Al Franklin
@if-not-us.bsky.social
Pro-Democracy activist. Indivisible. Messaging. Unabashed fan of people, kids, creativity, humor,books, nature, (wild places and elephant seals). Upholding the freedom to live our values.
Pinned
Al Franklin
@if-not-us.bsky.social
· Feb 20
MAGA authoritarians have accomplished: 1) control all levers of power of federal gov't. 2) gutting federal workforce. 3) co-opting corporations, financial institutions, media networks. Most institutions of American life will be intimidated or gone before midterms 11/26. THINK OUTSIDE THE BALLOT BOX
Trump's 1st foreign trip, both terms, was to Saudi Arabia. Saudis & Trump speak same language. The crown prince assassinated a Saudi journalist with deep ties to US. Most 9/11 hijackers came from there. But the Saudis gave Jared Kushner $2,000,000,000 (2 Billion) to manage. Follow the money.
A GRIFT TOO FAR
This kind of corruption is the tip of iceberg!
Selling off our gov services, our natural resources and public lands.
Constitution says it is illegal to keep gifts from foreign governments. Like jets.
Will the taxpayers have to pay for a golden toilet in this plane?
#demcast
This kind of corruption is the tip of iceberg!
Selling off our gov services, our natural resources and public lands.
Constitution says it is illegal to keep gifts from foreign governments. Like jets.
Will the taxpayers have to pay for a golden toilet in this plane?
#demcast
May 13, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Trump's 1st foreign trip, both terms, was to Saudi Arabia. Saudis & Trump speak same language. The crown prince assassinated a Saudi journalist with deep ties to US. Most 9/11 hijackers came from there. But the Saudis gave Jared Kushner $2,000,000,000 (2 Billion) to manage. Follow the money.
Apparently, in Kirk's mind, a career of lying that tears the country apart, puts him on a par with people who face gunfire and IED's, risking their lives to defend this country from foreign adversaries. Our military is motivated by patriotism & a modest paycheck. Kirk is after riches, power & fame.
Charlie Kirk on getting threats: “Ok, but honestly police officers have dangerous jobs too. Firefighters have dangerous jobs. Ok? People in our military have dangerous jobs. Like, I’m not unique. I just have a differently type of dangerous job.”
May 13, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Apparently, in Kirk's mind, a career of lying that tears the country apart, puts him on a par with people who face gunfire and IED's, risking their lives to defend this country from foreign adversaries. Our military is motivated by patriotism & a modest paycheck. Kirk is after riches, power & fame.
CBS/Paramount problems go beyond news. Paramount+ is now Taylor Sheridan network. Darling of the right 4 tough guy ethos of Yellowstone and others. Landman is API-sponsored psychological propaganda 4 fossil fuels. Beloved characters spout Big Oil talking points; only evil ones mention environment.
Check out how the anchors of CBS Evening News ended their broadcast tonight:
April 23, 2025 at 11:02 PM
CBS/Paramount problems go beyond news. Paramount+ is now Taylor Sheridan network. Darling of the right 4 tough guy ethos of Yellowstone and others. Landman is API-sponsored psychological propaganda 4 fossil fuels. Beloved characters spout Big Oil talking points; only evil ones mention environment.
Fortunately, in his own post, DJT came up with a name for his condition, "Trump Derangement Syndrome". Of course, we know he lies deliberately and strategically. So that makes him ineligible for a insanity plea.
This is a sadly common feature of dementia patients
Trump appears confused here. He is suing Perkins Coie in Florida in a case before Judge Middlebrooks that has been dismissed and resulted in sanctions against him and Alina Habba.
Perkins Coie is suing HIM before Judge Howell over his retaliatory executive order.
Perkins Coie is suing HIM before Judge Howell over his retaliatory executive order.
April 23, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Fortunately, in his own post, DJT came up with a name for his condition, "Trump Derangement Syndrome". Of course, we know he lies deliberately and strategically. So that makes him ineligible for a insanity plea.
