Sir Michael Cianci
@robert-moses-dem.bsky.social
Johns Hopkins SAIS | Robert Moses Democrat | Most importantly, New Jerseyan
Pinned
The Third Founding? | Sir Michael Cianci | Substack
Here to write about what's going on in America, and the world. Click to read "The Third Founding?", by Sir Michael Cianci, a Substack publication. Launched 3 years ago.
sirmichael.substack.com
Here’s my substack btw! Bringing it back under a new name, to write about crisis of American political life we’re living through!
sirmichael.substack.com
sirmichael.substack.com
During the January 6th attack, I realized we were living through a 9/11-style national tragedy—and the scary thing is no one else seems to acknowledge that. January 6th was a far greater attack on *America* than 9/11, or Pearl Harbor. And that’s a “crank opinion” now.
The March of Another Lost Cause
What happened on January 6th was more than a physical assault on our nation’s Capitol, but also an assault on the values that building stands for.
web.archive.org
January 6, 2026 at 3:06 PM
During the January 6th attack, I realized we were living through a 9/11-style national tragedy—and the scary thing is no one else seems to acknowledge that. January 6th was a far greater attack on *America* than 9/11, or Pearl Harbor. And that’s a “crank opinion” now.
The Cartel de Los Soles is not an actual *organization*…which doesn’t discount massive public corruption among the officer corps/govt itself. That is, trafficking was effectively a govt-sanctioned activity, deepened by support for ELN/FARC in Colombia (the basis of the 2020 indictment of Maduro).
January 6, 2026 at 3:01 PM
The Cartel de Los Soles is not an actual *organization*…which doesn’t discount massive public corruption among the officer corps/govt itself. That is, trafficking was effectively a govt-sanctioned activity, deepened by support for ELN/FARC in Colombia (the basis of the 2020 indictment of Maduro).
Gustavo Petro is not bright on many accounts, but namely his inability to realize the opportunity Maduro’s downfall represents apropos Catatumbo. The regime in Vzla is on a tight leash w/US, and Maduro was the greatest benefactor to the ELN/FARC remnants. Obvious opportunity here w/US for Petro.
January 6, 2026 at 4:17 AM
Gustavo Petro is not bright on many accounts, but namely his inability to realize the opportunity Maduro’s downfall represents apropos Catatumbo. The regime in Vzla is on a tight leash w/US, and Maduro was the greatest benefactor to the ELN/FARC remnants. Obvious opportunity here w/US for Petro.
Machado’s whole offer here is fundamentally what it seems the offer is from Rodriguez…so why would we expend capital—blood and treasure—to install her? The opposition only comes to power on the backs of American tanks, or if Delcy Rodriguez allows a transition. The latter is obviously preferable.
January 6, 2026 at 4:08 AM
Machado’s whole offer here is fundamentally what it seems the offer is from Rodriguez…so why would we expend capital—blood and treasure—to install her? The opposition only comes to power on the backs of American tanks, or if Delcy Rodriguez allows a transition. The latter is obviously preferable.
Delcy Rodriguez must be allowed to save face if this is to work. Unsure if Trump et al are capable of allowing that.
January 6, 2026 at 1:27 AM
Delcy Rodriguez must be allowed to save face if this is to work. Unsure if Trump et al are capable of allowing that.
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
Nothing good can happen. It can only bad happen.
January 5, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Nothing good can happen. It can only bad happen.
Who cares what Machado thinks, or if the U.S. screwed her over? She’s not the legitimate president of Venezuela, González is. He won the actual election! Machado might as well be nobody.
January 6, 2026 at 1:14 AM
Who cares what Machado thinks, or if the U.S. screwed her over? She’s not the legitimate president of Venezuela, González is. He won the actual election! Machado might as well be nobody.
The first sin of regime change is believing you need to remake the system entirely. Trump has (for now) avoided that mistake (re Iraq, 2003). Vzla has a lot of institutions that don’t need to be remade, but repurposed. Lots of corruption for sure, but tearing down the system is unwise.
January 6, 2026 at 1:05 AM
The first sin of regime change is believing you need to remake the system entirely. Trump has (for now) avoided that mistake (re Iraq, 2003). Vzla has a lot of institutions that don’t need to be remade, but repurposed. Lots of corruption for sure, but tearing down the system is unwise.
Of course, w/all the activity around Miraflores, it’s suffice to say a lot of people have a bone to pick with/Delcy’s betrayal of Maduro. I’d bet on the Cuban intelligence apparatus within Vzla. They got whacked the other night when Delcy sold them out. Doesn’t discount elements of the military too.
January 6, 2026 at 1:01 AM
Of course, w/all the activity around Miraflores, it’s suffice to say a lot of people have a bone to pick with/Delcy’s betrayal of Maduro. I’d bet on the Cuban intelligence apparatus within Vzla. They got whacked the other night when Delcy sold them out. Doesn’t discount elements of the military too.
