Rick O’Brien

Battle after battle, the world is spiraling into a dangerous spiral: the absolute prevalence of force over politics, war over dialogue, delirium over reason. And, most terrifyingly, autocracies over democracies. Approximately 72% of the world's population, three out of four people, now lives under an autocratic regime. This is the highest figure recorded since 1978. The "State of Democracy Report," published by the V-Dem Institute for Studies, makes clear that there are now 88 democracies and 91 autocracies, and that liberal democracies have become the least known type of regime in the world, with a total of 29 in 2024, representing just 8% of the population. The next report will be published in a few days. There is reason to fear that the percentage of the population living in liberal democracies will decline. Because the historical novelty of this quarter century, the first of a new millennium, is that the United States too is evidently, rapidly, sliding toward autocracy.

The objective of this war is unclear. There is also reason to fear that this hell was unleashed by petty domestic considerations. But the general intention seems clear: to build a new international order founded on the dominance of military power, on the logic of exploitation—imperialist indeed—of the raw materials of producing countries, and on the transformation of national sovereignty, a paradoxical thesis for nationalists, into a pure concession. Trump's statement about the essential approval he must express for the new Iranian leadership is a cowardly version of the declared intention to overthrow that tyrannical regime that has been at the forefront of brutal repression and the removal of fundamental freedoms. The announced popular uprisings in Tehran have not taken place because that regime of terror continues to operate and because that military arsenal, already declared destroyed after the military actions of June 12, continues to operate.

Excellent column in Italy’s Corriere by Walter Veltroni.
Rough translation of closing sentences: “There are moments in history when one is either on the side of democracy or that of autocracy. One must choose. If one doesn't do so, in reality, one has chosen.”

www.corriere.it/opinioni/26_...

Navy's Avenger Class Mine Hunters Have Left The Middle East For Good The last four Avengers in Bahrain were carried off on a heavy lift vessel at a time of crisis, where mining the Persian Gulf could come into play.

And now the really fun part of the story…

The „War“ Department just withdrew the last of the old Avenger-class minesweepers from the Persian Gulf in January.

So much competent planning. 😏🤷‍♂️

I doubt I will ever witness a better description of pheasants than the time I heard a ten-year-old call them "fashion chickens".

This 👇

Prerequisites for Trump’s cabinet:

Bigot
Racist
Sexist
Misogynist
Racist
Antisemite
Anti Islamic
White
Preferably male
Liar
Dishonest
Incompetency
Loyalty

These are the most desirable above competence, academic excellence, experience, integrity.

#Israel

BLINDED: US Radars Wiped Out by Iranian Precision Strikes YouTube video by Richard Medhurst

Fantastic reporting by Richard Medhurst. The MSM is censoring the conflict, Trump is out front and centre claiming it is over, to save further embarrassment. Medhurst catalogues the damage done by Iran…
youtube.com/watch?v=o0cI...

unlike what Fox News tries to preach, Mamdani has just spoken out against Islamic extremism:

Mamdani: “Extremism and hatred of any kind will not be tolerated in our city. What we want to deliver to New Yorkers is a city that is safe.”

The Right just keeps trying to make this guy out to be some

💯🎯💯🎯💯🎯💯🎯💯

Have all of you had your loved ones credibly threatened?

Brian Allen

The US Energy Secretary posted that a ship had safely transited the Strait of Hormuz.

Markets surged. Oil tanked. Hope briefly entered the room.

Then he deleted the tweet.

Markets reversed. Oil pumped back up.
Then Karoline Leavitt confirmed: no ship has gone through the Strait.

bsky.app/profile/whst...

When Putin lies to you and you believe him, he interprets that as weakness

I’m excited to share an interactive tool I’ve been working on that helps you discover, visualize, and reflect on your own social biases so you can be more resilient to misinformation. I’m also putting together a guide to digital tools for fact-checking. Both will be dropping on my newsletter soon!

Stunning but not surprising. Do your job. Find a few Republicans with integrity to impeach, convict, and imprison.

@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social

IT'S DEAD!!!!! OVER!!!

Being a sane American right now: It's like the United States is riding in the back-seat of a car and Dad is driving drunk. Mom is the Republican party, riding in the passenger seat: She knows Dad is completely sloshed but she goes along with it because she's afraid of getting beaten up again if she says anything. Some of your brothers and sisters are excited because they like carnival rides and think speed and chaos is entertaining. But you feel slightly insane because you're the only one in the car who understands the danger everyone is in and no one seems capable of stopping the maniac at the wheel.

I can so relate to this.

Man Who Got Disturbing Epstein Email Breaks Silence | TMZ YouTube video by TMZ

This is interesting 🤔
youtu.be/cdk_1UjWLS8?...

New Catalyst Turns CO2 Into Valuable Methanol With Unprecedented Efficiency A new catalyst built from isolated indium atoms allows scientists to convert CO2 into methanol more efficiently while revealing the hidden chemistry that drives the reaction.

scitechdaily.com/new-catalyst...

BREAKING: Trump is caught on camera admitting he ordered a war crime:

Trump: "I said, 'Why don't we just capture the ship? He said, 'It's more fun to sink them.'

They should all be thrown in the HAGUE for war crimes, but the EU has no way to enforce this.

It’s way past the time for him to be gone!

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

goddamn is this a breath of fresh air after Allred 2024

Actually, Congress can demand a mental and physical health evaluation of the president. It’s never been done. But the law is clear.

93 out of 100 U.S. Senators are owned by the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.

Controlled by Israel.

War powers measure defeated 53-47 vote.

Controlled by Israel.

It is evident that the senate must be the first corrupted, before it can attempt an establishment of tyranny.

- Alexander Hamilton

I’m hollering at my screen… yaaas!

Actress Sheryl Underwood, an Air Force Reserve veteran, is asking the questions we all want answers to.

“Why is this not impeachable? And where are the politicians that say, ‘this dude don’t have it all the way together, he cannot be the commander in chief?’” 🔥

I had to read that twice, as will you

Michael Shannon GOES OFF on Trump.

This video was deleted from Twitter by Elon Musk, you know what to do !!!

In Albany, NY during the ‘76 elections, I drove through neighborhoods with a microphone and a loudspeaker strapped to the top of the car to exhort people to “VOTE TODAY!” —to swell the ranks of total votes—few upstate counties were blue. 43 NYS electoral votes swung narrowly in favor of the Dems.

“…the circus is not a sideshow”