One more reason Trump's people are always flirting with anti-Semites. Trump intuits that there are things he can't accomplish without naked violence and that threat. He courts the white supremacist militia movement as his enforcers, when he needs plausible deniability. And they hate Jews.
The Trump people claim to be fighting antisemitism, and the media often accept that framing. I believe, on the contrary, that these actions are antisemitic in intention and in execution.
I explain in a short video:
snyder.substack.com/p/fomenting-...
I explain in a short video:
snyder.substack.com/p/fomenting-...
Fomenting Antisemitism
Not Combating It
snyder.substack.com
April 14, 2025 at 4:20 PM
One more reason Trump's people are always flirting with anti-Semites. Trump intuits that there are things he can't accomplish without naked violence and that threat. He courts the white supremacist militia movement as his enforcers, when he needs plausible deniability. And they hate Jews.
50501 is a great hub for people striving to preserve our democracy. The commitment to non-violence is important, ethically and strategically. But limiting to "lawful protest" may need reexamination if the justice system is corrupted. Non-violent civil disobedience has earned its storied history.
🚨OFFICIAL 50501 STATEMENT ON VIOLENCE & WEAPONS🚨
We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding discussions of firearms, violence or any form of incitement on our channels and platforms. You will be banned. 50501 stands for justice, progress, and the power of the people-peacefully. Let’s keep it that way
We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding discussions of firearms, violence or any form of incitement on our channels and platforms. You will be banned. 50501 stands for justice, progress, and the power of the people-peacefully. Let’s keep it that way
April 8, 2025 at 2:24 AM
50501 is a great hub for people striving to preserve our democracy. The commitment to non-violence is important, ethically and strategically. But limiting to "lawful protest" may need reexamination if the justice system is corrupted. Non-violent civil disobedience has earned its storied history.
What drives DOGE-ordered agency personnel cuts? Doesn't targeting Meals on Wheels, staffed largely by volunteers, seem odd? Trump/Musk will make understaffed agencies collapse, so they can be privatized. Weaken the gov't, so nothing opposes the marriage of wealth and power. Let the plunder begin.
April 8, 2025 at 1:54 AM
What drives DOGE-ordered agency personnel cuts? Doesn't targeting Meals on Wheels, staffed largely by volunteers, seem odd? Trump/Musk will make understaffed agencies collapse, so they can be privatized. Weaken the gov't, so nothing opposes the marriage of wealth and power. Let the plunder begin.
While Trump and Musk get our attention with their 2 ring circus dismantling our government, mischief of the MAGA Congress goes largely unnoticed. The "Save Act" would impose vote-suppressing voting restrictions nationally. Some Dem Congresspeople are wavering. Get the word out. Vote No on "Save"!
The SAVE Act is up for a vote!
It’s a poll tax!
It’s money out of your pocket to be able to vote!
Birth Certificates COST MONEY
Marriage Certificates, Divorce Decrees COST MONEY
Passports COST MONEY
Your TIME & effort too!
Call your Reps - tell them VOTE NO!
Learn about it here!
bit.ly/4i2lTd3
It’s a poll tax!
It’s money out of your pocket to be able to vote!
Birth Certificates COST MONEY
Marriage Certificates, Divorce Decrees COST MONEY
Passports COST MONEY
Your TIME & effort too!
Call your Reps - tell them VOTE NO!
Learn about it here!
bit.ly/4i2lTd3
April 1, 2025 at 9:20 PM
While Trump and Musk get our attention with their 2 ring circus dismantling our government, mischief of the MAGA Congress goes largely unnoticed. The "Save Act" would impose vote-suppressing voting restrictions nationally. Some Dem Congresspeople are wavering. Get the word out. Vote No on "Save"!
Cory Booker's filibuster is what every Democratic congressperson should be doing. Join him! It may not slow the MAGA Congress a whole lot. But it shows resistance. Leaders with courage inspire us. And out in the streets, we inspire folks like Cory Booker. A mass movement can make a difference!
