Julie
LightNews LightNews
banner
hoping4peace.bsky.social
Julie
@hoping4peace.bsky.social
3.5K followers 4.4K following 840 posts
I usually ignore chat, nothing personal. Proud mom & cat lady. Ex-Republican for so many reasons. P25 is dangerous. Freedom must be balanced with other human rights. #rankedchoicevoting #racialjustice #prisonreform #justicereform #peoplematter #factsmatter
Posts Replies Media Videos
hoping4peace.bsky.social
With Alt Text, in two parts due to character limits.
Post by Helen Stickler (1/2) I'm seeing some misinformation and confusion about the expiring ACA credits. These are not the premium tax credits (PTC) that were put in place when the ACA was passed back in 2010 and enacted in 2014. These were *enhanced* premium tax credits, that were a gift from Joe Biden under the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021, later extended through the Inflation Reduction Act until the end of 2025. These credits temporarily expanded eligibility and increased the amount of financial assistance for health insurance premiums. Now those are going away, just as they had been scheduled to. In 2017, the GOP passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which benefitted high-income earners by giving them lower tax rates and increased deductions. These were set to expire in late 2025, but since the GOP got a trifecta in the last election, they gleefully extended them in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. To nobody's surprise, the issue of also extending Joe Biden's ACA expansion was never even discussed by the ruling party. When the Democrats decided to participate in the shutdown, they needed a wedge issue to justify all the pain that would be inflicted on Government workers, etc. They very wisely went back to Joe Biden's ACA *enhanced* premium tax credits, and put them on the table again. They did this from a position of no power and no leverage. Now the game of chicken is coming to an end. Rumor has it, some Democrats in the Senate are going to vote to end the shutdown. I am seeing a LOT of people pouting and shouting "they caved! they always cave!" This is frankly ridiculous. Post by Helen Stickler continued (2/2) The idea that the GOP would extend Joe Biden's ACA expansion was never going to happen and everyone knew it. I knew it, they knew it. If you are squealing and pouting now, I guess you are the only one who didn't know it. The point was to make the GOP go on RECORD and be very VISIBLY responsible for the pain in people's pocketbook when the credits will indeed expire on December 31, 2025. To that end, their plan worked quite masterfully. People's healthcare will get more expensive in fewer than 2 months, and they will know exactly who to blame. The Dems were also supposedly able to negotiate a floor vote on the ACA expansion extension - which will put the GOP on record as voting against healthcare for many of their constituents. So, I am going to need you Debbie Downers to put your big girl panties on and take a look at the facts. The Dems did not cave. They did exactly what they set out to do, given the limited options they had. Stop expecting your party to perform miracles, and then acting like a whiny little baby when they can't. Elections have consequences.
November 10, 2025 at 5:34 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
A couple of great Abraham Lincoln quotes: This is essentially a People's contest. On the side of the Union, it is a struggle for maintaining in the world, that form, and substance of government, whose leading object is, to elevate the condition of men -- to lift artificial weights from all shoulders -- to clear the paths of laudable pursuit for all -- to afford all, an unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life. --July 4, 1861 Message to Congress The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities. --July 1, 1854 [?] Fragment on Government
September 30, 2025 at 12:12 PM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
@disneyprimevideo.bsky.social is a parody account.
Screenshot of "Disney Prime Video +" @disneyprimevideo.bsky.social bio in which I've highlighted the first word, "PARODY"
September 18, 2025 at 2:36 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
So beautiful.
