Shame on any Beltway pundit who now chooses to publicly praise Karoline Leavitt's mendacity at the podium. It is one thing to spin or tell white lies at the podium to defend an administration, but it is quite another to lie voraciously, and that is not a value that any of us in the US should praise.
Our addiction to social media has reduced our understanding of the political world down to easy tropes about political intentions, black and white thinking, and false choices. None of that fits reality.
Must read for everyone trying to understand the "why" of America right now. Communication is the interstitial fiber of democracy. Without a functioning communication system, you cannot have a functioning democracy. craigunger.substack.com/p/nothing-mo...
Nothing Moves the Needle
Not that long ago, the press could root out corruption, topple presidents, and end wars. Now, even the biggest scoops have little impact. Here's how and why the media lost its mojo.
craigunger.substack.com
The only books that should be burned today are "The Art of the Deal" and "Atlas Shrugged".
Trump is crazy, and all of his sycophants know that. But he's crazy with a cult-like following, so they seize on Trump as an opportunity to damage the country and to steal from it in ways that they've never been able to before. They should suffer for this.
Trump is a pathological narcissist and a sociopath. He is going to say many, many crazy things. To report on his words alone as policy is malpractice. What else would a man with his condition say to the press? Instead follow his actions--because that is what actually harms other people.
Now this is what I'm talking about: Fewer Substacks and podcasts--more independent, primary-source journalism.
@KeepItBlueDems.bsky.social@keepitbluedems.bsky.social · last wk.A barely used, dusty roll of black electrician's tape that's wedged in the back of the drawer. You used it once, then it found its way there, because really--how often do you need electrician's tape?
'Box ✨@ionawonderbox.bsky.social · 2w agoA random loose screw that fell out of something and you are not sure what.
Ask yourself whether it is worth the effort to be a moral society: A society that believes that mendacious lying is unacceptable behavior. That says that greed that takes from the least among us is unethical. Is simply saying these words not enough for us? Can we not say them loudly? Boldly?
Andy Burnham goes on holiday and gets #Bidened.
But by all means--let's give China a gigantic pass in trade and foreign relations because "America bad now." 🙄 www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/w...
How China Keeps Tabs on Foreigners (Gift Article)
An unsecured police dashboard was a rare window into how the authorities track foreigners by collecting and aggregating vast amounts of private data.
nytimes.com
When you can't win within a democracy, then why not manufacture reality and manipulate millions of people in the process? It's how America was attacked, how Britain is being attacked, and now this. Either we get wise about social media or continue to suffer.
Steve Peers@stevepeers.bsky.social · 2w agoOf course it matters, because Spain can and does control entry from Ceuta to the Spanish mainland and therefore the Schengen area. My replies are not a forum for bullshit about immigration.
For either financial gain or for political expedience, those in control of social media algorithms are routinely messing with our heads. And our social media addiction lets them to do this to us over and over and over again. Cut down your social media use! Treat it like a drug habit.
Donie O’Sullivan@donie.bsky.social · 3w agoThis isn’t just happening to the wacky tin-foil-hat folks, clearly. In some ways it’s happening to all of us, dozens or hundreds of times a day, on our social media feeds. Algorithms serve us the things they know we want to hear, shaping our perceptions of everything.
Why have traditionally stable democracies been erratic and unstable in recent years? Why is the UK now on its 7th PM in the last 10 years? Why is the US now under a 2nd Trump admin? Free nations are under attack. And they're using social media to do it. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
Trump Administration Cuts Make Elections More Vulnerable to Foreign Influence and Disinformation
The depletion of staff and resources at various agencies leaves the government underprepared to respond to attempts to influence elections by China, Russia, and others.
brennancenter.org
May this era burn in hell. www.denverpost.com/2026/07/22/d...
‘Help us! ICE is here!’: Video shows woman detained at Denver airport while boarding Southwest flight
A video circulating on social media Wednesday shows a woman being removed from a Southwest Airlines jetway at DIA by federal agents, then led out a door onto the tarmac as onlookers shout, “Help us! I...
denverpost.com
What many of us think of as reality are actually massive piles of shit heaped around us. One of these days enough of us will finally put down our cell phones and acknowledge that we really have no idea what our fellow citizens believe.
America votes in more than 10,000 different election jurisdictions, each with different rules set by state and sometimes local governments. That structure makes the nation's elections extraordinarily complicated — and also safe from widespread fraud. https://to.pbs.org/3T4duz3
Here's what makes American elections so complicated and secure
One of the strongest security features of U.S. elections is the fact that they aren’t conducted at the federal level.
to.pbs.org
Here's something I post from time to time. My answer to a reader who asked me: what could journalists do NOW to break with some of their more corrosive habits.
Will Trump and the trophy be wheeled out on a rolling dais like Jabba the Hutt?
