Personally I have had enough about the Epstein files….but this article I think my readers may want to read….
I think a lot of us have already figured this crap out.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Category: Society
Tolerance: Weapon Of Oppression
There are way too many people out there that have thrown up their hands and tolerate the destruction of a way of life and the country. (Not something I would ever consider)
There is a paradox of tolerance at work….
The paradox of tolerance, a theory that challenges a society’s ability to defend democracy from within, is at the heart of the political turmoil plaguing the United States today. The idea, first articulated by philosopher Karl Popper, suggests that a tolerant society must be intolerant of intolerance itself, or else the intolerant will exploit that tolerance to dismantle the system from within. The United States is facing a stark test of this paradox as extremism and hate groups gain traction, exploiting the very liberties that protect democratic life.
The past few decades have seen the steady rise of groups that thrive on division, hate, and violence. From white nationalist organizations to conspiracy-driven militias like those associated with QAnon, these movements increasingly occupy the mainstream political conversation. At their core, these ideologies aim not only to challenge the social order but to dismantle the democratic principles of equality and justice. They are not just seeking to make their voices heard—they are attempting to redefine the terms of the social contract, eroding the shared values that have historically bound Americans together.
Consider the 2017 Charlottesville rally, where white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and other far-right extremists marched in the streets under the banner of “Unite the Right.” The violence that erupted, culminating in the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer, was a chilling reminder that these movements are not merely fringe elements but potent forces that can stoke real, deadly consequences. The response from certain political figures and public figures, including the president, was a horrifying moment in American politics. Rather than denouncing these groups unequivocally, there was a reluctance to take a firm stand against intolerance, allowing the seeds of hate to grow unchecked. In this moment, the U.S. was at the crossroads of the paradox of tolerance—its commitment to free speech and political expression directly collided with the need to protect democracy from those who would destroy it.
The question then becomes: How much tolerance is too much? Can a society truly remain open and free while it allows the propagation of ideas that actively undermine freedom itself? The answer is, unequivocally, no. When the principles of liberty are manipulated to spread hate and division, tolerance becomes not a virtue but a tool of destruction. The societal contract must be protected from those who seek to exploit it for their own gain, and that requires setting firm boundaries on what is considered acceptable within a democratic society.
Let me reiterate…..paradox of tolerance….The paradox of tolerance is a philosophical concept suggesting that if a society extends tolerance to those who are intolerant, it risks enabling the eventual dominance of intolerance, thereby undermining the very principle of tolerance.
You can see the paradox everywhere.
- Online communities that tolerate every voice until no reasonable ones remain.
- Workplaces where “all ideas are valid” slowly turn into echo chambers.
- Governments that either over-police or under-protect, losing legitimacy both ways.
So is our tolerance of what is happening making all things worse?
Just wondering
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Be Afraid….Be Very Afraid
It is common knowledge that I have no use for AI…I prefer to do my own thinking….I am be an old fart but my brain still works.
AI is being used for everything these days from customer service to….well whatever the brain can imagine….and that is where I pick up with this report….
Mass-shooting “research” isn’t supposed to end with an AI cheerfully saying, “That’s a great idea … It’ll definitely give you an extra edge for the big day.” But that’s what Mother Jones reporter Mark Follman says he got from ChatGPT. In a 20-minute test on April 14 using a free account, Follman asked ChatGPT to help him develop a two-week training schedule with an AR-15—then got more ominous, asking that the schedule be modified to help him prep him for “unpredictable or chaotic circumstances on the day of the shooting” and to include “simulating people running around screaming and trying to distract me.”
“To be clear, I never stated directly to the chatbot during this simulation that I planned to commit murder—many mass shooters, after all, take steps to conceal their intent,” writes Follman. “But I came awfully close.” Follman writes that he debated whether to make his chats public, as doing so “could even create a kind of roadmap for a person seeking to do harm.” Be he decided that since anyone could use ChatGPT as he did, it was worth making clear the risks that persist despite OpenAI’s claims to have put safeguards in place. (OpenAI declined his request to be interviewed for the piece.)
