Ben Vernia
@benvernia.bsky.social
Whistleblower lawyer, bowler owner. Former federal prosecutor and Fraud Section civil attorney. Krewe of Lafcadio. 🇺🇦Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇸
Reposted by Ben Vernia
2/2
The long analytic battle about Trump has been which would prevail: The stupidity/incompetence, or the planned destruction and evil.
This poster/website is a win for Team Stupidity.
Imagine putting your prez in this image, with these words, and this chyron ["The True Origins"] ????
The long analytic battle about Trump has been which would prevail: The stupidity/incompetence, or the planned destruction and evil.
This poster/website is a win for Team Stupidity.
Imagine putting your prez in this image, with these words, and this chyron ["The True Origins"] ????
When I was living in China, the state media were way more subtle in promoting "Xi Jinping Thought" than America's home-grown dictator has been.
www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-tru...
www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-tru...
Lab Leak: The True Origins of Covid-19
THE ORIGIN “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak
www.whitehouse.gov
April 18, 2025 at 9:23 PM
2/2
The long analytic battle about Trump has been which would prevail: The stupidity/incompetence, or the planned destruction and evil.
This poster/website is a win for Team Stupidity.
Imagine putting your prez in this image, with these words, and this chyron ["The True Origins"] ????
The long analytic battle about Trump has been which would prevail: The stupidity/incompetence, or the planned destruction and evil.
This poster/website is a win for Team Stupidity.
Imagine putting your prez in this image, with these words, and this chyron ["The True Origins"] ????
Reposted by Ben Vernia
that Noem video reinforces my belief that there is a streak of sexualized sadism on the US right that goes back to lynching imagery but began in its most recent form with the enthusiasm for torture during the Bush years.
March 27, 2025 at 3:05 PM
that Noem video reinforces my belief that there is a streak of sexualized sadism on the US right that goes back to lynching imagery but began in its most recent form with the enthusiasm for torture during the Bush years.
👇🏻
There may be no one in the Democratic Party who speaks more eloquently to the spirit of the working class than AOC, yet for some reason centrist Dems who say "We need to speak to the working class!" see her and are like, "Well, not that way, I mean, uh, you know, maybe somebody else"
AOC: Fox News and the right-wing would have you believe that these American values are something out of The Communist Manifesto. But let me tell you Fox News, I don’t believe in healthcare, labor, and human rights because I’m a Marxist.. I believe it because I was a waitress.
March 21, 2025 at 1:05 PM
👇🏻
Reposted by Ben Vernia
Some of my Columbia Law School colleagues and I offer our thoughts on legal issues with the Administration's March 13, 2025 letter to our University's president, and its threat to academic freedom. balkin.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-ti...
Balkinization: A Title VI Demand Letter That Itself Violates Title VI (and the Constitution)
A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics
balkin.blogspot.com
March 15, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Some of my Columbia Law School colleagues and I offer our thoughts on legal issues with the Administration's March 13, 2025 letter to our University's president, and its threat to academic freedom. balkin.blogspot.com/2025/03/a-ti...
Reposted by Ben Vernia
Word of the Day is ‘ingordigiousness’ (18th century): extreme greed at the expense of principles.
February 26, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Word of the Day is ‘ingordigiousness’ (18th century): extreme greed at the expense of principles.
Reposted by Ben Vernia
They need him to be a genius because they cannot handle what it means for them to be tricked by a fool.
February 22, 2025 at 7:56 PM
They need him to be a genius because they cannot handle what it means for them to be tricked by a fool.
Reposted by Ben Vernia
🧵 I went to work in Congress with a Member who was raised in South Africa and part of the anti-apartheid movement. She taught me how to optimize the power of the opposition in the House. Like the trimtab on the rudder, members can steer the ship. Here are the six R's of minority power.
February 22, 2025 at 2:29 PM
🧵 I went to work in Congress with a Member who was raised in South Africa and part of the anti-apartheid movement. She taught me how to optimize the power of the opposition in the House. Like the trimtab on the rudder, members can steer the ship. Here are the six R's of minority power.
