Eric Christiansen
@erichristiansen.bsky.social
Retired HS Theatre Director; Harley Rider.
"I will not give in to the lies.
I will not give in to the fear."
🇺🇦🏳️⚧️♀️⚖️🏳️🌈🟧✡️🟦 💙 #BLM #VoteBlue #Resistance #BlueCrew
"Trumpum delenda est" - 8647
"I will not give in to the lies.
I will not give in to the fear."
🇺🇦🏳️⚧️♀️⚖️🏳️🌈🟧✡️🟦 💙 #BLM #VoteBlue #Resistance #BlueCrew
"Trumpum delenda est" - 8647
Pinned
NOTE: Sometimes I edit excerpts I am quoting from posted articles to fit BlueSky's character limit (rather than breaking quotes into separate posts, which is annoying for all). I try to preserve the sense of quotes, & always post a source link so readers can refer back. My apologies to the authors!
1/2 "This is how flooding the zone works:
You see so much wrongdoing that you stop being shocked. You are overwhelmed by scandal until you lose track of the details.
You become so tired of keeping up that you eventually tune out.
That is the endgame....
You see so much wrongdoing that you stop being shocked. You are overwhelmed by scandal until you lose track of the details.
You become so tired of keeping up that you eventually tune out.
That is the endgame....
Important End of Week Message
Good evening everyone.
open.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:34 PM
1/2 "This is how flooding the zone works:
You see so much wrongdoing that you stop being shocked. You are overwhelmed by scandal until you lose track of the details.
You become so tired of keeping up that you eventually tune out.
That is the endgame....
You see so much wrongdoing that you stop being shocked. You are overwhelmed by scandal until you lose track of the details.
You become so tired of keeping up that you eventually tune out.
That is the endgame....
1/2 "Ukraine’s president Zelensky addressed the Ukrainian people today. The current moment, he said, is 'one of the most difficult' for the country....
Zelensky was responding to a 28-point 'peace' plan Trump is pressuring him to sign before Thanksgiving, November 27." ...
Zelensky was responding to a 28-point 'peace' plan Trump is pressuring him to sign before Thanksgiving, November 27." ...
November 21, 2025
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Ukrainian people today.
open.substack.com
November 22, 2025 at 12:24 PM
1/2 "Ukraine’s president Zelensky addressed the Ukrainian people today. The current moment, he said, is 'one of the most difficult' for the country....
Zelensky was responding to a 28-point 'peace' plan Trump is pressuring him to sign before Thanksgiving, November 27." ...
Zelensky was responding to a 28-point 'peace' plan Trump is pressuring him to sign before Thanksgiving, November 27." ...
1/2 "A thinktank report finds hundreds of English-language websites are inadvertently amplifying a massive pro-Kremlin disinformation operation known as the Pravda network—now publishing up to 23,000 articles a day—with experts warning Russia may be trying to 'groom' AI models ...
NEWS: Trump’s Base Fractures Amid Soaring Costs and Chaos Within the Department of Homeland Security
Trump voters are regretting their support of the President over increasing prices, DHS reverses a policy that would have allowed swastikas and nooses, and FBI spies on activist's signal chats.
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:58 PM
1/2 "A thinktank report finds hundreds of English-language websites are inadvertently amplifying a massive pro-Kremlin disinformation operation known as the Pravda network—now publishing up to 23,000 articles a day—with experts warning Russia may be trying to 'groom' AI models ...
"Trump called for the execution of American veterans — all of them also elected members of Congress — because they reminded our active duty soldiers it’s a violation of both American & international law to commit war crimes.
If that’s not impeachable, what is?"
open.substack.com/pub/thomhart...
If that’s not impeachable, what is?"
open.substack.com/pub/thomhart...
If Threatening to Hang Members of Congress Isn’t Impeachable, What Is?
If Trump wants veterans in Congress killed for affirming U.S. law, doesn’t that make him the very danger the Founders warned would destroy the republic, the kind impeachment was designed for?
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:39 PM
"Trump called for the execution of American veterans — all of them also elected members of Congress — because they reminded our active duty soldiers it’s a violation of both American & international law to commit war crimes.
