volkris @volkris@qoto.org
I think the most pressing and fundamental problem of the day is that people lack a practically effective means of sorting out questions of fact in the larger world. We can hardly begin to discuss ways of addressing reality if we can't agree what reality even is, after all.
The institutions that have served this role in the past have dropped the ball, so the next best solution is talking to each other, particularly to those who disagree, to sort out conflicting claims.
Unfortunately, far too many actively oppose this, leaving all opposing claims untested. It's very regressive.
So that's my hobby, striving to understanding the arguments of all sides at least because it's interesting to see how mythologies are formed but also because maybe through that process we can all have our beliefs tested.
But if nothing else, social media platforms like this are chances to vent frustrations that on so many issues both sides are obviously wrong ;)
Joined Dec 2022
volkris
boosted
From conservative talk shows last week, referring to Cheney's opposition to #Trump: #DickCheney did do some good stuff before he turned into a far leftist in the end. #USPolitics
Today #Trump supporters are crowing about how he keeps winning over every court that comes after him, he's a force of nature that no one can land a hand on, because he's just so awesome, and a rebuke against politicized use of the courts.
Trump keeps winning!
Meanwhile, outside of that uninformed echo chamber...
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/26/donald-trump-penalty-lawsuit-hillary-clinton-00669616
The controversy surrounding the Senators' ad regarding illegal military orders really distills the state of US politics at the moment.
For example, mainstream conservative influencers are treating the ad as if it really was speaking directly to soldiers, as they are so unsophisticated that they take a political spot at face value.
This kindergarten level of naivety drives so much of the political discourse shaping US politics in this era, and helps shield #Trump from accountability.
@bweller Well, where exactly do you think I got something wrong? Perhaps you misunderstood something, and I'm happy to clarify, or I'm happy to cite sources and lay out my perspective.
Or, you could always correct something that I have wrong by providing your own sources.
Let's build up, not tear down. No good comes from that.
volkris
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The gang that couldn't persecute straight, cont'd: federal judge dismisses criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that Justice Department illegally appointed prosecutor who brought the charges at President Donald Trump’s urging. /5
Judge dismisses Comey, James i...
Technically true, but Kurtz should should know better than to present this as practically true in general.
#HowieKurtz:In the United States we don't vote for parties, so party doesn't really matter. We vote for representatives, we judge them on their ow...
volkris
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"b" at Moon of Alabama writes about the peace deal leak
Where it is kind of obvious that "k" was Kellogg - who leaked the information to Axios. Got fired for this.
Goes into a bit about the position, how it was planned to push Putin, and perhaps some escalation is coming.
volkris
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#BrianKilmeade, admittedly out of context: #Trump is a dog barking from safely behind a chain link fence #USPolitics
Watching the screw-ups in the Comey prosecution right now I'm just thinking #TACO , #Trump Always Chickens Out, should be joined by #TOFU , Trump Only Fs Up.
Because seriously... OK his supporters claim that he's not chickening out, that was the plan all along, but there's really no way to get around the F ups.
And this is a historically giant screw up.
volkris
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#ClayAndBuck: I need to stop saying "hashtag" because nobody uses hashtags anymore. #USPolitics
volkris
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Senator Coach #TommyTuberville on #BrianKilmeade: The US government is $38 trillion in debt, and there's no way to pay that by taxing Americans no matter how high, so the only way to pay it is tariffs! The guy's running for governor, BTW. #USPolitics #Tariffs
volkris
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#SeanHannity: How dare these Democrats put out an ad telling members of the US military that they don't have to carry out "unlawful orders"? That's so dangerous! [n.b.: he's the one who identified them as unlawful orders. His description. Not my editorializing] #USPolitics
Listening to #BBC broadcasts reminds that a lot of folks internationally (and unfortunately a lot of folks in the US) don't really understand how the US government is structured when it comes to things like the #Epstein file issue.
Procedurally, it's much more complicated than "Just release the files!"
(The following is brief illustration of the situation)
At the surface, the act of Congress is rather pointless. With coequal branches, Congress lacks authority to order the Executive to release anyway, so the passage is only symbolic. #Trump could have released the documents he had at any point, or not released them, and that doesn't change here.
BUT complicating this is that Congress already passed laws that sought to restrict the release of such documents. So it's one symbol running into another and an Executive playing them off each other.
Media reports really miss the nuances of the structure in this arrangement, as parliamentary systems don't really have these.
The #Texas redistricting case points directly at the mess that VRA has caused, which landed the law in front of the #SCOTUS earlier this year.
In the district court's order blocking the new map you can see arguments echoing those against the VRA in the Supreme Court.
I think a lot of people are going to be upset about the VRA challenge but celebrate the Texas ruling without realizing their contradiction.
volkris
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Senator #JoniErnst interviewed by #BrianKilmeade: No, I haven't been briefed on a plan for #Venezuela. Am I worried about the US conducting a ground invasion? Well the territory is very difficult, but we have the best fighters on Earth! Also #Trump is the peace pres. pushing stability. #USPolitics
Here's a link to the #Epstein files bill that the #House is to vote on.
https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr4405/BILLS-119hr4405ih.pdf
Siiiigh
A senator(?) being interviewed on #ClayAndBuck:Rand Paul says the Constitution doesn't give #Trump the authority to blow up boats, but where doesn...
Every once in awhile even Trump's most die hard supporters and activists start to feel the cognitive bias and have to stumble around to try to maintain their support for the guy...
#ClayAndBuck: Wait... There's something weird about how #Trump started killing people in boats saying it was for deterrence, and yet they are stil...
Extrajudicial killings came up at February DOJ gathering: "Bove's remarks, which have not previously been publicly reported, suggest at least some ...
volkris
boosted
#LarryKudlow: Trump's tariffs are great, good for the country, no downside at all, and also thank goodness Trump got rid of tariffs because we're going to be much better off without them now. #USPolitics #tariffs
I think the most pressing and fundamental problem of the day is that people lack a practically effective means of sorting out questions of fact in the larger world. We can hardly begin to discuss ways of addressing reality if we can't agree what reality even is, after all.
The institutions that have served this role in the past have dropped the ball, so the next best solution is talking to each other, particularly to those who disagree, to sort out conflicting claims.
Unfortunately, far too many actively oppose this, leaving all opposing claims untested. It's very regressive.
So that's my hobby, striving to understanding the arguments of all sides at least because it's interesting to see how mythologies are formed but also because maybe through that process we can all have our beliefs tested.
But if nothing else, social media platforms like this are chances to vent frustrations that on so many issues both sides are obviously wrong ;)
Joined Dec 2022
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