We shouldn't have to escape to the woods to hide from mass surveillance. It's time for our leaders to follow Vermont's lead and ban automatic license plate readers.

Germany’s far-right AfD just won a state election with the slogan “Everything is possible.” Meanwhile, establishment parties like Germany’s own CDU have committed to phrases like “There is no other alternative.” To defeat the far-right, we need people who believe a better world is possible.

More school board candidates should be people who play in rock bands, in fact. People who are strong participants in their community are awesome.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 6d ago

Minnesota right-wing Alpha News has uncovered the huge scandal that a school board candidate in my hometown of Forest Lake also plays in a rock band! The horror!

The far-right, illiberal forces of the world have a powerful global network for convincing people they don't need pesky things like human rights. Good people can and should create an equally strong network.

There are too many good things to say about Dolly Parton, but most of them would be off-topic and others will say it better. Just promise us that you’ll strive to be like her. Help your community. Give back. Start something.

What voters hear when your grand vision for liberalism is just more of the status quo:

There are gaps in local communities. We need to fill them before people with bad intentions do.

Andrew Levesque@andrewlevesque.bsky.social · 3w ago

www.rawstory.com/white-nation... White nationalist leaders gathered in Rome, Italy, this year to map out how they could exploit America's collapsing local news industry, openly celebrating the death of community journalism as a golden opportunity to organize unchecked in rural areas….

A lot of memes about getting involved in your community lately. You should listen to them.

Dan McQuillan@danmcquillan.bsky.social · 3w ago

"Starting in 2021, the ultra far-right think tank and boy’s club the Claremont Institute began to recruit sheriffs, around a dozen each year, to immerse themselves in Claremont ideology for a week before returning to their home county." www.liberalcurrents.com/liberty-vala...

Liberty Valance Goes to Washington

The "constitutional sheriffs" movement relies on the notion that "men of action" can and should determine how the Constitution is interpreted.

liberalcurrents.com

It’s not difficult to see the gross violations of human dignity that these cause, even when working as intended.

The Verge@theverge.com · 4w ago

Flock is rolling out updates to address reports of cops across the country abusing its tools to stalk ex-romantic partners. The ACLU released an analysis of the changes, which it says appear “more focused on addressing a perceived PR problem than the significant harms its products create.”

Ideas/movements from a specific kind of liberal sphere starting as amazing but quickly becoming a defense of the status quo happens very, very often. How do we fix it?

Maia@maiamindel.bsky.social · last mo.

social media has enormously enriched my personal and intellectual life but i think it's a plague and a blight and if you use it too much you almost inevitably go insane

When someone tells you that you’re powerless, don’t get fooled. Bad actors want you to be hopeless. It’s what they’re counting on.

We absolutely cannot accept the far right’s racialized immigration policies.

Cameron 🇺🇸🗽🦅@cameroncorduroy.bsky.social · last mo.

remarkable that the United States has made it official policy to only accept white refugees and people still think it's up for debate whether or not they're white nationalists

NEW: Police in Wisconsin used Flock to determine that a man “travels to Michigan frequently,” where marijuana is legal, then back to Wisconsin, where it is illegal. They then used his travel across state lines as tracked by Flock as part of the probable cause justification to search his car.

Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines to Create Pretext to Search His Car for Weed

"The vehicle travels to Michigan frequently which is a known source state for marijuana as it is legal there," a probable cause justification reads.

404media.co

We're not done with this bit. What does incomprehensibly awesome urban planning look like to you?

Equal Freedom Institute@equalfreedom.org · last mo.

Social liberalism creates kinds of urbanism you cannot even fathom. Imagine the visions you would see if a Lovecraftian elder god were a YIMBY. That’s what we’re up to. You have no idea what beautiful communities can be unleashed by embracing both pragmatic wonkery and a strong eye for equity.

Social liberalism creates kinds of urbanism you cannot even fathom. Imagine the visions you would see if a Lovecraftian elder god were a YIMBY. That’s what we’re up to. You have no idea what beautiful communities can be unleashed by embracing both pragmatic wonkery and a strong eye for equity.

What is happening to trans people is genuinely an internal displacement crisis. If you aren’t yet familiar, the Liberal Currents article is an excellent place to start:

Liberal Currents@liberalcurrents.com · last mo.

“If this were occurring abroad, to an ethnic minority, we would call it ethnic cleansing.” www.liberalcurrents.com/the-american...

About one million people are no longer authorized to work in the US. Xenophobia destroys economies. Immigrants create them.

Heba Gowayed هبة جويد@hebagowayed.bsky.social · last mo.

My Haitian friend was just fired from his job. "They said I don't have a legal status now." This is likely happening to hundreds of thousands of people across this country today. Sick.

A better world, one where we have institutions that reward pro-social behavior and the development of everyone's true potential, is possible.

Just got off the phone with Jimothy the mutant raccoon. He actually believes in social liberalism.

Charlie Warzel@cwarzel.bsky.social · 2mo ago

every day i feel like we're experiencing some kind of societal gas leak

Do you like when our VP of Scholarly Research Bill Glod talks about Mill? Great news! He does it a lot. Here's another excellent article: www.libertarianism.org/articles/mil...

“We envision a world where we are all treated as equals, in control of our own lives and everyone’s voice is heard: where laws and institutions uphold human dignity, individual rights are secure and where people and communities are empowered to chart their own destinies.” equalfreedom.org/about-us/

The world wasn't in an acceptable state before the rise of right-wing populism. If that were true, that rise wouldn't have happened. Liberal ideas won't survive unless the people who claim to profess them have a mission and vision for the future. Don't be satisfied with the status quo.

The federal government’s efforts to consolidate massive amounts of personal data could make it easier to monitor and target protesters, ramp up mass deportations, and more. Here’s what to know about the threats and how states and Congress can push back: bit.ly/44t5Rob

The Dangers of the Trump Administration's Data Consolidation Efforts

Congress and state and local governments must create new safeguards around the collection, integration, and misuse of people’s data to protect privacy and First Amendment rights.

brennancenter.org

“The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” EFI's VP of Scholarly Research Bill Glod talks about Mill's Harm Principle and much, much more: www.libertarianism.org/articles/mil...

People joke that the Cyclospora outbreak has incentivized Taco Bell to act as the CDC. What other institutions could Taco Bell become? Are there incentives that would result in Taco Bell-based courts? Taco Bell-based higher education?

ICYMI: Our definition of liberalism, stated clearly. (Hint: It's not boring) equalfreedom.org/what-is-libe...

You don’t have meaningful freedom unless you have the means to participate in society. Don’t accept systems that are only equal on paper. That’s how illiberalism tricks you.

Liberalism isn't about preserving the status quo. As social liberals, we understand freedom as both individual and shared. Everyone needs to have the social, political, and economic conditions that make freedom real. Read more about our version of liberalism here: equalfreedom.org/what-is-libe...

ICYMI: Check out EFI’s VP of Scholarly Research Bill Glod on victimless crimes: www.libertarianism.org/articles/vic...