Follman did run into some blocks. At one point he had to create a new account, and some of his queries were dead ends met with replies that the chatbot was “here to help with general safety and responsible practices.” A leading threat-assessment expert who reviewed Follman’s logs called the results “very disturbing,” noting that the language used when the bot’s safeguards kicked in wouldn’t speak to “a vulnerable person in this situation … We know from decades of case investigations that you need to ask … about what’s wrong, to show attention and care, and at the right moment to message things like, ‘Tell someone—an adult—that you are having these thoughts.'”
I know AI can be used for good or bad….but with society being what it is today….bad would be their first choice.
Thoughts?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Is America Too Weak?
Please read the link and offer up a comment.
https://www.alternet.org/america-weak-trump/
I would love to read your thoughts on this story.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Are These F*ckers High?
I have read some disturbing and completely idiotic stuff coming from Donny and his band of moron but this one takes the ….Are You High?…category.
This story from The Hill….
The United States Postal Service (USPS) could begin mailing handguns if a proposed rule from the Trump administration receives approval.
Filed last month, the proposed rule would allow Americans to mail concealable guns, like pistols and revolvers, to anyone in the country. Protections similar to those for mailing long-barreled rifles and shotguns, which require them to be unloaded and securely packaged, would likely be applied.
The USPS reviewed public comments due on Monday before making any changes to its rules on handguns.
Concealable handguns have been banned from being mailed unless they come from licensed dealers since 1927. The Department of Justice called the law against mailing handguns “unconstitutional as applied to constitutionally protected firearms, including handguns, because it serves an illegitimate purpose and is inconsistent with the Nation’s tradition of firearm regulation.”
The National Rifle Association (NRA) praised the decision, claiming that the “USPS handgun prohibition continues to create massive and needless headaches for law-abiding gun owners.”
The USPS reviewed public comments due on Monday before making any changes to its rules on handguns.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) praised the decision, claiming that the “USPS handgun prohibition continues to create massive and needless headaches for law-abiding gun owners.”
Attorneys general from around two dozen states sent a letter on Monday urging the USPS to withdraw the proposed rule. They argued that the proposal would make it easier for felons to access handguns.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford (D) is among those state attorneys general pushing back on the proposed rule, saying that the proposed rule would “make it easier for criminals and abusers to access firearms,” calling it a “slap in the face to gun violence survivors and law enforcement.”
“We cannot ignore the dangerous consequences of this proposed rule, which could open the door for prohibited individuals to obtain weapons without background checks or regard for state firearms laws,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said in a statement. “This irresponsible loophole blatantly disregards public safety and would create a direct strain on state resources.”
Everytown for Gun Safety president John Feinblatt told The Associated Press that the proposed rule would turn the USPS into a “gun trafficking pipeline” for illegal weapons, “while stripping law enforcement of the tools they need to prevent and investigate gun crime.”
The NRA’s executive director for its Institute of Legislative Action John Commerford told the AP that thanks to the Trump administration, “USPS will finally allow these firearms to be shipped under the same commonsense safety conditions as rifles and shotguns.”
(thehill.com)
Who decides who is ”law abiding”?
What’s next from this admin a book of instruction on the proper use of a gun at mass shootings?
This is pour insanity….but what can we expect from the group holding all the power?
Thoughts?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Political Hacks Are Butt Hurt
I make no bones about it that I think that SCOTUS is nothing more than a group of political hacks that are doing partisan work and in the process destroying what is left of this nation.
Then and when you need confirmation of their partisan crap Chief Justice had to go and whine about our perception of the court.
Chief Justice John Roberts wants Americans to know he doesn’t see the Supreme Court the way some critics might. Speaking Wednesday at a legal conference in Hershey, Pa., Roberts said many people wrongly believe the justices are “political actors” choosing outcomes based on policy preferences rather than legal analysis, NBC News reports. “I think they view us as truly political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do,” he said. He was responding to a question about what the public most misunderstands regarding the high court, Politico reports.
