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Reposted by Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 1d

I wrote about the bizarrely credulous way the New York Times’ flagship podcast “The Daily” presented Russell Vought, how it is indicative of blind spots and fallacies that undermine the public response to Trumpism - and what we actually need to understand about this dangerous man:

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 1d

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly

Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy.

Some thoughts from my new piece:

🧵

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly

Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy

steady.page

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 2d

“Bucking tradition and legal precedent.” Lol.

I guess according to the sanitizing standards of mainstream media’s neutrality-theater journalism, you can “buck tradition and legal precedent” so hard that you end democratic self-government and the constitutional order altogether.

NPR @npr.org · 3d

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

Trump's power to deploy National Guard, explained

President Trump is bucking tradition and legal precedent in pushing to deploy the National Guard to Democratic-led cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago due to what he says is rampant crime and to support his crackdown on illegal immigration.

n.pr

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 2d

If there is one thing the American mainstream media simply cannot resist, it’s a “Relax, the Libs are overreacting again!” take that presents a wildly disingenuous version of what is actually going on in MAGA land to launder the Right and chide “the Left” for being hysterical.

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 2d

Even the “respectable” thought leaders on the Right are clearly not arguing from within a consensus that America should exist as a pluralistic democracy. To Caldwell, that’s a dangerous pipe dream, lacking the necessary national cohesion; and more importantly, it’s an affront to the “natural” order.

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 4d

ICYMI yesterday:

I wrote about Ezra Klein, Ta-Nehisi Coates, the struggle to define the boundaries of what is acceptable in America – and why democratic citizens have an obligation to hold the line on what we consider beyond the pale.

Some thoughts from my new piece:

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Where Is the Line?

On Ezra Klein, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and the struggle to define the boundaries of what is acceptable in America

steady.page

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Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 5d

Everyone is trying to have a normal Saturday night and the president's top advisor is on X announcing that civil war is necessary

@StephenM on X: Legal insurrection. The President is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, not an Oregon judge. Portland and Oregon law enforcement, at the direction of local leaders, have refused to aid ICE officers facing relentless terrorist assault and threats to life. (There are more local law enforcement officers in Oregon than there are guns and badges in the FBI nationwide). This is an organized terrorist attack on the federal government and its officers, and the deployment of troops is an absolute necessity to defend our personnel, our laws, our government, public order and the Republic itself.

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Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 6d

Macron remarks are notable- some quotes: "We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks that are controlled either by large American entrepreneurs or large Chinese companies, whose interests are not at all the survival or proper functioning of our democracies."

Defend Democracy @defenddemocracy.bsky.social · 6d

President Macron: “Europeans, let's wake up!

We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.”

defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

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Kristaps Buķis @mrbukis.lv · 7d

Darām!

Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 8d

Laiks sabiedrībai paradīt, ka mēs negribam dzīvot valstī, kur valda aizspriedumos balstīta tumsonība. Paraksties!

manabalss.lv/i/3739

Ekrānšāviņš no ManaBalss mājaslapas. Iniciatīva "LATVIJAI JĀTURPINA DALĪBA STAMBULAS KONVENCIJĀ". Saite: https://manabalss.lv/i/3739

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Edgars Jēkabsons @edgarsjekabsons.lv · 8d

Darīts. Atkal diemžēl aktuāli.

Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 8d

Laiks sabiedrībai paradīt, ka mēs negribam dzīvot valstī, kur valda aizspriedumos balstīta tumsonība. Paraksties!

manabalss.lv/i/3739

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Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 8d

Laiks sabiedrībai paradīt, ka mēs negribam dzīvot valstī, kur valda aizspriedumos balstīta tumsonība. Paraksties!

manabalss.lv/i/3739

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Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 8d

This comes after he decided that soldiers who committed massacre of civilians should still be honored by the state.
share.google/Bfs0AqEpkPjw...

Hegseth says soldiers in Wounded Knee Massacre of Lakota will keep their medals

Oglala Sioux chairman calls Hegseth's decision

share.google

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Reposted by Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 8d

This is as pathetic as it is dangerous. A ridiculous buffoon elevated to a position of power, enabled to hurt vulnerable people in a quest to quench his desire for domination, encouraging others to join him and give in to their worst selves.

Trumpism personified.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10d

Hegseth: "A few months ago I was at the White House when President Trump announced his liberation day for America's trade policy. It was a landmark day. Well, today is another liberation day. The liberation of America's warriors ... you kill people and break things for a living."

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Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 9d

"Threat to the peace and security of the United States." ≠ "The attack will be considered as an attack on the U.S."

