Don Zeko
@donzeko.bsky.social
Public defender in the South, politics obsessive, nerd stuff enthusiast. Also a dad, although I'm trying to respect the privacy of my increasingly feral children.
Probably too niche to create discourse but let's try: 8th edition Warhammer fantasy battles was their best iteration of making elves feel right in the rules
i think this site really needs to figure out how to grow the non-politics verticals (the baseball moment was a good thing!) because i suspect a lot of the bad clusters come out of the political clusters driving 95% of ENG-lang posts
I'd be happy with big non politics accounts.
January 6, 2026 at 1:36 AM
Probably too niche to create discourse but let's try: 8th edition Warhammer fantasy battles was their best iteration of making elves feel right in the rules
Reposted by Don Zeko
yep. i can identify any number of structural issues but at the end of the day the basic problem is the republican party. this has been apparent for at least 20 years. it is also an incredibly unpopular observation to make among “serious” people.
Right.
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
a lot of problems wouldn't exist if we had a congress with even an ounce of self interest
January 4, 2026 at 11:52 PM
yep. i can identify any number of structural issues but at the end of the day the basic problem is the republican party. this has been apparent for at least 20 years. it is also an incredibly unpopular observation to make among “serious” people.
Maybe this is just a message for an audience of me, but here's the take on impeachment: Donald Trump's conduct has demanded impeachment since 1/20/25. It is a scandal that congressional Republicans refuse to do their duty and remove this man from office.
Right.
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
a lot of problems wouldn't exist if we had a congress with even an ounce of self interest
January 5, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Maybe this is just a message for an audience of me, but here's the take on impeachment: Donald Trump's conduct has demanded impeachment since 1/20/25. It is a scandal that congressional Republicans refuse to do their duty and remove this man from office.
Reposted by Don Zeko
i really, truly, sincerely believe that righting the equilibrium for the united states depends upon congressional democrats reclaiming congress' first-amongst-equals role in governance, and everything short of that — including a transformative president — is a failed half-measure
a lot of problems wouldn't exist if we had a congress with even an ounce of self interest
Honestly insane they didn't brief the gang of eight until it was underway
January 4, 2026 at 10:40 PM
i really, truly, sincerely believe that righting the equilibrium for the united states depends upon congressional democrats reclaiming congress' first-amongst-equals role in governance, and everything short of that — including a transformative president — is a failed half-measure
Reposted by Don Zeko
Another galling example of this: It's been said that Trump's hatred of the "deep state" is rooted in hatred of its "warmongering." But Trump hates the deep state because it tried to hold him accountable for his crimes and because a professional civil service is a barrier to authoritarian corruption!
January 4, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Another galling example of this: It's been said that Trump's hatred of the "deep state" is rooted in hatred of its "warmongering." But Trump hates the deep state because it tried to hold him accountable for his crimes and because a professional civil service is a barrier to authoritarian corruption!
Reposted by Don Zeko
absolutely bizarre to see a violent, rogue american regime, which is threatening military attacks on a bunch of major trading partners and close allies, and openly fantasizing about hitler-style wars of territorial conquest, covered in the tone of horse-race political commentary
January 4, 2026 at 3:14 AM
absolutely bizarre to see a violent, rogue american regime, which is threatening military attacks on a bunch of major trading partners and close allies, and openly fantasizing about hitler-style wars of territorial conquest, covered in the tone of horse-race political commentary
I'm guessing that sentiment is a necessary condition for the modern antivaxx movement: we've built a world where you might not think it's possible for otherwise healthy people to die suddenly of a communicable disease.
Healthy 16-year-old girl dies from flu complications: ‘It doesn’t make sense’ www.fox8live.com/2026/01/02/h...
Healthy 16-year-old girl dies from flu complications: ‘It doesn’t make sense’
A 16-year-old Ohio girl has died from the flu, marking the state’s first pediatric flu death this year, Greene County officials confirmed.
www.fox8live.com
January 4, 2026 at 4:26 AM
I'm guessing that sentiment is a necessary condition for the modern antivaxx movement: we've built a world where you might not think it's possible for otherwise healthy people to die suddenly of a communicable disease.
Reposted by Don Zeko
again, a lot of our current problems are downstream of the gradual self-abolition of congress
one major problem with civ/mil is that the mil side believes that they are supervised by the executive exclusively.