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
I do think probably the most influential demographic/cultural shift of the last decade or two is that rural America has become culturally and political homogenous practically overnight
December 27, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I do think probably the most influential demographic/cultural shift of the last decade or two is that rural America has become culturally and political homogenous practically overnight
So this is supposedly about Fentanyl…but they’ll strike cocaine production facilities in Colombia and Venezuela? Mexico (perhaps soon enough) would make more sense, as zero fentanyl really comes from (or through) Colombia or Venezuela...
November 29, 2025 at 5:27 PM
So this is supposedly about Fentanyl…but they’ll strike cocaine production facilities in Colombia and Venezuela? Mexico (perhaps soon enough) would make more sense, as zero fentanyl really comes from (or through) Colombia or Venezuela...
Someone check in on United Fruit
Rep. Salazar on Venezuela: "We're about to go in ... we need to go in ... Venezuela for the American oil companies will be a field day"
November 25, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Someone check in on United Fruit
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
"what if 2003, but for the *actual* reasons conspiracy theorists thought we went in 2003 for?"
Rep. Salazar on Venezuela: "We're about to go in ... we need to go in ... Venezuela for the American oil companies will be a field day"
November 24, 2025 at 9:36 PM
"what if 2003, but for the *actual* reasons conspiracy theorists thought we went in 2003 for?"
This is the true “Great Replacement”; transplanting and replacing *Americans* with blood and soil European nationalists who, definitionally, cannot be assimilated to American values.
November 22, 2025 at 9:17 PM
This is the true “Great Replacement”; transplanting and replacing *Americans* with blood and soil European nationalists who, definitionally, cannot be assimilated to American values.
Apropos Ukraine, the worst possible outcome is that the war is won—but the peace lost. And to that, another war lingers beyond the horizon. Just like what happened in the Gulf, or at the end of the First World War.
November 22, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Apropos Ukraine, the worst possible outcome is that the war is won—but the peace lost. And to that, another war lingers beyond the horizon. Just like what happened in the Gulf, or at the end of the First World War.
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
November 15, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Yes, THAT Pope.
Positively Lynchian.
November 6, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Positively Lynchian.
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
notice how we're emulating the stuff that the PLA and Russia puts out with giant flaming hoops and so forth.
November 2, 2025 at 6:00 PM
notice how we're emulating the stuff that the PLA and Russia puts out with giant flaming hoops and so forth.
Conservatives seem to be re-litigating (almost exactly) the welfare debate of the 90s, around the same issues the PRWORA reforms actually solved.
November 1, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Conservatives seem to be re-litigating (almost exactly) the welfare debate of the 90s, around the same issues the PRWORA reforms actually solved.
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
The fact that the president is focused on remodeling the White House while Stephen Miller commands his security forces makes me think the proper analogy isn't so much Caligula as it is Tiberius and Sejanus.
October 31, 2025 at 10:32 PM
The fact that the president is focused on remodeling the White House while Stephen Miller commands his security forces makes me think the proper analogy isn't so much Caligula as it is Tiberius and Sejanus.
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
the thing about the RSF is that once your state decides it needs death squads for regime security, it's the death squads' decision, not the regime's, whether the state needs death squads anymore
October 31, 2025 at 9:42 PM
the thing about the RSF is that once your state decides it needs death squads for regime security, it's the death squads' decision, not the regime's, whether the state needs death squads anymore
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
“It is important to demonstrate that authoritarian gains are not permanent. That liberal society has the will to undo their grotesqueries.
Demolishing the Trump ballroom and restoring the East Wing will be symbolic. But symbolism matters to authoritarians.”
www.thebulwark.com/p/we-will-te...
Demolishing the Trump ballroom and restoring the East Wing will be symbolic. But symbolism matters to authoritarians.”
www.thebulwark.com/p/we-will-te...
We Will Tear Down the Trump Palace Ballroom and Casino
Thinking like a dissident movement.
www.thebulwark.com
October 22, 2025 at 4:44 PM
“It is important to demonstrate that authoritarian gains are not permanent. That liberal society has the will to undo their grotesqueries.
Demolishing the Trump ballroom and restoring the East Wing will be symbolic. But symbolism matters to authoritarians.”
www.thebulwark.com/p/we-will-te...
Demolishing the Trump ballroom and restoring the East Wing will be symbolic. But symbolism matters to authoritarians.”
www.thebulwark.com/p/we-will-te...
Reposted by Sir Michael Cianci
The piercing blow of a whistle has become a Chicago-wide means of signaling that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are present.
How plastic whistles are becoming an anti-ICE resistance tool in Chicago
The piercing blow of a whistle has become a Chicago-wide means of signaling that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are present.
reut.rs
October 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
The piercing blow of a whistle has become a Chicago-wide means of signaling that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are present.