Ericjhensal
@ericjhensal.bsky.social
Writing for Progressive Conjecture at https://erichensal.substack.com/ and author of "A Progressive Art of War" outlining the benefit of Sun Tzu’s ancient Art of War for modern progressive efforts. http://amazon.com/dp/B07V9JXRMS
This may be a sign of some progress. Instead of just killing ACA, they are going poison pill. As for senate dems, it is a minor miracle Schumer held them together for this long. No ego shortage and 6 year terms in the Senate, Besides there is more to "caving." erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
erichensal.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:46 PM
This may be a sign of some progress. Instead of just killing ACA, they are going poison pill. As for senate dems, it is a minor miracle Schumer held them together for this long. No ego shortage and 6 year terms in the Senate, Besides there is more to "caving." erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
Some may say it is a miracle Schumer held them all together for this long. Senators have no shortage of ego and six year terms. Besides there are other things to consider about "caving in." erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
erichensal.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Some may say it is a miracle Schumer held them all together for this long. Senators have no shortage of ego and six year terms. Besides there are other things to consider about "caving in." erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
Trump was happy to starve his own to take their health care and went to the Supreme Court to do so. The shutdown ensures everyone sees the GOP as the ACA killer.Dems got as much leverage as they could, then we reached a point where harm exceeded the good. erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
erichensal.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Trump was happy to starve his own to take their health care and went to the Supreme Court to do so. The shutdown ensures everyone sees the GOP as the ACA killer.Dems got as much leverage as they could, then we reached a point where harm exceeded the good. erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
The GOP will kill ACA subsidies and Dems are in no position to stop them. Hell, Trump was happy to starve his own to take their health care. The shutdown ensures everyone sees the GOP as the killer.Then we reached a point where harm exceeded the good. erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
erichensal.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:12 PM
The GOP will kill ACA subsidies and Dems are in no position to stop them. Hell, Trump was happy to starve his own to take their health care. The shutdown ensures everyone sees the GOP as the killer.Then we reached a point where harm exceeded the good. erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
When was the last time SCOTUS ruled against Trump? The odds of the good guys winning on SNAP were closer to none than slim, no matter how the case progressed.
November 12, 2025 at 12:19 PM
When was the last time SCOTUS ruled against Trump? The odds of the good guys winning on SNAP were closer to none than slim, no matter how the case progressed.
How long would a shutdown take for a Trump's GOP ACA capitulation? A party happy to starve its own just to take health care from its own? A party chock full of people who'd happily go back to 1890s government. How much food insecurity trauma for kids are you willing to accept for this idea?
November 12, 2025 at 1:49 AM
How long would a shutdown take for a Trump's GOP ACA capitulation? A party happy to starve its own just to take health care from its own? A party chock full of people who'd happily go back to 1890s government. How much food insecurity trauma for kids are you willing to accept for this idea?
Ever see a truly hungry kid? I have. And I know SCOTUS would never side with SNAP benefits over Trump. So kids would be hungry a month or two for what gain over today? We traumatize kids with food insecurity for what reason? No, progress has been made and we can reset for more--without doing harm.
November 12, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Ever see a truly hungry kid? I have. And I know SCOTUS would never side with SNAP benefits over Trump. So kids would be hungry a month or two for what gain over today? We traumatize kids with food insecurity for what reason? No, progress has been made and we can reset for more--without doing harm.
Apologies for lacking clarity, so I will rephrase. I think the possibility of a January restart if conditions are not met is preferable to months of no SNAP benefits and hungry children during a continued shutdown. Democrats made progress and reached a point where harm outweighed benefit.
November 12, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Apologies for lacking clarity, so I will rephrase. I think the possibility of a January restart if conditions are not met is preferable to months of no SNAP benefits and hungry children during a continued shutdown. Democrats made progress and reached a point where harm outweighed benefit.
Well, everyone would be screwed with the GOP original position of walking away from ACA subsidy. The asshats going on about abortion restrictions are likely people who thought ACA was dead in the first place. They are staking out negotiating positions as much as anything else.
November 12, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Well, everyone would be screwed with the GOP original position of walking away from ACA subsidy. The asshats going on about abortion restrictions are likely people who thought ACA was dead in the first place. They are staking out negotiating positions as much as anything else.
In politics--want a loaf of bread, ask for the grocery story. This has been an effort to tag ACA malfeasance directly to the Republicans. Sure Dems would've loved the vote, but get to Trump starving their own to avoid it and you take a fallback position. Not the advance you wanted, but an advance.
