Pay attention.
Via #Maddow:
“The Senate won’t confirm them” is not even a wishful thinking response, it’s 1 that ignores what’s happening:
Trump announced in advance of these picks that he expects the Senate to shut itself down so he can make recess apptmts — which means no confirmation process at all
1st rule of authoritarian politics: there’s only one source of authority.
Cong will be expected to give up its role in governing, partic anything that restrains Trump’s choices and desires.
Via Adam Parkhomenko:
It took exactly one week for #Trump to say out loud since the election that he can’t run again but maybe he is here to stay.
With Musk serving as a de facto cabinet member, it's reasonable to assume that X/Twitter will freely provide federal agencies with the sort of data that would normally require a warrant.
It's equally safe to assume that far right agency heads will use that data to pursue administration goals, like immigrant deportation, abortion prosecution, protest suppression, etc.
If you know anyone who insists on using Twitter, please urge them to be excruciatingly careful about what they post there from now on. Information and data that may have seemed innocuous a year ago are now a threat vector, and the person posting them may not always be the person most at risk.
#infosec #Twitter
Girls, if a boy says to you, "Your body, my choice." They've implicitly given you permission to kick them in the balls.
Or as my husband said, "My knee, your nuts."
In short, you are allowed to defend yourself from a rape threat, which is what that first statement is.
violence is what they wanted.
trump just made it a valid political platform.
he will go old testament on his enemies and his cult on theirs.
think the good old days of lynchings.
It is a really jarring moment to be a historian. To know what might be coming is alarming. To realize that no one around you sees it or acknowledges it is a weird place to be in. Its like time traveling without time traveling. 1/8
I study the 19th century and the 2020s look a lot like 1820s. Frequent epidemics? Check. Inflation? Check. Xenophobia and deportation schemes? Check. Womens rights losses? Check. Rampant backlash against womens economic freedoms and jobs outside the home? Check. 2/8
Growth of carceral facilities? Check. Legislation to forcibly institutionalize disabled people? Check. Targeted attacks on Indigenous peoples? Check. Extreme religious fervor? Check. Efforts to shape public school curriculum with religious rhetoric? Check. Tariffs? Check. 3/8
The antebellum era was a time of progress, but it was also a time fuelled by hate. Slavery fuelled the economy, and antislavery efforts were not very radical on the whole. Hatred against immigrants was widespread and poverty was extensive. 4/8
Everything we are seeing right now happened in the early 1800s. And these choices were fuelled by white supremacy, misogyny, and xenophobia. I really wish more people understood that we've been here and done this. Life only got better for those who actively oppressed others. 5/8
Its time to learn from that history if you havent already. We cannot go back to that. For anyone despairing, its also time to learn from the radical activists who shaped resistance. 19th century activists didnt lose hope, we cannot lose hope either. 6/8
Abolitionists, womens rights organizers, workers rights unions, disability rights orgs, and pro-immigration orgs did the work under far worse circumstances with very little global solidarity. We have better tools, connections, and resources. 7/8
If youre in despair, pick up a history book. Before every win for human rights came a fight for it. We are now a part of that fight. We are not alone. We have all of these histories to guide us. 8/8
People have been asking for book recs - I will make a google sheet next week with some recs! This weekend I am resting, spending time in nature, and making crafts. The work to protect human rights never stops - carve out rest when/where you can.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1855260283138199848.html?utm_campaign=topunroll
One theory of democracy is that its main purpose is to allow peaceful revolutions. The idea is that majorities voting in elections approximate the result of a coup. In 1962, John F. Kennedy famously said, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
Never EVER.
Via Rupar:
A majority of votes. After being found liable for sexual abuse, convicted of felonies, and inciting a coup attempt. In a more decrepit and incoherent state than ever. Against a qualified and historic candidate.
It’ll never make sense.
Laffy
GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺
upstreamism
Brian Jopek
Smudge The Insult Cat 🐀
SilvertipGrizz
Laura "Tegan" Gjovaag ⛈ 🐸
paul