We’ve been in a death struggle between rationalism and romanticism for two hundred years

Jane Coaston@janecoaston.bsky.social · 10h ago

nostalgia is the most dangerous drug there is

They came pretty close with Platner, & yeah I will hand it to them, leftists barrelling forward with nominating a literal Nazi was a bridge too far for me, but that was because of the "Nazi" part not the "leftists barrelling forward". Even then it fell apart after he turned out to be a rapist.

tbf, I do agree that Sayed is not a socialist, in the very narrow sense that a real socialist probably wouldn't be an intercontinental landlord whose family business doesn't accept government healthcare

Revan@revan.eurosky.social · 11h ago

Can we just not do this?

The core irony at the heart of the modern antizionism movement is that it seems to be solely focused on explicitly demonstrating why zionism became a concept in the first place.

Current Affairs@currentaffairs.bsky.social · 2d ago

Cori Bush getting annihilated is outstanding for pretty much everyone who cares about effective representation and fewer cranks in congress Also bodes well for the prospect of ejecting other cranks like Chevalier in the next cycle or two IMO

I like Buttigieg and think Harris saved us from obliteration in the '24 campaign, but quite frankly I do not think saying "What about McCain and Biden??" is the defense he thinks it is

Finally saw The Odyssey, which is the consummate Christopher Nolan film in that it has moments of near-sublime spectacle that make you believe in Big Movies again mixed together with dialogue like, "Our Age of Bronze is ending."

“There's an old saying in Clausewitz—I know it's in Jomini, probably in Clausewitz—that strategy is the use of battles for... for... battles get you the thing you want.”

James@gravitysra1nbow.bsky.social · 2d ago

It's like what that German guy always used to say. Sustained kinetic strikes in lieu of a cessation in hostilities are negotiations by other means

Alright I think I can officially say that instead of being potentially willing to vote for her, I am going to be forced to viscerally oppose any attempt at AOC for the presidency and/or serious leadership position

Allen Woke 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🌐@captainmeap.bsky.social · 3d ago

AOC and her friends were also Biden's strongest defenders and most resistant to his ousting, which came at the behest of the moderate and establishment wings Really don't like seeing AOC rack up another fringe lie in a week

This is the problem with populism: you cannot build a republic on a foundation of conspiracies. Corruption and special interests are real challenges, but reducing politics to “us” against “them” infantilizes the electorate and sows the seeds of authoritarian rule.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez@ocasio-cortez.house.gov · 2d ago

There is pervasive corruption across our healthcare and agricultural systems that defy party lines. I meet with MAHA activists because a lot of their concerns are bipartisan issues that major corporations paint as partisan. The fight isn't left and right, it's top and bottom.

I still do not like Schumer and think he should get the boot as Dem caucus Senate leader as soon as possible after November But you do have to hand it to him and the other leadership Dems here and elsewhere - blind hatred of Schumer and co is an extremely stupid and misplaced take

GOLIKEHELLMACHINE@golikehellmachine.com · 3d ago

stripping OMB of the ability to dole out grants is an enormous win, this nukes the SAVE act, it prohibits further ICE bailouts, adding a "no, really, trump can't break already on-the-books laws regarding elections the federal government doesn't run" clause would be both unnecessary and unproductive

as a counterpoint have you considered the senate minority leader is failing miserably in his primary job as my therapist?

GOLIKEHELLMACHINE@golikehellmachine.com · 3d ago

stripping OMB of the ability to dole out grants is an enormous win, this nukes the SAVE act, it prohibits further ICE bailouts, adding a "no, really, trump can't break already on-the-books laws regarding elections the federal government doesn't run" clause would be both unnecessary and unproductive

AOC and her friends were also Biden's strongest defenders and most resistant to his ousting, which came at the behest of the moderate and establishment wings Really don't like seeing AOC rack up another fringe lie in a week

Pierce@pierceah66.bsky.social · 3d ago

In 2024, a 2020 presidential candidate ran in the primary (despite being a whackjob), a venture capitalist (who won American Samoa) ran, & a House Rep with enough money to partially self-fund ran against the Biden-Harris ticket. Nobody stopped the rest of you clowns from jumping in to lose.

