Gus Orviston
@orviston.bsky.social
Bibliophile, perpetual grad student, fan of democracy, cats, and the Oxford comma. Episcopalian, but not great at it. Foxes over hedgehogs.
Pinned
Gus Orviston
@orviston.bsky.social
· Nov 7
Do not stop trying to be a good person just because you see bad people winning. Virtue matters.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
That we would end up following the fate of Athens and Rome was the single most obsessive fear of America's founders.
February 18, 2026 at 3:56 AM
That we would end up following the fate of Athens and Rome was the single most obsessive fear of America's founders.
If Hegseth keeps trying to force out everyone smarter than him, our entire armed forces are gonna be like, 3 dudes.
We have not yet reached the systematic purging of high ranking officers, but with the blocked promotions, early retirements, & the promotions to higher ranks of officers with tangential Christian-nationalist beliefs, it’s a sort of a quiet purge.
Hegseth forces ouster of senior Army spokesman in latest internal clash
Col. David Butler, who had been selected by senior Army leaders for promotion to brigadier general, will instead retire, officials said.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 18, 2026 at 1:07 AM
If Hegseth keeps trying to force out everyone smarter than him, our entire armed forces are gonna be like, 3 dudes.
Nonsensical point. How many violent criminals have good paying jobs? Outside of the White House, that seems like it would be a pretty small number.
JD Vance: "What we have consistently said is that we want to deport violent criminals, people who came in under the Biden administration, and get them out of the country so Americans' wages can go up."
February 17, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Nonsensical point. How many violent criminals have good paying jobs? Outside of the White House, that seems like it would be a pretty small number.
"The camp was raided to confiscate letters from children" is a helluva thing to have to read about American in 2026.
“I don’t want to be in this place I want to go to my school.”
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
- 7 year old imprisoned by ICE for 70 days in a concentration camp in Texas.
Today, after @propublica.org published this story, the camp was raided to confiscate letters from the children.
www.propublica.org/article/ice-...
February 17, 2026 at 8:54 PM
"The camp was raided to confiscate letters from children" is a helluva thing to have to read about American in 2026.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Ukraine regained more territory than it has since 2023, largely because of Musk’s belated decision to deny Russian forces the use of Starlink. Which shows in turn how Musk has empowered Russian forces for the last two years.
February 17, 2026 at 7:28 PM
Ukraine regained more territory than it has since 2023, largely because of Musk’s belated decision to deny Russian forces the use of Starlink. Which shows in turn how Musk has empowered Russian forces for the last two years.
Geez. If I knew Julia was seeing what I was posting, I would have tried to be smarter
February 17, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Geez. If I knew Julia was seeing what I was posting, I would have tried to be smarter
It's too bad Trisha McLaughlin quit. Would have been fascinating to see her defend this.
How is it possible that Kristi Noem still has this job. Imagine if you’re a family member or a shipmate of this guardsman.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
February 17, 2026 at 6:18 PM
It's too bad Trisha McLaughlin quit. Would have been fascinating to see her defend this.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
If you're wondering how CBS News under Bari Weiss is covering Stephen Colbert's stunning revelation that the network blocked his interview with a Texas Democrat... It isn't. Silence both on the air and online.
February 17, 2026 at 5:37 PM
If you're wondering how CBS News under Bari Weiss is covering Stephen Colbert's stunning revelation that the network blocked his interview with a Texas Democrat... It isn't. Silence both on the air and online.
Now I want to see a photo of the artwork. Is the ambassador selling prints
Oh, and she had a career US ambassador fired for displaying [checks notes] "Satanic baby art"
February 17, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Now I want to see a photo of the artwork. Is the ambassador selling prints
Reposted by Gus Orviston
I know a Minnesotan who called it on like day one of the invasion
January 23, 2026 at 6:31 PM
I know a Minnesotan who called it on like day one of the invasion
It's fascinating that the same people that are terrified of helping Ukraine because Russia has nukes think that the US can just waltz in and take Greenland, even though Denmark has multiple European allies that have nukes.
On Saturday, Sen. Lindsey Graham unloaded on the PMs of Greenland and Denmark, telling them that if Trump wanted to take Greenland, they'd just have to deal with it. “Lots of F-bombs,” said one person in attendance.
My latest.
puck.news/inside-linds...
My latest.
puck.news/inside-linds...
La La Greenland
At the Munich Security Conference, American lawmakers struggled to reassure European allies who are still traumatized by Trump’s threats to invade Greenland. Lindsey Graham’s F-bombs didn’t help.
puck.news
February 17, 2026 at 4:48 PM
It's fascinating that the same people that are terrified of helping Ukraine because Russia has nukes think that the US can just waltz in and take Greenland, even though Denmark has multiple European allies that have nukes.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
So we launched an unprovoked military operation, seized and sold a foreign country’s natural resources, and stashed the profits in a bank in Qatar.
