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#fascismwatch — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #fascismwatch, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch:

    ‘Trump Has Already Rigged the 2028 Presidential Election’. Regardless of how people vote, the chances of a Democrat Government coming to power in 2029 is virtually nil."

    Wahlen sind in den USA uU kein HEBEL gg den Faschismus mehr. Welche bleiben dann noch? We gotta talk about that.
    bylinetimes.com/2026/01/22/tru

    #fascismwatch
  2. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch:

    "Trump suggested that Republican state officials 'take over' and 'nationalize' elections in 15 states to protect the party from being voted out of office."

    If you believe there will be "free and fair midterms", I'd like to sell you a Trump University degree.
    theguardian.com/us-news/2026/f

    #fascismwatch
  3. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch:

    "#ICE-Abschiebungen in New York: In den USA nehmen Beamte der Grenzschutzbehörde Menschen wahllos fest – auch ohne Urteil."

    Die USA sind kein demokratischer Rechtsstaat mehr: es gibt kein Habeas Corpus, und die 2026 midterms werden unfrei sein.

    The future/winter is coming...
    taz.de/ICE-Abschiebungen-in-Ne

    #fascismwatch #ice
  4. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch: "US-Vizepräsident wünscht sich, dass seine Frau (zum Christentum) konvertiert."

    Gilead incoming...
    spiegel.de/ausland/usa-vizepra

    #fascismwatch
  5. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch:

    "Bringing a birth certificate to soccer practice. Avoiding crowds. Shopping for relatives too afraid to go outside: some of the ways that US citizens of color have altered how they move through the world..."

    It's fucking heartbreaking.
    theguardian.com/us-news/2025/o

    #fascismwatch
  6. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch:

    "A Trump nominee who is scheduled for a confirmation hearing this week told other Republicans he 'has a #Nazi streak'."

    That's what it feels like when the fascists are neither ashamed nor afraid.

    We need to make them afraid again...
    theguardian.com/us-news/2025/o

    #fascismwatch #nazi
  7. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch: "A Rutgers University professor who taught a course on anti-fascism was blocked from leaving the US for Spain on Wednesday night, hours after Trump hosted a roundtable highlighting the impact of #antifa."

    Oh, what fun...
    theguardian.com/us-news/2025/o

    #fascismwatch #antifa
  8. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch:

    "Das US-Justizministerium hat Letitia James angeklagt, nachdem Donald Trump rechtliche Schritte gegen die Generalstaatsanwältin von New York gefordert hatte, die ein Verfahren gegen ihn eingeleitet hatte."

    ft.com/content/dc00ae3e-2f3e-4

    #fascismwatch
  9. zeno's paradox speedrunner @[email protected] ·

    believe them 🧵

    "the lady doth protest too much, methinks"

    #uspol #fascism #fascismwatch

    #uspol #fascism #fascismwatch
  10. zeno's paradox speedrunner @[email protected] ·

    believe them

    #uspol #fascism #fascismwatch

    #uspol #fascism #fascismwatch
  11. zeno's paradox speedrunner @[email protected] ·

    they are burning the masks in front of our faces

    it's coming... *they* are coming...

    #houselessness #homeless #fascism #fascismwatch

    #houselessness #homeless #fascism #fascismwatch
  12. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch: the Führer was displeased by the general's assessment of the Iran strikes; the general is gone, purged.

    "US defense secretary Pete Hegseth has fired a general whose agency’s initial intelligence assessment of damage to Iranian nuclear sites from US strikes angered Donald Trump."
    theguardian.com/us-news/2025/a

    #fascismwatch
  13. Mezza Notte @[email protected] ·

    Oh cool, we're skipping the "creepy strongman phase" and going straight to canceling elections. Totally normal stuff. Just a lil' test run to see if Americans care. Do you? Prove it.
    youtu.be/rugU8Nm1YTI?si=LXRDBX
    #FascismWatch #ElectionTheft #ThisIsNotFine

    #fascismwatch #electiontheft #thisisnotfine
  14. Mezza Notte @[email protected] ·

    Oh cool, we're skipping the "creepy strongman phase" and going straight to canceling elections. Totally normal stuff. Just a lil' test run to see if Americans care. Do you? Prove it.
    youtu.be/rugU8Nm1YTI?si=LXRDBX
    #FascismWatch #ElectionTheft #ThisIsNotFine

    #thisisnotfine #electiontheft #fascismwatch
  15. Mezza Notte @[email protected] ·

    Oh cool, we're skipping the "creepy strongman phase" and going straight to canceling elections. Totally normal stuff. Just a lil' test run to see if Americans care. Do you? Prove it.
    youtu.be/rugU8Nm1YTI?si=LXRDBX
    #FascismWatch #ElectionTheft #ThisIsNotFine

    #fascismwatch #electiontheft #thisisnotfine
  16. Billykaren Beaufort 🎶 @[email protected] ·

    #Breaking: 🚨 #FascismWatch - Rep. LaMonica #McIver indicted on federal charges over clash with law enforcement at #ICE facility in New Jersey
    Interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said the Democratic lawmaker, who plans to plead not guilty, was indicted on three counts of interfering with law enforcement.

    nbcnews.com/politics/congress/

    #breaking #fascismwatch #mciver #ice
  17. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch: "die Trump-Regierung hat etwa ein Dutzend Migranten aus Ländern wie Myanmar und Vietnam in den Südsudan abgeschoben."

