riparian-dreams.bsky.social
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A long history here. 1980s US funds the El Salvador govt's RW war against leftist guerrillas. Refugees flee to the US. Some youth (dealing w/poverty & war trauma) get caught up in US gang culture. US deports them back to ES where some establish new gangs whose violence now drives people to migrate.
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As Steve Bannon said, politics is downstream of culture. The RW has built a very effective communications ecosystem that doesn't just operate during election seasons. Spaces like Bluesky can be a way to push back against this flood of authoritarian discourse and build pro-democracy culture.
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Academic presses are only credible gatekeepers if they offer quality control of content (peer review by experts) and form (professional standards of copyediting/proofing). Cost savings like this undermine the whole field and force authors to give yet more free labor. Sorry this happened to you.
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If the benefits of increased productivity were shared more equally, we'd all have more time to live fully and richly; spending time w/friends & family, building community, creative activities, sports... The economy isn't a goal in itself, it's just a means to an end.
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For a decade, RW media has endlessly recycled cherry-picked stories of migrants committing crimes (particularly if women/children are victims) and videos of the "invading" (non-white) migrant caravans. They proactively drive political narratives.
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Because he's also profoundly opportunistic, in his rise to power he was willing at times to temporarily backbench this worldview of dominance and hierarchy. Now it's openly part of his masculinist shtick, still mixed with some of that populist slipperiness.
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Yes, in the 1980s/1990s corporations justified moving labor-intensive factory work to Asia with gendered/racialized stereotypes of "docile" and "nimble" Asian woman workers who were "naturally" good with their fingers and so could be paid lower wages.
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Lots of movies portray the "authentic hero" as the man who speaks boldly and decisively, who magically knows exactly what to do when the gunfire starts. In real life, this overconfident guy is often clueless and we really need to listen to the careful, precise people.
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It's like tech elites are trying to turn themselves into machines of efficiency, and make this the model to judge everyone else. But many of life's best moments of deep connection and creativity happen when we slow down, loosen control, take time for others, open spaces for the unexpected.
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Part of funding more organic progressive communication ecosystems is giving up that need for control and the focus on short-term, predetermined results. ID potential, spread seed money, wait to see what emerges, give more support. Commit to the medium and long-haul.
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The key question is always what groups get the benefits of greater productivity. Extreme efficiency (eg slaughterhouses, Amazon warehouses) can erode worker well-being and profit maximization can undermine the resiliency needed to face disruptions like climate change and pandemics.
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According to the website, their "multipartisan analysis" is a focus group of 6 to 9 "experts" who somehow (??self-identification, some unnamed criteria??) represent the left, center, and right. Lots of vibes, few clear criteria.
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Masks are also a masculine-coded power move that homogenizes the police, reinforces the "us vs them" mentality. Masks make accountability much harder, especially w/these ad hoc, out-of-uniform squads detaining people now.
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As 2025 there's no direct, conclusive evidence for either a zoonotic or lab leak origin of SARS-CoV-2. Both hypotheses are still on the table. In the meantime, we can promote both limiting wildlife trade and stricter oversight (or moratoriums) of GOF lab research w/potential pandemic pathogens.
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It seems so innocent and quaint now, a sign of how far norms of good governance have eroded, especially under the current regime.
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Every day, right-wing extremists (in power in all 3 branches of govt) are trying to rip up the Constitution piece by piece, but according to mainstream media, the real concern is moderately left-of-center discourse calling it out.
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This "abundance" vision of deregulation as a panacea for poverty/inequality just repackages stale policies from the 1980s (eg Reaganomics). East Asia successes in reducing poverty relied on strong states, w/a degree of autonomy from specific capitalist interests, and coherent industrial policies.
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Very interesting. This analysis also suggests how "nihilism made systemic" draws on an underlying oppressive gender order. The elite men who disproportionately drive fascisms glorify masculine-coded values of zero-sum competition, domination, use of raw power, in this case, to subordinate truth.
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Denouncing the "politicization" of science, while overseeing deeply opaque and political cuts to grants and personnel
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No one person is indispensable. (That's the way would-be autocrats think). True leaders mentor and encourage the generations behind them and know when to step aside to let them take the reins of power.
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Corporations move labor-intensive production out of the US in search of the poorest and most desperate workers around the world to maximize profits in a 'race to the bottom.' We should focus on supporting transnational labor rights, living wages, safety & environmental protections across the globe.
