Dr. Ashok Karra
@akarra.bsky.social
Political philosophy and ethics. Currently working on Nietzsche, Heidegger, and problems of freedom & authenticity. I teach community college & you'll hear plenty about it.
Let me know how you are and how I can help.
http://encouragement.ghost.io
Let me know how you are and how I can help.
http://encouragement.ghost.io
Pinned
Dr. Ashok Karra
@akarra.bsky.social
· Nov 21
while we're doing introductions, i'm dr. karra. i think about how political philosophy works for us -- what do we do with words like "freedom," "authenticity," or "nobility?" i also read a lot of lyric poetry because that tends to illustrate philosophical problems in miniature. links below:
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
tonight is the Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley with special guest speaker Rob Schneider, a sentence I still can't believe I didn't make up
November 10, 2025 at 10:20 PM
tonight is the Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley with special guest speaker Rob Schneider, a sentence I still can't believe I didn't make up
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
How does your pathetic "plan" keep me alive through 2026? How does it pay the premium increase I face? How fucking dare you come on here with this bullshit.
1. We need to fight hard for a good ACA extension early in December and hold Republicans fiercely accountable if they betray everyone.
November 10, 2025 at 11:37 PM
How does your pathetic "plan" keep me alive through 2026? How does it pay the premium increase I face? How fucking dare you come on here with this bullshit.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
Yes we have a new zine for people who are interested: www.librariesforthepeople.org/resources#fo...
November 11, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Yes we have a new zine for people who are interested: www.librariesforthepeople.org/resources#fo...
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
We just launched the biggest primary program in Indivisible’s history. Help us (literally) send Schumer and the surrender caucus a message. open.substack.com/pub/ezralevi...
Democratic leaders failed us again. Time to get some new leaders.
Indivisible's weekly newsletter with analysis and action
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:17 PM
We just launched the biggest primary program in Indivisible’s history. Help us (literally) send Schumer and the surrender caucus a message. open.substack.com/pub/ezralevi...
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
[redacted]
In the most predictable development ever, Mike Johnson is not committing to hold a House vote on ACA subsidies
November 10, 2025 at 10:45 PM
[redacted]
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
delusional.
That December vote is a huge moment we can turn into a victory. People are watching. Good bill, we win; they cheat, they will lose. If we fight united.
November 10, 2025 at 9:10 PM
delusional.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
Jeffries and Schumer are a team. h/t @aaronparnas.bsky.social
November 10, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Jeffries and Schumer are a team. h/t @aaronparnas.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
I just checked Kaine's largest donors and Altria (Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Parliament, etc) is pretty damn high on that list.
Kaine on why he thinks just getting a vote on healthcare is a win: "We're the minority party, but everybody will get to see who is standing for them when it comes to lowering their healthcare costs"
November 10, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I just checked Kaine's largest donors and Altria (Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Parliament, etc) is pretty damn high on that list.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
We have to assume that every Senate Democrat who's not publicly calling for Schumer's ouster signed off on what happened Sunday.
Whoa -- Sen. Durbin went to up Leader Thune during the vote last night to tell him that on the shutdown vote and ACA promise that "8 of us are sticking our neck out that you're going to keep your word. I hope you will. He said 'I assure you I will,'" Durbin says just now
November 10, 2025 at 6:08 PM
We have to assume that every Senate Democrat who's not publicly calling for Schumer's ouster signed off on what happened Sunday.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
It is very weird seeing my friends and family slowly start to realize we're not overreacting.
Read every word & share with everyone you know. This is real life here in Chicago. Americans need to know this grotesque reality & stand with us.
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 10, 2025 at 12:17 PM
It is very weird seeing my friends and family slowly start to realize we're not overreacting.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
I got this useful bon mot from a middle school teacher recently.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
November 10, 2025 at 6:05 PM
I got this useful bon mot from a middle school teacher recently.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
In response to, “I DONT UNDERSTAND,” he calmly said, “okay what steps have you taken to understand?”
And that’s when I realized that a lot of folks have no steps.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
she's sharing all sorts of NYT receipts on IG, highly recommend taking a look: www.instagram.com/msrachelforl...
November 10, 2025 at 5:14 PM
she's sharing all sorts of NYT receipts on IG, highly recommend taking a look: www.instagram.com/msrachelforl...
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
And I've been doing politics for long enough to know clearly that the entire Senate Democratic caucus agreed to this decision to fold. Open your eyes. The 8 who "broke" did so with the complete blessing of Schumer and their colleagues. You don't have to play along because this is not a game. The end
November 10, 2025 at 2:03 PM
And I've been doing politics for long enough to know clearly that the entire Senate Democratic caucus agreed to this decision to fold. Open your eyes. The 8 who "broke" did so with the complete blessing of Schumer and their colleagues. You don't have to play along because this is not a game. The end
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
These are the kinds of things I like to read and this is why I want more organizers to write. open.substack.com/pub/georgego... [I know that people are busy so understand that adding writing to do lists is often an imposition]
A Time for Clear Calls to Action
Right now, millions of people want to know what to do and how to do it.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:45 PM
These are the kinds of things I like to read and this is why I want more organizers to write. open.substack.com/pub/georgego... [I know that people are busy so understand that adding writing to do lists is often an imposition]
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
Want a party that actually fights back? Run for office. We’ll help you. runforwhat.net
Run for Something
Find offices you can run for
runforwhat.net
November 10, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Want a party that actually fights back? Run for office. We’ll help you. runforwhat.net
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
Van Hollen Senate Minority Leader vote when
November 10, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Van Hollen Senate Minority Leader vote when
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
This deal to reopen the government is fucking disgraceful.