April 1, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Cory Booker's filibuster is what every Democratic congressperson should be doing. Join him! It may not slow the MAGA Congress a whole lot. But it shows resistance. Leaders with courage inspire us. And out in the streets, we inspire folks like Cory Booker. A mass movement can make a difference!
The scandal is the routine use of Signal to circumvent the Presidential Records Act. Walz did one good thing, including a reporter, so we now know how they are running their secret regime.
Listen. Just listen. This is Susan Rice, our former National Security Advisor who knows what is supposed to happen and why the likely reasons Signal-gate occurred (“lazy, reckless, and trying to evade the Presidential Records Act!”).
April 1, 2025 at 5:42 PM
The scandal is the routine use of Signal to circumvent the Presidential Records Act. Walz did one good thing, including a reporter, so we now know how they are running their secret regime.
One reason the Soviets lost the Cold War was ideological litmus tests for research (e.g., Lysenko). One reason Hitler lost WWII was the brain drain caused by the persecution of Jews & other minorities. Trump's attacks on universities. Fires up the base. Disaster for the country.
April 1, 2025 at 4:44 PM
One reason the Soviets lost the Cold War was ideological litmus tests for research (e.g., Lysenko). One reason Hitler lost WWII was the brain drain caused by the persecution of Jews & other minorities. Trump's attacks on universities. Fires up the base. Disaster for the country.
MAGA reflects its leader. Kristi Noem fits the image of Trump. Presidency as Piggy Bank. Governorship for Graft.
Kristi Noem billed South Dakota taxpayers more than $640,000 in personal travel-related costs, including a six-day trip to Paris, a bear hunt in Canada, a trip to Houston for dental work to fix her smile, and a book tour. But she can afford a $50,000 Rolex for a prison porn photo op in El Salvador.
Kristi Noem refused to say who financed some of her travel. It was taxpayers who were on the hook
An Associated Press analysis of recently released travel records found more than $150,000 in expenses tied to Noem’s political and personal activity.
apnews.com
April 1, 2025 at 2:38 AM
MAGA reflects its leader. Kristi Noem fits the image of Trump. Presidency as Piggy Bank. Governorship for Graft.
Reposted by Al Franklin
The "SAVE Act" may come up for a vote next week & must be stopped! SAVE would prevent millions of eligible voters from voting, especially women. Call your Senators/Rep & tell them VOTE NO! Call 202-224-3121 to connect. #Voterizer #StopTheSAVEAct social.fieldteam6.org/s/acU9vP8W
Call YOUR Senators/Representative TODAY!
social.fieldteam6.org
March 25, 2025 at 4:13 PM
The "SAVE Act" may come up for a vote next week & must be stopped! SAVE would prevent millions of eligible voters from voting, especially women. Call your Senators/Rep & tell them VOTE NO! Call 202-224-3121 to connect. #Voterizer #StopTheSAVEAct social.fieldteam6.org/s/acU9vP8W
Reposted by Al Franklin
Americans were appalled that Communist nations insisted that people had to belong to the Party to get or keep jobs. The Nazis did the same. Trump claims the right to hire and fire gov't employees based on personal loyalty. Democrats need not apply. Trump-Freedom: bow, & vote for the dictator.
February 26, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Americans were appalled that Communist nations insisted that people had to belong to the Party to get or keep jobs. The Nazis did the same. Trump claims the right to hire and fire gov't employees based on personal loyalty. Democrats need not apply. Trump-Freedom: bow, & vote for the dictator.
Elected Democrats won't save us! The Demo response to Trump was sadly silent. When TX Congressman Green was removed, no protest??? Encircle him! Get removed one by one. Trump's speech would've gone past midnight. We need to inspire our electeds with our defiance. Elissa Slotkin was a saving grace!
Elected Democrats won't save us! The Demo response to Trump was sadly silent. When TX Congressman Green was removed, no protest??? Encircle him! Get removed one by one. Trump's speech would've gone past midnight. We need to inspire our electeds with our defiance. Elissa Slotkin was a saving grace!
