Hortensius
@dsb24.bsky.social
civil litigator; adjunct professor of First Amendment Law
Orwell in a 2/4/44 essay described the "liberal habit of mind" as seeing: "Truth is something outside yourself, something to be discovered, and not as something you can make up as you go along." America needs to rediscover the "liberal habit of mind" as the antidote to the legion of Trumpian lies.
January 12, 2026 at 1:48 AM
Orwell in a 2/4/44 essay described the "liberal habit of mind" as seeing: "Truth is something outside yourself, something to be discovered, and not as something you can make up as you go along." America needs to rediscover the "liberal habit of mind" as the antidote to the legion of Trumpian lies.
Triump said that he could shoot someone in cold blood on Fifth Avenue with impunity. Now he repeatedly murders. Where are Republicans of conscience? America needs them desperately right now, or it will descend into what the founders feared would follow if its citizentry ever yielded to a tyrant.
January 5, 2026 at 12:34 AM
Triump said that he could shoot someone in cold blood on Fifth Avenue with impunity. Now he repeatedly murders. Where are Republicans of conscience? America needs them desperately right now, or it will descend into what the founders feared would follow if its citizentry ever yielded to a tyrant.
Both the Washington Post and CBS are now controlled by wealthy Trump minions. It is just a matter of time before some billionaire decides that the only way to stop the truth emerging from MS Now is to buy it too. Then there will be no effectve TV medium to inform America of Trump's corruption.
December 22, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Both the Washington Post and CBS are now controlled by wealthy Trump minions. It is just a matter of time before some billionaire decides that the only way to stop the truth emerging from MS Now is to buy it too. Then there will be no effectve TV medium to inform America of Trump's corruption.
Human beings who view others as "garbage" simply because of the color of skin, ethnicity, national origin, or beliefs have lost their own humanity. Will Republicans prove they still belong to the human family by repudiating Trump? Unlikely. Trump corrupts.
December 3, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Human beings who view others as "garbage" simply because of the color of skin, ethnicity, national origin, or beliefs have lost their own humanity. Will Republicans prove they still belong to the human family by repudiating Trump? Unlikely. Trump corrupts.
Trump pardons Hernández, whom an American jury found guiity of engaging in drug trafficking to the U.S. At the same time, Trump authorizes the killing of alleged drug traffickers in international waters that no American jury has convicted of anything. When did Congress declare war? Trump corrupts.
December 2, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Trump pardons Hernández, whom an American jury found guiity of engaging in drug trafficking to the U.S. At the same time, Trump authorizes the killing of alleged drug traffickers in international waters that no American jury has convicted of anything. When did Congress declare war? Trump corrupts.
85% of Republicans still support Trump! That means that approximately 28% of Americans support killing boaters who are either innocent or if guilty of drug smuggling not subject to capital punishment; advancing Russia over Ukraine; deporting immigrants with pristine records, etc. Trump corrupts.
December 1, 2025 at 8:08 PM
85% of Republicans still support Trump! That means that approximately 28% of Americans support killing boaters who are either innocent or if guilty of drug smuggling not subject to capital punishment; advancing Russia over Ukraine; deporting immigrants with pristine records, etc. Trump corrupts.
Ukraine has been through a nightmare since Putin invaded with Trump being Putin's enabler. How did America generate a MAGA base that supports such a horrendous foreign policy? If Harris had won, America would have continued its support and Putin would be the one capitulating. Trump corrupts.
November 21, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Ukraine has been through a nightmare since Putin invaded with Trump being Putin's enabler. How did America generate a MAGA base that supports such a horrendous foreign policy? If Harris had won, America would have continued its support and Putin would be the one capitulating. Trump corrupts.
Only a person without a soul would shrug off the murder and bone-saw dismantling of a human being simply for speaking out against a corrupt regime with "things happen." "Things happen" conveys randomness and arbitrariness like "acts of God" in nature, not purposeful human evil. Trump corrupts.
November 19, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Only a person without a soul would shrug off the murder and bone-saw dismantling of a human being simply for speaking out against a corrupt regime with "things happen." "Things happen" conveys randomness and arbitrariness like "acts of God" in nature, not purposeful human evil. Trump corrupts.
Epstein has provided great slogans for these times that all Americans of conscience should be wearing on t shirts, baseball caps, etc.: "I know how dirty Trump is" or equally good: "Trump, evil beyond belief." May beat the "Trump corrupts" I display on my bumper sticker and baseball cap.