    Weil für die #Arschlochgesellschaft "Ausländer = Ausländer", da ist egal, woher, es ist egal, wohin - nur nicht *hier*.
    theguardian.com/us-news/2025/m

    #fascismwatch #arschlochgesellschaft
  18. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    that's not good at all.

    #fascismwatch

    #fascismwatch
  19. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch: "Trump Says Undocumented Immigrants Shouldn’t Get Trials Before Deportation".

    Und wehe, ich sage Euch Menschen mit deutschem Pass: der Angriff auf Menschenrechte fängt mit trans an, geht gegen Migrant*innen weiter, aber dort endet er nicht. Wo er endet, erklärt Euch Pastor Niemöller.
    nytimes.com/2025/04/22/us/poli

    #fascismwatch
  20. zeno's paradox speedrunner @[email protected] ·

    again, this is *today*

    >"Yes he will, as will anyone who preaches hate for America," Miller said. "Under this country, under this administration, under President Trump, people who hate America, who threaten our citizens, who rape, who murder, and who support those who rape and murder are going to be ejected from this country."

    msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-of

    #uspol #politics #fascism #fascismwatch #news

    #uspol #politics #fascism #fascismwatch #news
  21. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch, Gilead-edition:

    "As Trump returns, state lawmakers pursue bills that would treat #abortion as homicide"

    theguardian.com/world/2025/jan

    #fascismwatch #abortion
  22. Tadzio Mueller @[email protected] ·

    #FascismWatch, US edition:

    "A Milwaukee meteorologist has been fired from her TV station after she criticized Elon Musk’s fascist salutes during Trump’s inaugural celebrations."

    An ordinary pleb criticising the king's courtiers? Death on the scaffold.
    theguardian.com/technology/202

    #fascismwatch
  23. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Heritage Foundation: this is a revolution

    “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless — if the left allows it to be.”

    The Heritage Foundation’s official position is that I shouldn’t be allowed to exist; that I – along with every other LGBT person – should be illegal.

    Nor or we the only ones. We’re just high in the queue.

    Nothing about their “second American Revolution” will be bloodless, and they do not want it to be bloodless. They want to be executioners.

    This is “submit, allow us to kill who we will, or die along with them.”

    You have got to get through to any Trumpy friends or family you have. Maybe you’ve tried before, maybe you failed, maybe you’ll fail again. But you have to try.

    124 days remain.

    [link] #politics #USPol #fascism #fascismWatch #politics #uspolitics

    #fascism #fascismwatch #politics #uspolitics
  24. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch: Every other issue just became secondary at best

    After today’s Republican Supreme Court decision granting presidents complete criminal immunity for anything that qualifies even remotely as an “official act” – something even George III didn’t have – everything else is secondary. Trump got more than he asked for. Read Justice Sotomayor’s dissent.

    Trump has, of course, declared victory and called for a military tribunal to try Liz Cheney for treason over on Truth Social. If, you know, you’re wondering how he’s reacting. But yeah, as Sotomayor says, a president can now order military strikes on his political opponents and if he declares it an “official act” as Commander in Chief and remain immune from the law, so there y’are.

    There is no more room for even a single electoral mistake. The next authoritarian – or the next person with authoritarian tendencies – elected President will be the last elected President. Every election has to go right until this is reversed, somehow, and until then the republic is truly dead, because that means you have one party that isn’t primed and ready to launch a dictatorship the moment they have power. and one that absolutely, positively is.

    Here’s a bunch of stuff I was working into a few posts. It’s not important now, but you might skim the headlines. There are a few different topics, and they should matter more, still. And I suppose, really, they do. But, you know. Precipice of dictatorship, and all that. So.

    [link] #politics #USPol #fascism #fascismWatch #politics #uspolitics

    #fascism #fascismwatch #politics #uspolitics
  25. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for April 26, 2023: Expel the Opposition Again edition

    State Rep. Zooey Zephyr said – correctly – during the Republican Montana Legislature’s debates over their anti-trans-healthcare bill that people voting for it would have “blood on your hands.” This is, again, the truth, and she was saying this in context of youth suicide. They’re now moving to censure or expel her. We don’t know […]

    [link] #news #politics #sociality

    #fascismwatch #lolscience #news #politics #t0000000000bs
  26. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for 1 July 2024: Let’s go through some tech bullshit, shall we?

