Author | Lightnews

Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · 3d

Politics is about excuses. Politics is mass delusion.

Observers of China and Russia understand this. Why can't American media see this in our own politics?

Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · 3d

“You suffer from the oldest delusion in politics. You think you can change the world by talking to a leader. Leaders are the effects, not the causes of changes.”

-- Alasdair Gray

Reposted by Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل )

Harms Committed @harmscommitted.com · 7d

"Mobilizing under the slogan #Free_Koulchi—meaning 'free everyone'—young protesters led by the Gen Z 212 movement, organized fresh demonstrations."

Police "have arrested more than 2,100 protesters."

"[H]igh cost of dreaming of a better homeland."
#Morocco #Policing #Healthcare #Incarceration

Gen Z Uprising in Morocco: Youth Defy Crackdown to Free Jailed Protesters

Protesters returned to Morocco's streets a month after anti-corruption rallies swept the country, this time demanding freedom and justice for more than 1,500 detained demonstrators.

www.occrp.org

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Reposted by Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل )

Jordan Krueger @jordankrueger.com · 7d

AI water usage is so small when compared to golf courses and mining operations, you can't even see it on a chart. www.understandingai.org/p/16-charts-...

Bar chart comparing U.S. daily water use (billions of gallons): Mining ~4.0; household indoor leaks ~2.5; golf courses ~1.5; data centers (onsite+offsite) ~0.2; AI in data centers ~0.0. Takeaway: data centers—especially AI—use far less water than other categories.

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Jordan Krueger @jordankrueger.com · 7d

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🍉Yaffa 🍉 @yaffasutopia.bsky.social · Sep 11

Resistance violence is birthed in response to violence from systemic oppression.
Violence from Systems of oppression is integral to systems of oppression.
Systems of oppression do not need an external motivator for violence, they just are violent. They are built entirely through violence.

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Reposted by Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل )

Common Notions Press @commonnotions.bsky.social · Sep 16

LETTERS FROM A LIVING UTOPIA is a love letter to liberation. A journey of resilient repair that will leave you with the deeply felt certainty that Palestine WILL be free. That Palestine HAS ALWAYS been free.

front cover of the book: clouds in the background with a silhouette of palestine in the foreground.

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · 15d

Where is the interview with Palestinian leaders and with any anti-Hamas dissidents?

<crickets>

Axios @axios.com · 15d

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed brokering a fragile deal between Israel and Hamas and rejected allegations that Israeli forces had committed genocide in Gaza during an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" that aired this evening.

"Absolutely not": Witkoff, Kushner reject Gaza genocide claims in "60 Minutes" interview

Addressing their business in the Middle East, Kushner said: "What people call conflicts of interests, Steve and I call experience."

www.axios.com

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · 15d

Where is the interview with Palestinian leaders and any anti-Hamas dissidents?

<crickets>

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · 18d

Couldn't be bothered? State Democrats *choose* to be centrist and deliberately exclusive, as does the national Democratic old guard. They HATE the party base.

Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · 18d

I am grateful to @lukeslamdunkwilson.bsky.social, @cdamianwrites.bsky.social, @mfsavoices.org, and Darren Calhoun for courageously raising their voices for queer youth and for reform in religious communities. ❤️

Sojourners @sojo.net · 18d

The Supreme Court seems likely to overrule a law banning conversion therapy for minors, horrifying queer faith leaders and their allies after years of fighting to protect queer children.
sojo.net/articles/new...

The Christian Activists Supporting a Conversion Therapy Ban

“It’s about affirming that every person, including every queer person, bears the divine image and deserves to live free from psychological and spiritual harm,” Bridget Cabrera said.

sojo.net

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Reposted by Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل )

Politico @politico.com · 19d

Two more members of a Young Republican group chat strewn with racist epithets and hateful jokes stepped down from their jobs Tuesday after we published an exclusive report on the Telegram exchanges.

‘It’s revolting’: More Young Republican chat members out of jobs as condemnation intensifies

POLITICO report on private Telegram chat filled with racist slurs and tropes ignites debate from New York to Washington.

www.politico.com

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Reposted by Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل )

Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · 20d

"People often ask me what journalism I trust. So today I’m handing out letter grades to some major players." —Mark Jacob. www.stopthepresses.news/p/im-handing...

I’m handing out pro-democracy grades to the media

The Guardian gets an A, the NY Times gets a C, CBS gets an F

www.stopthepresses.news

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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 19d

Hmm. No mention of fact-checking.

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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 20d

POLITICO: “.. They referred to Black people as monkeys and ‘the watermelon people’ and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies .. and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.

@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

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Dr. Jonathan N. Stea @jonathanstea.bsky.social · 22d

When scientists look under the tinfoil hat, they see that conspiracy mentality is linked to distress, impulsivity, negative affect, and lack of intellectual humility.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

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Reposted by Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل )

Alison Tomlin @alisontomlin.bsky.social · Oct 3

Back at #Bradford2025 for Rizwan Muazzam Qawwals. The only other Qawwali band I ever saw was their uncle, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in the 80s (also at St George's Hall), so this was a treat. Not quite as big a treat as the Master himself but hey. Highly energised. Loving the audience response.

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · Oct 3

Yet the percentage of respondents who said they would disobey specific illegal or unconstitutional orders is substantially lower than the percentage of respondents who recognized the responsibility to disobey in general.

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · Oct 3

Just over 40% of active-duty servicemembers listed specific examples of orders they would feel compelled to disobey, including "harming civilians" and torturing prisoners.

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · Oct 3

Who will the U.S. armed services obey when Trump gives unconstitutional orders?

Nine percent of active-duty troops said they would “obey any order” from the president. Another 9% “didn’t know,” and 2% had “no comment.”

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theconversation.com/4-out-of-5-u...

4 out of 5 US troops surveyed understand the duty to disobey illegal orders

As National Guard troops head to the streets of Washington, and likely civilian encounters, a new survey reveals service members’ understanding of the distinction between legal and illegal orders.

theconversation.com

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · Oct 3

Among Republicans, 77% identify as rightist, 18% as moderate, and 4% as left-leaning.

Among Democrats, 55% identify as left-leaning, 34% as moderate, and 9% as right-leaning.

So, not even counting independent voters, nearly half of so-called "liberals" are moderate or right-wing.

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · Oct 3

In 2023, Gallup reported that 36% of U.S. adults describe their political ideology as right-leaning, 36% as moderate, and 25% as left-leaning.

news.gallup.com/poll/548459/...

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Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل ) @airhart.me · Oct 3

What many people (including the media) call "liberals" are, 43 percent of the time (not including independent voters), moderate or rightist.

A short thread:
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Danny Satterfield @wildweatherdan.bsky.social · Oct 2

Well put. At some point we might need to call them fascists but let’s hold that word in reserve until they meet the definition. Bigoted and racist authoritarians is still correct.

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · Oct 1

Violence: Not even close to a fascist regime
Popular mobilization: Not remotely
Extreme nationalism: Weak beer compared to fascist regimes
Dictatorial leadership: They wish
Militarism: Nope (unless you just got drafted)
Personality cult: Check
Scapegoating: Check

Will Holland @wholland.bsky.social · Oct 1

Extreme nationalism: check
Dictatorial leadership: check
Militarism: check
Violence: check
Personality cult: check
Scapegoating: check
Popular mobilization: check

What am I missing? This admin fits the classic definition of fascism. Or wants to.

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Reposted by Michael Airhart (عارف) (ميخائيل )

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · Oct 1

Hertling: His comments about putting hands back on recruits… We moved away from that 30 years ago because it’s ineffective…

You know where it didn’t go away? The Russian army.

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