Sara Straw
@oneoneder.bsky.social
Reposted by Sara Straw
People who fancy quoting the Melian Dialogue ("the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must") ignore the fact that Thucydides was clearly portraying this as the kind of hubris that squandered Athens' primacy and paved the way for a devastating peer war that it ultimately lost.
January 7, 2026 at 3:36 AM
People who fancy quoting the Melian Dialogue ("the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must") ignore the fact that Thucydides was clearly portraying this as the kind of hubris that squandered Athens' primacy and paved the way for a devastating peer war that it ultimately lost.
Reposted by Sara Straw
My hot take is that TV Shows shouldn't have "endings" at all. Get canceled with dignity instead!!
Given that apparently the Stranger Things finale was meh (idk, didn't watch it, just the scuttlebutt) and we're not that far removed from the disastrous GOT finale that retroactively made everyone have never cared about the show:
What's the *best* ending to a show you've ever seen? Quote/reply etc
What's the *best* ending to a show you've ever seen? Quote/reply etc
January 6, 2026 at 11:40 PM
My hot take is that TV Shows shouldn't have "endings" at all. Get canceled with dignity instead!!
Fiero was a much more interesting character in first half of Wicked. In second half, he is reduced to bauble for Elphaba and Glinda to squabble over.
By "more interesting" I may just mean I love his solo number
By "more interesting" I may just mean I love his solo number
January 6, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Fiero was a much more interesting character in first half of Wicked. In second half, he is reduced to bauble for Elphaba and Glinda to squabble over.
By "more interesting" I may just mean I love his solo number
By "more interesting" I may just mean I love his solo number
Reposted by Sara Straw
*Which* dumbfuck ideas in particular Trump would crash the entire ship of state in the thrall of were always up to chance.
The only thing of which we could be certain was that he'd sooner or later pick one to go full senile despot Leeroy Jenkins with.
But it's hard for ppl to accept that reality.
The only thing of which we could be certain was that he'd sooner or later pick one to go full senile despot Leeroy Jenkins with.
But it's hard for ppl to accept that reality.
Hard sometimes to see how far we've slid or how fast, but if in summer last year someone had said "trump will, if elected, make serious plans to invade and annex Greenland" the overwhelming majority of commentators would have dismissed them as hysterical and catastrophizing.
January 6, 2026 at 9:35 PM
*Which* dumbfuck ideas in particular Trump would crash the entire ship of state in the thrall of were always up to chance.
The only thing of which we could be certain was that he'd sooner or later pick one to go full senile despot Leeroy Jenkins with.
But it's hard for ppl to accept that reality.
The only thing of which we could be certain was that he'd sooner or later pick one to go full senile despot Leeroy Jenkins with.
But it's hard for ppl to accept that reality.
Reposted by Sara Straw
Putting aside the wisdom of these actions, what is the limit of the President’s unilateral war powers, if any?
Warner: "Nothing would lead to the absolute destruction of NATO more than US aggressive action against a longtime ally like Denmark"
Schumer: "I asked for assurances that they were not planning operations in other countries like Colombia and Cuba, and I was very very disappointed in their answer"
Schumer: "I asked for assurances that they were not planning operations in other countries like Colombia and Cuba, and I was very very disappointed in their answer"
January 6, 2026 at 9:40 PM
Putting aside the wisdom of these actions, what is the limit of the President’s unilateral war powers, if any?
Reposted by Sara Straw
The American people electing Trump after he staged a coup attempt 5 years ago was a nail in the coffin of our democracy. You can rationalize it all you want - But inflation! But wokeness! - but ultimately it was a societal suicide attempt and probably the dumbest collective voting decision ever made
January 6, 2026 at 2:51 PM
The American people electing Trump after he staged a coup attempt 5 years ago was a nail in the coffin of our democracy. You can rationalize it all you want - But inflation! But wokeness! - but ultimately it was a societal suicide attempt and probably the dumbest collective voting decision ever made
Reposted by Sara Straw
In case you're wondering why I'm crashing out more at statements / bluster / mentality lately than x warhead or y battleship.
