Hard to hold leaders accountable when they describe policy in mutually exclusive terms within the same hour. This is not how serious governance works.

War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.

Renaming Defense to the Department of War qualifies you for the Peace Prize now.

Provided, of course, that the committee is willing to suspend logic and accept that contradiction is a virtue.

Remarkable, and a good sign. More people seem to be recognizing the direction this administration is pushing the country. Awareness is growing and now we need sustained civic pressure.

#DefendDemocracy

Basic civics shouldn’t be controversial: Congress writes the rules for the armed forces, and members of Congress explaining those rules is not punishable conduct.

Constitutional limits exist for exactly this reason, and Congress needs to exercise the authority the Framers entrusted to it.

The sorting chart in this article is striking. Congress didn’t suddenly polarize, it settled into two non-overlapping worlds. (If you haven't already seen it, check out the attraction-repulsion model in Fig. 2!)

Sub-parties - as the authors propose - are an intriguing idea.

#Democracy

Professor Snyder lays out why the “Peace Plan” isn’t peace at all:

1. Encourages nuclear proliferation
2. Breaks the basic rule of int'l order—respecting borders
3. Rewards the aggressor, risking wider regional conflict
4. Ignores reconstruction
5. Process excluded Ukraine and its allies entirely

A Change That Hits Nursing, Public Health, and Education

The Dept. of Education quietly narrowed the definition of “professional degree” programs for federal student aid.

Now only a small list qualifies. Many essential health fields—nursing, PAs, PTs, audiology, public health—were excluded.

In just days, we’ve seen major reversals:
• Release of the Epstein files
• Coast Guard reversing course on removing the swastika + noose as hate symbols
• The 28-point Ukraine plan quietly walked back

These U-turns aren’t random—they’re reactions to outside pressure. Vigilance works.

Across the spectrum, we expect fairness. So when lawful, good-faith immigrants are punished instead of supported, that’s not a policy wrinkle—it’s a moral and institutional failure. We must demand better.

#RuleOfLaw #ImmigrationPolicy #HumanDignity

go.bsky.app/LaMhkcr

I went to a screening of Fish War last night, and it made me think.

www.siff.net/festival/arc...

It tells the story behind the Boldt Decision and the decades-long fight for tribal fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest. My takeaways: tenacity, rule of law, and cooperation.

#RuleOfLaw #salmon

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Authoritarian movements often benefit when public trust in science collapses. Undermining evidence isn’t just misinformation — it’s a strategy for eroding the guardrails that keep democracy healthy.

Authoritarianism almost always begin by discrediting independent media and spreading disinformation. Democracies with strong journalism, transparency, and media literacy are much more resistant to these tactics. Concentrated media reduces independence and is subject to manipulation. #democracy

news.gallup.com/poll/697382/...

I asked my adult daughters about their future in the U.S. Their answers were thoughtful but concerning, worries about:

— representation and women’s rights
— healthcare and housing
— bodily autonomy
— an eroding social contract
— uncertainty about thriving

(1/3)

An apolitical military is one of the essential guardrails of a constitutional democracy.

Reports like these remind us how important it is to preserve that tradition, regardless of who holds power.

Joining Bluesky with a simple goal: to support civic resilience, democratic norms, and good-faith dialogue.

Looking to share ideas with thoughtful, collaborative people who want to move us toward a better union - one civil discussion at a time.

#Democracy #Civics