Did a filibuster happen if no one being opposed had to bat an eyelid?

Some thoughts on Senator Cory Booker’s filibuster effort overnight and into this morning

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It’s not the hypocrisy that bothers me; it’s the stupidity,” says Hillary Clinton. I am one of those saps who is more bothered by the hypocrisy. Hillary can’t afford to be, I suppose.


The Signal chat seems to be evidence of a war crime, right?

Given the lack of urgency and predictable civilian deaths, does the Signal chat not constitute a war crime!? Does this leaked conversation provide the proof?

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I've been quiet here (not so much directly on Bluesky). I hope I can say it is because I have been busy in worthwhile efforts.


I have to hope that enough enthralled by fascism are not fascists

Jason Kottke quotes A.R. Moxon and follows-up with: Yeah, this is basically why I don’t waste time anymore railing against the many hypocrisies of conservatives — they’re not gotchas that you’re catching them in, they’re part of the domination. True, but I have to hope their hypocrisy, as evidence of domination, is revealing to those who are not in fact fascists in their hearts then they realize they will be on the short end of the stick.

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We’re getting snowed but I don’t mean the weather.


Tuesday’s rally outside the Treasury Department building, along 15th Street NW between F and G.


Yesterday outside the Department of Labor


The blowback is going to come in all forms

A neighbor, whose org is largely funded by USAID, shared that they laid-off 70% of their staff and they who remain are there to close-up shop. The web site is reduced to a splash page. They helped farmers farm better and more sustainably, adopting new technology and adapting to new environments, enabled locally-controlled economic development and community banking, implemented clean water and sanitation programs, and facilitated medical services capacity building.

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USAID shutdown reportedly styming anti-human trafficking direct service efforts

I worked for nearly a decade with the organization that currently runs the National Human Trafficking Hotline. I do not know the current specific details, but I believe it and am saddened by this news. I and my team supported some efforts to engage with some of the international partners alluded to if not mentioned in this reporting. I have all kinds of feelings about the space (and Polaris's unfortunate support for some very flawed legislation in the US), and I do not have an uncritical view of USAID, but it pains me to understand the many ways people just trying to help people are being crippled, seized-up and disrupted.

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