Author | Lightnews

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James Bennett @ubernostrum.bsky.social · 1d

Chesterton, maddeningly, had it right and people like that one have it completely wrong.

bsky.app/profile/uber...

James Bennett @ubernostrum.bsky.social · Aug 24

G.K. Chesterton had a line about this in “The Man Who Was Thursday”:

"Mere mobs!" repeated his new friend with a snort of scorn. "So you talk about mobs and the working classes as if they were the question. You've got that eternal idiotic idea that if anarchy came it would come from the poor. Why should it? The poor have been rebels, but they have never been anarchists; they have more interest than anyone else in there being some decent government. The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all. Aristocrats were always anarchists, as you can see from the barons' wars."

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 1d

It's like Maslow's hierarchy of needs but prescriptive.

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leeks @anonleeks.bsky.social · 3d

this is just to say
i have demolished
the east wing

and which you
were probably saving
for posterity

forgive me
i am demented
so weak
and so cold

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 3d

And the implication that there's any causation (protests somehow cause or aid unchecked authoritarianism) is frankly ridiculous.

Idk who this person is but this sounds like a TikTok history lesson.

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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 3d

So Trump bulldozed a third of the White House complex. And they’re trying to keep the photos off limits.

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 3d

It's running joke in our house that photos of him on a walk always look a little angry

But that's just his resting fierce face

#cats #CatsOfBluesky #CatOwners #Catsday

A grey and white striped cat with yellow eyes wearing a purple harness stares fiercely into the distance. He's standing on a piece of driftwood next to a potted heuchera plant. His nose is terra cotta colored and his paws are white.

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 3d

Every headline about Trump's corruption should be accompanied by a screenshot of the AI video where he shits on America

#TrumpShitsOnAmerica #TrumpCorruption

A screenshot from Trump's weird AI video that shows him wearing a crown and piloting a plane that is dumping shit on America.

Text has been added to read:

(Donald J. Trump) is demanding that American taxpayers pay him $230 million from the Justice Department. This settlement would be approved by the people he has appointed to top roles in the agency. #TrumpShitsOnAmerica"

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/trump-justice-department-compensation.html?

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 4d

Source: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/u...

Trump Said to Demand Justice Dept. Pay Him $230 Million for Past Cases

www.nytimes.com

Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 4d

"Trump is demanding that the Justice Department pay him about $230 million in compensation for the federal investigations into him..."

The settlement would be approved by people he appointed, some of whom were his lawyers

#TrumpCorruption #TrumpShitsOnAmerica
#TrumpsHatesAmericans

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 4d

The only large business I can think of is Costco, who declined to get rid of their DEI programs when the Trump folks came after them.

Other than that, some law firms and universities, but I don't need/can't afford their services in any case.

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 4d

Yes to incentive structures!

I think it's important for organizations who are organizing these actions to present a clear theory of change. No Kings could really improve in that department.

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 4d

I think some of the boycotts have definitely changed business decisions (eg Disney and Kimmel) but, tactically, I'm not sure that a short and broad boycott will effect much

Don't get me wrong - I would still join it

But we'd probably do well to pick a few stores and hit them for a month+

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 4d

I am begging everyone to do some activism that involves leaving your house and/or using your actual literal voice*

*Obviously unless you have disabilities that prevent that

Hunter Walker @hunterw.bsky.social · 4d

Posting is *not activism*

Making posts belittling other peoples' activism is *really not activism*

Radical posturing can be fun but if there's nothing behind it, it's just posturing.

Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 4d

Yes!

I also ask people, "what would America feel like right now *without* these protests? If there was zero mass public opposition?

We need protests AND we need other actions.

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Simon Rosenberg @simonwdc.bsky.social · 4d

Everyone realize that the reason the government is "shut down" is that the Republicans failed to pass a budget by Sept 30th, as they are required to do by law, and the government just ran out of money?

Simon Rosenberg @simonwdc.bsky.social · 4d

By law the Republicans were required to have a budget for the new fiscal year in place on September 30th.

Anyone seen the budget? Are they are here in DC working on one?

Don't we think media, commentators should be asking Rs where their budget is? Do they intend to actually create one?

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James Chaffee @jchaffee.bsky.social · 5d

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Ursula K. Le Guin Bot @leguinbot.bsky.social · 5d

Things don't have purposes, as if the universe were a machine, where every part has a useful function. What's the function of a galaxy? I don't know if our life has a purpose and I don't see that it matters. What does matter is that we're a part.

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 5d

The emcee, a veteran, had invited other veterans to salute the flag while the crowd sang along with the national anthem

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 5d

An inflatable lobster saluting the flag during the national anthem at #NoKingsOlympia #NoKings #Olympia

Three people in inflatable costumes face the flag during the national anthem at the No Kings protest at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, WA. The person in the red lobster suit is saluting the flag, indicating they are a veteran. Next to that person is someone in a unicorn inflatable outfit and someone in a bee inflatable outfit.

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Paulette Donahue @9kittens.bsky.social · 6d

Exactly 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💙💙💙💙💙💙💙🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

JeffTrnka @jefftrnka.bsky.social · 6d

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 6d

The Trump diarrhea video is the most accurate thing he's ever posted, since he is in fact just shitting all over our country

The hashtags kinda write themselves:

#TrumpDiarrhea #Weird #ShittyTrump #IncontinentTrump #TrumpForgotHisDiaper #TrumpShitsOnAmerica

Anyway, #DefendDemocracy #NoKings

Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 6d

Mass protest effects the people in power who are deciding whether to comply: four colleges still haven't declined the "compact"

Also, I am tired of people who say protest isn't useful but who aren't doing anything at all

You think something different should happen? Start organizing.

#NoKings

🫧 Spark Elation 🫧 @tyranny.sparklenoise.com · 6d

there are people in big ass positions of power who are enabling this shit and the mass power of the people can convince them to rescind their complicity and that’s the only way a regime collapses

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 6d

It's an accurate description of what he's doing to America, at least

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Do We Have To @thebestjayne.bsky.social · 6d

Peaceful mass protest was so scary Trump had to demand that Marines go shoot the ocean about it.

#NoKings #TrumpIsASadOldMan #DefendDemocracy

Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · 7d

This is a blatant attempt to silence and isolate us. He’s stopping the trains, closing the freeways and firing live rounds into California. We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. #NoKings

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