The Energy Secretary calls this “diplomacy,” but I don’t think that word means what he thinks it means.
The Energy Secretary calls this “diplomacy,” but I don’t think that word means what he thinks it means.
Chris Wright on seized Venezuelan oil: "We've sold about $1 billion of oil so far. We've recently signed agreements to sell about another $5 billion in the next several months. So you're talking well north of $10 billion a year ... this is way out of the box, groundbreaking Trump diplomacy."
February 17, 2026 at 4:29 PM
So we launched an unprovoked military operation, seized and sold a foreign country’s natural resources, and stashed the profits in a bank in Qatar.
The Energy Secretary calls this “diplomacy,” but I don’t think that word means what he thinks it means.
The Energy Secretary calls this “diplomacy,” but I don’t think that word means what he thinks it means.
Always, *always* go back and add the context that Noem was endorsed for this job by the WaPo
How is it possible that Kristi Noem still has this job. Imagine if you’re a family member or a shipmate of this guardsman.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/imm...
February 17, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Always, *always* go back and add the context that Noem was endorsed for this job by the WaPo
Reposted by Gus Orviston
That last sentence? That's the strategy. They've been pretty open about it.
“They’re trapped in this little confinement cell, a dark cell with no sunlight, with multiple people,” said Shaan Chatterjee, an attorney at New England Immigration Law. “They’re basically torturing people into signing off on their own deportation.”
(Free article) www.sunjournal.com/2026/02/07/i...
(Free article) www.sunjournal.com/2026/02/07/i...
ICE detainees from Maine being held under ‘inhumane’ conditions in Mass. facility, attorneys say
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said the allegations of overcrowding and lack of access to lawyers are false.
www.sunjournal.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:59 PM
That last sentence? That's the strategy. They've been pretty open about it.
Voting is a right enshrined in the Constitution; the right of a sectarian police force to assault Americans anonymously is not. This shouldn't be hard, but it's not clear to me if Steube is illiterate or if he just thinks his constituents are.
Rep. Steube: "They want ICE agents to have their ID, but they don't want voters who vote in our nation's elections to have ID to show they're actual citizens of our country. The hypocrisy is beyond the pale."
February 17, 2026 at 3:54 PM
Voting is a right enshrined in the Constitution; the right of a sectarian police force to assault Americans anonymously is not. This shouldn't be hard, but it's not clear to me if Steube is illiterate or if he just thinks his constituents are.
I'm all for regional pride, but the only way this is going to be close is if 6 takes on the entire rest of the country
February 17, 2026 at 3:51 PM
I'm all for regional pride, but the only way this is going to be close is if 6 takes on the entire rest of the country
Right. But the Constitution that you guys swore an oath to says that you have to do that.
Rep. Mark Alford: "If you tie a judicial warrant to what ICE is doing, it will never happen"
February 16, 2026 at 7:58 PM
Right. But the Constitution that you guys swore an oath to says that you have to do that.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
Personally, I think that this is an excellent title of a US History book for high school students, although this may present a barrier to getting said textbook approved in many Southern states
"the elite of the antebellum South were degenerate gamblers who financed their lifestyles with industrialized rape and would kill you for pointing this out" is a straightforwardly accurate statement
February 14, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Personally, I think that this is an excellent title of a US History book for high school students, although this may present a barrier to getting said textbook approved in many Southern states
Reposted by Gus Orviston
I served. It's severely damaging to the nonpartisan reputation of our armed forces.
I realize media doesn’t think it’s a big deal that Trump, Vance & Hegseth continue to give partisan political speeches to troops, evidenced by the fact that they are never asked about it nor are members of Congress, but it is one of the most dangerous things happening right now.
February 14, 2026 at 8:12 PM
I served. It's severely damaging to the nonpartisan reputation of our armed forces.
Reposted by Gus Orviston
The commander in chief telling troops who they have to vote for is itself a presidency ending impeachable scandal.
February 14, 2026 at 4:12 PM
The commander in chief telling troops who they have to vote for is itself a presidency ending impeachable scandal.
Humanity is just weird and fascinating, tbh
February 14, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Humanity is just weird and fascinating, tbh
Reposted by Gus Orviston
The pro-life movement spreading measles across the land is a bit on the nose.
Florida law says colleges have to allow an opt-out on mandatory vaccinations.
And so the measles that came back on the buses from DC in January are currently ripping through Ave Maria University in Florida.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/w...
And so the measles that came back on the buses from DC in January are currently ripping through Ave Maria University in Florida.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/w...
Measles Outbreak Hits Florida College
www.nytimes.com
February 14, 2026 at 6:18 PM
The pro-life movement spreading measles across the land is a bit on the nose.