    Not just Twitter this time, though I assure you, there is plenty of Twitter. But let’s start with my favourite article of the last few weeks: I Will Fucking Piledrive You If You Mention AI Again. I love this article and I love it very much. It is distilled catharsis. Enjoy.

    Now to get into some of Elon Musk’s Twitter fascism before moving on to other items:

    Well, that was a lot. Let’s see what else we have.

    Ah, this one’s good: Research finds pattern of YouTube recommending right-leaning, Christian videos. It does that to me, too. It really wants people to find fash content. I wonder if it’s related to the politics that lead to Tech Company Hit With DOJ Fine After Racist ‘Whites Only’ Job Posting and Stanford’s top disinformation research group collapses under right-wing pressure. I’m pretty fucking sure it is.

    Here’s the least surprising thing ever: Someone managed to get Gab’s AI’s setup prompt. It is, naturally, everything you’d expect out of a fascist site.

    Meanwhile, Meta accused of trying to discredit ad researchers – Meta allegedly tried to discredit university researchers in Brazil who had flagged fraudulent adverts on the social network’s ad platform. Fundamentally, Meta doesn’t like people saying things about it that it doesn’t like, and will absolutely throw its weight at people. See also A local news site was critical of Facebook—then Meta banned all their links.

    If you’re wondering, the story that pissed them off was When Facebook fails, local media matters even more for our planet’s future.

    Clearly, Google was fine with it: U.K. forces Google to remove websites selling gender-affirming medications. TERF Island is go go go.

    Finally, to come back aground and close with more general news – stuff that isn’t actually directly fash / far-right / fundamentalist related, but is still tech bullshit:

    We’ll close on some better news, from CheckMyAds: Google’s breaking down, but we need to keep our eye on the ball. They’re doing some good work. You might give them a looking-over, maybe sign up. I did.

    [link] #politics #sociality #USPol #fascism #fascismWatch #politics #t0000000000bs_ #Twitter #uspol #uspolitics

    #fascism #fascismwatch #politics #t0000000000bs_ #twitter #uspol
  27. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Let’s tell a story with headlines

    There’s a form of writing called epistolary storytelling, where the story is told in letters written for the story. The novel Dracula is a particularly famous example, but in no way is it the only one.

    There doesn’t seem to be an equivalent term for telling stories in the from of news articles, though. Which is a bit of a surprise to me, but then, I can’t think of many that have tried it. World War Z comes close, in the form of its collection of oral histories. So maybe it’s not that surprising.

    Can we tell a story in the form of news article headlines? Maybe one about a man who is out for power at any cost, explicitly – in his own words – for retribution?

    The problem with telling that story is how very, very, very good Americans are at denial, after all. Denial about Donald Trump is deeper than ever. Authoritarians have often told us what they are going to do, but people have rarely believed them.

    In fact, one might say We’ve Hit Peak Denial, that we are living through a terrible time in humanity. Here’s why we tend to stick our heads in the sand and why we need to pull them out, fast.

    (Ooh, that kinda worked. I don’t think it’ll work that well in general, but that part works.)

    But seriously, though – denial is absolutely rampant and overwhelming, particularly amongst low-information voters. It’s the single biggest breakthrough we have to make this election. I’ve said that many times. I doubt it’s sunk in, so here it is again: we have to get through to the low-info voters.

    If you know some, that’s kinda on you to do the job. It’s on all of us, but those of us who know the low-information voters who hate to talk politics but still vote anyway? It’s kinda extra so. Sorry.

    Chapter 1: What kind of man is Trump, and what kind of President was Trump?

    Trump praises authoritarian leaders, saying Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping and Viktor Orban are “at the top of their game, whether you like it or not.” He’s a huge fan, and wants to be part of the club. He’s always admired them, like in this “personal story about Donald Trump, Marla Maples. The “Carpet King” Bob Shaw, Adolph Hitler and my wife Martha“

    A person’s friends can be revealing: Trump’s Spiritual Adviser Quasi-Confesses to Molesting 12-Year-Old Girl. He did spend a lot of time on Epstein’s airplane, so this shouldn’t be a surprise.

    How about that aide of his bragging about ‘causing innocent people to be arrested’? That’s a revealing character note, don’t you think?

    There’s also that whole “Amendment Abolishing Slavery Missing from Trump’s USA Bible” incident.

    I guess he considers that one apocrypha, if he considers it at all.

    Chapter 2: How does he plan to “win”? What’s that story?

