New constitution is going to work like this: 1) Each party nominates a candidate. 2) The candidates split the cost of a refurbished Volvo station wagon. 3) They spend the next three months on a road trip together, learning about their country, but more importantly, about each other.

NEW: Russian authorities continue efforts to temporarily deport Ukrainian children to Russia for cultural re-education, indoctrination, and forced integration into the Russian sphere of influence. 🧵 (1/9) Read more: isw.pub/OccupationUp...

All so true, and I don’t see why Trump is so focussed on Europe. What about Saudia Arabia, the Gulf states and even India? Saudi Arabia encouraged this war and has a sizeable military as does India, which gets a lot of crude through the Strait.

Pope Leo XIV called out depictions of war that transform it "into a video game," days after a series of White House social media posts spliced footage of real bomb strikes with clips from popular gaming titles.

It’s been fascinating to watch from a European perspective. The more our leaders push back against Trump the stronger they are getting in public opinion. It’s driving our right wing parties crazy as their control spirals down the drain.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conserv... Re post below.

The two big pillars of Australian democracy are voting is compulsory for all adults, and preferential voting, not first past the post. It means that neither of the big two parties move too far from the centre, and a vote for a minor party is not wasted.

I do wonder if a two party system naturally lends itself to greater voter apathy. The dislike of both parties leads to voter apathy. Labour Brits can switch Green, American Dems sorta screwed into voting no matter what for conservatives like Schumer. Lesser evils vs representation Hard to fight

The primary factor on whether it's a two party system is whether you use first-past-the-post (as the U.S. does), which collapses to a two party system under rational voting. Yup... like OP said, it's the 2 party system. NOT right-wingers being different.

Yes it has. Including Microsoft locking people out of their Outlook/Hotmail accounts unless they use Microsoft Edge and when you do you do not need a password, pin or key. So anyone can get into your email account if they know your email address!!!

Activating some strange requirement that US citizens must engage in double-think? Which leads to cynicism? Which leads to malaise? Which makes people vulnerable to being led by charlatans? Keeping US citizens (1) insecure and (2) working long hours leaves them unable to monitor gov/courts/military.

It should have said below "to continue, by attacking Iran, raising Russia's income from its oil exports so that Russia can keep paying people to attack you."

Also..

So, the US is targeting religious leaders & framing this as a religious war… what could go wrong?

The Trump administration keeps using Putin's language. from Anton Troianovski @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/u...

Yes.

Hitler and the rules of engagement. (Please correct errors. The summary here sounds way too familiar. It came up when this non-historian seeking education did a "search.")

Reminder that the US military budget is larger than the military spending of the next nine largest countries combined. Over half goes to private defense contractors. This is the military-industrial complex Eisenhower warned of — on steroids.

The cost of Trump's Iran War: more than $1 bn per day, and that's not taking into account Israel's costs, which Trump has apparently also undertaken to fund.

The United States gave Netanyahu over $24 billion in taxpayer dollars to fund his horrific war in Gaza. That wasn't enough. Netanyahu wanted war with Iran. Trump gave him one. The American people — not Netanyahu’s right-wing government — should determine U.S. foreign policy.

The agents who were on the scene of Alex Pretti’s murder should be on leave, not out working in a different state. Here’s my letter to Sec. Noem, demanding that she follow DHS policy by removing these agents from the streets and guaranteeing their cooperation. Full letter: https://loom.ly/DCOhnoM

Secretary Rubio's remarks indicate that Israel put U.S. forces in harm's way by insisting on attacking Iran. And the administration was complicit—joining their war instead of talking them down. This is unacceptable of the President, and unacceptable of a country that calls itself our ally.

If troops sworn to defend the US constitution are being used as mercenaries-once-removed, how do they feel about it?

Israel & Saudi Arabia pushed the U.S. to attack Iran. Netanyahu killed 72,000 people in Gaza, mostly women & children. Saudi Arabia is a brutal dictatorship that allows no opposition. These are the leaders who want to bring “freedom” to Iran? Does anyone really believe that?

