RBmpls
@rbmpls.bsky.social
News consumer. Try to get a variety of inputs and avoid echo chamber.
"Our politics is dysfunctional and our media landscape resembles a demon-haunted wasteland, but underneath the surface, I see signs that our society is starting to knit itself back together after the unrest and chaos of 2014-2021." -Noah Smith
December 28, 2025 at 11:09 AM
"Our politics is dysfunctional and our media landscape resembles a demon-haunted wasteland, but underneath the surface, I see signs that our society is starting to knit itself back together after the unrest and chaos of 2014-2021." -Noah Smith
“A nation has the right … to enforce its laws and manage its borders. Serious people…can disagree about policy, numbers, and systems. But there is a profound moral difference between enforcement and cruelty, between order and degradation.” 1/2
December 23, 2025 at 2:20 PM
“A nation has the right … to enforce its laws and manage its borders. Serious people…can disagree about policy, numbers, and systems. But there is a profound moral difference between enforcement and cruelty, between order and degradation.” 1/2
“The first year of Trump’s return to the White House has shown or reminded us of many things, including the fragility of democracy, the prevalence of cowardice and the intensity of tribalism. But it has been an especially stark and galling education in the intoxication of power.” -Frank Bruni
December 22, 2025 at 1:11 PM
“The first year of Trump’s return to the White House has shown or reminded us of many things, including the fragility of democracy, the prevalence of cowardice and the intensity of tribalism. But it has been an especially stark and galling education in the intoxication of power.” -Frank Bruni
Vibe shift coming: “Closed and cruel are on their way out. What comes next, I suspect, will present itself as open, friendly and assertively moral. But it will also need to credibly offer what Trump and Trumpism have failed to deliver: real solutions to the problems Americans face.” -Ezra Klein
December 21, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Vibe shift coming: “Closed and cruel are on their way out. What comes next, I suspect, will present itself as open, friendly and assertively moral. But it will also need to credibly offer what Trump and Trumpism have failed to deliver: real solutions to the problems Americans face.” -Ezra Klein
“[A return to normalcy] was enough to win the 2020 election, but not enough to turn the page on Trumpism. Instead, it roared back with even more force in 2024. Normalcy is not enough. The Democratic Party will need to represent something new, as opposed to retrenching to something old.” -Ezra Klein
December 21, 2025 at 11:45 PM
“[A return to normalcy] was enough to win the 2020 election, but not enough to turn the page on Trumpism. Instead, it roared back with even more force in 2024. Normalcy is not enough. The Democratic Party will need to represent something new, as opposed to retrenching to something old.” -Ezra Klein
Reposted by RBmpls
Historians say "murdered by zoomer with incomprehensible politics" was one of the leading causes of death in the mid 21st century- to be exceeded only by "Climate, Miscellaneous"
December 21, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Historians say "murdered by zoomer with incomprehensible politics" was one of the leading causes of death in the mid 21st century- to be exceeded only by "Climate, Miscellaneous"
Reposted by RBmpls
The newsletter is out! This week: some math tips for members of the Cabinet.
www.howtoreadthisch.art/its-beginnin...
www.howtoreadthisch.art/its-beginnin...
December 20, 2025 at 3:25 PM
The newsletter is out! This week: some math tips for members of the Cabinet.
www.howtoreadthisch.art/its-beginnin...
www.howtoreadthisch.art/its-beginnin...
