All the hippiest stuff in the NT is intertwined with apocalyptic expectations. It was not "love your enemies" out of principle. It was "love your enemies--because lmao they won't matter soon, God's about to sort it out and you want to have your ledger as clean as possible."

Ugh, yes. I’m so tired of people saying these guys are not “real Christians.” YES, THEY ARE. Christianity has always been a violent religion! It always has been too concerned about “nonbelievers.” You don’t get to pick and choose whose faith adheres to your beliefs or not.

Some say “well that’s not the real Christ.” Fair, as a statement of faith; but not as one of history, in which Christianity doesn’t get to say of all those killed in its name, “nothing to do with us!” If you want to invoke faith, turn instead to those who fight for a better version, not denial.

We do ourselves no favors in fighting Christian nationalism by falling back—unknowingly, I’m sure—on one of the oldest canards of European antisemitism, the old/New Testament distinction, as if oceans of blood haven’t also been shed on behalf of the New Testament, quoting Jesus directly.

Um, no. Put this Christian supremacist stuff aside. American warmongers have always quoted New Testament, and Hegseth’s Reconstructionism is particularly invested in it. Matthew 11:12, Matthew 10:34, Matthew 5:29, Romans 13, and, tho not so much for Hegseth, pretty much all of Revelation.

it's going to be a long, slow, messy process, and it will take longer with the base than the grifters but Trump is starting to acquire the loser stink even among his erstwhile allies, all of whom would like to come out the other side of this with their influence intact

* HUNGARY ELECTION WINNER MAGYAR: US IS A VERY IMPORTANT PARTNER * HUNGARY ELECTION WINNER MAGYAR: I WILL NOT CALL TRUMP @reuters.com

The rest of Christianity ever: "yeah, wow, that's crazy, who would do that, heh, that's stupid"

This form of religious behavior is silly and nothing like this much more serious religious behavior I'm fond of.

I recommend Charles Lane’s The Day Freedom Died for a view of how much American history pivots around the Colfax Massacre.

The SCOTUS case that cemented the fall of reconstruction, Cruikshank v. US, which emerged from the 1873 massacre, doesn’t come til 1876. But the Slaughter-House Case decision which basically started the legal system’s resistance to reconstruction is serendipitously handed down the next morning.

If you don’t know about this, you need to read up. It’s the single bloodiest massacre in the history of Reconstruction, and it was perpetrated to overthrow the results of an election. It was emblematic of the sabotage of Reconstruction. And SCOTUS nullified the prosecution of those responsible.

So as long as it takes the same or less effort to flip one GOP voter or dissuade them GOP voters as it does to convince two non-voters, the math is very clear

It’s also mathematically twice as good to convert one Republican voter as one non voter

Also equally as good as converting one non-voter: Convincing one GOP voter to stay home

it feels quite bad that it's basically impossible to argue that much of the modern right in the west has become both entirely intellectually shallow and deeply, fundamentally morally corrupt without sounding like a tedious teenage tankie, because it is.....the factual truth

andrew johnson without question

Dems could have corruption trials of prominent MAGA regime figures (both officials, allies, and oligarchs) for years, just by appointing a highly aggressive DoJ. MAGA has been stealing in plain sight in colossal amounts ever since they got back into power. You can *break* them one by one.

This is something Dems need to take to heart: you have to focus on the corruption. It angers the treatlers. It angers the pro-democracy idealists. It demoralizes the regime's base. And there is so much goddamn corruption going on. And after you take power you can use it to break the GOP.

And he joined self-interest at the hip with the defense of democracy by focusing on CORRUPTION. He never, ever stopped talking about corruption by the regime. Hell, the whole reason he became a viable rival to Orban is because of a pedophile protection scandal that Magyar ratted his ex-wife out in.

It’s time to examine the truth about what ails American voters that would lead them to elevate a manifestly unfit, racist & corrupt man to the presidency a 2nd time. Voters knew who he was & affirmatively chose hate. Unless & until we acknowledge the truth about who/what we are we’ll be here again.