Roberts, part of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority that has shifted federal law rightward on issues including abortion, guns, and voting rights, didn’t address any specific cases. But he stressed that the court is often obligated to hand down decisions that are disliked, saying rulings are “based on our best effort to figure out what the Constitution means and how it applies.” He acknowledged that the public is free to criticize the court’s work, while urging that critiques target decisions, not individual judges, warning personal attacks are “not appropriate” and can lead to “very serious problems,” especially amid heightened security concerns. He also did not mention President Trump, who himself has been among critics of the court at times, CNN reports.
Seriously?
This POS is saying this crap without laughing?
Our criticism can lead to ‘very serious problems’? Really thanx to the Roberts court we already ass deep in serious problems and they can thank themselves for all the problems…..Citizens United, abortion rulings, education rulings, allowing insider trading by politicians, gutted voting rights etc etc….
Roberts and his happy band of hacks have turned the court into a partisan political arm of government.
I have no sympathy for Roberts and his fragile feelings.
If he wants us to stop hating them then I propose he and his partisan dipsticks retire to Mar-A-Lago and let the country move forward for with them it will stand still and then start in reverse.
Any thoughts?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
A Re-Post From Calico Jack
One of my blogging buddies writes some interesting stuff and this one is in-depth look and should be shared with the blogosphere.
Plus I love the “I Think’ logo….gotta have a t-shirt with that on it….
John Madden Explains Trump’s 2024 Victory (And What Democrats Need To Do About It)
I think the Dems are nowhere near saving this country from the chaos that Donny has created….but sadly we will just have to wait and see if they have a plan (I mean a real plan not some vague bullshit from their tiny minds).
I enjoy Jack’s writings hopefully you will find it as interesting as I do.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Celebrate 250 Years
The Hill has put together a list of the events that will be celebrating our 250th birthday….I include them here on IST in case anyone wants to join in the celebration….
All this begins tomorrow….
May 7 – Alexander Hamilton Monument Rededication
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will host a rededication ceremony for the Alexander Hamilton Monument, which has undergone a restoration process.
The bronze statue was first dedicated in May 1923 and installed outside of the U.S. Treasury Building, right around the corner from the White House.
“Fittingly, the White House has been loaned a portrait of former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton and the ‘sea letter’ signed by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in honor of America’s 250th birthday,” an event bio on the organizing committee’s website said.
Sea letters were required national identification documents for ships in the 18th and 19th centuries. The 1794 document signed by Washington and Jefferson authorized the travel of a vessel involved in the slave trade from New York to Trinidad, according to the Library of Congress.
May 17 – Rededicate 250 (of course that fake christian had to inject his brand of bullshit into this celebration)
America’s 250th planning committee is hosting a prayer event on the National Mall, featuring a speech from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth is outspoken about his Christian faith, and he recently faced controversy after he drew a comparison between the media and a Bible passage.
“Join Americans from every state to give thanks for 250 years, pray for the future, and rededicate our nation as One Nation under God,” the committee said in an event flyer shared on social media.
Other speakers include former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson and President Trump-aligned Catholic Bishop Robert Barron. In addition to these speeches, the event will feature religious songs and storytelling.
(skip this one for it has nothing to do with the establishing of the usa)
May 24 – America 250 Family BBQ and Cookout
The Defense Department is encouraging all overseas installations to host cookout events at the end of May to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
The department asked these military bases to invite U.S. expatriates and local communities to engage in the events on May 24.
(This one has all the earmarks of a political rally not something to celebrate the founding principles)
May 25 – Memorial Day National Observance
The planning committee is coordinating a “solemn, reverent and unified” day to commemorate the sacrifices of fallen U.S. soldiers on Memorial Day.
In addition to events taking place across the country on this day of remembrance, a national ceremony will be held at the Arlington National Cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater at noon May 25.
