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Items tagged with: trump
"The #US is no longer a #democracy. One of the most credible global sources on the health of democratic nations now says this outright. The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute at Gothenburg University reaches the alarming conclusion in its annual report, that the US is hurtling towards #autocracy at a faster rate than #Hungary and #Turkey.
...the US ... has lost its long-term status as a liberal democracy."
theguardian.com/world/commentiâŚ
#Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #USA #UnitedStates
âTrump is aiming for dictatorshipâ. Thatâs the verdict of the worldâs most credible democracy watchdog
Swedenâs V-Dem Institute warns that the US is no longer a liberal democracy. And autocracy is creeping across Europe too, says writer Martin GelinMartin Gelin (The Guardian)
Trump threatens allies with retribution for not bending the knee.
UK digital infrastructure can be used as leverage or disrupted on his say so.
We need interoperable open-source systems, so we're not locked in to services owned and controlled by foreign tech firms.
Sign the petition for #DigitalSovereignty âŹď¸
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitionsâŚ
#Trump #nato #starmer #ukpolitics #ukpol #petition #opensource
Stop the "Kill Switch": Demand the UK takes back control of our technology.
From the NHS to our energy grid, we are too reliant on US tech. Help us demand digital independence.38 Degrees
"[Matthew D.] Taylor believes that the spread of what he calls maga Christianity is serving as cover for the authoritarian turn in right-wing politics: if your enemies are controlled by demonic forces, why would you respect how they voted?"
"Christian nationalism is arguably the dominant political force in Texas today, thanks, in part, to multimillion-dollar donations from two West Texas billionaires, Tim Dunn and Farris WilksâŚ."
"Compared with the religious right of previous generations, this cohort of pastors, influencers, and self-described prophets offers up a version of worship thatâs at once more mystical, with an emphasis on supernatural powers, and more militaristic, with heightened political rhetoric. Many adopt a Christian-nationalist framework, arguing that the United States was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed as such."
Rachel Monroe looks at Mercy Culture, a huge nondenominational evangelical megachurch in Fort Worth, for a glimpse into how white Christian nationalist ideas increasingly control the country via the Republican party under Trump.
"People not attuned to the evangelical world may have missed the growing prominence of hyper-politicized churches such as Mercy Culture, which have become a key wing of the maga coalition."
"According to Hegseth, Islamists are enabled by American leftists against God-fearing Christian Americans. He wrote, 'We donât want to fight, but, like our fellow Christians one thousand years ago, we must,' and he then envisioned in his book that the United States would go to war alongside Israel.
This is who is directing our military and the war in Iran right now."
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism
/6
"He also has the phrase 'Deus Vult' as a tattoo, which was the Latin rallying cry of Crusaders during the First Crusade in 1095. It means 'God Wills It.'
Hegseth has not been shy about his deep distrust of Islam and opposition to Muslims. In his book 'American Crusade,' he said that America faces a 'Crusade moment' that is similar to the 11th-century Christian crusades his tattoos point to."
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism
/5
"He then adjusted FDRâs 'arsenal of democracy' quote to say, ''Not only are we warriors armed with the arsenal of freedom, we ultimately are armed with the arsenal of faith.'
His beliefs take on a deeper and quite disturbing dynamic when one considers his tattoos. He has a Jerusalem Cross on his chest, which is a symbol tied to the Crusades, when many European Christians attempted to retake the Holy Land from Muslims."
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism
/4
During a recent press conference at the Pentagon, he also quoted Psalm 44 by saying, 'Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.'
At the national prayer breakfast, Hegseth emphasized his belief that America is a 'Christian nation' and needs to defend that identity."
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism
/3
"Hegseth talks often about how God is on his side and has said that Iran shouldnât doubt the USâs resolve because it is backed by God. He said, 'Our capabilities are better. Our will is better. Our troops are better. The providence of our almighty God is there protecting those troops, and weâre committed to this mission.'â
~ Benjamin Cremer
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism
/2
With about half of Americans supporting some version of Christian nationalist ideology, it's impossible to ignore the centrality of that ideology to Trump-Hegseth's war against Iran.
