw kabinet: uitkopen boeren wordt te duur"

https://www.bnnvara.nl/joop/artikelen/johan-vollenbroek-waarschuwt-nieuw-kabinet-uitkopen-boeren-wordt-te-duur

🚨 Milan is #vermist ! Hij heeft een verstandelijke beperking en kan moeilijk praten! Deel aub! 👇

https://www.politie.nl/vermist/vermiste-kinderen/2025/december/pl11002025300593