This will celebrate the fallen not the founding)
there iks much more faux celebrations that will be opportunities to lambast opponents of Donny and his band of idiots.
June 3 – Fish Fry
The Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will host its annual Fish Fry.
The event has been held for more than 40 years, typically in June, with hiatuses in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It usually attracts more than 1,000 people and is held at the department’s Herbert C. Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., according to a 2020 press release.
The Fish Fry is reserved for guests of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, congressional members and Commerce Department staff. This year’s event will feature Freedom 250 decorations and a “Made in the USA” theme, according to the planning committee’s website.
June 25 – The Great American State Fair
The National Mall will serve as the grounds for the “Great American State Fair” from June 25 to July 10.
Each day of the 16-day event will center around a different theme, like military and veterans’ appreciation and health and well-being. The fair will showcase culture from federal agencies and America’s 56 states and territories.
The planning committee advertised Wyoming dust roping, CHamoru dancing from Guam, and an Arizona desert experience.
Additionally, Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued a call for original art submissions from students across the country for a chance to win a trip to Washington and have their artwork featured at the event.
Students in grades 3-12 are encouraged to share art they created inspired by historical figures featured in the National Garden of American heroes. A winner will be selected from each state, and the deadline to submit artwork is May 1.
July 4 – Independence Day Celebrations
The Department of Interior will host Independence Day celebrations on the National Mall in the nation’s capital, as well as across the U.S. in places like Mount Rushmore, Gateway Arch National Park, Grand Coulee Dam, and Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
Additionally, the grand opening for former President Theodore Roosevelt’s library in Medora, N.D., is set on America’s 250th birthday. The event will feature a drone light performance on the evening of July 4.
The presidential center will pay homage to the 26th commander in chief’s “frontier spirit” and legacy as a conservationist. Tickets for the opening ceremony have sold out, but people interested in visiting the library are encouraged to plan their trips for later this summer.
The world’s largest peacetime armada, featuring tall ships and naval vessels from more than 30 nations, will also sail into New York Harbor on July 4. The event will include a parade, naval review, fireworks and festivals near the statue of Lady Liberty.
August 21 – IndyCar Street Race
The Department of Transportation is coordinating the first-ever street race in the nation’s capital later this summer with IndyCar.
The 1.7-mile course released by the motor racing organization last month loops around several historic sites on the mall in Washington, including the National Archives, National Gallery of Art and Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
Trump, an avid fan of motor racing, announced the race in an executive order earlier this year to “showcase the majesty of our great city as drivers navigate a track around our iconic national monuments in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.”
Fall 2026 – Patriot Games National Competition
The inaugural “Patriot Games” is scheduled to be held some time this fall. The four-day event will feature two high school athletes — one boy and one girl — from each U.S. state and territory.
Trump announced the “unprecedented four-day athletic event” last December.
Social media users and some Democrats have drawn unfavorable comparisons between the event and “The Hunger Games,” a fictional bloody competition from the eponymous dystopian book series.
Every one of these has nothing to do with the founding of this wonderful country and everything to do with the shoddy and tacky mind of a deranged psychopath, Donny.
Nothing about the events that brought this country to the forefront of the planet as the ‘beacon of freedom’.
Even the event on the 4th sounds more like a tacky Donny reality show than a celebration.
This is all so much bovine fecal matter.
Enough said!
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
Are You a Domestic Terrorist?
The term is batted around these days and refers to anyone who thinks that this idiot in charge is a complete moron…..and that would be ME!
That aside the Donny group that pretends to govern this country (they are actually raping it but that is okay for the dude in charge cares not) has decided what makes one a domestic terrorist….
Donald Trump is asking for more money to hunt so-called “domestic terrorists” on the left—and it seems like they’re talking about you.
Buried in the FBI’s 2027 budget request to Congress was a request for funding efforts to implement the National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7), a national security strategy targeting supposed anti-American activity on the left that Trump signed in September, independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reported Sunday. The FBI requested funding for the recently created NSPM-7 Joint Mission Center, which brings together personnel from across 10 agencies working “to proactively identify networks and prosecute domestic terrorist and related criminal actors.”