Tens of millions will lose their healthcare. Trump will be emboldened.
This is exactly what’s wrong with Democratic Party leadership and why we need more people in Congress who will actually hold the line.
Tens of millions will lose their healthcare. Trump will be emboldened.
This is exactly what’s wrong with Democratic Party leadership and why we need more people in Congress who will actually hold the line.
November 10, 2025 at 12:43 PM
This deal to reopen the government is fucking disgraceful.
Tens of millions will lose their healthcare. Trump will be emboldened.
This is exactly what’s wrong with Democratic Party leadership and why we need more people in Congress who will actually hold the line.
Tens of millions will lose their healthcare. Trump will be emboldened.
This is exactly what’s wrong with Democratic Party leadership and why we need more people in Congress who will actually hold the line.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
Schumer's a coward. Shaheen & co. soiled themselves. Yes, yes to all of it. But why don't Murkowski, Tillis, & company even get asked questions? Why do we have zero expectation of them? Journalists don't even bother trying. We have accepted Murc's Law as a constitutional provision. It's maddening.
These 5 people could caucus with the Democrats, giving them a majority & firmly opposing the fascism, any time. It might be nice for an enterprising journalist to ask them why they keep not doing this every day as the crimes & corruption continue & John Thune refuses to fulfill his oath of office.
🚨 The Senate votes 52-48 to overturn President Trump's 50 percent tariffs on Brazil. 5 GOP Senators break ranks to vote against Trump: Collins ME, McConnell KY, Murkowski AK, Paul KY, and Tillis NC.
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Schumer's a coward. Shaheen & co. soiled themselves. Yes, yes to all of it. But why don't Murkowski, Tillis, & company even get asked questions? Why do we have zero expectation of them? Journalists don't even bother trying. We have accepted Murc's Law as a constitutional provision. It's maddening.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
Yeah this is it. Today in “neither our media nor our political system is designed to deal with a far right authoritarian party.”
I scribbled down all my shutdown-related intrusive thoughts and put them in a blog post.
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
open.substack.com/pub/davekarp...
The Shutdown Surrender
I just... I mean... Whatever.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Yeah this is it. Today in “neither our media nor our political system is designed to deal with a far right authoritarian party.”
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
I'm single. No kids, no claims, no pre-existing conditions. The cataclysmic leap from paying $50 a month to $1,228.28 a month is a level of devastation the depth of which I'm struggling to articulate. I wasn't going to be able to afford when I thought it was going up to $350 a month. And now...😵
I thought my new health insurance premium was going to be $350 per month until I got this letter informing me that it would be $1,228.28 PER MONTH. I CURRENTLY PAY $50. Is my math mathing? Is that.... a 2,356.42% increase?
2256.42%????
TWO THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY SIX POINT FORTY TWO PERCENT😩
2256.42%????
TWO THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIFTY SIX POINT FORTY TWO PERCENT😩
November 10, 2025 at 1:54 AM
I'm single. No kids, no claims, no pre-existing conditions. The cataclysmic leap from paying $50 a month to $1,228.28 a month is a level of devastation the depth of which I'm struggling to articulate. I wasn't going to be able to afford when I thought it was going up to $350 a month. And now...😵
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
The contrast could hardly be sharper. My friends and neighbors, armed only with whistles and voices, spend their weekend fighting off heavily-armed paramilitary goons. Meanwhile, these jagoffs capitulate, but not before securing another $1 billion for their own security.
November 10, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The contrast could hardly be sharper. My friends and neighbors, armed only with whistles and voices, spend their weekend fighting off heavily-armed paramilitary goons. Meanwhile, these jagoffs capitulate, but not before securing another $1 billion for their own security.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
Because many struggle with math…
November 10, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Because many struggle with math…
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
“The shutdown actually gave Trump more power”
Dude, Congress literally did not give him trillions of dollars. What is wrong with this idiot.
Dude, Congress literally did not give him trillions of dollars. What is wrong with this idiot.
November 10, 2025 at 1:38 PM
“The shutdown actually gave Trump more power”
Dude, Congress literally did not give him trillions of dollars. What is wrong with this idiot.
Dude, Congress literally did not give him trillions of dollars. What is wrong with this idiot.
Reposted by Dr. Ashok Karra
Congrats to the eight Democrats who gave this regime a huge win over the weekend. Here’s your reward.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Trump Pardons Giuliani and Others Involved in Effort to Overturn 2020 Election
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Congrats to the eight Democrats who gave this regime a huge win over the weekend. Here’s your reward.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...