Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 3h

And maybe I’m naïve to hope that the rank-and-file Republicans would be more outraged over that than any of the BS Trump & Friends has already pulled so far, but if I don’t draw the line of hope SOMEWHERE, I really will become an accelerationist doomer. And I don’t want to be that.

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 3h

By itself, that may not be much, but I find encouragement in the willingness to put up the legal challenge. Because either it opens the floodgates for more and more challenges, or continues to force the fascists to unmask further and further.

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 3h

*IF* - and I promise, I realize this “if” is doing some very heavy lifting - this case succeeds and isn’t immediately smashed by the “Supreme” Court, it would signal that these obscene and horrid EOs *can* be challenged.

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 3h

So much of Trump’s BS has come down via Executive Order. All along, citizens have been screaming that those aren’t laws unless they proceed to be codified as such. But that hasn’t mattered so far, as orgs and agencies have just kinda bowed and gone along with them.

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 3h

Worth reading this whole thread, especially since one of the most encouraging aspects of this case is several posts down.

Here’s why I actually have a tiny shiny mote of a glimmer of hope here…

Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 4h

1. In a groundbreaking lawsuit, fencer Dinah Yukich has become the first to our knowledge to sue an entity for capitulating to Trump's anti-trans executive orders in violation of state nondiscrimination law.

This kind of lawsuit could have huge ripple effects.

Subscribe to support our journalism.

Fencer Becomes First Trans Athlete to Sue USOPC For Capitulation To Trump’s Sports Ban

“The tournament organizers were [aware] that implementing the transgender policy may violate state law where an event is taking place.”

www.erininthemorning.com

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 4h

Ewww, I don’t wanna get lumped in with them just because the state is adjacent. Can the Mormons fuck off to the east somewhere and let CO link up with the PNW? 😂

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 4h

…of their beliefs. The Bible tells them that “the world” hates them and that they’ll literally get special crowns in heaven for enduring it. That’s what drives so much of their phony victim-card BS.

[source: grew up Southern Baptist, escaped in my 30s]

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 4h

…their vapid base eat it up because it makes them feel special and feeds their oppression complex. I mean, hell, many Evangeicals still parrot farcical BS about being “persecuted” for their beliefs. They know it’s not that bad but they genuinely feel even the slightest pushback is cosmic validation…

1 1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 4h

I mean, that’s the actual truth of the matter, but bear in mind that one of the gaslightiest of all the Republican gaslights is that the majority of America is actually conservative and only by Democrat shenanigans do they ever win.

Of course that’s a lie and projection of their own game plan, but…

1 2

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 6h

Stating the obvious is no flex. Kamala Harris is no prophet. Lefties warned you about Trump before Hillary lost and shitlibs constantly despise us despite us being “right about everything” as well.

Stop worshipping a warmonger because she called a fascist a fascist.

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 6h

Further illustrating my point, on FB just a few minutes ago, I saw an AP article about Trump’s upcoming meetings with Zelenskyy and Putin, and multiple comments were nothing more than “Epstein files”.

Like…THAT is being vapid about it and will not help the victims.

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

Your meme shouted at me, I was just shouting back. His base doesn’t care and his party will not remove him over this.

Justice for the victims is important. Releasing the files does not win the war against fascism.

Proper perspective is important.

Reposted by Valentine (she/her)

Winifred Tylenol Spice Burton @authorwinifred.blacksky.app · 1d

Things will stay stuck unless and until people reckon with why and how we got here *honestly.*

So far the self-distancing from the problem and "We'll Be Back/This is Not Us/Lets Sue Our Way Out of Authoritarianism" Juice is beating y'all's asses.

I promise the exceptionalism won't help.

31 94

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

I’m fully aware this is a massively polarizing issue and I’m in the minority for desiring it, but fucking look at where we are. We will be right back here again if we try to just go back to the way it’s been for the past two centuries.

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

Permit those of us who want one-person-one-vote multiparty democracy and more socialism in our government to have it, let the libertarians have their dystopia, and stop pretending we can all just get along if we “set aside our differences” or “agree to disagree” about fucking morality.

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

If we just admit that this “experiment” failed, and allow for a melting/reformation, I know that would freak out a ton of people, but the long-term benefits would be higher than continuing to try and force the oil and water to mix.

We are never going to be a vinaigrette, just a mess.

1 1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

This right here is part of why I think we should stop fearing a collapse/balkanization of the USA.

Yes, it’ll be destabilizing and catastrophic - what the fuck do you think a full-on fascist-led Civil War II is going to be?

I am never going to “unite” with fascists, even if they were defeated.

kerrence @notkerrence.bsky.social · 23h

i don’t know how much of any of my current panic is due to this but i do not think anyone has really stopped to think through what everything means and what would have to happen when all of this ends, because you can’t go back and i think many people expect to.

1 2

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

PROJECT 2025 IS NOT A DISTRACTION! IT WAS THEIR PLAN ALL ALONG! EVIL PEOPLE DOING EVIL THINGS IS NOT A DISTRACTION! EPSTEIN FILES ARE IMPORTANT BUT WILL NOT UNSEAT A FASCIST DICTATOR BY THEMSELVES.

1 1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

That is harmfully reductive.

Yes, I’m sure the powerful want to avoid consequences, but Project 2025 demonstrated all this evil was the plan all along. It’s disrespectful to the people being abducted by ICE to call this a distraction. You are distracting more than they are.

1 2

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

Yeah, I will concur that Johnson’s refusal to swear her in does smell like it’s connected to Epstein, I just was looking at the wider point. Being obstinate about this one thing hardly counts as “moving heaven and earth” as the post I initially replied to described, without lumping in other stuff.

1 1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 8h

I wholeheartedly support releasing them for the sake of consequences for those on it, even including Trump. I definitely do not intend to imply the victims don’t care.

My point is more those looking at ICE raids and court cases and screeching “DISTRACTION! EPSTEIN!” As if literally nothing matters.

1 1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 1d

That is a motivation being ascribed to the actions being taken, which I do not entirely concur with. I see a fascist dictator doing evil shit they was always part of the plan, and I do not see distractions.

The distractions I see are liberals screeching “EPSTEIN!!!” on articles about fascism.

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 1d

And before you start whining about Mitch McConnell, where’s the Democrat obstructionist right now? Who’s standing in their way from the minority right now? Why are so many Democrats confirming Trump’s appointments and approving resolutions? Why can Reps obstruct from the minority and Dems can’t?

1

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 1d

Dems had a fucking supermajority and barely passed a Republican-gutted half-assed healthcare plan.

Dems do nothing even when they have all the power. Stop shielding them from valid criticism.

Votes are earned, not owed.

2

Valentine (she/her) @valhayden.me · 1d

I’m just surprised anyone is convinced a full release would accomplish anything. His base don’t care, the MAGA GOP don’t care, and he already has the office. A full release implicating him won’t even lead to an impeachment, much less removal. This is such a wild goose chase.

2