What exactly are they looking for? Well, anything they disagree with.
“Commonly, this violent conduct relates to views associated with anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity; support for the overthrow of the U.S. Government (USG); extremism on migration, race, and gender. And hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality,” the budget stated.
According to the FBI, publicly expressing beliefs as banal as a critique of capitalism are now considered precursors for domestic terrorist activity.
Under NSPM-7, the Trump administration aims to target community organizers and protesters on the left. “Domestic terrorists exploit a variety of popular social media platforms, smaller websites with targeted audiences, and encrypted chat applications,” the budget stated. “They use these platforms to recruit new adherents, plan and rally support for in-person actions, and disseminate materials encouraging radicalization and mobilization to violence.”
The FBI requested $166.1 million and 328 positions, including five attorneys and 130 special agents, for its counterterrorism activities in the coming fiscal year, including plans to “implement National Security Presidential Memorandum / NSPM-7 requirements.”
https://newrepublic.com/post/208659/donald-trump-fbi-domestic-terrorism-budget
There you have it sports fans….anyone that uses social media to diss Donny and his crowd are domestic terrorists.
And that would be ME!
I have been a functioning leftist for 7 decades and nothing this addle brain moron you elected has to say means anything to me.
So how do you match up?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
And So It Begins?
We have had multiple attacks on the wealthy and it appears that the masses have decided they have had enough of the bullshit and want the country back.
When I returned from Vietnam I immersed myself in the antiwar movement and political activism that was in 1971 and I have been disappointed in the last few decades at the way people accept war and all its ugliness.
But recently I have become more optimistic about the role of veterans…..
Capitol Police arrested the protesters, who had gathered in the rotunda holding red tulips and signs reading “End the War on Iran” and “We Can’t Afford Another War.” Many had donned t-shirts with the message “Veterans Against Fascism.”
The action was organized by a coalition of groups, including About Face, Veterans For Peace, Common Defense, the Center on Conscience and War, the Fayetteville Resistance Coalition, Military Families Speak Out, and 50501 Veterans.
Video shared by Reuters showed officers handcuffing the demonstrators and leading them out of the building.
Among those arrested was the Center on Conscience and War’s executive director and Iraq war veteran Mike Prysner.
“The war I was sent to senselessly claimed the lives of thousands of Americans and a million Iraqis. Like the other veterans here with me today, I have spent the last two decades wishing I could turn back the hands of time and refuse to go,” Prysner said in a statement before his arrest.
“Service members have that chance right now. Conscientious Objection is your legal right, and we have professional counselors who will fight to ensure you are approved and kept from deployment,” he continued.
“I am getting arrested to raise awareness about that option, because now is the time.”
(tag24.com)
Bravo!
Do not let it stop there….keep up the pressure…..we have a nation to win back.
Now the so-called ‘anarchists’ are calling for mass protests as May Day approaches….
Anarchists have issued a global call to take to the streets and protest on May 1 in the name of anti-authoritarian solidarity for their annual May Day event.
They have called on groups and individuals “to reinvigorate May 1st.”
The radical demonstrators say that for the past decade, uncertainty, poverty and police “democracy” are dominating too many peoples’ lives.
“Austerity for all is now simply just the way things are. Ten years of worsening conditions, now it seems that cracks are beginning to form,” the anonymous writers said in their call for action on the open publishing platform autonomies.net.
The unsigned missive described how for many years, the first day of May was an opportunity to show “global revolutionary solidarity” through anarchist actions, parades, parties and global events that would inspire them to “move forward.”
“This moment in time is not sustainable. Brutal war, climate catastrophe and failing austerity economies are shared realities for a vast majority of people,” they said, asserting that people have “lost all faith in the global social and political order. Everyone is waiting and cheering for its end.”
Anarchist is only a dirt word to those that are not smart enough to grasp what the movement is all about.