Thomas Paine
@americancrisis1776.bsky.social
“These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
Reposted by Thomas Paine
So many in media are ill-equipped to interview officials about what’s happening because they begin with the presumption of legitimacy and don’t know enough about history or U.S. foreign policy to foment intelligent pushback and hold officials accountable.
January 4, 2026 at 11:32 PM
So many in media are ill-equipped to interview officials about what’s happening because they begin with the presumption of legitimacy and don’t know enough about history or U.S. foreign policy to foment intelligent pushback and hold officials accountable.
Reposted by Thomas Paine
The Constitution does say that war powers belong to Congress. But there are important exceptions, like if the president really, really wants to go to war. Or it’s the weekend. Or it’s January. Or he thought he saw a spider. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
President Trump Totally Meant to Ask Congress Before Attacking Venezuela
Oops!
www.theatlantic.com
January 4, 2026 at 11:21 PM
The Constitution does say that war powers belong to Congress. But there are important exceptions, like if the president really, really wants to go to war. Or it’s the weekend. Or it’s January. Or he thought he saw a spider. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...
Reposted by Thomas Paine
To my new political party: He is a dangerous, dictatorial madman who must be stopped, and my former political party will do nothing to stop him. Democrats, you must realize these are unprecedented times that call for unprecedented actions. He must be stopped. Meet this moment.👇
January 4, 2026 at 6:26 PM
To my new political party: He is a dangerous, dictatorial madman who must be stopped, and my former political party will do nothing to stop him. Democrats, you must realize these are unprecedented times that call for unprecedented actions. He must be stopped. Meet this moment.👇
Reposted by Thomas Paine
PLATNER: “The illegal attack on Venezuela is not foreign policy — it’s gangsterism on an international scale.”
January 5, 2026 at 2:31 AM
PLATNER: “The illegal attack on Venezuela is not foreign policy — it’s gangsterism on an international scale.”
Reposted by Thomas Paine
Republican congressman 👇🏽
January 5, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Republican congressman 👇🏽
Reposted by Thomas Paine
On X, a senior U.S. Justice Department official is promoting a post that praises colonization as “one of the greatest things that ever happened to the backwards parts of the world.”👇
January 5, 2026 at 12:44 AM
On X, a senior U.S. Justice Department official is promoting a post that praises colonization as “one of the greatest things that ever happened to the backwards parts of the world.”👇
Reposted by Thomas Paine
This is an undeniable fact.
But think about the incentives of ignoring this.
If you can’t call out one party for abandoning representative democracy because it’s partisan, then you create an immunity for a bad acting party.
But think about the incentives of ignoring this.
If you can’t call out one party for abandoning representative democracy because it’s partisan, then you create an immunity for a bad acting party.
yep. i can identify any number of structural issues but at the end of the day the basic problem is the republican party. this has been apparent for at least 20 years. it is also an incredibly unpopular observation to make among “serious” people.
Right.
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
January 5, 2026 at 12:29 AM
This is an undeniable fact.
But think about the incentives of ignoring this.
If you can’t call out one party for abandoning representative democracy because it’s partisan, then you create an immunity for a bad acting party.
But think about the incentives of ignoring this.
If you can’t call out one party for abandoning representative democracy because it’s partisan, then you create an immunity for a bad acting party.
This is the way. Why aren’t Democrats raising hell on this? Because they are full incompetent cowards remained tethered to the sclerotic thinking of the past when you could go along to get along with Republicans. They don’t give a shit about democracy. Only currency they understand is power.
One thing all Democrats running in 2026 and 2028 should be explicit about is a promise that regardless of pardons, the crimes committed by everyone in this administration will be investigated and published.
We cannot become numb to the outrage of this. The wife of the President’s Senior Advisor threatens a sovereign nation.
January 5, 2026 at 12:32 AM
This is the way. Why aren’t Democrats raising hell on this? Because they are full incompetent cowards remained tethered to the sclerotic thinking of the past when you could go along to get along with Republicans. They don’t give a shit about democracy. Only currency they understand is power.
Reposted by Thomas Paine
One thing all Democrats running in 2026 and 2028 should be explicit about is a promise that regardless of pardons, the crimes committed by everyone in this administration will be investigated and published.
We cannot become numb to the outrage of this. The wife of the President’s Senior Advisor threatens a sovereign nation.
January 5, 2026 at 12:12 AM
One thing all Democrats running in 2026 and 2028 should be explicit about is a promise that regardless of pardons, the crimes committed by everyone in this administration will be investigated and published.
