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Ralf W

@raflw.bsky.social

2.5K followers 750 following 9.8K posts

If the press cannot report reality, there is no remaining basis upon which to solve problems. And solving problems is a central thrust of governing. Peripatetic pessimist-optimist. Hanger on at Balloon Juice, also too. MSP / CO / WI

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 2d

Johnson has already said the House will pass rescissions of whatever goes through this fall.

It's all horseshit. There's no budget, because there's no plan for Republicans to abide by any of it. 😡

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Reposted by Ralf W

Boston Tom Levenson @tomlevenson.bsky.social · 2h

The US achieved measles elimination status in 2000. We will lose it soon (if we haven't already).

We are willingly and needlessly putting our children (and a lot of older adults) in harms way because RFK Jr. needed a new grift to cover the cost of his Hyannis house.

www.kff.org/other-health...

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 2h

"Is the world round or flat? Nobody knows! Every guess is good! The loudest liar probably wins!"

Reposted by Ralf W

Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 3h

There's a real story to be told about this quote this one cop gave to this publication. But it isn't about cops being scared. It's about police departments effectively being unchecked by democratic elections in the US. Of course, Bari Weiss's rag doesn't want to write that story.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 7h

"Political issues aren't silos, they're all connected, and Mamdani recognizes that. Other Democrats need to see it too, and I hope they are paying attention."

Please, read all of this from Katelyn Burns:

John Cluverius @johncluverius.bsky.social · 8h

Everyone especially Democrats who are scared or dare I say cowardly to talk about trans issues should read this.

Katelyn Boo-urns @katelynburns.com · 1d

I wrote a little about some of the little details you might have missed in this video and why it hit me so hard as a trans person this morning:

www.burnsnotice.com/you-have-to-...

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Reposted by Ralf W

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 15h

The Daily is committed to sanitizing Vought and ignoring what they regard as unsavory ideology. Because engaging with what is actually animating Vought would make it very hard to uphold the “normal politics” framework that defines much of mainstream political journalism.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 7h

They can't control culture creation directly (the customers - almost all of us - are totally uninterested in conservative entertainment, culture, arts) so they're hellbent on seizing government, unis, etc to shut it all down.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 7h

I think it's fascinating that Pope Leo is onto this scheme and is already well at work trying to move Catholics to attention.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 8h

I feel like Pope Leo is trying to speak pretty directly to one member of his flock, while rightly exhorting everyone to do better too.

Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 11h

“With your patient and rigorous work, you can act as a barrier against those who, through the ancient art of lying, seek to create divisions in order to rule by dividing,” he said. “You can be a bulwark of civility against the quicksand of approximation and post-truth...”

apnews.com/article/pope...

Pope urges news agencies to stand as bulwark against lies, manipulation and post-truths

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the “ancient art of lying” and manipulation.

apnews.com

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 8h

I get it, the Catholic Church has much broader reach.
But that convert zeal also means he doesn't have the in-the-bones understanding of how the Church moves (or, doesn't) on human timescales.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 8h

People showing up, filming, shouting, shaming, blowing whistles are displaying appreciable courage.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 8h

Yeah, don't know exactly how it is in Denmark, but in the US, police (etc) brutality is incredibly common.
Lot of ICE dudes have been filmed with really terrible weapon-drawing practices.
I'm actually somewhat surprised there haven't been many live fire deaths (so far) by those ill-trained goons.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 8h

Sounds like he really wants the Russian Orthodox Church.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 8h

A Mon - Fri lunch baked potato bar saved me from literal years of bad college cafeteria entrées.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

So, wait.
It's a b.s. participation trophy AND widdle Donny Trump is foot stomping mad 'cause he didn't get it?

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

I've felt like this risk premium has been around in some quarter percent or something since 2004.
My European contacts were just "WTH?" with that re-election.
The public picking Obama next smoothed that some. Then 2018 and I think much of the world said "Y'all are waaay to unpredictable."

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

It is my firm belief that it has become aggressively worse in the past year or two.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

The police by definition have the authority of the government and the power of weapons & arrest.

Individuals offering critique are *critics*. You can't tolerate criticism.

Gonna be a tough slog for you if that's the case.

Reposted by Ralf W

Eel-AIEEEE @elindur.at.app.wafrn.net · 9h

Father Larry Dowling dropped the most damning statement I think I've ever seen from a catholic on this whole situation (save for the Pope's words on it):

A quote from Father Larry Dowling's post about being denied access to detainees. It reads "No one had the courage to speak directly to us. No one from Homeland Security could stand in the presence of the Monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. No wonder. Evil is repelled, recoils in the presence of Christ."

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

=tour=

spell check is now an agent of chaos

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

A relative was at last night's show. He's been tracking the four, apparently the set list has been identical so far?

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

I'm past concert going age (except, okay, Orchestra Hall), but I'm kind of sad to see so many people mediating their own live music experience by having their phones up.

Live in the moment!

I can still recall how I *felt* when Joe Jackson performed Stepping Out in the Cullen Auditorium in 198?.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

"The amount of activity on it is relatively new" says one of the six people who floored the gas pedal.
Such politess as Coney Barrett blows sunshine (aka bullshit) at us.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 9h

Himes is ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 10h

Watch how this is done.
They're taking an observable fact – Trump said on camera that he'd specifically close "Democrat programs" – and turning it into a partisan bicker / allegation frame.

This is the opposite of news journalism. It is sowing disinformation. Actively misinforming readers.

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 11h

President Trump’s move to cancel projects in Democratic states during the government shutdown has prompted allegations of partisanship.

Democrats see a pattern of inflicting pain on places that are politically unfriendly.

Trump escalates his use of federal power to target Democratic states

Democrats see a clear pattern of inflicting pain on places that are politically unfriendly, while Trump has declared his intent to hurt liberal areas and policies.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 10h

Trump has plainly said he would cancel only Democratic programs.
In his own voice, from the POTUS lectern, directly into cameras.
There's no allegation when the crime is confessed!!