November 13, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Epstein has provided great slogans for these times that all Americans of conscience should be wearing on t shirts, baseball caps, etc.: "I know how dirty Trump is" or equally good: "Trump, evil beyond belief." May beat the "Trump corrupts" I display on my bumper sticker and baseball cap.
Joe Scarborough today blessed the Democratic capitulators and only interviewed them. All other Democrats were "left," including "Neville" Kaine's fellow senator, John Warner! Not just the "left" wanted resistance; centralists too. Scarborough had no guest speak for them. Maybe tomorrow? No.
November 10, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Joe Scarborough today blessed the Democratic capitulators and only interviewed them. All other Democrats were "left," including "Neville" Kaine's fellow senator, John Warner! Not just the "left" wanted resistance; centralists too. Scarborough had no guest speak for them. Maybe tomorrow? No.
Virginia Democrats have five years to end "Neville" Kaine's career. History will remember him as a self-possessed politican who saw keeping his Northern base of federal worker voters happy worth abetting, abetting, and advancing a corrupt administration. Spanberger in 2030.
November 10, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Virginia Democrats have five years to end "Neville" Kaine's career. History will remember him as a self-possessed politican who saw keeping his Northern base of federal worker voters happy worth abetting, abetting, and advancing a corrupt administration. Spanberger in 2030.
Chris Murphy is demonstrating the level of vocal opposition to Trump's corruption, based on reason and truth, that should render him an attractive presidential candidate. Democrats should take notice.
October 24, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Chris Murphy is demonstrating the level of vocal opposition to Trump's corruption, based on reason and truth, that should render him an attractive presidential candidate. Democrats should take notice.
Today Joe Scarborough uncritically linked as "weaponization" the five prosecutions against Trump with Trump's current campaign of vengence. There were facts, law, and competent lawyers to support the Trump prosecutions, so contrary to Trump's current abuse of the rule of law. Shame on Joe.
October 10, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Today Joe Scarborough uncritically linked as "weaponization" the five prosecutions against Trump with Trump's current campaign of vengence. There were facts, law, and competent lawyers to support the Trump prosecutions, so contrary to Trump's current abuse of the rule of law. Shame on Joe.
George Orwell indicted totalitarianism and the power of propaganda in his "1984". He now is a prophet, a "Jeremiah", for the Trump era. From biographies I have read, I don't think I would want Orwell over for dinner, but I would invite him to lecture anytime. American needs an Orwellian "2025".
October 8, 2025 at 12:50 AM
George Orwell indicted totalitarianism and the power of propaganda in his "1984". He now is a prophet, a "Jeremiah", for the Trump era. From biographies I have read, I don't think I would want Orwell over for dinner, but I would invite him to lecture anytime. American needs an Orwellian "2025".
Trumpism (noun): the corruption of science and reason.
September 23, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Trumpism (noun): the corruption of science and reason.
Why is not Senator Chris Murphy not being identified as Presidential timber? He is moral; he says the right things; he has political courage. I hope he is thinking of a run in three years.
September 19, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Why is not Senator Chris Murphy not being identified as Presidential timber? He is moral; he says the right things; he has political courage. I hope he is thinking of a run in three years.
More American corporate titans and now even an English King willingly co-opted into the Trump circus. Will the Trump/Vance autocrats and their despicable minions, including Trumpian Justices, turn America into a Russian clone before the next election? Unless the Democrats grow spines, bet yes.
September 18, 2025 at 4:09 AM
More American corporate titans and now even an English King willingly co-opted into the Trump circus. Will the Trump/Vance autocrats and their despicable minions, including Trumpian Justices, turn America into a Russian clone before the next election? Unless the Democrats grow spines, bet yes.
Trump/RFK, Jr.'s, attack on the CDC is the modern equivalent of Lysenkoism in Russia and Eugenics in Nazi Germany. Science is being replaced by myth, reason by ideology. These guys' myth-creation will cause death and suffering. Stalinism, Nazism, and Trumpianism: disasters of the modern age.
August 29, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Trump/RFK, Jr.'s, attack on the CDC is the modern equivalent of Lysenkoism in Russia and Eugenics in Nazi Germany. Science is being replaced by myth, reason by ideology. These guys' myth-creation will cause death and suffering. Stalinism, Nazism, and Trumpianism: disasters of the modern age.
