Eric Zimmerman
@missingbobik.bsky.social
A bright ray of cynicism. Veteran. Dog lover. Traveler. Flâneur. Retired AFSOC pilot. Fish acquisition specialist. Failing to keep an old Land Rover running. A strongly held opinion is not the same thing as a fact. Boulder, Freestate Colorado
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
Oddly enough, in media coverage of Dems' video warning against carrying out illegal orders, there's very little discussion of *whether it's actually reasonable to fear Trump is giving illegal commands or not.*
The evidence is strong that he is. Media should say so:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
The evidence is strong that he is. Media should say so:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
November 23, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Oddly enough, in media coverage of Dems' video warning against carrying out illegal orders, there's very little discussion of *whether it's actually reasonable to fear Trump is giving illegal commands or not.*
The evidence is strong that he is. Media should say so:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
The evidence is strong that he is. Media should say so:
newrepublic.com/article/2035...
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
The Wyoming Rule is one of my niche political fixations and would do a lot to form a more perfect union and doesn’t require any constitutional amendment.
No one expected that CA would be 40 million and VT would be 500,000. (In the early 20th c, MA had more electors than CA.) You can fix that- by expanding the House, adding "at large" electors, maybe, and adding at least two new states (DC and PR), but be careful about attacking federalism. /4
November 22, 2025 at 8:11 PM
The Wyoming Rule is one of my niche political fixations and would do a lot to form a more perfect union and doesn’t require any constitutional amendment.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
November 19, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I really hate it when scientists keep saying that “we need to rebuild trust in science,” because it implies that scientists are to blame for the mistrust rather than the millions of dollars of dark money that have funded political attacks on science in order to advance a far right agenda.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
If he has nothing to hide he doesn’t need a House vote. He can just release everything.
Trump now says House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files “because we have nothing to hide”
November 17, 2025 at 2:40 AM
If he has nothing to hide he doesn’t need a House vote. He can just release everything.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
I don't think it gets mentioned enough that Bovino is a member of the civil service. He is not a political appointee. Yet he still engages in constant open partisanship while in uniform and with a DHS flag behind him.
Bovino: "Whether they were criminals or individuals that were taking jobs from Americans -- you name it, that's what they were doing. And I'll tell you what's gonna happen. We're gonna go even harder on the streets. If he releases those 650, we're gonna apprehend 1,650 on the streets of Chicago."
November 13, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I don't think it gets mentioned enough that Bovino is a member of the civil service. He is not a political appointee. Yet he still engages in constant open partisanship while in uniform and with a DHS flag behind him.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
Perfect example of political media operating under the post-truth standard that (1) distorts the facts until the parties look approximately equal, and (2) holds “do MAGA voters care?” as a higher standard than “is it true?” or “is it important for the public to know about this?”
Wild to watch playbook run cover for this particular Trump scandal
November 13, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Perfect example of political media operating under the post-truth standard that (1) distorts the facts until the parties look approximately equal, and (2) holds “do MAGA voters care?” as a higher standard than “is it true?” or “is it important for the public to know about this?”
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
i’ve said this before and i remain convinced it’s true, the 2028 platform that would deliver obama 08 results is “i am gonna
bring the hammer down on the corrupt self-dealing politicians and their rich friends and there are no sacred cows id give a pass”
bring the hammer down on the corrupt self-dealing politicians and their rich friends and there are no sacred cows id give a pass”
November 13, 2025 at 2:07 PM
i’ve said this before and i remain convinced it’s true, the 2028 platform that would deliver obama 08 results is “i am gonna
bring the hammer down on the corrupt self-dealing politicians and their rich friends and there are no sacred cows id give a pass”
bring the hammer down on the corrupt self-dealing politicians and their rich friends and there are no sacred cows id give a pass”
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
Abby Spanberger will now be governor of Virginia, Mikie Sherrill governor of NJ. I wrote about both of them, and their friend group, last year
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
The Democrats’ Patriotic Vanguard
A small group of lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds prefigured Harris’s overtly patriotic campaign.
