Author | Lightnews

Brian White

Brian White

@brianwhite.bsky.social

1K followers 240 following 860 posts

Learning design/tech. Jazz guitar, and cocktail enthusiast. Former broadcaster. Sighthound owner. Advised a handful of political campaigns. Opinions are my own. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianwhite55

www.linkedin.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · Jun 10

All eight installments of The Resistance Manual are now live.

I’d be grateful if you shared it within your networks, groups, or communities. The more people who feel empowered to act, the stronger we all become.

Thank you for reading. And for resisting.

The Resistance Manual | Substack

The Resistance Manual is an eight-installment guide to proven, non-violent strategies that everyday people can use to resist authoritarianism and build power in their communities. Click to read The Re...

resistancemanual.substack.com

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 8h

Twice, America chose a racist sociopath over a capable woman. There is a misogynistic vein that runs through American society, and sadly, it’s not going away soon.
Voting’s not a wedding vow, it’s a chess move. If we’re lucky enough to have an election in 2028, we need to think in chess moves.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 9h

Sabina is his wife – a prominent actress and activist in her own right. Shown here. On the left. 😬

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 9h

He’s a good man. He’s served Ireland with honor, humility, and heart — and he stands as a model of the kind of decency we’d be lucky to see more of in public life anywhere.

Best of luck to incoming president, Catherine Connolly. She has quite an act to follow.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 9h

This is, after all, a man who would queue at the corner ATM with everyone else in Dublin, and who famously let his beloved dogs wander through state events, occasionally pausing a formal address to give one a friendly scratch behind the ear.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 9h

He once told me, “Next time you’re in Ireland, drop by for a visit.” It’s the sort of thing people often say lightly — but with him, you had the feeling he genuinely meant it. I even received a lovely letter and Christmas card the following year.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 9h

President Higgins is a rare kind of public figure: a scholar, a poet, a statesman with a deep and abiding love for Irish culture — and for the evolving, modern Ireland that continues to grow and change in remarkable ways. Through it all, he’s remained gracious, witty, and unmistakably down to earth.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 9h

🧵 I tend to avoid weighing in on Irish politics — it’s not my place. But I’ve been fortunate over the years to spend some time with President Michael D. Higgins and his wife, Sabina, and I can’t let his tenure end without saying something. 1/5 #ireland

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 1d

Introducing OrganCare™! Because your organs deserve the same optional coverage as your teeth and eyes. Choose from Heart Basic, Lung Plus, or the Full Body Bundle (out-of-network spleens not included).

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 1d

Who could have seen that coming? 🙄

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 1d

In a logical mind, declaring open season on authoritarian dictators might be the sort of thing that would trigger a moment of self reflection before being said out loud by an authoritarian dictator.

Republicans Against Trumpism @rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social · 1d

A person close to the White House told Semafor that Trump will coordinate military actions in Venezuela with Congress “when Maduro’s corpse is in US custody.”

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 1d

And maybe design it to stay on the handle when you close the door. Or better yet, do what a hotel I stayed at in Manila does: A switch by the door. Turn it on and a little light goes on outside the room that indicates to the staff, “do not disturb”

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 2d

Well. Problem solved, I suppose.

National Debt Reaches $33 Trillion; Adds $1 Trillion to Debt in 3 Months | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

The gross national debt of the United States surpassed $33 trillion on Friday, just months after the federal government’s gross debt eclipsed $32 trillion on June 15, 2023.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 4d

I believe a grown adult who CHOOSES to get a Nazi tattoo, and CHOOSES to keep it for years, only saying he’ll remove it when becomes politically inconvenient, and also, as a grown adult, publicly states his ambivalence for covering up rape, has used up all of his strikes to hold the public trust.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 4d

He also thinks it doesn’t matter if the military covers up rape – and says anyone who thinks it matters is an idiot. Odds are pretty good that he would be sitting on the Senate Armed Services Committee, tasked with providing oversight on Hegseth’s toxic, pro-abuse, policies for the Pentagon.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 4d

It might be as important to focus on his stated belief (as posted on Reddit – see attached) that anyone who thinks “it matters” if the military covers up rape is an idiot. Probably not someone we want on likely sitting on the Senate Armed Services Committee, with Hegseth in charge of the Pentagon.

A Reddit post, attributed to Graham Platner, a candidate in the Maine Democratic primary for US Senate: "In today's current climate, when every whisper of a misplaced hand brings down a feature length film, anyone who actually thinks the military is purposefully covering up rape to save the career of some god damn [captain], is clearly both an idiot and junior enough in rank or life experience to think it matters," he wrote on Reddit about sexual assault in the military.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 4d

It continues to feel like we’ve crossed into Idiocracy territory

A satirical scene from the film Idiocracy: a run-down version of the White House surrounded by junk and overgrown grass. The building is grimy and partially damaged, with debris, wrecked cars, and makeshift lawn furniture scattered about—evoking a dystopian, absurd vision of American decline.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 4d

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 6d

It’s not just the generals and admirals – everyone in the military takes the oath.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 6d

Who is carrying out these orders? This doesn’t even seem to be on the margins of legal. The big question here is what is happening down the chain of command, and what that likely portends for US citizens as Trump escalates his attacks on American cities.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 6d

If the U.S. military is now obeying illegal orders to carry out extrajudicial killings of civilians in foreign waters, it means they’ll do the same here. That’s a violation of their oath and a grave warning to every American.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 6d

Without a doubt, this calls for an independent international investigation. I certainly do not trust the Trump administration, and I do not know enough about Colombia’s public media apparatus to trust them either.

Gabrielle Hecht has no more spoons @gabriellehecht.bsky.social · 6d

With alt text.

Executive summary: the US killed at least 3 Colombian fishermen who’d put up a distress flag. In Colombian waters

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 7d

@gregsargent.bsky.social – Your Daily Blast podcast keeps airing Kristi Noem ads, promoting her thuggish, anti-immigrant policies. Are you aware of this? Have you contacted your ad network? I would like to assume you are not OK with getting revenue promoting this garbage to your audience.

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 7d

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 7d

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 7d

Pretty much all of the outlined abuses by King George III are at the forefront today with Trump…

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world

Brian White @brianwhite.bsky.social · 7d

Show up and know your rights. Be loud. Be safe.

KNOW YOUR PROTEST RIGHTS:
1. You don't need a permit to protest in streets or on sidewalks if you're not obstructing traffic or access to buildings.
2. You have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including police.
3. If stopped by the police, ask if you're free to go. If yes, calmly walk away.
4. If arrested, ask for a lawyer immediately. Don't sign, say or agree to anything without a lawyer present.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
ACLU

NO KINGS
Saturday, October 18th.
Wear yellow.
Show up.
Show out.
nokings.org
REJECTING KINGS
SINCE
1776