    How’s this for a spicy thriller: ‘Start the Steal’: Trump Once Again Planning to Overturn an Election: Two shadow campaigns are ramping up — one aiming to create a constitutional crisis, the other aiming to prevent one.

    Donald Trump and Mike Johnson just mixed two big lies together: the continued effort by Trump and his allies to convince rank-and-file Republicans that any election they don’t win must be fraudulent is a profound threat to American democracy.

    Bankrolling the Big Lie: the corporations funding the Trump 2024 campaign. Trump Is Now Openly Threatening CEOs Who Don’t Support Him: Donald Trump is warning CEOs to fall in line—or else.

    Groups like True the Vote and Michael Flynn’s America Project want to mobilize thousands of Trump supporters by pushing baseless claims about election fraud—and are rolling out new technology to fast-track their efforts. The Trump campaign says it will deploy thousands of election workers to monitor poll sites.

    ‘Georgia Is Our Laboratory’, says Trump operative, speaking from Inside Trump’s Plan to Rig 2024.

    In the meantime, Roger Stone Touts Plan for Trump Win in Secret Recording: a crush of lawsuits over voting in multiple states to create a shadow war for the 2024 election as Trump and his allies are laying the groundwork to contest potential election loss.

    Does that tell a story? I think it does. But I’m not sure others will.

    Chapter 3: Promises and Threats

    What kind of story do these headlines tell about a second Trump presidency? Particularly one with Speaker Mike Johnson in the House.

    Religious conservatives see opportunities for fresh gains after a series of victories during Trump’s first term.

    Donald Trump’s allies are quietly laying the groundwork to get him to restrict access to contraception if he wins. If you think that’s unlikely, remember Senate Republicans just blocked a bill to protect access to contraception. (They also want to restrict the right to divorce.)

    He also says, “I will ask Congress to pass a bill establishing that the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female—and they are assigned at birth” thus legally detransitioning everyone of every age, and writing intersex people out of legal existence.

    Speaker Mike Johnson’s spiritual journey reveals ties to Christian fundamentalists who support slavery. Johnson’s office won’t say where he stands on that issue.

    Donald Trump shares stage with rightwing activist who’s discussing stoning gay people to death

    Speaker Johnson wrote foreword for book filled with conspiracy theories and homophobic insults.

    Trump vows to be ‘side by side’ with group that wants abortion ‘eradicated’ – which is particularly telling given that Post-Dobbs, Abortion Bans Have Given Abusers a New Power. Trump also Indicates He Would Back a 15-Week Federal Abortion Ban

    In all, Project 2025’s 180-Day Playbook is a remarkably detailed guide to turning the United States into a fascist’s paradise.

    As for dissent?

    Trump Wants to Deport Pro-Palestine Protesters—and GOP Lawmakers Are Filing Bills to Make It Happen.

    Tom Cotton Thinks Protesters May Need To Get ‘Their Skin Ripped Off’ and Sitting Senator publicly incites others to engage in politicized murder of civilians.

    I think that part tells a story just fine.

    Chapter 4: Courts? What courts?

    I have no idea how to make low-info voters care about the courts; like the police, they just tend to assume it’ll be fine for them. But what story does this tell?

    Peering into the Corrupt Court’s Pretensions and Corruption

    The Saga of Clarence Thomas and His Luxury RV

    Sam Alito Clearly Thinks He’s Untouchable

    Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events

    The Republican Party’s man inside the Supreme Court – Justice Samuel Alito brings no vision and no unique insights to his job — other than unrelenting loyalty to the GOP.

    The Roberts Court conservatives erode voting rights protections. Again.

    Justice Alito Caught on Tape Discussing How Battle for America ‘Can’t Be Compromised.’ In a new, secret recording, the Supreme Court justice says he “agrees” that the U.S. should return to a place of godliness. Meanwhile, his wife Martha-Ann Alito Condemns Pride Flags, the Left, and the Media – but none of them will ever recuse.

    Chapter 5: Once In Office

    Donald Trump Says Local Police Will Play Key Role In His Mass Deportation Plan – he would give officers immunity to carry out his plan. Unlike in 2016, they’re openly stating they plan to build and use concentration camps. I don’t know how you get to a bigger fascist flag than that, but wait, there’s more:

    Conservative-backed group is creating a list of federal workers it suspects could resist Trump plans. “I Want To See Lists of Which Democrats Are Going to Prison.”

    Trump Lawyer Says Having Political Rival Killed Could Constitute ‘Official’ Presidential Act – and thus, be immune from prosecution. I remind you, he actually specifically argued this to the Supreme Court.

    I remind you also that he’s repeatedly talked about a third term, Constitution be damned.

