ponderosatree.bsky.social
Dad, husband, fan of democracy & proud American.
253 posts
237 followers
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It’s a well-orchestrated distraction with loud, seemingly incendiary and damning snipes, but ultimately just a script to help Musk resurrect Tesla and Trump get his stupid bill through. SCOTUS just gave DOGE access to all SS data. Musk only said Trump is “in” the files, means nothing.
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DOGE is alive and well and SCOTUS just allowed it access to all Social Security data. Musk needs a public breakup to resurrect TSLA, and his claim was only that Trump is in the E files, not specifically how. It’s all a well orchestrated distraction.
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If the serial killer targeting the homeless had won a national election and was walking around free with the support of half the country, perhaps Newsom is right to at least talk to him? Or should we pretend he didn’t win and rant about the killing spree on social media?
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Example A) bipartisan immigration policy, led by the GOP, constitutional reform, is quashed by same GOP because reform was not the goal, demagogic campaigning and very real cruelty became the goal. Progressives need to help pro-democracy R’s resist this reactionary, autocratic, un-American gov’t.
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Star Ars. (?)
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TP Gun 1 and 2
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TP Gun
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TP Gun
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Talking to those in power, specifically to the chief propagandist who is a convicted con-artist and admitted demagogic populist, not a conservative, is how you reach a few on-the-fence voters and win them over, or convince eligible voters to actually vote and stop the crazy troll. It's not a pivot.
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The problem with litigating tatoo interpretations or anything else about Abrego Garcia in public, rather than in court, is that 1) it's a trap, and 2) it legitimizes some crazy extra-judicial process instead of the Supreme-Court-ordered process to facilitate his return for a court proceeding.
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The real story isn't about tatoos. It's about the publicity trial occurring and legitimized by this oh so smart, "look he's lying again", distraction. No evidence has been presented to a court that Abrego Garcia should be incarcerated, in defiance of the Supreme Court and the constitution.
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Please keep in mind that you're engaging in a publicity trial. Whatever evidence the government may have must be presented to a court, as the Supreme Court ordered. Until then, Abrego Garcia's confinement is unconstitutional. Stop legitimizing extra judicial efforts, whether tatoos or intelligence.
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Mehdi, you’re so offended by polite discourse, but not concerned with CA (world’s 4th largest economy) suing the US, and MI joining and suing the US with additional accurate claims. Whose side are you on?
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The story here is, as Van Hollen pointed out, neither the US or El Salvador has presented any evidence to a court that this man should be locked up. That is extra-judicial, unconstitutional punishment. Bring him back and present your evidence, as the court ordered. Ignore the distractions.
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Hey Ron, Schumer made the right call on the CR. A shut down was a Hail Mary that likely would have given the GOP the ball on the 50 with a far worse CR, and far worse DOGE damage. You’re ginning up time wasting infighting with this vague “your time has passed” bs. It’s anti-democracy too.
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Wait till MAGA finds out that not only are tariffs a sales tax, but real estate investors like Trump and his cronies, who rent apartments and houses to people, love high mortgage rates. Their tenants can’t afford to buy a house and leave, and rents go up.
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Exactly why iPhones were given a waiver.
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Gee, I wonder why iPhones were given a tariff waiver? MAGA voters might see the price increase due entirely to the import tax?
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Authoritarianism from Hogg, reflecting 1) tremendous frustration that all D's are unprepared, and 2) opportunistic self-promotion. Both are blame game reactions. Progressives: the earth moved under our feet as the country went far right, and we are now centrists for a time. Let's win it back.
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This is the question ⬆️. Hogg, party official, unelected to government, gets to decide which D members of congress are "effective"? Then potentially disenfranchises voters and burns desperately needed cash and good will with primaries? Authoritarian BS, he needs to change or quit.
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This is a scary dystopian story, but a great reminder to stop and think philosophically about our predicament. And wherever the autocrats are, they share a very similar rationalization for a closed anti-democratic world. It’s helpful to imagine free cultures solving problems and living well.
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Another example of converging populism, I suppose the theory being if you can’t beat them join them in the demagoguery. How will this protect the democracy from future attacks? And will it be capable of stopping this attack?
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Also, eligible voters simply stayed home, not voting, having had these identity-crisis issues sufficiently amplified and triggered. Thank the NFL for the demonizing, anti-trans ads for example.