Reposted by Thomas Paine
yep. i can identify any number of structural issues but at the end of the day the basic problem is the republican party. this has been apparent for at least 20 years. it is also an incredibly unpopular observation to make among “serious” people.
Right.
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
a lot of problems wouldn't exist if we had a congress with even an ounce of self interest
January 4, 2026 at 11:52 PM
yep. i can identify any number of structural issues but at the end of the day the basic problem is the republican party. this has been apparent for at least 20 years. it is also an incredibly unpopular observation to make among “serious” people.
Reposted by Thomas Paine
Could an empire in decline do THIS? *launches deeply unpopular invasion cementing status as lunatic-led pariah state, its not clear what kind of move i was trying to do*
January 3, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Could an empire in decline do THIS? *launches deeply unpopular invasion cementing status as lunatic-led pariah state, its not clear what kind of move i was trying to do*
Reposted by Thomas Paine
We need to be honest with ourselves and our leaders about Venezuela
We are a rogue state, a global pariah
Trump is ruling as a dictator, period
An axis of evil wants to carve up small, resource-rich nations
The message for 2026 is clear: No kings!
My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/trum...
We are a rogue state, a global pariah
Trump is ruling as a dictator, period
An axis of evil wants to carve up small, resource-rich nations
The message for 2026 is clear: No kings!
My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/trum...
America launches its 250th birthday year by becoming a rogue state | Will Bunch
Trump's illegal war on Venezuela cemented his claim to dictatorship and marked the U.S. as a global pariah.
www.inquirer.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:21 PM
We need to be honest with ourselves and our leaders about Venezuela
We are a rogue state, a global pariah
Trump is ruling as a dictator, period
An axis of evil wants to carve up small, resource-rich nations
The message for 2026 is clear: No kings!
My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/trum...
We are a rogue state, a global pariah
Trump is ruling as a dictator, period
An axis of evil wants to carve up small, resource-rich nations
The message for 2026 is clear: No kings!
My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/trum...
Reposted by Thomas Paine
"Five years ago, almost to the day, Trump launched an assault on our Capitol...Maduro’s regime isn’t the first government Trump has tried to topple in our hemisphere. It’s the second."
January 4, 2026 at 11:00 PM
"Five years ago, almost to the day, Trump launched an assault on our Capitol...Maduro’s regime isn’t the first government Trump has tried to topple in our hemisphere. It’s the second."
Reposted by Thomas Paine
"Trump claimed Maduro’s putative re-election 'wasn’t a hell of a lot worse than what they [the Democrats] did to us in 2020.' Was Trump implying that American elections deserved no more respect than Venezuelan elections? If so, was he proposing...to use force?"
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Which Countries Will Trump Invade Next? He’s Given Us a Guide.
The reasons he listed for toppling Venezuela’s Maduro apply just as well to many other governments.
open.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:58 PM
"Trump claimed Maduro’s putative re-election 'wasn’t a hell of a lot worse than what they [the Democrats] did to us in 2020.' Was Trump implying that American elections deserved no more respect than Venezuelan elections? If so, was he proposing...to use force?"
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Reposted by Thomas Paine
The view from Australia: "The 250th anniversary will be especially charged, because no country in the world lives and contests its history with such passion and ferocity. Likewise, few countries have so much history left unresolved." www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
America's 250th birthday party will serve up a toxic brew of exceptionalism
It is entirely fitting that the US is so splintered on its semiquincentennial. Division, for the lion's share of its history, has been its default.
www.abc.net.au
January 4, 2026 at 9:29 PM
The view from Australia: "The 250th anniversary will be especially charged, because no country in the world lives and contests its history with such passion and ferocity. Likewise, few countries have so much history left unresolved." www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01...
Reposted by Thomas Paine
Agree or disagree with the merits of the operation, you can't help but be in awe of the Wehrmacht's Blitzkrieg of Poland
January 4, 2026 at 9:22 PM
Agree or disagree with the merits of the operation, you can't help but be in awe of the Wehrmacht's Blitzkrieg of Poland
Reposted by Thomas Paine
It is important to note that in his inaugural address, Mamdani singled out not "individualism" but "rugged individualism," a phrase associated with Herbert Hoover. Many critics, including here a Dayton, OH editor in 1931, condemned that "system" as ill-equipped to deal with the economic crisis.
January 4, 2026 at 4:49 PM
It is important to note that in his inaugural address, Mamdani singled out not "individualism" but "rugged individualism," a phrase associated with Herbert Hoover. Many critics, including here a Dayton, OH editor in 1931, condemned that "system" as ill-equipped to deal with the economic crisis.