“The embrace of the unitary executive theory by both the president and the court has given us the worst of all worlds: an ultrapowerful presidency…[with a] figurehead [president] whose viziers exercise unitary authority on his behalf, running roughshod over both the law and common decency…” -J Bouie
December 20, 2025 at 3:34 PM
“The embrace of the unitary executive theory by both the president and the court has given us the worst of all worlds: an ultrapowerful presidency…[with a] figurehead [president] whose viziers exercise unitary authority on his behalf, running roughshod over both the law and common decency…” -J Bouie
Why nothing gets done (St Paul edition): ‘…I heard many people complaining there has not been enough process and we need more community engagement. What I hear in those complaints is, “I am not getting exactly what I want, and I insist on more process until I get it.”’ -Bill Lindeke, MinnPost
December 19, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Why nothing gets done (St Paul edition): ‘…I heard many people complaining there has not been enough process and we need more community engagement. What I hear in those complaints is, “I am not getting exactly what I want, and I insist on more process until I get it.”’ -Bill Lindeke, MinnPost
“I believe in free enterprise, and I believe all Americans should be able to strive for financial success. But we have reached a point where any mix of solutions to our nation’s economic problems is going to involve the wealthiest Americans contributing more.” -Mitt Romney
December 19, 2025 at 2:32 PM
“I believe in free enterprise, and I believe all Americans should be able to strive for financial success. But we have reached a point where any mix of solutions to our nation’s economic problems is going to involve the wealthiest Americans contributing more.” -Mitt Romney
Reposted by RBmpls
“Obviously, shutting down [NCAR] won’t alter what’s happening—greenhouse gases will continue to behave as physics dictates, raising global temperatures. But the Trump administration…has concluded that…its own ideologically driven conclusions are equal to the facts produced by science.” -John Timmer
December 17, 2025 at 4:24 PM
“Obviously, shutting down [NCAR] won’t alter what’s happening—greenhouse gases will continue to behave as physics dictates, raising global temperatures. But the Trump administration…has concluded that…its own ideologically driven conclusions are equal to the facts produced by science.” -John Timmer
“These actions will also permanently alter how the [DOJ] operates — and how it is perceived. Federal prosecutors and…lawyers serving this administration are making a choice. They are no longer guardians of the rule of law; they are foot soldiers of a regime determined to undermine it.” -Marc Elias
December 16, 2025 at 7:41 PM
“These actions will also permanently alter how the [DOJ] operates — and how it is perceived. Federal prosecutors and…lawyers serving this administration are making a choice. They are no longer guardians of the rule of law; they are foot soldiers of a regime determined to undermine it.” -Marc Elias
“One side [Ukraine] is attacking the war-fighting capacity. The other [Russia] is attacking society...Calls for Ukraine to accept military disadvantage in the name of cessation of hostilities assume Russia will respond with restraint. But experience suggests the opposite.” -Mark Hertling
December 16, 2025 at 3:32 PM
“One side [Ukraine] is attacking the war-fighting capacity. The other [Russia] is attacking society...Calls for Ukraine to accept military disadvantage in the name of cessation of hostilities assume Russia will respond with restraint. But experience suggests the opposite.” -Mark Hertling
“[Trump’s Rob Reiner] post is deranged, pathologically narcissistic, crude, stupid, and cruel. No human adult outside a psych ward expresses such thoughts. To have them at all is evidence of a twisted soul.” -Mona Charen
December 16, 2025 at 3:06 PM
“[Trump’s Rob Reiner] post is deranged, pathologically narcissistic, crude, stupid, and cruel. No human adult outside a psych ward expresses such thoughts. To have them at all is evidence of a twisted soul.” -Mona Charen
“Two weeks from now we’ll all have forgotten about this tweet [about Rob Reiner]. Trump will have said or done twenty other outrageous, cruel, stupid, or evil things. When we look back on 2025, this Rob Reiner tweet won’t make the top hundred worst things he did or said.” 1/2
December 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
“Two weeks from now we’ll all have forgotten about this tweet [about Rob Reiner]. Trump will have said or done twenty other outrageous, cruel, stupid, or evil things. When we look back on 2025, this Rob Reiner tweet won’t make the top hundred worst things he did or said.” 1/2
Trump wonders why modern America is not attracting Norwegians, Swedes and Danes? The answer – those places are far better places to learn, work, raise a family and age in good health. Nobody wants to live in a place led by an angry, violent and psychotic bully when they have a better option.
December 12, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Trump wonders why modern America is not attracting Norwegians, Swedes and Danes? The answer – those places are far better places to learn, work, raise a family and age in good health. Nobody wants to live in a place led by an angry, violent and psychotic bully when they have a better option.
