Notices by Alexander Karn (xankarn@mastodon.online), page 3

“How much organized deceit can a democracy endure before it ceases to function?”

RE: https://kolektiva.social/@DoomsdaysCW/116765668088540260

Love her writing.

“The painful event was an almost too-perfect symbol of the larger problem infecting Trump’s White House: it’s run by men obsessed with looking tough, but who are, in actuality, weak and incompetent. The more they fail, the more they grasp for these theatrical but ineffectual displays of masculine preening, hoping that the public mistakes loud and violent displays for strength.“

“Defense lawyers say that about half of the 36 federal cases in Minnesota charging individual defendants with assaulting or interfering with federal agents assigned to the crackdown have already been dismissed. Judges have questioned the evidence underlying the accusations.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/us/minnesota-immigration-charges-antifa.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qlA.R0cc.oWph-gAooq4B&smid=nytcore-ios-share

RE: https://flipboard.com/@thenewsdesk/news-i8koidj5z/-/a-g72jaWdNT82DyrHcJIHCTA%3Aa%3A43591897-%2F0

Instead of “Is this fascism?” we should be asking “What stage of fascism is this?”

We've reached the Willy Wonka stage of American fascism:

https://genius.com/Gene-wilder-pure-imagination-lyrics

https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/01/world/video/majority-us-military-sites-damaged-iran-vrtc

"I’ve never seen anything like this before.… These are rapid, targeted strikes, with [advanced] technology,” the source said.

"The main targets appeared to be multimillion-dollar aircraft. At the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, a Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft, which provides surveillance, command, control, and communications to the U.S. military, was destroyed. That aircraft is worth nearly half a billion dollars, and is currently out of production."

https://newrepublic.com/post/209850/iran-destroyed-majority-military-sites-middle-east

Party of limited government now zombie walks behind guy who says the only check on his power is his own conscience. Since 2019 he has asserted “the right to do anything I want” under Article 2 of the Constitution. SCOTUS happy to assist.

But don’t worry. He’s not a king and this is still a democracy.

Back to the Met Gala, the new season of whatever, and all the grinding pressures of late capitalism.

Hump day!!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/05/06/iran-us-bases-satellite-images/

The Strait is open. The war is over. No U.S. bases have been struck. No service members killed or wounded.

Affordability is a hoax. Those schoolgirls probably targeted themselves. Gas prices would have been higher under Kamala.

Nobody is coming for Medicare. The ballroom is paid for by private donations. Pretti and Good were domestic terrorists. International law is not a thing.

Never was.

A Republic of lies. POTUS strongly advises we lie back and try to enjoy it.

RE: https://flipboard.com/@npr/politics-v8m4p3ukz/-/a-Qfl_g-pNTiyTdYuUw2PjUw%3Aa%3A3195441-%2F0

Today in the MAGA war on fact-based America.

Incoming. Man your stations.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/us/politics/fda-covid-vaccine-studies.html?unlocked_article_code=1.gFA.KoeD.ez530bsORo13&smid=nytcore-ios-share

1. More Americans than ever think Trump is a piece of shit.

2. GOP is working harder than ever to subvert fair elections.

3. More Americans than ever believe that elections and party politics make no difference.

This is how democracy dies.

Demoralization and false equivalence are fascist gold.

#uspol #democracy

They sacked the Capitol and brought the Confederate flag, but racism is over in America, so there’s no cause for concern, according to Roberts et al.

#uspol #voting #SCOTUS #democracy

RE: https://mastodon.online/@xankarn/116354488719387623

I don’t know if I got here first, but I got here way before most of the online pundits.

RE: https://mastodon.online/@xankarn/116448149001409888

This turned into a 🧵 on the meaning of resistance and staving off discouragement in the face of ongoing politcal corruption and goon-ery.

RE: https://flipboard.com/@scimag/news-from-science-dgvs7ea7z/-/a-w1XCnGh5SY2WxkYQRcpUOg%3Aa%3A2427788627-%2F0

Never before has the president of the United States cowered in the face of the truth to this extent.

Worse than merely a liar, he’s a weakling.

Tucker Carlson is sorry.

Marjorie Taylor Greene is sorry.

Michael Cohen.

Anthony Scaramucci.

Etc.

GOP: We are the party of responsible financial stewardship and fiscal conservatism.

Also GOP: How much will the war cost? I don't even want to guess. Eleventy trillion? Blah-bity billion and seven? It's not really for me to say, mate.

Oversight?

No, thank you.

"Pressed at one point to supply even a general range of the cost, Mr. Vought told lawmakers, 'I’m not going to give you a range because I don’t want to be inaccurate.'"

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/world/middleeast/iran-war-cost-congress.html?searchResultPosition=2