Author | Lightnews

Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 1d

There is no altruistic foreign aid. Stable neighbors are better economic partners, send fewer refugees, take care of cross-border nuisances more quickly and act more predictably. Of course the US has been operating in its own interests. But stability is one of those interests.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 1d

I mean, the Cold War ended in 1989, so there’s about 35 years your story is missing there. Also any intro to international relations textbook can tell you that trade agreements more often than not have political motives, including stabilizing neighbors.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 1d

All the ones who voted for and implemented the buckets and buckets of aid that flowed into the region for decades? The ones who negotiated and ratified NAFTA and CAFTA-DR? The ones who provided extensive intelligence support for fighting cartels? The ones who approve US money going to OAS?

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 1d

Ummm…(1) We have a free trade agreement with Nicaragua and have had one in effect since 2009. (2) Just because most of the emigrants are fleeing to Costa Rica doesn’t mean they’re not leaving and that Nicaragua is not stable.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 1d

Yeah, a better, more interesting discussion would be about why the myriad efforts to make Mexico and Central America more stable and prosperous failed, or at least failed in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador. People in power after Reagan had agency over those things.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 2d

I'm pretty sure this was the defining conflict of English history from the 12th century through the end of the 17th century. I suppose the good news is that it ended with parliamentary supremacy. The bad news is that it took them 500 years to get there. Let's speed run that learning curve please.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 3d

I mean, she’s a Democrat and an Illinois resident and she’s running for the Democratic nomination for Congress in Illinois. From what I’ve seen, she does lots of local events and tries to meet and listen to her prospective constituents. I don’t think much else is relevant.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 3d

Do I think the governor should be directing a coaching search? No. But since we’re already there, just fire the AD and save everyone a lot of awkward conversations.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 3d

I mean, just fire the AD if this is your attitude. What’s Scott Woodward’s purpose if he’s not involved in selecting the head football coach?

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 4d

How to say that you know nothing about J.R.R. Tolkien without saying you know nothing about J.R.R. Tolkien.

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Reposted by Lowell West

Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 5d

(6) This idea that democrats should abandon trans people and immigrants and climate change (in 2025!) is just unconscionably dumb.

Declaring “I’m focused on prescription drug prices” sounds like pandering because it IS pandering. Everyone can tell.

Try standing for something. See how it feels.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 7d

Oh my god after reading the whole thing, it was so much worse than I imagined. I feel dumber for having read it.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 7d

That is a lot of words to say “incoherent with no clear objectives”

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Reposted by Lowell West

Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 13d

My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.

The New York Times Argues “Moving to the Center Is the Way to Win.” But the Data Shows the Strategy Is Tapped Out.

Democrats already run moderates in nearly every swing district. It's not enough. A data-driven response to the case for centrism as a core electoral strategy.

data4democracy.substack.com

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Reposted by Lowell West

Brendel @brendelbored.bsky.social · 15d

If Gary Larson is back that means Bill Watterson is going to come back. Light is gonna reenter the world like when Gandalf showed up with new clothes.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 17d

I love Albania. Great place. Great people. I’m not sure many places besides maybe Kosovo aspire to be like Albania though…

Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 21d

The problem with Weiss is she coddles the powerful, has no real principles, and does not really have anything interesting to say. If that’s who you want running a newsroom, okay I guess.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 21d

I would simply ask you to consider that this piece about how great Bari Weiss is does not name a single important story she broke or any principles she has besides a vague “bringing the news back to the news” concept that is so bland as to be meaningless.

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 27d

Pretty sure the history of Afghanistan comes down to we didn’t negotiate a settlement with the Taliban quickly when it was smashed and weak rather than we were soft. Being bullheaded about total victories was the problem not the solution.

Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 28d

Next audiobook, because I know shamefully little about the civil rights movement and this seems like an okay place to start. #MLK #CivilRightsMovement

A screenshot from the Libby app showing that I am listening to “King” by Jonathan Eig, the recent biography of MLK Jr.

Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · 29d

"I speak truth to the powerful, by which I mean moderately well-off educated people with little real power who find me annoying and vacuous, not people who can pour hundreds of millions of dollars into swinging elections."

Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · Oct 2

I get frustrated by this attitude because it ignores the very practical purposes that following strict rules of engagement serves, not least of which is that *soldiers who commit war crimes are undisciplined soldiers*. Lack of discipline impedes achievement of objectives.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Sep 30

Hegseth: "We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don't fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement."

Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · Sep 30

China’s military is also run through with corruption, favoritism and graft. We have no idea how effective it actually is or if it would just collapse in on itself if it actually went to war with a major power threat.

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Reposted by Lowell West

Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · Sep 29

If you're wondering why they don't go to court with their high paid lawyers for an easy win, it's because this allows Google to bribe Trump.

All the big players are way over their skis on AI investment and are sure they will need a bailout at some point. It's 2009 but for tech instead of housing

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · Sep 29

Today’s capitulation. www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...

Monday, September 29 5:02
WSJ
Breaking News
YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle Trump's 2021 lawsuit over the suspension of his account

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Lowell West @lowellakwest.bsky.social · Sep 22

Yeah I would hold off on that price increase if I were them. Trust takes years to build, a minute to break etc., etc.

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