If that’s not impeachable, what is?"
open.substack.com/pub/thomhart...
If that’s not impeachable, what is?"
open.substack.com/pub/thomhart...
1/2 "In the wake of World War II, the Nuremberg Trials established the legal principle that 'following orders' is not a defense to war crimes or crimes against humanity....
Sorry, George Washington Would Not Have Hung Them.
This week, Donald Trump continues to use his claimed power to kill people who have received no due process, in international waters, based on his administration’s assertion that they are narcoterroris...
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:31 PM
1/2 "In the wake of World War II, the Nuremberg Trials established the legal principle that 'following orders' is not a defense to war crimes or crimes against humanity....
1/2 "[L]awyers & lawmakers of both parties [are concerned] about the legality of the boat strikes just as lawmakers are pushing back on the administration’s refusal to honor the 1973 War Powers Act that requires the president to get Congress’s permission to continue strikes for more than 60 days....
November 20, 2025
Trump spent this morning calling a group of military veterans in Congress traitors and saying they “should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL.” Their crime, in Trump’s eyes, was their release Tuesday of a v...
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:14 PM
1/2 "[L]awyers & lawmakers of both parties [are concerned] about the legality of the boat strikes just as lawmakers are pushing back on the administration’s refusal to honor the 1973 War Powers Act that requires the president to get Congress’s permission to continue strikes for more than 60 days....
"What Slotkin said to our troops matters not just for today, but for the future. At its core, her message was a reminder that the US military serves the people, the Constitution, & the law—not any one man & certainly not a president who sees loyalty as submission."
open.substack.com/pub/demwinsm...
open.substack.com/pub/demwinsm...
BREAKING: Elissa Slotkin’s Bravery in the Face of Trump’s Threats
At a moment when American democracy is being tested in ways few imagined possible, Senator Elissa Slotkin and other Democratic Veterans stepped forward and did something profoundly simple—and profound...
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:33 AM
"What Slotkin said to our troops matters not just for today, but for the future. At its core, her message was a reminder that the US military serves the people, the Constitution, & the law—not any one man & certainly not a president who sees loyalty as submission."
open.substack.com/pub/demwinsm...
open.substack.com/pub/demwinsm...
1/2 "This is the difference that America and our mainstream media refuses to say out loud:
When you cross Democrats, you get a political argument. When you cross the MAGA right, today’s GOP, you get threats of violence....
When you cross Democrats, you get a political argument. When you cross the MAGA right, today’s GOP, you get threats of violence....
Marjorie Taylor Greene Thought the Mob Was Her Power Base: Now It's Her Predator
But the roar was never for her, it was for Trump.. And when he turned it against her, she learned the eternal rule: demagogue's followers don’t choose enemies, their leader does...
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:58 AM
1/2 "This is the difference that America and our mainstream media refuses to say out loud:
When you cross Democrats, you get a political argument. When you cross the MAGA right, today’s GOP, you get threats of violence....
When you cross Democrats, you get a political argument. When you cross the MAGA right, today’s GOP, you get threats of violence....
1/2 "To go up against this petulant bully, who will say anything and insult anyone, takes courage, courage few reporters can muster due to fear of reprisal and insufficient support from their bosses....
Despicable
The bully-in-chief is targeting women in the White House press corps
open.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:18 AM
1/2 "To go up against this petulant bully, who will say anything and insult anyone, takes courage, courage few reporters can muster due to fear of reprisal and insufficient support from their bosses....
1/2 "The president is flailing. His rage is intensifying. His distractions are obvious. And the American people are watching it happen....
Thursday Afternoon News Updates as Trump Calls for Execution of Democrats - 11/20/25
Trump, cornered by his failing presidency and dark past, is lashing out in the most unhinged and dangerous ways yet
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:36 PM
1/2 "The president is flailing. His rage is intensifying. His distractions are obvious. And the American people are watching it happen....
"Biden and company told Americans that their incomes were outpacing inflation, which was true but not what people wanted to hear. Trump keeps insisting that grocery prices are way down, which is simply a lie. And people may be noticing."