www.theatlantic.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:29 AM
Abby Spanberger will now be governor of Virginia, Mikie Sherrill governor of NJ. I wrote about both of them, and their friend group, last year
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
Not a hard question, except for the culture that pretends it's not the answer
1) right-wing media lies incessantly, so anyone truth-based doesn't trust it, and anyone who trusts it doesn't trust anything else
2) other media treats those lies as legitimate, for "fairness," getting trust from no one
1) right-wing media lies incessantly, so anyone truth-based doesn't trust it, and anyone who trusts it doesn't trust anything else
2) other media treats those lies as legitimate, for "fairness," getting trust from no one
October 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Not a hard question, except for the culture that pretends it's not the answer
1) right-wing media lies incessantly, so anyone truth-based doesn't trust it, and anyone who trusts it doesn't trust anything else
2) other media treats those lies as legitimate, for "fairness," getting trust from no one
1) right-wing media lies incessantly, so anyone truth-based doesn't trust it, and anyone who trusts it doesn't trust anything else
2) other media treats those lies as legitimate, for "fairness," getting trust from no one
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
No, that’s exactly what it means
October 20, 2025 at 7:47 PM
No, that’s exactly what it means
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
The NYT does not believe in covering the views of the people, just their elite friends:
It's less than 24 hours after 5-8 million Americans marched against a president who called them domestic terrorists, and there is zero reference to it on the current NYT home page, except for a Bouie op/ed that came out several days earlier.
October 19, 2025 at 7:57 PM
The NYT does not believe in covering the views of the people, just their elite friends:
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
ICE / Border Patrol threatening to arrest a cyclist for following and recording in Chicago
October 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
ICE / Border Patrol threatening to arrest a cyclist for following and recording in Chicago
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
The richest man on earth owns X.
The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
September 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The richest man on earth owns X.
The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.
The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.
See the problem here?
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
In the oral argument in the immunity case, Trump's lawyer's answer to the question, "What would be the check on the President just using his officers to break the law?" was, "People will not follow illegal orders."
We're about to find out whether that's true.
We're about to find out whether that's true.
Dems ought to be telling people now these letters are worth absolutely nothing.
September 20, 2025 at 3:41 AM
In the oral argument in the immunity case, Trump's lawyer's answer to the question, "What would be the check on the President just using his officers to break the law?" was, "People will not follow illegal orders."
We're about to find out whether that's true.
We're about to find out whether that's true.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
idk if you've seen this south korean editorial that ran a few days ago. google translate version scorched my eyebrows www.hani.co.kr/arti/opinion...
September 14, 2025 at 7:04 PM
idk if you've seen this south korean editorial that ran a few days ago. google translate version scorched my eyebrows www.hani.co.kr/arti/opinion...
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
Sen. Ruben Gallego: "Ashli Babbitt was a traitor. She was a traitor to this country. She was part of a violent mob that tried to overthrow our democracy...She didn't die protecting our country. She died trying to turn it down...She wasn't a martyr. She was and is a traitor."
September 10, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Sen. Ruben Gallego: "Ashli Babbitt was a traitor. She was a traitor to this country. She was part of a violent mob that tried to overthrow our democracy...She didn't die protecting our country. She died trying to turn it down...She wasn't a martyr. She was and is a traitor."
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
A piece of this I tried to capture is that, even if Trump and the MAGA media succeed in deflecting some of this from Trump, this document offers so much evidence that supports the *broader* framework of elite rot and corruption. All of that has to go somewhere. I fear it's not gonna go anywhere good
September 10, 2025 at 3:12 AM
A piece of this I tried to capture is that, even if Trump and the MAGA media succeed in deflecting some of this from Trump, this document offers so much evidence that supports the *broader* framework of elite rot and corruption. All of that has to go somewhere. I fear it's not gonna go anywhere good
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
The way NATO breaks is Russia does something bad enough to a member that they ask for security assistance, then the US doesn’t help while the US president says it didn’t happen—or some other Russia-friendly BS—and that renders remaining commitments non-credible.
The Putin govt surely sees this too.
The Putin govt surely sees this too.
September 10, 2025 at 12:34 AM
The way NATO breaks is Russia does something bad enough to a member that they ask for security assistance, then the US doesn’t help while the US president says it didn’t happen—or some other Russia-friendly BS—and that renders remaining commitments non-credible.
The Putin govt surely sees this too.
The Putin govt surely sees this too.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
Why are the nation’s retired military leaders silent in the face of Trump’s abject politicization of the military?
Brian O’Neill on the need for the condemnation of Trump’s loyalty tests, purges, and domestic deployments
Brian O’Neill on the need for the condemnation of Trump’s loyalty tests, purges, and domestic deployments
The Nation Cannot Afford Silent Generals
Trump’s loyalty tests, purges, and domestic deployments demand a collective response from retired military leaders.
contrarian.substack.com
September 4, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Why are the nation’s retired military leaders silent in the face of Trump’s abject politicization of the military?