November 12, 2025 at 12:37 AM
In politics--want a loaf of bread, ask for the grocery story. This has been an effort to tag ACA malfeasance directly to the Republicans. Sure Dems would've loved the vote, but get to Trump starving their own to avoid it and you take a fallback position. Not the advance you wanted, but an advance.
No, I am saying a deal with a fallback to a shutdown in an election year can be motivating. If dems don't get the votes on ACA, then a shutdown can be on. Meanwhile the federal workers get backpay and SNAP funding is out. It sucks, but consider a full on through holidays shutdown.
November 12, 2025 at 12:13 AM
No, I am saying a deal with a fallback to a shutdown in an election year can be motivating. If dems don't get the votes on ACA, then a shutdown can be on. Meanwhile the federal workers get backpay and SNAP funding is out. It sucks, but consider a full on through holidays shutdown.
Well, GOP wasn't keen to extend them at all in the first place, so progress. They are coming to grips with the pressure to extend them. Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.
November 12, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Well, GOP wasn't keen to extend them at all in the first place, so progress. They are coming to grips with the pressure to extend them. Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.
How is this a massive win? This whole conflict can pick back up January. And there is little chance ACA would be renewed at any time if the GOP holds together no matter what dems do. This has all been about showing americans the GOP will take your health care and even starve folks to do it.
November 12, 2025 at 12:01 AM
How is this a massive win? This whole conflict can pick back up January. And there is little chance ACA would be renewed at any time if the GOP holds together no matter what dems do. This has all been about showing americans the GOP will take your health care and even starve folks to do it.
Momentum to what? Could be argued Dems would be using people on SNAP as pawns if the shutdown went on. The costs began to outweigh gain. We cannot assume holding out would win, because dems, structurally, cannot win and a substantial part of the GOP would happily crash everything. We made progress.
November 11, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Momentum to what? Could be argued Dems would be using people on SNAP as pawns if the shutdown went on. The costs began to outweigh gain. We cannot assume holding out would win, because dems, structurally, cannot win and a substantial part of the GOP would happily crash everything. We made progress.
What gift exactly? Dems held on for 40 days, linked ACA increase to GOP, had an great election night, protected federal workers, showed Trump happily starves children to take their insurance, restarted SNAP--and we just reset to January. Oh, and the house must go back into session, so Epstein.
November 11, 2025 at 11:06 PM
What gift exactly? Dems held on for 40 days, linked ACA increase to GOP, had an great election night, protected federal workers, showed Trump happily starves children to take their insurance, restarted SNAP--and we just reset to January. Oh, and the house must go back into session, so Epstein.
Never disputed who was at fault. My concern is with how cavalier some dems are about SNAP recipients, the less than evidence supported notion holding out would yield a better result, and how they judge what is good or not for People receiving SNAP benefits.
November 11, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Never disputed who was at fault. My concern is with how cavalier some dems are about SNAP recipients, the less than evidence supported notion holding out would yield a better result, and how they judge what is good or not for People receiving SNAP benefits.
You are not considering how long senate dems did behave themselves--lot of ego and six year terms there. Besides If you think Schumer and senate democrats just "caved," we should talk about the ethics of consent in protest. open.substack.com/pub/erichens...
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:39 PM
You are not considering how long senate dems did behave themselves--lot of ego and six year terms there. Besides If you think Schumer and senate democrats just "caved," we should talk about the ethics of consent in protest. open.substack.com/pub/erichens...
Some could say it is a miracle senate dems held together as long as they did--a lot of ego and 6 year terms there. Besides, If you think Schumer and senate democrats "caved," we should discuss the ethics of consent in protest. open.substack.com/pub/erichens...
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Some could say it is a miracle senate dems held together as long as they did--a lot of ego and 6 year terms there. Besides, If you think Schumer and senate democrats "caved," we should discuss the ethics of consent in protest. open.substack.com/pub/erichens...
Would you be okay if a person was forced to attend a "No Kings" rally? Making SNAP recipients go hungry in the shutdown fight is making them protest. If you think Schumer and senate democrats "caved," we should discuss the ethics of consent in protest. open.substack.com/pub/erichens...
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Would you be okay if a person was forced to attend a "No Kings" rally? Making SNAP recipients go hungry in the shutdown fight is making them protest. If you think Schumer and senate democrats "caved," we should discuss the ethics of consent in protest. open.substack.com/pub/erichens...
Some may say it is a miracle Schumer held them all together for this long. Senators have no shortage of ego and six year terms. Besides there are other things to consider about "caving in." erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
erichensal.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Some may say it is a miracle Schumer held them all together for this long. Senators have no shortage of ego and six year terms. Besides there are other things to consider about "caving in." erichensal.substack.com/p/consent-fo...