Trump doesn't give a shit about you or the Iranian People. Bottom line... Trump & Netanyahu are both facing Criminal Consequences. This is their way of staying in power & not being held accountable.

So they already get MAGA into the military even without the draft: They under invest in rural conservative communities, make the military the only way to get out of rural poverty, and send traumatized indoctrinated veterans back to rural areas so they can repeat the cycle.

The facts suggest two interpretive frameworks for Iran: a foreign war as a mechanism to destroy democracy at home; and a foreign war as an element of personal corruption by the president of the U.S. Join my live conversation with @phillipspobrien.bsky.social, 12:00pm ET, snyder.substack.com

Does today's attack meet the standards of pre-emption? (Not that the US military should automatically be involved in Iran if a permeative attack were warranted.) indianexpress.com/article/worl...

Thank you, Prof. I doubt I'm alone in saying I needed this. Your analysis helps very much with what many may have sensed shreds of listening to the nerve-wracking news. Will re-read. The sort of notice to broadcasters will be taken up, I trust, going on the evidence of earlier broadcasts.

How to understand war with Iran? We must get away from propaganda. Facts suggest two interpretive frameworks: a foreign war as a mechanism to destroy democracy at home; and a foreign war as an element of personal corruption by the president of the United States. snyder.substack.com/p/why-attack...

"It is just unconscionable to be treating this as normal or acceptable in any way." Does the above Timothy Snyder statement also flag "rationalizing mechanics" involved in obeying in advance? Dissonance-quelling scanning for "excuses" creeps into the reception of information to erase intelligence?

The Republican Party has be in control in Texas for 30 years. There is a primary election ongoing for both parties in this state. As of day 5 of early voting the Democrats are running 25% more people voting in their primary than the Republicans have received. It is not cynicism motivating but anger

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. -Alice Walker

Want to learn more about American Civics and the Constitution? Have fun rooting around the National Constitution Center page. They offer free self-paced courses, virtual town halls, articles/blog, and more! Follow them on socials also: constitutioncenter.org

The average Fox viewer is certain that violent crime and homicides are a function of modern, urban culture in the United States. The facts are pretty much the opposite of what the chatterboxes on Fox say every night.

Key elements of the unknown FBI witness' accusations surrounding Lutnick and Epstein are correct: Howard Lutnick sold 11 E 71st St. in 1988 to Wexner’s SAM Conversion Corp, which transferred it to another shell, 11 E 71st for $10 which sold to a third shell, Comet Trust for $10.

Yes, it's interesting in our experience. Reprioritize, cut back on other discretionary expenses, if possible, and build a project? You meet interesting applied scientists in the process, as long as you've done your homework and avoided cowgirls/cowboys--no offence intended to genuine pastoral life.

Yesterday morning kids were sent running from their bus stop in panic because ICE showed up. This guy at today’s ICE Out of Lindenwold protest is a must watch 😭. @maddow.bsky.social

NEW: An unsealed affidavit shows the Fulton County raid originated from an election denier and makes it clear there’s no foreign intelligence nexus. So why was Tulsi at the raid? Sounds like it could be about getting back in Trump’s good graces & interfering in the midterms.

The first exchange this year Today, after a long wait, 157 Ukrainians came back, including 7 civilians. A little girl greets them. 📹:valera.glyhov/TikTok

Trump's big, ugly budget megabill gives ICE more agents than the FBI, more jails than the federal Bureau of Prisons, and a larger budget than most countries' militaries. Not one more penny for ICE.

They're literally running out of lawyers in a state where the district judges are practically at war with the administration.

New tshirt, courtesy of the T-Shirt Deli on Damen in Chicago.

“Plaintiffs seek to stay the Secretary’s decision under 5 U.S.C. § 705 pending the outcome of this litigation. See Dkt. 81 (§ 705 Mot.). To decide their motion, the Court considers first whether it has jurisdiction. It does. See Part II. “

Liam goes home… www.instagram.com/reel/DUOW4_E...