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@stevenpmillies.com
professor | author | political theorist | ersatz theologian | Chicago southsider | analog influencer | bylines Commonweal, The Hill, The Conversation (AP), Religion News Service, others | https://linktr.ee/stevenpmillies | personal account
Pinned
"Common sense is common, has no imagination, and only works by precedent. It leaves the man who follows it poorer, if not in pocket, then in heart."
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Breaking NYT:
The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first boat attack, according to officials briefed on the matter.
The laws of armed conflict forbid combatants from feigning civilian status.
That is a war crime called "perfidy."
The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first boat attack, according to officials briefed on the matter.
The laws of armed conflict forbid combatants from feigning civilian status.
That is a war crime called "perfidy."
U.S. Attacked Boat With Aircraft That Looked Like a Civilian Plane
www.nytimes.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Breaking NYT:
The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first boat attack, according to officials briefed on the matter.
The laws of armed conflict forbid combatants from feigning civilian status.
That is a war crime called "perfidy."
The Pentagon used a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane in its first boat attack, according to officials briefed on the matter.
The laws of armed conflict forbid combatants from feigning civilian status.
That is a war crime called "perfidy."
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The Republican Party, party of Lincoln, has no discernible ideological beliefs that are more important than loyalty to Trump
NEWSNATION: Why now are you for price controls?
SEN. ROGER MARSHALL: I think desperate times calls for desperate measures
SEN. ROGER MARSHALL: I think desperate times calls for desperate measures
January 13, 2026 at 4:27 AM
The Republican Party, party of Lincoln, has no discernible ideological beliefs that are more important than loyalty to Trump
Oh for God's good sake.
a man in a suit says " c'mon man "
ALT: a man in a suit says " c'mon man "
media.tenor.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Oh for God's good sake.
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"Triggered much?" is what a troll says when one of their targets gets bothered by their posts. Here, senior US official Greg Bovino redeploys it to defend/celebrate a literal murder in the physical world.
A government of, by, and for the Online Right.
A government of, by, and for the Online Right.
In response to a quote tweet of DHS that says βyou guys killed an American citizen,β Greg Bovino replies: βTriggered much?β
January 12, 2026 at 4:50 PM
"Triggered much?" is what a troll says when one of their targets gets bothered by their posts. Here, senior US official Greg Bovino redeploys it to defend/celebrate a literal murder in the physical world.
A government of, by, and for the Online Right.
A government of, by, and for the Online Right.
45yrs of selective and opportunistic prolife politics find their logical end in a Catholic VP who mocks a dead mother, a "most prolife president" who defends the shooting by suggesting death is the appropriate response to disrespect.
www.ncronline.org/opinion/gues...
www.ncronline.org/opinion/gues...
After Renee Good, are you really going to keep pretending Trump and Vance are pro-life?
"The deeds of this administration have stood in sharp contrast to the reassuring words they have offered to religious believers," writes Steven P. Millies.
www.ncronline.org
January 12, 2026 at 1:16 PM
45yrs of selective and opportunistic prolife politics find their logical end in a Catholic VP who mocks a dead mother, a "most prolife president" who defends the shooting by suggesting death is the appropriate response to disrespect.
www.ncronline.org/opinion/gues...
www.ncronline.org/opinion/gues...
174 police officers were assaulted and injured on Jan 6, 2021.
Q: "Do you believe that deadly force was necessary?"
Trump: "It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement. The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcementβ¦Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff."
Trump: "It was highly disrespectful of law enforcement. The woman and her friend were highly disrespectful of law enforcementβ¦Law enforcement should not be in a position where they have to put up with this stuff."
January 12, 2026 at 3:12 AM
174 police officers were assaulted and injured on Jan 6, 2021.
As we contemplate attacking Iran for cracking down on protests, who should attack us?
BREAKING: ICE agents pepper-spray peaceful demonstrators and journalists and deploy chemical irritants in Minneapolis.
Our partners @statuscoupnews.bsky.social captured the moment live on the ground as it happened.
Our partners @statuscoupnews.bsky.social captured the moment live on the ground as it happened.
January 11, 2026 at 11:06 PM
As we contemplate attacking Iran for cracking down on protests, who should attack us?
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This is the second time in three months a DHS agent called a US citizen a "bitch" as he shot her. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/whos-threa...
January 10, 2026 at 7:32 PM
This is the second time in three months a DHS agent called a US citizen a "bitch" as he shot her. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/whos-threa...
That old socialist rag, the @wsj.com Wall St. Journal has the facts.
WSJ investigation: In the past 6 months ICE agents have fired at vehicles 13 times, leading to:
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
* 8 people shot
* 5 of which were U.S. citizens
* 2 died
* no victims drew a weapon
The playbook: Agents box in a vehicle, block attempts to flee, then fire
www.wsj.com/us-news/vide...
Videos Show How ICE Vehicle Stops Can Escalate to Shootings
A WSJ visual investigation found that the Minneapolis ICE killing is one of 13 incidents where federal immigration agents have used deadly force against civilians in vehicles since July.
www.wsj.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:52 PM
That old socialist rag, the @wsj.com Wall St. Journal has the facts.
