Author | Lightnews

Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Sep 30

In my latest Substack article, I look at Trump & Hegseth’s gathering of generals at Quantico. Their speeches weren’t just about policy—they revealed an effort to reshape the role of the military itself.

👉 open.substack.com/pub/psychoci...

#Democracy #USPolitics #CivilMilitary #Psychocivics

The Generals’ Gathering: What Trump and Hegseth’s Speeches Reveal About America’s Future

On September 30, President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth summoned much of the nation’s senior military leadership to Quantico, Virginia.

open.substack.com

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Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Sep 23

Words can incite violence indirectly. This is stochastic terrorism—rhetoric that raises the risk of violent acts while hiding behind deniability. Learn how to spot it.

open.substack.com/pub/psychoci...

#StochasticTerrorism #Democracy #MediaLiteracy #Psychocivics

How We Become Risky Listeners: Understanding Stochastic Terrorism

In today’s media-saturated world, words matter.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Patrick Jackson

Kristofer Goldsmith @krisgoldsmith85.bsky.social · Aug 20

Coverage dismissing the fact that National Guard are “just patrolling safe tourist areas” is missing the point.

The very nature of a presence patrol — I did hundreds of these in Iraq — is to project strength.

That’s to embolden your allies.

And to threaten your enemies.

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Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Jun 13

Side 2 of my protest sign for No Kings! #nokings #resistancelab @jayapal.house.gov

A bold protest sign with a light beige background and large, black uppercase sans-serif text reading:
“BE VOCAL. BE VISIBLE. BE PART OF THE 3.5%.”
Below, in smaller red text:
“When just 3.5% of people actively, vocally oppose an authoritarian regime, the regime has never survived.”
At the bottom, it says:
“Learn more: Resistance Lab (by Rep. Pramila Jayapal)”
and in italics,
“(Not affiliated. Public resource.)”
A black-and-white QR code is printed in the bottom right corner. https://www.pramilaforcongress.com/the-resistance-lab

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Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Jun 13

Side 1 of my protest sign for No Kings! #nokings

Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Jun 2

I'm attending Pramila for Congress's event, “Pramila Jayapal's Resistance Lab: JUNE Virtual Organizing Training 2.0” - sign up n www.mobilize.us/pramilaforco...

Pramila Jayapal's Resistance Lab: JUNE Virtual Organizing Training 2.0 · Pramila for Congress

Interested in hosting an organizing training with your friends and family on June 18th? We'll show you how! Simply fill out this form: https://forms.gle/bX8fss7dFSB5b26D9. Once submitted, a member of ...

www.mobilize.us

Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · May 15

Just published a piece applying something I’ve been developing: psychocivics—a lens for thinking about civilizational health.

This one looks at how the GOP budget subtly pressures the vulnerable—and what we could be doing instead to actually strengthen society.

🧵 open.substack.com/pub/psychoci...

Selective Survival: What the GOP Budget Reveals About Civilizational Health

A psychocivic analysis of how modern policy pressures the poor, disabled, and mentally ill—and why that weakens society as a whole.

open.substack.com

Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Apr 2

I highly recommend Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat—an eye-opening look at how authoritarians gain power and break democracies from within.
📺 Propaganda
🧔‍♂️ Cults of personality
🌱 Resistance
History has patterns. This book connects the dots.
🔗 ruthbenghiat.com/strongmen/
#Democracy #Strongmen #MustRead

The book cover of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat features a red silhouette of a man standing on a stepped platform, raising one arm in a commanding gesture over a black-and-white crowd of people. The title “STRONGMEN” appears in large bold white letters across the figure’s chest. Below, the subtitle “Mussolini to the Present” is centered in black text on the red podium. A blurb at the bottom quotes Timothy Snyder: “A timely analysis of how a certain kind of charisma delivers political disaster.” The author’s name, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, appears in bold white text at the bottom.

Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Mar 28

🌈 LGBTQ+ youth deserve love, not fear.

Homelessness, discrimination, and political attacks are pushing them into crisis—but it doesn’t have to be this way.

👉 open.substack.com/pub/pjack72/...

#ProtectLGBTQYouth #LGBTQ #Equality #HumanRights #Allyship #FaithInAction

Seeing LGBTQ+ Youth with Love and Compassion

Confronting Systemic Harm and Embracing True Acceptance

open.substack.com

Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Feb 7

They’ve divided us long enough. It’s time to see through the lies, listen to each other, and reclaim our nation together. Demand better leadership; refuse to let the wealthy buy our government. #WeThePeople #UnitedForChange #LibertyAndJustice #StrengthInUnity #CommonGround

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Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Feb 6

Yes! This! One of the first things they did was fire inspectors general—the watchdogs tasked with oversight—and work to dismantle accountability. When leaders rush to eliminate oversight, it’s usually because they have something to hide.

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Reposted by Patrick Jackson

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · Feb 6

SCHIFF: “Why is this firing of FBI agents such an important piece of this effort by Trump, Musk & their enablers? Because if they're going to raid the treasury, take people's private data, illegally shut down agencies... They don't want an FBI to examine anything they're doing.”

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Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Feb 6

🚨 The U.S. is at a turning point—this is a must-watch. 🇺🇸📉

Our turmoil isn’t random—it follows a historical cycle of rising & falling empires. Ray Dalio explains it all in The Changing World Order.

Highly recommend!

📺 Watch: youtu.be/xguam0TKMw8?...

#Geopolitics #HistoryRepeats #EconomicCycles

Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio

YouTube video by Principles by Ray Dalio

youtu.be

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Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Feb 1

History warns us—freedom isn’t guaranteed. Those in power can take it away. "On Tyranny" by historian Timothy Snyder shows how we can fight back.

barnesandnoble.com/.../on-tyran...

Free Online: archive.org/.../on-tyran...

#LessonsFromHistory #DefendDemocracy #WeThePeople #OnTyranny

barnesandnoble.com

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Patrick Jackson @patjackson.bsky.social · Feb 1

#FreeSpeech #FreedomToListen #DefendDemocracy #WeThePeople #LibertyAndJustice #FirstAmendment #CivilDiscourse #AmericanValues

A darkened American flag is shown in the background with stars and stripes slightly out of focus. Overlaid in white text is the message: “When authoritarians silence honest voices, they don’t just oppress the speaker—they take away your right to hear different perspectives, think for yourself, and make your own choices.” Below, in bold text, it reads: “Free speech isn’t just about speaking—it’s about the freedom to listen.” The phrases “honest voices” are highlighted in blue, and “freedom to listen” is emphasized in golden yellow. The overall design conveys a thoughtful, patriotic message about the importance of free speech.

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