A deeply insightful perspective. While fascist narratives and Tolkien's legendarium both exalt an imagined past, their respective relationships to that exalted, imagined past are diametrically opposed and suggest radically different moral values.

Tom Emanuel@realtomemanuel.bsky.social · 2d ago

You've probably noticed that a lot of right-wing ghouls love The Lord of the Rings: Giorgia Meloni, Peter Thiel, J.D. Vance, many such cases. In my latest essay, I set out to put neofascist affinity for Tolkien in religious and historical context - and to show why the far right gets Tolkien wrong.

Every vote to confirm Todd Blanche as attorney general is a vote to continue the coverup of the Epstein Files.

One of the worst things about the Senate’s attempted Fauci show trial is how the supposed evidence against him is early in COVID he considered multiple hypotheses, then increasingly ruled some unlikely as evidence came in. The objection is he did science. Fundamentally that is what’s under attack.

I feel attacked #booksky

The Smithsonian had been planning the DC celebrations for a decade, but all those plans were canceled at the last minute in favor of the disaster the Administration cobbled together at the last minute.

Good grief, this hits home.

"None of the arguments made against transgender people, including those in the military, were made in good faith. They were always designed to ultimately remove transgender people from public life." This is made so painfully obvious every day. If you're OK with that end, you're not a moderate.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2w ago

"If Hegseth didn’t think trans people were icky, he'd be fine with them. If someone wanted to take his super-soldier serum that makes people into roid-raging he-men straight out Warhammer, he’d be happy to have a bunch of otherwise 'useless' women saying 'Sign me up.'" — @brynntannehill.bsky.social

“of course there’s a valid dialogue over whether this is ‘DEI casting,’ I don’t subscribe to it myself but it’s a real debate” no, it’s gutter racism with no place in polite society and you would see that if you weren’t spending all your time hanging out in the gutter

@bretdevereaux.bsky.social

Get 'em, Judge Reyes.

Big Cases Bot@bigcases.bots.law · 2w ago

New minute entry in Talbott v. Trump (Trans Military Ban (DDC)): MINUTE ORDER. The Court takes judicial notice that on July 15, 2026, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a new annual screening program for all service members 30 and older,… [full entry below 👇] View Full Case #CL69583866

merino going full SCOTT STERLING on that messi shot

Critical 🧵!

Silverman on Security@silvermansecurity.bsky.social · 2w ago

I've seen really sharp folks over the past couple of days remark on here that they're surprised by Iran's hardline response to Trump & his Team Clown Shoes diplomatic overtures, to keeping the Strait of Hormuz, & the Iranian response to renewed US strikes. There's a reason for the befuddlement. 1/

French goalkeeper must be hungover, right?

TFW the White House threatens Americans to shut our mouths or they will spill blood

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3w ago

Tom Homan: "It all go backs to the Dems ... there's still gonna be more bloodshed unless they shut their mouth and let ICE enforce the laws that they enacted."

"gamergate but about the odyssey's movie reviews" we are absolutely not doing this

kate bush’s husband@airbagged.bsky.social · 3w ago

They want to get rid of movie reviews now 😭😭😭

Abraham Lincoln to Joshua F. Speed, 24 Aug 1855

Me: "It's time to start eating healthy." Lettuce: "I'm going to give you explosive diarrhea!" Chips and cookies in my pantry: "I would never do that to you."

Sam Neill was such a great actor and person that things like Possession or his almost-casting as James Bond are footnotes. That's how good he was. This one hurts.

Live a life where people talk about you after you die like they do Sam Neil.

Literacy is not an individual skill. Literacy is a public infrastructure.

Miami weather is hard on frost giants

"Keep exploring. Keep dreaming. Keep asking why. Don't settle for what you already know. Never stop believing in the power of your ideas, your imagination, your hard work to change the world." — President Obama

BREAKING: in June 2026, *every single one* of the 1,062 refugees admitted in the U.S. were white South Africans. In FY 2026, the U.S. has admitted a total of 7,727 white South Africans, three Afghans (back in November), and nobody else. For reference, the U.S. admitted 100,060 refugees in 2024.

Alex Ip 葉清霖@alexip718.com · 2mo ago

BREAKING: in May 2026, *every single one* of the 599 refugees admitted in the U.S. were white South Africans. In FY 2026, the U.S. has admitted a total of 6,665 white South Africans, three Afghans (back in November 2025), and nobody else. For reference, the U.S. admitted 100,060 refugees in 2024.

if the state party committee doesn't think they have a lowercase-d democratic mandate from party members to manage the party's affairs, then what are they there for

It sadly doesn't matter if the US wins tonight. A victory tonight won't be earned the same way everyone else's have been. Trump and FIFA ruined it. In the same way Cape Verde already won the WC, the US has already lost it. All we can hope is that the US won't take other countries down with it.

Vox@vox.com · 4w ago

The president and the US’s red card controversy, explained. www.vox.com/culture/4944...

"the last two decades of Supreme Court jurisprudence have tended systematically to corrupt American democracy across a variety of related issues: campaign finance (including last week’s decision), presidential immunity, and, of course, the prosecution of bread-and-butter political corruption."

Henry Farrell@himself.bsky.social · last mo.

www.programmablemutter.com/p/the-suprem...

Sorry to lib out but I guess my thought on the Fourth is that if it wasn’t possible for this country to really be an egalitarian multiracial democracy someday, the most disgusting people alive wouldn’t be trying so hard to foreclose that possibility

Cape Verdeans are now honorary Philadelphians because that was basically ROCKY. They weren't "supposed" to be there, much less going the distance with the champions and the GOAT, who had to give it everything they've got just to eek out a win in overtime. Bravo.