You can have democracy or you can have a military that fixes the mistakes of the electorate. You can’t have both.
January 4, 2026 at 3:49 AM
again, a lot of our current problems are downstream of the gradual self-abolition of congress
Reposted by Don Zeko
The logic that "we can do what we want in our backyards" is also China's and Russia's justification for territorial expansion. It is based on no principle other than the most powerful countries can do what they want.
Trump is framing this as a law enforcement operation so he doesn’t need congressional authorization.
He’s not defending our country. He’s defending his grip on power with endless wars.
“American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.”
He’s not defending our country. He’s defending his grip on power with endless wars.
“American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.”
January 3, 2026 at 8:29 PM
The logic that "we can do what we want in our backyards" is also China's and Russia's justification for territorial expansion. It is based on no principle other than the most powerful countries can do what they want.
Reposted by Don Zeko
“What appears to be a newly created account appeared to invest $30,000 Friday in Maduro's exit. After Maduro went into custody Saturday morning, that same investor netted $436,759.61.”
Someone made $400K by predicting Maduro's capture. Here's what happened
The winnings come as the rules governing prediction markets are still evolving.
www.axios.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:29 PM
“What appears to be a newly created account appeared to invest $30,000 Friday in Maduro's exit. After Maduro went into custody Saturday morning, that same investor netted $436,759.61.”
I saw the news at 4:30 am while trying to get the baby to go back to sleep. Y'all other posters need to get on my level.
Next 3 hours or so are going to contain a lot of this as folks wake up across the US
What the fuck
January 3, 2026 at 4:01 PM
I saw the news at 4:30 am while trying to get the baby to go back to sleep. Y'all other posters need to get on my level.
Reposted by Don Zeko
The split-screen here is unbelievable - first from yesterday, the others from 2017. Musk’s Twitter has truly driven us mad. People absorb far more of their beliefs from their social environment than they realize, and we’ve created an environment where being a gutter bigot is the baseline expectation
January 2, 2026 at 7:21 PM
The split-screen here is unbelievable - first from yesterday, the others from 2017. Musk’s Twitter has truly driven us mad. People absorb far more of their beliefs from their social environment than they realize, and we’ve created an environment where being a gutter bigot is the baseline expectation
Reposted by Don Zeko
Bill Watterson could do Sin City but Frank Miller could not do Calvin and Hobbes
January 2, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Bill Watterson could do Sin City but Frank Miller could not do Calvin and Hobbes
Reposted by Don Zeko
The next President needs to do this exact same thing for the Trump EOs
Mayor Mamdani has nullified every executive order issued by Eric Adams after he struck his corrupt bargain with Trump to secure dismissal of the indictment against him.
January 2, 2026 at 1:56 AM
The next President needs to do this exact same thing for the Trump EOs
Reposted by Don Zeko
the quoted Fuentes tweet, which is about forced expulsion of an ethnic minority, makes it pretty clear exactly which truths Yarvin thinks only Hitler spoke
January 1, 2026 at 6:37 PM
the quoted Fuentes tweet, which is about forced expulsion of an ethnic minority, makes it pretty clear exactly which truths Yarvin thinks only Hitler spoke
Reposted by Don Zeko
i basically think the popularist fabian tactics do not work with high salience issues like this which are never really going away. we either build a durable consensus around a liberal immigration policy framework or the right has a hammer to keep hitting us with
And I think liberals should stop taking the bait and ceding ground on immigration.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
January 1, 2026 at 4:51 PM
i basically think the popularist fabian tactics do not work with high salience issues like this which are never really going away. we either build a durable consensus around a liberal immigration policy framework or the right has a hammer to keep hitting us with
Reposted by Don Zeko
We are *all* Real America in the same way a naturalized citizen who took his oath five seconds ago is exactly as much of a citizen as someone whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower.
Another good practice for the New Year would be for all the non-fascists in America who want to opine about politics to really begin believing that urban America is Real America & that its denizens are The Authentic People. Get some self-respect & drop the volkish nationalist view that they're not
And I think liberals should stop taking the bait and ceding ground on immigration.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
January 1, 2026 at 3:09 PM
We are *all* Real America in the same way a naturalized citizen who took his oath five seconds ago is exactly as much of a citizen as someone whose ancestors came over on the Mayflower.
Reposted by Don Zeko
“Part-owner Umi Hassan said she lived here right after 9/11 and didn’t feel as marginalized and fearful as she does today. She’s unable to sleep at night and carries her passport everywhere.