March 5, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Elected Democrats won't save us! The Demo response to Trump was sadly silent. When TX Congressman Green was removed, no protest??? Encircle him! Get removed one by one. Trump's speech would've gone past midnight. We need to inspire our electeds with our defiance. Elissa Slotkin was a saving grace!
Elected Democrats won't save us! The Demo response to Trump was sadly silent. When TX Congressman Green was removed, no protest??? Encircle him! Get removed one by one. Trump's speech would've gone past midnight. We need to inspire our electeds with our defiance. Elissa Slotkin was a saving grace!
Trump and Musk. They're pretty simple.
Use MONEY to buy POWER.
Use POWER to extort MONEY.
Apparently for them, the two elements of a meaningful life.
Use MONEY to buy POWER.
Use POWER to extort MONEY.
Apparently for them, the two elements of a meaningful life.
March 4, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Trump and Musk. They're pretty simple.
Use MONEY to buy POWER.
Use POWER to extort MONEY.
Apparently for them, the two elements of a meaningful life.
Use MONEY to buy POWER.
Use POWER to extort MONEY.
Apparently for them, the two elements of a meaningful life.
Reposted by Al Franklin
SCOOP: Now that Linda McMahon is confirmed/sworn in as secretary, Trump will be imminently issuing an executive order eliminating the Department of Education.
I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.
Here is a portion:
I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.
Here is a portion:
![After President Trump's inauguration last month, he has steadily signed a slate of executive orders to keep these education promises: combatting critical race theory, DEl, gender ideology extremism, and discrimination in admissions. President Trump has also been focused on eliminating wasteful bureaucracy and harmful programs in the federal government. To that end, today he signed [Executive Order XYZ, entitled "Eliminating the Department of Education,] which has given us a clear and final mission.
We are to identify which of the Department's functions, programs, and offices are not mandated by statute, and eliminate them. This reorganization will impact staff, budgets, reporting, and more —and in coming months, we will determine how it can be accomplished with minimal delay and disruption. The President further tasked us with creating a plan to reallocate and reassign functions of the Department of Education that would be more effectively managed by other agencies. This plan will offer Congress a road map toward fulfilling the expectations of the President and the American people.
The new vision—which I hope each of you will embrace going forward—can be expressed as four main convictions:
Parents are the primary decision makers in their children's education.
Students deserve to be protected from physical violence, racial discrimination, medical tyranny, and gender extremism ideology on campus.
Postsecondary education should be a path to a well-paying career aligned with workforce needs.
Taxpayer-funded education should refocus on meaningful learning: proficiency in math, reading, and core subjects, and patriotism in American history and civics.
As we move to reduce the Department's middleman role in education, these four convictions must guide us toward conscientious and pragmatic action. The elimination of bureaucracy should free us, not limit us, in our pursuit of these goals
Removing red tape and bureaucratic barriers will empower parents to make th](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ejihld4sywvvqwe67cdkn4jq/bafkreictcxubqhd7foyjwbms62bj3cxmfyepqk2ms3l6ctabsa6fvpm5ju@jpeg)
March 4, 2025 at 12:04 AM
SCOOP: Now that Linda McMahon is confirmed/sworn in as secretary, Trump will be imminently issuing an executive order eliminating the Department of Education.
I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.
Here is a portion:
I’ve obtained a draft of an email that McMahon will be sending to staff re: the EO and the department’s “final mission”.
Here is a portion:
Vance & Trump talk of defending internet free speech. Their goal? Tech companies, billionaires and conspiracy theorists drowning the truth in a tidal wave of disinformation. Trump-Musk corruption can't stand the light of day. Informed voters would end them. So they attack information, & voting!
March 4, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Vance & Trump talk of defending internet free speech. Their goal? Tech companies, billionaires and conspiracy theorists drowning the truth in a tidal wave of disinformation. Trump-Musk corruption can't stand the light of day. Informed voters would end them. So they attack information, & voting!
