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Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · 22h

If this was happening in any other country you'd have journalists and analysts discussing risks of state failure

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Alt USAID/ USAID Forever @altusaid.altgov.info · 8d

Hatch Act briefings once included the minutiae of what was allowable in terms of car bumper stickers in office parking garages. Now, absolutely, anything goes.

The Hatch Act is on fire.

Government Workers Say Their Out-of-Office Replies Were Forcibly Changed to Blame Democrats for Shutdown

Some employees at the Department of Education changed their responses back to the more neutral language, only to have it changed yet again to the partisan response, multiple sources tell WIRED.

www.wired.com

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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 9d

🧵 Libertarian economist Tyler Cowen is making headlines for an extremely creepy post at Bari Weiss's blog fantasizing about robot virgins and the AI character Tilly Norwood.

Unfortunately, the story behind is much worse...

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · 9d

either they resign/refuse orders (seen as partisan move anti-Trump) or they follow orders (seen as partisan/MAGA). Either undermines legitimacy and professionalism of military. Former transfers power from elected ldrs to those w/ guns. Latter risks war crimes.

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · 9d

Hegseth as Sec is a partisan actor and if he were competent and cared abt/understood importance of a nonpartisan military, he could try to reign in potus. But he’s not and he doesn’t. Civilians are forcing military officers to act in ways that will be seen as partisan & further politicize military

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · 9d

It’s a sig. part of what U.S. troops tried to do in Iraq and Afghanistan. US mil is trained to be nonpartisan & professional. For many that’s a point of pride &they don’t want the mil reduced to partisan tool. But role of mil. isn’t to restrict elected ldrs -that’s Congress, Courts, electorate.

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · 9d

but frequently involves figuring out how to get what you want without escalating. Beyond that, militaries are figuring out supply lines, opsec, intel gathering, working with local populations, building trust, overcoming barriers to cooperation, disaster management, etc.

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · 9d

Yea. I guess i’d say that I think most of what militaries do is problem solving. If war is politics by other means, then even war is really just a problem of achieving a political goal (or getting as close as possible to it) - which may involve lethality 1/2

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james 🐎🔫 @buffalocia.bsky.social · 10d

If the President can raise his own revenues and direct his own spending without congressional approval we are squarely in the only situation the Constitution was actually drafted to avoid: English civil war territory

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 10d

File this under “essential function.” 🤡

#Shutdown
abcnews.go.com/Politics/liv...

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 11d

If you're blaming the Democrats for the shutdown of a government that is run entirely by Republicans, why stop there?

Go wild, man. Blame the shutdown on leprechauns, or the Seattle Mariners, or maybe the cast of "She's the Sheriff."

You've decided facts don't matter, so have some fun with it!

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · 11d

certainly reads like it was written by someone who’s been credibly accused of at least one of those behaviors.

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · 11d

hey, that’s me! Seriously honored to be interviewed for this story

Rebecca Kennison @rrkennison.bsky.social · 11d

“When you view the military’s purpose as just about going out guns blazing and killing people, then you might think, well, you don’t need diversity to just go out and kill people. But you do need diversity if what you really need to do is problem-solve.” - @rebeccabestir.bsky.social

Pete Hegseth had a lot to say when he summoned military leaders. Here are some facts and context

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a shift in military policy, emphasizing a return to traditional standards and a focus on "the warrior ethos."

apnews.com

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Rebecca Kennison @rrkennison.bsky.social · 11d

“When you view the military’s purpose as just about going out guns blazing and killing people, then you might think, well, you don’t need diversity to just go out and kill people. But you do need diversity if what you really need to do is problem-solve.” - @rebeccabestir.bsky.social

Pete Hegseth had a lot to say when he summoned military leaders. Here are some facts and context

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a shift in military policy, emphasizing a return to traditional standards and a focus on "the warrior ethos."

apnews.com

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 11d

Is the Russian military something the US military should aspire to?

Do you look at Russia’s military performance in Ukraine—3.5 years and a million casualties failing to conquer a smaller neighbor—and think “wow, I wish we could be more like that”?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11d

Rep. Andy Harris: "I guarantee you China and Russia do not have woke policies in their military."

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · 21d

yea, the only thing I miss from WaPo is Carolyn Hax - everyone else who was any good… left or has been muzzled.

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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 23d

"More professors in the United States have been fired for controversial views in the past week than any other week in all of American history."
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

Censorship Is the Authoritarian’s Dream

The right to free expression must include the right to say horrible and evil things.

www.insidehighered.com

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · Sep 11

Horrified to see yet another political assassination AND another school shooting this year. Most of us reject violence, but our rhetoric (& the algorithms that enable hate mongers to go viral), culture, and gun laws enable so much violence.

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · Sep 11

have they started doing town halls again, or is it just pay to play events?

Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · Sep 10

It is! At my university and, I believe, most others there is a grace period where students can switch classes without paying more.

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · Sep 10

yea, course descriptions are very brief. they definitely are not a complete listing of all topics covered in the course, nor should they be

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Aug 26

Going to be wild to have Clarence Thomas and other members of the court write that even the appearance of impropriety is sufficient to allow the President to remove Federal Reserve members from office, and then head off to Harlan Crow’s yacht

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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · Aug 13

What do you want to know about...everything...that's going on in this economy? We're working on a special for this weekend -- listener questions wanted.

Here's the frame: what are the *real costs of what's happening.

hmu

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The Editorial Board @editorialboard.bsky.social · Aug 7

Why would any future recruit choose to sacrifice for a country that is so willing to betray those who have chosen to sacrifice for their country?

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Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · Jul 26

isn’t *

Rebecca Best @rebeccabestir.bsky.social · Jul 26

what I can’t believe is the number of generally intelligent, well-informed people who are pretending it is t happening.

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