Valuing human life consistently is an attitude. It doesn't involve the question of which direction the Honda was driving. But the attitude is disclosed by how ppl talk abt #ReneeGood.
#Trump, #Vance, #Noem visibly are not #prolife.
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
#Trump, #Vance, #Noem visibly are not #prolife.
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
After Renee Good, are you really going to keep pretending Trump and Vance are pro-life?
(RNS) βΒ The deeds of the Trump administration have stood in sharp contrast to the reassuring words they have offered to religious believers.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Valuing human life consistently is an attitude. It doesn't involve the question of which direction the Honda was driving. But the attitude is disclosed by how ppl talk abt #ReneeGood.
#Trump, #Vance, #Noem visibly are not #prolife.
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
#Trump, #Vance, #Noem visibly are not #prolife.
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
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βTheyβre eating the dogs. Theyβre eating the cats.β
βThe 2020 election was stolen.β
βJanuary 6th was Nancy Pelosiβs fault.β
βSheβs a domestic terrorist.β
βIβll lower grocery prices on day one.β
βNo new foreign entanglements.β
Lies. All lies.
βThe 2020 election was stolen.β
βJanuary 6th was Nancy Pelosiβs fault.β
βSheβs a domestic terrorist.β
βIβll lower grocery prices on day one.β
βNo new foreign entanglements.β
Lies. All lies.
January 10, 2026 at 2:38 PM
βTheyβre eating the dogs. Theyβre eating the cats.β
βThe 2020 election was stolen.β
βJanuary 6th was Nancy Pelosiβs fault.β
βSheβs a domestic terrorist.β
βIβll lower grocery prices on day one.β
βNo new foreign entanglements.β
Lies. All lies.
βThe 2020 election was stolen.β
βJanuary 6th was Nancy Pelosiβs fault.β
βSheβs a domestic terrorist.β
βIβll lower grocery prices on day one.β
βNo new foreign entanglements.β
Lies. All lies.
Sort of an unusual but necessary contribution to @religionnews.com.web.brid.gy. I'm in their debt on this one for great editorial guidance.
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
After Renee Good, are you really going to keep pretending Trump and Vance are pro-life?
(RNS) βΒ The deeds of the Trump administration have stood in sharp contrast to the reassuring words they have offered to religious believers.
religionnews.com
January 9, 2026 at 11:39 PM
Sort of an unusual but necessary contribution to @religionnews.com.web.brid.gy. I'm in their debt on this one for great editorial guidance.
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
Synodality is an "insult to the dignity of bishops," it seems. And, we must get a "guarantee" from the Holy Spirit. The People of God are an object, not a subject.
The struggle for the Church is real. It is now. The stakes are high. And I hope Leo is ready for it.
open.substack.com/pub/cardinal...
The struggle for the Church is real. It is now. The stakes are high. And I hope Leo is ready for it.
open.substack.com/pub/cardinal...
Cardinal Zen Denounces βBergoglian Synodalityβ as βIronclad Manipulationβ at Extraordinary Consistory
Full text of Cardinal Joseph Zenβs intervention at the two-day meeting of cardinals convened by Pope Leo XIV.
open.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Synodality is an "insult to the dignity of bishops," it seems. And, we must get a "guarantee" from the Holy Spirit. The People of God are an object, not a subject.
The struggle for the Church is real. It is now. The stakes are high. And I hope Leo is ready for it.
open.substack.com/pub/cardinal...
The struggle for the Church is real. It is now. The stakes are high. And I hope Leo is ready for it.
open.substack.com/pub/cardinal...
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The totalitarian attitude of today's Trumpist Republican Party is so extreme it nears the absolutism of Thomas Hobbes, the modern avatar of a nearly limitlessly powerful state. But even Hobbes says obedience & protection are a two-way street & that you may resist a state that threatens your life!
January 9, 2026 at 3:04 PM
The totalitarian attitude of today's Trumpist Republican Party is so extreme it nears the absolutism of Thomas Hobbes, the modern avatar of a nearly limitlessly powerful state. But even Hobbes says obedience & protection are a two-way street & that you may resist a state that threatens your life!
@govpritzker.illinois.gov @jbpritzker.bsky.social @ilattygeneral.bsky.social
These four need to be made an example or others will know they can do it without consequences.
In this circumstance, the independence of Illinois as a state to make and enforce its own laws are the stakes.
These four need to be made an example or others will know they can do it without consequences.
In this circumstance, the independence of Illinois as a state to make and enforce its own laws are the stakes.
βThe Attorney Generalβs Office did not respond to questions from WTTW News asking if it sought legal repercussions for those counties that did fulfill immigrant detainers and warrants and transferred individuals into DHS custody.β
Four Illinois Sheriffβs Offices Ignored Sanctuary Laws by Transferring People Into Federal Custody, AG Report Finds
Four Illinois sheriffβs offices defied the stateβs sanctuary laws and transferred individuals into Department of Homeland Security custody in 2024, according to a new report.
news.wttw.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:29 PM
@govpritzker.illinois.gov @jbpritzker.bsky.social @ilattygeneral.bsky.social
These four need to be made an example or others will know they can do it without consequences.
