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Joshua Failé

@joshuafaile.bsky.social

2.2K followers 1.6K following 6.1K posts

(he/him) Neurodivergent Social Democrat in Maine working to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive society. Economist by training, Spanish-English-American by birth, and antifascist by moral imperative. We must act now before it is too late.

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · Jul 14

I no longer believe that frequent strongly worded letters to our representatives in Congress, intermittent demonstrations in our town squares, or carefully choreographed media campaigns are going to stop the regime’s procession to full fascist rule.

I believe we need a general strike. 1/7

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · Jul 14

We are seeing the Trump regime—and it’s various supporters and enablers—set the Constitution alight in front of our eyes, with the intent to destroy the ‘rule of law’ and replace it with the ‘rule of might’, replete with a masked secret police, concentration camps, and a shadow court of injustice.

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · Jul 14

I wish it was hyperbole or pessimism to say we are no longer a constitutional republic...

…but it isn’t, given the controlling majority in all three branches of government are currently outright ignoring the Constitution in favour of enforcing their far-right, techno-/christo-fascist ideology.

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 5h

Indeed. We just have to hope it is enough in this case given the Democratic Party is actively sabotaging Platner’s campaign (from before it even kicked off) and throwing all of their resources behind Mills (even before she announces).

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 5h

Essentially, a person referring to someone else as a “leftist” usually self-identifies them as likely an unserious, adversarial, ignorant, and/or bad faith actor. Engaging with such a person is often—by design—an exercise in frustration and futility.

I’d ask your friend to define a “leftist”. 3/3

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 5h

Some on the far-left do refer to themselves as “leftists” but, in my experience, most serious people refer to themselves with more specific ideological terms (socialist, communist, social democrat, centrist, etc.) rather than use amorphous, charged terms that’ve become a cudgel for bad actors. 2/3

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 5h

Whilst “leftist” does have it’s origins in the genesis of the concept of the left/right political continuum—based on physical seated position in the French assembly in the late 1700s—it has been recently adopted by the right-wing to brand Democrats (especially progressives) as extremists. 1/3

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

How long you have been a Mainer has nothing to do with your functional ability to determine if someone is or isn’t progressive.

And no serious person describes anyone as a “leftist”. It is a term used by the right-wing and bad faith actors, which tells me you aren’t someone worth debating with.

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

#MEPOLITICS: Some of the responses to Pfeiffer’s reasoned analysis of the mistakes the Democratic Party keeps making in state/national races are disconcerting, including laughable claims Mills is “progressive”.

I sincerely hope—if they are actually humans—they are merely a misguided vocal minority.

Dan Pfeiffer @danpfeiffer.bsky.social · 16h

Dan Pfeiffer
For the life of me, I cannot figure out what the hell the Senate Democrats are doing in Maine — the most important Senate race in the country. Their decision to back Janet Mills suggests they have learned no lessons from our loss in 2024.
messagebox.substack.com/p/are-democr...

Are Democrats About to Blow It in Maine?

By backing Janet Mills over a grassroots outsider, party leaders may be repeating the same mistakes from 2024

messagebox.substack.com

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

Mills is absolutely not progressive.

Signed,

Person that has worked with many Maine progressive state reps, orgs, and citizen initiatives to try to push through progressive policies under Mills, most of which have been blocked or outright vetoed by Mills, the latest being a watered down LD 1971.

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

This is like saying “if an athlete that was forced to run in a lead vest can’t beat their rival in a qualifying heat, then they won’t be able to beat the favourite in the final race”.

Actively sabotaging Platner and supporting Mills in the primary proves nothing other than Democratic ineptitude.

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

Sounds like you have it as figured out as possible (I wish I could say the same after several sleep studies!), so perhaps not sleep related.

I would keep an eye on it, though. If it gets worse, it can be a sign of neurological dysfunction and/or disease that you would want to catch early.

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

The “Troll’s Delusion”?

Reposted by Joshua Failé

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

The DNC quite literally threatened the strategists considering taking on Platner as a candidate, telling them if they ran his campaign they would never work for a Democratic campaign again.