As Zachary B. Wolf says,
"Hegseth has long wanted to reprogram the country.
'America was founded as a Christian nation,' he said at a recent National Prayer Breakfast."
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism
/1
"RFK Jr. posted a cringe AI video today depicting himself shirtless wearing jeans in a wresting match beating up a Twinkie. It was produced by HHS."
~ Ron Filipkowski
#Trump #RFKJr #memes #AI #AISlop #HHS
/7
meidasplus.com/p/this-weekend-âŚ
This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 328.
⌠As first reported by Meidas and later picked up by many major media outlets, Trumpâs PAC sent a fundraising email to donors promising them âprivate national security briefingsâ by Trump on the Iran War.Ron Filipkowski (Meidas+)
"It does seem like a concerted strategy on the part of the government and the administration to put out these videos that not only minimize the seriousness of war, but sort of promote this nihilism. This sort of dehumanization, this like don't worry about what's going on, everything's a game."
~ Jon Favreau
"It shows how online this administration is and how how shaped they are by this, you know, this the performative nature of online communication. It's all about memes and, you know, loud language and vulgarities and how do you shock people and how do you stun people and how do you scare people with with language?:
~ Anne Applebaum
As people in the US and Middle East have been mourning their dead,
"The White House had begun posting snuff videos. Footage of actual US missile strikes hitting their targets in Iran are spliced together with scenes from Braveheart and Gladiator and Call of Duty and Mortal Kombat. Explosions that have killed innocent civilians are timed to the crack of a baseball bat or an NFL tackle."
~ Jon Favreau
Anne Applebaum on the Trump regime's memeification of war:
"It's this performance online culture designed for, I don't know, teenage boys and and their grown-up equivalents. But it also has a purpose. It makes people say, you know, this war is unserious. All of this will make people feel disengaged and it may work. I mean, you know, how can you focus on a serious war when you're being told the story of it through comic strips and videos."
youtube.com/watch?v=t3vEW9_a7UâŚ
The Trump Administration's Treatment of the Iran War is INHUMANE
Journalist and historian Anne Applebaum joins Offline to discuss Americaâs slide towards autocracy, as illustrated through Trump's war of choice in Iran. Ann...YouTube
"Last year, I warned about the possibility that Israel might drag the United States into a regional conflict. Whatâs happening now is worse than I could have ever imagined. âŚ
The fears I expressed 20 months ago now seem almost quaint, in the face of what Trump and Netanyahu have unleashed."
~ Annelle Sheline
(continued from /5)
"and delivered a war so catastrophic and so convenient that it is impossible to explain as an accident. ...
The Hunter Biden story was mostly made up. Kushnerâs corruption is so thorough and vast that America hasnât even begun to reckon with what a disaster it is for everything this country once aimed to stand for."
#JaredKushner #Trump #Putin #Netanyahu #Iran #war #AffinityPartners
/6
"Jared Kushner, arched with the swagger of the worldâs most confident mediocre man, walked into the most sensitive nuclear negotiation of the decade on behalf of the United States â representing governments that had paid him $157 million â carrying a pager given to him by the intelligence service of the country that wanted the war most, without a single technical expert,"
~ Jason Sattler
#JaredKushner #Trump #Putin #Netanyahu #Iran #war #AffinityPartners
/5
thecause.substack.com/p/jared-âŚ
Jared Kushnerâs Corruption Is a National Security Disaster
The presidentâs son-in-law dragged America into a war because he only serves his conflicted interestsL O L G O P (The Cause)
"[Kushner] has spoken with potential investors in recent weeks about raising $5 billion or more for Affinity Partners, his investment firm.... Affinityâs representatives have already met with Saudi Arabiaâs Public Investment Fund" nytimes.com/2026/03/13/businesâŚ
~ Roger Sollenberger
#JaredKushner #Trump #Putin #Netanyahu #Iran #war #AffinityPartners
/4
"Kushner is seeking billions in additional funding from the Saudi government as he serves as one of Trumpâs top negotiators with Iran."
#JaredKushner #Trump #Putin #Netanyahu #Iran #war #AffinityPartners
/3
"PIF, Kushnerâs biggest client, invested $2 billion with Affinity Partners in 2021. According to the report, Kushner is also seeking additional funds from Qatar and the UAE.