Reposted by Thomas Paine
Never has a President wagged a dog harder than Trump and MAGA now.
To distract from Epstein, the explosion of health and homeowners insurance costs, and the tariffs that are decimating small businesses, Trump is plunging this country into a war and using our soldiers as pawns.
To distract from Epstein, the explosion of health and homeowners insurance costs, and the tariffs that are decimating small businesses, Trump is plunging this country into a war and using our soldiers as pawns.
January 4, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Never has a President wagged a dog harder than Trump and MAGA now.
To distract from Epstein, the explosion of health and homeowners insurance costs, and the tariffs that are decimating small businesses, Trump is plunging this country into a war and using our soldiers as pawns.
To distract from Epstein, the explosion of health and homeowners insurance costs, and the tariffs that are decimating small businesses, Trump is plunging this country into a war and using our soldiers as pawns.
Reposted by Thomas Paine
Q: "Trump…said the U.S. is going to run Venezuela. Under what legal authority?"
Rubio: *doesn't answer*
Q: " Let me ask the question again, what is the legal authority for the United States to be running Venezuela?"
Rubio: *doesn't answer*
Rubio: *doesn't answer*
Q: " Let me ask the question again, what is the legal authority for the United States to be running Venezuela?"
Rubio: *doesn't answer*
January 4, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Q: "Trump…said the U.S. is going to run Venezuela. Under what legal authority?"
Rubio: *doesn't answer*
Q: " Let me ask the question again, what is the legal authority for the United States to be running Venezuela?"
Rubio: *doesn't answer*
Rubio: *doesn't answer*
Q: " Let me ask the question again, what is the legal authority for the United States to be running Venezuela?"
Rubio: *doesn't answer*
Reposted by Thomas Paine
Himes: "I was delighted to hear that Tom Cotton, chairmen of the Senate Intel Committee, has been in regular contact with the admin. I've had zero outreach and no D I'm aware of has. So apparently we're now in a world where the legal obligation to keep Congress informed only applies to your party."
January 4, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Himes: "I was delighted to hear that Tom Cotton, chairmen of the Senate Intel Committee, has been in regular contact with the admin. I've had zero outreach and no D I'm aware of has. So apparently we're now in a world where the legal obligation to keep Congress informed only applies to your party."
Reposted by Thomas Paine
The more we say to young people "everything that needs to be known is already available to you via this convenient chatbot" the more we signal to them that their brains are vestigial...no need to work on your reading, thinking, or writing skills, machines can do that better. Go scroll.
January 4, 2026 at 4:51 PM
The more we say to young people "everything that needs to be known is already available to you via this convenient chatbot" the more we signal to them that their brains are vestigial...no need to work on your reading, thinking, or writing skills, machines can do that better. Go scroll.
Reposted by Thomas Paine
FWIW, I would expect estimates of support for "send troops to remove Maduro" and "Use Military Force to Overthrow Maduro" to rise a little in the next week, as Republican support (which is only in the mid to high 50s) rises following partisan cue-taking, but for it to remain net-negative
Polls conducted in late 2025 show that most Americans, by a 25-50 point margin (depending on question wording), oppose the use of military force against Venezuela.
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/americans-...
www.gelliottmorris.com/p/americans-...
January 4, 2026 at 1:54 PM
FWIW, I would expect estimates of support for "send troops to remove Maduro" and "Use Military Force to Overthrow Maduro" to rise a little in the next week, as Republican support (which is only in the mid to high 50s) rises following partisan cue-taking, but for it to remain net-negative
Reposted by Thomas Paine
If ever there were a time you might want a separate but equal branch of the United States government to run a check on the president, it would be now ….
January 4, 2026 at 1:14 PM
If ever there were a time you might want a separate but equal branch of the United States government to run a check on the president, it would be now ….
Reposted by Thomas Paine
A CBS News staffer told me this after Tony Dokoupil kicked off his CBS Evening News tenure tonight with a lengthy Pete Hegseth interview:
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
January 4, 2026 at 1:52 AM
A CBS News staffer told me this after Tony Dokoupil kicked off his CBS Evening News tenure tonight with a lengthy Pete Hegseth interview:
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
"If this is what Bari and Tony’s CBS Evening News is going to look like, then the we may as well just call ourselves Trump Administration State TV. Pathetic."
Reposted by Thomas Paine
There are way more of us than there are them
January 4, 2026 at 3:24 AM
There are way more of us than there are them