    How Far Would Trump Go? As far as he can get away with. Last Week Tonight says Trump’s Second Term would be a clear example of one thing – What American Fascism Would Look Like

    What kind of story does that tell you?

    It tells me that we have a very big story to tell, with 130 days left in which to do it.

    Best get on the job.

    We’ve got a lot to say.

    [link] #politics #USPol #fascism #fascismWatch #politics #uspol #uspolitics

    #fascism #fascismwatch #politics #uspol #uspolitics
  28. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    This is important: low information voters, redux

    I don’t normally re-boost my own posts here, but this time, the fascist disinformation machine threw something out that so perfectly highlights the problem I wrote about just a couple of days ago that I can’t not put it out there again.

    There’s a video being pushed – hard – by right-wing disinformation activists and by large right-wing media that supposedly shows President Biden “wandering off” into a field at G7. This video is a lie. It is intentional disinformation, edited to excise the people he was talking to from the visible frame.

    He was not wandering off. He was congratulating paratroopers who had just completed a demonstration and were folding up their parachutes. Here’s the fuller context.

    This editing was intentional and designed to deceive. It was designed to push the “Biden is senile” narrative, and as one other commentator said today – and I am paraphrasing here – nothing convinces me that Trump is falling apart more than this kind of disinformation. They always project their fears and their weaknesses onto others, and this is probably another example.

    But at the same time – and this is critical:

    Millions of low-information voters hoovered that disinformation shit right up, unquestioned.

    That’s why they must absolutely, positively, be reached. Because without serious intervention, they will fall for this kind of shit literally every. single. time.

    If you have low-info people in your circle, then for the sake of literally everyone, you have got to find a way to get through to them this time around. Show them the video. Show them the other lies. Show them what’s done, how, and why.

    No matter what.

    [link] #politics #USPol #fascism #fascismWatch #politics #uspol #uspolitics

    #fascism #fascismwatch #politics #uspol #uspolitics
  29. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    getting through to low-information voters

    This is one of the best sentences I’ve read about the rest of this year: Messaging expert Anat Shenker-Osorio explains that victory in November depends on convincing low-information voters that the MAGA threat to democracy is real. That they want to be in charge, regardless of what you have to say about anything, and that they want elections to happen, maybe – but they most certainly do not want them to matter.

    I can’t agree more. The MAGAts want elections only they can win, and the low-information voters desperately – desperately – want to believe that everything is normal and fine and ordinary when it is ever so not. They will and do absolutely both-sides everything, and yes, they’re the people who will believe Trump when he says he made insulin cheaper when it was Biden, and yes, they’re the people who think Biden caused Roe v. Wade to be overturned.

    These are the people we have to find a way to reach, in no small part because the MAGAts rely on them in so many ways, and are always looking for ways to reach them with disinformation. Not just at the national level, but at the local level, too.

    Just for one example, here’s Sinclair Broadcasting pushing another faux “local” story onto every local TV station they own, this one a hit piece on Joe Biden. They do this regularly and will do more of them, particularly as the election approaches.

    These are disinformation pieces with scripts sent to each local station with orders to produce them as “local” stories, but in reality, they are centrally coordinated propaganda campaigns.

    I don’t normally edit to add in an essay like this, but I am; today, June 14th, rightist media across the board pushed a disinformation video claiming President Biden wandered off into a field at the G7. This is a lie. The video is deceptively edited, and cropped to hide the paratroopers he was talking to, and the parachuting demonstration they had just completed. Here is a more complete video. This was done knowingly, with intent to deceive, but that doesn’t stop millions of people from accepting the lie without question.

    Low information voters have no idea that this is happening. None. They’ll catch “joe biden so old and feeble isn’t it worrying” and integrate it without much of a thought while waiting for Wheel of Fortune to come on. And as much as that sounds like a slam, it’s not; the local Sinclair station literally drops these things in before Wheel of Fortune.

    Because they know how that works.

    Another example are the new crop of disinformation websites that have gone up posing as local news, funded by “dark money” sources, particularly in swing states, where they outnumber actual newspapers. These are, naturally, honeypots, and they overwhelmingly – overwhelmingly – lean hard right.

    So since we’re talking about state and local propaganda and state and local disinformation and state and local low-info voters, let’s turn to actual state-level Republican actions across the country. Let’s talk about what they’re doing with power, things “low information” voters don’t know, but might be less likely to tune out reflexively as soon as you bring it up.

    I mean, they’re used to aggressively turning out the national situation. Maybe they’ll pay more attention if it’s closer to home, right?

    The Colorado Republican Party issued a call to burn all Pride flags, complete with a nod to an infamous anti-gay slur. The slur they reference is “God Hates Fags,” and the reference is “God Hates Flags.” They also called LGBT people paedophiles, using the phrase “godless groomers.”