Kushner reportedly tried to drum up new investments while at the World Economic Forum in Davos as part of the official Trump administration delegation."
#JaredKushner #Trump #Putin #Netanyahu #Iran #war #AffinityPartners
/2
"Kushnerâs claim that he would not raise additional money during Trumpâs presidency to avoid conflicts turned out to be a lie.
On Friday, the New York Times reported that Kushner 'has spoken with potential investors in recent weeks about raising $5 billion or more for Affinity Partners.' Kushnerâs team has 'already met with Saudi Arabiaâs Public Investment Fund [PIF].'â
~ Judd Legum
#JaredKushner #Trump #Putin #Netanyahu #Iran #war #AffinityPartners
/1
popular.info/p/kushner-breaks-âŚ
Kushner breaks pledge, seeks $5 billion more from foreign governments
After Donald Trump won the presidency in 2024, Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, dismissed concerns that his private equity firm would be a vehicle to buy foreign influence.Judd Legum (Popular Information)
"The story on Fox Newsâ website about Brendan Carrâs threat against TV networks made it seem normal for the government to tell journalists what they can report. Fox enables fascism."
~ Mark Jacob
#BrendanCarr #Trump #FreeSpeech #media #FreePress #FCC #propaganda #fascism #FoxNews
/3
stopthepresses.news/p/trump-caâŚ
Trump canât handle the truth about the war
So far, major mediaâs coverage is a departure from past failuresMark Jacob (Stop the Presses)
"Brendan Carr is not some neutral bureaucrat doing his job. He wrote the FCC chapter of Project 2025. ...
And none of this is new. This is how it has always been done. In Nazi Germany, Joseph Goebbels issued daily press directives telling editors what headlines to run, what stories to bury, and exactly how to frame the regimeâs actions."
~ Heather Delaney Reese
#BrendanCarr #Trump #FreeSpeech #media #FreePress #FCC #propaganda #fascism
/2
heatherdelaneyreese.substack.câŚ
The President of the United States is afraid
Early this afternoon, the President of the United States gave an unscheduled and deeply troubling phone interview to NBC's Chief White House Correspondent, Kristen Welker, while he was spending time at his weekend retreat and private club, Mar-a-LagoâŚHeather Delaney Reese
There's a word to describe Brendan Carr's attempt to throttle the free press and make it dance to the tune of the state. US media and history textbooks have been very willing to use that word when it comes to other nations.
The word is fascism. Brendan Carr and other authors of Project 2025 want fascist control of American government and society.
#BrendanCarr #Trump #FreeSpeech #media #FreePress #FCC #propaganda #fascism
/1
"The current administrationâs approach to Iran is emblematic of a larger, systemic failure: the 'Cosplay Crusader' mentality. This is the belief that brute forceâbig planes, expensive toys, and naming ships after oneselfâis a substitute for historical literacy and diplomatic strategy.
There is a deep-seated, toxic hubris at play here. It is the same delusional white supremacy that:"
~ Danielle Moodie
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #stupidity #WhiteSupremacy
/1
daniellemoodie.substack.com/p/âŚ
The Illusion of Invincibility: Why Brute Force Is Failing the American Empire
The End of the âMiddlemanâ Era and the High Cost of Strategic HubrisDanielle Moodie (The DAM Digest)
"But they don't care. They're cosplay crusaders tatted up as white supremacists just holding a cross. And Jesus is a mascot."
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #violence #WhiteSupremacy #racism
/4
"And they're not at all interested in what Jesus has said, because if they actually were interested in what Jesus said, they would feed the poor. They would actually have USAID. They would have SNAP benefits. They would make sure women were treated well. They would not have these belligerent wars. They would not fund the genocide."
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #violence #WhiteSupremacy #racism
/3
Wajahat Ali, who is Muslim and educated in a Jesuit school, says,
"These people have hijacked Jesus and used him as a mascot. They put duct tape over his mouth and they've slung an AR-15 around him and said, You shut your mouth. We've got the wheel. And in Jesus's name, we're going to be white supremacists. That's all it is. It's about power and racism and greed."