Reposted by Ben Vernia
OCEAN BALLET
Two blacktip reef sharks slice through a shimmering sea of fish, creating a heart-shaped void. Schooling fish maintain a precise "safety zone" around predators through collective awareness.
📷 jackmcnn
Two blacktip reef sharks slice through a shimmering sea of fish, creating a heart-shaped void. Schooling fish maintain a precise "safety zone" around predators through collective awareness.
📷 jackmcnn
February 21, 2025 at 7:49 PM
OCEAN BALLET
Two blacktip reef sharks slice through a shimmering sea of fish, creating a heart-shaped void. Schooling fish maintain a precise "safety zone" around predators through collective awareness.
📷 jackmcnn
Two blacktip reef sharks slice through a shimmering sea of fish, creating a heart-shaped void. Schooling fish maintain a precise "safety zone" around predators through collective awareness.
📷 jackmcnn
Reposted by Ben Vernia
Did the @nytimes.com really quote the mf-ing communications director of the Houston YOUNG REPUBLICANS as if he were just some random young Black person who likes Trump? Cause it sure looks like it.
February 21, 2025 at 3:16 AM
Did the @nytimes.com really quote the mf-ing communications director of the Houston YOUNG REPUBLICANS as if he were just some random young Black person who likes Trump? Cause it sure looks like it.
Reposted by Ben Vernia
I’ll keep pushing this line of analysis because I’m increasingly convinced the clearest path out of this mess is for Dems to adopt a relentless anti-corruption, anti-inequality, anti-oligarchy, pro-democracy platform. The Dem leadership hasn’t realized it yet, but they’re now a reform party.
How many federal workers would DOGE need to fire to make up for Musk not paying his fair share of taxes?
Answer: 677,000. That's 44% of the entire non-DoD federal workforce.
Again, this power grab is not about the budget. It’s about politics.
Answer: 677,000. That's 44% of the entire non-DoD federal workforce.
Again, this power grab is not about the budget. It’s about politics.
February 21, 2025 at 3:38 AM
I’ll keep pushing this line of analysis because I’m increasingly convinced the clearest path out of this mess is for Dems to adopt a relentless anti-corruption, anti-inequality, anti-oligarchy, pro-democracy platform. The Dem leadership hasn’t realized it yet, but they’re now a reform party.
Heard on the NYT's The Daily: In discussing the Adam case, Michael Barbaro used the phrase:
quid
...
...
...
...
proquo.
(I especially like how he pronounced the last two words as one, after the long pause in between the first and second.)
quid
...
...
...
...
proquo.
(I especially like how he pronounced the last two words as one, after the long pause in between the first and second.)
February 20, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Heard on the NYT's The Daily: In discussing the Adam case, Michael Barbaro used the phrase:
quid
...
...
...
...
proquo.
(I especially like how he pronounced the last two words as one, after the long pause in between the first and second.)
quid
...
...
...
...
proquo.
(I especially like how he pronounced the last two words as one, after the long pause in between the first and second.)
Reposted by Ben Vernia
My critique of the Randy Barnett/Ilan Wurman constitutional rationale for Trump's order on birthright citizenship: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
Birthright Citizenship - A Response to Barnett and Wurman
In a recent New York Times op ed, legal scholars Randy Barnett and Ilan Wurman offer a partial defense of President Trump's executive order denying
reason.com
February 15, 2025 at 10:02 PM
My critique of the Randy Barnett/Ilan Wurman constitutional rationale for Trump's order on birthright citizenship: reason.com/volokh/2025/...
Reposted by Ben Vernia
please share
February 9, 2025 at 11:53 PM
please share
The most obvious conflict of interest Musk has has nothing to do with SpaceX or Tesla-- it's his effort to turn X into a universal payment system. Wouldn't it be helpful, in setting one of those up, to have copies of the government's payment systems?
apnews.com/article/elon...
apnews.com/article/elon...
Elon Musk's X partners with Visa on payment service in an effort to become an 'everything app,'
X is teaming up with Visa to soon offer a system for real-time payments on the social media platform.
apnews.com
February 7, 2025 at 12:35 AM
The most obvious conflict of interest Musk has has nothing to do with SpaceX or Tesla-- it's his effort to turn X into a universal payment system. Wouldn't it be helpful, in setting one of those up, to have copies of the government's payment systems?
apnews.com/article/elon...
apnews.com/article/elon...
