Post AwjTHJAMWh9duHQTKq by earthlingusa@mas.to
(DIR) More posts by earthlingusa@mas.to
(DIR) Post #Awj6djQnFxLen7ppGS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T13:00:52Z
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@atrupar OMG I just realized something."Former President Joe Biden was underwater in the polls for months. If he had damaging information against Trump ... why wouldn’t he have ordered Garland to release the files immediately? Obviously, any fair-minded observer would point out that’s not how Biden and especially the norms-obsessed Attorney General Merrick Garland operated"But that *is* how Trump assumed they would operate, so he assumed there was nothing damaging to him in the files.
(DIR) Post #Awj6sMEPnJN1BO1FOS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T13:03:37Z
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@atrupar Biden was very concerned that he not seem like he was controlling the DOJ, even as Republicans assumed he was controlling the DOJ. And maybe Biden kept that air gap in place. Leaving the files sitting there for Trump to find. Trump enters office and is confident there is nothing there because *he* would have used that information so he assumes that's what Biden would have done. He tells Bondi "don't worry you can release them" with confidence. Then Bondi looks at the files.
(DIR) Post #Awj77HeH7EftJSESci by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T13:06:19Z
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@atrupar I know we have all forgotten about this but it's supposed to be a big scandal if the president even knows too much about what the DOJ is doing. Hard to remember that when the president is sending his personal lawyer to interview Maxwell about a pardon deal to keep his name out of her mouth. We are so far gone. And in being so far gone we're forgetting where we used to be.
(DIR) Post #Awj7hpjFsp4lR5zQzA by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T13:12:55Z
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@atrupar Democrats only believe that breaking precious norms is acceptable when it is done to undermine the left. They will trample the far in primaries, sling lies and dirt to stop us: so we assume they'd do the same for the far right. Not so!No such luck. To them Republicans are *honorable* opponents. They still care if Republicans think they are respectable. Even though Republicans hate them and aren't even paying attention to that at all. And they don't care if progressive hate them.
(DIR) Post #Awj841sjNcFbUx0QnA by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T13:16:56Z
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@atrupar Ruth didn't retire, that would be playing politics. They tried to run the whole Russian election interference investigation as fairly as possible. Which made it trivial to undermine politically. Rather than use the Epstien issue they let the DOJ work independently and allowed justice to "take it course" so who ended up driving that one?The norms matter more than the lives on the line. They will die for the norms.
(DIR) Post #Awj8eOWifDWc9h3C3U by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T13:23:30Z
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@atrupar How can I teach moderate Democrats Republicans have no more respect for them than they do for me, a horrible leftist?How can I teach Black American men that Republicans don't think you are American than an undocumented immigrant?How can I teach the well-off married gay couple that they aren't any more acceptable than a trans woman living on the streets? We are all the same. I am *honored* to be with you all. You should be honored to be with me. Welcome to the boat.
(DIR) Post #Awj9Azjhr5kwpDfbNo by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T13:29:23Z
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@Nazani @atrupar It's the same thing as gay republicans. "I have a passport. I've done it correctly, these people aren't following the law."And of course it's a job that pays well. With health care.
(DIR) Post #Awj9PjK79yMsGWj4O8 by graydon@canada.masto.host
2025-08-01T13:32:02Z
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@futurebird @atrupar If you view the Republicans accurately (and want to live in a democracy), it's not just a civil war it's "God will know his own"; if you want democracy (or a habitable planet), you have to break the cultural continuity of white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism, and the Oil Empire."Norms and decency" allows people to continue to construct self-respect despite NOT wanting to live in a democracy. People mostly want a guarantee of stable status, not a better world.
(DIR) Post #Awj9a3M1XaAjHmXdDc by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T13:33:56Z
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@graydon @atrupar I mean I get it. You have a decent job. You have your house in order. Why rock the boat?That inertia is real, and non-trivial. "Can't we just go back to how things were?"I don't think that we can. The page is turning and we need to have a vision for what will be there that is better than what the right has already constructed.
(DIR) Post #Awj9uSkCqo9lp6aJ2O by Jestbill@mastodon.world
2025-08-01T13:37:34Z
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@futurebird @graydon @atrupar Bob Dylan relevant again..." Come gather round people..." https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/times-they-are-changin/
(DIR) Post #Awj9vQaMMXvnPwRI1I by graydon@canada.masto.host
2025-08-01T13:37:47Z
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@futurebird @atrupar You're entirely correct that the status quo is not an option.Anything presented as "better" (people will not, on the whole and by and large, accept ANY loss of relative status, which is a problem when trying to recover from the Carbon Binge) needs to be simple. And repeated endlessly, because out of authority, apriority, repetition, and rigour, the only one that's maybe going to work is repetition.
(DIR) Post #AwjBgT3V63umdu40xs by realtegan@wandering.shop
2025-08-01T13:57:27Z
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@futurebird @atrupar "But that *is* how Trump assumed they would operate, so he assumed there was nothing damaging to him in the files."This. This is so insightful. This is how they think, and they firmly believe that's how everyone thinks, and that's why the orange stain is flabbergasted there's anything in those files that can damage him. He just assumed the Democrats would take the low road and therefore what's there cannot be bad for him.The Democratic party needs to understand this!
(DIR) Post #AwjDrB3yX2uHvyWKFk by Phosphenes@mastodon.social
2025-08-01T14:21:49Z
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@futurebird @atrupar It won't be foolproof. AFAIK pardons are permanent and cannot be revoked. Maxwell can agree to anything and tear up the agreement after the pardon. It may suit her to talk at some point.
(DIR) Post #AwjEIbA7bVvwhKTEqu by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-01T14:26:48Z
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@Phosphenes @atrupar Why not simply release the files which already contain her accounts, but also evidence, videos, photos, testimony of victims, financial records... everything?Only if she has *new* information should anyone need to talk to her. But how could we even know without seeing the files first?I do think she is the source for the infamous "birthday book" which she is clearly using to blackmail a sitting president while we all watch and pretend this is normal. It's absurdity!
(DIR) Post #AwjF2dvHfjSKa4UCbA by sabik@rants.au
2025-08-01T14:35:02Z
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@futurebird @Phosphenes Of course the other question is how many other people have related material that they're also using to blackmail a sitting president and/or other senior figures
(DIR) Post #AwjSrwwrzgJ5lD1V3Y by IAmDannyBoling@mstdn.social
2025-08-01T17:10:01Z
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@futurebird THIS. THIS RIGHT HERE.Thank you so much for bringing attention to the problems with BOTH parties. I'm so sick and tired of them treating us like we're all idiots. We see how each side protects the other!@atrupar
(DIR) Post #AwjTHJAMWh9duHQTKq by earthlingusa@mas.to
2025-08-01T17:14:37Z
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@futurebird @atrupar I think he never planned on releasing the files because he knows he’s in there and thought he could just distract away from the subject because he can’t imagine people would really care what happened to the victims since he obviously doesn’t. There might be pressure from other power people who can also fake suicides.
(DIR) Post #AwjZkdNT3k5QiKvHFY by wendinoakland@beige.party
2025-08-01T18:27:07Z
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@futurebird @atrupar Proud to share this foxhole.
(DIR) Post #AwkLkNWqmPt1MOFtL6 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-08-02T03:24:57Z
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@violetmadder @atrupar Yeah it could be that too. It's even more of a reason to not interfere and be distant.