Ben Raderstorf
@raders.bsky.social
defend democracy and build homes / policy advocate @protectdemocracy.org / author ifyoucankeep.it / co-prez @sacyimby.bsky.social / rash opinions my own
No kings but Sac Kings
📍Sacramento
No kings but Sac Kings
📍Sacramento
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
The vanity, the ego, the need to have his name and face everywhere, to receive every honor, has been described as "personalist" or "monarchical," but really the precedent that comes to mind is Caligula, the Roman emperor who ordered the heads cut of statues of others to be replaced with his own.
WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize.
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said.
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
January 5, 2026 at 6:37 AM
The vanity, the ego, the need to have his name and face everywhere, to receive every honor, has been described as "personalist" or "monarchical," but really the precedent that comes to mind is Caligula, the Roman emperor who ordered the heads cut of statues of others to be replaced with his own.
Congestion pricing is almost magically successful. Some of these indicators — for example, street safety and traffic speed — seem like they should be impossible because they're in tension with each other. And yet congestion pricing makes ALL of them better!
January 5, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Congestion pricing is almost magically successful. Some of these indicators — for example, street safety and traffic speed — seem like they should be impossible because they're in tension with each other. And yet congestion pricing makes ALL of them better!
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
From yours truly for the Times: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/o...
Opinion | I Counted Trump’s Censorship Attempts. Here’s What I Found.
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:40 PM
From yours truly for the Times: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/o...
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
“Weeks earlier, U.S. officials had already settled on an acceptable candidate…Delcy Rodríguez, who had impressed Trump officials with her management of Venezuela’s crucial oil industry…intermediaries persuaded the admin that she would protect and champion future American energy investments…”
January 4, 2026 at 12:57 PM
“Weeks earlier, U.S. officials had already settled on an acceptable candidate…Delcy Rodríguez, who had impressed Trump officials with her management of Venezuela’s crucial oil industry…intermediaries persuaded the admin that she would protect and champion future American energy investments…”
The @nytimes.com now confirming that, yep, this is exactly what happened www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/w...
January 4, 2026 at 6:27 AM
The @nytimes.com now confirming that, yep, this is exactly what happened www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/w...
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
16 hours in, my guess this was all intended basically as a coup to put VP Delcy Rodriguez in power (likely without her knowledge but 🤷).
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
January 3, 2026 at 11:14 PM
16 hours in, my guess this was all intended basically as a coup to put VP Delcy Rodriguez in power (likely without her knowledge but 🤷).
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
The US justice system now has de facto jurisdiction over every head of state on earth except our own. Madness.
January 4, 2026 at 2:06 AM
The US justice system now has de facto jurisdiction over every head of state on earth except our own. Madness.
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
Nixon goes to China but post-modern
Parsing Trump, Rubio, and Hegseth statements, it sounds a lot like "we're going to drop all demands for democracy/elections, recognize Rodriguez in perpetuity, drop all sanctions, send lots of investment and technical assistance, and buy any oil Venezuela wants to sell."
January 4, 2026 at 12:20 AM
Nixon goes to China but post-modern
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
Just an annoying reminder that the unquenchable American thirst for oil, and the conquest and subjugation of other nations in futile attempts to satiate it, is brought to you in large part by our land-use patterns
January 3, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Just an annoying reminder that the unquenchable American thirst for oil, and the conquest and subjugation of other nations in futile attempts to satiate it, is brought to you in large part by our land-use patterns
16 hours in, my guess this was all intended basically as a coup to put VP Delcy Rodriguez in power (likely without her knowledge but 🤷).
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
January 3, 2026 at 11:14 PM
16 hours in, my guess this was all intended basically as a coup to put VP Delcy Rodriguez in power (likely without her knowledge but 🤷).
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
At least for democracy & human rights, that might be even worse than the "opening shots in a war" scenario.
All speculation, but let me explain:
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
"Well, he's a dictator whose people don't actually want him in charge" is an interesting precedent for this guy to set
January 3, 2026 at 3:16 PM
"Well, he's a dictator whose people don't actually want him in charge" is an interesting precedent for this guy to set
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
Statement from Cato VP Clark Neily: Courts probably won't rule against the rendition. Yet Trump has chosen to bypass the constitutional provisions designed to cabin the president's powers in using force against other countries. And an indictment does not supply him with those powers.
January 3, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Statement from Cato VP Clark Neily: Courts probably won't rule against the rendition. Yet Trump has chosen to bypass the constitutional provisions designed to cabin the president's powers in using force against other countries. And an indictment does not supply him with those powers.
More and more signs pointing to this being a coup, one at least tacitly coordinated with Venezuelan VP Delcy Rodriguez, in exchange for switching from a Russian client state to an American one. Grim stuff!
Trump on María Corina Machado: "I think it'd be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn't have the support or the respect within the country. She's a very nice woman but she doesn't have the respect."
January 3, 2026 at 6:48 PM
More and more signs pointing to this being a coup, one at least tacitly coordinated with Venezuelan VP Delcy Rodriguez, in exchange for switching from a Russian client state to an American one. Grim stuff!