Pretty meaningless, because U.S. could consider something a threat, but not act on it/against it in any way.

Reposted by Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 10d

This is a regime at war: With large segments of the population, with pluralistic democracy and American society as it actually exists.

They are not looking to reform or compromise, they desire to destroy, conquer, and dominate.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10d

Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"

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Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 10d

Great that Kimmel got back. However, he showcased in his return speech Erika Kirk's "forgiving the killer" as a noble example of civility and healing. Erika Kirk is still extremist and endorses extremism. Kimmel helped to launder the movement that canceled him at the moment when all eyes were on him

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Jonathan M. Katz @katz.theracket.news · 12d

Targeted attack on a dockside restaurant in North Carolina. Three dead. Suspect a former Marine sniper in Iraq and Haiti who tried to sue the US govt for “genocide against straight men by the LGBQT community.”

Flags at half mast? Endless op-eds? Victims’ faces on coins?

www.cnn.com/2025/09/28/u...

Man in custody after 3 killed, at least 8 injured in shooting at a waterfront bar in North Carolina, officials say | CNN

A 40-year-old man is facing murder charges after allegedly pulling up on a boat to a waterfront bar in North Carolina Saturday night and opening fire, killing three and injuring at least eight others.

www.cnn.com

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Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 14d

A disaster that Starmer insists on ignoring the mountain of empirical evidence from across "Western" democracies that adopting rightwing positions and frameworks only ever helps the Right win legitimacy and votes.

An utter disaster that so many Democrats in the U.S. insist on doing Starmerism.

Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 14d

The success of the far right is not only measured in votes and seats but in its impact on rhetoric, policy and ideology. The fact that a (nominally) social democratic head of government with a huge majority choses to say and do this is maybe the biggest success of the far right in Europe yet.

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Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 15d

This is one of the things that frustrated me about Kimmel's monologue after returning to air. He showcased Erika Kirk's stunt as a noble example of civility and healing. Erika Kirk still endorses this hatred and extremism. Kimmel helped to launder the movement that canceled him in the first place.

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Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 16d

Interesanta izvēle, jo Pelšs runā latviski šeit tieši Kompartijas pasākumā: "Rīgu par Gagarinu pārdēvēt!". Citur treilerī taču ir krievu valoda, lai būtu laikmeta vaibs.

Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 17d

"Triumph of the Will"-esque spectacle. A choreographed show with the purpose of intimidating "enemies" and rally supporters. «NowThis Impact» even noted similarities between Miller's speech and that of Goebels in 1932.
www.instagram.com/reel/DO66Z6Y...

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

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Annika Brockschmidt @ardenthistorian.bsky.social · 18d

I wrote about Kirk‘s memorial, which was set up as part MAGA propaganda rally/TPUSA Action fundraiser, part Christian revival, with Christian Nationalism as the centrepiece - and numerous calls for spiritual warfare, as well as Kirk‘s canonisation as a martyr for the movement @religiondispatches.org

Part MAGA Rally Part Christian Revival — Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service Includes Numerous Calls for 'Spiritual Warfare'

Sunday’s Charlie Kirk memorial service was part MAGA rally, part fundraising event for Turning Point USA—but mostly, it was a religious revival. The more than 70,000 attendees witnessed the canonizati...

religiondispatches.org

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Andrew Stroehlein @andrewstroehlein.bsky.social · 22d

There is no organization called "antifa" - so, why label a non-existent group "terrorists"?

This gives the regime maximum scope to hunt down opposition and critics. They label you "antifa", and then they come for you.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump says he plans to designate antifa as ‘major terrorist organization’

It is unclear how anti-fascists, an umbrella term for far-left-leaning groups rather than a single entity, will be labeled

www.theguardian.com

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Juris Martins 🌹🇱🇻🇪🇺 @jurismartins.bsky.social · 18d

Would be useful if it were also stats among partisan lines. I'm just curious how many (self-declared) Republicans disapprove of Trump on Ukraine. If 60% of US adults disapprove, means some Republicans are there. And what do they disapprove? That there's still no magic agreement or trashing Ukraine?

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Grudgie the Whale @grudgie.bsky.social · 18d

The shooter wasn’t funded.

1/6 was though.

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 18d

Leavitt: “Enough is enough. As President Trump has promised, he will directly address the dark sources funding and supporting this domestic terrorism to finally restore order in our country. The American people can expect further, very strong action on this very soon.”

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 18d

OLIVER: “In Russia, when Putin rose to power, TV satirists were among his first targets… Putin was driven to madness by how he was mocked on a puppet show… the lesson is it’s not safe to let one show slide because there are currently others.”

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