I'm sharing a picture of a red and white Holstein cow that I happened across (in a Japanese dictionary) while studying. She's lying down in the grass & looking towards the camera, and the hair (fur?) atop her head looks almost like a crocheted hat. She's just so beautiful and has such kind eyes. I noticed a tag in her ear & was reminded that many people see her as a source of food. It still blows my mind. I remember how horrified I was to find out that the hamburger I was eating was actually a cow that had been killed so that we could eat it. It wasn't long after I'd bottle fed a calf for the first time. I was five. My own children were also devastated when they came to realize that we eat animals. One of them cried inconsolably. I explained that it's an unfortunate, but necessary, part of life; we need to eat animals in order to get the protein needed for our own survival (or so I believed at the time). Eating dead animals doesn't really come naturally to many of us, at least not once we realize what it is we're eating, and it isn't really necessary. In my opinion, that childhood trauma, for those of us who experienced it, never truly goes away. For all our sakes, I hope for a day when humanity no longer finds this acceptable.
September 11, 2025 at 12:58 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
Final message from Anas Al-Sharif
Final Message, posted to X, to be released upon death: (Taken in 2 screenshots, this is Part One) This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings. Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal). But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final. I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half. I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls. I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland. I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed. I entrust you with my dear son Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany through life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission. I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path. I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards. I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me for many long days and months. Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend—patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith. I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty. If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles. I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting. O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family. Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it. Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance. Anas Jamal Al-Sharif 06.04.2025 This is what our beloved Anas requested to be published upon his martyrdom. 5:25 PM · Aug 10, 2025
August 11, 2025 at 6:33 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
They're part of Homeland Security.
August 3, 2025 at 5:40 PM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
"Mahmoud had dropped off his sisters, ages 8 and 10, at their elementary school and was walking to his secondary school with other students, when..." he was shot by the IDF. There's video footage of this. He wasn't armed or participating in violence. He was just walking to school with his friends.
Mahmoud had dropped off his sisters, ages 8 and 10, at their elementary school and was walking to his secondary school with other students, when “all of a sudden there’s [the sounds of] shooting in the distance, we didn’t know where, and people say the [Israeli] military is present,” said a classmate who was walking with Mahmoud. Mahmoud waited for safety on the side of a street. A security-camera video, which Human Rights Watch viewed, showed him wearing his school backpack, standing alone, and not holding any weapon or rock, just before he took a step into the street and was shot, his father and the classmate said. The shooting in the distance had stopped and the military was withdrawing when Mahmoud’s classmate said he heard a gunshot. Mahmoud stepped toward him, said he had been hit, and fell down. The witness and other boys saw a stationary Israeli military vehicle roughly 100 meters up the street, which then drove away. Human Rights Watch visited the site and found that if the shooter had been in this vehicle, they would have had a clear view of Mahmoud. A medical intake report for Mahmoud from Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin at 9:50 a.m. records a single bullet wound and hemorrhagic shock. No armed Palestinians or other Israeli forces were in the area at the time, said the classmate and reports by news media and rights groups, raising concerns that the Israeli forces may have deliberately targeted him even though he was unarmed and not engaging in violent activity. The intentional or reckless use of lethal force against a person who poses no imminent threat to life by the security forces of an occupying power carrying out policing operations would be unlawful. The “willful killing” of members of the population of an occupied territory is a war crime.
July 8, 2025 at 11:42 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
The article, written 2 months before the Oct 7th attacks, was discussing children who'd been killed in the West Bank. It is (and was) far worse in Gaza. While some of the children were shot in the back while trying to run away after throwing things at the occupying forces, others were just murdered.