    I want to stress: this isn’t a faction, or a fringe group. It was put out by the state party on their own social media, and it was signed by the party chair, Chairman Dave Williams.

    That’s the kind of reality you have to stress when you talk about this: it’s not fringe groups anymore – not that it ever really was – and it’s not people on the sidelines trying to get attention. It’s entire state parties and their leadership calling for this, and it’s all the state parties.

    Washington State Republicans want to hide the cost of their pro-climate-change anti-health-care-funding tax-cuts-for-the-rich initiatives. So far, happily, they’re failing – but they’re still in court trying to get it done They’re also backing a stealth anti-LGBT initiative they’re calling a Parental Rights Act, as so many other state Republican parties are doing. Read up on “Let’s Go Washington” and their Tim-Eyman-with-a-budget leader, hedge fund manager Brian Heywood.

    Low-information voters will absolutely fall for the “make gas prices cheaper!!” campaigns. It’s a lie, obviously. But most of ’em will fall for it, if we can’t get through to them.

    Virginia Republicans blocked a bill banning police from getting search warrants for menstrual data. This data is already being used elsewhere to try to prosecute women for possible/theoretical abortions, so it’s not just theory, and even if it were – why would you block this if you didn’t want to use it that way?

    Low information voters need to know that yeah, the Christofascists really do mean to follow through on all this, and yeah, it’ll affect them and theirs, not just “other people.”

    Republican North Dakota passed a bill requiring anti-abortion propaganda be shown to elementary school children; several other Republican states are considering similar laws. Not to put too fine a point on it, if you can’t get rid of public schools, you can at least – they feel – turn them into fundamentalist propaganda machines.

    In Republican Arkansas, Arkansas governor says state won’t comply with new federal rules on treatment of trans students, pledging to continue their abuse of trans kids. Republican Oklahoma and Republican Texas are making the same pledges, along with other states.

    MAGAts and Christofascists have a marked fondness for hurting children. I hope that pattern is clear, and that you can make that pattern clear to those who refuse to acknowledge the reality of it.

    In Republican Florida, “Florida’s Anti-Trans Bathroom Law Spurs Harrowing Vigilante Attacks.” That’s absolutely by design; the fundamentalist movement that now jointly controls the Republican Party with the neofascist movement has always thrived on personal violence, and, well, the fascist wing? Of course they want that.

    They’re also banning rainbows. Laugh if you want, but this is literally exactly how Putin started, and how LGBT people are completely illegal in Russia again. And that’s exactly what they want here, and worse.

    In North Carolina, Donald Trump endorsed pastor Mark Burns, who calls for LGBTQ+ executions. Literally death to queers. He’s in a runoff for the Republican nomination for Representative, having made it past the first round.

    Even when I was being handed pamphlets calling for my own death, low-info and even moderate-info voters refused to accept it was serious, even when I had the pamphlet. So this one’s real work.

    Republican Mississippi Passes Bill Allowing Cis People To Sue Over Trans Bathroom Usage. They’re targeting trans people in general, of course, but in particular college students. And yes, the governor did sign it, according to LegiScan.

    Republican Idaho passed a “Book Bounty” bill allowing anyone to sue a library for any material that their 1972(!) law considers “harmful to minors,” including – naturally – any reference to LGBTQ characters. As a result, many libraries are trying to figure out how they can operate, and some have barred anyone under the age of 18.

    This is, of course, exactly what the Christofascists want. The next step will be to close those libraries. Low-information voters don’t want to think anything like libraries can actually change, so this might be a good one, in that “it already is changing” way.

    In Republican Texas: “Texas professors sue Biden for the right to discriminate against trans students. They also want to fire teaching assistants over abortion history” Yes, they want to be able to fire TAs if they had abortions at some point in their lives, and they want to be able to fail trans students for being trans. See also this horror show.

    One repeated cry of the low-information voter is “they don’t really mean it” and “they won’t really do it.” They do mean it, and they are doing it, and you will not be an exception. We have to communicate that, and we have to make it stick.

    So let’s close on a few examples of the national attacks on the Republic being brought down to the state level.

    Pennsylvania Republicans – or a bunch of them – jeered and booed officers who defended the Capitol building on January 6th. This tells you whose side they were – and still are – on.

    Back in Republican Texas, Texas’ Attorney General Ken Paxton Is Increasingly Using Consumer Protection Laws to Pursue Political Targets. Again, not a fringe figure, a statewide leader. When Republicans talk about “weaponising the justice system,” they know what they’re talking about because they’ve already been doing it. We’ll talk about that more in an article later, that focuses on the Federal level.

    Finally – and again in Republican Texas – the GOP have learned from their loss of gerrymandering in Wisconsin, and want to set up an in-state Electoral College to break voter equality and insure they cannot lose elections, like Hungary and Russia on a state scale.