“The American Revolution” is intelligently self-critical history of a kind most people worldwide are deprived of. Showing us what the era entailed for all different kinds of early Americans isn’t woke — it’s accurate. -John McWhorter
December 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM
“The American Revolution” is intelligently self-critical history of a kind most people worldwide are deprived of. Showing us what the era entailed for all different kinds of early Americans isn’t woke — it’s accurate. -John McWhorter
‘”Remove justice, and what are kingdoms but gangs of criminals on a large scale?” Augustine made this suggestion 1,600 years ago...Today, in the country of Trump, we’re getting a convincing demonstration...Justice has been removed and a gang of criminals are in charge.’ - William Kristol
December 1, 2025 at 3:01 PM
‘”Remove justice, and what are kingdoms but gangs of criminals on a large scale?” Augustine made this suggestion 1,600 years ago...Today, in the country of Trump, we’re getting a convincing demonstration...Justice has been removed and a gang of criminals are in charge.’ - William Kristol
In his No Mercy/No Malice newsletter, Scott Galloway attributed the anxiety, pessimism and compromised patriotism in young Americans to “adults who enjoyed the shade of trees planted by others but are now clear-cutting forests meant for the next generation.” -h/t Frank Bruni newsletter
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM
In his No Mercy/No Malice newsletter, Scott Galloway attributed the anxiety, pessimism and compromised patriotism in young Americans to “adults who enjoyed the shade of trees planted by others but are now clear-cutting forests meant for the next generation.” -h/t Frank Bruni newsletter
"...the United States no longer pretends to be more, but has agreed under Donald Trump to be less—hence the gold bar: useless, shiny, gonna be put in a vault somewhere, not do anything except endure as a kind of memento of shame and disgrace of this once so admired, gleaming democracy." -David Frum
November 20, 2025 at 3:46 AM
"...the United States no longer pretends to be more, but has agreed under Donald Trump to be less—hence the gold bar: useless, shiny, gonna be put in a vault somewhere, not do anything except endure as a kind of memento of shame and disgrace of this once so admired, gleaming democracy." -David Frum
John McWhorter on black Africans' involvement in the slave trade:
"Humans of all shades have quite often been awful to one another. Our job is to work against that tendency, not to pretend it doesn’t exist. And to celebrate those who overcome it, whatever their race."
"Humans of all shades have quite often been awful to one another. Our job is to work against that tendency, not to pretend it doesn’t exist. And to celebrate those who overcome it, whatever their race."
November 13, 2025 at 7:24 PM
John McWhorter on black Africans' involvement in the slave trade:
"Humans of all shades have quite often been awful to one another. Our job is to work against that tendency, not to pretend it doesn’t exist. And to celebrate those who overcome it, whatever their race."
"Humans of all shades have quite often been awful to one another. Our job is to work against that tendency, not to pretend it doesn’t exist. And to celebrate those who overcome it, whatever their race."
"Albert Mehrabian, a researcher of body language, postulated that 55% of communication impact comes from visual body language while intonation accounts for 38%, and words 7%. The phenomenon is so consistent it has a name: the visual dominance effect..." - Scott Galloway
October 20, 2025 at 6:09 PM
"Albert Mehrabian, a researcher of body language, postulated that 55% of communication impact comes from visual body language while intonation accounts for 38%, and words 7%. The phenomenon is so consistent it has a name: the visual dominance effect..." - Scott Galloway
Reposted by RBmpls
Student media rules. They are lapping a lot of the spineless media orgs this year and showing how solidarity is the way.
October 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Student media rules. They are lapping a lot of the spineless media orgs this year and showing how solidarity is the way.
Reposted by RBmpls
notice the general mood of the timeline? how everyone is in a good mood and there’s a lot less misery and dooming? how there’s a lot of “we’re going to beat these assholes”?
anyway that’s why these events are important
anyway that’s why these events are important
October 18, 2025 at 6:54 PM
notice the general mood of the timeline? how everyone is in a good mood and there’s a lot less misery and dooming? how there’s a lot of “we’re going to beat these assholes”?
anyway that’s why these events are important
anyway that’s why these events are important