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
The Vibecession Deepens
And even I am somewhat surprised
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:41 PM
"Biden and company told Americans that their incomes were outpacing inflation, which was true but not what people wanted to hear. Trump keeps insisting that grocery prices are way down, which is simply a lie. And people may be noticing."
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
"Halligan submitted an indictment to the court that the full grand jury had neither seen nor voted on. It is an extremely rare form of misconduct, but other lawyers who have engaged in similar acts have been suspended, disbarred, and criminally charged."
open.substack.com/pub/populari...
open.substack.com/pub/populari...
Why Lindsey Halligan, Trump loyalist turned U.S. Attorney, is in trouble
The former insurance lawyer submitted a grand jury indictment that most grand jurors never saw.
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:37 PM
"Halligan submitted an indictment to the court that the full grand jury had neither seen nor voted on. It is an extremely rare form of misconduct, but other lawyers who have engaged in similar acts have been suspended, disbarred, and criminally charged."
open.substack.com/pub/populari...
open.substack.com/pub/populari...
November 19, 2025
Yesterday the House of Representatives passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:26 PM
"When Trump is gone, add this to the lengthening list of necessary reforms: eliminate a president’s authority to appoint the chair of the Federal Communications Commission."
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...
The real danger to press freedom has nothing to do with Trump's personal insults.
And everything to do with his threats to corporate media's profits.
open.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:29 AM
"When Trump is gone, add this to the lengthening list of necessary reforms: eliminate a president’s authority to appoint the chair of the Federal Communications Commission."
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...
"Imagining what life would be like if she went to law school, Halligan said, 'I wouldn’t make so many mistakes in court and judges wouldn’t always be yelling at me.'"
open.substack.com/pub/borowitz...
open.substack.com/pub/borowitz...
Lindsey Halligan Reveals Her Dream is to Someday Go to Law School
“Ever since I was a little kid I’ve always dreamed of being a lawyer.”
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:54 PM
"Imagining what life would be like if she went to law school, Halligan said, 'I wouldn’t make so many mistakes in court and judges wouldn’t always be yelling at me.'"
open.substack.com/pub/borowitz...
open.substack.com/pub/borowitz...
Reposted by Eric Christiansen
1/2 "In this era of Trump, America’s moral authority — its capacity to separate right from wrong, and to pride itself doing (or at least trying to do) what is honorable — seems to have vanished, along with the norms on which that authority has been based....
Honor and Shame in the Era of Trump and Epstein
Honor comes with wealth. The only exception is pedophilia.
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:27 PM
1/2 "In this era of Trump, America’s moral authority — its capacity to separate right from wrong, and to pride itself doing (or at least trying to do) what is honorable — seems to have vanished, along with the norms on which that authority has been based....
1/2 "It’s likely that more than half of next year’s $1 trillion military budget will be privatized through contracts, over a quarter of those contracts will go to just four firms, and more than one in ten federal dollars these firms receive will go to their shareholders....
How Trump’s trillion-dollar war machine enriches the 1%
Congress will decide in the coming weeks whether to approve a $1 trillion military budget for 2026.
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:19 PM
1/2 "It’s likely that more than half of next year’s $1 trillion military budget will be privatized through contracts, over a quarter of those contracts will go to just four firms, and more than one in ten federal dollars these firms receive will go to their shareholders....
The essence of Lincon's Gettysburg Address - what he said then, what it meant then, and, in my view, and if we are paying attention and stop to think about it, how relevant it remains today.
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
November 18, 2025
For three hot days, from July 1 to July 3, 1863, more than 150,000 soldiers from the armies of the United States of America and the Confederate States of America slashed at each other in the hills and...
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:59 AM
The essence of Lincon's Gettysburg Address - what he said then, what it meant then, and, in my view, and if we are paying attention and stop to think about it, how relevant it remains today.
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
1/2 "Today’s GOP and the rightwing-billionaire-funded, 50-year-long 'Conservative Movement' that drives it have embraced every bad instinct of the Confederacy, the frontier, Jim Crow, and the backlash to the Civil Rights Movement....