Brian O’Neill on the need for the condemnation of Trump’s loyalty tests, purges, and domestic deployments
Brian O’Neill on the need for the condemnation of Trump’s loyalty tests, purges, and domestic deployments
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
Trump officials have restored Ronny Jackson's military rank, after his Biden-era demotion from rear admiral to captain.
Democrats say they’re aghast
“The sacrosanct uniform code of military justice is now the uniform code of Trump,” former Rep. Jackie Speier told me. The code is “now meaningless.”
Democrats say they’re aghast
“The sacrosanct uniform code of military justice is now the uniform code of Trump,” former Rep. Jackie Speier told me. The code is “now meaningless.”
Trump officials restore Ronny Jackson’s military rank after Biden-era demotion
“I was, and still am, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral,” Jackson said, suggesting the misconduct allegations upheld against him were politically motivated.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 4, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Trump officials have restored Ronny Jackson's military rank, after his Biden-era demotion from rear admiral to captain.
Democrats say they’re aghast
“The sacrosanct uniform code of military justice is now the uniform code of Trump,” former Rep. Jackie Speier told me. The code is “now meaningless.”
Democrats say they’re aghast
“The sacrosanct uniform code of military justice is now the uniform code of Trump,” former Rep. Jackie Speier told me. The code is “now meaningless.”
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
The Trump administration’s decision to grant military-funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt is the latest move to turn the perpetrators of one of America’s darkest days into heroes, @dgraham.bsky.social argues in The Atlantic Daily:
Triumph of the Insurrectionists
The Trump administration is on a mission to turn the perpetrators of January 6 into heroes.
bit.ly
September 3, 2025 at 10:45 PM
The Trump administration’s decision to grant military-funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt is the latest move to turn the perpetrators of one of America’s darkest days into heroes, @dgraham.bsky.social argues in The Atlantic Daily:
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
Big news: California, Oregon and Washington State just announced a joint "West Coast Health Alliance" to counter Trump/RFK destruction of our public health system.
As I argued last week (see below), this is becoming a new frontier in Dem Gov resistance to Trump.
As I argued last week (see below), this is becoming a new frontier in Dem Gov resistance to Trump.
September 3, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Big news: California, Oregon and Washington State just announced a joint "West Coast Health Alliance" to counter Trump/RFK destruction of our public health system.
As I argued last week (see below), this is becoming a new frontier in Dem Gov resistance to Trump.
As I argued last week (see below), this is becoming a new frontier in Dem Gov resistance to Trump.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
"That is why I am infuriated that the Air Force plans to grant military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt. She did not die defending the Constitution. She died trying to overturn it."
Yes, there is a difference.
Yes, there is a difference.
Honoring Ashli Babbitt Dishonors the Military
If there’s no difference between upholding the Constitution and attacking it, then there’s no honor in service.
www.thebulwark.com
September 2, 2025 at 8:01 AM
"That is why I am infuriated that the Air Force plans to grant military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt. She did not die defending the Constitution. She died trying to overturn it."
Yes, there is a difference.
Yes, there is a difference.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
All the think pieces about “how did we get here” are superfluous when this video exists. A third of the country is this f’in guy. That’s how we got here.
Please, people, don't ever be this guy. Don't let your kids grow up to be this guy. Don't be friends with this guy. #USOpen.
August 30, 2025 at 5:48 PM
All the think pieces about “how did we get here” are superfluous when this video exists. A third of the country is this f’in guy. That’s how we got here.
Reposted by Eric Zimmerman
“Vladimir Putin is in trouble. Isolated, outmanoeuvred, and stalled on the battlefield, Russia is tottering financially and militarily, while Zelensky's Ukraine continues to hold the upper hand.” A good piece from @EngelsbergIdeas
Engelsberg ideas.com/essays/russias-reckoning-is-coming/
Engelsberg ideas.com/essays/russias-reckoning-is-coming/
Russia's reckoning is coming
Beyond the bluster of his meeting with President Trump, Vladimir Putin is in trouble. Isolated, outmanoeuvred, and stalled on the battlefield, Russia is tottering financially and militarily, while Zel...
engelsbergideas.com
August 27, 2025 at 8:51 PM
“Vladimir Putin is in trouble. Isolated, outmanoeuvred, and stalled on the battlefield, Russia is tottering financially and militarily, while Zelensky's Ukraine continues to hold the upper hand.” A good piece from @EngelsbergIdeas
Engelsberg ideas.com/essays/russias-reckoning-is-coming/
Engelsberg ideas.com/essays/russias-reckoning-is-coming/