    The idea is to change elections so that you cannot win a statewide vote without carrying the majority of counties, which will make extremely Republican counties of a few hundred people have the same voting weight as millions of people in San Antonio, diluting Democratic votes by tens of thousands of times.

    In the most extreme case, the votes of 4.8 million people in Harris County, Texas will count exactly the same as the votes of 43 fine residents of Loving County, making one (1) Loving County vote count exactly the same as 112,000 votes in Harris.

    The number of people voting won’t matter, and that’s what they want.

    Again, to stress the reality: this is not a fringe group, this is the platform of the Texas Republican Party. Not of a faction: of the whole.

    As one commentator I know likes to say, “they don’t want to represent you, they want to rule you,” and that’s what we have to get through to the low-info voter.

    The Republican Party do not want to represent, they want to rule.

    And that’s what we have to get the low-information voter to understand.

    [link] #politics #USPol #fascism #fascismWatch #politics #uspolitics

    #fascism #fascismwatch #politics #uspolitics
  30. Solarbird :flag_cascadia: @[email protected] ·
    CW: Fascism Watch 4 of 4 for 18 March 2024: the pot-pourri edition

    I've got four (count 'em four) clearing-out-the-backlog Fascism Watch updates today. I'll be honest, it's not my best work, but it had to be done.

    Fourth update today is the pot-pourri edition, including:

    * MAGA Republicans intend to make climate change as much worse as possible
    * Elon Musk keeps spreading a very specific kind of racism
    * Charlie Kirk and Turning Point's plans to attempt to discredit MLK Jr and end Civil Rights
    * A fairly healthy disinformation section, mostly Russian but not just
    * The Party of Plague is still a Party of Plague

    That and too much more:

    solarbird.net/blog/2024/03/18/

    #FascismWatch #uspolitics #politics #uspol

    #fascismwatch #uspolitics #politics #uspol
  31. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    and that’s it, i’m out (of twitter)

    I’ve made a scene at the party and posted my angry goodbye to Twitter.

    —–

    Well, this is it.

    I’m done. Most of you aren’t. If you’ve decided to stay, you’ve decided you’re okay with drinking in a Nazi bar, and you’ll stay until you can’t.

    You’ve also given Elon’s advertisers the green light. They know they can stay, too. Which is what he wanted.

    —–

    I mean, if the owner tweeting Hitler memes while banning lefties and onboarding nazis who call for genocide and mass rape of women doesn’t do it, nothing will. Least of all trifles like worker barracks.

    That’s not “fine.” I’m not going to tell you that’s fine, because it’s not.

    —–

    If you don’t have some kind of transition plan telling followers, “I’m leaving in N days, go follow me here,” then what you’re doing is telling Elon _this is okay_. Not that you _like_ it, but that… you can live with it.

    —–

    And, once again, your queer and Jewish and BIPOC friends have to figure out how to live with _that_.

    —–

    You’re not “fighting back.” Sorry. That’s bullshit.

    It was viable before, if barely. I stayed this long to use my tiny voice to shove the algorithm around, just that little bit. With mentions, with tags, with lots of @ usage – something very few people actually did.

    —–

    But the new owner loves the fash and is weaponising the place, using confidential data, private files, disinformation – and if you think he _won’t_ slam the algorithm around, you’re out of your goddamn mind. Shaping it is not an option when the owner locks in the outcome.

    —–

    All you do by staying is tell Elon his plan is working.

    You’re telling advertisers they still have your eyes. That you won’t leave. That they can safely advertise next to nazis, because they’re also advertising to you. You’ll still be here.

    —–

    You’re saying that you’ll sit at the table with Nazis. On the other side, sure… but at the table. That it’s… acceptable. That it’s _tolerable_ in civil society.

    Push comes to shove, you’ll live with it, as long as the food’s good enough. And clearly, it is.

    —–

    I’m not surprised. Most of you kept eating those damned chicken sandwiches too. But that doesn’t make it okay.

    Your queer and Jewish and BIPOC friends are not okay. We’re really not.

    But Elon and his fash friends – _they’re_ okay.

    —–

    After all, this is what the fascists want. It’s what the Russians want too – them, and their hate-pushing botnets. In the end, it’s even what Elon wants:

    To normalise fascism.

    And for you to go along.

    —–

    Complaining, maybe. Howling, even. They like that. They like causing pain and generating traffic and this does both, all while normalising fascism.

    And it’s working, because you’re staying here, and helping.

    —–

    And having made my horrible scene at the party – don’t bother replying. Not here, certainly.

    You know where to find me.

    I’m out.

    —– not posted, couldn’t work it in really —–

    (Once upon a time, I’d’ve said fascist twitter was something Elon would accept, rather than what he wants. But now that he’s taking ban orders from Andy Ngo, I think it’s what he wants.)