My screenshot was taken from the article being discussed, posted above the person I'm replying to. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/28/west-bank-spike-israeli-killings-palestinian-children -- Mahmoud had dropped off his sisters, ages 8 and 10, at their elementary school and was walking to his secondary school with other students, when “all of a sudden there’s [the sounds of] shooting in the distance, we didn’t know where, and people say the [Israeli] military is present,” said a classmate who was walking with Mahmoud. Mahmoud waited for safety on the side of a street. A security-camera video, which Human Rights Watch viewed, showed him wearing his school backpack, standing alone, and not holding any weapon or rock, just before he took a step into the street and was shot, his father and the classmate said. The shooting in the distance had stopped and the military was withdrawing when Mahmoud’s classmate said he heard a gunshot. Mahmoud stepped toward him, said he had been hit, and fell down. The witness and other boys saw a stationary Israeli military vehicle roughly 100 meters up the street, which then drove away. Human Rights Watch visited the site and found that if the shooter had been in this vehicle, they would have had a clear view of Mahmoud. A medical intake report for Mahmoud from Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin at 9:50 a.m. records a single bullet wound and hemorrhagic shock. No armed Palestinians or other Israeli forces were in the area at the time, said the classmate and reports by news media and rights groups, raising concerns that the Israeli forces may have deliberately targeted him even though he was unarmed and not engaging in violent activity. The intentional or reckless use of lethal force against a person who poses no imminent threat to life by the security forces of an occupying power carrying out policing operations would be unlawful. The “willful killing” of members of the population of an occupied territory is a war crime. --
July 8, 2025 at 11:10 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
www.google.com/search?q=cpd...
This is just a screenshot of part of the search results you'll find if you click the link I've provided. It shows various social media accounts sharing this video with captions saying this was a fight between residents & the Chicago PD.
June 29, 2025 at 10:09 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
You're referring to the memorandum of understanding for FY2019-2028, which pledged a total of $38 billion ($3.8B/year). The FMF portion of this funding comes to 3.3B/yr. This memorandum doesn't count all of the other assistance & weaponry we're providing.
obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-of...
The Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com › us-moves-to-expedite-... Mar 2, 2025 — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that he had signed a declaration to expedite delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance to ... Rubio expedites delivery of $4 billion in military aid to Israel VOA - Voice of America English News https://www.voanews.com › rubio-expedites-delivery-o... Mar 1, 2025 — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday he had signed a declaration to expedite delivery of about $4 billion in military assistance to Israel. What Every American Should Know About U.S. Aid to Israel American Jewish Committee https://www.ajc.org › news › what-every-american-sho... Mar 5, 2025 — In September 2024, the U.S. secured an $8.7 billion aid package for Israel, including $3.5 billion for wartime procurement and $5.2 billion ... Missing: 4 ‎| Show results with: 4 Rubio Bypasses Congress to Send Israel $4 Billion in Arms The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com › U.S. › Politics Mar 2, 2025 — Secretary of State Marco Rubio has invoked “emergency authorities” to bypass Congress and send $4 billion in weapons to Israel. The total value of the new MOU, which covers FY2019- FY2028, is $38 billion ($3.8 billion per year)... This amount represents a significant increase over the current MOU by every measure, and will enable Israel to acquire additional advanced military capabilities from the United States. It includes $33 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) funds and an unprecedented $5 billion commitment in missile defense assistance. This funding will be disbursed in equal increments of $3.3 billion in FMF and $500 million in missile defense funding each year for the duration of the understanding. In practical terms, the level of funding specified in the MOU will permit Israel to update the lion’s share of its fighter aircraft fleet - including through the acquisition of additional F-35s - increase its missile defense, and acquire other defense capabilities needed to meet its threat environment. The multi-year missile defense commitment in the MOU will greatly facilitate long-term planning rather than missile defense assistance levels continuing to be appropriated year-to-year. The $500 million in annual missile defense funding under the MOU exceeds the average level of non-emergency support the United States has provided to Israel for missile defense over the last five years. Moreover, our decision with Israel to discontinue two anomalies in the defense relationship that no longer serve our mutual interests - Off Shore Procurement (the arrangement under the current MOU through which Israel has been uniquely permitted to spend 26.3 percent of its annual FMF package within Israel on non-U.S. products) and Israel’s use of FMF funds to purchase fuel – means that Israel will spend more funding, as much as $1.2 billion per year, on the advanced military capabilities that only the United States can provide. The acquisition of additional U.S.-produced capabilities and technology provide the best means to ensure Israel preserves its Qualitative Military Edge (QME).