Performative-masculinity escalation-dominance government on the verge of massive, generational declines is way more dangerous than Cold War jockeying w/ larger arsenals
Performative-masculinity escalation-dominance government on the verge of massive, generational declines is way more dangerous than Cold War jockeying w/ larger arsenals
it's appreciated less than it should be popularly, in part because the popular discourse is dominated by the more infamous aspects from the Cold War, but deterrence theory with nuclear weapons is actually just as if not more important than the weapons and delivery systems themselves
January 6, 2026 at 4:23 AM
In case you're wondering why I'm crashing out more at statements / bluster / mentality lately than x warhead or y battleship.
Performative-masculinity escalation-dominance government on the verge of massive, generational declines is way more dangerous than Cold War jockeying w/ larger arsenals
Performative-masculinity escalation-dominance government on the verge of massive, generational declines is way more dangerous than Cold War jockeying w/ larger arsenals
Reposted by Sara Straw
I think related here is we're seeing the first Congresses that are more or less filled with members who have only operated in politics dominated by omnipresent modern quantitive polling we're seeing the degeneration and atrophying of qualitative political leadership that has caused exposed real time
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 10:52 PM
I think related here is we're seeing the first Congresses that are more or less filled with members who have only operated in politics dominated by omnipresent modern quantitive polling we're seeing the degeneration and atrophying of qualitative political leadership that has caused exposed real time
And some say that even now, she wanders the house, searching, condemned to search, for the remote that was lost
January 6, 2026 at 5:27 AM
And some say that even now, she wanders the house, searching, condemned to search, for the remote that was lost
Reposted by Sara Straw
ChatGPT psychosis, if it is real, sounds a whole lot like some known fail states from the pre-social internet. Get a bunch of hyper-verbal teens online and they form very intense relationships and unfortunately the occasional suicide pact.
January 6, 2026 at 4:23 AM
ChatGPT psychosis, if it is real, sounds a whole lot like some known fail states from the pre-social internet. Get a bunch of hyper-verbal teens online and they form very intense relationships and unfortunately the occasional suicide pact.
Reposted by Sara Straw
Mark Kelly puts out a statement saying "The President of the United States just overthrew a foreign ruler and explained to the American people that this is about taking control of the oil reserves of a foreign nation." This is probably the strongest statement alongside Gallego's I've read.
January 3, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Mark Kelly puts out a statement saying "The President of the United States just overthrew a foreign ruler and explained to the American people that this is about taking control of the oil reserves of a foreign nation." This is probably the strongest statement alongside Gallego's I've read.
Reposted by Sara Straw
It is a careful rhetorical line to walk to acknowledge that Trump has now realized all the worst fears of critics of Article II courts, while at the same time recognizing immigration court has long had rotten sham elements. As one example: children being made to represent themselves.
No Child Should Appear in Immigration Court Alone
While the U.S. government may provide pillows and booster seats for children who are too small for the chairs in immigration court, it doesn’t have to…
www.vera.org
January 6, 2026 at 12:39 AM
It is a careful rhetorical line to walk to acknowledge that Trump has now realized all the worst fears of critics of Article II courts, while at the same time recognizing immigration court has long had rotten sham elements. As one example: children being made to represent themselves.
Reposted by Sara Straw
The US invading Greenland is such an insane, senseless idea that I have no idea what would follow from it.
January 5, 2026 at 11:51 PM
The US invading Greenland is such an insane, senseless idea that I have no idea what would follow from it.
Reposted by Sara Straw
Also, look at fucking Vladimir Putin over here, litigating what constitutes another State's territorial integrity and claiming we need to annex it for "security."
January 5, 2026 at 11:40 PM
Also, look at fucking Vladimir Putin over here, litigating what constitutes another State's territorial integrity and claiming we need to annex it for "security."
Elon Musk is the reincarnation of John Fisher (1st Baron Fisher), derogatory
The way the US navy is fucked up is not very much like the way the British navy was fucked up in dreadnought era (derogatory), but it rhymes in terms of
structurally unsound procurement and guessing at the future.
