Evan S. 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇬🇪
@winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
3.2K followers 200 following 7.2K posts
Instructor of psychology and law. Advocate for mental health, anti-death penalty, pro Ukraine, pro democracy--if we can keep it. Rescue cat owner. Tired, but not quite retired. No DM's, please.
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winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Good morning! I'm going to go a bit out on a limb today and argue that Donald J. Trump is not the CAUSE of most of our current political problems, but is instead, the RESULT of the abdication of powers granted by our Constitution to both the Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States. 🧵
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winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Doesn't fit easily on a hat or a sign, unfortunately.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Regarding the comment that many of these anti-Trump and No Kings rallies don't seem to have a lot of young people in them, that's because our society no longer gives young people a lot of power, either economically or politically, so you can understand why some might be cynical about participating.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
More accurately, "Hate What MAGA Republicans Are Doing to America rally."
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Mansplaining. 🙄

Just because a male disagrees with you on a social media platform doesn't automatically mean they are "mansplaining." I was responding to your argument, not your gender, which I didn't even notice until you accused me of mansplaining. Whether you believe that or not is up to you.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Justice Barrett specifically questions whether courts have "gone too far" in interpreting Sec. 2 to allow racial discrimination in the drawing of voting districts, even when the remedy is to combat racial discrimination in the first place.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Listening to the Supreme Court arguments in the Louisiana gerrymandering case, it is clear the six conservatives are going to overturn Sec. 2 of the Voting Rights Act, on the grounds that it unconstitutionally permits states to draw voting districts based on race.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Can you name any of these established laws? In any event, who makes these laws? Congress. So, your argument is basically circular.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Maybe, but the Constitution gives the House the authority to make it's own rules, so the Republican majority could easily vote that only the Speaker can swear in new members, if it hasn't already.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
This is why Republicans are so desperate to gerrymander additional seats and gut the Voting Rights Act so they can maintain their majority in the House indefinitely. Therefore, if you are an Independent who is truly interested in bipartisanship, don't vote Republican, at least in 2026.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Note: The only thing the Constitution says about the Speaker is that "The House of Representatives shall choose a Speaker." All of his powers and duties simply come from tradition, customs, norms, and acceptance from other members of the House. And these can be easily changed.
Reposted by Evan S. 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇬🇪
cwebbonline.com
They’re freaking out!!!

Trump’s cabinet secretaries falsely claim Dems are keeping the government closed because of the “No Kings” mass protests, and Mike Johnson calls it the “hate America rally.”

The truth is: we love America, but we hate tyrants. That’s why we’re doing this.

See you Saturday.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Even if these boats are carrying drugs, they are far from the U.S.A. and pose no imminent threat justifying the use of lethal force.

Worse, the Trump administration has given itself the sole power to label any group they want as a "terrorist organization." This is lawlessness. We are all at risk.
normative.bsky.social
There is no conceivable argument that these ships, even if we assume they were carrying narcotics, could not be dealt with in some other way. I think we can just drop the caveats and say: This is mass murder.
chrislhayes.bsky.social
Unless and until some kind of compelling legal and moral argument is presented as to why this is a legitimate use of deadly force, this is just…mass murder.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
It's long past time to consider reform of the Speaker's position and power. One man should not have total authority to rule over 435 members of Congress, much less 330 million American people.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Why does the officer on the right have what appears to be a Bitcoin patch on the back of his helmet? Surely, that can't be part of his official uniform? Just who are these guys?
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Sorry to be crude, but these firings will come in handy when Trump, RFK, Jr. and their fellow oligarchs try to make us eat shit.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Weiss is just another narcissist whose only interest is self-aggrandizement, so, yes, she is an asshole.
marisakabas.bsky.social
As another Jewish woman in the industry, I can clear this up: It's due to her being an asshole.
justinbaragona.bsky.social
Fox News host Emily Compagno claims that the backlash to Bari Weiss being named CBS News editor-in-chief is due to her being Jewish:

"This kind of thing would make me laugh if there was not an antisemitic thread in there."
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
When I write "The Founding Fathers," I am more specifically referring to the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

Obviously, most, if not all, of the Founding Fathers were deeply flawed individuals. But, part of their genius was in recognizing that all of us are!
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Instead of a tech elite ruling society, why don't we foster an elite versed in the principles of democracy, the Enlightenment, and the Founding Fathers? We have instead replaced civics education with a "self-educated" group of billionaires educated by Ayn Rand and "The Turner Diaries."
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Vance has always been like this. He only thinks of himself, and he will say or do anything that advances his career. Re-read Hillbilly Eulogy. Except for his Gram, his book drips with disdain for his neighbors in Appalachia.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
This is indeed, odd. Not a good look for Zelensky, because it smacks of authoritarianism. True, Ukraine is under martial law, but there needs to be at least a semblance of due process, here.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Rutte: Hey, Russia! We are strong, not weak!

(Dear Russia, was that okay for me to say? I wouldn't want to upset you)!
Reposted by Evan S. 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇬🇪
twmcltd.bsky.social
Those with me last night will have witnessed the shocking scenes from Kharkiv, where a hospital in the city was bombed.

Here's what it looks like this morning. One building was destroyed, the wards were badly damaged. All 57 patients needed counselling while 6 were wounded.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Nothing is sacred to Russians.

Every day, I thank God I wasn't born in the Russian Federation.
twmcltd.bsky.social
Russia has today attacked humanitarian aid vehicles in Kherson region.

Tons of food was destroyed in Bilozerka when four large lorries, clearly marked with the UN WFP (World Food Programme) were bombarded by drones and artillery.

Two lorries were hit, drivers managed to escape.
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
The loss of USAID and assistance to Ukraine may turn out to be critical this winter. Will Europe be able to step up?
winstonsmith2024.bsky.social
Terrible. Isn't it odd that even though Russia now rejects the economic theory behind communism, that it still accepts the idea of an authoritarian and totalitarian state, where individual lives (both Russian and foreign) simply do not matter?

Then again, Russia has always been this way, I think.