It is abhorrent when a fraudster dresses up his scam for rich clients defraud the government, in the guise of an effort to conserve habitat. Conservatives will use the abuse, pointing to it when they say conservation programs should disappear. And the scammer will be in Trump's administration!
“This is someone who made his money by ripping off American taxpayers and who shouldn’t come anywhere near a position of authority over tax dollars,” said Sen. Ron Wyden about Schuler’s appointment. “He’ll fit right in with the Trump administration.”
By @peterelkind.bsky.social
By @peterelkind.bsky.social
Trump Vowed to Clean Up Washington, Then His Team Hired a Man Who Pushed a Scam the IRS Called the “Worst of the Worst”
Frank Schuler was a leading promoter of a tax deduction derided as a scam by prosecutors, senators and the IRS. Now he’s a senior adviser to the General Services Administration, which manages the…
propub.li
February 27, 2025 at 1:59 AM
It is abhorrent when a fraudster dresses up his scam for rich clients defraud the government, in the guise of an effort to conserve habitat. Conservatives will use the abuse, pointing to it when they say conservation programs should disappear. And the scammer will be in Trump's administration!
Americans were appalled that Communist nations insisted that people had to belong to the Party to get or keep jobs. The Nazis did the same. Trump claims the right to hire and fire gov't employees based on personal loyalty. Democrats need not apply. Trump-Freedom: bow, & vote for the dictator.
February 26, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Americans were appalled that Communist nations insisted that people had to belong to the Party to get or keep jobs. The Nazis did the same. Trump claims the right to hire and fire gov't employees based on personal loyalty. Democrats need not apply. Trump-Freedom: bow, & vote for the dictator.
Reposted by Al Franklin
❝ #PeteButtigieg a very good example!
February 22, 2025 at 10:47 PM
❝ #PeteButtigieg a very good example!
Not only is gov't funding for research drying up, certain types of research declared off limits, and government researchers being fired en masse. There is also the Trump/MAGA narrative that scientific research is suspect, researchers are often corrupt and settled scientific conclusions are optional.
"Among accomplished researchers, the fear is that this coming generation of scientists will look overseas or leave their fields entirely, endangering America’s multigenerational standard as the leader in scientific research." ICYMI @samsteindc.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/the-doge-b...
The DOGE Brain Drain Has Begun
It’s not just jobs cut and agencies gutted. It’s the talent that will be lost for generations to come.
www.thebulwark.com
February 22, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Not only is gov't funding for research drying up, certain types of research declared off limits, and government researchers being fired en masse. There is also the Trump/MAGA narrative that scientific research is suspect, researchers are often corrupt and settled scientific conclusions are optional.
Reposted by Al Franklin
The termites have been turned loose! Nazis and fascists will bring our democratic republican house down. (Both lower case “d” and “r.”)
February 22, 2025 at 7:32 PM
The termites have been turned loose! Nazis and fascists will bring our democratic republican house down. (Both lower case “d” and “r.”)
Reposted by Al Franklin
The underpinnings of our civil society are being kicked out from under us. Musk/Dump and the do-nothing Republicans are a danger to a functioning civil order. I keep hearing Robbie Robot’s voice crying, “Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!” We must act NOW.
February 22, 2025 at 7:38 PM
The underpinnings of our civil society are being kicked out from under us. Musk/Dump and the do-nothing Republicans are a danger to a functioning civil order. I keep hearing Robbie Robot’s voice crying, “Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!” We must act NOW.
MAKE ORWELL FICTION AGAIN. Seen at a recent rally in Los Osos CA, a gathering to stop the madness in DC. That made me smile! Props to all the creativity spawned by the current situation. A morale-boosting super power that we have in abundance.
February 22, 2025 at 7:41 PM
MAKE ORWELL FICTION AGAIN. Seen at a recent rally in Los Osos CA, a gathering to stop the madness in DC. That made me smile! Props to all the creativity spawned by the current situation. A morale-boosting super power that we have in abundance.