The way the US navy is fucked up is not very much like the way the British navy was fucked up in dreadnought era (derogatory), but it rhymes in terms of
structurally unsound procurement and guessing at the future.
January 5, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Elon Musk is the reincarnation of John Fisher (1st Baron Fisher), derogatory
The way the US navy is fucked up is not very much like the way the British navy was fucked up in dreadnought era (derogatory), but it rhymes in terms of
structurally unsound procurement and guessing at the future.
The way the US navy is fucked up is not very much like the way the British navy was fucked up in dreadnought era (derogatory), but it rhymes in terms of
structurally unsound procurement and guessing at the future.
To be emperor is to have full-sized "little guys" to paint
since time immemorial man has had desire to paint some little guys
January 4, 2026 at 8:01 PM
To be emperor is to have full-sized "little guys" to paint
Reposted by Sara Straw
Facilitating a coup on behalf of Delcy Rodriguez is some embarrassing shit, NGL.
January 4, 2026 at 3:59 AM
Facilitating a coup on behalf of Delcy Rodriguez is some embarrassing shit, NGL.
Reposted by Sara Straw
Can't help but feel like this is one of the reasons why the Constitution says If a dude in office does an insurrection, don't let that motherfucker hold office again
Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints
Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints
January 3, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Can't help but feel like this is one of the reasons why the Constitution says If a dude in office does an insurrection, don't let that motherfucker hold office again
Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints
Bc clearly they cannot be trusted with power & control over the levers of government, & they do not care about democratic constraints
Reposted by Sara Straw
I feel like I haven’t even been properly lied to about the purposes of this war
January 3, 2026 at 9:13 AM
I feel like I haven’t even been properly lied to about the purposes of this war
This new year, Americans should resolve to be really good at nation-building
January 3, 2026 at 5:44 PM
This new year, Americans should resolve to be really good at nation-building
Reposted by Sara Straw
Uniformed military are involved in this shambolic behavior and they all need to be held to account
A primary goal of the discussion now on dragging dem pols to do the right thing has to be on widespread accountability and where appropriate prosecutions of significant numbers of servicemembers
A primary goal of the discussion now on dragging dem pols to do the right thing has to be on widespread accountability and where appropriate prosecutions of significant numbers of servicemembers
January 3, 2026 at 8:09 AM
Uniformed military are involved in this shambolic behavior and they all need to be held to account
A primary goal of the discussion now on dragging dem pols to do the right thing has to be on widespread accountability and where appropriate prosecutions of significant numbers of servicemembers
A primary goal of the discussion now on dragging dem pols to do the right thing has to be on widespread accountability and where appropriate prosecutions of significant numbers of servicemembers
Reposted by Sara Straw
They didn’t even bother to ask for an AUMF, impeachment
January 3, 2026 at 6:45 AM
They didn’t even bother to ask for an AUMF, impeachment
Reposted by Sara Straw
You do not need to be a fan of Maduro to think that this is both morally abhorrent and world-historically fucking stupid.
Remember how appalled we all were in 2022 when Russia completely unprovoked attacked Ukraine? That is what we’re doing tonight with Venezuela. We are the bad guys here. Everyone who supports this is supporting unprovoked murder. Fuck every last one of them
January 3, 2026 at 7:03 AM
You do not need to be a fan of Maduro to think that this is both morally abhorrent and world-historically fucking stupid.
As a casual observer of NY state politics, "governor who can collaborate with NYC mayor" seems like major innovation
It’s an admirable trait, and also a sharp read of the political moment and how she can benefit from being a Zohran ally, even if she will probably disagree with him on certain parts of his agenda. She is not aiming to paint herself as a Zohran type progressive, but as someone who can collaborate
January 2, 2026 at 6:36 PM
As a casual observer of NY state politics, "governor who can collaborate with NYC mayor" seems like major innovation
So traditional they are reviving Cain vs Abel
Racism specifically against pastoralist ethnic groups is a new one for the modern US
January 2, 2026 at 6:24 AM
So traditional they are reviving Cain vs Abel