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #violence #WhiteSupremacy #racism
/2
joyannreid.com/p/joy-ann-reid-âŚ
Joy Ann Reid Has INFURIATED MAGA Yet Again! This Time Over Trump and Iran
A recording from Joy-Ann Reid and THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali's live videoJoy-Ann Reid (Welcome to Joy's House!)
"The greatest theological trick the American Church ever pulled was marrying Dispensationalism with Christian Nationalism. One says the world is doomed to burn; the other says they're entitled to rule it. When you fuse them, you get an empire that believes it has a divine mandate to rule the world by actively setting it on fire. It's a theology of absolute violence."
~ Faithful Citizen Podcast
#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war #WhiteChristianNationalism #violence
/1
"This is the beast Trump and Republicans created, and it can only be controlled for so long. ...
The whole conservative movement has assimilated Trumpâs style into their DNA. This is how they do politics now: When you disagree with someone, you call them a harlot or say they have a micropenis, and encourage your audience to turn that disagreement into hatred and rage."
Paul Waldman notes the strains in the MAGA movement re: the Iran war, as Trumpist Mark Levin calls Trumpist Megyn Kelly "an emotionally unhinged, lewd, and petulant wreck" and a "harlot," and she responds by saying he has a micropenis:
"Trouble is, once you build a movement and a political style around hate, personal insults, performative conflict, and conspiracy theorizing, itâs not easy to channel it only in the directions you want."
paulwaldman.substack.com/p/magâŚ
MAGA Turns on Itself, and It's Ugly
This is the only way they know how to do politics.Paul Waldman (The Cross Section)
#Trump admin Asks #SCOTUS to End Protections for #Haitian Immigrants
Trump asked the #SupremeCourt to allow it to end a program shielding roughly 350,000 Haitians from #deportation. In the request, the second aimed at a specific group of #immigrants in recent weeks, the admin asserted that lower courts had sought to block White House initiatives in ways that âinflict specific harms to the national interest & foreign relations.â Read
#law #immigration #WhiteSupremacy
nytimes.com/live/2026/03/11/usâŚ
#PlanetLabs told customers it has expanded what it calls its âarea of interest,â establishing restrictions on #satellite images from âall of #Iran & nearby allied bases, in addition to the Gulf States & existing conflict zones.â It said it was placing a 2-week hold on access to new imagery from that area in the companyâs commercial archive.
#law #information #censorship #Trump #geopolitics #MiddleEast #US #Israel #Iran #war
A spokesperson for California-based #PlanetLabs, which operates more than 200 #satellites in orbit, shared a message sent to affected customers this week. The message confirmed that the company had decided to take additional measures to ensure its imagery âis not tactically leveraged by adversarial actors to target allied & NATO-partner personnel & civilians.â
#law #information #censorship #Trump #geopolitics #MiddleEast #US #Israel #Iran #war
#Satellite companies restrict access to #MiddleEast imagery amid #Iran #war
2 leading spatial #intelligence companies say they are restricting access to satellite images of the Middle East in response to the #US - #Israel war with Iran.
âŠ#PlanetLabs & #Vantor, which are based in the #UnitedStates & have #federal contracts, say they were not âorderedâ by any #government to restrict image #access.
#law #information #censorship #Trump #geopolitics
washingtonpost.com/national-seâŚ
All of that will be inflationary, prompting bond markets to raise borrowing #costs worldwide. Forget about rate cuts. Of the five â#CentralBanks meeting next week in the United â States, Europe, Britain, Australia & Canada, traders bet none will be easing & one - Australia - will be hiking.
#Trump #US #Iran #war #ForeverWars #inflation #economy #affordability #CostOfLiving #oil #energy #geopolitics #MiddleEast
When asked about the #war, #Trump said the #US was "going to look very strongly at âthe straits." [whatever that means]
Share markets did not take it well. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell â1.6% to â snap two days of consecutive gains. Japan's Nikkei dropped 1.7%.
Both S&P 500 futures & Nasdaq futures fell 1%. Over in Europe, EUROSTOXX 50 futures slipped 1.1%.
#Iran #oil #inflation #economy #geopolitics #MiddleEast