And a very happy 20 years of Neil banging out the tunes to all who observe

The Black women warned the country OVER & OVER again. Taraji P. Henson, Oprah, Michelle Obama, Cardi B, Lizzo, Meghan the Stallion, Beyonce, Lupita Nyongo, Keri Washington, Kamala and 92% of Black women voters tried to warn the country. Maybe next time they will listen. We haven’t been wrong yet.

Shout-out to George Lucasfilm for naming these things Lucrehulks because damn, that is a Lucrehulk

Trump has literally no influence anywhere, his presidency is dead He will flunk the mid terms It is over, MAGA is over💀

1/ The fall of Victor Orbán is being mourned as a catastrophe by Russian warbloggers and commentators. They lament the loss of a man whom they openly call "a 'Trojan horse' in the EU" and blame the Russian government's ineffective attempts to interfere with the election. ⬇️

I’ve been in several negotiations with Iranians. They are tough as nails. Even agreeing when to take a break, or the seating plan, is a battle. They fight everything until you reach a point where it seems a success that the meeting happened at all. That’s what they do. US is totally outmatched.

Build organization, build pride, build joy the state cannot grasp

This is *fantastic* news.

This is why Russ Vought defunded USAID, attacked NEA and NIH, caused CPB to commit suicide, is defund the Dep’t of Eduction, is trying to kill the CFPB, has attacked NIH and NSF, tried to kill the IMLS, closed the Kennedy Center and just yesterday took over the Presidio to turn it back to a prison.

Perhaps France and the UK could issue a call for papers?

I just listened to an extended NPR interview w an education economist about 40 yrs of rising college tuition & student debt, and not a single mention that 40 yrs ago was about the time all states cut higher education budgets, privatized tuition, in order to pay for tax cuts and prisons

Having your net income go up is, in fact, a win.

Imagine telling your grandparents that America would become so rich that people could afford regular orange juice and that frozen concentrate would be discontent due to low sales

Nostalgia for feudal European peasantry however is complete internet leftist and far right brain worms

Where I disagree with Will is that 20th century nostalgia is caused by the internet, I think it’s mostly human nature. People remember “back then” as better because there’s a huge correlation with depression and being in your mid-30s to mid-50s.

Like even if you’re not talking about the plague sinus infections used to be a leading cause of death! A broken bone during childhood meant your were a cripple for LIFE!

I think this is very true online. As an example, I have “communist” acquaintances who try to convince me that not just earlier decades in the 20th century were better but that medieval peasants had more pleasant lives. Like guys, read one gd book about watching 30% of a city die of the plague

I've a voicemail which is just 5 minutes of Orban crying about how sorry he is.

💥🇭🇺With 95% of votes counted, Hungary’s map shows the opposition Tisza party crushing Fidesz 94–12 in constituencies. Péter Magyar has secured a 2/3 majority, asked President Tamás Sulyok and other Orbán loyalists to resign immediately, and announced his first visit to Warsaw.

The America that struggles to be born, endlessly contending against memory

think 'who won twice' is an important part of this

America going down in flames bro and nobody wants to admit it’s bc America literally had a psychotic break in response to the Black President.

"Orange man bad" was true & sufficient from the very beginning. Here we are, over 10 years into this shit, and the supposed adults in charge of US elite politics & media just keep ... discovering it. Again & again. Exclaiming. "Gosh, y'know, he really does seem bad!" No shit you f'ing lumps.

That abusers use this as a shield goes without question.

No one wants to assume the worst about a coworker, especially when that coworker can end your career. That is even true of his victims

Every single Republican is a disgrace for standing by him. It's unforgivable. They are watching America die and they're afraid to do or say anything because they decided long ago that loyalty to Trump supersedes all other civic or patriotic or moral considerations.

Normal business in DC needs do cease until the emergency of presidential incapacity is resolved. Don’t talk about other things. Don’t do other things. The house is on fire, you can worry about fixing the sink later. Do you even understand the concept of “an emergency,” Democrats?

We have to STOP PRETENDING THIS IS NORMAL. It’s time to fight for the steering wheel, because the maniac driving is headed right for a cliff, and even crashing the bus is better than going over it.

If I was a Democrat in Congress tomorrow I’m releasing a statement to the press announcing that we are in a national emergency, because the chief executive has lost his grip on reality and cannot do the job, and until he leaves his office, removing him from power will be my sole, overriding focus.