Reposted by Ben Vernia
I've activated the emergency newsletter-writing system open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
The End of North America
Trump pulls the trigger on tariffs
open.substack.com
January 31, 2025 at 10:19 PM
I've activated the emergency newsletter-writing system open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
Reposted by Ben Vernia
Who Can Stop Elon’s ‘Team’ Wilding Its Way Throuhg the Federal Government? talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/who-c...
Who Can Stop Elon’s ‘Team’ Wilding Its Way Throuhg the Federal Government?
Over the course of the last two weeks I’ve tried to drive...
talkingpointsmemo.com
January 31, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Who Can Stop Elon’s ‘Team’ Wilding Its Way Throuhg the Federal Government? talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/who-c...
This piece, by @jamellebouie.net, is the perfect analysis of Yarvin.
Opinion | The Dubious History of America’s Most Famous Monarchist
It’s not hard to understand how Curtis Yarvin won the admiration of powerful patrons.
www.nytimes.com
January 22, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This piece, by @jamellebouie.net, is the perfect analysis of Yarvin.
Reposted by Ben Vernia
This is Kai. He is on ski patrol reporting snow levels. According to his measurements, it has snowed. 12/10
January 21, 2025 at 8:15 PM
This is Kai. He is on ski patrol reporting snow levels. According to his measurements, it has snowed. 12/10
Reposted by Ben Vernia
It's concerning that some are trying to normalize RFK. Let's be clear: You can never find common ground with someone responsible for the death of children because they deliberately spread anti-science misinformation.
January 6, 2025 at 3:01 AM
It's concerning that some are trying to normalize RFK. Let's be clear: You can never find common ground with someone responsible for the death of children because they deliberately spread anti-science misinformation.
Reposted by Ben Vernia
As Jake Sherman reports Speaker Johnson is telling his caucus Stephen Miller is “the leader of this team”, this one is worth remembering 👇🏽
www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
January 4, 2025 at 10:57 PM
As Jake Sherman reports Speaker Johnson is telling his caucus Stephen Miller is “the leader of this team”, this one is worth remembering 👇🏽
www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
RFK Jr is a bad faith actor. Period.
So, you may ask, why do I get so angry about the new liberal spin on RFK Jr, as in, "he gets some things right, so let's collaborate on those" or "we have to work with him because he has a huge following we need to reach"? Because I've seen this movie before. 1/
January 2, 2025 at 12:57 PM
RFK Jr is a bad faith actor. Period.
Reposted by Ben Vernia
this urge to launder rfk jr. as “just a guy who is right about a few things” is such a perfect example of how liberals are people who won’t take their own side in a fight
January 2, 2025 at 2:32 AM
this urge to launder rfk jr. as “just a guy who is right about a few things” is such a perfect example of how liberals are people who won’t take their own side in a fight
My social media is polluted by AI generated images. I would pay extra for a browser extension that blocked them all.
December 30, 2024 at 2:39 AM
My social media is polluted by AI generated images. I would pay extra for a browser extension that blocked them all.
Reposted by Ben Vernia
Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
December 29, 2024 at 9:17 PM
Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
Reposted by Ben Vernia
A personal reflection: “Journalists like myself have a choice: surrender to the fascist mob that wants to intimidate the truth-tellers – or rededicate ourselves to doing what’s right no matter the cost.” www.newschannel5.com/news/newscha...
Phil Williams: In reporting on hate and extremism, 'while the attacks are personal, so is the cause'
Rarely in my nearly 40-year career as a journalist have I felt the target on my back as continuously and intensely as I have in the last 15 months.
www.newschannel5.com
December 26, 2024 at 7:14 PM
A personal reflection: “Journalists like myself have a choice: surrender to the fascist mob that wants to intimidate the truth-tellers – or rededicate ourselves to doing what’s right no matter the cost.” www.newschannel5.com/news/newscha...