Guys, Platner was the left-wing candidate in Maine. The weird attempt to retcon this away is really irritating.

What is happening inside the military with promotions and firings: We have a ton of people who are being removed from promotion lists. They’re being recommended by those in uniform, and they are being stripped out by Pete Hegseth.

I do not require that you like or agree with Stancil. I require that you do so in a way distinguishable from how kiwifarms treats him.

post malone ergo propter malone@proptermalone.bsky.social · 6d ago

yeah I’m gonna start blocking people for being shitty to Will Stancil, a person who I do not follow who does not follow me. the slashed tire is fully nuts and if you’re part of the problem from here you’re likely contributing to whatever fever swamp conditions caused it

The difference between Will Stancil and Kat Abughazaleh is that Kat used a bad faith quote tweet dunk on Will to solicit cash donations to her campaign consulting business and Will refuses to let anyone give him money to fix the slashed tires on the car he chased ICE agents around in.

This was an absolutely terrible policy, which doesn't surprise me because it was libertarian. I am not a libertarian, I think libertarianism doesn't work, and I got to witness it not work here in Portland. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

The Cities That Said Yes to Drugs

Policies that gave addicts clean needles and places to use drugs were intended to reduce harm. They created a “zombie apocalypse.”

theatlantic.com

The fishing industry, subsistence fishing, and recreational fishing are all major parts of Alaskan culture, and she is signaling she is pro- all of those things and also pro- various policies that make them profitable and/or sustainable

post malone ergo propter malone@proptermalone.bsky.social · 6d ago

think it’s worth noting that a bunch of things Midwest/Mountain West voters care about are things where coastal elites barely have an opinion. Peltola is famously pro-fish. I’m open to the possibility that I would agree with her if I understood what that meant

The number of times I have heard irl "I mean, I wanted it all burned down, but not like this!" and just wondered if people even know how fire works

A penitent who is loud @loudpenitent.bsky.social · last wk.

an acquaintance of mine used to say "you have to be willing to crash the plane." and welp, we crashed the plane. this is what happens!

Again, precisely what a couple decades in Classics academia has taught me to expect: reasonably sound, but a bit mean-spirited and crucially self-defeating in terms of preserving the field.

Striking how Samuel Moyn has to have a nonsense argument with positions liberals don't actually hold, parring with some sort of imagined liberal-imperialist wing because the alternative is being the sort of square who, like, opposes fascists, as opposed to the edgy dude that opposes liberals.

Joe Stieb@joestieb.bsky.social · last wk.

Two paragraphs in and we are already thick in the bullshit.

The reason you keep seeing your mutuals fighting over Will Stancil and it’s annoying you is that you’re trying to maintain contact with both the people who support public harassment and scapegoating and the people who can see that if they can do this to Will they can do this to any of us

It's just really hard to enjoy being in a coalition with people who think (or act like they think) you are Literally Evil for disagreeing with them on any given point And this website is absolutely filled to the brim with that sort of person, and all their worst heroes

This site is honestly beginning to feel unsustainable

Will Stancil@whstancil.bsky.social · last wk.

Man this is awful. This was a sincere question. I was happy with the discussion that came out of it. But I wake up this morning to nonstop abuse, because one of Bluesky’s cult-like figures has (pretty unfairly) attacked me as not understanding people need food. This isn’t good or sustainable!

Know-Nothing-ism resurgent. Purposeful ignorance and righteous denial of complexity as virtues. This is what Abughazaleh and people like her are trying to bring to government. Just a bunch of Instagram Reels and "mutual aid" links. If you call an issue nuanced you are stupid and/or Satan.

Jordan Kay@jnatc.im · last wk.

I think it was good that we didn’t elect someone as incurious as her to Congress actually!

Well in hindsight I guess I'm pretty glad she didn't get elected This reflexive and performative anti-Americanism from people who claim to want to represent the country is incredibly tiring

Kat Abughazaleh@katmabu.bsky.social · last mo.

I actually don’t care what the founding fathers would say about the present and I don’t think you should either