Notices by janhoglund (janhoglund@mastodon.nu)

“MAGA world is performing over-the-top outrage over a photo… The image shows shells on a beach arranged in a popular slogan for opposing President Donald J. Trump: “86”—slang for tossing something away—followed by “47”, a reference to Trump’s presidency. Using “eighty-six” as either a noun or a verb appears to have started in the restaurant industry in the 1930s to indicate that something was out of stock.”
—Heather Cox Richardson, May 16, 2025
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-16-2025
#trump

“Trump’s appearances have been deeply concerning as he cannot follow a coherent thread, frequently falls asleep, repeatedly veers into nonsense, and says he doesn’t know about the operations of his government.”
—Heather Cox Richardson, May 16, 2025
#trump

“The White House…pushed back dramatically against a story that appeared in Business Insider Monday, comparing Donald Trump Jr. to former president Joe Biden’s son Hunter.”
—Heather Cox Richardson, May 16, 2025
#trump #biden

“…a reader asked for a list of the law firms that had capitulated to Trump. Those firms have fallen out of the news cycle, but their cowardice remains… Worse, those nine firms are home to some of the Democratic Party’s leaders… At some point, remaining at those firms constitutes assent to the shameful capitulation.”
—Robert Hubbell, A good week as the resistance bends the arc toward justice
https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/a-good-week-as-the-resistance-bends
#trump

“…the question of whether there can be a Trump successor is very interesting. The GOP tried with DeSantis and Haley and failed. They tried with JD Vance, and he alienated two Popes… Trump is unique because of his deep connections in business, “business” (organized crime), entertainment, media, and politics. He also had an enormous amount of leverage through blackmail, threats, and bribes, and is a skilled propagandist. It’s hard to replicate that.”
—Sarah Kendzior
https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/your-questions-answered-white-house
#trump

“…no one ever wins a fight. This is a call for people to live less in reaction to hostile elements and instead be proactive in building a road house of their own — a road house of the soul, if you will. Or else a real-estate developer tied to organized crime may take advantage of you! And that’s when it’s time to not be nice.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered: White House vs Road House
#trump

“Trump has a cult of personality that doesn’t seem possible to replicate, which is to the advantage of free-thinking people. The key is to never conflate Trump with systemic problems. He is their culmination, not their origin, and those problems will need to be tackled urgently when he goes.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#trump

“People should be realistic about Trump. That means looking at his network, its history, and what institutions have done in reaction to it. … I encourage people to examine the track records of commentators and see how their past predictions panned out. Did they falsely promise “rule of law” and browbeat anyone who pointed to hard evidence of institutional corruption? Then they may be working for nefarious forces.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered: White House vs Road House
#trump

“…yes, Trump is trying to tank the economy! He announced this in a FOX News interview in February 2014… It was always his plan, in line with his life as a corporate raider tied to transnational organized crime, and in line with the extreme right-wing groups who long sought to destroy any parts of the US federal government that benefit the public. These goals have been in place since the 1980s, and to some degree, decades before.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#trump #economy

“…I don’t trust that banking regulations will hold. What happened to people in similar situations in autocratic countries is that the black market thrived. There may be a new spin on this in the US since people will also want to avoid being digitally tracked, so cash—if it holds—may have greater appeal. I patronize places that take cash and hire humans…because I don’t want to contribute to my own demise. I wish I had better answers for you…”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#trump #money

“Three-year-olds are great because they are fascinated by everyday things. I remember taking my three-year-old to the zoo to show them elephants, but they were too distracted by ants to care. Keep kids curious; that’s what counts.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#curiosity

“The military has been used against Americans on US soil for centuries. The key is who gets to be defined as “American”. … That’s why they want to ban books at places like West Point. They need soldiers to see fellow Americans as alien and lesser so they will attack them without hesitation. The Trump admin will likely broaden the net and “de-Americanize” white Americans based on things like ideological views…“
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#trump #usa #military

“There is a widespread sense we are being screwed over and subjected to forces we don’t understand, particularly when it comes to political alliances with Big Tech. Musk’s overt swindle clarified that for a lot of folks, as did the Democrats’ acquiescence. Dem voters may have finally gotten past the denial stage…and realized many of their own leaders are complicit and should be ousted.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#trump #musk #bigtech #politics

“Regardless of how scary this is, do not abandon people. It is important to stand up for everyone being persecuted…, and to fight the state censorship… Don’t assume that everyone in the military will follow illicit orders. Help combat the political culture that contributes to the incentive to obey.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#values

“The world as it’s presented on the internet and the world on the ground are increasingly split. I think it’s because people are terrified of being vulnerable online, and kindness and vulnerability often go hand in hand. We now see only a sliver of humanity on the internet, and it’s the kind of sliver that makes you bleed.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#internet #vulnerability #kindness

“Do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do, not because you think you’ll win.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered: White House vs Road House
#values

“I’m glad that Canadian leaders are standing up to the American government as a whole. But I wish they would not fall for the “red” and “blue” state fallacy… This is very different than boycotting a company you know supports evil, like Tesla. I’d like more thoughtfully targeted boycotts. And please continue to use the free speech you have to keep calling out American corruption — we are increasingly losing ours!”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered: White House vs Road House
#canada #usa

“People around the world are looking at the US and asking, “How the hell do we avoid that?” Which is mildly humiliating but entirely deserved. I’m glad that, if anything useful is to come of this nightmare, it’s showing other countries what not to do. … I love my country but please do not emulate it.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered: White House vs Road House
#usa #trump

“Archive everything. You can’t solve a crisis without getting to the roots of it. The internet gave us a wonderful opening, but its utility was annihilated by tech oligarchs. It’s harder than ever to find information about events from just a few years ago.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered: White House vs Road House
#internet #archive

“Protesting is good; it shows intolerance for abuse of power and helps build networks of dissent. …this is a racist regime that uses brutal, lawless tactics and explicitly targets people who aren’t white. …I can’t blame non-white folks for feeling furious and betrayed… It’s a terrible feeling when the people who should have your back stab it.”
—Sarah Kendzior, Your Questions Answered
#protest #protests