Tears running down her face, she asked, “What else can I do to be an American?””
Tears running down her face, she asked, “What else can I do to be an American?””
I went to all 10 of the daycares Nick Shirley featured in his viral video. I got inside 4 and found children. Lots of children: www.startribune.com/day-care-fra...
We went to some of the day cares Nick Shirley did. Here’s what we found.
Some of the 10 day cares the YouTube content creator blasted for having “no children” invited reporters in to see for themselves.
www.startribune.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:20 AM
“Part-owner Umi Hassan said she lived here right after 9/11 and didn’t feel as marginalized and fearful as she does today. She’s unable to sleep at night and carries her passport everywhere.
Tears running down her face, she asked, “What else can I do to be an American?””
Tears running down her face, she asked, “What else can I do to be an American?””
Reposted by Don Zeko
Every wildest fear at the time of the Department of Homeland Security's creation has been realized or at least stated as a public mission. The organization was born rotten and has only grown worse; dismantling it is the gentlest possible fate and the future of democracy likely requires more.
An official account of the United States government is dreamposting about deporting 80+ million citizens
December 31, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Every wildest fear at the time of the Department of Homeland Security's creation has been realized or at least stated as a public mission. The organization was born rotten and has only grown worse; dismantling it is the gentlest possible fate and the future of democracy likely requires more.
Reposted by Don Zeko
i am losing my mind over this listing that staged a condemned philly trap house with AI
December 31, 2025 at 2:40 PM
i am losing my mind over this listing that staged a condemned philly trap house with AI
Reposted by Don Zeko
the MAGA project is stalling out in no small part because they've been unable to sell america on their ideas in practice. the images of masked thugs grabbing innocent people off the street has galvanized spontaneous resistance, not mass support
bsky.app/profile/just...
bsky.app/profile/just...
Miller falling short on his "authoritarian designs"?
"The deportations are lagging far behind his hopes. He has not persuaded Trump to deploy the dictatorial power he pines to see. And he has unleashed a cultural moment in defense of immigrants that is more powerful than anything he anticipated."
"The deportations are lagging far behind his hopes. He has not persuaded Trump to deploy the dictatorial power he pines to see. And he has unleashed a cultural moment in defense of immigrants that is more powerful than anything he anticipated."
Stephen Miller Is The New Republic’s 2025 Scoundrel of the Year
He was counting on a nation of haters. He was wrong.
newrepublic.com
December 31, 2025 at 3:38 PM
the MAGA project is stalling out in no small part because they've been unable to sell america on their ideas in practice. the images of masked thugs grabbing innocent people off the street has galvanized spontaneous resistance, not mass support
bsky.app/profile/just...
bsky.app/profile/just...
My second child was born early this year and we are all still healthy and happy. I guess there's work stuff too.
Quote this with what you have accomplished in 2025, no matter how big or small
Reading & writing has kept me alive this year.
Somehow, it’s been my most productive year as an author.
Here’s a guide to what I’ve published in 2025, in case you’ve lost track.
Individual links below but it’s all on itch: danifinn.itch.io
And elsewhere: books2read.com/ap/nAApPp/Da...
1/
Somehow, it’s been my most productive year as an author.
Here’s a guide to what I’ve published in 2025, in case you’ve lost track.
Individual links below but it’s all on itch: danifinn.itch.io
And elsewhere: books2read.com/ap/nAApPp/Da...
1/
December 30, 2025 at 3:21 PM
My second child was born early this year and we are all still healthy and happy. I guess there's work stuff too.
Reposted by Don Zeko
the next james bond movie: stopping the evil touchdown tom from destroying the world in order to claim all future lombardi trophies for himself
Touchdown Tom dressing like this with one glove makes him look like a hitman
December 28, 2025 at 11:06 PM
the next james bond movie: stopping the evil touchdown tom from destroying the world in order to claim all future lombardi trophies for himself
Sometimes I think my brain retains too many useless facts and not enough stuff that's relevant to my life, but then I saw this post and knew it was about anglerfish
you are an INCH-LONG SACK OF SPERM ATTACHED TO ME
December 28, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Sometimes I think my brain retains too many useless facts and not enough stuff that's relevant to my life, but then I saw this post and knew it was about anglerfish
Reposted by Don Zeko
