Authoritarianism
- “Trump-Putin call: Russia agrees to 30-day pause of energy infrastructure strikes." (Kyiv Independent)
- Kremlin demands halt to foreign military aid, intelligence to Ukraine as condition for avoiding war escalation. (Kyiv Independent)
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“Us” could refer to Germany, given the magazine, but note the European flag that the two bowing men are standing on—with the corpse of Ukraine laid out face down between them. If the corpse is hyperbole, the betrayal and its geopolitical consequences are very real, ↩︎
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Fischer was a politician in the Greens who served as Germany’s popular foreign minister and vice chancellor from 1998 to 2005. ↩︎
- merit – good-for-nothing
- meritocracy – mediocracy
- patriot – sucker
- taxpayer – sucker
The Trump administration is slashing the State Department’s annual human rights report — cutting sections about the rights of women, the disabled, the LGBTQ+ community and more.
The goal appears to be a far thinner report that meets the minimum standards required by the law, according to documents obtained by POLITICO, as well as a current and a former State Department official who were familiar with the plan.
Carl T. Bergstrom, a professor of biology at the University of Washington, has written an excellent thread about his and his colleagues' experience of the White House’s attack on U.S. science and education.
Putin Playing Trump for a Fool Again
The 30-day partial cease fire that Putin and Trump agreed to is a one-sided joke.
Russia probably needs relief from strikes on its energy infrastructure more than Ukraine does because the former depends on energy to finance its war. Ukraine, at least, has made it through another winter, when attacks on its energy infrastructure hurt the worst. Moreover, its air defenses seem to be more effective than Russia’s.
The real kicker, though, are the accompanying demands and threats, which continue to assert Russia’s maximalist aim of destroying Ukrainian sovereignty by demanding it do nothing to improve its defense posture. Meanwhile, the White House and Kremlin “agreed to set up Russian and American expert groups to ‘resolve the war bilaterally,'” i.e., without Ukraine or the rest of Europe. Of course, the Kremlin issued yet another tired threat of “escalation.”
Will the White House side with Russia again, despite the Kremlin playing Trump for a fool? It wouldn’t surprise me, given that Trump has no advisors who will tell him what he needs to hear. I hope I’m wrong.
“After Trump DEI Order, Navajo Code Talkers Disappear From Military Websites,” www.axios.com….
From 1942 to 1945, the Navajo code talkers were instrumental in every major Marine Corps operation in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
America hasn’t felt this upside down since I was a child in an internment camp.
Seen in grocery store: Old guy prolly dependent on Social Security, etc., wearing a black windbreaker marked ICE. Maybe supposed to look cool or intimidating, like a big swastica, if you’re into that sort of thing, but it felt more like a big “I am an asshole” or “Kick me” sign.
“JACL condemns Trump erasure of 442nd and 100th Infantry Battalion,” asnews.com….
“The 100th and 442nd remain the most decorated military units in U.S. history for their size and length of service,” the Japanese American Citizens League said in a statement. “Their heroism, despite the racism and incarceration their families faced at home, is a testament to their loyalty and sacrifice, as is their unit motto, ‘Go For Broke.'”
Started rereading a little book I enjoyed when it first came out: Brooke Gladstone, The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time (Workman Publishing, 2017).
“Idaho Teacher Told To Remove ‘Everyone Is Welcome Here’ Sign From Classroom,” www.today.com…
There are only two opinions on this sign: Everyone is welcome here, or not everyone is welcome here," argues Sarah Inama, a sixth-grade history teacher.
Deeply disappointed in the votes of my two senators for cloture and for submitting to a GOP budget that will harm New Hampshire’s residents. Yes, we’re a purple state. No, they should not be putting their jobs ahead of the state’s residents, let alone democracy. #NH #Shaheen #Hassan
This change says a lot about the ambitions and delusions of the current Trumpy regime:
Arlington National Cemetery has scrubbed information about prominent Black, Hispanic and female service members and topics such as the Civil War from its website, part of an effort across the Defense Department to remove all references to diversity, equity and inclusion from its online presence.
If you pretend this isn’t real, it’s very exciting.
– Laurie Kilmartin on “Have I Got New for You” (U.S.), s. 2, ep. 4, March 8, 2025.
Only Orange Choad could side with the Russian Bear and think that doing so makes him look strong. #RussoUkrainianWar #RussiaIsATerroristState #ПутінХуйло 🇺🇦
The title of this cover from a prominent German news weekly borrows from a famous Ronald Reagan quote: “Axis of Evil” (Die Achse der Bösen). Only this time a Republican president is casting the United States on the side of evil. The remaining text points to the “danger of war in Europe” and asks “what Trump’s betrayal of Ukraine means for us."1 The cover also mentions a statement by Joschka Fischer in an interview: “Germany needs conscription again."2
POSTSCRIPT: See comments for connection to 1939
Apropos of Russia’s meat assaults, which throw their soldiers' lives callously away:
In the town of Polyarnye Zori in Russia’s Murmansk region, members of the country’s ruling United Russia party marked International Women’s Day by giving flowers and meat grinders to the mothers of soldiers killed in the war against Ukraine.
Story via Meduza: “United Russia party gifts meat grinders to dead soldiers’ mothers,” meduza.io/en….
Does Felonious Husk even think about the probable consequences of his reliance on self-dealt government contracts come the midterm elections? Do his investors and boards? Add to that the destruction of his cars' reputation, and he is poised to fail hard.
As our government ramps up its war on its own people, not to mention the free world, I am finding it really difficult to focus.😱
If we as U.S. citizens find the resolve to oppose Orange Oaf’s foreign policy, especially with regard to Ukraine and Russia, we will help not only Ukraine against tyrants but ourselves as well. This is a transnational, existential fight for freedom and human rights. 🇺🇦🗽
'When you're famous, they let you . . .'
“When you’re famous, they let you grab ‘em by the pussy,” bragged a choad from Queens. But in 2020–21 we didn’t let him. He lost the election and his coup too.
Now the butthurt swine is fucking the entire country. He’s letting Musk and Putin have a go too.
“When you’re famous, they let you do it. If they don’t, you must do it anyway. You must say it’s all their fault because they didn’t negotiate, I mean, submit.”
“Now stop complaining, Republican senators. Say Daddy’s name like you mean it! You, too, Ukraine. You know you want it!”
The federal government is now using force to suppress knowledge of the history of violence against Black people. Remembering the past is too painful for these weak tyrants, so they tyrannize the brave who would teach or learn it.
🎙️ On one of my long drives last week, I heard Timothy Snyder talk about freedom in a helpful way in the “Explaining Ukraine” podcast. Far from being an absence of various restrictions, it is a thing we actively cultivate in our own everyday life practices. “Why is freedom not a given but a task?"
Let the great eugenicist experiment begin! RFK Jr.’s terrifying Senate confirmation puts the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO in a foul new light. Ditto Felonious Husk’s freezing of USAID funds.
It must be rough to have many billions but to not know love, friendship, or respect.