June 9, 2025 at 2:24 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
Apparently, the NG began arriving this morning. It looks as though ICE (and the FBI?) attacked civilians while they waited in the traffic they'd stopped in order to try to create backlash to make them come across as violent protesters in an effort to "justify" federalizing state NG troops.
Screenshot from Xitter, U.S. Northern Command (@USNOrthernCmd) account, includes 3 pictures of NG and states: #USNORTHCOM can confirm that elements of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the California National Guard have begun deploying to the Los Angeles area, with some already on the ground. Additional information will be provided as units are identified and deployed. Posted: 10:03 AM * Jun 8, 2025 * 836.7K Views (Screenshot taken around 1:50 PM)
June 8, 2025 at 7:05 PM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
Martin drove Rosa Parks to a meeting with the Pope back in 1999. He's gotten a lot of mileage out of that photo. I highly doubt she'd approve of the person he's become as the monsters he's aligned himself with do everything in their power to abolish civil rights.

www.stlmag.com/uncategorize...
This screenshot of a portion of the linked article states: Martin’s 2010 campaign bio described one of the highlights of his years in the Human Rights Office as “his role in the Pope’s January 1999 visit to St. Louis, during which he escorted civil rights legend Mrs. Rosa Parks to her historic meeting with the Pope.” It almost didn’t happen. “I get to her hotel, and the guy says, ‘Mrs. Parks is napping,’” Martin recalls. “What do you do? You are now in a position where you are snubbing Rosa Parks! I said, ‘Look, we are going to lose this window,’ so finally we get her out of the hotel. We are late, and I’m walkie-talkie-ing. We get four blocks away and all the streets are shut down. I’m on the walkie-talkie saying, ‘Guys, what are we going to do? The story will be ‘Pope doesn’t see Rosa Parks’! I’m frazzled, thinking I’m going to let the archbishop down. She turns around and says, ‘Young man, sometimes you need to have a little patience.’” The meeting finally took place later, in the back of the Cathedral Basilica. “The acoustics were really bad, echoes, and he not speaking English as his first language, her not speaking Italian, both of them old—it was sort of fits and starts,” he says. “But we did get the photo!”
May 27, 2025 at 4:37 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
His mom. But yeah, definite alarm bells.

www.google.com/search?q=Jul...
Screenshot of Juliane Gallina, per the New York Post, "appointed CIA's deputy director for digital innovation in February 2024 - just weeks before her son's death."
April 26, 2025 at 3:13 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
ALT TEXT
04.25.2025 STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR PRITZKER On the Trump Administration Arresting a Sitting Judge ------------------------------------------------------------- Arresting a Sitting state judge is an alarming escalation of Donald Trump's war on the courts. Shortly after, Attorney General Pam Bondi went on Fox News to brag about it and confirm this authoritarian administration is going to keep persecuting and prosecuting sitting judges. We do not have kings in America. We do not accept propaganda as fact. And we do not let authoritarian federal overarch <sic> (Edit: overreach to) hold us back from speaking up for justice. America was built on a system of Checks and Balances where different parts of our government have the duty to hold the power of the others to account. Today is a reminder for the Judiciary, Congress, and States to do our part in holding Trump and his lackeys accountable. While we must closely follow the emerging facts and details of this case, there is no question today is an extremely unusual and concerning step in Trump's attacks against the Rule of Law. Signed by Governor Pritzker
April 25, 2025 at 10:24 PM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
"This is not a salvageable party."

You seem to be encouraging people to abandon the Democratic Party.
The screenshot begins with a post from @alecw81 stating, "Time to start a new Progressive Labor party" (in reply to AOC) and concludes with a post from @alex-ayvazian that says, "Yh, I used to think this way too. At this point these Democrats are treating us like we are stupid and like we can't hold them accountable. This is not a salvageable party. You need to take a good look at what's happening. We have fighters and we have corrupt people like Schumer who silenced them." For context, this is in reply to @arianagrand (chips ahoy for life) saying, "it's easier to salvage a pretty unified party than it is to split into 25% Democrat 25% new party 50% republican."