And the party is planning to put their full fundraising and campaign apparatus behind Mills for the primary.

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

Are the hostages on the plane with us right now?

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 6h

This is something I’ve been experiencing for a few years now and is likely connected with my long struggle with insomnia.

Longterm sleep deprivation usually leads to cognitive deficits, often manifesting early on as slow recall.

Are you getting enough sleep to feel rested in the morning?

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 8h

TRANSLATION: Please, please, forgive me,
I was only kidding, and I don’t want my technofascist kleptoligarchical handlers to assassinate me.

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 8h

“And we’re going to claim we’re being ‘silenced’ and ‘persecuted’ all the way there.” The Atlantic

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 9h

Never mind. Her response to the answers to her obvious intentionally provocative take—whilst she largely ignores good faith replies from prominent journalists stating exactly why the appointment of Bari Weiss is garnering such strong criticism—indicates she is employing Weiss’ “persecuted” schtick.

Screenshot of Sally Jenkins Bluesky posts responding to a torrent of replies to her obviously intentionally provocative take that “Bari Weiss is a great appointment for CBS News and the push back to it makes no sense”. Each response indicates Jenkins follows Weiss’ strategy of proclaiming she is being “silenced” and “persecuted” for her opinion because most people vehemently disagree.

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 10h

How can someone that writes for @theatlantic.com be so naive and/or ignorant of the many, many incidents of dubious reporting, involvement in outright disinformation campaigns, and direct ties to the technofascist kleptoligarchs backing the Trump regime, of a prominent member of the media ecosystem?

Sally Jenkins @sallyjenx.bsky.social · 14h

This is really smart. Amazed at the hysteria over the ascendance of a woman entrepreneur who clearly knows how to cover and sell news and who's not afraid to take on a mob. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Don’t Bet Against Bari Weiss

The new editor in chief of CBS News triumphs over her critics.

www.theatlantic.com

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 10h

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

Schema no longer exists.

Joshua Bowman @thalesdisciple.bsky.social · 16h

In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand.

The diagram doesn’t commute.

Michael Barany @mbarany.com · 18h

exercise to the reader

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 15h

It’s only “weaponisation of the justice system” when the political elite and/or ultra wealthy are being held to account for their crimes.

When it’s immigrants and lower/middle class Americans being violently assaulted and abducted to concentration camps for simply existing, it’s “law enforcement”.

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 15h

Just a reminder that Trump was President on January 6th and the FBI Director was a Republican (like every FBI Director in the bureau’s history) that Trump appointed.

Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 17h

This has real -- I intended to dm "Pam" -- energy.

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 19h

Debbie Brockman, the WGN TV journalist violently abducted in Chicago on Friday after she was present at an ICE raid, has been released without charge. The Trump regime claimed she had thrown objects at a federal vehicle but eye witnesses said that was a lie.

This is fascism.

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Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 1d

The values of Netanyahu’s fascist regime include rampant corruption, barbaric ethnic cleansing, and unchecked malfeasance, so it is not at all surprising Jared Kushner and the Trump family couldn’t be prouder to be a friend of this Israeli regime.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Jared Kushner in Tel Aviv: "Instead of replicating the barbarism of the enemy, you chose to be exceptional, you chose to stand for the values that you stand for, and I couldn't be prouder to be a friend of Israel."

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 1d

Probability of insider trading by the Trump regime and/or its technofascist kleptoligarchical backers?

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 1d

This is why I don’t refer to it as the “Trump administration”.

An administration is a legitimate entity that acts as a lawful executive and fiduciary on behalf of its constituents.

A regime is an illegitimate entity that acts as a corrupted authority and subjugator on behalf of its own interests.

Joshua Failé @joshuafaile.bsky.social · 1d

I have no doubt that Trump regime either tipped off its technofascist kleptoligarchical backers to his impending threat of substantially increased tariffs on China, or covertly acted to directly capitalise on it themselves.

Either way, it continues to be the most corrupt government in US history.

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1d

Imagine that

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