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The wider RW populist media ecosystem throws lots of stuff at the wall and pivots to what sticks w/the base. They try to set agendas w/sheer repetition. Agree, it's important to emphasize audience choice and power. They're not all-powerful and we can build progressive info ecosystems to counter.
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Appreciate Fetterman's efforts to de-stigmatize mental illness, for men in particular, but his story is also a testament to the power of the myth of the 'working class heroes' as embodied in transgressive white men. Could a woman ever get away with this?
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A powerful rejection of dehumanizing labels and treatment. We're all human beings worthy of respect and basic human rights.
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An open and stunning disrespect for the constitution and the rule of law. Media needs to stop sugarcoating this.
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Excellent, nuanced investigation. TDA is real problem in a few local settings, but its impact has been highly exaggerated by RW media. Multiple factors behind its spread: violent prison culture and economic deterioration in Venezuela worsened by US policies; slumlords are the weak spot in the US
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Ideally, Blue Sky isn't a "safe space" (right-wing framing implying hiding away, weakness) but a powerful space to build political community, share info and strategies, work out core values, promote critical thinking skills and not give $ to nazis. All tools to go out into the world and engage.
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Good not to romanticize insular small towns. In my experience, a valued way of life can also mean exclusion of those who look/think/act differently; close family gives support, but can also be unhealthy, e.g. women pressured to care for others at the expense of their own well being.
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Bad faith academic research proliferates as gatekeeping breaks down. Its goals are to get attention, $, influence. It uses weak methods, engages/cites only a few ideologically resonant previous works, is careless with the facts, overstates findings. We need to reinvigorate peer-review standards.
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Smart, capable, visionary women pressured to play the public role of girlish silliness. We need new ways for women to convey authority and credibility that don't simply mimic masculine power, but this seems like a step backward.
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Framing health as only an outcome of individual choices is soft eugenics that blames unwell individuals for their "failures." It gives his followers a false sense of control and safety and diverts resources away from real public health: food safety regs, clean air and water, vaccines etc.
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Insults of govt workers reinforce cynicism about the role and potential of democratic states. In fact, govts are critical to rein in and regulate too-powerful corporations, to build a basic social safety net for all. The ultra-rich want the wild west dystopia of weak and coopted govt.
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In these briefings, the Trump regime normalizes big lies in a setting where it's almost impossible for journalists to hold him accountable. The briefings also give partisan, unprofessional right-wing media the appearance of equal standing and authority. How can journalists organize to regain power?
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So donating $$ to the Dems was never about value, principles, or trying to use your wealth and power to make the world a better place. It was about buying political access and undermining democracy.
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The Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum that was shut down was also a great source of info for off the beaten path travel. Nothing's really replaced it.
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The decline of the US/Europe alliance and US elevation of authoritarian values and regimes also weakens global pro-democratic norms. Even while flawed in practice, shared norms of democracy, social safety nets, equality etc. have been tools used by progressive movements across the globe.
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The far right has achieved things that seemed politically impossible a few years ago. We also need to be bold and strategic (and patient) like this to re-democratize our judiciary so it protects the rights of all and not the interests of a few. Start laying the groundwork now.
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Even as he's trying to distance (rescue) the Republican brand from the bad infiltrators, Brooks still repeats and reinforces reactionary populist frames with language like "purges," "stamps out,""stifling orthodoxy," and "screwed the working class" to describe his political opponents.
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How do we convince people that clean air (both outdoors and indoors) is vital for good health and a basic human right, just like access to clean water?
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Jo Rowlands' work on empowerment talks about this. "Power over," a zero sum contest where the one winner defines truth, vs. "power with" where the goal is not to dominate, but to rigorously and collaboratively work toward truth, excellence, social change etc.
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Cheerleading for free market capitalism has conflated wealthy men who are very smart in a few things, like making money and tech, with overall "genius" and a right to lead. In fact, these men often have deep blind spots and wide areas of ignorance
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Decades ago "import substitution industrialization" was popular in Latin America. Govts put up tariffs to allow their domestic industries time to become competitive. They still had to import (expensive) capital goods and some raw materials though. Today's global supply chains are even more complex.
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Constant, small visible acts of resistance can complement other forms of political action. They're like chipping away at the ice of the right-wing project. It may seem like nothing's changing, but it weakens the underlying structure. At some unpredictable moment bigger cracks (opportunities) appear.
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Build narratives that frame what's happening in the US as a cautionary tale for Europe. Right-wing "populist" campaigns now are ambitious, global in scope and embedded in national contexts. Challenge US gov't authoritarian moves, build people-to-people links w/US institutions, networks who resist.