In this circumstance, the independence of Illinois as a state to make and enforce its own laws are the stakes.
These four need to be made an example or others will know they can do it without consequences.
In this circumstance, the independence of Illinois as a state to make and enforce its own laws are the stakes.
Discharge Johnson is having a bad year already.
9 Republicans back Dem effort to revive Obamacare subsidies - Live Updates - POLITICO share.google/Q97I6sewjU4n...
9 Republicans back Dem effort to revive Obamacare subsidies - Live Updates - POLITICO share.google/Q97I6sewjU4n...
9 Republicans back Dem effort to revive Obamacare subsidies
The vote put House Republicans on the record for the first time this Congress on the enhanced tax credits that expired at the end of last year.
share.google
January 9, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Discharge Johnson is having a bad year already.
9 Republicans back Dem effort to revive Obamacare subsidies - Live Updates - POLITICO share.google/Q97I6sewjU4n...
9 Republicans back Dem effort to revive Obamacare subsidies - Live Updates - POLITICO share.google/Q97I6sewjU4n...
For a long time now....
January 8, 2026 at 3:46 PM
For a long time now....
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Posts may be a bit more sporadic from me today as my kids are home from school because my city is being brutalized by the federal government to the extent that it's unsafe for schools to be open
January 8, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Posts may be a bit more sporadic from me today as my kids are home from school because my city is being brutalized by the federal government to the extent that it's unsafe for schools to be open
This is a powderkeg that the Trump Administration recklessly, unpatriotically seems to be escalating rather than de-escalating.
Newt Gingrich is making comparisons to the nullification crisis and Civil War.
He's not wrong. But it's not the states who are rushing us headlong toward this crisis.
Newt Gingrich is making comparisons to the nullification crisis and Civil War.
He's not wrong. But it's not the states who are rushing us headlong toward this crisis.
January 8, 2026 at 2:21 PM
This is a powderkeg that the Trump Administration recklessly, unpatriotically seems to be escalating rather than de-escalating.
Newt Gingrich is making comparisons to the nullification crisis and Civil War.
He's not wrong. But it's not the states who are rushing us headlong toward this crisis.
Newt Gingrich is making comparisons to the nullification crisis and Civil War.
He's not wrong. But it's not the states who are rushing us headlong toward this crisis.
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For months, Trumpβs DHS has wreaked lawless havoc in our neighborhoods. Tear gassing infants, families, and police. Firing their weapons at peaceful citizens. Killing innocent people.
Itβs brutal, unconstitutional, and out of control.
It must stop.
Kristi Noem must go. Now.
Itβs brutal, unconstitutional, and out of control.
It must stop.
Kristi Noem must go. Now.
January 8, 2026 at 2:32 AM
For months, Trumpβs DHS has wreaked lawless havoc in our neighborhoods. Tear gassing infants, families, and police. Firing their weapons at peaceful citizens. Killing innocent people.
Itβs brutal, unconstitutional, and out of control.
It must stop.
Kristi Noem must go. Now.
Itβs brutal, unconstitutional, and out of control.
It must stop.
Kristi Noem must go. Now.
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This seems significant: not a FORMER DHS official, but a SENIOR (current) one saying the officer who fired acted counter to training.
This is not an admin that admits mistakes. And they are hanging this guy out to dry on Day One.
I think they know this is bad. Really bad.
This is not an admin that admits mistakes. And they are hanging this guy out to dry on Day One.
I think they know this is bad. Really bad.
January 7, 2026 at 9:33 PM
This seems significant: not a FORMER DHS official, but a SENIOR (current) one saying the officer who fired acted counter to training.
This is not an admin that admits mistakes. And they are hanging this guy out to dry on Day One.
I think they know this is bad. Really bad.
This is not an admin that admits mistakes. And they are hanging this guy out to dry on Day One.
I think they know this is bad. Really bad.
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AOC: This has now become what we feared most about ICE for a long timeβthat it would be used as an anti-civilian force with no accountability. At the end of the day, what we saw today was a murder, and murders in cold blood need to be prosecuted.
January 8, 2026 at 12:05 AM
AOC: This has now become what we feared most about ICE for a long timeβthat it would be used as an anti-civilian force with no accountability. At the end of the day, what we saw today was a murder, and murders in cold blood need to be prosecuted.
After kings gave way to the republic, display of fasces was not permitted in the city of Rome: βthis was in order that the terrifying sight, as once employed against their enemies or slaves, might give as little offense as possible to the citizens."
Citizens of a republic must not live in fear.
Citizens of a republic must not live in fear.
Today taps into the core problem much older than ICE. There's the obvious visceral fear of being hurt by agents of the state---but it's also having to live daily life alongside and in total deference to armed people who could kill you, lie to justify it, get away with it, and be celebrated for it.
January 8, 2026 at 1:42 AM
After kings gave way to the republic, display of fasces was not permitted in the city of Rome: βthis was in order that the terrifying sight, as once employed against their enemies or slaves, might give as little offense as possible to the citizens."
Citizens of a republic must not live in fear.
Citizens of a republic must not live in fear.