March 15, 2025 at 4:26 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
www.opensecrets.org/orgs/kia-cor...
Screenshot from Open Secrets showing the top recipients of money donated by Kia employees, owners, and family members. "NOTE: The organization itself did not donate, rather the money came from the organization's individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate family members." "Organizations themselves cannot contribute to candidates and party committees. Totals include subsidiaries and affiliates." The majority of donations went to Democratic candidates with Kamala Harris receiving the most at $3,043 (in first place) compared to Trump's $300 (in 6th place).
March 13, 2025 at 12:50 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
I visited the dark side a few minutes ago to take this screenshot. You're just seeing different ways of writing/displaying today's date.
Post shared by @EndWokeness on the site formerly known as Twitter was written at "7:45 AM" on "Mar 12, 2025" and states, "Gas prices down, mortgage rate down, egg prices down, inflation rate down."
March 12, 2025 at 10:08 PM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
Using the tool above, I clicked out of "all," clicked on "2024, apply," clicked on "Fentanyl, apply," and clicked on "Northern Border, apply" to narrow the search to Fentanyl seized near the Canadian/U.S. Border in FY 2024.
Screenshot taken of the chart, after applying the necessary filters, showing that a total of 43 lbs of Fentanyl was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Fiscal Year 2024 near our Northern Border.
March 1, 2025 at 1:14 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
You're welcome!

I'd like to clarify that 946 grams = just over 2 pounds (not just over 2 thousand pounds). Many European countries use a comma as a decimal separator, so what you posted is correct. But it could be confusing for those of us who use a period (2.086 lbs), such as in the U.S.
Screenshot of online transition calculator showing that 946 grams = 2.08557 pounds.
March 1, 2025 at 12:57 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
The person who wrote that proposed community note is mistaken about the amount of Fentanyl seized by Canada. That's 946 grams, not pounds. It's also for FY 2023, not FY 2024 (which included 4,590 grams seized). And these numbers represent both incoming & outgoing.
www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/security-sec...
Screenshot from link provided. Heading: Quantity of goods seized, by quarter for fiscal year 2023 to 2024 It shows a total of 946 grams of Fentanyl.
February 25, 2025 at 12:43 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
With Alt text.
((The ALT Text I am providing does not include underlining. Words originally typed in italics will instead be *set apart like this.*)) If you are familiar with developmental biology, you will know there are additional karyotypes--chromosome combinations--beyond XX and XY, such as X, XXY, XYY, and XXXY. Some claim these karyotypes prove there are more than two sexes in humans. For example, in an article titled 'The 6 Most Common Biological Sexes in Humans,' Joshua Kennon writes, "Humans are not just born male and female. There are at least six biological sexes that can result in fairly normal lifespans."[1] Kennon then lists six karyotype variations in humans: XX, XY, X, XXY, XYY, and XXXY. There's one problem, however: *karyotypes are not sexes.* A karyotype is simply an individual's collection of chromosomes, and chromosomes hold genetic information.[2] In humans, errors during cell division in meiosis can result in atypical combinations of chromosomes. For example, a sperm cell may accidentally receive an extra X with its Y. Thus, if it fertilizes an egg with an X chromosome, the fetus would develop with 47:XXY.[3] This is how atypical karyotypes such as 45:X (Turner syndrome); 47:XXY (Klinefelter syndrome); and 48:XXXY are produced. But are these unique karyotypes additional sexes?
February 20, 2025 at 5:46 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
The entire TCN interview is posted on X.
Screenshot of 15 minute video posted on X (Twitter) by @DimaZeniuk with heading "Full Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson interview"
February 14, 2025 at 6:18 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
This is a "quote repost" in which Andrew Bates responded to Elon Musk's "CFPB RIP" post on his own page instead of by directly replying to Elon on Elon's page. This makes it clear what someone is responding to so that a post/reply cannot easily be taken out of context.

