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@pieist.xenoplasm.com

180 followers 98 following 3.5K posts

Leftist on principle: socialist, BLM, defund the police etc. Not very tribal about it. Might even disagree with you about something once in a while.

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The Steady State @steadystatevets.bsky.social · 16h

We at The Steady State have studied the indicators of authoritarianism for decades — usually dry words in intelligence reports. But sometimes, a single photograph says it all.

Authoritarianism doesn’t arrive all at once. It creeps in under cover of “order,” cloaked in uniforms, justified by fear.

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pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 20m

I put the beverage down just in time

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 22m

It's not good enough in 5... 4... 3...

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 39m

Brutally depriving one of the opportunity to point and laugh. Fiendishly clever of them.

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 1h

I think it's awful the way you're soaking up so much heroism from people who would otherwise be bringing this regime down if you weren't such a magnet for their ire by, um, not talking about what they think is important at this exact moment.

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 6h

Well, the whole reason Portland leans left is because our Republicans live across the river in Washington for tax reasons. (Lower property taxes there but Oregon has no sales tax, so they drive over here to work and shop. Clog the freeways for 6 hours a day doing it). So, Washington Republicans too

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 7h

One of those cameras is provided by KATU, a Sinclair station. I wouldn't put it past them to start running archived South American revolution footage on it if they realize it's being used this way.

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 7h

The costumed citizens on the right are pretty cool too

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pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 7h

"You and I remember Budapest very differently"

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 7h

*Follows Paul Bernal to lower the average a bit*

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 12h

Don't forget the actual, this-is-not-hyperbole slavery.

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 12h

Surely their jams are innovative. I mean they'd have to be.

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 1d

Well, American Quakers don't.

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 1d

Oh good, they're skeptical. Yeesh. At this rate, Senator Collins (R-ME) might furrow her brow slightly at any moment.

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 1d

What, are they channeling Salazar now?

pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 1d

That too, but I think it's a mix. Democrat congresscritters are saying privately that they've spoken with their formerly more reasonable opposites and are convinced that what's behind the change in many of that subset is fear. But yes, Republicans are weak in the knees for autocracy as well.

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pieist.xenoplasm.com @pieist.xenoplasm.com · 1d

They're thinking about their security detail being pulled and their spouses attacked by home invaders wielding hammers.

That's the ones who aren't thinking about blackmail, which includes both the long-closeted gay evangelicals and those few Republicans still unindicted for acts of pedophilia.