    #fascismWatch #t0000000000bs_ #takeThatIneternets

    #fascismwatch #t0000000000bs_ #takethatineternets
  32. Eva Chanda @[email protected] ·

    The Brownshirts are busy... making bomb threats to shut down libraries. #FascismWatch #LibrariesMatter #SaveLibraries
    themarysue.com/bomb-threats-at

    #fascismwatch #librariesmatter #savelibraries
  33. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for 8 September 2023: the I Have Notes edition

    To get out of the way, here’s an update on schools: Pennsylvania school district requires social studies classes to incorporate right-wing propaganda. It’s mostly of interest because it’s not PragerU but another one of the factions. It’s not really the lead story in terms of importance or anything, but it doesn’t fit into the flow anywhere, […]

    [link] #politics #uspol

    #fascismwatch #t0000000000bs
  34. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for 6 September 2023: the No Rest for the Weary or the Wicked Edition

    No time to rest, I’m afraid. But that’s part the fascist “flood the zone with shit” tactic set for you.

    Mainstream media is just barely starting to wake up to the reality that KOSA is intended to ban LGBT – particularly T – related material, with NBC finally stumbling across Marsha Blackburn’s straight-up staying that’s […]

    [link] #politics #uspol

    #fascismwatch #t0000000000bs
  35. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch Catch-Up for 5 November 2023, Part 2: The Wrap-Up Edition

    This is a bit of a miscellanea post, everything else that I couldn’t wedge into parts one through five.

    More on Mr. Radical Free Speech’s attempt to silence criticism though lawsuit: When we held up a mirror to Elon Musk’s Twitter/X he tried to sue us into silence. But I remind you he did reinstate a far-right user who posted child-torture sexual-abuse […]

    [link] #politics #uspol

    #fascismwatch #t0000000000bs
  36. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for 5 September 2023: the Gods Help Us edition

    Welcome to Fascism Watch Catch Up, Part 5: the Gods Help Us edition.

    Let’s start with climate. Let’s start with carbon dioxide in particular. Let’s start with the Republican plan to end renewable energy, drill baby drill, and throw as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as possible as soon as possible. Let’s talk rolling […]

    [link] #news #politics #uspol

    #fascismwatch #t0000000000bs
  37. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch Special Edition: Elon Musk doesn’t just recruit fascists to Twitter, HE PAYS THEM.

    I’m making this separate because we are so far past excuses: Elon Musk pays fascists, misogynists, and alt-right activists of all sorts to be active on Twitter. He pays them THOUSANDS to TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. He does so openly. It is not in contention.

    If you are active on Twitter, YOU ARE HELPING HIM PAY FASCISTS.

    Twitter is now […]

    [link] #politics #sociality #uspol

    #fascismwatch #politics #t0000000000bs
  38. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for 7 July 2023: the Kill All the Queers edition

    Let’s start with the Moms for Liberty cult. I want to stress that they are a cult. I’ve seen these before, it’s the standard fundamentalist authoritarian system of raising this particular kind of “mom” group, going back decades. This one’s bigger because it’s got more financing than they normally allow.

    That […]

    [link] #politics #sociality #uspol

    #fascismwatch #politics #t0000000000bs
  39. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for 25 June 2023: the Wait What and the Party of Lies edition

    Leading again with some good news: Florida’s anti-drag law is likely unconstitutional, federal judge rules. The judge striking down Arkansas’s law against trans health care ruled heavily on the actual facts, correctly finding the anti-trans fundamentalist propaganda of cardboard science groups like the American College of Paediatrics meritless. The Advocate […]

    [link] #politics #uspol

    #fascismwatch #t0000000000bs
  40. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for 22 June 2023: the “Cis is a Slur” and Queer Despair edition

    Let’s start with the short list of good news: Arkansas’s ban on gender-affirming care has been at least temporarily struck down by a Federal judge. Florida’s similar ban relating to Medicare funding and care has been struck down outright, though I’m sure Florida will appeal. Also – on technical grounds involving standing to sue – the […]

    [link] #medicine #politics #sociality #uspol

    #fascismwatch #science #t0000000000bs
  41. solarbird @[email protected] ·

    Fascism Watch for June 20th, 2023: the Stop Pretending You Can Fight Back on Twitter edition

    Musk is dipping again into anti-vaccination conspiracy theory, promoting anti vaccine conspiracy theories while bullying a famous scientist/physician who helped create a patent-free Covid vaccine. Because of course he is.

    Musk Twitter is also in particular not only enabling real-world violence, not only doing it more than any of the other major social media […]

    [link] #politics #sociality #uspol

    #fascismwatch #politics #t0000000000bs