ALT Text below
This is a screenshot from X (Twitter) of Andrew Bates (@AndrewBatesNC) quoting Elon's "CFPB RIP (grave emoji)" post (meaning "Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Rest in Peace") and responding with: Actions matter more than words. The GOP swore they'd stand up *for* families, *against* the wealthy establishment. Now the richest man on earth is shutting down the team that protects all of us from financial predators. Why? To use those funds for tax handouts to billionaires.
February 13, 2025 at 8:00 PM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
If I supported fascists taking over my country, as you seem to do, I'd try to distract people too, as you're trying to do.
www.dailygrail.com/2024/10/the-...
"The Dark Enlightenment Thiel and Vance both have another influence though: around 2007 a number of individuals gave birth to a far-right ideology that is referred to as the neoreactionary movement (abbreviated to NRx), sometimes also referred to as the ‘Dark Enlightenment‘. While it has a broad number of views, one of those is that – quite simply – democracy is a failed system of government. As one of its founders, Curtis Yarvin (also known under the pen name ‘Mencius Moldbug’) has stated: “If Americans want to change their government, they’re going to have to get over their dictator phobia.” Yarvin’s remedy for America is for a Caesar-like figure to take power, “retire all government employees” (a strategy he refers to by the acronym RAGE) and replace them with their own ‘yes men’, and for the system to be run like a corporate start-up, with an all-powerful CEO calling the shots." Below this is a screenshot from a video titled "BIL2012 - Menchus Moldbug: How to Reboot the US Government" 1/2 (Due to character limits, I'm posting the same screenshot twice in order to provide the entire ALT text.) The screenshot from the article I linked to reads: Yarvin states in Patchwork that the power of the ‘proprietor’/CEO of each realm would be absolute. Using a newly undemocratized San Francisco as an example, he notes that they would “exercise undivided sovereignty over San Francisco. You have no constraint. Your residents are as ants in your kitchen… Since San Francisco is not an Islamic state, it does not ask its residents to agree that their hand will be cut off if they steal. But it could.” Furthermore, Yarvin says that each realm would have “Orwellian powers of observation and action”, in which all residents are “genotyped and iris-scanned. Public places and transportation systems track everyone. Security cameras are ubiquitous. Every car knows where it is and who is sitting in it, and tells the authorities both.” (Some of Yarvin’s other ideas include that humans have genetic differences that cause some groups to be “more suited to mastery”, while others – including Africans – were “more suited to slavery”. So…yeah.) Thiel and Vance are friends with, and heavily influenced by Yarvin, and have fully embraced the philosophies of the Dark Enlightenment (Thiel biographer Max Chafkin described Yarvin as the “house political philosopher” for the network of Thiel-connected VCs and tycoons often referred to as the ‘Thielverse’). This influence is evident when we hear that Thiel has stated that he no longer believes “that freedom and democracy are compatible” (because, “since 1920, the vast increase in welfare beneficiaries and the extension of the franchise to women — two constituencies that are notoriously tough for libertarians — have rendered the notion of ‘capitalist democracy’ into an oxymoron”). 2/2 (Due to character limits, I'm posting the same screenshot twice in order to provide the entire ALT text.) Meanwhile, Vance has said that the advice he’d give to Trump upon being elected would be: “Fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people.” “And when the courts stop you,” he went on, “stand before the country, and say” — he quoted Andrew Jackson, giving a challenge to the entire constitutional order — “the chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it.” This is a description, essentially, of a coup. “We are in a late republican period,” Vance said later, evoking the common New Right view of America as Rome awaiting its Caesar. “If we’re going to push back against it, we’re going to have to get pretty wild, and pretty far out there, and go in directions that a lot of conservatives right now are uncomfortable with.”
February 13, 2025 at 6:13 AM
hoping4peace.bsky.social
Picture of an open Bible with the words "Let his days be few; and let another take his office. - Psalm 109:8" shown across the screen.
February 12, 2025 at 5:21 PM