Is the Epstein Scandal an Outlier or America’s Oldest Crusade Laid Bare?
How a single predator exposed a centuries-old system built to shield wealthy white men from accountability and forced the country to confront a truth its institutions have long concealed...
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:37 AM
1/2 "Today’s GOP and the rightwing-billionaire-funded, 50-year-long 'Conservative Movement' that drives it have embraced every bad instinct of the Confederacy, the frontier, Jim Crow, and the backlash to the Civil Rights Movement....
"After especially incriminating emails were released, Trump’s refusal to come clean by immediately releasing all docs—and the House Repubs willingness to condone a cover-up—reminded Americans how thoroughly Trump has corrupted the normal operation of government."
open.substack.com/pub/contrari...
open.substack.com/pub/contrari...
Words & Phrase We Could Do Without
The Epstein scandal...er...Trump coverup scandal
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:16 AM
"After especially incriminating emails were released, Trump’s refusal to come clean by immediately releasing all docs—and the House Repubs willingness to condone a cover-up—reminded Americans how thoroughly Trump has corrupted the normal operation of government."
open.substack.com/pub/contrari...
open.substack.com/pub/contrari...
1/2 "Tom Tiffany is the presumed candidate for the GOP to run for governor.
Is he running on OBBB? Of course not. Anyone with a pulse knows it’s trash....
No he’s running on there’s a group of South American immigrants and they’re doing crimes.
All kinds of crimes. The WORST kind of crimes....
Is he running on OBBB? Of course not. Anyone with a pulse knows it’s trash....
No he’s running on there’s a group of South American immigrants and they’re doing crimes.
All kinds of crimes. The WORST kind of crimes....
What Isn’t Immigrants’ Fault In This Country (According To The GOP)?
Written by, Ben Cominos
open.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:35 PM
1/2 "Tom Tiffany is the presumed candidate for the GOP to run for governor.
Is he running on OBBB? Of course not. Anyone with a pulse knows it’s trash....
No he’s running on there’s a group of South American immigrants and they’re doing crimes.
All kinds of crimes. The WORST kind of crimes....
Is he running on OBBB? Of course not. Anyone with a pulse knows it’s trash....
No he’s running on there’s a group of South American immigrants and they’re doing crimes.
All kinds of crimes. The WORST kind of crimes....
1/2 "Don’t hold your breath for the release of the #EpsteinFiles, though: Trump’s post saying he didn’t care about the release included the qualification that 'the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to,' suggesting he will continue his stonewalling...
November 17, 2025 (Monday)
President Donald J.
open.substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:05 PM
1/2 "Don’t hold your breath for the release of the #EpsteinFiles, though: Trump’s post saying he didn’t care about the release included the qualification that 'the House Oversight Committee can have whatever they are legally entitled to,' suggesting he will continue his stonewalling...
"The laughter isn’t wrong. Gallows humor is how we survive. But while the memes circulate, while SNL writers have a field day, while we enjoy watching MTG melt down - there are survivors watching all of this who are experiencing something entirely different."
open.substack.com/pub/minocqua...
open.substack.com/pub/minocqua...
“Blowing Bubba” Brings Joy (And Why That Matters)
Written by, Patti Vasquez
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:34 PM
"The laughter isn’t wrong. Gallows humor is how we survive. But while the memes circulate, while SNL writers have a field day, while we enjoy watching MTG melt down - there are survivors watching all of this who are experiencing something entirely different."
open.substack.com/pub/minocqua...
open.substack.com/pub/minocqua...
1/2 "We fully expect the campaign of violence to continue so long as MAGA xenophobes control the White House and Congress. Until that changes, the courts, state and local officials, and the public must step up to ...
The Chicago Invasion After-Action Report
‘Blitz’ or FUBAR?
open.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:14 PM
1/2 "We fully expect the campaign of violence to continue so long as MAGA xenophobes control the White House and Congress. Until that changes, the courts, state and local officials, and the public must step up to ...