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Plenty of politicians on both sides of the aisle feel empowered by rising populist demagoguery. There’s absolutely no comparison regarding class consciousness. Please, help preserve democracy. Self-promotion can wait.
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Before cheering on oversimplified and opportunistic click bait, follow your Democratic elected officials, read their newsletters, attend the hands off protests, and think about how essential democracy is.
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Thank you! Following my elected officials directly has shown me how hard most Ds are working and how practical they are to stop Trump and these inhumane policies, win elections, and save democracy. If you’re a blue dot hang in there and look for cracks in the GOP, they are growing.
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AI should be thought of as advanced digital automation. Machine learning, while impressive, is not intelligence. Yes, these robots hallucinate and are quite willing to spew bs, but don’t be fooled by the human-like qualities. People are responsible for their robots and should be held accountable.
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AOC is great. But shutting down the govt would have been a gift to DOGE, likely still going on, and ending with a worse CR. Ditto David Hogg, to primary Dems r/n is a crazy risk. They both need to set priorities and stop the lazy work avoidance of blaming. Stop Trump, win elections, save democracy.
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No doubt. If you can't read wikipedia yourself and you need google ai to spoon feed the wiki to you with a bib and a choo choo train bit with zero real credits given, just watch reruns of Sponge Bob instead. FFS, ai is half plargarism and half a legal shield from the liability of harmful decisions.
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Trump and his secret police are sending, as far as we know, innocent people to foreign forever prisons, and it's "centrists" like Van Hollen, you want people to be skeptical of? More opportunistic, self-serving punditry here and it's lame, Hasan.
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MAGA won, so Bannon is platformed, his message is not a secret, except perhaps on BSKY. To win elections, Dems need to get out the vote and peel off a few percent of MAGA voters, all of whom hopefully now see how awful MAGA is. You’ve got to reach them directly, as Newsom tries to do.
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Schumer did take a stand knowing it would cost him political capital. A shutdown would have accelerated the authoritarian playbook and ended with a worse CR. DOGE wanted a shutdown. Let’s hear how a shutdown would have been better during this dismantling of the federal government and the rule of law
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Newsom, who supports due process for all immigrants in the fullest sense, makes an untactful comment and Kristol is so offended he trots out YouGov polls and all! Wow, big mad. Meanwhile:
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Good point, excellent thread, but voting for the CR was the correct tactical risk and true leadership. A shutdown would have magnified your list of authoritarian methods a lot. Let’s give Schumer credit.
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Implying Newsom doesn’t support due process for migrants in the fullest sense is a laughable take over an untactful comment. Kristol, you’re just pissed b/c the truth is you profit off distractions, and you’re willing to be a self-important, intellectual bully. Please, let’s save democracy r/n.
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Newsom thinks it’s real and he knows how awful it is. He’s not ignoring it. Kristol and others are just ginning up anger for clicks. That’s what’s not real. Divisive infotainment is a distraction, and that is what Kristol is reacting to with vindictive implications over an untactful statement.
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Newsom of standing up for what’s right, and he supports due process for migrants in the fullest sense. Implying otherwise is BS click bait to avoid the real story of true leadership to stop this crazy trade war wrecking small farms and businesses. Get a life Kristol, there’s more to it than paywalls
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Don’t imply Newsom doesn’t support due process for migrants. That is BS click bait. CA, world’s 5th largest economy, suing US over illegal trade policy wrecking the global economy so Trump can cosplay deal maker is the story. Perhaps Dems showing true leadership threatens the chattering class?
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The AP is doing great work. One omission here, Van Hollen asked El Salvador to simply release Garcia, not return him to the US, since neither the US or El Salvador has presented any evidence to a court that Garcia should be imprisoned. They refused, stating the US is paying for Garcia’s confinement.
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There’s the problem with Basset’s cancel Newsom take. Newsom is working on the illegal immigration crackdown. But the presser was about a major development in the fight against Trump’s effort to impose massive, economy destroying taxes through tariffs and a trade war. He’s doing both, Basset isn’t.
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Right wing identity politics was the ticket. Ironically, left wing identity politics is slowing an effective opposition. An opportunistic punditry is selling gossip as analysis and their subscriptions may be up, but it’s not helping to stop fascism.
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The fifth largest economy in the world, CA, just sued the largest economy, USA, to stop illegal trade policies, and yes asking Newsom about Abrego Garcia’s illegal and inhumane deportation is a distraction.