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
Trump made it clear just now that he connects the two, immediately going on a long aside about National Guard troops being sent into American cities, making up stats in the fly about crimes changes following troop deployment in D.C. and Memphis.
January 3, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Trump made it clear just now that he connects the two, immediately going on a long aside about National Guard troops being sent into American cities, making up stats in the fly about crimes changes following troop deployment in D.C. and Memphis.
Jesus Christ, they have absolutely no plan for what happens next
FOX & FRIENDS: What do you think is next for the Venezuelan people now that you have removed Maduro so he can face American justice?
TRUMP: Well, we're making that decision now. We can't take a chance on letting somebody else run it, just take over where he left off. So we're making that decision
TRUMP: Well, we're making that decision now. We can't take a chance on letting somebody else run it, just take over where he left off. So we're making that decision
January 3, 2026 at 4:10 PM
Jesus Christ, they have absolutely no plan for what happens next
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
The reason you go scorched-earth on this is the same reason we should have gone scorched-earth on impoundment; you can't stop it from happening, but you absolutely need to stop it from becoming a normal part of politics. You have to draw a line.
They didn’t even bother to ask for an AUMF, impeachment
January 3, 2026 at 6:53 AM
The reason you go scorched-earth on this is the same reason we should have gone scorched-earth on impoundment; you can't stop it from happening, but you absolutely need to stop it from becoming a normal part of politics. You have to draw a line.
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
presidentialism is and has always been a mistake
January 3, 2026 at 7:40 AM
presidentialism is and has always been a mistake
“To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.“
-Justice Robert Jackson, Nuremberg trials, Sept 30., 1946
-Justice Robert Jackson, Nuremberg trials, Sept 30., 1946
January 3, 2026 at 7:42 AM
“To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.“
-Justice Robert Jackson, Nuremberg trials, Sept 30., 1946
-Justice Robert Jackson, Nuremberg trials, Sept 30., 1946
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
This is nothing like Iraq. That was a catastrophe and moral atrocity, but also, Bush was incredibly popular, spent a year securing broad public support, received congressional authorization.
Trump is very unpopular, has not bothered to build any case, and is doing this illegally and unilaterally.
Trump is very unpopular, has not bothered to build any case, and is doing this illegally and unilaterally.
January 3, 2026 at 7:13 AM
This is nothing like Iraq. That was a catastrophe and moral atrocity, but also, Bush was incredibly popular, spent a year securing broad public support, received congressional authorization.
Trump is very unpopular, has not bothered to build any case, and is doing this illegally and unilaterally.
Trump is very unpopular, has not bothered to build any case, and is doing this illegally and unilaterally.
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
Our response as citizens as well as the response of our elected officials will demonstrate to both the world and ourselves whether we're any better than the Russians.
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 7:14 AM
Our response as citizens as well as the response of our elected officials will demonstrate to both the world and ourselves whether we're any better than the Russians.
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
Katie Wilson is now Seattle’s mayor. What a wonderful sentence to type!
Bruce Harrell is no longer Seattle's mayor.
January 1, 2026 at 8:20 AM
Katie Wilson is now Seattle’s mayor. What a wonderful sentence to type!
Hard to overstate how significant and heartening this victory is for the survival of our democracy. A remarkable combined effort of tens of thousands of lawyers, organizers, political leaders, protesters, and civic voices.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/u...
Trump Abandons Efforts to Deploy National Guard to 3 Major Cities
www.nytimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Hard to overstate how significant and heartening this victory is for the survival of our democracy. A remarkable combined effort of tens of thousands of lawyers, organizers, political leaders, protesters, and civic voices.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/u...
It's very funny to me that developers in Sacramento will build and rent market rate apartments at $1700/mo and those in SF build and rent similar apartments at $3200/mo and yet both will often say some version of "zoning & process doesn't really matter for us, the big obstacle is financing."
YIMBYs have a skill that’s often rare in housing advocacy: an ability to ask “What are other city governments doing?”
i think there's a very strong "does a fish know it's in water" issue with developers.
they (along with tenant activists, interestingly) often have encyclopedic knowledge of local stuff and are remarkably unfamiliar with what's happening a two-hour drive away.
they (along with tenant activists, interestingly) often have encyclopedic knowledge of local stuff and are remarkably unfamiliar with what's happening a two-hour drive away.
December 31, 2025 at 8:25 PM
It's very funny to me that developers in Sacramento will build and rent market rate apartments at $1700/mo and those in SF build and rent similar apartments at $3200/mo and yet both will often say some version of "zoning & process doesn't really matter for us, the big obstacle is financing."
Reposted by Ben Raderstorf
Contrast this with the fact that planners — ostensibly committed to increasing access to lower cost and higher quality housing — have been completely disinterested in single stair and other code reforms.
December 26, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Contrast this with the fact that planners — ostensibly committed to increasing access to lower cost and higher quality housing — have been completely disinterested in single stair and other code reforms.