Trump and ICE remind of the terrors of the Fugitive Slave Act. After the return to slavery of Anthony Burns, the abolitionist poet John G. Whittier wrote: "And Law, an unloosed maniac, strong, Blood-drunken, through the blackness trod,
Hoarse-shouting in the ear of God. The blasphemy of wrong."
Hoarse-shouting in the ear of God. The blasphemy of wrong."
August 27, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Trump and ICE remind of the terrors of the Fugitive Slave Act. After the return to slavery of Anthony Burns, the abolitionist poet John G. Whittier wrote: "And Law, an unloosed maniac, strong, Blood-drunken, through the blackness trod,
Hoarse-shouting in the ear of God. The blasphemy of wrong."
Hoarse-shouting in the ear of God. The blasphemy of wrong."
"Peace for our time" (1938). Sudetenland goes. Hitler moves on.
"A ten out of ten" (2025). Ukraine goes. Putin moves on.
Trump is always Putin's slavish pawn. A red carpet laid by American soldiers on American soil will be the image to remember of Trump's demonic, autocratic adoration.
"A ten out of ten" (2025). Ukraine goes. Putin moves on.
Trump is always Putin's slavish pawn. A red carpet laid by American soldiers on American soil will be the image to remember of Trump's demonic, autocratic adoration.
August 16, 2025 at 3:05 PM
"Peace for our time" (1938). Sudetenland goes. Hitler moves on.
"A ten out of ten" (2025). Ukraine goes. Putin moves on.
Trump is always Putin's slavish pawn. A red carpet laid by American soldiers on American soil will be the image to remember of Trump's demonic, autocratic adoration.
"A ten out of ten" (2025). Ukraine goes. Putin moves on.
Trump is always Putin's slavish pawn. A red carpet laid by American soldiers on American soil will be the image to remember of Trump's demonic, autocratic adoration.
While fighting slavery, William Lloyd Garrison often quoted from Isaiah: "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter.” Timely.
August 12, 2025 at 5:21 PM
While fighting slavery, William Lloyd Garrison often quoted from Isaiah: "We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter.” Timely.
The firing of the honorable Erika McEntarfer for telling a truth that exposes his economic idiocy, and the immediate rewarding of the despicable Ghislaine Maxwell for an undisclosed, distorted narrative that undoubtedly suits his purposes are but two of this week's examples of Trump's corruption.
August 2, 2025 at 3:59 PM
The firing of the honorable Erika McEntarfer for telling a truth that exposes his economic idiocy, and the immediate rewarding of the despicable Ghislaine Maxwell for an undisclosed, distorted narrative that undoubtedly suits his purposes are but two of this week's examples of Trump's corruption.
Trump's personal attorney "investigatng" and offering limited immunity and Trump being equivocal regarding pardoning a convicted sexual trafficking felon. In 1972 that would be grounds for impeachment with even Republicans in the House and Senate voting "yes." There is no "progress" in politics.
July 25, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Trump's personal attorney "investigatng" and offering limited immunity and Trump being equivocal regarding pardoning a convicted sexual trafficking felon. In 1972 that would be grounds for impeachment with even Republicans in the House and Senate voting "yes." There is no "progress" in politics.
The Epstein files should be released given the investment the Trump camp has made in the "conspiracy". But why didn't Biden once Maxwell was convicted? Because nothing there to hurt Trump? Because harmful to Democrats? Something else? Hopefully it will be released soon ending the questions.
July 23, 2025 at 4:22 PM
The Epstein files should be released given the investment the Trump camp has made in the "conspiracy". But why didn't Biden once Maxwell was convicted? Because nothing there to hurt Trump? Because harmful to Democrats? Something else? Hopefully it will be released soon ending the questions.
Intriguing: Trump's use of "Enigmas" (i.e., "mysterious" or "puzzling") to describe Jeffrey Epstein and himself in the context of their "secret." As has been noted, "Gamines" is an anagram, meaning neglected young girls who roam the streets, or are playful & mischievous. Conspiracy theory anyone?
July 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Intriguing: Trump's use of "Enigmas" (i.e., "mysterious" or "puzzling") to describe Jeffrey Epstein and himself in the context of their "secret." As has been noted, "Gamines" is an anagram, meaning neglected young girls who roam the streets, or are playful & mischievous. Conspiracy theory anyone?